My thanks goes out to my wonderful betas, Maestro XL and Karthik. Thanks guys, this story would be a lot worse without you.
Harry pushed a "Merry Christmas" sign aside and looked out of the window of the scorchingly hot wooden cabin. Blazing sunshine and dusty sand was the order of the day. And lots of it.
"This isn't right. Christmas... christmas should have snow! Not... not blisteringly hot deserts!" Harry muttered.
"I know, Harry, I know. But at least you will be safe." Tonks replied softly.
"How do you know that? This has got to be one of Albus' daftest ideas concocted yet! Split us up and spread us around the globe! What about the rest of the them? If death eaters attack any one of them..." Harry's voice trailed off leaving the question unanswered.
"Harry!" Tonks admonished sharply, "do you doubt the training that you have given them? You know as well as I do that the Ministry Crew can handle a whole squad of wizards without breaking a sweat, and that is individually!"
Tonks was referring to the Halloween attack on Hogwarts. Although Dumbledore and the staff weren't surprised and had been prepared, it didn't stop them from being nearly overrun. Without the Ministry responding to a cry of help, simply because the 'Ministry's resources are currently stretched far too thin, and the Ministry cannot afford to loan Aurors for something that was speculation', there was a major problem. There are only a few staff at Hogwarts, and as such, one fully grown ordinary wizard was stationed at each of the possible entrance into the school, but was no match for a squad of Death Eaters as each of the said entrances.
Harry and Tonks had been spending some quality time with each other in the Room of Requirements when Dobby had disturbed them with the news of what was happening, Harry subsequently running round the castle rounding up the DA.
The members of the DA were anything but ordinary thanks to Harry's relentless training. Especially the 5 dubbed "the Ministry Crew" in reference to ministry fight with Harry. They had each gained a new form respect, which Ron loved and capitalised on, Hermoine blushed, Ginny pointed everyone back to Harry, Neville stammered not used to fame, and Luna... was Luna.
Casting natural magiks, using the elements themselves without restraint, the Ministry Crew captured or accidentally killed each of the Death Eaters.
Most of the teachers were unconscious at the end of the battle, all with horrific injuries due to them defending the students with their bodies as a last resort. Although there were no fatalities, the staff had to be taken to St Mungo's for treatment.
Dumbledore feared a massive backlash from Voldemort during the Christmas holidays. Eventually he decided that each of the ministry crew would be separated, placed in safe houses across the world. The houses were being hidden by a fidelious charm same as the Order's headquarters. The secret location kept in each of the Ministry Crew staying at that particular safe house.
Harry, however didn't place that much faith in the Fidelius charm. Rightly so given his past experience with it. Plus he just had a gut feeling that it was going to fail.
"That isn't the point, Tonks. I just... I'm worried about them."
A new voice hissed, "It's not them you should be worried about Potter, it's you who's going to DIE!"
Harry leapt up at the ghostly apparition of Voldemort casting sixteen different curses from his wand and three fireballs from his free hand in the space of two seconds. All of which sailed through the apparition, blasting a massive hole in the wall which they impacted against.
Voldemort's apparition looked at the wall and whistled. "Impressive Potter, however you cannot harm me as I am not really here. I cannot find you physically thanks to the Fidelious Charm, my spirit on the other hand can find anything, and I also have a few new tricks up my sleeve, all thanks to you and your mothers protection."
Harry frowned in confusion, so Voldemort clarified gloatingly, "When the killing Curse rebounded, it made me a spirit, so I now have over a decades experience of spirit control." Voldemort pointed his ghostly finger at Harry, and Harry drew up his most powerful magical shields, as well as a few elemental shields. This caused Voldemort to laugh, "You stupid boy, I am beyond magic, and nothing can stop me no matter what shields you use!" A dark ball appeared at the end of Voldemort finger and it started to grow. Harry tensed and pooled more magic into the shields, and Tonks also threw up some additional shields.
