Author's Note: Hi readers! This is going to be a multi-chaptered fic. I wrote this because I was disappointed with how little Tonks was mentioned in the last movie (and all the other ones), so I've tried to tell more of her story here. I had this beta'd and fact-checked, but if you see any mistakes please tell me so I can fix them. Thanks!
Disclaimer: If it's recognizable, I don't own it. All credit to the queen.
Chapter One: If There's Something Better, Well They Haven't Found It Yet
1995
Tonks sat in her cubicle in the Auror Department, sneakered feet propped up on the desk in front of her. She stared off in the direction of the clock on the opposite wall. A postcard lay on her desk.
Dear Tonks, it read,
I've been missing you terribly! It's incredibly hot here, and humid like you wouldn't believe, but the scenery is so amazing and the culture's fascinating. You have to come to Mexico City for Christmas or something, I can't believe we're spending so much time apart. I got you a present in an English bookstore that we went to. I can't send it because my owl's still en route to Romania, but it's a copy of the Wizard of Oz. I thought you'd like it because we used to love the movie, and your name is Dora.
I can't write any more, no space left.
This last was squeezed sideways in the margin of the postcard.
Love, Kate
Tonks sighed and tossed the postcard in the rubbish bin, trying not to feel miserable as she watched it spiral down to settle gently on top of old papers and used tissues.
"Oi, Tonks! Would you mind helping me with this?" a voice called from across the hall. Tonks got up, skirting the piles of paperwork that seemed to breed on all the horizontal surfaces in the cubicle.
A young woman was standing on her desk, holding a large map of the world to her wall with both hands. She had several pushpins in her mouth, and was speaking around them.
"What're you doing?" Tonks asked, craning her neck.
"I'm trying to pin up this map Shacklebolt gave me so we can chart Sirius Black sightings across the globe. Thought I'd impress him by having it ready for our meeting tomorrow morning, but it won't stay!"
"Hold on, I'm coming up," Tonks said, stepping onto the desk by way of a strategically placed chair.
"Wait, Tonks, I'm not sure that's the best idea-"
Tonks' foot caught on the side of the desk and she stumbled into the other woman, arms flailing. They both came crashing down, covered in a large map of the world and several dozen pushpins.
"Eeauhh!" the woman wailed, looking in horror at Tonks's left hand. Tonks cringed and pulled the bright blue pushpin out of her palm, wincing.
"Do you have a band-aid?" she asked, voice faint.
The woman pulled one out of her purse, looking slightly nauseated. "Here, this is all I have. They're what my niece always uses when she takes a spill." Tonks unwrapped it and stuck it to her hand, bright yellow smiley faces grinning up at her.
"You don't have to look so happy about it," she grumbled.
"What?" the woman asked.
"Nothing." Tonks sighed and looked at the clock. "Oh, bloody hell! I was supposed to meet Mad-Eye in the lobby five minutes ago. Bye, Rawnie!"
Rawnie waved, looking resignedly at the mess all over her cubicle. Tonks bounded off down the hall towards the elevator, doubling back quickly to get her pack before tearing off again.
1988
Tonks pushed open the door of her father's sedan and clambered out, catching her foot on the edge of the car and tumbling to the ground.
"Well hello there," said an amused voice from somewhere above her. A calloused hand reached down, and she took it.
"Wotcher, Charlie!" she said, grinning at him as she got up.
"Your trunk, Dora," her father called from the car. Tonks hurried over to the trunk and hauled her luggage out. She hugged her father, kissing him on the cheek, and followed Charlie across the parking lot towards King's Cross, where his family was waiting.
"It's lovely to see you, Nymphadora," Mrs. Weasley said, engulfing Tonks in a warm hug. She pulled back and her eyes flickered up to Tonks's brown hair, currently streaked in hot pink, orange, and yellow. "What wouldyour mother say about your hair?" she asked disapprovingly.
"Oh, believe me, she has," Tonks said, grinning. "Any new ones off to Hogwarts this year, Mrs. Weasley?"
"Oh, no, just Percy starting his second year. And Bill, of course, Head Boy," she said fondly.
"We're starting next year, though," one of the twins piped up.
