Neville didn't really know what had happened. The pain had torn through him, inside and out. He barely registered Tonks appearing behind Bellatrix, barely registered his scramble for his own wand.

And then he had stood, his legs weak and his heart pounding. Jolts of searing pain still shot through his spine, his hands and feet tingling unpleasantly.

He was pretty sure he was going to throw up. He stumbled over his feet a bit.

He saw Bellatrix towering over Tonks, her wand raised.

It was as if he could see it. There'd be a green flash, Tonks would collapse, Bellatrix would turn back on him...

And Neville raised his wand. His parents' pain, the pain of everyone Bellatrix had murdered or tortured seemed to fuel him. He had never cast an Unforgivable before. He wasn't sure he could.

So, he didn't really think it through.

The green had flashed, but it was Bellatrix who crumpled.

It had to be done, he told himself.

Bellatrix would never stop. She felt she was owed their blood on her hands. Someone had to stop her.

Everything else seemed to blur from that point on. He got to Tonks just as she passed out, but his mind was racing and he couldn't remember any Healing spells. So he used the only thing he could think of in the cold alley- a freezing charm. It slowed things down, surely it could slow blood loss.

He wasn't alone for long, though. Suddenly, he was surrounded.

"Drop your wand and back away!" A woman had yelled, and Neville realised there were at least a dozen wands pointed at him in the dark. He hesitated, his hands putting pressure on the wound on Tonks' chest. His wand was clenched between his teeth. It was one of the few things he could remember, putting pressure on a wound could help. She had stopped breathing, what was going to happen if he moved?

"It's Longbottom, it's alright!" Came Williamson's voice as a few of the wands lit up the alley, conjuring floating orbs of light. He recognised that it was a mix of their own and a few American Aurors surrounding the alley, but also Magical Patrol. Williamson grabbed Neville's shoulders. "Let her go, Savage is exceptional at healing spells."

Neville let himself get pulled to his feet, allowing Savage and one of the American Aurors to kneel by Tonks. Neville was pretty sure this Auror's name was Jefferson. Savage had torn Tonks' shirt, his hands immediately drenched in blood. Neville grabbed his wand out of his mouth, clutching it tightly, but Williamson took it out of his hand.

"Weapon or spell?" Savage asked, looking up at Neville.

"I- I don't know." Neville said. Williamson was currently feeling around Neville's hands and arms. Neville wasn't sure why.

"Are you hurt?" Williamson finally asked. "Your hands are too warm."

Neville wasn't sure anymore. Was he hurt? He felt weird, his hands and feet were still tingling unpleasantly, but he couldn't recognise any other pain at the moment. He shook his head.

"What did she do to you, Neville?" Williamson asked. "The warm hands, that's a sign of-"

"Cruciatus." Neville said quietly.

Williamson was old enough to have known his parents, Neville knew. The look that crossed Williamson's face confirmed it. "Alright, you're probably in shock. It's going to start hurting again."

He knew. It wasn't the first time Bellatrix had used it on him. He hadn't felt like this after the battle at the school, so he assumed it was the Cruciatus Curse causing the fog. This was similar to how he felt once the battle at the Ministry ended, but it wasn't until a few minutes after Harry had chased after Bellatrix that he started to feel like this and then in a while, the pain would return.

Last time, it had been such a quick curse- only a few seconds- but the residual pain had lasted almost a week. He wondered what it would be like this time. How long would he get the random bursts of pain?

Williamson returned Neville's wand and was taking notes of everything at the scene when Healers finally showed up. Neville was taken to St Mungo's, where he was stuck on a bed and left basically alone after a couple of Healers checked him for injury. He could hear Healers working with Tonks in the bed next to him, a thin curtain separating them. At some point, a silencing charm went up and he couldn't hear anymore. He wondered if that was bad.

