A/N: Special thanks to all those that have reviewed! I really appreciate each and every one of them!
"Come on, Remus," Hermione encouraged, huffing as she tried to lift the weak man from the ground. "Up ya go."
Sirius released Tonks' arm, shooting a look of warning in her direction before walking to Remus' other side. Together, he and Hermione lifted him to his feet and sat him down on the couch. They sat down beside him in a show of support, but both were so lost in their thoughts that they had forgotten momentarily about the others standing near the doorway.
Harry was the first to walk closer to them, his eyes wary as he slowly voiced the thoughts of the others. "So, um, what just happened here?"
Remus had kept his head in his hands and Hermione knew he was afraid to look up, afraid of the accusations that he knew would come from the people he called family.
"There's a bit about werewolves that you guys don't know," Sirius started, trying to hold a diplomatic tone while also warning them not to hurt his friend. He took a deep breath and released it slowly. "There's a bit about them that I don't know myself."
"Such as?" Fred asked with a grin. Apparently, not everyone was upset about the ordeal and the twins were always particularly pleased when Tonks was put in her place.
Sirius looked across Remus to Hermione, nodding his head for her to enter the conversation. Nervously, she began to tell them what she knew, keeping a cautious eye on Tonks who looked both shocked and disgusted.
"You mean to tell me," Harry said unhappily, "that all this time you two have known each other, this just suddenly arose out of nowhere?"
"No," Hermione said nervously. "The last night Sirius came home pissed, Remus and I were in the kitchen and…and we sort of had a moment of sorts. It started then." Defending Remus against them, she quickly added, "Remus didn't know what was happening. Moony told me that when he was in control, or whatever, that Remus didn't know what was happening."
"Is that true?" Arthur asked. It seemed he was reserving judgment until he had all the facts at least.
Remus looked up, meeting most of their eyes before landing on Arthur's. "At first, yes. But the day before we went to the Department of Mysteries it changed. When he would come out, I was aware of what he was saying and doing, but I still couldn't control him. I also became aware of everything else that he had done the week before."
"And what had he done before exactly?" Harry asked through gritted teeth.
"He marked her," Remus said in defeat, his hands running once again through his hair.
"As in 'bound her to you for life'?!"
"Harry, that's enough!" Hermione said forcefully.
Remus looked at Hermione questioningly. "He says you called to him once before, a long time ago, and he answered. He's known since that day that you would, er, belong to him."
"Called to you?" she asked in confusion.
"Bloody hell," Harry gasped suddenly. "You did, Hermione, and he did come. The time turner, remember? We were watching when he turned on me. You howled and he turned to us."
Hermione's mouth gaped open as she looked from Harry to Remus. The rest of the room, however, had no idea what Harry had just said. How could he turn toward Harry and Hermione if he was already turned toward Harry?
Suddenly, Tonks stormed forward, her expression a sneer mixed with a hint of gloating. "So, I was right after all. You've been whoring yourself to MY husband and he's been having an affair with you! I even found your knickers in his…"
She stopped as quick as she started when Remus jumped from the couch, unsettling both Hermione and Sirius. "You will NOT insult my mate again. It is for her alone that you still find yourself breathing!"
A quill could have dropped and been heard by all as the room stopped moving and the occupants stared at Remus. Calm, quiet Remus that they had all known never to put a tone out of line, was currently threatening his wife.
"Remus!" Molly shrieked when Tonks began to cry openly. "You'll upset the baby!"
Moony turned to the others and laughed; a mirthless laugh that chilled them all to the bone and left Hermione very confused and still hurt, before he addressed Tonks once more. "You are not having my cub. Nothing grows inside of you, but contempt and hatred. Tell me I'm wrong," he growled.
He looked pointedly at Tonks and she started crying harder, falling into her mother's arms as her body shook with sobs.
"Yea, Tonks, tell us. Are you um, having cubs?" George asked with a snicker. He immediately stiffened and paled when Moony turned his attention to him.
