Chapter Fifteen – Loyalty
Draco gave her a puzzled look. "Then let's talk," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
"In private," Tonks told him.
"Allright," he said. "I think everyone has left for breakfast already. Let's go to my dorm."
Tonks looked warily at the stairs. Determined, she put her hands on the railing and started taking each step slowly.
"Why are you limping?" Draco asked. Tonks was surprised to hear a note of concern in his voice.
"I'll tell you when we get to your dorm," Tonks said, concentrating on the steps in front of her.
Without saying anything, Draco took her arm and helped her up the steps. That little gesture of kindness made Tonks feel awful. How was she going to tell him his father was dead, and the Ministry thought she killed him?
After what seemed like ages, Tonks and Draco made it into his dorm. Each dorm generally contained five beds. But since Draco had just switched houses, a sixth bed was cramped into the room.
Tonks settled herself onto one of the beds and looked at her cousin. Her mouth suddenly went dry.
"There was an attack on a convoy last night," Tonks started. "A convoy involving prisoners from Azkaban."
Draco suddenly went to the window, crossed his arms and looked outside. "So was it Mum or Dad who was killed?" he asked in a hollow voice.
"Your father," Tonks said slowly.
"How?" Draco asked, in the same hollow voice.
"Unforgivable," Tonks answered.
"By who?"
"I want you to understand the situation," Tonks said.
"By who?" Draco repeated, his voice stronger.
"The papers will say me," Tonks confessed.
Draco turned around quickly and stared at her. "The papers?" Draco said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
Tonks nodded. She wanted to stick to as close to the truth as possible. "Your father attacked me, Draco," Tonks said softly. "Someone came to my rescue. But this person would be ruined if they were found out. Since I'm an Auror and can perform Unforgivables, I said that I killed him."
She watched as Draco digested the information. His body seemed to tense up, and he clenched his fists. "And you won't tell me who this someone is?" he asked.
"I can't. It's as much for your protection as it is for this someone's," Tonks said.
"I see," Draco said shortly.
Tonks made a promise. When the war was over, she and Severus would sit him down and tell him the truth. Draco deserved that much at least.
"Do you-do you have any questions for me?" Tonks asked quietly.
Draco thought for a moment. "Is my mother okay? Where is she now?" he asked.
With a start, Tonks realized she didn't have the answer for him. "I don't know about your mother. She's either in a new prison location or she escaped with the Death Eaters," Tonks told him.
Draco looked at her. "Is there any way you could find out?" he asked softly.
"I'll check this afternoon," she promised him.
"I'd like to be alone now," Draco said finally.
Tonks nodded, and left the room without another word.
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She started heading towards Severus' bedchamber to rest, when she saw Professor McGonagall frantically walking through the hallway.
"Tonks! Thank goodness!" she cried.
"What's wrong?" Tonks asked quickly.
"There's no time. Albus can't get out of bed this morning. Breakfast has already started and the students are frantic hearing about the attacks," Minerva said breathlessly.
"I can't," Tonks said quickly. "I'm hurt, I don't think I can pull off a full body morph."
"Please, Tonks. The students need to see Professor Dumbledore sitting at the Head table," Minerva begged.
Tonks closed her eyes, and listened to her body. She was hurting, that much was for sure. "I could maybe give you an hour. Two at tops. I desperately need rest, Minerva," Tonks sighed.
"Just during the breakfast hour. Thank you Tonks. I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate."
Tonks noticed that Minerva was holding a carpetbag. She was led into an empty classroom. Tonks quickly changed, as Minerva finished the potion.
She gave a moan of pain as she morphed into Professor Dumbledore. Minerva handed her the potion, and Tonks drank quickly.
"Let's go to the Great Hall," Tonks said, sounding exactly like Professor Dumbledore.
They walked slowly. She became more nervous at every step. This was not the ideal time to impersonate Professor Dumbledore of the first time with a real audience. But she supposed that she had no choice.
The moment Tonks walked into the Great Hall, she could feel the energy change. Almost every eye in the place was on her. She nodded gravely to several of the students.
She settled herself into Professor Dumbledore's chair. She felt so awkward sitting in his beautifully decorated chair. More like a throne, she thought to herself.
Severus glanced at her sharply. Tonks realized that he knew it was her and not Professor Dumbledore. "You didn't need to do this," he said softly.
Tonks looked over the Great Hall. Students kept glancing up at the Head Table and smiling at her. "Yes I did," she whispered back.
"Do I need to make a speech?" Tonks asked Minerva.
The witch shook her head. "That shouldn't be necessary." Tonks sighed a breathed a sigh of relief.
Tonks concentrated on eating slowly. Occasionally, Minerva or Severus would lean over and say something to her. After the longest half hour of Tonks' life, the bell finally rang.
Students and Professors alike jumped up from the table quickly. She stood up as well. Severus was still standing next to her. For a moment she almost wanted to giggle. Normally, she was almost a head shorter than him. As Albus, she was looking down at Severus.
"Please go to our room and get some rest," he said softly, making sure no one could hear. "I left you a restorative potion on the desk."
"Thank you, Severus," Tonks said, nodding. She was touched that he called it "our" room.
Slower than she would like, Tonks finally made it to Severus' bedchamber. Looking left and right, she made sure that no one was around as she whispered the password. That's just what they needed, someone seeing Albus sneaking into Severus' bedchamber. Tonks giggled at the rumors that would start flying.
