Tonks's POV-
"Stay here, please Dora." Sirius begged me as I followed him to the door, "You're not even fully recovered yet, you'll get hurt or...or worse. I don't want to nearly lose you again. You being in a coma was bad enough, I wouldn't be able to manage if I knew you wouldn't wake up."
"I'll be fine." I smiled up at him, briefly wrapping my arms around his neck as Molly opened the door for us, "Worry about yourself, I've only just got my favourite cousin back, okay?"
Snape had recently returned with the news of what had happened in detail. Apparently, the kids had lured Umbridge away and told him they thought Voldemort had kidnapped Sirius. They had already left for London when he returned, so we knew we had to act fast before something really bad happened. Only five people had been there when Snape returned and time was to precious to waste gathering more. So that was how me, Kingsley, Sirius, Mad-eye and Remus found ourselves filing out of the door five minutes later. The pain was still in me, but thankfully starting to fade. However, the prospect of a high charged duel didn't seem particularly inviting to my aching bones.
We lined up on the road outside, still within the Fideleus boundaries so we couldn't be seen. I drew my wand, prepared for a fight. I could still see Sirius sending me imploring glances out of the corner of his eye, but I was already twisting away from the street.
It was in complete chaos when I landed. The kids were completely overpowered, surrounded and held back by Death Eaters around a large archway in the centre of the room. Harry froze and looked over, his hand part way to handing the orb like prophecy over to Malfoy. Some of the Death Eaters reeled back in shock, giving me time to hit the tall, pale man with a curse. I grabbed Ginny and a blonde haired girl from Dolohov, ramming into his chest hard to knock him away (and also as payback for the pain he had forced upon me).
I pushed the two ahead of me round the dais, hurriedly telling them to stay hidden while we dealt with it. As I made my way back up onto the raised area and towards Remus who seemed to be a struggling a bit with the Carrows, Bellatrix spotted me. She instantly stopped her duel with Kingsley, casting a strong shield charm as she took a few steps towards me.
I made my way backwards up the stairs by the edge of the room, constantly checking on Remus and Sirius. My cousin was talking with Harry behind the archway and Remus was still duelling the two, squat, piglike Death Eaters.
"Awww." Bellatrix sneered wickedly, "It's ickle Dora. You had a knight in shining armour to help you last time, where is he now? I have you all to myself, and will kill you for ever crossing me." I took a step back with each of her words, moving faster up the steps so as to gain an advantage. I just about made out Remus stunning Alecto Carrow away below me and smiled quickly before turning my attention back to Bellatrix.
I sent a couple of Stunners at her one after the other, but she blocked them and retaliated before I could do anything more. The jet of green light that flew at me was all to recognisable and for a moment I could have sworn my aunt's eyes flashed red. I ducked before the spell could hit me, sending it crashing into the stone behind, spraying me with debris. Both Sirius and Remus cried out, turning to look up at me. I smiled at them briefly, but the relief was short lived as another soon flew past my ear.
It soon became a fight to the death, the steps cracking beneath her feet as she grew angrier each time her curses failed to hit me. Her face was contorted in fury and concentration each time she hurled spell after spell at me. I knew it couldn't go on forever, my back was already aching from the strain and it had become obvious that I wouldn't win. It seemed Remus was much in the same predicament, so in a split second decision, I hurled a hex at the man he was fighting. Not expecting it, he was thrown backwards and Remus quickly bound him, thanking me with a slight blush tinting his cheeks. I grinned back at him, just missing the blood red curse that soared through the air towards me, accompanied with the scream, "Sinadsinarum!"
It hit me right in the abdomen, first burning away my top, but starting on my skin as soon as it made contact. I took a couple of steps back, clutching at my stomach with tears springing to my eyes. Bellatrix squealed in delight, forcing my head up to look at her with a flick of her wand. I cried out in pain, my body beginning to shake as my skin started to turn to ash. But I was determined not to give her the satisfaction of admitting my defeat, everyone else was winning their duels, I would not let myself be the failure.
