-1A/N: hey guys! Sorry this has been so long coming. I've done the silly thing of working two jobs. Anyway here's a new chapter and this one is for all of you out there that are still reading my story. Thanks. Oh and please read and review.

Off Milk and Spilt Potions

Chapter 23

The fire burning in the hearth did nothing to warm the small shack. The winter chill still crept in. Remus sat wrapped in a thick blanket, a cup of warm tea cupped in his hands. His eyes flicked around the room, trying to find every last hole in the timber walls. He would have to fix them before winter really set in.

He heard the unmistakable sound of Tonks apparating just outside. It was followed by the sound of her slipping on the iced front step. Remus jumped to his feet and dashed over to the door.

He threw the door open to find Tonks lying flat on her face in the light layer of snow that had dusted the ground. "Are you hurt?"

"I don't think so." Tonks said lifting herself slowly up from the ground. "Bit wet now."

"Well quick, in by the fire before you catch cold."

Tonks gripped on to the door frame as she stepped inside the small shack. She made her way over to the fire and shrugged off her heavy travel cloak.

"You might want to keep that on." Remus said as he picked up the discarded cloak.

"Merlin's Beard you're right. It's just as cold in here."

Remus wrapped Tonks back up in her cloak, leaving his arms around her. "Should we go to yours for dinner?"

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all. I'd be glad to get warm."

"Good. Then grab an overnight bag; I'm not letting you come back to this ice box tonight."

Remus dropped his arms. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Yeah, I'd rather have you not frozen."

*

As Remus and Tonks crammed themselves into Tonks apartment, she told him about her day. "So I only got out from questioning Emilia, like an hour ago. Then we had to outline our action plan. Luckily Benson volunteered to stay back and write it out fully. I really glad that he's such a prat that no one will go out with him."

In search of dinner, Remus began to look through the cupboard. "You never know, he might be having troubles with his girlfriend and is desperate for any excuse not to go home. Might also explain why he's such a prat, if there is tension building up. Don't be so quick to judge, Dora."

"Sometimes I think you might be too nice." Tonks threw a loose owl treat from the table at him. "What are you looking for anyway?"

"Food." Remus said, continuing his fruitless search.

"I do have milk in the fridge, but I didn't use it this morning because I thought it smelt a bit funny." Tonks went to the fridge and pulled the milk out. "I think it still smells funny."

"Merlin, I can smell that from here."

Tonks put the milk back in the fridge and closed the door. She pulled off a large stack of take out menus that where stuck to the fridge. Flicking through, she pulled one out, "Pizza?"

"I think that will be best."

Tonks ordered the pizza on the muggle phone that her apartment had come with. It didn't take long to get there, but when it did arrive, the young delivery boy was so distracted by Tonk's bright pink hair and the live owl staring at him from atop the radio, that he didn't notice the struggle Tonks had counting out the right muggle change. Seated at the table with a beer each, Remus asked Tonks, "So did you get much from the girl?"

"Emilia? Yeah." Tonks took a sip of beer. "She gave us an address for a small workshop that Lysander rents. Hopefully he'll be there when we raid it tomorrow."

"Oh. So nice to have the weekend off." Said Remus sarcastically.

"Still, nice overtime pay." she smirked at him. "So, what did you get up today? Have you seen Sirius? I hope he's not too lonely. He's hardly welcoming these days."

Remus waited for Tonks to stop talking before he answered. "I went to see Molly actually. I was talking to her about Christmas. We thought it might do everyone some good if the Weasleys joined Harry and Sirius at the headquarters."

"Good idea."

"I said we might pop round after we are finished at your parents. If we have time that is." Remus watched as Tonks' face slumped.

"Oh, we'll have time." said Tonks heavily, "I'd forgotten we said we'd go to my parents. It would have been nice to spend the whole day at the headquarters."

*

It was with great displeasure that Tonks had untangled herself from her warm bed the next morning. Remus had hardly stirred as she had gone about her morning routine, if a little quieter than usual. His light snores had been like a call to crawl back into bed next to him. But there was work to be done and her head had to be on the case. They were going ahead today on information gained from her lead. If it all went up in smoke today she'd be back to the paperwork before she even knew what happened.

The plan was to meet just near the Old Street tube station. Lysander's workshop wasn't far from it. When Tonks arrived, Benson was already there, coffee in hand. He nodded at her as a way of greeting.

"And a good morning to you as well." Tonks said bitterly.

"I said hi. Merlin, PMS much."

"Uncalled for!" Tonks shot back.

Benson just waved his hand in a dismissively.

Tonks thought about what Remus had said the night before. "Didn't your girlfriend care that you had to work late on a Saturday?"

"She's a healer. Working all weekend. So, no she didn't care."

"Oh" Tonks wondered if having a healer as a girlfriend was an excuse to be a prat. Remus would have been able to rationalize it.

"I'm not a complete arse. You're a young, out-going woman, and it was a Saturday night. I didn't have plans, so I volunteered."

"Thanks" Tonks said feeling slightly unsure if it was really Benson standing next to her.

She was still bemused when Haman turned up, flanked by two magical law enforcement officers. Introductions were made and the five of them made their way off Old Street and down a winding alley way. They came to a halt outside a basement level apartment. The smell of rotten garbage from the open bins, was not enough to disguise the lingering smell of potion brewing.

"Right there's just the one door and the one window next to it." Haman waved his wand and performed an anti-dissipation charm on the area. "Let's move in."

With Haman in the lead, they filed down the stairs to the apartment door, wands at the ready. Haman nodded at Benson, who waved his wand at the door in a non-verbal spell that blew the door right off its hinges. Haman was inside before Benson had lowered his wand.

As Tonks moved in, she could hear the shattering of glass. Strong fumes began to fill the small room. Quickly she performed a bubble head charm while she took in her surroundings. The one window had been blackened and the room was lit by two lamps in the furthest corner of the room. The walls were covered in shelves holding potions in all sorts of bottles. Even as Tonks took in all the potions, they were being sent flying across the room. Lysander Nichols, stood yelling curses and waving his wand wildly.

"Expelliarmus!" Tonks pointed her wand straight at the crazed youth. At almost the same time Haman shot long binding ropes from his wand tip.

All at once the room went quite. Tonks was glad to see that the other wizards had also used a bubble head charm, and that she was not left looking over dramatic. There were smoldering holes in the floor where dangerous potions had begun to burn through. Tonks noticed that in some of the remaining bottles were the same poorly brewed Blue Ring poison that they had seen before.

Lysander was now standing stock still; his lips pressed firmly shut as if afraid to speak. Tonks knew that it really had nothing to do with what Lysander did or didn't want to do. Haman had placed another jinx on him to keep Lysander quiet. It wasn't the procedural way to arrest someone, but Tonks knew better then to question her boss right then. Benson began to read Lysander his rights as Tonks went out side to get some fresh air. Within minutes they would be questioning him in a interrogation room at the Ministry. They had him now, and all Tonks wanted to do was go back home to Remus.