I offer so many apologies. I can give a million list of reasons, but the truth is, I spent my summer in Europe, and I didn't bring a copy of Deathly Hallows and I need it to double check things.

So here we are. Long breaks be gone! I know this ends abruptly, but the next part needs to be Tonks. Coming up with Remus' past is so fun, and very much thanks to tumblr and those RP things.

Enjoy.

Chapter 75

"Remus?" came a soft voice, breaking him from his own thoughts, which were in itself were rather blissful but fuzzy.

"Yes?" Remus Lupin replied, looking down at his wife, who was on his arm, curled up beside him.

Lupin had been labelling under the idea she was in fact asleep, after all, his body had been pulling him toward sleep for some time since they had consummated their union. It has been his mind keeping him from it, as it was wide-awake. He did not quite remember feeling as happy as he did now. Perhaps at school, amongst his friends he had, but it was, of course, not the same. He had married Nymphadora Tonks, never had he imagined he were to marry, and most especially not a girl as wonderful as she.

"Can I have your list now?"

"My list?" Lupin asked, looking back down at her, one eyebrow quirked in confusion.

"Of all your relationships. You told me I'd have to wait until you were sure I wouldn't run away. I'm pretty sure, given that I just married you, this should qualify as a binding contract for me not running away," Tonks said, looking up at him with a wry grin.

"Have you been storing this all since ah, well…" Lupin trailed off, thinking for a moment. "I can't even remember when we had that conversation."

"That night you asked me to go for a walk with you," Tonks said instantly, as if she was reading it somewhere. "We went into that building."

Lupin surveyed her, a look of mild surprise on his face. He found it entirely endearing that she remembered everything, and he smiled warmly at her before tilting his head back toward the ceiling and thinking.

"Okay, I suppose, if you married me, you deserve to hear my story," Lupin sighed, looking across at her.

"Good," Tonks said quickly. "I at least deserve one good thing from picking you."

Lupin gave her a mock glare, and she only grinned at him again.

"Thank you," he said, raising his eyebrows.

He rolled onto his side, resting his arm on his elbow and using it to prop his head up, the sheet shifting down, exposing his bare torso

"Okay, but this isn't a great story. You have to promise not to judge me," Lupin asked, already feeling anxious.

"I promise," Tonks said, sliding her hands over his bare chest and tickling his back lightly.

Lupin took this as a good sign.

"My first ah, I guess you could call her a crush, was a muggle girl from where I grew up. She kissed me once, squealed and ran away," Lupin said, waiting for the laugh that usually came when he told that story.

Tonks did just that. Before giving him a pitying look.

"Yes, I know, very cute. Anyway, it was enough to scar me for life, and I kept away from girls. We then move onto Hogwarts. James and Sirius were always nagging me about girls, everyone was. Those two, but mostly Sirius, set me up with numerous girls, all of which were total failures, because before anything could happen, I would usually wreck it myself as I worried too much about the werewolf thing," Lupin said, looking at her cautiously.

"So even the teenage version of you had issues?"

"Absolutely. Worse so even," Lupin said. "I fell into the category of being cautious when I should have been rash, and rash when I should have been cautious. For the latter I blame Sirius whole heartedly."

Tonks let out a laugh, shaking her head with an eye roll too.

"Anyway," Lupin muttered, not enjoying his pity party. "Lily was – " but he stopped here, thinking about Lily, and swallowing hard and looking away.

"Did you like her?" Tonks asked simply, as if it weren't as big a deal as it was.

He looked down at her, not saying anything.

"Sorry, I just, well… when you talk about her sometimes I just get this feeling that you might have liked her," Tonks shrugged pulling her hand away from him as if he would scorn her for picking up on something quite true.

He regarded her for another moment, blinking more times than seemed required.

"Yes, I did," Lupin said with a exhale, which was fitting enough, as it felt like a relief to admit this to someone, as he never had before. "Only in our first few years. Though it was never something I acted upon, at any stage, ever."

He didn't want the last few words to sound like a justification, but they were. He always justified to himself that it was not a bad thing that he had liked Lily, because he had never acted on it, but truthfully, even having the feelings made him feel guilty, like he had been betraying James.

"I believe you Remus," Tonks said, a slight smile on her face as her hands connected with him again.

"So, after that," he said swallowing awkwardly. "My love life was put in the hands of Sirius."

Tonks gave a laugh, letting him know this was the worst thing she could have thought of.

