So here's the scene: Me eating bagels with strawberry cream cheese and avoiding writing the immensely complicated choreographic nightmare that is the battle section (which I've had to rewrite twice).

Me: Mmmm, yummy bagel, ACK! Plot bunnies! With knives!
Plot bunny # 1: Write it!
Me: I don't wanna!
Plot bunny #2: Write it or we'll fill your head with images of Percy in leather trousers!
Me: AGH! All right! No more! Mercy! swallows last bit of bagel

So, here it is with all of its bare and brutal confusing glory, with absolutely no padding or fluff, so stark I had to pile on some fluff at the end for y'll to land on when the drop is over.

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Lupin felt a rush of elation, the Death Eaters were backing down in front of Tonks, they were letting McGonagall go….Then he saw the huge blond Death Eater jump out from behind her as she ran forward.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he howled in triumph, aiming directly at Tonks' back.

Remus lunged forward with an animal growl and tackled the man around the knees, knocking his spell awry. Tonks kept going, but ducked her head, and the spell rebounded off the wall behind the Death Eaters and one of them toppled soundlessly, a look of intense surprise on his ugly face.

"Gibbon!" shrieked a short and surpassingly ugly witch behind the Death Eater that had collapsed. The short pause that their surprise caused gave Tonks enough time to dash around the column where McGonagall was weakly trying to stand upright. Tonks heaved the older woman up by the armpits and proceeded to drag her bodily towards the nearest hide out, the alcove behind the befuddled looking wizard where Bill was hiding. Lupin was still standing out in plain sight, bellowing jinxes and hexes at every Death Eater part he could see, but all the curses flying through the air couldn't possibly have all been coming from him…. As she heaved a stumbling Minerva McGonagall across the room she saw Neville, Luna, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny frantically aiming curses from the doorway across the room from the Death Eaters. For a second she was so relieved to have backup she forgot they were only children and she felt a rush of reassurance strong enough to finally drag the Transfiguration teacher behind the statue.

McGonagall slumped against the wall in relief, and peered around the back of the alcove. She suddenly went stiff.

"Oh dear heavens," she managed, gripping Tonks' arm and pointing into the rear of the alcove.

Bill Weasley lay face down in a widening pool of blood beneath his head, looking very much as if he were dead. Tonks stared in horror at the sight for several seconds before she was able to snap out of it. McGonagall looked as if she was losing her very last marble.

"He can't be… I just heard him shouting…" Tonks snapped back at her, jerking her back into the present.

"Take care of him, keep him out of sight, I need to help the others," she didn't think it was necessary to mention that he was probably dead already, and nothing could save him. What mattered most was not admitting it, not now, not in the middle of a battle. Feeling numb and slow, as if she moved through ice-cold water, Tonks stood up and climbed a little ways up the back of the statue to afford herself some cover and a good vantage point to see the Death Eaters. She could still hear the odd contrast of Lupin's bass, wolfish voice against the higher-pitched sounds of the teenager's spells. Oddly, she noticed at that particular moment that Ron's voice was almost as deep as Lupin's now. Can't think of that, she thought hastily. Not with another Weasley lying (most probably) dead at the foot of the statue she stood on. Finally she found a good spot under the stone wizard's raised left arm to curse from. As far as she could see, the retaliation was almost non-existent. The Death Eaters were pinned down behind a fast-disintegrating shield of tables up-ended between stone columns.

Then she saw a wand flash through the air behind the table and a loud voice, and there was an explosion so huge she was knocked off the statue into the alcove behind. She wondered for a second if she'd gone deaf and blind, her ears were ringing and it was pitch black. She pulled herself out from underneath bits of ceiling and realized that the roof had all but caved in and the magical chandelier was smashed to bits in the rubble. Groping her way backwards she cried out for McGonagall, Lupin, the children, anyone; hoping against hope she wouldn't stumble into the legs of a Death Eater standing over her.

"I'm here, I'm all right," McGonagall said between coughs as they found each other's hands. "Are you all right?"

"Fine I think, where is everyone? Remus! Ron, Ginny, are you there? Are you all right?"

"Are you all right, are you all right?" came a nasty, jeering voice out of the dark. Next second the same voice let out a curse as a well-aimed hex came out of the dark. Tonks smiled grimly. Only Ginny could hex like that in the dark with nothing but sound to judge by. The five friends remained silent though, and Tonks cursed herself for practically asking them to give away their position. All was silent for a second or two, no one was willing to cast Lumos, but just as the hair on the back of her neck began to rise the hexes began to fly again, lighting up the room in a frightening strobe-like light. Tonks caught a glimpse of four of the Death Eaters rushing up the stairs in the half-light, and then she dashed out from her hiding place at the same time as Lupin and the children, rushing forward to hex them. The few remaining Death Eaters (there were surprisingly few of them) seemed to be cowering behind the giant blond one that stood with his feet firmly planted in front of the doorway as he yelled curses.

