"You are sure about the timing of the attacks, Nyphmadora?" Albus Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, sir. Narcissa told me herself. We have three days to prepare," Tonks answered.
Albus leaned forward in his chair and interlaced his long fingers. "This is very good information to know. You've made a friend in Narcissa, then?" he asked.
Tonks nodded. "Friend isn't quite the word. It's more of a mutual respect for one another."
"I see. We will have an order meeting tomorrow night to prepare," Albus sighed. "Severus, you heard nothing of this?"
Severus shook his head, "I knew of the attacks of course. Just not the timing. I have a partial list of some of the people they plan on attacking. We can make sure they are guarded."
"Good, good. Every piece of information is helpful to us," Albus said. "I must ask you both to leave me. I have to think."
Both Tonks and Severus stood up. Before she turned and left, Tonks took a good look at the headmaster. She had never seen him looking so old, and quite frankly, it scared her.
When the pair was out of the office, Severus took a hold of Tonks' hand. She looked at the man she loved. "Are you my boyfriend?" she blurted out.
Severus' eyes grew wide. "I hadn't even thought about it," he confessed truthfully. "It's not like we can publicly announce it to the world, now can we?" Severus said.
Tonks smiled. "No, we can't can we?" They started walking down the hallway. There was a figure walking towards them quickly. They dropped hands. The figure was Harry Potter.
"Is Professor Dumbledore in his office?" he asked fervently.
"He is, we just spoke to him," Tonks told Harry. "Is everything alright?" she asked concerned.
"I don't know," Harry answered truthfully, "I just need to speak with him." And with that, Harry ran past them up to the gargoyle guarding Professor Dumbledore's office.
"I wonder what's wrong?" Tonks asked.
"I'm sure I'll find out tomorrow," Severus said, "We have our weekly Occlumency session then. Potter hasn't been working nearly hard enough. I believe he's afraid of closing his mind."
"Severus, he's sixteen years old. Of course he's afraid of learning Occlumency," Tonks said, defending Harry.
"I mastered it by the time I was twenty," Severus said quietly.
"Maybe Harry will too," Tonks said brightly.
"It's unfortunate that we need him to master the skill now."
They walked in silence until they reached Severus' bedchamber. As they went inside, Tonks said reluctantly, "Severus, as you know, I'm going to start sleeping with Malfoy again."
Severus looked at her sadly. "I know," he whispered.
"I better go," she said.
Severus put his arms around her and held her close. "Someday, Dora, someday this will all be over. When that day comes, I promise you, I will go up to the astronomy tower and shout to the world how much I love you. Even in front of Gryffindors if I have to."
Tonks giggled, "I would pay a lot of galleons to see that."
He kissed her forehead. "I'll charge the general public. You can see it for free."
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Twelve Grimmauld Place was buzzing with activity the next evening. The meeting seemed endless. People from the Order stayed until three o'clock in the morning working on the plans. Using Severus' knowledge, they were able to work out guard schedules. Finally the group felt prepared.
"Everyone get some rest tomorrow night," Dumbledore told the order, "Friday night will be a very long night."
People started leaving quickly, being so late. Tonks noticed that Molly Weasley was handing something out to everyone as they passed. Tonks walked up to her, "Here," Molly said.
Tonks looked at what she was handed. It was a beautiful envelop. "I know the timing is awful," Molly said, "But here is a invitation to Bill and Fleur's wedding. We didn't have enough owls to send them out to everyone."
"So they're still on?" Tonks asked surprised.
"They're not letting Voldemort ruin the start of the rest of their lives," Molly said.
Tonks smiled, "Good for them."
Molly nodded. "Arthur and I were married only nine months after Death Eaters killed my father. You can't let them disrupt everything or they win," she said simply.
"I didn't know that," Tonks said.
"Well, I don't go broadcasting it," Molly said softly. "I hope you'll be able to come, Tonks, its in two months."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Tonks smiled.
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The next evening Tonks was in Sirius' old room. It was her week to take care of Buckbeak. She and Remus were really going to have to make a decision about him. He'd been cooped up in here for almost two years. She was leaning towards letting him free in the forbidden forest. She told herself to ask Dumbledore the next time she saw him.
Tonks looked up as she heard a knock on the door. "Come in!"
Remus stuck his head in, "Hi Tonks," he said.
"Hey, Remus. When should I lock you in your room?" When Tonks moved into this house, Remus asked her to lock him in his room for his transformations. Tonks felt guilty at first, but Remus insisted.
