1.
In Tonk's mind, this was how everything was meant to go:
Hermione leaves to help save the world, Tonks pines but pridefully waits for her return. Hermione risks her life so that Tonks and every decent individual may enjoy the fruits of her hard work. Hermione would return sooner than expected; an ordinary witch she was not, ordinary two wizards and a witch would take years and still may fail to return. Hermione WOULD return, it was the highest expectation that Tonks cared about, successful or not. And lastly Tonks had to uphold her end of the bargain, to aide Hermione by staying low away from danger.
That was a tough thing to ask when you're already a known enemy of the Dark Lord's, and harness a natural instinct to immerse herself into a cause. Put close relationship with a top three undesirable on top of those and you've practically made Tonks undesirable number four. That's why she didn't oppose the withdrawal from Order operations, that's why she didn't put up a fight when she was encouraged to move out of her apartment, that's why she begrudgingly let Remus do everything that involved venturing into public places or out in the open.
Those were the expectations, but that doesn't mean there wasn't any problems. And the problem was Tonk's mind. She was literally itching to get out and find the three teenagers, wherever they were.
Tonks wasn't a Metamorphagus who happened to be a former Order member and auror. Tonks was a former Order member and auror with morphing abilities. Tonks was an extraordinarily capable witch, one of the strongest female witches of her generation. The late Moody's own words. Even Remus regularly labelled Tonks a long lost Gryffindor. They don't say this for nothing, and Tonks believed it too.
Hermione wouldn't be the girl Tonks loved so dearly if she wasn't absolutely brilliant, capable of anything. The witch could make a better auror than Tonks had ever been in a few years to come. But at the young age of eighteen, with a couple of years of basic defense training; Hermione was not at the level to be getting into death-inflicting duels. It hadn't even been a full year since the last time Hermione was in one, and she was permanently scarred for life because of it. She needed Tonks.
Ron tries, bless the boy, but he's never really going to be better than the other two at magic. And Harry wasn't indestructible, and did a better job of attracting danger than repelling it.
Remus understood this, that's why he went and found the three teenagers (forgoing a mention of this to Tonks until long after his return) to convince them that one professionally trained person would help them to be more protected and complete their objectives faster. But they were having none of it.
Stubborn idiots. The three of them.
How did it come to students doing an aurors job, and aurors to be detained in their homes? And this is what Tonks was struggling with. She now resided with Bill and Fleur at Shell Cottage, and it had become somewhat of a game to try and stop the pink-haired woman in her increasingly creative means of escape. And on a few occasions she succeeded, but it wasn't thirty feet before Tonks pictured a disappointed brunette admonishing her about breaking promises and not trusting in her. Tonks would always go back to the cottage but an hour would pass and she'd want to leave again.
After a while Bill and Fleur put less effort into stopping her, outright knowing that she'd be back in seconds. One day they did nothing. Bill would not even pause in his reading of the Daily Prophet, nor would Fleur take her attention away from filing her nails, all whilst Tonks clattered and banged on her way out.
It was when Tonks returned that time, and seeing them exactly how they'd been when she left; she came to realise that impatience would always lose to her loyalty to Hermione.
Then Tonks went from physically hyperactive to the body mobility of a sloth. If she wasn't allowed to do much of everything, then she wasn't going to do much of anything. The deliberate ignorance of logical reasoning was unappreciated by Fleur who now practically babysat the former auror, and likely babysitting a less mature individual than that wordsake suggested.
It was sad and pathetic, even in Tonk's book, but it didn't matter. Nothing Tonks did mattered if Hermione was out there everyday fighting Snatchers and Death Eaters everyday. There was no relief in waking up and not seeing Hermione's name in the obituary, or likelier her face underneath headlines. Tonks just plainly no longer read the paper, it just encouraged the uncomfortable feeling that someday she would see Hermione's name.
Tonks experienced her first Christmas since this emotion storm started with Hermione, without Hermione. The half year of love, ruined by a year of misery. And as the months continued to be Hermione absent, another piece of Tonks soul was weathered away.
