Warrior Mage -
Chapter 8
The Summer
"Why are you scared of me, Tonks?" He asked, his voice soft and quiet.
"I... I don't know."
***
Harry continued to watch Tonks, the silence spiraling around them.
"Are you the Warrior Mage?" Tonks asked eventually.
"Yes - does that put your mind at rest?" Harry asked softly. "Or are you still scared of me?" Tonks noticed that there was a tinge of hurt in his voice.
"No." She said bravely, "As long as you promise not to shout at me." Harry smiled, and the tension in the room decreased ten-fold.
"Well... I don't know... I shouldn't make any rash promises..." Harry grinned. Tonks smiled - despite everything, he was still Harry.
"So why go to all the trouble of Simba?"
"Were you listening to him earlier? Warriors are biased - I went through some pretty bad stuff while I was there - warriors who were jealous that I was so extra-ordinary, and jealous about the attention I got - you know that they're more obsessed with the Boy Who Lived there than they are here."
"Really? I didn't think that was possible." Tonks teased.
"Neither did I - but it's true."
"Right - so who else knows about this?"
"Lee, Lee's family and you." Harry said.
"You haven't told Professor Dumbledore?" Tonks asked, wide-eyed.
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Well - first of all, he doesn't need to know, and second, I am sick of being treated like a child - I make my own decisions from now on."
"Oh." Tonks said - it made sense that Harry was sick of being treated as a child - he had been fighting the dark arts since the age of eleven - he had seen more than many Aurors had - he was no more of a child than she was, yet the Order insisted on treating him as such. It seemed very... hypocritical. After all, the Order did want Harry to do as they wished.
"They'll all get a bit of a shock this year." She murmured.
"Won't they?" Harry agreed, having followed her thoughts by the looks on her face.
"Will you tell Remus?"
"Eventually - just like I'll tell Ron and Hermione eventually. But right now, I have a lot of responsibility to bear - I need to concentrate on my duties right now."
"Right."
"So you know about your birthday party then?"
"Yeah - that's why Lee was so annoyed." Harry smirked.
Remus saw Leona sitting at the table looking miserable. Harry and Tonks were nowhere in sight. Leona looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed from crying.
"What happened?" He asked, sitting next to her.
"I made a mess of everything - again." Leona replied with a sniff.
"Uh...I'm sure you didn't make a mess of everything." Remus said comfortingly.
"He's right Lee - c'mon, cheer up." Harry said, leaning in the doorway. She offered him a weak smile in return.
"Lee, I'll tell you what - I'll cook you whatever you want - will that cheer you up?" Tonks looked hopefully at Leona, who smiled and nodded.
"Sounds like a good deal - you'd better get cooking, hadn't you?" She replied.
"So it would seem. What is it that you want me to cook?"
"Well, can't we go down into your room? That way, we get to stuff our faces and not waste any time doing so."
"Yes boss." Harry smirked. Tonks and Lee grinned at this, knowing that Lee had little or no actual authority over him at all - few people did. Remus looked confused at the giggles that erupted from the pair, as did Carmen, who had been watching the entire thing.
"Come on then." Harry said, putting a hand to his locket and transporting them all into his private room.
"You've redecorated then?" Remus asked, looking around. Harry had charmed the walls of the living room to be a mid-blue with silver and gold accents. It was lovely and calming, like his room, but almost the opposite to his training room, which was a bright white with red trim. Out of all, he loved his study the best. He had covered the walls with a lively mural of a jungle, complete with all manner of creatures and plants. He had painted it all by hand, like he had done at 4 Privet Drive. But no one had seen his study - it was his space, and therefore something sacred to him.
"Yeah - it was too plain before." He said with a shrug. A table and five chairs appeared from nowhere with a casual wave of Harry's hand. The other four took a seat while Harry headed to his beloved kitchen.
"Tonks, you're helping." He said with a grin.
"What? But I can't cook to save myself!" Tonks said.
"I'll teach you then. Come on - at the very least you'll be waitressing."
"Is that such a good idea, Harry?" Carmen asked somewhat nervously.
"Of course it is - you won't drop anything, will you Tonks?"
"I...I'll try not to."
"Of course you won't - it's nervousness or excitement that makes you clumsy, ergo if you are not nervous then you will not drop things."
"Right - ok. No dropping things." Tonks muttered.
"Carmen, you can help too." Harry said, a mischievous grin slowly covering his face. Tonks fought not to stare at him - he was too damn good-looking for his own good. And as for those expressions of his - they should be outlawed!
"Harry? Are you up to something?" She murmured, noticing that Remus and Lee were left at the table alone.
"Moi? Never!" Harry smirked. "Yeah, right." Tonks replied sceptically. Once again, Harry grinned mischievously.
"Just a little match-making." He muttered to her. "Why, d'you want in on it?" Tonks thought for a minute as Harry watched her - on the one hand, Remus did like Leona, and this would possibly help him. On the other hand, if Remus found out that she had been involved... he knew her all too well.
"I'm in." She said. After all, Harry probably already knew - he knew most things, so why shouldn't he know that she liked him?
"Great - welcome to the Marauders." Harry told her.
Tonks and Harry glanced over at the table to see Remus and Leona deep in conversation.
"It's working!" Tonks whispered.
"Sshh, very optimistic, sweetie, but I don't think it'll be that easy, somehow." Harry replied in a hushed voice. Tonks shivered slightly as his breath crossed her neck.
"What are you two talking about?" Carmen asked. She flashed Harry a wide smile, getting just a little too close to Harry. Tonks watched as Harry tactfully and almost unnoticeably shifted away from her.
"The usual." He said, still maintaining a perfect, poker straight face.
"Tonks, can you take this to the table, please?" He gave her a cheeky grin, and handed her the plate. Tonks took it, returning his smile with a slight blush. Harry shook his head slightly as she walked away - life with Tonks looked immensely amusing.
