Chapter 4. VISITING PRIVET DRIVE

Tonks lighted several candles and looked at Daddy Longlegs. It was already five in the morning; she looked pale and wanted to sleep terribly. But she also wanted to visit Harry… actually, she needed to see Potter, for Tonks needed details and there was no time to waist.

She sat down in front of the mirror. Going to Harry meant that she first of all had to confuse Dursleys that she was… am… what they call that… normal, at least Tonks needed to provide them with impression of a… say, highly educated and cultured wizard…

She quickly glanced at her wardrobe, looking for something that mugles wore. There had to be some costumes left from her last mission, she always left a couple of them for herself, just in case something happened. Finally, she dragged out of the heap of her robes a blue skirt that probably belonged to some uniform, that Tonks threw out long ago, and a black blouse. Tonks really hoped Harry's relatives wouldn't consider her mugle outfit to be insane, for she knew nothing of Dursley's tastes…

She dressed up and looked at herself in the mirror again. Tonks doubted that it would be right to show up at Private Drive with pink hair… She smiled, changing her hair into blond and curly. Sirius loved this hair-do, she remembered, making a ponytail. Tonks was almost ready now… She took her wand.

x-x-x

10 am. Tonks stood at Private Drive, looking for number four. It had to be somewhere near, hadn't it? She turned around on her heel, as she heard a sound of the owl's wings cutting the air.

'Hedwig,' Tonks smiled and headed in the direction of a cottage, out of which, as it seemed to her, escaped Harry's owl.

She stopped before the door, hesitating in her actions. Finally, she once again rose for eyes to the skies and rang the bell.

'Good morning,' Mrs. Dursley opened the door and seized Tonks with a curious look. 'Can I help you?'

'Am… yes, Mrs. Dursley,' Tonks smiled charmingly, 'I am from the… am… Ministry of Magic.'

Tonks already pitied that she'd opened her mouth for Harry's aunt eyed her in shock and disgust now.

"Don't slam the door," thought Tonks, "just don't slam the door."

'Petunia, who's there? Close the door, it's cold outside,' said a roaring voice and Tonks guessed it was Harry's uncle. 'Petunia!'

'And what exactly do you want?' carefully asked Mrs. Dursley, glancing at Tonks wand that was pointing out of the pockets of the witch's skirt.

'I'd like to speak to Harry Potter, your nephew,' said Tonks as friendly as she could.

'Well, you've missed him by minutes,' snapped Harry's aunt. 'He's probably roaming the streets somewhere.'

'Then I'd like to wait till he comes back,' said Tonks firmly, noticing that the view of her wand had a frightening effect on Mrs. Dursley. 'Inside, if I may.'

'Jesus, Petunia! What's going on?' shouted uncle Vernon again from… probably a living room.

'So may I come in?' Tonks insisted.

Mrs. Dursley seemed to be thinking whether it was safe to say 'no', but then decided it was not… She nodded angrily and stepped out of the witch's way.

'Petunia! Is that Harry?' uncle Vernon finally came out of the room and stopped, watching Tonks take off her coat.

'No, but she's of his lot,' muttered aunt Petunia and disappeared in the kitchen.

Uncle Vernon's eyes furiously flashed.

'Petunia!' he hurried after his wife and Tonks could hear him whisper: 'Why the hell did you let her in? What if she… well… remember Dudley's tail?'

'Vernon, I think, it would have been worse if I didn't!' they became quiet.

And Tonks was left to herself… though was it really so? She could feel aunt Petunia's irritated gaze on her back all the time.

The place hadn't changed much since last summer, but the witch was still amazed by how much weird stuff these mugles had in their cottage: something round and ticking hanging on the wall, a box inside which lived tiny little people and whom you could actually hear talking… Tonks turned around and stared at a small machine with black boiling mixture raining down from it right into a small cup…

'Mrs. Dursley,' Tonks suddenly felt cold, 'may I, please, have a cup of coffee?'

'We have only tea,' aunt Petunia looked at Tonks in disgust.

'Oh, that'll be fine,' Tonks could smell coffee actually, but still she seemed to not notice Mrs. Dursley lying.

As soon as Harry's aunt handed her a glass, Tonks sat down opposite to her and uncle Vernon, thinking of a way to make a conversation. But there was clearly no way…

'He… Potter,' finally Mr. Dursley broke the silence, 'he got himself in trouble, isn't it?'

