A/N: Well… let's see how this one goes.

Keep reviewing.

O X O X O X O X O X O

PUNISHMENT

The press of bodies all around him was enough to make him sick… the constant sniffles and crying of the younger students, though the whispered conspiracies and false words of comfort and support by the older students were just as bad, and he was stuck in the middle of it all. You'd have thought that some of the adults, the aurors and professors and other teachers might have stepped in, tried to say something to ease the oppressive aura of fear that permeated the entire Great Hall… but nothing. Everyone stood around, worry and concern plastered across their features.

The morning had been particularly nice… the warm bed provided for him as a Ravenclaw definitely a step up from the cold, dank dungeons for the kids of House Slytherin, although the security was much more lax. He'd been dreaming of a world where he had been the star. No Harry Potter. No Hermione Granger. Or even a Ronald Weasley or any of the other hero wannabe. He had had the power… the fame and the masses of the wizarding world waiting on his every whim.

The perfect utopia had shattered. Luna had woken up screaming… a shrill cry that had been like knives digging into his eyes. Everyone had had a go at trying to wake her, to rouse her from her nightmare, but it was all for nothing. Even after Professor Flitwick had been brought in, his eyes full of concern for the blonde girl. Nothing worked… nothing until the alarms within the school, protective wards set to sound off whenever there was an attack imminent.

That had shut the loon up.

From there it had been easy, candy from a babe, to learn that a small invasion force or wizards were attacking. Under the guard of the Ravenclaw Head of House and a few of the older students, everyone was carefully evacuated to the Great Hall on the ground floor… along with the students from Slytherin and Hufflepuff. His glamoured dark gaze rather than ice blue had shot across the huddled masses… Gryffindor nowhere to be found… at least, not then.

It had been over an hour now. The students of Potter's house had eventually been brought in, ruining the calm that had settled over the room, all talking of a wizarding fight, magics of destructive power and lethal intent marring their golden and crimson decorated rooms.

The school had definitely been under attack, whatever invasion having been diverted. Beaten back… and just as he knew it without having to look, neither Harry nor the other two of his little trio were anywhere to be found.

"Mister Flemming."

Draco looked up from where he sat to hear his alias being called. Sighing, he stood quickly, ignoring the questioning glance from the students nearest to him, and made his way over to where Professor Flitwick and several aurors were standing.

"Yes, sir?"

The diminutive wizard smiled sadly. "Headmistress McGonagall has requested that you go to the infirmary. It seems that your presence is required."

Sighing, he nodded curtly and made his way to the door. As he passed the throngs of students sitting wherever there was space, he noticed Padma Patil caring for her sister, Pavarti… a blood-soaked cloth pressed firmly against the pretty girl's forehead. Passing through the doors, he was met by Kingsley Shacklebolt, the tall, dark-skinned auror and, according to Harry and Tonks, the recently name second of the Order of the Phoenix.

The man curled his lip at his approach. "Good. Come along."

Draco fell in next to the tall auror, choosing silence rather than his normal trademark retort. They both moved quickly through the hallways, the staircases eerily still, their way unimpeded until they finally reached the doors to Madam Pomfrey's domain.

"Sir!" The two ministry personnel standing to either side of the entry snapped to attention as he and Shacklebolt drew nearer.

"At ease, guys." The black wizard responded. "I've brought Mister… Mister Flemming, as requested by the headmistress.

Both men grabbed the handles and pulled, the heavy doors moving easily to allow them entrance. Draco didn't acknowledge either of them, his movements confident, even if he felt butterflies dancing around in his stomach.

The room was the picture of perfect controlled chaos. He couldn't see the Hogwarts mediwitch, but several other wizards and witches, all wearing the green robes of St. Mungo's, moved briskly around the room, every bed filled with a body. Absently, he began to chew on his lower lip as he was guided through the room towards the back section of the large room, the area sealed off by privacy screens.

Ignoring the moans and whispered conversations occurring in the beds to either side of him, Draco took the initiative and moved to the edge of the screens, worry suddenly filling his being at what might be on the others side.

Headmistress McGonagall was the first person he recognized, her face pale… her features finally telling her true age rather than the much younger appearance that he had seen his entire life. She was pushing her hair back from her face, the gray hair having escaped its normal bun, while she listened carefully to what a Healer was telling her. Not seeing a reason to wait, Draco continued farther into the room… McGonagall the only person to even recognize his appearance.

