Growing - Chapter Eight
Aug. 11th, 2006 02:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meddowYes, I am still working on this.
Growing (8/18)
Chapter Eight – Blue Lady
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Chapter Summary: A Death Eater attack on Hogsmeade has a profound effect on the Tonks family. And Neville is forced to confront his new-found fear of werewolves when one shows up on the doorstep.
Author's Notes: Thank you very much to Nathaniel for betaing.
Previous Chapter
~*~*~*~
Neville jumped out of bed immediately and headed for the door. As he opened it he saw Ted and Andromeda rush past. Andromeda was struggling to cover her nightdress with a dressing gown as she headed down the stairs, her hair flying in all directions.
“How many were injured?” Andromeda was asking Ted breathlessly.
“I don’t know. They didn’t say,” he replied distraughtly.
“How many were killed?”
“They didn’t say.”
Neville followed, wanting to see if Tonks was okay. They all headed into the lounge where the radio was playing a tune Neville recognised as belonging to the Weird Sisters. Ted and Andromeda stood before it. Ted looked incredibly tired. His usual dependable smile had disappeared, making him seem much older. All the blood had drained from Andromeda’s face. She shook slightly as she stood there waiting for the news announcer to come back on while a happy tune played in the background. Ted held on to her, arm around her shoulders.
Finally, Andromeda spoke, her voice shaky. “This isn’t doing any bloody good. I’m going to St Mungo’s.”
“Right now?” Ted asked weakly. Andromeda looked in no state to leave the house.
“Yes now!” She grabbed a handful of powder, pointed her wand at the fireplace igniting it with a roar. She threw the powder onto the lapping flames and walked into the fireplace.
“Hold the fort please, Neville,” Ted said as he followed his wife.
Neville remained standing in the lounge, the happy tune on the radio was now drawing to an end. Not knowing what to do he decided to make breakfast.
Aurors were dying every day. It was war and they were doing the brunt of the fighting and protecting. Neville knew many were killed, his parents had paid a high price, but it had never been so close to home. He had not remembered his parents wearing their uniforms; he only saw them as Aurors in pictures. But Tonks, he knew her. He had seen her work. He knew the people she cared about and the people that cared about her. All the Aurors who had appeared in the Daily Prophet, the ones that were being awarded their Orders of Merlin posthumously, they all had people that knew them and that cared about them, Neville realised.
Neville just wished he had cared more about them. Maybe Tonks’ life being in question was some sort of revenge because he had read over their deaths with relief in his heart that it was someone else. Not someone he knew.
As Neville prized bacon pieces apart and laid them on a baking tray he wished that he had mourned for each and every one of them to spare the life of one young woman.
~*~*~*~
Some minutes later the radio news came on again.
“In breaking news, You-Know-Who’s forces have attacked homes on southern side of Hogsmeade village. Reports are emerging that Aurors arrived on the scene before widespread loss of life could occur though they sustained casualties and two are confirmed dead at the scene. It is not known how many casualties You-Know-Who’s forced have sustained… Meanwhile in Shropshire, another attack has occurred on a Muggleborn’s family…”
Neville switched it off. He did not want to hear anymore. Three plates were now set with eggs and bacon on them. It was the first time Neville had made scrambled eggs by himself, but that did not occur to him as he stared at the fireplace.
Soon he heard a rustle and a poof and Ted emerged from the fireplace, slightly sooty and with a grim expression on his face. Andromeda walked out from behind him.
“She was involved but she’s fine.” Ted attempted to smile as he said this, but the air of misery never left his face. Neville felt his hopes lift. He strained his neck to look behind Andromeda to see if Tonks had come with them.
“Nymphadora’s debriefing at Auror headquarters. It’s all routine,” Andromeda said quietly as she wandered like a spectre towards the door leading towards the dining room, never looking a Neville. “Oh, you made breakfast. Thank you, Neville,” she said in much the same manor.
Ted walked past Neville, looking glum. “Thanks, Neville.”
They all sat down in quietly, the only sound was knives and forks scraping over the plate. Neville wanted to say something, anything to end the silence, but couldn’t really think of anything.
Finally Ted leaned back against his chair, and announced with a sigh, “Well, this is one brilliant birthday.”
~*~*~*~
Andromeda did not seem to rest for anyone. No sooner than breakfast had finished, then she was dressed and in her greenhouse.
