All I Know Is I Won't Go Speechless

by DZ2

First, there were Dementors, then dictating advice and the Order. Now, they expect him to sit there, smile and wag his tail, his voice drowned out in the thunder? No, Harry will not be silent anymore: he has a voice and it's time they remember that. Grey Powerful Harry/Tonks

5. Tonks' Favour

All I Know Is I Won't Go Speechless

Disclaimer/Plot/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER

Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to my good friend Winged Seer Wolf for helping to inspire me: my recommended reads are Apex by JustBored21, Reclaiming the House of Black by Fairywm, Aspirations by megamatt09, Dark Prince Rises by Ronin2106, Who Dares Wins by OlegGunnarsson, Dark Lord Potter Part 1 by The Santi, Breaking Point by Darth Wartriarr, Harry Potter And The Summer Of Change by lorddwar, His Loyal Pet and To Date a Metamorph by Just a Lonely Lorekeeper, Behind Blue Eyes by elmembrila, Harry Potter and the Daft Morons by Sinyk, Partners? By ReluctantSidekick and Harry Potter and the Grim Heritage by shinobikarasu

Key Pairing: Harry/Tonks; Neville/Ginny; Ron/Luna

Other Pairings: To be determined

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

/Parseltongue/

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"Nymphadora, and don't call me that, Tonks, reporting for duty with the wish of siding with the Grey, Lord Potter-Black, sir!"

Even with all the confusion he felt, Harry couldn't resist laughing along with the Weasleys when Tonks actually saluted him, like a soldier reporting to her superior, as she delivered her reason for being there in the first place.

Though not before Harry scoffed as he told her, "No, don't do that, Miss Tonks…I'm not Dumbledore or Voldemort, so please don't salute."

"Aye-aye, Captain," laughed Tonks as she saluted again, earning a groan from Harry.

"I had to declare myself the one to form this new faction, didn't I?"

Chapter 5: Tonks' Favour

After Harry had made it clear that the battle-lines were well-and-truly drawn, life in Grimmauld Place became something close to tense, if not like walking on eggshells because of how the very House and all within it had become as divided as Light vs. Darkness.

On one side, you had Harry, Ron, Ginny, Tonks, Sirius, Remus and the Twins, all of whom seemed to need daily Headache Potions with how there wasn't one day that went by without Molly or Hermione complaining, one about what they were getting up to and the other about how unfair it was that she was being pushed aside.

However, more often than not, it was Harry who countered Hermione as he told her, "Well, maybe you shouldn't have tried to be right all the time and steal from me…again."

When she asked him what he meant by that, Harry had one word for her, "Firebolt."

Speechless

On the other side, naturally, were Hermione, Molly, Arthur – though he seemed content to be more of a neutral observer with the kids – and the majority of the Order. Like Arthur, the only one whom Harry seemed to respect enough to occasionally chat about ideas for future studies was Alastor Moody, who, like Arthur, seemed to have decided he was fine taking a backseat and only being there if the Order needed him to be there.

If Harry asked questions, however, the ex-Auror gladly indulged the boy's curiosities, discussing things like defence strategies, tales of hits-and-misses he'd suffered on the battlefield and, to Sirius and Remus' relief and delight, even indulging Harry with talks about James Potter's time as Mad-Eye's just-as-eager apprentice.

During one of their talks, he even told Harry, "If you ever want to take your Dad's place, Potter, I do owe you."

"I'm independently focused, Alastor, not suicidal," retorted Harry, remembering Tonks' talks about the sort of mentor that Alastor Moody was.

Suffice to say, it made Harry consider preferring learning Defence from someone like Snape compared to the horror stories fed to his imagination by the young Auror.

Speechless

With help and support, not only from Tonks, Sirius and Remus, but his friends as well, Harry was a little surprised to notice he was actually starting to develop a bit of muscle over the time between his arrival and his date with the Ministry.

Thanks to Kreacher or Dobby – who flat-out refused to allow interfering-she-harpy to serve Dobby's Master Harry Potter's food – Harry ate like a king at every meal, as did his friends. On one occasion, Hermione had tried to take some of the food, chastising Harry for wasting Mrs Weasley's fine cooking, only to have her hand burned by the food.