As the group rushed towards him, he actually faltered a bit, and then smiled a wicked toothy smile that reminded Tonks very uncomfortably of a vampire. He dove away from two terrified Death Eaters cowering around his knees and away from the staircase. Their momentum carried all six of them up and over the demolished table the Death Eaters had been hiding behind, and the two cowardly wizards were stunned and shoved roughly out of the way in short order. In the meanwhile, the blond wizard was trying to take shelter behind the statue where McGonagall was tending to Bill, but several vicious, stinging hex marks had arisen on his face and curses were flying around his head as he beat a swift retreat from the heavy onslaught of the head of Gryffindor House. Soon Tonks could see by the light of the spells that he was pinned down behind the same desk near the stairs that she had first hidden behind, but he showed no signs of running away. In fact, he continued to laugh maniacally in between his howling hexes.

Behind the table, Lupin, Luna, Ginny and Neville were peering anxiously up the staircase as McGonagall, Tonks, Hermione and Ron held the huge Death Eater in his precarious position. Every curse sent another chunk of the desk flying away in splinters, and there was barely enough desk to hide him when it was intact. Lupin was studying the doorway closely with his lit wand. Neville could not stand it any longer.

"They're going to get away! They're going to do something horrible up there, let's GO!" He ran towards the stairs as fast as he could, ignoring Lupin.

"Neville! Wait! DON'T!" But Neville had already reached the foot of the stairs at full speed, and was hurled back just as forcefully by an invisible barrier that stretched and glowed green for a second like an enormous rubber band before he was propelled backwards into the already shattered table.

"NEVILLE!" Hermione screamed in shock. Luna turned and looked even paler in the light of Lupin's still lit wand hovering anxiously over Neville's pasty face. He gasped for air for a few seconds, curled into a ball, and then he finally seemed to be able to breathe. Tonks seized Ron by the shoulder and turned him forcefully back around to help reconstruct the barrier and hold off the huge wizard. Lupin continued to hover over Neville as he uncurled and tried bravely to grin. It was somewhat insincere because his face had turned an odd shade of green. He dragged himself to a sitting position and braced himself against the wall, one hand over his stomach.

"I'll be all right, help them!" he said, jerking his head towards Hermione and Ron. Tonks looked back around at Lupin with concern on her face. He yelled back to her.

"They've blocked the stairs!" He turned towards the dark stairwell. "Reducto! REDUCTO!" No effect. Lupin gnawed his lip in frustration and was about to do a repeat of Neville's disastrous charge when Tonks gave a surprised shout behind him. He whirled just in time to come face to face with Snape, who shoved him roughly aside and dashed up the stairs without a moment's hesitation or word. And without being repelled by the barrier. Lupin stared open-mouthed, unable to comprehend what he had just seen. He was transfixed for just a moment before Tonks grabbed him firmly by the robes and jerked him down a few more inches so that the curse aimed at him sailed over his head.

Frantically, for the next several minutes Lupin worked to bring down the barrier while the children and Tonks fought off the blond wizard. Unfortunately, one of his jinxes ricocheted off the wall and struck one of the paralyzed Death Eaters. The two spells reacted badly, and he became mobile again with a shrieking howl as huge boils erupted all over his legs and hands. No one had expected that, and just as he was stumbling upright and grabbing for his wand, Neville lunged up with a terrible grimace on his face and punched him so hard in the eye he fell back, stunned again. Tonks grinned wildly at Neville, but he had fallen back against the wall, wheezing and clutching his stomach.

McGonagall managed to levitate Bill behind the makeshift wall under the covering fire that Luna, Tonks, Ginny, and Hermione provided. Lupin was cursing and stamping his foot in vexation, Neville appeared to be slipping in and out of consciousness, and Ron had just stopped at the sight of his older brother, his wand dropping from his numb fingers. McGonagall set Bill down and grabbed Ron by the shoulder, forcing him down beside her. She jerked his chin up so he was looking straight in her eyes as they hunched next to Bill's prone form.

"Weasley. You can fight or you can help me heal him, but standing there and pretending to be a bull's eye will not help him!" Ron snapped out of it quickly and did the best he could with the simple healing spells he knew to try and stop the blood running from his brother's body.