“Look at this mess,” she said to Neville, who had joined her. “I think its time for a big clean up.” She grabbed a nearby potted Mandrake and begun to move it out of the way and proceeded on a one woman cleaning spree, moving cleaning and replacing with incredible speed. Neville tried his best to keep up, and came very close to breaking a number of pots because he was so flustered.
But Andromeda continued to clean and clean; even parts of the greenhouse Neville thought were already spotless and by Andromeda’s standards too, not just his. Finally, while moving pots from one workbench to another, Neville tripped. The pot containing a number of belladonna seedlings went flying, and smashed all over a section of floor Andromeda had already cleaned.
Neville rushed over the clean up the soil, not being very effective since he could not use cleaning spells like Andromeda. “No, no, Neville. Leave it to me,” Andromeda announced as she pushed him out of the way. She crouched down on the floor and started grabbing up the shards of ceramic.
And then she just stopped.
Andromeda let out a sob. Neville could see her chest heaving up and down. Andromeda was crying and he did not know what to do.
“Are you alright?” he asked pathetically.
Andromeda didn’t make any indication back. Neville crouched down next to her. Tears were streaming from her eyes, and she was biting her lip, trying to prevent her self from making any noise.
Neville did not know what to do, but he knew someone who did. “I’m going to go get Ted,” he said, placing an uncomfortable hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
Neville pulled himself up and ran out of the greenhouse. Kicking his wellingtons off he ran through the house, finding Ted in the garage, leaning against a workbench and staring into nothing.
“Andromeda…” Neville panted, “Andromeda…is…upset.”
Ted snapped out of his trance and looked at Neville. His eyes were red.
“Where?”
“Greenhouse.”
Neville followed Ted as far as the back door, and watched from the door way as Ted found his wife still on the floor, scooped her up and engulfed her in a hug.
~*~*~*~
Things remained subdued around the Tonks household after Ted and Andromeda emerged from the greenhouse. Ted went back to working in his garage and later went to work in the kitchen on his birthday meal while Andromeda sat at the kitchen table writing letters.
Neville raided Andromeda’s collection of herbology books, finding that he had read most of them all ready and so contented himself with reading Most Potent Potions, to see what potions all the plants he spend so much time tending were used in. Neville was not a great fan of potions, especially since Professor Snape had spent five years terrorising him (and then a further year in Defence against the Dark Arts). Neville would spend so much time worrying about what awful things Snape would do should Neville make a mistake that Neville forgot to concentrate on the task at hand and inevitably add the wrong ingredient or break something and Snape would terrorise him some more. But just reading a book about potions did not bother Neville too much; so long as Snape did not show up on the Tonks’ doorstep he was fine.
Just then the doorbell rang, and Neville’s stomach lurched. Surely not, Death Eaters did not just ring the doorbell when the showed up. Neville now knew this as a certainty.
Ted and Andromeda rushed down the corridor, and Neville got up to look who it was out of curiosity.
“Wotcher,” came Tonk’s voice from the doorway.
“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Tonks,” a familiar man’s voice spoke. Professor Lupin was there too.
Neville wandered over to the doorway, keeping a distance so not to intrude on a family moment. Tonks was engulfed in a hug from her mother, Neville noticed her hair was currently navy blue, but that was all he could make of her. Andromeda stood back, he gaze on Professor Lupin, who was rather thin and worn out and looking sheepishly back at Andromeda.
Ted stood back. “I’m glad you made it.”
“It takes more than a Death Eater attack to keep me away from my Dad’s birthday,” Tonks joked weakly. Neville got a good glimpse of her; she looked very pale and very tired. There was a rather large bruise on the left side of her face, from the cheek to her jaw.
“Wotcher Neville,” Tonks called over her fathers shoulder.
“Hello Neville,” Professor Lupin said as well, noticing Neville standing there.
“Come in, dinner should be ready soon.” Ted herded his daughter and her friend into the lounge and headed back to the kitchen. Andromeda followed him, intending to help out, leaving Neville alone with the odd couple.
“How are you Neville?” Professor Lupin asked.
“I’m fine,” Neville replied. The last time Neville had really talked to Professor Lupin was before Neville had found out he was a werewolf. Now having had first hand experience with werewolves and knowing that Professor Lupin had been lurking around the grounds in that state made him look at the man differently. Underneath his calm demeanour was a beast that could, and would, kill.
