Tonks lies across the bench on the edge of the lake, her boot-clad feet nestled against Remus' thigh. It's been almost a week since her haggard all-nighters and the sun feels positively radiant on her skin. Sirius, transformed into a dog once again, leaps from the end of the dilapidated dock, splashing around in the shallow grey water.
"Must be nice," Tonks says sitting up and shedding her jumper for the grey Weird Sister's tee beneath. She stuffs it behind her head to be able to see Remus better. "This was a nice spot to bring him."
"I've never Apparated side-along with a dog before. I must admit I was rather worried he would splinch himself."
"Would he be stuck as a dog then? Until you got him put back together?"
"Perhaps."
Tonks' grin is positively wicked and Remus forces himself to look away from her before he bursts out laughing. "Whatever you're thinking I can't condone, so don't you dare tell me."
Tonks giggles. "I was only wondering what part of his body he'd be missing if he splinched his tail and transformed back."
"You know, I think James, Sirius and I had a conversation like this once in fifth year."
"And what was the consensus?"
"I don't remember." He looks sidelong at her, his eyes twinkling.
She lets her eyes drift from his face, relaxed under the afternoon sun, and across the water. There's a bridge to their right made of old stone and covered in ivy and a small boat house just to their left, glass windows blown out many storms ago. It's so utterly peaceful, Tonks feels as though she's stepped out of the world and into some sort of children's fantasy. She wonders how Remus came by this place. If it was in his travels or perhaps as a child, after he was bitten and his father moved their little family to avoid detection.
Either way, it's lovely of him to have brought Sirius, even more lovely that he thought to invite her. He certainly didn't have to curtail his plans around her work schedule, but he had, and for that she was glad.
The trees sway overhead, brilliant green leaves turning white under the sun's shadow and she has to squint to make out the birds jumping between branches. She closes her eyes, letting her ears listen and smiles as the music of the trees and the wind and a variety of birds combine in a melodious song.
"It's beautiful here," she says, and though her eyes are still closed, she thinks she hears him smile.
After some time, the sun dips lower in the sky and soon she's baking under the direct gaze, the light no longer diluted by trees but reflected from the water's edge.
"Come," Remus says, prodding her knee and standing, "there's shade down here."
He leads her along the lake edge, below the bridge and down a well-worn path carved out of mud. He stops her with a hand on her shoulder as they round a bank of wildflowers. There's a family of ducks milling about the shallow edges of the lake; tiny yellow balls of new feathered fluff that quack and splash, shaking out their new wings.
He turns and from his pocket offers her half a tea biscuit; together they feed the ducks.
Tonks giggles. There's ducklings standing on her feet, munching on bits of biscuit and after the day spent outside she feels positively giddy, especially when she looks up to find Remus watching her so closely.
Her laugh is contagious and makes him grin. Stupidly. Foolishly. He grins in a way that makes him feel like he might never be able to stop.
"This was fun, Remus. Thank you," she tells him, head turning against her shoulder, eyes dancing sincerely. He's always going out of his way for her. Opening doors. Pulling out chairs. Offering his arm when she stumbles. "I know it was for Sirius' benefit and all, but blokes don't usually do nice things like this with me. So thanks."
"What'd you mean?" he asks, forgetting the ducks quaking expectantly at his feet. "Surely you've gone to feed the ducks before." He's shocked as she shakes her head. "It's a right of childhood passage."
She tucks her empty hands into her back pockets and bites her lip. She's tipping up and down on the balls of her feet. "Most of the blokes that tried to befriend me wanted a little more than friendship and the few times I went down that road, well, let's just say they weren't interested in taking me to see the ducks."
She's not quite looking at him anymore, but just over his shoulder where the lake becomes a silver stream, running down to the sea.
He stares at her perplexed and she sighs. Nothing heavy. Just in acceptance.
"I'm a Metamorphagus, Remus. I can change more than just my hair."
