Let the Tears Fall {Severus}

[nymphadoratonks]

The young auror was walking around Knockturn alley, not the best idea, but she had to. The order needed a list of any Death Eaters that were close by, and that is what Tonks was there for. She wasn’t dumb enough to have her wand out, but she kept a firm grip of it in her coat pocket. As she turned the corner, she saw some men who were much bigger than she was. There were at least four of them.

“Aye, the dark lord is coming to see me soon, Bow, don’t you forget it,” said one of the men in a dark, deep voice.

Tonks listened closely for their names…. None of them would address each other by their first names though, only their surnames. Bow, Randolf, Finch, and Macaphee. Tonks scribbled down the names, hiding behind the corner, doing her best to listen.

“Show it to me, then, if you are truly a follower.” That’s when things went silent, and Tonks peered around the corner, enough to see the dark mark, and enough to catch one pair of deep-sunken eyes.

“Aye, there is a lass behind the corner,” She heard one of them whisper to the other three. Tonks tensed and began making her way towards one of the shops, the uneven cobblestone ground basically asking her to trip. That’s when she heard the footsteps. She could hear her heart racing, and she knew she was in trouble. If she could hind her way out of this mess, then she would be golden.

She stopped for a second, scanning the area. Just as she had suspected, coming from her left and right, two of them men approached her, and she had no choice to go forward, for she knew someone was behind her. When the fourth man popped in front of her, she was about to apparate- about to be safe. He grabbed her left arm, and threw her to the ground.

“I should kill you right now,” he said to her, kneeling down as he spoke in a sickening tone. “Oi, I know you. You are one of those aurors. A dumb one at that.” All four of them drew their wands, but the leader stayed right beside Tonks. “You’re the blood traitor, aren’t you?” He pulled Tonks up to a sitting position, and she was absolutely mortified. “Aren’t you, Nymphadora Tonks?” She didn’t answer, and he just smirked. “Let’s take care of her, boys.”

They beat Tonks up, badly. Her screams were blood curdling, and she begged them to stop. She wasn’t sure why they eventually did, but they did. The leader said, “If I ever catch you near me again, you will be killed. I know that there is a waiting list to have a chance to kill you, but don’t worry, this is far from over.”

Tonks was on the ground, curled up in a ball crying. Where was she to go now? She was too afraid to go home- to go anywhere that could but the Order in danger. She had to go somewhere though. They hadn’t managed to draw much blood, but she did have a few scrapes and a bloody lip. A lot of bruising was making her body almost numb.

She stood up and apparated to the outside of the Hogwarts gate. She had been given special permission to be let in, so going to see Dumbledore would be no problem. She thought of her and Remus together, happily, and that was all that she could think of to produce a small patronus charm. She was unsure of who would receive it, but at least someone knew she was there.

Dora began her long walk into the school, and she made it up to the second floor without passing out. But by the time she got to the second, she just couldn’t walk anymore- she was far too tired. She knew classes were in session, but she just didn’t care. Tonks sat in a corner, partially concealed by one of the larger statues and just cried. Cried for everything that had just happened, cried for everything that had happened. Nymphadora Tonks had a lot of low moments lately, but this was beyond compare. Nympadora Tonks was an emotional wreck.
____
Words: 710
Notes: I just didn't have the heart to go into detail with them beating her up. D:

[SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE]

