Tonks felt Jerry's chuckle before she heard it.
"I left the minute I could," he said. "I've kept luggage in my cubicle for weeks."
"Oh yeah?" Tonks smiled up into a freckled face. "Did that earn you a Memo of Doom from Gulch?"
"No, but Marsden put me in an office cartoon." Jerry reached into his robes for a scroll of parchment.
Tonks snatched it out of his hands. "He gave you a wizard scout hat and added a bandana to your robes!"
"Look what's on my Auror badge."
"Be Prepared!" She burst out laughing.
"Tonks! Connelly! In my office. Now!"
Tonks made a face. "Have you met Dawlish yet? He's such a joy to work for." She walked over to the bar to get coffee.
"Uh…shouldn't you do that later?"
She quickly poured sugar and cream into the mug. "Only if you want me to be sacked. You know how I am without caffeine." Tonks led the way to the office corridor. "Is that it, you just got here, and already you're scheming to get rid of me?" She rapped on the door.
"No! Of course not! I—"
"I missed you too, mate." Tonks' grin slid off her face when the office door jerked open.
Dawlish glared at them. "When I give an order, I expect it to be carried out immediately!"
"Yes, sir," said Jerry.
Gran always said a quiet answer turned away wrath. Tonks decided to give it a shot. "Yes, sir."
"Then get in here!" Dawlish stalked toward his desk.
Tonks mouthed "joy" at Jerry before taking a seat in one of the chairs.
Dawlish regarded her with narrowed eyes. "I suppose you think you're clever." When she didn't respond, he said, "I don't know what you did to countermand my authority, but if I ever find out…."
He'd what? Have Proudfoot and Savage take her into the forest and make sure she didn't come back? Tonks dropped her gaze, pretending to be cowed. She was really doing her best not to laugh. A scene from a gangster film she'd watched at her Gran's flashed into mind, with certain changes.
Proudfoot walked into the office, followed by Savage. He tossed a small, squishy object onto the desk.
Dawlish looked at the bog mud splattered on the wood with distaste. "What is this?"
Savage sniggered. "It means Auror Tonks is sleeping with the leeches."
"Do I make myself clear?"
Since she hadn't heard whatever Dawlish had just said, Tonks slanted a glance sideways.
Jerry, Phoenix scout that he was, was prepared to answer. "Yes, sir, you are the Head Auror, you make the decisions. We follow orders."
"Remember that. Dismissed."
In the corridor, Tonks said, "Have you eaten breakfast? I'm starving." She began walking.
"Mum had started frying sausages when the owl came."
"Bet I'm her least favourite person right now, stealing her baby boy away."
"She didn't mind, actually."
Alarm bells pealed like crazy in Tonks' brain. Mrs. C voluntarily loosening the apron strings when Jerry should have had to pry them from her clenched fingers one by one? Something was up.
They had reached the main room of the pub. Jerry smiled. "Look—oatmeal bannocks and scrambled eggs. I haven't eaten those together since Hogwarts." He waited for her to spoon out a helping of eggs, gesturing to the thick cakes cut into triangles. "I like mine with butter and honey. What about you?"
She took two quarters of bannock and drizzled heather honey onto the bread, adding a large dollop of heavy cream.
"I'll try that too," said Jerry.
Proudfoot and Savage were eating at adjoining tables near the entrance. Tonks took her food to a table in the back. When she had eaten enough to satisfy hunger—in case Jerry's response made her lose her appetite—Tonks said, "All right. Who's the girl Mother Dearest wants out of sight and out of mind?"
He swallowed a piece of bannock and coughed. After taking a sip of coffee, Jerry said, "It isn't a girl, it's a woman, and she's only a friend—your friend—Cami."
"Cami Llewellyn?" Tonks drew a blank for a second and then said, "Oh. When I left, you two continued to go running?"
"Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday," said Jerry. "I told you I always wanted to learn a Muggle sport."
Tonks remembered all the mornings Cami and Jerry joined her on a run. "I thought you did that to keep me from becoming a depressed, out-of-shape mess."
"I did."
An awful thought struck. "Is Cami depressed?"
"No. She's confident her boyfriend will return from—wherever he went missing. Cami never said and I didn't want to pry." His brows drew together. "You don't keep in touch?"
