One Last Chance: A Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin Love Story

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Feels ahead. I've gotten looks from my family as I was reading these scenes. I also now have an entire Spotify playlist for sad songs dedicated to writing sad chapters. Read on, fellow wizards and witches! Comment your house Hogwarts or Ilvermorny (the North American wizarding school). I'm a Hufflepuff and a Thunderbird.

Tonks was utterly distressed. A battle? At Hogwarts? What would happen to the children and the other students? Everyone was in danger. Her old professors. Students she had managed to befriend. The others who worked on the grounds.

She rushed to the school as fast as she could, entering the castle through Hogsmeade. Fighting was complicated. With wands and spells and such. Tonks didn't want to kill any of the Death Eaters that somehow Draco had managed to smuggle into the school, but she didn't want to help them either. Maybe maiming or seriously injuring them would work. She'd be fighting relatives who'd disowned her mother and therefore her. She also didn't want to destroy the building, which could result in harming her side.

The fight went by quickly, spelling and curses zipping and zooming through the air. She could hardly recall the details. She managed to duel another Death Eater and keep them at bay as she hoped to protect the rest of the students. The duel had taken up most of the battle. A masked Death Eater managed to hit her with a pain curse and it hurt, but she'd live. Bill Weasley, on the other hand, was much closer to death than she was.

Tonks couldn't stand seeing the pain and grief-stricken faces of the Weasley family. It caused a few tears to roll down her cheeks as well. She'd know Bill from her years at Hogwarts. They weren't close, but the Order had brought them closer. Her heart was torn mostly for the family. She glanced up at the children, Ron and Ginny were worried for their eldest brother. Harry looked so pained and tearful. But Tonks had suspected there was more to that.

Harry and Ginny had quietly announced that Dumbledore was dead and that Snape had betrayed them. She didn't doubt him for a second. Tears fell quietly. Dumbledore was a kind headmaster. She covered her mouth, choking back the tears and sobs. She had to be strong for the children. And the members of the Order.

Tonks stood by Remus, glancing at him. He looked so much more pain than she was. He ran his hands through his hair nervously. She stood by, saying nothing. She knew he needed to grieve this on his own. And he obviously didn't want to see her.

Fleur stood next to Bill, clasping his hand tightly. She cried much more subtly than Tonks. And Tonks had to admire her for that. Molly and Arthur seemed so sad and melancholy, not like the animated and joyous people she'd seen every summer and parts of the year. The children's usual smiles were wiped clean off their faces. Their sorrow made the temperature drop and Tonks suddenly felt cold.

Molly gave the smallest hint of smile through her sobs, "And you were going to be married."

Fleur quickly defended herself, promising she'd marry Bill. Tonks smiled through the pain. She watched as Fleur spoke bravely and purely, saying she didn't care what he looked like. That she loved him for him. Tonks watched as Molly gave in, knowing that her son was going to be with a good person.

Tonks looked up to glare at Remus, who backed away a little, as if she were trying to mentally send an angry message, which she was. He refused to look her in the eye. She continued to send him a frustrated stare.

Molly stood nearby Tonks for a moment, laughed quietly, "I had originally hoped he would have fallen for you." Then left her side to join her future daughter-in-law next to her eldest son.

Tonks smiled knowing that Bill and Fleur would have their happily ever after, like in those beautiful stories she'd read as a child. If Fleur could do a brave thing like standing up to Molly freaking Weasley and declare her love aloud, why couldn't she?

(Warning, direct quotes ahead. Pulled the scene off of Pinterest and I spent forever looking for it 😊)

"You see! She still wants to marry him even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!" she yelled angrily, grabbed the front of Remus's shirt and shaking him. Her glare along caused him to shrink away.

He answered quite meekly, "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely—"
Tonks shock him again, pleading almost helplessly, "I don't care either. I don't care, I've told you a million times..." She knew she may never had directly told him, but he must have gotten the hint.
"And I've told you million times, that I am too old for you. Too poor. Too dangerous..." he finally met her eyes.

Molly moved closer to the pair of them, rolled her eyes, and sighed, "I've said all along You've been taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus."
"I am not being ridiculous. Tonks deserves someone young and whole." he protested refusing to look any of the, in the eye.

Tonks quietly stepped away, knowing when Molly was involved, something was going to go down. She glanced at her feet.

"But she wants you. And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so." Arthur spoke softly, glancing down at his son, who remains unmoving on the hospital bed.
"This is ... not the moment to discuss it. Dumbledore is dead." Remus's eyes began to well with tears, he couldn't look at her. He just didn't.
"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to know there was a little more love in the world." Professor McGonagall smiled at the pair of them.

This group had discussed the details for Dumbledore's funeral. McGonagall knew Dumbledore wanted to be buried at Hogwarts. Everyone did. An unspoken sadness fell upon the group. Quite sobs echoed the room. Tonks wiped her eyes. She watched as McGonagall and Remus did the same. Dumbledore being dead seemed to be the most impossible thing in the world. But it happened.

Dumbledore really was dead. A kind and careful headmaster of Hogwarts. One of the greatest the school had ever known, was dead.