AN: Sorry for the delay folx. A little window into my life, I'm a social worker in the health field so I've been extremely busy with the Covid-19 outbreak. Hobbies had to take a back seat to fatigue and anxiety. I think we are finally in a holding pattern here in WA and specifically in my work so I have a bit more capacity to write again. Writing actually helps me process and relax so I hope to get some more time for it in the weeks to come.

Anyways I can't commit to a regular updating schedule right now but I promise I'm not abandoning my story. I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

Stay safe out there everyone!

The weeks leading up to Christmas were a strange mixture of tension and bliss. When Tonks could find a few free hours at home with Remus or Sirius, or better yet both, it felt like they were in their own little world, a bubble of peace, warded against the strain and anxiety of the larger world.

On the other hand, patrols were doubled, sometimes tripled. Order members were popping in and out of the house at all hours of day and night, talking in hushed voices, all asking for information but no one had answers. It had been months since the Order had been able to find any new leads. The Death Eaters had all but vanished. No matter how many hours they spent tailing and tracking, not a one of them seemed to be up to anything that would be considered amiss. Even Mundungus seemed unable to find anyone willing to share anything.

All signs of Voldemort's activity had dried up. Tonks, Remus and all the other non Hogwarts affiliated Order members spent long days and nights out on missions that increasingly felt pointless. But no one believed it meant they were safe. Quite the contrary, most of them were on edge, waiting for the inevitable.

"It's only a matter of time before something will happen," Moody had growled at the last Order meeting. "It's only a matter of time before one of us goes missing without a trace. Or worse we find bits and pieces of you."

Molly had uttered a muffled sob at that and curled into Arthur's chest. Charlie had glared daggers at Moody. He just shrugged in response.

Sirius had sat with his arms crossed, leaning far back in his chair. Tonks watched as his nose twitched. Remus sat stoney faced next to him. In that moment she had wanted to reach out to them both but stopped herself.

Moody's words had echoed in her head for several days after that. Any time she was alone, it replayed in the back of her mind. She knew he was probably right. It made all the time she spent away from Remus and Sirius at work and on duty all the more bitter.

The night when something awful finally happened was only a week before Christmas. Tonks had arrived home late, exhausted from several days in a row of work and Order missions. She had fallen asleep on the couch next to Sirius while he watched the tv. Remus wasn't home yet. She had hoped to stay up late enough to at least see him before retiring to bed. They had barely had time for more than a few words over the past week.

She awoke to an unfamiliar voice loudly yelling Sirius' name. She jolted up right, wand in hand.

Sirius put his hand on the wrist of her wand hand to lower it, "It's okay it's just the portrait."

Tonks looked across the room, eyes blurry from sleep. There in the picture of a dark garden, was a man with dark eyes and a pointy black beard looking quite annoyed.

"What do you want?" Sirius asked. "Message from Dumbledore?"

"Why else?" the man in the picture bantered back. He sneered down at Tonks disapprovingly before continuing. "Arthur Weasley is severely injured. Dumbledore is sending you his children and Harry Potter."

"Is Arthur going to be okay?" Tonks blurted out jumping to her feet.

"I don't know. He didn't look too good when I saw him. Anyways that's the message. What do you want me to tell Dumbledore?"

"Of course the kids can stay here," Sirius replied. "Go on back and tell him."

The man in the picture rolled his eyes and began walking through the other portraits in the house, presumably back to his own.

"Arthur had hall duty tonight," Tonks said, turning to Sirius. "I should go see if I can help. It's going to look even more suspicious if anyone who doesn't work at the Ministry shows up to help."

Sirius nodded, also rising to his feet. "Yes. You should go. I can handle the kids." He pulled her close. "Stay safe," he added before kissing her goodbye.

Tonks moved swiftly to the front door, apparating as soon as she was outside of the wards. She went directly to the Atrium of the Ministry. It was strange and unnerving at night, lit only with lowlights, empty of all it's usual traffic. The echoes of her steps followed her across the cavernous room. There was no sign of the security guard.

She wasn't sure if the lifts worked at night and didn't want to wait for them anyways. She ran down the stairs two at a time. When she reached the floor of the Department of Mysteries she could hear hushed conversation. In the dark it was hard to make out the scene but she saw the shadows of three people and another laying at their feet. She could smell the iron scent of blood as she approached.

One of the figures swiveled toward her, wand extended, "Who's there?" She recognized the gruff voice of Moody.

"It's Tonks," she replied and the wand lowered. "Dumbledore sent Sirius a warning and he sent me over."

Moody nodded. She could see the other two shadowy figures touching, one looked to be holding the other back from the body on the floor.

"We've got to be quick. Arthur isn't doing well," Moody announced. Tonks could see now the other two were Kingsley and Molly. Molly was struggling to reach her unconcious husband while Kingsley held her at bay, calmly explaining it would be better for her to stand back. She was distraught though and his words seemed to float right past her.

