Time passes and Tonks becomes stronger.
Lucius' comprehensive training continues. It still works miracles for her magical skills.
Her Dark Magic addiction doesn't seem to go away.
She keeps it satisfied. It works in her favor.
She feels comparably with being constantly under an influence of a strong, performance-enhancing drug.
There is no first-year Auror trainee who could match her in any field of the apprenticeship.
Moody claims, that there aren't also any older trainees that could compare to her.
Tonks is believed to be an extraordinary Auror prodigy. In reality, she is an extraordinary Dark Witch.
The best thing is, that she manages to keep her paranoid and "constantly vigilant" mentor oblivious to her new path of life.
Of course- it is not that easy. Unpleasant surprises that could blow her cover up keep happening.
The first such surprise in several months is an unexpected visit of her Mother in the garrisoned Auror School.
Tonks is busy brewing a Polyjuice Potion, which is one of her many courseworks for this term. Her blood runs cold and her bowels squeeze in an unpleasant cramp, when Andromeda storms into the school lab without knocking.
Having noticed her daughter, Andromeda crosses her arms on her chests and looks daggers at the girl.
'Nymphadora, care to explain me what is that all about?' she asks coldly.
Tonks narrows her eyes.
'What are you talking about, Mother? Besides, you are not supposed to walk inside of the school lab without permission.'
Her voice is calm. Being a protégé of the Malfoy family, she is able to control her emotions much better than before.
'Don't talk to your Mother like that, you arrogant girl!' Andromeda snaps. 'I have been lately exchanging owls with your mentor Alastor. I have asked him if he had not granted you any furlough leave since you had started attending this school. I've told him that after such a long time, you should receive a couple of days off to visit your family. Alastor's reply was really interesting. He claims that you have an arranged schedule of furlough leaves, and that you have your free days frequently, at least once a month! Where have you been all that time, I wonder?! Not even once have you came home to visit me and your Father, despite of having plenty of opportunities!'
While talking, Andromeda becomes progressively more red on her face.
Tonks only smirks. She doesn't even stop stirring in her cauldron.
'Mother, I am already over eighteen years old. I have my own life. Why do you expect me to sacrifice my precious days off to visit you and Father? I expected you to be happy about me being more mature and independent.'
Andromeda gasps.
'Mature and indenpendent? I'd rather use a word ungrateful. Who do you think you are? Do you think you can abandon your family from one day to another like that?'
Abandon my family from one day to another? This is exactly what you had done, you hypocrite, Tonks thinks.
'We go together to confront your mentor on that. Quickly, Nymphadora, and now.' Andromeda says harshly.
Tonks frowns at her.
'Mother, I'm not a child anymore. You cannot order me around like this. Besides, in case you haven't noticed, I am busy brewing a potion.'
'Then, you will finish this ridiculous potion of yours, and you will go with me to Alastor!' Andromeda yells.
A couple of other apprentices standing upon their cauldrons turn around to look at her.
'Stop making a scene, Mother.' Tonks hisses in annoyance. 'I'm done.' she adds after a few seconds and pours a ladle of potion to a glass vial.
Andromeda doesn't even look back at Tonks when the girl follows her along the corridor to Moody's office.
'Come in.' the older Auror snaps, having heard Andromeda's knocking.
The women step in. Moody is busy tampering with his leg prosthesis.
'Alastor, please tell me everything you know!' Andromeda cries, indicating her daughter. 'She won't tell me anything about her whereabouts during her free days. Yet, I swear on my Magic, I have not seen her for over a year, since she had started attending this school!'
Moody raises his eyebrows in confusion.
'Tonks, does that mean that you haven't been visiting your Parents during your furlough leaves?'
'No, she hasn't!' Andromeda answers for Tonks. 'I know she had been disappearing somewhere, but she has not been in our home even once!'
'I am extremely sorry, but what I do and where I go during my free time, is none of your business, Mother.' the girl says calmly. 'I do not understand why can't you respect my privacy in that matter. If you have to know why I had decided not to spend my days off at your house, I just tell you, that I want to see more of the world than that. How can experience anything thrilling or interesting, if I spend the best years of my life circulating between school and my Parents' house? I want to see new things. I want benefit from my youth, discovering and experiencing as much as I can. I want to broaden my horizons and develop as a person.'
