(no subject)
Title: So This Is The New Year
Author: killerforhire
Ratings/Warnings: PG-13. A curse word.
Prompts: "I'm older than my years
Drowning in my tears
Surrounded by the fear
Since you went away, a year ago
At Christmas."
- New Year - Sugababes
Word Count: 1164
Summary: Tonks spends her New Years' on a mission for the Ministry.
Author’s Note: Set during HBP. Sort-of-kind-of a continuation to this post.
The clock struck midnight and I didn't feel any different. I was still standing in the middle of the woods, hands gripped tightly onto my wand, feet dug deep into the soil, eyes trained on the third tree to the left. My right shin was still bleeding, my abdomen felt like it had been used as a punching bag and my left ring finger seemed like it had been permanantly broken since July.
It doesn't look good to the Ministry to decline a mission, especially when you're already being suspected as a spy. They couldn't help it that there just happened to be a werewolf attack in the woods by Hogsmeade the day before New Years' Eve. And I couldn't help it that I was the only auror who didn't mind spending the holidays on duty. The others deserved to go home. I didn't. I wasn't forced into the situation I was in. It was simply the build up of many choices made along the way.
I heard the wind rustle through the leaves of the trees, some being forced from the branches onto the ground to be pushed along the earth like a tumbleweed.
It was twelve o' one. Time to advance.
I started creeping closer to the third tree to the left. Quietest long steps I ever had to take. I had to rely on the moonlight to illuminate the ground. I hated having to trust the one thing he hated the most but this was a matter of kill or be killed. I'm sure he wouldn't have minded. Unless he wanted me killed, which I wouldn't be surprised if he did. One less person he has to worry about and one more person he has to silently mourn for.
It was an especially rocky terrain. I could have tripped at any moment. But the rocks were put to different use.
Whoever or whatever it was that I was following threw one right at my head.
"Oh don't worry. I won't tell Molly what's going on in Remus' bedroom late at night if you promise to never lead her to my secret stash of whiskey ever again."
"Sirius, I don't LEAD her. You're just shit at thinking of hiding places."
"Alright, well, don't blame me when Molly comes to you furious for making loud noises and ruining Ginny's innocence."
"Ginny's fourteen! She knows about sex!"
"Wait a minute, you two. Who said Tonks and I are going to have sex?"
Tonks and Sirius went silent and stared at Lupin for a moment. Tonks went red in the face. Sirius furrowed his eyebrow as he tried searching for the words.
"I well I uh I just assumed that it would be a natural progression for two good-looking intelligent people like yourselves to get together and carry out nature's will."
"Give nature my deepest regrets but I am feeling very, very tired at the moment. I will see you all in the morning."
If Tonks had ever hoped to be swallowed by the earth whole it would've been then. Lupin stood up from the couch and went up the stairs without looking back.
"Sorry, mate. Rejection is one thing, but rejection from a fool is cruel."
How's that for a New Year? First two hours of it spent unconscious. My eyes opened to the stars and treetops. I couldn't feel any part of my body, it was so cold. I just knew I didn't feel pain and that was much more comforting than feeling anything at all. I turned my head to the right. Nothing there. I turned my head to the left. Nothing there. I used what little strength my stomach muscles had left and sat up on the ground. My wand was by my right foot. It wasn't snapped or damaged in anyway. Surprising. I looked fine. I'm sure the spot where I was bludgeoned by the rock was quite a sight. I looked behind me to see if I had bled onto the dirt. I did. I was scanning around for the weapon when I heard footsteps.
I grabbed my wand. This could be it. I could be done for right here. I'm positive I have a concussion. I'm positive I have significant blood loss. I can't even lift my legs up. I am a sitting duck in the middle of a dark forest. I am a dead woman.
"Why are you here?"
It was that voice. That damned voice. Did he throw the rock at me?
"Nymphadora, answer me."
"Why are you throwing stones in a glass house?"
"What are you talking about?"
Remus walked closer to me from behind. I heard him gasp. I assumed it was because of my head wound the moment he put his hands on the back of my scalp.
"One of the younger ones told me he saw a real, live human. I told him to hush up and not tell lies. What are you doing here? You've already escaped death once tonight. Don't push your luck."
I leaned on my left arm and turned my head around.
"Ministry says there was a werewolf attack in these woods yesterday. I'm the only auror on duty right now. I have to investigate."
"If there was an attack it wasn't coordinated. I would've heard about it... What about the others? Why are you the only one in Hogsmeade?"
"It's New Years', Remus."
Of course he had forgotten to keep track of the days.
"Why aren't you off? You deserve a rest just as everybody else."
"Dark wizards never rest, why should I?"
"Because you do not use dark magic, Nymphadora."
"And you are not a dark creature, Remus."
"We won't speak of that right now."
"And when?"
"At a more fitting time when you are not bleeding profusely from your head and I am not hiding from the watchful eyes of Fenrir Greyback."
"Ah, but I don't care if I am bleeding from the head."
"Ah, but I do."
Remus put his arms around me and told me to close my eyes. I did so. When I felt as if my navel were being pulled by a string I knew he was disapparating me somewhere. I had no balance when we landed so he had to catch me. I opened my eyes.
When I'm old and wrinkly and on my death bed you can ask me to describe the lobby of St. Mungo's and I would vividly recall each and every painting on the wall, how many lamps, the colour of the tile. I'm well-acquainted.
"And this is where I leave you."
"No, don't."
"I've gone too far already."
I had expected him to turn around and walk away without saying good bye. That always seemed to be his style when he judged he had gotten too close to me. But instead he kissed me.
"Get that head checked out."
And this is where he turned around and walked away without saying good bye.
