Chapter 9: Decision

Tonks was pacing a hole in the floor, tripping more than a couple of times.

She'd never realise how uncomfortable she could feel standing outside their headmaster's office; it'd never bothered her when she was called here after so badly injuring a fellow student that he couldn't remember his name.

It was Tuesday. It was supposed to be a good day.

Remus Lupin helped made her anger and hurt, with the lack of trust from her fellow order members, go away after listening it out of her. She'd stopped thinking about it ever since but Tonks didn't miss the fact that she hadn't been called on Order duty for days and that no one has made so much of an effort to converse with her, including Remus himself.

Charlie has been sending letters to her about how busy he was, not mentioning the details in the letter but Tonks was certain it was order work.

She finished her paper work with the free time and headed to work today like any other, only to be informed that she was urgently called to Hogwarts, by the Headmaster himself.

Tonks begged for an urgent leave from Scrimgeour and left, bumping into her mentor at the Hogwarts gates.

Right now, her mentor has disappeared into the office with Dumbledore, insisting to talk privately with the headmaster and leaving her out of it; though it defeats the purpose of her being there.

Tonks wringed her fingers anxiously. This had to be something important and she knows it. For the last hour, she'd tried various tricks on the door so she could eavesdrop, none works and Tonks expected that.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Mad-Eye stomped out.

"Well I'll see you later Albus!" He yelled out behind him and clonked nosily as he headed for the stairs.

Tonks didn't see the Headmaster as she glanced into the office before running after Mad-Eye.

She stood quietly beside him as the stairs spiral downwards.

"What's up?" Tonks started cautiously in a soft voice.

"Nothing," He muttered roughly under his breath.

"Oh, of course…" She said sarcastically, not bothering if she pissed him off even more, "I took my leave, offending Scrimgeour with my unprofessionalism, at last minute to get here…for nothing."

Tonks had been hoping for a turn-around-and-yell-till-your-ears-dropped lecture but as soon as the stairs stopped, Mad-Eye clonked away, grunting at her statement.

"Mad-Eye!" Tonks cried in frustration, "What is up? This has got to do with me hasn't it?" She demanded, trying to keep up with the pace, interrogate Mad-Eye and not trip over.

He ignored her with the none-of-your-business face.

"For Merlin's sake! I have the rights to know!"

"And what would you do if you know?" He stopped abruptly, glaring at her with both eyes, "run off to play hero again?" Mad-Eye growled angrily, his face red with the effort.

Tonks blinked, she'd honestly never seen Mad-Eye so ticked in her entire time with him, "So it has got to do with me?" She challenged, gathering her bearings to stand up to him.

He turned away and continued walking.

"I want to know!" Tonks demanded, half running to keep up with him.

"Why?" Mad-Eye grunted at her, keeping his eyes in front.

"Because-" Tonks scrambled for a decent answer, "it's got to do with me!"

He snorted and Tonks opened her mouth for another counter attack but her toe caught on something, sending her instantly to the floor. Her palms scraped on the rough concrete, her knee protected with her robes. Disorientated, Tonks got up.

She was surprised to see Mad-Eye standing a distance away, looking at her.

Normally, he'd be gone, leaving her to find her own way after screwing things up by tripping.

Flushing, Tonks scrambled to her feet, dusting her scraped palms on her robes before shuffling up to her mentor who continued walking, slower this time. Tonks realized they'd made it near the Hogwarts gates. That was quick…

"You're upset…" Tonks muttered, glancing sideways at her mentor's calm but grumpy face; or perhaps the right word is moody…

"No," He replied in a lower tone.

"I can see through that." She concentrated on watching her step, "I haven't been the apprentice 'who never leaves your side' for nothing."

Mad-Eye's magical eye stopped whizzing in its socket and swerved towards her but his normal one kept forward. That always unsettled her but after long time of practice, Tonks could now speak coherently from being unsettled by that.

"That magical eye whizz when you're upset, and your forehead wrinkles," Tonks pointed out, "And your hands… make your walking stick creak under the pressure while the other twitches, towards your wand I suppose."