He blushes when the implications of her words dawn on him. First it's with embarrassment and then with some strange protective heat that has his heart thumping in his chest. "Then you are making friends with the entirely wrong sort."
She huffs a laugh. "Obviously."
"I hope you know I would never . . . that I never―" He takes a deep, steadying breath. "I do hope you know that your friendship means a lot to me."
She smiles, her cheeks a bright, rosy pink. "And here I thought you were just partial to witches with pink hair." She winks at him and he laughs, offering his arm.
"Come on; let's go drag Sirius out of the lake."
They return to Grimmauld Place in the early evening to find that the Order meeting is cancelled on account of Dementors in Little Whinging. Harry has made quite the mess in the eyes of the Ministry and Dumbledore is pulled away with Kingsley and Mad-Eye to help talk some sense into the ding-bats that run the Ministry; Tonks isn't very hopeful, but if anyone is going to convince them it's Dumbledore.
That leaves her with Sirius, Remus and the Weasley's.
Sirius wants to retrieve Harry immediately and begins to make preparations.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Molly shouts at him. "You want to show up in the same place the Ministry is now watching?"
"She's right," Remus says, stopping his escape from the kitchen. "They'll be an investigation into the Dementor sighting."
Sirius throws his hands up. "I don't care. He's my godson and I'm not going to let the Ministry bully him! This is rubbish. He's been stewing in that house since the tournament. Alone. With those ruddy relatives of his."
"Sirius, they're his family."
"No, Remus. We're his family! Voldemort came back, tried to kill him, and the first this Albus does is ship him back to those Muggles."
Tonks stays quiet. She's never met Harry, though she's heard plenty from the various house guests, Remus included, and though Molly's intentions are sound, she feels as though this is a decision for Remus and Sirius to work out, save Dumbledore's advice of course.
She never knew James or Lily Potter, but what she knows of the friendship between the Marauders, she suspects they would be glad to know that Remus and Sirius look out for Harry like a son. At the same time she knows that people do stupid things for the people they love; they take risks and make mistakes, all in the name of protection.
And right now, knowing that Harry is safe, Sirius can't risk exposing himself; but as much as she knows this and she suspects it's what Molly has been trying―and failing―to tell him, she knows Remus understands this simple truth well enough and he might be the only one who can talk sense into Sirius.
"You know it's for the best. Dumbledore has―"
"I don't care what Dumbledore has said. Harry's not a doll, Remus. He's a boy who's seen terrible things and he's not even allowed to see the people who can help him through it."
"I know you're angry―"
"I am bloody well angry!" he shouts.
"Sirius, the children," Molly whispers, having collapsed into a chair sometime during the argument. Ron and Ginny appear in the doorway, Hermione trailing them.
"Well we can't just leave him there," Sirius says, his tone hard, forcing the volume to something not entirely unreasonable or frightening. The restrained power is enough to make Tonks shiver. She clucthes her elbows to her chest, wondering if getting Harry out of that house earlier than planned is now really the best idea. If he's already attracting the attention of the Ministry, they can't very well leave him to fend for himself the rest of the summer.
"How are you even planning to get him here?" Remus asks and Tonks looks up. Sirius' chest is heaving, his fists clenched by his sides.
"I'll take Buckbeak if I have to. He'd probably like to stretch his wings."
"And you'll both be caught. The Ministry will take you in. How exactly does that help Harry?"
"I hate the ruddy Ministry. They can all go and―"
"Sirius!" Molly chastises before he can say something that will offend underage ears.
He sits down in the nearest chair hard enough to break the legs; Tonks is amazed that they don't.
"Someone find Dung then. I'd like a word."
Molly looks up, exchanging a nervous glance with Remus and Tonks. Sirius crosses his arms and stares into the fire; brooding and murderous.
"I'll kill him," he says. "The little git; buggering off during his watch. I'll kill him."
