CHAPTER 23: CROSSING THE SEA OF TIME
Looks like I'm ready.
Jimmy O'Bannon zipped up his backpack after checking over its contents one last time. The process didn't take too long since he hadn't brought much with him except a couple changes of clothes. The biggest additions came from Mrs. Tonks, who made some sandwiches and pastries for the quartet to take with them on their trip home.
He smiled and shook his head. How could someone as nice as Andromeda Tonks have come from Slytherin House?
Too bad that house doesn't have more people like her.
O'Bannon was about to pick up his backpack from the bed when he glanced at the bookcase on the other side of the room. He released his grasp on the backpack and walked toward the bookcase, a little quicker than he would have yesterday. The soreness had begun to fade from his body.
He examined the moving photos on one shelf, all various shots of the Tonks family. One had Andromeda and Ted sitting on the grass with a seven or eight-year-old Tonks between them, smirking at the camera, her hair changing from snow white to purple. Another showed just Tonks in a pointy witch's hat and flowing sequined robes that continually changed color; red, gold, yellow, black, blue, bronze, green and silver. The colors of the four houses of Hogwarts.
Must be graduation robes.
He stared intently at Tonks' heart-shaped face, complete with her patented wry grin. A quiver went through his insides, preventing him from breathing for a moment. His mind filled with memories of that night in the Room of Requirement when . . .
"Now what sort of perverted thoughts are going through your mind as you stare at my picture?"
O'Bannon gasped and spun around. Tonks leaned against the door frame, arms folded, grinning.
"Oh. Uh, actually I was admiring your graduation robes."
"Ha! More likely you were picturing what I look like without those robes. Then again, you already know." She winked at him.
O'Bannon offered her a weak smile.
Tonks pushed herself off the door frame and sauntered up to him. "Dad wanted me to come fetch you. It's almost time to leave."
"Right."
They stared at each other in silence. Tonks licked her lips and looked away, as if trying to think of something to say. So was he, for that matter. He had a hard time forming complete sentences as his eyes roamed across Tonks' neck, up her chin and to her lips. Would he . . . would they ever . . .?
His stomach fell flat. His shoulders sagged.
"So, um, I guess . . ." O'Bannon took a long breath. "You think we'll ever see one another again?"
"I'd like to think so. Even if things were normal it would be rather hard, living on opposite sides of an ocean. But with a war going on . . ."
"Yeah. Not like I can pop over here when I want to and take you to dinner while dodging curses from Death Eaters."
Tonks just nodded. O'Bannon thought he saw her eyes glistening, but decided he must be mistaken. Women like Tonks weren't the weepy kind.
He took a step forward and gently grasped her shoulders. "Thank you. For everything. For saving my life, for all your advice, for believing in me, for . . . for being the first woman I ever had sex with. I'm glad you became part of my life."
Tonks stared at him. There was no mistaking the moisture gathering in her eyes. She stiffened her jaw and moved closer to him, her arms going around his back.
"I'm glad you became part of my life, Jimmy O'Bannon. I'm glad you were there for me that night in the Room of Requirement, that we were there for each other, and that it was such a special night for you. For me, too. What we did, I wouldn't have done with just any bloke. You're a good man, Jimmy, and I'd proudly fight by your side any minute of any day."
"Same here. Just do me a favor and be careful."
"You too. I'd like to see you again once this is all over. And if we're still single, maybe you can buy a sexy arse-kicking auror a drink."
"If we're still single, I'll do more than just buy you a drink."
Tonks' smile grew.
O'Bannon leaned in and kissed her. They pressed their bodies together and hugged tightly, their mouths opening wider and wider. He didn't want to go back to Salem. He wanted to stay right here with Tonks, holding her, kissing her, stripping her naked and . . .
"Yo, Jimmy! Mister Tonks says it's . . ."
O'Bannon and Tonks pulled their mouths apart and whirled around to the door. A wide-eyed Jared Diaz stood just outside the door frame.
"Dude, what!" O'Bannon snapped.
"Um, I just wanted to say we're ready to go. Well, all of us except you. Jeez, you guys can't keep your hands off one another, can you?"
"Gimmie a minute, okay?" O'Bannon glared at him.
"Okay, but everyone is downstairs waiting."
"He said, give us . . . a minute!" Tonks whipped out her wand and slashed it through the air. The door slammed shut, forcing Jared to jump back before it smashed into his face.