However, when Harry picked it up and gobbled it up, he mockingly licked his lips and patted his belly as he laughed, "Mmm, food of the gods, these: remind me to thank my house elves for serving their master such a fine delicacy for absolutely nothing!"

Suffice to say, Hermione never ate anything Harry did ever again; in fact, she soon became inconspicuous by her absence at mealtimes – during one of which, Sirius had asked Harry to borderline-beg Dobby and Kreacher for aid when Granger had been caught sneaking into the Black Library, only to end up nearly losing her fingers to a defence on one of the books there – not that the Grey Brigade were complaining.

Although, when Harry suggested the name for the 'order' of their own, he couldn't understand why Sirius and Remus kept laughing, until Tonks explained it was a euphemism for old men and women.

Weirdly, when Harry said about changing it, it was Ginny who cut him off, "Maybe having them think we're a band of adults will make them accept it's time they started treating us like adults."

As well as their fun and games as friends, Harry – with more help from Tonks, Sirius and Remus – also worked on building his arsenal, as did the Twins, Ginny and Ron, though, much to Ron's relief, they managed to keep the actual study time to a minimum and, instead, Sirius cleared a space in the Black Library for them to duel each other, using their skills and experiences to survive and score points against the other. He also provided dummies for the more-lethal spells, which, in the case of the unofficial Grey Lord, meant that Harry could start working on fighting fire with fire.

However, much to the unease of his friends, as well as his godfather and honorary godfather, the closer Harry got to his trial date, the more he seemed to become focused, if not obsessed, on distracting himself with training.

Until the night before, at least.

Speechless

"Harry."

A nearby training dummy suddenly found itself looking like Swiss Cheese.

"Harry, will you stop…"

A second dummy lost its head…literally.

"Harry, I'm trying to talk to you…"

Blue-coloured flames incinerated a third dummy, freezing halfway through the burn before they caused the dummy to shatter like glass.

"Damnit, Harry, will you…"

A final dummy had its arms and legs tied up in such a manner that it ended up looking like a strand of DNA…

"All right, I didn't want to do this."

Before Harry had a chance to stop her from doing what she did next, an irate Nymphadora Tonks threw herself between his wand and the final dummy; as Harry began intoning his spell, he saw her move, thankfully stopping himself before the Auror was seriously wounded by a curse that Harry knew was a Black Family speciality.

It was thanks to Sirius that he had access to such spells and knowledge.

Speechless

As his godfather had revealed, Harry was actually related to the Blacks through his grandmother, Dorea Black, but, shortly after going on the run following the end of his godson's third year, Sirius had taken a big risk and gone to Gringotts to name Harry his heir.

In the event of Sirius' death, Harry would get everything, but, at the current moment in time, his boy had unlimited access to whatever he wanted or needed to get his hands on to make him a better sorcerer and, next time, maybe even stand up to Old Snake Face – Sirius' words – for longer than the time it took to cast a Disarming Jinx.

This also made Harry, as Sirius had revealed to everyone after his boy had planted his flag in the ground and declared the formation of his band of Merry Men and Women, Harry James Potter-Black.

Sirius' honorary son, Junior Master of the House and Heir of the Black Family.

Pity anyone stupid enough to get in his way, Sirius did not!

Speechless

"Damn it, Nymphadora! I could have killed you."

"Sorry, Mad-Eye," drawled Tonks, not even concerned with Harry using her first name – as that seemed to be a privilege reserved only for him, for reasons neither of them could figure out or understand – as she moved towards him, slamming her hands onto his shoulders as she told him, "At least I didn't have to flash my boobs to get your attention."

"You have boobs?" asked Harry, letting his eyes roam downwards.

"Eyes up, Romeo," laughed Tonks, taking Harry's chin in one hand before she smiled at him as she explained, "My point is: in case you've forgotten, your trial is tomorrow."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"You need to rest, and think about what you're going to say," said Tonks, though not before she smiled again as she bopped him on the nose with a finger as she added, "But if you go in with that attitude and cuss your balls out, I'll certainly have a good laugh."

