A/N: I had a request from a loyal reader/reviewer to show chapter ten Fight or Surrender from Tonks' point of view. Normally I would have ignored the request since it wasn't a necessary part for the storyline or current plot. However as I consider the request more, and actually sleep on the idea. It seemed that the request wasn't really that far out there. I don't know how many of my readers would want to read it, but I there are a few at least that do.
I could not see making this chapter an official chapter, since like I said it wasn't a pivotal point in the story itself. In all actuality it is only here because of four reasons. (Though the fourth reason only appeared after I had started to write this Interlude. In a way this could be a chapter in itself, but I will let it like this.)
1. A loyal reader/reviewer asked that I take the time to do this politely.
2. I figure it would make the reader happy that asked for it. I figured it would possibly make a few other readers happy that didn't think to ask for it, but still wanted to see it done.
3. After carefully debating it with all my other personalities (don't ask) and sleeping on it. I found that it was a good idea.
4. I found that as I was rereading chapter ten that there were a few things that I didn't really clarify. This was mainly because when I wrote the chapter I did it from Harry's POV, but after doing it from Tonks they started to become clear to me. (Read on and you will see what I mean.)
Then came my next dilemma. I wanted to do the chapter, but yet could not in all fairness call it a chapter. So that is why I have decided to do this instead. This is not an official chapter, but I would suggest reading it to fill in a few gaps I left in the original chapter. When you read it you will see what I mean, or at least I think you will. Those that do read it please tell me if you liked it, so I know to ever consider doing it again or not.
I will answer reviews when I post Chapter Eleven, though I would like to thank DJ Rodriguez. If it wasn't for him asking me to do this I would have missed the gaps that I left in the chapter. So once again I would just like to say thank you to DJ Rodriguez.
Without any further delay I give you….
Interlude: Fight or Surrender (Tonks' POV)
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Harry smiled at Tonks and spoke in his normal Harry Potter voice. "Tonks."
Tonks was a bit taken back by the tone and voice that he used. 'Harry!' Was the first thought that popped into Tonks mind as she heard him say her name. 'Harry can it be you? Are you really disguised as Silver Wolf? If so then why not come out and tell me? No it can't be you Harry! You would not subject yourself to this, not with how you feel about me. It has to be my imagination! Yes I am just hearing things, my mind wants him to be Harry so bad that I am hearing his voice.' Tonks thought as she continued to stare unbelievingly at Silver Wolf.
"Tonks, please trust me enough to meet me at the Leaky Cauldron. I have more I want to tell you, but I need to be in a more private location." Harry said in his stern, cold, and calculating Silver Wolf voice.
The switch in his voice again made Tonks think about what she heard. 'I knew it had to be my imagination. How could anyone that sounded like that ever be the kind and gentle Harry I know? Not to mention what this man has done already! No he can't be Harry!' Tonks thought proving that she was wrong, she hadn't heard Harry's voice before.
'Why would I trust someone as vial as him? I must be a nutter for even considering it!' Tonks thought as she continued to stare into his eyes. There was a nagging voice in the back of her mind that keep shouting at her. "Look at those eyes! You can see that he isn't going to hurt you! You would be stupid not to listen to what he has to say." Voice said banging all other thoughts out of her mind.
"Okay I will, but promise me that you wont let me hanging like you did Hardy." Tonks said trying to fight back her laughter. Her she was agreeing to go to a private room with someone that could very well be a killer. Yet that voice in the back of her mind kept telling her to trust him.
Harry laughed at the thought of what he did to Malcom Hardy. "I would never do that to you. That guy deserved a lot more than what I did to him, but I left him off easy."
'This guy is bloody well insane, and I must be too for agreeing to go with him!' Tonks thought as she listened to him laugh. Tonks couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. The mere thought of him and her being totally insane and the mental image of what he did to Hardy were too much to contain her laughter. So against all her efforts she started to laugh along with him. After a few minutes of laughing she slowly managed to regain her composure. "I know he did. I will meet you at the Leaky Cauldron in a few minutes. Go ahead and get a room, so we can talk."