He recognised the Healer who came to him next as Penelope Clearwater. She held out a Calming Draught. "This will help with some of the discomfort, Neville." She said. "We can give you a pain potion later, this is just for now." He didn't take it, so she placed it on the table beside him. "I'm going to let Head Auror Dawlish come to get your statement, alright?"

Neville wasn't sure how long it was between their arrival at the hospital and Dawlish's arrival, but he was quick to come in after Penelope left so he must been waiting around. Dawlish sat in the chair next to Neville's bed, his eyes finding the untouched vial of Calming Draught, before returning to Neville's face.

He sighed and pulled out a quill. "So, what happened, Neville?"

"I don't remember everything-"

"That's alright." Dawlish said. "Tell me what you do."

"We were still in Wembley and everything seemed fine, but then Tonks got a memo calling for help, so we went there instead. She figured it had to be bad if we were called and not someone who wasn't on training duty." Neville said. "We went to Diagon Alley, and MacIver seemed... odd. Not himself."

"Not himself, how?"

"He looked like he was Imperiused." Neville said, thinking back to the lesson where Professor Moody had Imperiused a bunch of students. "He said he was sorry to Tonks, and that's when the explosion happened."

Dawlish was nodding, writing everything down as Neville spoke.

"Everything's kind of weird after that, I had this awful headache when I woke up and then Bellatrix was there." Neville said. "She used the Cruciatus Curse."

Dawlish stopped writing for a moment. "Shit, Neville-"

"Tonks stopped her." Neville said quickly. "I don't think she had her wand, at least... I didn't see her wand, anyway. I remember being in pain, and I felt sick, but then I was able to get up. That's when I saw Tonks and Bellatrix. I didn't see everything, but I saw Bellatrix standing over her and I just- I knew what was coming. I don't know how to explain it."

"You don't have to." Dawlish said. "It happens. Especially when you've been in combative situations, you start being able to recognise danger before it happens. To cast an Unforgivable, though... Neville, you have to mean it."

"I did." Neville said firmly. "I did mean it. I knew Bellatrix wouldn't give up."

"It's not an easy one to cast, and I don't mean that in the sense that it's a hard spell to learn. To make that choice in a duel, unless you've gone in with the intention of killing your opponent-"

"Am I going to get into trouble?" Neville asked. "Either of us? We were just defending-"

"No, no. No one will be in trouble." Dawlish said. "There will be an investigation, you will be questioned again, but generally... unless it's found that you acted out of malice, nothing will happen. And it seems clear to me, personally- you both defended yourselves and each other. Not all Aurors can think clearly enough to go their partner's aid after being injured, let alone tortured."

"Is she alright? Penelope- Healer Clearwater- didn't say."

"Sometimes this happens, Neville. Sometimes you try your best on the field, and they can only hold on long enough to get here." Dawlish said. "The Healers are still trying to revive her, but you did your part. You got her here."


Tonks stepped out of Kingsley's house, desperate for fresh air. Nausea had plagued her on and off the entire pregnancy, and today was one of the worst days. Probably just because she had Apparated for the first time in weeks and the bump had felt like it threw her off balance- more than usual, Remus had joked.

She leaned against the pillar, her eyes focused on a spot of peeling red paint on the porch floorboards. There was a disturbance on the other side of the boundaries and she straightened up.

Tonks slipped her wand down her sleeve and into her hand in one motion, watching as four figures emerged from between two unoccupied houses behind Kingsley's yard.

"Dora?" Remus and Kingsley were outside quickly, likely having heard the distant pops as the group had arrived. Remus had grabbed her arm, as if to hold her back.

They were dragging two bodies, dropping them by the boundaries and leaving as quickly as they arrived.

One of the bodies moved and she realised who it was, as he dragged himself through the boundaries. The other man did not move.

"Dad!" She was beside him in an instant. Blood poured from a wound across his throat as his dark eyes found her pale ones. "Dad, we'll heal you- Remus!"