O'Bannon grunted. "It's a good thing he's my best friend, otherwise I'd kick his ass."
Tonks looked back at him and cupped his cheek with her left hand. "Come on. Let's make the most of this minute."
He drew a breath, smiled and covered Tonks' lips with his.
XXXXX
Once O'Bannon joined the others, Ted led them outside and past the wards surrounding the house. O'Bannon swore the man gave him an appraising stare as he opened the wooden gate surrounding the front yard and onto a small dirt path. He winced a bit. Did Ted suspect something going on between him and his daughter?
Probably just your imagination. How could he know what me and Tonks have been doing?
He kept repeating the thought until he halfway believed it.
About fifty feet from the front gate, they Apparated. Seconds later O'Bannon heard waves rushing across a small stretch of beach. He blinked and saw the darkened English Channel before him.
"Here we are, then," Ted announced. "Just outside Worthing." He pulled out his wand and aimed it at the water. The tip glowed, three quick flashes followed by a longer one.
O'Bannon screwed up his eyes and scanned the night cloaked water. He blinked in surprise when in the distance he noticed four strobes, a long one followed by three shorter ones.
"Jolly good." Ted pocketed his wand. "Nathan's right on time."
A couple minutes later a speedboat roared up to the shore. The man inside tossed out a small anchor, jumped into the knee deep water and sloshed his way onto the beach. He was tall, stout and dressed in dark clothes.
"'For here I am, sitting in a tin can, far above the world,'" Ted blurted.
O'Bannon raised an eyebrow when the newcomer responded, "'Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do.'"
"What the heck was that all about?" Artimus drew his head back.
"Code phrase and the counter-phrase," Rosa replied. "Just another security measure. Weird choice of words, though."
"Not really." O'Bannon turned to them. "They're song lyrics, from David Bowie's 'Space Oddity.' You know, the song about Major Tom."
"David Bowie?" Rosa repeated the name. "Oh yeah. Tonks told me about him. That Muggle singer her dad likes."
"Good to see you again, Nathan." Ted shook the man's hand vigorously.
"Same here, Ted. You're looking well."
Ted led the newcomer over to the quartet. "Here's your 'precious cargo.'"
The man stood in front of them and bowed slightly. "Good evening, gentlemen, lady. Lieutenant Commander Nathan Tonks, Royal Navy, at your service."
The four shook hands with Ted's cousin. O'Bannon studied the man, his posture, his mannerisms, the way he spoke. The guy just exuded Britishness.
"Thanks for doing this, Nathan," Ted patted him on the shoulder.
"Just doing my duty, cousin."
"Right. You take care of yourself, and them."
"Rest assured they're in good hands. You take care as well, Ted, and give my love to Andromeda and Dora."
"I will."
Ted bade the quartet farewell, shooting another suspicious gaze O'Bannon's way. Or maybe he just imagined it.
"Right, everyone in." Nathan pointed his arm to the speedboat. "Oh, and if one of you would be kind enough to cast one of those Repelling Charms to eliminate all the sea spray, unless you fancy being cold and damp before we get to France."
"I can do that." Rosa raised her hand.
"Splendid." Nathan smiled.
Rosa cast the charm and climbed into the boat with the others. Thankfully, she, Jared nor Artimus showed any hesitation boarding a Muggle speedboat, unlike the airplane at Logan International. Then again, Muggle World or Wizarding World, a boat was a boat.
"So how do you make this thing go?" Artimus swiveled his head in all directions.
"It's probably the same way all those other Muggle boats we see from the Salem Schooner go." Jared sat on a small bench toward the rear. "With a . . . aw, man, what's it called again? A moot-ah."
"Motor," O'Bannon corrected Jared as he sat across from him.
"All in?" Nathan checked to make sure the quartet was seated. "Right. Let's get going."
He hauled up the small anchor, then slipped on a pair of dark futuristic-looking goggles.
"What the heck are those things?" Jared shot Nathan a quizzical look.
"These? Oh, night vision goggles."
"You mean you can see in the dark with those things?" asked Rosa.
"Quite. They magnify any ambient light and provide me with a clear picture of my surroundings."
"And Muggles made that? Without magic?" Jared gaped. "Wicked pissah!"
Nathan smiled, then started the engine and headed out into the Channel.
