Summary: Lupin Tonks, Black, Moody. Moody and Tonks help Lupin get special cargo across the sea. The only danger is to their sanity. My explanation for how Hagrid got his brother to the Forbidden Forest.
Disclaimer: I'm just playing with the wonderful characters that JKRowling created.

Dias De Los Muertos

October 31
Halloween 3 am

The tall, grizzled witch scowled as the cold wind tore through her and a freezing rain began. Her hair was straight, iron gray and fell over a squarish face. There was nothing attractive about the woman at all. Her gruff voice complemented the haggard appearance.

"Tell me again why I'm standing in the freezing rain, Mad-Eye? You pulled me away from a very nice dream, I'll have you know."

Moody felt no contrition in dragging Tonks out into the wee hours of the morning to begin their surveillance at the dock. He just rummaged in the pockets of his overcoat as he searched for the implements they would need.

"Our cover for the Ministry is that we're investigating strange activity at the docks. We're actually looking for the Ferryman," said Moody as he handed a one of the spyglasses to Tonks.

"The Ferryman? We're looking for the boatman for the Dead? Is that safe? I mean it is Halloween today-uh, tonight."

"Precisely the ideal time to approach the Ferryman. We've got some cargo we need shipped over from the Continent and he's the ideal mode of transport."

"Are the stories about him true? They say he makes Dementors look like teddy bears."

"I've not encountered him directly, just dealt with the aftermath when a crossing goes wrong." Moody looked Tonks up and down and nodded his head, "Best you keep your disguise for the next few days; we're dealing with a hard hearted man."

Tonks felt a shiver go through her. "So how do we locate him?"

"The spyglasses have been charmed to penetrate the nocturnal barrier he keeps around his boat. He could be anywhere, so it means we have to apparate to different points along the coast to search for him. Which direction do you want?"

"I'll take North," answered Tonks. "Always wanted to catch the trail of the boatman whose livelihood is death."

"Once we locate him, Dumbledore will send a contract for getting him across the North Sea to our point of contact on the Continent. We'll be making the crossing ourselves on brooms to help load the cargo tonight."

"Who is our contact? And who exactly is the cargo? You haven't said."

"Didn't I? The cargo is Hagrid and a companion giant-No, they're not really dead; we'll have a potion to take care of that."

Tonks was silent for a moment, then gasped. "Wait, that means our contact is-"

"Well, of course that would be Lupin," confirmed Moody. "Why d'ya think I dragged you out of bed?"

Tonks had to shake her head as the information registered. She was going to see Lupin? A smile lit her face, but then she thought of her current disguise. "Perfect, just what any man wants to see after two months of absence: a grizzled, old hag."

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Hogsmeade
Noon

It had taken six hours to locate the Ferryman, but the Aurors soon got news from Dumbledore that the Ferryman was on his way to serve their errand. They were next sent to get the unique items the mission required. Noontime found them stepping out of the floo at Honeydukes in Hogsmeade.

"I think I'll replenish my supplies while I'm here," said the gray haired witch as she dumped a basket of chocolate bars on the counter. "Been eating a lot of chocolate lately. Unfortunately."

"Tonks, keep your mind on the mission," admonished Moody, but then he suddenly perked up as he looked out the window and saw a woman hurrying toward Scrivenshaft.

It was the Hogwarts librarian who was running an errand during the lunch hour. "On second thought, it would be bad manners if I didn't offer to escort Madam Pince back to the castle."

Tonks grabbed her bag of chocolate and nudged Moody. "Mad-Eye, don't you think she's a bit out of your league?"

"I've invested ten years in wearing her down. She'll give in yet. You just go on to Hogwarts and get the potions from Snape. I'll meet you there," said Moody as he began stomping off after his prey.

"Fine, but if she bludgeons you with a book, you'd have earned it," grumbled Tonks. She turned to find herself accosted by a diminutive man with a kind smile.

"Ah, dear lady, could you help me get these parcels into the carriage?" asked Professor Flitwick as he craned his neck. Tonks was currently as tall as Moody. "I need these for the Halloween party tonight."

"Sure," said Tonks gruffly, but she exchanged a wink with her former head of house. She loaded the boxes into the carriage pulled by the Hogwarts' thestrals as she said, "You always did like a good party."

