Eavesdrop
Harry woke up the following day determined to move on from his confrontation with Ron. Malfoy was up to something; Harry was positive about that. Tonks had given him no reason to question her motives, and at the end of the day there was magnetism between them that had nothing to do with Draco Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore, or anything else beyond their own feelings. He would apologize to Ron for hexing him and that would be that. However, despite his resolve, he couldn't help but feel relieved when he pulled back the curtains around his bed to find Ron had already departed.
The lack of her presence at breakfast meant that the Auror still hadn't returned, but Harry had learned from his previous experience not to dwell on it. Gossip about what happened on the Quidditch pitch had spread, and he soon fled the questioning eyes. Everyone looked at him like he was about to explode.
Hermione caught up with him on the Grand Staircase. "Harry!"
He slowed but didn't look at her, knowing what was coming. "Yes, Hermione?"
"Did you really hex Ron?"
"Yes, Hermione."
"How could you do that, Harry? You could have hurt him!"
"Yes, Hermione."
She sent him a glare. "Stop humoring me. I'm serious."
Both automatically jumped over a trick step. "So am I. No one regrets it more than me. I wish I could explain it, but I can't."
"What do you mean, you wish you could explain it?"
Harry ducked through a tapestry into one of the secret passageways, hoping for some privacy. "I just lost it, Hermione. It's like something came over me. I was so angry, and my scar hurt, and—"
"Your scar hurt?" she interrupted, eyebrows raised. "Harry—"
"It's nothing. Like the time it hurt when I was in detention with Umbridge. Just a coincidence." She opened her mouth to object, but Harry gave her a look. "Drop it. The point is that I wanted to take it back the instant it happened. As soon as I know I'm safe from Ginny's bat-bogey hex, I'll apologize."
"What did he say that upset you so much?" she asked tentatively.
Harry was not prepared to talk about that. "It doesn't matter, it's over. Hey, do you want to go see Hagrid?"
Not having seen their half-giant friend very often that term, she readily agreed, and they spent the morning in Hagrid's cozy cabin, venturing into the Forbidden Forest to help him feed the herd of thestrals. Fortunately Hagrid hadn't heard of Harry and Ron's latest encounter, only that they'd had a row, and aside from a few well-meaning and completely transparent hints about mending fences, he didn't mention the missing member of the trio. After forcing down a few stoat sandwiches to avoid hurting Hagrid's feelings, they trudged through the lightly falling snow to return to the castle for the last study group of the term.
Harry was busy with homework all afternoon, the teachers working them until the last minute, but when he noticed Parvati jab at an essay in despair, he set down his quill. Standing, he maneuvered past the other chairs to stand behind her. "Anything I can do to help?"
Parvati glanced at him for a long moment before conceding. "You are the best in the class," she admitted in a quiet voice. "It's Snape's homework on the Cruciatus"
A quarter of an hour later, Harry had succeeded in not only helping her finish her homework, but, he hoped, repairing their friendship. She even gave him a small smile when he walked away. He still had Transfiguration notes to go through, but a few minutes after he sat down, he was distracted by a guest in the library, a figure topped with bright turquoise hair.
Tonks spoke with Madam Pince for a moment, smiling beguilingly before the librarian jerked her head in an irritable nod. The Auror vaulted over the rope that barred students access to the Restricted Section, to the outraged gasp of Madam Pince and sniggers of watching students. She reappeared a few minutes later, tucking some large books into her bag. As if she felt his gaze on her, Tonks flashed a quick grin at Harry before exiting the library.
Unable to concentrate after that, Harry called it a day and packed his bag, followed by Neville and Hermione. Their conversation quickly turned to Draco Malfoy, who had so far proved too slippery to pin down.
" and she swears he's not there," Harry finished. "I don't understand. The map's never been wrong. Not about Crouch, not about Wormtail."
"Maybe she's just missing him," Neville offered, though he looked perplexed at the names Harry mentioned. "Or maybe he's leaving the castle."
"We've been over this. He can't leave the castle," Hermione objected impatiently. They had been over it, countless times, but Harry couldn't shake the feeling they were missing something. "He's here somewhere, I know it. And his target or whatever, that's in the castle, too, because Katie was trying to bring the necklace to someone inside Hogwarts."
"But who? And where?" Hermione asked to dead silence.
"Wotcher!"
"Tonks!" Hermione exclaimed as the Auror popped up out of nowhere, falling into step between Neville and Harry as she threw an arm over their shoulders. "Where did you come from?"
"I was hanging about, hoping you'd leave soon. Wanted to see my favorite Gryffindors, didn't I?"
She gave them an exceptionally broad smile. "What are you discussing so furtively? Surely you're not planning any rule-breaking, Miss Prefect."
Harry laughed, not only at Hermione's ruffled look but also at Neville's expression of panic at the arm she had around him. "About the map and, well, you know," he explained, trying to be discreet.
She nodded. "Ah, the other You-Know-Who. Yeah, it doesn't make any sense. He has to be there somewhere, but I'm telling you, I've gone over the map a thousand times and sometimes he's not bloody there. And I can't follow him all the time."
"Can't apparate, can't Floo, can't walk or fly away," Harry said in frustration. "The map doesn't recognize Polyjuice, invisibility cloaks, or any other form of disguise. Where the—oh, hi, Luna."