Cocking his head to the side and assessing the man before him, Moony grinned. "And you," he said with a chuckle, "are lucky I like you." He turned back to Tonks, obviously awaiting her answer.
"TELL ME!" he bellowed, making them all cringe.
"It's true," she sniffled hatefully before glaring at him coldly. "You've been spending so much time with her lately and ignoring me. I thought if I could make you believe I was pregnant, you'd offer to move out again and we could leave. Then I could just say I lost the baby." Tonks strode in front of Moony so that they both stood in the center of the room. "She's nothing more than a whore! And you, you are nothing but a monster!" Tonks exclaimed, her hand coming up and slapping Moony hard across the face.
His head snapped back sharply and a growl fell from his curled lips. Before Hermione and Sirius could stop him, Moony grabbed Tonks by the throat and threw her against the wall. Her head cracked against a picture and she slid down to the floor, whimpering in pain and fear as Moony stalked closer. When her eyes flickered to Hermione who was slowly pulling him backwards and calming him, the relief that crossed her face was evident.
"And your pathetic excuse for trying to kill someone else?" he snarled in question, barely giving an inch. "Tell me, since you've not told anyone else. Tell me how you justify trying to kill my mate and why the rest of you," he said, looking around the room, "have made her feel guilty when she has done nothing wrong."
"She slept with a married man. I'd say that's wrong," Molly said stiffly.
"She had no choice! I gave her no choice. I could feel her emotions and I knew how the human felt about her. He was never meant to take this filth," he said, waving his hand in Tonks' direction, "but she convinced him to do so with empty promises."
"How could you, Tonks?" Harry asked softly, finally accusing the one that was truly to blame. "How could you try and kill Hermione? Do you not care that you stopped them all from coming back, from getting the second chance they all deserved?"
"Oh, come off it, Harry," she retorted as she slowly stood back up. "Your precious Hermione is my husband's mistress and yet it's me you accuse? What would you have done? Tell me that, Harry."
He thought for several moments as the others looked on and waited. "I would have done what my dad did," he answered finally. "I would have forgiven and let it go, not sought revenge. And I would have let her go instead of holding on to something that wasn't meant to be." Harry turned to Hermione, ignoring the wolf beside her as much as possible. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I was angry at my mum, at Snape, at the world in general…and I took it out on you. I should have been there when you needed me like you've been there for me in the past. Can you forgive me?"
"Oh, Harry!" she sniffed, before throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. Neither, however, could ignore Moony's soft growl and they both parted quickly. Harry giving the wolf a strange look and Hermione grinning at him lovingly.
"I think it's time to let Remus handle this," she said softly, leading Moony back to the couch.
His fingers stayed locked with hers and he nodded. Within moments, Moony closed his amber eyes and breathed deeply. When he opened them, they were blue and blazing with anger. He looked at his hand holding Hermione's smaller one and jerked away as if burned.
"You lied to me!" he accused Tonks, who started sobbing again. "Knowing I wanted a child more than anything? And you used it against me?" He looked at the others. Some were watching him in awe, some fear, but most in disbelief.
"She already admitted it, Remus. Moony scared the hell out of her, so I think you should let it go," Sirius said quietly as he sat beside his friend once more.
"Yea, he scared the hell out of all of us," Fred piped in.
"Remus, how could you do those things? How could you attack and threaten Tonks the way you have? How could you…I mean…with Hermione?" Molly asked with obvious disdain.
Remus' eyes blazed again, but the voice was obviously his. "We're not called 'monsters' in jest," he snapped. "I have warned you all, time and time again, of what I am, and you all chose to sweep it under the rug and pretend it wasn't real, that I was normal. Now that you're faced with the fact that it is more real than you ever imagined, you're going to accuse me of being what I told you I was in the first place?"
"No," Hermione said forcefully, glaring at the room. "No, they're not. They are going to accept that there are things in this world that they don't understand and act accordingly. Not make accusations based on ignorance and lies. Tonks," she said, addressing her would-be murderess, "what happened was wrong and it never should have happened that way. I understand why you are angry, but you cannot pretend that you and Remus were happy. And you certainly can't pretend that you and the wolf are compatible."
