The Summer Before
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
11
Views:
3,868
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
11
Views:
3,868
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, he was trying to do the same to a lovesick Tonks.
“Tia, Larentia and I were very close before she fell into the coma.” Merlin, this wasn’t easy. “We were, I had asked her to be my, we were going to be married.”
Tonks gasped and stepped back. Her hair, turned blonde for the wedding, changed back to a mousy brown. She’d seen how they’d looked at each other. Any hopes that she’d witnessed a purely sibling affection were dashed. A tear slid down her cheek, but there was no tender show of brushing it away.
“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, feeling a total cad. He should have explained sooner. Should have told both Tonks and Molly all about Tia, about how they were to have married on Halloween the year she was attacked. Should have told them that he couldn’t imagine anyone replacing her in his life, even if she never woke up.
“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 no less than give you as much comfort as I could.” Remus looked around from their position to 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, someone who seemed to care about him too. Who was she to stand in the way? Her heart was wounded, but clinging to something that would not be wouldn’t heal it. She gave Remus a watery, sad smile and turned away from the tent.
“Tonks, don’t go...The wedding,” Remus called. She shook her head 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 from the pain. If only she’d listened to his resistence sooner. He regretted it, but knew that nothing he could say or do save change his 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 caught him. Until he let himself imagine a 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, he was trying to do the same to a lovesick Tonks.
“Tia, Larentia and I were very close before she fell into the coma.” Merlin, this wasn’t easy. “We were, I had asked her to be my, we were going to be married.”
Tonks gasped and stepped back. Her hair, turned blonde for the wedding, changed back to a mousy brown. She’d seen how they’d looked at each other. Any hopes that she’d witnessed a purely sibling affection were dashed. A tear slid down her cheek, but there was no tender show of brushing it away.
“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, feeling a total cad. He should have explained sooner. Should have told both Tonks and Molly all about Tia, about how they were to have married on Halloween the year she was attacked. Should have told them that he couldn’t imagine anyone replacing her in his life, even if she never woke up.
“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 no less than give you as much comfort as I could.” Remus looked around from their position to 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, someone who seemed to care about him too. Who was she to stand in the way? Her heart was wounded, but clinging to something that would not be wouldn’t heal it. She gave Remus a watery, sad smile and turned away from the tent.
“Tonks, don’t go...The wedding,” Remus called. She shook her head 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 from the pain. If only she’d listened to his resistence sooner. He regretted it, but knew that nothing he could say or do save change his 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 caught him. Until he let himself imagine a 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.