"Yes I know, but at the time, I was a teenage boy, so I didn't think about it too much, because I was interested in what he could provide. Needless to say the next few girls were a disaster. One involved being caught cavorting in a broom closet by Professor Flitwick, another slapped me the following morning after our first date. Apparently Sirius had spoken to her about my special needs," Lupin said, watching her laugh. "Sirius was always intrigued to know if being a werewolf changed my bedroom manner. Safe to say I hadn't even gotten anywhere near that with said girl and she thought I'd lied to everyone."

Lupin cringed slightly at the memory of her in tears.

"We then move onto possibly the only other girlfriend I have ever had. Mary MacDonald. She was a Gryffindor girl in my year."

He smiled as he remembered her. Her long blonde hair, her pale face, her bright smile and those beautiful blue eyes.

"She was the first girl I'd found without Sirius' help," Lupin laughed. "She was my friend, for a long time, and of course, racked with self doubt and my own issues I never did a thing. One day, in our sixth year, I just kind of blurted it out. She responded in kind and informed me she also fancied me and that was that," he finished, smiling at her.

"Somehow I think you're better off without Sirius' help," Tonks said with a laugh, as she ran hers hand along his chest, still listening intently.

"So it would seem. We dated for a very long time, right until the end of school. She went abroad afterward and I stayed for the Order," Lupin said his face falling slightly as he thought about it.

"I'm sorry," Tonks said after a long silence, looking at him and biting her lip.

"She was a healer before the Order, a fantastic one too, especially since she had no idea she was so nurturing, though I did. I never heard from her again after we broke up. I searched for her after the war ended, as we all did for everyone, but there was no record of her." He looked away again, remembering how he'd felt that day discovering all this. Knowing she was probably long dead.

He felt Tonks brush her hand across his face, and he brought his eyes back to hers. She was giving him the look of care that disarmed him again, and after a moment, she kissed him lightly.

"I hate that you've lived this horrible life and that there's nothing I can do about it," Tonks said, her voice sounding defeated.

"Well you are here, that is doing something," he added, smiling at her warmly.

There was moment of them staring at each other again, some unsaid things passing between them, before Tonks grinned at him.

"I thought this story was supposed to frighten me, all it's done so far is made me want to jump on top of you and snog you until you're happy again."

"Well up until now it is a nice story, not many tears, no mugs thrown at my head, it gets slightly worse quite quickly," Lupin said, half a smile at her. "Though I may have skated over a few things," he mumbled at the end.

She gave him a look that very clearly said she wanted him to proceed.

"Well, after Mary left to go abroad, everyone was rather sad, none more so than me, and after some time, Sirius took it upon himself to look after me. He introduced me to an ex of his, Olivia, who was – " he stopped for a second. "How can I put this politely? Rather forward."

"I wouldn't have expected anything less from him," Tonks laughed.

"Yes, he does seem the type. Nevertheless, she gave me more scars than I already had, and one evening, a very drunk Sirius posed a similar question about my bedroom manner, to which she said I was rather boring, and Sirius made some comment about knowing I was quite the animal," Lupin explained, and Tonks creased her brow. "Something tells me your thoughts have gone the same as hers. She thought Sirius and I had something going on, and rather than tell her the truth, I let her believe it, and feeling far too nervous about her suspicions of my condition, dumped her," he grimaced at the memory.

"That doesn't sound too bad," Tonks said instantly, her brow still creased.

"Well no, it doesn't. Until I tell you I broke up with her in the middle of a Quidditch match that we were all at the Leaky Cauldron listening to, and she burst into tears, screaming that she wasn't woman enough for me and begged me to take her back," Lupin said, feeling a sweat form just talking about it.

Tonks had broken into fits of giggles at this point.

"So would that mean I am woman enough for you?" she asked in a husky voice, and Lupin only glared.

"If you wish for the rest of the story you will have to behave," he said, raising an eyebrow.

She fell into line quite quickly.

"It gets slightly worse. I'd met a girl at the start of that evening, who had seemed rather taken with me, until I mentioned something about my girlfriend, and after her outburst, and the whole pub knowing I was single, the girl who was very taken with me, re-appeared, and by the hour, latched onto me, kissing me. It was horrible, all I can remember is the taste of tobacco and the sound of Sirius laughing," Lupin grimaced. "So then my Olivia punched me, breaking my nose, and stormed off, quite rightly. I looked up in time to see a mug of butterbeer being launched at my head, which I ducked away from, leaving the girl who'd tried to kiss me annoyed, so she slapped me given that her throw had missed. Needless to say I was confused and Sirius was thoroughly entertained."

