Harry was lying on a blanket staring up at the clouds. The sound of children's laughter drew his attention as he sat up. About 20 meters away a group of about 5 children were all running around chasing what looked like a giant white wolf, but for some reason this didn't alarm him in the least. In fact seeing this brought him a sense of happiness and contentment.
Something about the kids seemed familure though. All of a sudden one of them yelled out "Daddy!!" and then instead of chasing the wolf there seemed to be a 'pile on' of children with Harry at the bottom.
With a huge smile on his face Harry started tickling everyone that he could get a hand too. The gales of laughter coming from the children was like music to Harry's ears.
"Come on kids let your father up, its time for dinner"
All the kids scrambled up and off Harry at the mention of dinner and ran towards the voice. The kids were running full pelt towards a huge mansion sitting on top of a hill about 100 meters away.
"Come on love, lets get you off your lazy ass and up for dinner. The rest of the family are already there waiting for us."
Harry's glasses had been knocked askew by the tiny terrors so he couldn't match the voice to the face. He did however grab the blurry hand that was offered. Adjusting the glasses on his face he finally looked up at the women still holding his hand.
Long jet black hair and crystal blue eyes stared back at him. Harry was struck by just how beautiful this women standing before him was. He couldn't help himself from just staring into her eyes.
"Its time to go love" The mysterious woman said as she held out a hand to pull him up towards the house.
Grasping the offered hand, Harry pulled himself up. Stumbling a little as he stood he found himself in the arms of the mysterious women.
Lightly kissing him on the lips with affection she said "Lets go home" before letting him go and running down the hill after the kids, laughing as Harry clumsily chased after her.
Harry woke as the last images of the women slipped from his mind. Without his glasses he groggily tried to take account of his whereabouts.
It only took him a couple more seconds to realize that he wasn't in his own bed and that he also wasn't alone. A women was facing away from Harry so he couldn't begin to recognize the face but what he did notice was that she had pitch black hair that seemed rather familure. Her hair was splayed around her so he couldn't see her face at all.
The thing that alarmed Harry the most surprisingly enough was not the fact that he was in bed with a strange women. If he was truly honest with himself then he would realize that he didn't mind waking up next to a women at all, he did in fact find it to be quite comfortable.
What alarmed Harry was the fact that somehow, over the course of the night he had somehow managed to work his arm under the womans top and was currently cupping her bare left breast.
Oh fuck Harry knew that if this woman woke up with Harry grabbing a handful, parts of his body that he was very attached too would be in immediate peril.
Harry slowly inched out his hand from under the top so he wouldn't wake up his sleeping companion. The women moaned as she woke up as his hand had brushed her breast softly, she started to shift around to face him. Harry closed his eyes and waited for the punch in the face and the telling off for molesting the woman while she slept, but all that he heard was the soft chuckle coming from the mystery women.
"Harry its almost like you have never woken up next to a woman before" chuckled a familure voice
Harry's eyes flew open as he saw Order member Nymphadora Tonks adjust her top, which had gotten wonky over the course of the night.
She now had the usual pink spiky hair that she normally wore and her eyes were a bright purple.
"L-look Tonks I'm sorry I didn't mean to...err what I mean is that...erm"
Tonks just burst out laughing at his spluttered apology.
"Its ok Harry, Ive been told these things can happen while you are asleep and you never know" she said with an evil glint in her eye "who said that I didn't get a good grope of you while you slept"
Harry just looked at her with utter confusion for a split second before what she said actually registered with his brain.
Tonks burst out laughing yet again as Harry went as bright red as a tomato.
Harry grumbling just buried his head in his hands.
Tonks laughter cut out and all mirth left her demeanor as she looked Harry over. From what she could see of his back there were no visible signs of the abuse he had suffered.
"Harry how are you feeling? I mean are you sore or anything? Got any sharps pains?"
Harry looked up from his hands and looked at Tonks, seeing her serious question Harry told her the truth.
"Honestly? I'm a little sore but thats about it. Nothing a hot bath wont fix" he finished off with a grin.
