Seven: Returned home
Scene: After Tonks' return from captivity. Fairly soon after.
Rating: PG-13
Notes: Yes, there can be non-smut too. There just usually isn't.
Tonks was freshly showered, and thankful for it, lying on the bed waiting for Bill to return. They'd gotten his back patched up pretty well, but he'd been muttering about additional potions. Rolling over and burying her face in his pillow, she was just grateful to be home, with him, and both of them safe. All three of them, actually, she thought, wrapping an arm around her abdomen. She'd hated having to be rescued, but hadn't been sure about the effects of changing her body while pregnant, or Apparating, would have on the baby. So she'd been trapped.
Of course, she'd known Bill would come for her. It was just a matter of him finding her, after all.
When Bill came home, it was to a bone deep weariness he wasn't even aware he had been fighting off for days. It occurred to him he hadn't slept more than a couple hours since she was taken.
It didn't much surprise him.
Tonks looked up when he came in, worried. Neither of them were in the best shape at this point, to be honest. Getting up, she wandered over to him, wrapping her arms lightly around his waist, trying to avoid any tender spots.
"I should have gone with you. I was worried."
Bill held her back, but quickly pulled her back into bed, lying next to her. "I just took my time, that's all. Old man is tired."
The harsh red scar already stood out on is back, marring his skin.
"I'm the only one who gets to call you old," she scolded him lightly, pulling his arms around her so she could snuggle closely. If Tonks had her way, she'd be attached to his side for weeks to come, or at the least days. She'd been kept away from him for too long. "I don't think I slept a minute while I was there. It was stupid of me to go out alone. I don't know what I was thinking, going out like that, sick and all."
Bill had to swallow to keep his emotions in check.
"I'm glad you didn't. If you had, you might have..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "Just expect me to stick by your side for a bit, ok?"
"I'm not going anywhere without you for quite a while," she replied, curling up even closer. It had been terrifying to find herself in a situation in which she couldn't defend herself, and Tonks absolutely hated it. "Even when I go back to work, you're taking me there and home. I don't want to be out alone yet."
They'd caught her in the grocer's, of all places. The last place she would have expected it, and exactly why she should have. "I'm sorry, love."
"Please, don't be sorry, ok? I just..."
Bill broke down a bit, holding onto her oh so tightly. "Just don't be sorry."
"Oh love," Tonks slid her arms around him as best she could and buried her face against his neck. "I can't help it. I promise I won't let it happen again. I should have expected it, should have been watching for it. Instead you had to come for me, and you got hurt, and it's all my fault."
Bill scowled, even as he had a few tears flow. "Tonks, stop that. Don't say it, because it's not true. They got lucky. They won't again."
It took her a few minutes to calm down and think about what he'd said. She still felt extremely guilty, but decided to not discuss it further. Instead, she directed her thoughts elsewhere. "How on earth did you find me, love? I never doubted you would, but I thought it might take longer. I'd been vomiting on them out of spite so they'd leave me alone in hopes they'd toss me out."
"The collar," Bill said simply, burying his face against her neck. It was easier than lying on his back, anyway. And far more comfortable.
"They didn't hurt you, did they?"
"Aside from the stunning at the beginning and a couple of slaps, no. Aunt Bellatrix intervened. Which means she knows something of what's going on. Otherwise she wouldn't have bothered, as long as I was in one piece when she wanted me." Tonks couldn't help but shiver a bit at that thought. She knew what her aunt wanted.
"I was even walked, once or twice. It could have been much worse than it was."
Bill nodded, swallowing and closing his eyes.
"... I'm not letting you go. Ever. Just so you're aware."
"Good. All I want to do is stay here with you and never go back out there again. They've all gone mad and it's too much to deal with." Tonks would never admit out loud that she was clinging to him, but she most certainly was. "I could tell how worried you were, love. It was driving me mad that I couldn't get to you."
Bill held her still tighter.
"There has to be something done. About all of them."
"No bloody massacres until the baby is born, love." Tonks turned her head and kissed his cheek. "I'd like to have you at least meet your child before being hauled off to Azkaban. I do, however, agree that something has to be done."
"Who said massacres? I want them in Azkaban, not me." He leaned down, giving the tummy a raspberry.
That set her giggling and squirming, trying to get away. "Stop that, you. It tickles madly. Put your mouth to better use and kiss your wife, before she decides you've gone mad, will you?"
And kiss her he did.
Slowly, sweetly, yet with more than a hint of demanding and yearning, Bill kissed his wife properly.
Now that was much, much better, to her mind and Tonks threw herself into the kiss wholeheartedly. No matter what anyone thought, there was no romance in a rescue, no time for dramatic kisses and such. That all had to wait until the wounds were bandaged and everything was done. All she wanted now was to feel her husband touch her, and let the rest go.
Finally, Bill pulled back for air, his eyes fluttering closed.
"... missed you."
"Missed you too. We both did." Tonks took his hand and placed it over her still-flat abdomen. "I'll have you know that's a true Weasley there, love. He's got a nasty sense of humor, just like the rest of his family."
