Now and Forever

Chapter 8

Tonks sat up in bed, listening hard, then poked Remus. "Wake up! Something's wrong with Harry!" She got out of bed as she spoke and hurried toward the door.

Instantly awake, Remus got up and ran after her. Remus knocked on Harry's door. "Harry? Are you OK?" No response. He opened the door. Harry lay on his side on the floor, thrashing about oddly. Remus crossed the room in three quick strides and knelt beside his godson.

Tonks flicked her wand, turning on the bedroom's lamps, then knelt beside her husband, who was bent over Harry now.

Harry's face was contorted, his mouth opening and closing as if he were shrieking in pain, but the only sound coming from him was an occasional agonized squeak. His face was blue.

"He's choking!" Tonks said just as Remus cast the spell to remove an object from someone's throat. Nothing happened.

Remus shook his head. "That should've worked!" He ran his hands over Harry's neck. Just behind the ear, he stopped. "Bloody hell. He's done his gill transformation in his sleep. Finite Incantatem!"

Remus checked to see if the gills had disappeared, but nothing had happened. Harry's face was a darker blue than before. "I don't know how to reverse this spell!" He shook Harry's shoulder. "Harry! Wake up! I can't reverse the spell!"

When Harry didn't wake up, Remus turned to Tonks. "Fill the bathtub! Hurry! We only have minutes to save him! He needs to be submerged in water so he can breathe." He ripped Harry's pyjama top open and pulled it off, looking for wounds, but found nothing.

Tonks ran to the bathroom, turned on the tub's taps and aimed her wand at the flowing water. "Aguamente Maxima!" The water in the tub tripled in depth instantly and the flow from the taps went from normal to a gush worthy of a burst water main. She turned off the water just as Remus entered the bathroom carrying Harry in his arms.

Remus placed his godson in the tub, then pressed on Harry's shoulders to keep him submerged.

The gills fluttering motion instantly became a steady pattern. Harry's colour improved and the strained look on his face relaxed.

"Harry? Wake up, lad," Remus said. "You need to remove your gills. Harry? Harry?" He shook the young man's shoulders and called more loudly, but Harry was still unresponsive.

"I have an idea," Tonks said. "Lift his head out of the water for a second."

When Remus had Harry's head clear of the water, Tonks said, "Forgive me, luv," and slapped him as hard as she could. "Wake up!" When he didn't waken, she slapped him again.

Harry's eyes fluttered open, then widened as he fought for breath.

Remus pushed Harry back underwater and held him there.

Harry's eyes filled with alarm. He fought Remus's grip, trying to get free.

Remus leaned over Harry so the young man could see him as clearly as possible. "You're going to be all right, Harry. You've done your gill transformation and I can't reverse it. That's why I'm holding you underwater. Can you change back?"

Harry stared at his godfather a moment, looking confused, before he nodded.

"Right, then," Remus said. "Let me get you clear of the water before you change. Hold your breath."

Harry held his breath and Remus lifted his head and shoulders out of the water. An instant later, the gills were gone and he took a deep breath.

Remus helped him to a sitting position in the tub, while Tonks drained it. "Just rest a few minutes, lad," Remus said. "You've been through an ordeal."

Harry sat there panting. "Th-th-thanks." He rubbed his cheek, which still bore a bright red handprint from Tonks slapping him. "What happened?"

"You tell us," Tonks said. "You can wait until you catch your breath though, luv. And I'm sorry for slapping you, but you weren't waking up and we couldn't reverse the spell."

"Is that why--?"

"Yeah, I whacked you a good one. Had to do it twice to wake you."

The corners of his mouth twitched into a tiny smile. "Thanks. Guess I needed it."

Remus helped the young man stand. "Careful, move slowly. You don't want to get dizzy and fall." Once Harry was out of the tub, Remus wrapped him in a towel and helped him dry off. Tonks left and came back with a set of dry pyjamas for Harry. Remus helped him dress and led him back to his room, where Tonks was waiting.

"Let's check your poor head for lumps," Tonks said when Harry was settled back in bed. "A thump is what woke me. That must've been you falling out of bed." As she spoke, she ran her fingers through his hair. "Uh-huh. There we are. That's the size of a goose egg. You probably hit the night table when you fell." She aimed her wand at the small table, scooting it a few feet away from his bed. "I'll go and get a cold cloth for you, sweets."