"You?" asked Harry.

"Yep," replied Tonks, moving her hands from Harry's shoulders as she explained, "Mad-Eye's orders…and Sirius' too: I'm going to escort you there and, fortunately for you and unfortunately for the dicks in red cloaks, my Dad, Edward, is going to represent you as your legal defence."

"So, I finally get to meet your parents? Lucky me," drawled Harry, earning a soft laugh from Tonks as she tousled his hair, even as Harry scoffed before he asked, "So, what's your point, Nym? I'm just burning off some energy."

"No, you're trying to distract yourself and that's keeping your mind and body awake and in a state of alarm…don't you dare!"

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Roared Harry, earning a scoff from Tonks.

"I cannot believe I walked into that one."

"Well, you did call me Mad-Eye," laughed Harry, earning another scoff from Tonks while Harry sighed softly as he added, "Listen, I know everyone's worried about me, but, honestly, I'm fine. And, to be honest, knowing I have a lovely lady on my arm and, obviously, a damn fine Matt Murdock waiting for me in the Ministry makes me feel a bit better."

"He's not Daredevil," laughed Tonks, earning a blanched look from Harry, which made her laugh again as she nodded, "Dad's Muggleborn, so I grew up around comic books, Harry, but I bet he'd appreciate the comparison…oh, and when you meet him, you should know he prefers Ted to Edward…"

"Just like how a lovely lady I know prefers her surname to the gift of the nymphs that is her first name?" asked Harry, earning a blush from Tonks that turned her hair just as red as the rest of her was turning.

"That's it; no more private talks with Sirius on flirting."

"Who's flirting?" asked Harry, earning a scoff from Tonks, even as Harry sighed softly before he asked, "So, you say training isn't the way to help me relax? What is? And don't say five minutes getting intimate with my left hand."

"Five minutes?" asked Tonks, deciding to fight fire-with-fire as she laughed, "Pity your poor girlfriend if you reach an orgasm that quickly, Harry."

"Oh, push off…" sneered Harry, turning on his heel as he went to leave the library.

"Wait," said Tonks, moving to catch up with him; when she did so, she took his hand as she added, "I'm sorry, Harry; I'm just trying to see you smile and be…well, be Harry. And you're right, I do know a way to help you relax that, while it's not as fun as I bet the left-handed treatment would be, I hope it's just as effective…you might even enjoy it."

"I'm listening," said Harry, though, when he turned back to Tonks, she saw him smile with a sly air that told her she'd fallen into a trap.

Namely the one where Harry had known she would go after him and try and console him…and he wanted her to do it.

'Dear Merlin,' thought Tonks, trying and failing to stop herself blushing and her hair turning a new shade of red as she wondered, 'Is Harry actually trying to be flirty with me? I'm old enough to…well, be a loving big sister, maybe, but…damn you, Sirius.'

Trying to ignore her dilemma, Tonks drew in a deep, relaxing breath as she pulled Harry back into the duelling space; once they were stood together, Tonks drew her wand before she flicked it at one of the destroyed dummies, transforming it into a long, soft-topped table with a blanket and cushions for the body to rest on top of.

"A massage?" asked Harry, looking to Tonks before he smiled thinly as he asked, "I know you said I might enjoy it, Nymphadora, but if you wanted to touch my body, you only had to ask."

"Harry, do you even realise what you're saying?"

"Teenage boy meets shapeshifting girl who, even normally, looks like a fallen angel who wants to take care of him, stand with him and make him smile, even when others fail spectacularly," laughed Harry, shrugging ruefully as he lifted a hand before he added, "I mean, I kind of prefer you as a brunette, or with that nice bubblegum colour of yours, but red's nice too."

"You do remember your Mum had red hair, don't you?"

"And you remember the Weasley girl who is like a sister to me who also had a thing for the big, bad, Boy-Who-Lived, right?" asked Harry, earning a scoff from Tonks, even as Harry sighed softly before he nodded, "All right, Nymphadora: I'll play your game since you were so kind to play mine. So, do you want to see what's hiding beneath these clothes or will you be a lady and look away?"