Rating: PG-13
Notes: Yes, there can be non-smut too. There just usually isn't.
Tonks was freshly showered, and thankful for it, lying on the bed waiting for Bill to return. They'd gotten his back patched up pretty well, but he'd been muttering about additional potions. Rolling over and burying her face in his pillow, she was just grateful to be home, with him, and both of them safe. All three of them, actually, she thought, wrapping an arm around her abdomen. She'd hated having to be rescued, but hadn't been sure about the effects of changing her body while pregnant, or Apparating, would have on the baby. So she'd been trapped.
Of course, she'd known Bill would come for her. It was just a matter of him finding her, after all.
When Bill came home, it was to a bone deep weariness he wasn't even aware he had been fighting off for days. It occurred to him he hadn't slept more than a couple hours since she was taken.
It didn't much surprise him.
Tonks looked up when he came in, worried. Neither of them were in the best shape at this point, to be honest. Getting up, she wandered over to him, wrapping her arms lightly around his waist, trying to avoid any tender spots.
"I should have gone with you. I was worried."
Bill held her back, but quickly pulled her back into bed, lying next to her. "I just took my time, that's all. Old man is tired."
The harsh red scar already stood out on is back, marring his skin.
"I'm the only one who gets to call you old," she scolded him lightly, pulling his arms around her so she could snuggle closely. If Tonks had her way, she'd be attached to his side for weeks to come, or at the least days. She'd been kept away from him for too long. "I don't think I slept a minute while I was there. It was stupid of me to go out alone. I don't know what I was thinking, going out like that, sick and all."
Bill had to swallow to keep his emotions in check.
"I'm glad you didn't. If you had, you might have..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "Just expect me to stick by your side for a bit, ok?"
"I'm not going anywhere without you for quite a while," she replied, curling up even closer. It had been terrifying to find herself in a situation in which she couldn't defend herself, and Tonks absolutely hated it. "Even when I go back to work, you're taking me there and home. I don't want to be out alone yet."
They'd caught her in the grocer's, of all places. The last place she would have expected it, and exactly why she should have. "I'm sorry, love."
"Please, don't be sorry, ok? I just..."
Bill broke down a bit, holding onto her oh so tightly. "Just don't be sorry."
"Oh love," Tonks slid her arms around him as best she could and buried her face against his neck. "I can't help it. I promise I won't let it happen again. I should have expected it, should have been watching for it. Instead you had to come for me, and you got hurt, and it's all my fault."
Bill scowled, even as he had a few tears flow. "Tonks, stop that. Don't say it, because it's not true. They got lucky. They won't again."
It took her a few minutes to calm down and think about what he'd said. She still felt extremely guilty, but decided to not discuss it further. Instead, she directed her thoughts elsewhere. "How on earth did you find me, love? I never doubted you would, but I thought it might take longer. I'd been vomiting on them out of spite so they'd leave me alone in hopes they'd toss me out."
"The collar," Bill said simply, burying his face against her neck. It was easier than lying on his back, anyway. And far more comfortable.
"They didn't hurt you, did they?"
"Aside from the stunning at the beginning and a couple of slaps, no. Aunt Bellatrix intervened. Which means she knows something of what's going on. Otherwise she wouldn't have bothered, as long as I was in one piece when she wanted me." Tonks couldn't help but shiver a bit at that thought. She knew what her aunt wanted.
"I was even walked, once or twice. It could have been much worse than it was."
Bill nodded, swallowing and closing his eyes.
"... I'm not letting you go. Ever. Just so you're aware."
"Good. All I want to do is stay here with you and never go back out there again. They've all gone mad and it's too much to deal with." Tonks would never admit out loud that she was clinging to him, but she most certainly was. "I could tell how worried you were, love. It was driving me mad that I couldn't get to you."
Bill held her still tighter.
"There has to be something done. About all of them."
"No bloody massacres until the baby is born, love." Tonks turned her head and kissed his cheek. "I'd like to have you at least meet your child before being hauled off to Azkaban. I do, however, agree that something has to be done."
"Who said massacres? I want them in Azkaban, not me." He leaned down, giving the tummy a raspberry.
That set her giggling and squirming, trying to get away. "Stop that, you. It tickles madly. Put your mouth to better use and kiss your wife, before she decides you've gone mad, will you?"
And kiss her he did.
Slowly, sweetly, yet with more than a hint of demanding and yearning, Bill kissed his wife properly.
Now that was much, much better, to her mind and Tonks threw herself into the kiss wholeheartedly. No matter what anyone thought, there was no romance in a rescue, no time for dramatic kisses and such. That all had to wait until the wounds were bandaged and everything was done. All she wanted now was to feel her husband touch her, and let the rest go.
Finally, Bill pulled back for air, his eyes fluttering closed.
"... missed you."
"Missed you too. We both did." Tonks took his hand and placed it over her still-flat abdomen. "I'll have you know that's a true Weasley there, love. He's got a nasty sense of humor, just like the rest of his family."