And then things got even more confusing. Tonks could have sworn at that moment that Death Eaters suddenly flooded the room, even though it was only the three that had escaped up the stairs, Snape, and Malfoy.
"It's over! Time to go!" Snape shouted at the top of his lungs as he strode across the room, towing Draco in his wake as if he'd been tethered to him. Miraculously, they weren't hit by any curses, perhaps because the stunned group behind the barricade couldn't possibly fathom what he meant.

Ginny faced the four Death Eaters that had suddenly appeared behind them with horror, and she caught a glimpse of Draco's frightened face from behind Snape as she joined the others in a fight for her life. Fenrir and the two stumpy Death Eaters had flung themselves at them, and they were forced to let Tonks battle the blond Death Eater by herself.

Suddenly, only adding to the confusion but lifting Ginny's heart up into her mouth, Harry came running down the stairs with a crazed expression on his face. There was no time to stare though, the short lumpy man threw the Cruciatus Curse at her, cackling madly and muttering something she couldn't hear. She heard Harry shouting, Fenrir attacked him, he was going to die, he was going to be bitten…. But Harry fought him off and stunned him and ran after Ginny.

"Impedimenta!" She heard Harry yell at the top of his lungs and the man chasing her toppled to the ground with a squeal and hit the wall. He struggled upright, and sped off down the stairs, the short woman hard on his heels. Ginny rushed towards him, overwhelmingly glad to see him alive.

"Harry, where did you come from?" she cried, but Harry was not looking at her, he was wildly looking towards the stairs Snape had gone down. Then he ran forward without another word, tripped over Neville, got back to his feet and took off again after Snape and Malfoy, pausing only to strike the blond Death Eater in the face with a curse. Luckily for the desperate group, the huge man turned and fled before Harry after Snape. Feeling helpless and desperate, Ginny looked from her injured brother and back towards the hallway, and finally turned miserably back towards what was left of the battle.

There were four left in the room, but none of them were moving. Fenrir and a tall, angular faced man still lay paralyzed on the floor, and the Death Eater Neville had hit in the eye was moaning slightly and trying to move. No one seemed to want to touch the Death Eater that the blond wizard's curse had struck, everyone moved around him and avoided him. Several more Aurors had finally discovered the wreckage-strewn classroom that they were in, and more than one of them turned pale at the sight of Bill lying on the floor.

Ginny, Ron, and McGonagall knelt beside him, doing everything they could to make sure he was still alive and the bleeding had stopped. His face was badly mangled. Fenrir had nearly torn open his throat, but then by itself none of the injuries seemed life-threatening. Luna was helping Neville to his feet, his face ashen, while Tonks and Lupin moved around the room with the other Aurors helping to secure the remaining Death Eaters. Every once in a while Lupin cast a quick glance at Tonks, which no one seemed to notice.

Eventually McGonagall thought it was safe enough to move Bill, and she and Ron levitated his very still body down to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey met them at the door, distraught and frantic.

"I wanted to go, I wanted to go find someone, but what if someone was hurt? What if someone came here needing help while I was gone?" She hastily moved around Bill, inspecting the damage and shuffling handfuls of ointments. Ginny thought she looked close to tears and much more vulnerable and upset than her normal forbidding self.

McGonagall stood staring sadly at Bill, before slowly turning towards Ron and Ginny who sat stone-faced by his bed.

"I've…. I'll go and get Arthur and Molly…" she said in a small voice, as if it was all she could offer them. Then she turned quickly around and hurried out of the room. Luna and Neville entered shortly after she left, both of them walking slowly and Luna practically carrying Neville.

Ginny looked at her older brother and then back at Madam Pomfrey. The older woman gave her an apologetic look.

"He'll live. He's not…he's not terribly injured. The healing spells don't seem to work on werewolf bites…" She looked frightened at the uncomprehending look on Ginny's face. "There will be some …bad scarring. But he'll be all right." Ginny looked back at her older brother, and Ron continued to stare at him in shocked disbelief. Ginny doubted he had heard anything she said. Suddenly she remembered Harry chasing after Snape and Malfoy.

"Ron." He didn't respond to her for a second, then he looked up, his face terribly empty. "Ron, I've got to find Harry, anything could have happened to him. Look after Bill, I'll be back soon." He nodded slowly, and went back to staring at Bill's mangled face. She got up hesitantly and walked out of the infirmary, past where Luna was quietly talking to Neville as he got settled into a bed somewhat gingerly.

