They had all crowded into the library again. The Auror Academy one wasn't nearly as good as the Hogwarts one but it had everything they needed and was more likely to have tables for them than the study rooms. They had an assessment coming up, which was why they were in here. All of their Mentors had been told to allow at least an hour a day for studying for it. It wasn't a particularly imprimatur assessment or anything but that didn't mean that it was a good idea to do badly.

And, as they tended to still do, they studied together. Tonks wasn't sure why; they hadn't technically worked together for months now and they were all learning something a bit different because they all had different mentors. Yet they still came together for things like this. Moral support, she supposed.

"Why is the Golding Stance Four better than the Alpine Stance two?" Mannering asked, holding a book up sideways in an effort to make sense of a diagram.

"Golding keeps your elbow relaxed so you can react quicker," Tonks responded.

"But doesn't the Alpine let you turn quicker?" Jean asked, taking the book off Mannering to look at the page herself.

"Yeah," said Tonks, stretching and letting the joints in her finger crack. "But your casting will be less accurate. For an initial Stance the Golding is better."

And in case you hadn't realised, this assessment was all about the terminology they were supposed to know. Something Tonks had really had to study up on because although Moody had taught her all the stances and when they were appropriate to use, he hadn't used their names when doing so. So, she had to play match the technique with the name. Which wasn't fun. Especially when so many were so similar. She let out a groan. That was what they were going to end up getting tested on, weren't they? They always seemed to get tested on the stuff that you didn't know.

Why couldn't they test on wand movements? Or, you know, actual spells and things like that? What was being able to rhyme off names of stances good for? Except to bore you? Tonks would much prefer a practical assessment.

She swore her ability to be patient when studying theory had gone down since she started the Academy. Practical stuff was definitely better and she just didn't want to sit down with her books at all. But of course, she had to. And she had to do it well or she wouldn't be allowed to do any practical stuff at all.

So, studying and getting confused it was. Oh well, at least everyone was in the same boat. That was some comfort.

"You know we've been here a year already?" Dubois asked suddenly.

They all looked up at him and stared. Some of them shook their heads, Tonks included. A year? Really? Surely je was exaggerating.

"Has it really been a year?" Tonks asked with a frown.

Surely, she would have realised that a year had passed? It wouldn't just feel like a normal day, right? Because that was a whole year of being an Auror. Well, a Trainee Auror. But still. That was something special, wasn't it? Though, it didn't feel special. Or different. Yeah, a year had gone by. Six months of being Moody's trainee. She had two more years to go. She wasn't even halfway yet. Maybe that would feel more real? She didn't know.

"It has been a year," Jean said in wonder, looking up from her fingers which shed been counting off. "A whole year."

"We should do something to celebrate," Mannering said eagerly.

Young snorted.

"You just want to go out and drink."

"It's a perfectly acceptable way of celebrating," he said defensively.

"He's had a bad week," Young told them all.

"We should do something," Tonks agreed, kind of eager for a night out as well.

Anything was better than all of this studying.

"Dubois!"

"Young!"

Two Senior Aurors appeared, neither of them looking particularly pleased. The two trainees practically jumped out of their seats and started shoving their things in their nags, not even asking their Mentors why they wanted them. Which was fair enough because Tonks would not be questioning anyone with those grumpy looks on their faces. It was an unspoken rule that you didn't make your Mentor go looking for you. That was just asking for trouble.

Though, it looked like everyone's mentors were looking for them. More Aurors appeared, summoning their trainees. Tonks quickly checked the clock. They, well, she wasn't late for anything. Moody just said that he'd grab her when he felt like she'd spent enough time in the library. She didn't know about anyone else. Maybe they were late and that's why their Mentors were annoyed. Or maybe that's just how the Aurors' faces looked. She didn't know. Nor, to ne frank, did she care because it didn't affect her.

And she really shouldn't have tempted fate like that because the next thing she heard was...

"Tonks!"

She automatically snapped to attention at that voice.

"Auror Moody?"

They had all turned at the sound of his voice, none of them could help it. He just had that sort of presence. Well, that and everyone else seemed you be terrified of them. Which she wasn't. Not anymore anyway. And she wouldn't even say that she had been scared of him... just... well, intimidated, you know? But now she wasn't. That didn't mean that she didn't respect him or any5hing. It was just... she wasn't intimidated by him. He wasn't that scary.

"Come on, you're in the Potions lab this afternoon."

"Sir?" Wincing as that slipped out.

Yes, yes, he worked for a living and all that. But when it had been drummed into your head to address older men by that, it was a hard habit to break. Especially when everyone else around you was using it too. That, and she was confused. They hadn't been doing anything with Potions yet, why was she going to the lab today?

Everyone else looked at her curiously as well, but that was pretty normal behaviour from them whenever they saw her interact with Moody. You'd think they'd be used to it by now. And weren't they supposed to be trailing after their Mentors or something?

He made an impatient noise and jerked his head towards the door.

"Yes. Labs. Now."

Well, you didn't go around disobeying orders like that. Not that she wanted to because now she was intrigued. Labs? What on earth would she be doing in the labs? So, she scrambled to her feet, almost colliding with yet another Auror.

"Sorry!"

But she was brushed off, thankfully.

"McCabbert?"

Auror Matheson had appeared next to Moody, a frown on his face. That couldn't be good. Hopefully it wasn't because she rammed into him. She didn't want to be responsible for a friend (co-worker? What even was McCabbert to her?) having a bad day.

"Yes, sir?"

"Duelling room is free. Come on."

Without even looking back, the man, leaving McCabbert to scramble behind him like some sort of lost puppy. It was weird to see that because the woman was usually a lot more sedate than that.

But then again, none of them were exactly themselves around their Mentors, were they? You just kind of jumped when they told you too and you didn't ask any questions. Well, Tonks frowned to herself. She asked questions. Probably too many of them but she asked them. And she supposed that she wasn't that different when it came to her personality when she was around Moody. Maybe a but calmer? Less cheekiness (though, Moody wouldn't believe that)?

"Tonks!"

"Coming!"