"It's one reason I've yet to retire," said Flitwick. He handed over a pouch to Tonks as he added, "Just a bit thanks for your trouble."

Tonks felt the weight of the potion vials in the pouch. She slipped it in her pocket then made a show of tying a boot as she asked quietly, "Dumbledore doesn't want us at the castle?"

"A nasty toad is on the loose and being quite a nuisance," said Flitwick. "Her constant vigilance would make Moody proud. Pince has the other package you need hidden in a book."

"Ah, so that's why she's out," said Tonks. She stood and helped Flitwick into the carriage, but before she turned to search for Moody, she felt compelled to ask, "Professor, did you ever wallop Sirius Black with your wand?"

"Me? Why, Nymphadora, I'm a gentle, old man who doesn't believe in corporeal punishment of students," reminded Flitwick.

"Right, Professor. Thanks again," said Tonks with a slight grin as she closed the door on his carriage.

The grizzled hag didn't have to walk far before she saw Madam Pince scurrying her way in a huff. Ten paces behind her stomped Moody carrying a book in his hand and a red mark across his cheek. Still, the man was grinning.

"Can't keep her hands off of you, eh?" asked Tonks as she approached the Auror.

"She called me Alastor," he muttered.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Do you have the artifacts we need?"

Moody cleared his throat and said, "It's all in the book. We need to get the brooms that are stored at Order headquarters for the crossing, though. Let's be off."

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Number 12 Grimmauld Place

Once at Number 12, Moody immediately went to the broom shed in the back while he sent Tonks to the kitchen to get travel food.

Sirius soon found her stuffing a large bag with goods and a number of Honeydukes chocolate bars.

"How kind of you; they're my favorite." Sirius snatched a chocolate bar from her stack and promptly bit off a large chunk before she could grab it back. Through his chewing he said, "I hear Moony will be among us soon."

"He'll still have to make sure Hagrid gets back to Hogwarts, but getting him across the North Sea is the real trick," replied Tonks as she quickly stuffed the rest of the chocolate into the bag. Then she pulled two out and left them on the table. "Dumbledore's working on some special connection to then get Hagrid back to Hogwarts, but we won't be sure about that one until we make the crossing."

"Tonks, be careful tonight." Sirius' voice was quiet and he patted her shoulder. "I don't want you to be the cargo that the Ferryman carries."

"Sirius, are you getting sentimental in your old age?" Tonks stood there in her disguise and smirked. She stood a bit taller than her cousin and was enjoying it.

"Hah! Looks who's talking? You look old enough to be my grandmother."

"If I'd been your gran, I woulda made sure you got spanked for not respecting your elders."

"There are worse ways to discipline a child," said Sirius in a quiet voice.

Tonks bit her lip, then lightly punched his arm. "So what's this about Flitwick wielding a heavy wand?"

Sirius suddenly smiled as the memory rushed through him. "It was Halloween in my sixth year. James bet me that I couldn't redecorate the Jack O'lanterns to look like Snape. Flitwick 's always in charge of decorations."

"Yes, I remember. So he caught you trying to tamper with them?"

"No, he caught Snuffles trying to drag them off by the stem," explained Sirius. "And he gave the poor pooch a mighty whack across the hind quarters."

"Oh, that must have stung!"

Sirius began laughing, "Remus said he could hear me yelp from the common room. So being a good Prefect he runs over to help Flitwick, but manages to assist the dog getting away instead. Never could find the culprit."

"Now there's teamwork for you."

"Teamwork! Why, if he'd kept watch like I wanted him to, I never would have gotten caught."

"And where were the other Marauders?"

"James and Peter were busy with another prank to pull on Snape, which Remus also refused to participate in."

"So Flitwick burned your bum?"

"I couldn't sit down for a week! I had to stand during lessons. Remus told everyone that he'd gotten me away from the Whomping Willow by way of explanation."

Tonks leaned over and patted Sirius on the head. "Poor puppy, but it serves you right for messing with Flitwick's charmed pumpkins."

"The incident gave me a whole new respect for the man, I assure you," said Sirius.

"Come on, Tonks, we've got a sea to cross," called Moody.