Guilt struck hard. "Not like I should."
Hazel eyes became thoughtful. "That makes sense."
"What do you mean?"
Jerry said, "Cami asked me to write and tell her what colour your hair was." He shrugged a shoulder. "I wondered why she didn't ask you herself, but since you're not writing..."
Tonks' pushed back her chair. The harsh, scraping sound made heads turn. She ignored the stares of Padfoot and Savage. "I'll meet you outside when you're finished." After dumping her plate and mug in the washing up bowl, she made for the door, grimly holding onto her composure.
She heard the sounds of Jerry gathering his dishes but didn't stop. She was standing at the far end of the building, looking down the street toward the centre of the village, when he walked out of the Hog's Head.
"Tonks?"
"Let me show you how Dawlish wants us to patrol the village."
Jerry's long stride quickly caught up to her shorter one. "I know the streets. There aren't that many. Tell me what's wrong."
She pointed. "Someone keeps changing the Gladrags shop sign to 'Gladbags.' If you catch the perpetrator, Mrs. Snap will award you a discount coupon."
"Tonks."
She kept talking. "Last month, the prankster targeted Scrivenshafts. Made it 'Shrivelledshafts.' The owner, Mr. Blount, offered a small reward, but there were no tips."
Jerry took her arm.
Tonks tried to pull away. "We're in the middle of the street, Jerry. Didn't your mum ever tell you not to play in the street?"
"There's no traffic, we're not children, and I'm not letting go until you tell me what's wrong."
The tears she'd been fighting fell in warm streaks down her face. "Cami's boyfriend was my cousin Sirius. He fell behind the veil in the Department of Mysteries, and as much as I want to, I can't believe he's coming back!" She looked up at him miserably. "If you tell Cami, she'll know I broke my promise to keep faith!"
Jerry let go of her arm to pull her into a hug. "Damn, I'm sorry."
Tonks gave a watery chuckle. "Are Phoenix scouts allowed to use profanity?"
"Only to emphasise the gravity of a situation."
She snorted with amusement.
"And me without my camera," said a voice behind them.
Tonks looked at Savage. "You've never seen Auror partners be mates before? Guess I'm not surprised, since the only way to have a friend is to be a friend."
Savage's square jaw thrust forward. "I tried to be your friend, but you shot me down, remember?" His eyes flickered over to Jerry. "Does your mate know you've been spending nights at the castle with Snape?"
Jerry stiffened. "What?"
"Savage should work for The Quibbler, the way he loves gossip," said Tonks. She pulled away from Jerry. "Why don't you run along and tell Dawlish you saw us scandalously hugging in the street," she told Savage, making shooing motions with her fingers. "Better hurry before Proudfoot beats you to it."
"How? He stayed behind."
"He carries omnioculars." Tonks rolled her eyes. "D'you really they're for bird watching?"
Savage Disapparated.
"See why I missed you so much?" Tonks said. "That's the kind of crap I've had to put up with."
Jerry had a strange expression on his face. "You've been spending nights with Snape?"
For the second time that morning, she broke into laughter. "NO! He's teaching me Potions, and only has free time at night."
"Then why did Savage—"
"—I let whoever wants to think the worst do just that," Tonks cut in. "That way, if I get an invitation to visit Remus, I have a reason to be gone for a night or two."
"Lupin hasn't invited you to visit?" Jerry looked at her pityingly.
Tonks wanted to hug him for being sweet and punch him for thinking badly of Remus. "He's with a pack in Salford. It's complicated. I don't want to talk about it," she said.
"What do you want to talk about?"
If he had been Remus, she would have quoted Lewis Carroll. Of cabbages—and kings—and why the sea is boiling hot—and whether pigs have wings. Instead, Tonks hooked her arm through his. "There's someone I want you to meet." She led Jerry to the multi-sport shop, calling, "Wotcher, Hamish!" to the lanky redhead standing beside the counter.
Hamish set aside his Daily Prophet. "Good morning, Tonks!" He smiled. "Is this the wizard Fiona and I have heard so much about?"
"Shh!" she said. "If his ego gets too big he might try to be lead partner."
Jerry shook his head, grinning. "Only when you let me."