"A room for us to be alone in?" Harry asked causally.
Tonks rolled her eyes at him as more thoughts came crashing into her mind. 'What did I go and say that for? He has some nerve saying that! If this is just a scam to get me alone in a crummy hotel room I will hurt him! Then I will personally see to it that he is put away for his actions!' Tonks had to take a second to work through her thoughts before she found the words to speak again. "The room is so we are alone to talk Romeo, nothing more."
"I know, I would have it no other way Miss Tonks." Harry said as he stood up to leave. "Until we meet again."
Tonks nodded and smiled as she watched him leave the bar. She sat there for a moment at the table and took another drink of the beer he bought her. 'This stuff isn't half bad, no wonder my dad liked it.'
"Nymphadora Tonks!" Came her mother's voice banging all other thoughts out of her head. It was so loud and real that Tonks briefly looked to see if her mother was in the bar, but found the voice was in her head. "What in the bloody hell are you thinking? You hardly even know this guy and what you do know about him is not good! What could have possessed you to see him alone in a hotel room?"
Before Tonks could react to what her mother's voice said, it was replaced by a new voice. "Tonks." Came Harry Potter's voice crashing into her thoughts. "Tonks you know how much I care about you. If you truly love me, then you will find out what you can to locate me."
Tears formed in Tonks' eyes as Harry voice echoed through her mind. However the peacefulness of his voice didn't last long, and was quickly replaced by Alastor Moody's. "Constant Vigilance!" Moody said in his usual growl effectively pushing Harry's voice out of her head. "Constant Vigilance Girl! Didn't I teach you anything during your Auror training? You have to be alert to all possible situations and that means you should alert someone to your location! If this guy is the big bad wolf in disguise and you go in unprepared you may not live to regret it!"
Tonks finished off the beer and stood up trying to force all the voices echoing in her mind out. She knew they all had their points and they seemed valid, but now was not the time. She had to get to the Leaky Cauldron and find out for sure what Silver Wolf knew about Harry.
Tonks made her way outside the muggle bar and found the spot that she had arrived at. She took in several deep-calming breaths before she Apparated outside the Leaky Cauldron.
She walked into the Leaky Cauldron and looked around quickly. When she didn't see Silver Wolf waiting for her she decided to talk to Tom and find out which room he was in. However before she could find him she was brought back to reality by some one calling her.
"Tonks!" A familiar voice said.
Tonks turned to see her ex-boyfriend Jamul Warner. The very ex-boyfriend that she would hold responsible for her and Harry not getting together, because it was him in the locker room with her that day. He was fresh out of Auror training when she started to date him, which they only dated for three days. If he hadn't wanted a kiss goodbye, after she broke up with him. If he hadn't done that then Harry would be with her right now, and she would not be going through this hell.
"Nymphadora Tonks, is that really you?" Asked Jamul as he looked at her, effectively bringing her once again out of her musing.
Tonks pulled back and slapped him across the face. "Never call me Nymphadora! Better yet don't ever speak to me again!" Tonks said curtly and stormed off to find Tom.
Jamul rubbed his face and then a sneer came to it. "Damn slut never changed." He mumbled as he sat back down at the bar.
Tonks was livid when she finally got to Tom. "What room is Wolf in?" Tonks asked curtly in a louder tone than she had intended to. She was still blatantly pissed about running into Jamul.
Tom looked at her for a moment, as if consider whether or not to tell her. "He is in room six!" Tom snapped at her in a loud tone that matched hers.
Tonks glared at him for a moment and then decided not to start anything with Tom. She had to see Silver Wolf, so she left the bar and started up the stairs.
Tonks made her way towards the room and stopped briefly when she thought she heard footsteps behind her. Though when she looked no one was there. 'Damn imagination! I wish it would quit over reacting on me!' Tonks thought as she continued to the room. After a quick glance up and down the hallway she knocked on the door.