By now Tonks was frowning. Harry was deliberately avoiding what she wanted to talk about.
"Are we at your place Tonks? How did I get here?"
"No Harry we are at Amelia Bones' house and I brought you here the other night when I realised I couldn't fix you up by myself. You were in a pretty bad shape harry." Tonks spoke softly.
Harry started staring at his hands once Tonks mentioned his start of his holidays. He didn't want people to know about what happened inside the house. Once everyone found out everyone would pity him and he would be even more of an outcast than he was already.
As if reading his mind Tonks placed her hand in his. "I give you my word that no-one that doesn't need to know will find out what happened from me"
Harry looked up sharply at Tonks. "doesn't need to know?"
Tonks had the good grace to look shamed. "I...er...got a little mad after I figured out what they had done to you so I ...ummm...sort of made sure that the Dursley's would never hurt anyone ever again." Tonks noticed Harry's stony expression and plunged forward with her explanation.
"I made sure that your name wouldn't come up but the downside is that I couldn't get your stuff. Hedwig's around here somewhere, she turned up a few hours ago and unless you want to be in that dreary house all by your lonesome then we might hang here for a little bit before you figure out where you wanna go. I kinda haven't spoken to the Order so I'm in a little bit of trouble when I finally go back" Tonks was cut off from her ambling by a bone crushing hug from Harry.
"Thank you Tonks. Not many people would let me decide what I wanted to do." The muffled voice of Harry said.
Blushing slightly from the hug Tonks wrapped her arms around Harry.
All too soon Tonks felt Harry's body shudder. Pulling back Tonks looked down to see tears falling freely down is face.
"Harry's whats...?"
"I'm so sorry Tonks...I killed him..."
Tonks frowned in confusion for a split second before she realised who he was talking about.
"Oh love" she whispered pulling Harry back unresisting, into her arms. She held onto him tight as violent sobs wracked his body.
"You know he always told me that you took too much of the world on your shoulders Harry. Don't blame yourself for this. Do you think for one second that Sirius wouldn't have done the exact same thing if the roles were reversed? Of course not! Come hell or high fury nothing would have stood in his way."
She sighed softly was gently pulling Harry away and staring right into his eyes.
"Sirius loved you more than anything in this world. For hours and hours he used to go on and on about how his godson, Harry Potter, was destined to either change the world for the better or, if he got his way, would knock up at least 10 women and live the life of the new generation of marauder."
Harry chuckled softly at Tonks' last words
"When I did talk to him his only wish, the one thing that he wished with his soul was for you to be happy. To live the life that was denied to him for 13 years."
Harry just stared up at Tonks as he drank all her words in. Lifting his head up Harry gave Tonks a soft kiss on the cheek.
Blushing slightly he said "Thank you Tonks."
With a growing smile Tonks said " No worries Harry. Just remember its ok to miss him. We all do, but we must move on and make him proud."
Tonks could see the life slowly creeping back into Harry's eyes.
"Maybe one day soon you me and Remus can sit down over a bottle of fire whiskey and get totally shit-faced telling stories of the old dog humping the barmaids leg after a bender."
Harry burst out laughing at the visual.
"Id like that Tonks" laughed Harry.
Tonks and Harry spent the next couple of hours just talking about inconsequential things. From Quidditch to music and movies. Harry found out that Tonks' father had died while she was still in school from a car accident and since before she could remember she had grown up in both muggle and wizarding worlds. Harry was talking in detail about his trip into the Slytherin common room in his second year.
Tonks was laughing so hard she nearly fell off the bed when he told her how Hermione's hair had turned her into a half-cat half-human crossbreed.
"Well I'm going to have a shower Tonks so ill meet you downstairs for a bite? I should really thank Amelia and Susan for everything they have done for me"
Tonks nodded as she stood up and off the bed. Harry averted his eyes as Tonks shirt stretched across her chest.
Grinning to herself Tonks decided to tease him a little bit by stretching her arms above her head.
