This chapter is set after Lupin returns from Greyback's werewolf camp, which I've dated as about April of Half-Blood Prince. This chapter was a tricky one to get right. I hope you like it.

The Others

Mad-Eye Moody watched the cloaked figure leave the house, lock the door and start walking up the street. The figure was small and hooded, and even with his bad leg Moody fancied his chances in a fight.

"Stupefy!" he yelled aloud, blasting the curse at the other person.

The figure swung round, ducked, and cried, "Imepedimentia!"

"Congfringo," growled Moody, and the wall behind his opponent blasted apart.

The figure didn't say anything, but slashed their wand at Mad-Eye, making a firey arrow shoot out of the tip.

Mad-Eye dodged and sent a non-verbal disarmament spell back. The other duellist swore loudly and cast a body-bind curse Mad-Eye's way.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

"Locomotor Mortis!"

"Tarantallegra!"

"Titillando!" Mad-Eye called, but the hooded figure must have cast a non-verbal jinx back, because Moody felt the gravel beneath his feet slip suddenly away. He stumbled, and before he could get up, his opponent had pounced, knocked him to the floor and grabbed him by the throat.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? Tell me who you are and take off Mad-Eye's eye!"


The safehouse flat was in a sleek, modern apartment block a couple of miles outside of Exeter. Hestia apparated to the top of the stairs and walked down the corridor towards Flat 6A. She wasn't sure if the flat had a doorbell, so she knocked on the heavy wooden door. It opened a few seconds later, to reveal a gaunt and tired-looking man wearing a thick burgundy jumper.

"Oh, hello Hestia," he said, sounding surprised.

"Hi, Remus,"

"What was I wearing the last time you saw me?"

Hestia thought for a few moments, picturing Remus in the outfit he'd been wearing on Tuesday. "Black jeans, a blue jumper and a knitted scarf," she recited, in the formal tone most people used when answering security questions, "What did I tell you was a good remedy for a sore throat?"

"Alpepper ale,"

"Ah, so it is you," she said, leaning in to give him a hug and a peck on the cheek. Molly said that Remus would appreciate physical contact these days after months in the aggressive colony. Molly and Kingsley helped him move in a few days ago, and Hestia had popped over later that evening to see how he'd been getting on. Remus wasn't a moaner and had repeatedly insisted he was absolutely fine, although he looked blatantly ragged and frail. Today he seemed healthier, although as Hestia hugged him she noticed how scrawny his shoulders felt.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Remus asked, breaking away from her and leading her into the flat.

"I thought I'd come with you to the meeting tonight," Hestia said. She closed the door behind her and cast the usual security spells on it.

Remus glanced around at her. "That's very kind," he said, slightly more sharply than his usual tone.

Hestia knew why that was, and changed the subject. "How are you getting on?"

"Yes, fine. I've been sleeping lots," Remus confessed sheepishly.

"Good for you, you must be exhausted". He hadn't told Hestia much about the werewolf mission but there was no doubt that it was tough. Brutal, perhaps. Remus deserved a good sleep.

"A bit. Molly's been sending fridgefuls of food to keep me going," he explained, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Please,"

The flat was open-plan, and Remus gestured for Hestia to sit down on one of the L-shaped sofas. It was black, fitting in with the rest of the monochrome flat.

"Or hot chocolate? Another Molly Weasley gift," said Remus, holding up a tin in the kitchen. Hestia noted that his hand was still bandaged.

"She's excelled herself. Tea's fine, ta,"

"She has," Remus agreed, flicking on the kettle with his wand. Then he added thoughtfully, "I am very lucky to have such good friends,"

They'd be friends in school, vaguely. Hestia was four years younger but she'd been in the choir with Remus and they'd once shared a detention clearing out the transfiguration stock room.

"Oh, hello. You're Hestia, aren't you?" teenage Remus had asked. She'd been a bit intimidated- after all, he was a sixth-year, and she'd only just started second. She nodded.