Andromeda's eyes go wide as she stares at her daughter. Tonks meets her Mother's deep dark eyes, and feels a light, familiar tingle inside her mind.
'But... you... even...' Andromeda stutters. 'Mad-Eye!' she yells at Moody. 'What have you done to her? She doesn't even speak like my daughter! Nymphadora had never used any complex or sophisticated vocabulary, and now she speaks like an aristocrat!'
She turns towards Tonks again and comes uncomfortably close. She eyes the girl from head to toe.
'Even her posture is different!' she exclaims. 'She's upright, she walks gracefully and doesn't wave her arms around while talking... Alastor?' she turns at Moody again, demanding explanations.
Moody apparently doesn't take Andromeda's fussing seriously. He rolls his healthy eye behind the woman's back.
Tonks smirks. Her Mother is pathetic.
'Congratulations, Mother, well spotted.' the girl utters coldly. 'I am all grown-up now and I do not fool around like a child anymore. Is this seriously so surprising and unexpected?'
'You seem like a different person!' Andromeda insists. 'Do you want to tell me that you have grown up overnight?'
'We haven't seen each other for more than a year, Mother.' Tonks notices. 'Such changes are natural and unavoidable. I have seen and experienced a lot during my little... excursions that I make on my days off. This experiences have obviously made an impact on me and left me different than I had been before... Nevertheless, Mother, I swear on my Magic, that if I have changed- I have changed only for the better.'
That finally closes Andromda's mouth.
Benefiting from the moment of silence, Moody speaks:
'Andromeda, your daughter is on the top of her class, if not even on the top of the entire school. Moreover, the last time I had checked, rich vocabulary and correct posture were not something to be condemned. I really do not see any reason for you to be coming here and yelling at her... at both of us.' he adds in annoyance.
Andromeda blushes.
'But, Mad-Eye...'
'Andromeda.' Moody cuts her off. 'I am the most famous Dark Wizards hunter in the Wizarding Britain. Don't you think I would have noticed, if anything was wrong about your daughter? I really think you should have more trust in both of us.'
Andromeda sighs.
'Fine.' she snaps finally. 'You are all grown-up, Nymphadora, and I cannot force you to do anything. If you do not wish to spend your free time with me or with Father, then we must accept it. I hope that your mentor will have a watchful eye on you. I leave you in his capable hands.'
She heads back to the door and Moody rolls his eye again behind her back.
'Don't worry, Andromeda. Your daughter is being well taken care of.'
As soon as the woman steps out, Tonks turns towards Moody.
The older Auror is clearly irritated. He has always been on good terms with Ted and Andromeda, but the girl knows, how much her mentor dislikes anybody interfering in his job.
'You may go, Tonks.' he says, indicating his synthetic leg. 'I have to mend this ruddy piece of junk.'
The girl nods and leaves his office. Walking along the corridor, she finally lifts her Occlumency shields, with a sigh of relief.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
'Mrs Tuckling?! Mrs Tuckling, I swear I've just seen you on the third floor...'
Oh, for Magic's sake! Can this damn day get any worse?!
Tonks, in the guise of the elderly janitor- Mrs Tuckling- has just returned to school, after an evening spent in the Malfoy Manor.
She turns back towards a fair-haired, senior- year Auror apprentice.
It's way past the curfew, and the dark school corridor is otherwise empty. Why is this boy wandering around in the middle of the night like this?
'I forgot that I have yet the ground floor to clean, young man.' Tonks says in a hoarse voice of Mrs Tuckling.
The boy narrows his eyes and frowns at her.
'No. Mrs Tuckling has just been fixing a flooded bathroom, after a couple of freshmen had blown it up during a prank. I was the one to lead her there! You are not Mrs Tuckling!'
Damn it!
Tonks sighs and changes her appearance, restoring her usual form.
'Well spotted. What are you going to do?' she asks in an unaffected voice.
The fair-haired boy pops his eyes at her.
'I will report you, Tonks!' he says with satisfaction, drawing his wand and pointing it against her. 'We are going to Moody, now. I wonder what will he say, finding out that his perfect apprentice, a brilliant prodigy, sneaks out of school at nights in the guise of a janitor! I guess you won't be considered a shining gem of our school anymore!'
Tonks smirks.