The blonde girl who had just crossed their paths smiled serenely. "Hello, Harry, Hermione, Neville. Hello, Auror Tonks."
"Hello," Tonks replied pleasantly, somewhat surprised. "Just Tonks, please. Have we met?"
"No, but Ginny told me who you were at the Ministry of Magic last year. Thank you for saving us."
"Oh, um, all in a day's work, right?"
"Of course." Luna turned her slightly protuberant eyes to Harry. "You look rather distracted, Harry. Is it the Wrackspurts again?"
"Possibly," he replied, well used to her unusual beliefs. "Can Wrackspurts find a place in the castle where someone could hide without any detection?"
"No, but are you talking about the Room of Requirement, where the DA met last year?"
They gaped at the Ravenclaw. Of course! Harry mentally berated himself. It was right in front of them the entire time; he and Tonks spent several nights a week in the Room of Requirement. The perfect place to hide, and who was to say it couldn't be taken off the map if needed? He didn't even know if his father and associates, the makers of the map, had ever discovered the room.
"Luna, you are brilliant," Harry finally said.
She smiled. "Thank you. I'm glad I could help. I have to go now; Ginny and I are to meet to study Potions. Have a happy Christmas."
"You, too," they echoed as she walked away.
"Odd bird," Tonks commented. "She's not wearing shoes."
"Maybe the Nargles stole them," Hermione muttered.
"Don't ask," Harry said before Tonks could. "It's just Luna. Odd or not, she figured out something none of us did. It must be the Room of Requirement."
"Now we have to get inside while he is," Hermione said dryly. "Should be easy."
"That's the spirit," Tonks agreed cheerfully.
"You're in a frightfully good mood," said Harry.
"You would be, too, if you were me," she said. "I just returned from the Ministry. My leave was approved; I'm out of this castle until you lot return in January. The others down in Hogsmeade will take shifts covering for me."
Harry's mood plummeted. The one thing that had kept his spirits up about staying at Hogwarts over Christmas was that Tonks would surely be there, too. Now it seemed that she, along with nearly everyone else, would be gone and he would spend the holidays alone.
"That's great, Tonks," said Hermione. "Is that why you left so suddenly yesterday?"
"No, it's not. Just some work is all," she said. Harry gave her a hard look, but she turned away.
"Reckon I gave you a start, tearing out of there like I did. I don't know why I was in such a hurry; had it been an emergency, I would have been summoned." She fished out the medallion around her neck, holding it up for their inspection.
"What is that?" Hermione asked interestedly, taking it from Tonks's hand and examining it despite the fact that it was still attached to the Auror.
"A prototype. We combined protean and portus charms. If I need my team immediately, I activate it. It vibrates and turns warm, and a tap of your wand takes you where you need to go."
"Amazing," Hermione murmured. "You said it's still under development?"
"Yeah, I helped design it," Tonks said proudly. "Much better than Floo-calls. It's been provisionally approved by the Ministry Committee on Experimental Spells and Devices, so now we're the guinea pigs. Once it passes testing, the entire office will have them, and others as well."
"Does that mean it doesn't always work?" Neville asked.
"No, not—" Tonks looked at Neville like she was seeing him for the first time. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
"Neville Longbottom," he mumbled.
"Longbottom," she repeated, her eyes lighting up in recognition. "Delighted to meet you, Nev. No, it doesn't always work. Once I ended up in the middle of a flock of sheep in Cumbria, which is definitely not a back alley in Leeds. I don't know who was more confused. So we're still sorting out the kinks." She gave the medallion a rather forceful tug, prying it out of Hermione's eager hands.
"Anyway, I have some work to do, so I'll say goodbye."
After she left, Harry spirited Hermione and Neville to the covered bridge outside the Clock Tower, casting Muffliato, a handy spell from his old Potions text that placed a buzzing in the ears of anyone nearby,as an extra precaution. The light snow had turned into a biting wind, and they huddled together.
"Malfoy's doing something inside the Room of Requirement, and he uses Crabbe and Goyle to make sure no one gets in while he's there," he said triumphantly. "All we need to do is get inside."
"How? We don't know what he needs the room for, and, er, I don't fancy going against Crabbe and Goyle," Neville said.
"We don't have to. Hermione, do you remember second year? The last time we needed information from Malfoy?"
Her brown eyes lit up. "Of course! But we'll have to steal the ingredients, and it takes at least a month to make, and—"
"We don't need to make it," Harry interjected. "I know where I can get some."
On Tuesday Professor McGonagall summoned Harry to her desk at the end of class. "Potter, an official from the Ministry of Magic wishes to meet with you tonight," she told him, giving him a sharp look.
"The Ministry? Why?" Harry said in alarm.
"I hoped you would be able to tell me that. If you wish, I can send them away. They can't force you to speak with them."
"No, it's fine," Harry said slowly, his curiosity piqued.
"Very well. You may use my office, half past eight." She reeked of disapproval. "I haven't any idea what this is about, but I suggest you tread lightly where the Ministry is concerned." He nodded, shouldering his bag to leave. "One more thing, Potter. Professor Dumbledore wants to see you after your meeting with the Ministry official."
"Why?"