"And I hope the teachers have better luck civilizing them than we've had," Mrs. Weasley said with a long-suffering air.
"Don't you think we ought to go in then, Mum?" Bill asked.
"Oh, of course, or you'll miss the train!" Mrs. Weasley started pushing the trolley on which her children had piled their luggage towards the station, trailing Fred, George, and Ron behind. "Come on then, Charlie!" she called. "And bring your sister, won't you?"
Charlie seized Ginny, who was squirming madly, by the hand and hurried after his mother and brothers. Tonks followed, waving goodbye to her father, who was deep in a conversation about video cassettes with Mr. Weasley.
The Weasleys went through the barrier in pairs, chivvied along by Mrs. Weasley: Bill and Percy, Fred and George, Ron and his mother, and finally Charlie and Ginny. Tonks followed them with her luggage and waited while they all said their goodbyes, both Bill and Charlie picking up their tearful sister for a hug. The three oldest brothers finally parted from their family as the flow of children on the platform started pushing insistently towards the Hogwarts Express, shining scarlet in the morning light. The excitement in the air was palpable, made bittersweet by the anxious families watching their children board the train.
"I've got to go up and sit with the prefects, I guess," Charlie said, shifting awkwardly.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. See you when we get to Hogsmeade Station, then!" Tonks waved as Charlie set off towards the front of the train with Bill before boarding herself. She peered into several compartments before stopping at one that was occupied by a tall blonde girl and a wavy-haired brunette. Tonks opened the door and set her luggage down.
"Tonks!" the blonde exclaimed, jumping up and hugging her enthusiastically. The other occupant of the compartment looked up and waved.
"Hi, Tonks," she said.
The blonde let go of Tonks and she sat down. "So how was your summer, Natalya?"
"It was alright," Natalya said as the blonde reclaimed her seat across the compartment. "Mum and I went to Paris for a few weeks in July 'cause Dad was busy fixing his truck. It got really busy and messy around our house, so we escaped London to take refuge in food and shopping."
"You're lucky your house's only like that some of the time!" Tonks exclaimed. "My dad's like a whole flock of men working on cars, what with all the mess in our house. If we jetted off to France every time it got like that..."
"Hey, where's Charlie?" the other girl interrupted.
"Prefect," Natalya said.
Tonks shook her head. "Whatever will we do with him?"
Natalya stretched. "Well, you and Kate will have to straighten him out on your own. I promised Mum I'd give Mrs. Miller's daughter the books she left at our house last week."
"Theadora or Frances? I saw Thea on the platform five minutes ago," Kate chimed in.
"No, it's Fran I'm looking for." Natalya sighed and stood up, picking up her bag. "I'll be back in a few."
Kate and Tonks waved to her. "Be back in time to change into your robes!" Tonks yelled after her.
1995
Tonks bounded out of the elevator into the atrium, scanning the thinning crowd of people leaving work for the rugged form of Alastor Moody. She spotted him at last by the Fountain of Magical Brethren, standing a few inches taller than everyone around him as he surveyed the room with a shrewd gaze. As Tonks started pushing her way towards him, she felt his magical eye fixate on her disapprovingly, no doubt because of her lateness. She sighed and moved faster through the throng.
"Sorry I'm late, Mad-Eye, I was helping Rawnie with some stuff in her cubicle," she explained, breathless.
"Oh, so it's Ms. Cooper I should be blaming for this latest transgression, one in a long line of similar violations of punctuality?" He fixed her with a disarming look, taking in her rather ruffled appearance.
"Oh, no, it was my fault," Tonks said quickly.
Moody raised an eyebrow. "Your fault, is it?"
"Yes. Completely."
"Fair enough. Can't say I expected any less. Now, we'll be Apparating to the meeting, so I'd advise you to hold on."
Tonks grasped the proffered forearm and closed her eyes against the expected onslaught against her body. She felt her molecules squeezed, stretched, and rearranged in a five-second eternity before she opened her eyes again and beheld a grim street.
"Here it is," Moody said in a low voice. "Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."
"Which one is it?" she asked, squinting as if it might reveal itself as one of the houses squatting drably in front of her.
