Note: Sorry for leaving you all on a cliffhanger – I got distracted writing A Good Impression. But since I am currently being held hostage in my bedroom by a Chihuahua, I figured I might as well use my time in captivity writing a new chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from this piece of writing.

13: I Don't Believe You

So fast and furious was the duel that broke out in the forest clearing that Tonks barely had time to consider what had just happened to Lucas Jackson. Indeed, as she desperately shielded herself from yet another killing curse that disintergrated mere milimeters from her face, it was an effort to consider anything at all besides the simple and yet complex task of staying alive for a few more seconds. She began to back off towards the trees behind her, hurriedly forming some sort of plan in her head, and when she finally succeeded in striking Lysander Rowle in the shoulder with a well aimed stinging jinx, causing him to stumble and pause in his attack, Tonks made a dive for the nearest tree. Once in cover she sent her patronus streaking away through the forest, feeling a sense of triumph as the huge silvery figure erupted from her wand. She flattened herself up against the tree trunk, wincing as yet another curse shot past her, striking an oak tree with an ugly crunch and sending splinters of wood ricocheting off in all directions.

Once the patronus was out of sight, Tonks aimed blindly over her shoulder and fired a couple of spells back at the former Death Eater. Then, she slowly counted to three.

One...

Two...

Three...

A series of loud cracks sounded around the clearing and for the first time in hours, Tonks smiled with relief. As Aurors and Order members descended upon the clearing, Tonks instantly abandoned her cover and, ignoring the mass of spells and curses that had suddenly begun to light up the clearing like a Christmas tree, sprinted towards the ramshackle building.

Am I out of my bloody mind? She thought to herself frantically as she ran, teeth clenched together in panic. I'm going to die...

She was nearing the building, heart hammering relentlessly in her chest as she ran and each time she slammed a foot down upon the ground she felt the panic begin to dull.

I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it, I've nearly got him, I'm going to make it...

Somebody was shouting her name...Ginny? Hermione? She wasn't sure, in fact she didn't care, there wasn't time to look round to find out...

She had a mere five meters to go when she discovered just why whoever it was had been was calling to her. It started with a sudden force ramming into her back, and she found herself thrown off her feet and through the air as a unbearable, searing pain erupted up her spine. Tonks screwed her eyes shut, fighting back a shout of pain and braced herself for impact. She hit the ground with a definite snapping noise, the sudden pain in her wrist identifying the source of the noise. Despite the injury, the Auror dragged herself the last few feet and heaved herself up into a sitting position.

"Remus?" Ignoring the aching protests of her wrist, Tonks immediately reached for the unconscious figure, pulling him towards her, one arm around his middle as she cradled his head to her chest. "I've got you," she whispered, face buried in his hair. "It's okay now love, I've got you..."

And with that, the two of them disapparated with a loud crack, leaving the chaotic battle behind them.

Teddy sat motionlessly in the armchair, his gaze fixated upon the moth eaten carpet. He glanced up at the sound of the door of the sitting room opening to see Molly Weasley peering at him through the doorway. When she saw he was looking she fixed a painfully fake smile upon her face and took a few steps into the room.

"I was going to make a cup of tea." Molly informed the child, who simply stared at her, expression vacant. "Would you like a cup, Teddy dear?"

"No thank you." came the feeble response.

"Or a slice of chocolate cake? I baked it ready for when Bill and Fluer come for tea tomorrow, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you had a slice..."

"No thank you."

Molly nodded slowly and heaved a deep sigh. Teddy returned to staring at the carpet. There was a dark coloured stain just to the left of his feet. He wondered vaguely what on earth could have been spilled that Molly could not banish with a good scourgify or magical stain remover.

Molly walked somewhat cautiously over and sat down upon the foot stall in front of him.

"Listen, dear," she said, reaching to lay a comforting hand upon his arm. "I know you must feel absolutely dreadful right now..." she trailed off, sighing again. Before she could say anything else, the boy looked up at her, brown eyes solemn.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked, voice a mere whisper, and when she looked confused he elaborated, voice a despairing monotone. "Losing family, I mean...will it hurt forever?"

He watched her face fall and she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. After a sizable pause she slowly shook her head.

"Your mum and dad are going to be fine..."

"But if they aren't? It's going to hurt forever, isn't it? Like...like with Fred and the others..."

"Don't even think about it, dear..." she said hurriedly, gaze flickering downwards as she rapidly blinked away tears.

"I mean...even if there's still you and...and Harry and everybody...it'll be like...like I'm on my own. I'm going to be on my own."

