Chapter Two: I'm Gonna Getcha Good.

Nymphadora Tonks walked down the halls of the Ministry of Magic carrying a large bag. People stopped and greeted the young smiling woman as she passed. She always had something that was sure to lift your day to say. She had a few quick conversations before exiting the ministry.

She walked a short distance to an apparition point and was gone in the blink of an eye. No pop followed her disappearance or her reappearance inside of the Headmasters office. The old man was sitting behind his desk when she appeared. She waved at him and quickly left through his door.

She could make her way through Hogwarts with her eyes closed while walking backwards. She hoped her walk into the dungeons would be a jolt better than her last visit. No explosion rang out, nor did any toxic glasses seep from underneath the door. She took that as a good sign as she slowly opened the door to the potions class. She spotted her target bent over a boiling cauldron. The student to which it belonged to, Neville Longbottom, stood there and fidgeted.

Tonks winked in support when the nervous boy met her eyes. His sudden distraction didn't go unnoticed by the potions master. Severus turned to see whatever it was that caused the disruption.

"As fascinating as the creature known as Nymphadora Tonks can be," Severus said, he stood at his full height and glared down at the boy. "She'll get you caught in a downward spiral of dissidence and I will be forced to then deal with you accordingly,"

Tonks snorted and took a seat behind his desk. She glared down mocking him behind his back as he made his rounds about the classroom. She had sharp eyes and quick reflexes when it came to being attacked. She caught sight of Severus' wand just in time to dodge his attack.

"Petrificus Totalus? Sevy come now old man I know you've got something better than that up your sleeve." Tonks looked at him with a smug look on her face.

He ignored her and she went back to her seat behind his desk. She groaned when ropes shot out from the chair and bound her to it.

"Severus, You naughty boy you," she teased, the ropes tightened and she held in a laugh. "Do try and control your dazzling personality in front of the children. You've seen what ii has done to me,"

The Slytherins in the dungeon classroom snickered, but quickly stopped when Severus' legs bound together and prevented him from moving. He didn't fall over but he did turn and glare at the woman who sat grinning at him.

Tonks knew that look and was out of her binding using the spell diffindo in seconds. Flashes of light rained down on her. Spells she couldn't even ascertain whizzed passed her. The students in her wake made haste to take cover as the duel between the Auror and the Potions Master ignited. She was hit by three of the spells one slowed her down which threw off her evasive maneuvers by precious seconds. Two more spells caught her before she could adjust her tactics.

She pulled her wand and waited for the right moment. It couldn't have stopped soon enough. There was a small break in between a slurry of curses and she exploited it to the best of her training.

"Impedimenta," Tonks attempted to utter. She should have known he'd use silencio on her. Unfortunately for him she was very proficient in nonverbal magic and her spell was still effective.

"Rictusempra," Severus cast his last spell a moment before he was hit by her hex. He was knocked backward and slammed into the nearest wall.

The students that were hiding underneath their desks, couldn't take their eyes off the action. Their concentration was broken by the high pitched giggling of a twenty three year old woman. Nymphadora held her stomach as the tickling sensation coursed through her body. She'd always known that one day her ticklish nature would get the best of her and it seemed that day would be the day. She couldn't control her laughter as she curled into the fetal position on the floor.

Severus watched his work in silence as he moved closer to the preoccupied female.

"Say mercy," he taunted. He knew she was stubborn and most likely wouldn't give in very easily. Watching her squirm was probably the high light of his day. He rubbed his aching shoulder. She had gotten in a pretty impressive hit on him.

"Sod off," she said while trying to catch her breath.

"Now that's not what I want to hear," Severus waved his hand and the effects of the charm intensified.

"Mercy!" Tonks cried out between chuckles. Her ribs were starting to hurt causing her sides to burn.

" Now promise you'll be a good Hufflepuff," he added. He could do this all afternoon. This was his last class of the day and all but two of the potions in his students cauldrons had been completed.

"Stop being a prat," Tonks whined. She was starting to experience some real pain due to this spell. Who would have thought that a tickling spell could be used as torture? "Please!"

"Promise?" Severus questioned. "I want you to say the whole thing."

She gritted her teeth, she refused to beg him to stop in front of all of his students. She wasn't embarrassed in the least bit that he'd won their little duel, but pleading was a loss of her dignity she just wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of ripping away.

