It wasn't very long before Remus was writing a letter to Tonks. The patrol had been pushed back one week at the very last minute so it wasn't till halfway through the month of June that Remus found himself sitting down in his room at the Hogshead to write to Tonks.

'Tonks,

Meet us next Wednesday at 8pm in the great hall. We will patrol until 2am, when the staff will take over. Write back to me, so I know that you received this letter.

Best,

Remus.'

Remus folded up the letter and attached the letter to the leg of a black Hogsmeade barn owl. He sighed heavily as he watched the bird fly away into the setting sun. The death eaters had been quiet for too long, and the usual sunny Hogsmeade had an unusual chill in the air for that time of year. Remus hadn't spoken it out loud yet, but he was worried for the days to come.

The next day, Tonks received the letter, reading it carefully. She spent her week waiting for Wednesday to come.

By the time the day arrived, Tonks had been anticipating the meeting all week. She wasn't exactly sure what to say to Remus when she saw him.

That night, Tonks stared up at the massive castle as she walked through the wrought iron gates. She walked slowly, and in silence as she made her way up the archaic stone steps and into the entrance way. She ran her index finger along the moss eaten wall. When she arrived at the great hall Remus and Bill were already there waiting for her.

She greeted them both kindly.

"Just us three, then?" Tonks asked.

"Yup. George was suppose to tag along but got caught up doing something at the shop. So, it's just us." Bill explained.

"That's alright, we can split up." Remus said. "Ill take the first shift alone, and after we can swap." He explained.

So, Bill and Tonks went off one way, and Remus went another.

For several hours all seemed to be quiet, all three of them patrolled the halls without any incident.

When it was almost time to swap patrol duty, Tonks thought hopefully that perhaps she wouldn't have to work with Remus at all.

But, both Remus and Bill didn't think she should go off on her own.

So, at 11 Remus and Tonks went off to patrol in one direction and Bill went the other way. Leaving Remus and Tonks alone together for the first time since their last awkward encounter.

After a few minutes, Tonks broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Have you been busy with the order, lately?" Tonks asked.

"Mhhm." Remus murmured. "Yeah, been pretty busy, but I've not minded."

"Good, good. I've been busy too." Tonks said, trying to sound casual. She even cursed herself a little for not having more to say to him.

After a few minutes of silence, they were standing Tonks spoke. "Its been quiet lately." She said.

"Yes, the death eaters have been staying under the radar." Remus agreed, sounding concerned.

"should we be worried?" Tonks asked.

"I think we probably should be." Remus told her truthfully.

Tonks sighed heavily. "well, at least we will be prepared."

"As prepared as we can be." Remus told her.

They walked to the opening in the hall up ahead. They sat on the oversized half wall that looked out over the grounds together for several minutes in silence.

Tonks couldn't really come up with anything else to say for the next few minutes, and it was eventually Remus who broke the lingering silence.

"So, how have you been fairing?" Remus asked, trying to sound casual.

Tonks sighed, this whole friend thing wasn't exactly easy. She thought.

She considered lying to Remus. But, decided to be honest at the last second.

"Honestly." She said, looking over at Remus.

He looked back at her.

"Not that great. I mean. Look where we are, what we're doing." She threw her hands up in an explanatory way.

"And, I think I made a mistake recently, and now I might be in trouble at work." She admitted.

Remus looked serious. "What happened?" He asked, sounding worried.

"Well, yesterday, I got pulled into my bosses office so he could ask me if I took my position at the ministry seriously."

"wait, did you tell Kingsley?"

"Yeah I did." She admitted.

"What did he say? Did he say what he thought you did?"

"Yeah." Tonks sighed. "That's the thing. I - Like I said - I made a mistake."

Remus still looked at as if he waiting for her to finish. "I dated the wrong guy." She admitted.

Not completely sure what to say, Remus stayed quiet for a few seconds before speaking.

"W-who was it?" He asked quietly.

Tonks sighed, not wanting to respond.

"I don't think you know him." She said quickly.

"I know a lot of people." he said simply.

Tonks sighed.

"Adam Zana." She said, not looking at him.

"Wasn't he a Fudge supporter?" Remus asked.

"I don't know." She said. "I guess he just always seemed alright. I was wrong."

"I mean, can I ask. Why Him?"

"I don't know, Remus. Technically he fits all the things you've been saying I should have. She said exasperated.

She sighed. "he had money and was successful, and young and healthy. She told him angrily.

"Well - ." Remus said before stopping.

"Well, what" Tonks asked.

"But, he isn't a good person." Remus said quietly.

"Well, those are unfortunately in sort supply these days."

"Yes, I'm afraid they are." Remus said grimly.

They stayed quiet for a few moments, not sure of what to say to each other. Tonks looked out at the inky grounds, wishing things could be more simple between them.

They clearly cared for each other deeply but were separated by life and space at that moment.

But, just then. Tonks heard a small noise off somewhere in the castle.

"Did you hear that- " Tonks went to say, before Remus cut her off.

"yes, I did." He said, looking around to try to find the source of the noise.

"Maybe, its just students?" Tonks asked, looking around, on guard.

"Maybe.." Remus said hesitantly.

Suddenly, they heard quick footsteps coming towards them down a distance hall. Spinning around on the spot to see Hermione and Ginny running towards them.

"Quick! Help! Death Eaters!" Hermione yelled.

"What's happened?" Remus asked quickly.