After Harry had cooked every dish that the others cared to think of, they all sat in his living room, quiet and contemplating. Harry looked around at his companions, sadness overcoming him. Sirius should be among them - if it hadn't been for Harry's stupidity, he might have been...
"Excuse me." He mumbled, careful to keep his expression neutral, verging on happy. Leona frowned, asking him silently what was going on.
It's nothing. He replied softly, making his way from the room. He felt Leona retreat from his mind, apparently satisfied. He closed off the link, knowing that he would get an earful later for it. He slipped into his hideaway room - it was a room in the library that was impossible to find or get into, unless it was him trying to find it or get into it. In contrast to the other rooms, this room was completely stark white. It contained nothing but a chair. Harry sat down in it, his mind now fully on Sirius. He missed him terribly. He never noticed the steady drip-drop, nor the fact that the pure white floor was spotted with crimson. The cuts on his hands were open once more as he berated himself for his Godfather's death. The next time he saw Bellatrix, he promised himself, he would kill her. He would kill her quickly and be done with it - she wasn't important enough to waste the time or energy it would take to cause her the pain that she deserved. His conscience would be clear. She was a murderer - and not just Sirius' murderer, but the murderer of Merlin only knew how many innocents that had crossed her path. He slowly began to notice the blood that was pooling on the floor, and watched it. His life-force, seeping out of him. So simple, he thought. All his powers, all his responsibility - the Great Harry Potter, the Invincible Simba Tide, the youngest Warrior in living memory - and this was all it took to kill them all. Yet... there was a lifeline. There in his mind, he saw it clearly. A helping hand. Tonks' face swam into view, feelings flooding his mind. She was proud of him - yet so scared that she would lose him. There was the warm tingle of belonging as he reached for the lifeline.
Tonks sat bolt upright, a small shriek emitting from her lips. She stood abruptly, sprinting from the room.
Tonks. She heard Harry's voice in her mind - he sounded so very weak. She raced through the halls, neither knowing nor caring where she was going, only knowing that she would find Harry. She had to find Harry. She stopped outside the door to the library, pushing it open without another thought.
"Harry? Where are you?" She asked, panicking. What if she was too late?
The room. Hidden. Within your reach. Harry's voice was fading away, and Tonks was getting frantic with worry. She pushed on all of the walls of the library, screaming in frustration as nothing budged.
"Tell me how to get in!" She begged Harry. There was no reply. "HARRY!" She screamed loudly. The others were running towards the room, scared and worried. They arrived just in time to see her disappear from sight.
Harry's head was spinning. He held tightly to the lifeline in his mind as colours swirled before his eyes. There was a loud bang, and Harry sunk into merciful blackness.
Tonks' relief at finding the room was short-lived, however, as she saw Harry lying unconscious in a chair, blood pooled around his feet, contrasting sharply with the bright white of the room.
"Don't you even think about dying on me, Harry Potter!" She said, tears falling from her eyes. She was terrified - Harry meant more to her than she ever would have imagined.
Remus, Leona and Carmen sat in the library, out of their minds with worry over Harry. They had heard Tonks' frantic screams, and knew that nothing good was happening. Leona tried desperately to get into Harry's mind via the link, but found that the connection was blocked by something that felt as immovable as Hogwarts itself.
"If you don't wake up soon, Harry, I swear that I'll castrate you." Tonks said, doing her best to help an unconscious Harry. The wounds were closing, ever so slightly, but he had lost an incredible amount of blood, and Tonks had never seen anyone quite so pale before. He looked... dead.
"Come on Harry, you can't die on me - you've got to come back to Hogwarts with me and show me up in class by knowing more than me." She said, now cradling his hands in her own. "You're supposed to stay with me, and drive me nuts. You're not allowed to die - I won't let you." Tonks sobbed into Harry's shoulder, not knowing how to help him.
She was still like this a good ten minutes later, when she felt it - Harry was squeezing her hand gently, reassuringly.
"Not planning to die... anytime soon." He croaked.
"HARRY!" Tonks squealed, fresh tears falling from her eyes.
"Hey." Harry said, managing a weak smile. Tonks sprang away from him, all too aware of his close proximity.
"Now, what was that about castrating me?"
"You heard that?"
"I heard it all - most peculiar." Harry began to show Simba, and he seemed so much older than he really was.
"You did?"
"I did." Harry frowned as he inspected his palms - they were crusted with blood, and the wounds were still open.
"Gross." He muttered to himself, running a thumb across the cuts and healing them. He remained almost deathly pale, but more animated than he had been. He cleaned up his own blood without a second thought, and conjured another chair for Tonks.
"Want to talk?" Harry asked softly. Tonks turned to him and nodded, tears still streaming down her face.
"Don't you ever do that again Harry, I mean it. You scared the life out of me. I thought you were dead." Tonks said, tears still staining her face. Harry watched her closely, wanting more than anything to reach out and tell her that everything would be fine. But it would be a lie. It wasn't fine. He settled for putting his arms around her and pulling her towards him. She sobbed in his arms as he held her close to him, crying softly into her hair. Tonks looked up eventually, her eyes red and swollen. She reached up and wiped his tears away.
"It wasn't your fault, you know." She said softly, wishing desperately that he would listen. His green eyes bore a hole through her as he studied her. Without saying anything, he ran a finger along her jawline and traced the tear tracks. Tonks shivered as his fingers brushed along her lips. Instinctively, she tilted her head as Harry lowered his. Their lips met softly, and both Tonks and Harry tasted the salty tears that they had shed. Tonks rested her head on Harry's shoulder, looking up at him.
"Thank you." He murmured,
"For what?"
"For being my anchor."
"Thank you for letting me be your anchor." Tonks said with a smile. They sat and talked quietly for a while, occasionally sharing a few kisses.