"Now DIE Potter!" Voldemort hissed, and the dark ball flew towards Harry, and passed through all the shields as if they weren't there. The dark ball struck Harry's neck before sinking into his body causing pain to explode across his system, and a high pitched cackling laughter filled the room. "There's only one way you're getting out of this. That is by death itself!"
Tonks screamed and grabbed the necklace around her neck while she kept a firm grip on Harry who had crumpled to the floor twitching, before screaming "Phoenix Emergency!"
Nothing happened. Tonks put Harry down and ran to the door, flung it open and ran straight into an invisible shield causing her to bounce to the floor. Cursing, she flung shield breaking curses at the space in the doorway, with everything she knew. However the shield seemed to absorb all the spells rendering all efforts useless. This did make the apparition laugh harder. "The invisible wall is all around this hut, you cannot escape even if you destroyed the whole hut."
Realisation hit Tonks hard causing her to curse vehemently. Anti apparition wards had been set up by Dumbledore, it seemed that anti portkey wards had been set up by Voldemort to ensure that no help could be given in time. The anti apparition wards were at least ten miles around the hut, Tonks could guess that the anti portkey wards were at least that size. Probably more given that Voldemort would want to be on the safe side. Even if she did manage to break the spell on the door, carrying Harry out to the boundaries of the wards would probably kill him first.
Tonks got out her mirror and contacted Dumbledore, quickly giving him a run down of what happened.
"Nymphadora, I will be down with a team to start dismantling the wards, however I fear it will take us several days to remove them all. Do what you can to keep Harry alive until we get to you." Dumbledore's face vanished leaving a very helpless Tonks who didn't know what to do.
"Tonks..." Harry whispered.
"Harry! There's nothing we can do, we're trapped! I just wish I could do something to help!"
"Tonks, my love, I... I... think this may be the end."
"Hang on Harry, hang on for me." Tonks kissed Harry softly.
"Tonks, there is somethi-" Harry started a hacking cough, and spat some blood out. "There is something you could do."
"What is it Harry?"
"Before I die, I want to see you in your natural form."
Tonks froze. "My n-natural form? Harry that is something I've told you, only the person I marry will ever see that form."
"I'd marry you if I could survive-" another hacking coughing fit made Harry convulse in pain, "if I could survive school." Harry finished panting.
Tonks heart leapt at that declaration. Her mind latched onto an idea. It was a push, but this WAS Harry. In just a few days it would be New Year. Dumbledore and the Order would be here to help. And luck generally did favour Harry. Especially when things are looking for the worst.
"Harry, if you want to see me in my natural form, you will have to stay alive, because I will let you see me. All of me. In fact it will take a few days for you to explore me. But only if you mean it; if you love me."
Tonks paused to let her words sink in, and watched Harry's eyes grow wide with understanding before darkening with desire. A loud rumble emitted from Harry's body, and a bright white light started appearing from cracks in Harry's skin causing Harry to roar with power.
A dark cloud of vapour was released from his body, and the light seemed to overpower it. The dark vapour shook itself free from the light and shot over towards Tonks who screamed in fear. The light enveloped her moments before the dark vapour hit.
Tonks world changed. There was no fear. There was no hate. There was Love, as soft and gentle as the most gentle cloud, but with a force as strong as the fiercest of oceans. Tonks felt safe and secure. Then she felt the light penetrate her being. It was searching her, evaluating her. Considered her worthy. That feeling, she felt worthy of this Love, so much Love. All doubts about Harry were wiped away. His Love assured her of that. She felt as if she was in heaven. Time had no meaning, she just wanted to stay this way forever.
The light faded, but the presence of Love didn't. She felt Harry's strong arms around her, and she was lying down on a bed. For some reason, Harry seemed to be fine now, no sign of him being at deaths door.
"Wha-What happened Harry?"
"Love... at its deepest. I was going to save it till our wedding night, but as you are going to give me something so important, I felt it was only fair that it should be returned in kind."
The two lay there when she realised that she was naked. "Harry, how long have we been in that light?"
"Oh, a couple of days. You do have the most beautiful of natural bodies Tonks, you should be proud of it. You put Veela to shame!"
