Part Seven: The Horrid Day
Title: The Horrid Day
Author: gijane7702
Rating & Warnings: PG13/angst; cursing
Prompts: Promise/"You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be."
Word Count: 1413
Summary: Tonks’ world falls apart.
Author’s Notes: Part 7 in my series; set right at the end of OotP (sorry, this is the last part set in OotP) I forgot how close HBP starts when OotP ends.
I have this habit of making people who just woke up from comas talk a lot. Ops.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Tonks was slowly aware that she was back in St Mungo’s. She could tell by the silence, by the lingering scent of potions, and by the uncomfortable bed.
Something, a warm presence, had woken her.
With all her might, Tonks opened her eyes. Her heart gave a lurch of love as she recognized Remus standing by the window, staring out at the breaking dawn.
“Wotcher,” she croaked out.
He whirled around to face her. “Dora!” he breathed. With a few strides, he had crossed the room to her bedside.
“What happened? How are the kids?”
“They’re all back at school. Everyone save Hermione is fine. She took a nasty spell, but Poppy’s setting her right.”
“How long…” Tonks asked.
“Four days,” he responded. “Just wait…I have to go get a Healer, darling.”
“What happened?” she exclaimed, trying to sit up, but was unable. She gasped at the searing pain, and then began to cough.
“Dora,” Remus began pushing her back down to the bed, then pouring a goblet of water. “You’re under a Binding Charm so you don’t move. You broke several ribs when you fell and they think you’re internally bleeding as well. Let me get a Healer.”
“Remus,” she croaked out. He silently held the goblet to her mouth and she drank a sip. “Tell me…” she said as an awful dreadful feeling spread in the pit of her stomach. He was avoiding answering her.
Without his saying a word, either from the haunted look in his eyes or a small flash of Legilimency or both, Tonks knew: someone hadn’t made it out of the Department of Mysteries alive.
“Who?” she asked, dreading the answer. “Please tell me…and then you can get a Healer.”
“Sirius,” Remus said quietly.
Tonks was too stunned to breath.
Remus simply got up, left the room, and returned a few minutes later with a Healer. Tonks submitted herself to an examination without protest, still stunned at the news.
Sirius was gone.
Life was so unfair.
The Healer finally left, releasing Tonks from her Binding Charm on Remus’ promise that he wouldn’t let her move around too much. The Healer also promised to contact her parents.
Tonks ultimately became aware again with Remus’ squeezing her hand. When she squeezed back, he said hoarsely, “I haven’t spoken of it yet to anyone else.”
“All right?” Tonks immediately flinched, and not from the pain in her abdomen. Of course he wasn’t all right.
“As well as can be expected, I suppose. Dumbledore told your mother.” With a breath, he added, “He told her everything.”
“Mum,” she whispered.
“She fainted,” Remus told her, now staring blindly out the window instead of looking at her. “I managed to catch her before she hit the floor. Your father hadn’t moved. I think he was too stunned.”
“Oh God.”
The tears finally came. Remus turned to her finally. Sitting on the edge of her bed, he gently gathered her into his arms and held her as she sobbed.
She sobbed for herself and her mother, who lost the family member that they loved; for Remus, who lost his only remaining friend; for Harry, who had lost another parent; and for Sirius, who was finally free.
“Why?” Tonks choked out finally.
“I don’t know,” Remus answered her, a catch in his voice. “I don’t know why.”
Looking up, she saw the streams of tears trailing unchecked down his face and into her hair.
“I love you, Remus,” she told him hoarsely, still not recovering her voice yet.
His whole body stiffened as he poured her another gobletful of water. After a moment’s pause, he answered, “I love you too.”
But it sounded like an automatic response to her. “What? What else is there?”
Before he could answer, her mother came rushing into the room. “Oh! Nymphadora! You’re all right!”
“Gently,” Remus told Andromeda, as he released Tonks so her mother could hug her. “Her ribs are still sore and she’s stopped bleeding, but she’s still having abdominal pain.”
