"This meeting is now in order," Albus Dumbledore said confidently.
It was two nights after her evening with Harry and one night before her next evening with Malfoy. Tonks was again guarding Gringotts this week, but luckily her replacement was on time today. She hated to admit it, but she was tired. Tonks knew she had to get some rest soon. Celeste was a full body morph that had to last several hours. If Tonks didn't get some sleep, she didn't know if she could hold the morph properly for the whole time. She counted, it had been fifteen days since her last day off. She was supposed to have a day off on Saturday, but she donated that day to the Order. Merlin, she needed to rest. It was dreamless sleep for her tonight!
"Hagrid and Madame Maxime left for the giants yesterday. We're hoping that there might be a new Gurg that would be willing to help us. We will receive one communication from them when they are there, and then we won't hear from them until they are back," Dumbledore said.
Tonks always like Hagrid. Honestly, she didn't really know him that well; he seemed to favor Gryffindors over every other house. She had heard all about the last trip, which hadn't been successful. She hoped that this trip would go better for him.
"Remus, would you care to go next?" Albus asked.
Tonks wondered what he would say. Though Remus was very active in the order, he actually didn't say much in meetings.
"I've gone and made some contacts with other werewolves. Most are dismissive. They refuse to help any wizard, because of the rights they are denied. A select few are willing to help. They aren't interested in coming to the meetings, but will help if we ask. They just ask if we could start lobbying for some changes. Especially the legislation that prevents them from getting jobs," Remus said softly.
"I could bring up a petition to nix that law at the next counsel meeting," Hestia Jones said quickly. Hestia was a short witch, even shorter than Tonks, and she was on the law making board. "Honestly, it will probably be rejected quickly, Remus. But at least that would show them we are acting in good faith."
Let's see, Tonks thought, we've had giants and werewolves, what's next? House-Elves?
"After some consideration, I have decided that it has come time to pay all of the house-elves at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said as Tonks giggled in being correct. "I realize that most of them are going to be insulted, which is why I'm going to offer a very low salary to start. I would encourage those of you who have house-elves to do the same."
Goblins have to be next, Tonks thought.
"Has anyone thought about the size of the Order since last meeting?" Tonks was disappointed that she got the next topic wrong.
The meeting passed without much ceremony. Severus hadn't anything to add, and Tonks certainly wasn't going to share what she'd been up to.
"Does anyone have anything to add?"
It was now or never. She raised her hand. "Tonks?"
Tonks stood up. "I took Harry to Diagon Alley on Saturday, which you might have all seen in The Dailey Prophet yesterday. He told me that he thought he felt You-know-how try to control his mind a few nights ago. Anyone guarding him has to be extremely careful when at watch at night. Harry felt the need to leave the house until he fought back."
"He told you this?" Dumbledore asked sharply.
"Yes."
"Who else knows this?"
"Myself and some of the Weasley children. The twins, Ron and Ginny. And now everyone here at the meeting," Tonks replied timidly.
"I see. Everyone who guards Harry must be very careful. If this is indeed true, and Voldemort is trying to get into Harry's mind, I am very troubled. It also means that there might be Death Eaters lurking around Privet Drive. Please use extreme caution at all times.
"This meeting is adjourned. You will all be alerted to when the next one it. Thank you all. Tonks, Severus, a word if I may?"
After everyone had left, Dumbledore asked, "Have you made contact with Malfoy yet, Tonks?"
"Yes, I have. My guess is it will be a while before he trusts me enough to go to a meeting. I'll do what I can though."
Tonks noticed he still averted his eyes from her. "Stop it," she ordered.
"Pardon?"
"Professor Dumbledore, Albus. Please look at me. If it's pity you're feeling, I don't want it. I've accepted that my way of getting in league with the Death Eater's is through being with Malfoy. Please, can't you just accept it too, without feeling sorry for me?" Tonks said firmly.
Dumbledore looked straight at her. "You're right of course. I just can't help thinking there could have been another way."
"Well, if there was, it's too late now," Tonks tried to make light of the situation.
"I won't ask how things are going again, Nymphadora," Tonks shuddered at the use of her first name. "I just ask that you inform me when you have been accepted as a Death Eater."
"I certainly will, Professor Dumbledore."
"Now if you'll excuse us, Severus and I have some issues to discuss."
"Oh," Tonks realized she was being kicked out. "Of course. Have a good night, Professor. Severus."
Her eyes locked with Severus' just then. "Tonks," he said, "I have some more of that potion for you. Here." As he took out a vial out from beneath his robes, he took a step towards her. Gently, she reached for the rose colored vial.
"Thank you for this, Severus. I mean it." She didn't wait for a response before she was out the door.
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Malfoy put down his drink as he started laughing. "You mean to tell me that you ran away from home because your parents took away your owl?"
Tonks was amusing Malfoy with tales of Celeste's past. So far, everything she told him was true, just that they came from Tonks' past, and she was very careful to omit tales of morphing.
"My parents said that I was tiring my poor owl out. I made her deliver messages to my friends almost five times a day. Hey, when you're thirteen, you want to talk to your friends. I convinced myself I had nothing to live for once they wouldn't let me use Cerise anymore. So I ran away."
So far the evening had been going very well. Malfoy was on time, and wasn't drunk. That alone had to be an accomplishment. Tonks knew she wasn't going to learn anything on this outing, so she just wanted the evening to end.
"You must have been terrified out by yourself," Malfoy said, "My son ran away once, when he was eight. We found him two hours later, hiding in the neighbor's back yard."
"Well, I was much more successful, I'm glad to say. They didn't find me for five days." Tonks didn't add that the only reason she wasn't found was because she had gotten the hang of morphing faces by then, so her parents never saw her while they were looking. Tonks actually gave up after five days because she had ran out of money and was hungry.
Malfoy took her hand. "Somehow I don't see you as the kind to run away from things, Celeste."
"I like to cause trouble, Lucius. Or haven't I shown you that yet?" Tonks said seductively.
Malfoy took a final gulp of his drink. "Would you like to get out of here?" he asked.
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Two hours later Tonks was back at twelve Grimmauld Place. Having showered, she reflected on the evening. She was very glad her evening with him was over. Malfoy surprised her after they had finished.
"I wish you could stay the night," he said.
Tonks brushed him off, while she started to get dressed. "You wouldn't want me here, disrupting your routine."
"No, I really would like you here besides me. It's just my wife sometimes comes over in the morning. I'm not about to let her see another woman in my bed. Can you understand that?"
"Of course I can, Lucius," she said as she gave him a kiss on the nose, "Now when can we meet again?
Tonks forced herself back the present. It bothered her a bit that Malfoy wanted her to stay the night. She really hoped he wasn't getting attached to her. Tonks wanted Celeste to be a shag, nothing more than that.
She poured herself a cup of the contraception potion. This time she actually let herself enjoy the taste, seeing as it was pretty good. Again, she thought of Severus and how good of him it was to make this for her.
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Tonks' life fell into a predictable pattern over the next few months. She worked her shifts as an Auror, went to Order meetings, and then at least once or twice a week shared an evening with Lucius Malfoy. She also didn't have time to take another shift to guard Harry before he left for Hogwarts, which she felt awful about. She hoped he would understand.
She started to get frustrated about Malfoy. Tonks had tried to avoid bringing up Death Eater related topics because she didn't want to seem too pushy. But she knew sooner or later she was going to have to mention that she would like to join. Preferably after a very good romp in the sheets.
Just as she decided that she was going to ask Lucius to join, Tonks found she had a new Auror assignment. Instead of Gringotts, which she had been guarding for the last three months, she had been assigned to Hogwarts.