A/N: This is another short little chapter but I promise that I've got a longer one ahead!
This story is mine, the characters and places and everything else important is JKR's. Grr!
As the weeks went by, Tonks improved daily. Once released from the hospital, she had nowhere to go so she remained at Hogwarts. Her home at Grimmauld Place was empty and Tonks couldn't bear the thought of living alone. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny did their best to visit her every day but the OWL's were approaching and the stress on Ginny was enormous.
"She's a lot like your mum," Harry whispered to Ron in the common room.
"Who?" he asked vacantly, busily making another card house with his Exploding Snap pack.
"Ginny." Harry glanced over his shoulder to where she sat, Hermione right next to her, drilling her with old exam questions. "Whenever she's interrupted from something important, she can get madder than anything."
"Learn to live with it mate." Ron placed the last card on top. "It's the Weasley temper."
Suddenly, the entire deck exploded in his face and Ginny and Hermione turned to glare at the two of them. Sheepishly, he waved and hastily put the remainder of the deck away.
After awhile, Ginny and Hermione stood.
"Are you finished?" Ron asked.
"For now," Hermione replied.
"We're going to go see Tonks," added Ginny. "Are you coming?"
Harry and Ron shrugged their shoulders. "Sure," Harry said.
As they made their way down the hallway to Tonks' apartment, they heard the sound of muffled crying. Ginny knocked on the door and it opened a few seconds later.
"Oh, hello." Tonks' voice sounded strange and there were traces of tears left on her face.
"Er, are you okay?" Ron asked.
"I'm...fine," Tonks stammered. Putting a handkerchief to her face, she wiped her eyes, then turned and started to sob.
"Tonks, what-" But Hermione cut him off. Shooing Harry and Ron from the room, she shut the door in their faces.
They stared at the door, dumbfounded.
"Um...shall we go back to the common room, then?" Harry said, awkwardly.
"I guess," Ron replied, looking fearfully at the door as the crying started again. "I'm sure Hermione and Ginny can handle it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The girls didn't return to the common room that afternoon. Harry and Ron spent all day staring down at a chessboard, halfheartedly playing. At 6:30, Ron stretched his arms and stood.
"Why don't we go down for dinner?"
"Sure," Harry said, yawning. "Maybe they're down there."
As they headed for the portrait hole, Crookshanks jumped on top of the table, sending the chess pieces running.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry and Ron scanned the long table with a sigh. Ginny and Hermione were still absent and Tonks' chair near the Headmaster was empty.
"Hi," Neville said as they sat down dejectedly.
"Hullo," Ron said. "Have you seen Hermione or Ginny?"
Neville shook his head. "Not since breakfast this morning."
Harry sighed.
"What's the matter?" Neville asked, concern showing in his eyes.
"Tonks," Harry said simply. Neville knew as much about Tonks as the rest of the school. Dumbledore had introduced her as an old friend who was visiting for awhile and Neville knew that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were friends with her as well.
"She's acting kind of moody," Ron explained.
"Ah," Neville said. "I'm glad Luna doesn't get like that."
"Doesn't she?" said Harry, vacantly.
"No, she's pretty much an open book."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry and Ron trudged back to the common room about an hour later.
"Women! Why are they so hard to understand?"
"I have no idea," Harry replied. "We just have to deal with it."
Climbing through the portrait hole, Harry recognized two voices, talking in low tones.
"What took you so long?" Ron asked indignantly, marching up to Hermione.
"Tonks needed us," Hermione replied.
"Whatever for?" protested Ron. "Why was she crying? Listen, I know that she's upset about Lupin but-"
"You are so thick! She's upset because she's gonna have a baby!"
"Why would that upset her?"
Ginny threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "Why do you think!"
Ron looked at Harry who shrugged and said, "Isn't having a baby a good thing?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "I'm going to speak very slowly and maybe this will make sense. Tonks is all alone. Her husband just died, her world is falling apart, and now she has to raise a baby all by herself. Don't you think that you would be upset, too?"
Ron nodded. "You know what, Hermione? I think I was right. You should write a book, translating--"
"Ron," Ginny interrupted. "Just shut up."
Ron glared at her, then stalked away. Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'll be back," she said, following after him.
Harry and Ginny sat in silence for awhile, until Ginny spoke again.
"Tonks said that Lupin's memorial date is set."
"When?" asked Harry.
"Easter weekend. Next week."
Harry nodded. "Is Dumbledore allowing us to come?"
"Yes. We're leaving on the Knight Bus early Friday morning."
Harry took hold of Ginny's hand and squeezed it. "Ginny, I know you won't let me say what I want to say, but I want you to know that I will always be here for you. I care about you."
Ginny's eyes shown with unspoken gratitude.
Hope you enjoy this one. I'll get 34 up as soon as I can! Hmmm. Now, I know that you all absolutely adore my spoilers...well, even if you don't, here it is.
"It's Percy."
Mwahahahaha!