Remus checked the lump as well, then had Harry follow the movement of Remus's finger with his eyes and asked him several questions to check for concussion. Finally, he nodded. "I think it's just a bruise."

"So no hospital?" Harry said, a hopeful light in his eyes.

"Not this time. Good thing your head is so hard."

A grin flashed across Harry's face for a moment.

Tonks returned with a small vial of potion and a flannel wrapped around a piece of ice. "Here we go. Drink this headache potion, and I'll put this on the lump." As soon as Harry drank his potion, she put the ice-filled cloth against Harry's head and put a Temporary Sticking Charm on it to hold it in place.

"I think my heart may be almost back to normal," she said with a cheeky grin as he settled back in bed. "You scared me half to death! Don't do that!"

"Sorry." Harry looked truly chagrined.

"I'm teasing you, handsome," she said, kissing his forehead. "I'm just glad you're OK."

"Me too."

"What were you dreaming about, Harry? Do you remember?" Remus said.

Harry squinted, as if trying to see his dream in the distance. "Someone bound me up and threw me in the lake. I was drowning, so I did my gill transformation, but it didn't help."

"You were drowning," Remus said, "but you were drowning in air, the way a fish does. And somebody did attack you and throw you in the lake at Hogwarts, do you remember? They beat you up and put several badly cast spells on you. The merpeople saved you."

Harry shuddered. "Yeah, I do remember that." He swallowed hard, then looked at Remus again. "That's not a battle memory. Why would I dream about that?"

"That was another horrible experience you had," Remus replied. "It was nightmarish enough, I'm not that surprised that you dreamed about it."

"I hope I don't dream about it again."

"Me too!" Tonks said. "Go to sleep and dream pleasant things, OK?"

"I'll try."

Tonks grinned suddenly. She enjoyed trying her mothering skills out on Harry, and he soaked up the attention like the love-starved waif he'd been as a child. "Oh, I know what to do. Get comfy."

Harry smiled, then turned on his side so the ice pack wasn't against the pillow. He settled down in the bed a bit more and watched her expectantly.

"Are you as comfortable as you can be now?" Tonks said, smoothing her hand over his hair.

He blushed a bit at her attention, but gave her a warm smile. "Yeah. That feels good."

"Perfect! Close those gorgeous eyes of yours, luv. I'll have you asleep in no time."

Harry gave her a sceptical look.

"Trust me on this. I'm a mother. I know what I'm doing!"

Harry smiled at her. "OK. My fate is in your hands."

"Wise decision. Close your eyes and relax, OK?" She continued to stroke his hair and began singing softly.

"Hush, little wizard, close your eyes,

Mummy's going to sing you a lullaby--"

Harry's eyes flew open and he lay staring at her.

Tonks gave him an aggrieved look. "My voice isn't that bad! Go to sleep!"

He grinned. "No, your voice is nice. I was just surprised."

Because that awful aunt of yours never sang to you, your poor lamb. I'll give you all the mothering she didn't, luv, don't you worry! She didn't want to say anything so serious and make him think about unpleasant things, so she put on an impish grin and teased him instead. "What did I tell you about those beautiful eyes of yours? Stop distracting me! I have work to do!"

Harry smiled at her silliness, then obediently closed his eyes and relaxed.

"Hush, little wizard, close your eyes.

Mummy's going to sing you a lullaby.

Cuddle up my darling, there's magic in the air

Fly away to dreamland with nary a care.

No need to worry, Mummy's staying near

Watching o'er her precious little wizard dear."

As Tonks sang to him, she stroked his hair all the while, soothing him just as she soothed Matthew. Finally, Harry was asleep. His right hand fell to the side and lay open with the branded phoenixes and griffins showing plainly against the pale skin of his palm. Tonks felt tears prick her eyes. He'd been through so many horrors. How were she and Remus supposed to help him heal? She bent over and kissed his temple and tucked him in a bit more.

"I love you, Harry, so much, you just don't know," she whispered as she kissed him again. "Sleep well." She smoothed his hair one last time, then stepped away from him. She felt an arm come around her shoulders and looked up at her husband, who gently wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Well done, Mum," Remus whispered in her ear before kissing her forehead, making her smile again.

Tonks slid her arm around her husband's waist and watched her godson sleep. Hoping his dreams would be pleasant, she turned with Remus and quietly left the room.