To Grin and Bear It
Two nights had passed since the Dementor attack on Harry Potter. It was now lunchtime and the Aurors of the Order managed to arrive at number twelve for a quick briefing. Molly, Arthur and Sirius were waiting for them. No one had wanted to disturb Remus Lupin yet, so he continued to rest in his room upstairs as he recuperated from duel with Sirius.
"...so we have insufficient funds for creating a portkey. That leaves brooms as our only option. I'll be establishing our aerial route today, but we need someone for reconnaissance around Privet Drive so we can finalize our plans for procuring Potter," said Mad-Eye Moody.
"I have a case that will keep me busy this afternoon." Shacklebolt frowned. "If I weren't partnered with Srimgeour, I could ditch him."
"I told you I should be the one--" began Sirius with an arrogant tilt of his head.
"NO!"
Sirius met the glare of his cousin Tonks. The witch waved her wand threateningly at him. "We settled this the other night when you and Remus decided to play Cowboy. So unless you want to live out the rest of your natural life as a ferret--"
Sirius could see a gleam come into Moody's good eye as the Auror muttered, "Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy."
"I want to go!" said Arthur Weasley enthusiastically. He was practically rubbing his hands in anticipation.
"No, dear, you promised to check on the Burrow with me today," said Molly. She had been worried since the attack on Harry that a trap had been left for them at their home.
"Perfect. I'll just stay home and babysit the young 'uns, shall I?" Sirius said wryly.
"Turn into Snuffles. They'll find him more agreeable," suggested Tonks.
"We need someone who's familiar with Muggles, magic and mapping," said Moody. "And who won't stand out."
"I'll go," said a familiar quiet voice. Remus Lupin entered the kitchen.
"You still look like death warmed over, Remus," objected Tonks.
"So does every other Englishman," Lupin muttered stubbornly. "It just means I won't stand out."
Sirius exchanged an approving nod with Lupin. "Stand your ground, Moony. One of us should be there for Harry."
Tonks rolled her eyes in exasperation as she saw the twin resolve in their eyes. "And to think you two were dueling just two night ago! Fine, you're taking your Auntie Nyms for an afternoon stroll then. It will suit my alibi for my case this afternoon. Meet me at my flat after you've had something to eat, Remus."
"But he can't waste time--" began Sirius.
"Molly, see to it, please," said Tonks as she swept out of the kitchen muttering under her breath, "Should've been a mule, not a werewolf..."
Molly merely smiled graciously at Lupin as she waved a bowl of stew and a large chunk of bread to him. She didn't take her wand off of him, although she smiled sweetly and said, "Every bite, Remus. It'll put some color back into you."
- - - - - - - - -
The man walked with measured step as he helped the elderly woman down the street. The woman was wearing a hat with a tall ostrich feather that seemed intent on swatting her companion's face. He was certain she had selected her attire for just that reason. If he weren't a gentleman, he'd have plucked it out of the hat by now.
"All right, Tonks, why the foul mood?" asked Lupin as he blew at the feather sweeping across his mouth.
"You should be recovering, not reconnoitering," responded Tonks rather primly.
"I got tired of being a convalescent." He shrugged and added a bit shyly, "Besides, I rest better when you're with me."
Tonks couldn't prevent the quirk of her lips. "I had to go to work."
"I know that." Lupin kicked at a pebble that was in his way.
"Eh? What was that?" Tonks tapped her ear with an index finger. "I do believe the cool, calm, collected Professor Lupin is pouting!"
"I am not," he insisted, then realized he'd stopped and stomped his foot. He pointed his finger at her and said, "Woman, you're doing things to me again."
"Welcome to the world of relationships, Remus. You. Missed. Me," said Tonks as she punctuated each word with a tap to his chest.
Lupin rolled his eyes. "I'm too old to be acting--"
"Moony over a woman?" offered Tonks brightly. Her voice became serious as she added, "You can come over whenever you need, not just once a week."
"I know, you've never made me doubt my welcome with you." Lupin gave her hand a light squeeze. "But it's obvious that I need to be at number twelve until we have Harry safely away from here. Sirius is chafing at the bit to do something."
"Besides howling out songs, you mean? Now there's a talent for you." Tonks smiled at the memory.
"It was a penance we'd make him serve out. James started it," said Lupin wistfully.
They walked quietly as they noted their environment. Tonks finally spoke again, "So you've decided to be his proxy. For Sirius, I mean."
"You have to understand how important Harry is to him. Losing Harry would be the same as losing his soul." Lupin resumed their walk. He gave her a rather bashful glance. "I can't wait to introduce him to you. Harry's quite a unique young man."
"Just don't mention my first name or you'll have to suffer dire consequences."
"Nothing could be worse than this feather," said Lupin. Perhaps he should cast a reduction charm?
"Don't even think it," warned Tonks. She looked around and said, "It's hard to tell the places apart except for the numbers."