And don't get Tonks started on Ron Bilius Weasley. Seeing his miserable face strolling down the path, all alone, telling everyone how he stupidly ran away from the other two and couldn't find his way back. Everyone was irate about that, but nothing compared to Tonk's reaction.
Needless to say, Ron and Tonks were unable to be in the same room together during his entire month stay.
Tonk's birthday passed miserably. Then Valentine's day. Then Easter. With each passing moment Tonks became increasingly lower in morale, the antidote to her natural bubbliness and good-nature. Even Remus couldn't get through to her, that fact alone took a toll on him.
Tonks may have been near-clinically depressed, but Tonks would take that over the emotional strain she would encounter one morning in late April.
It started with a mope and a grunt of welcome in Fleur's direction as she stumbled into the kitchen. Eleven o'clock was three hours after the breakfast hour, so Tonks had to make the most out of some butter, jam and a couple of scones. Even so the Metamorph scarcely had an appetite these days so only a third of one scone was consumed.
Tonks was staring into her black coffee sightlessly when a series of things happened. Firstly a buzz in the air signalling an unauthorized apparation onto the premises. But it could've been the Dark Lord himself and Tonks would stay, forcing the snake-faced maniac to come in and try to interrupt her brooding.
That was just bitterness talking though because Tonks very much took this new occurence very seriously. Her ears perked awaiting clear sounds of danger.
Relatively distant wails that peaked her concern, encouraging her to leave her chair. She just prayed it was a misunderstanding, like an injured seagull or a unique sound of wind in the rafters.
Tonks just finished wrapping up when a ruffled and panicky Bill clattered through the door. "Tonks, come quickly!"
"I know. I've gotta hide right, or attempt an escape whilst you risk your lives for me? I hear you loud and clear" Tonks grumbled as she made for the door leading in the opposite direction to the suspected threat.
"No, Tonks. It's not Death Eaters." Bill hurriedly warned "It's Hermione."
Tonks shoe almost slips on the kitchen flooring as a consequence of her sudden twist, the biggest smile in several months on her face. "She's back! Oh Merlin, Bill you pillock! Where is she?"
Bill's eyes were not warm though, completely filled with deep sorrow and a hint of anger. "Tonks, I could stand here and stumble my way through an explanation of what I think has happened, but that will take some time. Hermione needs you...now!"
A bewildered and concerned Tonks followed the eldest Weasley sibling through the house and out the front door. Bill's urgency became somewhat clearer.
Tonks eyes fell on a very malnourished, bloody and unconscious form in the arms of Fleur. The quarter-veela was followed by a shocked and robotic-looking Ron, and off in the distance was Harry and Luna bending over a much smaller form also unconscious. Had Tonks paid more notice to anything else besides the limp Hermione she would have noticed a goblin and famous wand-maker amongst them as well.
Tonks had been standing still under the frame of the door up until the point where Fleur's sad eyes met her own. The Metamorph steamrolled over to them and wordlessly opened her arms in insistent offering. Fleur obliged and placed the brunette's form into the outstretched arms of Tonks.
Carrying her bridal style, Tonks joined the journey back to the house. She had initially thought Fleur had used a weightless charm on the brunette, but Tonks could clearly feel the slight ache in her arms. Hermione had to be dangerously close to the latter end single digits in stone. She was unhealthily light.
The journey was completed in tense and melancholic silence. Tonks instinctively headed for her own temporary bed, internally sacrificing her comfort for Hermione's recovery. Fleur, Ron and Bill followed her in and watched her gently lower the girl onto the bed, maneuvering the covers from under Hermione's body to drape them over the top. Making sure Hermione was in the most comfortable position possible, Tonks began to pull away.