"I'm merely the messenger. If I had to guess, I'd say the two meetings are related. He'll be in his office; the password is 'lemon drop'."
After a late dinner, Harry pushed open McGonagall's door with some trepidation. An impeccably dressed man sat in front of her desk. He rose when Harry entered, giving his hand one firm shake.
"Hello, Mr. Potter. I'm Sanjay Bansal, Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic," he said in a clipped yet polite voice. His dark eyes reminded Harry of Parvati.
"Hello," Harry said awkwardly, taking the empty seat next to him. "Do you work with Percy Weasley?"
"I do. Mr. Potter, do you recall your conversation with Head Auror Gawain Robards during your visit to the Ministry of Magic last month?"
Taken aback by his no-nonsense attitude, Harry nodded. "Yes, I think so."
"You indicated that you'd be willing to lend public support to the Ministry."
"If I agree with what you want to do," Harry qualified, now fully remembering his discussion. He had no idea it would actually lead to something.
"Of course." Sanjay withdrew a roll of parchment from a black leather briefcase and handed it to him. "This is proposed legislation the Department of Magical Law Enforcement wishes to pass through the Wizengamot. Allow me to summarize it for you. Are you familiar with Veritaserum?"
"Yes."
"The use of truth serum is highly controlled by the Ministry, of course. In practice, only Aurors and DMLE patrol squads are allowed to use it." Someone ought to inform Dolores Umbridge, Harry thought, but he stayed quiet. "Unfortunately, the current law prohibits its application unless the suspect voluntarily submits. I'm sure you can see the problem—any guilty suspect would refuse, thus removing one of our tools for justice."
Sanjay paused, and feeling like it was his turn to speak, Harry said, "Okay."
Apparently that was satisfactory. "Therefore we have drawn up legislation to change the regulations and allow our law enforcement officials to administer Veritaserum at their discretion. Not, of course, without due cause."
"Okay."
"What we would like from you is a show of support to rally public opinion before we present it to the Wizengamot."
"Oh." Harry suddenly felt very uncomfortable. All he'd really wanted when he talked to Scrimgeour and Robards was for the Ministry to step up their game without harming innocent people. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Veritaserum would have been an immense help in Umbridge's trial, not to mention Harry's own trial for underage magic. "Well, okay, but—"
"We've scheduled a press conference that coincides with your Christmas holiday to save you the trouble of having to leave school," Sanjay interrupted smoothly. "All we desire is your presence, and perhaps a statement lending your support if the media asks."
Damn it. Reporters. Having bad experiences in the past, Harry loathed reporters. He brushed his fringe out of his face, weighing his options. At least the Ministry, unlike Dumbledore or Ron or the Order, thought Harry's opinion was worth something. And he could do some good—Veritaserum could put Death Eaters in Azkaban and keep innocents such as Stan Shunpike out.
He found himself nodding. "Yeah, I think I can do that."
"Excellent." Rising and replacing the parchment he had given Harry into his briefcase, Sanjay shook his hand again. "This has been most satisfactory. We'll arrange for a secure Auror transport to the press conference. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Potter. I can be reached by owl at the Ministry if you have any questions."
With that he smartly turned on one heel and left. Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, desperately hoping he knew what he was doing.
"Lemon drop."
The stone gargoyle stepped aside, and Harry climbed the circular staircase, turning over his meeting with Sanjay in his mind. Try as he might, he couldn't sense any sort of deception. And all he wanted was a verbal commitment to appear at a press conference; if Harry got wind of something untoward, he would merely skive off, no harm done.
The door to the Headmaster's office swung open. Dumbledore was behind his desk, and he gestured for Harry to take a seat. Nothing was said for a moment.
"You have been busy this term, Harry," Dumbledore finally spoke.
Harry was immediately wary. "Yes, sir."
"I understand you had a confrontation with Draco Malfoy."
"I did." Harry leaned forward. "Sir, I know you told me to forget about him, but if I could just tell you what he said"
"By all means."
Still on his guard, Harry repeated what he had overheard Malfoy say that day in the corridor, waiting for the Headmaster to politely dismiss it, which is more or less what happened. Harry couldn't keep a cynical sigh from slipping out.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "What would you have me do, Harry? Pull Mr. Malfoy out of Transfiguration and take him to Azkaban myself?"
"That would be nice," Harry muttered sarcastically.
"I see your time with Miss Tonks has rubbed off on you." Uh-oh.
Harry sat up straight, but Dumbledore's blue eyes were twinkling. "Regardless of the impression you may have received in the past, I do very much want to help you succeed. Learning to be a more competent duelist is certainly not an undesirable thing. I do not, of course, have any knowledge of illicit activities at Hogwarts."
Harry relaxed just slightly, not sure if he was relieved or suspicious. Did this mean Dumbledore kept an irritatingly close eye on him, or, as Harry had suspected in the past, that he merely had a pretty thorough knowledge of what went on in the castle? Ron's questions about Tonks's motives suddenly ran through his mind, but he shoved them away.
"And that is precisely why I asked you to visit tonight," the Headmaster continued. "There are things you must know, and I cannot wait much longer. You have done an admirable job of equipping yourself, though I must say I am surprised at your dealings with the Ministry—"
"I haven't done anything with them yet," Harry interrupted, tired of everyone giving an unwanted opinion on the matter.
