No Ordinary Love

No Ordinary Love

Chapter Nine: Sleep Instead Of Teardrops

By Time And Tide

After the meeting:

"I'll have to resign."

"The hell you will."

"Arthur, you saw what happened! How am I supposed to face everyone after this?"

Remus Lupin allowed himself to be guided back into the now empty kitchen of the Burrow and sat down heavily at the large table. Beside him, Arthur Weasley placed an unopened bottle of single malt whiskey and two shot glasses.

"All of what? Tonks reacting to your being sent off on a potential suicide mission? She was hardly the only one it took by surprise. Is it her fault somehow for caring about you?"

Remus poured himself a generous shot of the amber liquid before releasing an exasperated sigh.

"We both know that it's more than that, Arthur. She's obviously still clinging to the idea that there's still hope for us, for our relationship. She's not thinking clearly."

A sudden grip on his arm stopped Remus from downing his drink. Arthur's strong hold on him added an extra sense of urgency to his words.

"And you are?"

Before Remus could be allowed a response, Molly Weasley thundered into the kitchen.

"Remus Lupin, what exactly do you think you're playing at? Can't you see what you're doing to poor Nymphadora?"

Remus' face dropped even further. Arthur could raise some wind, but Molly? She could be a veritable hurricane once she got started.

"Molly, there are more important things to focus on than my love life, or lack of one. Tonks is a strong woman, she'll be fine."

Molly was now standing over the still seated Remus. Even with her relatively short stature, both men felt more than a little intimidated.

"Fine? FINE? Does she seem fine to you? The poor girl's heart is broken because you're too pig headed to see what's right in front of you!"

Remus sighed.

"Molly, there is nothing wrong with my vision. I can see what's before me quite well, thank you."

Going the sarcastic route with an already upset Molly Weasley, as any of her family could tell you, was never a good idea.

"Don't you patronize me, Remus Lupin! Nymphadora cares about you, and all you can do is push her away? Don't you think she deserves more than that? Don't you care about her at all?"

Remus felt his adrenaline level begin to rise. It was the same feeling he got when he was in the early stages of transforming.

"Of course I care!"

Molly, although not afflicted with lycanthropy, felt her own adrenaline level spike.

"Then act like it!"

"I am!"

"How?"

"By trying to keep her safe!"

"So, you don't think she can take care of herself?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then why do you feel like you have to protect her?"

"Because I love her!"

And then there was silence. In comparison to the previous yelling, the silence seemed no less powerful. Arthur sat looking at his wife. Molly stood looking down at Remus. Remus sat looking at his own reflection in his glass. He had just admitted out loud what his mind had refused to even consider, and no amount of false delusions could undo what was done.

"Remus, I'm so sor..."

"Molly, could you give Remus and I a moment?"

Molly turned watery eyes toward her husband.

"Arthur, I'm..."

"Molly, please."

Molly Weasley wanted nothing more than to sit down and interrogate Remus further about his feelings. Only her love and trust for her husband could cause her to pass up such an opportunity. She would act affronted by his directive, of course, but in truth she rather liked it when her usually passive husband took charge. It made her feel like a submissive innocent, which in itself was quite a transformation.

Once it was only the two of them in the kitchen, Arthur stood and walked over to peer out of the kitchen window. Silence hung in the air between the two men until Remus could no longer endure it.

"Arthur, I know you mean well, you both do, but I'm not going to change my mind."

Arthur kept his face towards the window as he spoke.

"I know. To be honest, I think you're doing the right thing."

A shocked gasp sounded from just outside the kitchen. To no real surprise, Molly hadn't gone very far.

"Arthur, you can't seriously think..."

Her husband cut her off.

"Molly, Remus has made his choice, and we should all respect it."

A greatly relieved Remus smiled as he thanked his friend for coming to his defense.

"Thank you, Arthur. I knew that you'd understand."

His smile was not returned.

"Yes, I do understand. I just wish that your parents had made such a wise decision."

The smile now vanished from Lupin's face.

"What are you talking about?"

Arthur's uncharacteristically cold eyes bore deeply into Remus' own.

"Your parents, Remus. If they had been as wise as you are being now then you wouldn't be a werewolf."

A slight frown now developed on Lupin's face.

"I don't see how..."

Arthur continued to talk right over him.

"They knew that defying Voldemort was dangerous, and they did it anyway. Their actions resulted in what you are today. Greyback would have never targeted you if it hadn't been for the mistakes your parents made."

The frown deepened.

"What's that supposed to mean? My parents would have never..."

"And then, even after sentencing their own son to a life of misery, they continued in their futile opposition of Voldemort. If they had truly cared about you at all they would have just gone into hiding like so many others did, but they didn't. If they would have just seen things logically they would still be alive today, and you wouldn't be the monster you are!"