"It's under a Fidelius Charm, I told you that," Moody said in an annoyed whisper. "And keep it down, will you? You never know who might be listening," he said portentously.
"Constant vigilance, yeah, I know," Tonks muttered, equally as annoyed. "Who's the Secret-Keeper then?"
"Dumbledore." Moody removed a small piece of paper from his coat pocket and pressed it into her hands. "Here's the address. Memorize it and then look at the buildings in front of you," he commanded.
"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill," Tonks said, staring down at the scrap of paper. 12 Grimmauld Place, it said in a loopy hand. She looked up at the spot between numbers 11 and 13 and watched as a house seemed to appear there, pushing its way out from nowhere to take its place between the other two houses.
"Right then, let's go in before we're seen," Moody said, limping up the steps. Tonks followed, watching as he knocked on the door, standing back when it opened abruptly.
"Evening, Alastor," Mr. Weasley said amiably. "And Tonks! I'd heard you were joining us today. Come in, come in. Molly's making supper."
Moody followed Mr. Weasley into the building, which was looking rather foreboding, Tonks noticed as she entered. The decor was certainly...eccentric.
A large blob rose out of the darkness. Tonks caught her foot on it and tripped, letting out a small shriek. Moody reached back and grabbed her as she fell, and Mr. Weasley rushed to right the fallen object, which revealed itself to be a large severed leg.
"Get the umbrella stand before that old hag wakes up again!" Moody commanded, holding Tonks up by her forearm.
"Umbrella stand? That's some sort of leg!"
Mr. Weasley let go of the umbrella stand, which was now back on its foot. "Troll's leg, actually. The late Mrs. Black had quite an eye for design."
Tonks shuddered, backing away from the stand. She and the two men continued walking down the hallway towards a door which was emitting a surprisingly cozy light. A silhouette appeared in the doorway, solidifying itself into the form of a man. He was tall and very lean, almost to the point of emaciation, and his black hair hung across his hollow-cheeked face. It was a face Tonks recognized very, very well.
"Bloody hell!" Her hand flew to her wand instinctively.
"Easy there," Moody said, stepping in front of her, obscuring her view of the man that was undoubtedly Sirius Black.
Tonks could still hear his voice, though, as he called from the end of the hallway, "You didn't tell her, Mad-Eye?"
"Tell me WHAT?"
Moody looked slightly abashed. "I didn't have time," he said. "I didn't think she'd recognize you."
Tonks made a noise of frustration. "Tell me WHAT?" she repeated, on the verge of actually stamping her foot.
Sirius Black stepped towards her. "Look-"
Tonks pointed her wand at him threateningly and he moved back, putting his hands in the air.
Mr. Weasley took pity on them. "Tonks, Sirius is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. This is his house we're using for headquarters. He's been extremely valuable to us and we're absolutely sure he's on our side."
"But he was convicted! Sent to Azkaban! They had-"
"Overwhelming evidence, yes," Moody interrupted. "Haven't you ever heard about Barty Crouch's trials? He was convicted immediately, no chance to defend himself. And after what had happened, no one was willing to speak for him."
Tonks could still see a loophole in this explanation. "Then who did it? Killed Peter Pettigrew and all those Muggles? Not to mention leading the Potters to their deaths."
Moody had a funny look in his eyes, something between admiration and disgust. "It was the one person no one would expect. The hapless hero, the man who lost his life fighting an evil that he should have left to the Ministry - or at least that was the story."
Tonks's mouth dropped open. "No," she whispered. "It was him? Pettigrew?"
Moody nodded. Sirius said angrily from the end of the hallway, "He faked his own death. Cut off a finger and transformed into a rat. He lived with the Weasleys for twelve years until we exposed him to Harry two years ago."
"A rat?"
"He's an animagus," Sirius explained. "The three of us became animagi in our fifth year because of-"
"What is going on out here?" Mrs. Weasley was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, looking cross.
"Oh, nothing, Molly," Mr. Weasley said quickly. "We were getting reacquainted, is all."
Mrs. Weasley's face softened. "Well I suppose that's alright then. Supper's ready."
