AN: This chapter was surprisingly difficult to write, so sorry if it is not as good as the others. As a warning to all, I will be returning to school next week, so updates will become less frequent. I will do what I can, but I can make no guarantees about a timeframe for updates. Maybe reviews will help me move faster.
I do not own Harry Potter, much to my deep regret.
When Remus and Tonks entered the kitchen, the hum of conversation fell silent and everyone in the room looked at the newcomers like they were ghosts. We probably look more like corpses Tonks thought morbidly, thinking of their thin, bony frames and pale, tired faces. They had seen her on her decline, though, and a few had seen Remus in worse shape than this yesterday at the auction. Clearly Sirius had given them warning.
Finally, just as the couple had begun to shift uncomfortably under the gaze of so many eyes, Molly broke the silence. "Remus," she welcomed, "So good to see you again," she hugged him briefly, as though he had just been gone on holiday for a week or two. The rest of the Order seemed to take this as an invitation. After much hand-shaking and back-clapping from the men and hugging from the women, everyone settled back down and found their usual seats. Since the table was otherwise engaged upstairs, the chairs were arranged in a circle around where is usually stood. This meant that Tonks couldn't hold Remus' hand under the table, but she was too happy to have him by her side again to care. Molly glanced at their entwined fingers and gave Tonks a knowing smile. Tonks returned the smile before turning to Sirius and deftly plucking the firewhiskey bottle from his grasp.
"Fancy a glass?"
She felt Remus tightened his hold on her hand. "Kicking the habit," she informed him, "Not quite teetotal, but I am swearing off the hard stuff."
Sirius nodded his head proudly, "And you other habit?" he inquired.
"I'm working on that one too. I still have the cravings to contend with, but I am going to try to do it cold turkey."
"Glad my baby cousin isn't rushing herself off to an early grave. Give me back my bottle if you aren't going to use it."
"Why don't you stay sober?" Remus asked, "You're a very depressing drunk and I could use a bit of your humor at the moment."
"Better than a maudlin drunk like you. Word to the wise Tonksie, if he drinks enough he turns into a philosophical poet."
Remus smirked in response and Sirius seemed to take this as either forgiveness for whatever had upset Remus earlier or his apology for being upset in the first place, because he smiled at his old friend and allowed Tonks to vanish the contents of the bottle.
Dumbledore entered through the floo and immediately the kitchen was called to order. "I do believe we can venture to call yesterday's operation a success. Through Order efforts and support from sympathizers, no children fell into Death Eater hands and we were even able to save some adults. Welcome back, Remus; you have been missed." His eyes then turned to Tonks, who fought not to squirm under the gaze of his piercing blue eyes. "All of you who won your bid will have to alter your wills to include whomever you purchased. You should will them to someone, preferably within the Order, who you would know well enough outside the Order that it would not be suspicious for them to be written into your will."
"If we fail to do this, will our… slaves be free upon our deaths?" Tonks inquired, ignoring the strangled growl emanating from the back of Remus' throat and the way his hand tightened around hers.
"No. If you fail to do this, they will immediately fall under ministry control," his eyes held a knowing twinkle, then he continued, "After you have written someone into your will, you will then have to perform a secondary bonding spell with this person and send the paperwork to the ministry."
"What are you playing at?" Remus whispered into Tonks' ear.
"No one's survival is certain," she hedged, "I would die happier knowing you and Keira were free."
"Freedom would come as a bitter comfort if it meant you were dead. Remember that."
She nodded and turned her attention back to the meeting. Dumbledore was now passing out a stack of bright pink booklets. Tonks took one from the stack as it floated by her. The Ministry Guide to Werewolf Domestication by Dolores Jane Umbridge, it read in bold purple letters. Figures the toad would write rubbish like this, Tonks thought, glaring at the little booklet balefully. "As you can see, the Ministry is leaving the treatment of werewolves largely up to their owners. The only things mandated are that they must be contained at the full moon, they may not be freed, and they may not own property. Anything that belonged to them before, now legally belongs to their owners."
"Our debts?" Remus inquired.
"They were paid off with the price of sale."
"Marvelous," he said wryly, "I am debt-free for the first time in my adult life. I never thought I would see the day."
Dumbledore continued with his list. "They are not permitted to have a vault and Gringotts. They are not to go anywhere without their owner's permission. If they attempt to apparate unbidden, or to a place other than told, they will be splinched without even moving from their location. They are not allowed to enter into legal contracts."
Like marriage, Tonks thought.