Her Dad had found her hand, a silent message passing between them. He was saying goodbye. She was muttering healing spells, begging for one to work. Remus was beside her now. Kingsley had yelled something about dittany, disappearing inside.

"Dad, please hold on, please, we can heal you!" She sobbed. Remus was using whatever healing spells he knew, but nothing was making a difference. Her father's blood was soaking into her knees and the grass around them.

His eyes drifted shut. She screamed, begging him to wake up.

"Dora, he's gone, I'm sorry-" Remus said, wrapping his arms around her.

"No, we need to heal him, we can help him!" She sobbed. Her own body was aching now, from her chest to her stomach and hips. When she looked down, her father was gone and she wasn't pregnant, the front of her clothes were soaked with blood. Her chest was tightening, the sensation of choking taking over.

Remus' arms tightened. "This is not real, Dora." He whispered in her ear. "Wake up."

Tonks opened her eyes. Her entire body felt weightless, which she knew meant they had dosed her on pain potions. There was a Healer on either side of her, and one of them stepped away when they noticed she was awake.

"Neville?"

The Healer who stayed next to her put a hand on her shoulder to stop her weak attempt at sitting up. "I'm Healer Clearwater. Auror Longbottom is safe." She said. "We were able to heal your ribs and some internal bleeding. He is very proficient at slowing blood loss. Using a freezing charm to slow it... absolutely brilliant work, it kept you from bleeding out." She paused for a moment to pick up a file. "So, we've given you something for the pain and blood replenishing potions. And, unfortunately, we did detect a miscarriage with our diagnostic spells-"

"What?"

"It's not unusual, the type of stress this attack would have caused and the blood loss, it's all just a recipe for-"

"I wasn't pregnant."

Healer Clearwater looked at the file. "This diagnostic spell shows you would have been nearing your fourth week-"

"It's wrong-"

"They are rarely wrong, Auror. I am sorry." There was a moment where neither spoke. She was trying to think. Four weeks would be around the last full moon, and she remembered casting the charm, so she didn't understand how it could have happened. It felt really irresponsible. Healer Clearwater was continuing. "If you're feeling up to it, would you like to me get your family? I'll be going to talk to Auror Longbottom's Gran too."

She nodded.

"What would you like to me to tell them, about your injuries?" Clearwater asked. "I can tell them everything or nothing, just let me know."

"You had to tell Dawish everything, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, hospital protocol when Aurors are injured on the job. Head Auror gets a full report."

Tonks nodded. She knew that. She just dreaded the moment Dawlish would come and ask for her statement. "You can tell my husband everything. My mother does not need to know about the... uh, the baby."

"Head Auror Dawlish is going to come and talk to you before your family can visit, but I'll go and talk to them while he does." Clearwater said. Tonks nodded and she left. Dawlish entered a moment later.

Dawlish sat down, parchment in his hand. "I didn't know." She said immediately, before he could say anything. "I would have followed protocol-"

"I know. I read this already." He said, holding up the report. "I figured you wouldn't have known. I'm just here to get you to give your statement. I already talked to Neville. Alright, start with the memo."

"I- uh, it just gave coordinates and said it was an urgent call for backup." Tonks said. "So, we went because I figured Tristan wouldn't be dumb enough to call for backup unless he actually needed it. We arrived and he was alone."

"Did he say anything?"

"He said he was sorry." Tonks said. "I- I found his arm afterwards, is he-?"

"Dead. His wife will be burying him in America, so the protocol that witnessing Aurors attend is suspended due to the distance. Any attendance is voluntary."

"I'm not sure it would have been appropriate for me to go, anyway."

"No, likely not." Dawlish said.

She continued after a moment. "It was really hard to see, but I could hear Neville screaming. I couldn't find my wand, and I- I don't know why, but I never even considered summoning it. All I could hear was Neville." She said. "So I grabbed a brick and tried to knock Bellatrix out with it. I don't think I hit her hard enough. She dropped the curse on Neville, though. Is he alright?"