Tonks had grabbed the potions book Neville had been reading off the coffee table and was flicking through it with her good arm, seemingly oblivious to the world. Lupin kept on glancing at her worriedly.
“And how’s your Gran?” Professor Lupin enquired again.
“She’s okay,” Neville replied again, the last report he had received from Blinky was that she was going out a lot, keeping herself busy, but she thought Professor McGonagall’s summer home was a bit on the small side.
Professor Lupin shifted around uncomfortably. Neville realised that he must know what Neville was thinking about him. And between him, Tonks who was acting unusually and Andromeda who seemed to dislike him, it was very brave for the Professor to be there. Neville decided it would not really hurt to talk to him.
“Will you be teaching at Hogwarts again this year, Professor?” Neville asked, wondering whether he would like the answer if it were yes.
“I’m not a Professor anymore, Neville, you can call me Remus, and it’s no,” Lupin replied.
“The Ministry won’t allow him to,” Tonks volunteered from her book. She was flicking through it too fast to be reading it, and once she finished, she would just start again at the first page.
“Well, you’ve been one of the best we’ve ever had,” Neville said truthfully. Werewolf aside, he was a good teacher. Better then Umbridge, Lockheart and Quirrell for sure.
“Thank you,” Lupin replied.
“That doesn’t matter to them,” Tonks added bitterly.
The room fell silent again, Lupin still looking uncomfortable. “Did those jeans I bought you fit?” Tonks finally asked.
“What?” Neville asked, wondering what on earth ‘jeans’ were.
“Blue trousers? Because I can always transfigure them to a different size if you want?”
Neville remembered the package she had sent him. “Yeah, they fit well.”
“Great,“ Tonks replied, making a rather forced looking smile. Tonks suddenly got to her feet and headed for the kitchen. “I wonder if they need any help,” she said as an explanation for her behaviour.
Lupin got up to his feet, obviously wondering whether to follow her or not and sat back down deciding against it.
“Tonks is just a bit upset at the moment,” Lupin volunteered.
Ted popped in from the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready.”
Andromeda and Tonks were already sitting at the table not saying a word to each other. It amazed Neville that Andromeda, who had rushed to St. Mungo’s that morning and had spent the morning crying over the daughter she so obviously loved dearly, was not talking to her. It seemed absurd. But Tonks was not making much of an effort at communication either.
Ted piled slices of lasagne and salad onto their plates and dinner was spent in relative silence.
“Will you be working?” Andromeda asked, breaking the silence.
“No…They’ve given me a week off,” Tonks replied, not looking above her food. “And my good wands broken so I’m practically useless anyway.”
The silence continued.
“So…Remus, what are you up to these days?” Ted enquired. Andromeda glanced at Ted.
“Oh, doing odd jobs around the place,” Lupin replied. “How is the charms business going?”
“Well, haven’t made a breakthrough on anything lately. To be honest, it’s more like a hobby these days then…”
Ted paused half way through his sentence to a clang coming from Tonks, she had dropped her fork, she hung her head much like Neville had seen her mother do earlier that day.
“I’m sorry…,” she whispered amongst sobs. “I’m sorry…I just…it’s just.”
Lupin, Ted and Andromeda were all on their feet, but Lupin got there sooner, and wrapped his arms around Tonks.
“Come on,” Neville heard him whisper. “Is there anywhere private we can go?” he asked Ted.
“Yes. Dora’s room,” Ted replied look of deep concern on his face. Andromeda glanced at him again but didn’t say a word.
Ted and Andromeda stood by as Lupin ushered Tonks out of the room and towards the staircase. Silence continued. Neville wondered whether he should go to his room, but that would mean passing by Tonks and Lupin who clearly needed time alone.
“I know what you think, Andromeda, but I just don’t care anymore,” Ted suddenly announced.
“It’s not that simple,” Andromeda replied.
“Of course it’s that bloody simple! She’s your daughter. You love her.” Anger lined Ted’s voice. “I want to spend time with my daughter, Andi, and if you will have to just get over who she chooses to love.”
“So I’m just supposed to sit back and watch as my daughter throws her life away? Is that what you want Ted?” Andromeda raised her voice in reply.