"Don't worry about this, we'll do all the lifting," he reassured her.

"Okay,"

"So, what are things like over in Ravenclaw?" he'd asked, and had spent ten minutes encouraging Hestia to talk about her friends and teachers and the gossip from up in Ravenclaw Tower.

James Potter had been there too- Hestia remembers a cheerful, bossy lad who sounded like he knew everything about pincushions. He'd nicknamed Hestia "Hortensia" and ribbed her about it throughout the detention. Remus rolled his eyes at James and assured Hestia that James was only joking. He was caring like that, although James groaned that Remus was being a killjoy and Hestia didn't mind the teasing (which was true). Everybody knew James Potter made stupid jokes, and the fact that he was talking to Hestia was exciting. Remus had always said hello to Hestia in the corridor because he knew her from choir practice (he was shyer in choir practice without his gang around him) and after the detention, James Potter would chirp, "Hi, Hortensia!" at her. That was even more of a thrill, and although Hestia's friends were impressed that she was on first-name terms with James Potter, Hestia always remembered that it was Remus who'd got to know her first.

Back in the flat, Remus poured tea for her and a hot chocolate for himself, then sat down on the edge of the sofa to chat to her. He was still behind on Order news, and he was very interested in Ron Weasley's poisoning. The boy was out of hospital, although Molly and Arthur were busy tonight and wouldn't be attending the meeting.

"But Bill and the twins are coming," Hestia explained.

"They're attending regularly, then?" Remus asked.

"Most of the time, unless they're busy with the shop. It's going really well,"

"Yes, they were thrilled to tell me about it over Christmas. Have you been?"

"I've walked past it but I haven't popped in," Hestia explained.

"I did over the Summer and it was very impressive. I shouldn't sound so surprised about that," he chuckled.

"Molly and Arthur are certainly surprised,"

"Between you and I, Hestia, I don't think Molly gives those boys enough credit,"

Hestia shrugged. Sometimes Weasley talk dominated Order conversations and it got tedious. She changed the subject again, "Have you found anything fun to do in Exeter yet?"


"Take his eye off! Take it off! Where did you get his eye?!" the figure demanded, shoving their knee into Mad-Eye's chest.

"This eye belongs to Alastor Moody, former head of the Ministry of Magic Auror office-"

"I know! Where did you get it?"

"-who you owe seven Firewhiskies and a gobstopper,"

"What?"

"Your name is Nymphadora Tonks, daughter of Ted Tonks and Andromeda Black. You met me, Alastor Moody, in the Auror corridor on the fifth of September five years ago. The first words you said to me were, 'No, it's a Hungarian redbeard',"

The hand on Mad-Eye's throat loosened.

"What? It's actually you?" gasped Tonks, then jammed her knee further into him, "Prove it. What's elementary wand safety lesson number one,"

"Never hold your wand in your teeth," Mad-Eye recited. It was his own rule, which Tonks frequently ignored.

"What's the name of my pet rat?"

"You didn't have a rat. You had a pet toad called Prudence. Died on your birthday in your sixth year,"

Tonks exhaled. "Merlin, Mad-Eye, what are you playing at?" she said, removing her knee from his chest and holding out a hand to help him up. Mad-Eye took it and let her pull him to his feet, then led the way down the dim street.

"Testing you. That was a poor effort, I've told you before than a slipping jinx is a bad idea," he reprimanded.

"I got you on the floor," she protested, "I had my hand on your throat,"

"I've told you before, that's a vulnerable position if you allow the other party to apparate behind you,"

"Fine. Anyway, aren't we meant to be going to the Order meeting? That's where I was heading,"

"I'm picking you up,"

"Why?" Tonks scoffed.

Mad-Eye shot a sideways glance at her and said flatly, "Lupin's home,"

Tonks stopped dead. "What?" she whispered.

"I told you Dumbledore was considering taking him out of there. He's been back a few days. He'll be there tonight,"

"Oh my God. Oh my God," she breathed.