She was rewarded by the spreading blush gracing his cheeks. "Would you like me to scrub your back Harry? You know, reach those hard to get places" She knew she was pushing it but those blushes of his were really just too cute.
Harry just knew Tonks would just keep pushing things so he decided it was time to get even.
Turning to face Tonks full on he slowly let his eyes roam up and down her body.
"Well Tonks if you really wanna see me in the buff all you had to do was ask"
With as much grace as he could manage with his still sore body Harry stood up only a few feet away from Tonks.
With Tonks watching his every move Harry moved his hands to the bottom of his shirt and grasping slowly started to lift.
"OK OK you win! The bathrooms over there and Susan said to me earlier that there was a fresh towel in there waiting for you" Tonks yelled before bolting out of the room blushing.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief before bursting out laughing. "Thanks Tonks" Harry yelled out to her retreating from.
Closing the door behind her Harry walked over to the bathroom and looked in. For a witches home it was a rather modern bathroom. White marble sinks and a rather large shower head it was simple but very nice.
Harry turned the taps on in the shower. Stripping off Harry stood under the scalding water. Just letting the hot water ease his muscles Harry started to think about the situation he was in.
I'm in the spare bathroom of the one of the most powerful witches in the country. I've spent the last 2 to 3 hours in bed with a very attractive witch who has been embarrassing me as much as possible. 'Called' said womans bluff and made her almost run out of the room in embarrassment. He had to chuckle at that.
His mood evaporated when he thought about how he got into the situation in the first place. Fucking Vernon took it too far this time. There is no chance I am ever going back to that place. I'm sick of getting beaten down all the time. I need to be better!
Harry slapped his hand against the wall in frustration. Maybe if i ask Tonks to train me up some. I should probably go to Gringots too and get some money to pay Tonks so shes getting at least something out of it.
Thinking about Tonks brought a surprising reaction out of Harry. Looking down in amazement he thought Ah for fucks sake! She like 6 years older than you! No chance shed be interested in you and no chance to explore THAT!
His grumbling stomach brought him out from his musings. Turning the taps off he got out of the shower. Grabbing the towel off the rack he wrapped it around his waist he walked back into the bedroom.
Grabbing his pants he let his towel drop to the floor. A gasp made Harry spin around and face one Susan Bones.
Tonks had gone downstairs and into the lounge room where Susan was reading. Looking up from her book. Susan noticed the red tinge on the cheeks of Tonks. Smirking to herself she couldn't resist herself.
"Nice of you to join us Tonks. I wonder what the papers would say about you spending the night in the bed of the boy who lived" Susan said smirking.
She was rewarded by the flaming red cheeks of Tonks and a slight reddish tinge to her hair.
Laughing at the embarrassment of Tonks she didn't see Tonks grabbing a cushion off the lounge and throwing it at her.
"Oh shut it you, its not like we did anything! Is your aunty about? I wanna ask her something" Tonks said quickly changing the subject.
"She had to go into the office to get something. She said that she'll be back shortly and that she wanted to talk to Harry"
"'Know what about?"
"Nope, but I think it has something to do with what happened at the ministry not what happened at his house."
Tonks just nodded and headed went to go into the kitchen. She knew that as soon as she brought Harry here, Amelia would start asking the questions that Dumbledore had been deflecting for so long.
"Jipsy!" A quiet pop was heard and a small elf in a neat uniform was in front of her.
"Mistress called Jipsy?"
Susan smiled down at the elf. She had been serving her aunt since before she was born. "Can you get a set fresh clothes for Harry? Bring them to me and ill take them up and see if they fit ok"
Jipsy just gave her head a small shake before popping away.
Susan smiled. Yes it wold have been easier to get Jipsy to take the clothes right to Harry but she hadn't seen him since they had put him to bed late last night. They hardly ever spoke out of school or the DA. What better time to get to know him when he staying at your house?
With a pop Jipsy handed Susan a handful of clothes before popping away.
"Thank you Jipsy!"
