AN: For QL Round Nine. BEATER 1: Nymphadora Tonks [Prompts: 3. (quote) Nothing more complicated than learning lines and putting on a costume. - Morgan Freeman, 11. (word) association]

Word Count: 1026

training to lie (overcoming personal faults)

By MagicMinnie

Disguises had always been one of Tonks' strengths. It was also one of the only things she really excelled at in her Auror training. While others had simply chosen specific clothing and accents to give them an air of nonchalance and mystery, she had simply planned who she would turn into and what the details of the Metamorphmagus transformation would be.

On on particular day, however, Auror Moody called her into the office. She didn't know what for, but she would go all the same. After all, he was the leader of the group.

"Auror Tonks."

Tonks started out of her thoughts at the suddenness of the greeting, but tried not to let it show much too obviously. Smiling, she returned the greeting, sitting still once again before questioning him tentatively.

"Auror Moody, sir?"

He continued writing on parchment until his sentence had been finished. Finally looking into Tonks' eyes, Moody peppered her with questions. Through it all, Tonks could feel her curiosity growing.

"How good are you at deceptive disguises and long-term sting operations?" he asked, folding his hands under his chin and leaning the weight of his face onto them.

"Very good, sir," she said, confidence pouring through her voice. Disguises were something that wasn't hindered by her natural clumsiness. She was better off with physical tasks than paperwork anyways, no matter how clumsy she might seem.

"Then, you're set. I've got an assignment for you."

Tonks blinked blankly, then beamed. Her first assignment?

"That being said," he started, "you might have to undergo a few hours of training first."

oOo

The next day, she left her house bright and early. The sun had only just started to come out, and she felt as though she was barely awake, but she pushed on. The training camp that Moody had sent her to started in the next ten minutes, and she wanted to be able to make a good impression on the instructor.

Of course, she had tripped over her own toes in her haste to arrive at her destination even faster. By the time she had actually reached it, she was both out of breath and her hair had turned from the usual bubblegum pink to a vibrant red.

Walking into the room, the quiet from the outside gave way to conversation and laughter. She saw a few other new Aurors standing by the front of the room, where she thought she saw the indents of a makeshift stage.

She didn't put the clues together until the instructor walked onto the stage with an air of following behind her.

"Hello, students. Welcome to Acting 101! There is nothing more complicated than learning lines and putting on a costume, and successfully pulling the act off. So take in as much as you can to succeed in your endeavour!"

She held back a groan. Is this what he meant when he said 'training'? Training to lie?

oOo

The first thing the instructor had taught them had been the way they walked. With every step that was taken, they were trying to convey the state of their self-esteem. Someone with a purposeful walk could be associated with being "strong minded," and others who walked with a slouch could be associated with the idea of having a "weaker mind."

In truth, the differences between the two contrasting ideologies didn't appeal to her. She believed that this idea was only restricted to actors, and couldn't be used outside the acting area. She did find, however, that changing the way she walked had momentarily cured her of her clumsiness.

At least, the bones in her body felt like they actually fit.

She had never felt so comfortable in her body like that.

oOo

The second thing the instructor taught them had been about the ease in which the pre-prepared words would leave their mouths. It isn't easy to fake a scenario with a lot of eyes following her movements, so Tonks had refrained from having to involve herself verbally many times. Her ability to lie was abysmal.

Yet, as the instructor introduced them to the concept of using half-truths to lie, he felt as though a new world had opened up. Of course, she wasn't ignorant of the idea of half-truths, but she had never tried it before.

To her surprise, half-truths were easier than whole. And it never felt better than to be able to lie for a good cause before.

oOo

The third thing the instructor taught them had been the confidence that they should be exuding as they act in front of others. It wasn't enough to show confidence through the gait of their movements. Confidence can also be expressed with facial expressions, words, and the strength of will.

In her past, Tonks had found trouble expressing her confidence. It wasn't as though she wasn't confident. It was the idea that her coworkers had always assumed she wasn't. And as much as she would've liked to fight back, she did not.

Being able to speak freely without any judgment of weaknesses gave a more positive and confident outlook on the idea of keeping quiet until the last minute as well.

oOo

Finally, her hard work in acting and trying different disguises had paid off. Her limbs were lithe, her movements elegant and purposeful. She was able to use half-truths to lie to those she will be spying on as an undercover Ministry official. And she would be able to use her Metamorphmagus bag of tricks to tie them all together.

She still stumbled and tripped outside of work. But when she was neck deep in undercover Auror work, she would put that aside and tap into the confidence that the instructor had so freely given her.

She had, at first, thought that the acting class was a joke. As did the others from her batch of Aurors.

But at some point, she was able to see a subtle weakness in her opponents that she wouldn't have thought about before she acquired the skills of acting. It made her unexpectedly cunning, as an undercover spy should be. It was what made her a formidable opponent.

Training to lie wasn't too bad, after all.