Tonks was walking with as much purpose as she could muster. She had made her mind up. She was determined. She had a job to do and she was going to do it. Nothing and nobody was going to get in her way.

"Argh!"

Except herself, apparently. She had just tripped over her own feet. Dammit! How was she supposed to be all confident and demanding when she was all banged up from her face meeting the freaking floor? Did the universe not understand that she had something extremely important to do and bruises on her face would not help matters. Not even a little bit. Ouch, that really hurt. Okay, no moving her mouth top much and she should be fine. Though, how was she supposed to talk of she couldn't move her mouth? Well, she could but it would hurt and she'd be wincing and then she wouldn't be all intimidating or purposeful.

She licked at her lips and winced at the faint twinge she got from that movement. But she didn't taste any blood so she hadn't busted it open, which was something. Merlin, that would be just embarrassing. And painful. Well, people had said it was painful, Tonks had never actually split her lip open - surprisingly considering all the times she fell - and she didn't want to start now. The worst she'd done was bite the inside of her cheek as she fell. Now, the amount of blood that had produced had made everyone panic.

But that had nothing to do with what was going on now. Or what was going to go on now. Because, you know, it hadn't actually happened yet. But it would. Very soon. Because that had been why she had been walking with so much purpose, to make it happen faster. Though, it was going to happen a bit more slowly than originally planned, just so she could avoid falling over her own feet again.

Yes, she had just spent yesterday going out of her way to avoid any sort of contact with Moody. Actually, she had made sure that they weren't even using the same air to breath in. That's how out of the way she had gone. And could you really blame her after everything that had happened? She bet that other people would have just up and left the program after what had happened to her. So, her avoiding Moody was pretty normal and not a lot of trouble in the grand scheme of things.

And she had managed to do that just fine yesterday. She had managed to stay out of the man's way despite nearly changing her mind when she actually felt him behind her but still. She had stayed out of his way. She hadn't talked to him. Hadn't looked at him. Hell, she hadn't even breathed in the same space as him.

But that all changed today because today, well, today was a different day. And a different day meant that she had actually slept the night before and she had all these thoughts in her head and all these feelings. Things that she felt like she need to act on so she was going to act on them. It made perfect sense! In her mind, anyway. And maybe she wasn't exactly the most sound of mind right now but when did that matter when it came to making decisions?

Today Tonks wanted to talk to him and she was going to make it happen, she was! She deserved to know, didn't she? She deserved answers. All of them. It shouldn't be that hard, right? Even though this man had spent no time in trying to explain things to her. She was going to make him. Though, how you made Alastor Moody do anything, she wasn't sure but she was sure that she would be able to find a way!

So, with her chin in the air and a determined look on her face, Tonks continued to walk. Thankfully, there was no one around or else they would probably laughter at her. Around one corner she went only to-

"Ouch!"

"Oof!"

That was a familiar grunt. Oh no. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Tonks looked up only to be met with Moody's mismatched eyes. Crap, crap, crap, crap.

She hadn't wanted to talk to him that quickly!

"You get in a fight, lass?" Moody asked, frowning at her before she could even begin to say something.

He didn't even say hi or grunt at her or anything! Though she wasn't sure what she had been expecting from Moody. Definitely not a straightforward question like that so she floundered a bit, trying to rearrange her thoughts so she could answer him. This was the problem when you rehearsed things to say in your head, it left no space in your brain for other thoughts.

"Um..."

She knew he hated her saying um. He had said that if you wanted to be an Auror you better sound like one and Aurors didn't say "um" to criminals.

"What's going on here?"

Tonks couldn't help but feel relief. It was McGowan.

"Your Trainee just collided with me."

McGowan raised an eyebrow and beckoned then both into a nearby empty room. "My Trainee?"

He huffed. "Yes, yours."

"I was yours," Tonks said in a small voice, not realising what she had said until she said it.

Both Aurors turned around to stare at her, making her go bright red.

"You should just tell her, Mad-Eye," McGowan told him with a long-suffering sigh.

"Yeah, Mad-Eye," Tonks mocked without even realising that she was doing it. "You should just tell me."

Mad-Eye's eyebrows went up and his eyes narrowed at her casual use of his more casual form of address. Normally she would be freaking out internally (and probably externally as well) for doing that but she really didn't care right now. No, all she cares about was answers and Merlin dammit she was going to get them. Now!

Moody actually had the audacity to cross his arms and glare but do both of these things while stubbornly avoiding her gaze. What was he, a toddler of something now?

"I don't have anything to tell her," he said gruffly.

Tonks couldn't lie, that hurt a bit. She hadn't been expecting anything else from him but it still hurt. So, he just didn't care? Was that it? There was no reason for him doing this? Not even a little one? He got bored and just tossed her away and didn't think anything more of it?

"Moody," McGowan said reproachfully.

He looked between the two of them, shook his head and just walked away! Just like that!

"Hey!" Tonks called after him, taking a step forward.

A hand on her elbow stopped her and she turned around. McGowan was shaking her head.

"Don't bother. He won't come back."

"Then I'll follow him!"

"And do what exactly?"

Tonks opened and closed her mouth, crossing her arms angrily when she realised that she had no clue what she was going to say to Moody when she caught up with him. McGowan rolled her eyes.

"Exactly."

Though Tonks couldn't help but notice that the woman's lips were pursed and there was a thoroughly unimpressed look on her face.