-
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the low light. When Tonks could see the room clearly, she was disappointed. It was so normal.
"You were expecting medieval torture devices and green velvet?"
Snape's dry tone made her feel sheepish. "Snake wall sconces and black velvet, actually. Gothic, not..." She looked around. "Private library." Bookshelves lined the four walls. They even hung on the back of doors. Tonks pointed to the solitary chair next to the reading table placed in the centre of the room. "You don't ever have guests?"
He lifted an eyebrow.
She laughed nervously. "Oh. Yeah. I'm here, so...I guess it's like BYOB—bring your own beer, except bring your own chair." His continued silence worked on her like a Babbling Charm. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, unless someone's like me, and never been able to conjure a decent chair, although I did conjure an enormous pink beanbag once..." She trailed off when a wing chair materialised beside her.
Tonks perched on the edge of the seat. "Got the black velvet right," she said beneath her breath.
Snape remained standing. "Where is Boletophagus reticulatus found?"
"Is that vegetable, animal, or mineral?"
The professor was not amused. He looked down his nose. "It is a rare beetle whose natural habitat has been largely destroyed by Muggles in their greed for peat and arable land."
Her jaw dropped. "You care about the environment?"
He sneered. "I care about obtaining ingredients for potions."
Tonks was weirdly relieved. If Snape turned out to be a softie who felt love for his fellow man, that would be extremely creepy. She said, "Is this the deal, I scrape up some beetles, you teach me to brew Wolfsbane Potion?"
A strangled, chuffing noise was heard. Was Snape laughing at her? His face showed no signs of amusement when he said, "You would not be able to recognise the beetle, much less retrieve it on your own."
"But, I thought—"
"—wrongly. I require your aid in retrieving the Boletophagus reticulatus this evening. Another day, I may require a different type of assistance."
"For your Potions classes?"
Her eyes grew wide when his lips curved. Stars and Stones, was the man smiling? If she saw teeth she might faint in shock.
"I shall not be teaching Potions this year." When she continued to sit there, slack-jawed, he said, "I have accepted the offer to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"But...but...isn't that a cursed job?" Tonks shook her head. "Why would You-Know-Who want someone he thinks is his spy to take a position that hasn't lasted more than a year for any other professor since who knows when?"
"I know, but that knowledge is immaterial," said Snape, "as is the reasoning behind my appointment to this position."
His manner stated that the subject was closed. Tonks didn't take the hint. "Does this mean You-Know-Who thinks he'll win the war by the end of the year?" The reality of the situation sank in. Widespread destruction and chaos—thousands of innocent lives lost. The faces of everyone dear to her flashed before her eyes.
"Here. Drink." A goblet was thrust beneath her nose.
She drank the contents before thinking to ask, "What did you give me?"
"Obviously not the Draught of Eternal Silence."
"Is there such a thing?"
"If I had more time to devote to research there would be."
Tonks sniggered. "Test it on your students, would you?"
"Or my assistant." Snape seemed to realise they were holding a semi-amiable conversation and frowned. "You were distraught. The Calming Draught restored equilibrium." He picked up the rucksack that materialised onto the table. "Carry this."
She stood. Her arm dipped when she took the rucksack. "We're going now? Where? And what's in here?"
"Yes, the Forbidden Forest, and rocks."
This time, when Snape's tone implied that the conversation was over, Tonks didn't say another word. She followed in his wake, muttering to herself, "Rocks in the sack and rocks in the head is what I've got for doing this." She didn't care for the forest in the daytime, much less at night, when the nocturnal predators came out.
Once they were out of the castle, Snape's strides lengthened. Tonks jogged to catch up, wincing when the rucksack banged against her shin. The closer they came, the more ancient trees seemed to bunch together, branches entwined like arms outstretched to hold intruders at bay.
Tonks was more than willing to respect the wishes of the forest, but Snape forged toward a narrow, earthen path. She grimly trudged onward, her eyes scanning the darkness. The back of her neck prickled with the feeling of being watched. Thankfully, she never saw glowing eyes peering back from the shadows.
The sound of rustling leaves and the occasional snapping of twigs kept her nerves on edge. When she heard an ominous crackling in the underbrush, Tonks instantly reacted. The spell lit up the forest in a flash of red.
Snape yelled, "NO!"