"Excuse me, Mister, I mean, Commander Tonks." Rosa got out of her seat and approached him, steadying herself on the gunwales. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Well, I'm just curious. I mean, no offense, you are a Muggle, and here you are involving yourself in a wizarding war. I'm just wondering why you'd do that?"
"Besides having family like Ted involved in this unfortunate business, I did take an oath to defend Queen and Country. Where I stand, England is England, be it Muggle England or Wizarding England."
"But what happens if you have to face any witches or wizards? How can you fight them without magic?"
"I have taken precautions against that." Nathan patted a bulge on the right side of his waist. While Rosa stood perplexed, O'Bannon had seen enough movies to know exactly what the naval officer carried.
"It's a pistol," he finally explained to Rosa.
"A pistol? But a simple Disarming Charm . . ."
"I know, Miss Infante. But a pistol is better than nothing. Besides, witches and wizards have been known to miss with their spells, and magical or not, they're still human beings, and not immune to bullets."
Nathan took his eyes off the water briefly and looked to Rosa. "Let me guess. You're a pureblood, am I right?"
She nodded.
"Well, I can't say I blame you for thinking a Muggle like me is out of his league getting involved in a war like this."
"Oh no. I didn't mean to offend you."
"No offense taken. I'd be thinking that too were I in your shoes. Honestly, against you lot I probably am out of me league. But when Ted came to me and explained what was going on, I knew I had to get involved. If Volde . . ."
Rosa tensed at the name.
"Sorry," Nathan said. "I forgot how you lot react to that name. If You-Know-Who should win, it won't be just the Wizarding World he conquers, but the Muggle one as well. And considering how he feels about us, I dare say we'd become extinct under his rule. You-Know-Who's version of The Final Solution." He turned to Rosa. "Do you know much about Muggle history, Miss Infante?"
"A bit. Jimmy's really the expert. He's a big history buff, both Wizarding and Muggle."
"Are you familiar with the name Adolf Hitler?"
"Him? Oh yeah, especially since he actually tried to stick his nose in Wizarding business during the really big Muggle war."
Nathan drew a deep breath. "In my more philosophical moments, I wonder what would have happened if someone actually stood up to that blaggard. But at the time, too many Muggles had memories of the First World War burned into their minds, and were determined not to see a similar conflict come to the continent a second time. So they turned a blind eye to Hitler's persecution of the Jews and other 'undesirables,' his military build-up, his cult of personality. Our weak-kneed Prime Minister at the time allowed one country after another to be signed away to him, all in the hopes of avoiding war. Then on September First, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. So much for avoiding war. All the signs were there showing what a megalomaniac he was. If Neville Chamberlain showed some backbone in 1938, we may have prevented a war that swept across the globe and cost the lives of over fifty million people."
Nathan paused. "There's a brilliant Muggle quote many attribute to Edmund Burke. 'All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.' I'll not be a man who does nothing when I know a horrific war can be prevented. From the way your Minister Fudge is acting, this is 1938 all over again. I want to do whatever I can to see to it that the Wizarding World doesn't experience its own September First, 1939."
Rosa stood silently, gazing at Commander Nathan Tonks. So did O'Bannon. He also noticed Jared and Artimus staring at him the same way.
"You're a really brave man, Commander Tonks," Rosa said with reverence.
"Brave? No, Miss Infante. I'm simply doing the duty that comes with my rank."
O'Bannon gave a silent, sardonic laugh. Talk about modesty. He wondered if he could be as brave taking part in a wizarding war without the benefit of magic.
Rosa returned to her seat a bit later. They skimmed across the Channel, chatting or eating some of the snacks packed by Andromeda Tonks. O'Bannon just finished a Pumpkin Jam Tart when he looked to the rear of the boat. His eyes stared beyond the darkened waters, imagining the coast of England, and beyond it, Hogwarts. He thought of his friends, the Weasley twins, Lee, Angelina, Ron, Ginny, Harry . . . yes, even Hermione.
Foremost in his mind, though, was Tonks.
He slumped in his seat, ignoring the bouncing of the speedboat.
"You okay, Jimmy?" Rosa asked.
"Huh?" He looked back to her, noting the concern on her face. "Um, yeah, I'm . . ." He cut himself off, knowing he wouldn't be able to fool her.
"Thinking about Tonks, aren't you?"
"How did you know?"
"Heh! Please, I know there was more to you guys than a tryst in the Room of Requirement. You two really liked one another."
