A Tumultuous Tenure

Professor Vector and Tonks venture into a pub and walk right into trouble…twice. Professor Vector will get an evaluation of her Order work and it is not necessarily a voluntary one on her part.

Chapter 12: A Rose By Any Other Name

Tonks and I entered The Three Broomsticks and looked around at the patrons sitting at both the bar area and at tables. We both eyed a very well-dressed man in a black cloak and we believed we had struck gold…and not the leprechaun kind this time either.

We approached the man and introduced ourselves. After a few minutes when he hadn't asked us to sit, we marveled at how difficult it was to find dignified wizards of quality around these parts, what with muggles and mudbloods seemingly everywhere these days. We had heard he was a pureblood sympathizer so we had to go along with it. He, occupant of a manor home himself, believed we were wealthy and seemed to believe our assertion that we were important, and invited us to sit down.

"Two gentlemen such as yourselves are obviously not from these parts," he remarked.

"I see there are very few seats left. Please sit. I am waiting on two friends of mine."

"Anyone we may know?" I asked silkily.

"Mr. Lucius Malfoy, of Malfoy Manor,...and an acquaintance of his. Surely, you know of the family?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Tonks. "Indeed, I believe we know the pr…"

I kicked her under the table because I believed she was about to slip and say the word "prat."

One Hour Later…

All in all, the conversation was going very well. It turns out that this man was suspected to be a possible Voldemort sympathizer. He was too old to be a full-fledged Death Eater, however. Lucius was not the only name mentioned. Also, the imbecile, trying to seem important with his connections, had several cordials before he even arrived at the pub which allowed for him to be a bit loose-lipped. He did know Lucius and his father before him and they appeared to be friends.

Now we had to sit and wait for Lucius to appear. My next move was to assist the Order by attempting to gain a lock of Lucius's hair. It could be used in a polyjuice potion so one of our members could pose as Lucius in the future and possibly gain some information from some leads that we had recently acquired.

It was then that Lucius walked in and sat down. Lucius was accompanied by another acquaintance…Severus Snape.

Tonks and I hid our surprise well. The dolt could have told us something and given us the heads up when he saw us at 12 Grimmauld Place earlier. After the introductions, a conversation was struck up again.

Severus Snape was very clever and made a quite convincing show of never having met us in his life.

Lucius seemed mildly curious and then went back to talking to his friend and Snape. Nothing incriminating was revealed by him, but that was Snape's job. All we needed to do was get the strand of hair.

Tonks had excused herself to go to the loo. We knew what was coming next.

Lucius was speaking to Snape when he reached forward rather violently and spilled the drink in his hands.

Tonks has just fallen into him by "accident." Actually, another accident was going to occur if she didn't watch how she twirled her cane. It seemed to be more of a hindrance than a help. She almost took out Malfoy's friend's eye.

"Terribly sorry," she said to the both of them most apologetically. By now they had had a few drinks and didn't seem too upset about it.

Snape, who was savoring his firewhiskey very slowly, said nothing.

"Really, my good man., do be more careful in future," Lucius said as he brushed off his coat.

"How is Narcissa?" said Snape to Lucius.

"Quite well."

"How is Draco at school?'

"Very well, an excellent prefect and truly an asset to Slytherin House," said Snape.

"Good, good. I should hope so,' replied Lucius.

Snape seemed to be initiating conversation which was very rare for him to do. Tonks was about to ask the barmaid for an umbrella for her gillywater but stopped in mid-sentence when she saw the look Snape shot her.

When Lucius and his friend excused themselves to use the bathroom, Snape turned to us.

"Do not twirl your straw," he looked menacingly at Tonks.

"Your legs are crossed. Watch how I am sitting!" he hissed maliciously to me in a low vice.

I smirked and was about to say something….

"Remove the smirk that is presently on your face and look at me…" We all stopped when we saw that Malfoy and his friend were returning to the table.

Tonks and I were prepared to try again for the hair. She went to the bar and returned with more gillywater. When she prepared to go back to her seat, she tripped over Malfoy's cane and attempted to at least make some contact with Malfoy's hair.

"Sir, I think that is quite enough gillywater for one evening, wouldn't you say? You will disgrace yourself. Actually, I think I have had quite enough for one evening. Severus, I think we shall be leaving. Narcissa has invited a few people over and we should return."

"Yes, I think I will follow you both out," said the friend apologetically.

When Tonks began to chew on her ice cubes, I thought Snape would avada himself. He rolled his eyes at us with a look of disgust when nobody was looking.

I had an idea. I went over to the stand where the cloaks were, while the man were settling the bill, and saw Malfoy's fancy lettering on the inside label. I deftly swiped at a few stray hairs when no one was looking. I then proceeded to put them in my pocket and I addressed the departing crowd.

I tipped my hat to all three of them and gave my most winning smile. I was looking meaningfully at Snape and tried to make eye contact with him. I wanted to let him know that the "eagle had landed" or whatever was close to the muggle expression that meant our job had been a success.

He gave me his you-are-an-insufferable-dunderhead look. He then looked at me and mouthed silently for my eyes only…

"YOU…ARE….DAFT!"

He then turned swiftly in his traveling cloak and exited the Three Broomsticks, following the men out.