Outside, Remus, Leona and Carmen were on the verge of knocking the wall down to get in to see what was going on. Leona kept trying to push her way into Harry's mind. Unfortunately, she found that Harry didn't appreciate this very much, and gained a rather painful headache due to the strength of Harry's will to keep her out. She stopped pushing on the barriers, and was delighted when Harry re-opened the link.
Harry! Do you have any idea how worried we all were? She scolded him.
Sorry. Tonks gave me some idea of how worried she was.
Oh?
Yeah. We might be a while, by the way. I would suggest that you, Remus and Carmen get some sleep.
Harry, what's going on?
Don't sound so worried. Tonks and I are just having a little discussion.
What kind of discussion?
A private one - now go away. I'll tell you everything when we're finished.
Oh all right. Take care of her, Harry. She's not as strong as she makes out.
I know. Harry's reply was so soft that she hardly heard it, but she did feel a little of what he was feeling at that moment.
Harry and Tonks remained in the small room for a short while, before moving into the more comfortable study. Tonks stared, wide-eyed at the mural that covered the walls. It was bright, beautiful and busy, but also seemed very calming and relaxing. She smiled when Harry told her that she was the first to see it, with the exception of himself.
"You did this?" She breathed.
"Uh huh." Harry waved a hand and the scenery changed. Tonks recognised Hogwarts in the background, while in the foreground there were people relaxing by the lake - she spotted herself and Remus, as well as Leona, Hermione and the Weasleys. Also there were his parents, Cedric and Sirius. Tonks gazed in awe - not only was Harry sharing his private space with her, he was giving her access to his thoughts, hopes and dreams through the murals. She was overwhelmed.
"It's incredible."
"Thank you."
"How long did it take?"
"About eight months - there are quite a few different murals. It's charmed so that I can interchange them to suit my mood."
"Wow. Will you show me some others?"
"Umm...some of them...some aren't the...nicest of images." Harry warned, looking slightly wary.
"You don't have to show me if you don't want to." Tonks said, putting a hand over his. His green eyes bored into hers for a long moment before he nodded. Tonks watched as he waved a hand. The mood of the room changed dramatically at that point - Tonks gulped at the sight of Voldemort staring back at her, the scarlet eyes glittered malevolently even in the painting. She shifted closer to Harry and continued to view the picture - in the background were a large number of Deatheaters - some were standing tall and proud, while others looked scared out of their wits. Her eyes were drawn to three figures in particular - one stood just a little behind Voldemort on his right hand side, head held high with arrogance and aristocracy pouring from him. Lucius Malfoy, she knew, despite the fact that his features were obscured by the porcelain white mask. In
The same place to Voldemort's left was another figure, a woman, she too held her head high.
"Bellatrix." She murmured. Harry nodded, saying nothing. Tonks looked back at the painting - there was no question as to who the third person was - crawling at Voldemort's feet, obviously seeking forgiveness for yet another mistake, small and runty - it could only have been Wormtail. Tonks looked back at Harry, having memorised every detail of the painting. Meeting her eyes, Harry waved his hand again.
Several pictures later, Tonks realised that there were tears falling down her face. Harry put his arm around her shoulders and brought her close, hugging her tightly. Tonks relaxed in his arms, feeling as if she never wanted to leave. The walls around them changed again, this time changing to graffiti. Tonks shifted her head slightly to read what he had painted. Along the walls there were words such as 'justice' and 'peace'. In some places there were pictures - gravestones and faces, amongst other things. Tonks was relieved to see that Voldemort was absent from this mural. It was more optimistic than the ones she had been looking at just moments before. She smiled at Harry and rested her head on his shoulder again. She drifted to sleep like that, safe and warm in his arms.
Remus awoke to find that Harry and Tonks still had not appeared. He wondered what had happened to make Tonks run away without explanation, and what had kept her and Harry locked away for so long. He wondered idly if there was something more than friendship between the two, but knew both well enough that they wouldn't be rushing into anything like that so soon. Plus, Tonks had looked absolutely terrified when she left the room, pale and crying. Once again, he wondered just what was going - Leona, he decided, knew a little more than he did, but not much. She was a little uncertain too, but both had decided that Tonks was an adult, and Harry was an adult in all but age, and they trusted them both implicitly.
Harry gently kissed Tonks' lips. She sighed against him, waking slowly. Her eyes got wide as she looked up to see Harry's bright green eyes peering at her. When she remembered what had happened the previous night, she hugged him closely, blushing furiously.
"Morning." Harry murmured quietly. Her reply was muffled by his shoulder.
"I thought that we should probably save Remus from Lee and Carmen."
"Ah. Oh damn."
"What?"
"Carmen... she likes you."
"I know."
"You know?"
"It's kinda hard not to." Harry laughed.
"Well... she wants to go out with you..."
"And you're worried that this will upset her."
"Exactly."
"You two did decide that I was fair game." Tonks gaped at Harry - how had he known that? "Look, Carmen doesn't know me. She wants me because she likes what she sees. You're different. She'll understand. I promise. I wouldn't be interested in her anyway."
"Why?"
"Because she doesn't know me - she has no inkling of what being with me means. Do you?" The question was softly posed, but Tonks knew that a lot lay on her answer.
"Of course I do - I know that you have a Dark Lord who wants to kill you, I know that you're incredibly sweet, caring and protective. I know you, Harry, and I know that you deserve happiness." She replied surely, her eyes looking deep into his and almost begging him to believe her. After a few moments, he smiled and nodded.
"Has Dumbledore told you about... the Prophecy?"
"Is that what he was talking about? He said that he had told you something important - said it was a lot to think about." Tonks remembered. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"That man is better at underestimating than I am." He muttered. "I'll tell you about it later - might as well tell Moony too." Harry said thoughtfully. Tonks smiled uncertainly - she had a feeling that whatever it was, she wasn't going to like it.
***
Remus smiled widely as Harry and Tonks walked in, hand in hand. Tonks blushed, while Harry just smiled.
"So, what did we miss?"
"Not a lot." Remus said. "Obviously not as much as me and the others did."
