August 1, 1995
Nymphadora Tonks, spotted with green hair for the day, made her way quickly through the mass crowds of witches and wizards the Ministry while on her way to a floo port. While her clunky boots had once been difficult to navigate in, she had grown used to their weight, actually feeling less clumsy when she wore them. They slapped the ground loudly as she ran through the main hallway to the center of her workplace, making those around her stare at her incredulously. Barely noticing the gawkers, she found a port, grabbed some powder from the side canister, and said, "Faburden Flats, Apartment 3663D."
With a burst of green flames, the green marbled walls of the Ministry disappeared from her vision. Her own flat, a small but peaceful one-bedroom apartment met her, and she walked happily out of the fireplace, greeting all of the plants around her home. She had an orchid and African violet sitting on the coffee table and another orchid on the windowsill in her room. Proudly, she donned a large family of succulents that she kept on shelves and counter tops. Sitting in the small green house she had made on her balcony, however, were her more rare and magical specimens. She had been given a Bubotuber plant from Madame Pomfrey as a graduation gift (because her acne had once been treacherous), an Aconite plant from Dumbledore that she kept safely tucked in the corner – he'd presented it to her when she graduated the Auror program, Umbrella flowers that hung at the top of the greenhouse from her head of house Professor Sprout, and various color changing bulbs that she had found in the markets of Diagon Alley. Tonks smiled at her little friends, watering them well, and then went back inside to tend to her face and hair.
Her division had been called for a checkup on an old lady whose neighbors witnessed went missing for several days. Very slowly, people were starting to disappear, and it made Tonks uneasy. There had only been two known cases so far, but it had only been a few months since the Dark Lord's return from the dead. If him and his followers were already beginning to take people, she didn't want to think about all that could happen if he gained even more power.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
When they had arrived at the woman's house, there was an odd feeling in the air that made Tonks get gooseflesh all down her arms and the hair rise on her neck. It was warm and muggy, typical for an English summer, but that wasn't all. The woman's lawn was overgrown and ragged, looking like it hadn't been tended to for months, and her small, stone house appeared to be on its last leg. As the group approached the house, with Kingsley taking the backside for cover, the young Auror felt her anticipation and unease rise with every step closer.
John Dawlish had been assigned to accompany Kingsley and Tonks on their mission, a fact the young woman was not all to happy about, but the man was capable in his own right. He was a dick as well, but Tonks said none of that to him, choosing to not lose her head over such trifling matters.
"If there is any trouble, make sure to stay behind me," Dawlish said toughly, squaring his shoulders.
The Metamorphmagus rolled her eyes and took 5 deep, calming breaths so that she would refrain from beating the man to a pulp. He had made it clear in the past that he didn't believe women should be in his line of work, which was both preposterous and sexist, but he was her higher up and she was the newbie. Gritting her teeth, Nymphadora quickened her pace and knocked on the door three times, keeping her wand raised and at the ready.
When there was no response, Dawlish took three knocks on the door as well. Somehow, he thought that him knocking would receive an answer faster, but his plan went without such luck. Still, no one came, so Tonks unlocked the door and pushed it open. The door creaked loudly on its old, rusty hinges and both Aurors lit their wands to illuminate the dark, old home. There were a number of dirty critters on the floor of the home and old vegetable parts lined the corners of the room, giving the living area and acrid, pungent smell. Covering her nose with the sleeve of her leather jacket, Tonks went to the back door and unlocked it, letting Kingsley in with a nod of her head.
There was a creak from the floorboards above the trio's heads as they were looking around the little room, and all three raised their eyes to the noise, armed at the ready. Dawlish volunteered to take the lead up the stairs and Tonks had no objection to his wishes. She was nervous about what they would find upon reaching the landing.
Slowly but surely, they made their way up to the attic and then on the count of three, Dawlish jumped up the rest of the steps up, taking a position of defense while the other two Aurors were right behind him. The sight that greeted them made Tonks draw in her breath while trying not to gag.
The old woman in question sat at the far corner of the attic with burns up and down her arms. Her face was red and scarred, and half her hair was missing, with a large, bald, red spot in its place. The woman had a small dragon, about the same size of herself, sitting in her lap and she was slowly rocking it. As she sang the creature a small lullaby, the party could do nothing for a moment but stare.
"Ma'am," started Kingsley, "I'm going to need you to step away from the infant dragon."
As if seeing the other witches and wizards for the first time, the woman looked up, her eyes bloodshot and puffy.