Standing up Susan made her way upstairs and stood at the door. Ok Susan no need to be nervous, hes just a friend who stayed over at night.
Nodding to herself she opened the door and almost dropped the clothes in shock. As standing in front of her was Harry Potter. Naked as the day he was born.
Tonks was back in the lounge room talking to Amelia when Susan came bolting down the stairs. With wide eyes she noticed that her Aunt had returned.
"H-hi Aunty...ermmmmm H-Harry's on his way down now" Amelia was looking as Susan with a raised eye-brow.
Before anybody could say anything Harry had walked down.
Pointedly not looking at Susan, Harry approached Amelia and Tonks.
"Mr Potter! Its good to see you up and about. Everything ok? No more pain?" Amelia asked softly.
Harry shook his head.
"Nope, was just a little sore when I woke up this morning but other than that nothing." Taking a big breath he continued. "I just wanna say thank you for everything that you have done for me. I really do appreciate what you Tonks and Susan have done for me."
Amelia just waved his thanks aside.
"Think nothing of it Mr Potter. Its my job to help people in those situations and both Auror Tonks and my niece speak very highly of you so its the least I could do"
Harry looked down at his feet at the praise.
"Now Mr Potter could I trouble you for a few words please? I promise your not in any sort of trouble. I just want to clear up some facts"
Harry just nodded and followed Amelia as she left the room. Tonks quickly grabbed Harry's arm as he passed and whispered in his ear
"Everything will be ok Harry. Just be yourself and tell the truth. Remember your not in any trouble here."
Giving his arm a tight squeeze then letting him go, Harry continued on to Amelia who was waiting by the door to her office.
Harry followed Amelia into a small office that came off from the hallway near the front door. Amelia held the door open for him and offered him a seat facing the desk.
Walking in and sitting down Harry had a look around. The office wasn't at all what he had expected it to be. All around he could see wizarding photos. Most of them were of Susan and Amelia together but quite a few of them were of Amelia in her school days standing next to many people.
A photo of a group of Aurors caught his eye as he saw his father wave at him while standing between Sirius and Amelia.
"That photo was taken the day your father graduated from the auror academy. He was a powerful man. One of the highest scorers the academy had seen in years."
Amelia said as she past Harry and sat behind her desk.
"Now the reason I wanted to talk to you is because I need to know what happened at the ministry from the...source if you will. But what I also want to know is about the real Harry Potter. What is it that drives you every year? What is it that makes you tick? Because as much as id like to deny it, you seem to be at the center of something dangerous every year since you have started at Hogwarts. I want to know the how and the why you find yourself in these situations." Amelia smiled.
Nodding his head Harry was about to speak before he was interrupted by Amelia.
"Tell me as much as you are comfortable telling me Mr Potter. I don't want to make this feel like this is a interrogation or that I'm here to get you or any of your friends into trouble"
"Then call me Harry ma'am"
"Then I must insist on Amelia, Harry"
Nodding in agreement he started his tale.
"When I turned eleven I was living in the cupboard under the stairs..."
"Ok spill it missy, what's got your knickers in such a twist?" Tonks had turned and asked as soon as Amelia and Harry had left the room.
Blushing brighter than a tomato Susan wouldn't even look at Tonks.
Tonks curiosity was piqued now. She had only been away from the lounge barely 10 minutes before coming back.
"C'mon Susan you can tell me! I'll resort to blackmail if I have to. Maybe I'll convince Harry to help me."
If anything, at the mention of Harry Susan seemed to go a deeper shade of red.
Ahh so it has something to do with Harry then, maybe the bones heir has a crush. Tonks stomach sunk with the thought.
"Ahh so it has something to do with young Harry then, well if you wont tell me i'm going to have to go ask the man himself when he comes out"
Tonks had a small smile on her face as Susan seemed to start to panic.
"OK OK I'll tell you, but you have to swear never to repeat what I'm about to tell you. Promise?"
Tonks smirked in victory and held out her pinky.
"I'll even pinky swear that I wont tell a soul"
Susan looked her with a mixture of fear, apprehension and excitement.