"Hmm."
"So what did happen?"
"Harry?" Tonks said softly, as if asking permission. Harry nodded, smiling at her.
"I almost died." He said matter-of-factly.
"What?"
"I had another guilt trip. A rather big guilt trip."
"I hope I never see as much blood as that ever again."
"Oh." Remus said. "So what happened after that?"
"We talked." Harry shrugged. "Now, who wants breakfast?"
"Me!" Tonks and Remus chorused. Harry shook his head and made his way to the kitchen, where he proceeded to make the most delicious breakfast anyone had ever had.
"Harry, how old are you really? I mean, after all of the time you've spent in here?" Remus asked.
"Er...about twenty five, I think." Harry replied.
"You've spent that long in here?"
"Yeah - I have a hell of a lot of training to do, you know."
"Oh. Are you going to tell us about the Prophecy?"
"Yeah - Remus, remember the headmaster telling you about something he had told me?"
"Yeah. It was the Prophecy? The one that Voldemort was after?"
"That's the one." Harry nodded.
"Well, what did it say?"
"Basically, it says that I either have to be killed by Voldemort or I have to kill him." There was silence as it sunk in to his friends' minds.
"You... or him?"
"Yeah - apparently I'm the only one who can kill him." Harry felt extraordinarily bad when tears began to form in Tonks' eyes, and spilled down her cheeks. He always seemed to be making her cry.
"I'm sorry." He muttered.
"Sorry? What for? It's not as if you meant this to happen." Tonks said firmly.
"I know, but... it wasn't fair to worry you guys..."
"Harry, listen. We're glad that you felt that you could trust us with something of this magnitude. If you ever need to talk or anything, we'll be here for you, ok? No matter what."
"Thanks Remus." Harry said, hugging the older man.
"Now, enough doom and gloom already - would you two like to come to Lesea with me?"
"Can we?" Tonks' eyes lit up with enthusiasm while Remus looked mildly shocked.
"Is that possible?"
"Sure - humans can get into Lesea with the permission of two Warriors, or the permission of the Warrior Mage." Harry pulled out a slip of parchment on which he had written a note, allowing both Tonks and Remus to enter.
"What does that say?" Tonks asked curiously, pointing to a few sentences of a different script.
"That's ancient elvish." Harry said. "That's Simba's way of keying the wards to stop anyone with the Dark Mark getting into Lesea, even with the permission of a hundred Warriors."
"Can you read it?"
"Yeah - I think Simba and I are probably the only two who speak and write it."
"Will you teach me?" Tonks asked.
"Sure, why not. I'll write my Defence essays in Elvish - that'll be a challenge for you to decipher."
"You'd better not, Potter."
"Spoilsport."
"Oh - I've just thought of something. Are there any rules in Hogwarts against student/teacher relationships?"
"I don't think so. They're not encouraged, naturally, but as long as you weren't too... obvious about it, there are no actual rules forbidding it."
"I don't know if I'll be a student for very long anyway." Harry said thoughtfully.
"What do you mean?"
"Well... if I took my NEWT's, and graduated this year, I could be a student teacher, rather than a student."
"Why a student teacher and not a full-blown Professor?"
"Because then I wouldn't be allowed to play Quidditch."
"I hate to break it to you Harry, but you might not be allowed to play Quidditch as a student teacher either." Remus said. Harry huffed slightly.
"Damn, Moony. Take all the fun outta life, why don't you?"
"I'm sure there's other things you could be doing - like, there's no rules against Professor's pranking their students." Tonks suggested innocently. Harry kissed her soundly on the lips, grinning widely.
"Tonks honey, you are the best." He said happily. Remus laughed at Tonks' bright blush.
"Maybe you should warn Professor Dumbledore that you want to take your NEWTs when you get to school - or even better, sit them now. Then you can be a Professor by the time you get to Hogwarts."
"Good idea - we'll go to Hogwarts first, then Lesea." Harry said decisively.
"Right - you two go and get the others up so that we can leave already - lots to do, you know."
Professor Dumbledore was sitting in his office, doing paperwork when the fireplace flared green.
"Hello Professor Dumbledore." It took a moment or two for Dumbledore to realise that it was Harry. The boy now positively towered over him. He was followed, moments later, by Tonks and Remus.
"Hello." The headmaster smiled. "This is a surprise. What can I do for you three?"
"Well... I was wondering if it would be possible for me to sit my NEWTs early." Harry said.
"How early?"
"As soon as possible - then I could continue running the DA."
"Become a Professor?"
"Maybe." Harry shrugged.
"I think that's a splendid idea - would you consider teaching a course on your culture?"
"Sure." Harry shrugged.
"And you realise that as a Professor you won't be able to play Quidditch for Gryffindor?"
"Yeah." Harry nodded.
"Very well. I shall inform the Minister of your decision - here's a list of the NEWTs offered - what were you thinking of taking?"
"Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, Herbology, Divination, History of Magic and Muggle Studies."
"That is rather a large workload, Harry. You've also never studied Arithmancy, Ancient Runes or Muggle Studies, even at OWL level."
"A year is a rather long time. Besides, what do I have to lose?"
"Very well. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Well, I was wondering whether there are any further courses after NEWT level." Harry said.
"Indeed. There are wizarding degrees offered for many subjects. Were you thinking of taking one?"
"Yeah - would it be possible for me to do that during the term?"
"I see no reason why not."
"Great." Harry said. "We'd better go - we're going to Lesea. See you later Professor, and thanks for your help."
"No problem Harry." Without another word, Harry Tripped to Lesea, taking Tonks and Remus with him.
As Harry landed in Lesea, with his two friends at his side, he became aware that something had changed within his homeland. Something was distinctly different.
"Harry dear! You brought friends, I see. How are you? I'm Serena Tide, Leona's mother. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Hey Serena. This is Tonks and Remus." Harry said.
"We've heard a lot about you." Tonks said with a smile, shaking Serena's hand.