"No. You can't take my precious Sebastion away from me! I won't let you."
Nymphadora had the intense urge to laugh at the ridiculous name but it left her as the woman grabbed the creature around the neck, pulling it down to her possessively. It made a low, growling sound at the back of its throat, warning all in the room that it was not happy. Tonks swallowed, making a sign of surrender, lowered her wand some and looked at the old witch with compassion.
"I know that you love your animals, I get it, but Sebastion is a wild creature and deserves to be with his own kind." She smiled to the best of her ability. "So why don't you step away from the –
"No! He's my baby."
The woman pulled even harder on the creature, causing it to roar in irritation and yank itself away from the woman's hold. It got up, shaking its wings out, and looked at the three Aurors dangerously.
Tonks backed away from the creature, falling into a triangle stance beside Kingsley with Dawlish again at the front. The dragon looked as though it were going to back off, but then turned, opening its mouth to spit out deadly flames. Thinking quickly, Tonks put up a protection charm in front of John, but it wasn't fast enough. The first wave of heat hit them like a blistering summers day, causing the witches hair to blow back from her face as though she'd been electrocuted. She was stunned, but Shacklebolt barely seemed to notice as his instincts kicked in and he fought the wee dragons fire with water. Getting it down to a steam, he motioned that it was Dawlish's turn and the man shook his head from the shock, sending the strongest stunning spell he could at the creature. It dropped like a sack of potatoes while the woman rushed over to it, crying as though in pain. Though, seeing all of the burns up and down her body, Tonks would be impressed if she wasn't.
Shaking out of her headspace, the young witch walked over to the woman, pulling her off of the dragon and charming her arms behind her back. "You are under arrest by the Order of Merlin for illegally harboring a dangerous creature and resisting government intervention. You –
"Let go of me you stupid girl, he's mine!"
The woman knocked her head back into Tonks's and there was a dangerous crunch as the young Aurors nose broke. Blood began gushing out of her nose and Nymphadora cursed, pointing her wand at the woman.
"Patrificus Totalus!"
Stopping in her tracks, the woman's face was caught in a look of bewilderment as she dropped face first on the floorboards.
"Are you okay Tonks?"
Kingsley barely looked at her as he was trying to subdue the dragon that was beginning to stir. They had tied him up, but the effect of the stunning spell was very weak as it wasn't meant for dragons.
"Yeah." She pinched her nose and spat some blood from her mouth. "That woman's noggin was like a bloody rock. Merlin!"
"Well she won't get away with assaulting an Auror," John spat, glaring at the old woman and the dragon. "I just sent a Patronus to the department of magical creatures and to the head of law enforcement." He crossed his arms. "I can't believe we got stuck with this job. We are supposed to be dark wizard catchers, not bloody dragon tamers. The old lady is senile, not evil."
"I don't think she's senile Dawlish," Tonks said nasally, spitting out more blood. Her lip was bleeding as well, she had come to realize and her vision blurry. "I think she's just got a weird thing for animals. Some people just really like the creatures."
Her thoughts went to the Hogwarts groundkeeper, Hagrid, and she smiled in memory of the man. He was always kind to her and fascinated her with his knowledge of magical animals. He wasn't the Care of Magical Creatures professor when she was a student, but she had heard he'd been given the position and thought he made a good fit. She wondered if him and the crazy old bat would get along with their love for dangerous creatures.
The snapping of apparition could be heard from outside and moments later, a group of witches and wizards in dragonhide gloves, fireproof suits, and masks were on the scene.
"Please remove yourselves from the room so that we can process this creature as protocol requires," the person leading the group said. Nymphadora didn't like her tone, but didn't challenge the woman, knowing her place.
Tonks and Kingsley made their way to the stairs with Dawlish following behind, levitating the petrified woman. She couldn't move or talk, but her eyes were going back and forth crazily as they removed her from the room. She looked like she wanted to scream but was incapable to do so. That was the young witches least favorite part about the job. Tonks knew that the woman was crazy and reckless, but she also empathized with the woman's situation.
Once outside, the Aurors were greeted by a small group of ministry workers who stepped forward to take the woman into custody.
"She need's – ah – medical care," the young Auror said, still pinching her nose.
Kingsley nodded. "She was burnt multiple times by a dragon and some of the wounds look as though they have been festering for days, maybe even weeks."
"As well, it appears that she may – uh – may have fractured her cheek? Just a little bit."