[atrb=border, 0, true][atrb=style, border-left: #405142 4px solid; border-right: #405142 2px dashed; background: #161616; padding-top: 16px; padding-right: 16px; padding-left: 16px; padding-bottom: 12px; -moz-border-radius: 10px; width: 210px;] [/style][style=width: 400px; line-height: 24px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 40px; text-shadow: #505050 1px 0px 1px; color: #405142; letter-spacing: -4px; text-transform: lowercase; text-align: center;]--- LET THE TEARS FALL --- ----- She's so vulnerable ----- Severus had just reached the end of a lecture for the first through third year classes when the patronus showed up. He recognized it immediately, having found irritation with it on an earlier occassion. The change in Tonks' patronus reflected something that irritated him, primarilly because just about anything having to do with the Marauders proved to be an irritation. He had been curt with her about it at one point, finding her little obsession with Lupin to be distasteful - mainly because it was Lupin. The man was a coward, as far as Severus was concerned, and his treatment of the clumsy auror was only further proof of that. Not that Severus would ever admit as much. He wasn't the sort of man to be free with his emotions, nor was he the sort to be overly sentimental. He was of the firm opinion that revealing ones true feelings on a subject or person was opening ones self to vulnerability, which was not something he had ever been fond of - nor was it something he could afford. There were many people in Severus’ life whom he regarded with respect or even a lightness, who had very little notion that he thought as much about them. Tonks was among that number, being a surprisingly successful young auror despite her penchant for clumsiness – though there were times when Severus wondered how she managed to survive out in the field. As such, seeing her patronus looking so incorporeal and weak caused him some genuine alarm. When there was no message attached with it, Severus’ concern doubled to the point that he ordered two top performing Ravenclaws to take the class to the library. They were dismissed for this afternoon, however he expected their homework and an essay on the benefits of layering their defenses on his desk the next day. It was enough to encourage them not to skive off for the rest of the class. After the troop of brats had stomped off, Severus cast a Point Me spell and stalked off, locking the classroom door behind him. It didn’t take him long to locate Tonks, which was a greater relief than he ever would have confessed to feeling – though what he discovered caused his chest to clench uncomfortably. Tonks was huddled up on the floor, tucked behind a statue and looking as though she had been thoroughly assaulted. He was torn between which part of the situation was worse – the fact that she was bleeding and clearly injured, or the fact that she was weeping. Feeling a deep mixture of alarm and discomfort, Severus cast a layered disillusionment charm around the area, ensuring that if anyone walked by, they would fail to notice Severus standing over a bleeding and weeping auror. Somehow, he did not see that particular sight going over well with anyone - regardless of the situation, Severus had no intention of appearing to have been the one to cause this. Feeling suitably guarded, Severus looked down at the woman quietly a moment, feeling incredibly off-balance. He knew he had to get her to the infirmary and, in all truth, if she weren’t huddled on the floor weeping, Severus would have already brusquely taken control of the situation. Blood and wounds did little to phase him – he was always quick to respond in a professional manner and ensure that such things were managed quickly and efficiently. The tears, however, were what threw him. Severus had never been good at dealing with emotional displays, having learned to lock his own emotions away back when he was a very young child. Such things made him feel uncomfortable, primarily because he had very little idea of how to deal with it. Flicking his cloak back, Severus lowered himself to one knee beside Nymphadora, getting a better look at her face as he did so, withholding a grimace at the scrapes and slow forming bruises he saw there. ”Tonks,” Severus called, bringing her attention to the fact he was there and pitching his voice low so that his concern and discomfort wouldn’t betray him. ”What happened?” He knew better than to ask if she was alright. If the blood and bruises weren’t a clear enough indication, than the tears were. He needed to know who had attacked her and where – was Hogwarts at risk? Somehow he doubted it – he was certain that whatever Tonks had gone through, she would have found a way to report an attack on the school. Which meant she had been attacked while on auror duty, and her first instinct had been to come here. Regardless of how he felt about showing emotions, even Severus could have empathy for such a situation as this. With great hesitance, and considerable consternation, Severus carefully laid a hand on her shoulder, trying to draw her into the present and, hopefully, distract her from her tears. Merlin, how he hated people in tears. ”You need a Healer,” he stated, his pitch still soft but the steel in his voice undeniable. She needed a healer, and he would not tolerate any argument on that front. WORDS: 864 NOTES: All the love for poor Tonksy D: template by eliza @ shadowplay

[nymphadoratonks]

Nymphadora gripped the edge of the statue trying to brace herself, get herself together. She held her breath when she saw some students pass, no one needed to see her like this… No one in their right mind probably would want to see her like this. She could only imagine the rumors that would be started about the helpless auror, after all, she was one of the aurors stationed at Hogsmeade, so people did know her or of her. Once they passed, she sighed, her weeping was controlled a bit more now, but not much. She released the statue and tried to wipe some of the tears the collected on her chin away.

When she heard another person pass, she quieted down a bit again, making it rather difficult to breathe. This person, however, wasn’t going away, but Tonks didn’t look up. She only hoped that whoever it was wasn’t one of the students, or anyone for that matter outside of the Order. When the person didn’t go away, Tonks took a deep breath and cried a little more. She was in so much pain, and she pulled the sleeves of her shirt down, not wanting to see any bruised skin.

One of the last people she ever wanted to see when she was a wreck said her name, and she had to stop herself from jumping about a foot in the air. Severus Snape stood before her, and Tonks lifted her glossy eyes to meet his. What was he going to tell her now? That she was just like Remus- weak and defenseless? Or that she should be ashamed, sitting here crying like a child when she should be on duty. She looked away, sniffing, trying to stop her tears a little bit more. There was no luck, the thought of Remus, her patronus, the men, the stress at her work- it all just collapsed on her like an egg would crack. She knew it was bound to happen sooner or later… But the fact that it was in public made it worse.

