A/N: Tonks' Point-of-View
This day just gets better and better. Tonks thought darkly. The day had started with her owl returning once again with an unopened letter. She had been trying to give Severus his space, time to cool down after the attack on Draco. However, after a week she had decided to try reaching out to him. That letter, just like the one now waiting in her floo to be burned, had returned unopened. Her owl was as weary as she was of this routine.
"Dora." The soft greeting brought her head up to the other reason the day was going downhill. The auror she had been scheduled to patrol with this evening had encountered a cursed artifact the day before and was being treated at St. Mungos. Kingsley had called upon the Order to fill in the void, which was why she was now looking up into the face of Remus Lupin.
"ah…" The last time they were together raced through her mind. The sex. The fight. The sound of a vase shattering against a wall.
"Tonks!" A friendly hand clapped her on the back, making her jump, pulling her out of the tailspin her mind had started.
"Bill!" The bright smile on Bill Weasley's face was more than welcome. The Weasleys had become a second family to Tonks and Bill a brother. Tonks relished the reprieve from what was no doubt going to be hours of awkward silence.
"Mum is still up in arms about the engagement. Although considering my earring irks her just as much I am not quite sure where that fits on the overall scale." Bill joked, winking at Tonks. "I am just glad she has finally accepted my reasoning about being active in the Order. After all, us curse breakers can be mighty handy, and from what I have heard there have been a number of cursed objects around Hogwarts lately."
"Ugh. Is that from the Order or the Ministry?" Tonks joked in return.
"INVADERS! IN THE CASTLE! HARBINGERS OF DEATH!" Nearly Headless Nick careened down the hall sounding the alarm. Tonks, Bill and Remus froze, looking at each other. As the pieces fell into place, all three drew their wands and took off in the direction that Nick had just come from.
Rounding the corner Tonks' vision went black. She could hear kids calling out to each other in the darkness and feel a grainy substance against her face as she rushed toward the others. Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder? She hadn't encountered it since auror training. The use of it was considered archaic, although she had heard that the Weasley twins were now selling it in their shop. Tonks made a mental note to have a serious talk to the twins about what they were selling and who they might be selling it to. Without a hand of glory you had to wait for the powder to settle before you could see. Making it useful for those trying to make a escape and a real pain in arse for those of us trying to follow!
"Ron!? Ginny!?" Bill called out to his brother and sister.
"Bill is that you? We are over here! It's the Death Eaters! They're here!" Ron called out directing Bill over to them.
"Did you see who?" Tonks asked quickly.
"It went dark so quickly. I only got a glimpse. Lestrange… Greyback…"
Remus cursed, knowing type of destruction Greyback could do in a school surrounded by kids.
As the powder settled she was able to make out Bill standing by Ron, Ginny, and Neville Longbottom, all of whom looked safe so far. Continuing her scan she quickly realized that Remus was no longer with the group. A green jet of light illuminated the far end of the hall, galvanizing Tonks into motion as she realized Remus must have pushed ahead alone and was now either shooting or being shot at.
Tonks cast protego on herself before turning the corner, unsure of what or who she would be faced with. Curses were flying everywhere. Tonks tried to get a bead on Remus before throwing her back against a door, using the entryway as cover to avoid a cruciatus curse. She couldn't tell if the curse had been specifically aimed at her or not. From the looks of the curses zooming by, someone was shooting at random, trying to cause the largest amount of destruction and the greatest casualty rate possible.
A growl echoed off the walls and Tonks peered around her makeshift cover in time to see the silhouette of a crouched Fenrir Greyback illuminated by the curses flying around him. She had never seen a man look so grotesque in her life. The light from the curses shined off his face in a demonic way, creating a red light in his eyes that seemed fitting paired with his obvious blood lust. The unnaturally sharp teeth were dripping with drool.
The moment he went to lunge forward, Tonks stepped out from the shadows shouting "FLIPENDO!" She ducked as Fenrir flipped up into the air and over her. The sound of nails dragging along stone had her spinning, eyes widening slightly as she watched Fenrir skid to a stop. Throwing up a barrier behind her so that she wouldn't get hit in the back, she faced off what she wasn't sure was either a man or a werewolf. The two circled one another, both stalking, waiting for the other to make their first move, their first mistake.