It took a minute or so but then Tonks heard Silver Wolf's voice come from the other side of the door. "Who is it?"
'Who is it? What you expecting someone other than me!' Tonks thought as she looked at the door. However she remained calm as possible and spoke in a low hushed voice. "Tonks" She didn't want to chance anyone hearing her, because she couldn't stop thinking about the footsteps she thought she heard.
"Are you alone?" Silver Wolf asked from the other side of the closed door.
Tonks was starting to become a bit irritated again. "Yes!" She said a little louder. She really wasn't in the mood for his games. Not after her confrontation with Jamul, the last thing she wanted to do was see him, but she had to know what information he wanted to share. "Now are you going to let me in or should I leave?"
Tonks watched as the door opened just enough for him to look out at her.
"By all means come in." Silver Wolf said with a smile on his face.
'Arrogant git!' Tonks thought as she rolled her eyes at him.
Silver Wolf quickly opened the door and left her in. once she was away from the door he quickly shut it and cast a complex locking charm on it. Then Tonks watched as he cast a complex silencing charm on the room.
'He definitely knows how to use charms.' Tonks thought as she watched him. "So what did you need a private room to tell me Mr. Wolf?" Tonks asked with a slight smile on her face. 'Why am I smiling at him? Damn it now he will think I am coming on to him or something!' Tonks thought as she continued looking at him.
"You may want to sit down, this may come as a shock."
Tonks went and sat down on the edge of the bed. She then looked at him for a moment wondering what he had to say. Instead of saying anything thought Tonks watched as he changed his appearance from Silver Wolf to Harry Potter. 'NO! He can't be Harry! Harry would never have put me through this!' Tonks thought, as she looked at him in total shock.
"Tonks" He said now in Harry's voice. "This is who I truly am. I am sorry for leaving so abruptly, but I had to get away. I couldn't stand being a puppet any longer. The minister, Fudge, has tried to use me for his own schemes, and Dumbledore is no better."
Tonks was a bit shocked and relieved to find that he was really Harry, but also she found that she was a bit mad. 'He did this to me because of Fudge and Dumbledore! Who in the bloody hell gave him that right!' Tonks thought as she stood up and slapped him across the face hard. All of Tonks pent up emotions from the past couple of days came flowing out as she unloaded onto Harry. "You selfish bastard! Did you once think about how anyone else would feel if you just up and disappeared? How about your friends Harry? Don't they matter to you or is your own needs to great compared to them? What about me? Did you even stop to think about how you leaving like that would effect me?"
Harry gingerly rubbed his face, which was turning red from her slap. "I am sorry Tonks. You're right, I was a selfish bastard and it has been eating me up inside. That is why I had to come back and see you. I had to explain everything to you, because believe it or not I do LOVE you!"
A tear ran down Tonks' cheek as she looked at the red mark she left on Harry's face. Here he was finally opening up to her like she wanted him to, and what did she do? She over reacted and slapped him really hard. 'Bloody hell! If I hadn't run into that bloody Jamul I would have been in a better mood! Instead I just took everything out on poor Harry!' Tonks thought as another tear ran down her cheek. "Harry…I'm…. sorry." Tonks said as more tears flowed down her face.
Harry took her into his arms, and held her close to him. "Don't be sorry you had every reason to slap me. I have been a selfish, self loathing bastard, and I deserved it."
Tonks wrapped her arms around Harry and hugged him tightly. This was what she had wanted for so long, but yet never had the nerve to get it. With most guys she was forward and could easily get their attention. She found that Harry was different though, he was younger than her, and she didn't want to come on to him. It just wouldn't have been natural for her, but being held in his arms it felt all right, everything was perfect.
Tonks was propelled out of her perfect state by the sound of Malcom Hardy's voice booming from outside the door. "Silver Wolf I know you're in there!"
"Damn it how did he find me?" Harry asked as he reverted back to Silver Wolf. He then looked at Tonks, who looked just as shocked as he did. "Give me your wand!" He said in a cold, stern, and calculating voice.