Shock spread across her face as I pulled myself back up to my full height, firing curse after curse at her. I was close to collapsing with exhaustion, but giving up would mean certain death. A couple of the remaining Death Eaters went to help her, but she pushed them away, firing another curse at me.
"Big brave girl." She hissed, "Don't want to fail them. Don't want to show the weak coward we all know you really are. How cute. Crucio!" Again I missed the jet of light, it smashed into me and I was forced to go through the murderous pain once more. She tortured me for as long as I felt I could survive, but I refused to drop to my knees, to kneel before her. At several points, Remus was about to interveen, but I shook my head. We were winning, the last thing we needed was two casualties, and he was a good dueller. It may also have been the fact that I wouldn't have been able to stand it if he got hurt. I would rather die than see him suffer for me. Just as I felt my knees dropping, a bright flash of green filled my eyes.
For a moment, I thought I was dead, but the stone steps pressing into me as I fell suggested otherwise. I could just see Sirius disarm Lucius before my head made sharp contact with the corner of a step and all I felt, saw and heard was black.
Remus's POV-
I heard her cry, saw the green and instantly assumed the worst. Bellatrix cackled cruelly and returned to the fight, wand held high. All I had been able to take in was Tonks's sobs as each new wave of pain took her. The room felt so silent without her, but after a couple of seconds, my hearing kicked back in and the sounds of the battle once more surrounded me.
I didn't know where to look, Tonks was falling limp down at least thirty stone steps. Mad-eye was on the floor, his magical eye turning this way and that beside him. And Sirius and Bellatrix were repeating the vicious duel she had just had with the girl who now lay at the foot of the stone steps, blood trickling from a gash in her forehead.
My brain zoned out as the spell hit Sirius in the chest. I watched in horror as he fell backwards into the empty archway behind him, disappearing from view. Nothing worked in me, I held Harry back as he tried to follow, but my heart wasn't really in it. It was all I could do not to follow after him myself. My oldest, last best friend left, leaving me alone in the world once more. I knew my soul wanted to cry, but no tears would shed themselves for my pity, I would cry alone, where no one could see. I heard Bellatrix's cackle and teasing, but I refused to let it register in my brain, knowing how much it would hurt.
I heard someone yell Dumbledore's name and, just for a moment, I thought we were all saved. But no, it was already too late. Harry broke free from my loosened grip and started to sprint after the door the deranged murderer had just skipped through. I tried to reach for him, but he was already too far away and my legs wouldn't move.
"Remus." Dumbledore called out to me. I saw every single ounce of pity in his piercing blue eyes. He could truly sympathise, he knew how it felt to lose a sibling, "Is Miss Tonks..." his voice trailed away for I was already at her side and searching for a pulse.
My sweaty fingers searched her neck and wrists, each new second only bringing more panic, but at least I found it. The gentle thud of life against my fingertips. I slipped my hands underneath her torso and knees, taking a deep breath before lifting her bridal style from the pool of her own blood.
I carried her as gently as I could to where all the others, nearly all the others, were huddled in a small group.
"I'll take her to St Mungos." I said quietly, not meeting anyone's eyes as I started to walk away without waiting for an answer. I looked down at her as I left in silence. She had the cheeky charm of the rebellious Blacks, like Sirius once did, etched on her face. Dark brown that I assumed was her natural colour was stuck to her face, mixed with sweat and blood from the fall. But she still somehow managed to look incredibly alluring and beautiful.
The hospital was empty bar the witch at the desk when I apparated in. The moment she saw me and the limp body in my arms, she screamed for help.
Tonks was taken away from me in seconds, loaded onto a stretcher and whisked away. I followed through the many doors, twists and turns and corridors, never once looking away from her. She was taken straight into surgery, I was told to wait outside for as long as I wanted. I would wait for as long as I needed, she had to have an explanation, and an apology.