Tonks cringed and felt ashamed. She was sure that the face fracture was from her petrifying the woman.
"We need to take her into custody first and –
"No, you will take her to St. Mungos to be taken care of," Kingsley said with conviction, interrupting the young officer.
The wizard looked as though he wanted to protest but was intimidated by the presence of Shacklebolt and nodded his head quickly saying, "Yes sir."
Taking the woman, all but two of the officers apparated away in the blink of an eye.
"Excuse me but we have a few questions to ask about the situation."
John, not wanting to file the paperwork, complied happily and began recounting the events that had transpired. Kingsley, on the other hand, led Tonks away to take a look at the damage done. She had a busted lip that had already began to bruise and the young woman winced as he took a look at it. Her nose was also still bleeding and had moved sideways, showing the break.
"You need to go to St. Mungos too," he told her.
"Really, it's fine," she assured him, spitting out more blood. "I'm really fine. I'm –
She stopped at the look on his face and nodded.
"Need me to assist you there?"
Tonks shook her head at that suggestion and waved the man off. "I'll be fine. Thank you though."
He was not all convinced but let the issue go, knowing that the girl was trying to be an adult and take care of herself.
"Well then once you're all done, report back to me."
Looking at the pocket watch she always kept in her coat, she sighed. She had wanted to leave work early and spend more time at Grimmauld Place but going to see a healer was going to take even longer.
Kingsley, seeing her frustration, put a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry Tonks, you'll have plenty of time to get to know them tonight and over the next… however long. Nobody is going anywhere."
Taking a deep breath, the witch had to admit that he was right. Her excitement had gotten the better of her though. She was a grown adult and needed to look after herself. Focusing on her destination, she spun on the spot and vanished, landing in the alleyway beside Purge and Dowse Ltd. She walked around to the front, making sure no muggles were watching, and then stepped through the glass window that served as a passageway into the hospital. Immediately, she was met by two guards. Knowing the procedures, she handed the burly man her wand while the woman thoroughly searched her person.
"How ya been Tonks," the large man asked, smiling at the small, pink haired witch.
"Wotcher Thaddeus," she replied nasally with a sigh. "Never better. Can't you see my nose? It's in tip top shape."
The woman guard, a beautiful witch in her forty's with dark skin and light blue eyes laughed and patted Tonks on the back. "There you are darling. All good, as usual."
Thaddeus handed back the woman's wand and she smiled in thanks.
"So, how did you get busted up this time Miss Tonks?"
"Crazy old lady with a dragon." Both of the guards looked at her, stunned and confused. "It's a long story."
Putting her wand down the side of one of her boots, Nymphadora did her best to smile at the two. However, it was quite off-putting as she had blood splattered all over her teeth. Thaddeus gave her an uncomfortable smile back and ushered her to the front desk of the hospital.
"Thank you. Thad! Esmerelda! It's always a pleasure!"
Walking up to the front desk staff, she was instantly greeted by smiles and people welcoming her back. It was then that it dawned on Tonks… she got hurt a surprisingly good deal.
"Hullo Violetta, Anita. How are you lovely ladies today?"
"Tonks." The first woman, Violetta, was an old, strict nurse who was often short with people but begrudgingly had a soft place in her heart for the young witch whom she had been tending to since the girl's infancy. "Got hurt again I see."
Tonks smiled wide, showing bloody teeth, and both women reacted the same way Thaddeus had. "Just a lil bit Vi."
"What happened this time?" the other woman asked sympathetically in a thick accent. Anita was a short Hispanic witch that had a heart of gold and an extremely loyal personality. She was originally from Venezuela but came to England after finishing her schooling at Castelobruxo. Tonks was trained to fight dark wizards, but hurt someone Anita loved, and she became the scariest woman in the Wizarding World. Tonks would rather face a room full of basilisks than the woman when defending her patients, family, or friends.
"A crazy old bat and her pre-pubescent dragon." Both women stared at Tonks, shaking their heads.
"See, this is why I could never do what you do," Anita said lowly as the older witch walked away. "I don't know how you deal with the crazies."
Tonks giggled and shrugged. "My job may be unglamorous, but at least I get some exciting stories out of it."
Violetta came back with some a clipboard and a bag. "Here are your papers to file out," she said with a sigh, giving the young witch the forms and a quill. "Go take a seat and here is some ice to help the swelling go down."