Tonks noticed Mad-Eye's magical eye swerve down to his hands, noticing that it is true and instantly undoing everything she noticed.

She grinned in triumph, "See? I recognise when you're upset."

"I recognise insolence."

"Well, truthfully I am a little sorry but I can't help but notice, you're upset at me almost all the time,"

"Insolence…"

Tonks rolled her eyes, holding onto Mad-Eye's arm firmly as he started to apparate. He paused, glaring at her. She smiled sheepishly before feeling the squeeze of apparition.

Mad-Eye really could be sweet when he tried.

Tonks realized they were at his house.

"Y'know, you should really take some time to fix your house," Tonks told him bluntly, "It could collapse on you,"

"While I'm beautifying my house, the death eaters would be taking a nip at our arse," Mad-Eye grunted, barely stopping as he went into his house.

Tonks rolled her eyes, "Not all of us would die without you for a few minutes."

She followed him into the house, watching as he removed his coat, revealing a buttoned up leather vest and a cotton jumper he was wearing.

Mad-Eye ignored her, going around doing his daily business, summoning the newspaper, a cup of coffee and casting his coat into the laundry.

"What are we going to do?" Tonks wondered aloud, fiddling with an hour glass that seemed to be flowing an endless thin flow of sand slowly.

Mad-Eye glanced up with his normal eye, his magical one; now calmer and stopped whizzing, continue reading the papers. He didn't reply her, summoning what she was fiddling with without his wand.

Tonks pouted as he placed the hourglass by his side, continue to read the paper.

"I want to play with that!" Tonks whined playfully, stomping her foot on the wooden floor, causing some dust to fall off the wall.

Mad-Eye glared at her, not turning away from his newspaper but Tonks spotted the faint twitch at the corner of his lips of amusement. She grinned, pleased with herself as she bounded to the side, spinning a round crystal ball which was held by a stick through it, suspended in midair.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood and Tonks ducked down, the crystal ball shattering into a thousand pieces after taking a jet of white light.

Grinning, Tonks rolled aside, plucking her wand instantly and firing her own towards Mad-eye.

He parried it lazily, continuing the motion with a slight flick in his wand. A spell she didn't see struck her in the chest, knocking the wind of out her as she backed helplessly.

At the same moment, Tonks fired a spell of her own, shattering the cup of coffee.

Mad-Eye glanced down as the coffee spilled over the wooden floor and part of his couch, jabbing his wand towards her but Tonks was a tad faster than that. She had already alter her position, having the element of surprise, she grinned.

Incendio

Instantly, Mad-Eye's newspaper lit up like a candle. It curled up like an insect as the flames consumed it. Mad-Eye growled in anger, casting it away into the dusty fireplace with a twitch of his wand before striking Tonks's in the face with a spell.

She attempted to duck but a spell of that magnitude wasn't possible for her to dodge physically, panicking, she tried to deflect it with a shield.

Part of it deflected, smashing Mad-Eye's empty and creaky cupboard by the side, part of it hit her, sending her into the wall.

Tonks was still reeling from the impact as she heard Mad-Eye stood up and started walking, the familiar and noisy clonking from his wooden leg and his walking stick filling the silence in the house, apart from Tonks's occasional groan.

She blinked, gingerly extracting herself from the dent in the wooden wall, watching for splinters.

Tonks cleared her vision to see Mad-Eye angrily repairing his broken artifacts.

Giggling and attracting his attention, Tonks grinned, "You asked for it."

He surveyed her for a moment with his magical eye.

"I'm fine," Tonks grumbled impatiently, "Get that eye off," She shuddered as it unsettled her again.

Mad-Eye grunted, seemingly satisfied with his surveying before returning to repair his crystal ball and cupboard.

"You really should get new ones." Tonks pointed out as he repaired his cupboard.

Mad-Eye, ironically, seemed good at repairing things. Hmm, will he teach me? Maybe, if I begged. Tonks mused as she lay down on the couch, placing her head on the arm rest while crossing her ankle over the one at the other end. She stretched, feeling her chest ache from the spell.

She turned to see Mad-Eye poking and prodding at the burnt pile of ashes in the fireplace with the tip of his walking stick. Tonks glimpse the Daily Prophet as he flipped it over.