Tonks catches Remus' eye and when he doesn't shrug off Sirius' warning she hopes Mundungus has the common sense to steer clear of Headquarters for a few days.
Sirius kicks another log onto the fire. It spits ashes as him.
Perhaps a few weeks would be best, Tonks thinks.
"Is Harry going to be alright, Mum?" Ginny asks and something about the question coming from her, innocent and soft, her eyes threaded with worry that she shouldn't yet bear, softens everyone's emotions.
"Of course," Molly says. "That boy. Stronger than the whole Ministry put together."
"But he can't really be expelled can he professor?" Hermione is the first to voice a concern about Harry losing his place at school; and if it wasn't for the fact that she's been wondering the same thing, Tonks might have found it ironic.
Remus looks over at the children at the use of his title and forces a smile. "Dumbledore will have it all worked out. You'll see. No use in worrying."
But they do worry: a silent, suffocating worry that makes the dreary Grimmauld Place kitchen stuffier than usual.
With everyone fretting over Harry and how the Ministry is going to react to Dumbledore, the only thing anyone can agree upon is that they should eat something, if only to settle their nerves.
Molly looks completely out of sorts as she sits across from Ron and Ginny, the pair discussing what will happen if Harry is really expelled from Hogwarts. Where will he live? Will he be allowed to do magic?
"How about take away," Tonks suggests; it's the first thing she's said in over an hour. She looks around at the blank faces, knowing how overworked Molly must be with all these hungry mouths to feed. Yes, this is the least she can do, she decides and stands, slipping her arms into her coat. "I'll go pick it up. Anyone for Chinese?"
The Weasley matriarch looks up, tempted by the offer.
"Seriously, Molly," Tonks says, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Take a night off. We could all do with one it seems."
"Yes," Sirius interjects standing and rooting through one of the cupboards. He drops a handful of sickles onto the table. "Get some egg rolls. Oh and some of those little fortune cookies. And something spicy for the boys and―"
Tonks pats his arm; he's calmed down some since his outburst and he almost looks civil again expect for the way his shoulders tense. "I'll get the works."
Remus watches from the other side of the table. She gives her affection away so freely and he thinks it's been good for Sirius. Good to have someone that doesn't judge or hold expectation. She just accepts.
Ron and Ginny disappear, shouting orders to Tonks as they return upstairs. A few selections are called down by Fred and George.
As she's making to leave, fumbling in the front hall with that blasted umbrella stand, Remus suddenly breaks from his stupor and comes to his senses, offering to accompany Tonks. Sirius gives him the eye, managing to look appropriately accusing, and Remus says, "She'll need help with the bags, of course."
He watches her from the corner of his eye: pink hair flamed out under a blue beanie, hands deep in the pockets of her black trench coat, face pensive. He knows she's thinking because she's chewing on her bottom lip. He notices these things about her now; maybe because he's taken to watching her much more closely lately. He doesn't know why.
"D'you think Harry's alright?" she asks after a while.
"Do I think he's okay? Yes." He pauses, filling his lungs and letting the air clear his mind. It doesn't ease the knot in his chest though and he sighs. "Is he content to be stuck with his horrible family while we all tell him to stay put? Definitely not. He's too much like James."
"You care about him," Tonks says, looking over and her gaze feels heavy on him.
Remus nods. "He is a brilliant boy. Strong willed. Brave. Wise beyond his years."
"A true Gryffindor," she says with a laugh.
Remus smiles some and says, "I do regret the years I was unable to know him."
"Some things are out of our control," she tells him, sighing. If it were colder he's sure he'd see a puff of breath escape her mouth. He doesn't expect it; isn't aware of it until it's already happened, but while he's watching her face she reaches out and squeezes his hand. It's soft, gentle, and far more comforting than he's prepared to admit. "You're here for him now; when he's going to need you the most. That's what matters, Remus."
She lets her hand fall away, disappearing back into her pocket, and he believes every word.