'No, actually he didn't,' Tonks looked around, hesitating in her attempts to prolong the dialogue, 'it's personal. Is that your son?'

She pointed at the photo of a fat kid on the cupboard. Yeah, Harry was right, thought Tonks, his cousin did look like a giant pig.

'Dudley,' shortly answered aunt Petunia.

Tonks didn't know why, but she actually DID NOT dislike Lily Potter's sister. In fact, she could feel even something that reminded of sympathy…

'Are you afraid of me?' she asked curiously.

'No,' roared uncle Vernon, turning red with anger, 'but you've got to be careful with your lot.'

Tonks shrugged her shoulders in surprise, but had no time to answer for someone opened the front door and quietly came into the house.

'Oh, that's him,' aunt Petunia looked concerned.

'Come here boy!' shouted uncle Vernon.

'No way, I don't want to have my neck broken,' answered Harry's voice.

'Potter! There's some… am,' aunt Petunia glanced at Tonks as if trying to find the right definition, 'there's someone, who wants to talk to you.'

'Who's that?' Harry's head appeared in the doorway. 'Tonks?'

'Hi, Harry!' Tonks smiled, feeling both great because the sight of Harry cheered her up and because Harry himself was pretty glad seeing someone like him.

'You… We'll go to my room, uncle,' Harry grabbed Tonks's hand and lead her upstairs. Tonks noticed several letters in Harry's hands.

'Well?' Harry closed the door behind them. 'What are you doing here? How did you manage to calm my crazy relatives down, I imagine uncle exploded with fury. Is there any news from the Order?'

'Hey! Hey! Hey!' Tonks laughed. 'Not so many questions, Harry! I can't tell you anything new about the OotP, 'cause I haven't been there for the past two weeks. And actually your aunt and uncle were pretty reserved from the very beginning… and…'

She didn't finish, as Harry suddenly interrupted her.

'What do you mean by 'can't tell you anything'?' he looked angry now. 'What for have you come here then, ha?'

Tonks frowned; she didn't expect Harry to be like that.

'Didn't Sirius explain to you that it's impolite to interrupt those, who're older than you?' said she and was amazed by how much Snapelike that sounded. 'I came here to ask you several questions… but I can just leave if my presence annoys you that much.'

She stood up sadly as if ready to go, but Harry stopped her.

'No, please, don't,' Harry smiled unhappily, 'I just feel… lonely.'

'Well, if you're lonely, you could have at least not shouted at me, making feel not welcome,' stated Tonks, offended.

Harry noticed she was looking at his mail, and nodded dully.

'Are these from Sirius?' Tonks couldn't help noticing the familiar handwriting.

'Yeah, these are from him,' said Harry. 'I miss him, life changed since he'd gone.'

Tonks could already feel tears in her eyes, but didn't want to speak about him with Harry. She couldn't. And perhaps there was nothing else she could talk to him about now…

'Harry,' finally she decided that she'd better ask him everything fast and leave. 'Look, I know it's gonna be hard for you to tell me that and to experience everything all over again, but, I guess, I leave you no choice.'

'What are you talking about?' Harry raised his eyebrows in revelation.

'I need you to describe to me in details the… well, what happened there in the graveyard.'

Harry looked shocked now.

'Well, if you want to know what happened you can just take the old issue of 'The Quibbler' and read my interview…'

'No, Harry, I've already read it hundreds of times, but that's not good enough. I need you to tell me the whole thing from the very beginning… and till the very end,' Tonks hugged Harry by the shoulders. 'Harry, I need it, believe me. So will you?'

Harry nervously nodded. Tonks didn't know what the kid was thinking of but he must had considered her to be mad…

'Oh, all right, if it means so much to you…'

'The world, Harry!'

And he told her everything, all over again. Nothing of what he'd said came as a surprise, if fact now Tonks was even surer that she was on the right track than before. The only thing she feared was Harry asking her questions…

'And then I was already lying on the Quiddich field… with Cedric's dead body,' finished Harry. 'But what for do you need it anyway?'

'I'll tell you later, Harry,' Tonks stood up.

'Look, you know, I can keep secrets!'

'It's not that I don't trust you, Harry,' Tonks smiled kindly. 'Thank you, I hope, I'll see you soon.'

'What, am I not ready yet?' yielded Harry already watching Tonks go away through the window.

'No, that's me who's not…'