Confrontation
Gijane7702
Summary: Remus' first day of work.
Author's Notes: Lady Bracknell suggested a sequel to my first round
fic, Reflections, so I did one.
The Lexicon is a wonder font of information.
Disclaimer: Remus and Tonks aren't mine. They belong to J K
Rowling. She's nice enough to share them and let us play. Jo,
however, can have Umbridge.
Remus Lupin peered into his bathroom mirror and readjusted his tie for the thousandth time that morning. Running his fingers through his freshly trimmed greying hair, he sighed as it fell back into the exact same place.
His suit was new, his shoes were new, and his robes were new. Remus looked the part, yet his stomach still felt as if he had just swallowed a box of still whole Chocolate Frogs.
Today was his first day of work at the Ministry of Magic.
Peering one last time in the mirror, he adjusted his tie again, then turned and exited the bathroom. Remus grabbed his brand-new cloak off his bed and headed downstairs. He swung the kitchen door open and he froze. The table was set with a full breakfast for two: eggs, bacon, kippers, beans, cheese, toast, tea, and juice.
"You cooked," he said unnecessarily to Nymphadora Tonks, who stood behind the table, grinning at him.
"Feel lucky I don't also have a camera," she responded. He made a face at her. "It's your first day of work!"
"Yes, it is. Work, not my first day of school. I didn't get a full breakfast when I started Hogwarts," Remus noted as he sat down at the table, surveying all the food. "It was just beans and toast for me."
"That's because you didn't have me then," Tonks told him logically. "Eat up."
"Just so you know, your hair clashes with your robes," he commented, tucking in.
"They should make the Auror robes pink, not scarlet," she retorted, curling a bubblegum-coloured spike around a finger and taking a sip of tea.
Remus choked on egg. Tonks looked over at him worried. Taking a gulp of juice, he explained, "I was imagining Kingsley in pink robes."
She burst out laughing. "Oh my God! I have to tell him that! Please!"
"No! I'll never be able to look him in the eye again, Nymphadora!"
"You will too. You'll see him at lunch."
"I will?" Remus asked puzzled.
"Yeah…you, me, Kingsley, and Arthur are all having lunch together at one. Didn't I tell you?"
"No."
"Oh…well, me, you, Kingsley, and Arthur are having lunch together at the Ministry canteen at one. We'll all pick you up at your office to show you how to get there," Tonks informed him, poking her fork in his direction.
"All right then."
She smirked. "Hurry up! You spent so much time primping in the bathroom that you've got practically no time to eat."
"I did not primp!" he said in mock indignation. "Beans and toast takes no time to cook up and eat. I'm not used to all this!"
"Well, get used to having a good breakfast from now on. It is, however, the only meal I can cook properly," Tonks grinned at him as he shook his head in amusement. "And you were in there for a half hour."
"I was not!"
"Were too, I timed you. You're meeting the Minister in the Atrium in five minutes. Let's get going" She pushed back her chair and, drawing her wand, pointed at the table.
Remus quickly grabbed two slices of toast before Tonks Vanished everything. "That's cheating," he told her.
"Householdy spells were never my forté, Remus. You know this! Come on."
They both exited the house. Tonks waited for him to recast the protective wards, and then they walked hand in hand to the Apparition Point.
She reached out to stop him. "Let's say goodbye here. Good luck, darling. See you at lunch." Then she gave him a kiss that took his breath away. Stepping back, Tonks smiled at him and Disapparated.
Remus appeared in the Ministry of Magic's Atrium seconds later, just in time to see her pink head enter a lift next to Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was chuckling. Kingsley raised a hand in greeting and Tonks blew him a saucy kiss as the lift began to descend.
"Ah…Lupin, there you are!"
Remus whipped around to see Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister for Magic, limping towards him. Trailing behind, holding a large pile of parchments, was Percy Weasley.
"Good morning, Minister," Remus said cordially. "Percy." He frowned slightly as Percy jerked his head backwards. Remus glanced over the redhead's shoulder to see a head of messy black hair entering the visitor's phone booth.
Harry.
Scrimgeour's eyes followed Remus' gaze. "Ah, yes, I just had a meeting with young Mr Potter." Remus grimaced. He knew Harry had to have said something to the Minister. "Let's get you down to Security."
Remus followed the Minister past the guard on duty and into a lift. "Security is on Level Two; your office is on Level Four. After we get your badge, Ms Tonks can escort you to your office," Scrimgeour told him as the lift started.
"Yes, sir."
"I saw you two together at Dumbledore's funeral," the Minister answered his unasked question. "I don't mind office romances, Lupin, just make sure you both do your jobs."
