Fortunately, Tonks' mentor is content with the simple "I was visiting my family, sir". The girl isn't even lying, and it feels good. Let Moody think she has been at her Parents' place over the last couple of days.
Her Auror training continues, and she is doing everything she can not to be caught distracted.
She cannot allow herself to get caught distracted.
Moody's job has made him paranoid and extremely cautious.
Moody's eyes are watchful, both the healthy one and the blue implant.
Moody pays attention to Tonks' facial expression. Moody reads her body language. Moody notices every small detail, every subtle change in her behavior.
Tonks is desperate not to give him a reason to ask questions. She does her best to focus exclusively on her training in his presence. It isn't easy; Tonks has so much going on in her head. Everything she has found out in the Malfoy Manor is a food for deeper thoughts. Thoughts, which she has to conceal from her mentor at any cost.
Despite all her efforts to behave normally, the girl is a little bit insecure. She doesn't know how to shield her mind. Mind Magic is a part of the Aurors training program later in the curriculum, but Tonks feels uneasy not being able to protect her mind from Moody. Granted, the older Auror had never attempted to invade her private thoughts, but he also is an extremely paranoid person. If he starts to notice that something is off about the girl, he would not hesitate to use Legilimency.
Tonks feels uncomfortable enough, feeling his blue, creepy eye constantly watching her.
She makes a mental note to secretly learn Occlumency by her own means, as soon as possible. From now on, having so much to hide, this ability is going to be crucial.
Fortunately, for now, she somehow manages to keep her straight face in front of Moody, not giving him any reason to get suspicious.
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Having in mind Lucius' words, Tonks does her best during her training. Her time scores during assault courses improve on the daily basis.
Additionally, despite the fact she still has to sacrifice a lot of time to body exercises, Moody starts to teach her some actual magic. She learns a lot of new defensive and offensive spells; those lessons can be compared with an extended curriculum of Hogwarts' DADA classes.
Tonks is skilled magically. She doesn't have any problem with mastering new spells; those are things that come to her efortlessly. However, a first big obstacle during her apprenticeship is stealth and tracking classes, that Moody starts to slowly implement to their daily routine.
Tonks has a major flaw: she is clumsy. She may be a skilled Witch, she may be a Methamorphoamgus, she may also be quite strong and athletic. However, when it comes to subtle assignments that require being soundless and invisible, she is quite useless. Changing appearance and a wide assortment of powerful offensive spells don't help in sneaking noiselessly behind enemies' back.
Moody quickly notices that stealth and tracking are the things that will require the most effort from the girl to work on. He rearranges their schedule to sacrifice more time to them.
Tonks is seriously devoted to her training, but a part of her can't wait to the next visit in the Malfoy Manor. Not willing to arise Moody's suspicions, she doesn't dare to ask him for another furlough leave. Fortunately, seeing the girls' hard work, he suggests her a couple of days off himself, four weeks before Yule.
'You know what, Tonks.' the older Auror says after Tonks has thanked him for the time off. 'How about we make a schedule for your furlough leaves, so I will have less paperwork in the future. You can receive a weekend off once a month, plus the entire Yule holidays. Would you like that?'
Tonks watches herself not to appear too excited by his offer, even though internally she is boiling with wild happiness. She nods and walks away, being dismissed.
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Lucius points his wand towards his niece, looking her straight in the eyes.
'Legilimens.' he whispers softly.
xxx
Tonks is almost six years old. She plays alone in her nursery with some stuffed animals.
The door of the room opens. A dark-haired boy about Tonks' age stucks his head timidly into the room.
'Excuse me. My Father is visiting your Father and he brought me here along, but it's awfully boring down there. The old men drink beer and talk politics. Do you mind if I join you and we play together?' the boy asks sheepishly.
Tonks beams at the boy.
'I don't mind at all. Come in.'
The boy steps in; he obviously wants to befriend Tonks, but he seems a little bit socially awkward.
He indicates shyly the girl's bubble-gum colored hair.
'That's an odd hair color.' he notices.
Tonks smiles.
'I can change it as I please. Check it out.'
She makes a focused face and her hair change to spiky and dark, just like the boy's.
The boy's eyes widen. He is visibly terrified.
'T-t-that...' he stutters.
Tonks looks confused.
'You don't like that hair style? How about that?'
She focuses again and turns her hair long and light-blue.
'F-freak!' the boy squeaks and runs from the room. Tonks stands alone, unable to comprehend what has just happened.
After a few seconds of yells and commotion outside of the room, a middle-aged man storms into the nursery; the girl's Father- Ted Tonks.
He looks daggers at his daughter.
'Nymphadora.' he hisses, closing the door carefully. 'What have you just done?'
The little girl looks at the man scared.
'Nothing, Father.' she answers quietly.
'What have I told you about using magic in front of other people, Nymphadora?' he asks, putting a clear effort to maintain a calm voice.
'B-but Father, it was just...'
'Nymphadora.' Ted cuts her off. 'Have you seen what have you done to this boy? He is terrified. He and his Father are non-magical people. They don't understand magic, and it scares them.'