As soon as she left the infirmary, she found the castle flooded with confused, night-gowned students wandering about. She didn't even think of asking them if they had seen Harry, she didn't think of heading back to the Room of Requirement, she just followed the general drift of the crowd that led to the entrance hall. It seemed to take forever to get there, her ears seemed to be ringing, her heart was pounding faster than it had during the battle. She tried to stop herself from shoving people out of her way as she passed the shattered Gryffindor hourglass. She was nearly running as she left the hall and walked out onto the front lawns. The entire grounds were lit with a cold green light, and as she looked upward she saw the Dark Mark hovering above the tower they had fought in. Then she was running, her legs were heavy and numb, she could see people gathered around a figure on the grass below the tower. Her breath caught in her throat and she nearly collapsed in relief when she saw that one of the people crouched next to the still body had dark, messy hair and Hagrid was trying to pull him away.

Then she saw who the body on the ground was and she nearly fainted. She swayed where she stood for a second, then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Harry wasn't leaving, Hagrid couldn't get him to leave Dumbledore's body there on the ground.

"No." He kept repeating over again, woodenly. Ginny stood beside him and took his hand.

"Come on, Harry." She didn't tug him or insist, but he slowly stood and followed her. She led him back up through the hall and towards the Hospital Wing. "We're going to the Hospital Wing," she said quietly.

"I'm not hurt," said Harry in a dull voice.

"It's McGonagall's orders," Ginny lied. "Everyone's up there, Ron and Hermione and Lupin and everyone…"

"Ginny, who else is dead?" Ginny winced at the way he said it.

"Don't worry, none of us."

"But the Dark Mark, Malfoy said he stepped over a body…"

"He stepped over Bill, but it's all right, he's alive." Ginny managed not to burst into hysterical tears.

"Are you sure?"

Are you sure? Are you sure your brother's not dead? No, I just left him without checking to go find your sorry-GINNY! He just had to watch Dumbledore DIE for god's sake! Get a grip! She got a hold of herself.

"Of course I'm sure…he's a — bit of a mess, that's all. Greyback attacked him. Madam Pomfrey says he won't — won't look the same anymore…" Her voice trembled despite herself. "We don't really know what the aftereffects will be — I mean, Greyback being a werewolf but not transformed at the time."

"But the others…There were other bodies on the ground…" That Ginny could talk about.

"Neville and Professor Flitwick are both hurt, but Madam Pomfrey says they'll be all right. And a Death Eater's dead, he got hit by a Killing Curse that the huge blond one was firing off everywhere — Harry if we hadn't had your Felix potion, I think we'd all have been killed, but everything seemed to just miss us —"

Miraculously they had finally reached the infirmary, and Ginny was gladly quiet for a few moments as she went to sit next to Bill again. Neville was asleep in the bed in the corner, and Luna had joined the others. Hermione ran up to Harry and hugged him, and Lupin stood up looking anxious to ask him if he was all right. Ginny tuned out their conversation, until she heard Ron's slightly panicky voice saying something about Dumbledore. She looked over to Harry, who was staring pointedly at the floor. It was her job to say it then. Wonderful.

She looked up at them and said, "Ron, Dumbledore's dead."

Lupin looked as if he'd been stabbed and shouted "No!" before collapsing completely into a chair.

Ginny didn't remember much of the long and wearing retelling of the battle after that, and she was just barely aware of Harry explaining what had happened on top of the tower. She lifted her head slightly when McGonagall returned and told them that her parents were coming.

Molly Weasley immediately ran to her son's bedside, and Mr. Weasley stood beside him looking pale and asked about what would happen to him. But Ginny saw Fleur behind him and moved over to sit next to Harry so she could watch her. She was staring down at Bill, stricken and sad.

Ginny's mother began to cry, trying to hold her hands steady enough to put on the ointment.
"Of course it doesn't matter how he looks," she sobbed. "It's not really important…but he was always a very handsome little boy…" her voice shook. "Always very handsome. And he was going to be married-"

"And what do you mean by zat?" Ginny was staring fixedly at Fleur now with a curious expression on her face. "What do you mean, ''e was going to be married!'" she said even louder.

Mrs. Weasley looked at her, plainly surprised, but Ginny kept her eyes on Fleur, hoping….she wasn't sure what she hoped. Mrs. Weasley stammered out, "Well, only that —"

"You theenk because of these bites, he will not love me?" She looked fierce as Mrs. Weasley began to answer.

"No, that's not what I — "

"Because he will! It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!" She tossed her hair back defiantly and seemed to grow a few inches.

"Well, yes, I'm sure, but I thought perhaps, given how — how he — " Everyone in the room was watching them intently now.

"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps you 'oped?" Ginny winced. "What do I care how 'e looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" she announced fiercely as she pulled the salve out of Mrs. Weasley's hand and began to smooth it on Bill's wounds. Ginny found herself unconsciously holding her breath and let it out tentatively. Everyone else was waiting for Mrs. Weasley to protest, but Ginny was watching the expression on her mother's face and knew she was closer to crying than to shouting. Finally she spoke slowly.