"It was only a Stunning Spell!" she hollered back.
There was a brief silence. Snape said tightly, "Wand magic attracts creatures you are not prepared to deal with. As verbal spells also broadcast traces of magic, use only nonverbal spells."
Oh, now he told her. The situation reminded her of Potions quizzes on material they hadn't covered in class yet. He could be such a git. She nodded jerkily.
He used a wandless spell to part the bushes. "Let us see what danger of the forest lies within." After a pause, he said, "Congratulations. You have stunned a bog rat."
She looked from the dark green rat on the ground to the wizard whose wand illuminated the furry little body. "Why is there a bog rat in the Forbidden Forest?"
"Why else? There is a bog in the forest." Snape pointed his wand further down the path. "Our destination."
Tonks smelled the bog before they reached it. It was the smell of earth and decomposing leaves. Wizard scouts might get their neckerchiefs in a twist over it, but she'd rather smell Indian takeaway and Muggle petrol fumes.
"So, where do we find your beetles?" she asked.
He walked down through the mud to stand before a group of group of plants. In the dim light, Tonks thought she saw what looked like red tentacles on the leaves.
"This variety of carnivorous sundew draws nocturnal insects. Once a plant is bespelled to open, Iwill identify the Boletophagus reticulatus for you to collect."
"Why can't we just Accio the beetles out of the ground?"
Snape's expression remained impassive, but there was a smirk in his voice. "The Boletophagus reticulatus must be partially digested."
Eeuwww. Tonks decided not to ask which potion it was for. If she'd brewed it and tested it in school, she didn't want to know. She bit her lip. "Collect them how?"
"By hand. Twelve of them. You may wish to utilise a sealant spell."
She was doing his dirty work. Fabulous. Tonks cast the spell as she walked down to the plants. The mud oozed over the top of her boots and made sucking sounds with each step. Ah, the joys of nature.
Crouching down, she waited for a sundew to open. Reluctant to touch it, she tried a silent Accio. The plant quivered, but did not give up the beetle. She reached out and gently pulled—to no effect. She yanked harder. The sticky tentacle stretched like a rubber band. Just when she thought the whole plant would uproot, the sundew released its prey.
Tonks toppled backwards into the bog.
"Shite!" The murky water wasn't deep, but beneath the surface, the hand she put down to brace herself sank immediately into the mire, down through peat to brush what felt like bone. Before Tonks could do more than yelp, she was lifted out of the bog and dumped onto the shore.
Snape plucked the beetle from between her shaking fingers. "I advise a more delicate approach."
She dug her fingers into the mud, tempted to fling it. "Yeah? But that was so much fun, and if I fall into the bog again, I can try Apparating."
"Apparate in the Forbidden Forest and you will discover the pain of Splinching." He placed the beetle into a flagon. "Ancient magic rules here." Snape looked down on her, literally. "Did you never read Hogwarts, A History?"
"I'm still waiting for the 'Good Parts' version."
He pointed to another sundew. It unfurled to reveal a distinctive black insect. Tonks wiped her muddy hand on her robe and crawled over to pry another beetle free.
After Tonks collected the specimens and followed Snape along the path to Hogwarts, she finally got the nerve to say, "Is there a reason why I've been lugging these rocks around? I mean, am I supposed to throw them if we're attacked, or is this a test of my willingness to follow instruction?"
"Yes."
She held up two fingers, hastily lowering her hand when he whirled around. "What is it?" she asked.
"Something is tracking us."
Click, Click!
Adrenaline surged as Tonks thrust her hand into the rucksack, pulled out a rock, and threw it in the direction of the sound.
Boom!
Five metres behind her, red flames engulfed a giant spider. Tonks clapped her hands over her ears to block out monstrous shrieks of pain.
Snape grabbed her arm. "Every spider in the forest will have heard their brother's cry. Run!"
She ran. "What the hell did I throw?" she called at his retreating back.
"Igneous rock transformed to igneus—of fire."
Ominous hissing and clicking sounds filled the darkness around them, drawing steadily closer. "I'm ready to risk Splinching!" Tonks yelled.
Snape turned so sharply she almost ran into him. "There is another way out of the forest."
Tonks lost consciousness.
She awoke in her attic room, fully dressed and covered in dried mud. There was a note on the bedside table.