"Pleased to meet you." Remus said, smiling as well.
"Hey, did Lee get back yet?"
"Yeah - a few hours ago. She told us that you were coming, with your friends."
"Is everyone here?"
"Of course - they all wanted to meet the people that you spoke so highly of. Are you two a couple?" She asked Remus and Tonks. Harry laughed at the look on both of their faces - they obviously didn't like that idea.
"Actually, Tonks is my girlfriend." He said, deciding to take pity on them.
"Oh how wonderful! I'm so pleased, Harry dear. Now, why don't we go inside and we can have a cup of tea before you go and show Remus and Tonks around the city."
"Sure." Harry said, taking Tonks' hand and leading the way.
Remus and Tonks were given a guided tour of the Tide house, just like Harry was. This time, however, it was Harry that was showing them around.
"This is mine and Simba's room." Harry said, opening the door to his room. Tonks looked mildly impressed.
"It's tidy." She said.
"Of course it's tidy - just like my room in the flat is tidy."
"I wouldn't know - the door's always locked."
"Hmm, I wonder why that would be." Harry said, feigning puzzlement.
"Harry, aren't you going to introduce us?" Arian asked sweetly, while Gemini stood behind him, rolling her eyes.
"Arian, this is Tonks and Remus. Two of my fellow Marauders. This is Arian and Gemini."
"Pleased to meet you." Gemini said graciously. Arian was studying the pair of them closely.
"Same here." He said eventually, smiling flirtatiously at Tonks, who smiled back and slipped her hand into Harry's.
"Aww. Some guys have all the luck."
"Thanks, I think. I thought you had your eye on someone anyway."
"How... " Harry just grinned and shook his head.
"Still asking that question?"
"Hmm, I guess I should know better by now. Do they know?"
"Tonks does, and I'll tell Remus later." Harry said.
"Tell me what?"
"Patience is a virtue, Remus - or so I'm told."
"Is it another bombshell like the Prophecy was?"
"Sort of, but much better." Tonks answered for Harry. Remus shrugged lightly, wondering what the big secret was.
After the tour of the house, Remus, Tonks, Harry and Leona settled in Harry's room.
"So, what's the big secret then?"
"Well... umm... I'm Simba." Harry said. Remus blinked a few times, before all of the blood drained from his face.
"You're... you're the Warrior Mage?"
"Yeah."
"But... how?"
"I don't know. I just am."
"This is incredible - unbelievable. Does Dumbledore know?"
"No, and I would appreciate it if you kept this to yourself - it goes no further than this room. The Tides, you and Tonks are the only ones who know, and I would like it to stay that way."
"Ok." Remus nodded. He decided that talking to his late best friend's son while said young man had his girlfriend sitting on his lap, was really rather odd. Especially when said girlfriend was supposedly seven years older than him, although with all the time that Harry had spent in the room where no time passed, that age difference had changed to Harry being three years older than Tonks. It was all very bizarre, Remus thought.
Instead of going out as Harry Potter, Harry decided to show his friends around as Simba - after all, it should help to promote wizard-Warrior relations, as well as meaning that Tonks and Remus wouldn't have to deal with the prejudices that he had had to deal with. Tonks changed her looks slightly, so that if anyone had seen her with Harry, they wouldn't know it was the same person with Simba. The first place they went was the riding stables, followed by a shopping trip in the centre of the city and a general tour of the place, finishing with a trip to the coastline - it was unlike the coastlines in both Muggle and Wizarding worlds, with the sand being silver and almost molten, the water being bright azure with rainbow patches - almost like an oil on water effect - while the sky was purple and pink.
"It's beautiful." Tonks murmured, tilting her head up to kiss him softly. As Simba wrapped his arms around her, Remus began to feel out of place. He knew that neither Harry nor Tonks would intentionally leave him out, but they were a couple, and they did need some time alone. They both deserved to be happy, and if he knew the way back to the house, he would have left them alone. Fortunately, Leona appeared at that moment, smiling at the sight of Tonks curled up on her 'cousin's' lap, with his arms around her.
"They make the cutest couple, don't you think?" She sighed.
"Yeah - they do. Do you know that Harry's taking his NEWTs early?"
"I figured he would. There's not much that Hogwarts can teach him academically. He, on the other hand, would make a great teacher. Are there any rules about staff dating?"
"Not that I know of - I know that student-teacher relationships are frowned upon, but other than that..."
"Yeah. Look, shall we get out of here? I get the feeling that those two could take a while."
"Yeah, ok then." Remus nodded.
Tonks grinned as Remus left her and Harry alone. It wasn't that she didn't like Remus - she most definitely did - but it was more that she wanted some time alone with Harry, and had the feeling that once they were back in Leona's home, they would be getting very little of that.
"What are you thinking?" Simba murmured, kissing her temple.
"Just that I'm glad we're alone." Tonks replied.
"So we are." Simba replied.
"Simba!" Simba and Tonks groaned as someone came onto the beach - Simba recognised the voice as belonging to Eilidh.
"You have got to be kidding me." He muttered.
"What?" Tonks asked, frowning slightly.
"Eilidh - she... umm... well, you'll see."
"Oh - let me guess, another female admirer?"
"Yeah." Simba said.
"Oh great." Tonks muttered.
"Hey Simba - oh. Who's this?" Eilidh said, spotting Tonks, who remained curled up on Simba's lap.
"I'm Tonks." She said, trying to smile but not getting very far. Eilidh gave her a tight smile.
"Eilidh." She said shortly. "Simba, the Minister wants to see you."
"Oh. Right. Thanks Eilidh. Sweetie, d'you want to come too?"
"I think the Minister wanted to disuss Ministry business."
"That's ok. I trust Tonks." Simba said, carefully keeping his voice neutral. He couldn't believe that a fully grown, fully trained Warrior woman was getting petty simply because he had a girlfriend!
"Uh... if it's all right." Tonks said.