“They. He-he-he….” Tonks tried to sputter it out, “I was trying to… but he threw me on the ground…” She sobbed more, all of her words were gasped and heavy, “they beat me Severus. I couldn’t. I just… I’m sorry.” She honestly felt lousy, not for the whole situation- that was only part of it. She felt bad that she bothered Snape out of all the people that work at Hogwarts in the Order. He hardly liked her! It was just bad luck that he got her patronus, but she surely wasn’t going to tell him to leave her alone and to find someone in the Order who actually cared. No, she needed him right now, badly. Sending him off would just make her seem like a brat. After all, Severus was acting like he might actually care.

When Severus places his hand on her shoulder, she was actually relieved that he was around. She glanced at his hand, and back to him. With most other people, she would have expected a hug. With Severus, his display of concern was enough. Her fingers found their way to her face and she slowly wiped the tears away. She was breathing as normally as she could. She could feel that her face was bruising, and gave a small wince at the contact, the cuts were stinging after being in contact with her tears. Tonks did her best to put on a brave, strong face, if only for a moment. “No, I’m fine I don’t need to see a healer,” she was being stubborn because her pride had already been hurt, “It’s not as bad as it looks. I am fine.” Tonks was an awful liar, and almost no one in their right mind would believe this particular lie. So why she expected Severus to was beyond her knowledge.

She looked up again, “Severus I came here because I sort of have the names of the Death Eaters… Or at least their last names.” She gingerly rolled onto her knees and searched through her coat pockets, and then her pants pockets. “Shit! I don’t have them! They took them!” Once her knees started hurting, she rolled back to her curled up position, but it wasn’t behind the statue. If it wasn’t for the concealing charm, which Tonks was unaware was even placed, she would be in plain view now. The auror’s eyes started to fill with tears again, “I have let everyone down, haven’t I? I didn’t even fight back!”
____
Words; 761
Notes: D :

[SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE]