"Yes, sir."
Security was a hassle, even for the Minister for Magic. But an hour later, Remus finally had his badge and Scrimgeour dropped him off at Auror Headquarters. Tonks gushed over his new badge a bit (Remus was amused to see that her badge morphed her hair all different colours), and then led him off to the lifts. He caught Kingsley's amused glance on his way out of the office and sighed.
They ran into a harried Arthur Weasley coming out of a lift. "Morning, Tonks…Remus. I might not make lunch; I've got two Muggle five year olds with an enchanted tea set to deal with. And I have to check up on rumours of more Metamorph-Metals surfacing in Diagon Alley. I'll send you a memo. Bye!" Tonks and Remus watched him hurry off.
"Metamorph-Metals," she muttered, jabbing a button for Level Four.
"People are desperate, Nymphadora."
"I know. Okay, here we are…Level Four: Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. To the left is the Spirit Division; to the right is the Beasts Division. Your office is straight ahead."
"Did you know that the Ministry still isn't sure what to classify werewolves?" Remus asked her as they past the Goblin Liaison office. The two wizards who worked in there stuck their heads out.
"Wotcher," Tonks said to them. "Need some help?" She smirked at them as the yanked their head back in their office. "Nosy buggers."
"Do you realise how imposing you are in those Auror robes of yours, sweetheart?"
"Yep." She winked at him and he grinned back. "Now, to answer your question: the Ministry has your office in the Being Division because you deal with werewolves in human form. The Werewolf Capture Unit and the Registry are in the Beasts Division because they deal with…you know…"
"Oh, trust me, I know," he said darkly.
"Ah…your office." Tonks ignored his dark look and opened the door labelled 'Werewolf Support Services'.
Remus snapped out his brooding thoughts. He was impressed. It was very large office with two magically enchanted windows that were currently flooding the office full of sunshine. A petite witch jumped up from behind one of the two desks as they entered the room.
"Oh! Professor Lupin, you're here finally. Hello! My name is Rebecca…"
"Smith," Remus finished for her. "You were a Hufflepuff seventh year…in my NEWT's class. I'm not your teacher anymore. It's Mr Lupin…or Remus."
"Yes, sir," Rebecca said, blushing. She looked curiously around Remus at Tonks.
"Rebecca Smith meet Nymphadora Tonks." Remus smiled as the two witches shook hands. "Nymphadora'll be around here a lot…we're, um…courting."
Rebecca beamed at Tonks. "You're an Auror?" she asked, taking in Tonks' scarlet robes.
"Yes," Tonks answered. It was her turn to blush.
"Fantastic! I never had the nerve to apply. I worked down in the Registry, until the Minister asked me if I wanted to transfer here. I thought it'd be a brilliant chance to actually help…know what I mean?"
Remus saved a floundering Tonks by saying, "Okay then. Here I am. Dora, I'll see you in a few hours for lunch."
Tonks threw him a grateful look. "Bye, Rebecca! See you at lunch!"
"Bye, Nymphadora."
"Just Tonks…please! Only Remus seems insistent on calling be by my given name. Why couldn't my mother give me a perfectly normal name like 'Rebecca'?" Tonks muttered to herself as she left the office.
Remus and Rebecca exchanged glances, and then both burst out laughing. "She has this aversion to her given name for some reason."
"Why? It's lovely."
"That's what I tell her!" Remus grinned as Rebecca laughed. "Now…I can only imagine what shape this office is in."
"Actually," she said. "It was left in very decent shape, believe it or not," Rebecca added at the astounded look on Remus' face. "All files, from what I can see, are up to date. Not that there are many…I don't blame you at all for not using any of the Ministry's services for werewolves. They're pathetic."
"They are," Remus said as he took his cloak off and hung it on a hook behind the door. "This is my desk?"
"Well…you're the department head so you get too choose. I figured you should be closest to the door. Our…clients will probably want to talk to you more than me. I'm just here to help with paperwork, liaison with the Registry, and such."
"All right, Rebecca," he said, taking a seat at his desk. "Let's get to work."
Both Remus and Rebecca's heads jerked up at the knock on the door. A split second later, Arthur's balding redhead popped around the door.
"Hello!" he called. "Lunchtime!"
Remus glanced at the clock. Indeed, it was one o'clock. "Well, the time certainly sped by, Rebecca. I'm famished, how about you?"
"Starving!" she agreed. "Let's go!"
They locked the office. Waiting in the corridor was Kingsley and Tonks. "Busy day? Remus asked them.
"Not really," Kingsley said. "We checked out a few leads that went nowhere."
