Unbreakable

In the end, it was a seventeen year old girl who saved the lives of Remus Lupin and his family. His wife, leaving their newborn son in her mother's care, had made her way to the final battle with a growing sense of unease. She had finally arrived only to be greeted with the sight of her husband flagging in his duel with Dolohov. Her heart hammering in her throat, she cried out when he faltered and failed to dodge the last curse flung at him.

"Remus!"

He whipped his head around to stare at her.

"Dora?! You were supposed to stay safe! Why are-"

"Sectumsempra! Stay focused mutt! It'll be no fun to kill you if you're not!"

Snarling, Tonks flung a stunning spell at Dolohov, only to be knocked to the ground. Looking up, she saw Remus running towards her and tried to get up, but a foot placed squarely in the middle of her back held her down.

"Stay where you are,bitch, and I might let you live long enough to see me kill your precious husband. Remus! Fight me without your magic or I'll kill her, then I'll find and kill your son!"

The blood drained from both Remus and Tonks' faces at the last threat. She swallowed thickly, licking her dry lips once, before putting on a brave face.

"You'd never find him, Greyback! He's safe from the likes of you!"

Her eyes widened impossibly at the sound of the rough, smoky voice that answered her.

"Oh, but it would be quite easy for me to use your wand to track the last Apparation point you used...my dearest little niece...in fact....Accio Nymphadora's Wand!!"

"NOOO!!!"

"Expell--"

"CRUCIO!!"

Remus' cry of pain gave voice to Tonks' inner torment. Bellatrix LeStrange was going to go after her son. Had badly injured her husband. Taken her only weapon,her only chance , against the werewolf pressing her into the ground.

"Come, Greyback! You can finish them off when we return!"

Greyback snarled, his hot, fetid breath burning her skin, his weight pushing the air out of her lungs. Tonks looked up to meet her husband's pained eyes.

"Fine! But it would have been more fun to watch them die knowing they couldn't protect their precious little brat!"

Remus reached desperately for his wand, but Bellatrix aimed another spell at him with a lazy flick of her wrist.

"Petrificus totalus..."

Tonks was helpless to do anything but watch, horrified, as Bellatrix strolled over to her spell-bound husband.

"Hmm...what to do with you...I know!"

She glanced at her niece with a demonic smile stretching her lips, but Tonks only had wide, terror-stricken eyes for Remus.

"Crucio!"

Remus jerked, his mouth open in a silent howl of agony. Bellatrix cackled with glee. Tears spilled down Tonks' cheeks.

CRACK!

She gasped, sucking in air, with the sudden disappearance of the weight between her shoulderblades.

"no, no, no. No.NO!!!"

Tonks crawled over to Remus, who had rolled over onto his hands and knees. His head hanging between his fisted hands, he was breathing heavily. A strange gurgling noise had them both looking up, their gazes meeting before being drawn to the source of the noise; Dolohov lay on his backing, blinking in disbelief. His throat was torn, blood bubbling up and out with every wheezing breath. They watched, frozen, as his eyes brightened feverishly, then dimmed, his hands twitching uselessly at his sides. His final, horribly wet, breath broke the sickening spell, sending Tonks scrambling to help Remus to his feet. With a loud CRACK! the two of them followed Bellatrix and Greyback...

~*~

They were met with a splintered door and the smell of blood. Lots of blood. It was smeared across the walls, soaked into the rug. Splintered furniture and shattered glass crunched beneath their feet as they quickly made their way through the wreckage of their small home. The sound of laboured breathing drew them onwards towards the stairs. They barely registered the body they leapt over in their hurry to reach the nursery. Racing up the stairs, the sight layed out before them had them frozen in their tracks. Greyback was sprawled on his back at the top of the stairs, his lifeless eyes staring at them from beneath the gaping ruin of his throat. Remus looked back to recognise Bellatrix LeStrange's body, in a fatally large pool of blood, on the stairs behind them. A weak, burbling cough snapped their attention forward. A small figure sat leaning against the door, the untouched door, of the nursery. The howls of a baby and the answering soft, soothing murmurs from within sent tears of relief streaming down their faces. The small figure stirred at their approach, and Remus slowly recognized the battered girl looking up at him.

"Terrwyn?"

A smile pulled back her blood smeared lips to reveal bloodstained teeth.

"..remus...i told you.. i wouldn't forget...your baby...i didn't... let them... touch him..."

Tonks stared uncomprehendingly at the girl and then at her husband, before another cry from her son grabbed her attention. Her hand on the doorknob, she felt strong wards and paused.

"Mom? It's me..."

