A/N: I love my reviews. Harry and Tonks. Harry and Hermione. Tonks! Hermione! Die! Kill! Murder! Wow… I love all of you guys.
More on the cookies will be coming soon.
Hope you like this one…
O X O X O X O X O X O
LIKE WILDFIRE
"Jay!" Hannah called out after the new transfer student. "Wait up, will you…" Ignoring the looks from some of the other students filing out of Transfiguration, the blonde girl shoved her way through he mass of bodies in the hallway and reached her destination, quickly falling into step with the taller young man.
Dark eyes, almost black, stared at her from the corner of his eye. He hadn't slowed down, but neither had he made any real attempt at escaping the pretty girl that had refused to leave him alone since arriving at Hogwarts.
"Abbott." Was all he said by way of greeting.
If she was offended, Hannah didn't show it, her eyes sparkling that he'd at least acknowledged her presence. "Why are you in such a hurry? I just wanted to walk you to lunch."
He shrugged, his whole demeanor of not caring at her purpose. "Weren't you at the other end of the castle? Care of Magical Creatures or something?"
She beamed. "Wow. You know my schedule?"
Closing his eyes, Jay sighed as he picked up his pace. "That's where the seventh year Hufflepuff classes were… and you being in both, it made sense for you to be with the rest."
"Of course." She answered quickly, ignoring the coldness in his voice. "Very practical of you. But you didn't answer me… was Professor Tonks giving you a hard time?"
He laughed at the question, ignoring the curious looks of some of the other students that also seemed to be aimed at the Great Hall. "No. She doesn't give me any problems… other than the fact that she's teaching here at all."
"Oh? You think she's too young to be a professor?"
He nodded. "Probably got here since she's involved with that Harry Potter boy."
Hannah smiled a small smile, her lips barely turned upwards. "I think she's quite brilliant… and to change shapes like that. Seems like it would be a lot of fun."
Rolling his eyes, Jay continued on. "I'm sure Potter thinks so."
Jay kept walking when he suddenly realized that Hannah had fallen behind. Unsure as to what he was doing, he stopped to look back and see that the Abbott girl had stopped walking, her face in an exclamation of surprise.
"What?" He asked, suddenly aware that he was actually concerned about what the annoying girl was thinking.
She tilted her head as she quietly drew closer. "Do you think that she looks like other people when she's having sex?"
Jay started to answer, when a gaggle of younger girls that had apparently been eavesdropping suddenly broke out in quiet whispers. Scowling over at them, he was rewarded when they noticed his watching and suddenly ran the other way.
Sighing, he turned and made his way closer to where lunch was served. Hannah was keeping in time with him again. "I am sure that I do not know… not do I want to." He lied.
The blonde girl kept her brown eyes at the floor as she contemplated the new thought, her mind a whirl at having not considered such a trivial fact before. "I wonder if I should tell Lavender…"
"Lavender Brown?" Jay asked. He suddenly grinned, the look making him look darker than his features normally did. "Yeah… you probably should."
Hannah just nodded thoughtfully as they entered the throngs of people all scurrying into the large room, the aromas of lunch filling their nostrils. "I've got to go." She said suddenly.
He watched as she moved from next to him and walked over to the Gryffindor table, her steps becoming hesitant as she drew closer to the small redhead who was talking animatedly Brown and some of her other classmates… Granger nowhere in the immediate vicinity.
"This should be fun." He laughed quietly to himself as he moved over to the Ravenclaw table and sat down.
O X O X O X O X O X O
It had been well over forty-eight hours since she'd drunk from that damnable bottle of blue death in the headmistress' office and she still had a headache. Stretching her arms above her head, she leaned back until she heard the telltale sound of her vertebra popping.
Blinking rapidly to focus her eyes again, Tonks picked up the quill on he desk and started looking through the second year transfiguration papers that had been turned in this morning. Chewing at her upper lip, she dipped the eagle feather into the bottle of red ink as she began scribbling notes along the margins of the parchment, notes and questions for the students to read after she'd finished grading.