She was stopped a surprisingly firm hand on her wrist, and Tonks looked up into scared and apologetic brown eyes. Hermione's mouth opened and closed without even a release of breath for her efforts. Tonks composed herself and softly told her "shh, don't speak now. Save it for when you're better. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
That was enough for Hermione to be satisfied with, she instantly slipped into sleep again the moment Tonks finished speaking. Tonks kissed her brow tenderly and slowly followed the three on-lookers out.
The moment they were on the other side of the door Tonks whirled round, knuckles clenched, and punched Ron squarely in the jaw. Had it not been his own brother Tonks was punching, Bill would've commended the power behind the punch. Instead he shoved Tonks back warningly as he caught Ron's body from behind. Ron himself was evidently in pain, but had no desire for retaliation. He knew himself he deserved that.
Tonks calmly massaged her aching knuckles and dangerously asked the dazed boy "tell me what happened before you get another one".
Ron licked at a droplet of blood in the corner of his mouth before responding sporadically "Malfoy Manor...the Malfoys...Lestrange...locked us up...couldn't...stop..."
"Maybe I punched you so hard I damaged your brain worse than it already was. Full sentences please Ron."
"Tonks!" Bill scalded "He's clearly still in shock, and undoubtedly close to a breakdown. Show some patience."
"I need answers Bill!" Tonks exclaimed "I want to know every detail of what happened to Hermione so I know who I'm killing first!"
At that point Harry stepped into the fray "join the cue". Harry only now noticed the beginnings of a bruise showing on Ron's cheek and questioningly looked Tonk's way. Undeterred, she tells him "you're lucky you're my Sirius' god child, or you'd be getting one as well."
Harry sighed and began to explain. "We just apparated away from a squirmish at Luna and Xenophilius' home when we were ambushed by Snatchers. They caught us and despite Hermione's efforts to disfigure my appearance they took us to Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix and the Malfoys were there. They were going to summon Voldemort when they spotted this."
Harry unsheathed from between his back belt loop the unmistakable sight of red and silver. The Sword of Gryffindor.
"According to Bellatrix this was supposed to be in her Gringotts vault, and when she saw us with it she immediately assumed we robbed it from her. She chose Hermione to be...her target for interrogation" Harry explained.
Tonk's hatred for Bellatrix was universally known already. The fact of knowing Hermione had undoubtedly been practically electrified alive by the wand of Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black, brought such demonic loathing for her so-called aunt. Tonks wasn't going to use her wand, she would stand over her aunt's corpse and dance for what she did to her Hermione. Then the Malfoys would be next.
It was Bill who asked "how did you escape?"
With watery eyes Harry answered "we were saved by a very dear friend. If you don't mind, I'd like to start on his burial?"
Fleur compassionately offered to help and they both were gone. Ron also drifted out the room without an utterance. Tonks and Bill remained.
There wasn't many people who could read Tonks well. Only Remus, her father, her mother and Hermione were the only consistent examples. But right then Tonks may as well have been accompanied by thought bubbles, because Bill found it easy to read exactly what she was thinking. "You are not to leave this house Tonks, regardless of what revenge plans you have cooking. If not for your own safety and common sense, then you must stay for Hermione's sake."
"I know Malfoy Manor well, I could be in and out without anyone knowing. Especially poor, unfortunate Auntie" Tonks stated.
"You've been there once, as a child. For a full twenty minutes before Lucius demanded you and your mother to leave. Compared to an actual Malfoy and Bellatrix herself, you wouldn't get past the first hedgerow." That was the voice of Remus who took that moment to make his first comment upon arrival.
"I'll call her out. Me and her, one-on-one."
Bill sniped back "don't you think Hermione should be your priority, not some insane suicide mission?"
"Merlin, I wasn't planning on doing it right now. Hermione needs me. When she's better though-"
Remus interrupted "-when she's better she goes back on the hunt, and you will stay here like you promised her. Away from harm."
"You can stuff that where the boggarts fear to go, I'm staying right by her side for the rest of the war" she confidently informed him.
"Look...Tonks, I'm on your side. I think their decision to do this without adequate skill and experience is, quite frankly, foolish. However it is Harry and Dumbledore's mission; Hermione and Ron simply will not allow Harry to do such a task alone. They will not risk putting any further lives in danger, especially the ones they care about."
