I had no energy to open the door to my flat. I'd spent 16 hours in Azkaban with dementors and psychotic prisoners. Then I went back to the ministry where Fudge didn't bother to show up for an hour. To top it off I had to get up to get up to go back to work in 6 hours, not to mention I hadn't even eaten dinner yet.
I had to endure this 4 more times. I could cry.
"Well look who bothered to show up," a voice said. I turned to see my landlord, Jimmy.
"What do you want?" I asked as suddenly found the strength to look for my keys.
"You're late on your rent," he said. "It was due last weeks ago."
"I'll slide the check under your door, Jimmy," I said, finding my keys.
"You haven't been here in ages. Are you living somewhere else now?" Jimmy asked.
"No. I still live here," I said unlocking the door.
"Then where have you been?" Jimmy asked.
"Listen. You are my landlord. You take my money and don't worry about what I do with my private life," I said opening the door and walking into my apartment. "You will get your money."
Jimmy scoffed as he started to walk away. "Someone's got sand in her vagina."
"Keep it up and you'll have my foot up your ass and a flat to fill," I said.
I slammed the door shut.
I was angry, depressed, sleep deprived and hungry. Of course I was in a bad mood.
I went to my fridge and opened it. A carton of milk, half a loaf of bread, a few cans of soda and a couple of bad apples.
I'd been at Grimmauld so much recently that I hadn't even bothered to get groceries for my own house.
Guess I won't be staying home this evening.
I grabbed my cloak and tossed it back on. I apparated back to Grimmauld. I managed again to not trip over anything as I entered the house. I walked into the kitchen to find Remus and Sirius chatting.
Hello, boys," I said weakly.
"Tonks, we didn't expect to be seeing you until service at Azkaban was finished," Sirius said. "It's almost one in the morning. What are you doing here?"
"Fudge kept me at me ministry until past midnight and I returned home to discover there was no food in my house because I've been having all my meals here and at work for the past several weeks," I explained as I sat down at the table."
"Poor thing," Sirius said. "You look terrible."
"I feel terrible. I have to be at work at a quarter to seven and Fudge says if I come in late even once I'm sacked. I spent 16 hours guarding Bellatrix Lestrange of all people! Not mention a dementor was by every five minutes or so and they also had me running back and forth to a whole group of dementors explaining how everything is. I'm tired, I'm hungry and I swear to god if I hear the word 'mudblood' one more time I'll kill something," I said. "And it's only day one."
Remus stood from the table and went to the cabinet. He pulled out a chocolate bar and handed it to me.
"Eat it. Trust me, you'll feel better," he said. I unwrapped it and slowly began to eat away at it.
"You're being staying here tonight I suppose," Sirius said.
"Can't. . . I haven't got any clean clothes left here," I sighed.
"You do. Molly did your laundry for you," Sirius said.
"Oh. . . But I might oversleep if I stay here," I said.
"Now come on, Tonks. Look at the state of you. You'll sleep right through that alarm clock if you go home," Sirius said. "You'll stay the night here and that's final. I'll wake you up in the morning."
There was no point in arguing. I didn't have the energy anyway.
"Sirius you can't forget. My job depends on this and if I lose my job I'll not only lose my flat but I'll be useless to the order as well," I said.
"I won't forget," Sirius said.
"In the meantime, Molly made beef stew for dinner. There's quite a bit left over if you wanted any," Remus said.
"You'll never catch me saying no to anything Molly Weasley cooks," I said.
"I second that," Sirius said as Remus got up to get me a bowl.
"I'll need to stay home tomorrow though," I said. "My landlord is a muggle and he's been suspicious of my extended absences not to mention the fact he's never seen Bill, my alleged flatmate. Oh, and I haven't paid my rent yet this month so I think he was thinking of renting out my apartment to someone else."
Sirius scoffed. "Wizard or muggle, they're all the same when it comes to money."
"Some of them anyway," I said. Remus sat the bowl of stew down in front of me. "Thank you."
He nodded.
I ate the stew quickly and didn't bother with seconds.
"I'd better be off to bed. I'm only getting five hours of sleep as it is," I said.
"Sleep fast," Remus said.
"I'll try," I said rising from the table with a yawn. "Goodnight."
