Of course, I hope you understood that I am not sadistic with the characters, but with the readers - what a relief ; )

A short chapter, from Tonks' point of view. I hope you will like it.


Chapter 11

A Metamorphmagus and a Bearer in a Dark Alley

Tonks successively Apparated from a location to another, following a route carefully planned a few days before, as she was expecting Dumbledore to give his final approval. Tonks hoped she was not getting noticed on her way; she had chosen remote and dark settings and, as an extra precaution, she slightly changed her appearance before each departure. Nymphadora Tonks adhered with all her heart to Alastor Moody's paranoid philosophy, even if she teased him relentlessly about it.

She finally Apparated to her last destination, in a loud banging sound that could have been confused for a Muggle car having muffler problems. She found herself in a deserted dark alley, littered with slimy and broken unwanted objects.

Muggle-borns can be so disgusting

Tonks somewhat tripped on a damp cardboard box: she angrily kicked it away with the tip of her leather boot. She squatted behind a huge garbage bin that was overflowing with foul smelling rubbish.

The young Auror pulled her hood over on her now chestnut hair and she lowered her chin against her chest to hide her features. The tip of her fingers searched for her wand under her cloak and she slid her hand along it. The supple warm wood comforted her and Tonks tried to slow down her loudly beating heart by taking deep breaths, wincing at the same time from the awful smell that was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

Inhale - One broomstick – exhale

Inhale – Two broomsticks – exhale

Calm down, missy

She closed her mind to be sure she would be alone with her thoughts.

Constant, ever-constant bloody vigilance

Even if she was nervous tonight, Tonks believed she was getting quite handy at those assignments: she had been doing little missions for Dumbledore in the last few weeks, often alone, without the knowledge of all the Order of the Phoenix' members and she now felt she had three lives, neatly separated in paths that sometimes crossed on her day job.

She was obviously an Auror, plus an official member of the Order of the Phoenix but she was beginning to think she was now a whole covert local branch of the Order to herself, digging some dirt and playing occasionally the wannabe bodyguard of a contemptuous Potions Master. She was intrigued by the reason why Dumbledore did not want to publicize any of this, but she understood that in war, some things are better not said, even to partners in crime.

Tonight had definitely another flavour. She felt the chill of the night through the heavy fabric of her cloak and her teeth started to chatter an impromptu cha-cha.

In the last weeks, as she was fidgeting in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore had asked her to be patient. Without blinking, Tonks had blurted that there could be a world of differences between patience and patience. The old wizard had laughed giddily, as if she had told him a very witty pun. But Tonks knew enough Dumbledore to see his preoccupation concerning Hermione Granger's condition. This is why the Headmaster gave him the parchment for Arthur Weasley earlier tonight with a rather grave expression. Nevertheless, he had winked at her and she could hear a little mischief in his voice as he told her, «Here you go, Nymphadora. Your patience is being rewarded tonight.»

A drizzle started to fall on the chilled Auror.

Wotcher, runny nose and head cold

Lovely atmosphere for a pick-up

She readjusted slightly her cloak and pointed her wand to herself as she muttered, «Impervius!» Tonks shifted, still sitting on her heels, trying to adjust herself into a more comfortable position. The lamppost that was on the other side of the street was diffusing a soft yellow light in a distant low buzzing sound; she mellowed a bit.

Tonks' eyes glanced at the entrance of the alley and she remembered she had broken in the last few months all the confidentiality rules that protected the privacy of the employees of the Ministry of Magic, all this in order to know more about the Auror she was waiting for tonight.

Should the Ministry discover that one of its youngest Aurors had defied SuperSilencium spells to read private files, she was cooked. She silently snickered, trying to laugh away her jitters.

Not cooked, roasted; a chick served with all the trimmings

Of course, it would add to the scandal if the Ministry found out that she was a member of a subversive organization and she was hijacking information from the Ministry for its operations. Tonks chew the inside of her lower lip when she thought bitterly that a stay in Azkaban was not in her five-year career planning.

She concentrated on the light that bathed the entry of the alley.

Dumbledore had promised his protection on this: but Tonks knew she was only one step from the Wizengamot if she ever got discovered. Tonks admitted to herself she was good at what she was doing: she had some very early training for this.

Her Mum used to firmly send her to her room if she got caught at scheming some mischievous plan. «So you want to do it bad, missy? Do it right or don't get caught at doing bad,» used to say Andromeda Tonks between her gritted teeth, lightly spanking her daughter on her way to her bedroom.

Merlin as her witness, Tonks had learned how to not get caught the hard way: against her insighful, out-of the-box thinker of a mother.

As Tonks looked anxiously at her watch, Snape's bitter face came to her mind. He asked her a question that really went under her skin the night when she witnessed the Unbreakable Vow Mess.

«Why did you accept such a mission?»

This had startled her. She disliked the man – well, she did not hate him like Sirius did, in a feverish, extremist-blind kind of way - she just disliked him, but she had to give him credit about his keen knowledge of the shadows of human nature. Snape always seemed to know exactly what buttons to push in order to get reactions from others.

A drop of water got caught in her eyelids and she rubbed it away.

Why do I accept those missions?

She was not a PsychoCounselWitch like her friend Mystic, but she knew enough about psychology to recognize that her Mum had brought her up in a way that made her firmly believe that one does not let the dark wizards win.

I'm a daughter of a Black. My aunts are married with Death Eaters. Bella's one too. Narcissa is a fearful little princess. I know it now.

And she could have turn astray, she just knew it. It was all in her. But she believed her mother had done a fine job raising a rebellious Metamorphmagus daughter with good lying skills that proved thoroughly useful to the Order of the Phoenix, despite whatever Snape thought about them.