The signal for his students to move on to their nest class rang out.

"Get out," He told them when they started to rush putting their potions into a flask. "I'll do it myself you cowards."

It didn't take long for the classroom to clear. Severus stared down at his little victim. She really was beautiful in her own right, and when he thought of beautiful he wasn't talking about her outward appearance. He could barely recall what she actually looked like since her appearance varied. The vibe she gave off invoked feeling in him, he himself didn't quite understand. There was a flurry of emotions as he stood over the woman who tried her hardest not to give in the his demands. He respected her for the challenge she gave. It made him burn for an actual duel. One he knew that the young Auror could give him if she had the chance.

"All you have to do is say it and all you're troubles will be over," Severus told her. He was very well versed in the ways of torture.

"Please," Tonks cried out. She could barely breathe. "I'll be a good Hufflepuff."

"Finite Incantatum," he said.

The tickling instantly stopped and she was able to catch her breath. The stinging of her ribs eased as she glared up the her friend.

Severus extended a hand, offering to help her up. She grasped it and pulled him forward He fell on top of her. His weight again knocked the wind out of her but she caught it again much more quickly.

"You promised to be a good Hufflepuff," Severus said. He stared down at the woman underneath him and she grinned.

"No I didn't," She reminded him. "I just said I would be one, there was no promise anywhere."

"Bad monkey,' He teased. Then he did something she didn't expect.

Severus Prince returned her grin. Her breath caught in her throat. It wasn't a sight she was use to seeing and she found his smile enchanting. The way his fluffy lips curled upward and his eyes held a glint of genuine amusement.

She reached out and gently stroked his cheek, his smile fell slightly and was replaced by a look of curiosity. His dark orbs held a flicker of inquisitiveness. He didn't stop her actions nor did he respond when she shifted underneath him, causing him to fit more comfortably between his legs. Her hands moved to his ears, feeling their shape finding no irregularities. He fingers found their way into his soft hair. He leaned into her hand, loving the sensation of her massaging his scalp.

The door opening brought the two out of their enthrallment. A dark skinned handsome young man stood in the doorway. His hazel brown orbs took in the sight before him. His expression remained indifferent albeit recognizing the woman underneath his potions master to be a mudblood.

"I'll remain outside," he informed them and the door shut. He waited as the two adults separated and gathered themselves appropriately. Tonks blushed lightly.

"Wait for me in my office," Severus requested. He watched as she gathered the messenger bag she'd left next to his desk and disappeared into his office. He went and opened the door to the classroom and allowed to male outside to reenter.

"Blaise," He greeted. He received a nod in return.

"Forgive my interruption Professor," the stoic lad said. "I didn't quite understand your earlier lecture as well as I would have preferred,"

"Lets take a look at your notes," the potions master told the boy as they sat down at one of the desks.

Tonks settled into the chair behind his desk. Her intuition told her that she'd be alone in the room for a while and if she didn't do something to preoccupy herself she'd be in a world of trouble if she started tinkering with Severus' things. She got comfortable and began dozing lightly.

It was almost an hour later when Blaise Zabini left his class room with a better understanding of his previous class. He opened the door to his office and to his surprise she wasn't being naughty and going through his stuff, she was comfortably snoozing in his chair.

"You're so pathetic," he said loudly enough to jostle her from her state of semi-consciousness.

"Yet you've agreed to work with me without any fuss," Tonks said pointing out the small fact like it was going to be enough to shut him up. She yawned while stretching out like a cat as she usually did when she was awaken before she would have liked to have been.

"Now, why are you punishing me with your presence?" he asked. Every thing between them that had happened was ignored.

Tonks removed herself from his chair and allowed him to sit down. Severus waited for her to explain why she was in his presence in the first place. She opened her messenger bag and produced a large book.

"I got sent on the illegal ingredients raid," she said setting it before him, she then took a seat on the edge of his desk. "That there is a catalogue of the ingredients. The minister says you're to take your pick."

"I'll look through it," he said.

"As you can tell there is quite a bit," Tonks said. "Most are wet and without proper care they'll go before you can get to them,"

"If you come back this evening, I'll have marked the things I'm interested in," Severus said as he absentmindedly ran his fingers over the book.

"I'm not in there so I suggest you mark me now," Tonks teased.

"Get out," he told her. "You've caused me enough trouble for the day,"

"Maybe that's your issue mate," she said knowing the next line would get underneath his skin. "You could use a good shag."

