Author's Note: yo folks! This is the chapter ye've all been waiting for, that's right it's confession time. There might be a bit of a gap between updates after this, filming on "The Street Has No Name" starts tomorrow and that'll take up most of this week (and the editing suite is down, grrr). After that, I'm moving out of my student digs and back to my parents for the summer, and I'll hopefully be working full time in my dad's office. Add to that the fact I can't get my laptop online there, and you have much time without updates. Rest assured there isn't much more to go now, four chapters at most I reckon. They'll be up as asap. Hope you like!

Mirror, Mirror

Chapter seventeen: The War Arrives

The others had now congregated in the living room and appeared to be holding an impromptu meeting. Several more Order members had arrived in her absence, including Dumbledore and McGonagall who were sat on the sofa. Due to the lack of chairs, most were standing, but they had left a seat for the injured Tonks beside Dumbledore. She would have much rather been in the folding chair next to Remus, but she didn't have the energy to argue. Molly was levitating a tray of tea cups around the room. She opened her mouth to offer Tonks one, but was beaten to it.

"Caffeine, gimme," Tonks said, causing a small ripple of laughter. Molly smiled and handed her a cup. Tonks reached out with her left hand, winced, and instead took it with her right. Once everyone had been offered a cup of tea, Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat.

"As I'm sure all of you are aware, there have been some unpleasant developments in the last few days. The loss of Severus was a major blow, not least to our intelligence efforts, but to.." he faltered, cleared his throat again and continued. "To morale. Today's events also, were unfortunate, and perhaps it might be a good idea to go through exactly what happened, in order to gain a clearer picture. Tonks, will you take us through today?"

Tonks nodded and took a very deep breath. She sat her cup on the carpet and stood up. It's just a report, she told herself, you've done it a thousand times, get a grip.

"Uh, well I'd been corresponding with, er, well a friend, for a week or so. We arranged to meet up today at noon, through the letters. When I got to the pub I was early, so I found a table and waited. He was late and I was fed up. Then, then Rodolphus Lestrange came in. He, he said he wanted to talk and I believed him. We apparated somewhere else, I left my things behind on the floor. When we got there, he tricked me into thinking he wanted to switch sides and I mentioned Grimmauld Place, assuming Sev..Severus had already told them. Then he locked me in a cell, told me he'd killed my parents and that Narcissa and Draco were dead too. He told me not to bother screaming for help and left." She looked at her odd-socked feet and fingered the burns on her neck. "He'd put some kind of electrify charm on the bars, but I managed to unscrew the bottom ones with...with dad's penknife. When I got out, there was no-one else there. I found some old blueprints and evidence that my letters had been intercepted. I discovered I was in a derelict house just outside Dufftown. I..I managed to get out of the building and walked to Hogsmeade. I sent word to Remus and went to sit by the lake. That's where Remus found me."

"Thank you Tonks," Dumbledore said, beckoning to her to sit down again.

Tonks perched on the edge of the sofa and picked up her tea cup. She drank like it was hard liquour. She knew she'd ommited certain facts, she was sure a few others knew as well, but she couldn't have taken the ebarrasement of the others knowing what had really happened between her and Rodulphus. Tonks closed her eyes and faded into a daydream while Kingsley explained what he'd found at the Tonks household.

She was back at Hogwarts, sat under one of the trees in Remus' arms. Harry, Hermione, Ron and his siblings played to one side. In the tree above them, Sirius was flinging bits of leaf in Tonks' hair. Then to her left she spotted her mother and father, smiling proudly. As Tonks smiled back, her father was hit by a bolt of green, he fell backwards in pain. Her mother fired off curses at their attackers, aiming for Draco who had hurt Ted. Narcissa dived in front of him, taking the full brunt of the curse. Andromeda fired another, then was hit by one from Rodolphus. Harry and the others were writhing on the ground in pain, Sirius had fallen from the tree and lay in a crumpled heap. Remus was screaming her name.

"Tonks, Tonks!"

She opened her eyes with a start. Remus was kneeling in front of her with her hands in his.

"Oh, I..I'm sorry," she turned to Kingsley. "Uh, carry on."

Remus stood up and perched himself on the sofa arm, with one hand on Tonks' shoulder.

"Ahem, so yes, I have the ministry on high alert. There are many Aurors who I know to be loyal waiting to help us. They are waiting to be told a location and believe I am leaning on an informant as we speak. The minute there is the slightest hint of battle, they will be here. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, but given the state of things we'd do better to be realistic about this. Things will come to a head sooner rather than later and we'd best prepare for the worst."

"Thank you Kingsley, we all appreciate the hard work you've put in." Dumbledore said, as Tonks scowled at his elbow. "As I'm sure you all know, though he has much enjoyed the holiday, Harry is safely back with the Dursleys." Molly scoffed. Undeterred, Dumbledore continued. "I shall be returning to Privet Drive momentarily, with the two youngest Weasley children. I would suggest Miss Tonks is escorted to St. Mungo's, but that is of couse, entirely up to her. I think that will do for now, don't you?"

The small crowd filtered out of the room gradually. Molly and Arthur shuffled off to say their goodbyes to Ron and Ginny, while everyone but Kingsley, Bill and the twins had gone in the direction of the kitchen. Fred and George stepped up to Tonks, who hadn't moved.

"We've been working on something for late-night revision, and well,"

"We thought you could do with some." George finished for his brother. Fred handed Tonks a paper bag.

"Each one's the same as 5 espressos,"

"a bag of sugar,"

"two bars of Honeyduke's and"

"a healing potion." They finished together. Tonks took the bag from Fred.

"Thanks boys," she said with a smile. "That's sweet of you."

The pair ran off to catch up with their parents. Tonks looked up at Remus as she popped what looked like an orange minstrel into her mouth.

"Can you do me a favour?" she asked.

"Anything."

"Could you go and get my letters? I want to check something." Tonks sent a knowing look at Kingsley.

"I, er, that is to say I don't, erm," Remus floundered. Tonks beamed.

"You don't have a clue where I kept them do you?"

"Uh, well, no," Remus said, clearing his throat and pulling at the sleeves of his cardigan.

"I knew it!" Cried Tonks, positively bouncing. "These are really good, anyone want one?"

She offered the paper bag round but they all declined. She sucked on another, then returned suddenly to her point.

"I should have known you wouldn't go through my stuff," she squeeled, throwing her arms around Remus' neck and kissed him hard on the cheek. Kingsley coughed and elbowed Bill in the ribs, nodding towards the door. He took the hint and they quickly left the two of them alone. Tonks hung back a little, tucking a strand of his greying blonde hair behind his ear. He looked so fragile just before the full moon, so delicate, so beautiful. And yet Remus was without a doubt the strongest man she knew.

"Why didn't you say something?" she whispered.

"How could I have?" Remus sighed. "You're you, and I'm just, well, me."

"That's the best reason I can think of for telling me you great pillock," she said, and kissed the tip of his nose. He smiled and pulled her close, a few happy tears tumbling down his cheek, landing in her now long black hair.

"If only Harry could see us," Tonks chuckled. "If he knew what we were up to while he's stuck with those awful people."

"I should get you to the hospital," he said quietly.

"Probably," she whispered, taking in the scent of his hair; musty, with hints of chocolate and his menthol shampoo. They sighed together. A figure appeared in the doorway.

"I don't think leaving is a very good idea," said an extremely pale Arthur, waving a piece of parchment. "They're here."