A creak of wood sounded from the front of the empty classroom. She didn't even pause in her work, trying to keep whoever was attempting to sneak up on her in the dark about her having realized that she was no longer alone in the room. Footsteps, soft but still there, came from her left. As she faked another yawn, her eyes darted towards the shadows along the sidewall… the flickering lights from the torches only making it harder to determine if anyone was there… maybe there wasn't anything there.
As Tonks moved her face back down to the papers on her desk, the flicker of a shadow caught the corner of her vision…. Someone invisible? Maybe Harry…
She immediately dismissed the idea. Harry would never try to sneak up on her. Sneak in to see her, yes. Surprise her? No.
Her heart suddenly racing, the addition of a heavy dose of adrenalin into her bloodstream, she had to mentally hold herself in check as she waited. At the barest breath of touch across her shoulder, she moved, her body shifting as Tonks reached out and felt a hand, invisible, under her own grasp. Moving as only a professionally trained auror could, she slung around, never losing a hold of the mystery assailant and pivoted their arm behind their back.
She was rewarded by a grunt. Tonks, emboldened by her success so far, twisted the arm further behind their back as her other reached out and twisted the invisibility cloak from beneath her… the next action she would take would be to knock them out and ask questions later As the person came into view, Tonks felt the air leave her lungs as she considered the implications, her hand stopping at the last second from causing injury.
"Wait! Stop!"
Tonks could only stare, time seemed frozen. "Hermione?"
Nodding, her lover's ex-girlfriend closed her eyes as she attempted a smile. "I come in peace."
"Huh?"
"Can you let me go?"
Tonks blushed as she released the arm grip that held Hermione in place. Once released, Hermione brought her arm up and started rubbing it, her own features pink with embarrassment.
Tonks sighed as she folded the invisibility cloak and set it on the corner of her desk. "What were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that?"
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean…" Hermione stuttered. "I wanted to talk to you, but I wasn't sure if you would… and I thought if…"
"Right. And scaring me is going to make everything better." The professor retorted sarcastically.
"No… you're right. I'm sorry." At the apology, the Head Girl seemed to wilt in on herself. "I seem to be apologizing for a lot lately."
Tonks wondered if she was up to this. She knew about the conversation, if you could call it that, when Harry had yelled at her. He'd come to her room the next morning… interrupting her hangover completely, wanting to talk. She had just known that it was over… that Harry had decided that it was Hermione that he wanted, the whole "let's be friends" speech already with her name on it.
But Harry Potter was full of surprises. He'd apologized… begged, really… for her forgiveness, admitting that everyone had been giving her a hard time, and that he'd not known how to handle it.
Tonks had tried giving him the cold shoulder, the hangover the only thing helping to make it look real, but those green eyes had torn through her soul, baring her wide open to him. She'd kissed him, ignoring the rules about students and teachers fraternizing… especially in the professors' wing of the castle. And after such an ass chewing from McGonagall as she'd had last night, alcohol or no.
She'd braved being fired. Harry, between rounds of kissing her and pulling back as her clothes peeled away along with his, had laughed, promising to tell the headmistress everything if they needed an out at getting caught. That had been good enough for Tonks. The rest of the day had been wasted in bed… though she definitely wouldn't consider anything done with Harry a waste.
She sighed as she looked at Hermione. "How did you get the cloak?"
"I took it from his room. He's out practicing Quidditch right now."
Tonks had nodded. That was to be expected. She always knew where Harry was. "You do understand that stealing… even borrowing, "She added as Hermione opened her mouth. "Could be very problematic for someone in your position… and to steal it to sneak up on a professor."
"I know, but I needed to see you." She pleaded.
In for a knut, in for a galleon. "Okay. Talk." Tonks sat in her seat, the papers she was grading moved to the corner of the desk.
Hermione was suddenly very shy. She hadn't thought her plan through, and yet here she was… sitting before a professor… one that was dating her ex-boyfriend. How did it ever come to this? Oh. Right. Cookies.
