Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I a wary plotter.

Chapter 13: A Bad Day for Rats

Spinner's End was filled with an unrelenting tension. Passive-aggressive hostility reigned on all sides. Apparently, passive-aggressive nature was common in Death Eater families. No wonder they had the Muggle torturing temperament, they were just taking out all of their bottled-up anger. It was driving Tonks mad. In her family, if you were feeling angry you yelled it out, kicked, screamed, and made a fool out of yourself. It kept her family pleasantly open and free from worrying about how everyone else felt. She really did want to scream, but as she was about to, Draco put a silencing spell on her. Apparently, he blamed everything on her. She did not care a wit, and now took to ignoring his presence whenever he passed by.

Draco seemed also to be having problems with Wormtail and Snape, and vice versa. Draco was fed up with both Wormtail's and Snape's lack of hygiene. Further, he was sick of Snape making him clean up after Wormtail. Tonks understood that this must be greatly difficult for him, seeing that at home he had house-elves to do everything for him.

Then, Snape was furious with all of them. Tonks was pretty sure why he was angry with her, plus this was not too much of a change; he had always been unfriendly to her. She was sure his displeasure with Wormtail was mutual since they were young, not to mention that Wormtail was a worthless being, which was forced upon Snape. Tonks was sure that if she had been in his situation, she would have been unpleasant to Wormtail as well. She did not know why Snape was angry with Draco though, perhaps it was just his bad mood speaking.

Wormtail was cheesed-off with everyone as well, no pun intended. He was probably unhappy with Tonks because, well, because she was Tonks and he was unpleasant (although it could have been because she had tripped him last time he had passed her). Wormtail surely didn't like the treatment he was getting from Snape and Draco, so he was hostile in return.

Weren't they the happy family?

The next day Tonks was left with Wormtail. Snape and Draco had a Death Eater meeting. From the brief conversation she caught, it sounded like the meeting was partially about her and partially about some potion that Snape had just made. Personally, she didn't care too much; what would come would come. Yet, it was useful to have some idea of what was going to come so that she wasn't caught off guard.

Tonks was spaced off as Wormtail walked into the room. She had been reexamining her plan to seduce Snape. She was sure that he held conflicted feelings towards her and that seducing him was somehow possible, but she was not sure that she was capable of doing it. She had tried, but it was difficult. Everything she thought of was cliché and just plain stupid. She had no experience in this matter. Stan Shunpike and she had always been friends and it just had happened.

She has dated Charlie Weasley, but that had not taken any seducing her side. He had once tried to seduce her while drunk wearing a pirate costume (it was at a Muggle Halloween party) but he had only succeeded in making a fool out of himself and making her laugh so hard that spiked punch came out of her nose. It was a memorable experience, but it certainly did not help her in her current situation. Unless Snape held a certain fondness for pirates, but even then, Tonks was in no position to find an eye-patch and a peg leg.

Then there was Remus. The whole thing had been a fiasco and she didn't really want to think about it. Damn stubborn werewolves.

The sound of Wormtail's footfall startled her out of her stupor. He had been in the kitchen, probably making lunch since he had a big plate of food. He sat down across from her with an evil grin. Tonks glared at him; he knew that she had not eaten in a couple days. His eyes taunted her as he lifted his fork to his mouth.

They were silent for a few minutes, the only sounds being Wormtail smacking his lips. Tonks chose to break the silence. "Be careful not to choke on that food. We both know what a same that would be." The statement was more vicious than Tonks normally expressed, but at the moment, she was feeling explicitly vicious towards Wormtail.

"As will be your death," he replied, unfazed. Then he grinned. "And what a death it will be."

"Morbid bastard. You'll get yours in the end."

"Yes, the Dark Lord will give me more power than you could ever dream of."

Tonks laughed. Wormtail was stupid. "You should know that Voldemort—" at this Wormtail shuddered—"does not share power, especially with the likes of you. You are disposable to him. Why do you think he pushes you off onto Snape? In the end, you will be scared, alone, wishing to die because you have nothing. Long ago, you pushed away the people who truly cared about you. The people who would have died for you have now died because of you. Voldemort just uses you because you are a spineless, pitiful creature—"

Tonks did not have time to finish. Wormtail had hit her with the Cruciatus curse. She felt pain, but it was dulled by the hatred pulsing through her and the fact that it was not a very strong curse.

"I'll show you what you know. I am the Dark Lord's more loyal and valuable servant. I am powerful; I gave him his body and destroyed his enemies. He will reward me beyond all others."

Tonks let out another laugh. "Your just a silly little boy with a stick."

The pain became a little stronger as Wormtail's eye flashed with fury. It was at that moment that Draco and Snape returned from their meeting. Within seconds, Snape had Wormtail's wand in one hand and his neck in the other.

"What is the meaning of this?" spat Snape.

"I was teaching her a lesson," mumbled Wormtail, flinching back. Snape threw him into a chair.

"Your stupidity amazes me Wormtail. You know that we need her healthy and whole. It is the Dark Lord's orders. You were not even doing the spell right. You pitiful excuse for a curse could have gotten both of you killed. While that would have been a good day for me, the Dark Lord would not have been very happy. How did you even graduate Hogwarts? Oh, wait, that's right, Remus Lupin helped you the whole way. How pathetic."

If Tonks did not harbor a strong hatred for Wormtail, she would have felt sorry for him. He kept being verbally beat down that day. In truth, he had every right to be furious, but that did not prepare her for what happened next.

Wormtail tackled Snape. Tonks would not have thought that he would have the guts. They both fell to the floor with a crash right in front of Tonks, knocking her chair over. She fell with a crash, just managing to avoid hitting her head. From her angle on the floor, she could barely make out what was happening.

Tonks heard scuffling noises for a minute before she saw a very strange sight: Wormtail flying over her chair and into the wall. Snape stood up panting, with his wand pointed at Wormtail. He looked furious.

"Doubt your own magic enough to start a Muggle brawl? What will the Dark Lord say when he hears of this? I sincerely doubt he will be happy. Perhaps he many doubt your true allegiance."

Wormtail looked scared from his crumpled position against the wall. Tonks my have been too if she had been in the same position. Snape stepped over her. She was half-sure that he a sent a look of concern towards her.

With his wand still pointed at Wormtail, Snape tied him up and conjured a chair to put him it.

From then on Wormtail was Tonks' living room companion, much to both of their chagrin.

-----------------------

A/N: I am sorry it took me so long to update. I also must say that I am not all too fond of this chapter, but oh well. I must move on and think of what will happen next. Thank you all for reading with much thanks to my lovely reviewers.

---Perplexity

PS:

xtotallyatpeacex: Are Snape and Tonks going to get together. I don't know at this point, but I warn you there is some chance of it. Does Tonks like Snape. Well, she is attracted to him, oddly enough, and she likesto get his goat. Does she like him, though? Probably not or at least not yet.

About Remus, she still likes Remus although she is not very happy with him.

And finally for our dear drunken Severus. I can see him with the cutting remarks, but that is what he does while he is sober, so why not have a little fun with his drunken self (although I did probably go a bit overboard)? If any other way, I would see Snape and a quiet, brooding drunk.