Tonks glared at him, knowing that he had used Legilimency on her since she hadn’t said anything about that pain. He glared pointedly back and silently arched a chastising eyebrow at her.
“I don’t blame her for the pain!” her mother exclaimed, sitting on the edge of the bed where Remus had just recently abandoned. “She got hit by some nasty Dark spell that bloody bitch shot at her and fell down a pit! Ted, could you requisition Nymphadora a pain relief potion of some kind?”
“Let me see if Miriam’s in so I can look at her chart,” Ted said. “I’m not supposed to be involved in Nymphadora’s case since one: its top priority and two: she’s family. But Miriam lets me. I probably shouldn’t even ask my daughter how she’s feeling.” He winked at her.
Tonks, still reeling form her mother’s uncharacteristic cursing, giggled slightly at her father’s wink, and then twinged at the slight pain again it caused. “I’m okay, Dad…for the most part. Slight pain, like Remus said.”
“Miriam’s on duty,” Remus said in a quiet voice. “Once Dora woke up, I went and got her. She didn’t contact you?”
“No…” Ted said perplexed, “Healer Jones did. But he’s a pompous arse, so I really shouldn’t be surprised.”
“Office politics are the same everywhere, aren’t they?”
Ted rolled his eyes at Remus, who smiled back slightly, then left. Tonks was shocked that Remus and her father had held a brief, but civil, conversation.
“Ever since your father walked in here two days ago,” Andromeda whispered into her ear, “and found Remus passed out in the visitor’s chair, unkempt and unshaven, he’s been civil. I have no idea how Remus even gets clearance to this ward…”
“Dumbledore arranged it,” Remus said from the window he was staring out of. “Sorry, the full moon’s soon and my senses are heightened.”
“Oh…”Andromeda said. “That must be annoying.”
“It is. Excuse me for just one moment.” He bowed slightly to Andromeda and exited the room.
Her mother immediately began to fuss over her the minute Remus left the room. “Nymphadora, I’m very glad you are all right…but the Order of the Phoenix, darling?”
“What was I supposed to do, Mum? Sit on my arse while You-Know-Who was out there and the Ministry ignored him?”
“Language!” Andromeda automatically corrected, then blushed.
“Look who’s talking,” Tonks shot back, then coughed. She took the water from her mother and drank. “Not that I blame you…”
“I’m sorry, darling,” Andromeda whispered. “I’m sorry my sister-”
“Don’t apologise for her, Andromeda,” Remus said in an uncharacteristic harsh voice as he came back into the room, Ted hot on his heels. “Bellatrix made her own decisions a long time ago.”
“Yes, of course, you’re correct, Remus.”
“Here…drink this, sweets. It’ll help.” Ted sat at the edge of the bed and helped Tonks drink down a goblet full of potion. “Andi love, could you come with me?”
Andromeda looked slightly perplexed, but followed Ted out of the room. Tonks watched them go, just as perplexed.
“Nymphadora,” Remus began, drawing her attention from the now closed door. “I have to tell you something and you’re not going to like it.”
“All right…go ahead.” She knew deep down it was going to be bad news, but felt oddly comfortable with it.
“You remember last summer…that Dumbledore sent Hagrid to the giants as an envoy?” he paused and Tonks saw in his eyes he didn’t know how to proceed.
But she knew what he was going to say. “You’re going to the werewolves,” she said for him, in a very calm voice. Suddenly understanding, Tonks added, “You also had my father give me a Calming Draught so I wouldn’t panic.”
“Yes, I did. Laced with a mild Sleeping Draught.” He didn’t even flinch at the look she shot him. “When you wake up, I’ll be gone. And where I’m going you can’t come. Nor can I leave or contact you. So…for me…this is goodbye.”
She wanted to yell, but the potion was already taking affect. “No!” she managed. “I don’t care!”
“I know you don’t…but I do,” he said gently, but she could hear the pain in his voice. Standing up, he placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head. “Goodbye, Nymphadora.”
“No,” Tonks said meekly as he crossed the room.
Remus opened the door, looked back at her one last time, then walked out of the room.