Tonks remembered her manners. "Hamish, this is Jerry Connelly—Auror and Phoenix Scout. Jerry, this is Hamish Macbeth, proprietor of Macbeth's Multi-Sport and leader of the Hogsmeade wizard scout troop. He made Phoenix Scout too."
The men shook hands. Hamish said, "The troop is going on a hike this weekend. If you're off duty, Mr. Connelly, the boys and I would be glad to have you join us."
"It's Jerry, and I'll look forward to it."
The two men began to talk Scout, a language unfamiliar to Tonks. She wandered over to peruse a shelf of Fanged Frisbees, wondering how many would be purchased by schoolboys over the first Hogsmeade Weekend. The Sabre Tooth looked fun.
Her pleasure that her friends were getting along so well dimmed when she heard Jerry say, "If the Witch Guides are joining your troop on the hike, I'm sure Tonks would be happy to help your wife with the girls." He raised his voice slightly. "Wouldn't you, Tonks?"
Why had she made eye contact? How could she say no to a couple of overgrown wizard scouts? "Love to," she lied breezily, "if I'm not on duty." Please let me be on duty, she silently chanted. Please let me be on duty.
-
While he had dinner with Lillie and Will—who grumbled that there were more mushrooms than beef in the pasta sauce—Nymphadora had been invited to the Macbeths for lamb stew.
"And Fiona made this dessert called Typsy Laird," Nymphadora said, when they talked via mirror. "I don't know if it was the sherry in the trifle, or the sherry she said had to be drunk with it, but I smiled all the way home!"
"Perhaps the trifle should have been called Tipsy Auror."
Remus loved the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed. "Auror, singular, is correct, because Jerry didn't drink, but I'm not tipsy. I'm happy. The only way I could be happier is if you were here with me." Her smile became wicked. "Oh, the things I would do to you."
She was under the influence of alcohol. He should encourage her to get some sleep. "What would you do?"
His lover giggled, and then all he could see was her mouth, pressed to the glass. Remus traced the image with the pad of a finger. The tip of her tongue slid between her lips. His muscles tensed. He was teaching Will wandless magic. Couldn't he teach himself Long-Distance Apparation?
Nymphadora's entire face came into view. "French-kissing a mirror. That is so sad."
Her giggles made him smile. "You don't sound sad."
"That's because I'm happy—and naked."
"Naked?" Remus wondered if lust hampered cognitive ability. All he seemed capable of doing was repeating words.
"As far as you know," she said playfully, "I took a long, hot bath and then decided to let the air dry my skin—or I might be fully clothed, down to my boots."
The mental images made him determined to do research on Apparation first thing in the morning. "Your brown boots?" he asked, trying to distract his mind from frustrating thoughts.
"I'll check." Her eyes flickered. "No, the black." Instantly, Nymphadora's bottom lip turned down. "Now you know I'm still dressed." A few seconds later, her expression shifted. She licked her lips. "I can get naked if you want me to."
I want you to, thought Remus, but I'm not going to ask you to. "I want us to undress each other in person," he said. "I'll wait."
His lover's mouth was looking sulky again. "How long?"
"Dix has invited you to the October meeting."
"October? I can't wait that long!" Her tone became that of an enchantress. "Come see me."
Willingly captivated, Remus said, "I'll do my best."
-
A/N: Last chapter, Remus' pov was the one that dominated. This time, it was Tonks. Maybe next chapter they'll share the limelight together. ;) The Lewis Carroll quote was part of 'The Walrus and the Carpenter' from Alice Through the Looking Glass. Ralph Waldo Emerson is the one who said, "The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be a friend." That seemed to fit Remus and Tonks this chapter! As for me, I'm thankful to all the friendly readers who took the time to review the last chapter, and will add you to the blessings I'll count on Turkey Day! 40/16, adrienne06052, alix33, bookworm1102, Calenmarwen, ElspethBates, Enorance, Freja Lercke-Falkenborg, GraceRichie, ishandtwofourths, Kates Master, Ladyofthebookworms, ladyofthelight101, MollyCoddles, Moontime, Mrs.Hermione Jane Weasley, obliviate36, Operamuse, Phoenixtear19, potteronpotluvhim, Siriusblack18, sunny9847, tambrathegreat, twouble, UnderworldBabe, your nightmare, and Ziroana.