She was met with silence. Even the baby had stopped crying. The swung open the door, and she barely had time to dodge the hex.

"Don't you dare use her voice, Bella! Don't you dare! You can't have him! I won't--Dora?! Remus?!"

Tonks and Remus both collapsed in relief. Right next to the girl who had slumped to the floor when the door supporting her had been opened.

"Oh sweet Merlin! The poor child!"

The exhausted couple looked over to see Mrs.Tonks clucking over the unconscious girl beside them. Confused, Tonks glanced up at Remus, who was slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position.

"Who is she? And why is she here?"

Mrs.Tonks looked up sharply.

"You mean, you don't know? She showed up here with those two. I think they fought. She got up the stairs before them and told me to stay in the nursery with Teddy. Not to come out no matter what I heard. And to ward the door and window. Do you know her, Remus?"

Remus sighed and glanced over at the girl.

"Her name is Terrwyn Lir...her mother was a Welsh witch...her father was a werewolf..."

"Greyback. My father was Fenrir Greyback."

Three pairs of suprised eyes snapped to the girl lying on the floor. With a grimace of pain, she sat up.

"He took me in when mum died. Called me his little Terror..."

"I met Terrwyn when I was living with the other werewolves, after my parents died. I didn't think I had any other option."

She started when Remus reached forward from her right to brush bloodsoaked hair out of her eyes. Pushing out a shaky breath, she smiled weakly.

"Can you-- can you move over to this side, Remus?...I don't think - mmhmm - I can't.. I can't see out of my right eye."

Tonks immediately moved forward and scanned Terrwyn's face and body for injuries.

"Merlin's Beard...we've got to get her to a healer..."

Mrs.Tonks passed a now sleeping Teddy to her daughter. Rolling up her sleeves, she crouched down in front of Terrwyn.

"Where will we find a healer now, love? I'll do my best. Remus, you'll have to help me, dear. Go run some warm water in the bath, not too much, mind. And we'll need towels and bandages."

Remus leaned over and brushed a tender kiss across his wife's lips, before heading to the bath.

"Now dearie, can you stand? Do you need help?"

Terrwyn nodded and reached out for the hand offered her. With a grunt, she managed to get to her feet, leaning heavily on Mrs.Tonks.

"That's it, dear, let's go. Come along Dora, dear. I don't-- I don't want you out of my sight just yet, love."

With tears filling her eyes, Tonks followed her mother out of the nursery and down the hall to the bath.

"There now, dear, we're here. I need you to step into the bath. Good, just sit there, dear. We've got to wash away this blood to see your injuries. Remus, hand me one of the small washclothes. Thank you. There now, it's alright dear...I think we need to get you out of these bloody clothes for a bit, love. Don't worry, Remus won't look. Dora, hand Teddy to Remus and help me. That's a good girl...oh my--!"

A sharply inhaled breath, had Remus turning to look at the three females. Terrwyn sat in the bath in about two handspans of warm, already reddening water. Her clothes hung over the side of the tub. A ragged gash ran from the upper right of her temple in a downward arc across her right eye and cheek. Numerous bite marks and hex burns decorated her slender body. But what had caused both his wife and mother-in-law to gasp were the uncountable scars scattered across the expanse of her skin; scars that he had gotten used to seeing when he, himself, had tended to the injuries she had incurred doing her father's bidding. A young Terrwyn had been Greyback's trump card when dealing with a witch or wizard, or even another werewolf, who failed to hold up their end of a bargain. Only half-werewolf, and female, Terrwyn had been unable to physically transform at the full moon. Her mind taking the full brunt of the transformation, she became crazed, volatile. A weapon for Greyback to use as he pleased. He had only to release her and rooms would be painted crimson with blood. No amount of fighting would save someone Terrwyn had been released against. No injury could stop her. Her young, uncontrolled mind too full of the wolf. Greyback, not trusting a supposedly "reformed" Remus for much else, had left his oft times bleeding and grieveously injured daughter in Remus's care. He had long since stopped seeing Terrwyn as a human being, much less his own daughter. He had kept her locked in a cold set of rooms until he needed to terrorize some hapless fool who crossed him. Often being locked in the rooms to heal her, Remus had slowly befriended the lonely girl. Had slowly taught her some control. She had sworn that as long as she drew breath, Remus and his loved ones would be protected. Then she had helped him escape Greyback's 'Pack'. It was only now, as he gazed at her scarred and broken body and caught the gleam of weary triumph in her eye, that he realized exactly what her promise had been. He had dismissed the possibility because of her young age, but at twelve years old, Terrwyn Lir had made an Unbreakable Vow to him the night he'd left the Pack.