There were also much more complicated reasons that she could not grasp completely. Her fondness for Dumbledore, the way she did not want people like her father getting bullied with that pureblood rubbish, and since last year, of course Harry and his tragic destiny, loosing his parents so young and being so courageous about it.

Sirius too, I guess…I miss his passion and his drive.

Remus Lupin's face lingered a bit in her mind, as the rain was pouring now harder on her.

She was secretly a little afraid of him: sometimes she felt like he was reading in her face like an open book. She did not want him to know to what lengths she had to go sometimes, like Obliviating colleagues to get passed them.Arthur Weasley was once an unwilling witness to this and even if he knew it was for Order's business, he had not been his warm self with her since then. His bellicose attitude towards her hurt her beyond belief.

Tonks' eyes moved quickly as she heard a small rattling sound near her. She held her breath while a beer can rolled towards her, pushed by the wind that was picking up.

But Remus knows about this, I am sure of it.

He was always throwing advice at her that clearly meant, «Watch it, girl.». Remus was a patronizing fool, stubborn and borderline obsessive with details, but his overt confidence in her meant a huge deal for Tonks.

I don't want to loose his trust, it's too precious

Tonks checked her watch again. Fabiola Luz should be there in a few minutes.

Where is she?

Tonks remembered in a blur, from her days in Hogwarts, a pretty but plain girl with very pale blue eyes, a few years older than she was. Tonks could replay in her mind the way students sniggered at her because she wore leather gloves even when she was not playing Quidditch and because she was marked by three small scars near her right eye. Luz was definitely not known for her public-speaking abilities. Tonks never saw Luz engrossed in a conversation but she was kind enough for a Slytherin: Hogwarts' stud Bill Weasley - Tonks sighed - was always around her, for a reason that none of the better-looking girls could understand.

Tonks met her in her first year when Luz tutored her in Potions. The Slytherin girl had been nice and agreeable. Their rapports were tinted with respect, even if Tonks had been in a war opposing Slytherins more that once.

Tonks had met her again when she started her Auror training: surprisingly, Luz gave a lecture on Dark Magic Spells as she was already working as an Auror for the Magical Secret Services. Her Bearer capacities had blossomed and Tonks had been quite impressed by the magical energy that emanated from her. The shy girl had turned into a dangerous looking woman.

Since then, Tonks had heard lots of hearsays about Luz, about her active part in repressing the Minaguash Rebellion that had taken place a few years ago. The Magical Secret Services had kept undercover the Rebellion with a lot of energy.

Not to say with numerous Avada Kedavras

When Tonks illegally read her file, she could not stifle her disappointment. The file she took so much care to open did not contain much more that she already knew. Auror Fabiola Luz was one of the six registered Bearers in the United Kingdom. Although Tonks had learned in the file that Luz had been severely injured while on a mission in Azkaban, the content of the mission had been classified under a spell that she worked her brains out to evade, without much success.

Tonks jolted when she heard a light footstep on the sidewalk, a few feet away from her hideaway. She turned her head slightly to get a better look at the alley. A medium height hooded woman was standing still in the rain: after a small hesitation, she slowly walked towards Tonks' hideout. The young Auror could see a gloved hand holding a wand, pointing it down. This witch was ready to defend herself by any means, if necessary.

As the woman was a few feet away from her, Tonks grasped her wand and she muttered in a low voice, «Phoenix.» The woman stopped walking as soon as Tonks' voice reverberated between the buildings. Tonks tried to see her face, wishing to identify her before she exposed herself.

The woman answered back in a raspy and cracked voice, as she had screamed too much, «Manticore.»

Tonks straightened up slowly and she saw the woman raise her wand against her. The young woman lifted a hand in a clear gesture of peace, «I'm Tonks.» She walked up to her and the hooded woman let her wand drop to her side.

To her uttermost embarrassment, Tonks could not hide her surprise when she saw the woman's face under the hood. She had not seen her, for what? Four, five years?

Tonks could read on Fabiola Luz' wan features the perilous nature of the missions that were given to her.

A long whitish scar went from her left nostril to her lips, crossing them and giving her a rather cruel expression. Small scars on her forehead and on her cheeks made her look older than she was. Tonks saw, with growing horror, that the three scars she remembered on her in Hogwarts were small crescent shaped scars.

Bet she knows all about Contamination spells

Even if it was still pouring, Luz pushed back her hood and Tonks could see her damp curly hair, attached in a low ponytail. Light caught in her hair and Tonks saw herself stared at by her colleague. She felt strangely lightheaded, when Luz almost colorless eyes scrutinized her features. Involuntarily, Tonks Metamorphosed her hair purple.

«Nymphadora… It's been quite a while,» said Luz, looking her in the eye without a blink. Tonks coughed and shakily said, «Hi, Fabiola. You look…» Luz smiled without amusement, «I know. The career has not been good on the looks.»

Tonks stammered, savagely blushing, «I'm- Bloody hell, I'm sorry. I'm a little caught off guard. I did not expect you to be -» Luz pulled back her hood on her head and her broken voice was sharp but not unkind, «What were you expecting? Working for the Magical Secret Services is to renounce all vanity. I've got all my limbs and this, you have to admit, is quite a feat for a Secret Auror.» Tonks gave a trembling hint of a smile and she asked with a firmer voice, «You know why you're here?»

The Bearer solemnly nodded, her pale eyes blinking, « The Headmaster told me it was about a Contamination spell on an underage witch. I was quite surprised. I have not seen much of those lately. You'll guide me to her?»

Tonks fumbled in her robes and she retrieved a faded teacup, an illegal Portkey she had spelled earlier. The gloved hand and the nail-bitten hand grabbed the teacup and the two women disappeared in a sudden glow of light.


To be continued…