"And you got everything done already, Arthur?" Remus asked him.
"Arthur remembered about 11am that he now supervises ten other people and can send one of them off to investigate," Tonks said. Arthur's neck turned red.
"He's not used to it, Nymphadora," Remus said.
"Exactly," seconded Kingsley.
Tonks wrinkled her nose at Remus, who laughed. "Hey, Rebecca, you okay?" she asked the young woman, who looked a tad dazed, as they headed down the corridor towards the lifts.
"Um...yeah, I suppose. It's not everyday I go to lunch with my boss, two Aurors, and Mr Weasley," Rebecca replied.
"You're her boss, Remus," Tonks said, grinning at him.
"I know. It's all so…surreal. You know Arthur?" Remus asked as the lift doors opened.
"I knew his sons, especially Percy; we were in the same year. Did I say something wrong?" she asked at Tonks' grimace and Arthur's sudden stillness.
"Percy's been a bit of a prat for the past couple of years," Tonks said as they began to ascend. "What?" she huffed at Remus' look. "She's going to working in the same office as you; she might as well know it all." Arthur sighed.
Rebecca's eyes sparkled. "Is it true," she asked in a whisper, "what the rumours say. That you all are Order of the Phoenix members?" The lift arrived on Level One. Remus jerked his head slightly, but affirmatively, before they piled out. "Do you know Harry Potter?"
"He's my son Ron's best friend," Arthur told her. "And Remus and Harry's dad were close friends at school, so perhaps he'll drop by the office some time." Remus hid a smile as Arthur tried not to preen.
Remus smiled at Rebecca's awestruck face. "Let's eat, I'm starving!" he said, opening the canteen door for everyone.
Taking trays, they waited in the queue. "I'm getting lunch, Remus," Tonks told him as he reached for a salad. "No protesting," she ordered, placing a plate heaped with roast beef and mashed potatoes. "Eat that."
"Are you taking lessons from Molly?" he asked, chuckling at Arthur's low groan.
"Yes," she said, plunking down the salad as well on his tray.
He opened his mouth to protest, but Arthur cut him off, "Best not to protest."
Behind them, Kingsley chuckled, "Speaking from experience?" They all laughed as Arthur nodded vigorously.
Tonks grinned. She placed a second salad on his tray and two flagons of pumpkin juice. "That's all you're eating?" he demanded.
"I have to watch my girlish figure," she retorted.
"You can have whatever figure you want… you're a Metamorphmagus!"
"And you're a werewolf." The voice came from behind. It belonged to the last possible person that Remus wanted to see on his first day of work that was going so well.
Dolores Umbridge.
Tonks' grin slowly faded away as she looked around him to see Umbridge. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"I work here, Ms Tonks. What you should be asking is what that werewolf is doing here."
The canteen fell silent, watching. Rebecca stood at a table, still holding her tray, a horrified look on her face. Arthur didn't realize he was overflowing his tea cup as he stood holding the kettle slack jawed. Kingsley took a step forward, but stopped when Remus shook his head.
"He works here!" Tonks snapped before he could stop her.
Placing his tray down, he turned around, feeling a surge of satisfaction as he caught the shocked look that slid over Umbridge's face. He hated everything about this woman, from the tip of her grey curls encased in a teal Alice band to the bottom of her teal coloured shoes. She and her damned Anti-Werewolf laws had made his life hell for that past three years.
"What's wrong, Dolores?" he asked. "Didn't get the memo on my employment?"
Tonks stepped beside him, smiling. "Well, perhaps, Remus, she's not in the loop anymore."
He knew that smarted. Umbridge had fallen out of the Ministry's favour over her debacle up at Hogwarts. She had lost her position of Under Secretary to the Minister when Fudge had been forced out of office. Scrimgeour kept her on only because she knew how to run his office. When her face contorted, Remus knew this was going to turn ugly.
"Why I am not surprised that you're defending the half-breed. I saw you two, holding hands. Consorting with dark creatures now? Tisk, tisk. Perhaps Robards should look-"
"Leave Nymphadora out of this," Remus cut across her.
"How sweet…defending her," Umbridge said caustically. "I shouldn't be surprised that she's with you, being that she's a shape-shifter herself. The freaks need to stick together."
"Nymphadora has been blessed with a rare and precious gift. There is nothing ugly about it. Please, kindly refrain from-"
"Listen to you. Speaking all polite and proper!" she sneered, an ugly expression on her face. "Still pretending to be human, werewolf?"
"No," he replied calmly. "I've always known what I am."
"You never answered my question, werewolf. What are you doing here?"
