The Summer Before
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
11
Views:
3,869
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
11
Views:
3,869
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
As Larentia explained Remus’ place in her former life to Harry, Remus was trying to explain the same situation to a lovesick Tonks.
“Tia, Larentia and I were very close before she fell into the coma.” Merlin, this was hard. “We were, I had asked her to be my... we were going to be married.”
Tonks gasped and stepped back. She’d seen how they’d looked at each other. All hopes that there was nothing more than a sibling affection in their touch was dashed at learning of their past. A tear slid down her cheek, but there was no tender touch of a thumb to stop its path.
“So that’s why...” she managed before biting her lip to keep from sobbing.
“Why I was so firm that there could be nothing more than friendship between us.” Remus finished for her, feeling like a cad. He should have explained sooner. Should have told Tonks and Molly all about Tia, about how they were to have been married on the same day that Harry’s parents were killed. Should have told them that he couldn’t imagine anyone replacing her in his life, even if she never recovered. It was just so hard to talk about her, lying in America unable to know how he felt.
“But I thought...At Dumbledore’s funeral,” Tonks tried to get her words out. Tried to cling to the tenderness he’d shown her at the funeral.
“You needed comfort. As a friend,” he emphasized the word,”I could do nothing less than give you as much comfort as I could.” Remus looked around from their position at the side of the tent. Guests were arriving rapidly and he wanted nothing more than for this conversation to be over. “You deserve so much more than a broken, old werewolf, Tonks. More than I could ever offer you.”
Tonks took a ragged breath. She knew there were no arguments that would change anything. He loved someone else, had loved her for a long time, and now that person was back. From the looks of the moment she witnessed earlier, Tia felt the same thing for Remus. Who was she to stand in their way? Her heart was wounded, but clinging to something that would not be wouldn’t help heal it. She gave Remus a watery smile and turned away from the tent.
“Tonks, don’t go-the wedding.” Remus called. She shook her hair, and as she did the color changed from perky blonde back to a mousy brown that he knew well, and walked away. She couldn’t face the happiness of the bride and groom. Not now that her own hopes were dashed. She couldn’t stay and witness more moments like the brief one between Remus and Larentia. Her heart wouldn’t bear it.
Remus watched her fade into the distance and wished he could have saved her the pain. If only she’d listened to his reasonings sooner. If only he had just told her about Tia. He regretted it, but knew that nothing he could say or do, save change his own heart, would have prevented her heartache.
He thought back to his Hogwarts days. Thought back to another young woman whose heart was set on him. Another try at convincing someone not to love him. Until, he smiled in memory, until her passion had caught him. Until he let himself imagine a possible happy life. A life with love and acceptance. A life that was tore apart by an evil old woman.
And now she was back. Tia was awake, alive, aware. He let his mind focus on her now. Not far from him, talking to Harry and very much here.
As Larentia explained Remus’ place in her former life to Harry, Remus was trying to explain the same situation to a lovesick Tonks.
“Tia, Larentia and I were very close before she fell into the coma.” Merlin, this was hard. “We were, I had asked her to be my... we were going to be married.”
Tonks gasped and stepped back. She’d seen how they’d looked at each other. All hopes that there was nothing more than a sibling affection in their touch was dashed at learning of their past. A tear slid down her cheek, but there was no tender touch of a thumb to stop its path.
“So that’s why...” she managed before biting her lip to keep from sobbing.
“Why I was so firm that there could be nothing more than friendship between us.” Remus finished for her, feeling like a cad. He should have explained sooner. Should have told Tonks and Molly all about Tia, about how they were to have been married on the same day that Harry’s parents were killed. Should have told them that he couldn’t imagine anyone replacing her in his life, even if she never recovered. It was just so hard to talk about her, lying in America unable to know how he felt.
“But I thought...At Dumbledore’s funeral,” Tonks tried to get her words out. Tried to cling to the tenderness he’d shown her at the funeral.
“You needed comfort. As a friend,” he emphasized the word,”I could do nothing less than give you as much comfort as I could.” Remus looked around from their position at the side of the tent. Guests were arriving rapidly and he wanted nothing more than for this conversation to be over. “You deserve so much more than a broken, old werewolf, Tonks. More than I could ever offer you.”
Tonks took a ragged breath. She knew there were no arguments that would change anything. He loved someone else, had loved her for a long time, and now that person was back. From the looks of the moment she witnessed earlier, Tia felt the same thing for Remus. Who was she to stand in their way? Her heart was wounded, but clinging to something that would not be wouldn’t help heal it. She gave Remus a watery smile and turned away from the tent.
“Tonks, don’t go-the wedding.” Remus called. She shook her hair, and as she did the color changed from perky blonde back to a mousy brown that he knew well, and walked away. She couldn’t face the happiness of the bride and groom. Not now that her own hopes were dashed. She couldn’t stay and witness more moments like the brief one between Remus and Larentia. Her heart wouldn’t bear it.
Remus watched her fade into the distance and wished he could have saved her the pain. If only she’d listened to his reasonings sooner. If only he had just told her about Tia. He regretted it, but knew that nothing he could say or do, save change his own heart, would have prevented her heartache.
He thought back to his Hogwarts days. Thought back to another young woman whose heart was set on him. Another try at convincing someone not to love him. Until, he smiled in memory, until her passion had caught him. Until he let himself imagine a possible happy life. A life with love and acceptance. A life that was tore apart by an evil old woman.
And now she was back. Tia was awake, alive, aware. He let his mind focus on her now. Not far from him, talking to Harry and very much here.