Character Name: Nymphadora Tonks
Type: Canon
Headcanon:
Relevant info: Metamorphmagus, clumsy, bubbly, 25
Your nickname: Louise
Audition: (

"The battle of Hogwarts has ended and everyone is searching the grounds for survivors and rounding up the dead. Tonks comes across Remus' dead body. React accordingly."

Nymphadora Tonks' body ached beyond anything she'd ever felt before and that included childbirth. Blood poured from small open wounds left by spells that had grazed her or did a little damage. Her mind was too foggy to really focus on stopping the bleeding just yet. The feeling of blood leaving her body was like a release.... months of suffering, worry and fear were just draining away from her and the quiet serenity of the atmosphere around her only intensified the daze that she found herself in. She stepped over some rubble and out into the main courtyard area or rather, what was left of the Clocktower courtyard. Looking around, there wasn't much left of it, or Hogwarts for that matter. She gazed around at the open space which, half an hour ago, had been filled with the sounds of battle and people dying. But it was all over, at long last.

Tonks released a sound that was halfway between a choke and sob. She released the breath that she had been holding and stumbled forwards, dizzy with the realization that the war was finally over. It was far more than anyone could have hoped for and it was really happening. No, it had happened. There was no doubt, no room to question if Voldemort could return. He couldn't and she could see his body, far off, being moved from the Great Hall. No one wanted him in the same room as their heroes. Tonks couldn't blame them. It would be an insult to their memories to lay him near them. He was a disgrace to the name of wizard and didn't deserve to be among these wonderful people who had given their lives. Carefully, Tonks stepped over some more rubble and straightened up.

For the first time all day, her face broke into a purely ecstatic smile. Peace... the wizarding world was at peace. She could go home with her husband and raise her son in a world without Voldemort. Tonks let out a sort of strangled laugh and brought a hand to her mouth. It was safe... it was safe again. Her chest began to heave with happiness as she took in breath after breath, focusing her thoughts. Harry had done it. Harry, that wonderful boy. She needed to thank him, grab him, hug him, kiss him, show him how grateful she was. She needed to do so many things, hug so many people, thank god that they were alive, that they had survived this ordeal.

Tonks fell silent as she realised that she didn't know who had survived. The battle was over but now was the moment of truth. Who was left to live in this world of peace? Tonks hurried forwards and in her rush to get to the hall she badly overestimated the gap between her and a pile of rubble. She tripped and fell landing on her side. The pain of her wounds opening caught her by surprise and she quickly realised she needed to perform a few patching up charms first . She began to perform a quick healing charm on the minor wounds. Her body continued to ache but she didn't care. She stood up again, wincing a little bit and slowly made her way into the hall.

She looked around at all the bodies and for the first time tears sprung to her eyes, tears that came even if she didn't recognise the person. The loss of an innocent life was still a great sadness and she couldn't help but wipe her eyes, the more dead students she saw. Tonks found herself beginning to cry even more as she passed them. If the Ministry hadn't been corrupted... these lives could have been saved. Suddenly Tonks wanted nothing more than to be held by Remus, told everything would be okay now and just go home with him to her baby boy. Tonks let out a sob as she imagined Teddy lying here, still, never to awaken. She wiped at her tears and shook that thought away. It was irrelevant.

Halfway down the aisle, she stopped when she saw a familiar corpse. A body with short ginger hair and the ghost of a mischievous smile on his face. The body was surrounded by a family of red headed wizards and witches. The realisation took a moment to really hit Tonks. One of the Weasley twins.... She brought a hand to her mouth, feeling the urge to throw up as she watched the other twin sob over his brother's body. Tonks' eyes flooded with tears again. Fred... or George.... they had both been her friends.... She'd never imagined one of them to be taken so cruelly especially leaving the other one to live with the heartbreak. She took a step forward to reach out to the family but stopped herself. Now was not the time to rush in Tonks.... she could say her goodbyes later and respect the Weasleys' privacy. As she turned away, she caught Molly's eyes.

"I'm so sorry..." Tonks whispered and before she knew it, she was engulfed in a warm and slightly crushing hug as Molly began to sob brokenly onto the young Auror's shoulders repeating Fred's name. So it was Fred... Tonks could only rub the older woman's back and try and soothe the pain. What could she say that would make it better? Nothing could make this better. Molly was the finest mother, Tonks had ever known, (other than her own mother) and she could imagine just how much agony Molly was in right now. Tonks didn't know what she would do if she ever lost Teddy. In that moment Tonks resolved not to take her son for granted, ever. She never wanted to feel this kind of pain. She stood there silently comforting Molly Weasley and allowing her own grief to pour out over this horrible loss.

At some point, Molly returned to her husband's arms and Tonks made her way down the aisles between the bodies desperately seeking the comfort of her own husband's arms. She was just finishing wiping her face when she saw the body at the end of the aisle she was wandering. She came to a dead stop as she looked down at the figure. A figure with brown hair, flecked with grey, a tired expression on his face and dusty, second hand robes. Tonks stared in horror at the body of her husband, the father of her child, Remus Lupin.

