Okay, she was done. Done. Done. Done. Done with all of them. Argh. She didn't want to even look and then, never mind talk to them. They were all just so infuriating and she wanted to get as far away from them all as physically possible. That was she wouldn't have to hear or see them.

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

The footsteps she could hear behind her made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It wasn't nice, that paranoid feeling. Is this how Moody felt all the time? No wonder he was grumpy. She turned around to see who was bothering her, half expecting one of the first hear trainees running to get somewhere and just happening to be behind her. It had happened before; this particular class didn't seem to be aware of the concept of personal space. But surprisingly, it wasn't.

McCabbert actually followed her as she stormed off. People didn't tend to like doing that, preferring to stay behind and mutter about the person who just left - she did that as well, if she was being honest. It was just safer. If you went after the person, you were more likely to get snapped at. That didn't mean that she was in the mood for anyone right now.

"Just leave me alone, McCabbert," Tonks said tiredly.

"If you give me a minute."

"No."

What part of her storming off didn't she get? Did it really come across that she wanted to talk to people?

"One minute."

"You've all done enough talking."

McCabbert darted forwards slightly so she was blocking her way and she had no choice but to stop. She did it with a heavy sigh and crossed arms, just to make sure it was incredibly obvious how annoyed she was.

"Look," she said in a weirdly gentle tone for her. "You can't really blame them." Tonks raised an eyebrow and she corrected herself. "Us. You can't really blame us."

"Can too." She replied petulantly. "You're the ones asking all the questions."

A lot of questions. Questions she didn't want to answer and none of the seemed to get that.

"Well, it has been months. That's a long time to think up questions."

"A long enough time to forget about it and just leave it be."

McCabbert gave her a look. "Did you really think that we were going to forget about something like this."

"Yes?" Tonks tried and she raised an eyebrow. "Okay, no. But I can dream, can't I?"

That got her a snort and an eye roll.

"Something as big as an escaped prisoner being related to a fellow Auror Trainee? Really? Did you really think that we were going to forget about that?"

Tonks grumbled something under her breath that was definitely not polite. She hated that that was how she was being referred to. The relation of a prisoner. A criminal. Someone who was allegedly dangerous and on the run. And it wasn't even the right family member they were referring to. Hello? Bellatrix Lestrange anyone? The woman who terrorised the country and was horrifically fanatical? That was someone that they should be far more worried about her being related to.

"I guess I should be impressed that you all lasted this long," she said begrudgingly.

Months, it had been months. That really was impressive for them. Not impressive enough bit still impressive.

"It's not like we could at first."

Tonks nodded. "Yeah, I was off that day."

Thankfully so. She didn't want to know what sort of his and dirty looks she would have had to go through if she had been in.

"Not just that."

"What do you mean?"

McCabbert tilted her head to one side and frowned.

"You mean, you don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

Tonks tapped her foot impatiently and saw some of the hair around her face shift colour. Gah, she thought that she had got past her hair randomly changing with every emotion. Still hadn't quite managed it for anger but that was somehow different. But she hated people being cryptic with her for now Damn reason. Why couldn't people just speak clearly?

"Moody."

"What about him?"

She swore that getting information out of a suspect must be easier than this. Not that she had any experience of that but this was just infuriating.

"He told us all firmly, extremely firmly," McCabbert's eyes widened comically and Tonks would have laughed if the situation was different, "that we weren't to bring it up with you unless you brought it up. And you didn't."

What? Moody did what? She gaped at her briefly before turning on her heel and storming away. Thankfully McCabbert didn't call after her, probably thought that she had gone crazy or something. She didn't care. Her thoughts were all in a whirl. She didn't know what to think.

"Please tell me it's not true," she said upon flinging open the office door.

"A lot of things aren't true," Moody replied.

"Urgh!"

He raised an eyebrow. "I assume you have something specific that you're talking about?"

She'd give him specific.

"Did you really make sure no one bothered me about Sirius?"

Moody didn't reply to her right away, instead looking at her critically. She let out an impatient noise.

"Yes," he said finally.

"But why?"

She didn't understand. It wasn't like it would bother him or anything that she was getting questions outside of their learning hours.

"Because it wouldn't be fair. You don't need that sort of nonsense they were bound to come up with."

True. Very true. And she hated answering questions and the whispers.

"I can deal with it."

"Never said you couldn't."

On one hand she was grateful because there was no way she would have been able to cope with people talking about Sirius, her family, their connections. And all of that probably would have turned to questioning her loyalty and being mean and nasty. She would not have been able to stand it. Not at first anyway. Not without some arguments or fights. Which would not have been good.

But then there was the whole taking it completely out of her hands without even consulting her. Not even a little bit. He just went ahead and did it without a thought to what she wanted or thought about it. He was probably all intimidating too which wouldn't really help her either. And she got that he was her superior and everything and he was trying to help, and he did help, but it left her feeling... well, it left her feeling like she wasn't in control. Tonks didn't like that feeling. And, also, it kept her out of the loop about what people thought about her. She hated being the subject of rumours, she'd much rather people came up to her and asked her bluntly. She liked knowing.

Moody hadn't said anything while she thought all of this through. He didn't even try and get her to start working, just let her stand there and think. It annoyed her, for some reason.

"What were you thinking?" She demanded.

"I was thinking that that wee Mainwaring git would keep his mouth shut," he grumbled.

Tonks tried to stay firm and stern, she really did, but she just couldn't help it. Moody looked so put out and the whole situation as kind of ridiculous, in an endearing kind of way. So, she did the only logical thing a person could do.

Which was laugh. And laugh. In fact, she laughed so much that Moody joined in.

"I'm still mad at you," she said when she managed to get herself under control.

"Of course, you are, lass."

She growled as he patted her on the head.