Sweet Hermione Hi people! I'm Charlotte, 18 years old, and I write since I was 9 years old. And this is my new fanfiction. It is the first one I present on this website. I am not a very fast writer (my first book took me 3 years... that will say a lot, uh?) but I will do my best. But I do not think that I can post I chapter per day!! :arrow: I would love to get responses for my story! Please PB me, or post in the topic ''Tell us what you think''. Thanks!! Warning: -Violence -Curse words -Sexual aspects (just a little bit) http://i35.tinypic.com/2ngwq49.jpg A young werewolf's eye Chapter 1 Lupin sat in an armchair, near the cracking flames of the fireplace. He was at Grimbould Place 12, Sirius’s old, hated house. The acient building was quit emptied of the stuff that remembered of the old Black family, though it was repallent to sit here. It still had the ruinous corridors, the tapestry with the family three (Sirius’s name, forever, blacked by fire) and the atmosphere of inherent, wicked ideas and neurotic thoughts. He stared into the red flames, thinking of what had happened just a month ago. Dubledore’s dead had burst in like a bomb. He had felt weak, torn apart, overwhelmed of the enormous inner pain he had felt. Firstly, it had been James and Lily, than Sirius, and now it was Dumbledore. Strong, gracieus, calm Dumbledore. Killed by the teacher he thought he knew... that he trusted... And how many times he had tried to stop him of thinking: I could be next... Still submerged by his thoughts, he heard a knock on the door. ‘Enter,’ he said, looking up. It was Tonks. Her hair was as vivedly bubblegompink as usuelly. She had a wary smile on her face. Lupin could not help himself not to smile back. Tonks grabbed a chair opposite Lupin and sat down. They looked at each other and did not knew what to say. But however, he had the idea that it wasn’t necessary. They sat there for a while, and stared dreamily into each other eyes. But suddenly, he sighed, and looked back into the fireplace. After a short while, they heard a woman’s voice. ‘Dinner!’ called Mrs. Weasley. They both rose from their chairs and walked down the stairs. They entered the kitchen. It was very warm in there. A small, chubby woman turned around and smiled at them. Mrs. Weasley didn’t looked very healthy. She had dark circels around her thump eyes, her skin was almost greyish and her smile weak. She took two plates, filled with patatoes and beans, and pushed it into their hands. ‘C’mon,’ she said, her voice faintly, ’to the dining room.’ But Lupin stood still and examined her. ‘You’re allright, Molly?’ he asked tentively. She made a gesture that could mean ‘yes’, as well as ‘no’ and shrugged. Tonks walked to the dining room, and Lupin and Molly followed. They ate their dinner silently. When Lupin had finished, Mrs. Weasley took a deap breath and asked suddenly: ‘Remus, can I ask you something?’ Lupin looked up, while terrifying things were flowing through his mind. ‘It’s a... it’s quit a story… but I hope you would do it... same for you, Tonks.’ Lupin and Tonks exchanged anxious looks. ‘Well, you know, of course, the stuff about Greyback,’ Mrs. Weasley said. ‘Recently, he had attacked a lot of children. Most of them are just kidnapped by himself, to make them, some kind of Death Eathers.’ Lupin felt like a stone had fallen into his stomach. ‘Fortunately, some children could sneak away, back to their parents. But two children, a brother and a sister, are in a real bad situation. Their parents are missing. It is unpunctually and unknown if the parents are on our side, or on the other.’ Tonks frowned. ‘So now you want to ask him,’ she murmered, while she was staring at her empty plate, ‘if he wants to take care of them?’ Without waiting for an answer, she continued: ‘But why them? St. Mungo’s can look after them. And there a plenty of young werewolves.’ Mrs. Weasley didn’t looked suprised. ‘I thought that was obvious, Tonks,’ she said calmly. ‘Remus can help them perfectly, with their new...configuration. And you are an Auror, of course. If you two get attacked... You’re trained for this. Besides, the new Minister asked me. He told me they really are in an awful state... I guess it will be very necessary, then. Darling, we must try to help these young kids. If all those young werewolves join You-Know-Who…’ She shivered. ‘It’s so unfair… they’re only just children... ’ ‘I will do it, Molly,’ said Lupin suddenly. He saw her eyes sparkeling as he said it. ‘I know it is, and I always will,’ he said. ‘I will try to help them, as good as possible.’ Tonks looked at him, midly suprised. ‘Please join him, Tonks,’ said Mrs. Weasley. Then, Tonks smiled, while her eyes seemed to glow strangely. ‘I will do it,’ she said. ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione Hey people, here is my new chapter! I was on holiday, but I have worked futher on the story... Thanks for your reactions! Chapter 2 Knock, knock. Lupin awaked and yawned. ‘Who’s…’ he muttered vaguely. But the door openend, with a laughing Mrs. Weasley behind it. ‘Good morning, Remus,’ she smiled. ‘Good morning,’ he responded, while he trew off his blankets and grasped his jeans and T-shirt. ‘Can I-’ he begun, but Mrs. Weasley already closed the door. He heard her walking down the stairs. He put on his clothes. Accidentally, he caught his own reflection in the old-fashioned, small mirror. A suprised looking man, with light brown hair and delicate features, strared back at him. Hello, little werewolf, he thought to himself, goodmorning. He saw himself grinning wary. He put on a pair of socks and walked down, to the ground floor. Rapidly, he smelled that Mrs. Weasley had cooked a sizable British breakfast. Lupin opened the door. ‘Morning, Remus!’ said Tonks happily. Her hair had a darker hue than the day before: now it was fuchsia pink. ‘Goodmorning,’ he replied, and took the plate Mrs. Weasley had gave him. ‘Looking forward?’ asked Tonks, while she examined him. Lupin took a chair beside her and started to eat. Mrs. Weasley watched them, and already started to do the washing-up. ‘Well...’ Lupin began, ‘to be honest, I do not know. And you?’ ‘I think I will agree with you,’ she smiled. After breakfast, they dicided to leave. Mrs. Weasley wished them good luck, and hugged them tightly. ‘Look after yourself, Remus,’ she wispered, while tears were shining in her eyes. ‘I will, Molly,’ said Lupin. ‘Please, don’t worry.’ Mrs. Weasley nodded and let go of him. Tonks had caught his eye. She was smiling excitidly at him. They took their suitcase (they had no idea of how long it would take: Tonks expected that the Ministry would give them futher instructions) and walked out of Grimmauld Place 12. Because it was to dangerous to Apparate, they took the train to the hospital. These days, every magical way of travelling was checked out. It was pretty annoying, but it was better to travel slowely than unsafely. They said little while travelling per train, both caught in their own thoughts. But some minutes before arriving, Lupin asked Tonks a question what had been bothering him for a lot of hours. ‘Tonks?’ he asked slowely, ‘how do you think we have to take care of these children?’ Tonks looked away from the window she had been gazing through for a long time. ‘I mean,’ Lupin continued, ‘Molly did not knew exactly either, does she? What does ‘have to take care’ means? Is it just…you know…’ Lupin hesitated a bit. ‘...teaching how to deal with their new shape?’ It took a few minutes before Tonks answered. ‘I think so. What else could be do? But... I mabye expect the Minister to send more bitten children. They all need to hear the exact facts of their... shape. Who else could it do better than someone with experience? Then you?’ ‘Thank you,’ said Lupin. Again, there fell silence between them. They stared at each other a few moments, without saying a word. But quickly, the train stopped and they had arrived at their destination. They took their suitcase and walked through the crowded streets of London. It was difficult to stay together in these broad, modern and crammed streets. They even lost each other a few times, but were lucky to find the other quickly, again. Finally, there was St. Mungo’s. Tonks and Lupin walked to the ugly, old fashioned building and stepped through the glass like veil of the window, into the hospital. ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione My new chapter already! Please PB me for your reactions! Chapter 3 The waiting room was full of people. Healers were walking fastly through the room, helping emergency’s or dangerous patients further into the hospital. (This was unusual: normally, the patients had to walk by themselves to the divisions. Lupin thought that the hospital was to crammed with people, that the patients that were in the most deadly situation, were helped firstly.) The waiting patients were horribly hurted, a lot probely by Death Eaters: there was a baby with three heads, a young girl with a thick, black tail which was circling around her waist with an enourmous fast speed, an old, wrinkled man with a great, swollen green tongue with spikes at the end of it, a red haired woman with a grey, rock-like skin and one, small pink eye in her forehead... There was a teenage boy who was crying like a tiger, a middle-aged man with purple steam coming from his ears and dwarf-sized legs and feet... There even was, to Lupin’s shock, a black haired girl, her whole body covered in blood. She seemed familiar to him... he thought and thought... O God, he thought, it is Parvati Patil. ‘Tonks,’ he said quickly, ‘that girl over there,’ – he pointed – ‘she was one of my pupils.’ Tonks saw Parvati directly. ‘O no,’ she said. ‘I know her, to… Well, her parents used to work at the Ministry. They were so nice...’ Tonks looked very sad, and walked directly at her. Lupin hurried to follow her, through the mass of cursed and sick wizards and witches. The girl was all alone, and stared to the floor, while her blood was dripping and streaming on the ground. ‘Parvati?’ asked Tonks tentively. Parvati looked up. Even her face wasn’t been undamaged: her cheeks were cutted and darkred. She looked unconfidentally at Tonks. ‘Who-?’ she asked, her voice unexpectedly bright. Then, she saw Lupin. ‘Professor Lupin!’ she said happily, grabbing his hand and shaking it politely. ‘It is nice to see you again.’ Lupin smiled at her. ‘It is nice to see you too, Parvati,’ he said. ‘But what… what happened to you?’ She signed at them to come closer. ‘Death Eaters,’ she said quietly. ‘My whole family was attacked. We were just getting breakfast together, (we had a special birthday party) and they stormed into the house. They wore those white masks, and old, long robes. They cursed all of us. My mother was almost killed by a Death Eather.’ She signed at them again, to come more close and wispered: ‘I’ll swear that it was Snape. I recognized his black hair and dark eyes... And he walked just the same way he did at Hogwarts...’ She sighed, looking terrified. ‘He cursed me, to… But I don’t know what curse it is… no one knows… it was a non-verbal spell, too...’ Her dripping blood had created a dark, red pool on the floor. ‘God, I hope they can help me,’ said Parvati. ‘They’re so busy, you know… Everyone get cursed these days. But I may be lucky. My younger nephew and niece were bitten by a werewolf, just three weeks ago...’ Suddenly, she looked suprised. ‘O, no,’ she said quietly to Lupin. ‘I don’t mean-’ ‘That’s O.K.,’ he said quickly. ‘And besides, we are coming here for two young children who are bitten. Mabye...?’ ‘Oh, I hope so!’ Parvati said hopefully. ‘You were a great teacher, you know... All those people before you were really bad. Well, except for professor Lockhart, he did well,’ she said, her cheeks turning a bit pink, underneath all the blood. ‘Thank you,’ said Lupin. That was the second compliment he had been given today. Why were people so nice to him, to say all those things? ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Parvati said quickly to Tonks. ‘I forgot… I don’t even know your name!’ Tonks smiled at her and said: ‘I’m Tonks. Nice to meet you.’ ‘Nice to meet you, too. But... Tonks, is that your first name?’ Lupin answered before Tonks could open her mouth. ‘No, it’s her last name, and her first name is Nymphadora, but she hates it. So she likes it better when we call her just Tonks.’ Parvati looked a bit suprised. ‘Er...well, then, Tonks,’ she said, smiling. Suddenly, they heard a small voice behind them. ‘Erm… Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks?’ They all looked up and saw a small, dark female Healer looking at them. ‘Yes, we are,’ said Lupin, nodding at Tonks. He saw Parvati at the corner of his eye. She was getting paler and paler, and looked very weak. He hoped that she would be helped very quickly. Then, he saw her looking back at him. That would be nice, but you can’t. No one knows what it is. I even doubt if the Healers know it. I’ll just have to wait. They’re to busy with the real emergency’s. Lupin stared back at her, bewildered. Good Lord, he thought. You can do Legitimency. Where did you- But he broke the eyecontact, because he heard the small Healer saying: ‘Would you please follow me?’ She looked at Parvati. ‘I am very sorry for you,’ she said. ‘It looks like amateur’s spell, very Dark. I hav an idea of what it is... I do the Potion antidotes. I’ll see if we can find something for you...’ She seemed to hesitate a bit. ‘Follow me, please.’ ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione Dear readers! It took a while this time, to post another chapter. I hadn't had much inspiration and time. Sorry! But the chapter is bigger than usual... :wink: Anyway, here's the new chapter. Keep sending me your reactions (PB or the Reaction Topic): I love to get and read them! P.s. I'm going to school next week, so I it will take more time for me to post new chapters. Chapter 4 They followed her further into the hospital. A lot of people bustled up to them, all hurried to see their patients or beloved ones. It took Parvati a lot of energy to walk. A few times, she suddenly clutched to Tonks’s or Lupin’s arm (‘Sorry!’) to prevent she would collapse. Her blood left a darkred trace through the corridor. It was a long, narrow corridor. It was lit by the crystal bubbles full of candles, and the walls were lined with portraits of famous Healers. Finally, they turned left, and walked into a yellow-painted room. It was full of open closets, all crammed with potions. The bottles had all the possible sizes and colours Lupin could image: round, tiny bottles of just three or five centimeters, filled with gasslike, green potions; long bottels that looked like wine bottles, but filled with white liqueds; enormous bottles with scarlet potions, in which were black strings running very quickly from the top to bottem... The Healer walked to a closet on their left side, and began to examine all of the labels on the glass bottles. She finally took a small, hexagonal bottle, which was almost completely fulled with a pale, orange liquid. She walked back to Parvati, Lupin and Tonks, and took a really tiny golden bowl out of her robes. She put a few drops of the potion into the little bowl, and gave it to Parvati. ‘Drink this,’ she said merely. And without saying a word, Parvati took the tiny bowl, and drank the potion in one absorption. Three pairs of eyes stared at her, to see what would happen. Then, a wonderful miracle happened: her wounds began to heal. The cuts in her cheeks closed, the large scratches in her arms disappeared, the damaged skin of her neck recovered. Her hands moved from her tummy to her legs, to check if her skin underneath her clothes, was also recovered. Then she began to laugh, and wrapped her arm around the small Healer. ‘Thank you!’ said Parvati. She released the Healer. ‘Wow… this is amazing…’ said Parvati, examining her healed arms. The Healer seemed to be relieved, too. ‘You were very lucky, actually,’ she said. At the end of the corridor, they turned left and took the stairs. ‘It doesn’t help anytime. And the potion is exposed just three months ago…’ She frowned. ‘I’m wondering why it helped this time, and not with the wizard before you. People are saying that the Death Eather who uses the spell, changes the spell a little, everytime he uses it. But the effects remain the same...’ They entered the corridor ‘Creature – Induced Injuries’. ‘I think it is impossible, though... ’ mused the Healer. People were walking in and out of the different rooms, the green robes of the Healers swirling. Lupin saw that there were bits of parchment hanging over the regular signes on the doors. ‘Here,’ said the Healer, when they had come to a door on their right side. ‘Werewolf bites, children’ said the piece of parchment on the door. The Healer saw Lupin reading the note. ‘Yeah,’ she said, ‘normally, this was a room for little accidents, made by pets.’ She lifted the parchment up. ‘‘The Impossible’ Johosp Whedwarp Ward: Injuries by Pets’. ‘There are so many werewolf bites, so we just took another, larger room,’ she said. They entered the room. It was a good-lit room, with three big windows and several portraits of Healers on the walls. All of the patients were children: the youngest of them was two, three years old; the oldest probably sixteen or seventeen. ‘Here they are,’ said the Healer. They were standing for two hospital beds. In the left one slept a small, cute-looking girl with long, curling black hair in two braids. Her little head stick out the heavy white blankets, her mouth half open, and she clutched a fluffy, brown teddybear. Lupin thought she must have been seven, or eight years old. In the other bed, lay a bigger figure. He had thick, black hair and small shoulders. He lent on his tummy, his elbows on his pillow, reading a book or a magazine. ‘David?’ said the Healer, looking at the back of the boy’s head. He turned around and looked at Tonks and Lupin, smiling. He had bright, dark eyes and was about twelve years old. ‘You two?’ he asked, quietly, so that his sister wouldn’t wake. The words had been a bit of rude, but he sounded friendly. Tonks smiled back. ‘Yeah,’ she said, ‘we’re the two.’ Tonks’s hand was searching Lupin’s. He was a bit of suprised, but didn’t shown it. He felt her warm fingers around his. Then, David saw Parvati, who was standing behind them. ‘Parvati!’ he said happily, but still quietly. Parvati laughed, walked to him and gave him a hug. Lupin saw that David’s arms were full of bloody scratches. ‘How are you doing?’ asked David Parvati. ‘What happened?’ ‘What happened, is O.K. right now,’ asked Parvati vaguely. ‘But you have heard of the rest of the family?’ David nodded. ‘Yeah,’ she said merely, his voice bitter, and a little afraid. ‘Stella?’ The Healer talked quietly, and shook the arm of the girl gently. There were two large cuts in her upper arm. After a few moments, she slowely opened her eyes and yawned. ‘Did I had nightmares?’ she asked to the Healer. ‘You couldn’t remember?’ asked the Healer. ‘No...’ Stella answered, and frowned. She sat down at the edge of her bed and saw her three vistitors. ‘Hi, Parvati,’ she said. Parvati hugged her too. ‘I’m happy you’re O.K...’ said the little girl. Parvati did not replied. ‘And hello to you two,’ said Stella, looking at Lupin and Tonks at the corner of her eye. They both nodded at her. The Healer revolved to Tonks and Lupin. ‘Can I have a word?’ They followed her out of the room, leaving Parvati and the two children behind. Lupin felt how Tonks’s hand let go of his. Lupin, Tonks and the Healer walked into a small room. It was pretty bedraggled: there were a few old desks, a lot rolls of half wrote off parchment were lying on the floor, some broken crystal potionbottles and more litter. Straight in front of them stood a enormous, acient wooden closet. The Healer opened it. She took out a small, crystal bottle, filled with a swirling white substance, and an old stone bowl, decorated with strange signs. Lupin knew what they were going to do before anyone could tell him. ‘We often keep thoughts of our patients. It is very clevery to see them before the we start to operate our patients,’ said the Healer. She emptied the bottle into the bowl. The sunlight from the small window next to the closet, fell upon the white substance. It made the surface shine like thousends of diamonds. She putted the bowl upon a desk. ‘I think it will good for you to see this,’ she said. ‘I have to tell more things, but it can wait. And this one’ – she pointed to the gass-like matter – ‘would prevent a lot of unnecessary questions.’ She smiled at them. ‘Please,’ she said simply. Lupin nodded at her and bend above the bowl. He let his head sank into the bowl, until his face touched the surface... And he began to fall, through nothing but darkness... ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione Hi people, my new chapter! They get longer and longer. :) This chapter will hopefully be a bit more exciting than the chapters before! (Thank you for your patience, for that one...! :wink: ) Hope you enjoy it! By the way: I haven't had any reactions for a while... Please, I love to read them and they're really helping me to write better. So please don't hesitate and send/write one! :) Chapter 5 Lupin landed on his feet, his knees lightly bending. Behind him, he heard Tonks landing on the ground. She walked toward him. ‘Where are we?’ she asked, looking around. They were in an open plaine of wild grass. It was very long and came to Lupin’s navel. The sun was low. It would go down in about 15 minutes, mabye even less. In the far distance, they saw the beginning of a forest. But no single sign of two children. ‘We’re in the right memory, aren’t we?’ asked Lupos, feeling worried. Tonks began to walk firmly trough the grass. ‘Well, I don’t think she putted us in the wrong one,’ she said confidentally. While they were walking, they kept looking around, searching for a sign of Stella and David. After a few minutes, Lupin saw them. Two small figures were walking in front of them, about 500 meters distance of him and Tonks. ‘Look!’ he said to Tonks, and pointed to the children. ‘C’mon,’ said Tonks, smiling. She sprinted through the high grass, to the stature of David and Stella. Lupin followed her, but he wasn’t as fast as she was. ‘C’mon, old man!’ she screamed, laughing. ‘I know!’ Lupin answered and panted. But they already reached the two children and started to walk beside them. David and Stella looked almost exactly the same as in the present, except for their clothes; they wore jeans and T-shirts. The two kids were walking silently through the grass. Lupin was just wondering what their purpose was, as they started to talk. ‘We shouldn’t be here very long,’ said David. ‘It’s getting darker and darker. Mabye we should just walk, back home.’ Stella was silent for a few moments. Finally, she said: ‘I don’t think-’ She fell silent. Lupin heard it too: voices were coming from the forest. They were not alone. ‘The werewolve will come soon,’ wispered Tonks, while she was staring at the forest. They had stopped walking. Lupin looked up, at the sky. The moon would rise very quickly. Would rise quickly. O no. The full moon. The voices from the forest went louder, but Lupin was afraid of something really different. ‘David,’ said Stella, sounding worried. ‘Who are they?’ David shrugged dismissive, and began to walk very slowely towards the threes. Stella, Lupin and Tonks followed. ‘Tonks,’ said Lupin, his voice trembling. He looked up at the sky again. The sky had turn dark blue, and the sun had set. A pale, shining edge of the moon appeared. ‘The moon,’ he said finally, his eyes full of fear. To his suprise, Tonks looked at him with a completely calm expression on her face. ‘Tonks!’ he said again, terrified. Didn’t she understood him? Didn’t she understood what would going to happen? But Lupin looked to the moon again. The full apparition. Lupin’s guts turned into ice. He would tranformate into a werewolve, in front of her and the children. He would turn into a terrible beast he could not controle. He would hurt them... mabye even murder them... He could not let that happen. He couldn’t. And then, without thinking about the memory, without thinking about who were at the forest, without thinking about if this would be the solution, he began to ran to the forest. ‘Remus!’ screamed Tonks, and started to run after him. ‘Stop! It isn’t – you wouldn’t – STOP, DAMN IT!’ Tonks had a better condition then Lupin, so after a while, he had to come to a halt. They were almost at the forest and they could see three dark figures walking between the trees, talking quietly with each other. Lupin and Tonks were panting. ‘It’s just a memory, darling!’ shouted Tonks at him, although they were just standing beside each other. ‘You wouldn’t – o no, you wouldn’t – transformate! We’re not… actually, here, you know! We’re just… seeing this.’ Lupin’s fast beating heart calmed down a bit. ‘You are… you are sure?’ he asked gingerly. ‘Yeah,’ said Tonks. ‘Please… my God, Remus…’ She seemed to be a little angry with him. But Remus feeled intensely relieved. ‘Then…’ he said softly, ‘this would be my first full moon without anything to fear. Which I can remember, of course.’ His voice sounded like anyone’s but his. Tonks putted her arms around his shoulders and hold him. She looked at the shining moon in the sky. ‘Yes,’ she wispered in his ear. ‘It would be.’ The two strangers in the forest were at the egde of it. One of the strangers stood deeper into the forest. Their voices had grew louder. She seemed to be in a very important conversation, because their voices sounded excited. ‘...you see, he needs the Instrument. He has been waiting too long, I bet he’s…’ Tonks let Lupin go. ‘Let’s follow them,’ she said. *** But they hadn’t had to. The strangers had come to a halt, still discussing hastily and excited. ‘We’re running out of time,’ said a short man, worried, wearing a green robe. They were all (Lupin assumed that the other man wasn’t an exception) wearing white masks. ‘No, we don’t,’ said a woman in an old, black robe. Lupin recognized that voice. It was Bellatrix Lestrange. He felt the hate burning in his chest. ‘We would get the Instrument soon, I’ll swear,’ she continued. ‘It’s actually too easy… C’mon… how good could it be protected? It’s almost forgotten, I’ll tell you that. Not many people knew about it... ’ She sighed. ‘O, and if we have the Instrument... he’ll be so pleased... It makes everything so much easier...’ A voice, coming from the wood, said: ‘And you say that I just have to bite them, and we can get it? Why?’ Greyback. Angry componied his hate. Lupin saw Stella en David standing still. Even from the distance he could see their fear. Bellatrix murmered something, and the other Death Eather (and likely Greyback) looked at her, bedazed. ‘That’s too risky,’ said the short man. ‘You’ll never succeed for that.’ ‘Come on, it’s easy!’ said Bellatrix, irritated. ‘And very important. Think about what he could do with it... anything is possible… It’s better than the Imperius Curse. They’ll believe anything...’ Bellatrix looked into the forest. ‘Come out, and do what I told you to do,’ she said strictly. And Greyback came out. As soon as the silvery moonlight fell upon Greyback, his body began to shake. Lupin receded at the sight of Greyback’s transformation. Greyback’s old robe ripped as his legs stretched and became wolflegs. He cried at the moon and his arms burst out of his sleeves. His hands became claws with spiked and sharp yellowish nails. A brown haired tail sprout out of his lower back. Greyback shook off his robe, which was torn apart because of the transformation. The two other Death Eathers looked at the whole performance as they were watching the news on the television. The look in their eyes were very serene. Stella and David seemed to have frozen. Then, they turned around and began to ran. Greyback howled again and looked to the place were Tonks and Lupos stood. It was very hard for Lupin to watch all this. He knew how it was to transformate, he knew exactly the pains you had to suffer, but I couldn’t understand how you could actually enjoy all of this, how you would bite innocent people intentionally... But after Greyback’s transformation, everything happened so fast that Lupin couldn’t think brightly.Greyback ran quick as the wind, howling and growling, after the two children. Lupin heard Stella yelling in agony, as she heard that they were being hunted by a werewolve. Tonks ran towards the displaying, a horrified but resolute expression on her face. Lupin followed her, glancing at the Death Eathers. They still had that horrible flat look. He heard a beastly roar and a scream and saw that he was standing just in front the werewolve and David. Greyback had jumped upon the back of David, his nails deep in his flesh. Scarlet blood was welling up from the small back of the child. David’s face was white as chalk, tears were trickling on his cheeks and his mouth was open in an noiseless scream. Stella was yelling and seemed to have gone crazy. She was still running, but she hadn’t had any change against Greyback. He pounched upon her back. She fell on her gut, crying. David tried to stand again, but he fell on the ground, not able to help his sister. Greyback was mauling in Stella’s neck so wild, that she turned around and lay on her back. She was pretty brave and began to try to beat the werewolf. Her T-shirt was covered in blood and stick on her body. The werewolve sprang upon her face. Stella cried. Bright, red blood was coming from the deep cuts in her face. She roared and screamed: ‘David!’ But David was lying on the ground, his body shaking uncontrollably. He cried and screamed while his hands became claws and he sprouted a tail. He was transformating. Greyback bit Stella in her small, defenceless arm and she yelled. Her face was wet of her blood and tears. Ze began to growl beastily at Greyback, and her face became hairy, her eyes black and her teeth pointed. Quickly, two young, bleeding werewolves sprang upon Greyback. He reacted with supernatural speed: he shook the two werewolves off his back and scratched David’s gut open. David’s yelling was deafening and made Lupin feel sick. He turned away his gaze. It was horrible to look at this. He saw Tonks staring at the three werewolves, her mouth a little open of astonishment and a miserable look in her eyes. She looked at him, her eyes shining. ‘Come on,’ she said, while a tear was falling on her cheek. ‘I can’t...’ she said, and she clutched his hand. Lupin glanced at the Death Eathers for a last time. He saw the triumph in Bellatrix’s eyes and felt the same, hot hate boiling in his chest again. Stella and David fell on the ground again, howling and growling, trying to release themselves from the evil werewolve that was hunting them... But everyting turned black... and they were falling through darkness again... back to present... Back to a world which already knew the abominitions against two little children. But did they already knew about the Death Eathers, and their mysterieus Instrument...? ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione Hi readers! Chapter 6! I actually didn't expected it to grew out to story of format... :) I'm busy with a lot of stories at the time... I can't post very often, as you will have seen. I hope you have fun reading it, and keep on sending me PB's, even if it's about one chapter or so...! Chapter 6 ‘O...no. O no. That wasn’t nice.’ Tonks was trembeling and murmering to herself. ‘That was…’ Her eyes became big and she sighed. They were back at the hospital, into the room of the stored Pensieves. ‘Believe me, Remus,’ she said, looking at Lupin and clearly trying to calm herself down. ‘I have seen worse. Much worse. It’s… As an Auror…’ She seemed to look for words. Lupin only nodded earnistly and said: ‘I think I understand.’ Tears were dropping down from the corner of Tonks’s eyes. ‘O, Remus!’ she sobbed suddenly. Lupin embraced her and patted her on the back. But quickly, she pulled him away. ‘No… no… sorry, but… no...’ She grabbed his shoulders and looked him straight into the eye. ‘I am an Auror,’ she said soloumny, as though she was doing an important speech. Lupin did not knew what to say, and only gazed at her, frowning. ‘I should have been used to this...’ she murmered, looking miserable. She let go of him and started to walk through the room, caught by her thoughts. ‘But...’ she slowely continioud, ‘that ‘Instrument’... What is it? And how does it work? It sounded pretty important to the Death Eathers.’ Lupin nodded slowely. ‘Yes, I have been thinking about that, too,’ he said. He looked at her. ‘Don’t you...?’ ‘I don’t know,’ she sighed, and stood still by the Pensieve. She let her fingertops glide over the edge of the Pensieve bowl. ‘The Minister told me to do this, with you.’ She smiled joyless, while she was staring in the Pensieve. ‘To be honest, Remus, I think he just doesn’t trust me to do the real work. Because I’m in the Order, because I know Harry, mabye because I’m young, I guess...’ ‘He’s not Fudge,’ said Lupin. ‘He might be neurotic, but he’s also anything but naieve.’ Tonks shrugged and began to walk again, without a purpose. ‘Remus, I think that Instrument is really important. Too important. I must tell the Aurors.’ ‘Of course,’ said Lupin. ‘But it can be difficult... Tonks, Bellatrix said everybody forgot about it. It can be old, very old, acient and forgotten. We just don’t know.’ The doors opened and they turned around. The small, female Healer stood in the beginning of the room. There was some blood on her robe, but her eyes were bright. ‘You have seen it?’ said the Healer tentively. Lupin nodded.‘Yes...’ said the Healer vaguely. ‘You’ve seen what happened... It was a lot of work to heal all those wounds, and-’ ‘What is the Instrument?’ interruped Tonks suddenly. The Healer blinked. ‘You have heard the Death Eathers, haven’t you?’ continioud Lupin. There were a few moments of silence.‘Yes, I have,’ said the Healer finally. ‘But I’m as suprised about that Instrument as you are... I really haven’t heard anything about it.’ ‘But you have told the Aurors about it already?’ asked Tonks impatiently. ‘No, that isn’t-’ began the Healer. ‘Allright,’ said Tonks quickly, ‘than we just have a little trip to the Ministry, won’t we, Remus?’ They walked back to the room of Stella and David. The Healer began to talk very quickly: ‘I really don’t know about that Instrument, and I doubt if anyone else knows. I have talked to serveral people who should have known about it, if it exists. But I hope you would find out.’ She stopped for the door of the bitten children. ‘There are some things you should know about David and Stella,’ she said, on normal voice, and lent against the door. ‘Stella can be paranoide. I think she is tramatised because of what happened to her. She also has horrible dreams. About werewolves, of course, but also strange things… burning houses, blue lightning, snakes... She wakes up, terrified, screaming and sweating…’ ‘And, what does Freud says about it?’asked Tonks lightly. The Healer looked irritated. ‘Anyway, don’t underestimate Stella. She’s a bright girl. I know she lookes young... but she’s nine years old.’ Lupin frowned. He didn’t expected that she was that old already. ‘David,’ continioud the Healer,‘is a bit of a dreamer. He loves books and can be absent-minded. He goes to Hogwarts this year. If Minerva opens the school, of course. And I heard that he has got a lot of magical talent. He could let plates soar in the air, completely under controle, when he was just six years old. He can do a lot of things without wand. He hasn’t got a wand, he has to buy it yet. And...’ Her voice became a wisper, so Tonks and Lupin bend forwards. ‘And I think he is an empath.’ Tonks looked impressed. ‘He sounds like a real wizard already! Incredible!’ The Healer looked worried.‘Yes... but I’m afraid… with so much power already... Things can get wrong, you know. Especially-’ ‘Dark wizards,’ completed Tonks. ‘Yes. But who expects a child werewolve to have so much talent? Who would want to get David on the other side when he is just 11 years old?’ *** ‘We are almost there,’ said Tonks. She was staring out of the window. They were sitting in a train. Stella and David sat beside each other, Lupin and Tonks in front of them. David was frowning for no clearly reason, his hand under his chin, looking out of the window. Stella had been examining Lupin and Tonks, with curiousity, as well as suspiciously. ‘I’m looking forward,’said Stella with enthousiasm. David didn’t said anything. The train stopped and they walked out of it, Lupin carrying the suitcases and Tonks holding the hands of the children, preventing to lose them in the multitude. ‘Why is it so crowded?’ asked Stella. It was the first thing she said. Tonks looked suprised, and turned around to look at her. ‘We don’t know exactly,’ she said honestly. They walked through the long street, took another street, and another. The great, modern buildings became more old and dirty while they walked. The mass of people slowely disapperead and replaced for a few, separated man and woman in torn and old clothes. But when they took the last street, police cars were driving fast, their alarm-signal yelling. People in wizard- of witchrobes were running and screaming, out of the street. They heard children and babies cry, and the breaking of glass. David gasped and Stella trembled. Lupin was dazed of what he saw. In front of them, there was a bunch of Muggles, wizards and witches, and Death Eathers. Most of the Muggles hang upside down in the air, their faces red and terrified. Some of them were flying through the air, smacking to the walls of the old buildings, their body’s bleading. Lupin saw one woman screaming and yelling, when her arms flown into fire. The Death Eathers were laughing, their wands graceful and lightly moving in their hands, making the Muggles cry and suffer. They had the usual white masks upon their face. The wizards and witches were trying to curse the Dark wizards, but they were quickly dived away, laughing. The curses flashed and hit the walls of the buildings. They slowely walked towards the bunch of people. (No one noticed them, they were to busy attacking each other.) But David stopped walking. ‘I’m not crazy,’ he said calmly, although the was clearly terrified. Tonks looked at Lupin. ‘What do we got to do, Remus?’ she said. ‘I’ve got to-’ ‘Work, yeah,’ said Lupin. ‘I go with you.’ Tonks looked suprised. ‘I don’t think so. You stay with David and Stella. You go to their house and stay there.’ Stella looked at Lupin. ‘I think that’ll work best, although I understand you prefer fighting.’ ‘I do not prefer fighting,’ he said, a little angry. He looked at Tonks. ‘I just don’t want you-’ ‘You don’t have to protect me, Remus,’ she said calmly, her eyes gliding over his face. They fell silent for a while, both caught in their own thoughts. ‘We can stay here,’ said David.‘You can both fight. I don’t mind.’ ‘David,’ began Stella. ‘Think, we-’ But then, a Death Eather turned, and saw the four of them. He looked irritated and raised his wand. He said slowely: ‘Para-’ They all froze for half a second, and then Tonks screamed: ‘GO! I handel this!’ The other Death Eaters had noticed them too, and grabbed their wands, angry and irritated, to curse them... Lupin, Stella and David run out of the street, diving away for Death Eather’s spells. The suitcases were heavy, but Lupin didn’t had time to make it himself easier. After a while, they were back again at the train station. The Death Eaters didn’t followed them. Lupin felt really worried about Tonks. What if she didn’t made it? They didn’t even said goodbye... He was caught by his worried thoughts, as the next train already arrived. ‘C’mon, children,’ he said, looking at Stella and David. ‘Back into the train.’ ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione New chapter! It took a lot of time. I was desperately out of inspiration. :oops: Hope you like it! (Although is more a chapter between real happenings... You will find out.) (You know I really like reactions and tips... :) Keep on sending them, I haven't got them for quit a while!) Chapter 7 Stella and David were really quiet in the train. Lupin wished they would talk a lot more, so that he could think of other subjects than Tonks’s miserable leaving. He lent his head against the glass of the window and closed his eyes. She’s gonna be fine, he said to himself. Fine. Their’s nothing to worry about. Lupin could almost feel David’s eyes, fixed on his face. He opened his eyes again. He was right: David was looking at Lupin. He finally spoke. ‘You’re worried, aren’t you?’ he ask abrupt. Lupin nodded. Stella turned her head diagonal and looked at Lupin. Lupin felt suddenly pretty unconfortable by those four, looking eyes. What if they are under the Imperius Curse? said a anxious voice inside his brain. Get off it! said another, calm voice. Lupin expected that David would say something that would feel him a lot better about Tonks, but he didn’t. The train stopped. They walked out of it, Stella and David carrying their suitcases. ‘Where do you two live, actually?’ asked Lupin, when they were walking out of the station. ‘Newcastle. We only have to walk a mile, than we’re at our home,’ replied Stella. ‘Allright,’ said Lupin. He looked at the pale blue sky and slowely realised that it was pretty warm outside. He sighed. He wished Tonks was with him. It would be strange to live in a house he had never known. He didn’t liked the idea of it, but he was happy to do something for the Ministry. They walked through small, deserted lanes and ended up for a pretty, old-fashioned house. Green plants had covered a large piech of the walls and the garden was wild and messy. But when Lupin, David and Stella walked through the open door, the hall was old, but very clean, large and stylish. There was a great, decorated door in front of them. There was a door at the left and a door at the right. At the right, there were also stairs, overlayed with a darkred carpet. Their wasn’t any painting or picture on the walls. David and Stella took the stairs and Lupin followed them. They entered a very pink and girly room, with paintings of young woman in sweet, Victorian dresses on the walls. Stella dropped her suitcases on the ground and jumped on her bed. She closed her eyes and began to snore. Lupin chuckled. They got into David’s room. It was very sober. He had only one drawing, in a list, on the wall. Lupin walked to it, and was shocked as he saw what it was. It was pretty ironic. It was a great, wild werewolve. He looked at Lupin, his bared, sharp teeth shining of spittle and the look in his eyes was raw and monster-like. The full moon was high in the sky. The threes at the backround were creepy similar to the real ones in the wood where Stella and David were bitten. Lupin took a deep breath. David dropped his suitcases en sat on the edge of his bed. ‘Weird, isn’t it?’ said David, looking at the back of Lupin’s head, who was still staring in the eyes of the painted werewolve. ‘I was never afraid of werewolves,’ he continioud. ‘Not even real ones. And in the stories, they seemed really cool to me.’ Lupin snorted. He would find out how it really was to be one, he thought. Again. Didn’t he rembered the first time he transformated? With Greyback? ‘Never thought it would happen to me,’said David, staring at the ground and taking off his shoes. It was difficult to say how David really felt about this. Lupin turned around and lent against the wall. ‘I think nobody would, David,’ he said serene. Lupin sat in the living room. It was a small, clean area with a lot of big, open windows and wooden pieces of furniture. The walls were painted green, and the bright candlelight came from an acient candelier on the ceiling. He lay on a big sofa and stared to the bookcase in front of him. He was trying to think of a werewolve lesson. He planned to do the first one tonight. The sooner, the better. But where did he had to began? Well, he taught Harry about Patronusses. How difficult could werewolves be? Pretty difficult, he thougt, and growled. What was the Minister thinking? A werewolve, a teacher: perfect? So... he had to tell them about the exact transformation... what really happened. What they could do to prevent it, in extreme situations... To prevent it... Lupin pulled himself up and sat straight ahead. Wait! To prevent it? Why didn’t they get Wolvesbane?! He growled again, and planned to try to get Wolvesbane. Unfortuantly, he knew it was rare, because of the difficulty. Poor, sweet werewolves. All of a sudden, he heard a small pop coming from the entrance hall. The door was bashed open and a panting woman with pink hair runned straight to him. She wrapped her arms around him and came with an ‘ouf!’ upon his gut. Lupin lay back upon the sofa and did not knew whether to laugh, or to be deadly serious. Tonks laughed naugthy at him and stroke with a finger over his cheek. She was quiet for a moment. Then, she theatrical complained: ‘You really have to shave, you know.’ Lupin shook his head. She was really unbelieveble. ‘What happened?’ he asked her, ignoring her last reaction. He gently pushed her off him. They both sat down on the sofa, when she finally gave answer. ‘That’s quite a story,’ she sighed. ‘Tell me,’ said Lupin simply. And she began to talk. ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione Madame rosemarta, banaan, J. Potter and Elfling, thanks for your reactions! Chapter 8 ‘Firstly, I had to finish the Death Eaters. I was lucky that there weren’t a lot of them. It wasn’t easy, though. A few other wizards and witches helped me. One of the Death Eaters was Nutt, I think you remember him,’ she said, and nodded at Lupin, who nodded back. ‘Well, I gave him a broken leg,’ she continioud, smirking proudly. Stella and David looked terrified at Tonks.They had decided to come to the ground floor, when they heard Tonks falling on the couch (and Lupin!). Lupin was glad that they had walked slowely. He wasn’t sure how they would have reacted if they saw Tonks sitting on him... ‘Don’t look that terrified,’ he said friendly to the children. ‘She will not give you a broken leg. It’s just her job.’ Stella smiled slowely at Tonks. ‘To injury and kill the bad guys,’ she said simply, nodding. ‘Yeah,’ smirked Tonks. ‘Actually, it is.’ ‘The Muggles were terrified of the Death Eathers,’ continioud Tonks. ‘But the Healers from St. Mungo’s were already catching them to bring them to the hospital. The phonebooth to the Ministry was completely destroyed. Ah well, most of the wizarding community never used the stupid thing. Anyway, there weren’t killed Muggles. Although the woman with the flames on her arms lost both of them, and a kid had five, burning tails. But that will get fixed, I’m sure. After the whole scene, I decided to inform somebody about that Instrument thing, and... What?’ David and Stella had blinked and seemed to think very hard. ‘Do you know something about the Instrument?’ asked Tonks slowely at the two children. ‘Well...’ started David weakly. He seemed worried, although Lupin didn’t knew exactly why. So it was very dangerous, and Dark? Stella was staring at Tonks, with a helpless gaze in her eyes. ‘We just heard... But probebly…I…’ Stella was searching for words. Or she’s afraid to tell us. Tonks was looking at Lupin and smirked. Watch your thoughts. They’re easy to read. Lupin answered: Or you’re way to good at Legitimency. Most of the people can only gave images. ‘Does something bad happens when you tell us about it?’ he asked Stella and David. ‘No,’ said Stella, with relief. ‘But it’s just… it’s so long ago.’ ‘It’s possible that we inform you the wrong way,’ said David. ‘I mean: we can have heard things wrong. We can have forgot some very important things, or we mabye even have imagened some things that we never heard.’ Tonks frowned. ‘Yes, I can imagine that. Mabye…’ Mabye it’s better that you tell your story first,’ said Lupin suddenly. Than-’ ‘You’re mind get freshed up and you will remember things better, yeah,’ finished Tonks. The children looked suprised at them. Tonks gave them a wink, and continioud with her story. ‘I Apparated at the Ministry. They remained calm and were sending Aurors to the Death Eaters and Muggles. They were all busy, but I could talk to an expert in history of magic, a man called Jophius Struck. I explained everything: what we have heard, what happened, that we were in a memory in the Pensieve, about the Death Eaters... ‘The Instrument?’ he said, when I finally had told him everything. ‘That’s an old story... There are very little people who know about it. It has always been underestimate, because of the obscurity of the tale.’ ‘He told me it was an instrument, unknown what kind of instrument. But it was meant to make music with, just ‘an ordinary thing’. You-Know-Who had stole it somewhere. When he was about nineteen or twenty years old, he gave it ‘powers he only knew about.’ Jophius also said about it: ‘The Instrument could only be used by those who are blessed, or doomed with the talent of the smoothests.’ Tonks frowned and laughed. ‘You really help me with that,’ I told him. I asked him where this mysterious Instrument can be found. He thought very hard, but than answered: ‘On the source of where it all began.’ Lupin stared at the ground. ‘The source? What kind of source?’ Tonks shook her head helplessly. ‘He didn’t knew. He had read it somewhere. It was the only thing he remembered... Anyway, I have talked to the Aurors, too. Patty Liligus wrote the story down, but said that it wasn’t very important at the moment. ‘People get attacked, right now, Nymphadora,’ she said. ‘We can’t send some Aurors for something that vague.’ So I searched through the Magical Population Index -that’s in a very small room on the ground floor-, found this adress and Disappared.’ Tonks took a deep breath and said to the children: ‘So...?’ ‘We didn’t even knew that much about the Instrument,’ said David. ‘The only thing that I can add... is that my parents were involved. ’ ‘Yes, they were busy to give the Instrument a good place,’ remembered Stella, while her eyes narrowed, attempting to think hard. ‘That was… David, you know more about it…’ ‘I think it was about… two or three years ago. We heard them talking about it. With people from the Ministry, I think... Dumbledore… some teachers of a small school for wizards and witches... They... wispered. They looked worried. Frightened.’ He shook his head. ‘I cannot remember much more, I’m afraid.’ ‘So, what are we going to do now?’ asked Lupin to no one in particular. ‘Searching through the house. See if we can find pieches of parchment. Notes, about the Instrument. And you are doing a werewolve lesson tonight,’ said Tonks prompt. ‘Yeah, I have already planned to do that.’ He looked guilty at David and Stella. ‘Don’t expect me to be a great teacher. Don’t expect me to tell everything what is important today. And don’t expect that everything what I said is true. Sounds bad, but I can make mistakes, too.’ David and Stella nodded soloumny. *** ‘Where do I sleep tonight?’ asked Tonks at David. ‘Ah, no...’ She rolled with her eyes. ‘We forgot our suitcases in the hospital. Wait a minute.’ She Disapparated with a bang. ‘Yeah, where do I sleep?’ said Lupin. Stella looked suprised. ‘Well, in the bedroom of our parents, of course.’ ‘Eh… Is that…?’ he started weakly. ‘No, of course not!’ said David. ‘Well, and Tonks?’ ‘You don’t die if you sleep in the same bed,’ said David flightly. Bang. Tonks dropped the suitcases on the floor. ‘Where?’ she asked, not very politely. ‘In our parents’s bed, with...’ ‘Allright,’ she said. She walked up the stairs, with her suitcase in her hand. Lupin sighed and followed her example. ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione New chapter, peepz... I know it's taking SO long... But I'm always working on a new chapter :wink: @ Harry, Ron and Hermione: thank you very much! I was very happy with your reaction! Keep sending reactions and tips...! (I'll promise: the next chapter becomes (more) exciting!) Chapter 9 ‘The most important thing you have to know, is how to protect other people when you’re transforming. Everyone has got to find his or her own way. It really depend on the situation, of course. When I was at Hogwarts, the head of the school, professor Dumbledore, had planted a huge three, which beated everyone who touched it. Unless you pushed a button. Every month at full moon, for a few nights, I had to sit and wait, until the moonlight fell upon my skin and made me transform.’ David and Stella looked interested at Lupin. He realised it sounded interesting, but he shivered at the thought of the horrible, painfull transformations. Lupin was walking through the living room. For some reason, he couldn’t just sit down in a chair. He was nervous. But why? Was it the subject? He never felt comfortable when he was talking about his werewolve-being. ‘I don’t know how you would like to protect other people when you’re transformating. You have to find your own way, as I have said. You can lock yourself up in a room, just like I did.’ Lupin laughed, without humour. ‘I’m just being honest, but the whole room gets destroyed. The furniture... Ah well, I don’t know if you two have got a room which isn’t used...?’ Or was it the two children who made him feel nervous? He didn’t knew them. But he was good with children, wasn’t he? He teached at Hogwarts, a great, famous magic school. ‘There is another opportunity. You can ask somebody to tie you up. It’s really...’ Lupin was searching for words. He almost couldn’t say how terrible it was. ‘I really don’t like it,’ he finally said. ‘It’s not comfortable being tied up, of course. And it’s very, very dangerous. When you’re transforming, you body changes completely. You can easyily escape, if the other person hasn’t took attention the fact that you get the shape of an animal: you get shorter.’ But the real truth about the ties was, that it made him remember of the few times when his mother had tried to controle him in that way. Things went terribly wrong: he broke free from the ropes. Half of the house was destroyed. He felt so sorry for his parents. He really didn’t meant to hurt them, of course not, he loved them so much. His parents escaped for a night. He remembered well how he was found by them, trembeling and naked, crying because of the damage he had done to the house, to his parents... He still felt uncomfortable. He slowely realised there was a third opportunity for his feelings. He saw Tonks standing, leaning at the kitchentable, slowely smirking at him. Lupin blushed. He really still wasn’t used to that kind of attention! He gave Tonks a semi-irritated look. She chuckeled. David and Stella looked quite interested to the two adults, when Lupin remembered he was supposed to tell the children something about their werewolve-being. ‘The last thing you could do, is to drink Wolvesbane,’ said Lupin, breaking the eyecontact with Tonks. ‘Wolvesbane?’ aksed David. ‘Yes,’ said Lupin, ‘Wolvesbane is a potion you can drink to avoid your transformation. Serverus Snape made it for me when I was teaching at Hogwarts.’ Tonks made a funny noise; somewhere between a gasp and a growl. ‘What was that?’ said Lupin anxiously. She shook her head. ‘No… it’s a… nothing.’ But the look in Tonks’s eyes made him worry: she looked scared. ‘Wolvesbane is a very, very complicated potion, and there aren’t a lot of wizards who can brew it. And it’s expensive.’ ‘What does Wolvesbane taste like?’ asked Stella. ‘And can we get it?’ ‘Well... it tastes bad. It’s… sour. Really sour. But it’s wonderful stuff if you are in an emercency! And... I don’t know if we can get it. I will go to the Potionshop tomorrow, I think... But... we don’t use it this time.’ ‘Why not?’ said David. ‘That’s ridiculous!’ ‘You can’t avoid it every time! And there is no reason to use it.’ ‘Of course there is,’ said Stella. ‘I’m scared. It’s painful. I might hurt somebody.’ Stella’s eyes went red and she snobbed. Tonks walked to her and wrapped her arms around her. ‘I don’t want to be a werewolve,’ said Stella silently. ‘I just don’t want it. My whole life is already... It makes everything so much more difficult...’ Tonks stroke her hair, while Stella was crying in her arms. David looked very absent-minded and stared to the couch. Lupin felt horrible. He knew how she was feeling, and he knew he couldn’t do anything about it. Lupin wanted to say something to Stella, to made her feel better, but he couldn’t. Tonks gave him a look of pure miserable. Lupin shrugged helplessly. ‘What can I do?’ he wispered. Tonks looked away. He felt some kind of embarresed, standing next to the table in the sittingroom, and thinking what to do... ‘I’m going for a walk,’ he finally said, allthough knew it didn’t made sense. On his way to the door, he heard Stella saying: ‘No, please... it’s allright.’ She had stopped crying, but her voice was still trembeling. ‘I’m... I’m fine. And I’m very thankful, that you and Tonks are doing this for us.’ ‘No, no,’ said Lupin, ‘don’t thank me.’ ‘Why not, Remus,’ said Tonks, sounding bright. ‘Mabye you have to learn to accept thank-you’s and compliments. It’s not a bad thing, you know.’ Lupin didn’t said anything. He still felt embarresed. Why didn’t he embraced the child by himself? He wasn’t that cold normally. He shook his head. He felt so strange these days, like he wasn’t himself anymore. Like pieces of him were disappared, and some pieces were given to him. Like the puzzle, him being Remus, had become a choas of unknown pieces who hadn’t had a place yet, and the empty holes in the puzzle which hadn’t had new pieces to be filled up. ‘I’m going for a walk, anyway,’ he said. ‘Still.’ ‘You go,’ answered Tonks friendly. David stared at her like he had never seen her before. Lupin walked to the door, closed it behind him and walked further, through the entrace hall. But then, he stopped. He heard the voices of Stella and David, both talking to Tonks. He couldn’t ignore his curiousity and felt very childish. But he walked to the door of the livingroom, and putted his ear very close to the door... He heard the soft voices of Tonks and the children. ‘What?’ said the gentle voice of Tonks. ‘Go after him,’ he heard Stella’s girly voice. Lupin’s heart was beating hard. Did he had to leave right now? It wasn’t very polite to eavesdrop them. But Tonks already replied: ‘I can’t. I can’t just leave you and David. Who knows what will happen? You’re an easy capture for the Death Eaters. These days…’ ‘You want him,’ said Stella. ‘Badly,’ completed David. Tonks giggled nervousley. ‘This is crazy.’ ‘It is,’ wispered Lupin silently. It was completely insane. Two kids were telling Tonks that she had to follow him. They were 11 and 9. Right...! He heard Tonks saying something, but he couldn’t figure out what she said. He assumed it was a protective spell... ‘I’m leaving,’ said Tonks, who sounded pretty unconfortable. ‘I spoke a very strong protective spell out over the house. Nobody, or... nothing can hurt you in this house.’ ‘We already got pretty good spells, but thanks,’ laughed David. He heard Tonks’s footsteps coming closer to the door... Lupin hurried to the door of the entrace hall, and closed it behind him. ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione Thank for your reactions! (I assume I haven't got to say anymore, that I love to get them? :) ) Well, I have written quickly, haven't I? :D For my customs... ^^ It's a bit of short, but it's a chapter! :) I hope this chapter is a bit more exciting then the few chapters before... Enjoy! Chapter 10 The soft wind was stroking his face, when he had stepped outside. He walked fastly to the edge of the forest. It still wasn’t dark. The evening light made the forest look innocent and beautiful. But he knew what kind of horror had happened in there... Lupin heard the soft footsteps he had expected. He turned around before she could have called his name. ‘Hi,’ she merely smiled. The golden sunlight fell upon her small face, and made her skin look yellowish. Her violent pink hair looked softer and more reacheble than he had ever expected. He could see her bright blue eyes so good, examing him adorebly like he was something of pure beauty, the purest beauty she had ever seen, perhaps... She took his right hand in her left one, and began to walk with him, though the forest. They were just searching for a pad, when they quickly find one. It was a narrow one, which leaded through a gallery of high, brown with green trees. They walked slowely. Lupin was looking at the enormous trees and the small, wild animals. He could almost feel her look upon his face. ‘You’re worried,’ she spoke to him. ‘You’re an empath,’ he complimented her. ‘Of course I’m worried.’ ‘It’s useless to be worried,’ she said brave. ‘It’s humane, but it doesn’t make sense.’ ‘You can tell millions of other people the same thing, it wouldn’t work,’ he said friendly, but bitter. It hadn’t been nice what he had said. But it was true. He was worried. About the children. About the Instrument. And of course, he was worried about the Death Eaters and their Lord. Lord Voldemort. ‘Aren’t you worried, then?’ asked Lupin. He couldn’t believe she wasn’t. ‘Ah well, of course I am,’ laughed Tonks, but she sounded more serious than ever. ‘But I keep thinking we shouldn’t. We’re allways worried, you know. I can accept fear. When we get attacked, we’re scared. That’s even very good sometimes, because it gives you more strenght. But to worry... It’s better to do something about it. And if we can’t... So be it.’ She sounded old and wise, and Lupin looked her in the eyes. Why was she saying this? But he hadn’t had to ask her. Suddenly, they heard footsteps. Tonks gasped for air. ‘Who’s that?’ she wispered. ‘What’s that?’ But the footsteps had stopped. Lupin turned around to seek for a shadow, which he couldn’t find. ‘No idea,’ he wispered back. Tonks grabbed his arm. ‘If it’s a Death Eater, I will kill him,’ she said, and Lupin knew she wasn’t joking. They walked further, slowely, looking around them to search for a footstep, a shadow, or a soft sound. ‘I know someone’s here,’ said Tonks softly. She looked scared, but strong. And again, they heard footsteps. Tonks turned around quickley, with her wand in her hand. Everything happened very fast. Lupin saw a dark shadow, running, trying to catch them. Tonks yelled. They started to run. The dark figure yelled curses at them, Unforgiveble Curses and strange curses which Lupin had never heard from. They ducked away with every incantation they heard, fastly looking behind and panting because of their speed. They runned between the high trees and jumped over tree stumps. Their chaser became closer and closer... Lupin saw Tonks almost collide to a huge three in front of them, but he screamed at her as a warning. Tonks quickly jumped to her left side to avoid the crash. Lupin looked behind. The figure in the dark robe was undoubtedly a Death Eather, with a very good health. Lupin knew that they couldn’t keep running for ever. He felt stings in his side, and his legs felt heavier and heavier. Tonks looked completely exhausted. She didn’t saw the tree stump in front of her, laying on the ground. Lupin wanted to yell, to warn her, but he couldn’t speak. He was out of breath. He saw Tonks stumble to the ground and stopped. The Death Eater stopped, grabbed his wand again, and yelled: ‘Paralitis!’ Lupin elicit his wand and panted: ‘Moverio Corpus!’ Tonks moved a meter to her left side, and avoided the spell. She got quickly on her feet. She was sweating, but had stopped panting. Of course, Lupin thought, she’s got a much better condition that I’ve got. ‘Death Eater,’ she silently spoke, but with an unmistakeble hate, ‘reveal yourself.’ The Death Eater slowely took off his hood. Lupin saw the well-known greasy, black hair... He saw his cold, dark eyes... It was Serverus Snape. ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione Dear readers, I promised myself that I would post at least one chapter this holiday. So here it is! Hope you enjoy it. I enjoyed it very much, writing it. I absolutely love writing Snape! :D Chapter 11 Lupin felt his entrails turn into ice. He completely cramped, and could only watch at the face of Serverus Snape. The man in front of him was the murderer of a man he always cared about. A man who had given Lupin a better life, hope, even a future... The murderer of Albus Dumbledore. ‘YOU!!’ screamed Tonks. Every molecule of her body seemed to glow because of hate. She had a very dangerous look in her eyes: she looked angry, even a bit frightened, but the desire for revanche was really there. Lupin was scared of the look in the eyes of Tonks: she seemed to rock on the edge of madness. ‘Me,’ smiled Snape. Lupin saw that his calmness was driving Tonks crazy. ‘DUMBLEDORE!’ she screamed. ‘WHY? WHY HIM?’ ‘Ah, Dumbledore,’ said Snape lightly. ‘Well, his death was unpreventable, wasn’t it? The Dark Lord wanted him dead for decenia. He trusted me so much that I had to honour to kill him by myself. And do your really have to ask why?’ Lupin felt that he was becoming uncontrolably aggressive. The pain was so deep, so intense... It was like a fog of anger and pain had come to him, to overwhelme and seduce him... Lupin grabbed his wand and screamed: ‘CRUCIO!’ Snape ducked away, laughing. Tonks pointed her wand at her and yelled the same Unforgivable Curse. Snape wasn’t impressed. ‘Ah well, how sweet,’ he wispered, laughing like a madman. ‘The two lovebirds, trying to torture me. Not a good job for an Auror, is it, Nymphadora?’ ‘Asshole!’ sweared Tonks. She looked mad as hell. ‘And I think it’s pretty good news if I get you into Azkaban! How lovely that would be!’ ‘Ahw, Nymphadora, it’s so cold in Azakaban,’ said Snape, still smiling. ‘Have I really deserved that?’ He was teasing her, but in the most horrible way he could imagine. He wanted to curse him, to torture him, to kill him... ‘I hate you!’ screamed Tonks. ‘I hate you! You killed the greatest wizard of all time – verappeltaarte Dumbledore - you made my schoollife a living hell, AND you’re messing with Stella and David! It’s INSANE! I HATE YOU!’ She was screaming, but her eyes were shining. She was crying. ‘Crucio!’ screamed Lupin, and pointed his wand at Snape. The sparks were coming from his wand for the desire of torture. Snape laughed again. He was making Lupin crazy of hate. Lupin couldn’t stop himself running to Snape, and kicking him in his stomach. He only wanted to beat him, to kick him, to let him feel a little bit of the pain he had felt when Dumbledore had died... Snape was suprised. ‘Get away from me, you’re fighting like a dirty Muggle!’ he roared. He pushed Remus away from him. ‘Remus!’ shouted Tonks. But Lupin didn’t care. He attacted Snape again, with more anger... But Snape hit him in the face. Lupin fell on the ground. He felt the warm blood streaming from the back of his head. Tonks screamed. He heard Snape shouting: ‘Pigerius Agero!’. He expected to feel pain, but he felt absolutely nothing. Lupin was just wondering if the spell had failed, or missed his goal. He tried to stand up. He couldn’t. His body seemed to have no energy at all, allthough he didn’t felt tired. His body did not moved. The only two things that didn’t seemed to be under the curse, were his sight and breath. He could still see everything, and he could still blink. Tonks knelt down for him. She wispered: ‘Are you allright?’ Lupin looked her in the eyes, but couldn’t say anything. She looked worried and shook his arm. ‘Are you...?’ She turned aroun to face Snape. ‘What did you did to him?’ she asked icy. Snape smiled at her. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said lightly. Tonks growled. ‘He just can’t do anything,’ he responded, blinking with his eyes like he was an innocent man. ‘Don’t mess with me. Don’t mess with him,’ growled Tonks. Snape laughed. ‘Touching, Nymphadora, touching,’ he said. ‘But I’m afraid I will.’ Panic was streaming through Lupin’s body... he couldn’t do anything... What had Serverus planned to do? He would do something to Tonks... If she ges murdered... He used to shiver when he thought about things like that, but his body was still lying on the floor. He couldn’t do anything but watch. ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione Hello! This new chapter will suggest a lot... Don't worry. I will reveal you the truth about them some day! :D P.S. Just because I've said I'm not going to ask for reactions anymore, doesn't mean I don't love to get them anymore..! :) Chapter 12 ‘What do you want?’ asked Tonks angryly. ‘Guess what? I want the Instrument,’ said Snape lightly. ‘I know that you know about it. You saw the memory in the Pensieve of that child, just like Lupin saw.’ Tonks’s eyes flickered towards Lupin’s. ‘I don’t know anything about the Instrument. Ah well... I know as much as you know, probebly. And besides, I do not trust a word you say. You have been lying for years to Dumbledore.’ ‘Forget about the man,’ smiled Snape and Lupin hated him intensly. Snape walked towards Tonks. She didn’t moved, but looked very angry at Snape. ‘Tell me about the Instrument, or I’ll kill your dear friend,’ said Snape sweetly, with his face close to Tonks’s. He pointed his wand at her and yelled: ‘Legilimens!’ Tonks roared loudly and pushed him away from her, with her eyes closed. ‘You bloody coward!’ she yelled. And things happened very fast after that. In a few seconds, Tonks had grabbed her wand and the two of them had changed into a bunch of sparks, incantations, colours and running body’s. Lupin had to blink often to (visually) keep up with them, but he couldn’t. After a few minutes, Tonks was lying on ther back on the ground, a meter or two away from Lupin. Snape was sitting beside her, on his knees. They were both panting and looked hatefully af each other, allthough Tonks looked frightened and embarresed, too. ‘Tell me!’ roared Snape. ‘I don’t know anything!’ said Tonks calmly, while she moved a bit away from Snape. He grabbed her arm. ‘I saw a flash of Jophius Struck.’ ‘Yeah, so?’ said Tonks nervousley. ‘I’m a way too good Legilimens to know that you know more, my Nymphadora!’ screamed Snape. ‘I’m not your Nymphadora, you dirty-’ yelled Tonks, with fear in her eyes. Lupin’s heart was beating very fast. He knew that there had been more going on between Snape and Tonks, and he didn’t liked that at all. ‘No, you’re not, eh?’ roared Snape. ‘What about that-’ Tonks yelled. ‘Shut up, you monster! SHUT UP!’ This was really not good... ‘You didn’t told your boyfriend, did you?’ laughed Snape. Tonks roared, took her wand and screamed: ‘Levicorpus!’ Snape hang upside down in the air, his greasy hair before his eyes. He looked embarresed. Tonks gave a flick with her wand and he fell with a ‘boom!’ on the ground. ‘How was your youth, Snape?!’ shouted Tonks angry. ‘Dirty little-’ began Snape agressive, looking painfull, but Tonks stood up and hit him in the stomach. Snape gasped for air, and Tonks tried to run away. ‘Ponerius!’ screamed Snape, his wand in his hand. Tonks froze in her run. Snape runned towards her and flicked with his wand. She unfroze and started to scream directly. ‘What the-!’ ‘Information, Nymphadora,’ he said serene. ‘He’s not-’ ‘I don’t care about your verappeltaarte LORD!’ ‘Of course you don’t, you’re-’ ‘I’m not going to say a word, allright?’ ‘I’ll have to make you!’ He pointed his wand at Lupin. ‘Speak,’ he said calmly. Tonks screamed: ‘Oppugnaro!’ Snape fell on his back, cursing. She started to run directly. Lupin saw her. She was running and running, all the adreneline going through her body and making her faster than he could imagine. Snape went after her. They quickly turned into two small points, and than disappeared, out of the forest. ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione @ Harry, Ron & Hermione, Rose (as always! :D ), Elyse, tet_1991, and Mrs. Charlie Wemel: Thanks for your reactions! I was very happy with them! Keep on sending reactions! :D Chapter 13 ‘Remus! Remus, wake up! WAKE UP!’ Lupin felt a hard hit on his face. ‘Ouch!’ He opened his eyes. Tonks’s bright blue eyes were examining him. ‘You’re allright?’ she said worried. ‘What? Oh... yeah... ‘suppose so...’ Lupin looked around. He was lying on the ground. He was still in the forest. It was dark. ‘What’s the time now? What happened?’ He looked at Tonks. She had a bleeding lip and some scratches in her neck. ‘Good Lord, what happened?’ ‘Long story,’ she said uncomfortably. ‘C’mon, stand up.’ She took his hands and helped him to stand up. Lupin felt his limbs and his whole body again, and he was very glad about that. ‘What’s the time, Tonks?’ asked Lupin Tonks, when he stood on his feet again. ‘Dunno. Ten ‘o clock or something. It was early dark this evening.’ Tonks looked agitated. Ze was scratching with her nails in her neck. Lupin saw a bleeding wound there. ‘Tonks?’ Tonks looked at him and blinked. ‘Tonks!’ shouted Lupin. He took her hand into his. ‘Stop that!’ Tonks looked suprised of his binding voice. ‘You’ll hurt yourself,’ said Lupin quitly. They walked over the small path, out of the forest. Tonks looked very pale and tired. ‘Tell me what happened,’ said Lupin. But Tonks didn’t replied. They walked further. Tonks walked quickly, and Lupin had difficulty to keep up with her. They were almost out of the forest. ‘Please, Tonks...’ he said. Tonks avoided his gaze. ‘Tell me,’ he suddenly begged. The moonlight was falling upon there faces as they stood at the edge of the forest. Tonks sighed. Lupin saw tears shining in the corner of her eyes. ‘Oh...’ Lupin sighed. Tonks wrapped her arms around him and sobbed. Lupin felt worried. What had Snape done to her? How far did he went? ‘What has he done to you, Tonks?’ wispered Lupin to her, while he was stroking her hair. She sighed again. ‘He... I...’ She shook her head and let go of him. ‘We have to see Stella and David at first... I...’ Now, she took his hand into hers. They walked to the house. *** ‘Kids!’ Tonks hugged both of the children. They had been upstairs in their room. ‘Everything allright?’ asked Tonks them. The children looked at each other and nodded slowely. ‘I guess...’ frowned Stella. ‘Tonks, why do you ask that?’ asked David. Tonks looked at Lupin. ‘Er... well... I got the feeling that there was something wrong with you....’ ‘Death Eaters,’ said Lupin suddenly. The children looked frightened. ‘We met one,’ he said. ‘Please don’t worry... everything is O.K...’ He looked at Tonks. ‘Please. We should not lie to them. They have to know the truth.’ ‘Tonks?’ asked David. ‘You’re not O.K., are you?’ Lupin suddenly remembered the Healer. David was very social, she told them. ‘No, David, I’m not,’ sighed Tonks. ‘But I’m going to be fine.’ Tonks closed her eyes and seemed to think very hard... ‘Yes...’ she murmed. ‘David... Stella... I have to check you two.’ ‘What?’ said two children together. ‘Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you, or something...’ Tonks crouched at Stella. ‘I don’t think... at the moment...’ she murmed. Then, she looked the girl in the eyes. ‘Stella, are there gaps in your memory’s?’ Stella looked suprised. ‘Er... what?’ ‘Are they?’ asked Tonks. ‘You know... what I mean?’ ‘Yes, I know what you mean,’ shrugged Stella. ‘So...?’ ‘I don’t know.’ Lupin looked at Tonks. ‘Come on. She’s smart,’ apoligized Tonks. ‘It’s not that.’ Stella was thinking hard. ‘I think I can remember everything, but-’ Lupin interupped her and was still looking shocked at Tonks. ‘You think that Snape has...?’ ‘Yes, Remus, I think so!’ shouted Tonks suddenly. She turned to Stella again. ‘You know what you said to me when I left?’ Stella turned scarlet. ‘Uh...’ She looked at her brother. ‘What did I said?’ Tonks growled. ‘I hate him. I verappeltaarte hate him.’ ‘Tonks!’ said Lupin sharply. ‘The children!’ ‘You’ll be a good father,’ she said suddenly, ‘but I still... verappeltaarte... hate him!’ The children looked suprised at Tonks. ‘David?’ asked Tonks. ‘Have you...?’ David sighed. ‘Yes. The werewolve lesson... And when you left the house... I’m sorry.’ ‘Don’t say you’re sorry, you shouldn’t have to be sorry. You can’t help it, right?’ said Tonks unpatiantly. ‘Right,’ sighed David. They walked into the living room and sat down. ‘Great,’ she said irritatebly. ‘We’ve got... a dark Instrument that Voldemort wants to have. We’ve got... two kids who have had the spirit of a Death Eater inside them, and that will happen again. We’ve got... the same Death Eater who tried to kill me.’ She smiled humorless. ‘Great. Wouldn’t be better, would it?’ ‘What do you want to do?’ asked Lupin. ‘I want Snape out of them!’ shouted Tonks. ‘It’s... EVIL!’ ‘Merlin, I KNOW!’ said Lupin. ‘But do you know things about uttering spirits?’ ‘No! Do you want an exorcist?’ asked Tonks. Lupin grinned. He saw the children looking at them, frowning. ‘Well... let’s call it a day, Tonks,’ said Lupin brightly. He saw a look in her eyes that made him feel quite funny. Did she really thought...? But they never would... Would they? ‘It’s late,’ he said hastely. ‘Stella and David here should get some sleep. We will search in the books tomorrow.’ ‘Oh, yes,’ smiled Tonks. ‘Upstairs, you go!’ She pointed at the stairs, but Stella didn’t moved. Lupin was suprised. He assumed that the children would obey directly. But he seemed to have forgotten that ‘going to bed’ was an nasty and annoying subject if it came to kids. ‘You’re not my mum.’ Tonks rolled with her eyes. ‘No, I’m not. But if you don’t want to be crushed by a werewolve this night, you’d better obey me.’ Stella and Lupin were both shocked. Stella followed her brother hastely and ran up the stairs. ‘Tonks!’ breathed Lupin. ‘That was... vicious!’ ‘Well, I’d practise some more in being vicious, ‘cause I couldn’t even handel one lousy Death Eater.’ Tonks smiled acerbic. They walked slowely up the stairs. ‘I think it is time,’ said Lupin, when he opened the door to the bedroom, ‘that you’re going to tell me the whole story about what happened tonight.’ ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione @ Goldberry: Thanks for your reaction! A new chapter... I have worked on it for a loooong time. ^^' The penultimate paragraph is a bit edgy. I asked some people for advice, and they both thought it was allright to post it here. There won't be more details, so... And that last sentence is about something else, as you will read in the next chapter. But if any moderator or reader thinks I have went to far, please contact ( or punish ^^') me. Chapter 14 ‘You’re right,’ answered Tonks. She jumped on the bed. ‘Hm... quite comfortable!’ She winked at Lupin. He felt a jolt in his belly. O God... Tonks walked to the opposite of the bed and sat down on the edge. She slowely took off her shirt. Lupin hastely did the same. He watched her back. She had a girly, thin body and a pale skin. Lupin felt ashamed of the desire in his heart. She seemed so innocent, but though so seductive... What would she do if he let his hand upon her shoulder? If he would touch her waist? If he just... Lupin shook his head and took on his sleepshirt. Tonks had put on a white cotton undershirt and white shorts. He took off his jeans and put on shorts too. He was suprised of how short it took to both get dressed for the night. Tonks turned around at him. ‘Shall we first check the kids?’ *** ‘He reminds me a bit of Carrie,’ said Tonks. ‘Those flying books in the air... It’s amazing.’ Lupin nodded. David lay in his bed, with a circle of flying books above his head. He looked concentrated, but though sleepy. ‘He’s fine,’ wispered Tonks. She looked tenderly at David and smiled. They walked to Stella’s door. She sat up in her bed, her eyes wide open. Tonks walked to her. ‘What’s up, darling?’ she asked softly. ‘I can’t sleep,’ wispered Stella. ‘Of course you can,’ said Tonks. ‘Just close your eyes, and...’ Lupin made a vague gesture with his hand. ‘Nightmares, isn’t it?’ he asked Stella. She nodded slowely. He looked irritated at Tonks. ‘Well, I can image that...’ ‘Please, Remus. Don’t start to blame me for everything...’ ‘I’m not blaming you for everything! I just think that it wasn’t necessary to get her all upset.’ Tonks sighed and touched his arm. ‘I’m sorry, allright? Happy with that?’ Lupin didn’t looked at her. ‘Stella. There are no werewolves who are going to crush you.’ ‘I don’t believe you,’ said Stella, her eyes big. ‘No, you don’t. But you know what? That doesn’t matter. Because when there would be a werewolve, you only have to scream very loud. And than Tonks and I will finish him off.’ ‘Yes,’ wispered Stella. ‘You’re going to do that, right?’ Tonks and Lupin nodded seriously. Stella slowely smiled, but she looked concerned. Tonks gave her a kiss on the brow and Lupin stroked Stella’s dark hair. When they left the room, Stella was already asleep. Tonks and Lupin got into bed. The blankets were very soft and heavy, but they felt comfortable. Tonks had opened a window, but it was still very hot in the room. Lupin saw the sweat on her forehead. He didn’t knew if he had been too rude to Tonks or if things were allright now. Tonks lied down in the bed, her back at Lupin. He realised he still hadn’t heard the full story about Snape. He cleared his troath. ‘Uhm...’ he began, uncertainly. ‘Tonks, what happened...’ ‘Yes,’ responded Tonks. ‘You still want to hear that story, don’t you?’ She turned around. Lupin thought she looked like an angel with her white undershirt and pink lips. ‘I ran, I ran, I ran...’ she told him, sounding bored. ‘He followed me. I never expected that he could ran so fast. He began to shout spells and curses at me. I ducked away everytime, but then...’ She sighed. ‘I got hit in my back. I crashed to the wall of a little Muggle house. I was lucky it was deserted. I would have had explained so much...’ Tonks looked away from Lupin, scared. ‘Snape laughed at me, so devilish. ‘Now...’ he wispered. He hit me in the face and I fell on the ground. I didn’t wanted to cry, but I could feel the hot tears over my face...’ She was wispering now. ‘He hit me and hit me... I kept on crying... I couldn’t help it. The pain was so intense... My lips had started to bleed. He took my head and bumped it to the wall. I tried to catch my wand, but I felt his hands in my pockets...’ Tonks sniffed. ‘That was it. Two things that I don’t like. I can’t lose my wand.’ Lupin didn’t asked where her pockets were, but he thought he knew it very well. ‘And then... what happened?’ wispered Lupin. Tonks took a deep, shivering breath. ‘Well, I smashed him in the face.’ Tonks looked deadly serious. ‘Very well,’ smiled Lupin. ‘Yeah... I guess,’ said Tonks silently. ‘Did he ran away?’ he asked. ‘It takes more than a hit to let a Death Eater run away from you.’ ‘What happenend?’ ‘He tried to torture me. I ducked away before the ray could hit me. He was mad as hell. He was screaming: ‘You’re a wimp, aren’t you? Aren’t you? First Dumbledore had to solve all your little problems, because you haven’t got enough bravery to solve them by yourself! And you still can’t take anything from me, can you? You still can’t. Am I too much? You’re the girl that -’ Tonks hesistated, and didn’t completed her sentence. For some reason, she was looking at her hands and shivered again. ‘What the hell does he mean?’ asked Lupin concerned. He shook her arm. She looked away from him. ‘I have no idea. He’s crazy.’ Lupin shook his head. ‘No, Nymphadora, he is not. And I don’t believe you haven’t got any idea. You’re-’ ‘Don’t you call me Nymphadora!’ she shouted. ‘You know I hate it.’ ‘Sorry,’ he apoligized. ‘But... Tonks... I think you know what he means. I have no idea, but...’ ‘I don’t, allright?’ said Tonks angrily. ‘It doesn’t matter.’ She turned around and lay on her side. ‘Sorry...’ he wispered, again. ‘I didn’t meant to...’ ‘It’s allright,’ he heard her say. She sighed deeply. Lupin looked at her thin figure. She was so seductive, but she had no idea... Before he knew what he was doing, he let his hand stroke over her back. Tonks silently gasped. Lupin saw the chills running over her arms. Could he...? Her skin felt soft and sweaty. He let his fingers move under her shirt... he felt her warm belly, her bellybutton... She moved and Lupin felt her body against his... His hand moved a bit lower... That’s when the screaming began. ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione @ StokkieY (2x), SlytherinPride, HPWurm, Sabine, Elise and Goldberry, thanks for your reactions! :D (Yes I know... I call you again, because it is my English topic... I will make a kind of ''thankyou-list'' in the end, so this will make it easier to remember names in one topic.) This (very short) chapter is about the very end of the day. The next chapter will start a new day. Finally! :) Chapter 15 ‘What the hell is that?!’ yelled Tonks. They covered their ears with their hands to dim the shrill yelling. Lupin removed his hand from her belly. They both jumped out of bed and run at the door where the noise came from. Lupin opened the door and they run into the room. Stella was looking at them, with big eyes and an open mouth. She was still screaming. Lupin heard David making an angry sound. He joined them and looked angry at his sister. ‘Shhhh!!’ Tonks laid her hand over Stella’s mouth. ‘My God!’ Stella’s face had turned very pink. ‘Werewolves...’ said Stella, her voice dimmed. She sounded terrified. ‘Werewolves... where are they? Werewolves...!’ She gasped for air. Lupin and Tonks exchanged looks. ‘You had a nightmare, Stella,’ said Tonks. ‘The only werewolves here are Remus, David and yourself. And you guys aren’t transformated.’ Stella’s lip began to tremble. ‘Ahw... poor kid...’ As Stella began to cry, Tonks hugged her. ‘I can understand why you’re having nightmares, but they’re not real, allright? We are here to protect you and to take care of you. That’s why the Ministry send us. And besides, this house is protected by all these spells... Isn’t it?’ ‘But I’m so scared...’ cried Stella. ‘And...’ David looked at Tonks, suprised and uncertain. ‘Ehm... spells?’ ‘What?’ said Lupin sharply. ‘The house is not protected?’ ‘I don’t know who said that,’ started Stella, wiping away her tears. ‘But it wasn’t me.’ ‘Well, I still did this spell, a protective spell...’ said Tonks, uncomfortable. ‘So that’ll work..’ ‘I don’t want to be rude, but what was that spell like?’ asked Lupin. ‘Axis Warisus,’ said Tonks quietly. ‘That’s a fake one,’ wispered Lupin, a bit shocked. ‘What?! yelled Tonks. ‘And I got it from this book... I thought it was a very good one... I really made a blue web of sparks, so...’ ‘Doesn’t matter,’ said Lupin. ‘What are we gonna do now?’ ‘A real one, I think?’ said Tonks. Lupin moaned. ‘I’m not good at this stuff...’ ‘Well, me neither.’ Stella and David exchanged looks. ‘Are we gonna die if we don’t have protective spells?’ asked David. ‘Depends,’ said Tonks honestly. ‘But... Remus... I’m really tired. Let’s...’ ‘No,’ said Lupin. ‘If I just...’ He thought very hard. He must have remembered some protective spell... ‘Tonks?’ he said, yawning. ‘Can you please get your wand?’ *** They got into bed. Tonks looked really tired. Her hair was a mess and she looked very pale. The sweat was running down her neck. The spell had been a hard one, but the house was pretty safe now. It wouldn’t survive a bunch of Death Eaters, but... Ah well, for the night, it was allright. Tonks took off her shorts. Lupin looked at her legs. Tired as he was, he still felt the temptation to touch her, to kiss her... But for now, it wasn’t the right time. He turned around in the bed, and fell asleep. ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione @ hp freakie, Lilly and Sabine: Thanks very much for your nice feedback! :D It took me long to post a new chapter. Actually, I wrote it in a few times. (A) I started one night, when I couldn't sleep. So here's the new chapter. I will try very hard to write much more this vacation. I did started my fanfiction last vacation, so... I chose to write this chapter because I wanted to get an excuse for them to leave the house. I have some plans what would happen to them in their journey, so... You'll read! Chapter 16 Lupin opened his eyes lazily. He had slept well, but not very long. He sat up in bed, and saw that Tonks wasn’t laying next to him anymore. He knew she was an early bird. He got dressed and wanted to walk down the stairs. He gasped for air and froze. In the blue livingroom, the body of a young woman with short, pink hair lay down on the ground. Pieces of furniture lay scattered on the floor. Two windows were broken, the tiny fragments of glass laying in the kitchen, like a shining mirror. The walls seemed to be jinxed: a thin, deepblue fog hung over the walls. Lupin run downstairs and grabbed Tonks’ shoulders. ‘Tonks! TONKS!’ Her face, weird enough, looked peaceful, with closed eyes and a frozen smile. Lupin thoughts turned from afraid to terrified. She can’t be... He checked her wrists, and was relieved to feel her heartbeat in her veins. He started to look at the rest of her body: she had a bleeding wound on her left knee, but that seemed to be the only thing. ‘TONKS!’ he shouted. ‘Wake UP!’ He grabbed a glass, filled it with water and trew the water in her face. Nothing. Still that creepy smile and closed eyes. Lupin just started to panic, when he heard the soft sound of footsteps. Death Eaters. Terrified, he realized his wand was still upstairs. Angrily, he turned around: ‘What have you-’ ‘What?’ He realized he was staring at the round face of a nine year old girl. ‘Hello, Stella,’ said Lupin, unable to keep the afraid tone out of his voice. The girl slowely looked around the room, with disbelief in her eyes. ‘Dunno,’ Lupin replied her unquestioned question. ‘Can you please stay with Tonks here, so I can get my wnad?’ Stella run downstairs, and kneeled next to Tonks. Lupin got his wand and kneeled next to her. ‘Did you heard anything this morning? Anything...?’ Stella shook her head, suprised. ‘No. I don’t understand... I must have heard...’ ‘Me neither, Stella,’ said Lupin sofly. ‘I haven’t got a clue, how... Where is David?’ he asked. ‘Sleeping, I ‘suppose,’ she said. Lupin checked David’s room very quickly. David was still sleeping, his mouth half-open. Lupin got downstairs, took his wand and kneeled down to Tonks. ‘There must be a spell...’ At that very moment, Tonks opened her eyes. ‘Hello,’ she said brightly. ‘Merlin!’ shouted Lupin, relieved. ‘You’re okay?’ ‘I guess...’ said Tonks. ‘Except for my knee... It’s...’ ‘It looks normal,’ said Lupin quickly. Stella sighed, smiling. Tonks sat up, looking around. ‘Gosh... What happened?’ ‘I don’t know. We don’t know,’ said Stella, shaking her head. ‘What can you remember?’ asked Lupin Tonks. ‘I don’t remember anything. I was making breakfast in the kitchen... scrambled eggs... That’s the last thing I remember. They must have used new spells, because you didn’t woke up.’ Tonks looked around, not suprised to see the damage in the living room. ‘And when I look around...’ She gave a look at the broken furniture and the pieces of glass in the kitchen. ‘They searched for something...’ She looked at Lupin. ‘Mabye... probebly... what we are looking for. But I have no idea why they didn’t searched upstairs.’ Suddenly, Tonks looked very tired. She closed her eys and putted her head in her hands. She sighed deeply. ‘I think we only have one choice,’ she said weakly. ‘What do you mean?’ asked Lupin, concerned. ‘We... the Aurors... we’d expected this to happen.’ She gave him a sad look. ‘Especially after Dumbledore’s death: An outbreak of Death Eaters. They can do so much more, they have learned new techniques and are impatiently to try them out. They couldn’t do much while Dumbledore was in Hogwarts, watching them, listenings to his private spions, hearing the most secretive information he could get. He couldn’t know everything, of course not, he had enough distance planned for his spions, but he knew more than us, Aurors.’ Tonks smiled unpleasently. ‘Well... we will check the books today, allright? But tomorrow... or tonight... It’s no longer safe her. The Death Eaters can find us, and they might strike again.’ Lupin nodded. ‘I do not like it, but I understand.’ He looked at Stella. ‘Would you please wake up your brother and tell him we are leaving in one day?’ Stella nodded. When she went upstairs to her brother’s bedroom, Tonks muttered: ‘Stupid Death Eaters. We’re leaving a comfortable house, not knowing where to go... searching for an unknown Holy Grail... Oh, there’s the mail.’ A brown owl brought the Daily Prophet. Tonks putted some money in the tiny leather bag. The owl flew away. Tonks looked at the front page. ‘Massive attacks from Death Eaters: more dangerous than ever’ ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione Lilly and huppelpuf_girl, thanks for the feedback! :D I foudn it very difficult to write the next chapter. I started over and over... Yes, just like chapter 16. I don't know why, I don't feel selfconcious about this story (anymore). I feel like I could have done it much better... But I'll go on until I have finished the story. Chapter 17 They were souring in the air, hands clutching their brooms. The cold, chilly wind was touching their robes and cheeks. The clouds looked fluffy, but they could feel their coldness by their wet feet. The heavy trunks were dangeling under there broomsticks. Tonks and Lupin tried to find the building of their past... and their future happenings. At least, they hoped for it. ‘Are we there yet?’ asked Stella, bored. She hold the waist of Tonks, her black hair swirling in the wind. David hadn’t said a thing in the whole journey, but he was probebly very excited that he was going to see his new residen, Lupin expected. If that would be his new residen... Hopefully everything would be arranged, Lupin thought doubtfully. ‘Soon, darling,’ said Tonks, while she gave Lupin a look and shrugged. ‘It must be here, somewhere...’ ‘I think we flew an other way then usual,’ said Lupin. ‘If we can fly some parts under the clouds, we can see where we are now.’ Tonks nodded. They ducked through the clouds, and Lupin could hear David making a sound of dislike. ‘I know it’s freezing, but it’s needful,’ said Lupin, grinning. He looked around. They flew above a huge forest. ‘Yes, it’s there,’ he heard Tonks say. She pointed at her right side. ‘We’ll have to turn around a bit.’ *** With mixed feelings, Lupin walked down the fields of Hogwarts. He looked around him and smelled the odeur of the grass and trees. It still smells the same, Lupin thought, feeling full of misery. But it didn’t looked the same. It didn’t felt the same either. Death Eaters had been here, in this castle, on these grass fields. Snape had killed Dumbledore in the tower, had run to Hagrid’s house and fighted with Harry. The Dark Mark had hung in the sky. Panic had cursed Hogwarts on that crucial night... Snape escaped. Lupin felt the soft grass under his feet. In some way, everything seemed to be unfit, but it still fitted. He used to do his homework in the Gryffindor tower too. He used to sit under that tree there, near the lake, laughing, making jokes, watching girls... He felt confused and shook his head, like he wanted to deny something. But there was nothing to deny. Everything just happened. It all happened. Nothing is certain... except a memory. And he had memories. Lupin looked at Tonks. She was pale. Lupin didn’t knew if he had to say something to her, so he just said nothing. David was very quiet too. Stella’s eyes were huge and she was staring at the big castle. ‘You’re allright?’ asked Lupin Tonks. She shrugged. ‘Well...’ she started, an emotional undertone in her voice. ‘It’s... just weird. I used to feel so protected on these fields... like nothing could hurt me. But now... It’s gone. It’s just gone.’ Lupin nodded at her. ‘I know what you mean. And it’s realistic, sad enough.’ *** They knocked on the huge door of Hogwarts. ‘You think Minerva would be here?’ asked Lupin. ‘Yes, I’m very sure about that,’ said Tonks. The door opened, but nobody was there. Tonks looked insecure, did she thought this would be a trick? She said nothing, but walked slowely through the hall. Lupin, David and Stella followed. It was very quite in Hogwarts. ‘Mabye she’s not here,’ whispered Lupin. ‘She is,’ said Tonks, a bit irritated. ‘Everyone at the Ministry knows she is. She wants to go on with Hogwarts as a school and prefers to talk inside it. With new teachers, people from the Ministry...even some parents.’ They started to walk the stairs. ‘I’m very sure about this,’ repeated Tonks. ‘Believe me.’ So they walked, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the school, the stairs unmoving. They almost had reached the highest floor, when they heard other footsteps. David stood still. ‘Listen,’ he whispered. They stood still. A short, female figure appeared at the very end of the hall. She walked slowely and insecure a bit forward. When she moved closer, Lupin saw she was an employee of the Ministry of Magic. She smiled weakly at them, but looked suspicious with her green watery eyes. She ignored the children. ‘Nymphadora Tonks,’ she said merely. Tonks nodded. ‘You are from the Ministry and work as an Auror.’ Tonks shrugged and nodded again. ‘And who are you?’ asked the lady Lupin. ‘But who are you, madam?’ asked Tonks, sounding very polite. The lady’s eyes narrowed. ‘Come,’ she said. They followed her into the office that used to be Dumbledore’s. Minerva McGonagall was sitting behind her desk, her lips narrow and wrinkles abound. She looked more like Dumbledore then Lupin could ever imagene. McGonagall looked up as they entered the room. ‘Remus, Nymphadora!’ she said suprised, smiling happily. She stood up and gave them a firm handshake. She smiled at the children. Stella frowned at her, like she was an interesting piece of art. ‘Hello, David,’ she said to the boy. He looked a bit scared at the tall witch. ‘Have a seat, please,’ McGonagall said.’ ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione @ Mikeal and Nevo: Thanks for your feedback. It took me a lot of time. Only a few more chapters to go! Edit: I just had several plans to take this fanfiction to a complete different end. I hope these are more exciting and orginal. Chapter 18 ‘What brings you here? And aren’t you supposed to work at the Ministry, Nymphadora?’ McGonagall looked concerned at their faces. Tonks looked around. ‘Is it safe to talk here?’ she asked. Lupin expected that McGonagall would say that that was really neurotic, but she merely shrugged. ‘No, I cannot assure that. I am busy to get everything safer again.’ The witch from the Ministry walked out the door, without saying anything. ‘Please tell me,’ said McGonagall simply at Tonks and Lupin. So Tonks started to tell her. McGonagall nodded and frowned a lot. ‘The Instrument... odd, very odd...’ she murmed, when Tonks was finished with her story. ‘That’s old.’ Tonks looked eager. ‘So it is really old?’ To Lupin’s suprise, looked the old witch a bit hurt. ‘I do not exactly know that. I was told that it was old... Albus-’ She sighed and looked away. Silence filled the room. ‘Albus told me something about it, though he thought that V-Voldemort would not use it,’ she went on, sounding more strong. ‘It was too... well, he expected that Voldemort would find much easier ways... to get the same effects.’ Lupin’s heart bumped fast. It had been a really good idea to come to Hogwarts, as he heard it! ‘So... the effects...’ Tonks murmed. ‘What are the effects, then?’ McGonagall thought really deep. ‘‘That’s a secret’, Albus always told me. He knew only half of the story himself... he had some ideas and heard rumours... But that was years and years ago... As I said, he thought it would be irrelevant.’ McGonagall looked sceptical. ‘You are very sure this really is important?’ ‘We heard something about it in a memory,’ said Lupin quickly. ‘We went in the memory to see what exactly happened to David and Stella here... So we heard the Death Eaters talking about an Instrument. It sounded important.’ McGonagall and Tonks exchanged looks. ‘Yes, I know what you think,’ said Tonks silently. ‘But we never know when the Death Eaters speak the truth, right? Everything can be a trap.’ ‘I shall be honest with you,’ said McGonagall, ‘Remus, Nymphadora... I doesn’t sound very important to me. I think you to are wasting your times. You, Nymphadora – they gave you some time off and I do not understand why, because I think we need all the Aurors in the world right now. And Remus – a lot of people would be delighted to work with you, I am very sure. Except that you’re... you know. But... you get what I think.’ Stella and David looked at the witch with great intrests, but no-one took attention to the two kids right now. ‘I just think it is right, Minerva,’ said Tonks. ‘I do not have the proof for that, I know that. But this might be something big. It might be the second Philosophers Stone, I don’t know. It might be something that will give him even more power than he has at the moment. We just do not know.’ McGonagall sighed and shrugged. She pointed at the kettle on her deskboard and it started to whistle. She made them some tea and gave the filled cups to them. ‘I cannot say if you’re doing the right thing or not. But you know how I think about it. And if you need my help – I will do all I can do for you.’ *** They walked around in the castle. McGonagall had several meetings with troubled-looking parents and employers from the Ministry. She doesn’t seemed to mind, she said several times that she ‘really wanted to open the school.’’ She told them they could stay as long as they wanted. So they went to the tower of Gryffindor and left there luggage. ‘Where is it?’ asked Tonks suddenly. ‘You know. The Instrument. The Instrument of... power.’ She said it sarcasticly. Lupin raised his eyebrows and looked down the stairs, where David and Stella were sitting in the common room, looking very bored. ‘You don’t believe we’re doing a good thing by getting this Instrument,’ he reacted, and layed down on a bed. Tonks walked insecure through the room. ‘Yeah well, what the hell, where does it have to be? It’s so old, yes it does exist, I believe, but I don’t know anymore if it’s very important, you get it?’ ‘Yes I get it,’ he responded. ‘But mabye it IS important.’ ‘Mabye not,’ Tonks said easily. ‘And there are so many things important, much more important. We are bringing these kids to Hogwarts for this... well... job.’ ‘The Ministry told us so,’ yawned Lupin. He felt tired. Tonks layed down next to him and went on. ‘The Ministry, the Minstry... I know I’m an employee, but... I will remember Fudge. He uesed to be the Minister. And who trusted him?’ Lupin thought very deed. He had to confess to himself that they weren’t so sure about the facts. ‘I cannot live with the feeling that this Instrument will be in Dark hands,’ he said merely. Tonks only nodded and looked away. *** They spent the rest of the day wandering in the castle and around the field of Hogwarts. They shared their most precious moments of their past, laughed and relaxed. Until they seemed to thave shared all the good things... Lupin got more serious. ‘So, you had a good time at Hogwarts, eh? Nothing bad happened?’ Tonks’ face got white. ‘No, nothing,’ she said hastely. ‘What about you?’ ‘Except for the Snape drama’s and my werewolfstuff... No, I guess not.’ They looked at each other and both knew they were lying. Lupin sighed and lay down in the grass. The sun was shining bright. Tonks touched his hand. Her handpalms were wet. ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione Dear readers. Or, at least, I hope so. I can say I'm ashamed that I haven't wrote much these months. I got school, work and hobby's and I'm writing a short story at the moment. :') Chapter 19 By the end of the day, they returned to eat their dinner at Hogwarts. McGonagall was sitting all alone on the huge table of Gryffindor. The table was loaded by scales of food. She looked very tiny, what was pretty unusual. The room seemed to be filled with silence. There was a strange atmosphere around her. ‘Isn’t there anybody having dinner with us?’ asked Lupin. ‘No,’ she said merely. ‘Have a seat.’ Tonks and Lupin sat down next to her. ‘How are the children?’ asked Tonks. ‘They’re allright,’ replied McGonagall. ‘What’s wrong?’ Tonks went on. She raised her eyebrows at her, what seemed pretty rude. ‘Nothing is...’ she answered absent-mindedly. And all of a sudden, Lupin could feel the danger. He didn’t knew what was coming, or why he felt that way. But danger was coming closer... Or was that just his paranoia? He looked into McGonagall’s eyes, and she looked away. That wasn’t really like her, was it? ‘I’d like to see David and Stella, they’re upstairs?’ he asked quickly. ‘Yeah, you can seek for them,’ she replied. Tonks turned around to face her. ‘What did you say?’ she asked sharply. She exchanged looks with Lupin. ‘You can seek for them,’ she repeated. Lupin saw her gaze moving fastly over McGonagall. She opened his mind. It’s not her. It’s not. There’s someone else. O Merlin, no. This couldn’t be. Tonks went upstairs, looking uncertain. Lupin was alone with McGonagall. ‘You had a nice day?’ she asked, smiling like nothing happened. ‘Er... yes, I had,’ he replied, confused. He looked at her, but couldn’t see anything special. Tonks ran down the stairs again, furious. Her face was as pink as her hair was, her eyes were wide open and she shouted at McGonagall. ‘YOU! WHERE ARE THEY?’ What was going on here? McGonagall raised and looked quite selfconscious. She produced a little smile. ‘Shh, little girl. Be quiet. You’re being very rude.’ Tonks ignored her. ‘I can’t find them. They are... I don’t know... They seem... They are gone,’ she muttered angrily. ‘Sorry?’ said Lupin, confused. ‘Well,’ said McGonagall, and her eyes narrowed, ‘you couldn’t possibly mean something for them, could you? You could only care for them, couldn’t you? They’re meaningless.’ She grinned. Lupin saw the coldness in her eyes and shivered. He felt insecure and scared. Tonks stood beside him, her hand slowely searching for her wand. ‘Or do they mean something?’ ‘HELP!’ Flying figures broke through the bewitched sky. Falling fragments of glass made a shocking hard noise, like a surreal rain. Loads of dark, bat-like looking people, flew on broomsticks, laughing out loud, faces hid behind white masks, wands in their hands. Lupin wanted to turn away, but in the middle of his sight he saw a huge, sparkling flying red bulb of light. Four legs extended, four arms seemed to wave trough the thick red fog of the bulb.The cage seemed to exist of red, bewitched strings, leaving sparks whenever the two persons touched the cage. One of the two persons, a young girl, wanted to scream something, but her voice got lost when a Death Eather pointed his of her wand at her and yelled something at her. Tonks took Lupin’s arm directly en wanted to ran from the terrifying scene. ‘You can’t do this!’ Lupin yelled at her, standing still. ‘We must save them! TONKS!’ McGonagall made a strange dancing step and turned. Her brown hair turned greasily black, her small eyes became two black ones and her face was suddenly hid by a white mask. ‘I hate to say this, Lupin, but you are right,’ said the deep, supercilious voice of what used to be McGonagall. ‘You can’t run from this.’ ‘Oh, GO AWAY, SNAPE!’ screamed Tonks. She stood still at the huge door of the Great Hall. ‘You’re an AUROR, Tonks!’ shouted Lupin, looking to the red bulb with David and Stella inside it. ‘I’M NOT RUNNING AWAY FROM THIS, REMUS, JUST-’ I can’t say anything here, please Remus, begged Tonks inside Lupin’s head. A Death Eater screamed: ‘Attention, filthy half-human and unavailing Auror!’ Tonks ran out of the Hall. Lupin followed her desperately. ‘Get back!’ yelled Snape, and took his wand out of his pocked. Tonks and Lupin stood outside. Tonks had closed her eyes and murmed something, her face shining in concentration. Two brooms flew from the right side. They both took one, Lupin still quiet. ‘Trust me, darling,’ said Tonks clearly. They rose from the ground and looked behind them. ‘THEY’RE LEAVING!’ screamed Snape. ‘GET BACK OR WE’LL KILL THE CHILDREN! LISTEN TO US! GET BACK!’ Tonks flew away and Lupin got behind her quickly. They rose higher, flew faster... Behind them, they heard the terrifying noises of the Death Eaters... ----------------------------------- Sweet Hermione Finally, it had been a looong time. But I have a new chapter. And I've got good new for you lot - I will promise you that I will finish this fanfiction this year. So there will be more. Comments are love, so please send me. Enjoy! Chapter 20 ‘We’re running away from our duty!’ shouted Lupin. ‘They get killed!’ ‘We have to get away, Remus!’ screamed Tonks. ‘We can’t do anything! Be quiet!’ Lupin gave her an angry look, but she didn’t said anything. They rose higher, got further... They flew minutes... Hours... No sign of the Death Eathers were seen. Lupin’s hands seemed to be frozen. ‘Where are we going?’ asked Tonks. ‘I know where we are going,’ whispered Tonks. ‘I know just the place. We have to be there. I think it’s very important to go there. I think it might help us.’ She gave him an important look. The Instrument. ‘Will they kill the children?’ whispered Lupin back. Tonks looked insecure. ‘Why would they kill them?’ ‘They are insane.’ ‘Yes, I do know that, thank you. But that’s not a real reason.’ ‘I think it might be.’ She sighed, and looked down. ‘We have to get under the clouds. Come on.’ They dived through the fluffy, white clouds. Lupin shivered as he felt the cold, wet substance going right through his coat. He looked down, and saw they were flying just above a small village. ‘What’s this?’ he asked Tonks, who was trying to fix her shiny, pink, wet hair with her hands, while searching over the roofs of the houses. ‘Please, Remus, I’m not sure that they aren’t following us. Just trust me...’ She looked again, as they flew lower. ‘Wait… it is still… Yes, yes, it is... Found it.’ She pointed her wand at him, but nothing seemed to happen. ‘Tonks, are you –’ ‘Trust me.’ She closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. ‘So. Fixed that. Come with me.’ They flew over the roofs, getting lower and lower. The town was very old, and seemed to be deserted. Dusty roads led to dirty, messy stores, with broken bricks. Browny pictures of honourable, forgotten popstars who once performed on the small public squares, were hanging on the yellowish walls. But still, the town made a nice impression. It was quiet, yes, but it didn’t looked unfriendly. People had been happy here, long ago, thought Lupin. ‘Land softly, please,’ said Tonks politely, when they were flying above a tiny square. He obeyed. He noticed fragile and brown grass as they walked slowely towards an old building. It wasn’t really a house, thought Lupin. It was more... a flat. He didn’t really knew. The building was made of wood and stone. It had two floors. The windows were broken. The glass lay scattered on the sandy grounds. There was no garden. For some reason, there were no plants or flowers, not even weed. The building had a large veranda and a small stairway, that led to a closed door. It seemed completely deserted... at least, of people. Tonks opened the creaking door. A wall of stinking dust made them both cough. ‘Someone hasn’t been in here for a while,’ muttered Tonks. They were standing in an dusty, messy entrace hall. Before Lupin could take a closer look, Tonks said: ‘Just let me –’ She walked to the door, closed it, and whispered some charms Lupin couldn’t recognize. She smiled at him and raised her eyebrow as he looked at her with curiousity. ‘Later, darling,’ she said quasi-innocent. They inspected the whole house. In some houses, you could tell that it had been nice and beautiful once. This house had been nice nor beautiful. It was cheap, dusty and cold. ‘Of course it is,’ said Tonks, when Lupin told her. ‘It’s a house for orphans. They hadn’t had any money.’ They went through the building together, opening creaking doors, breathing in the old odeur. The rooms were small, with sticky floors and very little decoration. There were a lot of beds for children. Toys were everywhere to be found. Lupin sighed and looked around, looking for beds for adults. Tonks seemed to think the same – where had the owner slept? Had it been a couple or was only one responsible for the orphans, so long ago? ‘Where would the Instrument be?’ Tonks mumured, when they finally got downstairs again and went through the kitchen. ‘What would be ‘The Source’?’ She had taken her wand, searching around for suspicious-looking objects. There was very little. The closets were almost empty, except for some rotten food, old boxes or equipment. ‘Don’t you think this IS the Source?’ asked Lupin. Tonks narrowed her eyes, focussing on the burn-marks on the carpet. She wanted to bend over, but Lupin gently touched her hand to get her attention. He saw that her breath got disrupt and she automaticly pulled her belly in. He knew exactly what this meant and immediatly felt a strong guilt and hate towards himself. She turned around, obviouisly trying to act confident and normal. ‘That might be an idea, Remus, I have to say I haven’t thought about that,’ she said, her voice lighty trembeling. She looked him straight in the eye and Lupin felt a jolt in his stomach. She came closer, but looked away. He smelled her odeur, in some way much stronger than the penetrating dust-smell that had overwhelmed him when he came in, but her natural, femine smell seemed to be much more. He saw that she was in doubt, the same way he was. Suddenly, he felt her hand caressing his cheek. He looked and he found her standing almost against him, her bodywarmth seem to kiss him before he could – ‘Do you think we could stay here?’ he asked her briefly. He stepped a little back, hating himself. She looked like he had punched her in the face. ‘You can cook dinner tonight,’ she replied, turning around to the burn-marks. ‘I’ll search for the Instrument’. Well, I won't finish it for this year. So - I'd like to thank everyone for the comments, support and the banners. (: If you want to contact me, even after HPF - you can always send me an email. Maybe I do finish it and I can send it to you anyway. (: Love, Charlotte. -----------------------------------