A couple of Curries.

Chapter 24

Lysander Nichols, seeing that he had no way out, had told the aurors everything. Now in the deserted office, Tonks began to fill out the stack of paperwork that followed any arrest. Heavy foot steps echoed through the empty room. Tonks spun around in her seat to see who it was.

"Kingsley." Tonks welcomed the distraction.

"Tonks, what are you doing here on a Sunday?" Kingsley leaned against the wall of Tonk's cubicle.

"Wrapping up the Blue Ring job."

"Caught your man then?"

Tonks nodded, "Yeah. Well, our brewer anyway. They guy is telling us that any correspondence with the guy who hired him has been through letters passed on by a hooded third party."

"And you believe him?"

"Benson and Haman leaned on him pretty hard. He told us everything."

"Haman uses a lot of old school methods." Kingsley straightened up, "What's your Remus doing, while you're stuck here."

Tonks gave a small smile at the sound of Remus' name. "Gone out to visit his doggy friend."

"Ah. He must get lonely, locked up like that."

"Yeah and lately he's been moodier that ever. You could go join them if you like."

Kingsley contemplated the idea for a moment. "I might. Good luck with the paper work, I'll see if I can't get you moved on to something more exciting now."

Tonks bade Kingsley good night and turned back to her paper work.

*

The glass in front of Remus had, once again, been filled with fire whiskey. He had only looked away for a moment, but this had been the routine of the day. Remus would look away only to find that Sirius had taken the opportunity to refill his friends glass, knowing that Remus would have refused the drink if he had asked.

"You're fast Sirius." Remus said picking up his now full glass. "How is it that we've been sitting here all day drinking and your reactions are still so quick?"

"You're a light weight. I'm not, that's what it comes down to." Sirius emptied is glass in one mouthful, as if to prove his point. "Besides we haven't been here all day have we? I believe that a certain someone spent the morning laying about in a certain girlfriend's bed."

"And I've told you Padfoot, I'm not saying another word about it." Remus warned.

"Oh come on! I'm stuck here with nothing and no one. Bit of kiss and tell is just what I need."

"I'm telling nothing." Remus took a small sip of his whisky. "Besides soon you'll have people in the house."

"Not till Christmas Day."

"Well, term ends in a couple of days, I'm sure you'll be able to convince Molly to bring Harry around as soon as he gets to the Burrow. We've been through this."

Before Sirius could reply the kitchen door swung open and the room filled with the scent of mouth watering spices. Both men turned to see who had interrupted their repetitive conversation.

"Kingsley!" Sirius welcomed the Auror with a large smile. "Glass of fire whisky?"

"Can't say no to that." Kingsley sat down at the long kitchen table. Putting down the two big paper bags he was carrying, He reached over and took the freshly poured glass of fire whisky from Sirius.

Remus' stomach gave a lurch as the smell of the spices intensified.

"What have you brought with you?" he asked optimistically.

"Well, Tonks told me that you were here, Remus, and suggested that I join the two of you. Well, I thought, two men, drinking all day, a couple of curries were going to be needed."

Kingsley began to unpack the assortment of dishes. Remus got to his feet feeling a little too light headed for his liking and pulled out plates and cutlery. While Sirius leaned forward, looking over each dish that Kinsley pulled out. "You truly are a great thinker Kingsley. Why aren't you Minster?"

Kingsley let out a booming laugh. "Coming from the Ministry's number one Wanted man." Remus and Sirius joined in the laughing.

Together they began to rip into the mammoth spread that Kingsley had brought with him.

"Did you know that our man Remus here spent the night at Tonks'?" Sirius managed to say with a mouth full of food.

"Did you have to Sirius?" spat Remus.

Kingsley choked on a mouthful of rice as he laughed. "I'm her superior; I really don't think I need to know anymore. But…"

"I've told Sirius this already - I'm not telling."

"Fine, Moony. Stay mysterious." Sirius heaped a spoonful of chicken kumara onto his plate. "So, Kingsley, how's the search for Sirius Black going? Found me yet?"

Kingsley looked up at Sirius, "We've had a few sightings in Stockholm. Haven't been in Sweden lately have you?"

"No." Sirius lent back on his chair. "I've never been. I think I'll add it to my list of things to do once I'm free."