“Yes! Yes, that’s what I want. If you think she’s throwing her life away then I want you to not only stand back and watch, but to support her in doing it, because I love you, and I love her, and I don’t want to choose, but if it means spending one more moment with my daughter before… before something truly awful happens to her, then, then so help me, Andromeda, you don’t want me to choose!” Ted walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.
Andromeda stared at his back while he did so.
“Are you alright?” Neville asked, quite in shock at what he had just witnessed.
“I have to go,” she said and walked out, following her husband.
Neville sat at the table alone and finished his meal. He begun to tidy up, making sure not to throw out the food that had tasted wonderful. As he did so, he noticed the cake Ted had made for himself the day before remained untouched on the kitchen bench.
Just when he was finishing, Lupin appeared in the kitchen. “Hello Neville…I was just looking for Andromeda and Ted. Do you know where they are?”
“They had a fight and left shortly after you did. I’m not sure where they’ve gone.” Neville felt no reason not to tell Lupin the truth.
“Oh…well, I think that Tonks is going to be fine for the moment. She’s currently asleep.”
“What happened?” Neville asked. She must have been through an awful ordeal to just break down like that, in the middle of dinner.
“Tonks witnessed two of her colleagues being murdered in front of her, Neville. It’s not an easy thing to live with,” Lupin said sadly.
“That’s horrible,” Neville replied. Neville had witnessed his Grandfather die; it was not a memory he liked to drag up. But that expression of pain on his Grandfather’s face as he struggled for air with useless lungs was present in Neville’s mind.
“It is,” Lupin replied quietly. He looked as if he himself was remembering a similar tragic scene Then Neville remembered Sirius Black falling through the curtain. Professor Lupin witnessed that. He was there holding Harry back. That meant that Professor Lupin was fighting You-Know-Who in some way, like Sirius Black had been. Tonks was there too, and Bill Weasley. No, Neville remembered, Bill Weasley was only there the night Dumbledore died, but they were all working together against You-Know-Who.
Neville started to view Professor Lupin differently. Despite being a werewolf, he was fighting You-Know-Who just like the Aurors were.
“I want to help.” The words fell out of Neville’s mouth before he had much of a chance to really think about what he was asking. He did want to help. This war was destroying everything it touched, whether it was killing people, or ruining their lives, like his and Harry’s or destroying homes like his own, or destroying families, like the Tonks’. Neville was not willing to wait until he was of age anymore. “I want to help like my parents did in the last war,” he continued.
Lupin looked at him, a look of concern crossed his face, he seemed to be contemplating Neville’s question. “I think…I think that at the moment, we could use you just here.” Neville’s heart sunk. Professor Lupin had probably remembered that Neville was clumsy and hopeless.
“I have to go away tomorrow,” Professor Lupin continued, “and I don’t want to leave Tonks alone. I would like you to keep an eye on her.”
Neville couldn’t believe that Professor Lupin was just leaving his partner in such as state. “What could be more important than you looking after Tonks?” Neville asked, quite annoyed.
The Professor looked as if he was considering something. “Well, Neville,” he replied calmly, “I’m taking Harry to visit his parents grave. He’s never been before, and we’ve been planning it for some time. There are security concerns so we cannot just move around the date. I assure you, Tonks knows why, and she agrees I should go.
Neville had never realised that Harry had never seen his parents’ graves. “But what am I supposed to do if she, er, starts crying again. I’m not very good with upset people.” Neville said, remembering Andromeda in the Greenhouse.
“I have it on very high authority from Fleur Delacour that you happen to be very good with getting people back to normal. Just do what you did with Bill.”
“I just talked to Bill about Egypt.”
“Well, then ask Tonks about something close to her,” Lupin suddenly smiled as he seemed to have just thought of something brilliant. “Better yet,” he added, “get her to teach you some defensive spells. She’ll enjoy that.”
Neville was not so sure, but agreed to it reluctantly. Lupin thanked him and headed back up to check on Tonks.
Neville headed to his own room, and begun another letter to Luna. He told her everything, about how he thought this morning that Tonks might have been killed, and how two Aurors had been. About how Andromeda had flooed to St Mungo’s while still wearing her nightdress, and now how Ted and Andromeda had fought and Neville did not think that they would be alright. About Tonks crying over dinner and Neville meeting a werewolf and not being too afraid.
