The Halfway – Chapter Three

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, they're really encouraging! I'm glad people are enjoying this story, and hopefully this next chapter won't disappoint... DH Spoilers.

Tonks held Remus' hand lightly as they followed Ted, Sirius, James, and Lily along the winding dirt road. They'd been walking for what felt like ages, and with each step, her anxiety mounted tenfold. What would they have to fight, once they were face-to-face with their demons? Tonks couldn't help but imagine being surrounded by a thousand Dementors, and shuddered.

They journeyed together in complete silence. Even the familiar sound of feet scrapping against the ground was not audible in this place, and the silence was maddening. Tonks couldn't help but feel like she was marching blindly to her death. She realized with another jolt of deep anxiety that, in a way, she was – this battle would determine whether she would live again or settle for an eternity amongst the Dead.

Tonks couldn't help but remember the sadness in her father's voice as he described how much he missed her mother. If she lost this battle, she would suffer a similar fate. No, she wouldn't lose this battle. She couldn't.

"Where are we going?" Remus finally demanded.

Tonks was surprised he could even speak. She couldn't make a sound - her tongue felt as if it was glued to the top of her mouth.

"Can't tell you," said James.

"Why not?"

"Because, well, we don't really know," he admitted with a shrug.

Remus shook his head, but Tonks saw a small smile reach his lips. It lightened her mood, just a little, to see her husband at ease.

But then, without warning, the sky – that before had been a rainbow of colors with the sunset – turned the darkest shade of black. Tonks felt herself being pulled away from Remus. She tried to tighten her grasp on his hand, but the forces working against them were too strong.

His hand slipped from hers.

"Remus!" she called, but he was gone. In fact, she seemed to be quite alone in the eerie darkness. She was terrified, and she put a hand to her chest instinctively before realizing she had no heart beating in there. The thought only added to her anxiety.

Then, there was a loud crack that sounded eerily like someone Apparating behind her. Tonks whirled around and found herself face-to-face with the familiar dark figure of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Without missing a beat, her Auror-trained mind went into action, trying to figure out what was going on so she could react properly. She had been fighting Bellatrix before she came to the Halfway. Had she perhaps been flung back into the same battle, this time with a second chance at victory?

What had she done wrong the first time? She needed to know, so that she could fix it this time around.

Suddenly, another crack broke the silence, and before Tonks could even register who had joined, there was another and another. Not a moment later, she found herself trapped in the center of a circle of Death Eaters.

As if on cue, they all pulled wands out of their robes and pointed them at her.

She reached into her own robes, but found that her pockets were still empty.

What now? She could try to fight, but it was unlikely that she would be able to take down even a single Death Eater before they got her. Was there supposed to be some sort of spell that she could cast or... something? This was the first time she could remember being in combat without a single idea of what to do. Since she was not living, could she fly? Like an angel? The idea seemed ridiculous, but she was desperate. She did a little hop, and landed right back on the ground.

The Death Eaters laughed.

She looked around fruitlessly, hoping that Remus, her father, or any of the others were around. She was, however, quite alone.

Tonks needed help.

Her first thought was to call for Remus, but realized that he was probably engaged in his own battle. Besides, he did not know any more than she did about this place and this battle. She couldn't explain why she thought to ask for him, but before she could take it back, the word escaped her lips.

"D - dad?"

The Death Eaters around her started to cackle again.

"Ickle Nymphadora," mocked Bellatrix, "calling for her Daddy. You're done for, little girl. You've lost. You can walk away now, and we'll let you go. Or you can choose to fight us –" Some of the Death Eaters made noises of approval at this – "and meet a fate worse than death. So, which will be it, darling niece?"

"No," she said desperately, tears prickling at her eyes. "No, I'm not - I haven't lost. Dad. Dad please, help me!"

And suddenly, her father was there.

He did not seem to care that they were surrounded by Death Eaters. Nor did he seem to notice the fact that they were both defenseless, with a dozen wands pointing at them. Rather, her surveyed the crowd with mild interest before looking at his daughter.

"How do I fight them?" she asked breathlessly. "What can I do?"

"It appears, Dora," he said casually, "that you are outnumbered."

"I know, but I mean, you're dead, you've got to be able to do some wicked magic to destroy them all..."

