Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I plan to Carry any Swatters.
Important Note! This chapter and the next few chapters will contain the past and present of characters in the same scene (if that makes any sense at all) therefore when referring to a past character, meaning Tonks' memory of a character, I will use Italics.
Chapter 7: Memories of the Tonks
Cold. Cold was all she felt. Her body was going numb. Cold. Cold...and wet? Tonks opened her eyes to a blazing field of white. The sun illuminated deep snowdrifts and glistened off the icicles that adorned the Hogwarts castle. Tonks smiled as she looked up upon her old school. So many fond memories had come from that place.
Tonks turned to the lake to take in the lovely scenery, but as soon as she turned, she heard a sputtering sound. She looked down to her side to reveal a black robed figure, face down, in the snow. Tonks bit back her laughter as none other but Severus Snape pulled himself up off the ground, spitting out a mouth full of snow.
"Dammit!" said Snape. "This is not when we are supposed to be!"
"I think it is rather nice," replied Tonks, shrugging.
"We will just have to wait it out. The right memories will come up sooner or later."
"What do you mean?"
"I would think it would be obvious. That potion I gave allows both of us to travel into your memories," said Snape with an annoyingly superior attitude.
"Like a Pensive," said Tonks thoughtfully.
"Basically, but in comparison you insult the subtle yet important differences. I would not expect you to grasp these. A Pensive is entirely voluntary and is controlled by the user. This, on the other hand, is relatively random. The potion selects random, yet significant memories. It also hasn't been made for almost a thousand years."
Tonks swallowed hard. There was nothing for her to do but wait it out. She could not run since she was in a memory and she didn't think it would help to attack Snape. She sighed; this was probably going to be a rather embarrassing experience. She just hoped that no especially humiliating memories came up.
Just then, a snowball rushed past her head. She and Snape turned around to see two figures running and playing in the snow. Tonks recognized one of the figures as herself. She remembered this day. The first snow of the season in her third year at Hogwarts.
As her thirteen-year-old self ran past, the other figure ran after her, pelting snowballs. Tonks looked over to see Snape staring in disgust, but she didn't say anything. She knew that his expression would be worse in a few minutes.
The second figure ran by. The second figure tackled the first. Somehow, their lips met in a chaste kiss. Tonks was right; Snape's looks of disgust had deepened.
"Stan Shunpike? Your first kiss was Stan Shunpike?"
"Yep, I believe I am thirteen right there," said Tonks. She tried to cover up any sign of embarrassment. It was not that she was embarrassed at the memory; it was that it was humiliating to have to share it with the Snape, the git.
"Makes sense, you always have had horrible taste," sneered Snape.
Before Tonks could retort, she had fallen into the snow and felt herself lose consciousness once more.
---
She was lying on something hard and gritty. Tonks found herself lying on the stone floor of the Potion's Dungeon. She picked herself up and looked around. A younger looking Snape was scribbling away at a chalkboard as the seventh year students diligently took notes on the uses of spider venoms in potions.
The non-memory Snape was surveying the scene with a slight curiosity. "You know," said Tonks. "It would have been a bit more pleasant if you had made the potion so that I didn't blackout at the end of every memory."
"Little do you understand the complexities of potions, Nymphadora," said Snape bitingly.
The memory Snape then turned around. "Miss Tonks. If you will please tell me why brown recluse venom is more potent tan that of the black widow?"
Tonks turned to see her seventeen-year-old self. She obviously had not been paying attention. She gritted her teeth and seemed to be trying to think of a reply. "Because the venom of the brown recluse is more poisonous and acts faster, therefore your potion is stronger and more efficient."
"An answer fit for a first year," sneered both of the Snapes. "If you will, Miss Tonks, read that note you are writing to the whole class. I am sure they will be delighted to hear what you think it so much more important than potions," continued the memory Snape.
The seventeen-year-old Tonks stood up nervously. She cleared her voice and started to read the note. "Snape is such a greasy bastard. All I did was knock over a few cauldrons and he gave me detention for a month! It was a bloody accident! Besides, the potions only got on a few people and Madam Pomfrey said that the boils would disappear in a week. I bet Snape is just so uptight about it because of his date with the Giant Squid on Friday. He probably just doesn't want his lover to see the boils. Personally, I think that he should worry more about the Squid being turned off by his greasy hair. I bet Snape only bathes once a year. I also bet he is just nasty because he is compensating for..."
"That's enough! Another months detention, Miss Tonks. If you don't start paying attention in class it will be three!" barked Snape.
The real Tonks smirked. "You know, Sevie, old boy, I still think that you are trying to compensate for something..."
---
Chaos spun around them as Tonks regained consciousness once again. They were in a Department of Mysteries, a memory that was only a little over a year old.
"Where are we?" asked Snape.
"Department of Mysteries," said Tonks quietly.
They watched. Tonks watched as she dueled with her Aunt Bellatrix. She wished that she could go and help, but it was just a memory. She and Snape watched as Bellatrix shot two spells, one, that would have killed her, which Tonks had barely missed and the other that hit her straight on. Tonks watched as her body crumbled and fell down the rough stone steps.
The memory faded and they were in St. Mungo's. Tonks saw herself lying half-conscious in a hospital bed. Remus Lupin sat by her side, grasping in hand. Tonks was sure that out of the corner of her eye she saw Snape grit his teeth.
"Nymphadora—" started Remus.
"Remus, I told you not to bloody call me that," interjected Tonks.
Remus smiled sadly, but continued. "This is hard to say, but I must tell you..."
"What happened? Voldemort didn't get the prophecy did he?" Tonks blurted out.
"No, no, the prophecy broke. But, Not everyone came out okay from the Department of Mysteries," said Remus, receiving a scared look from Tonks. "Sirius was killed."
Immediately tears filled the eyes of both Tonks. "He's dead," the memory Tonks whispered. "How?"
"Bellatrix."
At this Tonks' expression turned angry. "Dammit," she said through the tears. "If only—" she started, but Remus cut her off.
"Don't start. There was nothing that could have been done. We are lucky that no one else died. We are lucky that you are still alive. Sirius would have wanted to go down in battle, anyway..."
Tonks choked back a sob. Remus patted her on the back and whispered soothing words to her. Then he suddenly leaned in and kissed her.
If the memory had not switched at that moment Tonks would have been stunned to see that expression of fury upon the face of none other than Severus Snape.
----
A/N: Not my favorite chapter, but oh well. Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year! Thank you to everyone for reviewing and to everyone for reading.
---Perplexity
PS:
WAYAMY27NARF: The coveted Cliffhanger of the Week award? Yes! That is what I have always wanted. I would like to thank my dog and... well, you get the point. Also, I think Snape would be sexy in the 'turn your head to the side and squint' way. I really do.
PS...again: I have decided that if it suits my fancy, I may redo this chapter. To tell the truth, it probably won't happen, but I thought I'd just warn you.
