Figured You Out

9: Lycanthropy on the Conscience

They entered the doorway and walked slowly down the front hall to the stairs as water dripped onto the floor. Remus had his arm around her shoulder and gently massaged the base of her neck without the slightest protest from Amber. Her head was hung low, her hair blocking view from her face and she stared at her redden feet below. She leaned most of her weight on him, finding that her leg suddenly gone stiff. The group Amber left earlier was standing by the kitchen door, Harry was the first to speak, "how is-"

Harry stopped as Remus lifted his own finger up to his lips, a sign for him not to speak. Harry nodded in understanding and watched as they proceeded up the stairs with Tonks on their tail.

When Tonks came in the room, she found Amber sitting on the bed, her head still hanging and Remus holding a towel over her shoulders. When Tonks sat on the edge of the bed next to Amber, she sighed, "I'm sorry." She sniffed. "I - I don't know what happened. I was feeling perfectly fine at the time, content even."

Tonks put her head on Amber's shoulder, "hey don't worry about it. I'm used to it."

Remus sat looking at his hands, "by your reaction that I've seen many times it's presumably caused by overwhelming emotions."

Amber shook her head, "I never explode like that and I would have gone further if I hadn't restrained myself."

"How did you break the goblet?" Remus asked.

"My powers are emotionally attached to me, whatever I'm feeling reflects how my powers work. Only things happen like that if I get very emotional, it could be a very good thing and a disastrous thing at the same time." She rubbed her slick hands over her face and over her tangled hair. Amber staggered over to her bureau, picked up her brush and slowly pulled it through her hair, untangling the knots and snags. She smiled in the mirror, closed her eyes and laughed quietly.

"What're you laughing at?" Tonks stood by her and looked at Amber's reflection. Amber turned her head and leaned back to look at Remus.

She smiled and straightened up, "I can't believe I grumbled over something so trivial."

"What was so trivial?" Tonks asked, still confused.

"I wanted a book. I stood there and cried because I couldn't find a book to read!"

"Hey Hermione gets cranky if she doesn't find something new every know and then, so it's nothing new." Tonks told her.

Remus stood behind them, "would you like something to read, I have a full library at home."

She looked at his reflection standing over her, feeling a slight tinge of what she felt in the library down stairs. It's definitely him, or there's something I don't know about Miss Tonks here. She smirked at her thought and nodded. "Sure." Then something struck her, her tiff in the kitchen, "I can't tell Harry I'm the last wizard family he's got! I can't get Remus out of my humdrum mind!" Oh hopping hippogriff. She rolled her eyes.

"We could go in a minute if you'd like. However I would like Harry, Hermione and Ron to come too. I have something to give Harry and thought he would like some company while he's there."

She nodded, "How about tomorrow afternoon? I'm just a little tired right now."

Tomorrow after noon, after lunch Remus appeared at the bottom of the stairs as he waited for the group to descend.

"Everyone ready?" Remus called up the stairs

"Err - Remus I think you'd better come up here, Amber doesn't look too good." Harry said from the upper hallway. Remus sprinted up the stairs and to Amber's room taking three at a time.