He smiled vaguely. "I'm sorry, Nymphadora, but this is your battle to win, not mine."

"Then tell me, what can I do?"

"I don't know. You appear to be... how should I put it? Oh yes, completely fucked."

"Dad!"

"All right! Well, you can try to fight them with your hands."

"But they'll kill me!"

"That they will."

"Dad!"

"Then your only other option is... to walk away."

She looked at him blankly. He was agreeing with Bellatrix? "What?"

"You could walk away."

"You're kidding."

"Am I?"

"But..."

"They said you could walk away, didn't they?"

"Yes, but if I walk away then... then, I die." Ted's neutral expression did not change. "And if I do fight..."

"Then you'll suffer a fate worse than death, yes," he answered calmly.

Anger was beginning to bubble at the surface. How could her father be so bloody calm about this? There had to be a way to fight – there always had to be way. But he was holding out on her, she was sure of it. It was as if he didn't want her to go back to the Living.

"Yeah, but what does that mean?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"It means, walk away and you will go to the World of the Dead. Fight, and you will be trapped here forever."

"Trapped here?"

"Yes. When you die, you never truly leave your loved ones. In times of great need, they can call upon you to help them. But that can only happen if you die, and right now, you are not dead. You won't be able to watch or help the Living from the Halfway, nor will you be able to ever truly understand the fate that has been bestowed upon you. Dora, if you choose to fight, you will never rest in peace."

"But if I don't fight, what happens to the Death Eaters?"

"They go back to the Land of the Living, unharmed."

Tonks couldn't believe what she was hearing. "If I don't fight them, they'll go back?" Ted nodded. "But if I do fight them, they'll suffer along with me?"

"A fate worse than death, yes."

"I don't understand, you said that I would either live or die... no one mentioned this!"

"I'm sorry," Ted admitted with little conviction. "We couldn't tell you, it was part of your battle."

"But that's not fair!"

"No one said dying was fair."

"You just want me to stay here with you," she spat. "You just can't bear being here alone so you lied just so I could -"

"ENOUGH!" bellowed Ted. His eyes were blazing now. She knew she'd crossed a line; she'd never seen her easy-going father this upset before. Had he ever been this upset before? The thought sent guilt coursing through her.

"Sorry," she muttered, looking at the ground.

"I would never do that to you," he said evenly, regaining his calm. "I'm insulted you'd even think that."

"I know, I'm sorry, Dad. I'm just... just really upset. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. But you need to make your decision now, Dora. Before time is up."

"I want to take them down," she said aggressively. "I want them to go with me."

Ted raised his eyebrows. "And be trapped here forever?"

"Yes!" she replied, but didn't feel quite that confident.

There was much more to consider than she'd originally thought. If she retreated, she could see her Teddy, even if he couldn't see her. And if he really needed her, she might even be able to help him. But if she fought, then she wouldn't even be able to watch him from afar. The more she thought about it, the worse that fate seemed to be.

She'd already left Teddy once to fight, and where had that left her? Surrounded by a dozen Death Eaters in an entirely different universe from her child. She would be no good to him here.

Tonks had failed her son once. She didn't want to do it again.

"What would you do?" she asked her father in a small voice.

"Well, I –" He paused, seeming to really struggle with his response. "I can't tell you, Dora. It's all up to you now."

But when Ted met her eyes, she could see what he could not express.

Tonks had been looking for her father's approval, and she had found it hidden behind those large, familiar brown eyes. She knew what she had to do now.

"I want... to fight, but... Teddy." She let out a strangled sob, covering her face with her hands. "I can't let go of Teddy."

Her father looked down sadly, and put a hand on her shoulder. His touch left her feeling warm, but it did not help to ease the pain this time. "So, you're walking away?"

Tonks sniffed, and looked into Bellatrix's jeering face. "Yes," she said without taking her eyes off the witch. "I give up."

The Death Eaters cheered, but they moved aside, allowing her to leave the circle without protest. She gripped her father's hand tightly, letting him guide the way. She had never walked away from a fight before, and it left her feeling strangely hollow.

Tonks almost wished that Bellatrix had hit her with a curse so that she could feel the physical pain. Anything to relieve the emptiness that started from somewhere in the vicinity of where her heart used to be.