"Out," he commanded again more forcefully. She again had hit a nerve.

Tonks bid him goodbye and left his office. She had an appointment much more important to her than hanging out with her comrade. It was a short time later that she ended up at the door to her parent's flat. She looked at the time and figured her father wouldn't be home for another half hour. It gave her some time to sit and talk about all the things her father wouldn't be interested in with her mother.

The door opened before she had a chance to knock.

'You really should come in," Andromeda Tonks called to her only child. "Someone might mistake you for one of my many stalkers."

Tonks stepped through the door and her senses were overwhelmed by the smell of baked goods.

"My goodness Nymphadora," Andromeda scolded. "Get rid of that god awful disguise and let mummy take a look at you."

Tonks knew better than to argue. She slowly morphed her appearance while her mother moved about the house straightening things that didn't need to be straightened. Andromeda was obsessive compulsive and wouldn't admit to it.

"There's my girl," The elder female Tonks cooed. She drew the girl in for a hug which Tonks readily received. "Now let me look at you."

Tonks' heart shaped face was shaded over with long brown tresses that went past her shoulders. She wasn't fond of it at this length but she had an odd attachment that she couldn't explain to her hair. She was rather average in appearance. Her brown eyes remained unchanged and she became a few inches taller. She wasn't too keen on her lanky exterior but excepted that fact for her mother.

"Absolutely gorgeous," Andromeda exclaimed kissing her daughter on the forehead. "Now come tell me of your recent adventures,"

Tonks' brown eyes brightened, she loved her parents so much. They stood behind her even when they weren't sure that she would secede. They validated her as child and especially in her teenage years. She never sought support from others to boost her confidence levels and they never made her feel like there was something that she couldn't accomplish.

Andromeda listened intently on what Tonks had to tell her. She didn't interrupt Tonks when she began to digress. It was always interesting to see how the eccentric woman would make her way back to their central topic.

The brunette finished her accounts with a deep breath. She wasn't aware of how fast she'd been speaking or for how long until she had stopped and took a little break.

"It sounds like you never have a dull moment," Andromeda said. She waved her wand and tea appeared on the table.

"Between poisonous gases and dark wizard hunting there isn't much room for monotony," Tonks said in agreement.

"Any romantic interests?" her mother asked.

Tonks smiled uneasily and that immediately caught Andromeda's attention. The elder female raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"Don't leave me to guess child," she warned.

"Please don't," Tonks said. "The last time you and dad tried to speculate who I was seeing you had me five seconds away from marrying Charlie Weasely,"

"Well despite his family's social status he is a very charming lad,"

"I won't deny that," Tonks said. "but he just isn't for me."

"And what is for you?" Andromeda asked.

"Someone who lives by the laws of order and discipline. There aren't very many people who are willing to put up with my impromptu nature. I know I can be a little overwhelming and I want someone my zaniness won't even faze," Tonks sighed.

"You aren't nearly as bad as you make yourself out to be,"

"I just don't want to have to fight to be me," Tonks said in almost a whisper.

Andromeda understood, Tonks had been in a number of relationships and none of them had worked out. If her personality wasn't too intense her job descriptions scared them off. If her job didn't make them leave her magnetic nature did. Her partners were often to jealous of all the different people she spent time talking to. She wasn't going to limit her social interactions to please someone who was being absolutely ridiculous.

"How are things with Severus?" her mother asked. The elder Tonks picked up a cup of steaming tea from the tray in front of her.

"He's as difficult as ever," Nymphadora couldn't help the way she brightened up when she mentioned the obstinate man.

This did not go passed Andromeda, not much that concerned her daughter did. The woman was like an open book to her, she had read all the pages and had even edited a few lines. It wasn't a secret to her that her girl admired the man she knew as a young woman.

"He is twice your age," Andromeda said even though it was not true.

"Oh stop that," Tonks told her mother. "He is not and you know it."

"Still, the idea of him possibly considering…"

"He hasn't considered anything," Nymphadora huffed while cutting off her mother. The elder woman's eyebrow rose at such a rude action. "Sorry,"

"Like I was saying," Andromeda continued. "the fact that he would even consider dating my daughter is going to take some getting use to."

"I'm not even his type," Tonks told her mother.

"Severus has always held a special place in his heart for peculiar women,"

The two women turned toward the doorway where Ted Tonks, Nymphadora's father stood.