Tonks was always amazed how the chaos of battle, the cacophony of noise, faded into the background when facing off an opponent. Her eyes zoomed in on Fenrir, waiting for the look in the eye, the twitch of a muscle that would indicate a move. Fenrir's patience drained first as he lunged forward, using his teeth, strength and claws to attack instead of a wand. Tonks cast immobulus as she ducked into a roll. Her spell missed its marked and the two found themselves circling again, this time on opposite sides of the corridor. A rogue avada kedavra streaked through between them, breaking through the barrier Tonks had hastily put up.
"Expelleramus!" Remus' voice sounded somewhere nearby forcing Tonks to look away and verify that he was still alright. Thorfinn Rowle, the Death Eater who had been casting killing curses around indiscriminately, dodged the disarming spell and cast another killing curse in Remus' direction. Tonks knew she wasn't going to be able to deflect it in time, but attempted to anyway. Both her spell and the one meant for Remus impacted an unaware Death Eater that had emerged, in Tonks' opinion just in the nick of time, from the steps leading up to the Astronomy Tower.
"Stupify!" Bill called out behind Tonks, the resultant growl told her that he had engaged Fenrir, allowing her to push forward and try to contain Rowel. Her eyes met Remus' as she passed and with a quick nod he moved to hold off another Death Eater that had emerged from the stairs. Bloody Hell! Tonks thought as she quickly cast wingardium leviosa to hold off the pieces of stone that crashed down from the wall as another of Rowle's spells hit the wall. The realization that they were losing skittered around in Tonks' mind, sending a moment of stabbing panic up her spine.
Draco, shielded by Bellatrix Lestrange, burst through the battle that had broken out. The act of blocking a curse and throwing a few of her own forced Tonks' attention away from the boy and her aunt. When she was able to look back they were gone. As other Death Eaters charged up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower, Tonks was tempted to follow before seeing Severus appear and run after them instead, leaving her to contain Rowle.
A deep scream rang out through the hall, briefly demanding everyone's attention. Fenrir had Bill pinned on the ground and was tearing at the young man's face and head with his nails and teeth. As Neville, Remus and Tonks all came to his aid, Fenrir broke off, his teeth dripping with blood grinning from ear to ear, and took off up the tower.
Amidst everyone's attempt to save and stabilize Bill a number of the other Death Eaters had escaped up the stairs. Neville broke away from the group and charged after the Death Eaters, his eyes fiery and determined. The moment he hit the bottom of the stairs he became airborne, thrown up and backward by an invisible barrier. Tonks flinched at the sickening sound of his body impacting the far stone wall before collapsing to the floor.
Leaving Remus to care for Bill, Tonks ran over to Neville. "Neville! Can you hear me Neville!?" Tonks quickly lay him out gently on the floor and checked for a pulse. She was actually kind of amazed when she was able to find one. With a groan, Neville slowly came to. "Gently, don't move too much." Knowing the Death Eaters could be back down any minute, and that they already had two wounded, if not worse, Tonks turned to Remus. "We need to get them somewhere safe, the Room of Requirement is right around the corner."
Remus nodded in understanding and levitated Bill as Tonks Levitated Neville. Tonks couldn't help but notice that Remus was looking at Bill like he was already doomed, like death would be merciful. Tonks wanted to scream. All Tonks wanted for Bill was for him to survive, she couldn't imagine telling Fleur, let alone Molly. He was on watch with her, had engaged Fenrir because of her…
The rest of the battle was a blur. Tonks couldn't get the devastated look that had been in Remus' eyes as he had looked down at the mauled face of Bill Weasley out of her mind. The Death Eaters had emerged shortly after they settled Neville and Bill safely in the Room of Requirement. With reduced numbers the odds had seemed even less optimistic. Ginny, Ron, Minerva, Remus and herself had at least one Death Eater each. And each of their opponents were fighting with a ferocity that indicated they were willing to give everything, then all of a sudden they broke off.
They're retreating. Tonks thought incredulously. Just like that they're retreating!? Tonks ran after them, getting to the Great Hall just in time to have to take cover and shield herself as Bellatrix blew out the windows and glass rained down.