"As much as I like order, I do find it monotonous," agreed Lupin. They were just coming onto Number Four Privet Drive. "It looks like we can get enough cover to exit from the back."
"We'll need to get the Dursleys out some--" Tonks fell quiet when he tapped her arm.
"There they are," murmured Lupin as Vernon, Petunia and Dudley walked out the front door. They stepped into their yard and seemed to be looking up to a window on the second story.
"What are they doing?" asked Tonks. These Muggles seemed more peculiar than her own brain-fried father.
"It's Harry," said Lupin as he stopped their forward progress. His posture was tense and his voice held a note of anger in it. "They're holding him in his room."
"We'll rescue Harry soon enough, Remus. Don't go doing something rash. I don't want to duel with you," said Tonks. She tightened her grip on his arm.
Lupin released a long sigh. "Harry doesn't deserve to be treated like he's something vile. He has a good heart."
"Just like someone else I know," reminded Tonks. She prodded them forward and they could hear wisps of the Dursley's conversation. They were no longer looking up to the window, but gave the appearance of pulling some weeds from near their house.
"Turn it on slowly, Dudley..."
"They're watering their lawn. There's was a ban against hosepipes this year in the Muggle world," said Tonks. As Aurors they were required to keep up with current events affecting their neighbors.
"Tending their lawn is more important to them than tending to Harry," observed Lupin quietly as they approached the house.
The old woman looked up at her "nephew" and grinned. "I've got an idea." Her voice carried as she added, "Oh, Johniekins, isn't this a lovely one? Why, it's the nicest carpet of green I've seen in weeks."
"Yes, Auntie Nyms, but don't be tempted to go rolling in it. Remember your fragile bones."
Vernon Dursley looked up immediately. The couple was on the sidewalk, so he couldn't shoo them off his property. His attitude changed at the woman's next words.
"Do you think we ought to submit the address for the lawn competition? I'm sure the Ladies' Auxiliary will be most pleased." Tonks kept shaking her head with each movement swatting the feather in her hat against Lupin's jaw.
Vernon and Petunia had approached the couple by now. The tall feather distracted the Dursley's from paying too much attention to Lupin's face. Instead they heard man's hoarse voice saying pleasantly, "Sir, if we could have your name? You see my aunt's club is holding a contest for best lawn."
"Well, well, of course. Dursley, Mister and Missus Vernon Dursley." The man was puffed up like a peacock at this point. "And you would be, sir?"
"Wolf. John Wolf," replied Lupin as he used his pseudonym for the Muggle world.
"Did you get his name, Johnnie?" asked Tonks. "And get their address, too."
"Certainly, Auntie Nyms." He reached into his jacket pocket for a notepad as he asked, "If we could have your--"
"Here, take my business card. It has my work and home address on it," said Vernon in delight. He turned to his wife and murmured, "Good thing I came home for lunch today."
Petunia had been fawning over he husband and now was practically clapping her hands as she stood behind him. It was a triumphant moment in a rather horrible week. Dudley, however, was nowhere in sight as he had decided to sneak back into the house for another round of dessert.
"Such a nice family, too. I'll be sure to mention that to the Ladies' Auxiliary!" Tonks had the audacity to reach over and pinch Vernon on the cheek. He'd feel a welt in the next hour.
"Time to go, Auntie. Say good-bye to the nice people," said Lupin. Tonks could hear the sarcasm in his voice, although the Dursleys completely missed it.
"Ta-ta!" The old woman waved a gloved hand as her nephew led her away.
- - - - - - - -
That evening the house was full of Order members. Tonks arrived in time to see Emmeline Vance following Sirius down the stairs to the kitchen. She caught Lupin's gaze and quirked her eyebrow.
As she walked by him, Lupin quietly murmured, "I was tempted to keep them locked in his room, but I think Emmeline is anxious to meet Harry."
Tonks winked at him to show she understood. At least Sirius was now in better spirits.
Moody directed the meeting and provided details about their route. Next, Tonks provided details about the decoy to draw the Dursleys away from their home for the evening.
"...I sent the letter so that it will arrive by Muggle post in the morning. I'm confident they'll leave Harry alone in the house."
Tonks sat down and only managed to knock a tea cup into a spin. She winced slightly and hoped she conveyed the same professional air that Moody had while she was speaking. The reassuring nod Lupin gave her from where he sat at the far end of the table verified this and left her with a nice warm feeling. Maybe she had overdone it with the feather earlier.
"All right, the next order of business is to fill the Advance Guard that will extricate Harry Potter. I'll be on the Advance as well as the other Aurors, so that gives us Shacklebolt and Tonks. Are there any volunteers to join us?"
Only Molly, Arthur and Sirius failed to raise their hands. Sirius knew it was fruitless and Molly knew that as a mother the best protection she could offer her children was to stand guard at Grimmauld Place. Arthur likewise only offered to stand in the Rear Guard. Lupin raised his hand and sat back as Moody called names. He continued to be conspicuously ignored.
"Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmiline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, Hestia Jones. That'll make eight of us for the delivery."
"Nine," said Lupin quietly as he stood. "I'm going with you."
"You're too weak after your duel to withstand the flying we'll be doing, Lupin." Moody had considered this carefully. "And that old broom of yours won't help either. We'll be in enough danger without you adding to the liability. You've done enough to help already."
Lupin didn't stand down. Tonks watched warily as he walked around the table to confront Moody. "Just who do you think Harry will trust if Sirius isn't with you? He's a powerful wizard, Mad-Eye. I don't want Harry to become scared and do something he'll regret."
Moody frowned. He tended to forget that Harry Potter would not find his presence reassuring. "Tonks could take your form--"
"No, I won't do it." Tonks quietly rose from the table. "It would take too much effort to sustain the morph, and then who would Harry trust? Remus is right, Mad-Eye. We need him with us. You know that he's stronger than he looks. Besides, he can take the lower position; I'll carry Harry's things on my broom. And he knows the Muggle world better than anyone in the Advance Guard except for me."
"Remus can use my Firebolt, I certainly won't be flying around," offered Sirius. He had purchased one for himself when he had gotten one for Harry. He had been hoping he could spend the summer with his godson swooping around the countryside. Another dream wasted.
Lupin nodded to Tonks and Sirius while Moody confirmed, "Nine it is then. We'll leave from three different locations on our brooms and converge at Number Four Privet Drive. The Aurors will see to your Dissillusionment Charms. Tonks, you'll have Lupin and Vance. King, you'll have Hestia and Diggle. Podmore and Doge will be with me."
The door to the kitchen suddenly opened as Severus Snape made an appearance. He spoke to the gathering saying, "You're in for a tumultuous ride, I'm afraid."
Snape walked with his usual regal bearing toward Moody. "We suspect a Weather magus will be working against you."
There was a collective gasp from the room. Moody scowled. "And what tricks can we expect?"
"Imberphasms."
The question flittered through the room, so Moody broke in saying, "Rain demons. They take the form of beasts and attack "
"It doesn't take a genius to realize you'll have to evacuate Potter on brooms. We have a plan to rescue the Weather mage, she's being coerced, but I can't guarantee that we'll retrieve her before she unleashes the Imberphasms."
"Well, I'll be able to see them, but I doubt anyone else can detect them."
Tonks looked at Lupin and noticed he was frowning. "I think I have a way for me and Tonks to see them."
- - - - - - - - -
Lupin and Tonks stood in her bedroom as she opened the box that contained the moonstones. She lifted the Wolfshadow amulets and gave one to Lupin. "So this will let us see the Imberphasms?"
"My family used the amulets to hunt werewolves, but the family chronicles indicate they were used to detect other Dark, er, magical beings. Imbers were created by the Roman Wizards, so we should be able to see them, too."
The moonstone felt heavy on her. She saw Lupin's hand reach out to trace it. "Heat will dissipate the rain demons, but don't waste time aiming for their limbs."
"I remember. Aim for the head." Tonks put her hand around his and immediately felt Lupin pulling her to him.
He just held her for a moment with his chin resting on the top of her head until something on the bed caught his attention. "Who's that?"
Tonks swiveled her neck a bit, then cuddled into Lupin again. "He's my Tweedy bear."
Lupin pulled back so he could look into her eyes. "You're what?"
"Other women have teddy bears, I have a Tweedy bear. Don't you recognize him?"
Two long steps took him to the bed where he could inspect the latest occupant. Lupin picked up the stuffed toy and recognized the fabric. "You transfigured that old coat of mine."
The dark button eyes seemed to twinkle at him for a moment. The bear had a bit of a snout rather than the pug nose found on many similar toys. The stain on the pocket somehow migrated to form little epaulettes on the shoulder.
He heard her soft chuckle beside him before Tonks said, "He keeps me from getting too lonely at night."
She took the bear from his hand and squeezed him. "See, he's huggable, quiet, and the perfect gentleman."
"First a duck, now I have to compete with a bear?" Lupin looked at her skeptically.
"Oh, but you can do something he can't," assured Tonks as she tossed the bear over her shoulder where he landed merrily on her bed with his face discretely turned away from the couple.
"And what is that?" asked Lupin as his hands came around her waist.
"Figure it out, Professor," said Tonks with an arched eyebrow.
The man was not stupid, she thought as he kissed her.
TBC
Author Note: Just a quick chapter. Real life has reared its ugly head, so this won't finish until next weekend. My apologies for the delay in completion, but I hope you enjoyed the fluff.
Imber means rainstorm in Latin. Yes, I have my own version of the broom ride from Privet Drive, hence the title of the story. So, I'll finally deliver some action. I thought John Wolf would be an appropriate alias for Lupin and will have a story much later where we see this expanded.
The next chapter will be the last. Know this wasn't very much to offer you, but thanks for reading.