"And don't expect a straight forward answer to a straight forward question," Ted said as he hung up his coat on the coat rack near the front door. "He will dance around it like an attorney that's got something to hide."

"And when did you become an expert of the dating habits of Severus?" Nymphadora asked. She stood up and grave her father a hug. He joined her on the couch, sitting directly across from Andromeda. He winked at her and she rolled her eyes much to Tonks' amusement.

"Your father is trying to be hip and young," Andromeda complained. "If he doesn't cut it out I'll burn him off the tapestry."

"Funny," Ted responded. He hated when his wife mentioned the horrid tapestry her aunt had burned her name off of when she learned that her eldest niece had married a muggle born male. "but in all honesty what is the nonsense about Severus,"

"Well it started out as just a little crush way back when," Andromeda said. "She obviously hasn't grown out of it,"

"Mum, that's not fair," Tonks whined. "I really do enjoy his company,"

"Forgive me dear," Ted apologized. "but until more comes from this than those brilliant smiles you throw our way when you talk about him I'll have a hard time conceiving this notion,"

"You two are so mean to me," Tonks sulked.

Andromeda and Ted smirked at each other. Their lovable munchkin was so overdramatic sometimes.

Tonks spend the rest of her afternoon discussing the current particulars in her life. It was always nice to know that there were at least two people on the planet that cared about what she did with her day to day life.

Severus flipped through the pages of the book Nymphadora Tonks had left for him. Many of the ingredients in the book were enough to slightly impress him.

"Griffin feathers?"

There was a knock on his door that interrupted him. He looked at the clock and had an inkling of who it could be.

"If your sir name begins with T get away from my door," he called.

Tonks ignored him and entered anyway. He sat slumped over the book she'd given him. He was eyeing the precious griffin feather within. His fingers grazed over the object lightly. The essence of the great beast that shed it lingered on the feather. It's power to seek truth had not faded. Griffin feathers had the power to give people the ability to detect truth. No spell could cloud it's ability to decipher it.

"The poor thing. When we found the mistreated lass she was a real challenge," Tonks told him. She went and leaned on the wall to his right. She didn't too much feel like sitting down.

"You wouldn't be in a very favorable disposition if someone plucked your feathers," he remarked. The raven haired man closed the book and handed it to Tonks. The woman in turn slid it carefully into the safety of the messenger bag she'd brought it in. "Two of those are worth more than the ministry itself,"

"I figured you'd enjoy having something worth so much in your grasp," she said.

He shrugged, it wouldn't be the most precious thing to ever be within his clutches. He looked down where the book had been sitting. Before him was a piece of scroll that made him frown with contempt.

"What's wrong?" Tonks asked. She'd witnessed the expression change and she knew for sure it wasn't something she had done. She hadn't even began engaging in one of her favorite pass times which of course involved harassing him.

"Have you been briefed on our first mission?" Severus asked. She shook her head. She probably had an owl back at her flat waiting on her. She hadn't been back there since the previous afternoon.

He handed her the summoning scroll. She read the few lines that was written there and sighed.

"I will not enjoy this," he told her.

"It won't be so bad," she reassured him. "It's only a lichen,"

Severus scoffed, if it was only a lichen he wouldn't be forced to go after it. This lichen was apparently special somehow. It was the same filthy mutt that had almost taken his life during his school years. No, this lichen was not just any lichen, it was Remus Lupin. A man Severus was only in the presence of when it couldn't be avoided.

"How old are you?" Tonks asked watching the expressions of disgust pass over his handsome features. "It's a simple hunt, shouldn't last more than two days,"

"And when we're out there for a week?" Severus asked.

"Then you better have packed something to keep you warm," she told him.

"If I do that what am I going to need you for?" he asked to be an ass. He watched her stick her tongue out at him in response. He held back a smile. Why the silly little things the young woman did amused him, he didn't quite know. One thing was for sure he wasn't going to complain.

"To haul your old ass out of there when you break your hip."

"Hypothetically speaking, if I was to break my hip and allow you to touch me in order to haul me out as you say. Why in the world would I let a woman who can't balance on her own two feet assist me in getting somewhere?"

"I'm not that bad,"

"Now you're lying to yourself,"

"I'm not lying to myself," Nymphadora informed him in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm lying to you. That's completely different,"