The Long Fight of Nymphadora Tonks

Chapter 9: What a Werewolf Must Do

The kitchen of The Burrow was emptying gradually. Arthur and Bill had left for work and Mundungus was just sidling out of the door under Molly Weasley's stern eyes and reprimands. Tonks was absent-mindedly drawing circles on the table with her knife and Molly, having seen Mundungus safely out of her kitchen, sat down opposite her and studied her sympathetically.

"Sure you won't have a cup of tea, dear?" she asked for the umpteenth time.

"No thanks, Molly," said Tonks glumly. "I should be getting to work myself."

"Do you really think you ought to go in today? You don't look well. Maybe you'd be better off in bed. I could fix up Ginny's room for you."

Tonks shook her mousy brown head. "I'm all right," she said. "It's just ... just ..."

"I know what it is. You're worried, aren't you? Well, I can't say I blame you. I would be too, if it was Arthur. But dear, you've got to tell yourself ..."

"What are you talking about?" Tonks asked, genuinely surprised. "What should I be worrying about?"

Molly became flustered. "You mean you're not ... this isn't because ... Why, don't you know?"

"Know what? Molly? Molly, what is it?" Tonks questioned, her anxiety growing with every heartbeat.

Awkwardly, Molly began telling her, "Well, it's just that Albus came round the other night while Remus was here and gave him a new mission. He said it was up to Remus whether he took it on or not, of course, but you know Remus ... he accepted, naturally, and he's starting today."

"Starting what?"

"Going to a meeting of werewolves. Under Fenrir Greyback."

Tonks felt as though she might faint. She dropped her knife with a clutter and stared at Molly, speechless. Then she leapt to her feet, knocking over her chair, and ran out of the kitchen door, letting it bang shut behind her before Molly had even started calling her name.

Remus was just securing his wand to his belt when the banging started on his door. He stood close to it and asked cautiously,

"Who's there?"

"It's me, open this bloody door at once!" yelled the voice of Nymphadora Tonks.

He obeyed reluctantly and was not surprised when she stormed right past him into the dim hall and turned her blazing eyes on him.

"How could you?!" she screamed. "How could you decide to do this without talking to me, without so much as telling me about it?!"

"Nymphadora ..."

"Don't call me that!" she snapped. "If you can't show concern for my feelings in any other way, at least be good enough not to call me by a name I hate!"

"Tonks, I didn't want you to worry ..."

"Worry? Worry?! Why should I worry about you, what's the point? You don't worry about breaking my heart, why should I worry if you're so keen on breaking your neck?!"

"Come here," he said gently and stepped towards her.

Tonks tried to twist out of his reach, but he had her in his arms too quickly and she couldn't fight him like this, not when she could feel his precious warmth flooding her every nerve.

"Please don't do this," she begged meekly, tightening one fist round his jacket. "If they find out what you're doing, they'll kill you."

"Perhaps," he said slowly, "that would be for the best. Then you could really be free."

She pushed him away from her angrily. "Go ahead and get yourself killed, then, if you're so eager!" she screamed, and flung herself out the door in tears.