Remus read the short note over and over again. He knew it must mean something simple but these last few days had messed him up so much. He’d tried talking to Harry, but the press where to busy hounding him, for him to be able to get here and be of any use. Tonks currently was in bed. It had taken Hermione and Ginny hours to calm her down and then she went so quite, that Remus begged them to take her to St Mangos. They’d brought her back saying the Healer had told them that she just needed bed rest until she was well enough. Remus had gone to see her a few times. But she just lay there looking at the ceiling. She hadn’t spoken a word for three days now, and Remus didn’t know how much longer he could go on his own. Without Tonks there by his side, or Harry to talk to, he felt lost. Lost as when he had found out Lily and James where dead.
‘Remus?’ Behind him Molly Weasley stepped out of the fireplace. ‘Remus, Harry’s on his way he’s in disguise. Fred and George have come in useful. I never thought I’d say that.’
‘You should love them no matter what. They’re great kids. I remember teaching them, your too hard on them Molly.’
‘Oh Remus, I’m sorry. How you feeling. How’s Tonks?’ Molly placed her arms around Remus small shoulders. ‘The girls told me she’s taken to her bed. Are you eating I’m sure your smaller than usual.’ Molly got up and went into the kitchen; he could hear her moving pot and pans around but stayed where he was.
‘Molly? Remus?’ Again behind him he saw Harry appear in the fireplace. He knew it was Harry but it didn’t look anything like him. More of a cross between Ron and Ginny. Harry saw him looking and smiled.
‘Fred and George. It’s their Tonks sweets remember. Tonks helped them make them last year.’ Harry’s smiled faded and he transformed back into himself. ‘Where is the other half?’
‘In bed.’ Remus turned and watched as Harry climbed the stairs two at a time. He could hear raised voices and Tonks appeared at the top of the stairs. She came down slowly looking from Molly to Remus.
‘R-Remus?’ He looked at her, her tear stained faced, her pale skin and realized. He held out his arms to her.
‘It’s not your fault.’ She ran to him then and threw herself into his arms.
‘It is! It is! I left him on his own. I should of brought him in! What mother leaves her child outside? It’s my fault!’ New tears rolled down her cheeks. Remus tried to comfort her, but it was no use.
‘Remus what’s this note you where sent?’ Remus who had been holding the parchment ever since they had arrived let Harry take it from him.
Harry read it a few times and looked up at Remus.
‘I think I know where this is.’
Tonks looked hopefully up at him.
‘Where?’ she whispered.
‘Lets sit down and talk this through first.
Number one, haunt can mean somewhere, where you used to hang out.’
‘The Shrieking Shack!’ Tonks looked wide eyed, while Remus looked at the floor. Why hadn’t he worked it out? He was the one who had been a professor. Yet he was too stupid to work out a silly note.
‘Let me guess the second bit is Peter, Snape of just overall Death Eaters?’ Remus sat down and put his head in his hands. It had taken three days of looking at that note. Then Harry strolls through the door and knows it straight away. ‘Your just like your father Harry.’
‘Remus you’ve been under a lot of strain, don’t be too hard on yourself.’ Molly patted him on the back but he shook her off. Lets go get him.
‘Let me call the team first Remus. We can’t go on our own.’
They where there all of them. Remus, Tonks, Harry, Ron, Arthur, Mad Eye, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George. Remus had tried to leave Tonks at home with the other women but she wasn’t having any of it. They stood outside the Shrieking Shack and looked at each other. Harry looked behind him. A group of wizards stood behind them.
‘We go in we get Rufus and we get out. Understand. No fighting until Rufus is out. Even then leave it to the Aurors.’
‘Em.’
‘That doesn’t include you Tonks. You and Remus just get Rufus and go, we’ll be right behind you. Come on lets get this over with.’ With that they charged into the house.
They where ready for them, the second Harry blew the door off Death Eaters spilled out onto the lawns. Everywhere people looked there where a pair fighting. Harry’s attention was on a Death Eater who was taking the stairs two at a time. But Draco Malfoy jumped in front of him before he could give chase.
‘Get outta my way Malfoy!’
‘Think not Potter. How’s that filthy mud blood Granger?’ There was a jet of Red light and Malfoy went flying into a wall. Harry turned and saw Ron his face twisted in anger and blood running down his head.
‘That filthy rotten Bastard! I’ll kill him.’
‘Daddy!’ Remus who had just done a Death Eater some serious damage, looked up. At the top of the stairs stood Rufus. His hair was matted and dirty, so was his face and clothes.
‘Daddy’s coming Rufus.’ Tonks came charging through the door.
‘Baby!’
‘Mummy!’ Rufus stepped forward to come down the stairs. But a Death Eater appeared and wrapped a arm around the child’s’ head. Rufus tried kicking himself free but that didn’t work, because the mans wand was pointing straight at his head. Rufus felt that this was the right time to cry.
‘One more step half-breed and he gets it. Owwww!’ The Death Eater shrieked and shook his whole arm, screaming in pain. Rufus had transformed into the wolf cub and had managed to clamp his jaws down tight on the Death Eaters hand. He tried to hang on but it was no use. The man gave a violent shake and Rufus came lose from the mans arm. He hit the first step; the second step and crashed through the third. Tonks screamed and Remus jumped forward, but the Death eater was to quick. He pointed his wand into the hole and there followed a flash of green light. Which Remus knew was the killing curse. Remus felt himself go numb. He stood there frozen in time. His only child, his little boy, the child that meant so much to him was gone. Tonks screamed and fell to the floor in a heap. Remus couldn’t do anything, he couldn’t see, everything was a blur. The next thing he knew was when the Death Eater was in front of him pointing his wand at Remus.
‘Go on dare you. You fucker!’ Remus was too quick for the Death Eater, or maybe like everyone else, Remus caught him off guard. He raised his wand and before he knew what he was doing there was a green light and the Death Eater lay motionless on the floor.
Then he saw it. A small creature crawling from under a gap in the wood. It’s fur matted with blood and dust. Remus took one step forward and blackness billowed out in front of him, the next second Rufus was gone.
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