"It's Christmas Eve, Kingsley," Tonks announced as she sat on Kingsley's desk; that is, after she arranged everything to either side. "I could be picking up last-minute gifts."
"That would be you, waiting until the last minute," Kingsley laughed as he unwrapped a lemon drop, also pondering other options outside of the Auror Office where they worked.
"Excuse me?" she mock-scoffed. "I only have one more person to buy a gift for."
"It's probably me," he teased.
"Nope. It's Alastor, actually. I don't know what to get for the man."
"Not the most spirited, is he?" Kingsley told.
"Can you imagine him caroling?" Tonks thought, trying to see the image.
"No."
"Neither can I, but I've got to get him something…Any ideas?"
"Maybe a fine bottle of his favorite scotch?" Kingsley suggested as he stretched and looked over at the door to the office, seeing people stroll about the outer quarters.
"I'll probably do that. Hopefully there will be something left when I get out of here. Kingsley, what are we going to do until then?"
"Maybe all evil forces are taking time off because of the holiday?" Kingsley wondered.
Tonks snorted. "Hardly. I could imagine that lot sitting down to dinner; Bellatrix passing the bread pudding down to her nephew Malfoy," she spat.
"It's probable that that happens."
"Maybe evil does take a day off," Tonks mused as she, yet again rearranged Kingsley's desk. "So what did you get me?"
"Nothing," he replied simply, yet not being able to look at the woman on his desk.
"Oh really?" Tonks hedged, swaying slightly from side to side. Kingsley cracked a smile. As he went to reach underneath his desk, Tonks jumped off of it and went over to her own. Pulling out a gold box with a silver-trimmed, green bow on top, she went back over to his desk. Where she had been sitting previously, there was a gold box with a silver-trimmed, green bow on top. Kingsley looked at his gift and then to the one in her hands and she did the same. Then, the two of them let out a merry chuckle.
"Great minds think alike!" Tonks said as she placed her box on his desk and took the one sitting there.
"Remember when we stumbled upon the only two boxes of the famous Honeydukes Specialty and went through them one shift?" Kingsley reminisced.
"I thought of the same thing and since you enjoyed them, went to get them. That was the last box!"
Kingsley smiled. "I put a special order in for them, so I wouldn't have to compete with the crowd." He opened the box and the two of them took one out.
"What are you doing tomorrow?" Tonks questioned Kingsley.
"I'm going to visit the family. Haven't seen them in a while, so it'll be interesting."
The door opened and Hestia Jones walked in, brushing snow off of her shoulders.
"It's snowing in the elevator again," she grumbled as she walked to the next room. Tonks got up.
"I'll be right back," Tonks announced, standing up and heading for the door.
"You're going to have too much fun with this aren't you?"
"I'll be right back," she repeated smiling. "Tell him I went to the Lou."
"Did you do it?"
"No, but I'm going to enjoy it."
Tonks decided to walk home and enjoy the holiday festivities that evening. She was thinking to send word to Sirius, Remus and a few others to see what they were doing. Passing a cemetery, Tonks realized it was where her grandparents from her father's side were buried and decided to stop by for a minute. She went over to their stone and gazed upon it. She cleared the light dusting of snow and said, "Miss you grandma, grandpa." She knelt down, took out her wand and created a small wreath similar to ones on stones around her. A Poinsettia was sitting on the right-hand side. Tonks mused that her parents must've stopped here before they left for their Holiday. After saying a small prayer, she got up and proceeded on her way home.
A figure in the immediate distance caught her eye. She recognized who he was immediately and went over to him. Just as she was about to make her way over to him and the stone he was focused on, a sheet of ice latched itself onto the bottom of her boots and pulled her down. She was lucky enough to hold the gift to herself to prevent its shattering.
"All right there Tonks?" Alastor Moody asked, without turning around to face her.
"How did you know it was me?" she asked as she slowly got up and continued to make her way over to him.
"Lucky guess," he mused trying to add a small bit of humor to his somber voice. He turned to face her. "I saw you over there."
"My Grandparents are there," she said, answering his unspoken question. Moody nodded distractedly.
"Who is this?" Tonks questioned, noticing the snow had not been moved, as she had done. Moving the snow, the stone read: Johnathon Moody 1973-1991.
"Is this your son?" she questioned. Alastor grunted. "I didn't know you had a son."
"Not many people do," he told and sighed. "Died when he was eighteen years, he did. He was too eager to join the fight against You-Know-Who and his followers that he applied to be an Auror. I saw great potential in him. Seeing the process too lengthy a time to wait, he decided to venture out with a few mates from Hogwarts one night and take some of them down themselves. I received a Patronus to come and identify him." He paused and wiped some snow off the top. Tonks created a wreath similar to the one previously completed and set it in the center.
Moody turned to Tonks. "I see great potential in you. An Auror's job is never to be taken lightly. You have to keep focused on what is right and never dive into anything due to heated anger or passion. One moment your guard is down and your end is met." Alastor Moody knelt down and closed his eyes as if in prayer. Tonks put a hand on his shoulder and closed her eyes. When he was done, he stood up, took one last look and started to walk away. Tonks followed him.
"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" she questioned, remembering the gift in her hand.
"I'm going to stop by Grimmauld Place tomorrow. The Weasley's and various others will be there, so I'll stop by to check on everything," he told her.
"Since my parents are on Holiday, I'll be spending the day there also. We should join the lot for dinner. Besides, you still have to give SOMEBODY their gift!" she beamed, hoping he had taken her dropped hints. "Oh yeah," she said suddenly, holding out the long, rectangular gift bag to her mentor. He took the bag and looked inside.
"My favorite," he said, smiling slightly at his protégée. "We will share this tomorrow. I shall give you your gift tomorrow," he stated.
"I really hope it—"she stopped when she noticed a slight roll of his eyes accompanying his smirk.
"I hope it's the one that is long in the front and gets shorter along the way to the back."
"Dark lavender," he replied simply, knowing she knew it was the one she had wanted.
When they reached a certain point, they said their good-byes and Tonks went to find some festivities.