Sitting at the desk directly in front of the professor's desk, Hermione took a breath. "I want to talk about Harry."
Tonks nodded. "Well… it was either that or transfiguration, and you're the best in the class… so unless you wanted my job early, I figured as much." She took a breath herself. "So. What do you want?"
Hermione licked at her lips. "Harry." At the uncomprehending look on Tonks' face, she leaned forward on the desk. "I want Harry."
"Oh." Tonks smiled weakly. "Well. I'm glad that's out of the way. No." She shook her head. "You can't have him. Anything else?"
"I'm not asking you for him. I'm telling you that I want him."
The metamorphmagus arched an eyebrow, as she ran her hand through her pink hair. "And you think its news to me that you want him? Please, Hermione. You're smarter than that. Of course you want him. Everyone wants him for one reason or another. I fully expect to be at the top of every shite list that Witch Weekly can put me on next month… too many people at Hogwarts suspect what's going on with me and Harry. It'll be everywhere before the holidays."
"That's not…"
Tonks waved her off. "I fully expect it. I'm older. A professor. An ex-auror. A rebound. They'll all say something… it doesn't matter. I had my little doubting fit… it's over. I've got Harry now and I'm not going to lose him."
"Tonks… we were friends last year, right?" She waited until the older witch finally nodded. "And you understand what happened at the Burrow."
"I've heard about all of Ginny's findings, if that's what you mean."
"How can you do this?" Hermione asked, her eyes bright. "You saw how happy we were… how happy I made him."
"Made him. Past tense." Tonks stood from behind her desk and started pacing. "I'd love nothing more than to give you what you want, Hermione… I'd love for everyone to be happy. But therein likes the problem. Harry's happy with me. I can't say that he'll ever be happy with you again… and more to the point, I'll be miserable without Harry."
"You love him." It wasn't a question.
Tonks nodded solemnly to the younger witch. "With all of my being. Its hard not to fall for him when he lets you in."
Hermione felt the tears fall down her face. "I can't believe you…"
She shrugged. "In truth, Hermione… I never thought he would… Harry probably never would have opened up to me, but you nearly destroyed him…"
"Not me!" Hermione shouted.
Tonks was the calm before the coming rainstorm. "I know. It wasn't your fault. I got that." She sighed. "And I even expected Harry to run back to you when he got confirmation from Luna that you were spelled."
"Why didn't he?" Hermione whispered.
Moving in front of the desk near where Hermione sat, Tonks leaned against the desks corner, her arms crossed over her chest. "I'd love to say because of me, but I think that would be a lie… no matter how much I wish otherwise. No, I think that Harry just decided that he couldn't go back. Not even if that was what he wanted. Too mcuh changed... when perfection is lost, it can't be gotten back."
Tonks smiled. "He loves you, Hermione. He loves you in a way that I hope he will one day love me. I want to be the center of his universe… and that means that you can't be that anymore."
"I'll fight you." Hermione stated. No boast. No threat. Just a simple statement.
Nymphadora met her gaze, neither flinching. "I fully expected you to. I know that I'll fight you with everything that I have to make sure he stays mine."
Hermione nodded as she rose. "I wish we could still be friends."
Tonks was glad that there was regret in the younger woman's voice. "Me, too."
She watched as Hermione turned and moved toward the door to leave. The battle lines had been drawn… there was nothing left but for the war to begin. As she put her hand on the door's handle, she paused and looked back at Tonks. "I won't let this interfere with helping Harry beat him."
"Good. Harry needs to win. He has to."
Hermione smiled weakly. "Just so you know… There's a new rumour about you going around. It didn't come from me or anyone I know, but you should be aware of it… Harry might get upset and I want you to tell him I didn't have anything to do with it. I don't know how it started, but Ginny says it came from the Ravenclaws."
Tonks took a deep breath and nodded. "What is it?"
Her face became hard even though she was trying to smile. "You transform to look like others when you and Harry shag."