"Yes. Finally." She sighed. "Mister Potter wished to speak with you."

Draco turned over to the far corner of the room where the headmistress was pointing, his eyes finally making out several people in the darkened corner. With not just a little bit of trepidation, he moved over to see what was going on.

Harry Potter was the most easy to recognize, his hated adversary always identifiable. Potter looked rough, his clothes showing signs of spell residue, his hair wilder than he could remember it being of late. As Draco drew closer, the signs of worry and grief seemed etched across his face.

With not the least bit of compassion, Draco rolled his gaze away from The-Boy-Who-Lived to the person he was talking to: Hermione Granger. The mudblood was leaning against the bed, her left arm wrapped carefully in bandages and her leg was bare, the shimmering afterglow of a magical salve still reflecting the torchlight. She'd definitely been involved in the fighting.

Behind both of them on the bed was a blonde-haired girl. Draco wasn't quite sure who she was, but from the amount of bandages across her visible body, as well as the number of potions resting on the shelf above the headboard, she had definitely been hurt badly… another casualty of Gryffindor courage, most likely. Against the wall, several other people… no students… were talking quietly, none that Draco could easily put a name to.

"Jay." Harry's voice brought him back from his inspection. This close, Draco was surprised to find that the other boy seemed almost defeated, his eyes red and his shoulders sagging… the weight of the world too much for him alone. He always suspected Potter for being a weakling…

"What do you want, Potter?"

Harry rolled his eyes. Sparing only a quick glance towards where Granger was watching the two of them carefully, Harry sighed. "I need you to tell me about Luna."

"Lovegood?" Draco asked, no need to fake his surprise.

He nodded. "Unless you know of another Luna."

Grimacing, Draco shrugged. "She woke up, stuck in some type of nightmare. Not sure what happened after that. We got separated once the alarms started sounding."

"She's being cared for in another part of the castle." Hermione sighed.

Draco rolled his eyes. "If you know that, why is he." Pointing at Harry. "Asking me what I know?"

"You should be thankful…"

Draco snarled. "Thankful? Thankful? Listen, Granger…"

"Enough." Harry sighed. Harry shot a look of annoyance at Hermione, his eyes betraying the fact that he hadn't wanted Hermione in the conversation, but events were not his to control. Not now. Returning his gaze towards his reluctant ally, Harry took a deep breath. "Voldemort has started making moves. Wormtail made a move inside the school."

"Pettigrew?" Draco felt his skin grow cold. "Did he find…?"

Harry shook his head. "No. No chance of that. I had it on me the whole time."

"Thank Morganna." The former Slytherin breathed, his heart now being given permission to start up again. "Then what's this all about?"

Hermione looked at both Harry and Draco, her eyes filling with tears as she carefully stood. Draco watched as Harry moved to help her stand, but she waved his offer of assistance away. "I'll go see… I'll talk to Molly and the twins. Surely they know something by now."

Harry nodded once. "I'll try and meet you there."

She smiled, her heart in such turmoil at the moment. On one hand, the events of the morning were still too fresh, her mind was in shock. They had almost been killed… everything had almost been lost forever. But she was alive. Harry had saved her. Hermione wanted to throw her arms around him and cry, to hold him and tell him that she loved him… that life was too short to let waste away. And she asked herself if he would turn her away…

Chiding herself at thinking about her own miniscule love problems at a time like this… especially after… after…

"Is that okay?"

Harry's question brought her out of her melancholy thoughts and her heart swelled at the look in his eyes. If she tried hard enough and long enough, she could see her Harry still there… the boy from before.

She nodded. "I'll see you then. I'll let everyone know."

Harry watched her limp across the room. She spoke a brief word to the headmistress before making her way out of his line of sight, vanishing around the privacy screens.

"If you're done ogling her arse, Potter… what in Merlin's name is going on?" Draco drawled.

"Look…" Harry's eyes burned like green flames. "Wormtail attacked Ginny… tried to rape her, you slimy git. Remus tried to stop him, did stop him, but he's hurt… hurt bad." Draco watched as the raven-haired boy paused as he sought to control his anger. "H-he probably won't make it another hour… the day not at all. Silver poisoning."