"Don't eat it all at once," said Tonks as she pointed to the chocolate she'd left behind. Despite her appearance, the old crone left with a light heart. At least she'd get to help Lupin.

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The Continent

Remus Lupin stood on the cliffs by the sea and waited patiently. It was his idea to have the Ferryman transport Hagrid and his companion to the British Isles. The potions that would simulate death would also insure that Hagrid's half-brother wouldn't be a bother as they made the crossing of the North Sea. It was the ideal solution, but only if everything fell into place.

The wind lifted the long hair that touched his shoulders as his hand rubbed at his chin. He had neither shaved nor cut his hair in two months. Now he had a full beard, a gift of his lycanthropy. He never had to worry about growing bald, he thought with a slight smile. The beard would be scratchy, so he fully intended to shave and cut his hair before he saw Tonks again.

Lupin closed his eyes as the image of her body lying on the bed washed through his mind. Damn, the woman was driving him mad by invading his thoughts like that! He had always scoffed at the way some men described the ache they felt for a woman-until now. But it was a delicious sort of misery for he knew the perfect remedy: Nymphadora Tonks.

It was now late afternoon and he could just make out the specks indicating the approaching broom riders. It looked like one of them was Moody. The other figure was tall, but not familiar. Kingsley? Something about the way the rider sat was off. As they made their landing, Lupin approached and got a good look at Moody's partner.

"Mad-Eye, good to see you. And who is your partner?" asked Lupin as Moody hailed him then turned his broom into a long walking stick.

The tall, old woman with iron gray hair looked like she could deal with the Ferryman. Her eyes flicked to him quickly as she dismounted, then she sent a rock flying when her boot struck it as she stumbled forward.

Tonks cursed under her breath and couldn't meet Lupin's eyes. She knew how ugly her appearance was. Her voice sounded quite cross as she called the spell to shrink her broom so she could tuck it into her coat.

Lupin went completely still and voiced his suspicion. "Tonks?"

"Wotcher, Remus," came the gruff voice, followed by a rough gargle at the back of her throat. "Recognize your Aunt Dora, do ya?"

Lupin's gaze quickly scanned her, although she was avoiding eye contact with him. He thought about his rather shaggy appearance at present, what with the lack of grooming, old brown sweater and blue jeans he wore. He probably fit the stereotype of the unsavory wolf at the moment.

He dampened his disappointment and made a strong effort to focus on the mission, "It's good to have the help. Have you got everything we need?"

"Here's the Exanimus potion that will suspend them in pseudo death and the Vivificus potion that's the antidote." She now held up the two slender vials.

"And here are the coins. The obulus needs to be slipped under the tongue," said Moody as he flashed the two coins. "And here are the golden boughs we need for our passage as living beings."

"You'll ride with them, then?" asked Lupin with concern. He glanced at Tonks, who was again avoiding his eyes.

"I don't trust the Ferryman not to dump the bodies before we get to the other side," explained Moody. "Best take precautions."

"Now all we have to do is get Hagrid to agree to a fake death, convince the Ferryman to accept our cargo and keep the Death Eaters at bay," said Tonks. She averted her gaze as soon as Lupin looked her way. She was convinced that he found her appearance haggard appearance off putting.

"There's only McNair left," replied Lupin, "and I've already set my trap for him."

Moody nodded his approval, but Tonks suddenly realized what Lupin's plan would entail. Her diffidence faded as she walked up to him. "Wait, it's full moon tonight. You're not thinking of being bait yourself?"

The gruff voice was horribly unpleasant, but the scowl on her face could undo any man. However, Lupin blithely said, "I tested the Wolfsbane yesterday; it's good. And I'm the perfect decoy for McNair. He'd like nothing better than to have my hide pinned to his wall. He'll be over confident and go after the wolf. He doesn't expect Hagrid to make his crossing tonight."

"Not good enough, Professor. What exactly do you have in mind?" asked Tonks. She stood there with her arms across her chest now and glared at Lupin. Damn the man, he was smiling!

Lupin felt his confidence rise as he met that familiar glare. She might find him shaggy at present, but her truculent attitude indicated she still cared. He reached out and squeezed her shoulder in reassurance.