Tonks strood over to the pair and gently put a hand on Molly's shoulder. Kingsley looked up in a silent plea for assistance. Tonks took Molly's hand and slid between her and Kingsley. "Molly, dear. The best thing for Arthur right now is to let Kingsley take him to St. Mungo's." The only sign Molly had heard her was her slow backward step.

Molly fell into Tonks arms, silently sobbing, her body violently shaking. Tonks looked to Moody over her shoulder and he gave her a short nod.

Kingsley had managed to get Arthur off the floor, his body was hovering at waste level, covered in thick bandages. The red was already starting to soak through. Kingsley wasted no time and began running towards the lift, levitating Arthur in front of him.

"Get her home, Dora," Moody called over his shoulder as he limped after them.

Tonks held onto Molly tightly for a few moments, allowing enough time to pass for Kingsley to have made it out of the Atrium with Arther before she finally pulled away. "Molly we need to get you home. The hospital will owl you. No one can know you weren't at home."

Molly nodded meekly but said nothing, allowing Tonks to lead her up the stairs.

The front hall looked undisturbed, confirming no alarm had been raised. Once they were out of the stairwell, Tonks took Molly's hands and apparated them both to the Burrow.

Only one light was on in the kitchen of the Burrow, it's scant light leaving a narrow trail across the front yard. Molly silently passed through the front gate and up the steps to the front door. Tonks trailed behind awkwardly, unsure of what to say to someone who's husband could very well be dying.

Once inside Molly moved methodically, putting a kettle on to boil and pulling out mugs, tea and a box of biscuits. Tonks stood at the edge of the room, watching for signs of Molly breaking down into tears again. She rocked on the balls of her feet, shifting her hands restlessly, as Molly prepared the tea.

Molly finally came to rest, slumped in a chair, huddled over her cup. Tonks moved to join her, taking the chair across from her. Molly slid the other mug, silently toward her.

They sipped tea in silence while Molly composed herself. Tonks was just about to grab a biscuit just so she had something to do with her hands when Molly finally spoke, "Please excuse my outburst." Her voice was a harsh croak, unlike her usual warm, earthy tone. She looked up at Tonks, eyes haunted. "It was unprofessional. I know it doesn't do anyone any good to- to lose your nerve like that in a crisis."

"Molly, it's completely reasonable, you aren't a trained auror. It's not like you are prepared for seeing things like that. Besides it was Arthur, your own husband no one would be able to -"

Molly took a deep breath and launched into a rebuttal, "Nonsense Tonks. They should expect it. If I can't keep it together in battle… I'm a liability." She glared down at her tea. "I just don't know how you do it." She looked up at Tonks again. "If it were Remus… you rescued Remus. He was captured. They were torturing him but you were able to stay focused. You saved him."

Tonks swallowed hard. Her mouth suddenly feeling dry. She didn't know how to respond to Molly. She could remain calm in a fight but trying to reassure someone in a moment like this was not something she was comfortable doing. She turned her cup around, stalling for time as she tried to think of words to say. Molly looked so earnest, so scared.

She looked at Molly and tried to give her a sincere smile. "We are all good at different things. I am good in a crisis. My brain just gets hyper focused and all I see is my goal and how to get to it. But I'm not good at this kind of stuff Molly. The reassuring people, making them feel safe and special and loved. I just make stupid sarcastic jokes and hope people will laugh when I trip over stuff."

Molly reached across the table and put her hand over Tonks'. She looked to be tearing up again. "See look at that I'm making you cry again!" Tonks lamented.

Molly shook her head. "No, Tonks, dear. You are right. We all have our skills. We've got to stick with what we are good at. It takes all types." She patted Tonks' hand affectionately before withdrawing her own. "But I think you might be selling yourself short on your ability to comfort people."

The silence returned but Tonks found it less uncomfortable then. Molly managed to finish her tea before speaking again, "Oh Merlin, I just hope he's okay Tonks. I don't even know what I would do if- if-"

"Arthur is strong Molly!" Tonks exclaimed. "He will fight for you and for your family. He's not going to go down that easy!"

Molly was about to respond when there was a sharp tap at the window. They both turned to see a small grey owl fluttering just outside. Molly rushed to the window to let it in. The owl hopped onto her waiting hand, holding its leg out expectantly. Molly pulled the letter off and began reading it. The owl hopped back out the window into the night. Tonks got to her feet anticipating a variety of responses depending on what the letter said.

Molly crushed the letter to her chest suddenly, tears springing to her eyes once more. "He's alive. They need me to go right away. He's still unconscious but they think the worst is past." Molly rushed to Tonks, scooping her into a firm hug. "Oh Tonks, he's alive!" she cried. Tonks squeezed her tight in response.

When Molly released her Tonks asked, "Would you like me to come with you?"

"No, no I'll manage. You've done enough for tonight dear. You should get home and get some rest."

Tonks smiled and nodded as Molly grabbed her cloak from the back of a chair and head back out to the yard to apparate.

As much as Tonks wanted to take Molly's suggestion, she knew it would be best to find Moody to check in and regroup. She'd need to be on the same page about the cover story before she got to work in the morning and some things were safer to say in person than by owl.