Mad-Eye had expected this, and he didn't have time for it. "We need to get going," he told her, continuing down the cobbles towards the station.

"Have you seen him?" Tonks called. Mad-Eye kept walking- it was best to try and keep Tonks' dramatics about this as low-level as possible.

"Mad-Eye. Have you seen him?" she repeated seriously.

"No," he called over his shoulder, "Let's move,"

"Oh my God," she murmured again. Moody didn't like this version of Tonks. He didn't like who she'd been for most of this past year. The eighteen-year-old who had interrupted his conversation to answer back about Hungarian redbeards had faded. Mad-Eye wasn't sentimental about her growing up- he wasn't her father for goodness sake- but he missed her jokes and her bubbliness more than he'd care to admit. Tonks still liked to wind him up and she laughed sometimes, but not like she used to. Moody hoped that the old Tonks wasn't gone forever. On the other hand, from all Mad-Eye had heard (Mad-Eye had heard everything), she'd done well in her post up here. Kept her head and got on with things. Mopey and miserable she may have been, but she'd done her job well, and managed not to murder Dawlish, which Moody knew must have been a challenge for her.

He heard Tonks' footsteps run to catch up with him, and glanced over his shoulder to call, "Hurry up and do it silently,"

He much preferred barking out orders to her than listening to her fret about Lupin. Moody turned his face ahead again, but spun his eye around to watch Tonks creep up behind him. He couldn't hear her move.

"Good," he grunted, when Tonks was walking beside him again.

She didn't bother to snark about him testing her, and demanded, "Does he know I'm coming?"

"Believe so,"

Tonks groaned. After a pause she added, "Shit. He hasn't seen me since my hair changed,"

"I doubt he's looking his best," Mad-Eye muttered. He was only being dry, but Tonks jumped, alarmed.

"What do you mean? Is he okay? Have you heard something?"

She'd always fired questions at him, and calmness had never been her strong suit, but a few times when Mad-Eye had mentioned Lupin this last year she'd jumped out of her skin like this. Moody hated that- he thought he'd taught her better.

"No. But he's been living with werewolves for eight months," Mad-Eye pointed out, hoping that his blunt tone would stop Tonks being so shrill.

She winced. "I feel like I'm about to explode,"

"You're not," Mad-Eye growled.

"I know. I'm sorry, I know you hate all this," she grimaced. It was true. He did. Moody hadn't taken her on to have to deal with her whingeing all year about her love life. He couldn't have cared less about who she was seeing, until that day last year when she'd taken him aside in his office and announced that she was going out with Remus Lupin. She'd begged him not to tell anybody (as if Mad-Eye would have anybody to tell?) but there was no mistaking how thrilled she was. Moody knew that it would end in tears. He'd considered having a word with Lupin, but realised that he wouldn't know what to say. He'd resolved to stay out of it, which hadn't been difficult as the pair of them had kept their relationship quiet. Well, Lupin had kept it quiet- clearly Tonks had gone along with him, and now he was gone she was being even more dramatic about the end of their romance than she was about most things.

When Moody had seen her over Christmas he'd snapped at her to stop moping and get a grip. Tonks' face had crumpled and she'd choked out that it wasn't only that she missed Lupin, but she was scared for him, and she hadn't heard anything, and she kept expecting bad news, but bad news was better than not hearing anything at all. Mad-Eye had seen her cry plenty of times before, and usually she batted her tears away and muttered to herself to stop being a wimp. At Christmas though, Tonks had pushed her face into her knees and whimpered. Moody hadn't had a clue what to do. He'd wanted to snarl at Tonks to shut up- but she was his friend as well as his protégée, and he wasn't sure if they would be friends much longer if he snapped at her that she was being pathetic. It had turned out this year that he didn't know much about her at all. Or perhaps he had, but she'd changed and he wasn't used to this new version. Mad-Eye didn't want to get used to this new version. At Christmas, he'd waited uncomfortably until she stopped crying, then tried to explain that no news was good news.