They filed into the kitchen, which was toastily lit and filled with the scent of fresh bread and cooking vegetables. Mrs. Weasley busied herself by setting the table, while Mrs. Weasley went to summon the Weasley children, who were apparently staying at Grimmauld Place for the summer. Tonks slid into a seat with no mishap, which was quite a feat, and stared at the people crowding the kitchen. Moody sat down at her left, turning to discuss the rumors circulating about rogue Dementors with a stately woman on his other side.
Across the table, Bill Weasley was chatting with a tiny man in a top hat. He looked up when Tonks sat down and grinned at her. "Hi, Tonks."
"Wotcher, Bill," she said in return.
The top hat wearer waved at her. "Are you a new recruit? I'm Dedalus, Dedalus Diggle."
"Tonks."
Dedalus leaned towards her as if to say something, but at that moment Mr. Weasley re-entered, several gingers in tow. "Let's eat, everyone!" he said. "We'll have the meeting afterwards."
A tall man stood up. Tonks recognized him, with a jolt of surprise, as Kingsley Shacklebolt. There were more people from the ministry in the order than she had expected.
"A toast to this fine meal, made for us by the lovely Molly Weasley!" he said in his deep voice, raising his glass. There was a chorus of cheers before everyone shifted their attention to their plates. By the time the pot of stew had been passed around twice, everyone was stuffed and Tonks felt quite a bit more relaxed, laughing with Bill and his siblings, some of whom she'd known at Hogwarts.
After supper, the children retired to their rooms, undoubtedly to gossip, play Exploding Snap, and attempt to eavesdrop on the meeting. The plates were cleared away and the adults turned to Moody to start off the meeting.
"First off, we have a new recruit. This is my colleague from the Auror Department, Nymphadora Tonks."
Tonks groaned and covered her face in her hands. "Just Tonks, please." A few people laughed, including Bill. Moody looked unfazed, accustomed to Tonks's intense dislike of her first name.
"Does anyone have any news to report from the past week?" Moody asked, taking control of the conversation again.
Kingsley spoke up. "There was an attack on some Muggles in Yorkshire yesterday that resulted in several memory modifications and reattached limbs, but as far as we can tell the Death Eaters have been laying low, and it's possible they're not behind the attack."
People around the table were nodding in agreement of this last conjecture. "Well, it's not in their favor to go public, is it?" Bill said.
"It isn't, no," a mild voice said from the other end of the table. Its owner was a tired-looking man, his brown hair streaked with grey although he seemed younger than many at the table. His robes were shabby but his face was kind, and when he next spoke, Tonks could tell that he was intelligent as well. "Voldemort is gathering strength and followers quietly. His stealth ensures that the populace is unaware and unprepared."
"We should warn people, then," she said indignantly.
"We can't," Mr. Weasley said. "Not if we want to keep our jobs, and with them, valuable insight into the Ministry. And those of us who aren't working for the Ministry have other... characteristics, ones that make them appear to be - well, not the most trustworthy people, no matter how much truth there actually is in those judgements." He glanced at the man who had spoken before, giving him a strange look.
"What we can do, though, is keep safe the people we have, and make recruitments of people we know are sympathetic to the cause - like you, Tonks," Mr. Weasley went on. "And on that subject, we need to discuss how we'll be extricating Harry from his aunt and uncle."
"Harry Potter?" a black-haired woman with a ruby complexion asked.
"Yes," Moody affirmed. "We'll be bringing him here to spend the rest of the summer, but we have to do it in such a way that he is never exposed. Voldemort will be watching us and him very closely, so we have to act with the utmost-"
"Vigilance," Tonks finished out of habit. Bill snorted, and Moody gave her a look.
Mr. Weasley broke through the awkward moment. "I think the best way to do this is to get Harry's aunt, uncle, and cousin out of the house for a few hours while we come to pick him up."
"Someone could make an invitation to something," Bill offered.
"Who's good at forgery?" Kingsley asked.
"It depends," Tonks said. "What level of forgery are we talking about?"
"Well, since your strong point is disguise, I guess we'll give this one to you," Moody said.
"But that doesn't have anything to do with-" Tonks started.
"You'll be fine," Mr. Weasley said. "You can ask one of us if you have any questions."