"I set up the challenge this morning. Getting me is going to be the only thing on McNair's mind tonight and he's spent the day creating wolf pits. I've gone right behind him and charmed them to pull him in instead of me. I can use any number of them against him."

"Good enough," said Moody with an approving nod. "Have you tagged Hagrid and his brother for us? It's best if we just sneak up on them and take them unawares. He's never been one to care for potions."

"Here's the touchstone that will lead you to them," said Lupin as he handed a smooth, black stone to Tonks.

"Wonderful, first we take on a giant then we take on the Ferryman," muttered Tonks as she flipped the stone in her hand before shoving it into her pocket. "Brilliant way to spend an evening."

"Speaking of which, the Ferryman should be here soon," began Moody as he pulled a spyglass out. He walked away from the two saying, "I'll make sure he kept on his course."

Tonks turned back to question Lupin further. "How are you getting your things across the North Sea?"

"There are tankers crossing at various points and I've got everything I need in here," said Lupin as he pointed to a backpack at his feet. "The straps are strong enough to be carried in the mouth of a werewolf. Flitwick charmed it and sent it to me before the last full moon."

Tonks just grunted and allowed herself to take a long look at the man. He seemed much more the image of the predator with the beard and longer hair, but his eyes held that familiar warmth and his hands were just as beautiful as she remembered. She self-consciously shoved a strand of course hair away from her face as she thought of her own appearance.

Lupin reached out and lightly touched another strand of the iron gray hair that had fallen across her cheek and said, "Aunt Dora, eh?"

"I suppose you prefer Auntie Nyms, the little twit?"

"Actually, I rather like Aunt Dora," said Lupin as he tucked the strand behind her ear. "She doesn't superimpose my form on classical art nor does she encourage her dog to violate the sensibilities of the general public." Lupin smiled as he added, "Nor have I been assaulted with feather or fan."

Tonks just huffed, but then stroked his bearded cheek with one hand. "It's softer than I expected."

"You don't want me to shave?" asked Lupin.

Tonks smiled at the idea that he would bow to her wishes. Her husky voice grew softer and was oddly sexy when she responded. "Mm, no, it covers some of my favorite nibbling sites. I like nice, naked cheeks."

Lupin closed his eyes as strong memories of her lips on his body flooded through him. Yes, she could turn him into a raving lunatic even without deliberately playing the seductress. He pushed away the erotic thoughts and settled for quickly pressing lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss.

"It's good to see you, Tonks, in whatever form you take," he whispered.

"Remus, I don't care if you show up as hairy as Hagrid, just come home to me as soon as you can," sighed Tonks.

"I will, I promise."

Lupin released Tonks, but as he turned be on his way, he stopped abruptly and threw a glance over his shoulder. He had definitely felt her pinch.

"I rather fancy the blue jeans," she murmured as she turned to walk off. She could hear Lupin's soft laugh as she made her way to Moody.

"There he is, Tonks, get over here!" called Moody from his vantage. His hand was waving to her madly, although he still kept the spyglass to his eyes.

"I'll be right there, quit fussing." Under her breath Tonks added, "Had to get in my quota of random bum checks."

Moody collapsed the spyglass with a sharp snap. "Good, now let's go take care of the little task with Hagrid and his brother."

TBC

Author Notes: I decided to make this its own story since the tone changed quite a bit from the first chapter of Tonks in Twilight. This is now the first of three chapters that have all been posted tonight.

Dias de los Muertos refers to the time frame from October 31st 1through November 2nd with Halloween, All Saints' and All Souls' Days.

I also wanted to respond to a question regarding how Sirius knew that Flitwick wielded a heavy wand. Flitwick didn't connect the fact that Sirius was an animagus at the time, although he won't be surprised when he finds out.

Auntie Nyms is the curly, silver-haired disguise of the little old lady that we see Tonks in when Harry returns to Hogwarts for the start of term and I have used her several times. Aunt Dora is based on the old, iron-gray haired woman that she uses when they escort the students back after Christmas break.

If you are new to this series, just hit Queriusole and the rest of them come up in chronological order. The story is pretty self-contained, so you don't have to catch up on reading to enjoy this one.

Thanks for your support, thanks for reading, thanks for taking the time to let me know you're enjoying them. It's frosting on the cake for I do enjoy putting these stories together and sharing them with you.