Remus groped for Tonks' hand in the dark, but it was useless – she was gone. Steadying himself for the worst, he dug his hands into his pockets instinctively and was shocked to find his wand in there. Feeling slightly more confident, he pointed the wand and muttered, "Lumos," under his breath.

He gasped.

The light fell directly onto the twisted, transformed face of Fenrir Greyback, bright yellow eyes glinting in the wand light. At the sight, Remus was catapulted into the past: he was six, running through the forest as fast as his tiny legs would take him, the werewolf on his heels. He tripped; Greyback pounced; there was blood everywhere.

"No!" Remus bellowed at the snarling beast.

He couldn't let Greyback win. Not again. Despite the hell Greyback's bite had unleashed upon his life, Remus had managed to find love and happiness. He would not let that beast steal it away again.

Remus pointed his wand menacingly at the werewolf. Greyback was poised to pounce.

"This is for every life you've destroyed, every family you've ripped apart... I should have done this a long time ago... Avada Kedavra!"

Remus saw those piercing yellow eyes illuminated one last time, wide and frozen and impossibly sinister in the strange green light. Then, the darkness was back and a heavy thud told him all he needed to know.

He'd won.

The darkness vanished as quickly as it came, as if someone flipped a light switch. Remus blinked a few times, expecting his eyes to hurt until he got used to the sudden brightness, but they didn't.

"Tonks!"

Smiling broadly, Remus ran over to meet her as she approached. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. He was elated. His battle had been quick and easy; he had defeated Greyback with a mere flick of his wand! Remus had been fearing the worst for nothing.

Yet, Tonks made no move to respond. In fact, she looked as if she'd just seen a ghost. Remus swallowed his joy painfully.

"What's wrong, love?"

"I didn't... I lost," she mumbled, looking down at her shoes.

"What?"

"I lost," she repeated, a hint of self-loathing in her voice.

Remus licked his lips. "Are you sure?"

She nodded meekly.

"No," he whispered, eyes wide. He backed away. "This can't be, it can't."

Remus turned to Sirius, Lily, and James, who had appeared a few feet behind the couple. He ran over to them, pointing a finger in their direction. "You can fix this! You can save her! You have to!"

He was sure he must look manic, eyes bulging, screaming at the top of his lungs and gesturing wildly at his friends. But he didn't care. Tonks was going to come back with him, she had to!

His friends averted their eyes. Remus' heart plummeted.

"No..."

"I'm sorry, mate," said James slowly. "She lost. She stays."

"But... I can't go without her."

"Chin up," said James bracingly, "you'll get to be with your boy!"

"I know, but –" He turned to Tonks – "It just won't matter if you're not there."

Tears shone in her eyes. "Don't say that, Remus."

"But it's true."

"If you go, then at least one of us will be there with Teddy," she said dully. "That's more than I could have asked for."

"NO! I won't go without you! I'll stay here, I don't care!"

"But I do care!"

Remus noticed James and Sirius exchange looks out of the corner of his eye. He ignored them.

"Remus... please do this for me."

"But –"

"Remus, please. Don't go playing the noble prat again! This isn't about protecting me or even about protecting yourself. This is bigger than both of us now! You need to do this for Teddy!"

"But..." He looked around desperately as his anger vanished, leaving him with the distinct feeling that his insides were deflating. He couldn't meet Tonks' gaze. "I can't lose you, too."

"Now is not the time to act as a martyr, Remus. It's the time to be a father."

Remus stared at Tonks. Her face seemed to contort with desperate pleading. He tore his eyes away quickly, the sight bringing on a fresh batch of pain. Instead, he looked around at his friends. James and Sirius were giving him the thumbs up, while Lily was rolling her eyes, but looked encouraging nevertheless.

He nodded, unable to find his voice.

Tonks closed her eyes tightly, and suddenly her face was streaked with silent tears. Remus closed the distance between them and held her, rubbing small, soothing circles against her back. He thought of how this would be the last time he would hold Tonks in his arms, and could not fight back his own tears. He pulled away slightly, without caring that his friends and her father were watching as he kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, her nose, her lips...

He never wanted to stop.

The sound of a throat clearing yanked him out of his reverie. Remus pulled back slightly. The others were watching the scene with grins on their faces.