Author: killerforhire
Ratings/Warnings: PG-13. A curse word.
Prompts: "I'm older than my years
Drowning in my tears
Surrounded by the fear
Since you went away, a year ago
At Christmas."
- New Year - Sugababes
Word Count: 1164
Summary: Tonks spends her New Years' on a mission for the Ministry.
Author’s Note: Set during HBP. Sort-of-kind-of a continuation to this post.
The clock struck midnight and I didn't feel any different. I was still standing in the middle of the woods, hands gripped tightly onto my wand, feet dug deep into the soil, eyes trained on the third tree to the left. My right shin was still bleeding, my abdomen felt like it had been used as a punching bag and my left ring finger seemed like it had been permanantly broken since July.
It doesn't look good to the Ministry to decline a mission, especially when you're already being suspected as a spy. They couldn't help it that there just happened to be a werewolf attack in the woods by Hogsmeade the day before New Years' Eve. And I couldn't help it that I was the only auror who didn't mind spending the holidays on duty. The others deserved to go home. I didn't. I wasn't forced into the situation I was in. It was simply the build up of many choices made along the way.
I heard the wind rustle through the leaves of the trees, some being forced from the branches onto the ground to be pushed along the earth like a tumbleweed.
It was twelve o' one. Time to advance.
I started creeping closer to the third tree to the left. Quietest long steps I ever had to take. I had to rely on the moonlight to illuminate the ground. I hated having to trust the one thing he hated the most but this was a matter of kill or be killed. I'm sure he wouldn't have minded. Unless he wanted me killed, which I wouldn't be surprised if he did. One less person he has to worry about and one more person he has to silently mourn for.
It was an especially rocky terrain. I could have tripped at any moment. But the rocks were put to different use.
Whoever or whatever it was that I was following threw one right at my head.
"Oh don't worry. I won't tell Molly what's going on in Remus' bedroom late at night if you promise to never lead her to my secret stash of whiskey ever again."
"Sirius, I don't LEAD her. You're just shit at thinking of hiding places."
"Alright, well, don't blame me when Molly comes to you furious for making loud noises and ruining Ginny's innocence."
"Ginny's fourteen! She knows about sex!"
"Wait a minute, you two. Who said Tonks and I are going to have sex?"
Tonks and Sirius went silent and stared at Lupin for a moment. Tonks went red in the face. Sirius furrowed his eyebrow as he tried searching for the words.
"I well I uh I just assumed that it would be a natural progression for two good-looking intelligent people like yourselves to get together and carry out nature's will."
"Give nature my deepest regrets but I am feeling very, very tired at the moment. I will see you all in the morning."
If Tonks had ever hoped to be swallowed by the earth whole it would've been then. Lupin stood up from the couch and went up the stairs without looking back.
"Sorry, mate. Rejection is one thing, but rejection from a fool is cruel."
How's that for a New Year? First two hours of it spent unconscious. My eyes opened to the stars and treetops. I couldn't feel any part of my body, it was so cold. I just knew I didn't feel pain and that was much more comforting than feeling anything at all. I turned my head to the right. Nothing there. I turned my head to the left. Nothing there. I used what little strength my stomach muscles had left and sat up on the ground. My wand was by my right foot. It wasn't snapped or damaged in anyway. Surprising. I looked fine. I'm sure the spot where I was bludgeoned by the rock was quite a sight. I looked behind me to see if I had bled onto the dirt. I did. I was scanning around for the weapon when I heard footsteps.
I grabbed my wand. This could be it. I could be done for right here. I'm positive I have a concussion. I'm positive I have significant blood loss. I can't even lift my legs up. I am a sitting duck in the middle of a dark forest. I am a dead woman.
"Why are you here?"
It was that voice. That damned voice. Did he throw the rock at me?
"Nymphadora, answer me."
"Why are you throwing stones in a glass house?"
"What are you talking about?"
Remus walked closer to me from behind. I heard him gasp. I assumed it was because of my head wound the moment he put his hands on the back of my scalp.
"One of the younger ones told me he saw a real, live human. I told him to hush up and not tell lies. What are you doing here? You've already escaped death once tonight. Don't push your luck."
I leaned on my left arm and turned my head around.
"Ministry says there was a werewolf attack in these woods yesterday. I'm the only auror on duty right now. I have to investigate."
"If there was an attack it wasn't coordinated. I would've heard about it... What about the others? Why are you the only one in Hogsmeade?"
"It's New Years', Remus."
Of course he had forgotten to keep track of the days.
"Why aren't you off? You deserve a rest just as everybody else."
"Dark wizards never rest, why should I?"
"Because you do not use dark magic, Nymphadora."
"And you are not a dark creature, Remus."
"We won't speak of that right now."
"And when?"
"At a more fitting time when you are not bleeding profusely from your head and I am not hiding from the watchful eyes of Fenrir Greyback."
"Ah, but I don't care if I am bleeding from the head."
"Ah, but I do."
Remus put his arms around me and told me to close my eyes. I did so. When I felt as if my navel were being pulled by a string I knew he was disapparating me somewhere. I had no balance when we landed so he had to catch me. I opened my eyes.
When I'm old and wrinkly and on my death bed you can ask me to describe the lobby of St. Mungo's and I would vividly recall each and every painting on the wall, how many lamps, the colour of the tile. I'm well-acquainted.
"And this is where I leave you."
"No, don't."
"I've gone too far already."
I had expected him to turn around and walk away without saying good bye. That always seemed to be his style when he judged he had gotten too close to me. But instead he kissed me.
"Get that head checked out."
And this is where he turned around and walked away without saying good bye.