Part Three

Hogwarts rang with the clamour of students just returned from the holidays as Remus and Tonks crept silently and invisibly through the corridors in the invisibility cloak. They dodged more than a few of his former students, and Remus ached inside. If only he could teach here again. Though, as he walked with his arms around Tonks, he realised if he were granted one wish of his own choosing, it would not be to have his beloved Defence Against Dark Arts post back, but to have this young woman always. It was slightly more likely to come true than the old wish, and for the time being, he allowed the thought to bolster him. Today he would not let melancholy and doubt creep in and steal his happiness.

They arrived at the hallway to the Headmaster's rooms. "Bertie Bott's," Remus said, and the gargoyle moved aside as the spiral staircase appeared and carried them up to Dumbledore's office.

Tonks poked her arm out of the invisibility cloak and rapped the brass knocker, and Dumbledore's voice bid them enter.

The silver-haired wizard looked up from at his great desk and fixed his gaze vaguely at the open door through which his invisible guests passed. Smiling, he said, "Remus and Nymphadora, I presume?"

Remus opened the cloak, and Tonks stumbled out into the circular room. Dumbledore rose and shook both of their hands, then motioned for them to take the two armchairs in front of the desk.

"I am delighted," he said, remaining standing behind his desk, "to thank you in person for your brilliant execution of this morning's assignment. I could not have chosen a more efficient pair to escort Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and the Weasleys."

Though the praise brought Remus deep pleasure, his cheeks prickled with a flush of self-consciousness. How could Dumbledore always put such faith in him, when Remus had, more often than not, failed to meet expectations?

Tonks, on the other hand, beamed at Remus, then at Dumbledore. "We work rather well together, don't we?"

"Indeed, Nymphadora." The Headmaster's blue eyes twinkled behind half-moon spectacles as he took his seat. "Though I must confess, I am rather disappointed to have missed out on your disguise."

Tonks promptly scrunched up her face. Her skin stretched and sagged and wrinkled, and her hair seemed almost to wither like plants in winter as it fell lank against her head, faded to grey, then coiled into tight curls. "It's better with my tweed skirt and jacket."

"Nonetheless," said Dumbledore, eyes flickering just briefly toward Remus, "you make quite a smart witch of advanced years."

Remus did not miss the glance, and it left his stomach feeling rather unsettled. Had Dumbledore meant to imply…? Surely not – it was the sort of joke Sirius might make, or any number of Order members. No one, though, was above curiosity; even Dumbledore might wonder what a man thought when his partner made such a drastic change of appearance. And if he were teasing, with his involvement in Remus' rather elaborate scheme to surprise Tonks, Dumbledore was, perhaps, more entitled than anyone else to do so. Remus supposed he was simply unaccustomed to such a familiar rapport.

Not surprisingly, Tonks was not in the least rattled by the casualness of this meeting. She changed back into her own form, then grinned cheekily at the Headmaster. "I thought about coming in through the main entrance and announcing myself as your girlfriend."

Dumbledore's smile lines deepened, and his shoulders trembled with a silent laugh. "If you are at all alarmed by this, Remus, you must understand that Nymphadora refers to an April Fool's Day prank, which she may or may not wish for me to disclose."

Tonks let out a shriek of laughter and took Remus' hand. For a moment, he did not close his fingers around her, startled by the bold affection in front of someone he would have once died of mortification to catch him holding hands with a girl. But Tonks' hand was firm and warm, and the memory of kissing her under the invisibility cloak was fresher than impressions of schoolboy bashfulness. Anyway, it wasn't as if Dumbledore weren't perfectly aware they were romantically involved. In fact, his expression as he witnessed their affection was one of deep pleasure and approval.

Emboldened, Remus squeezed Tonks' hand, and wove their fingers together. "Do give him permission to disclose."

"Disclose away, Professor," she said, returning the pressure. "It's no worse than anything Remus did as a boy."

"I think not." The fond half-grin accompanying Dumbledore's miniscule wink reassured Remus the Headmaster was only thinking of the Marauders' relatively harmless acts of mischief. "Now, I believe it April Fool's Day of your fourth year, was it not?"

Tonks nodded, mouth contorting as she held back laughter.

"Throughout that day," Dumbledore continued, "Nymphadora visited my office in the guise of each female faculty member and confessed undying love for me."

Remus howled as this anecdote threw Tonks' joke into a new light. "How many detentions did that earn you?"