Neville did not care that he and Luna were avoiding talking about the war with each other. The simple truth to Neville was that the war could not be ignored. It was there, and even the dreamers like Luna could not deny it anymore.
Growing (8/18)
Chapter Eight – Blue Lady
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Chapter Summary: A Death Eater attack on Hogsmeade has a profound effect on the Tonks family. And Neville is forced to confront his new-found fear of werewolves when one shows up on the doorstep.
Author's Notes: Thank you very much to Nathaniel for betaing.
Previous Chapter
Neville jumped out of bed immediately and headed for the door. As he opened it he saw Ted and Andromeda rush past. Andromeda was struggling to cover her nightdress with a dressing gown as she headed down the stairs, her hair flying in all directions.
“How many were injured?” Andromeda was asking Ted breathlessly.
“I don’t know. They didn’t say,” he replied distraughtly.
“How many were killed?”
“They didn’t say.”
Neville followed, wanting to see if Tonks was okay. They all headed into the lounge where the radio was playing a tune Neville recognised as belonging to the Weird Sisters. Ted and Andromeda stood before it. Ted looked incredibly tired. His usual dependable smile had disappeared, making him seem much older. All the blood had drained from Andromeda’s face. She shook slightly as she stood there waiting for the news announcer to come back on while a happy tune played in the background. Ted held on to her, arm around her shoulders.
Finally, Andromeda spoke, her voice shaky. “This isn’t doing any bloody good. I’m going to St Mungo’s.”
“Right now?” Ted asked weakly. Andromeda looked in no state to leave the house.
“Yes now!” She grabbed a handful of powder, pointed her wand at the fireplace igniting it with a roar. She threw the powder onto the lapping flames and walked into the fireplace.
“Hold the fort please, Neville,” Ted said as he followed his wife.
Neville remained standing in the lounge, the happy tune on the radio was now drawing to an end. Not knowing what to do he decided to make breakfast.
Aurors were dying every day. It was war and they were doing the brunt of the fighting and protecting. Neville knew many were killed, his parents had paid a high price, but it had never been so close to home. He had not remembered his parents wearing their uniforms; he only saw them as Aurors in pictures. But Tonks, he knew her. He had seen her work. He knew the people she cared about and the people that cared about her. All the Aurors who had appeared in the Daily Prophet, the ones that were being awarded their Orders of Merlin posthumously, they all had people that knew them and that cared about them, Neville realised.
Neville just wished he had cared more about them. Maybe Tonks’ life being in question was some sort of revenge because he had read over their deaths with relief in his heart that it was someone else. Not someone he knew.
As Neville prized bacon pieces apart and laid them on a baking tray he wished that he had mourned for each and every one of them to spare the life of one young woman.
Some minutes later the radio news came on again.
“In breaking news, You-Know-Who’s forces have attacked homes on southern side of Hogsmeade village. Reports are emerging that Aurors arrived on the scene before widespread loss of life could occur though they sustained casualties and two are confirmed dead at the scene. It is not known how many casualties You-Know-Who’s forced have sustained… Meanwhile in Shropshire, another attack has occurred on a Muggleborn’s family…”
Neville switched it off. He did not want to hear anymore. Three plates were now set with eggs and bacon on them. It was the first time Neville had made scrambled eggs by himself, but that did not occur to him as he stared at the fireplace.
Soon he heard a rustle and a poof and Ted emerged from the fireplace, slightly sooty and with a grim expression on his face. Andromeda walked out from behind him.
“She was involved but she’s fine.” Ted attempted to smile as he said this, but the air of misery never left his face. Neville felt his hopes lift. He strained his neck to look behind Andromeda to see if Tonks had come with them.
“Nymphadora’s debriefing at Auror headquarters. It’s all routine,” Andromeda said quietly as she wandered like a spectre towards the door leading towards the dining room, never looking a Neville. “Oh, you made breakfast. Thank you, Neville,” she said in much the same manor.
Ted walked past Neville, looking glum. “Thanks, Neville.”
They all sat down in quietly, the only sound was knives and forks scraping over the plate. Neville wanted to say something, anything to end the silence, but couldn’t really think of anything.
Finally Ted leaned back against his chair, and announced with a sigh, “Well, this is one brilliant birthday.”
Andromeda did not seem to rest for anyone. No sooner than breakfast had finished, then she was dressed and in her greenhouse.