"Just be aware that rarely is anything as it seems when it comes to the Ministry."
"Nothing is ever as it seems, sir," Harry retorted. "Not in this world."
"That may be one of the most important lessons that you have learned, Harry," Dumbledore said
quietly. "And it brings us precisely to one of the most valuable tools to defeating—"
He broke off abruptly, pulling his blackened hand toward his body, drawing in a sharp breath.
"Professor?" Harry asked uncertainly.
After a moment of silence, Dumbledore relaxed, shaking his head at Harry's concern. "My apologies, Harry. Now where were we? Ah, yes. As I said, I hold certain keys to defeating Lord Voldemort, keys that you cannot do without no matter how superb of a fighter you become."
"Then why the roundabout way earlier, sir?" Harry challenged. "You never directly answered my questions."
"Sometimes answers can be confusing if you do not have all the information," he replied in that annoyingly evasive manner. "But I have—"
This time his breath was a distinct hiss, and by the gray pallor of his face beneath the beard, Harry could tell he was in pain.
"Harry, I wonder if we could resume this meeting another time," he said in a surprisingly steady voice. "And I must ask you to fetch Professor Snape for me."
Harry was on his feet, worried about this atypical show of weakness. "Are you sure I shouldn't get Madam Pomfrey?"
"Professor Snape, please."
Not wanting to waste time, Harry pulled his wand and sent a patronus to Snape. Dumbledore nodded and smiled in approval, though his expression was strained. Snape swept in the door a few minutes later, his face betraying nothing as he took in the situation.
"You can leave now, Potter," he ordered, but Harry didn't budge, wanting to know what was happening.
"We shall resume next term, Harry," Dumbledore added.
Harry departed reluctantly, his brow furrowed as he contemplated what happened. Something was wrong with Dumbledore, that much was obvious, but why did he request Snape instead of Pomfrey?
Nearly to the guardian gargoyle, Harry came to a halt. After a brief pause he spun around and ascended the stairs quietly, stopping just by the door. It was thick and wooden, but he'd been able to hear through it before.
"—worse," Snape was saying. "I told you limit exertion of time."
They were speaking in low tones and Harry couldn't make out everything, but he didn't dare press closer.
" a year?" Dumbledore asked. If Snape replied, Harry didn't catch it. "Very well. Tell—" There was a long gap. "—Draco Malfoy."
" won't talk hurt to me. If he keeps endangering other"
Harry listened a bit longer, hearing both his name as well as Tonks, but nothing made sense. He tried to piece together what he had overheard. It sounded very much like Snape and Dumbledore were after Malfoy. If that was the case, Harry didn't understand why he was told to keep out of it. And the black cloud hovering above all was the troubling matter of Dumbledore's strange behavior.
Harry dove, rolling into a crouching position when he landed. One down for good. One incapacitated. The last, spinning around to see where Harry had gone. Diversion. He shot a hex toward his opponent's left and slid to the right at the same time, a reductor curse on the tip of his lips. Just a bit further And as soon as the target's chest was in sight, Harry let loose, shattering his opponent into tiny pieces.
He pushed himself to his feet wearily, testing out his left leg. He'd been caught by a stinging jinx. Harry allowed himself a deep sigh, letting the adrenaline of his prolonged duel—
Slowly, almost comically, he fell backward, unable to catch himself as his limbs were frozen in place. Bloody hell. He waited for the lecture that was undoubtedly on its way.
"And you're dead, Potter."
Tonks's voice floated across the room. He heard a thump and assumed she'd jumped down from her high perch on a ledge on the far wall. Soon enough her face appeared in his line of vision, eyebrows raised expectantly. "I'll give you five minutes to figure out how you messed up while I clean up. If you don't have an answer waiting, you're dueling me, and I have your wand." She plucked the holly wand from his helpless grasp, sliding it into her holster alongside her own.
Harry fumed. Where had he gone wrong? He'd been battling three animated dummies at the same time all night long while Tonks controlled them from afar like a puppet-master. He replayed the last battle in his mind, following his progress as he bobbed and weaved through the storm of spells. He'd caught the first with a trip jinx, using the distraction to curse it. Though it took much longer, the second was eventually struck by the same full body-bind that held Harry, and then—oh. There it was.
True to her word, Tonks reappeared after she repaired the dummies. As soon as he was released, Harry was ready, knowing he only had a few seconds before she hexed him.
"I didn't secure the second target." She motioned for him to continue. "I moved on after putting it in a body-bind."
"If your opponent is alive—"
"It should be stunned, frozen, disarmed, and secured with ropes," Harry finished. "And moved out of sight if possible."
She tossed him his wand. "There you go. Your remaining target could easily have cast a finite without you noticing." She glanced at her watch. "You know what? Let's do one more thing. Your first curse was weak." She pulled one of the dummies into range. "Sorry, Blinky."
Harry chuckled. "You named them?"
"Sure. Blinky, Pinky, and Inky. Now cast the curse." She watched as he did, narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah, you have the incantation down, but your wand movement is off. Come here." Tonks moved behind him, placing her hand over his. "Wave it like this," she murmured, demonstrating, her breath hot against his neck. One free hand lightly rested on his waist.
"Like this?" Harry waved his wand, not really paying attention to what he was doing.