Unfortunately, the worst of it came later when I returned to 12 Grimmauld Place.

When Tonks and I returned to 12 Grimmauld Place, I walked in genteelly and Tonks, well, she tripped. Also, the cane, unfortunately, was a goner.

But nothing could ruin our good mood. We were successful. We acquired strands of Mr. Malfoy's hair and we returned safely. And Snape's cover wasn't blown. Although if he thinks he is going to be on the same job as us and not say anything beforehand, he had another thing coming.

We were very wrong, however. It was a solemn group of people that sat around the dining room set. Dead silence when we walked in. Snape, never one to keep his opinions to himself when he felt they should be known, was standing in front of Dumbledore who was seated at a chair in the middle of a table. Sirius Black looked angry because even if something didn't pertain to him, Snape was enough to get on his very last nerve.

"Professor Dumbledore, I understand what went on here. I also understand that the ladies were successful," he shot Snape a self-satisfied look, "but what gives him the right to barge into my house and make a fuss?"

"Black, I don't remember you being involved in this mission, or come to think of it, any others," Snape informed him coolly.

They all looked up at Tonks and I. "Well," Dumbledore ignored them. "They have returned."

Lupin motioned for Tonks to join him in another room and said nothing. Molly, Arthur, and Moody looked embarrassed to have witnessed whatever was said before Tonks and I even arrived, and also said nothing. The children who heard voices raise, most likely Snape and Sirius before we even walked through the door came down the stairs and halted.

Snape had his arms crossed and looked over at Dumbledore, pretending Sirius wasn't there.

"Headmaster, may I have a word with Professor Vector privately?"

Dumbledore, strangely enough, my employer could have saved me no doubt, nodded his head. "I will speak to you tomorrow, Professor Vector. Please let Miss Tonks know that I congratulate you both on your success."

Snape eyed the headmaster with a disapproving sneer but said nothing.

Dumbledore continued. "I would like to hear your account of how your mission went this evening. I wish to speak to Miss Tonks tomorrow as well." Dumbledore smiled pleasantly at all of us in the room, told everyone he needed to go back to Hogwarts, and left.

Snape looked at me and motioned with one hand that I was to follow him to the living room in the back of the house.

Everyone watched us and didn't say a word. I now knew how Potter felt. Harry seemed to realize this because he looked at me with sympathy from the stairs.

"Off to bed, all of you now… go!" Molly seemed to remember the children had attempted to come down.

Snape turned on his heel and I followed him to the living room. I heard Fred and George Weasley attempt to whisper to me encouragingly from behind the stair banisters where they hadn't moved yet. "Hang in there, professor, chin up, you tell him."

I turned bright red and hoped they hadn't noticed. "OFF with you!" Molly's voice broke my train of thought for a moment.

When we reached the room, he waited for me to enter, and then shut the door behind him. He than turned on his heel to face me and he was livid. As his robes twirled and we were in the dark with only a lamp glowing from the far side of the room, I have to say that he did seem a bit intimidating. He walked a bit closer to me to close the distance. I guess he had some manners. If he was going to throw a hissy fit, he would do it privately and be close enough to me that his voice wouldn't have to rise as high.

"I am at a loss for words, after the display I witnessed this evening, Vector. Your antics are ridiculous! I asked Dumbledore to check if Nymphadora is even a qualified auror," he hissed angrily.

"What do you think we are, Snape, entertainers on Wizarding Wireless?"

"Your foolishness is unparalleled. Do not suggest for a moment that it was skill. You were both extremely lucky this evening…and reckless…and unprepared," his black eyes surveyed me coldly.

"I certainly do not need your approval, Snape. I will talk to Dumbledore tomorrow. Also, I do not need you addressing the Order when I am not present, if it regards me," I shouted at him.

"At least you were both wise enough to wait and not leave immediately after we did. They thought you both were the oddest men they have ever met. You may meet people who are more suspicious in these times and who are willing to act in future if the both of you are not properly prepared," he snarled.

"As we speak, Vector, are you even aware that your moustache is falling off?" he bared his teeth, exasperated.

I felt my face slowly and gingerly, and Snape reached over and ripped if off, dangling it in front of my face with two fingers, and then let it drop to the floor.

"Ouch!" I yelled.

"Well, it can come off now. And your hair looks, by all accounts, to resemble a lethifold. You have an awful lot to learn," he said sleekly, "I, however, can not wait for the next time. Really, what is next for you both?" he asked sarcastically.

I was so riled about my success that I couldn't care less. I did not have to answer to him. My blasé attitude seemed to make him even more uptight. I grew angrier because the fool was talking to me like I was a five-year-old girl.

A rose petal from my jacket lapel fell off. Snape swooped down to pick it up. Instead of throwing it away he placed it in the pocket of his robes where he kept his wand.

"I shall keep this as a reminder, Vector, that even my most trying days can not be this ruinous," his eyes glittered nastily.

He glared at me, a final glare to get his point across, the bloody moron, and then swept out the door and from what I heard later, right out of 12 Grimmauld Place. Arthur checked that the door was still securely on the hinges after he had gone.

I did not work with Tonks for awhile after that night.