[atrb=border, 0, true][atrb=style, border-left: #405142 4px solid; border-right: #405142 2px dashed; background: #161616; padding-top: 16px; padding-right: 16px; padding-left: 16px; padding-bottom: 12px; -moz-border-radius: 10px; width: 210px;] [/style][style=width: 400px; line-height: 24px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 40px; text-shadow: #505050 1px 0px 1px; color: #405142; letter-spacing: -4px; text-transform: lowercase; text-align: center;]--- LET THE TEARS FALL --- ----- She's so vulnerable ----- Resisting the urge to shift uncomfortably as Tonks lifted her tear-stained face up to look at him, Severus refused to reflect on how the sight was affecting him. He had never done well with women in tears; it was something he could attribute all too easily to his childhood experiences. The sheer vulnerability and helplessness that had consumed him every time Tobias had driven Eileen into hysterics, the fear that would overcome his common sense each time she was forced back into a corner, much like Tonks in this very moment - Tearing himself from the memory, Severus lowered himself to the ground, unable to bear standing above Tonks like that. It didn't matter that he'd ensured they would not be seen; he didn't want a woman looking up at him when she was weak or vulnerable. It was something that made him feel too much like Tobias, and though he had done many terrible things with his life, Severus had never been the sort to abuse women or children in that manner. He had a violent and wicked tongue, but he had always prided himself in the fact that he wasn't like his father. There were moments - days - when it occurred to him that his treatment of Potter was very much like Tobias' treatment of him. Those moments - those days - often left him feeling ill and distracted, until meeting up with Potter again. All it would take was her eyes in his face, and the comparison would fade away on him to crop up another time. Potter was so many levels of a special sort of Hell for Severus. Tonks' trembling voice drew his attention back to her, and as she stuttered over the 'he', Severus felt a wash of cold roll over him. His nostrils flared even as his face went white with rage on the young auror's behalf as she tried desperately to describe what happened to her. The fact she apologized - she, the victim! - left him reeling with fury and a fierce desire to have these men at the wrong end of a well cast sectumsempra. He gritted his teeth to keep from snapping at Tonks for apologizing, knowing that the last thing she needed right now was anger, but her words had brushed over a very well masked and deeply buried peeve of Severus'. He couldn't stand it when women blamed themselves for the actions taken against them by the men in their lives. It was even worse to witness in a situation such as this. Giving her shoulder the slightest squeeze, careful in case she was wounded there as well - highly likely, considering what he could see - Severus glowered at the way she winced and then tried to tell him it wasn't as bad as it looked. Nostril's flaring, Severus could keep silent no longer. "You will be coming with me to the hospital wing, Tonks, and I will hear no further arguments about it." His voice was sharper than he intended, pitched low so as to make his statement clear and firm. Realizing the harshness of his own tone, he relented somewhat and stated quietly, "If walking is a problem, I can aid you." She looked up at him then, suddenly earnest about her information and rolled herself to her knees in a manner that looked painful. He watched her search, and watched as she visibly deflated before curling up once again, her eyes once more filled with tears. Her words, once spoken, caused that rage to rear its ugly head once more and, before he could stop himself, Severus snapped at her. "It is not your place to gather names of Death Eaters for the Order, Tonks, and if the Ministry sent you out there alone then the fault is entirely theirs! You know as well as I do that the Death Eaters travel in groups - the aurors are supposed to be going out in teams!" Pulling himself back, Severus let out a slow breath in order to calm himself. It wasn't his intent to make the situation worse, but when it came to emotional displays, he was at a distinct disadvantage. He wasn't good at handling people in tears, and he was even less apt at comforting people. "Listen to me," He said softly, reigning his voice in so that the harshness was pulled back, leaving behind a tone he generally used only among those he considered close to him. Those were few and far between, but had they been present, they would have recognized the vulnerability he was displaying by being gentle, even if Tonks didn't. Severus Snape was not the sort to make himself vulnerable in any fashion for anyone outside of his closest circle, so very few outside of it had ever actually witnessed him display his better side. Even Albus had only captured glimpses of it over the years, and though he had absolute faith in Severus and his loyalties, he was by no means fully aware of the depths to which Severus' personality had fallen. His kindness was so deeply locked away, so incredibly well protected, that even on what most would consider his better moments, he was by no means entirely kind. In this moment, however, Severus let fall away some of his shields in an effort to comfort someone outside of his inner circle, someone outside of his realm of trust, and it was a risk he would wonder at later. He would condemn himself for this moment at another time, when his emotions were no longer being scratched at by the nails of his conscience and harrowed by the screams of memories unforgotten but usually so carefully locked away. "You are not to blame yourself for this, Tonks, do you hear me? It is not your fault that you were outnumbered, nor is it your fault that you didn't garner any information. You are lucky to be alive. That fact alone outshines anything you may have accomplished by a list of surnames." The words were spoken with a quiet intensity, backed by Severus' conviction in them. The fact Tonks survived and managed to bring herself here was a greater accomplishment for the Order than a list of surnames would have been. Surnames told them nothing substantial, considering how common most of them could be, and Tonks was of far greater use alive than she was dead. Yet despite the logic of that, his earlier words seemed to indicate he wasn't pointing out that she was more useful alive. Something about his tone, the way he spoke and how he worded it seemed to indicate that her death would be something regrettable, even in his eyes. "Now come," he stated, his tone still gentle as he held a hand out to her. "Let's get you looked at." WORDS: 1148 NOTES: I swear to god if she remembers any of those names, Sev is going to kick some ass at the next D.E. meeting xD template by eliza @ shadowplay

[nymphadoratonks]

Enough crying. There was no need for anymore tears, and Tonks knew that. She had been found, she wasn’t being beaten, and on top of all of that she was alive. Not only that, she was so close to being healed that she tried to reassure herself she feel better shortly. But that didn’t erase the images from her mind; it kept them clear as day. The shapes of the men- though not their faces- the cold ground, their slick voices that echoed around the alley…. The bruises and cuts could, and would, heal, but not her memory. Dora was brave, and it was only rarely that she could honestly say she was scared for her life. This was one of those times. But there was something besides the men that actually bothered her more. They knew her… Not only did they know her name, they knew Bellatrix wanted to finish her before anyone else got the chance. She could feel he shoulders shaking again, but did her best to stop herself from getting too worked up. The men knowing her could have had nothing to do with Bellatrix- the Death Eaters probably did have some sort of list of the Order.

Tonks couldn’t help it, as she stared at Severus face she noticed the changes in his expression. She was unsure what to make of the way his face blanched. That look was actually rather frightening to Tonks right now, and she had to look away. She sighed softly, just trying to focus on her breathing. She was nearly sure the look of anger was not directed to her. But what was he going to do? She had no clue who those men were, only that they knew who she was…. That little bit of information would get them absolutely nowhere. This was the one time she actually wanted to remember small details about her opponents, and she could vaguely remember their hair color. She would rattle her brain for their names later. For right now, her spinning head just needed a rest.