"But what about who I care for?! Why don't I get a say in who puts lives in danger? What happened earlier wouldn't have if I was with them, now she's come back to me and I'm not gonna let go! Not again!" Tonk's passion nearly wore herself out, she had to lean her forehead on the bedroom door to allow her dizziness to subside.
"Harry didn't mention outside the sword or why Hermione was tortured. By the look on his face, he felt he had told us too much of what they've been up to. But he did it for you" Bill told her.
"Don't be stupid I threatened him" Tonks replied.
"He just told Fleur she was tortured by Bellatrix, nothing more. He even told you about their visit to Xenophilius Lovegood, which had nothing to do with what happened at the Manor."
"What's your point?" Tonks snapped.
Remus caught on to it and supplied "when I went to speak to them they didn't tell me a thing. But there was guilt in their eyes, especially Hermione's. They wanted to tell me but thought it too dangerous."
"So?" Tonks impatiently asked.
"So they understand, they know how hard this is for you."
Tonks laughed humourlessly "that's all well and good...but it doesn't freaking help. In fact, it makes it worse because they know it's hurting me, yet it changes nothing."
Their uncomfortable discussion was thwarted by a cry. The hoarse cry of someone being tortured, and that's likely exactly what they felt was happening to them. And it came from the bedroom.
By the time Fleur and the others had made their way into the guest bedroom, Tonks was already rocking a sobbing Hermione back and forth in her arms.
"...we didn't take anything...we didn't...we didn't take anything..." Hermione repeated between sobs.
"Tonks, she need to be still. 'Old 'er, don't rock" Fleur advised, she then excused herself to find her medical supplies.
Tonks held the crying girl still, unable to hold her own tears back. She wasn't quite sure Hermione was even conscious, or she was but she couldn't see anything but the events of an hour ago. She probably didn't know Tonks was holding her. And that hurt Tonks even more; couldn't even ease the pain Hermione went through.
Tonks met Remus' eyes, as grim and downcast as hers, and telling him through her eyes how he expected her to just let something like this happen again.
He didn't have an answer to that.
Fleur was back in a matter of moments, a large bag and a white cloth in each hand. She came over to Tonk's side "Okay, zis eez just like a panic attack, but she eez suffering hallucinations too. You jus' 'ave to keep talking to 'er. She eez 'earing 'er torturer, you 'ave to keep talking to 'er, softly and lovingly."
Tonks wouldn't think she needed to be told this. She was an auror for years and has had to treat several members of the public, colleagues and even herself for psychological trauma. Panic attacks were at the lower levels of difficulty. But considering she wasn't doing any of those skills now off her own back, she didn't object. "Mione. Don't listen to Bellatrix, she's not here. I'm not going to hurt you sweetheart. Just listen to me, ignore her."
That might sound silly to people not experienced with these situations, but Tonks knew that Hermione was hearing two voices. She was focused more on the evil witches voice, and as long as Hermione was scared by it she'd listen to it. Tonks knew she had to convince Hermione that she no longer needed to be scared, because if she wasn't scared she would listen more to the second voice. Then eventually the first voice would fade out.
She continued "you're not there anymore, you're with me. Remember? This is where I've been kept safe, where you wanted me. And now you're safe. You're safe Hermione."
Hermione stopped crying but she whimpered on. Fleur urged encouragingly "keep eet up, eets working".
"Can you hear my heartbeat? It's beating for you, it's because of you that it's still beating. Come to me Hermione, come to me" Tonks was laying her heart out for all to see.
"It hurts...she's hurting me...my arm...it's hurting..." Hermione moaned.
Tonks was about to start telling her it wasn't real, but Fleur cut in. "her arm, eet's bleeding."
Tonks moved Hermione's wrist to see clearer, and what they saw sickened them to their stomach. "Merde, cette sorcière maléfique au coeur noir" Fleur seethed, diving into her medical bag urgently.
