Severus and Tonks broke away quickly after hearing Albus' voice. "Severus, I would like to have a word with you, if I may. Nymphadora, kindly go upstairs and wait for me at the staircase by my office."
Maybe it was hearing the disappointment in Professor Dumbledore's voice, or maybe it was hearing her first name. Whatever it was, Tonks shot a quick glance at Severus and walked out of the dungeons like she had detention.
She waited by the staircase for almost a half an hour until she saw Albus slowly walking down the hallway. He walked right by her and said to the gargoyle statue, "Fizzing Whizbee." He gave Tonks a look that clearly meant "Follow me."
She followed him into his office and sat down in a chair in front of his desk. Professor Dumbledore took his time settling in his chair behind his desk. Sighing, he placed the tips of his fingers together. Tonks refused to start talking first.
"What I just saw down in Professor Snape's office has disturbed me greatly," he started. Tonks took a deep breath; she had no reason to be ashamed, no reason to launch into an explanation of what happened, promising never to do it again. That's probably what he expects, she thought to herself.
"Why?" Tonks asked after a minute of silence. Albus looked taken aback at the question.
"I think that would be obvious Nymphadora," he said, one eyebrow raised.
Tonks felt anger rising up in her. "You'll have to explain it to me, then," she challenged.
"Nymphadora, is it fair to Severus, playing with him like that?" he asked gently.
"Playing with him? I'm not playing with him!" she retorted hotly, "A lot has happened since I became a Death Eater, Professor. You said you only wanted to know when I'm in. Well I told you. I'm in."
He nodded, "Fair enough, that is what I asked of you. But I will not have you risk both yours and Severus' life," he said.
"How am I risking our lives by having a snog, Professor?" Tonks asked quietly.
"From what I can tell, it's much more than a snog, Nymphadora," Albus answered.
Do not apologize, she told herself. "Professor Dumbledore, Albus," she started, "I don't see why if Severus and I decide to peruse a relationship, it would compromise anything."
"I see it differently, Nymphadora. Severus has been very troubled for a long time. I will not see him hurt by you," Albus said quietly.
"You think this is just a fling for me?" she asked, dumfounded.
"What else is it? He's fifteen years your senior. You're young, beautiful and have your whole life ahead of you. He's a mentally disturbed professor who you now have wrapped around your little finger. He gave up Lucius Malfoy for you, who I believed we needed for information. He sent Draco to Azkaban, who we can no longer try to convert to our side. He would give his life for you Nymphadora, and I can't have that," Albus said, eyes blazing.
"I love him!" Tonks yelled, standing up. "What are you more worried about, Albus? That Severus might be in trouble or that the Order isn't running quite the way you like it?"
Tonks placed her hands on his desk and leaned towards Professor Dumbledore. "I'm not going to stay here anymore and listen to this, Professor. But I will leave you with this. Have no doubt that I would gladly give my life for Severus as well." With that she turned around and marched out of Professor Dumbledore's office. As she reached the door, she paused, and said, "I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow night." Albus nodded.
As soon as Tonks left the office, she broke into a run to find Severus. She tried the dungeons first, but with no luck. Running up to his bedchamber, she pounded on the door, "Severus, please open up. We need to talk!"
The door opened quickly and Severus grabbed her arm and brought her into his room. "Keep your voice down in the hall," he hissed.
Tonks went to wrap her arms around him, but Severus brushed her aside. "Severus?" Tonks asked quietly.
"Dora, I need to think. Please go, I will see you at the meeting tomorrow."
Tonks felt like a bucket of ice water had been thrown on her. "What did he tell you?" Tonks demanded. She had never seen him look so vulnerable. She wanted to hold him and tell him that everything would indeed be all right.
Severus looked at her sadly, "I can't talk tonight."
"What did he say?" she asked, lowering her voice. "Did he tell you that I only think of you as a fling? That I'm too young and beautiful to ever really have any interest in you? Did he?"
Tonks felt tears starting to run down her cheeks. "Please Severus, just an hour ago you told me not to cry any more. Please don't make me cry," she begged.
"I did tell you that, didn't I?" he gave her a watery smile, "That was before…please, Dora, please just go."
Disbelieving, Tonks grabbed a handful of floo powder and left the room as quickly as she could.
