To Save A Serpent

A/N: Thank you all for your kind reviews and your patience. I am touched to hear how you all are responding to this story. It has been emotionally tasking on me as well. Without further rambling and ado, I present the next chapter.

“Do you think we should—”

“No.” Remus said, his arm wrapped around Tonks. She laid her head on his shoulder, turning her teary eyes into the thick wool of his jumper. His eyes were heavy he’d been crying as well and had no troubles admitting it. He pulled her closer to him, pressing gentle kisses against her cheek.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t—”

“Yes.” His face looked ever more haggard than before, sunken eyes and pale lips, hardly any life to his features at all. “We need to wait for Harry and Minerva anyhow,” he muttered. “I sent an owl so they shouldn’t be long in coming.”

They were silent, her tears soaking through his jumper as she clung to him. “Do you think that’s how we looked, Remus?”

He nodded, and then turned his eyes away. “Come on, there’s no use waiting in here, we can wait out there until the others arrive.”

It was nearly an hour before Minerva, puffy eyed and trembling, arrived. Her robes were simple. “Are they—” she couldn’t bring herself to say it as she gestured to the door. “—in there?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Perhaps it best if we wait, Harry should be here soon. Then we can just all go at once.” Her teary eyes gazed up at him before she seemed to collapse into herself but he was quick to wrap his arms around her. “Minerva,” he said gently and stroked a hand down her back. She too was looking as if she’d seen better days. “I take it that you saw the memories?”

Her eyes looked up toward him, lips trembling and she nodded, before turning her head back into his jumper. “Where’s Tonks?” she sniffled.

“She’s gone out for a breath of fresh air,” he sighed and then guided Minerva to a seat on the nearby wooden bench. Aside from her sobs and occasional hiccoughs they sat in silence until sometime later when they heard footsteps coming up the corridor. “That’ll be them, then.”

A frazzled looking Harry, with a silently weeping Ginny appeared before them. “Tonks is heaving in the garden,” he said. “I passed her on the way in, perhaps you should…”

Remus nodded and stood, moving quickly past them. Ginny’s brown eyes were as red as Minerva’s as she took a seat beside the woman. “Is it true then?” Ginny asked, biting her lower lip.

“I’m— I’m afraid so,” the older woman sniffed. The redhead shook her head and began to sob, Harry coming to her side and pulling her into his arms.

“Shh, Gin, it’s alright, it’s alright…” he whispered. Minerva gazed at them both, finding it difficult not to burst into howling sobs like the younger witch. Footsteps again echoed in the corridor and Tonks, clutching the side of Remus, was led back to the group gathered on the bench.

Ginny wrenched herself from Harry’s grasp and launched herself at Tonks, the metamorphagus throwing her arms around the sobbing redhead. Remus sighed and sat beside Harry. The girls nearly collapsed on each other, trembling, sobbing, and fell to their knees as Minerva stood, walked to them and pulled them both into a maternal hug.

It was Harry who stood first. “We should get this over with,” he said softly and Remus nodded. “Ginny,” he whispered, kneeling beside the pile of weeping females. “Come on, let me help you up.” She rose to her feet like a person in a dream, not saying a word, guided only by his actions. Tonks too was brought to her feet with the aid of Minerva and Remus. He helped her into Minerva’s arms and tugged Ginny back from Harry as the younger wizard put his hand on the doorknob. “Okay…” he said, drawing in a deep breath.

Harry Potter, flanked by Remus, Tonks, Ginny, and Minerva, pushed open the door to Hermione Granger’s bedroom.

Hope you liked that. :)