"Bollocks. No news could mean they've hurt him and haven't bothered to tell us," Tonks choked out.

"Yes. It might," Mad-Eye agreed. Tonks must have clocked that he didn't know what to say, because she stood up, wiped her face on her sleeve, and put the kettle on.

Trudging through Hogsmeade with her now, Mad-Eye thought wryly that he'd pay Lupin fifty galleons to sort this damn business out. Clearly Lupin had tried to avoid her- Moody would have guessed that that was a good idea, but it had had the opposite effect. This was precisely why Mad-Eye didn't like dealing with emotions; they were unpredictable and irrational. In an attack or a bodyguard unit there were rules and plans and methods for dealing with problems. There was none of that when it came to relationships.

As they neared the station, the usual apparation point, Tonks twisted a hairband off her wrist and pulled her hair into a ponytail.

"Is Snape coming tonight?" she asked.

"No," Mad-Eye confirmed. The potions master was busy doing something for Dumbledore.

"Thank Merlin," Tonks breathed. Mad-Eye suspected that she wanted him to ask why she was relieved about Snape's absence, so he didn't say anything.

Tonks took the hint, because she zipped up her purple dragonskin jacket and squared her shoulders the way Mad-Eye had taught her to do before a duel.

"Right. Right," she murmured. She pulled her gloves (the silly fingerless ones Moody had never understood why she wore) up her wrist and took her wand out of her pocket. "Let's go".


"I was thinking of getting there exactly on time. Not early I mean," says Remus lightly. Hestia shot him a glance. He was looking intently into his tea cup.

"Yes. That's a good idea," she agreed quietly.

They'd made more small-talk- Remus knew that Slughorn was at Hogwarts again and Snape was now teaching Defence, but he was behind on the specifics of it all. Hestia filled him in on Dumbledore's mysterious injury and had no idea how to answer when he asked what Mundungus had been up to recently. Remus was patient with Mundungus, Hestia remembered. He was soft like that. They chatted about the Quidditch season even though neither were particularly big fans, and about what Dolores Umbridge was doing now ("I wish many unfortunate things on her," said Remus mildly). He'd always had a good memory for people's family and friends- in an attentive, thoughtful way rather than a nosey one. He asked Hestia about how her parents were doing and if Camille had passed her accountancy exams yet. Hestia wondered if talking about her girlfriend was a bit close to the bone, but since Remus had brought it up she replied that Camille's exams were in September but she'd started revising for them already. When the kitchen clock beeped eight ("Apologies, I can't seem to stop it doing that every hour," Remus explained), they agreed that it was time to leave for the meeting. It had been a warm day, but Remus pulled his patched overcoat on, clarifying awkwardly that he felt the cold more these days.

"Well, it did rain a few days ago," Hestia said, to excuse him.

"Hmm, yes," Remus nodded. Then he added solemnly, "I'm very grateful for you offering to do this tonight,"

He didn't meet her eyes but from his tone Hestia knew what he meant. She knew he knew the real reason she had come here today: Tonks. Remus hadn't seen her for nearly a year and Hestia knew he must be nervous about it. Hestia didn't know what happened between the two of them- she can't remember how she found out, and she never saw them do anything remotely coupley- but she knew that it had ended last Summer, badly. She was sure that Remus was dreading seeing Tonks again, and the state that Tonks was in would make it worse. She'd been so miserable since Remus left that she couldn't change her hair. She must have been really into him to be that floored by their breakup, which surprised Hestia because Remus didn't seem anything like Tonks' type. He was sweet and clever, he was a lovely person, but he was shabby and serious. Oh, and a werewolf. Even if Hestia was into blokes, she couldn't imagine Remus being remotely fanciable- especially to Tonks, who was about fifteen years younger and all colours and questions and screamy music blaring from the kitchen radio. She wasn't like Remus at all.