Tonks glared at the girl before her, but before she could respond, an owl flew down and dropped a red envelope at her feet.
"YOU WILL REPORT TO MY OFFICE IN NO MORE THAN ONE HOUR! A DECISION ON YOUR IMPENDING SUSPENSION AND REASSIGNMENT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT THIS TIME. YOU ARE LUCKY THAT HERMIONE OWLED ME HERSELF IN YOUR DEFENSE OR YOU WOULD BE SITTING IN AZKABAN, FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A FELLOW WITCH, WITH THE DEATH EATERS YOU HELPED PUT THERE. DO NOT BE LATE!"
When Kingsley's voice faded from the room, Tonks stood staring at the envelope on the floor. "Tonks, dear, are you alright?" Molly asked, only a second before the young witch went flying from the room and the sounds of sobbing followed in her wake.
"You wrote in her defense?" Sirius asked incredulously.
"Of course. Remus, what's wrong?" she asked, slowly putting her hand on his shoulder as he lowered his own hands from his face.
"I have to leave."
With those words, he rose from the couch and stormed through the door. Hermione quickly followed him, along with the others. "Where are you going?" she demanded.
It was Moony, however, who answered. "The human feels he needs time to find himself or some such nonsense. I think he just wants to escape his own life and those that are too judgmental to truly be counted amongst his friends. You people sicken me and you should be ashamed of yourselves." He turned to Hermione and gently cupped her cheek with his hand. "You will know where to find me, mate. When you are ready, join us."
He leaned down and kissed her in front of everyone. It was the first time they had seen Remus kiss Hermione and most were shocked beyond belief. The inhuman screech, however, kept most from staring.
Tonks had appeared in front of the doorway. "How dare you?!"
Moony languidly broke the kiss, leaving Hermione breathless as he turned towards Tonks. "I believe a dissolution of this ridiculous union is in order, don't you? See to it while I'm gone. It will be the one thing you have managed to do right." Tonks stormed through the front door, allowing it to slam shut behind her without a word. Turning back to Hermione, Moony rasped lovingly, "Find us, we'll be waiting."
"Keep him safe," she said softly.
"I would allow him to be no other way, mate." With one last trail of his finger across her cheek, he left.
When the door shut behind him, Hermione turned to face the others. Sirius walked up to her, taking both shoulders in his hands gently.
"Go after him, love. Bring him back." With a pointed look at the others from Hermione, he added, "I'll take care of them, you just take care of Remus."
"How will you find him, Hermione?" Harry asked curiously. "Where did he go?"
"I don't know," she said nervously. "I don't know how to find him."
"Might I suggest you concentrate on him?" Bill asked calmly.
"Concentrate on him?"
"Yes." He took a deep breath before giving Molly a defiant look and returning to Hermione, "I can always find Fleur by concentrating on her."
"You can?" Molly asked in shock as she remembered her own son was much like the man she was so disgustedwith only moments before.
"Maybe it is a wolf thing, I don't know, but yes, I can." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, obvious concentration crossing his scarred face. "She's in Diagon Alley. Just entered it actually." A wicked grin spread across his face. "She's buying me something!"
"Okay, Hermione, give it a try."
Hermione imitated Bill, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. Suddenly she could picture Remus in a cabin next to a patch of woods she had never seen before. He looked anxious and worried and her heart went out to him. A slow smile spread across her face. "I don't know where he is, but I can see it, and if I can see it, then I can…"
"Apparate to him?" Sirius asked with a smile of his own.
She nodded, then ran for the door and left with a quick 'pop' only to appear outside the very cabin she had seen in her mind. Walking cautiously to the door, she turned the knob without knocking and stood at the door.
"What are you doing here?" Remus asked in obvious shock. "How did you find me? How did you…damn wolf," he conceded and grinned slightly when she smiled up at him. "Well, come on in, then."