Nine o'clock tomorrow. Dungeon Five.
The spidery handwriting was Snape's. Tonks clutched the note and reached into the drawer for her communication mirror. She had to tell Remus!
-
Strix fluttered his wings as if eager to fly into the night. Remus looked past the cage to the window, once again feeling a kinship with the owl. Like Strix, he waited for moments of freedom.
With a sigh, Remus turned his gaze back to the ceiling. Contemplating water stains wasn't the most enthralling way to pass the time, but it sufficed. Earlier, he had tried to read, but found his attention drifting. His mind was too filled with thoughts of Nymphadora. What was detaining her at the castle? Had some staff issue arisen, forcing her to wait to speak to Dumbledore?
He imagined her pacing back and forth, checking the time and shooting daggers at the gargoyle that blocked the entrance to the Head's office. A smile crossed his face. She was adorable when she was angry, and her mouth pouted in a way that begged to be kissed.
His love would make a face if he told her so. She would place her hands on her hips and look at him through narrowed eyes. Adorable? Don't you mean fascinating and irresistible?
She was that and more. Although he occasionally had doubts about the future and whether it was fair to tie a young, vibrant woman to a man of his age and circumstances, Remus did his best to focus on the present. They were mated by private vows and bound by love: a magic that went beyond blood.
Thoughts of emotional ties led to memories of a physical nature. He missed Nymphadora's touch for more than sexual reasons. There was a comfort in feeling her body nestled close to his. On the nights when fears manifested in his dreams, the warmth of her skin and the sound of her soft breaths reassured him that all was well. If a nightmare was so harrowing that he could not return to sleep, Remus knew that she would gladly awaken to make love.
He turned onto his side at the precise moment Strix shifted restlessly on his perch. Remus smiled. Was there a female owl somewhere waiting for her mate to return?
Knock!
Remus was standing beside the bed when the door opened. The light from the corridor cast Will's face into shadow. "There's a messenger here. Dix wants to see you." The boy jerked his head toward the wand in Remus' hand. "What's that for?"
"Defence."
Will snorted. "Maybe you aren't so tame after all."
Remus stepped forward, into the light. "No, I'm not."
His words brought a considering smile to Will's face. The truth of the words tightened the knot in Remus' stomach. He liked to think of himself as civilised, moral—with little save humanity in common with most other werewolves. His dealings with the Salford pack had taught him otherwise. Was his willingness to do what needed to be done to accomplish his goals much different than theirs?
On the way downstairs, he slipped a hand into his pocket to touch the communication mirror. If Nymphadora tried to contact him before he returned, he wouldn't be able to answer. If it happened, he hoped that she would believe him asleep.
In the lounge, a middle-aged man with thin, weasel-like features stood picking his teeth with a thumbnail. It was Kemp. He wiped his hand on his trousers after catching sight of them. "You Lupin? Best step lively. Dix don't like to be kept waiting."
Outside, Kemp took Remus' hand and shook it vigorously. "Saved my life, your advice. Thought Dix was going to slice me up and toss me in the river until I begged to make restitution."
"I'm glad I could help."
Kemp laughed, revealing crooked teeth. "That goes double for me, mate!"
They were walking in the direction of the abandoned pub. This time, the burly guard opened the back door from the inside when they approached.
"Good evening, Cleave," said Remus.
"Lupin." He spared a single glance for Kemp. "Go home."
"Right. Anything you say. I'm off." There was a pop and then Kemp was gone.
Cleave said over his shoulder to the man waiting at the bar, "He's clean."
"Come in and have a drink, Lupin," said Dix. "Do you prefer ale or Firewhisky?"
"Ale."
Dix, with his slicked back dark hair, tailored shirt and trousers, resembled a businessman more than the leader of a werewolf pack—not that Remus would confide his opinion. There was a look in the other man's eyes that revealed the feral nature hidden beneath the surface. He set a green bottle down on the bar.
The communication mirror warmed the moment Remus sat on the stool. He showed no reaction. Inwardly, he prayed that Nymphadora would not assume the worst.
"Wise decision. I drink Firewhisky on occasion," said Dix, taking a pull of his bottle, "but not regularly. I've seen too many men lose their common sense under the influence."
Remus thought of Sirius, bursting into his room.
Harry thinks that I'm being held captive at the Ministry. We have to save him from Voldemort's trap!