Shaking Tonks hand Susan took a deep breath.
"When you left earlier I had Jipsy bring me some spare clothes for Harry. Instead of Jipsy taking them I decided to take them to harry myself cause I hadn't spoken to him since the DA"
Tonks thought back to when she had left Harry earlier. He had just been about to jump in the shower when she had fled the room. Her eyes widened.
"YOU SAW HARRY NAKED!!"
"SSSHHH Do you want my aunty and Harry to hear you?" Susan whispered furiously.
Tonks had a huge grin on her face.
"So miss Bones, how did Mr Potter look in the buff. Did you get to see EVERYTHING?"
Tonks didn't know why but this whole conversation caused her to giggle like a school girl.
"Yes I did see everything and let me tell you this. Quidditch players must be doing something right cause that boy was mostly muscle" laughed Susan.
"Well I knew that boy was hiding something under those clothes of his. All that dueling and flying he does must be good for him."Tonks continued
"If that wasn't bad enough he was still wet! It was just dreamy" Susan said wistfully.
Tonks was almost in tears by this point. She found the whole thing very amusing.
"So how big was it?" Tonks whispered before breaking into giggles.
"Lets just say that he must have to wrap that thing around his leg when he walks. God it must hurt when hes on that broom!" laughed Susan.
By this time Tonks had fallen onto the floor she was laughing so hard and Susan soon joined her.
"But I do have a question for you miss Tonks!" giggled Susan.
Tonks couldnt reply because she currently had the hiccups from laughing so much.
"I happened to go past the other guest bedroom last night only to notice that it was empty when I went to say goodnight"
Tonks calmed down immediatley and smirked at the young Hufflepuff. "Why I was sleeping with Harry of course"
Susans shocked face was enough to send Tonks on another set of giggles.
Susan quickly recovered and askedin a excited whisper.
"How as it?"
Tonks counldnt keepo the smile off her face as she rememberd spending the night next to Harry.
"One thing to note is that hes a cuddler. Ass soon as I was lying down next to him he just rolled over and wrapped an arm around me. If his reaction when he woke up in the morning is anything to go by I dont think he even realised I was there until he woke up"
"So you guys didn't...?: Susan said with a blush.
Tonks just smiled at her.
"If that ever happens I want him at 100 percent." laughed Tonks
"Its the best sleep i've had in years though. Wrapped up in his arms like that I felt the safest I have been since I was a little girl at home. I dont know what it was but he just gave off the vibe of...I dunno, warmth and protectiveness you know?" Tonks said staring at an unseen point over Susans shoulder.
A wide smile crept back onto her face as she recolected how she woke up.
"Only downside, if you could call it that, is that when hes asleep he has wandering hands. I woke up with his hand under my top grabbing a good handful of my tit!" laughed Tonks.
Susan burst out in laughter.
"Oh like you would be complaining about Harry copping a feel" said Susan between breathes.
"Im not! Just that he woke up too bloody soon!" grouched Tonks while still smiling.
Susan just laughed even harder and soon Tonks had joined her.
"...and then I woke up in the hospital wing at school. I was a little worse for a while but then Luna spoke to me just before I left for the train and then Tonks spoke to me a little earlier about Sirius. Im not over it yet but I am accepting things." Harry said with barely a quiver evident in his voice. It was there though.
Throughout Harry's tale Amelia had sat in front of him just listening. Not offering any judgment or opinions. Just letting him tell his tale without any interruption, even though on the inside she was seething. The things people had put this boy through was inexcusable, and some of them by the people that are SUPPOSED to be looking out for him!
It might take a bit of work and sacrifice but her mind was made up. She would do what she could to prepare the young man if he wished it.
Taking a deep breath and releasing it Amelia spoke. "You have been through so many things that no child should ever have to go through Harry, and yet each year you do so with more honor and courage than anyone I know. Your parents would be so proud of you Harry."
Harry took the complimant to heart. Please let me never fail them Harry thought.
