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Summary for this chapter: Awkward silences, panic buttons, and shattering ghosts


a/n There are a lot of pov changes in this chapter. They're all marked by '--- --- ---' and mostly take place in the same time frame, thus the minor overlapping of actions.

Awkward

As the time for Tonks to go back to the realm of the living things got closer, things began to get more strained. Severus could see everyone trying to ease the tension, but it wasn’t working. All the stories they had told to help loosen everyone up just added to a feeling of uncomfortable-ness until an awkward silence fell.

Remus sighed and rubbed his temples. He saw Sirius send him a concerned glance and gave a weak smile in response. Sirius looked at him skeptically for a moment then looked away again.

Lily didn’t think she could stand much more of this. She was a very patient person, but the last hour had been particularly trying. Finally, with a little over forty-five minutes left until Tonks’ expected departure she got up and said,

“Would anyone care for some more tea, or anything?” even to her own ears her question sounded lame, so she was surprised when she received affirmative nods from everyone.

“I’ll come too!" James aid quickly, wanting to get out of the tense atmosphere.

“I shall come also. I wanted to speak with you two privately anyway.” Severus said and got up to follow them.

When they got to the kitchen Lily got the things ready for tea while James started the conversation.

“What do you want?” he asked sharply. James was honestly trying to get along with the other man, but years of animosity and the tenseness of the other room made him snappy.

Severus raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment on James’s tone, “ I just wanted to confirm my suspicions about your strays.”

James bit back a stinging retort and instead said, “It’s none of our business what they do in their free time.”

“Ah, so there is something going on.”

James inwardly cursed. In trying to avoid the subject he had inadvertently answered Severus’ question. He was still trying to think of a reply when Lily spoke up.

“Yes, Severus, we have reason to believe Sirius and Remus are in a relationship,” she said calmly.

“On what grounds?” Severus asked as James stood to the side and gaped. Severus stood processing the information as it was presented as she told him what they had witnessed the night before.

“I suspect you want to keep this a secret?” he asked after the story was complete.

Lily nodded, “Yes, I’m not sure what Tonks would do if she found out. She would probably be devastated.”

“Indeed,” Severus drawled, “Now that we have spent a suspiciously long amount of time in the kitchen I suggest we should go give them their tea.” He strode out of the room, robes billowing behind him.

James looked at Lily and shook his head as she smiled at him. They were finishing arranging the tea trays when they were interrupted by a yell from the living room.

“Tonks! Tonks!” there was a pause, “James, Lily, get in here, something’s happening!”

-- -- --

After Severus, James and Lily had left the room the level of tension had raised at least a couple more notches. Remus had decided to sit alone on the chair rather then between the two rivals for love(though one didn't know it) on the couch.

He sighed again and resisted the urge to lower his head into his hands. He had a headache, which had been persisting for the last hour. He could tell both of his companions were concerned, but one was too timid to ask and the other he had ordered off of him. He closed his eyes and groaned softly, slouching into the chair. Why did things like this always have to happen to him?

-- -- --

Sirius frowned and looked over at his friend, or was it lover? He pondered that thought for the time being. They hadn’t gotten past kissing, so did that really make them lovers? Sirius shook his head.

‘This is too complicated,’ he thought, ‘I’ll just ask Remus about it once Tonks is gone.’

With that thought he shot a glare down the couch to where she was sitting, but didn’t seem to notice. After a couple seconds he sighed and turned his attention back to the werewolf.

Remus looked as good as he had in Hogwarts, better actually, as far as Sirius was concerned. His straggly brown hair had grown to his shoulders and though still pale, the other man looked healthy. Sirius already knew from the bit of groping he had done last night that Remus was fit as well. He grinned and stopped himself from drooling. ‘And the best part is,’ Sirius thought, ‘I look great as well.’

Sirius’ silky black hair reached halfway down his back and he had somewhere acquired an almost tan. He was in the best shape of his life and he assumed that that was death did to you. He frowned slightly as he thought about some of the older people he had seen, and shook his head. He didn’t want to think about it, there was still a lot about death he didn’t understand.

-- -- --

Tonks folded her arms over her chest and pouted. Why did Remus have to go sit somewhere else when she was trying to work up a conversation? She sighed and saw Remus lean forward and sigh also. When she witnessed this she almost grinned. She knew that meant he was thinking of something he didn’t want to contemplate.

Before they had died Tonks had felt she knew her husband so well that she didn’t even have to see him in order to know what he was feeling. That was part of what was annoying her now. She had been sitting in the same room as him; She had practically been sitting on him earlier and all she had felt was awkwardness and uncertainty. She frowned as she mulled that one over.

They were married, why should he feel awkward about them sitting together. She suddenly felt Sirius glaring at her, but she ignored it as it had been happening a lot lately.

‘’Till death do we part.’ Tonks flinched at the unbidden thought. ‘Tonks! Quit being so depressing, right now!’ she silently berated herself, but it was no good. The thoughts kept coming.

‘’Till death do we part? Does that mean we have to part after death? Or does it just mean unless you don’t die together? Then again it could just be one of those weird phrases muggles come up with...I don’t know!’

-- -- --

Tonks’ hair had been becoming duller and duller and was a dark gray by the time anyone noticed. Sirius was the first.

“Um, Remus...” he said and trailed off as tears began to spill from Tonks’ eyes. When the first couple hit the floor she began to flicker.

Multiple things happened immediately after this. Severus walked into the room, paled, and walked to the entry hall; Sirius panicked and jumped Remus to get his attention; Remus noticed Tonks crying and flickering, pushed Sirius off him and started to yell.

“Tonks! Tonks! James, Lily, something’s happening!”

-- -- --

James and Lily entered to chaos with a spattering of humor. Severus was walking calmly back from the entry hall with a rack of potions; Sirius was sitting on the floor looking gobsmacked and staring at Remus; Tonks was flickering madly and crying like a waterfall with gray hair; and Remus was slowly losing control of the panic button and looking more distressed by the second.

Just as it seemed all hell was about to break loose Tonks stopped flickering. Remus’ mouth was gaping open in shock and to Severus it seemed like the opportune moment to pour a calming draught down his throat. As he sputtered Sirius got up and inched over to him and James and Lily finally dared come closer.

For a good thirty seconds they stood, or sat, there staring at Tonks image. She looked frozen; some tears still stuck in freefall or welling in her eyes. Her image slowly faded to gray, and with a small cracking sound it shattered.

They gathered in a stunned silence for a few seconds before Remus broke it.

“What just happened?” he asked calmly, as the drought had just kicked in.

“I would say she spontaneously combusted, but everyone knows that’s just a myth.” Lily said matter-of-factly.

“It didn’t mention anything of this nature in the books,” Severus added sullenly.

The three then looked to James and Sirius expectantly.

“Uh, she had an emotional breakdown and it forced her back to the realm of the living unexpectedly resulting in shadow images and mirages?” James said hesitantly and everyone looked at him in shock.

Sirius had just opened his mouth to speak when Tonks popped back into existence looking extremely pink and bubbly. This resulted in him just gaping in shock.

Hey all,” she said stumbling onto Remus who was stiff with shock even with the calming drought, “Looks like I’ll be staying here for a while.”

With that she gave Remus a resounding kiss on the lips and promptly passed out. This resulted in her not hearing Remus' squeak of protest of Sirius’ squawk of indignation, nor did she hear Sirius’ eloquent assessment of the situation once he had once again found his voice.

“Wha- what the hell is going on here!”

--End chapter Nine