"Nymphadora answered it for you," Remus replied in a falsely pleasant tone. "I work here…Werewolf Support Services. See." He pointed at his Ministry badge.
"That's impossible! The laws protect us from exposure in the workplace to creatures like you."
"I have nothing more to say to you. I've spoken to you far to much for my taste as is," Remus finished, turning his back on her and walked over to Arthur.
He wasn't sure what was more enjoyable: hearing Umbridge throw a hissy fit in the middle of the employee canteen or the shocked looks on Tonks and everyone else's faces as they watched her.
"You might want to stop pouring now. You've got quite a cup there." He smiled slightly as Arthur jumped, righting the kettle. Remus drew his wand and Vanished the large puddle of tea on the floor.
"Thanks," Arthur said, his neck red. "Watch out!"
But Tonks had already covered his back, throwing up a Shield Charm to deflect Umbridge's hex that she had aimed at him.
"Expelliarmus!" yelled several different voices, all disarming her.
Kingsley caught her wand, his own trained on her. "You just attacked a Ministry of Magic employee. That's grounds for immediate termination, not to mention a stint in Azkaban."
"I was protecting my fellow employees from a dangerous Dark Creature," Umbridge replied, taking a step forward. She stopped as Kingsley did as well. "Put your wand down!" she ordered him. Kingsley properly ignored her. "How dare you defend the werewolf!" she shrieked.
"That's enough, Dolores!" Everyone turned to watch Scrimgeour limp into the canteen. Behind him, Percy was doubled over, trying to catch his breath. "Weasley just came to get me. What is going on in here? People are trying to eat their lunches!"
"Minister," Umbridge cooed in a sickly sweet voice. "There's a dangerous werewolf here claiming to be a Ministry employee. I tried to disarm him-"
"Silence!" Remus fought not to laugh as she fell silent, a disappointed look on her face. "Now…dangerous werewolf? I suppose she means you, Lupin."
"I believe so, sir," Remus replied. Tonks muffled a snort.
"Dolores, Lupin is not a dangerous werewolf. Fenrir Greyback is a dangerous werewolf. Turning to Kingsley, he asked, "Shacklebolt, what happened?"
"Ms Umbridge confronted Remus, and when he wouldn't rise to her nasty taunting and walked away, she tried to hex him. Tonks just managed to block it."
"You attacked a fellow employee?" Scrimgeour asked Umbridge in a shocked voice.
"It is not a fellow employee! The laws forbid it work!"
"I hired Lupin," he informed her in a cold voice. "He can work if I say so."
"What?" she screamed. "The laws-"
"The law also states that the Minister for Magic, that would be myself, has certain special privileges during wartime. I choose to repeal your Anti-Werewolf laws and hire Lupin." Umbridge sat there opening and closing her wide mouth, incapable of words. Remus supposed it was all too much for her. "The law also states that anyone attacking a Ministry employee is to be taken into custody for a trial." Umbridge's eyes bugged out, but she still didn't say anything. "Also, the Ministry Employee Handbook states that any employee harming, or attempting to harm another employee will be terminated." He paused, and then added, "Consider yourself terminated. Weasley…Percy," he clarified as both Arthur and his son responded. "Please clear out Ms Umbridge's desk. Prepare yourself for double duty until we can hire a replacement." Percy nodded. "Shacklebolt, take Ms Umbridge into custody, please. Everyone else, back to lunch."
It was as if he hit the play button, because the whole canteen whirred back to life as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"Minister, thank you-" Remus began.
Scrimgeour smirked coldly at him and said, "I've been looking for an excuse to ah... dismiss Dolores Umbridge, and Lupin, well, you provided a convenient opportunity." At Remus shocked look, he added, "You got a job and I got Potter. I'm not going to beat around the bush, Lupin. Don't think I'll forget what you are. I'm not your friend, I'm nobody's friend. I've got a war to fight and you and Potter are two tools I need. That's it."
With those words, he turned around and limped out. Percy and Arthur looked each other in the eye, just for a brief moment, before the younger Weasley turned and followed the Minister.
Tonks walked up to Remus as Kingsley Conjured manacles. Remus placed an arm around Tonks' shoulders, kissing the top of her head. Tonks encircled his waist and they watched as Kingsley led Umbridge away.
"At least he was honest with you," she said.
"Yes. And I actually appreciate that."
"Going to give it Harry next time you see him?" Arthur asked, joining them.
"Oh yeah." Remus grimaced at the thought of that conversation.
"Hey, perhaps Percy's not that much of a prat after all," Tonks said, attempting to lighten his suddenly sombre mood.
Remus and Arthur looked at her and all three burst out laughing.