Chapter 56: Harry's Suspiscions and Tonks' New Patronus

Tonks was fuming. Between Remus trying to take her memory again and Cassiopeia brawling with Narcissa like a bunch of schoolgirls, she had reached her peak. She dragged Cassiopeia into the restroom of Grimmauld Place where she tended her cuts and scratches from the fight.

"Ow, ow! Careful!" Cassiopeia snapped as Tonks grumpily put healing oils on her wounds.

"Don't be a baby. You threw the first punch," Tonks replied sourly. "You're lucky all you got was a few scratches and a cut lip."

Cassiopeia laughed. "I got that little git good. If she's lucky, she'll need a hair regrowing potion."

Tonks gave her a sour look. "I swear you and Sirius deserve each other. I've never met two people prone to danger-seeking idiocy."

"She started it!" Cassiopeia argued. "You heard what she said about Sirius."

"I did, but you shouldn't have thrown the first punch," Tonks replied. "I never behaved either but imagine what would happen if she went to the wrong people. What would happen if you end up in Azkaban again? Who would look after S.J. then?"

Cassiopeia rolled her eyes. She expected a lecture but she knew there was more to this. "Is there a reason for this lecture?"

"What? Aside from the fact you acted like an idiot?" Tonks replied.

"I accept that, but what's really going on?" Cassiopeia said wisely.

"Nothing," Tonks replied defensively.

Despite Tonks' insistance, Cassiopeia knew something was off. "What did he do this time?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tonks insisted.

"Now, now, Nymphadora, dear, don't play dumb with me," Cassiopeia said, knowing she had Tonks backed into a corner.

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks snapped, her hair uncharacteristically not changing color which worried Cassie further. "Remus...he...he doesn't think he's good enough for me."

"I've heard that one before, but go on," Cassiopeia said flatly.

"I tried to tell him that I don't care about his condition, that he is right for me. He won't listen to me," Tonks replied.

"Not surprised there," Cassiopeia added. "He's a thick git, sometimes."

"Anyway, he tried to...he tried to erase my memory again," Tonks continued.

Cassiopeia rolled her eyes. Tonks could not tell if she was surprised or not, but she could tell she was angry.

"That arrogant,stupid little git!" Cassiopeia shouted. "I'm gonna kill him!"

Tonks shook her head. "Don't bother."

"And why shouldn't I?" Cassiopeia questioned.

"I kicked him out," Tonks replied.

Cassiopeia half smiled. "Pity. You should have sent him to me. He'd listen to me."

"I'm sure," Tonks replied. "Tell you what, next time he tries something stupid, I'll send him straight to you."

"Ooh, now I'm begging him to do something stupid," Cassiopeia said cheerfully.

Tonks stayed until the children had gone to sleep before apparating to Aaron's house. Ever since Remus had rejected her, Tonks chose to go to the home of the only person with which she found comfort, which was her best friend. Aaron wasn't at home when she arrived so she took to sitting on the couch. Her arm began to hurt bur she ignored it. She thought it best to send Aaron a patronus that she has made it home. However when she cast the spell something happened. Instead of the normal jackrabbit she was expecting a different animal appeared. A wolf.

Tonks froze at the sight of the four legged beast. She didn't understand, or at least not at first. She ran her fingers through her limp mousy brown hair, trying to recall why this had happened. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. This was because of Remus. Her love for him and the pain and stress of rejection had changed her patronus. The shock made her drop her wand. She fell forward to her hands and knees. Tears dripped onto the floor as age pulled herself to sit on the ground, leaning against the couch behind her. She pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her head in her knees and just cried.

Aaron arrived home to find To KS very much unmoved, sobbing uncontrollably. Having known Tonks for so long he didn't speak or think twice before picking her up. He headed to the bedroom and laid her on the bed, getting in next to her to hold her as she cried. Her sobs didn't let up until she fell asleep. Aaron asked no questions of his friends behavior, knowing she would explain in her own time what was wrong. For now he just decided to be there for whatever she needed

In the last weeks of August, Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place. Cassiopeia was overjoyed to see her godson. Tonks was often stationed away and with Sirius gone, Cassiopeia was lacking company.

"Harry! Good to see you!" Cassiopeia greeted, warmly embracing her godson.

"Cassie! Good to see you, too!" Harry replied.

"S.J., come see who's here!" Cassiopeia called.

Cassiopeia's little boy waddled out. Harry's eyes glazed over the little boy with brown curls and ocean blue eyes. "Hi, Uncle Harry!"

"S.J., hi!" Harry greeted. "You're getting so big."

