Changes: Special Edition

This is the story that follows the prologue trilogy. If you haven't read it, it shouldn't matter as this should be able to stand as a stand alone. However, it won't take too long to read so if you want to go to my profile and read Fallen Angel, The Map Never Lies and New Moon Rising it'll help.

This is the story that has been locked in my head for about a month and therefore had such a hard time getting it on paper. Please bare with me... Might be pretty long story.

Something I've always meant to do but forgot; All recognisable characters (Not matter how OOC) belong to JK. All unrecognisable characters/ storylines belong to the voices in my head. lol. Thank you to all my muses, past present and future... Enjoy

Chapter One: After the Fall

The bleak white hospital hallway was silent and still, the smell of disinfectant clung to the air like a leach. The atmosphere because of it was suffocating. It was the last place anyone wanted to be when they were sick, or come to think of it healthy people had a hard enough job staying there. Half the Order of the Phoenix where trapped there with one curse or another from the incident at the Department of Mysteries, some where lucky and only a simple counter curse was needed. However, others like young Nymphadora Tonks weren't so lucky. She was battling a strong and ruthless hex and she was nursing a broken heart which no magic could heal.

"How is she?" Remus Lupin, looking as disheveled as ever, charged into St Mungo's third floor and straight into Moody the first chance he got, almost five days after the incident at the Department of Mysteries. Everyone knew he wanted to be the first person Tonks saw when she woke up from her coma. He wanted to be the one to tell her that Sirius was gone. He wanted her to see how much it pained him to tell her, the pain in his voice, the water filling his eyes and threatening to spill over onto his unkempt face.

Now it was too late.

Moody had told her. Moody had been there to help her through her tears, hug her in his fatherly way and tell her he'd be there for her. Moody was a hero.

"How is she?" Remus impatiently questioned a second time. It was a full moon the day after the incident at the Department of Mysteries and instead of being at the girl's side, he was trapped on the third floor of Grimmauld Place. How painful his turning had been in more than one respect. "Moody!" Remus growled at the man who stared at him so placidly. He hated that he was so calm. That was his positive point, not Moody's. "How's Nymphadora?"

"She's-" Moody began, but faulted. Remus calmed a little, he'd forgotten that he wasn't the only one having a hard time, everyone was mourning and everyone was worrying about Tonks.

"-She's in dire need of medical treatment," Sneered Severus who came from what Remus could only presume to be her darkened room. "Remus. So glad you could finally make it. She's been asking for you-" His heart rose. She had been asking for him. Even though Moody had comforted her, it hadn't been enough. She wanted him, Remus, to ease the pain. "Something about ripping your head off your no-good body." Severus' mouth formed a crooked vindictive smile. Of course, why would she want to see him for anything else. She must be so mad.

"What's wrong with her? I thought she was going to be ok?" Remus pinned Severus weakly to the wall.

"She has lost her ability to morph." Severus explained. "Surprising it hasn't happened before now knowing how clumsy she is." Remus gripped him tighter. "This isn't helping her Remus." Severus dramatically dusted himself down once Remus had removed his grip on him. Moody's revolving eye had fixed upon Tonks' room. "Miss Tonks keeps trying to morph, she does it many more time without treatment, there is no doubt in my mind that she will die Remus."

"What's the treatment?" Remus barked. He could loose her. He'd just lost Sirius, and he was now going to loose his Tonks. "A spell?" No response. "A potion?" Severus nodded. Remus' heart lifted, that was Severus' specialty, he was the potions master after all.

"However." Remus' heart plunged right back down to the depths of his stomach; there always had to be a but; it couldn't be simple.

"Yes Severus?" Moody joined the conversation. He cared about Tonks as if she was his daughter. She was moody, lippy and downright disrespectful. Moody assumed that was what met the requirements of a twenty-something daughter.

"I can't make it." He answered solemnly. There was a genuine pang hidden beneath his bitterness. "I do know someone who does. I'm going to speak to Albus now. There will be an order meeting tonight." Severus made to leave. "That is, of course; If you survive." He marched back the way in which Remus had arrived, the man's black cloak billowing behind him.