Tonks had burst out laughed, and Lupin just sighed sadly. This was always the reaction

"Worse still when, an hour later, Olivia returned and attempted to hit on Sirius, who humiliated her even further, by saying if she wasn't woman enough for me, she'd come no where near him. And despite my better nature urging me to defend her, my nose was throbbing and bleeding, so I did nothing. She looked at me in horror, and burst into tears again."

Lupin swallowed uncomfortably, looking at Tonks nervously, continuing to speak when the nerves became too much waiting for her reaction.

"So yes, that's our first set of tears and slaps, and the infamous mug thrown at my head. The next are from a girl called, Greta, who thankfully had nothing to do with Sirius. I met her in Flourish and Blotts one day. She was very meek and nice. Everyone seemed to like her. Months into our relationship we happened to be in Gringotts together, and this was at the height of werewolf segregation where you had present cards everywhere so no one could be in the dark, and upon seeing it, she was quite rightly outraged that I hadn't told her. I told her I wasn't, for some ridiculous reason, not quite ready to see the end of the relationship for that reason, and in the end broke up with her by telling her that I had met someone else. She practically flooded the floor of Gringotts with tears."

"Remus, you're – " Tonks began incredulously

"I know," Lupin gulped, interrupting. "For the record, that night, Lily and another friend of ours Marlene McKinnon chased me around Mr and Mrs Potter's library, bashing me with books. So I didn't get off easily."

Tonks still had her eyes narrowed on him. Lupin was about to keep going, but he paused, the nerves winning him over.

"Is this really the right type of conversation to be had on our wedding night?"

"You're just trying to get out of this," Tonks said, a wary look in her eye.

"Of course I am. It's just, well, the stories do not get better," Lupin said with a nervous sigh. "Are you sure we can't just postpone them? They really are mortifying to have lived through once, let alone tell."

Tonks narrowed her eyes on him further, biting her lip.

"Okay, you can get a pass for now, but I will hear the rest of this," Tonks said still glaring at him.

"Deal," Lupin said happily, sinking back into his pillows.

"I can't believe you didn't defend the poor girl," Tonks said, a serious look on her face and she rested her chin on his chest.

Lupin felt his body go cold. She was mad at him. He'd been foolish to tell the story truthfully.

"No, but I – I mean – I wanted to I just –" Lupin spluttered.

"Remus, I'm kidding," Tonks said, laughing to herself, and Lupin shook his giving, giving her an incredulous look. "She broke your nose, she can't have expected you to help her."

"I rather think I should have. I was just young and foolish," Lupin said, guilt burning at his insides.

"Compared to very un-foolish you are now?" Tonks asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Yes I suppose marrying you would class me back into a foolish category," Lupin said slyly, causing Tonks to swatting on the arm. "Of course, hitting me. What a pattern you girls have."

Lupin laughed, and he could tell however angry she was trying to look, there was a smile hiding in the corner of her twitching mouth.

"I'm going to do more than hit you," Tonks said, narrowing her eyes on him, before he found himself underneath her, her lips crashing down on his.

Lupin sat within the confines of the kitchen in The Burrow, surrounded by the members of the Order, within a mood that was such a stark contrast to what he had experience that morning, and the evening prior, it was almost depressing. They had stayed in that bed talking, kissing, doing whatever they pleased, right up until sunrise, which was a breath-taking view, before falling asleep in each others arms.

It had been beyond perfect, but now, it felt like the real world had quite rudely ripped them from a daydream. Now they were discussing ways in which they could retrieve Harry without the Death Eaters knowing, and without Voldemort appearing either. None of them seemed to have a plan that was going to tweak it enough for safety.

Lupin had been staring at the table for half an hour, his foot tapping subconsciously. It was one of the quietest meetings they'd ever had. All were thinking. Hestia, Bill and Fleur were looking in their laps, where as Arthur seemed to be very interested in his mug of tea.

Moody looked almost angry at his lack of ideas, and Molly was looking around expectantly, the ever-present worry etched into her eyes. Kingsley and Tonks were together at one end, Kingsley his hand atop his baldhead, and Tonks, absent-mindedly turning the new ring on her left hand, his ring. All of them wore the same looks of deepest concentration, but they were stuck, the silence only breaking when one had an idea, which always ended up to be easily unstuck by someone else.