Harry did not want to say so in front of Cassiopeia, but the boy in front of him looked like the very shadow of his father. Cassiopeia led Harry to the living room where baby Andromeda Lily lay in a rocker.

"Is that Andromeda?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Cassiopeia replied. "Still can't tell who she looks more like. I still think she looks like me. Remus is definitely all his dad."

"Well, they'll make good Gryffindors one day," Harry said cherrfully.

"Gryffindors yes, good no," Cassiopeia laughed. "Come on, Harry. Your father and godfather were friends. They were troublemaking idiots."

"Hopefully they're just troublemakers," Harry said.

"Looking forward to a new term?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Cassie, I wanted to talk to you about something I saw in Knockturn Alley."

"What were you doing in Knockturn Alley?" Cassiopeia asked before she wised up. "You were trailing the Malfoy boy, weren't you?"

Harry nodded. "He was acting all suspicious. Like he and Mummy didn't want to be seen. So we followed them to Borgin and Burkes and there were all these people there, Death Eaters."

"You think the Malfoy boy is a Death Eater like his dear old dad," Cassiopeia said wisely.

"Well yeah, don't you?" Harry argued.

Cassiopeia thought hard before she replied. She wanted to agree with Harry but the idea did not sit right with her. "I want to say yes. His whole family are slimy gits, but this would be different territory if Draco is a Death Eater."

"Why?" Harry replied.

"Think about it, Harry," Cassiopeia reasoned. "Lucius and Narcissa might be gits, but they're still parents. I don't think Draco would be a Death Eater while his parents live."

"I'm telling you he is one of them!" Harry argued.

"I didn't say I disagreed with you, but I'm just telling you to consider that as a parent, maybe Lucius and Narcissa don't want Draco to be a part of their mistakes," Cassiopeia said wisely.

"Maybe not," Harry replied.

"If you hear anything otherwise, tell me. You still got that gift Sirius gave you?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "If I hear anything I'll contact you. I'll see after term, Cassie."

Harry warmly embraced his godmother. After losing Sirius, both were glad to be in each other's company.

It was early September and Tonks had just gotten back from her rounds at Hogsmead when she noticed the train shutters on the Hogwarts Express had been closed.

That's odd, she said.

Tonks boarded the train and made her search when her foot hit something invisible. Tonks reached out and removed an Invisibilty Cloak, revealing a frozen, bleeding Harry in the middle of the train. "Wotcher, Harry. We'd better get out of here, quickly. Come on, we'll jump."

Tonks and Harry leapt from the steaming train just before it could leave the station and onto the platform.

Tonks handed Harry his Invisibilty Cloak. "Who did it?"

"Malfoy," Harry answered. "Thanks for, well."

"No problem," Tonks replied. "I can fix your nose if you stand still."

"Sure," Harry replied.

"Episkey!" Tonks shouted.

Harry felt warmth as his nose snapped into place and he cried out. "Thanks a lot."

"You'd better put the cloak on and we'll walk up to the school," Tonks replied.

Harry disappeared under the cloak as he saw a silver four legged creature emerge from Tonks' wand and vanish in the dark.

"Was that a Patronus?" Harry asked.

"I'm sending word to the castle that I've got you," Tonks replied.

"How did you find me?" Harry asked.

"I noticed you hadn't left the train and I knew you had the cloak, I thought you might be hiding for some reason," Tonks explained. "When I saw the blinds were drawn I thought I might check."

"But what are you doing here, anyway?" Harry asked.

"I'm stationed at Hogsmeade now to give the school extra protection," Tonks replied.

She and Harry ambled along until they stopped when they saw a figure in the dark.

"Someone is coming to get you," Tonks said.

Out of the darkness a light shone illuminating the dark robes of Snape. "Well, well, well, nice of you to turn up, Potter, although you have evidently decided that the wearing of school robes would detract from your appearance," he snarled.

"I couldn't change. I didn't-" Harry stammered.

"There is no need to wait, Nymphadora," Snape said. "Potter is quite safe in my hands."

Tonks wanted to howl when Snape called her 'Nymphadora'. "I meant for Hagrid to get the message."

"Hagrid was late to the feast, just like Potter here," Snape said. "And incidentally, I was interested to see your new Patronus. I think you were better off with the old one. This one looks weak."

Tonks wanted to throttle Snape. He knew what he was playing at and it disgusted her. She hated Snape for playing games with her and she hated Remus for what he was doing to her.

AN: I should note that Tonks had an inconsistancy with her Patronus. Her Patronus was a jackrabbit and then became a wolf. Just for clarification.