Chapter 3

Next morning Alastor awoke before Nymphadora, his stomach grumbling for some real food. Hospital food, in his vast experience, was never as good as home cooked. Confident that he'd be released today he began running though a mental list of the food in his cupboards and decided that a Full English was in order. For all the faults of the English – like despising the bagpipes and having funny muggle money – they knew how to cook a breakfast good and proper. He supposed Nymphadora would be rather hungry too as she hadn't eaten properly over the past two days and had lost a lot of blood yesterday.

A few moments later she stirred in her sleep and rolled over. And out of bed. Alastor couldn't help the smile that came to his face. Her hair was all over the place and she still looked half asleep as she sat on the floor and rubbed her hip.

"Morning, Nymphadora." He said.

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" she snapped and then looked up to see who she was talking to. Her face paled.

The whole time that he'd been mentoring her she'd never raised her voice to him like that. She'd told him off for calling her by her full name before but never in that tone of voice.

"Alastor! Sorry!" she scrambled up from the floor with as little grace as possible and straightened herself out.

"Come on, Nymphadora, let's get out of here."

"But what about –"

Alastor took his wand out from his pocket and banished the bandages and creams that had been plastered on the better half of his face. Nymphadora's eyes widened either at the shock of his injuries or him not following doctors orders he did not know. Ignoring her he walked out of the room and down the corridor. She swiftly caught him up and walked by his side.

They were out of the hospital before anyone realised they were gone.

Once back at Alastor's home Tonks was pointed in the direction of his bathroom – there was no way she was lounging about his house in blood ruined clothes – and he set to the task of making two Full English Breakfasts.

The smell of cooking was what made Tonks get out of the bath she had been enjoying. Bacon. Alastor was cooking bacon. Bacon. The destroyer of many vegetarians and the heaven food of all. Then other smells wafted over. Sausages, hash browns, beans, tomatoes, fried eggs, mushrooms and black pudding. Now feeling fully energised she raced to get ready for the day with the constant growling of her stomach to spur her on. She added a cut to her forehead to her collection of other minor abrasions when she pulled her boots on and managed to whack her head on the sink in the process. Not wanting to spend time tugging a brush through her hair, thus delaying her in getting some well earned breakfast, she used her skills as a metamorphmagus to sort it out. She ended up with curling locks of flaming red that reached her mid back. Half way down the stairs she decided she didn't like it like that and so changed it to her usual bubblegum pinkish purple.

The kitchen smelled alive when she opened the door. Absorbing all the smells in one go through one large breath she sat at the table where a plate of steaming food was immediately put in front of her.

Just like at home, she thought. Realising that her hair had gone back to its normal mousy brown she banished the thought, turned her hair back to the colour she wanted and squeezed a splodge of brown sauce onto her overly large plate. Alastor sat down and did the same.

The food was eaten in silence mostly because Tonks shovelled it into her mouth so fast. Alastor watched her in concealed surprise. He felt for sure that there would be some food left when she finished but there was hardly a drop of bean sauce left on it by the time she was done and even then she looked over to the cooker to see if there was any more. If she stayed for long she'd eat him out of the house and home!

"You know you don't even have any eyelids." She observed when she caught him staring at her.

"What're you going to do about it?" he defensively asked back.

She took out her wand and conjured an eye patch for him. It was black of course, but with a fluorescent yellow skill and crossbones on the front where he couldn't see it. He frowned at her because it was irritating and unusual, but kept it on all the same.

"What are we going to do today then?" she asked.

"We're going to work and see if the murderes who killed your parents have been caught yet. That's what. And you're going to fill in forms for a grant and a place to live."

"Right," she nodded and got up.

She saw that Alastor had transfigured a fake leg for himself. It was rough in shape, but he was able to get around which was more than likely all that he cared about. The constant in his behaviour was comforting and normal. Something she still desperately needed right now even if she wished normal and comforting came from her parents instead of him.

They apparated to the staff entrances and met up again in the lift, but didn't say anything until they were in the aura department.

"Tonks!" Kingsley Shacklebolt called out to her and waved her over to his desk.

She looked at Alastor for a moment and then headed over there.

"Christ, Alastor, don't you ever take a day off?" Kingsley asked as he looked at the wooden leg his co-worker and friend wore.

"Not when I have important things to be doing. What have you got?" Alastor gruffly asked.

"We caught the people who attacked you two. They're the same people who killed your parents, Tonks," Kingsley explained. "Do you want to know now, or do you want a copy of the file?"

"I'll just… I'll take a copy with me," she thickly replied. "Where are they?"

"On their way to Azkaban as we speak."

"Good. I'm going ho – back," she said and turned to leave but Kingsley stopped her by putting a hand on her arm.

"Take these with you. Forms for everything you need."

"Right, thanks."

"And, Tonks? I'm sorry for your loss."

"So'm I," she bluntly replied and hotfooted it out of there so no one else would see her cry.

Alastor decided it might be best to let the girl have a while to herself so he took the file to his desk and read it over. He'd gone to school with Astoria and, okay, she'd been in Slytherin, and okay, she was a Black, but she wasn't the worst of them and was his student's mother.

He opened up the file and saw a couple of faces he recognised from the war. True Jane Pickles and Tommy Gould were minor minions of the Dark Lord, barely worth mentioning, but they'd caused him a couple of injuries which had disallowed him the chance of having children and he'd dearly wanted to pay them both back for it. They were to spend the rest of their lives in Azkaban prison where they were to receive the Dementor's Kiss.

Even now he didn't like the idea of Dementors surrounding that place, his mother had always taught him to 'never put anyone through anything you wouldn't do even if they're your worst enemy', but some people truly did deserve it. They'd shattered his pupil's world, ruined her life, and they deserved to pay.

But keeping them waiting for him to avenge himself of the pain they'd caused her had its merits. They had to know he was going to come at some point, so why take away the pleasure of waiting to entertain him?

He threw the report down and walked out.

Tonks had filled in all the forms when he got back and had done some crying, but was now listening to the radio. She had of course changed the station, but she was doing something normal which he was glad to see. With a small smile on his face he turned to his study to catch up with some more paper work.

Hey there, thanks for the continued support in the form of follows, favourites and reviews. This is just a short story, really short since the next chapter is the epilogue, but I hope you like it so far nonetheless. Please leave a review!

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