“Look at this mess,” she said to Neville, who had joined her. “I think its time for a big clean up.” She grabbed a nearby potted Mandrake and begun to move it out of the way and proceeded on a one woman cleaning spree, moving cleaning and replacing with incredible speed. Neville tried his best to keep up, and came very close to breaking a number of pots because he was so flustered.
But Andromeda continued to clean and clean; even parts of the greenhouse Neville thought were already spotless and by Andromeda’s standards too, not just his. Finally, while moving pots from one workbench to another, Neville tripped. The pot containing a number of belladonna seedlings went flying, and smashed all over a section of floor Andromeda had already cleaned.
Neville rushed over the clean up the soil, not being very effective since he could not use cleaning spells like Andromeda. “No, no, Neville. Leave it to me,” Andromeda announced as she pushed him out of the way. She crouched down on the floor and started grabbing up the shards of ceramic.
And then she just stopped.
Andromeda let out a sob. Neville could see her chest heaving up and down. Andromeda was crying and he did not know what to do.
“Are you alright?” he asked pathetically.
Andromeda didn’t make any indication back. Neville crouched down next to her. Tears were streaming from her eyes, and she was biting her lip, trying to prevent her self from making any noise.
Neville did not know what to do, but he knew someone who did. “I’m going to go get Ted,” he said, placing an uncomfortable hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
Neville pulled himself up and ran out of the greenhouse. Kicking his wellingtons off he ran through the house, finding Ted in the garage, leaning against a workbench and staring into nothing.
“Andromeda…” Neville panted, “Andromeda…is…upset.”
Ted snapped out of his trance and looked at Neville. His eyes were red.
“Where?”
“Greenhouse.”
Neville followed Ted as far as the back door, and watched from the door way as Ted found his wife still on the floor, scooped her up and engulfed her in a hug.
Things remained subdued around the Tonks household after Ted and Andromeda emerged from the greenhouse. Ted went back to working in his garage and later went to work in the kitchen on his birthday meal while Andromeda sat at the kitchen table writing letters.
Neville raided Andromeda’s collection of herbology books, finding that he had read most of them all ready and so contented himself with reading Most Potent Potions, to see what potions all the plants he spend so much time tending were used in. Neville was not a great fan of potions, especially since Professor Snape had spent five years terrorising him (and then a further year in Defence against the Dark Arts). Neville would spend so much time worrying about what awful things Snape would do should Neville make a mistake that Neville forgot to concentrate on the task at hand and inevitably add the wrong ingredient or break something and Snape would terrorise him some more. But just reading a book about potions did not bother Neville too much; so long as Snape did not show up on the Tonks’ doorstep he was fine.
Just then the doorbell rang, and Neville’s stomach lurched. Surely not, Death Eaters did not just ring the doorbell when the showed up. Neville now knew this as a certainty.
Ted and Andromeda rushed down the corridor, and Neville got up to look who it was out of curiosity.
“Wotcher,” came Tonk’s voice from the doorway.
“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Tonks,” a familiar man’s voice spoke. Professor Lupin was there too.
Neville wandered over to the doorway, keeping a distance so not to intrude on a family moment. Tonks was engulfed in a hug from her mother, Neville noticed her hair was currently navy blue, but that was all he could make of her. Andromeda stood back, he gaze on Professor Lupin, who was rather thin and worn out and looking sheepishly back at Andromeda.
Ted stood back. “I’m glad you made it.”
“It takes more than a Death Eater attack to keep me away from my Dad’s birthday,” Tonks joked weakly. Neville got a good glimpse of her; she looked very pale and very tired. There was a rather large bruise on the left side of her face, from the cheek to her jaw.
“Wotcher Neville,” Tonks called over her fathers shoulder.
“Hello Neville,” Professor Lupin said as well, noticing Neville standing there.
“Come in, dinner should be ready soon.” Ted herded his daughter and her friend into the lounge and headed back to the kitchen. Andromeda followed him, intending to help out, leaving Neville alone with the odd couple.
“How are you Neville?” Professor Lupin asked.
“I’m fine,” Neville replied. The last time Neville had really talked to Professor Lupin was before Neville had found out he was a werewolf. Now having had first hand experience with werewolves and knowing that Professor Lupin had been lurking around the grounds in that state made him look at the man differently. Underneath his calm demeanour was a beast that could, and would, kill.
