Fic: Gift exchange for native_spirit
Title: Misery
Summary: Remus and Scabior walk into a bar.
Characters/Pairings: Remus/Tonks. Tonks/Scabior
Genre: Angst
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 for unsavory thoughts.
Medium: Fic
Word Count:
“Lupin,” a voice called from behind him, and it was only careful practice that kept him from tensing up at the sound. Greyback was not someone he could ever enjoy socialising with, but he wasn’t here to socialise really. He knew war was on the horizon and that every soldier he turned to march for them instead of Voldemort would help to tip the balance, so for now it was vital he blend.
“Greyback,” he said, in what he hoped was an unobjectionable tone. “To what do I owe the pleasure.”
“I have a new associate for you, Lupin,” Greyback said, and Remus looked up to see a man stood behind the other werewolf. He had a mean, thin look that Remus recognised as the sign of a recent escapee from Azkaban, there were far too many of them now. “Meet Scabior, I thought you might want to show him the ropes.”
“Of course, Greyback,” Remus said, appraising Scabior. Remus didn’t like to judge on appearance but those escaped from Azkhaban were harder to turn to his cause and Scabior had a way of standing next to Greyback, a certain relaxed air that spoke of familiarity.
Scabior had been sent to feel him out.
“Right, mate,” Scabior asked, stepping uncomfortable close to Remus as Greyback turned and stalked away. “I’ve just...been away for a while. Could use some local colour, you know. Anywhere around here where a wizard can have a drink?”
“Not around here, only muggle pubs,” Remus said with a dismissive shrug. “Though I suppose we could go into wizard London if you need a drink that badly.”
“I need a drink that badly,” Scabior confirmed with a satisfied scowl. “A drink and a woman, that’s all I need.”
Remus bit back his retort and nodded. He was already wishing he hadn’t suggested it, but if he was right about Scabior being sent to feel him out then, well, he would have to make the sacrifice.
Two hours later he found himself walking into what passed as a wizarding night club, on one of the side streets from diagon alley. Scabior had, before they left the camp, had preliminary drinks with a few old cronies, who all seemed to be the kind who ran with Greyback’s crowd, confirming Remus’ suspicious about his allegiance. He’d eaten raw meat and swilled ale like an animal before returning to Remus and declaring it was time.
The club was small, not overly crowded either, only a small number of patrons. He’d thought the leaky would do but Scabior had declared that to attract a woman he needed somewhere dark with loud music and Remus couldn’t say that he was wrong do the club it was.
The music was overpowering, the room light by the occasional pulse of light, and dancing in the middle of the floor was Nymphadora Tonks.
Remus let his eyes run over her, drinking her in. She was beautiful, in the wild, abandoned way he remembered. As she danced her head flew from side to side, her hair whipping around her, flashing through different colours. Her shoulders rolled, her hips swayed, it was as thought she was being controlled by the music.
Scaboir let out a low whistle and Remus tensed.
“Would you look at that,” Scabior said, bearing his teeth. “Girls have gone wilder while I’ve been away. What wouldn’t I give to get my teeth into that. Come on, buddy, let’s get a drink.” The word buddy was said in such a mocking, scathing way as to remind Remus of his mission in being here. He coughed, shuck his head and followed Scabior to the bar, though he ordered only a water for himself.
It didn’t take long for Scabiors eyes to wander back to the dance floor, nor Remus’. Tonks was moving more slowly now, dancing with a girlfriend. Their movements were more languid as they shared conversation. Tonks was a beautiful woman, her looks had never factored into his rejection of her, he truly did that out of love.
And now he must tolerate this. A man like this one, looking at her like that. As though he considered her less than the raw meet he’d wolfed down earlier. As though he thought it fair game to do what he liked to her.
Something in Remus’ gut twisted.
“Actually, mate,” Scabior said, and he sounded horribly distracted, “I’ll be back in a tick.”
