Afterward Harry was busying himself with getting his things ready for the next day and then walked in the bathroom where Tonks was brushing her teeth.
" Am I imagining things or did Remus look at us strangely at the wedding reception today?" asked Harry
"He heard us last night" she replied calmly after she spit in the sink still in her sundress while he had his jeans on.
Of course werewolf hearing, he must think him a bastard right now.
"Does it bother you that he knows?" he asked quietly.
"No Master Harry. Does it bother you?" she asked.
"Remus is the closest thing toa father that I have left. It would bother me if he saw me in a bad light" said the young man not looking her in the eye.
"We did nothing wrong last night Master Harry. Why would Remus not see you in a good light?" asked the witch in a confused tone.
"I took advantage of the situation again last night" he said so low that she barley heard him.
Tonks went to him and tilted his face up so he would meet her eyes
"As I recall I am the one who took advantage of you Master Harry. Can you say otherwise?" she asked.
After a long pause he replied "No"
"Then you did nothing wrong last night Master Harry. Remus could not see you in a bad light" she said in a very matter of fact tone.
She could see that something else was bothered him. 'What is it Master Harry?"
" Seeing Cho at the wedding made me realize how much I really miss her." He replied sadly.
"I can be her if you want Master Harry. You know I can be anything you want me to be."
She said her face earnest. He sighed. He knew he gave the order not to do or say anything she did not want to do and she seemed to honestly want to help. He still felt apprehensive like he was still taking advantage of the situation somehow. But deep down he had to admit having sex with Tonks as Ginny made him feel better even if it was not really she. His relationship with Ginny did not end up as badly as his relationship with Cho. He sighed and rubbed his simply nodded his acceptance and watched with a sense of awed fascination as his Lilith turned into his ex-girlfriend Cho. His hand seemed to move on it's own, to her hair, lips hips and finally her zipper. He pullled it down slow to give her enough time to say no if she chose to. Instead of saying no she took his hand and led him to the bedroom to exersise his grief over Cho.
The next day after the group ate their breakfast they entered Grimmauld Place to find answers. Everything was as it was after the Order was forced to leave it with the exception of Moody's added a charm that he hoped would keep Snape away in the form of Dumbledore.
Harry felt Tonks hand slip into his as he walked around the old Black home. Harry always thought of his godfather Sirius when he came here, it was his house. Now it was his house, along with everything he ever owned. Harry gave Tonks hand a squeeze before he left her and entered his godfather's old room. Sirius's room was a reflection of his rebellious spirit so unlike his younger brother who was so loyal to the family values. It was irionc how Sirius had so many friends in his rebellion, while Regulus seemed to have only the house- elf Kreacher.
Harry hit his forehead with his hand angry at himself for not thinking of the obvious person to ask.
"KREACHER!"
The conversation that they had with Kreacher confirmed Tonk's belief that Regulus was R.A.B. He also told them that he was the one that hide the locket in the first place and was ordered to switch it back and destroy it. He was full grief and rage at himself for not being able to tell Mrs. Black what happened to Regulus and unable to destroy then said that he hid the locket when it was disposed in the rubbish sacks. He showed obvious furry when he told them fellow order member Mundugus Fletcher stole it from him.
"Dung could be anywhere by now. How are we supposed to find him?" asked Hermione to no one in particular.
" I will find him for you master" replied Kreacher. " I will go and help him master Harry" Tonks replied, obvious distrust in her tone.
They were gone for three whole days, he was starting to really worry. But finally on the fourth day Tonks and Kreacher came back with the dog eyed thief.
"What the Bloody Hell is going on?"
Harry explained the situation and demanded that he tell them what he did with the locket. He was not very forthcoming till Kreacher started to hit him over the head with a frying pan several times while Tonks was holding him down. Harry while believed it what was he deserved, called them off so he could talk about the hecrux.
"I was caught a while ago selling goods without a license and they where stolen. I gave it as a bribe to this toad faced woman so I did not have to go to Azkaban"
Harry and Hermione looked stunned at the development, there was no doubt that he meant Umbridge.
***
While they where deciding how to approach the problem they heard a noise at the front entrance of the house. Tonks went to investigate and moments later returned with their ex Professor Lupin.
Harry raised his wand and pointed it at him. "When we had tea in your office was it tea leaves or tea bags?"
"It is alright master Harry, it is Remus, he proved it to me earlier" said Tonks
"That is alright, as his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher I would be disappointed if he let me in without hesitation, as I recall there were tea bags." Replied the ex professor.
" What brings you here Remus?" asked Hermione over butterbeer that Tonks summoned for them.
" I needed to find you, to warn you". He produced the newspaper that named Harry as the most wanted criminal by the Ministry, Hermione wanted for her absence from the required registry for Muggle born wizards and witches, and the price on Tonks head for her part in aiding known criminals.
"Wanted for stealing magic? That is ridiculous!" exclaimed Hermione.
Harry bitter said "With all this power why not declare himself the minister of magic?"
Remus let out an uncharacteristic bitter laugh.
"He doen't need to Harry. He has the current Minister of Magic under his control. In essence he owns the Ministry. He is content to use legal power to his own ends, all the while making the world believe that he is still in hiding while he is hiding in plain sight. "
"BLOODY HELL" Harry took the paper from Hermione's shocked hands, an act to legalize the execution of dangerous werewolves with Remus at the top of the list and Professor Snape named Headmaster of Hogwarts, he didn't know what was worse.
"Snape is head of Hogwarts! What the fuck will that achieve?!"
Hermione was still in so much shock she did not correct him on language as she normaly would. It was Remus that answered " In the past a parent had the right to choose if they want to home school their children or send them to a magical school. With the decree that all Emglish wizards need to attend Hogwarts he has his eye on all the population, weeding out the… undesirables"
"We have to take Remus with us Harry. I know that it was just supposed to be just Ron you and myself but we changed things for Tonks. I think we can so we can change things again, besides I can't figure this all out on my own" voice cracking from the worry and the stress. Tonks put her arm around her and gave her a hug.
"I want to, Merlin knows I would love Remus with us. The hard fact is that we have no supplies to make wolfsbane or anything else that would help with his problem"
"Master Harry if I may, I could charm the areas around him and stay up with him as a wolf if it is truly what you want". Replied his Lilith without missing a beat.
Bloody Hell, he was completely forgetting how powerful a house-elf could be. Dobby had demonstrated this in his second year when he charmed Quiddich balls, sealed the platform 3 3/3 and protected him from Lucius Malfoy's rage buy throwing him down some stairs.
"If it is not too much for you to handle Lilith, and if it what Remus wants" said Harry in a careful tone
"No problem at all Master Harry". Said the pink haired witch
" I would love to, besides your father would come back and have my skin if I let anything happen to you" said Lupin his good natured tone returning to his voice.
"I guess we need to fill you in. How much do you know about Hecruxes?"