"Now Harry I have a few thoughts and suggestions that I would like to share with you. You said that you don't know what the prophecy said because it was destroyed right?"
Harry nodded in agreement. He felt bad for lying about the prophecy after everything she had done for him but he didn't want anyone to know for the time being. The fewer people who knew the safer it would be for everyone.
"I think that the prophecy cold have been about what it is that could finally defeat the Dark Lord. We may never truly know what it was said but the fact that it was for the both of you then its a given that you will be in the center of it."
Harry was shocked. Obviously Amelia wasn't stupid but he still couldn't believe she had basically pieced together the prophecy by just speaking to him. Trying not to let it show on his face that he was rattled Harry continued to listen.
"What I can offer is for you and you alone. Too many people find out and you lost the element of surprise, and the less people that know, the less people that can be forced to talk or unwittingly give away information."
Harry continued to look at her in shock. What could she offer him? He couldn't tell his friends?
"The choice is totally up to you but I believe I could get someone to train you to fight. Not the normal day to day dueling. You will get trained to fight and to kill. This isn't something to be taken lightly now and you must know that it will be hard. Also know that I'm not doing this to turn you into a Ministry puppet. As much as I wish it not to be true, but I feel in my bones that you are the one that all of this will rest upon. So the choice is yours. Take this training and learn to kill and survive or, put your faith in Dumbledore and the Order."
Harry couldn't believe his ears. He was being offered something that could either make or break him. The prophecy said that he would be forced to kill Voldemort but could he really kill someone?
"You would train me to be a murderer?" Harry asked with a slight amount of fear in his voice.
Amelia shook her head vehemetaly. "Im sorry Harry but the way things stand at this point you will end up killing someone before this war is through, but let me ask you this. One day if it came down to the choice of one of your friends lives, for the life of the Death Eater pointing their wand at them, who would you choose?"
Harry knew she was right. Harry would happily die for his frends but with the prophecy hanging over his head he would choose to kill. It wasnt much of a choice at all.
"We need to fight fire with fire Harry. Dumbledore's veiws, though idealistic, are not practical. Since the fall of Azkaban we just aren't equipped for a secure holding place for the captured death eater aswell as the day to day criminals that are arrested. I fear it is just a matter of time before they are back out on the streets"
He had heard similar opinions from Order members when they thought he wasn't listening. Dumbledore was all about submission and redemption while Voldemorts followers were all for the killing and the torture.
Harry personally wasn't very happy with Dumbledore at all. If Dumbledore had known the prophecy for so long then why hadn't ANYTHING been done to help in the coming confrontation? Even a half decent D.A.D.A teacher for more than just one year could save so many lives and be a turning point when facing Voldemorts followers.
Another line of thought came across Harry. Would they even bother to train me like I need? Would they just send me out with only one good year of Dark arts defence againt a man learning such spells for YEARS. Would they train me to defend my friends? Whats left of those he considers family?
If things had been done right maybe I could have saved Cedric or even Sirius...
Harry's faced was scrunched up in thought when Amelia spoke.
"Harry I want you to really think about this. Take some time to mull it over if you want but I must warn you. The training you will be going though will be hard and dangerous. Give me the go ahead and I will find only a couple of people I trust completely to train you in everything you may need to bring this war to an end."
If Harry was truly honest with himself he knew what the answer would be. He would do anything to end this war even if it meant keeping a few more secrets for a while. He'd do anything to make sure the people he loved stayed safe. It would probably be one of the easiest choices he had ever made.
Looking up into the soft brown eyes of Amelia Bones and with the voice on absolute conviction Harry said only three words.
"I'll do it!"
Really sorry for such a long delay. In between writers block and longer hours at work this kinda got lost. I am back tih a vengence tho! Thank you to everyone who reveiwed the last few chapters. For the record its mainly my grammer and spelling thats really bad cause you should see it before my beta gets it hehe. I make the bitch work :P No idea when next chaps out but i will be working on it aswell as a few other things floating round my head. Anyway enjoy everyone!