"Sure. Right. Thanks Eilidh, are you coming too?"
"No, I was just on my way home - the Minister asked me to tell you to drop in if I saw you."
"Well thank you." Simba said. Eilidh smiled warmly at him and vanished into thin air.
"She fancies you! Did you see her face? She is so jealous!" Tonks said, looking torn between indignation, amusement and insecurity.
"Hmm, so Lee keeps telling me. She went to a couple of Balls with me, but I don't like her as anything more than a friend."
"Balls?"
"Yeah, you know dances? Dress robes occasions."
"Oh." Tonks said, her face falling slightly.
"You do like dancing, don't you?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Because as the Warrior Mage, I'm obligated to go to a lot of Balls. And since you're my girlfriend, I was sort of hoping that you'd come with me."
"Oh. Of course I will. I'd better get some dress robes."
"We'll go into the city tomorrow and get some, if you want."
"Sure."
"Right - now, let's go and see what Adam wants."
"Adam?"
"The Warrior Minister."
"Oh. You call him Adam?"
"Yeah - it's the only way I could persuade him not to call me 'My Lord Mage'."
"Ah. I keep forgetting that you're the big boss guy around here."
"'Big boss guy'?
"Well, you are." Tonks replied with a grin.
"You make it sound like I'm a dictator." Simba grumbled.
"Oh don't be ridiculous. I know that you'd only use your power for the good of everyone, no matter what... race or species they are."
"Thanks." Simba said softly, catching her hand in his. She smiled warmly up at him, finding it hard to believe that he was...well, whatever age he was. He was very mature for even his twenty five years.
Simba was smiling peacefully as he walked into the Ministry building, completely oblivious to the wistful stares that followed him. It was all Tonks could do not to collapse laughing. Instead, she walked closer to her boyfriend, resting her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her waist. They were still like this when they arrived at the Ministers office.
"Simba! Eilidh found you, then?"
"Yeah." Simba replied, frowning slightly as he thought back on the encounter. "So what was it that you wanted to see me about?"
"Who's your friend?" Adam asked, looking a little wary.
"This is Tonks, my girlfriend."
"Pleased to meet you, my dear. Are you... human?"
"Adam." Simba said, his voice carrying a note of warning.
"Yes I am." Tonks said. "I'm an Auror and a member of the Order of the Phoenix."
"Ah, that Dumbledore fellows group, yes. Well, Simba, I was wondering how the meetings went - the last time you were here you did seem in rather a rush to leave."
"Yes, I was." Simba agreed, smiling slightly. He and Tonks sat down in the chairs across from Adam, both knowing that this meeting was going to take a while.
"Well, as expected, Fudge was a little less than accommodating."
"How bad?"
"He tried to have me arrested." Simba replied, still rather miffed at the British Minister of Magic. Tonks looked shocked.
"He didn't!"
"He tried. I don't know who was more shocked - me or Kingsley." Simba said. "Needless to say, I got... er... a bit annoyed. I don't think Fudge will trying that again in a hurry. Besides, his Aurors wouldn't touch me."
"So you have the trust of the Aurors?"
"Yes - I have heard many of my colleagues talking about Simba - they were very impressed with his show against the Minister. They are also looking for another leader since last years disaster." Tonks said.
"And they are considering following Simba?"
"Well, Kingsley, being a member of the Order, like myself, is trying to explain the situation to them. Many are considering it."
"The meeting with the Order went considerably better..." Harry took over, with a warm smile at Tonks, and slipped effortlessly into 'leader mode' once again.
When he was finished, Adam was nodding, looking pleased.
"Good, good." He said, surveying the pair of them.
"What's worrying you?" Simba asked softly. The Minister smiled somewhat grimly. He could never hide anything from the young Mage.
"I have heard rumours... you remember our first conversation, of course?"
"Of course." Simba said, dread growing in the pit of his stomach. He had a feeling that he knew exactly what he was about to say. He had felt it upon entering the city earlier - a sense of foreboding.
"You told me then of your concerns that there would be Warriors that... sympathised with Voldemort." The Minister went on.
"Yes, I remember. I requested that you increase the security."
"You did indeed. I am sorry to say that there have been rumours of this very occurrence - apparently one or two Warriors have joined the forces of Voldemort." Adam sighed deeply, his eyes full of regret. Simba swore under his breath, the peaceful expression that he had been wearing now completely gone. Tonks slipped her hand into his and he squeezed it reassuringly.
"If they allow themselves to be marked, they will be barred from Lesea." Simba said.
"Marked?"
"The Dark Mark - Voldemort brands all of his followers. The Mark acts as a communication link. He uses it to tell them when he wants them to gather." Simba explained. "I have added wards to those that already exist, forbidding anyone carrying the Mark entrance. If they are Marked, they will never be allowed into Lesea again - I hope for their families sake that none are foolish enough to allow that Monster to brand them."
"Will you notify the Warriors?"
"No. The families of those who have been Marked will be told of the circumstances, but warning everyone would create another problem - they will simply tell Voldemort that they cannot be marked."
"I see. And if the families are sympathetic to Voldemort?"
"The older generations may be more aware of the 'old ways' and are less likely to follow him. Many Warriors are simply too proud to do another's bidding. In the unlikely event of an entire family being followers, and only one being Marked, the others will not be informed until we are sure of their alliances." Tonks stared at Simba as he spoke - she had never truly realised how much responsibility he had until the Minister started asking him what to do to protect the Warriors.
"We need to prevent others from following Voldemort. We need to teach the young ones defences in case they come against Deatheaters. I can't hope that every follower will be marked, so we must be wary."
"Very well - shall we have a press conference announcing the plans for more defence lessons?"
"Yes - while we're at it, we could set up similar classes for adults - more advanced defences. It might be an idea to teach some human spells as well - Patroni and suchlike."
"Patroni?"
"The protection against Dementors and Lethifolds."
"What are Dementors?"
