AN:This chapter starts out very silly, i admit. I was going to change it but decided to just leave it in. Remus is allowed to have his moments of strangeness just like anyone else. Hope you enjoy the chapter! oh, and i'm not J.K. Rowling
"I can't believe it."
Remus glanced up from his essay and seeing that it was James that was the one that was disturbing the quiet of the library with his exclamation left it Sirius to find out what was going on.
"What can't you believe?" It was Peter who asked instead of Sirius who for once was also putting an effort into his homework.
"Evans, I mean Lily." James sunk down into the chair beside Remus right on top of his essay for charms. "Hey. Watch what your doing." He groused pulling his work out of harms way.
"Oh. Sorry Moony." James said dazedly. He was staring in an almost dreamlike state at the wall.
"What about Lily?" Sirius finally asked finishing his defense homework with a flourish. "What happened this time?" Since James had been made head boy, something the other Marauders found hilarious to no end, he had been spending a lot of time with Lily Evans helping her to plan out the patrol and other duties that required the head boy and girls attention. Remus had thought they were getting along well but perhaps not.
"Are you going to tell us what happened? Or do we have to guess?" Remus asked somewhat impatiently for him. "I have to meet Dora in fifteen minutes and I would really like to get this done before then." He said all this while still writing furiously and without looking at his friends.
"What happened? What happened is that she finally said yes!" James exclaimed beaming at his three friends. Remus looked up at this. Sirius was grinning, Peter looked utterly bemused and James's hair was standing up more than usual. This coupled with the huge dazed grin on his face made him look somewhat deranged. Remus couldn't help it. He started to laugh. It was a loud laugh and although he didn't know why he was laughing he couldn't stop.
"What's the matter with him?" James asked watching his friend gasp for breath.
"I don't know," Sirius said doubtfully. "I think he may have finally cracked form all the stress."
"It's only been two weeks!" Peter said eyeing Remus warily.
Remus was finally able to reign himself in and stop laughing. He was surprised Madam Pince hadn't descended on them all to demand they leave before they defiled the sanctity of the library any further.
"I'm sorry." He told his bemused friends. "It was how you looked there for a moment James, I don't know what came over me."
"Well I know he's a scrawny git, but that's no reason to loose your head."
Remus ignored Sirius and said, "Please continue what you were saying about Lily. She agreed to go out with you?"
James smiled again. "yeah. I couldn't believe it. We were just in the common room and I asked if she was going to Hogsmead and she said yes and then I asked if she wanted company and she said yes again. So then feeling slightly more confident then usual I asked if that company could be me."
"What did she say to that?" Peter asked hanging on to James's every word. He was practically hanging over the table.
"She just looked at me and said James if you're trying to ask me out just come out with it. But she was smiling so I said Lily will you go out with me? And she said yes then said I should do my homework before I failed out of the year."
Sirius shook his head. "Well Prongs you're hooked now, next thing you know we'll hear you're getting married. I guess we each owe you a Galleon." Like every year previous James had resolved that he would get Lily to go out with him.
James shook his head. " I don't know Padfoot. I'd say Moony will be the one who gets married first."
Remus snorted. "I doubt it." He rolled up his essay and began shoving his materials into his bag. "I have to go, see you later."
As he was walking away he heard Sirius ask, "Will you guys name you're first kid after me?"
The first Hogsmead visit that year was on Halloween and the day was cool with a slight taste of winter in the air. Tonks set off for the village with Cally bundled up in her cloak and a long Hufflepuff scarf wrapped around her neck. Remus had landed in detention with Sirius, his first detention since he was made a perfect. Sirius had been attempting a prank on some sixth year Slytherans and Filtch had caught him. Remus had been given detention because he happened to be walking by at that moment and Filtch assumed he was in on it. Or so he said. Tonks had her doubts; Even if he didn't get in trouble often Remus was still a Marauder.
"Lets go into Hunydukes." Cally suggested leading the way. As Tonks browsed the shelves looking for chocolate she could bring back to Remus, how he ate so much she could never understand, she saw James and Lily. She watched them out of her peripheral smiling slightly. It had taken years for this to finally happen and from the looks of it things were gong well.
After buying their candy, Cally and Tonks wandered around the village eventually making their way to the Three Broomsticks. As they were approaching the establishment a commotion broke out in the street behind them. Both turned as people ran past them in panic. Three masked people in black robes had appeared in the street. Two of them blasted into a near by house and appeared a moment later dragging a struggling woman.
"We need to get out of here." Cally hissed sounding scared, she pulled on Tonks shoulder trying to steer her away from the Death Eaters.
"What about that woman?" she asked fighting her friends hold. "They can't just take her away, she'll die!"
"Tonks! Someone will take care of it. Come on!" Cally began pulling and Tonks began to reluctantly follow. She didn't want to leave that woman to the mercy of the Death Eaters. But what could she do; it made her feel helpless.
They had almost reached safety when a shot of green light whipped past them, just missing them. Instinctively Tonks pushed Cally down. "Get you're wand out!" she told her friend as they ducked down. She turned back to see the third Death Eater advancing toward them. The other two had already seemed to have disaapperated and the street was now empty everyone having fled in fear.
As the Death Eater approached Tonks felt a thrill of adrenaline. She couldn't let anything happen to Cally, was her first thought. The second was how they were going to get out of there alive.
"Cally, can you make it over to that shop?" Tonks whispered. The Death Eater didn't seem to be in any sort of hurry.
Cally glanced at the shop and nodded. "I think so."
Tonks nodded. "Good, go to that shop. Put a shield charm up and run for it. I'll follow as fast as I can."