And then he was off before Remus could form a distraction, striding across the small, uncrowded floor and pressing flush against Tonks’ back. He settled a hand possessively on her hip and Remus felt his throat dry, though he knew drinking the water he’d ordered wouldn’t help in this situation.
Scabior mumbled something in her ear, and Tonks wrinkled her nose for a moment, and then laughed. Scabior grinned and Remus wanted to tear the man’s throat out.
Tonks turned in his grip, her friend forgotten, and began to rub herself against him, and Remus felt his chest tighten. He couldn’t let it continue, he couldn’t. Tonks was, well, she was old enough and strong enough to protect herself but he could she know what Scabior was. She deserved so much more than a quick shag with an escaped felon, she deserved everything. So much more then he could give her, the entire reason he was here now and not there.
Scabior ground against her, obscene, and he wanted to walk over there and punch the man. Maybe he’d been listening to too much of Greyback’s rubbish about letting the wolf to the surface because he certainly felt like a wolf then. Felt like tearing Scabior’s hands from his arms for daring to touch Tonks with them.
He couldn’t, of course, for a multitude of reasons that included how Greyback would hard of his actions and know.
Then, as he watched, Tonks manoeuvred them around so Scabior was back to him, and over the other man’s shoulder she caught his eye. She held his gaze for a second, smiled then leant in and kissed Scabior.
And that was the worst thing, Remus knew. He knew he had only to ask and she’d leave Scabior, he knew she loved him, but he had rejected her in the worst way. He had no right to these emotions, to the desire to protect or love her, for he had rejected her.
More, he knew she knew he was there, she wanted him to do that. She had presumably seem them come in, so had some idea what Scabior was. She wanted Remus to go over there, to stop her, but he couldn’t. It was her life, he had his mission.
He turned back to the bar and drank his water, trying not to think about her, about Scabior, about them together or what he could have had. When he turned back Tonks was gone and Scabior had moved on to the friend, but that did nothing to ease his mind.
Emma//Hufflepuff//(1165/30) = 39 points
Summary: Remus and Scabior walk into a bar.
Characters/Pairings: Remus/Tonks. Tonks/Scabior
Genre: Angst
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 for unsavory thoughts.
Medium: Fic
Word Count:
“Lupin,” a voice called from behind him, and it was only careful practice that kept him from tensing up at the sound. Greyback was not someone he could ever enjoy socialising with, but he wasn’t here to socialise really. He knew war was on the horizon and that every soldier he turned to march for them instead of Voldemort would help to tip the balance, so for now it was vital he blend.
“Greyback,” he said, in what he hoped was an unobjectionable tone. “To what do I owe the pleasure.”
“I have a new associate for you, Lupin,” Greyback said, and Remus looked up to see a man stood behind the other werewolf. He had a mean, thin look that Remus recognised as the sign of a recent escapee from Azkaban, there were far too many of them now. “Meet Scabior, I thought you might want to show him the ropes.”
“Of course, Greyback,” Remus said, appraising Scabior. Remus didn’t like to judge on appearance but those escaped from Azkhaban were harder to turn to his cause and Scabior had a way of standing next to Greyback, a certain relaxed air that spoke of familiarity.
Scabior had been sent to feel him out.
“Right, mate,” Scabior asked, stepping uncomfortable close to Remus as Greyback turned and stalked away. “I’ve just...been away for a while. Could use some local colour, you know. Anywhere around here where a wizard can have a drink?”
“Not around here, only muggle pubs,” Remus said with a dismissive shrug. “Though I suppose we could go into wizard London if you need a drink that badly.”
“I need a drink that badly,” Scabior confirmed with a satisfied scowl. “A drink and a woman, that’s all I need.”
Remus bit back his retort and nodded. He was already wishing he hadn’t suggested it, but if he was right about Scabior being sent to feel him out then, well, he would have to make the sacrifice.