Tantalizingly, this was the closest they'd been since they kissed. Harry turned his attention from his wand to her eyes, an interesting sea green. She was just standing there, smiling slightly, waiting, and it would have been so easy to press his lips to hers again. Just a bend of the neck
BANG BANG.
They flew apart as if they'd been caught in the act. Each spun in wild circles with outstretched wands, looking for the source of the untimely noise.
BANG BANG.
Both gazes were drawn to the door. Surely not. No one knew they were inside, and Tonks had specifically instructed the room not to be found. The room never failed. Tonks crept toward the door, wand still gripped defensively, and Harry followed. He was right behind her when she pressed one ear to the wood.
BANG BANG.
She jumped backward, conveniently into Harry's arms, letting out a muffled girlish squeak that Harry fully intended to take the mickey out of her for later. Somebody was trying to get inside the room. As if of the same mind, both dove for her bag, ruffling through it hastily. However, their goals were different, for when he pulled out the Marauder's Map, she held up two pieces of fleshcolored string.
Thank Merlin for Fred and George Weasley. Each stuck one string in an ear, letting the other ends snake under the door.
"—be right here," Harry heard the unmistakable voice of Draco Malfoy say. "It's never refused to appear."
"Maybe someone is inside." That was Crabbe, Harry thought, unintentionally perceptive.
"No one else knows about the room," Malfoy snapped. "This stupid castle"
His voice faded away as if they were walking off, but when Harry put his hand on the door, Tonks grabbed his wrist.
"What are you doing?" she whispered.
"Following."
"Why? To catch him out of bed?" She shook her head. "What's the point?"
Conceding, Harry activated the map. Sure enough, three dots were headed away from the Room of Requirement. He watched them grow closer to the Slytherin dormitory in the dungeons. Again, Malfoy was just out of their reach; they needed to find him inside the Room of Requirement, not in the corridor outside. At the very least it confirmed that this was the room he was using. And when they returned after Christmas, Harry had a plan.
That reminded him of something as they returned to his dormitory. "So what did you have to go to the Ministry for yesterday?"
"I told you, work." She gave him a sidelong glance. "Just an update in the Hogsmeade investigation."
"Really? What happened?"
"Don't worry about it, Harry. If there is something you should know, I'll tell you, but I can't talk about everything I do. I'd lose my job. I have a security clearance for a reason."
A tiny part of Harry wanted to be annoyed, but he knew it wasn't a matter of trust. With some effort he moved on. "I understand. And you're off for Christmas? What are you going to do?"
"Oh, sleep until noon, get properly drunk, start my Christmas shopping. Just relax. What are you doing over the hols?"
"I'm staying here," he said.
"Why would you want to stay here?"
"It's either here or Privet Drive. The Weasleys invited me, but"
She nodded sympathetically, and then her eyes lit up like the proverbial light bulb clicked on.
"Come stay with me!"
He was so startled he almost stopped walking. "What, you mean, really?"
"No, I lied. Of course, really. Come on! It'll be fun!"
That same tiny part of Harry spoke up again, wondering if she'd been ordered to keep an eye on him, but such sincerity and excitement shown in her eyes that he was easily swayed. "Yeah, that would be great. Thanks, Tonks." He grinned. "Do you have a flat in London, or where?"
Her face dropped. "Oh, right. I don't have a flat anymore."
"What?"
"I gave it up when I was stationed here. No point in paying for a place I don't live in. Um, I guess I'll
go to my parents', then."
"Your parents?"
"It'll still be a blast. They're cool enough, as 'rents go, and they both work, so they won't bother us. They won't care. Say yes, Harry."
He didn't often say no to Tonks, especially not when she was giving him that look, even if the idea of spending the holiday with her was dimmed by the addition of her parents. "Okay," he replied, grinning again.
Her mouth curved in a smile, and with uncharacteristic shyness she ducked her head before quickly changing the subject, talking about her weekend in London.
" and then I said, 'Oi! If you'd put as much effort into giving us good service as you did flirting, maybe he'd actually be interested." Tonks shook her head as they returned to Harry's dormitory.
"Skinny bint."
"Someone doesn't like it when girls fancy Cooper," Harry remarked as casually as he could, his chest tightening.
"That's nothing to do with it. I didn't appreciate an empty glass all evening, and she had less intelligence than a goldfish." She paused as they turned a corner, glancing around to make sure it was empty. "Coop can go out with half the birds in England for all I care. My only requirement for who he dates is that she deserves him."
Harry tried not to read anything into that. "You're awfully protective of him."
"Course I am. He's the brother I never had." She rolled her eyes. "Don't make this into something it isn't, Harry. We're just like you and Hermione."
Except for the fact that in his case, one wasn't obviously in love with the other, but he didn't say anything. Which was a good thing, for when they rounded the next corner, they came up on Professor Sprout.
"My goodness, Nymphadora!" The squat Herbology teacher held a hand over her heart. "You startled me."
"Wotcher, Professor. Sorry about that," Tonks said with a grimace. "And it's just Tonks, please."
Sprout smiled indulgently. "If you insist. I must say, I have the urge to take ten points from Hufflepuff and give a detention.
Tonks laughed. "You know me, the night owl."
"I remember. My greenhouses were never cleaner than those seven years you attended here."