Shag. Not make love. She make sit sound so… dirty. "Really?" Tonks arched an eyebrow. "Is that it?"
Hermione opened the door. "No. Everyone is saying that he wants you to look like me when y-you… when you have sex with him. An imitation of me."
Tonks waited until the door closed before she let her own tears begin to fall.
O X O X O X O X O X O
"What?" Jay laughed. "You don't think I had anything to do with it, do you?"
Harry grimaced as he paced in front of the dark-haired Ravenclaw. It hadn't taken long for the newest tidbit of gossip to run through whole school like flames through dried grass. In fact, at the rate that most people jumped at the latest rumour, especially whenever it had anything to do with him, Harry was amazed that it had taken until after dinner to hear about it. Blaise and Theo laughing about it in the hallway.
At least I now know why Tonks skipped the evening meal in the Great Hall, he mentally screamed.
Quidditch practice had been hard enough… the first Gryffindor game of the year next weekend and Harry still not on the best terms with most of the Lions, and not at all with Ron, the team's captain. No, things were definitely harder than he'd expected.
As soon as he'd figured out what was going on, Harry had signaled for Luna to meet him somewhere quiet. She'd wasted no time in telling him that a rumour had started around lunchtime when Hannah Abbott had approached the Gryffindor table with the latest guess at how the newest Hogwarts professor had landed The-Boy-Who-Lived. Harry had seen how Hannah had attached herself to Jay. It was simple deduction that led him to confronting Jay in the library.
"You know I do." Harry had spat. "Why are you doing this?"
Jay had grinned. "Just keeping you on your toes, Potter. Just because we work together doesn't make us mates."
"Don't make me regret helping you, Malfoy."
Jay Flemming… Draco Malfoy in disguise, swiveled his head around the empty room, his eyes wide. "Don't say that. Not here. Not in Hogwarts."
Harry had smiled then, his green eyes blazing. "Then let's not start talking about things we shouldn't. Got it?"
Jay/Draco nodded, his own eyes furious. "Fine. And while we're on the subject, why are we wasting time with you playing Head Boy and Quidditch god when we could be using the time to look through the library?"
He sighed, his hands running over his face. "Just drop it, okay."
Harry looked around the library again to make sure no one was close by. "Hermione thinks she may have found something… there was a jewel… maybe a quartz or something. Legends tell of Ravenclaw having found it when they were laying the foundation for Hogwarts. She kewpt it with her at all times."
"Really?"
"Yeah." He refused to look at the other young man. "And I remember Dumbledore having a lot of large stones in his office… but they all vanished after my fifth year."
"Fifth year?" Jay/Draco looked thoughtful "How do you remember that?"
Harry blushed. "I destroyed Dumbledore's office with magic after Sirius… after he went through the veil."
That he didn't laugh was remarkable. The dark-haired boy only nodded. "If it was what we're searching for, it wouldn't have broken… maybe that's not it."
"Maybe. But I need to know for sure."
"Are you going to talk to McGonagall?"
"I am." Harry paused. "But there's a good chance she's going to want answers to some questions."
"Then tell her. Let their silly Bird Order in on it. If it's there. Then this quest will be over and things can move on to what is needing to be done."
Harry hated agreeing with Malfoy. "I want to talk to Tonks first."
"Talk. Right." Jay/Draco smirked. "Just try not to… talk to long. The faster this is done, the faster we can part ways."
Harry agreed silently. As they started to leave the library, Harry turned to the newest Ravenclaw and former Slytherin. "And what's between you and Hannah Abbott?"
"Nothing. Just drop it."
Okay." Harry smiled inwardly. "I'll stay out of your business and you stay out of mine."
Jay/Draco sneered, a look that almost betrayed the disguise. "Get on with what we're here to do and I won't be so bored as to mess with your life… or the lives of innocent little Hufflepuffs."
As the other boy walked off, Harry watched him go before he moved on to look for Tonks.
"Don't push it too far, Draco." He whispered silently to himself. "One day, you're going to learn what it's actually like to piss me off."