By the Way…
By: Sinead Usagi
Chapter One: A State of Anxiety
According to Section 76 B of the Magical Code of Sanctions and Punishment, the culprit was within his rights to pursue alternate measures to prevent the...
With a sigh, Tonks scribbled this out, the ink blotting up the parchment, and getting on her fingers.
She didn't even notice, and began hurriedly writing again, leaving an unsightly smudges of ink wherever her hand touched the parchment.
In accordance with Section 106 G of the Magical Code of Sanctions and Punishments, the Accused was in violation of the law that clearly states, "No bribery or blackmail are to be used by defendants under any circumstances"...
"The law contradicts itself!" Tonks shrieked, and tore her parchment up. Unintentionally, her hair went from bright pink to a violent shade of red. Then, she put her face in her hands and tried to calm herself down, her hair slowly transforming itself back to fuchsia.
"Yelling at the Code again, Tonks?" Kingsley stuck his head into her cubicle office, grinning.
Tonks shot him a look that clearly said: bother me and die.
Kingsley didn't wait for an invitation. He walked into her office and started looking at all of her personal knick-knacks. He picked them up one by one, and examined them from different angles.
Tonks huffed at him irritably. "Could you not do that?" she snapped.
He set a picture of the Weasley family, complete with Harry, back down, still grinning. Then, he grabbed the enormous rulebook out of her hands, tossed it onto her desk.
"The powers that be order you to take a break and clear your head," he announced in a pompous tone.
Tonks started. "Kingsley, you know I have to get this stupid Thompson report out of the way," she told him sadly, motioning with her ink stained hand to the ripped up parchment on her desk.
Kingsley sighed and leaned against her desk, tapping his fingers absentmindedly.
"Thompson can wait. I think you have something more important to do right now. Perhaps relating to that sparkling rock on your finger?" Startled, Tonks glanced down at her left ring finger, where a shimmering diamond on a gold band was delicately catching the light.
"Take your break, Tonks."
Tonks stared at him for a moment. "How did you know?" she asked, completely astounded.
Kingsley rolled his eyes. "My dear woman, I have never seen you so worked up over the simplest of tasks. Any amateur could have finished that report hours ago."
Tonks frowned for a second, thinking this through, and then grinned at him appreciatively. She picked up her jacket and on her way out of the office, turned to Kingsley.
"I think I'll go for a walk in Muggle London, if that's alright."
Kingsley shrugged as if he could not care less. "Go ahead. My philosophy on life is the Band-Aid strategy. Fast and painful, but a relief to get it over with."
Keeping this in mind, Tonks Disapparated from the Ministry and into an alley off one of the crowded streets in London. She noticed that she had Apparated uncomfortably close to a dumpster, and took a wary step back from it. Then, she set off purposefully down the street, keeping her eye out for the red of a telephone booth.
A/N: Thank you for reading the first chapter of By the Way! It does pick up, I promise. And, I'll tell you something else: there will be a very delicious cake later on. Ho, ho, ho…
Bask in my non-indented paragraph-ness!
Read and review!
Thanks to all those poor souls who I forced to read this fanfic before I was sure it was finished. Catherine: who stayed up late many nights just for me, and listening to my whining. Awww…; Andrea: who didn't get annoyed as I listed off a million horrible ideas for a title; and Steph: (nycgrl) who is my Lupin/Tonks fanficcy IDOL! And let's not forget Michelle (always supportive and lovely) who read the first part and forgot what she had to tell me :)