'Father.' the girl braces herself. 'Why the non-magical people keep visiting you, then? And if they must come over, shouldn't they be more accepting of our magic? After all, it was this boy who came to my room. Not the other way around.'
Ted's eyes widen.
'Nymphadora, the worst thing you can do is to assume that you are superior to non-magical people, because of you are a Witch. You are not superior to them.' he emphasizes.
Tonks is hesitant.
'But Father, aren't our abilities what make us special? After all, as Wizards and Witches we can do a lot of awesome stuff the Muggles are unable to do.'
Ted flushes with anger.
'I don't want to hear such claims from you anymore, daughter. You are not to brag about your abilities. You are supposed to conceal them and fit in the society. I have grown up in a non-magical family, which was not by any means inferior to a Wizarding one.'
The girl is confused. She has no idea what to answer, so she just nods her head.
'Yes, Father.'
xxx
Tonks is twelve. She has just returned home for the summer holidays after the first year at Hogwarts.
She sits in the kitchen with her Mother. Andromeda is busy cooking.
'Mother.' the girl says timidly. 'You know, everybody in my class at school had some interesting family stories to tell. I was the only one to stay silent during those talks, because I know nobody in my family except for you and Father. Maybe you could tell me what happened with my Grandparents? Do I have any Aunts, Uncles, Cousins?'
Andromeda freezes on the spot. She stops stirring in the frying pan. Not turning her head towards her daughter, she answers coldly:
'You don't have any Aunts or Uncles. Your Grandparents are dead.'
The girl rolls her eyes.
'Come on, Mom. I must have some kind of an extended family. Please, tell me some stories about them. You surely know many.'
Andromeda slowly turns her head towards Tonks.
'You do not have any extended family, Nymphadora. Get over it. You will not hear any stories from me. Now please, help me to set the table for dinner. Your Father is about to come back home.' her voice is harsh and opinionate.
The girl lowers her head, disappointed.
'Yes, Mother.' she mutters and reluctantly gets to work.
xxx
Tonks is sixteen. She is about to start her final year at Hogwarts.
The Hogwarts Express is going to depart the following day . Beforehand, the girl has something to announce to her Parents.
Ted and Andromeda are sitting on a couch in the living room, occupied with their currently favorite form of entertainment: watching Muggle TV.
Tonks approaches them timidly and clears her throat.
'Mother, Father.' she says.
Ted and Andromeda focus their eyes on their daughter.
'I'd like to tell you something.' she says solemnly. 'You had been asking me forever about my career choice, and I've finally decided. I want to apply to Aurors' School after I graduate from Hogwarts.'
Andromeda's face lights up, a smile curls up her lips.
'Nymphadora! This is wonderful! I couldn't be more happy about your choice.'
Ted stands up from the couch and hugs his daughter.
'Being an Auror an excellent job, daughter, and I'm positive you can make a good one. I'm proud of you.'
Tonks smiles to her Father's. However, the smile fails to reach her eyes.
xxx
Lucius retreats from his niece's mind.
The girl kneels on the floor, cuddling her chest, breathing in a fast-pace.
Her head and back are drenched with sweat.
She trembles. It's freezing cold and boiling hot at the same time.
Tonks opens her eyes and sees her Uncle kneeling in front of her.
'I'm terribly sorry, Nymphie.' he says gently. 'I know it is unpleasant, but until you learn to shield your mind from my assaults, I will be, willingly or not, able to see your memories. Unfortunately, you will see exactly the same what I see, and you may be exposed to experience your painful memories all over again.'
'...Uncle...' Tonks whispers. 'Have you seen... all of this? Exactly what I have seen?'
Lucius looks at her with a compassion.
'Yes.' he answers sadly.
The girl turns crimson.
'I'm sorry, Uncle... I'd rather you hadn't watched that, it's so embarrassing...'
Lucius shakes his head firmly.
'No, my girl. If those memories were embarrassing for anyone, that definitely wasn't you.'
Tonks lifts her eyes on her Uncle. There is something besides empathy and sadness in the blonde man's eyes; it's a twinkle of a pure anger.
Nymphie hopes, that she was not the one to irritate him.
'Your Parents. Andromeda is the one to be ashamed. The Mudblood also, but it was my sister-in-law who has just disappointed me the most. I would not have expected nothing more from the Mudblood, but your Mother's behavior is... shocking, for lack of a better word.'
Lucius speaks passionately, but gently and quietly. He clearly doesn't want to upset Tonks even more, after watching her unpleasant memories.
'Nymphie, does your Father often invite Muggles over to your house?' he asks.
Tonks reaches back in her memory.
'Yes, Uncle.' she admits. 'He has many Muggle friends, most of them he had known since his childhood. He has kept in touch with those people and their families. This boy I had accidentally freaked out, was a son of one of my Father's elementary school classmates.'
Tonks watches Lucius' pale cheeks turning pinkish. She cowers, even though she knows that his anger is not directed towards her.