"You owe me a copy." He growled eventually, sitting back down into his couch.

"No I don't," Tonks sang, becoming serious, "You attack me first,"

She watched he flicked his wand, clearing away the mess the coffee has made.

"Why did you?" Tonks demanded, staring down Mad-Eye as he returned his house to its original undisturbed state, fixing the wall as well. She waited for her answer, determined not to say another word till she get one; she'd admit, waiting for an answer was difficult. Eventually, he leaned back, placing his wand on the side table instead of stowing it away.

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"What have you and Dumbledore talked about?"

"Voldemort,"

Tonks cringed. She'd seen that coming but hearing the cold truth hit her was different, "the decision is made?" She guessed, looking back up at the ceiling, seeing the wood on it peeling.

Tonks didn't hear anything but saw Mad-Eye inclined his chin in an affirmative.

"What is it?"

There was no reply but she waited. Tonks was sure, no doubt, Mad-Eye would've been arguing with Dumbledore about it; it was the sides they were on that made her unsure.

"You'll infiltrate the Death Eaters as Voldemort's followers," Mad-Eye stated, deadpan.

Tonks let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. Scoffing, Tonks felt tears form, "Guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"I didn't agree to it," Mad-Eye barked gruffly. At this, Tonks was admittedly surprised. She tilted her head so she could establish an eye contact. He looked like he was going to be sick. His face was twisted in a helpless glare to the floor.

Tonks sighed, suddenly seeing the conversation in Dumbledore's office quite clearly, "So what's the story?" She asked, her tone was bored; as if asking about the weather.

"You embrace your family's bloodline; the right one, and decided to work against Dumbledore," Mad-Eye explained, his tone disgusted.

"And, what can I offer?" Tonks sat up.

"A spy, in the middle of the order," Mad-Eye reached for the hourglass by his side.

"And they're supposed to believe that?" She snorted.

"Some true news is bound to tilt his resolve."

"That's Snape's job."

"That's why you're working with him."

Tonks groaned, burying her face into her hands.

:~:~:~:~:~:~

This was the second time she came to a meeting with Mad-Eye. It was uncomfortable. Mad-Eye Moody attracted attention wherever he went and being noticed was the last thing Tonks had in mind now.

She trailed behind him; watching her feet as she ticked off the danger she'd pass safely.

Grimmauld Place was quiet, as usual. This was normally the case until Tonks came and trip over the umbrella stand, which she was determined to avoid today.

Loose carpet…Tonks bit her lips in concentration and took a deliberate step, check…

Ok…here it comes…umbrella stand…She took another step and stepped pass it, unscathed.

She grinned in triumph, looking up, "Did you see that?" Tonks looked at the back of Mad-Eye's head. There was no reply as he proceeded to a chair, "Of course you did, you just decide not to respond…" She muttered grudgingly before properly acknowledging the people in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

There were not many people.

The Weasleys were not there. Emmeline was seated beside Sturgis Podmore, talking to him in a low tone as he nodded knowingly. A heap of rags which was curled up in the corner of the room, which Tonks assumed was Mundungus, was starting to let out a rough snore. Sirius was reading the prophets, folds forming in between his brows as he balanced his chair on its two hind legs. Remus was reading a book which was splayed out on the table. Mad-Eye was smirking at the wall; which meant he was laughing at her, again…

Tonks sighed, sitting down beside Mad-Eye.

"Hi baby Cuz," Sirius looked up, beaming. He rocked back so his chair is on its fours again, abandoning the prophets which Mad-Eye took.

"Baby again? Sirius-ly?" Tonks said testily.

"Yep!" Sirius grinned, winking.

Remus chuckled, "Hello Nympha-"

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks shrieked, turning heads, "Lupin!" She hissed.

He corrected himself, "Tonks, hello,"

"Hello…Remus," Tonks muttered.

She kept quiet for the rest of the time, noticing the glances Emmeline was shooting her. Then Severus Snape strutted into the room, pulling a chair out smoothly before settling into it, right beside Mad-Eye.