Tonks quickly morphed back into back into herself. Feeling better, she eagerly drank the potion Severus left for her. She settled herself into bed, her healed ribs protesting at the movement. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, smelling Severus' scent as she fell asleep.
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Hours later, Tonks woke up to see Severus entering the room.
"I brought you lunch if you want it," he said.
"Thanks," Tonks said. She wasn't hungry at all. "Do you have the Daily Prophet?"
Severus nodded. "You're not going to like it," he admitted.
"Great," Tonks moaned. "Let me guess. 'Wanted Metamorph Kills Important Death Eater. Metamorph now Wandering Streets with Target on her Back."
Severus looked at his hands. "Please don't joke about that," he said seriously.
Tonks lifted Severus' chin with her hand. "I always joke about serious things, you know that. It's one of my more redeeming qualities," she said smiling.
He stroked her cheek. "I know. I'm just worried that killing him was the worst thing I could have done," he said softly.
"What do you-" Tonks started to stay.
"I should have stunned him," Severus said angrily. He stood up and started pacing. "When I saw him on top of you…all I could think was that I wasn't going to let him have you again."
"You did what you thought was right," Tonks said. "Please don't start second guessing yourself. That's the worst thing you could do."
Severus nodded. "You're right. I know you're right." A silence fell between them. "How did your talk with Draco go? I have class with him this afternoon. I'll need to talk to him then."
"I told him the partial truth. That Malfoy attacked me and that someone saved me. I wouldn't tell him who," Tonks told him.
"Good," Severus said simply. "Hopefully I'll be able to talk to him."
The bell rang again, and Severus muttered, "Damn," under his breath. "Dora, time for me to go to class," he said quickly, as he left the room.
Tonks picked up the Daily Prophet and scanned the headlines. Her joke wasn't that far off. She saw a picture of herself staring back at her. It was her official Ministry Photo; Tonks placed her hands on her hips and then rolled her eyes.
Lucius Malfoy Killed!
During a scuffle with prisoners of Azkaban, Auror Nymphadora Tonks killed known Death Eater Lucius Malfoy. Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge will be presenting Tonks one of the highest awards a wizard can receive, First Class, Order of Merlin. The date of the award ceremony will be named later.
Tonks couldn't read anymore. She threw the paper across the room angrily. "A scuffle!" she cried out loud. The paper didn't mention that the Death Eaters attacked, or that it was his idiotic plan to move the prisoners in the first place.
Tonks stood up quickly, deciding she needed to go to the Ministry to find out if anyone had been hurt. Then she could find out the answer to Draco's question.
Gingerly, she tested out all of her limbs. Her rib cage felt must better, along with her wrist. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Tonks muttered, grateful that the mediwitch was able to heal her breaks.
A half an hour later, Tonks was sitting at her cubicle in the Ministry of Magic. She hated her cubicle. She hated feeling so confined in the three and half walls that made up her mini-office. Even her attempts to mold the cubicle to her personality hadn't worked.
Tonks was engrossed in a report that detailed everything that happened last night. Luckily, no Aurors were killed. Of the one hundred and seventeen prisoners that had been in Azkaban, only seventy-three remained in custody. Four were killed last night. Which meant forty prisoners escaped. If that fact wasn't so alarming, Tonks might have started to laugh. Brilliant plan, Minister of Magic!
She noticed that Narcissa wasn't killed, but she wasn't back in custody either. Which meant Draco's mother was back with the Death Eaters. Tonks rubbed her temples, and watched Kingsley sit down in an extra chair she had in her cube.
"You doing all right?" he asked quietly.
"I'm fine. I was pretty beat up, but I'm better now," Tonks replied softly.
"Meeting tonight. Seven o'clock," he murmured, and stood up and walked away briskly.
Of course there would be a meeting tonight.
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Tonks was right in the parlor at seven o'clock. Only Kingsley, Emmeline Vance, Mad-Eye and herself were in the room, the four Aurors of the Order. Suddenly Professor Dumbledore walked in, looking very weak. He nodded at Tonks.
He sat down, taking his time. "I have an urgent matter to discuss with the four of you," he said slowly.
"Where's everyone else?" Emmeline asked.
"They will be here at eight o'clock," Professor Dumbledore answered, looking very grave. "I need to know who knew the path that the Aurors were going to take last night."
Tonks shared a glance with Emmeline. She personally had no idea what their course had been. She simply had followed directions.
Mad-Eye spoke up first. "I believe the Minister, Madam Bones and the driver knew the course."
"Who was in control of the transport?" the professor asked.
"I think it was Teddie Hollandsworth," Tonks said. "At least he was when we were attacked."
"I thought it was Tanika Wordsworth," Emmeline said, puzzled. Tanika was almost as senior as Mad-Eye, and wore an eye patch.
"If more than one person was driving, that could explain how the course got out," Albus mused. "I am more convinced than ever that there is an Auror working with Tom. Please be careful with who you share information. The informant must be found."
Tonks scanned through all the Aurors that she knew quickly through her brain. She simply couldn't image that any of them could be loyal to Lord Voldemort. She started to say just that to Professor Dumbledore, when he stood up and left the room. The other Aurors followed him. Tonks sat alone in the Parlor, waiting for the real meeting to start.