"Our Great-Auntie Muriel has a very beautiful tiara — goblin-made - which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair."

"Thank you. I am sure zat would be lovely." Fleur's bottom lip quivered, and Mrs. Weasley sniffed. Then they were both hugging each other and crying. Ginny stared at them incredulously, but she felt tremendously relieved at the same time. Well, she thought, she makes him happy….
Ron had even come out of his stupor to stare open mouthed at the scene in front of him.

"You see!" Ginny heard from behind her. She turned to see Tonks glaring at Lupin. And suddenly things began to make sense to her. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!" Ginny barely heard Lupin's reply.

"It's different. Bill will not be a full werewolf, the cases are completely —"

"But I don't care either, I don't care! I've told you a million times - " She grabbed his robe and shook him. Ginny and Hermione goggled. Luna looked vaguely amused.

"And I've told you a million times that I am too old for you, too poor, too dangerous." He stared at the floor mumbling. Tonks continued to hold onto his robes and Mrs. Weasley spoke up quietly.

"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus."

"I am not being ridiculous. Tonks deserves somebody young and whole." But now he was looking at Tonks, and she stared back into his eyes, pleadingly. Surprisingly, at least to Ginny, her father spoke next.

"But she wants you, and after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so." He gestured at Bill with an expression so sad Ginny almost cried again. Lupin looked back to the floor.

"This… is not the moment to discuss this. Dumbledore is dead…"

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think there was a little more love in the world," concluded Professor McGonagall firmly as Tonks dropped her hands to her sides looking miserable. Ginny didn't want to look at her face anymore, and looked back to her brother. She squeezed his hand absently. A few moments later, Hagrid came in, and McGonagall took Harry away. The rest of the night was hazy in her memory. In the end she fell asleep in the chair, still holding Bill's hand, and her father must have carried her up to her room, because when she woke the next day she was in her bed.

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As Ginny began to nod off, and the Weasleys and Fleur sat quietly around Bill, Luna wandered discreetly over to visit with Neville, who had woken up and was already looking better. Hermione quietly excused herslf some moments later, squeezing Ron on the shoulder before leaving, and he absently reached a hand up to squeeze it back in a gesture only Mrs. Weasley and Hermione really noticed. Tonks got up to follow, and gave Lupin a quick we-should-go look. They said good night, and left the Weasleys their privacy. Tonks began to go down the stairs towards the dungeon room where she had been staying, walking quickly to get away from Lupin. She was exhausted, frustrated, and embarrassed. Halfway down the stairwell she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to face Lupin.

"Remus-" she began, but he interrupted her quietly.

"I'm sorry. I was only trying to do…what's best for you." She looked at him sadly.

"You are what's best for me. Not what's safest, not what's normal or convenient, what's best for me."

"I know, I just… can you…." He raised his arms helplessly and Tonks couldn't help but throw herself into them, and he hugged her back before she could pull away. They clung together tightly and silently for several moments; he gently reached up to stroke her hair, his head rested on top of hers. Finally she dared to look up at his face and he smiled ruefully down at her. "Oh all right," he said in defeat. She smiled oddly, and then abruptly began to cry.

Completely mystified, Lupin tried to comfort her. He had wanted to do this for so long…. She buried her face in his robes and sobbed as he held her. Eventually, she calmed down, and smiled guiltily at him as she wiped her eyes on her sleeves.

"Sorry," she whispered, and leaned against him, exhausted.

"It's all right," he said, not really knowing what was all right, but by God if it wasn't all right, he was going to make it. She wobbled a little on her feet and he leaned forward to pick her up. She squeaked in surprise as her feet left the floor. Half-heartedly she tried to resist, but soon gave up, putting her arms around his shoulder and neck.

"What are you doing?" she murmured into his chest.

"Putting you to bed," he said as he walked down to the dungeons.

"I can walk, you know." He looked at her.

"Do you WANT me to put you down?" She snuggled a little further into his chest.

"No."

Tonks thought they reached her room much too quickly, and when he set her down outside her door she hugged him again tightly. She wanted to ask him to stay, she was afraid of the nightmares she'd have, but she refused to push him too quickly. He spared her the awkwardness of finding something to say.

"I'll see you in the morning," he said softly, and kissed her on the forehead before turning and walking silently back to his room.

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I know it's incredibly long, I really want to get out of the book and on with the original plot stuff, that's where the Great-Grandma plot bunny lies in wait. Yeah, Traumatizing and disturbing things lie ahead!

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