Tonks didn't miss that Snape's eyes hadn't left her since he arrived. It was until Albus Dumbledore walked into the kitchen, then the silence was broken. Dumbledore started, announcing the absence of the Weasleys family, which according to him was due to the hold up at the mission they went (which had the rest of the absentees accounted for).

Then it went a boring round around the members who were there, starting off their various reports. As it went on, Tonks got more bored and angry. Evidently, there had been a lot of trouble and she'd never been called to any of them!

By the time Remus finished his report, skipping both Sirius and Tonks to move on to Mad-Eye, Tonks was grinding her teeth and crumpling her Auror robes in anger.

She glared at anything she could focus on, trying not to think about how even Dumbledore didn't trust her enough to send her on a mission. After all, she is an Auror! How could they question her loyalty just because Voldemort had seen something sacred in her that is worth collecting?

Snape then stood up, droning off in his reports.

This was slightly more interesting.

Snape talked about the deaths within the death eaters that Voldemort had killed in the heat of anger; due to the failures of various mission, which Snape neglect to mention in details.

Then he went on to what Tonks registered was the most crucial part of this meeting at all, "And, the dark lord has been increasingly impatient, with the recruitments…"

"Yes, he would find unable to locate…" Dumbledore's voice trailed off to the back of her mind.

So he was trying to make me seem invisible within the order…

"Headmaster, I would suggest the Order quickly take action," Snape turned to speak to Dumbledore, a slight bow, "The dark lord is not known for his patience."

"Yes, Severus, so I've seen." Dumbledore's wrinkled hand reached out and brought the daily prophets in front of him. The front page was decorated with the many massacres of the death eaters, cleansing the wizarding blood of mudbloods…

"He is used to getting what he wants." Snape said to Dumbledore but Tonks didn't miss the look he shot her from the corner of his eye.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that, and an action would be taken." Dumbledore rose from his seat as Snape sank down in his, "After much consideration of this…issue…which we face, I have decided that we will go along with Tom's wishes."

Tonks saw many of them tense. Emmeline glanced in her direction, Remus's clasped hands tightening so his knuckles turned white, Sirius raised both brows, Mad-Eye did nothing but stare, Sturgis remained impassive, Mundungus's snored even louder. Snape turned to stare towards her, his arms crossed over his chest.

"We'll give him what he wants." Dumbledore finished.

Sirius snorted. Remus paled, his hands turning all white with the strength he was pressing them together. Mad-Eye was still staring down. Tonks stopped there, staring at her mentor.

"So we're sending her to die?" Sirius leaned forward.

"No, Sirius." Albus inclined his chin.

"Well, that's what we're doing here. We're sending her there to die!" Sirius snapped, "They'll kill her anyway!" His voice rose to a shout.

"Sirius…We'll take all the precautions."

"I won't let you send her to her death-" Sirius's eyes flashed with anger.

"I'm not a baby anymore!" Tonks exploded.

"You have no idea Tonks," Sirius countered.

"Sirius…"

"I know!" Tonks seethed.

"No you don't! You didn't spent 12 years of your life in Azkaban! You have no idea!" Sirius roared.

"You have no rights to say that to me!" Tonks shouted.

They both glared at each other, a steely glare against a similar and probably the same glare.

Tonks didn't know when she stood but they were now both on their feet, glaring as they yelled at each other.

"Well FINE!" Sirius roared, throwing his hands up, "I'LL WASH MY HANDS OFF YOU SHAN'T I? YOU'RE ALL BIG NOW AND I'LL JUST HAVE TO SIT BACK ON MY BONY ARSE AND WATCH HOW THIS SHOW TURNS OUT! MAYBE I'LL START PRAYERS FOR YOU!"

"GO ON THEN!" Tonks bellowed.

"Sirius, Nymphadora," The headmaster's voice reached their ears.

With both of their Black blood boiling, they failed to respond to Dumbledore's call. Sirius snorted before kicking his chair back into the fireplace, stomping away from the kitchen and up the stairs.

Tonks watched him leave, her eyes watering. Without another word, Tonks took off towards the stairs and burst into a room.