Tonks was alright to talk to, and Hestia knew that she must be clever to have become an Auror, but she didn't shut up and was always showing off about her powers. Remus was a very patient person when he needed to be, but Hestia wasn't sure why he chose to date somebody he had to be patient with. But he was a bloke and she was a much younger girl, so perhaps he could put up with her annoyingness if it meant he got a shag out of it. Straight guys were all the same.


They'd apparated to Grimmauld, said hello to everybody (well, Tonks had. Mad-Eye preferred a general grunt of greeting to whoever was in the room) and sat down. The Weasleys had been showing off as usual and Podmore was talking loudly over them. McGonagall had arrived, dragging a whingeing Fletcher with her, and Kingsley had followed. Everybody was here now apart from Lupin and Jones. It wasn't like Jones not to be early, which set Mad-Eye on guard. He watched Tonks check her watch and the wall clock over and over, and felt her jiggle the table next to him with her knees. That had got so irritating that he'd grabbed her kneecap with his hand to make her stop.

"Sorry," she'd murmured, "Nervous,"

"Lupin's coming tonight, isn't he?" asked Bill loudly, above the hubbub or pre-meeting chatter. At the mention of the name, Tonks' head whipped round.

"Yes, I believe he is," answered McGonagall, "He arrived home-"

And then the kitchen door opened, and Lupin and Jones walked in. Mad-Eye felt Tonks tense beside him.

"Prof!" called two voices simultaneously, and the Weasley twins bounded over to Lupin to shake his hand and slap him on the back.

Lupin raised a hand faux-jovially through the bundle of limbs and ginger hair. "Hello, everyone,"

He looked terrible. His hair, which Tonks had described upon meeting him as "brown with patches of grey" was now almost entirely grey. His face was grey too. Mad-Eye had visited Azkaban a few times, and he'd seen the same sallow, lost look on Lupin's face on the expression of some of the prisoners there. He'd lost so much weight that his clothes hung on him. There were patches of scabs down one side of Lupin's face, and the hand that was raised in greeting had a bandage across the knuckles.

Mad-Eye's eye spun over to Tonks. She was staring at Lupin with her mouth slightly open. He could see the pulse throbbing in her neck and, for the first time in all this, Mad-Eye felt sincere sympathy for her. Poor girl hadn't wanted this to happen. It wasn't her fault that he was a werewolf. She was so young- Mad-Eye could barely remember what it was like to be her age. There was an intensity to youth (and Merlin knew there had always been an intensity to her), when emotions felt stronger and more overwhelming. Those feelings were an inconvenience which Mad-Eye had shut down in himself long ago. But as he watched Tonks gaze at Lupin, Mad-Eye hoped that she wouldn't block out emotions like he had.

Beside them, Podmore got to his feet and leaned over to Lupin. "Remus, good to see you," he blustered, leaning over to shake hands.

"Hello, Poddy," said Lupin.

Mad-Eye felt rather than saw Tonks hunch forward, but thankfully she didn't stand up. Lupin waved a hand in their direction but didn't look directly at either of them. Then Jones, who had walked in behind him and was looking nervous, shepherded him towards Bill and McGonagall on the other side of the table.

"Hi," murmured Tonks, as Lupin turned away.


Hestia breathed a sigh of relief once the meeting started. Surely the worst was over now. Remus' entrance had gone alright- thank Merlin for those Weasley boys (she had never expected to think that). Diggle, who was chairing the meeting, had done a brief "Welcome back Remus and thank you for your work," spiel, but after that Remus hadn't garnered too much attention, which Hestia knew he would be grateful for. Hestia and Remus were sitting down now at the end of the table, adjacent to Tonks, whom Mad-Eye appeared to be babysitting. Tonks was making the occasional note, but Hestia could see her look up every few seconds to look at Remus. She wasn't attempting to be subtle about it, but the girl had never been subtle. At first Hestia had thought that Tonks looked like a lovesick teenager, unable to keep her eyes off him. But she'd met Tonks' eyes a moment ago, and there was such sadness in them that Hestia couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

Poddy was talking now, and Remus was scribbling down everything he was saying. Thankfully, Remus was usually a thorough transcriber of meetings, so the fact that he was doing so now didn't make him look like he was avoiding something.


