Remus sat in his study rubbing his eyes with his palms. He had been reading through a list of names of the dead. He had been at Headquarters since two days before Christmas and it was now New Years, he would be returning to Hogwarts in a few days. His eyes skimmed through the second page of the list. Familiar names were woven all throughout the list. Sarah Mills, Ravenclaw. Tyler Chrise, Hufflepuff. Jeremy Patalon, Slytherin. The list went on and on. Finally, Remus couldn't take it any longer and gave up on the list when he was halfway through the third page.
So many people had died. Innocent people. He just couldn't read through the names, they had already stuck him in this depression. Still, every day he read the list. He couldn't help it, he was terrified he would see the last name Weasley or Black or Potter. After everything that had happened, he didn't think that he could bear to see the name of someone that he loved on a list that held the names of the dead, it would probably finally make him crack and there would be no coming back from that if he did.
Remus was a simple man. He didn't really need all that much. Give him some clothes and his wand and he would survive. But above all else he needed one thing: his friends. And if Lord Voldemort did decide to kill one of them, he would go after that snake looking freak himself. He would hunt him to the ends of the earth and kill him or die trying.
Nope, he was not going to chance seeing a name and having his whole entire world come crashing down around him. Instead, he had decided that he would stay blissfully unaware of all the names that were on that list. However, deep down, he knew that he couldn't live with himself if something had happened to one of those that he cared about and he did not do anything about it and that is why he came straight back to the list every single time.
Remus stood up from his seat and walked out of the study and found Kingsley standing on the other side of the door hand raised to knock.
"Oh Hello Kingsley what is it you needed?" Remus asked kindly.
"Remus I am so sorry." The other man said.
"What's happened?" Remus asked trying to stay calm.
"Tonks...Tonks is dead."