A Cursed Wound

Remus didn’t remember how he had gotten to St. Mungo’s. He did remember lying so the hospital personnel would let him in to see Tonks.

“I’ll sign whatever you bloody well want me to sign,” he hear her snap irritably. “I’m not staying!”

“You really should stay overnight,” a calm voice replied. “We’ve a few more tests to run.”

Entering the ward, Remus hurried toward her voice and pulled the curtain back, causing every one in the small enclosure to jump in surprise.

Tonks frowned and jerked her arm away from the doctor. She had a nasty bruise and an already-healing cut above her right eye – thanks to the potion she’d been given.

Seeing him, Moody backed away from the bed. “It’s department policy, Tonks,” the old Auror said gruffly. “You were injured on the job and you will stay for overnight observation.”

“I’ve never heard of any policy like that,” the young witch argued. “I was injured in the Department of Mysteries and didn’t have to stay overnight.”

“It’s a new one.” Moody’s eye was spinning around in his head as if searching for something. “It’s my policy! Now stop arguing and settle down. Healer’s orders are Healer’s orders.”

Content with his decree, Moody limped away, a quick “Good luck, mate,” mumbled under his breath.

Tonks gave a frustrated huff and settled back into the bed. “The baby’s fine,” she informed Remus, her voice trembling as she said it.

“Sir,” the Healer stated, “you’ll have to leave.”

“It’s okay,” Tonks announced. “He’s the father.”

Remus could feel the Healer looking at him, causing uneasiness to settle within him.

“You have lycanthropy,” the Healer said quickly, unable to disguise the look of alarm in her eyes.

“Yes,” Remus replied automatically.

Had he missed something in his research? Did the baby have lycanthropy, after all?

Taking a seat next to the bed, Remus clasped Tonks’ hand in his, rubbing his cheek along her knuckles before kissing it.

“I see.” The Healer walked around the edge of the bed and moved her wand over Tonks’ stomach, muttering a spell under her breath.

“You don’t need to test the baby for lycanthropy,” Tonks said, trying to pull her hand out of Remus’. “I’m keeping it either way.”

The Healer scowled, obviously unhappy with the results of the diagnostic. She performed the spell again and lowered her wand. “The test is inconclusive. I need to consult a colleague,” she said and walked away.

Remus could feel the baby’s future teeter in the balance. The empty feeling in the pit of his stomach made him want to retch, but he schooled his features and stared into his lover’s eyes.

Tonks’ eyes flashed. “What are you doing here?”

“I came as soon as I heard,” he replied softly.

“Well, I’m fine and the baby is fine.” She tugged her hand again, and this time he let it go. “You can leave now.”

“If you’re trying to bait me,” Remus said, “it won’t work.”

“I’m out of here.” Sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she tried to stand up. But she quickly gave up as the dizziness became too much. “I don’t need you hovering over me. I don’t need you –”

The last of her sentence was lost when Remus claimed her lips.

With a patience that was normally awarded to saints, he held Moony at bay and kept the kiss gentle.

Someone cleared their throat, causing Remus to pull away reluctantly. Tonks’ eyes were wide and bright with desire.

“I could come back later, if you like,” an amused voice teased the werewolf.

Remus turned around and saw a short, balding wizard with large round spectacles that made his eyes appear larger than they really were. He reminded Remus of Sybill Trelawney.

“I’m Healer Reed,” the man introduced himself and smiled. “Healer Montgomery wanted me to test your baby for lycanthropy.”

Remus tensed and persuaded Tonks to lean back.

Healer Reed started waving his wand over Tonks, starting at her head and moving it down to her feet. “So how old were you when you were bitten, my dear?”

“Pardon me?” Tonks looked puzzled.

“How old were you when you were bitten?” the Healer asked again.

“Um, sir.” Remus cleared his throat. “I’m the one with lycanthropy.”

The Healer chuckled in embarrassment and clapped. “Very good. Very good, indeed.”

Tonks gave Remus a nervous look and reached for his hand.

“It’s very rare to pass the werewolf characteristics from father to child,” Reed explained. “In fact, it is almost unheard of. However, Healer Montgomery wanted a second opinion.”

“Why?” Remus squeezed his nymph’s hand reassuringly as the healer’s words soothed his concerns.

“The spell work is complicated and she’s not too familiar with it,” Reed stated. “Lycanthropy is more curse than it is genetics. Men do not pass the disease to the baby, whereas a lycan mother runs a high risk of infecting her fetus. There are treatments to prevent woman from passing the lycanthropy to their children, but none of them are foolproof.

“Ah, there.” The Healer held his wand up, which had turned transparent. “See, no lycanthropy.”

Kissing Tonks’ hand, Remus bowed his head, saying a silent prayer to any deity who was listening.

“Would you like to know the sex of the baby?”

“Yes. No,” the expectant parents said in unison.

“Until the two of you agree, I shan’t ruin the surprise,” Reed chuckled with an Albus-like twinkle in his eyes, which quickly turned serious.

Shaking the results off his wand, the Healer looked pointedly at Tonks. “You’ve taken a nasty bump to the head. I highly recommend that you stay for observation.”

Remus could tell Tonks was going to argue and patted her hand. “What about careful observation at home? I promise to follow the instructions to the letter and will tie the patient to the bed if need be.”

Tonks sputtered indignantly.

“As long as you don’t tie her too tightly to the bed, I see no reason why we can’t discharge her.” Healer Reed conjured a quill and parchment and prepared to dictate his report. “Just as long as she doesn’t over exert herself for the next twenty-four hours.”