And out of her life.
Author: gijane7702
Rating & Warnings: PG13/angst; cursing
Prompts: Promise/"You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be."
Word Count: 1413
Summary: Tonks’ world falls apart.
Author’s Notes: Part 7 in my series; set right at the end of OotP (sorry, this is the last part set in OotP) I forgot how close HBP starts when OotP ends.
I have this habit of making people who just woke up from comas talk a lot. Ops.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Tonks was slowly aware that she was back in St Mungo’s. She could tell by the silence, by the lingering scent of potions, and by the uncomfortable bed.
Something, a warm presence, had woken her.
With all her might, Tonks opened her eyes. Her heart gave a lurch of love as she recognized Remus standing by the window, staring out at the breaking dawn.
“Wotcher,” she croaked out.
He whirled around to face her. “Dora!” he breathed. With a few strides, he had crossed the room to her bedside.
“What happened? How are the kids?”
“They’re all back at school. Everyone save Hermione is fine. She took a nasty spell, but Poppy’s setting her right.”
“How long…” Tonks asked.
“Four days,” he responded. “Just wait…I have to go get a Healer, darling.”
“What happened?” she exclaimed, trying to sit up, but was unable. She gasped at the searing pain, and then began to cough.
“Dora,” Remus began pushing her back down to the bed, then pouring a goblet of water. “You’re under a Binding Charm so you don’t move. You broke several ribs when you fell and they think you’re internally bleeding as well. Let me get a Healer.”
“Remus,” she croaked out. He silently held the goblet to her mouth and she drank a sip. “Tell me…” she said as an awful dreadful feeling spread in the pit of her stomach. He was avoiding answering her.
Without his saying a word, either from the haunted look in his eyes or a small flash of Legilimency or both, Tonks knew: someone hadn’t made it out of the Department of Mysteries alive.
“Who?” she asked, dreading the answer. “Please tell me…and then you can get a Healer.”
“Sirius,” Remus said quietly.
Tonks was too stunned to breath.
Remus simply got up, left the room, and returned a few minutes later with a Healer. Tonks submitted herself to an examination without protest, still stunned at the news.
Sirius was gone.
Life was so unfair.
The Healer finally left, releasing Tonks from her Binding Charm on Remus’ promise that he wouldn’t let her move around too much. The Healer also promised to contact her parents.
Tonks ultimately became aware again with Remus’ squeezing her hand. When she squeezed back, he said hoarsely, “I haven’t spoken of it yet to anyone else.”
“All right?” Tonks immediately flinched, and not from the pain in her abdomen. Of course he wasn’t all right.
“As well as can be expected, I suppose. Dumbledore told your mother.” With a breath, he added, “He told her everything.”
“Mum,” she whispered.
“She fainted,” Remus told her, now staring blindly out the window instead of looking at her. “I managed to catch her before she hit the floor. Your father hadn’t moved. I think he was too stunned.”
“Oh God.”
The tears finally came. Remus turned to her finally. Sitting on the edge of her bed, he gently gathered her into his arms and held her as she sobbed.
She sobbed for herself and her mother, who lost the family member that they loved; for Remus, who lost his only remaining friend; for Harry, who had lost another parent; and for Sirius, who was finally free.
“Why?” Tonks choked out finally.
“I don’t know,” Remus answered her, a catch in his voice. “I don’t know why.”
Looking up, she saw the streams of tears trailing unchecked down his face and into her hair.
“I love you, Remus,” she told him hoarsely, still not recovering her voice yet.
His whole body stiffened as he poured her another gobletful of water. After a moment’s pause, he answered, “I love you too.”
But it sounded like an automatic response to her. “What? What else is there?”
Before he could answer, her mother came rushing into the room. “Oh! Nymphadora! You’re all right!”
“Gently,” Remus told Andromeda, as he released Tonks so her mother could hug her. “Her ribs are still sore and she’s stopped bleeding, but she’s still having abdominal pain.”
