The silver weasel startles them as it enters the kitchen unexpectedly, dancing around on the spot as it delivers its message: "Lightning has struck Hogwarts. He's coming."

Her eyes lock onto Remus's, and she knows she isn't mistaking the meaning; this is Arthur Weasley's Patronus, here to tell them that the moment has come for them to fight. Both of them are silent, motionless. Then Remus crosses the room, and he looks older and greyer than Tonks has ever seen him as he takes his cloak from the hook and drapes it over his shoulders.

Tonks makes to get her cloak as well, but Remus grabs her hand before she can reach it. "No, Dora," he begs desperately, and she can see the fear in his eyes. "You can't go. It's too dangerous."

"Too dangerous?" she repeats angrily, although it isn't like she didn't expect him to say something like this. "Remus, I'm a qualified Auror and I can look after myself. I'm not going to sit cosily at home while everyone else is out there fighting!"

Remus runs his hands through his hair, agitated. "I know you want to fight, Dora, and I know you'd be good at it, but it's not just ourselves we have to think about now, is it?" he asks tiredly. "What about Teddy? He needs you."

Now Tonks is torn. "I can call my mum to look after him," she says uncertainly, but she knows the unspoken meaning behind his words: Teddy needs her not to die.

Remus shakes his head and he takes Tonks's hand, leading her upstairs until they reach the nursery. The door is slightly ajar; he pushes it so that it's fully open, and the body of their sleeping son is revealed. The sight of him, sleeping peacefully as if there's nothing wrong in the world, makes her heart ache. She loves him more than anything, except perhaps Remus.

"He needs his mother, Dora," Remus pleads, and what else can she do but nod? Her son needs her; she'll stay, as much as it pains her. Relief floods onto Remus's face.

Then, suddenly, his lips are on hers, and it's the most mind-blowingly intense kiss she's ever had, because there's no more time for words and she wants - no, she needs to remember what it feels like to kiss this man, because it might be the last chance she ever gets. She stops thinking and she loses herself in everything... the way his lips mould in to hers, the feel of his stubble against her chin and the taste that's just so uniquely him; it's intoxicating, and she's dizzy when they finally come up for air.

They go back to the kitchen so he can pick up his wand from the table. She's crying quietly, and a tear is streaking down his cheek as well. She's never seen him cry before. It scares her.

"Remus... just please... please come back," she begs, even though she knows it won't make any difference.

"You know I'll try my hardest," he promises, taking her into his arms and stroking her mousy brown hair gently. "I love you, Dora; I always have and I always will. I wish I'd told you sooner."

She places a finger on his lips. "Shh, I know now," she tells him. "And I love you too."

Neither of them know what else to say, so they just study each other, taking in every detail and committing it to memory.

Remus looks at her painfully, and he can't say goodbye. Neither can she. He turns on the spot and then he's gone.

She leaves the kitchen - she can't stand to look at the spot where he vanished. She closes the door.

She was going to stay, she really was. But she's been sitting in the nursery for a full half-hour, simply staring at her little boy. She feels so useless. She looks at him, and she's overcome with anger; she doesn't want him to live in a world so ridden with hatred. She sees his face, and she wants to fight.

Maybe it's not the sensible thing to do, but she knows that if she doesn't fight, she'll regret it for the rest of her life.

She picks up Teddy from his cot and he starts to squirm; he had been sleeping comfortably. "Shh, it's okay, Mummy's here," she whispers soothingly, bouncing him gently up and down, and soon he's asleep again in her arms. She kisses his hair, breathing in the smell of his shampoo. She hadn't wanted to say another goodbye today, but she needs to.

She lays him back down in his cot carefully. The tears are back, but she needs to focus now. Closing the door on her sleeping son, she pulls herself together. She's made her decision.

Her mother doesn't argue with her, and she doesn't even ask any questions - she understands. She knows her daughter better than anyone in the world, and she knows why Tonks is doing this, and she also knows that there's no point even trying to change her mind about it.

Andromeda embraces her daughter, and Tonks never wants to let go.

"Be safe," is all her mother can say. Tonks's throat is dry and she simply nods; for the first time in her life, she has no words. She breathes in deeply, and Disapparates. This is it.

A/N: Ugh, making myself cry writing this... really not cool ;)

This is for two different challenges on HPFC: the Last Kiss Competition #2 (with the prompt "closing doors") and the Pairing Diversity Boot Camp (with the prompt "dangerous").