Tonks had grabbed the potions book Neville had been reading off the coffee table and was flicking through it with her good arm, seemingly oblivious to the world. Lupin kept on glancing at her worriedly.
“And how’s your Gran?” Professor Lupin enquired again.
“She’s okay,” Neville replied again, the last report he had received from Blinky was that she was going out a lot, keeping herself busy, but she thought Professor McGonagall’s summer home was a bit on the small side.
Professor Lupin shifted around uncomfortably. Neville realised that he must know what Neville was thinking about him. And between him, Tonks who was acting unusually and Andromeda who seemed to dislike him, it was very brave for the Professor to be there. Neville decided it would not really hurt to talk to him.
“Will you be teaching at Hogwarts again this year, Professor?” Neville asked, wondering whether he would like the answer if it were yes.
“I’m not a Professor anymore, Neville, you can call me Remus, and it’s no,” Lupin replied.
“The Ministry won’t allow him to,” Tonks volunteered from her book. She was flicking through it too fast to be reading it, and once she finished, she would just start again at the first page.
“Well, you’ve been one of the best we’ve ever had,” Neville said truthfully. Werewolf aside, he was a good teacher. Better then Umbridge, Lockheart and Quirrell for sure.
“Thank you,” Lupin replied.
“That doesn’t matter to them,” Tonks added bitterly.
The room fell silent again, Lupin still looking uncomfortable. “Did those jeans I bought you fit?” Tonks finally asked.
“What?” Neville asked, wondering what on earth ‘jeans’ were.
“Blue trousers? Because I can always transfigure them to a different size if you want?”
Neville remembered the package she had sent him. “Yeah, they fit well.”
“Great,“ Tonks replied, making a rather forced looking smile. Tonks suddenly got to her feet and headed for the kitchen. “I wonder if they need any help,” she said as an explanation for her behaviour.
Lupin got up to his feet, obviously wondering whether to follow her or not and sat back down deciding against it.
“Tonks is just a bit upset at the moment,” Lupin volunteered.
Ted popped in from the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready.”
Andromeda and Tonks were already sitting at the table not saying a word to each other. It amazed Neville that Andromeda, who had rushed to St. Mungo’s that morning and had spent the morning crying over the daughter she so obviously loved dearly, was not talking to her. It seemed absurd. But Tonks was not making much of an effort at communication either.
Ted piled slices of lasagne and salad onto their plates and dinner was spent in relative silence.
“Will you be working?” Andromeda asked, breaking the silence.
“No…They’ve given me a week off,” Tonks replied, not looking above her food. “And my good wands broken so I’m practically useless anyway.”
The silence continued.
“So…Remus, what are you up to these days?” Ted enquired. Andromeda glanced at Ted.
“Oh, doing odd jobs around the place,” Lupin replied. “How is the charms business going?”
“Well, haven’t made a breakthrough on anything lately. To be honest, it’s more like a hobby these days then…”
Ted paused half way through his sentence to a clang coming from Tonks, she had dropped her fork, she hung her head much like Neville had seen her mother do earlier that day.
“I’m sorry…,” she whispered amongst sobs. “I’m sorry…I just…it’s just.”
Lupin, Ted and Andromeda were all on their feet, but Lupin got there sooner, and wrapped his arms around Tonks.
“Come on,” Neville heard him whisper. “Is there anywhere private we can go?” he asked Ted.
“Yes. Dora’s room,” Ted replied look of deep concern on his face. Andromeda glanced at him again but didn’t say a word.
Ted and Andromeda stood by as Lupin ushered Tonks out of the room and towards the staircase. Silence continued. Neville wondered whether he should go to his room, but that would mean passing by Tonks and Lupin who clearly needed time alone.
“I know what you think, Andromeda, but I just don’t care anymore,” Ted suddenly announced.
“It’s not that simple,” Andromeda replied.
“Of course it’s that bloody simple! She’s your daughter. You love her.” Anger lined Ted’s voice. “I want to spend time with my daughter, Andi, and if you will have to just get over who she chooses to love.”
“So I’m just supposed to sit back and watch as my daughter throws her life away? Is that what you want Ted?” Andromeda raised her voice in reply.
“Yes! Yes, that’s what I want. If you think she’s throwing her life away then I want you to not only stand back and watch, but to support her in doing it, because I love you, and I love her, and I don’t want to choose, but if it means spending one more moment with my daughter before… before something truly awful happens to her, then, then so help me, Andromeda, you don’t want me to choose!” Ted walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.