Long after the remains of the food had gone cold and another bottle of fire whisky had been opened, an unmistakable crash sounded throughout the house. Someone had tripped over the large troll foot umbrella stand. The blaring voice of Mrs. Black echoed out after the crash.

Remus dropped his head into hands as he laughed to himself.

"Dora." he muttered. Slightly unstable himself, he got up and made his way up to the hallway to help her with the portrait of Mrs. Black.

"Does she have to be so loud?" Tonks shouted irritably when Remus found her in the hall righting the troll foot.

Remus flicked his wand at the painting, with a bang it was muffled with the heavy curtain. "Are you alright?" Remus walked over to Tonks.

"Tired is all." Tonks slipped her arms around Remus and quickly gave him a kiss. "Whoa. Have you been drinking all day? That's like kissing a bar mat."

"Sirius made me." Remus said taking Tonks hand and leading her down to the kitchen.

"Oh yeah."

As they entered the Kitchen Tonks almost slipped on the last step but caught herself before anyone noticed. As she looked around she saw not only Sirius, but Kingsley as well. "Wotcher Kingsley, Sirius. Have you two been forcing Remus to drink all day?"

Kingsley shook his head. Sirius grinned, "Pretty much. Now he'll have to stay the night at yours again."

Remus flashed Sirius a look of warning.

"Yeah, it's hard having a girlfriend," Tonks sniped back, "'S'pose that's why you're glad that you don't have one."

"Oh that hurt, Tonks." Sirius joked not so convincingly.

Hurrying to change the subject, but struggling to find a one, Tonks pulled out a plate and began to fill it with the cold leftovers.

"Did you get your paperwork done?" Kingsley asked.

"Yes. Bludger me, those forms are tedious." Tonks flicked her wand at her plate and instantly the food was hot. "Oh and I bumped in to Arthur. He was off to his guard duty."

Kingsley ran a hand over his shaved head, "Now that is tedious work. We haven't had any action on guard duty since Podmore went and got himself cursed."

"Doesn't mean he's not still after it." Sirius said seriously.

Remus nodded in agreement. "If it will help to keep Harry safer, then it's worth it."

"Yes." Kingsley added.

Tonks finished the last of her leftovers, "Well, sorry to break up the boys club, but I'm tired and I'm going to take my man home with me."

Sirius held his hands up in surrender. "Who am I to stand in the way of true love."

"I'll walk out with you, I've got to be off myself." Kingsley got up. "Well thanks for coming round." Sirius made a futile attempt to mask his disappointment that he would be robbed of all his company.

"Thanks for the whisky, it was top notch." Kingsley said as he gave Sirius a firm hand shake.

Remus patted him supportively on the shoulder before he headed out the door.

"See ya real soon." called Tonks following Remus out of the room.

*

Back in Tonks apartment, Remus groggily asked, "What time do you have to be up tomorrow?"

"Oh," said Tonks just as wearily, "The proviso for doing that paperwork tonight was that I get tomorrow off. So now we can spend the whole day together."

Remus watched Tonks flop down on the bed. "Oh. The farmer - whose farm I'm on - he's coming down tomorrow mid morning. He wants to help me patch the shack up, so that it's not such an eyesore. Sorry"

"Oh right. I'll just have to stay in bed all day long by myself."

"Dora, don't tempt me. I really do have to fix my shack up."

"Ok. But you better come here right now."

Remus didn't need telling twice. He got into the bed and curled up next to Tonks.

*

It was still dark when Tonks woke the next morning, and it took her a while to work out why she had awoken in the first place, but then Gaston gave her a sharp peck.

"Ouch." Tonks sat up. It was then that she heard what Gaston had heard. There was another owl pecking at the window trying to get in. Tonks twisted round to open the window, careful not to disturb Remus. As soon as the window opened the owl swooped in and brandished the letter on its leg.

"Right. I'm taking it." Tonks mumbled grumpily. No sooner had Tonks taken the letter, the owl was off. Before she opened the letter Tonks twisted again to shut the window against the bitter draught.

She read the letter through once. A cold tingly feeling filled Tonks.

She read the letter through a second time.

"Remus." Tonks stretched out a hand to Remus' shoulder. "Remus, you need to read this."

"Hmmmm." Remus pushed himself up on his elbow. "What is it Dora?"

"Arthur Weasley was attacked tonight."

A/N:Hey guys, Thanks again for reading! let me know if you Like it or lothed it.