It seemed lost until some time later when Mundungus walked in, later than ever.

"Sorry," he said after Molly let him in. "Woke up this mornin' in a pub I've never had the good fortune of goin' to before. Bit weird innit?"

Moody sat up straight, already looking like he was ready to give a lecture on security, but Dung held up a hand.

"I know what ya goin' t' say Moody, but I got a plan you see," Mundungus said moving toward the table.

Lupin's always-observant nature couldn't help but notice that Mundungus seemed a little unsteady of his feet, especially when he bumped into the chair he was trying to sit in, not once, but twice. If it were anyone else, Lupin may have thought something more sinister was going on, that perhaps the Death Eaters had gotten to him, but the most likely option, especially given his excuse, was that alcohol was clearly still in his system.

"Well I been thinkin' I have, just like you asked Mad-Eye," Dung said sitting down, with everyone's eyes fixed upon him, except for Molly, who seemed to find the thought of Mundungus thinking eye roll worthy. "And I know we been havin' issues getting the boy from his hidey hole to ours, because we know them Death Eaters will be out there just waitin' right?"

Mundugus paused, waiting for confirmation, which Moody gave him with a curt nod, even though he had a disgruntled look upon his face too.

"Well we have all them other safe houses set up, But I kept thinkin', once we get that boy out and start headin' somewhere they're gunno know which one it is aren't they?" Dung asked rhetorically. "So why not be sending them Harry Potters to every house?"

Lupin let his eyes wander off from Mundungus for a moment, thinking about suggestion. It would be like a diversion. There was just one problem, voiced thankfully by Kingsley.

"How do we get more Harry Potter's?"

"Polyjuice Potion," both Mungdungus and Moody said, though in entirely different tones. One smug, the other heavy with realisation.

The plan formed together in Lupin's head. He was surprised at just how brilliant it was. Maybe Mundungus should get himself lost in pubs more often.

"How many safe houses do we have?" Lupin asked, looking between Tonks, Kingsley Arthur and Moody.

"My parents offered," Tonks said quickly. "Which you all know."

"We have this house and I'm sure we could persuade Muriel," Molly said, looking across at Arthur who nodded.

"Mine house is of course on offer," Kingsley said in his deep booming voice.

That left only a few Harry's, and Lupin wanted more.

"I own my family home out past the Lake District, it's far away, but certainly useable," he offered.

Moody nodded, raising a finger each time someone offered. There were six standing, which obviously meant Moody was counting his own.

"Well I can offer me own too," Mundungus said.

At seven Moody seemed more satisfied.

"So we have six people to take polyjuice potion, plus the real Harry, and then we take each Harry to a real house," Tonks said, nodding slightly as she repeated the plan.

"The real Harry will need a guard," Molly said instantly. "He shouldn't fly around by himself, especially if we know You-Know-Who will have people patrolling.

"But that will give 'im away," Fleur responded instantly.

"Each Harry is paired up with a guard then." Bill suggested.

Lupin's eyes darted to Moody, who was scanning the small group at the table, obviously seeing the same problem as him. They didn't have the number for this.

"Molly," Moody said gruffly, a little more softness in his voice than usual.

She already looked panicked.

"Would you consent, if any of your children were to offer, to allow them to join us? To become Harry's?"

All the colour left in her face drained, and Lupin saw her arm move toward Arthur and he knew she'd probably gripped onto his hand. He saw her eyes well up, but she blinked it away. She gave a careful nod after looking toward Arthur.

"Then tomorrow we will have to invite each of the children here and ask them," Moody growled.

"Hermione should be here tomorrow," Arthur said blankly, not quite as colourless as Molly, but close. "That's another."

"Do we involve the Ministry?" Tonks asked, looking around.

"It would certainly add to the diversion if each house is under ministry protection," Lupin explained.

"We add our own enchantments though?" Bill questioned hastily, meeting Lupin's gaze.

"Naturally," he said.

"And we still have the fake trail, so the sheer amount of people should confuse the Death Eaters if they are patrolling," Kingsley chimed in, looking toward Moody who was nodding as he took in each comment.

"This is going to need planning," Moody growled, pulling out a piece of parchment.

And so they planned, very late into the night, everyone heaping praise upon Mundungus when he bid his farewells at the end.

Lupin and Tonks arrived in the garden outside her flat at some time easily past three in the morning. Lupin gave a weak smile at his wife, feeling exhausted. No body had asked them about their night, but he imagined they had forgotten, and did not blame them after that meeting.