Tonks stepped back in shock. Did Harry actually believe she turned him in? "Harry I…" she started to try and say that she didn't do it, but was cut rudely off by Harry or rather Silver Wolf.
"The name is Silver Wolf! Now give me the wand if you wish to get out of here with little incident!" Harry said as he stared at Tonks.
Tonks was horrified by the cold dead look that he was giving her. Just a few minutes before she was in perfect harmony with the world. Everything was as it should be, but now she didn't know what was happening.
Tonks slowly pulled out her wand, but hesitated momentarily as the voices came crashing into her mind again.
"Nymphadora!" came her mother's voice once more echoing over the others. "I warn you don't to trust him!"
"Constant Vigilance!" Moody's voice growled yet again effectively forcing the other voices down in her head. "You weren't alert to your situation and now you may not live to regret it girl!"
After Moody's growling died down Tonks could hear the voice of reason in her head. It was Harry's voice speaking to her. "Tonks you know that is me under that exterior. You know I would never hurt you, not on purpose at least. You trusted me enough to come here, so trust me now to get you out alive." Before Tonks realized it or knew what she was doing she handed him the wand.
Harry quickly placed it in his robes, and then placed an arm around her as he pointed his wand in her back. He then leaned down and whispered slightly in her ear. "Once we are out, Apparate to the Jade Scorpion I will explain then and please forgive me for my actions my love."
'Forgive you for what?' Tonks thought, but it didn't take long to realize what was happening.
Harry then aimed the wand at the door and blew it open sending Hardy flying into a wall. He quickly replaced the wand to the middle of Tonks' back as more Aurors moved in the doorway. "If you wish for me to kill this lady then by all means continue to come into the room! If you want her to live then, you will move out of the way!"
The Aurors in the doorway all froze as they saw who he was holding hostage.
Tonks didn't know what to really think as she stood there. She could just barely feel the wand pocking her, as Harry held it close to her back, but not pushing it in too hard. As scanned the faces of the Aurors in the room and one struck her immediately.
'That bastard!' Tonks thought as she looked at the smug look on Jamul Warner's face. 'He is so petty that he would do this!' Tonks thought wishing that she had her wand, so she could blast that bloody smug look off his face.
Hardy now back to his feet pushed them out of the way. "Silver Wolf you are under arrest! I suggest you come peacefully and maybe you will only serve life in Azkaban! If you resist you will surely get the Dementor's kiss!" Hardy said without even caring that he had Tonks hostage.
"I see you got down Hardy!" Harry said curtly. "It would appear we have a bit of a stand off here. If you try to get me I will kill her, and by time her lifeless body hits the ground I will kill you also!"
"Nice try Silver Wolf!" Hardy said with a sneer. "I know you are bluffing. I know you are working with Tonks!"
Thoughts were colliding and swirling around Tonks mind as she stood there. She knew that Hardy was a heartless cretin, but she never expected him to be this low. Tonks was brought out of her musing by Silver Wolf's voice.
Silver Wolf looked at Tonks. "Your Nymphadora Tonks? Bloody brilliant another Auror to add to my collection!"
'Why do people insist on calling me Nymphadora!' Tonks thought as she glared at Silver Wolf. 'You act so bloody surprised that it is me, and what damn collection are you talking about?' Thought Tonks, but decided to remain silent since she didn't know what he was doing. Though she was becoming concerned that he didn't know either.
Tonks didn't see the new entry into the room at first, but was brought out of her musing by his voice. "What collection? I suggest you let Miss Tonks go, and tell us everything. I will see to it that the minister shows you lenience if you cooperate with us now." Dawlish said as he stood by hardy. He was a tough-looking wizard with very short wiry gray hair.
'Dawlish what is he doing here?' Tonks thought as she looked at him. 'Surely Kingsley didn't send him! No the minister had to, because he is one of his most loyal puppets!'