Running a hand trough his hair, Draco whistled softly. "He got away?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

"Is that why your pet Weasel…"

Draco never got to finish the thought, as the air seemed to suddenly leave his body, a magical grip closed over his throat. Harry had never moved, never even blinked. He felt his eyes widen as his chest began to burn.

"Never again, Malfoy." Harry whispered harshly. "Not today. Not now. Not ever. Not again." Draco could only stand there, dying, as Harry's face moved in closer. "I accepted your oath… your promise to aid me. In return, I'll do everything I can to help you survive after the war, but I will kill you myself if you continue that thought."

The pressure around his neck was suddenly gone. Draco began gasping at the air, the sweet nectar of life never being more welcome. Glancing all around, he noticed that no one seemed to have noticed the exchange. In that moment, Draco learned an important lesson… the first, never to underestimate Potter again. As to the second… maybe Potter was worthy of respect.

Maybe.

"Fine." He croaked out the word, ashamed at how easily Potter had bested him. "Fine. So… where is Weasley?"

Harry considered Draco momentarily, honestly amazed that the boy could be that stupid. "He's with his sister and family. Where Hermione went… she needs all of the support she can get."

Draco fought to keep a smile from his face. "Even after the fight yesterday? I'd have thought…"

"You think?" Harry laughed. "You thinking. A novel concept."

"Look…"

Harry waved his hand. "Friends are there for one another. They may fight and say hurtful things, but a true friend will be there when you most need them."

"So why aren't you there with them?" Draco asked.

He watched as Harry opened his mouth to say something, another cheeky retort, but said nothing. Draco wondered if Harry would ever say anything, but finally the boy shook his head and shrugged. "Maybe I'm not a true enough friend."

Any advantage Malfoy might have looked to gain in that brief moment of weakness faded when a sudden onslaught of voices on the other side of the sectioned off area pulled their attention. Three or four Healers were talking in hushed but urgent tones with McGonagall. Harry felt his stomach drop when McGonagall lost what little color remained in her face and her eyes, haunted, quickly moved over to where they both stood.

Harry wasted no time moving away from "Jay Flemming" to where the older witch was fidgeting, her hands nervously wiping at her robes.

"Minerva?" Harry asked. "I-is it Remus?"

Draco moved up to where they both stood, ignoring the glance of annoyance of the headmistress' face as the woman looked at Harry. "No. Mister Lupin is still in critical condition… we're not sure how much longer he has."

Harry drooped, his strength leaving him as he closed his eyes in a silent prayer. Centering himself, he looked back at the former Transfiguration professor. "What is it then?"

"I'm not sure exactly how to say this… I can't…" She licked at her lips in worry. "Harry. One of the attackers you struck down… the three under guard…"

"What?" Harry felt that nothing could be worse than the witch he looked up to like a grandmother acting so hesitantly. "Tell me."

"It's Nymphadora." She finally let it out, her posture showing clearly that she expected an outburst from Harry. "Miss Tonks just reverted to her natural form. The Healers say…"

Whatever else she was going to say was lost as Harry apparated away in that instant, the crack of the wards around Hogwarts groaning in protest as the young man twisted the laws of magic to his own benefit… the only goal on his mind to reach the woman he loved…

The woman he may have killed.

There was a quick implosion of air moving to fill the spot he just vacated, the expressions of disbelief etched firmly in the faces of Jay Flemming and Minerva McGonagall. They both stood mutely, staring at the space where Harry Potter had been standing a moment previous.

"Goddess above." Minerva stepped back, her eyes wide.

Draco nodded as he considered what he'd just witnessed. The amount of raw power that Potter had at his disposal was truly terrifying. He sat quietly, not sure as to what he should be doing or where he ought to go. The headmistress solved that riddle for him.

"Mister Flemming." He looked up into her disapproving gaze. "I think you might want to let Miss Granger and mister Ronald Weasley know what has occurred."

"Is that wise?" He questioned. Draco felt no fear of reprisal or punishment for questioning the witch's order, his being here a firm condition set by Potter.

"I believe so… yes. If you please, Mister Flemming."

Draco nodded to her as he moved past her. "Fine… but when it all hits the floor, remember that I was against it… for the record."

He never looked back so he never saw the calculating look that crossed the Headmistress' face at his words, nor did he hear the quick promise she made herself to see that he either came completely into the light or she would take him out herself… especially if he hurt Harry Potter.