The next series of events happened so fast that it was impossible to determine what order they happened in. The result was that Remus now had Arthur pinned to the wall with his wand held to his throat. The sound of Molly's terrified scream was barely discernible over the sound of the heavy oaken table and chairs being pushed aside as if weightless. The only sound Arthur could hear was that of his own heart pounding madly in his chest. The look in Remus' eyes was that of a man unhinged.

"How dare you? How dare you say such things about my parents? You were their friend! You know they were brave! You know they loved me, they loved one another! Nothing could have kept them from fighting for something they believed in!"

The longer Remus yelled, the more menacing his voice became. Arthur's face was turning more and more red from the growing lack of oxygen to his brain. Molly could only look on in stunned horror at the horrible sight before her. Using the last of his breath, Arthur spoke what could have been his final words.

"Just... like you... and Tonks."

Remus reclaimed control of his actions just in time to see his friend's eyes roll into the back of his head. Immediately releasing the grip he'd held on his throat, Remus pulled Arthur's limp body into a tight embrace. Asking Molly to bring him a pepper-up potion just in case, the former professor loosened the top button on Arthur's jacket and cast the spell for rapid respiration recovery. He had last needed to use that spell on James when he had attempted to collect ink from the giant squid back in their fourth year. They had planned to have Peeves drop it on Snape's head, but the source of the ink had not been very agreeable to their plan. In the end, James had nearly drowned and Remus had sworn off calamari.

"Arthur, are you all right? Arthur, answer me!"

Arthur's eyes fluttered open and a weak smile appeared upon his lips.

"I was thinking of moving that table, anyway."

A prolonged silence fell over the room before it was broken by the laughter of the three adults present. After they had managed to compose themselves, Remus released Arthur from his hug and dropped his eyes to the floor.

"I'm sorry Arthur. I apologize to the both of you. I've been a coward and a fool. I wish I did have the strength that my parents had, and the courage. Tonks isn't going to stop fighting, and neither am I. So, since we're both in this until the end, we may as well be in this together. Running away isn't going to solve anything, and it won't help keep us alive."

Molly wiped a tear from her eye as her husband placed a comforting hand upon his friends shoulder.

"Remus, your parents would be very proud of you. You're a good man. A good man, and a good friend. If any of us truly deserve happiness, it's you. So, as your friend, I have one more piece of advice for you."

"What's that, Arthur?"

Arthur laughed and nudged him towards the fireplace.

"That you march yourself right over to a certain someone's apartment and beg forgiveness. It's always worked for me."

Mr. Weasley put his arm around his wife and kissed her on the cheek. As her own face reddened, Remus laughed and stepped into the hearth. Then, with a pinch of floo powder and a wolfish grin, he was gone. Back in the kitchen, Molly and Arthur watched as he disappeared in a flash of green flames.

"Do you think Tonks will forgive him, Arthur?"

"I think so. Remus just needs to be himself and say what's in his heart."

Molly pondered over everything that Remus had said to them before coming back to something that her husband had said a moment ago. A mischievous smile suddenly appeared upon her lips.

"Arthur Weasley, have you forgotten our anniversary again?"

A sudden wave of panic washed over the red-haired wizard. A wave of confusion soon followed as he remembered that their anniversary wasn't for several months yet, and that he had never forgotten one. Fortunately, the penny finally dropped when he saw the look in his wife's eyes that he had come to know, and love, so well.

"Good gracious, so I have! With all of this worry over Remus' domestic happiness I seem to have been neglecting my own. I have foolishly been neglecting you, my love. Please, won't you find it in your heart to forgive me? I promise I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you."

Arthur clasped his hands together as if in prayer and gave Molly his best puppy dog eyes. That was all it took. The game was over.

"Upstairs. Now."

***

Remus was still grinning when he arrived in Tonks' fireplace.

That grin vanished as he took in the sight before him.

Tonks' small apartment could be described as "cozy", or "lived in." A more accurate description, however, would be "messy."

All the lights were out in the tiny flat, but Remus needed no time for his eyes to adjust. As a lycanthrope, he could see the heat put off by animals, including humans. The combinations of differing smells present gave him a pretty good idea of what had occurred here in the last few hours. Andromeda had been here, as made evident by the smell of the perfume she had been wearing ever since she had married Ted. It was a Muggle perfume that Remus had never cared much for. He could also make out the scent of medicinal potions and single malt whiskey. Tonks had apparently decided to have a nightcap before going to bed. Finding the bottle on the nightstand, he suspected that she'd had more than one. Scotch was also a muggle product, but Remus had always been much fonder of it than that Chanel stuff Andromeda sloshed on. He could also pick up countless incidental noises around the place. Despite all of this, only one sight and sound mattered to Remus.

Tonks was crying.