Tonks wrinkled her nose. "Yes, I have such, ah, fond memories of those detentions. But on that note, I'll continue on. If I see any miscreants, I'll be sure to send them your way."
Harry silently laughed to himself, amused by the fact that Tonks's troublemaking reputation still existed. He wondered if McGonagall, so often exasperated with his appearance whenever something out of the ordinary happened, would feel the same way about him ten years down the road.
Assuming he was still alive ten years down the road
Knowing Tonks had no patience with his brooding, as she called it, Harry slipped out from under the invisibility cloak and poked her, grinning, as the Fat Lady appeared in the distance. "Did you always lack the ability to behave or was in an acquired habit?"
"Says the boy I met out of bed in the middle of the night as a tender firstie."
"I had a good reason. I was helping a friend in need," Harry retorted. "What were you doing?"
"Something I wasn't supposed to, I'm sure," she replied. "Drinking, smoking, playing stupid games like Spin the Wand or Truth or Dare."
Harry chortled. "Truth or Dare?"
"That was the best! I never could turn down a good dare," she said with relish.
"Yeah?"
"That's the reason Hagrid never quite looks me in the eye."
"Do I even want to know about this?"
She grinned mischievously. "Sixth year, I took a dare to swim in the nude in the lake, and he was the one who caught me. His face turned as red as a Weasley's hair when I came out. I think he was more embarrassed than me; I was just bloody cold. And then when he tried to tell Professor Sprout what happened classic. Mum sent me a Howler for that. It was epic."
Harry laughed loudly. "Have I told you lately that you're mental?"
"Not today."
"You're mental."
She smiled. "Thank you."
An idea was beginning to form. "So you can't turn down a good dare?" She shook her head, and they walked the last few paces in silence. "Tonks?"
"Hmm?"
"Truth or dare?" She started laughing, but he playfully persisted. "Come on, I've never played. Truth or dare?"
"Dare," she decided, clearly humoring him.
"I dare you to kiss me," he concluded triumphantly. That ought to make up for their interrupted moment in the Room of Requirement.
"And if I say no?" she challenged, though a wicked grin spread across her face.
"Er"
"Learn the rules before you play a game, babe."
Locking her eyes on him, Tonks moved closer. And closer. Then with one sudden movement she seized his waist and stepped forward, one leg between his. A hand crept up into his hair, and when Tonks actually licked her lips, Harry nearly stopped breathing. She tugged his head down, her mouth moving oh so slowly toward his. Her lips parted just slightly and at the last second she turned her head, brushing a kiss against his cheek.
"You didn't say where," she whispered in his ear.
Harry met Hermione outside Slughorn's office for the party.
"You look nice," he told her. She wore a dress of royal blue, while he had pulled on his bottle-green dress robes over trousers and a plain white shirt.
"Thanks," she replied with a pleased smile. "You, too."
"Should we go?" Harry opened the door, gesturing for Hermione to precede him.
They halted when they entered, gazing around in wonder. The office, much larger than normal, was so thoroughly decorated with wall hangings, streamers and soft lights that it was unrecognizable. Loud, formal music could be heard under the babble of the crowd. And a crowd it was, the room so full of students, at least half the staff, and a variety of unknowns that it took Harry a moment to realize that the trays of hors d'oeuvres were carried by Hogwarts house-elves instead of floating on their own, much to Hermione's consternation.
"Wow," Hermione breathed. "He's outdone himself. And is that the Weird Sisters over there?"
"I think so," Harry confirmed, remembering the hairy bass player from the Yule Ball. "Do you want a drink?"
"Yes, that would be nice."
Harry wound his way through the crowd, nearly bowling over an emaciated man with very white skin who eyed him hungrily. Backing away posthaste, Harry reached the drink table and grabbed two glasses of mead, surprised it was allowed at a party for students. Halfway back to where he had left Hermione, he heard a peal of laughter that stopped him in his tracks.
He zeroed in on the source with the unerring precision of the seeker—a long-legged (made even more so by a tiny black skirt) Auror standing close to a brown-haired man. Standing very close. As Harry watched, she laughed again, flipping long blonde hair over her shoulder and touching the man on the arm.
Perturbed, Harry changed direction, completely forgetting about his date as he headed for the Metamorphmagus.
Her blue eyes lit up when she saw him. "Harry! There you are! And you brought me a drink, how sweet." Tonks deftly relieved him of one glass.
"Blimey, you're Harry Potter!" the stranger said, gazing at Harry with awe. "Aidan Lynch."
The name tugged a distant memory. "You're the seeker for the Irish National Squad, aren't you?"
Harry realized aloud, returning the look of awe. A world-class seeker was talking to him like an equal. "I saw you at the World Cup a few years ago. Brilliant, you were."
"Go on, I didn't even catch the Snitch," he said with a self-deprecating smile that soon turned puzzled. "At least that's what I was told, I don't really remember much"
"Still, brilliant."
"Stop being so humble, Aidan," Tonks said. "Now, the next Cup is in a year and a half. Bet Ireland's not looking nearly as confident against England, are they?"
"Wasn't England destroyed last time?" Harry asked.
"Yes, yes, horribly embarrassing," she retorted impatiently. "But they upgraded to Firebolts across the board and replaced Frisby. Much stronger."