--

She looks so young, Remus mused, watching Tonks sleep.

Yes, she’s thirteen years your junior. Moony paced, becoming more annoyed with each step he took. I thought we had already been over this territory, Remus.

Glancing at the clock on the mantle, Remus grimaced. It still doesn’t change the fact that she’s considerably younger than me. Just another few minutes, and he would wake her up per the doctor’s instructions.

It’s almost time to wake her up, Moony said. What are you going to do then?

Well, Remus countered, I’m certainly not going to jump her bones once she wakes up, am I? She needs to take it easy – doctor’s orders.

Moony pouted.

“How do you expect me to get any sleep with you watching me?” Tonks mumbled, opening an eye and looking at him.

Grinning, Remus crossed his arms over his chest and sat back in his chair. “The doctor said to wake you up every hour. I was just following orders.”

She turned over on her side, facing him.

“Besides,” he continued, “it was time to wake you up in a few minutes anyway. How are you feeling?”

“Better,” she replied.

He reached out and brushed her tousled hair out of the way. “Is it still tender?”

“No.” Tonks sat up and rapped her knuckles on her forehead. “See? Good as new.”

“You can go back to sleep, if you want to. Your time is up. The doctor said twenty-four hours, and it’s been a little over that.”

“You look like hell, Moony,” Tonks said, stretching gracefully like a feline and yawning. “Did you stay up all night?”

Me! Me! The wolf answered excitedly. She’s talking to me.

Remus didn’t miss the casual use of his nickname. Nor could he ignore the curves of her breasts as she put her arms above her head and stretched. “Yes,” he answered, his husky voice betraying his reaction. He stood up quickly and made to leave.

“Stay.”

It was one word, but Moony accepted her invitation while Remus stood frozen in place. His eyes roamed the subtle curves of her body, reminding him just how hungry he had become. Remus hated their “schedule.” He hated the monthly cycle. He hated waiting for her to approach him, knowing that at one time she had loved him. He had been a bloody wanker.

Tonks settled back and crossed her arms over her chest. “I-I’m sorry, Remus. I guess it’s not really fair. It’s not time yet, I know. Forget I mentioned it, okay?”

He could hear the sound of rejection in her voice, even over the pounding of his heartbeat. Yes, he wanted to make her knickers and nightshirt disappear, spread her legs, and sate himself within her. But there was something much larger at stake besides sex. He needed to make her see how he felt.

As he approached her, Tonks smiled and leaned back, offering herself to him. Powerless, Remus climbed between her legs and sealed his lips over hers.

She tried to pull him closer and deepen their kiss. But he kept every contact point between their bodies light as a feather and teasing.

His nymph gave a frustrated groan as she tried to tug his shirt up and off. Before she got too ambitious, Remus grabbed her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “As much as I want to make love to you, I won’t.” He looked into her eyes, then rubbed his cheek against hers. “You mean too much to me and I need to show you.”

“W-what?” She was breathless and confused.

Tapping into strength he did not think he possessed, Remus backed away and steeled himself for the argument of his life.

“I love you,” he said softly.

“No, you don’t,” she responded quickly.

“Yes, I do.”

“Look,” Tonks sighed.

He grinned. He could smell her frustration.

“We’ve been over this before.” She scrambled off the bed and stood in front of him. “You have no free will. The potion is designed to –”

“Then you don’t love me, either,” countered Remus.

“Well, I…” she struggled with the words. “That’s absurd! How could you say that? Of course I…I –”

“Love me against your will?”

“Yes,” she sputtered. “I mean no.”

“Since you don’t love me. The potion is obviously faulty,” Remus reasoned, trying to keep the smirk from his lips. “Therefore, I have free will and I love you anyway.”

“You…I…you are twisting everything around,” she accused, becoming deliciously flustered.

Remus crossed his arms over his chest in an effort to still his shaking hands. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but knew if he did, it would be over. “Am I?” he answered innocently. “I could accuse you of the same thing.”

He could see the spark in his lover’s eyes, the spark that he had been missing since their first night of passion.

“You’ve lost it,” she groused incredulously, throwing her hands up in the air. “I can’t believe this! I’m in love with a crazy man!”

“I love you too,” he responded automatically. The more he said it, the easier it became.

“Will you stop saying that!”

“It’s not polite to tease, Nymph. You’re in love with, and I quote, ‘a crazy man.” But you don’t want me to tell you that I’m in love with you.”

Tonks gaped at him, unable to form a reply.

“I love you,” Remus murmured softly. “No one, not even you, can tell me differently.”

Unshed tears shimmered in her eyes. “What do you want from me?” she asked shakily.

Remus reached out and pulled her into his arms. “A chance,” he whispered next to her ear. “I want a chance to prove that I love you – like Arthur loves Molly.”

He felt her tense. But he continued to set his terms. “Instead of shagging each other senseless, we are going to date. If I want to send you tokens of my affection, you will accept them without complaint.”

“But—” Tonks started.

Placing his finger over her lips, he shushed her. “Dating, flowers, candies…and whatever else I can think of. Those are my conditions. Do you accept them?”

“Yes,” she acquiesced.

*****

A/N – Special thanks to Kathy Rose for test driving this story and everybody who has reviewed. I won’t give any estimate on how long it may take for the next update. I got a new job and I start on the tenth. So it may be two weeks before an update.