ATHENE {remus lupin}

TWENTY TWO

Athene sat on her windowsill, drumming her fingers against her knee. She counted the beats in her head, and then she counted the houses on the row opposite 12 Grimmauld Place. Anything to distract her. It was nearly evening, they were to leave at six o'clock, and to return no later than midnight. Tonks and her hadn't spoken all day, they were both terrified. There was a knock at her door, she got up and opened it, Remus stood there looking ill and tired.

"I'm leaving now," he said to her quietly. "It's the full moon tonight, I have to go before it's dark."

She nodded at him, "how are you feeling? You look ill."

He laughed, "I probably feel better than you do."

She nodded and smiled slightly. 

"I know you haven't forgiven me but-"

"I do forgive you, I don't want to die angry," she said in all seriousness. Remus sighed, his heart heavy, he took a step towards her and ached to reach for her hand, but he didn't. 

"You aren't going to die, Athene," he whispered.

"Yeah? How'd you know?"

He didn't have an answer for that. The room darkened as the sun went behind clouds, there was a blue glow outside, he cursed the moon for making him leave. 

"I have to go," he said slowly. She nodded at him and her eyes filled with tears. This time, he did reach out and take her hand. She jolted at the contact but didn't pull away. He squeezed her fingers between his and said, "good luck. I'll see you in the morning."

She pulled away from him. "I hope you're okay tonight. See you in the morning."

He left before he could beg her not to go, he knocked on Tonks' room, she opened the door with her wand and Remus watched as she paced around. 

"Oh! Remus," she said with a sigh of relief. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his chest. He put both arms around her waist and hugged her.

"If I die-"

"You aren't going to die."

"No, but if I do, know that I love you."

"Tonks-"

"It's fine, Remus. I just want you to know."

"Good luck tonight," he said as he pulled away from her. 

"You too." She smiled back. "I should go and get Athene."

"And I should go."

The two embraced one last time and parted ways. Tonks knocked on her cousins door, when it opened Athene looked visibly stressed. There were bags under her eyes and her hair was greasy, noticeably different to her usual pureblood perfection.

"You ready?" Athene asked.

"As I'll ever be."

"Me too, let's go meet Dobby."

Dumbledore had set up a floo connection for the two witches between 12 Grimmauld Place and his office at Hogwarts. He did not want to risk anyone being able to follow them to the order's headquarters and so was insisting that Dobby took them from Hogwarts. 

They stepped into the fireplace and spoke in unison. 

"Miss Malfoy!" Came the delighted, high pitched voice of the two foot tall house elf. "How wonderful it is to see you again! And as a friend of Master Dumbledore!"

Athene smiled, momentarily forgetting her situation, and leaned down to embrace the elf. He was, perhaps, the only other living thing that understood the extent of Lucius' cruelty.