'And this... Muggle box with moving pictures. Do your Parents use it often? How had this foul thing even found itself in their household?' Uncle asks, trying to keep his voice calm and soft.
'They call it a TV.' Tonks explains. 'My Father had brought it several years ago, and it has been their beloved form of entertainment ever since.'
Lucius shakes his head.
'Unbelievable.' he whispers.
The girl gets more and more uncomfortable and embarrassed. She feels ashamed of her Parents.
'Have you ever made any more attempts to bring up the topic of your relatives and ancestors with your Mother?' Lucius asks further.
Tonks nods.
'Yes, I have. Many times, however, her reaction had always been one of the kind you've just witnessed, Uncle.'
Lucius sighs.
'I have learned from Narcissa's stories what kind of person Andromeda is.' he says quietly. 'However, I have never thought that in addition to committing a most disgusting crime against the Wizarding kind, she would have been also able to harm her own child so severely.'
Tonks looks at her Uncle, confused.
Yes, she knows her Mother is not a best person out there. Tonks cannot say that she trusts Andromeda; the woman had lied to her daughter too many times to deserve it. However, despite of being insincere and aloof, Tonks' Mother had never abused her daughter or severely mistreated her. Moreover, what does Lucius mean, talking about a disgusting crime against Wizarding kind, that Andromeda had committed?
'U-uncle...' she says timidly, wanting to explain everything to him.
Lucius raises his hand, calming her down. Tonks sees it in his eyes; he doesn't need explanations. He knows. He understands.
'The crime your Mother had committed is not an ordinary crime, Nymphie.' he says gently. 'It isn't anything like a murder, kidnapping or robbery. Do you remember our lesson about the Sacred Twenty-Eight?'
Tonks nods.
'You may never have thought about it this way, but your Mother had destroyed one of the branches of this sacred, ancient tree. She had spoiled her family line, making it impure by mating with a Mudblood.'
Lucius makes a short break, visibly thinking upon a best way to make himself clear. Tonks feels an unpleasant cramp in her stomach.
'Trees would be a graphic and accurate reference.' Uncle goes on explaining. 'Nymphie, imagine a huge thick forest with a small clearing in the middle. The clearing is covered by only twenty-eight growing trees. Those trees are old, extremely valuable, expensive and precious. They bear sweet, nutritious fruit, that are not available anywhere else. Those trees are the best trees one can imagine. Each of their branches is priceless. Now, imagine that each of those branches has its own caregiver, and each of the caregivers is a Wizard or a Witch. Each caregiver looks after their branch, keeps it clean, nurtured and watered. If Wizards and Witches take a good care of the branches, those branches grow healthily and bear valuable fruit. However, sometimes they decide to neglect their branch, causing it to wither. What your Mother had done, is not even comparable with neglecting a branch. It is more comparable with deliberately feeding a deadly poison to it.'
Tonks feels unwell. She doesn't want to look up at her Uncle. She doesn't know how to look him in the eyes.
She feels her cheeks burning almost painfully.
The reference Lucius has came up with really is an accurate description what her Mother had actually done.
'Nymphie.' Lucius says gently. 'I want you to comprehend the severity Andromeda's deeds, but I absolutely don't want you to feel guilty for her choices.'
'Uncle, I don't feel guilty. I feel sick.' she whispers. 'Only now I can see what a priceless treasure my Mother used to have, before tossing it in the trash. She is to be held accountable not only in front of her family, but also in front of the entire Wizarding population.'
Lucius' aristocratic face is sad. He is struggling to find words to comfort the girl.
'Do not forget, that you are the most important person in front of whom your Mother should be held accountable.' he says quietly.
Tonks lifts her eyes on him questioningly.
'After all the damage your Mother had done, she had the audacity to raise her only daughter not only in accordance with the Blood Traitor's ways, but also oblivious to her own ancestry. You may think, Nymphie, that you had never been abused or severely mistreated by your Parents. However, if I had a choice to place a child either in an abusive and harsh environment, or in an environment that renounces the Wizarding values in favor of associating with Muggles... You can tell for yourself which option I would have chosen.'
Ice-cold cramp grabs Tonks' bowels again.
Lucius' words are harsh, but they are also truthful.
'Nymphie.' he says softly. 'Forgive me. It's too much of a burden to put on the shoulders of a seventeen-years-old girl.'
'No, Uncle.' Tonks' voice doesn't shake anymore. 'I'm grateful that you have made me aware of all of those things. I think I'm strong enough to handle this burden.'
Uncle's face is still concerned, but he gives his niece a small smile.
'You are strong like both of your Aunts.'
Tonks' face express determination. She looks Lucius in the eyes.
'Uncle, I won't rest until I master Occlumecy on a decent level. If you don't mind, I'd now like to continue our practice.'
Lucius looks at her with a surprise in his eyes.
'Nymphie, you have experienced so much within the last hour. Don't you want to take a break...?'
'No.' the girl says firmly. 'I'm alright, Uncle. Please, go on.'
Lucius nods, understandingly. He draws his wand and points it towards the girl.
'Legilimens.' he whispers.
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