Anger hit him with surprising force. He was saying goodbye to his wife – the only woman he'd ever loved – and they were smiling? Did they not understand the magnitude of this moment?

"We need to explain something," said Lily seriously, although a trace of her earlier smile was still on her face. "The scenes you faced – Remus fighting against Greyback and Tonks walking away from the circle of Death Eaters – those weren't really the battles."

"What?" Remus and Tonks demanded at the same time.

"Tonks, your battle was whether or not you'd walk away from a fight. To win, you had to walk away from the battle, with the understanding that some things just aren't worth fighting for. Remus, your battle had nothing to do with Greyback – which is why you won it so quickly and easily. You've made many sacrifices in your life, Remus, but they were all for the wrong reasons. Before, you sacrificed yourself because you were too scared to face reality. Now, however, every fiber of your being wanted to stay with Tonks, and yet, you chose to go back to your son. This was the first true sacrifice you made, because you knew it was the right thing to do not for yourself, but for him."

"You've done it, both of you," finished James, his grin becoming even more pronounced. "You can both go home."

"What?" said Remus, not really believing what he heard.

"Stop your crying, you two, you're going home!" repeated Sirius.

Remus looked to Lily, the one person he knew he could trust to not be pulling a prank on him. She nodded, a smile growing more pronounced on her face. As he watched Lily, he noticed in his peripheral that Tonks was staring at her father in a similar manner. He nodded and smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Of course, Remus realized, he probably loved the idea of having Tonks back with him. He would miss his daughter.

But they were going home!

"So," Tonks asked carefully, "Greyback and Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters...?"

"Weren't really there," said Lily. "Don't worry, you didn't send them back to life or anything."

Remus met Tonks' eyes and they both smiled. Tears were streaming down Tonks' face again, and she wiped at them furiously with the back of her sleeve.

"Being silly, we're going home," she muttered.

"Not at all," he whispered, brushing a tear from her cheek with his thumb before replacing his finger with his lips.

They both laughed tearfully, and then Remus backed away slightly, allowing Ted to approach his daughter. He pulled her into a one-armed hug, while patting her on the head with the other hand. "I'll miss you. Take care, Dora. And can you do me a favor?" She nodded. "Tell your mother that I love her."

Tonks smiled sadly. "Of course, Dad."

He placed a kiss on the top of her head, and then turned to Remus. "Take care of my Dora and your son, all right? You're a great wizard, Remus, don't forget that."

"Thank you, Ted."

"It's Dad," he corrected.

And then, with one last lingering look at Tonks, he disappeared.

"Right, we should be getting back, too," said James, looking at the spot in which Ted had just been standing. "It's been nice seeing you again, Moony." He clapped Remus on the shoulder. "Thanks for looking after Harry."

"He was an incredible boy – is an incredible man - it was an honor to help."

Next, Sirius hugged Remus briefly, and whispered, "You and Tonks, about bloody time, old man! The way you two danced around each other before I died..." He trailed off with a reminiscent smile. "I can't believe it. She's half your age, mate! I've never been more proud!"

And then he hugged Tonks. "Don't feel guilty about not getting Bellatrix for me," he told her sincerely. "She'll get what's coming to her, I know it. In fact –" He smiled wickedly – "I wouldn't be surprised if she joins us here soon..."

Sirius then stepped back to stand with James, allowing Lily to approach. First, she hugged Tonks. "It's been a pleasure meeting you."

"The pleasure's all mine, really," she told Lily sincerely. "Considering what Remus has told me, you lot are as good as celebrities in my mind!"

Lily laughed, and then turned to Remus. He stooped slightly so that he could hug her properly, and she kissed his cheek lightly. "Don't be afraid to be happy once in a while, Lupin, okay? You deserve it just as much as anyone else."

He smiled. "Okay."

With that, his old friends disappeared.

Remus stared at their newly vacated spots wistfully for a moment, until Tonks slipped her small hand into his. He turned to face her.

"We're going to see Teddy again," she said, unable to contain her grin. In fact, she was all but bouncing on the soles of her feet.

"I know," he replied.

Her grin was contagious. He felt happier than he could ever remember being.

And then, they were falling.

TBC...

A/N: Please leave a review! Only one more chapter to go!