She wondered why she was trying to sleep on such a hard pillow.

And why it seemed to be raining.

Tonks opened her eyes to discover that it was, in fact, raining and that she was lying in a gutter. When she tried to get up she discovered that her hands were tied. 'Here, let me help,' rumbled behind her and she was half lifted, half dragged and propped, very gently, against a wall in a position that wasn't quite uncomfortable.

'What's happening Goyle?' she whispered. She had to find an ally fast and, even in the dim, fugitive light from buildings surrounding the tiny courtyard, she could tell that Gregory Goyle wasn't happy. 'Why the horse?' She could guess, but if she could get Goyle to talk to her that would help.

Goyle seemed to think for a moment before deciding that there could be no harm in answering the question. 'The toilets at the "Cauldron" used to be stables. Hundreds of years ago there was a spell to open the doors for horses. When they took it away it left a sort of crack in the wards.'

'Clever.'

Goyle glanced to the side, warning Tonks, but it was too late; her awakening had been noticed. Goyle dragged her to her feet. 'She's awake,' he announced loudly to the dishevelled gang of hooded figures dragging their way through puddles where the courtyard emptied, gurgling, into Knockturn Ally.

'Hello Dora, darling,' trilled Bellatrix.

'Hello Auntie Bella,' sighed Tonks. 'What is it this time?'

'Don't be petulant, child. It doesn't suit.' She patted Tonks' cheek. 'Now. I'm here to make you an offer. With a little effort you could do well in my new organisation.'

'Bella, I'm a half-blood.'

Bellatrix gave a low laugh that made Tonks hair stand on end. 'Unfortunately, that is true but you are also a Metamorphmagus. For those who are exceptional, exceptions must be made.'

Play along with her thought Tonks. 'What would I gain from it?'

'What would you gain from it? Your life? And if you do well and behave nicely enough, perhaps marriage to a pure-blood. Now dear, don't look so surprised. It happens, even in some of the better families, and we're moving to the colonies where I daresay people are less fussy. Your grandchildren would be quite respectable. Goyle. You left the horse's head in the lavatory? Or should I say the heads? A head in the heads. Isn't that funny? Well did you?

'Yes,' muttered Goyle, shiftily.

'Good. What did you do with the rest of it?'

'Er. . '

'Goyle, you left the whole horse in the lavatory, didn't you?'

'Yes,' admitted Goyle.

'Why? When I told you to leave just the head?'

'Well, if the head's supposed to be scary, won't the whole horse be better?' suggested Goyle hopefully. 'It can kick and . . . '

'"Crucio!" Of course, they mightn't be terribly bright.'

It took Tonks a moment to realise that it was her own grandchildren that Bellatrix was referring to and her proposed husband who was now thrashing around in the filth at their feet. 'Stop that!' she snapped.

'Good girl.' Bellatrix lifted the spell. 'See,' she said, toeing the muddy, shaking man at her feet. 'You and Nymphadora.' For a moment Tonks' and Goyle's shocked eyes met. 'Get up and feed her this,' Bellatrix continued blithely.

Goyle stumbled up and stood swaying. 'What is it?'

'Veritaserum. Hurt her if you have to.'

Unnoticed by Bellatrix, a look of panic passed over Goyle's face, quickly buried under an expression of extreme stupidity. 'How? I can't do "Cruciatus".'

'You really are that thick aren't you? Break something. Rip bits off her.'

Goyle stepped heavily behind Tonks who flinched as enormous hands settled on her shoulders. 'I can't do that to my girlfriend,' he protested. 'That would be wrong.'

'No.' Bellatrix considered. 'No. You're quite right. Never mind. To make up, how about if I let you can practice "Cruciatus" on Snape later?' Tonks felt Goyle stiffen. Abrasive as the Head of Slytherin was, he inspired loyalty in those under his care. Nor was that loyalty undeserved; he had ensured that, when the trap had finally been sprung on Voldemort, the younger Death Eaters had been deep in a muggle crowd, well inside anti-apparition barriers, busy trying to kidnap the muggle Prime Minister from a rock concert. It had been all over before they had moved fifty yards. As Dark Marks disappeared from their arms, a decision had been reached to stay and listen to the music. 'Dora,' said Bellatrix, 'take the potion or I'll make you take it.'

Tonks took the potion. As the initial numbness faded, Tonks became fascinated by raindrops, falling like bullets, in the wand light and bouncing off her head which felt as if it was growing lighter, swelling and pulling her up like a balloon until she could scarcely feel the ground underfoot. She was sure that her neck was stretching like a serpent and she was reminded of a picture from an old children's book. Curiouser and curiouser, she thought and giggled.

'So, how d'you feel?' Bellatrix asked sweetly.

'Wonderful,' said Tonks, wondering if she was turning into a serpent and, if so, if she could possibly manage to bite Bellatrix. The way the walls were undulating, and the cobblestones and everything on them were sliding back and forth in waves, it would be extremely difficult, she decided. The Death Eaters seemed mysteriously unperturbed by the odd motion; moving to and fro like that, she was sure that she'd have been seasick.

'And will you join me?' asked Bellatrix.

'Of course not.'

Bellatrix hissed with annoyance. 'Look after her Goyle,' she said, turning to her minions. Tonks closed her eyes and Goyle returned her to her seat against the wall, which was nice of him, as she couldn't have remained standing up on her own. Quite surprised not to find herself rolling around in agony in the muck, she curled herself up and waited for normality to resume.

After a while Tonks felt a tug at her hair and looked up to see Bellatrix pushing something pink into an envelope and then looked down again fast, before the ground came up and hit her. Tonks loathed Veritaserum, even when properly aged. With the freshly brewed potion, while the visual effects were over fairly quickly, brief interludes of high only exacerbated the intervening stretches of abyssal, nerve grinding low. Bellatrix crouched down beside her, seized Tonks' chin, forced her face up to meet her own and smiled. 'We've sent dear Severus a letter and a Portkey: some of your hair.'

'He won't fall for it.'

'Probably not. So then we'll send him other things. Fingers first, I think.'

'Aren't you forgetting I'm an Auror?' Tonks bit tongue. Being Aurors hadn't helped the Longbottoms.

'An Auror with a letch for an oily, ugly, friendless pauper, who's this far,' Bellatrix gestured, 'from final incarceration in Azkaban. Oh yes, I heard all about your proposing to him from 'Cissa. Amazing what she'll do to protect that gutless whelp of hers; but of course she can't have any more.' She tapped her teeth with her fingernails. 'I do wonder, though, what he could have given you. It would need to be less obvious and easily treated than Amortentia. A pity to lose such skills, really, but the man's impossible. And I don't know how many times I've told him to clean himself up, and wash his hair.' She huffed. 'Water of a duck's back; and now he has the gall to try for my niece.'

Bellatrix paused and an ugly light came into her eyes. 'You know I do believe I think he'll come. I wondered how Andy discovered the Dark Lord's interest in you. That sneaking worm must have told her. I was our master's favourite because I'd promised him a Metamorphmagus and Snivellus didn't like that. He'd do anything to make me look bad. And then, a stroke of luck for him, you go and grow up and become an Auror. A life debt would explain why Andy hasn't struck the filthy little upstart down as he deserves. You, my dear, are valuable to him. I think he'll try to rescue you.' She smiled. 'And if he doesn't, well then, at least he'll remember.'

'Remember what?' asked Tonks, Veritaserum overriding nausea and fear.

'That I could always take his ickle treasures away from him.' For a moment a look of fond recollection softened the older woman's features. 'The look on his witty bitty face when I gave them back, broken.'