Tonks was brought out of her musing by the insane laugh of Silver Wolf. "There is one small problem with that idea. See I know all about how Fudge works, and I know he would rather have me receive the Dementor's kiss than give me a fair trail. Now here is what will happen! I will be allowed to leave, along with Miss Tonks here. Once I am safely away I will send my demands to the Minister. Once they are met I will then set Tonks and Harry Potter free!"
There was complete silence in the room as if someone had put a sound proofing charm on each person there. Some were even too afraid to even breath. Though this did not stop Tonks' mind from racing ninety miles an hour. 'Had Harry truly lost his mind? Was he trying to get himself killed? He has to be crazy telling them that he has two hostages, now they will surely try to kill him! Though he does have a point. This Silver Wolf persona of his does seem to keep his real personality hostage from the world.' These thoughts and many more were swirling around Tonks' mind. Too many in fact for her to even realize what some of them meant.
The silence only lasted momentarily and was broken by Hardy. "He's lying! He doesn't have Harry Potter and he wont kill Tonks! I still say they are working together…"
For once Tonks found herself hoping that Hardy was right. She knew that Harry would kill her, but when he was like this, when he was Silver Wolf. It was like he was a totally different person, a person that she doesn't know at all!
"Shut up Hardy!" Came the stern voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt from behind him. "Mr. Wolf let us discuss this rationally before someone does something stupid." He said as he glared at Hardy clearing indicating that was whom he meant.
"You would be?" Silver Wolf asked. Tonks was a bit taken back by this since Harry knew damn well who the man was. However Tonks remained quiet and continued to play her part as the hostage, not like she had much choice to do otherwise.
"I am Kingsley Shacklebolt and I am in charge of all the Aurors here." Kingsley said in a matter of fact kind of way.
There was silence and Tonks didn't know what Harry was up to, but she knew he had better do it quick before anything else could happen. Finally she heard him speak again as Silver Wolf, and was shocked by his statement.
"Did I not make myself clear the first time? Either I get safe passage out of here, or she dies! You may kill me, but if you do, you will never see Harry Potter again!"
'WHAT!' Tonks' mind screamed as she heard what Silver Wolf said. 'He is bloody insane!'
Kingsley turned to the rest of the Aurors in the room. "Leave! I wish to speak with him alone."
'It actually worked?' Tonks asked herself as she looked at Kingsley. "Maybe Harry does know what he is doing after all. I guess after years of being used as someone's puppet you learn how to do it yourself.'
"Sir, you can't be serious." Hardy said as he looked at Kingsley.
"I am serious Hardy! If you have a problem with that, I am sure I can find a position for you in Antarctica!" Kingsley said in a stern and harsh tone. "That goes for all of you! If you are not gone in one minute you will wish you never disobeyed my order!"
Instantly the room was filled with popping sounds as the Aurors left, all except for Dawlish and Hardy who remained standing there.
"Why are you still here?" Kingsley asked in a stern tone as he glared at the two remaining Aurors.
Tonks stared at Hardy and Dawlish. 'Are they crazy? No they have something up their grubby sleeves and I know this isn't going to be good!' Tonks thought as she continued to stare at them.
"Sir, I am under direct orders from the minister to bring Silver Wolf in. that means I can not follow your orders." Dawlish said in a matter of fact tone of voice.
"I see." Said Kingsley as he turned his glare to Hardy. "I suppose you have the same orders?"
Hardy smiled as he looked at Kingsley. "Yes I do! That means you can't threaten me any longer! Also I feel that you are no longer in the right state of mind to command this unit and effective immediately you are suspended pending a full investigation by the Minister himself."
'They can't do this can they?' Tonks asked herself as she stared at them. Tonks felt her heart sink low into her chest, as the reality of the situation dawned on her. She was being held hostage by the man she loves, and is was helpless to aid him in any way. The tension in the air was almost suffocating as she stood there, wondering how Harry could possible survive this. If Dawlish and Hardy worked for the minister as they claimed then they would not hesitate in taking her out to get him. Especially Hardy since he already hated her with a passion. 'SHIT!' Was all Tonks could think as she looked at the hopelessness of the situation she found herself and Harry in.