Dawlish nodded.

"Good." Tonks said. "She knocked me back with a curse, and stabbed me- I think only twice-"

"Only." Dawlish scoffed quietly. "Jesus Christ, you two are making it sound like a cup of tea, not attempted murder."

"I think the key word there is 'attempted', Dawlish." Tonks said. "Anyway, things get a bit fuzzy after that... I was having issues breathing, I was so sure she was about to finally kill me and then suddenly- there was Neville. And he cast a Killing Curse before she could."

Dawlish nodded. "Alright, well, it's simple to me. It'll be straightforward for the inquiry too." Dawlish said. "You'll both be off work until then, though, so you can recover. I'll do some work with Harry during that."

"I can still train Harry-"

"Tell me that again when the pain potions wear off." Dawlish said, standing. He waved his wand at the curtain between the beds, likely removing a silencing charm, she figured. "I'll get your families now."

As soon as Dawlish left, Neville had pulled the curtain back. "Are you alright?" Tonks asked before he could speak.

Neville nodded. "You?"

"Alive, thanks to you." She said. "You were able to cast it?"

"I wasn't sure I could." Neville said, as the door to the room opened again. Augusta entered first, immediately fussing over Neville.

As soon as Remus entered, he was by her side in a second. He looked tired, and she knew he likely hadn't gotten a chance to rest after he turned back. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. She couldn't think of a time he had ever held her so tightly. Not when they were pronounced married, not when she had arrived at the Burrow the night Alastor died, not even after Teddy was born. This hug gave away how afraid he must have been and was nearly suffocating.

She was sure if she hadn't been given pain potions, the sensation would be uncomfortable instead of comforting. He seemed to remember how injured she was, because he released her as quickly as he had grabbed her, an apologetic look on his face.

Remus sat in the chair next to her, not speaking for a moment. She dreaded what he'd say. "When Roofie showed up, I- God, Dora, I thought he was going to say you were dead. And then when Penelope was telling me about your injuries..." He said. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know." She said. It was the truth. He seemed like he wanted to ask more, but also as if he was waiting for her to speak. "I didn't know." She added after a moment. "No symptoms, nothing to indicate..."

"Dora..." He said gently, taking her hand. "We can discuss that later."

"It'll all heal." She said. "I still need time, but it'll heal." She took a deep breath. "Uh, where's Teddy?"

"With Ruth. Your mother and Harry are outside. I asked for a moment alone." Remus said. He was quiet for a moment. "I only have one question and then we'll go back to not talking about it. Are the Healers certain?" He asked quietly. "We used the Charm, Dora."

"They seemed very certain. Maybe I'm no good at casting it. You usually do it, not me." She said. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have been there. It's my fault, I'm sorry-"

"Dora, I'm not upset with you." Remus said. "It is not your fault. Why were you there, if you weren't supposed to be?"

"We were in Wembley like we were supposed to be, but then Tristan called for help. We have to respond if an Auror sends for help. I didn't know his flat got ransacked, I figured it had to be an actual emergency if he had sent for us. The department knows not to interrupt Harry and Neville's training until they're caught up to the others, so that's why I thought..." Tonks took a deep breath. Her chest was tight, though she wasn't sure if it was from the bandages or some residual discomfort from the injuries that the potions were masking. "He said he was sorry. And the crazy part is, it's the most genuine thing I ever heard him say. I think he knew that he was about to die."

"Aren't Aurors trained to resist the Imperius Curse?" Remus asked, and there was something accusatory in his tone.

She realised a moment later. "You remember, don't you?"

"I told you, it all came back when Petra's jinx dropped." Remus said. "Do you think he could have given in, if he was angry at you-"

"No." Tonks said firmly. "No, I don't."

Remus wanted to call her naive again, she could read it on his face. She'd have a much more colourful word for him if he did.

"Penelope spoke to us separately, do you not want your Mum to know?" He asked instead.