O'Bannon sighed. "Yeah, I guess. She was, man, she was just so kick-ass. But, I don't know, I think even when we were doing it, I knew this could never be long term. Not when we live in different countries, not with all this crap going on. Stupid friggin' You-Know-Who and his stupid friggin' war."
Rosa put an arm around his shoulder. "I know it sucks. I really like Tonks, too. She was way cool and I think you two would have been great together."
"Thanks." He bent over, resting his elbows on knees, and groaned.
"Look." Rosa gently rubbed his back. "I can tell you right now that Tonks would not want you moping over her. She'd want you to move on and meet someone else."
"It's gonna be hard finding someone as awesome as Tonks."
Rosa gave him a warm smile. "Jimmy O'Bannon, mark my words, one day you are going to make some woman very, very happy."
"Hey!" Jared hollered. "What about us?" He pointed to him and Artimus.
Rosa exhaled a long breath. "Artimus, you're also going to make some woman very, very happy one day. Jared, you're going to drive whatever woman is stupid or drunk enough to marry you up a wall."
Jared scowled at his cousin and flipped her the delightful digit. O'Bannon couldn't help but laugh.
"You know," Rosa continued. "Tonks was right about you in one respect."
"What, that I have a cute ass?"
Rosa chuckled. "Well, that too. She was, how do the Brits say it, spot on about you being the right man to lead us."
O'Bannon straightened up. "You guys talked about that?"
"Of course. Girls don't keep secrets from one another, especially if it involves a guy we care about."
She slid closer to him. "Jimmy, it doesn't matter if you're a Muggle-born and we're all purebloods. You're our leader. You have been since the four of us have been together. You wanna know why?"
He nodded.
"Because you've earned our trust. That stunt you pulled when the aurors were after us over Hogsmeade, you showed how far you're willing to go for us. And when it seemed nothing was going right for us with this mission, you always tried to find some way to make it work. You never gave up. You also inspire people. Do you think any of us could have gone to England and taken a bunch of wizards and witches who never even heard of hockey and turn them into a first-rate team, and more importantly, a close knit group of friends? Friends who'd risk everything to help you? You did that. I think you've shown you're more than ready to lead us into battle."
O'Bannon drew a slow breath and stared at Rosa. Part of him still had a hard time accepting it. Never in his wildest dreams did he picture himself as a wartime leader. Jeez, he was just seventeen. And inspiring people? It was one thing to do it during a hockey game. No one tried to kill you, literally, on the ice. But in a war . . .?
He thought back to Hogwarts, the way the D.A. looked at him during his speech. How all of them, the famous Harry Potter included, were willing to follow him, trust him, take great risks for him. In the end, it all worked out. They'd warned the Order of the Phoenix about the Longathian Tunnel, they all escaped from Hogwarts, and soon they'd be home safe and sound. Headmistress Esmeralda had trusted him to lead this mission, and he'd proved himself worthy of that trust. More importantly, Rosa had told him point blank he was their leader without question. Best friend or not, Rosa would not have said such a thing unless she truly believed it.
But what about . . .
He looked across the bouncing speed boat to Artimus and Jared.
"Rosa's right, Jimmy," said Artimus. "I'm with you."
Jared grinned and shrugged. "What, you really think I'm cut out to be the leader? My job is to be the comic relief for this group. Oh yeah, and to also be the group chick magnet."
Rosa groaned and rolled her eyes. "Merlin's beard, why didn't Aunt Liana and Uncle Irving give you up for adoption when you were born?"
"Aw, c'mon, cuz. Think of how boring your life would be without me in it."
"That's boredom I'd gladly live with."
O'Bannon laughed softly, eyeing all three of his friends, friends who'd become more like family. Even more than that now. They'd become comrades-in-arms. He gritted his teeth and held his breath. The responsibility enveloped him. Rosa, Jared and Artimus had just willingly put their lives in his hands.
What if I mess up? What if I give a wrong order and one of them dies?
Then don't mess up.
His face stiffened in determination. He couldn't wish it away any longer. He couldn't yearn for being a regular Muggle any more. The war was on. People depended on him, especially the three sitting in this boat. The time had come to cowboy up and be the leader everyone expected him to be.
XXXXX
A couple hours later Nathan cut the engine. The boat bobbed in the water while he pulled out a large flashlight.