Again, Tonks decided to fight fire with fire as she shrugged ruefully, "Meh, I'm sure I'll have seen better: besides, you get changed around your teammates on the Quidditch Team, don't you?"

"Touché, Tonksy-baby," laughed Harry, earning a laugh from Tonks.

Why was it he seemed so focused and obsessed one minute and, the next thing she knew, he was trying to mirror that iron-armoured hero that she remembered from the same comic books as Harry's Daredevil reference?

Once Harry had stripped down to his underwear, Tonks nodded once before she indicated the massage table, "Now then, if you'd like to lie down on your belly, so we can begin, I'd much appreciate it."

"Okay," agreed Harry, moving to do as Tonks suggested before he looked back to her as he asked, "By the way, I can imagine you don't like people telling you what to look like, but, please, Nymphadora, can you go back to bubblegum for me?"

Moments later, Tonks' hair was bubblegum-pink as she laughed before indicating the table, "Lie down, now: if you behave, I might let you tell me what to look like when we train together in future."

'Although I still can't believe he's flirting with me…and I'm letting him!' Tonks added in thought, though not before she shivered slightly as she added to herself, 'Or that I like it so much: I mean, he's seven years younger than me and yet…gods, when he smiles…and when he's being happy and jokey with me…or with anyone…and those eyes…'

While Tonks was getting lost in her own thoughts, she managed to gather enough self-awareness to conjure up a bottle of massage oil while, at the same time, again deciding it was only fair to fight fire with fire, but in a different way, she stripped down to her t-shirt and jeans, though not before Harry growled playfully at her.

"Why Miss Tonks, how long have you been hiding this goddess beneath those oversized robes of yours?"

"Probably about as long as you've been hiding Average Joe here under yours," retorted Tonks, though, inside, she was howling with laughter, almost as though her last barrier of resistance had fallen.

Besides, she was the one who often winked at Harry playfully and, when they studied, she was always hanging near or over him and he never even complained; nor had he complained or resisted when she'd touched his shoulders, chin and nose…and now, she was about to touch more.

As Harry lay down on the table, resting his head in the appropriate spot, he couldn't resist one final parting shot, "Say, Nymphadora: do you know a spell that can soften certain hard areas?"

"What?"

"Well," said Harry, gesturing to his lower body while he stayed face-down as he added, "You're a beautiful lady about to rub her hands onto this handsome bastard's skin and I'm a handsome, suave teenager with the maturity level of James Potter and Sirius Black combined: I'd hate to have to wriggle about a bit because my wand's in an uncontrollable mood…and I don't mean the wood stored in my robe pocket either."

"I suppose," agreed Tonks, waving her wand over Harry's body before she smiled as she added, "There; no need for any discomfort in any area, although if you still feel tempted later, can you promise me you'll lock the door first?"

"Pinky swear," laughed Harry, though, before he had a chance to say something more, his words were drowned out by a moan as Tonks began rubbing the oil into his shoulders, her fingers moving with such rhythm and care that he might as well have been a precious item in her hands. She also managed to operate with the skill of one who'd been trained by the best, which only made Harry curious, but he decided to save the questions for when the gates to heaven closed to him.

Though he didn't forget to thank this beautiful creature for the foresight to negate his pleasure centres, however she'd done it.

Put it this way, he would definitely sleep better tonight…

Chapter 5 and it looks like our favourite female Auror has given Harry one hell of a calm before the storm, but what sort of rolling thunder and crashing lightning will await him as he goes up against the Ministry of Morons?

Also, is Tonks really just playing along or will she allow herself to embrace more than just Harry's flirtatious manner?

Keep Reading to Find Out

Next Chapter: Harry Potter: Champion of the Triwizard Tournament, Slayer of Dark Lords and Snake Kings: you now face a Minister who is an idiot, a toad who seriously needs an Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor and a band of yes-men with the collective intelligence, self-confidence and self-thought that'd make the memory-less Lockhart seem preferable: hmm, I wonder who is going to win?

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