Thanking both women, Nymphadora turned on her heel and walked over to the sitting area, sitting next to a young man who had a round face and blond hair. His deep-set brown eyes were downcast, and he appeared glum as he twiddled his fingers. Tonks frowned at the teen and narrowed her eyes at him, finding him familiar looking. Forgetting that she was staring longer than normal, Tonks was slightly embarrassed when the boy noticed her and self-consciously began to rub his face and stare at his clothes.
"You don't have anything on you," she assured with a meek smile. "Sorry for my staring."
The boy nodded, taking a hand and flattening out his hair, still appearing uneasy. When a few minutes later he touched his cheek again, not subtly, Tonks sighed and tapped on the boy, making him turn towards her. She shifted her face to look like his and the boy nearly fell out of his seat in shock; partially because he was seeing his face on another person, and partially because the nose and mouth were coated with blood.
"You – you're!" He pointed his finger at her, bumbling, and the boys face smiled back at him.
Turning back into herself, Tonks raised an eyebrow at the boy. "Satisfied now? As you could see, there is nothing on your face." She bent over the clipboard with papers and began filling out the typical paperwork. When it got to the explanation, she sucked in her breath and told the same short story she had told everyone before. It took her looking at it for a moment before she realized just how ridiculous it sounded. She also noticed that the boy she had been studying before was staring at her. "Wotcher?
"Sorry!" the boy quickly looked away, blushing slightly, then turned back, blushed again, and looked away once more.
"I am a Metamomagus," Tonks revealed in a whisper as though it were some big secret. "I can contort my face and body into whatever I want just by thinking about it."
The blonde stared at her with an open mouth and then grinned. "Wicked."
"Thank you." She was done with the clipboard and it went zooming past her, back to the front desk.
"What are you in here for?"
She was surprised that the kid asked, but she found it amusing as it was something she was wondering about him as well. Pointing to her nose and mouth, she smirked. "Had a run in with an old lady and her pet dragon. Ten points to the old lady, twenty to me for baggin her." She winked and clicked her tongue arrogantly.
"P-p-pet dragon?!"
Tonks nodded and smirked. "It was pretty crazy."
"Sounds like Hagrid," the boy murmured. Seeing the woman frown he added, "The Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts."
"I know him well," the witch said fondly. She looked at the teen with curiosity. "What are you in here for." She did a quick examination of him and didn't find anything visibly out of place.
"Oh, well." He looked at the woman and sighed. "I guess it's only fair that I tell you after you told me."
Tonks drew a back a bit. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't wish to. I won't press the issue."
"I'm here visiting my parents," the boy admitted quickly, wringing his hands. He let out a deep breath and smiled. "It's nice to actually say that aloud. Most people think that they're dead."
The witch's breath stopped, and she looked closely at the boy, confused. "Wh –
"When I was just over a year old, my parents were targeted and tracked down by a Death Eater named Bellatrix Lestrange and some other of You-Know-Who's followers after he disappeared." A sound of disbelief left Tonks' mouth and the boy looked at her. "You've heard of her then?"
The young woman nodded, feeling numb. "Yes. Yes, her I've heard of."
The boy nodded and sighed. "I'm not surprised. Anyways, she tortured them mercilessly, using the Cruicatus Curse for hours. At first, they didn't break, but that kind of magic does things to a person's mind that can't be reversed even after a matter of minutes." Tonks knew it and her heart ached for the boy. "They've been here for fourteen years. My parents don't recognize me, but their presence is reassuring, even if their minds are not fully present."
"Do they remember anything?"
The blonde shook his head, but smiled nonetheless. "No, but I like to believe that my mum still acknowledges that I am someone of importance to her. Whenever I come, she gives me these little candy wrappers as gifts. They probably seem stupid to most, but the fact that she saves them and gives them to me when I visit means a lot. My birthday was on the 30th – she doesn't know that of course – but hopefully she has a wrapper for me today."
Tonks could barely breathe. The boy's smile faltered, and she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You're very brave, you know, for not giving up on them." He looked at her with confusion. "Most people would think them a lost case, but you still find happiness in the fact that they are alive. As well, you don't reject them for the people they have become. That alone makes you one of the strongest people I know and I don't even know your name."
A blush crept up the boy's neck and cheeks, and he couldn't help but smile ironically. "You're in the minority if you think that. Most of my classmates believe that I was wrongly sorted and call me a clumsy, blubbering mess – which I am a good majority of the time. You see, I'm not nearly as strong of a wizard as my father or mother, and, well, my own family thought I was a squib for most of my life."