"Sure," she said, and resolved to find someone who actually knew Harry's adoptive family.
"Are we going to discuss the bit of information Dumbledore mentioned during the last meeting?" the weary-looking wizard asked.
"No, Dumbledore will be coming to explain it himself next week, along with McGonagall and Snape," Moody said. "It'll be particularly important that everyone is in attendance then."
"Don't you think we should wrap this up, Alastor?" Mrs. Weasley said, looking with apprehension at the darkening sky. "Those of you who aren't staying here ought to leave before the light goes completely."
There was a collective scraping sound as people pushed back their chairs and stood up, heading towards the front door to Apparate or else to the kitchen fireplace where a pot of Floo powder sat. Tonks got up as well and noticed Sirius Black was making his way in another direction, towards a door halfway down the hallway. She hesitated for only a second before following him, and was almost out of the kitchen when she bumped, quite literally, into the worn-looking man she'd noticed before.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, feeling herself lose her footing for the second time that evening.
The man looked alarmed. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, yeah, fine," she said from the floor. "I'm so sorry about that."
He offered a hand and she took it. "You're Tonks, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I am, and I'm kind of in a hurry, actually," she said. She saw Sirius disappearing behind the door and headed towards it hurriedly, missing the strange look the man gave her departing back.
1988
"Okay, everyone, that's it for today's meeting," Bill said. The occupants of the train compartment stood up and started hurrying towards the door.
"Don't forget to patrol the corridors!" Macie called after them.
Charlie pushed out of the prefects' compartment with the rest of them, wondering how he had gotten himself this job. Was it enough to be good at school and less of a troublemaker than the rest of his friends? Of course, he probably looked like a model student in comparison to Tonks and Kate, who, for all their good intentions, often took liberties with the rules in the name of honest fun.
He strolled down the corridor that ran down the spine of the train, looking through the windows set into the compartment doors for the one that contained his friends. A couple of Gryffindor boys in his year called out to him, but he waved and continued on, lugging his trunk. There was a strange noise coming from the next car. He followed it, brow furrowing in confusion as he got closer and could make out the sound of an electronic keyboard pulsing rhythmically. Then voices, rising joyfully to the sound of...was it Bon Jovi?
When you need
(that's what you get for fallin' in love)
Then you bleed
(you get a little bit, it's never enough)
On your knees
(that's what you get for fallin' in love)
And now this boy's addicted cause your kiss is the drug
Charlie heard two female voices, one echoing the other, as they sung along enthusiastically to the keyboard.
Your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need, whoa oh oh
Shake it up, just like bad medicine
So let's play doctor, baby, cure my disease
Bad, bad medicine is what I want
Bad, bad medicine is what I need
He peered into the open doorway of the compartment that was causing, and saw - who else? - Tonks and Kate. Kate beamed at him and pulled him inside. Tonks looked up from the keyboard, which had appeared out of absolutely nowhere, and started onto the next verse, grinning broadly. Kate danced around him, joining in on the harmony.
I need a respirator 'cause I'm running out of breath
You're an all night generator wrapped in stockings and a dress
When you find your medicine you take what you can get
'Cause if there's something better baby, well, they haven't found it yet
Charlie threw his hands up in surrender and joined in on the next chorus, twirling Kate around as she giggled madly.
Your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need, whoa oh oh
Shake it up, just like bad medicine
There ain't no doctor that can cure my disease
Bad, bad medicine is what I want
Bad, bad medicine is what I need
They could hear the occupants of the next compartment joining in on the last chorus, and people had gathered in the corridor to gape openly.
Your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need, whoa oh oh
Shake it up just like bad medicine
You've got the potion that can cure my disease
Your love, bad medicine
Your kiss is what I need
Your love, bad medicine
Kate collapsed laughing when the song was over, tears streaming down her face. Charlie felt his face heating up as he looked at all the people gawking, but he laughed as well. Tonks snickered at his expression and moved to close the door. The onlookers scattered quickly, all except for a girl who looked to be about a second year. She had ventured out of her compartment across the way from them to watch, tapping her foot to the beat. Now that the song was over she had yet to retreat, smiling slightly.