'I sense some bitterness in your voice.' she mutters. 'I think you're just butt-hurt about being my senior, yet not being nearly as good as I am.'
The boy flushes and lifts his wand.
'EXPEL...'
'IMPERIO!' Tonks yells, drawing her wand faster than the boy is able to cast the disarming spell.
She takes over his mind.
All of the Auror apprentices are trained in resisting effects of the Imperius Curse. Their mentors subject them to the curse during lessons, teaching them how to mentally fight back the enslavement.
Tonks had always thought, that taking over a mind of an Auror trainee cannot be that easy.
She had been mistaken.
The fair-haired boy bents to her will as easily as Dobby the house elf.
Tonks smiles, feeling the familiar rash of power.
Go to the third floor.
The boy obeys. He turns back and heads to the staircase. Tonks follow him.
As they get closer to the flooded bathroom the boy had told her about, Tonks can hear the real Mrs Tuckling bustling and trying to clean up the damaged place.
Turn around. Face me. Tonks orders the boy.
He obeys and Tonks points her wand towards him.
'Obliviate.'
She is careful to erase only the memory of their encounter on the ground floor.
'What are you two doing here?! This bathroom is out of order. If you come closer, you will have your shoes soaking wet.' Mrs Tuckling says, stepping out of the bathroom, holding a mop and a bucket.
'Actually, Mrs Tuckling, my friend here decided to come back and help you.' Tonks says quickly, grabbing the fair-haired boy by the arm and leading him to the elderly janitor.
'D-did I?' the boy asks in an absent voice.
Mrs Tuckling beams.
'Oh, this is you, young man! You are the one who had caught those nasty freshmen. I'm so glad that you decided to help me with this mess.'
'Y-yes, ma'am.' the boy mutters in confusion, accepting a mop from Mrs Tuckling.
He glances at Tonks, not comprehending what has just happened. The girl waves at him and heads to her bedroom, smiling to herself.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before Tonks knows it, summer rolls around and she becomes a senior-year herself.
Her double-life is now more settled. She has her patterns to schedule each day. She knows how to divide her time between her "job" as an Auror trainee, and her passion , which is being a Dark Arts adept.
Her obsession over the Dark Magic has gotten less jumpy over the last few months. Her addiction is no longer nearly- insatiable. She became more calm and composed. More steadfast in her new ways.
She likes to think, that she is now more like Lucius or Narcissa, even though there is a long way in front of her to reach their level of experience and sophistication.
Narcissa has once told her, that she would make her ancestors of the House of Black proud.
Tonks had never been more happy, than after hearing this praise.
Unlike Tonks, Moody is obviously not changing overtime even one bit. He is steadfast in being his harsh, paranoid self.
Tonks sits in the school dining room, silently watching the new Auror trainees, seventeen-year-olds who have just graduated from Hogwarts. The bunch of kids is sticking together during breakfast; some of them look apprehensive and timid, while the other are clearly easy-going and chilled.
Tonks smirks. She thinks how long way she had came, being once one of such kids herself.
Moody limps towards the table where Tonks is sitting with her coffee. He holds a copy of The Daily Prophet.
'Damn all those Ministry mongrels.' he snaps in his usual way, tossing the newspaper angrily on the table. 'Have you seen that, Tonks? Some ruddy criminal had escaped from Azkaban.'
Tonks glances at the front page.
She gasps in disbelief, reading the headline:
''Escape from Azkaban. Sirius Black"
'B-Black?' she asks in a weak voice.
She unconsciously touches her chest just beneath her heart, where the crest Tojours Pur is pinned underneath her over-robes.
Moody turns his eye on her.
'Right, I forgot that you descent from them.' he says. 'I don't expect you to know this guy, though.'
He indicates a photograph of scruffy-looking, long haired man in a prisoner's uniform on the front page of the newspaper.
Sirius Black.
'I think... I think this man had been disowned from my family just like my Mother, sir.' she answers sincerely. She remembers the burned hole on the tapestry, above the name "Sirius Black".
'Curious.' Moody mutters. 'Anyways, Tonks, I think we must postpone our training today. I must be at the Ministry, in connection with this escape. They are probably going to rant and whine the whole day without actually doing anything, but it is my duty to be there. Therefore, you have a day for... self-study, if you wish.'
'Yes, sir.' Tonks answers absently.