Tonks reached up and looked at her auburn hair. It was its natural colour alright. She snuggled into Harry's arms and fell asleep, feeling complete.
-----------------------------------
Harry gently shook Tonks awake, "Wake up my love!"
"Gim' five 'mins" Tonks mumbled.
"Nymphadora Tonks, wake up now!"
Tonks sat bolt upright, the bed sheets falling away from her body, causing Harry's eyes to stray down and he whistled appreciatively.
Tonks blushed before mock glaring at him, "Don't call me Nymphadora!"
"Okay my dear Nymph, now come on and get dressed - and quickly!"
Tonks pouted, "Why, don't you like me naked? And why are you dressed?"
"I love you naked, I just don't think Dumbledore and the Order would appreciate it, or that I want to share you with them." Harry grinned.
"The Order is here?"
"Not yet, but give them a few more minutes, and they will have got rid of the shield on the door."
Tonks jumped up and in a whirlwind of activity, was dressed and in her usual outfit and heartshaped face looks, and with a new addition, spiky emerald green hair and black eyes.
"Tonks, I think you may have gotten the colours the wrong way round."
Conjuring a mirror, Tonks took one glance and let out a small "Eeep!" before changing her looks to have black hair and emerald green eyes.
Harry snuck up behind her, entwining his arms around her, when Harry's watch bleeped. "Happy New Year, my Love."
Tonks twisted around slightly and kissed Harry before relaxing in his grip, "Happy new year to you too."
There was a bang and the Order rushed into the hut to find the most bizarre scene. There was blood on the floor, a box of light in the top of the room with a dark shape banging around inside it trying to escape, and a perfectly healthy Harry Potter and Tonks, arms entwined, radiating a feeling of Love so powerful it caused all the members to take a step back.
Snape was the first to recover and sniped "A bit of blood, a light show and a romantic display. So that's what you meant about an emergency!" before paling under the glare of Dumbledore, and sidling towards the back of the group.
Harry looked up and guided the light prison towards Dumbledore. "This is what was injected into me. I haven't a clue what it is, but it's dangerous."
Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock as he looked at it closely. "Harry, that is a spirit, from what I can guess, an offshoot of Voldemort's spirit. I do believe he wanted your powers that you and your friends used against his troops, and this would have extracted your knowledge and power before using your life force to power itself and transfer itself back to Voldemort."
"So I should kill it then?"
"If you know how, certainly!"
Harry held his hand out flat and slowly closed it tight. The white prison shrank in size, causing the dark shape to struggle more violently. Harry started shaking, the effort becoming a strain. Tonks turned around and whispered in his ear "I love you."
In a flash of light the prison and dark spirit was gone. Harry collapsed onto Tonks who supported him. "Thanks Tonks, I needed that."
"How did you destroy it Harry?" Dumbledore inquired.
"By using a power that the Dark Lord knows not."
"Don't be stupid Potter," the Potions Master snarled, "how could a brilliant student not know something that you do? He has been around a lot longer than you and his interest in power is endless. If you had a power he didn't know about, how to you know about it?"
Harry gave Snape a withering look, before answering, "I know because of the choices I've made. Voldemort has made different choices."
Snape looked incensed. "This was just your ploy to show a light show and get attention, since you are an attention seeking brat-"
"Severus! That is enough!" Dumbledore snapped.
But it was too late; Harry stormed out, roughly pushing past the Potions Master. Tonks followed, but stopped at Snape. "I pity you Severus; I really do, because you will never experience Love. That is what Voldemort cannot understand. A power as gentle as a cloud, and as strong as the mightiest ocean. A power beyond magic that can stop the most powerful of wizards. It is a choice that you follow. Harry has followed Love, Voldemort has followed Hate. The two will collide. The greatest of the two powers will fight, and then we will know, once and for all which is the greatest power."
Snape just gaped at her. Before Tonks lashed out with unbridled fury a solid punch breaking Snape's nose.
"That was for being a greasy git who just doesn't understand the basis of being good. And Hating my Husband."
When all the Order members goggled at her, she added, "to be."