The next week or so were boring in comparison to what had happened on her patrol. Still learning things, still compliance documents to read, still a lot of getting talked at. Not that she minded quite so much anymore because she was still on a high from the patrol. Oh, Merlin, that was so, so cool and exciting and amazing and did she mention cool? Because it was cool.

It had made her feel like a real Auror. Oh, she knew she was a real one before and all. She wore the robes every day, after all but that wasn't the same. Walking around the office and reading and writing didn't make it all feel real. Not really. Boots to pavement? Running away from bad guys? Sorry, assassins? That's what made it feel real. So real.

It had been amazing though that probably wasn't the word she should use when talking to other people about this or they would think she was bonkers.

The week had been so boring that the fact that the canteen was serving chips with cheese and beans was a highlight. Which, of course she got because who didn't like beans and cheese on chips? Her only complaint had been was the inadequate amount of cheese. Just a little bit like a garnish? How was she supposed to turn her chips onto a bean-y, tomato-y, cheese-y concoction with only a little bit of cheese? Yeah, this past week really had been boring.

"I can't believe something actually happened for you on your patrol," Mainwaring grumbled, stabbing a pea with his fork.

Well, he tried too, he wasn't exactly successful and sent a whole handful of them into his lap which made him grumble even more. His own fault for getting peas over chips and cheese and beans.

"To be fair, I'm pretty sure the whole point of these patrols was that nothing was going to happen, hence why we were allowed to do them." She tried to sooth him.

She didn't want to rub it in everyone's faces, after all. As amazing as it had been, she bad heard how slowly everyone else's had gone. She didn't want to deal with all envy she knew they were feeling.

"But still! Something happened when you were out!"

"All that happened to him was that je got chased by a rat," confided Eggleston with a grin.

"A rat, really?" McCabbert asked.

"It was a big rat," Mainwaring said defensively.

"Last I checked, you would still be bigger than a rat."

"Do you want to get anywhere close to a rat?"

"Not particularly. Diseased things, they are." McCabbert said with a shiver.

"Exactly."

"I still wouldn't run from it."

"I didn't run very far from it, just a few steps!"

"Because you pulled a Tonks and tripped over something!" Eggleston interjected.

"Did not!"

"You call it 'a Tonks'?" Tonks asked in dismay.

"What else are we supposed to call it?"

"Just tripping over something!"

"Not when he tripped over something right in front of him."

"I didn't see it because I had my eyes on that rat!" Mainwaring sulked.

"I am not that bad!" Tonks said.

"And Moody! I thought that guy was retired!" Mainwaring said loudly, trying to get everyone's attention off the fact that he had been scared of a rat.

"He's technically retiring. Apparently, he's no longer expected to come into work but he's not officially retired until all the paperwork is done."

At least, that's how he explained it to her. Look, she wasn't about to complain when she got to go on patrol with him. She could now say that she had got to work alongside her mentor. She hadn't realised how important that had been to her until it had happened.

Moody thought of her of his protege! His protege! What? Just... what? She hadn't exactly processed that yet. How was she supposed to process that? She was happy, obviously. And proud. And confused. Seriously, what had he seen in her? She wasn't anything special.

Unfortunately, this happy feeling was interrupted by none other than Senior Auror Dawlish coming up to then.

"With me," he directed, seemingly not caring that they were on their lunch. "Come on," he said when none of them followed him.

Oh, what the hell? They had all basically finished anyway. Abandoning their trays, they followed him like a bunch of ducklings into an empty room. It looked kind of like one of those abandoned classrooms in Hogwarts with a few tables and chairs scattered about. They filed in and looked at Dawlish expectantly.

"Because you all had your fun on your little adventures the other week, you get to have even more fun."

"We're going on patrol again?" Dubois asked hopefully.

Tonks had to admit that she would have got hopeful too if it wasn't for the smug look on Dawlish's face.

"Nope!" Dawlish looked far too happy as he dumped a whole stack of parchment on the table.

"What are all these?" Tonks asked, taking one from the top. "A map?"

"Maps," he corrected. "All of the major magic centres of the United Kingdom."

"There can't be that many magic centres," Mainwaring said with a frown.

"What, there's Diagon and Knockturn Alley. Biggish settlements in Cornwall and Devon but that's mainly residential..."

"And Hogsmeade," Tonks threw in, anxious to show that yes, she did know things.

"There can't be more than twenty," Mainwaring finished up like she hadn't even said anything.

"There's definitely more than twenty maps there," said McCabbert suspiciously poking them.

Dawlish rolled his eyes at them.

"There's more than one map for each area, idiots."

Right. Yes. Of course. That made sense. She nodded like she had understood that all along and everyone else did the same which only made Dawlish roll his eyes at them.

"Idiots," he muttered.

She was pretty sure that he wasn't supposed to call them that. Wasn't he supposed to build up their self-esteem or something? Not that she was particularly bothered, Moody had insulted her a lot worse.

"So, our job is...?" Tonks prompted, earning her a glare.

"You're to pick an area and then outline a suitable patrol of it. Routes, timings and everything," he said with a huff.

She might have accidentally stolen his thunder there. Whoops.

"You'll need to make a report explaining your reasoning, a plan outline and diagrams of everything. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Diagrams?" Mainwaring asked what they had all been thinking but too scared to ask in case they were called stupid.

Yet again, Dawlish rolled his eyes. Tonks wished that they would roll right out of his head. Stupid prick. Did he not realise that they were all new to this? That they didn't come just knowing this information and still needed to be taught? But she didn't say any of that. She probably should but she didn't. She was outspoken and blunt but even she knew there was a time and a place. And the time had to be when she didn't want to punctuate every couple of words with an insult or swear word.

"Yes, idiot, diagrams."

"But-"

"Just get it done by Friday, yeah?"

"That's two days away!" Mainwaring yelped.

"Deal with it!"