She just stood there staring, unable to take it in. This must be a mistake, Remus couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be. They hadn't been married a year... just under two months away. They had a child, a future together... he couldn't just die. There was no way he could be dead. He was so strong, had good reflexes... he was an excellent duellist. There had to be a mistake... perhaps he was merely unconscious. Tentatively Tonks knelt down next to her husband and placed a hand on his head. "Remus," her voice cracked at the name and she gasped as she touched him. He was icy cold. That jolt sent horrible shivers down her spine. She retracted her hand straight away. That one touch had removed any doubt.

That wasn't her Remus lying there, it was a shell.... an empty shell. Her Remus was warm and kind, not cold and lifeless. Tonks' eyes began to fill with tears and this time there was no stopping them. They flooded down her face in a torrent of pain and despair. He was really dead... he was gone. He'd left her. He... wasn't here any more.... Tonks began to sob harder as she realised the depth of what had happened and what she had lost. "Remus.... Remus..." she began to choke through her sobs. She leant forward and lay on his chest, crying her heart out. They had had their whole lives together.

"Why...?" Tonks began to sob. "Why?!" she shouted out, not caring who heard. "Why... why did....?" she clutched Remus' shirt not wanting to let go of him, wanting to stay with him. She couldn't leave him... not ever... even though she knew he was gone. He'd left her and Teddy. The thought of her son produced an anguished howl from her and she sobbed even harder. Teddy had lost his father... before he'd had a chance to know him, to know what a wonderful man he had been and so Tonks found herself grieving for two people, herself and the son that Remus would never see grow up...

---

It was nightfall when Tonks returned to her mother's house. She had stayed with Remus' body for hours but eventually McGonagall had had to tell the Auror that Remus' body had to be taken and it was only the reminder of Teddy that had caused Tonks to release her husband's shirt and pick herself up. Now that she was home, she had a more pressing problem. She needed to face her son... their son, Remus' son and try to explain. Even if he didn't understand, she needed to explain to him.

Andromeda welcomed her daughter in but Tonks ignored her mother and rushed straight upstairs to the nursery, tripping on the stairs and landing on her face halfway up. She picked herself up again, ignoring the pain. She needed to see hold her little boy. She reached the nursery and opened the door loudly causing Teddy to let out a cry in his cot. In several strides, Tonks was by his side and lifting him into her arms, sobbing as she realised he was all she had left of Remus.

"Baby... baby... my wonderful baby.... I'm so sorry..." Tonks sobbed. "I'm so sorry...." she said. She looked out of the window.

The sky was filled with stars, it was so beautiful and yet Tonks felt a huge sense of injustice fill her heart. How dare it be beautiful? How dare the stars come out at all? She walked with Teddy over to the window and stared. Was Remus out there now? Was he watching over them? Tonks stared up at the sky and let the tears fall. Her breath caught as she saw the Dog Star and immediately thought of her deceased cousin.

"Sirius," she whispered. She blinked back some tears and looked at Teddy before looking back at the sky. "I guess you guys are back together," she told the stars. "James, Remus and you.... but why now? Why at the cost of this little boy's father?" she found herself asking. She tried hard to quell the anger that she felt rising in her chest. "Well I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves up there because it's going to be me and Teddy picking up the pieces..." she said quietly. "Picking up the pieces of this broken family..." she said, heart breaking as she spoke. She looked at her son who was staring up at the sky and then around the room, not paying much attention to his mother's ramblings.

"Teddy Remus Lupin, she spoke. "You're going to grow up in a peaceful world," she paused, "but it's going to have to be without Daddy. You won't see Daddy any more... but he'll be up there.... with Grandad..." she said. She didn't know how she could feel so calm talking about this but she clung to it. "He'll always be in your heart, Teddy.... I'm so sorry you didn't get to know him more. He was... was a wonderful man and... I'm going to miss him every day for the rest of my life," Tonks finished.

"Nymphadora," Andromeda spoke gently.

Tonks was too distracted by the pain to care about the use of her full name. She looked around at her mother who was holding her arms out. Tonks looked down at Teddy before reluctantly handing him over to his grandmother. She then turned back to the stars. When she felt her mother's arms come to envelop her, she let her, breaking down in sobs as she tried to come to terms with a future without Remus.

I would probably need to bone up more on my Potter to truly get a feel for Tonks, but at the very least I like what I'm reading. Anyone who thinks they know her better is free to disagree but I think this is a great audition and, quite frankly, I very much like your style.

Man, this is beautiful. I didn't get as much of a sense of Tonks from this, with her quirkiness and temper, but the subject matter was handled really well and the little things spoke a lot louder in things like her full name and the achingly familiar description of Lupin's body. The fact that thinking of Teddy just opened up a whole new wound was very real, and the calm that settled over her that she had to fight to maintain also sounds familiar. It's easy to empathize with this piece.

Still gotta get through the history and personality on this one, but looks good to me, and congrats!



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