Tonks glared at him, knowing that he had used Legilimency on her since she hadn’t said anything about that pain. He glared pointedly back and silently arched a chastising eyebrow at her.
“I don’t blame her for the pain!” her mother exclaimed, sitting on the edge of the bed where Remus had just recently abandoned. “She got hit by some nasty Dark spell that bloody bitch shot at her and fell down a pit! Ted, could you requisition Nymphadora a pain relief potion of some kind?”
“Let me see if Miriam’s in so I can look at her chart,” Ted said. “I’m not supposed to be involved in Nymphadora’s case since one: its top priority and two: she’s family. But Miriam lets me. I probably shouldn’t even ask my daughter how she’s feeling.” He winked at her.
Tonks, still reeling form her mother’s uncharacteristic cursing, giggled slightly at her father’s wink, and then twinged at the slight pain again it caused. “I’m okay, Dad…for the most part. Slight pain, like Remus said.”
“Miriam’s on duty,” Remus said in a quiet voice. “Once Dora woke up, I went and got her. She didn’t contact you?”
“No…” Ted said perplexed, “Healer Jones did. But he’s a pompous arse, so I really shouldn’t be surprised.”
“Office politics are the same everywhere, aren’t they?”
Ted rolled his eyes at Remus, who smiled back slightly, then left. Tonks was shocked that Remus and her father had held a brief, but civil, conversation.
“Ever since your father walked in here two days ago,” Andromeda whispered into her ear, “and found Remus passed out in the visitor’s chair, unkempt and unshaven, he’s been civil. I have no idea how Remus even gets clearance to this ward…”
“Dumbledore arranged it,” Remus said from the window he was staring out of. “Sorry, the full moon’s soon and my senses are heightened.”
“Oh…”Andromeda said. “That must be annoying.”
“It is. Excuse me for just one moment.” He bowed slightly to Andromeda and exited the room.
Her mother immediately began to fuss over her the minute Remus left the room. “Nymphadora, I’m very glad you are all right…but the Order of the Phoenix, darling?”
“What was I supposed to do, Mum? Sit on my arse while You-Know-Who was out there and the Ministry ignored him?”
“Language!” Andromeda automatically corrected, then blushed.
“Look who’s talking,” Tonks shot back, then coughed. She took the water from her mother and drank. “Not that I blame you…”
“I’m sorry, darling,” Andromeda whispered. “I’m sorry my sister-”
“Don’t apologise for her, Andromeda,” Remus said in an uncharacteristic harsh voice as he came back into the room, Ted hot on his heels. “Bellatrix made her own decisions a long time ago.”
“Yes, of course, you’re correct, Remus.”
“Here…drink this, sweets. It’ll help.” Ted sat at the edge of the bed and helped Tonks drink down a goblet full of potion. “Andi love, could you come with me?”
Andromeda looked slightly perplexed, but followed Ted out of the room. Tonks watched them go, just as perplexed.
“Nymphadora,” Remus began, drawing her attention from the now closed door. “I have to tell you something and you’re not going to like it.”
“All right…go ahead.” She knew deep down it was going to be bad news, but felt oddly comfortable with it.
“You remember last summer…that Dumbledore sent Hagrid to the giants as an envoy?” he paused and Tonks saw in his eyes he didn’t know how to proceed.
But she knew what he was going to say. “You’re going to the werewolves,” she said for him, in a very calm voice. Suddenly understanding, Tonks added, “You also had my father give me a Calming Draught so I wouldn’t panic.”
“Yes, I did. Laced with a mild Sleeping Draught.” He didn’t even flinch at the look she shot him. “When you wake up, I’ll be gone. And where I’m going you can’t come. Nor can I leave or contact you. So…for me…this is goodbye.”
She wanted to yell, but the potion was already taking affect. “No!” she managed. “I don’t care!”
“I know you don’t…but I do,” he said gently, but she could hear the pain in his voice. Standing up, he placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head. “Goodbye, Nymphadora.”
“No,” Tonks said meekly as he crossed the room.
Remus opened the door, looked back at her one last time, then walked out of the room.
And out of her life.