The girls franticly tried to explain what had happened.

"just take me there, quickly." Remus said.

Remus looked back at Tonks, waiting for her.

"Go without me, I have to find Bill! GO! ill catch up with you!" Tonks yelled as they went in different directions.

She could tell that Remus didn't want to separate, but went with the girls.

Tonks sprinted down the hall and franticly went searching for Bill. She went down one hallway, and then another looking for him.

she sent messages to the order during her panic. Hoping beyond hope they would show up and help.

She called out to him as she ran frantically up and down the endless hallways, hoping she'd attract his attention, but after a few moments she began to worry. noises of fighting could be heard blasting off of walls closeby. Tonks ran towards the battle, hoping that Bill would already be there. She turned around a corner and a terrifying sight met her eyes. Bill was sprawled on his back with a bloodied face.

Tonks was certain that she had yelled out when she saw him. As she ran over, in that moment she knew that none of them were safe on their own anymore. And, in her haste and terror she tripped and fell at his side. It looked like half of his face had been torn apart.

He was chocking on blood, and there was a horrible rasping sound when he tried to breathe.

"BILL!" Tonks yelled as she tried to staunch the bleeding with her thin jacket.

"SHHH. she cried, trying to calm him. "I'm going to get you help, its gonna be okay."

"HELP!" Tonks yelled, hoping someone fighting in the distance would hear her.

"What happened to you?!" She asked him franticly.

"He-he hurt me." Bill said, through a gargling noise.

"What? Who hurt you!?" Tonks asked.

"Him." Bill said again, sounding terrified.

A small noise behind her made her stomach drop. She whipped around faster than she ever had in her life, standing up to face the aged and bloodied werewolf.

Fenrir Grayback had blood all over his face and hands, with disgusting matted hair that smelled so badly it made her eyes burn, even standing as far from him as she was.

She knew she only had a second to make her choice.

"Be careful girly, or you'll end up like ginger there." The Werwolf snarled at her.

She steadied herself before acting.

Both of them yelled their curses at the same time.

"CONFRINGO" Tonks bellowed, as Grayback yelled his own inaudible curse.

The spells collided midair and caused a violent collision of spark and flame, resulting in a huge ball of fire to erupt throughout the hall.

The portraits on the wall screeched in terror as the flames danced around their canvases.

the Werewolf had throw himself back, in an attempt to avoid the wrath of the explosion, but it hadn't mattered. He was engulfed by the flames almost immediately and swatted ferociously at the flames surrounding him. Swearing and yelling as he fell.

Attempting to flee from the fire Tonks backed up but got hooked on a statue of Merlin and tripped.

She tried to grab for Bill but realized too late their wasn't time. The werewolf still ablaze went to grab for them and caught her just barely by the wrist.

Tonks didn't know what else to do and used a severing charm to separate herself from the werewolf.

But his long sharp nails dug into her skin as she repelled him, leaving long deep scratches in her for arm.

Tonks dodged him once more, and zoomed away in a flash of light as she did. Popping back up down the hall from the werewolf. she sprinted down the stairs to the base of the astronomy tower, where an intense battle was raging.

Tonks felt a slight pang of relief when she saw that about half the order had shown up.

She emerged quickly and almost immediately began dueling Rowle. He was massive and had a ugly huge blond head. he looked like a disgusting bobble head.

Across the room Remus sighed in relief as he saw Tonks emerge, but the look of terror on her face unnerved him. It set his teeth on edge.

He knew it wasn't safe but his eyes kept traveling to Tonks as he fought with Gibbon. He tried to fight across the room to get to her but it was nearly impossible. Gibbon had an annoyingly aggressive dueling strategy. Causing Remus to focus mostly on offensive and produce spells.

He couldn't get in a shot anywhere, with the amount of blocking he was being forced to do.

Rowle shot off a handful of curses at once basting everything in his path. And everyone in the room stopped for s few seconds to see his curses collide and ricochet all over the entire room.

The air left Remus' lungs when he saw thst Tonks had barely dodged Rowle's killing curse, then before he even had time to process, the curse was coming at him. Instinctively he turned, throwing himself towards the ground. He could feel the curse skim across his cardigan, just missing his back by millimeters.

now, it was Tonks turn to gasp in terror.

But, they couldn't stop. They had to stay focused.

Spinning around, Remus saw Gibbon fall to the ground, Dead. He had been hit by one of the killing curses that had nearly missed himself.

Tonks nearby had resumed her fight with Rowle, but just then Death Eaters came running down the stairs from the Astronomy tower, flowing into the viaduct, Everything that happened next happened too soon to even process.

Before she knew it the surviving death eaters were retreating out of the tower out into the dark courtyard outside.

She gasped as she remembered, scrambling to get help.

Bill needed help upstairs.

Running, she grabbed McGonagal for help who was closest. They couldn't levitate Bill because every time they tried, he would start to loose too much blood.

They made it halfway down the stair case before McGonagal ran to get more assistance.

She came back with Remus and Ron. Both of whom looked stricken with terror upon seeing Bill.

15 minutes later Tonks wasn't sure how they were able to get Bill all the way to the hospital wing without him bleeding out. But somehow they had.

Madam Pomfrey was furiously attempting to help the still unconscious Bill. As blood poured from his facial wounds.

All they could do was wait now. Wait to see, what would happen to Bill. Wait to see, what had happened to everyone else was there that night.

Wait to see, what the future would hold for all of them.