Two hours later he found himself walking into what passed as a wizarding night club, on one of the side streets from diagon alley. Scabior had, before they left the camp, had preliminary drinks with a few old cronies, who all seemed to be the kind who ran with Greyback’s crowd, confirming Remus’ suspicious about his allegiance. He’d eaten raw meat and swilled ale like an animal before returning to Remus and declaring it was time.
The club was small, not overly crowded either, only a small number of patrons. He’d thought the leaky would do but Scabior had declared that to attract a woman he needed somewhere dark with loud music and Remus couldn’t say that he was wrong do the club it was.
The music was overpowering, the room light by the occasional pulse of light, and dancing in the middle of the floor was Nymphadora Tonks.
Remus let his eyes run over her, drinking her in. She was beautiful, in the wild, abandoned way he remembered. As she danced her head flew from side to side, her hair whipping around her, flashing through different colours. Her shoulders rolled, her hips swayed, it was as thought she was being controlled by the music.
Scaboir let out a low whistle and Remus tensed.
“Would you look at that,” Scabior said, bearing his teeth. “Girls have gone wilder while I’ve been away. What wouldn’t I give to get my teeth into that. Come on, buddy, let’s get a drink.” The word buddy was said in such a mocking, scathing way as to remind Remus of his mission in being here. He coughed, shuck his head and followed Scabior to the bar, though he ordered only a water for himself.
It didn’t take long for Scabiors eyes to wander back to the dance floor, nor Remus’. Tonks was moving more slowly now, dancing with a girlfriend. Their movements were more languid as they shared conversation. Tonks was a beautiful woman, her looks had never factored into his rejection of her, he truly did that out of love.
And now he must tolerate this. A man like this one, looking at her like that. As though he considered her less than the raw meet he’d wolfed down earlier. As though he thought it fair game to do what he liked to her.
Something in Remus’ gut twisted.
“Actually, mate,” Scabior said, and he sounded horribly distracted, “I’ll be back in a tick.”
And then he was off before Remus could form a distraction, striding across the small, uncrowded floor and pressing flush against Tonks’ back. He settled a hand possessively on her hip and Remus felt his throat dry, though he knew drinking the water he’d ordered wouldn’t help in this situation.
Scabior mumbled something in her ear, and Tonks wrinkled her nose for a moment, and then laughed. Scabior grinned and Remus wanted to tear the man’s throat out.
Tonks turned in his grip, her friend forgotten, and began to rub herself against him, and Remus felt his chest tighten. He couldn’t let it continue, he couldn’t. Tonks was, well, she was old enough and strong enough to protect herself but he could she know what Scabior was. She deserved so much more than a quick shag with an escaped felon, she deserved everything. So much more then he could give her, the entire reason he was here now and not there.
Scabior ground against her, obscene, and he wanted to walk over there and punch the man. Maybe he’d been listening to too much of Greyback’s rubbish about letting the wolf to the surface because he certainly felt like a wolf then. Felt like tearing Scabior’s hands from his arms for daring to touch Tonks with them.
He couldn’t, of course, for a multitude of reasons that included how Greyback would hard of his actions and know.
Then, as he watched, Tonks manoeuvred them around so Scabior was back to him, and over the other man’s shoulder she caught his eye. She held his gaze for a second, smiled then leant in and kissed Scabior.
And that was the worst thing, Remus knew. He knew he had only to ask and she’d leave Scabior, he knew she loved him, but he had rejected her in the worst way. He had no right to these emotions, to the desire to protect or love her, for he had rejected her.
More, he knew she knew he was there, she wanted him to do that. She had presumably seem them come in, so had some idea what Scabior was. She wanted Remus to go over there, to stop her, but he couldn’t. It was her life, he had his mission.
He turned back to the bar and drank his water, trying not to think about her, about Scabior, about them together or what he could have had. When he turned back Tonks was gone and Scabior had moved on to the friend, but that did nothing to ease his mind.
Emma//Hufflepuff//(1165/30) = 39 points