Lynch grinned. "It takes more than some brooms and a new keeper to fix that mess, love. I promise—" He broke off as someone bellowed his name across the room. "Ah, Connolly's already pissed. I have to go. Dead chuffed to meet you, Harry. And the lovely lady with no first name, I'll see you again, shall I?"
"Perhaps," Tonks said coyly.
"Nice chap, innit?" she asked when they were left alone.
"I thought he was a bit of a prat, actually," Harry said shortly.
Her grin widened. "Did you? Why, Harry, are you jealous?"
"Should I be?"
She laughed, touching his arm much like he had observed with Lynch. "Please don't. It's the most unattractive quality. Come on, babe, I had to have someone entertain me while I waited for you, and I've always been a sucker for Irish accents." Harry reminded himself not to let Seamus near Tonks. She leaned forward, speaking for his ears only. "And he has green eyes."
Harry couldn't help but return her grin, but it just as quickly disappeared when Hermione tapped his shoulder. "Oh! Sorry, Hermione. Er, this is yours." He held out his own drink, which she took with a wry smile.
"Thanks, Harry. Glad to see you haven't forgotten about me."
"I was just, uh, caught up—"
"Wotcher, Hermione." Tonks cut off his weak reply. "You look particularly gorgeous tonight."
"Oh, this is nothing," Hermione demurred, her cheeks pink. "But you look great."
"I know," Tonks agreed, and all three laughed. "Having a good time?"
"Yes, excellent. I talked to Ginny and Dean for a bit before—oh no." Hermione grimaced as a tall young man bore down on them. Cormac McLaggen, a large seventh-year Gryffindor who'd been eying Hermione since the Quidditch tryouts.
"Hello, Hermione," he said in a confident voice, stepping directly in front of Harry without so much as a second glance. "I was waiting for you to show up."
"Excuse me!" Annoyed, Harry tapped him on the shoulder. "I'm her date."
Cormac turned around, his superior smirk changing to a look of interest. "Potter! I've been looking for you. Heard Weasley quit, so I guess I'm the keeper now."
Harry raised his eyebrows. No matter how well he played, Harry didn't know if he could deal with this attitude. "Oh really? Seems to me that as the captain, I make that decision."
"I was the best at tryouts."
Ignoring the fact that Cormac was a good head taller than him, Harry squared off. "I don't give a damn. I'm the captain, and I'll decide who the new keeper is when I feel like it, and I'll choose who I want. If you want the spot, you might want to remember that instead of making assumptions."
Cormac gave him what Harry figured was meant to be a menacing look before turning back around. This time, it was Tonks that drew his attention, probably because, as Harry had just figured out, Hermione had disappeared. "Hello."
She gave him a friendly smile. "Hi."
"I'm Cormac."
"Nice to meet you, Cormac," she replied without offering her name.
Apparently he took that as a positive sign. "You come often to Sluggy's parties?"
"No, this is my first time." Harry knew Tonks well enough to note the trace of amusement in her voice, and he decided to watch this play out.
"Oh, I've been to all of them. Sluggy's great friends with my uncle, Tiberius McLaggen, works at the Ministry, you know. Best mates with Rufus, I mean to say, Minister Scrimgeour. Sorry, I've been hunting with him so we're rather familiar."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he's practically like another uncle to me," Cormac bragged. "In fact, he's using some of his pull to get me into the Auror Office. Says my marks are so good, I'll be able to skip some training and be on a squad within a year."
Her eyebrows shot sky-high, though her smile didn't budge. "Is that right? An Auror? Fascinating. I suppose you have your application ready to go?"
"No, but it's all about who you know, really. If the Minister of Magic wants you in, you're in. All that paperwork and interviews and references, it's just a formality." He laughed, then seemed to actually notice Tonks for the first time. "You look familiar. What House are you in?"
"Oh, I'm not in a House anymore. I'm just stationed at Hogwarts this year."
"Stationed?" he repeated, recognition dawning on his face.
"Yes, for security." She grinned. "You know, because I'm an Auror."
"Oh, well, uh—"
"Save it for someone who cares. Why don't you run along now? I'd like to spend some time with my friend Harry. Someone who doesn't run his mouth about shite he knows nothing about. I'll be sure to tell your Uncle Tiberius all about our little chat next time I need his signature. Oh, and your good friend 'Rufus'."
Ignoring his hasty excuses about how he was just making conversation and really, neither Uncle Tiberius nor Minister Scrimgeour needed to know their names were involved, Tonks sent him a satisfied smirk and pulled Harry away.
"You're brilliant, you know that?" he said.
"Snotty little braggart twats are a dime a dozen. Give them enough rope and they'll hang themselves."
"I'll remember that. Do you know where Hermione went off to?"
"Probably hiding, if that young behemoth is after her. He is cute, I'll give him that. Shame he has enough ego to fill that overblown chest of his." They looked around for a moment. "No, I don't see—ooh, is that Myron Wagtail over there?" She flashed Harry a quick smile. "I'm going to go talk my way into backstage passes for their next gig. See you tomorrow, babe."
Remembering he was about to spend the next few weeks with Tonks, Harry couldn't feel the least bit put out as she slipped through the crowd. He continued his search for Hermione, finally spotting her chatting with Melinda Bobbin, but halfway there a large shadow blocked his way.