Tonks knew her curses, and this was a curse carved into Hermione by blade. And carved into a despicable word that will never be removed. Tonks stayed stationary and calm though internally she was maliciously assaulting her deranged and sick aunt. "Hermione love, I know it hurts but focus on me. I'll help you, but you have to calm down."
"We didn't take anything...don't hurt me anymore...it hurts..."
Fleur shook her head "eet's no use, she won't calm down. The pain and hallucinations togezzer...we 'ave to give 'er dreamless zleep potion." She started preparing the ingredients whilst muttering in french "elle est seulement une jeune fille".
Bill chose this moment to speak to the assembled crowd "ok, everyone out. There is nothing we can do to help."
Harry and Ron wanted to protest but he was right, they couldn't offer anything to assist Fleur, and Tonks deserved above all others to be present.
The room cleared, leaving just Fleur and Tonks to care for the heavily distressed girl. Tonks looked at the collection of ingredients Fleur was accumulating "so we've got to wait fifteen minutes just so we can put Hermione to sleep? And then what?"
"Zat...wound, eet will not close up until ze curse eez removed. You would prefer 'er to be asleep for zat, non?" Fleur answered.
"Why not put a sleeping spell on her?"
"Zat will just put 'er to sleep, eet won't make ze hallucinations or ze pain go away. Eet won't make a blind beet of difference" Fleur took the ingredients over to a desk and went to work. "A dreamless sleep potion will take away ze hallucinations, ze pain eez partly made worse by ze memory of 'er torture. Eef we stop ze hallucinations ze pain will at least be less intense."
Tonks understood. "But Hermione still has to wait in pain and fear until you brew one."
Fleur raised an eyebrow "Zen you'll 'ave to do your job and comfort 'er until I'm done."
Tonks shut up and Fleur went back to work. Her french ramblings continued "une fois que j'ai brisé cette malédiction, j'en ai une autre pour cette vilaine femme."
Tonks hadn't pictured her morning going like this. Hermione was back but also wasn't. And that was worse than not being here at all.
2.
Three days had passed since that horrible morning. Hermione's curse was promptly removed with surprising ease and no repercussions, Bellatrix must not have had any further motive for cursing her than to mark her for life. The second Death Eater to do that to Hermione.
With the pain gone, ridding Hermione of the hallucinations was much easier and soon she was regaining consciousness with increasing frequency and duration. Fleur said she'd likely suffer nightmares of the event for the rest of her life, but they'd start to become few and far between as long as she was happy and retained that happiness.
Hermione was given one more day of recovery before she was strong enough to start moving around. To Tonks that meant she had one more day with Hermione before she'd be gone again. So Tonks went from clingy and doting to distant, she didn't care about the disapproving looks; it was unfair and mostly Tonk's heart couldn't take a repeat of that emotional hell a second time. But they were going to leave without her and it will probably happen again, with different results.
Tonks sat on the beach, watching the sunset on peaceful waves, where there was no war or fear. The sun was going to sink beneath the horizon and Tonks knew it would rise again. The tide would go out but she knew it would be surging back her way soon enough. Guarantees that you don't get with people.
Tonks barely acknowledged the cautious sound of shoes on sand as they approached from behind. She sensed rather than saw them sit cross-legged beside her. She didn't greet or glance at them, she didn't know who it was until they hesitantly spoke and spoiled the peace. "It doesn't seem right does it? That we get to see such beauty in a world so ugly. Hopefully one day we'll be able to have both beautys to behold, or maybe not."
Tonks sniffed "you call that an ice-breaker."
"Well not everyone can be Albus Dumbledore or Remus Lupin" Harry replied. "Words haven't ever been my strength, which is why I think so highly of Hermione."
Tonks ignored him and an uncomfortable silence festered. Harry dusted stray sand off his shoe and glanced around. His gaze would always come back to Tonks but she fixated her eyes ahead on the orange orb descending in the distance. "Hermione was asking for you, she's worried."