Maybe it was better that she didn’t remember, anyway. It was better that she wouldn’t have nightmares over those faces that dared to drive her into insanity. As far as she was concerned she would never see them again. If they ever were to duel again, she wouldn’t be distracted by the rage she felt towards them. Should their paths be thrown in the same direction again and she still didn’t remember them, they would be just like any other Death Eater- heartless, shells of people. There would be no extra push there to kill them should time come, and that’s exactly the way Tonks wanted it. That way if she didn’t she wouldn’t feel like a failure.

When Severus squeezed her shoulder, she winced ever so slightly, pulling away just enough to show she was indeed hurting there without saying any words. When she looked at him, the way he was in front of her, it was very bizarre. Severus Snape would have been the last man on earth she would ever expect to show concern for her in a time of need. Maybe she was imagining it, but at that moment she swore that he may have actually cared. It wasn’t that fact that she could see it in his face, but he stayed. He didn’t walk passed her and pretend he didn’t see the patronus. He was still here, too, even though she was through with the heavy sobbing. But that all quickly faded the moment he spoke in a very hard tone. She did her best not to show it on her face, but it just made Tonks think about the way the other men sounded. However, it was displayed on her face- the way her eyes quickly moved away and her face scrunched up a little bit before falling back into a heavy frown.

“I think I might be able to walk. I have come this far,” she stated plainly, staring straight ahead. She wasn’t fairly certain if she would be able to, but Dora knew she would at least try. She was not for the idea of anyone aiding her walking. She was fairly stubborn, and would do her best to get up the stairs. But, she did have to admit, her legs were just as sore as every other part of her body.

Just when she thought Severus wasn’t actually doing any further harm, his voice became very cold and sharp. Dora was not totally surprised when he did snap at her- it had actually happened later than she expected it would. “Well, Severus, I have felt like we have been sitting around waiting long enough!” Her assignment was to go out and collect names, but it wasn’t an official one… She and a small group of the Order members decided to go out and be productive when they had heard about a lot of the Death Eaters coming to Knockturn Alley. Tonks just happened to wander away from the group once they all gave up. So technically, yes, this was Tonks’ fault. Her impulsive and unintelligent actions in a plan that should have never been formed in the first place led her to this very moment. She should have known better- but lately, stupid mistakes kept finding her. “Besides, it wasn’t the ministry who sent me out.” She was going to try and drop the discussion there.

The tears stung her eyes once more, and Tonks did her best to not let them escape. A snap from Snape was no good reason to cry. She had dealt with him plenty before, why should now be any different? Once she had regained slight control of herself again, she was more or less plain done with dealing with Severus after he’d snapped at her. She huffed sourly, taking back any grateful thought she had- having Severus find her, while it did help her, just didn’t necessarily make anything easier for her.

Severus’ voice had turned calm, and Nymphadora gave him a look that was sure to indicate some, if not all, of her surprise at his tone. This wasn’t the Severus who had just snapped at her and made her feel worse, was it? She closed her eyes and listened to his reassuring words. He was right, that getting beaten wasn’t her fault, and while she wouldn’t even admit it right now, she did know he was right about everything he had said. She nodded and quietly said, “Yes Severus, I know.” She opened her eyes, and looked at him sincerely, “Thank you.” She was once again happy that he was the one to find her, he may have made things worse for a few moments, but he ultimately fixed it.

He offered his hand, and Tonks grasped it with her own. She gently, with Severus’ help and the wall as support when her legs started to hurt her about half way up. She stumbled forward a bit awkwardly, still not entirely confident in the fact that she could walk straight and not fall over. Dora tried to straighten herself out as much as she could and began waking forward with some difficulty, but not enough where she would need a lot of help, maybe some, but still not a lot.

____
Words: 1245
Notes: xD Maybe she will remember, I may just have her remember one just to give Severus something to do. ; D Ugh, I am still trying to find a template to make this pretty.

[SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE]

[atrb=border, 0, true][atrb=style, border-left: #405142 4px solid; border-right: #405142 2px dashed; background: #161616; padding-top: 16px; padding-right: 16px; padding-left: 16px; padding-bottom: 12px; -moz-border-radius: 10px; width: 210px;] [/style][style=width: 400px; line-height: 24px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 40px; text-shadow: #505050 1px 0px 1px; color: #405142; letter-spacing: -4px; text-transform: lowercase; text-align: center;]--- LET THE TEARS FALL --- ----- She's so vulnerable ----- Severus was quiet as Nymphadora slowly pulled herself together, uncertain exactly what he could say or do in this particular situation. Had she been a woman he was close to, there would have been no question of pulling her into his embrace and allowing her to weep, of even casting a featherlight charm upon her and carrying her to the Hospital Wing as she did so. Yet this was Nymphadora Tonks, one of his personal alumni students and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. While one would think such things would make them close, the truth was they formed a rather large chasm between them. Severus would always be the taciturn teacher in her eyes, and when he wasn’t that, he was the Order spy of dubious allegiances. She had no reason to trust him, nor even any reason to like him, and despite the fact Severus found her entertaining, he had made no effort to change the relationship between them. He saw no need to do so, until this moment when he was faced with her like this, and he had no reasonable method of providing comfort to her. When he made an attempt nonetheless by giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, Severus was not oblivious to the way she winced. A cold feeling settled in the pit of Severus’ stomach, a sign that he was beginning to take this attack more personally than what might be wise. He had never been good with attacks on women – had always found a way to avoid raids on houses known to belong to women, or house children – making up for it with his at times overzealous attacks on males. Nymphadora Tonks may not have been his friend or confidant, but she was still a young witch who by all rights, was under his seniority and therefore, by extension, his protection. His eyes locked on to hers, and he watched the way her eyes flinched back from him, even as she seemed to school her features to hide her reaction to his words. She seemed to be lost to some thought before she looked away from him, her face lined by a dark frown that didn’t suit her features. Her uncertainty at her ability to walk followed by the near-Gryffindorish statement of having made it thus far disturbed him, but before he could make a suggestion, she snapped at him. Her words had a haunting quality to them that at first, Severus could not place. As he looked at the expression on her face, it slowly came back to him. The despondency that Black had possessed in his last months, had sounded much like this. He had paced that house like a caged animal, and it had made his temper even more dangerous than it had been in his youth, if that was at all possible. Severus had been careful to avoid him for the most part, but there had been days when they had encountered on another and Severus had been unable to stand there and take whatever it was Black felt like dealing at that particular moment. He had taunted the man for his inability to act – a low card for him to play and he had known it – but when it came to Black there was no such thing as fair play. The unhinged Marauder had always been the one to play the dirtiest of pools, and neither adulthood nor Azkaban had changed that. Severus had felt no regrets over his taunts, not even after they had been listed among the reasons for what had lead Black to the mission that had killed him. As far as he was concerned, Black was responsible for his own decisions and had made his own choices that day – he felt no marks upon his conscience about the Marauder’s death, and frankly, the loss of him was a relief to Severus. In this moment, however, he wondered ever so briefly if it had been right of him to play on that particular card, to claw at Black’s already low sense of self in the Order due to his inability to act. He wondered, just briefly, how many other members of the Order had felt like Black, or felt as Tonks did. The fact that it wasn’t the ministry who sent her out meant only one thing – she had felt useless, and had tried to do something about it on her own, just like Black. He would have reprimanded her, had her glossy eyes not indicated how fragile she still was. He sighed instead, ready to suggest they move onward, when she did something entirely unexpected. Her gaze was franker than it should have been, and her words of gratitude were entirely from the other end of the Quiditch pitch, considering he’d hardly done anything to warrant it. Unsure how best to respond, Severus had settled for holding out his hand and helping Tonks get up, noting with a critical eye exactly how much she struggled with doing so. At about the halfway point, she stumbled forward and without thinking, Severus automatically rose his hands up to grip her by the arms and steady her. Once she was straightened out, Severus stepped back a bit and watched as she moved forward painfully – he admittedly could not watch for long. “Tonks,” Severus called lowly, warning her to his approach before he took up her left arm and draped it over his shoulder, keeping hold of it as his other arm went around her waist, tucking the side of her that limped the heaviest against him and thus using his own body as a crutch and support system for her. It was a maneuver he had become intimately familiar with during the First War and was one of the most well known first aid grips taught to beginning Healers and Mediwizards. It was more physically intrusive than casting a levitation charm, but very few people enjoyed being floated anywhere. It was too much an exercise in trust for most people to bear, while others simply found the sensation uncomfortable. In the end, Severus simply couldn’t bear to watch her struggle so – not that he would ever admit it. ”Come on then,” said softly, almost encouragingly, as he began moving forward with her at a slow pace, ensuring she could place her weight on him rather than her legs as much as he could manage. WORDS: 1069 template by eliza @ shadowplay