"Harry, m'boy!" boomed Slughorn, who had clearly had more than one glass of mead. He threw a meaty arm around Harry's shoulders and steered him to the middle of the room.
Harry spent the next hour forcing small talk as Slughorn introduced him to friend after friend, from Ministry officials to wizarding celebrities, and a very uncomfortable ten-minute conversation with Professor Trelawny. When Harry finally managed to escape his grasp, leaving Slughorn in a spirited debate with Ambrosius Flume over the proper amount of sugar coating to use in crystallized pineapple, he was determined to find Hermione and leave. He'd had enough party for one night.
He found her with Tonks next to a table of Christmas crackers and various desserts. "Hermione, are you ready to go?"
"Absolutely." She appeared relieved. "Cormac's been chasing me all over the room. It wasn't until I found Tonks that he left me alone."
He turned to the Auror. "Get your backstage pass?"
"I did. I have amazing powers of persuasion, if I do say so myself." She beamed, her cheeks rather rosy.
"Enjoying the mead, are you?" he asked, noticing the glass in her hand.
"Indeed, though not as much as you suspect."
He exchanged a grin with Hermione. "Well, if my date doesn't mind, would you like to walk back with us?"
"I'd be delighted." Tonks drained the glass in one impressive gulp, and they left.
When their paths diverged, Tonks gave Hermione a hearty hug. "Have a lovely holiday, Hermione."
She winked at Harry when they parted. "And of course I'll see you tomorrow, babe."
"Can't wait," Harry said, grinning rather foolishly.
Hermione cast a suspicious glance at him, but it wasn't until they reached the seventh floor that she spoke. "Harry?"
"Hmm?" He was lost in a rather pleasant half-daydream that involved Tonks receiving the perfect Christmas present from him. Which he had yet to think of, but that didn't matter.
"Tonks was very pretty tonight, wasn't she?"
"She always is," he replied absently.
"Merlin's pants!"
Harry was startled out of his thoughts. "Why are we discussing an ancient wizard's undergarments?"
"You fancy her," she said.
"Who?"
"Tonks, of course."
"Oh, her. Yes, I do."
She looked liked she'd been prepared to argue. "Oh. And does she fancy you as well?"
That was the question, wasn't it? "I'm not sure."
"Oh," she repeated. "Well good luck, Harry."
"Did you just wish me luck?"
"Yes. Not to be rude, but after Cho and Parvati, I figured you could use it."
Harry's laughter carried them all the way to their dormitory and woke the Fat Lady.
After lunch on Saturday, Harry immediately returned to Gryffindor Tower with his classmates, all chatting and joking loudly in high spirits about the holiday. Throwing some clothes into his bag, he joined the queue outside Professor McGonagall's office to Floo to their respective homes, each class having been given an appointed time to stagger the departures.
"Bye, Harry!" Parvati called before she disappeared past the door.
Harry waved, pleased.
"She's talking to you again?" Neville asked, surprised.
"Appears so."
"I think she decided to expand her circle of friends," said Hermione.
"What do you mean?"
"Won-Won and Lav-Lav are attached at the hip these days, and Lavender is Parvati's best friend, isn't she? Even in our dorm he's all Lavender talks about." Hermione nodded up ahead, where Ron and Lavender were having a hard time detaching themselves.
Harry's stomach clenched uncomfortably at the mention of Ron. This would be the first Christmas he spent without his friend since arriving at Hogwarts. He was sure he wouldn't receive the traditional Weasley jumper and mince pies. It almost wouldn't seem like a holiday without his surrogate family.
"Harry, why don't you come see me after Christmas?" Hermione's voice brought him back to the present. "Mum and Dad have heard so much about you, and I'd love to show you where I grew up."
Harry stared at her. With a wave of shame, he realized he'd never seen her house, never spoken to her parents beyond an occasional quick greeting at King's Cross station. He knew nothing, in fact, about her life beyond Hogwarts, and she was supposed to be his best friend. Harry resolved to rectify this, and it appeared here was his chance.
"And I know Gran wouldn't mind having you for tea," Neville joined in enthusiastically. "You, too, Hermione. I've never really had friends over."
"That is, if you're not too busy with Tonks," Hermione added slyly.
Pleased with his invitations, Harry grinned. "I'll owl you both," he promised as the door in front of him swung open. "Have a happy Christmas!"
When he entered, McGonagall waved a hand at the fireplace. "The Floo powder is on the mantle,"
she said without looking up from her desk.
"Happy Christmas, Professor." Harry took a handful of the fine green powder.
"Potter? Wait a moment, please." Dropping her quill, the witch came around her desk. "The Tonkses have placed every possible security measure on their house for the duration of your visit.
They insist they don't mind, and they were very kind to invite you, but please keep it in mind. Let's have no more shenanigans from you and Nymphadora, even if you are in the right."
Harry blinked. Another hint she agreed with him about the Order. "I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises about Tonks," he said with a cheeky smile.
"No one ever could. And Harry?" He turned back. "Do try to have a good Christmas."
"You, too, Professor." Avidly hoping that Tonks had already arrived at her parents' house, Harry threw the powder into the fireplace and stepped into the green flames, shouting the address she had given him.