Tonks kept silent for a long while and eventually replied "not too worried I hope, wouldn't want to discourage her from the vital secret mission she can't talk to me about, or involve me in."
Harry sighed "you know it has to be this way."
"Actually, I don't. I've had a long time to think about why, almost nine months in fact, and i've gone through every possible argument of why it needs to be this way. And all I get is more evidence for the opposite. Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix; life is telling me that I shouldn't be here. So Harry, tell me exactly why I am?"
"It's supposed to make it easier, literally and emotionally. I can handle Ron or Hermione putting themselves in danger for me, even though I never want them to, because we've always been that way. The fear of losing them just isn't there despite how illogical it sounds. I can't imagine the day that one of us actually lost our lives because the trust that we won't is too strong to think that way. The only time I've truly feared that one of them would die was the other day at Malfoy Manor, and I'm still getting over that fear."
Tonks drawled back "the impenetrable Golden Trio, that breaks into the Ministry of Magic, get chased by Death Eaters and Snatchers all over the country. Where occasionally one of them might abandon the other two, or another gets tortured to oblivion. Yeah, they're invulnerable alright."
Unperturbed, Harry responded "we're still here aren't we?"
"Are you trying to say I wouldn't be? I'm an expertly trained professional protector of man, a highly skilled combatant in duelling, an expert in dark arts defence; I'm more likely to live than all three of you."
"It's not about qualifications Tonks, this isn't a job interview. The truth is I can't survive and do what I was chosen to do when people die around me, and I can't do the same without Hermione and Ron. This mission requires us to be able to disappear, to make easy escapes, to make us harder to catch. But it also requires enough numbers to have your back, a more diverse set of skills than just your own. It's a cliché but it's true, three is a powerful number."
Tonks groaned and frustratedly replied. "Four isn't bad either. One more person in an escape isn't much but it's a lot when you want your arse covered. Skills? The skill you lack, experience. True experience. Not being cursed at, not Tri-wizard tournaments, not perilous school adventures. Experience of day-in-day-out routines of policing, protecting, combatting and healing. You don't get that from classrooms, textbooks and near death experiences."
"You're right Tonks. You'd be a huge asset, and our chances of survival would be much better with you around." Then Harry leaned in and softly said "that's why we can't afford to lose you. Hermione can't. Do you think she doesn't pine for you all the time? I can't remember the last night I didn't hear muffled sobs. At her worst, she's snappy and short-tempered with me and Ron, but the moment she is reminded of you her smile couldn't be warmer. If that girl didn't love you nine months ago, she sure does now."
Tonks couldn't contain her happy smile, not disbelieving Harry for a second. Harry also whispered conspiratorially "by the way, I think the jack rabbit makes a great patronus, I never liked otters either personally."
Tonks grinned widely, enjoying the coded message and how much it meant to her to know that.
Pulling them back to the main topic, Harry said. "It's the same for me with Ginny. I ache to have her with me, to see her and hold her is my top fantasy right now, but I could not do this with her. There isn't a force on this earth that is ever going to put her in danger as long as I'm alive. Ron is the lucky one, he has his family to worry over of course, but he hasn't someone special, someone in particular that he can't live without yet can't allow them to be in danger."
Tonks bitterly added "and he's the one who ran home".
Harry hesitated but went on to defend "he reacted badly to something, he wasn't himself. But anyway...stuff like what happened the other day, it's probably going to happen again and perhaps worse is yet to come. That's life, no one can change that, not me and not you. The best we can hope for is we do our best and pray that we'll get to come home for good one day soon."
Tonks turned to him for the first time in the conversation and stared at him a while. Unsure what to expect, he began to fidget with some more wet sand.
Tonks smiled positively "you really are a man. Brave, selfless and incredibly stubborn."
"No, that's called being a Gryffindor" Harry replied.