"Do you need anything?" Tonks asked.
Charlie gave her a look. Might as well be welcoming, since the girl wasn't causing any trouble. "Tonks, don't be rude." He turned to the girl and said apologetically, "She doesn't mean to be rude."
"It's okay. Is that a keyboard?"
"Oh, yeah, I forgot to ask," Charlie said. "How in the world did you get that in here?"
"Undetectable Extension Charm," Tonks said.
"But that still doesn't explain how you powered it," the girl interjected. "The Hogwarts Express doesn't have any electricity, nor does the castle. Did you make some sort of power adaptor that can use magic to power Muggle things?"
"Well, you're certainly talkative all of a sudden," Charlie observed.
"Who's being rude now?" Tonks asked. "Not exactly a power adaptor. I actually revamped an old magical piano a little, made it look and sound like this so it was easier to carry and less out of date."
"Really?" The girl said interestedly. "Can I look at it?"
"Sure, come on in."
The girl ventured into the compartment and ran her hands over the keyboard, pressing a couple keys. She fiddled with the different buttons and crouched down as if looking for the ghost of a pedal. Finally she straightened back up and played a chord, wincing as the notes clashed.
"It's out of tune," Tonks commented.
"I know," she said, and took out her wand. "May I?"
"Go ahead." Tonks gestured to the keyboard in a sweeping motion. Charlie nudged her, trying to communicate with his eyes how much of a bad idea he felt this was, especially since she was obviously not of age. Tonks ignored him.
The girl waved her wand, pointing at the keys. "Cantus concinentium!" Much to Charlie's relief, nothing seemed to explode. The girl played the chord again, and this time it rang out clearly.
Tonks clapped. "What's your name?"
"Jessica. I'm in Ravenclaw."
"I'm Tonks and that's Kate. We're Hufflepuffs. Charlie here's a Gryffindor. We're fifth years."
"I know," Jessica said, with a strange look on her face.
"What year are you?" Charlie inquired, attempting to stop the conversation from derailing.
"I'm in the year below you. I took that extracurricular strategy class with you last year, remember?"
Charlie looked at Tonks, slightly panicked. She shrugged.
Kate cut in. "Well you know, we do try our hardest not to pay attention to school, so..." Jessica laughed.
"What's all this?" a voice asked from the corridor outside. "Tonks, don't tell me you're in trouble already."
"I'm NOT!" Tonks exclaimed indignantly.
"Did you find Fran?" Kate asked.
"No," Natalya reported, entering the compartment and dumping her bag on a seat. "Who're you?"
"Jessica. She's a fourth year Ravenclaw," Charlie explained.
"I prefer Jess, actually," she said.
"Oh yeah," Natalya said. "You were in that strategy class last year, weren't you?" Jessica nodded.
"How do you remember these things?" Tonks asked.
Natalya looked pointedly at her. "Never mind that, did any of you do the potions essay?"
"Why, you didn't do it?"
"No, because I know that youdidn't do it and I was hoping not to have to pester you about it on our first day back."
Tonks waved it off. "We probably won't have potions until tomorrow anyway."
"And we did the Transfiguration," Kate added. "Just now."
"Hopeless," Natalya said. "What about you, Charlie?"
"I didn't understand the thing about aconite," Charlie said. "I did the rest of it, though."
"Do you want me to explain it to you?" Jessica asked.
Charlie looked at her, surprised. "Are you good at potions, then?" She nodded.
"Fantastic," Natalya said. "Now how about you three amuse yourselves with Jessica while I change into my robes?"
They filed out into the corridor. Charlie watched with a smile on his face as Tonks and Kate made themselves comfortable in Jessica's compartment and started to regale Jessica with tales of some of their past misdeeds. He felt with gathering excitement the hum of the train charging down the rails towards the place they all called home, and laughed out loud.
"What?" Tonks asked.
"Nothing." He grinned at her and sat down in the seat next to Jessica. "Just can't wait to be back."
Author's Note: The song used was Bad Medicine, by Bon Jovi. If you have any thoughts or noticed mistakes, please tell me. Thanks for reading!
Beta'd by an Angel~
- Mattie