"Soul-sucking guards of Azkaban." Tonks explained with a grimace.
"Dementors suck the happy thoughts from your mind, leaving you with only the most depressing and negative emotions. Many wizards have trouble producing a Patronus as it takes a lot of concentration and power - I believe Harry Potter can cast it."
"Can you?"
"Yes."
"Who will teach it?"
"I guess it'll have to be me." Simba said, not looking best pleased about it. He was in for one hell of a year, at this rate. Tonks seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as she bit her lip anxiously.
"Nothing like keeping busy, huh?" He muttered sardonically.
"Ever heard of burn-out?" Tonks replied.
"I'll be fine." Simba promised with a small smile. He knew that his rooms were going to get a lot of use.
As soon as they were out of sight, Simba changed back into Harry, making sure that no one was around to see him make the change. Tonks looked up at him, worry playing across her features.
"Are you sure that you're not going to exhaust yourself?"
"That's why I have my rooms, I guess." Harry shrugged. "Look, I'll be fine. I promise. Besides, you'll be able to keep an eye on me."
"Right. I guess. You do realise that you're going to have to take me to your rooms sometimes too - it sounds like that'll be the only time I'll get to see you."
"Don't be silly. You're going to be sick of the sight of me by the end of the year."
"That long?"
"Ha ha. Come on, let's go home."
"Home?"
"Warrior home."
"Right."
The next few days were hectic for Simba - between the usual social occasions, the press conferences and organising classes, he hardly had time to draw breath. Tonks was at his side throughout it all, encouraging him and making sure that he took time-outs occasionally. They had gone out and bought a few sets of dress robes for Tonks as they had planned, which was a very good thing as there seemed to be dozens of balls and dinners to go to. He was beginning to enjoy these more now that Tonks was accompanying him. By the time they were due to head back to the human world, Harry and Tonks had grown almost inseparable. Remus and Lee had spent all of their free time teasing them, for which Harry was determined to get revenge.
"It feels weird that we've only been gone for less than a day." Tonks murmured as she rested her head on Harry's shoulder.
"You get used to it. Are you ready?"
"Yeah, when you are."
"Remus?"
"I'm ready."
"Right, Lee, are you coming or are you staying here?"
"I'll stay here - I'll come and visit in a few days."
"Ok. See you then."
"Bye."
Back in the flat, Remus excused himself almost immediately, saying that he had to go back to Grimmauld Place. Further investigation showed that Carmen was out, and that Harry and Tonks were alone. They lay together on the sofa in companionable silence. Both were enjoying just spending time together without having everyone stare, and without having to be rushing about to get to the next appointment. They fell asleep like that, until they were rudely awoken by a large screech owl rapping on the window.
"You can get it." Tonks muttered.
"Gee thanks." Harry said, getting up to let the bird in. He unfurled the scroll to find his NEWT papers, along with a note from the headmaster.
"What is it?" Tonks asked.
"My NEWT's."
"Oh joy - more for you to do."
"Why don't we go to my room? I can get these over and done with and we don't have to worry about anyone interrupting." Harry said. Tonks blushed beetroot, her eyes wide and sparkling.
"I didn't mean it that way." Harry said, shaking his head slightly.
"Pity." Tonks murmured, taking his hand as he opened the locket.
In the hidden rooms, Harry murmured something under his breath in what sounded like another language.
"What are you doing?"
"Making sure that no one decides to intrude."
"I didn't think anyone could."
"Lee can, but no one else."
"Oh." Tonks smiled and sat down on the sofa as Harry wandered around.
"I'm going to the study - get these tests out of the way. Are you coming or do you want to stay?"
"I'll stay - I want to read some of these books of yours."
"Right - see you soon." He kissed her softly before heading down the corridor towards his study.
When he was finished the NEWT's, he found Tonks in the library, curled up in a chair with a book open on her lap. It seemed to be about the Warrior traditions and culture.
"Hey sweetie." He murmured, making her jump slightly.
"Hey honey. You know, some of this stuff is really interesting." Tonks said.
"Hmm?"
"Yeah - do you believe in soul mates?"
"I don't know. I've never really thought about it." Harry said.
"Think about it now then." Harry looked at her - she really was interested in his opinion. He thought for a moment, weighing up the odds.
"I don't know. I suppose it's a nice idea that there's one person in the world that is your perfect match in every way, but... well, it just seems... what if that one person died? That would be the one chance to be truly happy destroyed."
"Maybe, but even being with your soul mate for a short amount of time is a blessing. I mean, it would be like the ultimate happiness."
"So you believe in it then?"
"Yeah - I guess I do."
"Well I'll get back to you on whether I think so or not." Harry said, kissing her.
"Hmm." The book was put aside as Tonks turned her attention to Harry. Their kisses gradually got hungrier and more demanding. Tonks pulled away, breathing heavily.
"How sure are you that no one can interrupt?"
"Very sure." Harry replied.
"Then... umm..."
"We don't have to." Harry said, his green eyes searching hers.
"I want to - as long as you do." Harry kissed her again and took her hand. He led her to his room.
Tonks smiled as she woke up in Harry's arms. He was still fast asleep, and she felt no desire to move from his warm embrace. Her smile grew as she remembered why she was naked in Harry's bed. She sighed softly, closing her eyes again and wishing they could stay like this forever - no demands for Harry's time, no jobs, no Hogwarts, nothing. Just the two of them. She thought back to the conversation they had had before heading to his room - if soulmates existed, she knew for certain that Harry was hers. Never could she remember feeling as happy as she was when she was with Harry. She loved everything about him, from his fierce loyalty to his fiery temper. She respected his power and his strength and bravery. As she looked back, she realised that she had had no option but to fall in love with him.
"Hey." Harry said, stretching beside her.
"Hey." Tonks returned, feeling shy.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked softly. She smiled at him and kissed his lips.
"I'm great." She murmured. Harry kissed her back, before muttering something in another language.