"Well, I suppose that's the meeting adjourned," declared Diggle, "Thank you for coming, everybody,"

Diggle was a hopeless chair. He was always indecisive about opening the meeting, giving instructions, and adjourning at the end. Mad-Eye expected Diggle to suddenly remember something he had to add, before he could say anything Fletcher leapt to his feet.

"Seein' a man about a cat," he explained, bundling together the usual mass of rags he dragged with him, and loping towards the door.

Fletcher's departure thankfully set everybody else up to leave, so Diggle was shut up. He wouldn't chair again for a few weeks, which Moody was relieved about. Podmore and Kingsley started packing away their notes, and Mad-Eye saw Jones catch Lupin's eye and flick her head towards the door. He wasn't sure how Jones was involved in all this and he didn't much care, but if she was getting Lupin out of the room quicker, good for her. Jones put her hand on Lupin's arm. He smiled at her, gesturing for the two of them to leave with Podmore and Kingsley. Tonks was leaning over the table towards them, staring at Lupin. Mad-Eye put his hand on her kneecap again and was about to say something to distract her, when suddenly everything went black.


Hestia was touching Remus' coat sleeve, and instinctively clung onto it when the light disappeared. A male voice yelped, and another voice told them to shut up.

"Whose there?" asked Kingsley's voice.

"Protegro!" shouted Moody's familiar growl, "Revalio!"

"Oops. Sorry folks, that's one of our Decoy detonators," said one of the twins' voices, cutting through the hubbub, "Must have fallen out of my pocket,"

"Fred," groaned Poddy.

"I'm George. But yeah, it was Freddy's fault,"

There was a collective huff and reprimanding mutters from other voices. Hestia breathed a sigh of relief that it was just a stupid Weasley prank and nothing more serious.

"Lumos," snarled Mad-Eye, and his wand lit up his face. Hestia noticed that Tonks wasn't standing beside him. At the same moment she felt a figure dash past her and fling itself at Remus. Kingsley's wand lit up and Hestia saw that the figure was a female, with lank brown hair. Tonks. She was hugging Remus tightly, pinning his arms to his sides and burrowing her face into his jumper. Remus looked shocked for a moment while he registered what was happening, then glanced from side to side, bewildered and panicked.

"Now, what's-" began Poddy, but Kingsley elbowed him in the ribs. He looked back at Hestia, who looked back at Poddy, who looked at Remus, who looked at the floor. Tonks wasn't showing any signs of letting him go. Hestia had thought that she'd managed to avoid a scene like this, but everything had happened so fast and abruptly in the confusion of the blackout. She wasn't sure if she should say something to Remus, or Tonks, or leave Kingsley to intervene. He knew them both better than she did.

There was a gruff clearing of a throat and the clacking of a peg-leg. Mad-Eye was walking round the side of the table towards them.

"Tonks," he said ordered, "We're going,"

Nobody said anything, but Hestia almost breathed a sigh of relief- somebody had taken charge.

"We're leaving now," barked Mad-Eye, in a much harsher voice. Hestia almost winced at the impatience in his tone.

Tonks peeled her face away from Remus' chest and didn't look at him as she glanced over to Moody.

"But I-"

"I think you need to go," Remus echoed quietly.

Tonks looked up into his face. Remus looked down at his shoes. Hestia wished that this awful moment would be over.

"Oh. Okay, I…I just wanted…" Tonks murmured. She paused for a moment, then let go of Remus as quickly as if he were on fire. Immediately, Remus backed away, stumbling into Kingsley as he did. Mad-Eye put his hand on Tonks' shoulder.

"Get a move on," he commanded. He glanced at Hestia, who couldn't read the expression in his remaining eye. It was always difficult to know what Mad-Eye was thinking, and he seemed to be being both cross and kind to Tonks at the moment. But the two of them were friends- everybody knew he wanted Tonks to take over his old job- so he was probably the best person for her to be with now. Tonks needed to be with anybody apart from Remus, who must be mortified by all this.

