Figured You Out

17: Times of Sadness and Heartbreak

“Will you stop yelling at me!” Tonks screamed

“Where did she go,” Remus raised his voice.

“Will you tell us where the bloody hell she went!” Snape growled as he grabbed a hold of her shoulders.

“Severus, let Nymphodora go. No need for violence.” Dumbledore said calmly as he walked over and released Snape’s hands from Tonks’ shoulders. “Nymphadora, do you know where Amber had gone to?”

“All I know is that she said that she was going to St. Mungo’s! Kingsley and I checked for her there but she was not. I talked to one of the healers and all they said was that she left after she found out that the little boy that she brought in had died.”

“You said she was injured – how bad was it?” Remus asked, his voice shaky, however he was trying his best to steady it. “It’s wasn’t that bad was it?”

Tonks sighed, “she was hit in the shoulder Remus, I don’t think it was that bad, but that’s only what I am assuming.”

The kitchen door flew open, “we’ve got to find her.” Harry said determined.

“Harry, she’ll be fine.” Remus choked on his words as the lump in his throat grew and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”

The door to the kitchen slowly opened and Arthur walked through, his face caught between success and dejection. All eyes turned to him, “well I have found her.”

Remus’ face lit up, however the gears in his mind started to turn ever so slowly, “and why isn’t she with you? She’s not—”

Arthur held up his hand, “no Remus she isn’t. I was all but hexed out of her flat when I left.”

“I’ve never heard Amber do something like that before.” Tonks said with a hand on her chest.

“Well I assume it was due to the Firewhiskey she was consuming. She started on her second bottle just as I arrived, so if you do go and see her, be cautious.”

“She hadn’t had a single drop since her graduation from Hogwarts. This must be affecting her intolerably.”

“I have to go, I can’t wait here for her to drink herself into coma,” Remus said approaching the fireplace.

“Um Remus, she blocked her floo, so no one is able to use it except if she is flooing out.” Arthur informed. “Probably should enter using the old fashioned way, she does have a doorbell.”

Remus apparated from the sidewalk of Grimmauld to the front door of Amber’s flat. It was like any normal house, however it was plain, which Remus guessed to be that way because she worked constantly. He stood knocking on her front door for at least five minutes before deciding to invite himself in. He entered and was shocked to find cinders replacing the spots in which sofas and armchairs would have been. Portraits and landscapes were either dangling lopsided on the wall or lying on the floor. Shattered shards of pottery littered the blue carpet and in the middle of a large mound of debris was a silver dagger. He picked it up by the handle, examining it carefully, he found traces of blood on the blade and also on the carpet. “AMBER!” Remus called out. He waited silently for a response but none came. Then on the hard wooden staircase, he found small droplets of blood splattered every few steps. He raced up the staircase and found himself standing in her bedroom loft that over looked the sitting room. The room was also in shambles as he stepped over mounds of smoldering clothing and his attention was brought to the shatter mirror above the bureau. It had dried blood covering the middle of where it must have been hit the first time. The four poster bed with a pearly white quilt sprawled across it was the only object untouched. “Amber,” he said a little more patient this time, however growing very worried about the state he was about to see her in.