"Could you repeat that it English?"
"I said I love you." Harry said, smiling at her.
"I love you too." They kissed again, hugging each other. Tonks giggled as his lips trailed down her neck.
"I wish we could stay here forever." She sighed.
"Me too. Why don't we make the most of it while we can."
"Hmm." Tonks agreed as she leaned into his touch.
The rest of the summer was spent in a similar way - with Tonks and Harry going to his room to relax after his spending a lot of time in Lesea or meeting with various people in various countries and various worlds, extending his friendship to them all. In many cases, they reacted well and pledged their friendship to the Warriors, rather than their hostility. Tonks was proud of him, and was pleased to help him. She spent a lot of her time with the Aurors, subtly passing on the message of Dumbledore's order and the Warriors. Many were beginning to wonder about the Warriors - they were reputed to be evil, but it had been leaked that Harry Potter was a Warrior, and everyone knew that he was very much on the light side.
Harry's birthday party had been incredible - it seemed that they had pulled out all the stops with this one in order to make up for all of the birthdays they had missed. Many people had been surprised when Harry and Tonks turned up hand-in-hand. Molly, Hermione, Daniella and Ginny dragged Tonks over to one side of the room to interrogate her while Bill, Charlie, Fred, George and Ron dragged Harry to the other to interrogate him.
"How long have you two been involved?" Fred asked, playing the disapproving father.
"For a while." Harry said, grinning as he caught Tonks' eye.
"Is it serious?"
"Yeah."
"How serious?"
"Serious enough."
"Have you slept with her?"
"FRED!" Harry said loudly, his eyes dancing with laughter, despite his shock at the question.
"What? Just asking. Are you?"
"That is for me to know and you to wonder."
"Merlin, Harry you're only seventeen and you're already in a serious relationship!" Ron said. Harry shrugged.
"I'm actually nearer twenty-five by now."
"Twenty-five?"
"Yeah."
"Wow."
Tonks felt like she was fifteen again, gossiping with her friends.
"Is he a good kisser?"
"Yep."
"How good? Scale of one to one hundred."
"At least ninety-eight."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah."
"What about...?"
"Classified." Tonks replied, blushing furiously.
"Girls, that's private." Molly said. "I'm very pleased for you both." She said, before leaving. Tonks looked over at Harry, who was laughing at whatever the boys had just said. He smiled as he caught her watching, his eyes alight with mischief and laughter.
"You're besotted, the pair of you." Daniella laughed, watching the exchange.
"Yeah - and to think I was trying to play matchmaker between you two - just shows how lousy a matchmaker I am."
"You were setting us up?" Daniella giggled. "He was always flirting with you when I was there."
"Hmm." Tonks grinned, wanting to go and see him. She hadn't kissed him in... oh, several minutes.
"Oh just go already!" Ginny cried, shaking her head in exasperation. Tonks grinned and left quickly, heading straight over to where Harry was sitting. The guys whistled and cat-called as Harry stood up. That was how they ended up with blue and yellow polka-dot hair and high-pitched voices. All of the girls made a mental note never to get on the wrong side of Harry.
The rest of the party went smoothly. Harry was slightly saddened by the gap that was growing between him and his friends, knowing that it would only increase with his being a Professor at Hogwarts. He resolved to make sure that he always had time for his friends, no matter what.
With three weeks left of the summer holidays, Harry and Tonks moved to Hogwarts. Harry had passed his NEWT's, much to the shock of many people, and had been awarded a place on the faculty. When everyone received their letters, he got numerous letters from his friends, asking how he had become a teacher. He replied to all of them, telling them that Dumbledore was going to explain everything at the welcoming feast.
They spent the rest of the holidays sorting out their living quarters and offices - Dumbledore had given them adjoining quarters, as he didn't think that them sneaking around the castle at night would set a very good example for the students. This was also the reasoning behind the door leading from one set of quarters to the other. The only caution Dumbledore gave was to be discreet, as it wouldn't do for students to get the wrong idea. Those three, happy weeks passed all too quickly as far as Harry was concerned - he knew that as soon as school started, things would get even more hectic. Leading two lives had its disadvantages, he found, one of those being that he had twice the number of demands for his time. Once again, he was immensely grateful for the fact that he had a getaway where time didn't pass.
"Are you ready?" Tonks asked as they got ready to head to the Great Hall for the Welcoming Feast.
"As I'll ever be." Harry said, kissing her softly.
"Me too - why did I agree to be a teacher? I mean me, of all people!"
"You'll do brilliantly." Harry assured her.
"You think so?"
"Of course."
"I love you."
"I love you too, now come on. Or the students will be there before we are."
"Right. I can do this."
"Of course you can." Harry said. "Now are we going or not?"
"Yeah - ok. Let's go."
Everyone looked around as they entered the Great Hall, looking for Harry Potter sitting at the Head Table. Many let their eyes slide right past him, not recognising him. Many of the girls stopped looking for Harry Potter in favour of staring at the mysterious, dark-haired man sitting next to the other new teacher. It was Cho, out of all of those girls, who put two and two together quickest.
"Harry?" She squeaked, her eyes round with shock as she took in her ex-boyfriend's new look. The dark-haired man turned his head to her and grinned. As a whole, every girl in the Hall sighed. Ron and Hermione looked at Tonks to see her reaction - she was pouting slightly, only stopping when Harry looked back at her and murmured something that only she could hear.
The Feast passed without many noteworthy incidents, unless Leona barging in halfway through the headmaster's speech, muttering something in Harry's ear before taking a seat further down the table. As promised, Dumbledore explained that Harry had passed his NEWT's over the summer break and told the students that Harry himself would explain more in his first class, which was to be a mandatory class. Thereafter, it would be optional for all those above fifth year, while fourth years and below would be required to take the course. Colin and Dennis Creevey looked like all of their birthdays had come at once at this announcement, while everyone else had mixed reactions - everything from cynicism to curiosity and caution.