Tonks snorted, rolling her eyes. "Please. The classmates who say those things about you are the same that will most likely peak in Hogwarts. You want to know something kid, I am one of the clumsiest people – no – the clumsiest person I know. I trip over rocks, chairs, mops… hell… my own feet even trip me up, but I'm also an Auror." She smiled at him and cocked her head to the side. "So what if you're clumsy? Not being biased or anything, but the best people often are. And what house are you in?"
"Gryffindor."
"Well, bloody Gryffindors have always been known for their courage and spontaneity rather than their smarts. No offense – but truly, anyone with a brain knows that the sorting hat doesn't make mistakes. It saw something in you that apparently your fellow Gryffindor's don't see. Don't let their ignorance get you down."
"Bu –
"And about your abilities, I just think you don't have enough confidence in yourself. Stop trying to compare yourself to others and just be you. Let the magic flow through you naturally and trust me, you will be far stronger than you or your peers have ever believed. The magic is within you, you just need to find the cork and unhinge it, letting your power flow."
"But what if I'm not good enough?"
"Who sets those standards?" she asked, leaning forward. "There are so called 'standards' for everything. Beauty, poise, wealth, education, etcetera, etcetera. Do you really think that I fit all of those standards?" In example, she pointed to her head and highly bruised nose with a laugh. "But just because I don't fit societies mold doesn't make me any lesser or not successful."
"How do you get past it though? How do you ignore what people say about you and stay strong?"
"I know my worth and I persevere. There is always going to be someone out there who doesn't like you, doesn't think you're good enough, doesn't see you. You will be beaten down and your heart will break, and you will wonder what the purpose of life is at times, but you just have to get back up and show people that they are wrong." She looked at the boy with sympathetic eyes. "Those people who put you down to make themselves feel stronger are not worth your time. The people who bully you in school will one day answer to you because you will thrive and rise and be their boss. Once you learn how to accept yourself as you are, no one can tear you down anymore than you already have torn yourself down at one point or another. The answer though," she added in second thought, "does not lie in becoming a self-righteous turd who is arrogant and cares only about themself like some would like to believe. Instead, be pragmatic, kind, and determined. It will get you far higher in life than duchebaggery ever will."
Looking at her somewhat in awe, the boy bowed his head slightly. "Thank you. I think I really needed to hear that. Nobody has ever said something like that to me before, believed in me really, besides a professor I had in my third year."
A woman came up to them at that moment and looked at the student, telling him that it was okay for him to head to the fourth floor.
"Well, best of luck to you kid, and Happy Birthday."
The teen looked at the young woman gratefully and stood up, looking far taller than she would have imagined. "Thank you – erm –
"My friends call me Tonks." She held out her hand and after rubbing his own hand on his trousers, the boy shook the witch's hand.
"My name is Neville. Neville Longbottom."
"It was lovely to meet you, Neville."
"You as well." He reached back and grabbed the jacket that lay over the back of his seat. "Oh, and my parents were Aurors too. Frank and Alice Longbottom."
At the mention of those names, the connection clicked in Tonks' mind and her mouth gaped open. She knew them only by name, but they were quite revered in the department of magical law enforcements. There were pictures of the two at the Auror office along with other witches and wizards who were given titles of honor for their services. That's why she had believed the boy to look familiar. He had his mother's coloring with his father's features, making him a striking combination of the two.
"If it is any consolation," she began, "I didn't know your parents, but I know of them. I imagine that they would be quite proud of a man that doesn't believe in giving up." Tonks smiled softly. "And you should be proud of them. My department has pictures of them on a wall of recognition in the office for their bravery and sacrifice. They were quite remarkable."
The boy turned and gave the witch a small turn of the lips. "I am. Truly."
He walked to the stairs and Tonks sighed, sitting back in her seat as she witnessed him start his trek up the floors. She had always believed that you were destined to meet certain people in life. She didn't want to assume, but she would bet all her galleons that the boy was going to do great things. He seemed like a solid person, with a good head on his shoulders, but he was meek and lacked any sort of confidence. Nymphadora secretly hoped that her words had some effect on the boy and that he could learn to see his worth, but who was to say what he would do with her words of wisdom? She sighed, letting her head fall into her hands as she thought about all that she had said and wished that her words had been right.
"Nymphadora Tonks."
