Author's Note: Woo, more death! If anyone wants to see a particular character die let me know and it shall be done mwahahaha! Also, huge plottage. R REVEALED! On with the chapter!

Mirror, Mirror

Chapter eleven: "If I'm not back by tea time…"

His face was a blur. Perhaps because she was crying so hard. He held her close, she felt safe. He wiped away her tears with his thumbs and she saw his hands clearly. Strong, but scarred, nails bitten. He protected her from the terrors that surrounded them, though she could not see what they were. Again he whispered:

"You're safe now Ymp."

&&&

Tonks woke late the next morning. So late in fact, that she had barely an hour before she was to meet R. She showered and dressed quickly and went downstairs. After yesterday's meeting all but a few of the Order members and their families had stayed there overnight, but Grimmauld Place was as quiet as it had ever been. Most were in their rooms still, though Tonks doubted any of them had really slept.

Dumbledore was off making arrangements for Harry to return to the Dursley's as soon as possible. Hermione and her parents had taken it upon themselves to go out into the muggle community and warn as many people as they could of an impending 'terror attack'. Kingsley had gone off to the ministry to plead their case, Mundungus, Arthur, Bill and Charlie were all on guard and Molly had been given the task of feeding the fast number of mouths now in residence. Ginny and Ron sat in the living room with a bag of dungbombs each, throwing one at anyone who came through the door, but they did not laugh. The twins had gone to work as usual, though far from their usual selves. Tonks was to collect her parents and bring them back to Grimmauld Place, while Remus got supplies. Tonks wondered if this was like the castle sieges she'd read about, where if they weren't all killed in a few days, they either stayed put until they starved or they surrendered.

And surrender was not an option.

Tonks grabbed her bag and walked down the hall, where Remus was levitating crates of baked beans.

"Well, I'm off," she told him.

"Picking up your parents?"

"Yea, among other things. They don't know about any of this, it might take a while," Tonks sighed. There was silence. Tonks walked a little closer to Remus and the door, then stopped. She dropped her bag to the ground and threw her arms around Remus' neck.

"Oh God, Remus," she sobbed into his shoulder. "I'm so scared."

"Me too Tonks," he whispered. "Me too."

"Everything's going to be okay isn't it?"

"It'll be fine."

Remus' lie seemed to comfort both of them. Tonks let go of him, picked up her bag and opened the front door. She stopped and turned back to him.

"If I'm not back by tea time, fear the worst."

&&&

To her surprise, Tonks arrived at the Troll's Head ten minutes before noon. She didn't even bother getting a drink before she sat down in a secluded corner. Her stomach rumbled. She'd missed breakfast, but even now she was too nervous to eat anything. She watched the door, surveying everyone who walked in, wating for that familiar face, waiting for her stranger, her R.

The minutes dragged on forever as she watched people come and go. Couples, families, all unaware that the war had come. All oblivious, all happy, all alive and Tonks saw death in them all.

She couldn't bare to watch their living ghosts any longer. She leaned over the table and buried her head in her hands. She did not cry; there would be time enough for that later.

Tonks became aware of a figure nearby. She saw his robes between her fingers and a familiar voice spoke.

"I'm glad you could make it my dear."

The colour drained from Tonks' face as she looked up at her admirer. She felt sick.

"I thought you would be pleased to see me, though I can understand your shock."

"No," she whispered feebly, as Rodolphus LeStrange sat down opposite her, taking her hands in his own, apparating them both out of the pub.

"No, no, no," she said again, unable to say anything else.

"It's alright Ymp my dear," he whispered, closing in on her. "I'm here now."

No, this was all wrong, you were supposed to be..no, this can't be right.

Tonks looked him in the eye.

"What about Bella?"

"Our's was a loveless marraige from the start. Besides, she cares more for the Dark Lord than she does for me."

"What about the war?"

"I've been a fool, I can see that now. You've shown me the light. I've turned my back on the Dark Arts for good." He paused. "Will you fogive me?"

"Maybe," Tonks was almost starting to believe him. "But even if I could forgive you," she pulled her hands away from his. "I could never love you."

"You could if you wanted to."

Tonks couldn't believe this was happening. How could Rudolphus just switch side like that? It was rediculous. The whole situation was ridiculous. She had almost fallen for her uncle for crying out loud! It was all wrong and it made her sick to her stomach. But she had felt those things, and as much as she tried, she couldn't deny it.

"How can I know you've changed?"

"I'll prove it, I'll do anything." He thought for a moment. "I can stop the attack, I can tell them they've got the wrong place, that the Order HQ is just a decoy."

"You're seriously telling me that you've got the power to stop them attacking Grimmauld Pla..."

Rodolphus' smile said it all. Tonks filled with dread.

"Thank you my dear, that's all we needed to know." He chuckled and stood up. Tonks was suddenly aware of her surroundings and they looked very much like a prison cell.

"God! He didn't tell you anything did he! After all you did to him, Severus didn't give you a damn thing!"

"Yes, good bluff wasn't it?" He stepped through a door in the barred wall of the room and locked it behind him.

"Shame about your parents, nice people." He watched Tonks' expression change. "Oh you didn't know? Hmm, pity they didn't know anything. Not a bad shot, your mother. She managed to get Narcissa and her son before we restrained them."

Rudolphus put the keys in his pocket, then placed a charm on the lock. Tonks grabbed at her jeans but her pockets were empty.

"You seem to have misplaced your wand my dear, you really are clumsy. Oh, and I wouldn't bother to shout. There's not another building for five miles and we're all leaving now anyway. I'll say hello to the werewolf for you."