Chapter- 76 : Misunderstanding Part - 6 :

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you're eager to delve deeper into the story, consider joining my Patreon for exclusive content and early access to new chapters

50+Advanced Chapters there.

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

patreon.com/Kun_Blig

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry thought back to that very strange first meeting where he'd almost burned Rosie's face of gulping firewhiskey. "Didn't you mention a boyfriend, then?"

"Like you said, I was chasing Remus, but he actually encouraged me to go through with the hooker charade. Needless to say that altered my opinion of him and I dumped him on the spot."

Harry winced. He honestly couldn't imagine the calm and decent werewolf saying something like that. What had gotten into him? Did he think so little of himself that he would prefer Tonks to be with the violent Dumbledore-strangling stranger he had helped abduct rather than a werewolf like himself? If that was the case he had been lying to Teddy when he told stories about his awesome dad.

"Anyway, Mad-eye pulled the I-am-your-boss-and-will-make-your-life-hell card so I had no choice but to come to the Three Broomsticks. I expected you to yell at me like you had all the other times I'd seen you and the whole op to fall flat, but you turned out to be fun to talk to and I ended up having a really good time." She smiled wistfully. "Still felt guilty though, so I didn't owl you for a repeat, but we kept running into each-other and you kept being a nice and fun guy with an adorable blush if embarrassed, yet not afraid to turn the tables on me."

"Yeah well, I really needed a friend." Harry's shoulders sagged as he realised that his only friendship here was a lie.

"At least I didn't trow up after sleeping with you," Tonks retorted. "Thanks for that."

Harry half-heartedly waved off the comment. "That wasn't about you."

"No..." she said, peering at him like a bird of prey eyeing a snack. "It was about Teddy."

Harry winced, feeling like a flustered Hagrid. He shouldn't have said that. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Not going to fly, pretty boy. I slept with you, I can tell when you're lying." She leaned in closer. "What does your godson have to do with me?"

Harry closed his eyes in pain at the thought that seeing the little tyke again was now forever beyond his reach.

"Oh," she said in a small voice, stunned as she realised what he was getting at. "Teddy is mine?"

Harry stayed silent, tensing, but didn't know how to sway her from the topic.

"And you thought that I should be with Remus, so... mine and his?"

Harry stilled and then nodded ever so slightly, eyes still closed.

"Huh."

Unceremoniously she flopped onto the grass and sat there looking absolutely stunned. Harry deflated, letting out a very long breath, feeling lost, confused and hurt and without any idea of what to do next. He ended up sitting down as well about ten feet away from the woman he had looked forward to seeing whom he now couldn't stand the sight of. He would have run, except she still held his wand.

"We must've been really good friends in your world to name you godfather to my son," she said softly after a few minutes.

"Better than here at least," he retorted bitterly.

She snorted. "No kidding." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I swear to you that I didn't set out to seduce you and that apart from my name I haven't lied to you."

"Sure," he said in a monotone. "Except that you did. Gained my trust. Learned my secrets. Spilled them to your friends too, no doubt."

"Nothing beyond the obvious."

Harry scoffed.

"I'm serious! I told them you were 18 years old, because you look so much older and they needed to know that. But I won't let them use me like some honey trap so I just said you were close-mouthed about the whole thing."

"I wish I could trust you on that, but I just don't," Harry said darkly and the pair fell in an uneasy silence, neither of them knowing what to say.

She was never one for uncomfortable silences or staying down for long, however, and it took only minutes before she shot him a hesitantly playful look. "You know, throwing up for sleeping with little old me was totally overreacting."

Harry grunted.

"I mean, sleeping with the mother of the child you're raising is kind of traditional, you know. I dare say it's even expected in most cases."

Despite himself his next grunt became a half snort. He couldn't help it. Irritated he made sure to scowl at her extra fiercely. Instead of cowering it made her radiate smugness.

"That wasn't the point," he said irritably. "Without you and Lupin together Teddy will never be born."

"True," she mused, "but then Remus is clearly not the man you remember because I would never have stayed with him if he behaved like that."

Harry sighed. "None of you are the people I remember. None of them would have kidnapped someone to make their lives easier."

"Not even if it was to save the life of an innocent child? Not even if Dumbledore proposed it and argued that it was the best thing for all involved?"

Harry gritted his teeth. If there had been a way for the Order to shift responsibility from the Boy-Who-Lived, would they have taken it? Had Voldemort gotten his hands on the prophecy like he did here, would they too have damned a stranger to help themselves?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you're eager to delve deeper into the story, consider joining my Patreon for exclusive content and early access to new chapters

50+Advanced Chapters there.

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

patreon.com/Kun_Blig

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~