Moody muttered a goodbye to Kingsley, and steered Tonks out of the door.


He knew she was going to cry. She was more predictable than she liked to think. Once they were out of the house, Mad-Eye fished a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Tonks, and she wiped her face with it while they walked back along Grimmauld Place towards the main road. After being strangely silent throughout the meeting, now she had started talking and seemed unable to shut up.

"I can't believe I just did that," she was gabbling, "Do you think he hates me now? Oh my God, Mad-Eye-"

"He doesn't hate you,"

"Do you think? I don't know. Why did I do that? That was so stupid, I just…he looked so ill, didn't he, and sad, and- I missed him so much, I haven't slept properly for months-"

"You can make a sleeping draught for that," Mad-Eye pointed out, knowing she wasn't listening.

"- And he was there and I wanted…he looked…fuck!" Tonks growled, kicking at the air. Unsatisfied with that (clearly she was in a violent mood tonight, Moody thought wearily), she aimed a punch into the darkness, then another kick, then groaned, half-anger and half-sob. Mad-Eye kept walking. He didn't want to look at her when she was like this.

Tonks was crying again by the time she caught up. "I- I love him so much, Mad-Eye. You saw him, you know he needs looking after, he needs someone to protect him, and-" she rubbed her tears away with a fist, "He really hates himself sometimes, he needs to be loved. I love him. I just want to love him,"

She looked up at Mad-Eye, a tear dribbling down onto her lip. "Why can't I just love him?".


God bless Bill Weasley. He'd jumped in as Tonks and Mad-Eye left, suddenly remembering that he had to ask Kingsley and Remus a very important question about where the best bookshop on Knockturn Alley was. Diggle overheard and came over to join in, and the conversation drifted on towards Order news and events Remus needed to be updated on, and they just about got away with ignoring the scene which had just taken place.

Eventually, Remus announced tiredly, "It's been nice talking, everyone, but I should get going now,"

"Oh yeah, of course. You must be knackered," said Bill quickly, "I'd better get Newt and Toad home,"

The twins, who'd been halfway across the room and seemingly out of earshot, glanced round.

"Oi," said one.

"We heard that," said the other.

"And it's Rat and Toad, thanks very much,"

"And you don't need to get us home. We're eighteen now,"

"Thought you were taking us for a Muggle pint,"

"Drinks are on Bill!"

Bill huffed and muttered, "Get a move on then,"

"Yes sir," said one of the twins. They saluted identically and marched over to the door in synchronisation. Bill prodded them out of the door and leaned into Hestia's ear as he passed.

"Gonna give them a hiding about that trick with the darkness powder," he muttered.

The Weasleys left, and Remus reached down to pull on his patched overcoat. Now the tension of what had happened had been as diffused as it could probably get, he seemed to want to leave quickly again. Remus could be quite a solitary person, and the meeting had probably worn him out, although Hestia wasn't sure it was a good idea for him to be alone.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she murmured.

He stopped with an arm halfway down his coat sleeve. "That's very kind, but I'm going to head to bed, actually,"

"Okay. Goodnight then,"

"Night, Hestia" he paused then said, "Thank you very much,"

He stepped forward and hugged her tightly (again, she felt the scrawniness in his upper body. She didn't want to think about food at the werewolf pack).

"Don't mention it," Hestia mumbled over his shoulder.

Remus let go and straightened his jacket.

"See you next Friday, probably,"

"Yes, if not before,"

"Alright. Say hello to Camille from me. Bye," Remus said, giving her a wan half-smile before turning around to shake Kingsley's hand and bid him goodnight too. When he left through the doorway, Hestia watched him go. She hoped that he'd be alright tonight. This evening must have been tiring for him, even discounting Tonks. Hestia figured that she should leave too now. She waved to the others, walked out of the room and through the hallway, opened the front door and stepped down the front steps to the street. Remus had already disapparated, although Hestia caught a glimpse of the Weasleys chasing after each other and laughing as they neared the corner. That family had always been good at compartmentalising.

