Tonks rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. The lock of her hair hanging over her eyes was a deep red, but faded into a mousey brown as it neared the tips. Her hair was certainly reflecting her annoyed state. Stupid bloody Fudge, he may have been kicked out of the Office but his regime still left marks, particularly on the Auror Department. That bumbling fool had slashed their budget years ago and now that they were in the midst of a war it was causing panic.
Scrimgeour wanted regular patrols on Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, any wizarding area (such as Ottery St. Catchpole, Godric's Hollow) and people protecting Top Ministry officials and muggle ones. Then there was that plan for Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. They were too stretched! It didn't help that she was one of the last ever trainees to make it through the training. Snape's high standards for Potions and the lacklustre Defence teachers didn't help much. Merlin, it was a wonder there were any Aurors at all!
What she needed was a good dose of humour to cheer her up, she should go to Sirius-no, he was dead. How could Tonks forget that? She choked back a sob that had made its way up her throat. Tonks thought that her grief was over but it appears not, it just seemed to catch her when she was most emotionally vulnerable.
Rubbing her eyes Tonks thought what else may cheer her up, going to the Weasleys? No, she'd been over there too much, hoping to bump into Remus to talk some sense into him, Molly may start to suspect something. Maybe she should track sown Remus? But would Tonks get answers she wanted to hear? It probably wasn't a good thing to do that sort of thing when she was strung up anyway.
Sighing heavily, Tonks started to pack away her stuff and tidied her desk so she could see some wood. Not that it would stay like that until tomorrow morning but it was worth the try.
Apparating from the apparition point Tonks landed on her knees behind her parents' house. A figure stormed out the back door with a raised.
"Who's there? Declare yourselves!" demanded the voice of her father.
"It's me, dad. Nymphadora Andromeda Tonks, your daughter, metamorphmagus and I'm the only one who knows what happened with the cat, orange paint and the tweezers when I was nine..."
"That's enough of that," said Ted nervously as Andromeda came out of the house.
Tonks laughed softly as she picked herself up and hugged her parents. It was good to be with them again, she hadn't seen them enough.
"Staying for dinner, Nymphadora?" queried Andromeda, leading the way back inside.
"Of course," she replied easily, sitting on a chair in the kitchen. "Haven't seen you guys nearly enough."
Ted smiled, "I blame your work, the Order and your boyfriend. We should at least be far more important than him!" he teased
Thankfully her mum and dad didn't see her wince at the mention of Remus as Andromeda was slightly busy smacking her husband upside the head and scolding him.
"Honestly Theodore! Do you really expect a twenty three year old to spend time with her parents when she actually has a life?"
Ted pouted, "Yes,"
Andromeda sighed loudly in defeat and turned to her, "How have you been dear?"
Tonks thought carefully before answering that. She couldn't say what she honestly felt at the moment, not until she tried to talk some sense into Remus, but she didn't want to lie to her parents either.
Speaking of them, they were looking at her rather intently at the moment.
"Tired," Tonks replied eventually. "Work's piling up and the pressure is on the whole Department. The lists for the relocation go up soon."
Her dad looked worried as he listened to her.
"I'll be fine," she assured them. "Just haven't got used to the workload yet."
"If you say so Dora," said Ted ruefully.
The small family sat in silence as Andromeda busied herself with making tea and preventing Ted from stealing biscuits and Tonks from helping. There were pictures of them all through the years hanging on the walls and tasteful landscape picked by her mum. Tonks couldn't help but grin in contentment; she loved her odd, mismatched family.
They were soon settled with a plate of biscuits and a steaming pot of delicious tea. None of them talked for a while, nibbling on shortbread and digestives instead.
Ted broke the silence, "Dora, is there a reason for your dull hair colours?"
He cowered away as both Tonks women glared at him, "Not that that's a bad thing! It's just you normally are so bright that your mother is telling you to tone it down and you prefer bright colours saying it."
"Ted, stop. Before you dig yourself into a bigger whole with your amazing lack of tact." Said Andromeda tiredly and then looked at her, "But your father raises a good point-"
"Ha!" came the celebratory cry of her father; a Black glare quelled that quickly.
Andromeda continued like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, "Is something wrong?"
Tonks replied almost instantly, which in hindsight would probably bring more suspicion, "No, well apart from the war and stuff. I feel like I never get enough sleep."
Andromeda and Ted nodded together, not looking convinced but at least they'd let it pass for now.
"Speaking of the War," Tonks changed the subject swiftly, "you need the wards updated around this house. You could be a secondary target because of my Order status and well-"
"-Our pureblood bloodtraitor and mudblood thing going on," finished Ted calmly.
Tonks nodded, "I think you said that the house was well protected during the first war?"
Andromeda was the one to answer this time, "Because of my relatives, Bella in particular." Her mother had never gotten out of the habit of calling her sisters by their nicknames...
Tonks settled into her Auror mode automatically, "Well, I know you have dark magic detection, intruder detection, selective apparition and general protection wards but you need more offensive ones. That one that 'zaps' the death eater with some form of pure magic would work though it would take a fair amount of energy from us all-"
"You're not performing that one then," interrupted Ted. "You are tired enough as it is without us taking more energy from you."
this was going to be a long planning session.