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The next evening, at the Order meeting, Tonks kept trying to gage Severus and what he was feeling for her. She could tell nothing, he refused to look at her. The meeting went quickly enough. Severus reported details of Lucius being in Azkaban, failing to mention he had been the one in fact to make that happen. He also reported that there were going to be a round of attacks soon. Tonks perked up at that, that piece of information hadn't gotten to the regular Death Eaters yet.
After the meeting, Albus asked if he could talk to her and Severus. Just as they were sitting down, Severus' right hand flew to his left arm. A moment later, Tonks too felt the Dark Mark burn.
"Are you being summoned, too?" Severus asked her quietly. She nodded. They both stood up, "Albus we will talk to you later," Severus said, taking out his Death Eater's mask from beneath his robes.
"I need to go upstairs and change. I'll meet you there," Tonks said, already starting to run upstairs.
Ten minutes later, Tonks stood in a field with a group of almost a hundred Death Eaters. Lord Voldemort was already center stage.
"Tonight we start the first round of terror, my loyal followers! Tonight, there will be ten Dark Marks floating in the sky to let the world know that we are back! Find a leader, go out and spread the word of the Dark Lord!" he cried and disappeared.
Tonks looked wildly around for Severus, but knew it was no use. There were simply too many people here to find him. She huddled with a group, hoping he might be there. "We have a good assignment," the leader of the group said eagerly. "We're going to go to the metamorph's house and show her who's boss. She must be kept alive at all costs. Killing her is killing yourself, understood?"
Tonks froze. The Death Eaters' were after her. They couldn't have found out about the Order! Then she remembered, she never told the Ministry her new address. According to their records, she still lived at her old apartment. The Death Eaters were going to come down on a completely innocent family.
She heard the leader give out her old address and told everyone to apparate there. How had they gotten her old address so easily? They must have a spy in the Ministry. That was the only way. She wondered who else was going to get a visit tonight.
Two minutes later, Tonks looked up at her old apartment, where she had lived for three years. It was an older building, not in the best neighborhood, since a starting Auror salary didn't pay for much more. Tonks felt sick to her stomach, mainly muggles lived there. The Death Eaters would have no problem killing the muggles they found there.
"Lumos," the leader said, and everyone else in the group cast the same spell. With a flash of light, the leader knocked down the building's door and the group rushed in. "2A," the leader called and everyone ran up the stairs.
The person who got to the door first quickly blast it open and ran inside. The group eagerly followed. Tonks went inside and took a breath of relief; the apartment was completely empty. No people, no furniture, nothing. The buildings owners must not have had any takers. Various people started muttering to themselves.
"Someone will pay for this, my friends. Someone will pay," the leader was seething. "Go back to the meeting place, we'll await instructions there!"
Tonks heard the loud cracks as the group started apparating back. Tonks stood in the field, silent. Within a half an hour, every group was back, ready to make a report. The leaders all went up to Lord Voldemort in a small group. After ten minutes, the leaders headed back.
"You have all done well, my followers!" The Death Eaters cheered. "We will start having more fun like this on a regular basis. Go now and await the terror tonight will have caused!"
Tonks heard the words, "Go now," and apparated straight to headquarters. She had to get the Order together. There would be chaos everywhere. She just hoped Severus had an idea where all ten attacks had taken place.
After morphing back to herself, Tonks ran into 12 Grimmauld Place at full speed. She hoped there were still people hanging around after the meeting. She was in luck, she heard a great deal of noise in the kitchen. She ran down there, "Everyone, get into the parlor now. Find as many from the Order as you can." Remus, some of the Weasleys and Kingsley stared at her.
"Get up there now!" she heard Severus order behind her. As soon as the words were out of Severus' mouth, everyone started moving. "Tonks, you change, I'm going to find Albus," he told her. Tonks nodded and ran upstairs.
A few minutes later, the parlor was almost full. Severus had the stage. "There were nine Death Eater attacks tonight. They all happened within the last hour." An angry buzz came from the Order members. "I knew they were going to happen, but I had no idea they would happen tonight. I think it best that we split up and check out the different locations, see if we can be of any use."
Quickly, the Order split up into nine groups. Severus told each group in turn where to go. Tonks waited to be in the last group with Severus. She hadn't noticed that her group was the smallest, only Severus, herself and Molly and Arthur Weasley.
Severus grabbed her hands. "Tonks, the last group of Death Eaters went to your parent's house. From what I could tell, they left them for dead."