With a sigh, Hestia apparated home. She landed in the living room, where Camille was hunched over her desk, scratching her chin with a pen.

"Hi," she said, without looking up. It was best not to disturb Camille when she was in revision mode. After ten years working in something Muggles called PR, Hestia's girlfriend was retraining to be an accountant. As Hestia had explained to Remus, even though Camille's exams were in a few months' time she'd started the revision process early.

"Hi," said Hestia, leaning down to kiss Camille's head.

Her girlfriend dropped her pen onto her textbook, leaned back and asked, "How was your meeting?"

"Fine. The boy who was poisoned's oldest brother was there- he says he's doing a lot better". Camille, who was often aghast about how dangerous Hogwarts sounded, had been alarmed when Hestia told her what had happened to Ron.

"That's a relief,"

"You'd like the oldest brother actually, he works for a bank,"

"I remember. He's the punky guy, isn't he? Were his bank exams as extensive as mine?"

"Probably not. Curse-breaking isn't the same as chartered accountancy". Being in a relationship with a Muggle woman was a welcome break from the intensity of Order things and the War. Some people might see it as confusing, but for Hestia, living two lives was a relief. Tonks had proved tonight now complicated and uncomfortable dating somebody in the Order could be. Hestia remembered the look on Tonks' face as Mad-Eye had led her away. She'd looked so lost, bamboozled and hurt.

"What?" Camille asked, "You're looking at me,"

"Sorry. Just thinking about something,"

"Can you tell me about it?". Hestia's girlfriend was patient with all the secrecy involved in dating a witch, especially a witch in a secret resistance society.

"Sort of. It's a love story gone wrong,"

"Classic," Camille nodded, "The straights?"

"The straights," Hestia confirmed. Plenty of people they knew had experienced bad break-ups, but the werewolf thing made Remus and Tonks' situation much more complicated.

"Do you think they'll work it out?"

Hestia looked over at her girlfriend. Camille had pushed her glasses up to her forehead and tied her frizzy hair up with a pencil.

"I don't know".


Gingerly, Mad-Eye put his hand on Tonks' back. They'd made it to a bench, where she was sniffing and shaking and he was wondering what else he could do or say to help her, and why it had fallen to him to help her at all.

"This is worse than not having seem him all year," Tonks groaned, "How is this worse?"

She was leaning forward and pinching the bridge of her nose as if she was about to be sick.

"Not worse. Now you don't have to worry," Moody pointed out.

It turned out that was the wrong thing to say. "How can I not worry about him?" Tonks wailed, almost screeching.

Mad-Eye resisted the urge to snap that for Merlin's sake, what did she expect him to do. Irritably, he reached for his hip-flask- then stopped as it gave him an idea.

"Let's go for a drink,"

"I'm supposed to be back in Hogsmeade," Tonks mumbled, scrubbing at her face with her sleeve again.

"Good answer. You've still got your priorities in order," Moody nodded approvingly, "I'll owl Proudfoot and tell her I need you for something in the office,"

Tonks moved her arm away from her face and looked up at him. "For what?"

"What do you care?" Mad-Eye growled, "I'll tell her it's urgent,"

Even though Moody wasn't an active Auror any longer, the department made allowances. He'd never got on particularly well with Thetis Proudfoot, but he knew that she wouldn't argue with him if he said he needed Tonks.

Mad-Eye couldn't help her with this Lupin nonsense, but the least he could do was buy her a drink. He stood up and held out a hand. Tonks looked at it, sighed, then reached out, took his hand and let him pull her to her feet.

"I'm taking you for a pint, so get moving," Mad-Eye told her, "That's an order".


Thanks for reading. This chapter was a challenge to write both in terms of what actually happened, and the perspectives they were observed from. Please review to let me know what you thought.