"Of course you won't, Teddy. Your parents will be back before you know it, everything will be just the same as it always is!"

Teddy looked grimly thoughtful, brow creasing as he weighed up his family's plight. At last he looked back at her again and then, his gaze painfully sorrowful, he told her:

"I don't believe you."

Molly opened her mouth to attempt to reason with him, only for a loud, frantic knocking to sound from the back door.

"I think you better stay here a moment, Teddy dear." the Weasley matriarch told the boy, and with that she got to her feet and hurried back into the kitchen, closing the sitting room door firmly closed behind her.

Teddy immediately jumped up and ran to the door, pressing his ear against it.

The knocking was getting louder, more desperate, even when Molly called to say that she was coming. Teddy heard the door being pulled open...

"Where's Teddy?"

"My goodness! Look at you both! Is he conscious?"

"No. Where's Teddy, Molly?"

"He...he's in the sitting room, dear. I'll just call him for you..."

"No! Don't! Leave him, just...help me get to the floo, we need to get to the hospital."

"Are you sure? He..."

"He's not seeing us like this! Just...careful!"

"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you? What on earth happened? Your back..."

"Doesn't matter! Look, just keep Teddy here please Molly, until...until we know...if...you know..."

"Yes...that's probably best..."

Teddy instantly grasped hold of the door handle and wrenched the door open, drawing in a deep, frightened breath.

Molly and his mother were both stood just before the fireplace, each had hold of one of his father's arms around their necks as they attempted to drag him into the floo. His mother was desperately clinging on with one hand, the other was limp at her side, hanging at an odd angle, and the back of her t shirt had a large hole in it, just between her shoulder blades. The exposed skin beneath appeared to have been scalded, charred even, and at the sight of it, Teddy reached to clamp a hand over his mouth, for fear that he might be sick. He averted his gaze and looked instead at his father, whose face was as pale as a porcelain doll, head lolling forward and limbs limp as the two witches struggled to keep hold of him. A thin trail of sticky, black sludge mapped their short struggle across the kitchen from the back door and Teddy watched Molly pull a handkerchief from the pocket of her apron, reaching to wipe the remnants of the bloody mixture from the wizard's face.

Teddy drew in another deep breath and fixed his mother with a somewhat accusing look.

"Until you know what, Mum?" he asked, voice a pitch or two higher than usual as he felt tears gathering in his eyes. "Until you know whether or not Dad's gonna die?"

"Dad's not going to die, love." Tonks told him as Molly drew the handkerchief away and looked down at it worriedly. "He's going to be fine."

"You said he could die! You said...you said if he didn't get to hospital quickly...and...and you've been ages!"

"Then let me take him to Mungo's, Teddy. Let me take him to Mungo's, so he can start getting better. I need you to stay here with Molly for me, okay? Just until...I've spoken to the healers and they've gotten Dad in a bed and stuff..."

Teddy shook his head vigorously.

"You think he's going to die!" he choked, hurrying forward towards them.

Tonks stepped into the fireplace, pulling Remus free from Molly's grasp, staggering a little under the sudden weight.

"Let me come with you!" Teddy shrieked desperately as Molly carefully poured a good measure of floo powder into Tonks' hand, careful not to knock her wrist.

"Don't worry, I'll come back and get you soon, love." Tonks assured her son calmly, only for the child to push past Molly until he too was in the fireplace.

"I'm coming with you!" he declared fiercely, reaching to grasp hold of his father by the hand. "I...I want to...to be there if he..."

"He's not going to die, Teddy!" Tonks insisted, shooting Molly a pleading look. "Now you're wasting time, step out of the fireplace! Wait here with Molly, like I told you to."

"No!"

"I mean it, Teddy! Out of the fireplace, now!"

"No! I won't do it!"

"Theodore Remus Lupin!" At his mother's suddenly raised voice, Teddy hunched his shoulders and looked down at his feet. "Thank Merlin your dad is unconscious right now! Because if he could hear you...if he could hear this...this...it's ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous! You're wasting what little time we have left! Now I'm telling you to step out of the fireplace, so you do what you're told, else Merlin knows what the healers will have to say when they find out I've apparated into London and DRAGGED your dad through a few streets full of muggles in order to get him to them!"

There was a long, stunned pause, before Teddy finally let go of Remus' hand and shuffled back out of the fireplace.

"Good boy." Tonks whispered, suddenly calm again. "I'll be back for you soon, I promise." she told the silently sobbing child, before adding: "We love you, Teddy."

And with that, Teddy watched his parents disappear in a burst of emerald flame.