Tonks chuckled once then said "I'm not happy with it, and you are all thick-headed, Hermione included. But I think I finally understand, and I'm not going to be the reason the wrong side won. So you three can go save the world and leave me on my lonesome, but you'd better come back or I'll make the Snatchers hunting look like blind men compared to me."
"Until then, I'll keep the white flag in my pocket. Now seriously, Hermione wants to see you."
Tonks nodded and said "tell her I'll be in to see her in five."
"Okay." Harry shook off as he stood and begun making his way back to the cottage.
Tonks stared back at the sun which had all but hidden itself behind the flat of the earth. No people didn't have guarantees, but they did have hope.
3.
Tonks entered the guest bedroom quietly and was met with an irritated brunette sitting upright in bed. "Finally! And where have you been, I haven't seen you all day?"
Tonks was joyful instead of contrite as she approached the bed "just enjoying the beach."
"Enjoying the beach? Here I am just recovering from anxiety and exhaustion and you're laying about in the sun." An annoyed Hermione had never made Tonk's heart jump before, usually the only organ that would involuntarily jiggle about was her stomach in a downward sensation. But an annoyed Hermione pleased Tonks so much right then.
"I'm sorry" she replied. "Can I make it up to you with a kiss and a cuddle?"
Hermione fought valiantly, but the upward twitch of her mouth betrayed her "it would be a start I suppose."
Tonks lifted her end of the quilt up and crawled onto the bed. She loomed over Hermione, taking in every inch of skin on her face and the liquid brown in her eyes. Cupping the younger girl's cheek, she leaned in and kissed her sweetly. It was like the first kiss all over again, but the message was more than just awe and tenderness, it was telling Hermione exactly how much she missed the last one so long ago, and making the most of this one.
Tonks reluctantly ended the kiss to lay beside Hermione. Tonks was on her back and Hermione snuggled into her side, cheek on the metamorph's chest. "I missed you."
"Really? But it's only been nine months" Tonks cheekily replied.
"Fine, I missed you to the moon and back. I craved you every minute of every day, awake and asleep. I was insanely miserable without you, and I have to convince the ninety percent of my body that wants to be with you to leave again. Is that better?"
"Much better."
Hermione sighed peacefully and closed her eyes. "I've thought of us like this every night, I couldn't sleep unless I imagined you holding me like this. Even then, it never compared to the real thing."
"A little birdie told me you have a new patronus" Tonks smirked. "Or should that be a lovable stag told me."
Hermione's voice sucked in a sharp gasp and her eyes flew open again. "He told you that?"
"More or less, was he lying?"
"Well no...but...it was a shock to me more than anyone else. One minute I'm thinking of you and this rabbit appears. It...was magical."
"Jack rabbit. And thank you, I'll have to be careful or else I'll be conjuring an otter and then we'd have swapped" Tonks commented.
"I wouldn't mind. Anyway, I read somewhere that it's only the beta soul that changes after love, so yours couldn't possibly be changed."
"So are you admitting that I'm the dominant one?" Tonks wiggled her eyebrow.
"You're the alpha, and don't let it get to your head." Hermione lifted a finger and pointed it to Tonks before it quickly went lax again.
"Too late sweetheart." Tonks linked fingers with Hermione "it's very romantic though."
"Very" Hermione agreed.
"You look after yourself Mione. The next time I see you I want you breathing and conscious. Promise me." Tonks sudden seriousness resonated with Hermione and the younger girl lifted her head up to meet her eyes.
With a tender hand on her cheek, Hermione confidently assured her "it won't happen again Tonks. I promise."
"Good" Tonks said. "I love you Hermione."
"I love you Nymphadora"
Their promise was sealed with a kiss. If only they'd known about the finality that awaited them all by this same time the next day.
An
Translations:
cette sorcière maléfique au coeur noir That black-hearted evil witch.
elle est seulement une jeune fille She is only a young girl.
une fois que j'ai brisé cette malédiction, j'en ai une autre pour cette vilaine femme Once I am done with this curse, I have another for that nasty woman.
This chapter is tagged with the Nickelback song Someday.