"She'll be ok Remus." Moody's hand clamped his shoulder tightly; a little too tightly. "You going in?"

"You coming with me?" Remus question, dread filling the pit of his stomach; Moody shook his head. "Is it true what he said?" Remus questioned. He knew it was. He knew Tonks' oath.

"Well..." Moody thought how best to say what was on his mind. The truth was the best. The blunt and honest truth; he sighed before telling him: "Yep. It's true. She's really mad at you. Don't know why though. You and that one seemed the best of friends." Remus smiled weakly.

It was true. They had grown to be close friends since the volatile night Sirius returned to Grimmauld Place. Sirius had been glad of the rift between them at first, basking in the attention his grown-up cousin was giving him. Plus there was the bonus that the rift had meant nothing was going to happen between the two.

However by the end of the week, Sirius had grown tired of the snide remarks and icy cold atmosphere at the diner table that he demanded that they sorted things out and become friends.

It had taken two years but they had finally got to a point where they could spend time together without biting each others heads off. There had been times when they had come close to biting each others buttons off and make mad passionate love where ever they had found themselves; That longing was still there between the two. Every time, someone had brought them back to reality; most of the time it had been Sirius. They eventually settled on friendship; like they had before.

Now he was back to being the bad person who jeopardized her cousin's freedom. He was now back to being the werewolf she hated.

Remus opened the door to an extremely dark room and an empty bed. He closed the door and adjusting to the light he reached the bed and felt the mattress; it was still warm.

Where was she? Severus had just left her. Before he had time to react, Tonks had jumped him from behind.

"Nympa-" Her grip on his neck tightened. He wished he wasn't so weak from the transformation. He gripped the bed for support. "You're chocking me-"

"That's the plan." Her voice came out raspy as her thin legs wrapped around his waist.

"I'm sorry he died Tonks. I'm so sorry-" She'd let go. He turned to find her crumpled on the floor. It was the real Tonks. Drab Tonks. Nympadora Tonks. His one and only angel, in pain. Her long brown wavy hair stuck to her burning face. "Tonks?" He pulled her up. She punched him weakly. "I know you said-" She had said that if Sirius had died a wanted man, she would kill Remus were he stood because the night Sirius could have been free was the night of the full moon. Because Remus transformed, they lost the only person who could prove Sirius innocence. Peter Pettigrew.

"Why didn't you tell me! Why wasn't it you? Why weren't you here for me?" She collapsed onto his tweed infested chest. "Why weren't you here?"

"Hush Tonks." His blood ran cold as he helped her into bed. She would not let go. Instead he had to join her on the small hospital bed.

"I knew he'd leave me again. But you, I always thought you'd be here. You left me once. I didn't think you'd do it again. He said you'd always look after me. He said he'd make you stand by me this time... He said... He said" Tonks drifted off to sleep not through choice but through lack of energy. Her little attack had used up what little strength she had left.

By "He" Remus presumed she had been talking about Sirius. The bastard knew he was going to leave us. Remus thought. He'd had one of his good-bye talks with Tonks. So where was his? The one where he told Remus that he had to look after Tonks like she was a sister. The last talk had ended with Sirius telling him to keep his paws off Tonks.

Perhaps it had been a dream she'd had. Wishful thinking that Sirius had given them his blessing. Because they both knew he would never do that. For one main reason; he, R J Lupin had hurt Tonks.

She had been nine when Sirius had warned her away from Remus. Mainly because she was nine and Remus had been twenty. Wrong, for so many reasons. His second reason, and more importantly than the first although Sirius would never have dared told Remus to his face, had been that Remus had been, and still was, a werewolf.

Sirius had once told Remus that he would have been happy for them, had he not hurt his little cousin by leaving her when she most needed him. Sirius argued that for that reason, he would never accept them together.

Tonks loved her cousin too much. Remus knew all too well that she would take that guiding principle to the grave with her. Remus thought bitterly about the promise he had overheard Sirius make her vow. Sirius had told her that while Remus could hurt her, they could not be together. Something Remus could not promise her while he was a werewolf.

Soon after, he drifted into his own sleep, protecting the frail and devastated Tonks.

A/N: So, what do you all think?