Andromeda stared at his back while he did so.
“Are you alright?” Neville asked, quite in shock at what he had just witnessed.
“I have to go,” she said and walked out, following her husband.
Neville sat at the table alone and finished his meal. He begun to tidy up, making sure not to throw out the food that had tasted wonderful. As he did so, he noticed the cake Ted had made for himself the day before remained untouched on the kitchen bench.
Just when he was finishing, Lupin appeared in the kitchen. “Hello Neville…I was just looking for Andromeda and Ted. Do you know where they are?”
“They had a fight and left shortly after you did. I’m not sure where they’ve gone.” Neville felt no reason not to tell Lupin the truth.
“Oh…well, I think that Tonks is going to be fine for the moment. She’s currently asleep.”
“What happened?” Neville asked. She must have been through an awful ordeal to just break down like that, in the middle of dinner.
“Tonks witnessed two of her colleagues being murdered in front of her, Neville. It’s not an easy thing to live with,” Lupin said sadly.
“That’s horrible,” Neville replied. Neville had witnessed his Grandfather die; it was not a memory he liked to drag up. But that expression of pain on his Grandfather’s face as he struggled for air with useless lungs was present in Neville’s mind.
“It is,” Lupin replied quietly. He looked as if he himself was remembering a similar tragic scene Then Neville remembered Sirius Black falling through the curtain. Professor Lupin witnessed that. He was there holding Harry back. That meant that Professor Lupin was fighting You-Know-Who in some way, like Sirius Black had been. Tonks was there too, and Bill Weasley. No, Neville remembered, Bill Weasley was only there the night Dumbledore died, but they were all working together against You-Know-Who.
Neville started to view Professor Lupin differently. Despite being a werewolf, he was fighting You-Know-Who just like the Aurors were.
“I want to help.” The words fell out of Neville’s mouth before he had much of a chance to really think about what he was asking. He did want to help. This war was destroying everything it touched, whether it was killing people, or ruining their lives, like his and Harry’s or destroying homes like his own, or destroying families, like the Tonks’. Neville was not willing to wait until he was of age anymore. “I want to help like my parents did in the last war,” he continued.
Lupin looked at him, a look of concern crossed his face, he seemed to be contemplating Neville’s question. “I think…I think that at the moment, we could use you just here.” Neville’s heart sunk. Professor Lupin had probably remembered that Neville was clumsy and hopeless.
“I have to go away tomorrow,” Professor Lupin continued, “and I don’t want to leave Tonks alone. I would like you to keep an eye on her.”
Neville couldn’t believe that Professor Lupin was just leaving his partner in such as state. “What could be more important than you looking after Tonks?” Neville asked, quite annoyed.
The Professor looked as if he was considering something. “Well, Neville,” he replied calmly, “I’m taking Harry to visit his parents grave. He’s never been before, and we’ve been planning it for some time. There are security concerns so we cannot just move around the date. I assure you, Tonks knows why, and she agrees I should go.
Neville had never realised that Harry had never seen his parents’ graves. “But what am I supposed to do if she, er, starts crying again. I’m not very good with upset people.” Neville said, remembering Andromeda in the Greenhouse.
“I have it on very high authority from Fleur Delacour that you happen to be very good with getting people back to normal. Just do what you did with Bill.”
“I just talked to Bill about Egypt.”
“Well, then ask Tonks about something close to her,” Lupin suddenly smiled as he seemed to have just thought of something brilliant. “Better yet,” he added, “get her to teach you some defensive spells. She’ll enjoy that.”
Neville was not so sure, but agreed to it reluctantly. Lupin thanked him and headed back up to check on Tonks.
Neville headed to his own room, and begun another letter to Luna. He told her everything, about how he thought this morning that Tonks might have been killed, and how two Aurors had been. About how Andromeda had flooed to St Mungo’s while still wearing her nightdress, and now how Ted and Andromeda had fought and Neville did not think that they would be alright. About Tonks crying over dinner and Neville meeting a werewolf and not being too afraid.
Neville did not care that he and Luna were avoiding talking about the war with each other. The simple truth to Neville was that the war could not be ignored. It was there, and even the dreamers like Luna could not deny it anymore.