888
When I arrived to work the next morning, Becca was already there, looking tired.
"Tonks, you're here early," she said.
"On time actually," I said.
"Same difference," Becca chuckled. "Heard you didn't leave till late yesterday."
"Fudge didn't bother to show till after midnight," I said. "What was he doing last night anyway?"
"He was at home asleep as far as I know," Becca scoffed. She was in charge of his schedule and things of that nature.
"So I'm sleep deprived because he decided he wanted to take a nap? If he weren't the minister of magic and running our country I would give him a piece of my mind," I said.
"You are not alone," Becca said.
"Ah! Tonks, Rebecca, you're both here, fantastic," Percy said as he entered the room.
"Is Cornelius at his breakfast with the minister from Bulgaria?" Becca asked.
"Yes he is, just as you scheduled it," Percy said. "Now, to you Nymph-."
"Finish and I'll rip out your tongue," I threatened.
"You'll do well not to speak to your superiors that way, Tonks," Percy said.
"Please, you're not my superior. I'll talk nicer to the gum on the bottom of my shoes than to you," I said.
". . . Tonks, you'll be on duty at Azkaban by yourself the remainder of the week," Percy said. "The minister feels that Dawlish is over worked and needed time off."
"Dawlish is overworked? I'm the one who's been doing his work since he got the Diggory case," I said.
"This was the collective decision of both Fudge and Scrimgeour. If you have issues with your schedule take it up with them," Percy said. "I'm just a messenger."
I glared at him.
Urge. . . To kill. . . Rising. . .
Percy handed me the portkey.
"Have a nice day," Percy said.
Urge. . . Growing. . . Restraint. . . Weakening. . .
At that moment I was yanked away.
Saved by the portkey.
888
I got to my apartment, just as the evening before, Jimmy harassed me about rent, I shooed him off and walked sluggishly into my home. I walked over to the couch and laid down.
". . .So tired. . ." I said aloud.
I rose to my feet and took my cloak off. I tossed it onto my coffee table. It clattered which was odd because my cloak was all cloth. I picked it up from the table and felt around in the pockets.
I pulled out my Yuna, I'd forgotten all about her. I managed a smile.
I walked over to my kitchen area, fooling myself, knowing I didn't have any food.
But then I looked on the fridge. There was a little note stuck to it. With a quick glance I immediately recognized it as Remus's handwriting.
Dear Tonks,
I've taken it upon myself to restock your refrigerator with food.
Without bothering to finish reading the letter I opened my refrigerator. There was another carton of milk, orange juice, another loaf of bread, eggs, fruit, vegetables and even more of Molly's left over pot roast.
I went back to the letter.
I guess you really meant you had no food. Sirius was insisting that we make you return to Grimmauld. For him to constantly refer to you as his 'annoying and troublesome cousin' I think he rather enjoys keeping you around. Of course I reminded him of your need to return home and he gave up on it. Saturday won't come soon enough, though. With nothing to do for the Order and with no meetings in the near future I'm extremely bored without you here.
See you soon,
Remus
P.S. I noticed you were out of coffee. Knowing you if you had none this would be a terrible, TERRIBLE, thing. So you have some now.
I looked on my counter. A container of coffee.
"Thank you, Remus," I said as if he were actually standing in the room. Attached to it was a small sheet of paper, his handwriting again.
You're welcome.
It was scary how well he knew me.
I turned back to the letter one last time.
P.P.S. There's chocolate in you cabinet. I recommend you eat some every night after returning from Azkaban. Trust me.
I opened the cabinet to reveal a box of Hershey bars. Muggle chocolate. No magical jumping frogs. That was a relief.
I reached for a bar but I stopped. I didn't need it. I felt okay. Better than okay. It was as if I hadn't spent 16 hours with dementors in Azkaban.
I looked back at the letter, the canister of coffee, my full refrigerator, and Yuna, who I still held in my hand.
Remus went through all this trouble just for me. I couldn't help but think how sweet it was that, unintentional it may've been, all by himself he'd managed to ward off the effects of dementors, my bosses, and my landlord. . .
A smile found a place on my lips and I could feel my face getting hot.
Don't you start, Tonks. This is Remus, remember? Just Remus.
'Just Remus' or not. It didn't change how absolutely sweet it was.