O X O X O X O X O X O

That two such distinct and opposite emotions could fill her so completely all at once was yet another moment of proof in her life since meeting him as to how extraordinarily amazing Harry Potter was. Tonks ha been certain that everything was going to be worse than she had ever considered… the attack on Hogwarts working out so much better for the dark side than anyone in the Order or the Ministry might have ever guessed.

Even with Castor's orders to leave the students alone, Spire and the others had quickly begun firing off hexes at the girls… the promise of young flesh as spoils of their work to much to resist. Tonks had been incapable of stopping them as she watched two of the girls go down quickly, the other Blood Takers giving chase to the two that immediately took off to warn the castle.

It was only her usual run of bad luck that it would be Ronald and Hermione who she was now having to chase after... the leader of the mercenaries she'd joined under orders from McGonagall… demanding they take them down hard and fast.

Tonks hated to admit being impressed with her lover's ex-girlfriend, Hermione Granger proving not for the first time that she was a good match against any wizard or witch that stood against Harry. There had been no way to warn the two that she was not out to hurt them, so she could only hope to help herd them away from the rest of the mercenaries… the girls left behind would have to wait to be saved for later.

And… of course, her attempts at protecting the two unsuspecting students had led to her own defeat.

Tonks had cast a spell to stun them, missing them intentionally as well as throwing off the aim of a mercenary that was trying to flank them from the south. The plan had worked, but then Hermione had sent out a quick charm that shattered the stonewall that Tonks was hiding behind. There had been no time for a shield, and she had been forced to take the sudden blast of rocks and debris that literally blew up right in her face.

Out of the battle, Tonks had been forced to focus all of her magic on holding her current shape, the instinctive need to revert to her original appearance strong whenever she was hurt badly… and she had been. Instead, she forced the change to remain even after she fell unconscious.

For a second, she had considered dropping the guise and calling out to them, maybe it would be safer, but then she saw how Hordz was crawling near to where she lay, his own face covered in blood from a cutting hex he'd taken.

"You able to stand?"

Shaking her head, she smiled. "Not today."

Whatever response the heavy mercenary might have spoken was lost as her ears were suddenly filled with the roar of the earth exploding, the singsong of magic… powerful magic drowning out anything else. Turning her head, ignoring the pain in her neck, Tonks looked over to see a quick blur in the sky… Harry had joined the fight.

So she was filled with a hope like nothing she'd ever felt… but there was also the fear numbing dread, too, as she realized that he was casting those spells at where she was lying, as well.

He saw her as the enemy.

Tonks tried to yell. A scream that would let Harry know not to attack. Surely he could see that it was her… he could always tell when it was her.

The last thing she could remember seeing was the harsh glow of red as the spell hit where Hordz had been… his scarred face openly afraid, as the ground beneath her suddenly tossed her away. There was the feeling of flying, the air whipping all around her, before the pain of landing hard against something… the ground maybe, brought agony to her entire being and the world went dark.

It was something that only a hospital or infirmary could do… the smell of antiseptic and potion-forced cleanliness assaulted her senses and brought her out of her sleep, the call of having to relive those last few moments again and again enough incentive for her to not try to go back to sleep, but instead fight to wake up.

Blinking rapidly, she could tell that there was light above her… a glow ball or something; the illumination too constant, not the flickering of an actual flame, and the tingle in her back teeth of magic surrounding her proved that it wasn't electricity. Her eyes eventually adjusted, the room suddenly coming back into focus. For a minute, she idly wondered if she'd sustained an injury to her head, that she might have a concussion and the world was supposed to be blurry, but finally the ceiling above her snapped into focus and she sighed in relief.

She tried to speak, to catch someone's attention… there were definitely people around, the chatter of voices coming from somewhere close by, but too distant that she could clearly make out what they were saying… but her lips were cracked and her tongue felt thick, heavy. She needed water.

Turning her head to the left, Tonks found a figure slumped in a chair next to her bed. He was turned so that she could barely make out the tattered robes he wore, plus there was the splatters of… was that blood? …all over him. Recognition finally came as she could make out the pitch black of the hair, so much longer than it had ever been before, of the person waiting on her.

It was Harry. Her Harry.