"Something like two days for each impersonation," Tonks replied, "and two more for every class I skived."

Remus winced.

"I thought it a rather severe punishment for a relatively harmless prank," Dumbledore agreed, "but of course my ego was a bit inflated that day. I felt it best left up to the offended staff."

"All those weeks of detentions," Tonks said, "are the reason I've no romantic history. None of the boys would go out with the Hufflepuff who was always engaged in the evenings. Even if I was a Metamorphmagus."

"Your familiarity with detention," said Remus, "and your very capable management of mischief certainly would have endeared you to the Marauders."

She smiled at him, but became slightly subdued as she added, "Well, I reckon it was probably the last straw that kept me from making prefect, too."

"Yes," said Remus lightly, "I can see how impersonating your professors constitutes an inability to behave."

Tonks scowled playfully, but released Remus' hand and slipped into professional mode as she turned to the Headmaster. "So, our assignment?"

"Ah yes," said Dumbledore, equally business-like. "My brother Aberforth sends word of peculiar activity in the Shrieking Shack last night. I do not know if that is Aberforth's definition of peculiar or ours, but in case it is the former, you should brace yourselves for surprises of the exceedingly strange and very likely alarming variety."

"D'you think it's anything dangerous?" Tonks asked.

"I am not certain," he replied, picking up a parchment from his desk and perusing it. "In a highly illegible note, Aberforth makes mention of someone doing chores."

Remus, perfectly aware of what Aberforth had heard in the Shrieking Shack, snorted. Dumbledore's eyes glittered.

"What?" said Tonks, looking back and forth between the two wizards. "Is this a joke?"

"Sorry," Remus recovered, "I was just picturing you as Sibyll Trelawney…"

Tonks looked sceptical, but the look vanished when Dumbledore chuckled and said, "That was the most entertaining of all."

"Care to share, Tonks?" Remus asked.

"Later," replied the Auror brusquely. "So Aberforth thinks someone's doing chores in the Shrieking Shack? As in, moved in and is casting householdy spells?"

Dumbledore held out his open palms. "One can only assume. However, I did not know until I received this missive that Aberforth could write at all, so chores may not have been the word he intended. Whatever the case, " he said, clasping his hands on his desk and weaving his long, thin fingers together, "we cannot be too cautious. Only a select few know how to enter the Shrieking Shack, and it must be done from Hogwarts grounds."

"You can't Apparate into it?" Tonks asked.

"No," said Dumbledore. "I have taken every precaution so that it is impossible to enter any way but through the passage under the Whomping Willlow. And that is tried and true – the Weasley twins have exhausted every conceivable means of getting inside."

Remus chuckled. "They spent the better part of the summer apprising me of all their failed attempts. You've got to hand it to them for creativity."

"They are exceptionally clever," said Dumbledore with another barely noticeable wink, "though I think all trouble-makers are."

Remus wanted to ask Tonks if her trouble-making had ever included attempts at breaking and entering the Shrieking Shack, but a glance at her told him she was not in the frame of mind for strolls down memory lane. Her jaw muscle worked, and she ran her fingers through her hair, tugging at the ends.

"Meaning no disrespect, Professor," she said, sitting up straighter in her chair, "but why didn't Aberforth report this unusual activity to Magical Law Enforcement?"

"Aberforth is very likely on the wrong side of the law," Dumbledore replied, "and I would prefer to keep anything involving the Shrieking Shack off-record. Remember, I did not disclose that entrance even to the Order."

"Fair enough." Features set in firm lines, Tonks stood and said, "Well, I reckon an Auror and a Defence Against Dark Arts expert ought to be enough to handle whoever's cleaning up the Shrieking Shack."

"You shall be more than adequate." Dumbledore rose to see them out. "I am sure you shall complete the task in time for supper."

Remus felt a slight prick of annoyance at the last; but then, Dumbledore could not realise how suspicious Tonks was of this whole thing. A glance at her business-like expression, however, assured him she was focused on their assignment. As he put on the invisibility cloak for the third time that day, he remembered Dumbledore's payment.

"Your Every Flavoured Beans, Professor." At that, Tonks did look perplexed, so Remus quickly explained, "He asked me in this morning's owl to pick some up for him."

"Ah," said Dumbledore, opening the bag, "my mouth has been watering for a nice toffee-flavoured one. I only hope I do not mistake it for ear wax this time."