She soon hit a wall. Pounding on it in fury, Tonks felt tears roll down her cheek as clenched her fists tighter, determined to pound till the wood gave out. Why didn't anyone understand that she was more then she seem? Why can't anyone see that she could do this? Everyone whose opinion mattered to her (that is excluding Emmeline's opinion of her selling the order out), thought she couldn't do it!

Letting her fury loose, Tonks's continue to pound on the wall, having Warbulga's portrait go off only fueling her anger.

Then she felt two larger and stronger hands wrap around her wrists, slowing her incessant pounding on the wood and eventually putting a stop to them. Tonks screwed her eyes shut and screeched in frustration, yanking her hands out of the iron grip and pounding ahead of her. Instantly, she lost feel to the wood under her fists, only feeling her fists hit against something softer.

Tonks opened her eyes to see, through the tears, Remus Lupin wincing as her right fist collided with his jaw.

She stopped, angry tears still flowing.

"Get out!" Tonks heard herself hiss at him.

"I won't,"

The answer was simple, straight and so was Tonks's reply. Her fist collided with his chest again and again. She could see him wincing as she hit him but he never moved.

It wasn't long till her arms tire. They were sore.

Probably sensing the slowing in the barrage of punches, she felt Remus's larger hands completely wrap around her fists.

Tonks felt a sob wreck her body and she leaned into his embrace, leaving a mess on his cardigan.

"I-I d-d-didn't m-mean any of this!" She cried into his shoulder, her sore arms wrapped around him.

"Shh, there now…"

She felt Remus's lips at her ear, muttering comforting but meaningless words into her ear. It wasn't long till Tonks ran out of tears, her body still wrecking now and then as sobs tore through them.

All the while, Remus's left hand remained still at his side while his right rubbed her back in a friendly manner.

"I-I'm sorry…"

"For what? For finally getting Sirius to admit what his problem was?" Remus asked, chuckling into her ear.

"For yelling," Tonks pressed the side of her face to his shoulder, feeling the sobs fade away.

"Everybody does that sometimes."

"I'm not much fun to be around, aren't I?" Tonks asked, quoting him.

She felt his warm breath travel down her neck again as he chuckled, "Still fun." He assured. Tonks shivered, her skin tingling where his breath brush its surface.

Tonks extracted herself from him slowly, her face flushing with embarrassment, "I'm sorry," She said, averting his eyes as her fingertips trailed a light bruise which was forming near his jaw where she'd gave a right hook.

He didn't reply.

Curious, Tonks looked. He was staring.

"It's fine." He blinked.

"It's bruised." Tonks muttered, wondering how his chest was.

"That wouldn't be the worst wound I've got,"

Tonks looked at him lamely.

"That wasn't the right thing to say…is it?"

"No, it wasn't." Tonks steeled a stare at him as she concentrated on morphing; wanting to make sure her features was all in place. She reached up and grabbed a strand of hair, just in time to see it turn from tomato red to soft pink. Then she worked on disappearing the red puffy rings around her eyes.

"Better now?" Remus asked, watching her morph.

"Yes," Tonks admitted, reluctantly stepping away from his embrace.

"Let's stay here though," Remus smiled, already reading that she wasn't willing to go back down to face the order.

He slipped pass her and sat in a couch, lighting a fire in the fireplace with his wand.

Tonks turned and saw that she'd slipped into the library of the 'Noble House of Black.'

"Are you alright?" She stood beside his couch, "Your chest."

Remus tore his eyes from the fire and smiled at her, "Yes. Though I'll make a good guess, you were trained to punch?"

"You wouldn't want to try Mad-Eye's…" Tonks muttered.

Remus frowned, "I can't picture that…"

Tonks forced a sinister smirk at him, "Don't."

To be continued…

Thanks to my readers and reviewers of last chapter!

KatiaSwift: Thanks! Glad I got Tonks just right, there's too little of her in the books and movie!

NymphadoraTonks-RemusLupin: Thanks so much!

Hope06: hehe, glad you liked it!

Av8: Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it!

A/N: And of course the decision has been made and more RL/NT for fans! Hope you all enjoyed it!

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