Cally nodded again and stood quickly casting a shield and ran for the shop. The Death Eater didn't even raise his wand to stop her.
"Right." Tonks gripped her wand more tightly and began to rise only to have to duck down again as the Death Eater sent another curse at her.
"Not so fast Half Blood freak!"
She knew that voice she realized as she swiftly sent a stunner back at him.
The Death Eater moved out of the way and laughed. "You can't beat me." He taunted. "I know spells that you've only dreamed of."
"Impedimenta!" her spell missed again, but only just. The Death Eater laughed again. He was almost on her. "Give it up little girl." He hissed, "Just make it easier on your self."
Tonks was now standing fully feet planted firmly. "Oh yes and you're such a big man hiding behind you're mask." She taunted back. "I know who you are. You might be able to hide you're face but I'd know that voice anywhere." She sent another spell at him this time hitting him in the chest. He was blown back but quickly regained his feet and blasted her back. It missed her by inches and she was able to move closer to the shop.
"Too bad you won't be able to tell anyone who I am!" he advanced on her again, wand raised. "Unfortunately the dead do not talk. Avada Kedvra!"
Again Tonks was able to duck the spell but only just. Another half an inch and she would have been dead.
There was a series of pops around her then and four men in Auror robes appeared. Their wands were out but they were too late. With another pop the Death Eater disapparated.
"Fan out." Growled one of the Aurors. He had long sandy coloured hair and a hard look about him. "See what you can find."
He turned to Tonks who still had her wand raised. She felt like she had run a marathon and her breath was coming in gasps. "You alright lass?" he asked fixing two black eyes on her.
Unable to speak for a moment, Tonks simply nodded.
"What were you doing fighting off a Death Eater? You don't look more the 14." He growled, his eyes scanning their surroundings.
Tonks bristled. Now that she was calming down she was beginning to feel annoyed. "I'm 15 and he attacked me. I didn't wake up this morning and decide that it was a good day to take on a deranged masked man!"
The man glanced at her sharply. He had many scars on his face and his look was intimidating. Tonks wasn't intimidated though, She stared back defiantly. Finally the man smiled slightly. "Well you've got spunk. Why was he attacking you?"
"Because he's my ex boyfriend and I'm assuming from today's activities he wants me dead."
The man was still glancing around his wand held aloft. "You're ex boyfriend eh? What makes you so sure?"
"I know that voice." She aid defiantly. "His name is Liam Semple. He must have joined over the summer." She wasn't particularly annoyed with the Auror, he was only doing his job after all, but the whole situation was beginning to irk her. She had just almost died and that was starting to sink in.
"Liam Semple?" he asked sharply. "Are you positive girl?"
She nodded tiredly. "It was him."
The man's eyes seemed to gleam. "I've got you now, you piece of filth." He muttered to himself. Something about the situation seemed to please him.
"Moody." One of the Aurors had returned. He was young, probably just out of training. "The house up the street has been blasted. The neighbours, the ones that were willing to talk, said the woman who lives there, Elvira Fortuna, was dragged off by Death Eaters.
"Take down everyone's statement Dawlish." Moody ordered. "If someone so much as scratched their bum while this was going on I want to know about it."
Dawlish took off back up the street.
Moody pulled a flask out of his pocket and took a swig. "How many death eaters were there?"
Tonks was still clutching her wand. Her fingers were clenched around it in a vice like grip. "Three. The first two took off with that Woman, Liam stayed and decided it was a good day to play chicken in the middle of the street." Her voice came out sharper then it usually would.
"Hmm." Moody looked at her more fully. The girl looked shaken he observed but not scared. She was still clutching her wand in the same position it had been when he arrived and she was glancing around sharply. That was good; he wished some of his Aurors were as vigilant as her.
"What's you're name?"
Tonks scowled. Did she really have to use her full name? "Nymphadora Tonks sir."
"Well Nympahadora, you and I are going to head up to the castle. I expect Dumbledore will want to know his student is alive."
"My friend…" she glanced over at the shop where Cally was. She could see her pressed against the window staring out fearfully.
"Go get her." Moody said gruffly. "Make it quick."
The news that Tonks had taken on a Death Eater and lived to tell the tale spread quickly through out the school. People kept wandering by the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey was giving her a thorough going over trying to get a look at her.
"Attacking a child." Madam Pomfrey was muttering to herself. "What is this world coming to?"
Professor Dumbledore entered the room closely followed by Remus. When she saw him Tonks felt herself let go. Since the attack her body had been tense and her mind racing. Now all she felt like doing was crying.
"I have brought Mr. Lupin with me." Dumbledore was saying. "You will not object, Poppy, if he stays until Miss Tonks goes back to her house?"
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips but shook her head. "Of course not head master."
"Very good. I must get back to my office now; Alaster is waiting to speak with me." He turned his twinkling gaze on Tonks. "Well done today Miss Tonks."
She nodded tiredly and Dumbledore left. Madam Pomfrey bustled into her office saying she would return in a moment. Silently Tonks reached her hand out for Remus to take. He grasped her hand tightly and sat beside her. He looked shaken but didn't say anything only let her lean against him as she stared into space.
"It was Liam." She said quietly. "It was Liam, Remus. He's joined Voldemort. If Those Aurors hadn't shown up when they did…"
"I know." He said in a controlled voice. He was angry but he knew that wouldn't help her right now. Still he felt like hunting Semple down.
"This isn't the last time I'll see him, I guarantee." Tonks murmured. "And I'm telling you, if that bastard is still wandering around by the time I become an Auror I won't stop until I've hunted him down and turned him over to the Dementors personally."