Had alcohol slowed down Sirius' reactions during the Ministry battle? Would he have avoided the veil if his reflexes had been unimpaired? Remus didn't know, and those questions were likely to haunt him for the rest of his life.
"I see you have too," said Dix.
Remus took a sip that he did not want. "Yes."
"Then you'll understand why I didn't invite young William to accompany you this evening."
"He only drinks beer," said Remus.
Behind Remus, Cleave said in his deep voice, "That's because he can't afford Firewhisky."
Dix chuckled. "Werewolves do tend to self-medicate." He placed his bottle on the bar with a loud thud. "That's what the Ministry wants. To keep us down, in our place, and on the dole." His smile was predatory. "I aim to change that."
"How?"
"I'd like to tell you, Lupin." Dix shook his head slightly. "But I don't trust you yet."
The mirror in his pocket had grown cool. Remus hid his alarm with a nod. "That's only prudent."
"Hear that?" Dix asked Cleave with an amused smile. "No protest, no begging for a chance to prove himself." He picked up his bottle and took another drink. "You tell me. What should we do with the good professor?"
Remus glanced back into fathomless dark eyes. Cleave said, "Let him prove himself."
"Is that what you want?" Dix asked Remus.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I want to provide for my mate."
Dix's pale blue eyes flickered past Remus' shoulder.
"He speaks the truth," said Cleave.
Remus turned, surprise etched on his face. "Are you a Legilimens?"
"No. I can smell lies."
Dix said, "My second is multi-talented." He braced his hands on the bar and leaned across. "Are you multi-talented, Lupin?"
"Yes."
"Can you create a dummy corporation for the pack and use it to acquire legal ownership of this establishment?"
With research, the aid of certain spells and the Perception Paper, he could. "Yes."
"Excellent." Dix pointed to the far wall. "What do you know about darts?"
Remus repeated what Sirius had once told him. "There are three kinds of dart players. Those who can count and those who can't."
Dix laughed. "Let's see what type you are."
Remus could count, which is why he made sure to let Dix win three to one.
After the match, he bid the two men goodnight and Apparated back to the front step of the flat. The door was slightly ajar. He had shut the door upon leaving. Remus gripped his wand and thrust the door open.
The two people sitting on a futon having a chat jumped to their feet.
Nymphadora hurled herself into his arms. "Remus!" She hugged him tightly. "I know I don't have permission and I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I had to come!" She pressed tiny kisses along his jaw line. "I missed you so much!"
Her eyes said I was so worried! I couldn't stand not knowing!
The flash of anger Remus first felt after his relief faded. He would have done the same in her place. When her lips grazed his he kissed her tenderly, stroking her hair, her face.
Remus lifted his head at the sound of a throat clearing. He looked toward Will. "Are you going to report this visit?"
"Depends," said Will. "What are you offering to buy my silence?"
-
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A/N: Those of you who have read Deathly Hallows know how Snape got Tonks out of the forest. Those who haven't, well, the phrase "ignorance is bliss" is sometimes true. Special thanks to everyone who didn't want me to let a little thing like canon stop me from writing! No worries, mates! As always, I have to thank the fabulous people who cheered so well with their reviews. 40/16, Albus Severus, alix33, AudreyLovesRemus, Calenmarwen, cupcakeswirl, ElspethBates, Enorance, Erica, FNP, Freja Lercke-Falkenborg, GraceRichie, Indigoenigma, Ioci, Io.sono.Emilia, ishandtwofourths, Kates Master, ladyofthebookworms, lbf1412 (you can include your email beneath your name in an anonymous review or type it in with a dot com into the review because FF removes non spelt out email addys!), Lizet M, Machiavelli Jr, Meltalviel, MollyCoddles, Mrs Alfred, Mrs. Hermione Jane Weasley, Operamuse, Phoenixtear19, RahNee, remus R us, Sapphire200182, siriuslycoco, siriuslycrazy4snuffles, Sivaroobini Lupin-Black, Slipknot-3113, Sophia Loren, sunny9847, tambrathegreat, UnderworldBabe, and worldsapart.
FF acted wonky, not posting this chapter when I submitted, (or re-submitted!) so I'll be doubly grateful to every reader who perserveres through 'chapter not found' on alerts to read and review.