The witch groaned at the name but followed the Medi-witch calling her up either way. It had been quite a day.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
When Nymphadora got back to the office, her nose had been fixed and was no longer bleeding and some of the swelling on her mouth and cheek had gone down. What was left was a nasty purplish-blue bruise that the healer assured would be gone in a day or two depending on how good Tonks took her medicine and applied ointment. As well though, the blast from the dragon had shocked her hair, making it stand on end, and her face was covered with soot. Kingsley was shocked to see his friends face, but not surprised as trouble seemed to always find her. Though, it was someone else who had been the source instead of her own clumsiness which was progress.
"You look like a wreck," he said when she entered his office.
Tonks tried to make a snarky, mocking face back at him but just ended up hurting her nose and saying 'ow' in sad defeat.
"You done?" The girl nodded and took a seat across from him. "Good then. Here." Shacklebolt pulled out two pumpkin pasties and gave one to the girl, opening the other for himself.
At the sight of her favorite dessert, the woman's eyes lit up and she took the snack happily, delving into it with bliss. She hadn't realized how hungry she was.
"Are you off to see them then?" Kingsley asked, biting into his own desert.
"Oh! Yes. I just have to get home and fix, well –
She gestured to all of her face.
"It could be worse," said Kingsley. The beginning of a grin was starting on his face and Tonks raised a questioning eyebrow. "Dawlish is missing his eyebrows," the large man giggled. The young woman had never seen her mentor giggle and couldn't help but join in.
"Are you serious?! Like gone completely?"
The man nodded and continued his laughter, cracking up so hard that he had to wipe at his eyes with a handkerchief. "He didn't even notice they had been burnt off until one of the bobby's pointed it out to him. They couldn't stop laughing long enough to file the report, so he just came back to the office to fill it out for himself. If you go now, I believe you'll still be able to take a look at the carnage."
Tonks got up excitedly and thanked Kingsley for the snack, heading towards the door.
"Good job today by the way," he told her sincerely, having finally calmed down. "You did well." Feeling genuinely good about herself, the girl smiled at him gratefully and walked out.
"No eyebrows," Kingsley chuckled as the girl left. "I need to get me a picture of that."
Going over by Johns' desk, Tonks peaked a look at him before bursting out laughing. It was even more funny than what Shacklebolt had described. She was doubled over, and her eyes were glossy with tears from mirth when Dawlish looked up from his desk.
"What's so funny, huh?" he demanded angrily, his face red with embarrassment and fury.
The man just made the young witch laugh even harder and she waved him away, excusing herself. She walked over to her desk, grabbed her flat keys, coffee cup, and small pack which kept necessities and snacks. Still laughing as she left, Tonks walked over to the board she'd mentioned to the teen, Neville, earlier. Seeing the pictures of the two Aurors, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness in her heart. The woman – Alice – had curly blond locks that were short and framed her sweet face flatteringly. Her eyes were a deep brown like her sons, and she was laughing, holding hands with her husband. Frank looked exactly like Neville but with different coloring. He had dark brown hair and bright blue eyes with a deep dimple in his right cheek. He appeared slightly older than his son, but besides that they could have been twins – feature wise. He laughed with his wife and looked over at her lovingly before picking up her hand, kissing it. The girl blushed and stood up on her toes to give the boy a quick kiss before they looked back at the camera and the sequence started all over again.
They were both so young, in their early twenties if Tonks' prediction was correct. They couldn't have been very much older than her, she thought, and her heart went out to the boy. The two young Aurors had so much potential, so much promise, but it was all thrown out the window in one night. Her humor from John's missing eyebrows was gone and replaced with anger. She held her hands in tight fists, fuming but proud that she was in the Order. She promised in that moment to the pictures of Frank and Alice that she would watch out for their son as well, making sure that no one could hurt him in the same way that Bellatrix had.
Turning away and trying to have positive thoughts, she started a light jog as the prospect of Molly's food and new personalities to discover drew nearer.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
(A/N)
Hello all! Happy Wednesday! I hope you're all doing well and enjoying the story so far. I decided to put this part in to show a bit more of Tonks character and it will tie into the story later and just how she treats Neville in general. I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you enjoy reading it. I know it may seem slightly out of place, but I wanted to show her life too. We'll get more into the ooey gooey later.
Let me know what y'all are thinking and if you like it so far by leaving a review or following the story :) Hope you guys have an amazing rest of your week and a fabulous 4th of July!
~Thehumanlibrary