"Beyond that, their use and their treatment are left to the owner's discretion. You should all familiarize yourselves with the contents of this book. The binding spell seems to be some form of the Imperious curse. I am, as of yet, uncertain of its scope and power or if it may be thrown off like the Imperious curse. As for now, I suggest you all go sample the lovely supper that I am sure Molly has prepared." One by one, the others filtered out the door. Remus and Tonks rose to follow Sirius, but Dumbledore stopped them before they could reach the first stair. "Remus, Nymphadora, if I may have a word, please?" Fervently hoping they would not be discussing her past misbehavior, Tonks returned to the kitchen, closely followed by Remus.
"First of all, I was not just speaking of practical reasons before. I am glad you are safe, Remus. Second, I am afraid I must once again ask too much of the both of you." Tonks tried, and failed, to suppress a snort. "Are you quite all right, Nymphadora?"
"Oh yeah, sorry. Carry on."
"As I said before, I am not sure of the scope of the binding spell. With both of your consent, I would like it if the two of you would test it. Since you, Remus, have had experience in fighting the Dark Arts, it will not be a definitive test of the average werewolf's ability to defy their master, but if anyone could push aside the curse, it would be you."
Tonks shook her head. She had been trained to throw of the Imperious curse when studying to be an Auror under Mad-Eye, and she knew it was mentally and physically fatiguing, even when she was in peak fitness. With Remus in the shape he was in, it would probably be unsuccessful and send him back to Madam Pomfrey. That was all not even considering the additional spells added to the binding. "Absolutely not," she protested, just as Remus spoke, "I'll do it."
"We most certainly will not! Who knows what will happen, and with the shape you are in you may not walk away from whatever the Ministry has planned for those who disobey."
"I want to be useful," he protested.
"Naturally we would wait until Remus is fully recovered before attempting anything of the sort," Dumbledore assured her. She nodded, tight lipped, but did not protest further. "I must now ask something of you. We also need to test if a slave can assault their master, and by what means. With your consent, we will test this on you."
She nodded, sure she had taken worse than whatever Remus would dish out at her. "I will not do it," Remus protested.
"Oh, so it is fine for you to risk you neck in the name of being useful, but not for me?"
"I don't want to hurt you, Dora."
"He didn't say you would have to hurt my badly, a few stunners and a couple of hits should suffice, right sir?"
"She can even deflect them."
Remus and Tonks stared at each other unblinkingly, each waiting for the other to say they would not carry through with their half of the bargain. After it became clear that neither would give in, they turned to Dumbledore.
"I will leave the two of you to discuss this later without me pressuring you either way. I regret I will need to miss dinner. Alas, duty calls."
"Dora, you go ahead. I need to discuss something with Dumbledore."
Tonks looked at him skeptically, but continued up the stairs. She had to ask Sirius something anyway. The Later List is getting pretty long, she reflected, I wonder if we will cover it all in one later, or if the laters will ambush me at random moments.
Tonks found her cousin sitting on the floor with an empty plate next to him. He was surrounded by children who sat at a cautious distance, obviously listening to a story. Sirius gestured wildly as he told his tale, and his enraptured listeners leaned closer in spite of themselves. It appeared he was reaching the end of the story, so Tonks waited until he pronounce, "The End," before approaching him.
"Hello, Tonksie," he greeted.
"Don't call me that."
"What? You need a nickname and I doubt you would like the name for a female wolf."
She glared at him, but ignored his insinuation. "A person's Animagus usually takes the form of their Patronous, correct?" Sirius nodded. "Even if their Patronous has changed?" she asked.
"Where are you going with this?"
"I want you to teach me to be an Animagus. I want to be able to be with Remus and Keira during full moons. I don't plan on registering," she supplied.
"You are sure? It isn't easy and can be painful is something goes wrong."
"I am sure."
"I will help you then," he said with a sigh. Tonks threw her arms around her cousin just as Remus entered the room and joined them.
"What has Sirius done to deserve a hug?"
"He is my most beloved cousin," she proclaimed before thinking it over, "Considering my other cousins want me dead, it wasn't much of a contest."
"Hey!" Sirius protested, but Remus was diverted and that was all that mattered to Tonks. "Looks like she has come for the two of you," Sirius warned, pointing out Molly. She was making her way toward them balancing two plates heavily laden with food. Let the doting begin, Tonks thought plastering a smile on her face.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. As always, please review. I won't know what to change about my writing unless someone tells me. PM me if you don't want to review.