"Why did you stop?" Artimus asked.
"Land ho, everyone. We're here."
The quartet stood. Beyond the bow O'Bannon could make out a darkened stretch of beach with some high cliffs nearby.
Nathan clicked the flashlight on and off. Two short flashes, a long one, then a short one. O'Bannon scanned the beach. Several seconds passed before he spotted four flashes; one short, one long, two short.
"That's our cue." Nathan started the engine and made for shore. He stopped when the boat scratched the sandy bottom.
"Well," he turned to face them, "time once again for you Yanks to storm this bunch."
"Huh?" Jared canted his head.
"Sorry. My poor attempt at humor. It's just, well, we've landed at Normandy."
"The Normandy?" O'Bannon's jaw dropped. "No friggin' way."
Nathan nodded. "Omaha Beach, in fact."
"Wicked pissah," O'Bannon said breathlessly as he looked around.
"What's so special about Normandy?" Jared stared at O'Bannon, perplexed. "And what's this Omaha Beach?"
"D-Day, Mister Diaz." Nathan's voice became somber. "This was one of the beaches where the Allies landed on Six June, 1944. It marked the beginning of the end of Nazi rule in Europe. Many thousands of Americans, British, Canadians and other allies died to secure this beach and begin the push to Berlin."
A chill went up O'Bannon's spine that had nothing to do with the cold air. He gazed around the beach, thinking of all the movies and documentaries he'd seen about this invasion, "The Great Crusade" as General Eisenhower coined it. His mind wiped away the darkness and created a scene of thousands of olive drab soldiers charging out of the water and into a maelstrom of bullets and explosions.
My God, I'm standing right where this actually happened. No doubt some landing craft had plowed through the very same water as Nathan Tonks' speedboat, disgorging dozens of soldiers. How many of them had been killed? How many made it across the beach to fight the Germans?
O'Bannon's legs trembled. He wondered if his friends could truly appreciate what it meant to be at this place. He froze, trying to comprehend the sacrifices of the people who stormed this beach.
That's when the irony hit him.
Fifty odd years after Eisenhower dubbed D-Day "The Great Crusade," Jimmy O'Bannon stood on this very beach in the middle of another great crusade. The crusade against Voldemort and his evil. So many people from various nations died here to help bring about the end of another great evil. Dumbledore's words back at the Tonkses' home came back to him, about sacrifice and loss. How much would he and his friends have to sacrifice to help defeat Voldemort? How much loss would they endure before this war was all over?
"Come on, then." Nathan called out. "I'm sure you lot are anxious to get back to America and have yourselves a hot dog."
"Actually, I got a hankering for another one of those Cinnabons," said Jared. "Hey, Jimmy. They do have those things at other places beside the airport, right?"
"They're all over the place, man. Don't worry. I'll hook you up."
"Sweet!"
They all jumped from the boat and waded ashore. Two silhouettes appeared and walked toward them. Both were tall, but with distinctly feminine shapes. The darkness prevented O'Bannon from seeing their faces.
"Can one of you help a lost traveler?" Nathan stated.
"You are not lost. All roads lead to France."
O'Bannon paused when he heard the counter phrase. That silky French accent. There was something familiar about it.
Dude, you were around those Beauxbatons chicks for all of last year. After a while they all sounded the same.
"Evening, ladies." Nathan slightly bowed to the approaching witches. "Lieutenant Commander Nathan Tonks, Royal Navy, at your service. Just dropping off some precious cargo."
O'Bannon sidled up next to Nathan and took a good look at the women. The first was just a hair taller than him with short blonde hair cut above the shoulders. She had the sort of muscular yet distinctly feminine frame common to major college volleyball players. And her face. Smooth, angular, flawless. He held his breath. It obviously couldn't be her. But damn if she wasn't almost the spitting image of . . .
"Jimmy?"
A bolt of pure surprise punched through him. Time stopped. The silky voice saying his name echoed through his mind.
Slowly, he turned his head.
Oh . . . my . . . God.
The second girl was almost the mirror image of the first. The same build, though a couple inches taller. The same face, though with softer features and eyes a bit larger. Instead of wearing hers short like her partner, this girl's hair cascaded well past her shoulders.
It took O'Bannon a few seconds to realize this was not a dream. The girl standing before him was indeed Mireet Miradeaux.
NEXT: REUNIONS AND DEPARTURES