"Harry!"
Hermione engulfed him in a hug, he did not return it, but stared unfeelingly down at her. She and Ron had betrayed him by not believing him. Vines sprouted from the seed inside him and tore through him, spreading his hatred, corrupting him.
Hermione pulled away, shocked that he wasn't responsive to her hug. She glanced up at his impassive face, eyes wide and upset, but didn't say anything for a minute.
"Harry?"
Her words were hesitant and afraid, he almost forgave her then, but the vine in his body had just grown angry barbs. No matter how he pulled at them, all he did was cut himself up worse, and stir up more anger.
His reply was fast and short. "I'm tired."
"Oh…"
"Hi Har-"
Ron's greeting was halted as Harry rushed up the stairs, ignoring his friends, and never once looking back.
He went to wait in his room, knowing that someone would be sent up to have a talk with him. He knew all too well, who it would be so he sat on his bed and waited for the man to trudge up the stairs and to his room. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The bed dipped a bit and he turned to see the expected Remus Lupin.
"You alright?"
"No."
"That was pretty cruel down there. They were really hurt by it."
"I know." Harry replied dispassionately.
"Then why did you do it?"
Harry remained silent and staring ahead, unmoving, and untouched by what Remus had to say.
"Why did you hurt them?"
Green eyes turned to him, accusing, "Why did you get engaged to Tonks?"
Remus looked startled for a second before responding.
"She loves me."
"And you?"
"I adore her."
Harry glared, "Adoration does not a fairytale romance, make."
"What are you-"
"You don't love her. Not like you should."
"How do you know what I feel or don't feel?"
"You loved Sirius!"
Everything stopped, the world did not revolve, breathing halted. The vines even stopped tearing through Harry.
"I did." Remus admitted painfully.
"Why are you marrying her then?"
"Sirius would have wanted us to be happy together."
A lone tear trickled down Harry's cheek, "But you're not happy."
"I…I should be."
The look in Remus Lupin's eyes was enough to make Harry angry again. The barbed vines formed a howling monster inside of his chest and he was so enraged that he wanted to kill Lupin in that moment. He wanted to destroy everything the man was, but instead he angrily leapt up and slammed the man back onto the bed, kissing him ferociously. The kiss was angry, harsh; it was bumping teeth, blood, and pain. Remus cried, tears flowing down his face freely as Harry stood back and surveyed the damage. If he had wanted to break Remus…he had.
"I…I'm sorry."
Harry fled from the room leaving Remus on his bed; the other man crying like there was no tomorrow, shattered completely. He did not quite know why he had just done that, but was saddened by the encounter anyways. Harry understood now that the plant he had sowed within himself, that he had helped grow, was a noxious weed that could destroy him. He attempted to uproot the weed again, hoping perhaps that it would be easier, or he would be more determined then the last time he had tried.
"What did you say to Remus?"
Harry stopped in the middle of pulling out another bit of hatred, hands raw and bleeding from the experience, and looked up at an incensed Tonks. Her rage fed his rage and he too became angry, the vine in his hand springing to life and doubling in size within seconds.
"Didn't he tell you?"
Tonks' eyes narrowed, "No. I think he was too upset to do so."
"I only mentioned something that he seemed to have forgotten."
"Oh really?" Tonks said dryly.
"Yes, really."
"What was it then?"
Harry looked at her from beneath his eyelashes, "Why don't you ask him? See if he'll tell you."
"Maybe I will."
Harry watched her leave, glaring at her back, knowing that Remus would not tell her anything. If the man did not shut up tightly like a clam, then he would downplay everything and tell her partial truths.
Tonks and Remus showed up together at dinner holding hands and smiling, but everyone could tell that the smiles were strained. Harry observed them stonily before going back to moving the food on his plate around with a fork. He had noticed the red marks up Tonks' neck, obviously Remus hadn't been as shattered as he had thought. On the outside, he seemed unnoticing, statue like, but on the inside,…the howling, snarling monster had returned. This time it hissed out angrily through bloodied lips and bit clear through Harry's heart, leaving a gaping hole that made Harry feel inhuman fury and emotionless cold.
Harry was only too glad when everyone headed off to bed. He stood and turned only to see whom he had not wanted to see. Tonks stood there sheepishly smiling from the doorway. He sighed before walking towards the purple haired sprite.
"I just wanted to say I was sorry for earlier. Remus explained that you had mentioned that Sirius would miss our wedding and that he just realized that and broke down."
"That's alright, Tonks."
"Why don't I make us some tea to make up for it." She turned, not waiting for a reply.
Harry tried to quell his need to kill her for daring to have what he wanted. He almost pounced on her when she turned her back, but managed to stop himself just in time. He decided that he would not murder her in such a fashion. Instead, he reached into his pocket, where he had taken to keeping a small vial. He took a swig of the golden contents of the bottle and then shoved it back into his pocket before Tonks could see.
Tonks had just clumsily dropped the tealeaves when Harry had an idea. He could see the toxic plant that Snape had left on the counter the summer before. He grabbed a handful of the leaves and silently dropped them to the floor, watching with a smile as Tonks picked them up with the tealeaves and put all but one of the deadly leaves into her own cup. This was good; she would die and the leaf in Harry's cup would only poison him…giving him an alibi. Merlin, did he love the good luck potion.
After the tea was finished, they both went their separate ways. Harry watched with burning eyes as Tonks went into Remus' room. He idly wondered if Remus would wake up next to a corpse or if Tonks would die after she woke up the next morning. He did not really care as long as she was dead. Only then would the monster living in him, have no reason to continue harming him or others.
The next morning a panicked yell could be heard across the country. Remus Lupin had awoken to find Tonks cold and still having died in the night sometime. The Order was woken and they found out what had happened from Harry. Remus stayed with him lest he die like Tonks. It never occurred to anyone that Harry had planned all of it so that he could pick up the broken pieces of the werewolf's soul, and the monster was content with that…just one more thing that Harry and it agreed on. After all, they both got what they wanted in the end.
The Daily Prophet Last month the funeral of one Nymphadora Tonks was held at the Eden Cemetery. She was a young, courageous auror struck down defending the Chosen One (Harry Potter). She and her would be husband (Remus Lupin) were protecting Harry at the time of her death. We cannot disclose where this took place, but we can tell you how it happened.
She died from poison and the culprit was a plant. The plant in question has leaves that look much like tea leaves, the leaves were inside the jar from which she usually got tea leaves from, and she made and drank the tea…unknowing that it would be her doom. Harry also consumed some of this tea, he suffered many days of pain, but is alive. He attended the funeral (see picture) to give his support to his grieving friend (Lupin). The two of which stayed only partway through.
It is said that Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin are planning on being bound on the 20th. We wish them well, and are glad they found solace from their loss…continued on pg 15
Fin AN: This fic was just something that I was playing at...a challenge if you will.