"That's possibly the most intense meeting we've ever had, and that includes planning for guard duties,' Tonks sighed as they entered her flat.

"Yes quite a deflating note to return home on," Lupin said in a very distracted voice, his thought resting on Harry and the enormity of what they were about to undertake.

Lupin was unaware just how phased out he was until Tonks slipped her hand into his, looking up at him. Using his free hand he rubbed his face.

"Sorry," he muttered. "This is just – " but he had no way to describe what he was feeling.

"I know," she said simply, squeezing his hand and giving him a sad smile. "But I have faith."

Lupin let out a soft laugh, before smiling. He truly adored her conviction; it was enough to give him some. He lent across, kissing her forehead.

"Considering I'm work in the morning, it's time for bed I think," Tonks said, pulling him by the hand.

He followed, and once they arrived into her bedroom, which Lupin had to remind himself was now their bedroom, they both wordlessly undressed themselves. He took care to pick up, and hang, each piece of clothing she slipped out of and chucked onto the floor, giving her the same little shake of his head coupled with a condescending smile each time. Noticing this, Tonks only shrugged, giving him an innocent grin. She crawled into bed, rolling onto her side and facing the window, as Lupin hung up his shirt. Once done, Lupin carefully slid into bed behind her, propping his head up on arm, looking down over her.

"Somewhat of a difference from the evening before," Lupin said, smiling.

"Only slightly," Tonks muttered sarcastically, taking her gaze from the window and looking up at him.

"Does it still feel as marvellous to be Mrs Lupin?"

"Always will," she replied, leaning up to kiss him gently.

He was not surprised, nor hurt, when she pulled away quickly. Truthfully, far from doing anything, all he wished for was sleep. The last three days seemed longer than any he'd ever had. He slid the arm supporting his head underneath her and placed the other around her middle, pulling her against him. Given all he had to worry about, falling asleep wrapped around the woman you loved had to be something, and that was exactly what he did.

Lupin woke up the following warm, content, and comfortable, with the sleeping form of Tonks still in his arms, close against his body. He glanced across at his wristwatch, which was on the bedside table. It was later than it should be, and though Tonks looked so peaceful in her sleep, Lupin knew he'd have to disturb it.

He leant over her, as he back was against him, and kissed her on the cheek. It was a moment before her eyelids begun to flutter. She let out a groan, before rolling over and burying herself in his chest.

"Five more minutes," she grumbled in a croaky voice, looking every bit the child trying to avoid school.

Lupin let out a soft chuckle.

"Dora, you're already late," he cooed, kissing her again.

Her eyes fluttered open again, this time tracing up to his face, and he gave her a sad smile.

"I'm sorry to wake you so rudely."

"I can think of worse ways to be woken," she muttered after a big yawn, grinning at him.

Her eyes narrowed on him, her lips twisting up into a very suggestive smirk. Instantly he knew where this was headed, before she even leaned toward him.

"No Dora," he said with the same soft chuckle. "You're already late."

Tonks huffed, pouting at him.

"Do you have to be responsible all the time?" she whined.

"Yes. Now, You get yourself into the shower and I'll get some breakfast for you."

Lupin had tea and toast waiting, which Tonks accepted gladly, swallowing it all in almost one go, before kissing Lupin quickly and disappearing. He looked around her flat, having to remind himself that it was his too. That was a new one. There wasn't much to do, so he looked through each of her kitchen draws until he found some parchment and ink. Pulling out his quill from the cloak that was hung up, he set to work detailing their plan, thinking up new ideas, and whiling away the hours planning, something he was entirely gifted at. Years of pranks with James, Sirius and Peter had created quite the original problem solver in him.

Lupin arrived at the burrow early, greeted by a nervous looking Molly, before being set upon by Hermione before he'd even reached the table.

"Congratulations Remus," she said, coming toward him and beaming.

"Thank you," he said as she hugged him, wondering if everyone had been sitting around talking about his recent union. Were they judging him?

After a quick conversation, reminding her that Dora would happily provide all the details that only a woman could describe as eloquently, Lupin moved off to Mad-Eye, who was seated at the head of the table. He unrolled he parchment from earlier in the day and set to explaining new ideas he'd had. Some of which Moody seemed genuinely interested, especially the idea to enchant six extra houses at random to really throw the Death Eaters off.

After barely twenty minutes, in came Tonks, laughing with Fred and George, who flanked her.