Smiling, she tried to move her left hand to touch him, to let him know that she was here, but she was restrained. Grimacing, she tried to move either arm, but she carefully strapped down… what was going on?

A groan brought her eyes back to where Harry sat, his head twisting as she heard the telltale crack of his neck. He must have been sleeping like that. Tonks wrinkled her nose in disappointment that he'd slept in such an awful position. Didn't she teach him better than that? She sat quietly, being restrained prevented her from touching him, her gaze never leaving where he sat.

Tonks watched as he stretched, his mouth opening wide in a yawn, as his green eyes moved over to where she lay, waiting. As his eyes fell on hers, the love and everything that she could see clearly there, she felt her heart swell.

"Dora!" He practically screamed. "Thank Circe you're awake. Oh, thank you…"

He was crying. Tonks couldn't understand the tears… tears for her, but she knew it must be okay because she could feel tears threatening to form in the corners of her eyes. She licked at her lips, wanting so desperately to say his name… to swear her love to him over and over again.

Harry seemed to get it, her problem, as he moved quickly out of her line of vision beyong the privacy screen and spoke with somebody. He soon came back with a clay mug of something in his hand. Greedily, she opened her mouth as he carefully put her lips to the mug's edge, the sweet thought of water filling her. At the taste, she wanted to scream at him as a potion of some kind filled her mouth. Tonks tried to pull away, but Harry stayed firm, the mug continued to tilt upwards.

"I know, love… I know." He smiled. "Tastes horrible. But I need you to get better and Poppy says this stuff will do the trick…"

Tonks considered for a moment the possibility of spitting it back at him, but the haunted look in his eyes was there. He was terrified… scared. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to get past the taste and drank everything. Once finished, Harry smiled encouragingly at her and moved to set the cup down.

Licking her lips again, the moisture in her mouth a welcome relief, she smiled. "Missed you…"

Harry smiled. "I missed you, too."

"How are Hermione? Ron and the others?"

She hated how a shadow passed over his face. "We can talk about everything later… for now, everyone is as fine as they can be. Minerva has already stated that when you're well enough, you're going to have to be questioned about what happened."

Tonks nodded, hating how silence filled the space between them.

"Sorry 'bout how I left…" Talking was not easy, her throat refusing to help in how she wanted to convey everything to him.

She watched as he nodded. "Yes. You should be. Definitely going to have to punish you for that one."

"Punish?"

He moved back to his chair, although he scooted it closer, his hand grabbing hers. "Yes. Punish. You may be at it for weeks… maybe months."

She loved that he could make her smile and the pain would melt away… that, plus the potion probably didn't hurt, either. "Years?"

Whatever Harry might have said at her cheekiness, his hand caressing hers so lovingly, she would never know as the curtain giving her and Harry privacy… wherever she was, Hogwarts, she supposed… was suddenly drawn back.

"Well… well… well…" Tonks closed her eyes at the voice. This could not be happening. "You seem much better, Nymphadora. And with your boyfriend by your side…"

Harry turned to look at the intruder, but remained still as Tonks squeezed tightly at his hand.

"Imagine my shock at being contacted by the Ministry to hear that you had been injured. I rushed here as soon as I learned where you were and was then denied seeing you, Headmistress McGonagall telling me that you and Mister Potter were not to be disturbed until you woke up."

"I can explain…" Tonks tried to speak, the scratchiness of her throat giving an air of desperation to her voice that she despised.

"I don't want to hear it." The other person interrupted. Harry could only gape. "To think that you were off gallivanting with Harry Potter of all people… I just cannot believe it."

"But…"

"No, Nymphadora. You will not push me away now... I demand some answers and I demand them now!"

Harry had had enough. Sending an apologetic look at Tonks, he stood, his eyes blazing at the person verbally attacking his lover. "What is this all about? Who do you think you are? "

Tonks closed her eyes, the feeling of being all of four years old again sapping her of what little strength she had. "Harry… love. Please stop… you're only going to make all of this harder."

"Harder?"

Nodding, Tonks wished she were unconscious again. "I'd like you to meet my mother, Andromeda Black Tonks. Mum, this is my boyfriend, Harry Potter."

She watched as Harry turned to look at her. "Your mother?"

Andromeda Tonks smiled curtly, her eyebrow arching delicately as she regarded her rebellious daughter. "Indeed."