"Now, if you don't mind."
She stroked Buckbeak's head. "Of course not. Let's go."
"I wish I could help tomorrow night," Remus said wistfully.
"I know, Remus."
"I had almost forgotten to pick up my potion today. I went over to Hogwarts this afternoon."
"Yeah? I didn't see you there," Tonks was still doing patrol at Hogwarts.
"I was in and out," Remus replied. He opened the door and walked inside.
"I'll let you out Saturday morning," Tonks told him.
He nodded. "Thank you."
Tonks closed the door and took out a key from her robe. As she was double-checking the lock, she felt a tingling sensation in her left arm.
"I'm being summoned?" Tonks muttered. She went to her room and changed. Hopefully it was just Narcissa wanting a word.
Tonks changed quickly and apparated to the same field the Death Eaters always met at. There was a large group of Death Eaters. More Death Eaters than she had ever seen at a meeting. She decided they were going to be getting ready for the attacks tomorrow night.
She looked around for someone she could recognize. Tonks remembered the first time she saw everyone in the black cloaks. She thought they all looked the same. Now it was easy to tell the difference between people. Seeing Narcissa, she walked towards the witch.
Narcissa nodded at Tonks. Tonks noticed right away that Narcissa's body language was different. Not nearly as receptive as it had been before.
Lord Voldemort appeared before them. "Tonight my Death Eaters! Tonight is the night we will cause more mayhem than every before!"
Tonks' jaw dropped beneath her hood. Tonight? The attacks were tomorrow!
"If all goes as planned, more than one hundred people shall perish tonight! Go now and spread the word of the Dark Lord!"
"Narcissa," Tonks asked quickly, "I thought you said the attacks were tomorrow night."
Narcissa looked straight at her, "I did tell you that, didn't I, Celeste?" she said coolly.
As Narcissa walked away, Tonks was finding it hard to breath. How could she have been so stupid to take Narcissa at her word? She was one of the most dangerous women Tonks knew. Why couldn't she see that she was walking right into a trap?
She walked towards a group of Death Eaters. She would join them and to somehow get a message out to some other Order members. "Is everyone ready?" Tonks looked up sharply at the leader of the group, it was Severus.
"I was just given the assignment," Severus said. "We are going to The Burrow, to attack the Weasley family."
Tonks cringed. She was sure Molly and Arthur would be home, resting for tomorrow night. "Apparate outside of their house," Severus added.
That gave Tonks the out she needed. Quickly, everyone apparated. But instead of apparating outside, she apparated straight into the Weasley living room. Molly and Arthur were sitting, Arthur reading and Molly knitting.
Both stood up when they saw Tonks, wands out. "It's Tonks!" she screamed. "The attacks are tonight. They're outside now. We have to get out of here now!"
Molly ran to the stairs. "Bill, Fleur, apparate to Headquarters now!"
Tonks heard cracks from upstairs. "Is anyone else home?"
Arthur shook his head. "Let's go," and then everyone apparated.
"What's going on?" Molly screamed when they were outside of twelve Grimmwauld Place.
"I don't have time to explain," Tonks said quickly. "The attacks are tonight. Just go and find as many from the Order as you can. I have to go!" And with that Tonks apparated back to The Burrow.
The Death Eaters, disappointed that no one was home, decided to take their frustrations out on the house. Tonks watched as the Burrow was set aflame. The Weasleys would lose everything tonight. Everything except their lives, Tonks told herself.
"Everyone!" Severus shouted. "We shall regroup and find others to attack tonight!" Tonks had never heard Severus sounding so cold, so calculating. She reminded herself that he was playing a part, like herself.
She apparated back to the field with everyone else. Tonks silently prayed that Molly and Arthur would be able to warn some of the Order. How many people would die tonight because of her?
Tonks was exhausted. Apparating that many times over a long distance had already taken a toll on her. She wasn't sure if she could make another trip. She watched as her group dispersed and joined different groups. Someone grabbed her arm, it was Severus.
"You got them out?" he asked, quiet enough so no one else could hear.
Tonks nodded, not wanting to say anything. They stood there for a moment, "We need to join another group," Severus said.
Tonks nodded again, and turned around. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were walking towards them, without their masks on. Narcissa waved her wand and Tonks felt an invisible rope bind her wrists. Tonks allowed herself one brief thought, "I'm going to die tonight," as Lucius waved his wand and yelled "Stupefy!"
Then everything went black.