"Congratulations Remus old chum," Fred said, leaning across the table to shake his hand.

Lupin stood quickly, accepting his hand, before George thrust his too, which he accepted with another gracious smile.

"Quick and quiet. That's how all weddings should be," George added, with a cheeky glance up to his mother, who glared at him. "It's how mine will be, whatever the complaints may be."

Tonks at this point had made her way beside him, sitting down and kissing him quickly.

"How was work?" Lupin asked, as Moody began talking to the newly arrived Arthur.

"Kingsley will explain I think. It was hectic," Tonks sighed, sliding her chair closer to his and leaning against his shoulder.

He placed a hand on her leg soothingly, watching the madness ensue all around him as Fred and George begun telling tales. It wasn't until Bill arrived that Moody cleared his throat, interrupting a very intimate greeting between Bill and Fleur.

"Now," Moody growled, looking down toward Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione, with Ginny loitering in the doorway. "We've called you here to ask each of you if you'd be willing to join the – "

"That Order? I knew they'd be begging for us Fred," George exclaimed, clapping his twin on the back.

"Not at all," Molly snapped. "And with an attitude like that it's abundantly clear you never will be."

Molly glared through her twin sons, but Moody just held up a hand.

"We are asking you to join us on an Order mission. What you have to understand is that it's going to be very dangerous, there's every chance we'll be facing Death Eaters, and even You-Know-who."

Lupin could see each of their faces lighting up, and he knew that weren't listening to any of the warnings, except for Hermione maybe.

"So, by raising your hands, who of you would be interested?" Moody asked, and in the blink of an eye every single one of them raised their hands. Molly made a sort of whimpering noise.

"What's the plan?" Fred said, a delighted look upon his face as he rubbed his hands together, nudging his twin.

"We plan to use you all to retrieve Harry from Privet Drive," Kingsley's deep voice boomed.

"Each of you will be taken along with one of us, on a broomstick, and we'll be using you all to distract the Death Eaters so that Harry can hopefully not be targeted instantly," Lupin explained.

The children all seemed pleased, except for Hermione, who looked confused, and Lupin knew why. She could see the big plot hole they had not yet told them about.

"Now," Arthur said seriously. "What we will tell you next, despite however much you were interested before, may change everything. So if you want to back out afterwards you still can. We shouldn't have to stress that it does not leave your mouth's at any point either."

Fred and George nudged each other, laughing.

"Take it seriously boys," Molly snapped, her voice shaky, clearly overwhelmed by the whole situation.

"Now, the plan, thanks to Mundungus who couldn't be here, is to give each of you a drop of Poly-juice potion once we arrive at Privet Drive, and then we'll have a large number of Harry's flying through the sky that night. All flying to different houses belonging to the Order."

Hermione nodded, finally looking pleased like the rest of them, albeit slightly nervous.

"So what that in mind," Lupin said, interrupting their whispers. "How many of you would still be interested, taking in my mind what you would be doing, and how much you would be targeted."

Instantly all their hands shot up, and just as the Order began to nod there was a loud interruption.

"I want to do it," Ginny announced, glaring at her mother and father.

"No," Molly and Arthur both said instantly.

"They get to do it. I'm better than Ron at flying and at hexing people," Ginny protested.

"Hey!" Ron shot back.

"Well I am."

"Ginny you're too young," Molly snapped again.

"Your mother is right," Arthur said in a much softer tone.

Ginny stamped her foot on the ground, folding her arms.

"But it's not fair. I'm just as good as – "

"Your parents are right Gin," came a voice Lupin didn't expect to hear.

It was Tonks' and Ginny snapped her head toward her, looking bewildered, almost hurt. Lupin knew Tonks and Ginny were close, almost like sisters, and never in a million years had he expected her to be a voice of reason, or scolding, and now it seemed, she had grown up remarkably during his absence.

"I'm sorry," Tonks said hastily. "But it's going to be dangerous, very dangerous, and we all know you could handle that," which wasn't entirely true, "but you still have your Trace. And we're going to need somebody here in case something goes wrong."

Lupin glanced across at his wife, feeling her words wash through him. It was going to be dangerous. Each of them would be a target if there were Death Eaters. He didn't think he could handle it if anything happened to her. He focused his attention on the centre of the table, gripping onto Tonks' knee a little harder as he heard Molly give another whimper. This was their plan, it seemed foolproof, but they always did, and without Dumbledore, everything seemed that much more open to unravel.

To be continued…