She shook her head. "No, because she'd tell me I should quit my job and how dangerous it is and all the same shit she's said before." Tonks said, Remus' eyes dropped from hers, to their hands. "You want me to quit."

"Dora, last night could have been a lot worse."

"I'm alive, though-"

"By worse, I meant dead." Remus said. "If you are killed on the job, what happens to Teddy?"

"Well, I'd assume his father would take care of him."

"You know I would, that is not what I meant." Remus said impatiently, and then he lowered his voice. "Am I really going to spend the rest of my life worrying about whether or not you're coming home?"

"Yes, because I'm going to spend the rest of mine worrying you'll drop dead after a full moon. The least I can do is give you something to worry about too."


Being home without her felt different. It was, he supposed. Living in a house that was a mix of her furniture and Alastor's, with very few things of his own- as the majority of anything his parents had left him was now ash- still felt strange.

It also left him with his thoughts. Thinking about what had happened and knowing that if it hadn't, they would have realised her pregnancy soon... it made him angry.

Then he realised where the resurfacing anxiety had been coming from. Just like with Teddy, he realised he knew deep down before she would have had any idea. Of course he would have been anxious about barely seeing her, and yearning for her to be close. He missed her, yes, but this had been a deeper feeling that he had attributed to their opposite schedules. Especially with the full moon's arrival, the wolf side would have sensed the minute changes. Just like last time. He was sad, of course he was. They hadn't discussed it, though. Things weren't stable enough to have another baby yet. They had to find a way to balance with the family they currently had.

Harry had been distant all afternoon and evening. It wasn't until hours after Remus got Teddy to sleep and was trying, but failing, to finish solidifying his plans for the rest of the year that Harry entered the kitchen. Remus had thought he had gone to bed, it was nearing midnight already. His coffee had gone cold a while ago, but he wasn't sure he needed it to stay awake.

"I don't see her anymore."

Remus looked up. "Who?"

"I had a vision, around the same time the attack happened." Harry said, sitting across from Remus. "And then again, a while ago, when I was trying to sleep... the woman isn't there anymore. Now, I don't think it was ever meant to be Tonks. And I wonder if I'm wrong about the rest of you too."

"At the moment, I do not care if you are." Remus said. "If last night means Dora could be here for Teddy should something happen to me, one parent is better than none-"

"I'd prefer both of you to stick around." Harry said. "Somehow, I think she'd prefer it too."

Remus gave Harry a small smile. "I'd prefer it if she gave up her job, but she won't. I know who I married and she knows who she married. We both know, and understand, that it could mean we are without the other sooner rather than later. Even if we don't like it."

"You don't like that she's an Auror?" Harry said.

"I hate it." Remus admitted. "I really do."

"Is it much different than being in the Order?"

"No, and that's the problem." Remus said. "Same goes for you, I hate that you've chosen this. To spend the rest of your life fighting Dark Wizards... that's all you have ever done, Harry."

"Right, but that's sort of why I'm doing it. It feels familiar."

"It shouldn't be." Remus said. "What happens when you're older and have children of your own? You'll still go out there, day after day, risking your life?"

"I haven't thought about it." Harry said. "I've never really had the chance to consider my future. But Tonks is really good-"

"Of course she is, Alastor wouldn't have let her be less than exceptional." Remus said. "And I know, she'll train you with the same expectations he had for her. But even exceptional wizards get killed. She could have died last night, and that wasn't even a mission, she was simply responding to a call for help that was a trap set by Tristan-"

"I don't like the guy either, but he was Imperiused-"

"I don't care if Tristan was Imperiused, Aurors are trained to fight it. He should have resisted it, Dora would have. She would die if it meant keeping a fellow Auror or Order member safe, even if it was someone she didn't like. Ultimately, Tristan lured her there." Remus said. "It is a shame he died, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't relieved that he won't be near Dora anymore."