CHAPTER 9: IN THE GLOW OF LUMINESCENT AFFECTIONS
Mundungus signaled them from the house; Arabella and Tonks left their hiding spot. They entered the house and headed to the girl's bedroom. They collected all the clothes from the wardrobe, put them in a trunk, which Tonks then shrank and stored. Near the bed was the gift she gave to Harry, the magical photo in which she was with Dumbledore and Sirius.
They gathered several of the girl's belongings. They were about to leave when Mad-Eye entered.
"They were being watched. I stunned three, but I think there are more. Reinforcements will probably come soon."
"No problem, I'm done," Tonks replied.
"Wait, I'll check if anything is marked." He took out his wand.
"I've already done that, and everything is fine. The only things they marked were my broom and a couple of other things. I left them; I hope they come in handy."
The determination in the girl surprised the old Auror. She didn't seem the same. They left the house and Disapparated. Shortly after, several hooded figures appeared near the place and entered the house. Unfortunately, they were too late. They came out and searched for any traces of those they were looking for. Everything they had marked was in its place, or was it?
Harry was the first to wake up in the morning. He looked at his friend, who was still snoring in his bed. Nothing woke Ron up; Harry got dressed and went downstairs.
In the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley was finishing preparing breakfast, and at the table, Mr. Weasley was having coffee and reading the Prophet.
"Good morning."
"Harry, hello, good morning." He put down the newspaper when he saw the boy.
"Hi, dear, how did you sleep?"
"Fine, thanks. Has Tonks arrived?"
"No. Why, were you expecting her?" This worried Harry.
"She told me she would be here in the morning." An idea alarmed him. "I hope she's not on her way to France?"
The couple remembered what he was referring to.
"Don't worry, Lupin told us last night that he owed you an apology. Everyone in the Order noticed what you both feel, and none of us want to separate you. We would never harm you for anything in the world. You know we wouldn't lie to you."
"I know, Mrs. Weasley, and I trust you."
There was a knock on the door. Mrs. Weasley opened it, and Harry felt very happy, but it didn't last long.
"Hello, Molly. How are you?" Remus Lupin entered the house.
"Remus, what's happening?"
His presence in the house made Harry worried; he hoped the reason he was there wasn't Tonks.
"I've come to talk to Harry." He approached the werewolf. "Relax, nothing bad is happening! Last night, there were Death Eaters waiting at Tonks' house. They had no trouble getting rid of them and Disapparating."
"Then what...?"
"They were waiting for them; several objects were marked in her house. Right now, they're in a safe place, checking all of Tonks' belongings. You know how Moody is; he wants to make sure they're not being followed. They might not be back for a couple of days."
"You're not deceiving me, are you?"
"I swear on the memory of your parents that everything I'm telling you is the absolute truth!" There was something in his eyes that made Harry believe him. "Tonks sent this with an owl." He handed him a parchment.
Harry took it and opened it; it was a letter from Tonks.
"Hi, my love! I'm sorry I can't be with you at breakfast. But there was an unfriendly welcoming committee at my house. If it weren't for Mad-Eye, they would have caught us; we couldn't shrink them completely. According to Moody, some might have escaped, and they could ask for help and attack us. We escaped without problems, but some of my things were marked. Although I checked them with Arabella, Mad-Eye is not very satisfied and won't let us go back until he's sure there's nothing marked.
At the moment, he's checking my underwear. Can you imagine him looking at my panties and bras, searching for any trace of dark magic? It's a pity you can't see it. I sent the letter to Lupin along with another one telling him what he has to do; this is for you to be at ease. I'm not being held against my will—only my clothes are. I'll see you as soon as possible, and I assure you I won't miss that breakfast with you for anything in the world.
Until then. Always yours: Nym Evans."
The letter reassured him. Signing with the name he gave her when she was treated at the Muggle clinic confirmed its authenticity. Only they knew that detail.
After reading it, he put it in his pocket and looked at Lupin.
"It's from her, and I believe you." A smile appeared on the werewolf's face.
"Thanks!" He became serious. "Regarding what I said at Grimmauld Place."
"Let it be," Harry said, downplaying it.
"No, I must—rather, I want to apologize. I'm very affected by everything. You disappeared, and I feared I lost you. Besides, I thought that what she wanted was to hurt me through you." Harry looked at him strangely. "Remember that before the wedding, she wanted us to... Forget it!" He waved his hand. "That's a thing of the past. Last night, I convinced myself; what you two feel for each other is real. Seeing you, it seemed like I was seeing your parents again." Harry shuddered. "I know I was an idiot, and I wanted to ask for your forgiveness." He extended his hand for Harry to shake.
Instead of shaking his hand, Harry hugged him.
"Of course, I forgive you!" Both were so moved that some tears ran down their faces. "But don't do anything like that again. Okay?"
"I promise!"
They sat at the table while Mrs. Weasley served them breakfast. Hermione and Ginny came down the stairs.
"Harry, what's happening? Hasn't Tonks come?"
In a few words, he explained what was happening and why she hadn't come. Then they sat at the table and started breakfast. The noise woke up the twins, who joined the party. Afterward, without saying anything, they went upstairs.
"Where have Fred and George gone?" Hermione wanted to know.
Ron's screams answered her question. They had gone upstairs to wake him up in their own way.
"I WON'T FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS ONE! DON'T RUN! COME IF YOU DARE!"
The twins entered the living room and positioned themselves behind their mother.
Ron came downstairs completely soaked in a sticky green liquid.
"Mum, look what they did to me!" More than embarrassed, he was hurt and eager to pay them back for their prank.
Seeing what they had done, his mother turned and tried to catch them. Expecting this, they ran and disappeared through the fireplace quickly.
"We'll have breakfast somewhere else, Diagon Alley!" She entered the fireplace.
"Yes! That's the best; Diagon Alley!"
Hermione approached her boyfriend; the rest just laughed at the situation. The boy's mother, holding back her laughter, gave him clean clothes and sent him to take a shower.
"Ronny, I'm sorry. I assure you that as soon as they come, I'll punish them. They know I don't want them dirtying the house with their pranks!"
"MUM, Have you seen what they've done, and you're more worried about the house than about me?" He felt hurt.
"RONALD WEASLEY, OF COURSE, I WORRY ABOUT YOU. Who seems not to care is you! With a shower, you'll be clean, but I'm the one who has to fix everything. I have to clean your bed. Are you sure it's not full?" He nodded fearfully. "The stairs and the living room. On top of spreading everything, you ask me why I'm worried. Perhaps you should do it to see how it feels?"
"The idea of cleaning everything, combined with his mother's genius, was enough to convince him that it was better not to argue and disappear immediately. He went upstairs to shower, followed by Hermione. Ginny, infected by laughter, said something that embarrassed the couple.
"Hermione, he can shower on his own; there's no need for you to rub his back."
Both of them felt embarrassed, and the girl went down the stairs and sat, burying her head in the bowl in front of her. Ron disappeared up the stairs towards the bathroom. When she sat down next to him, Harry approached, taking advantage of everyone laughing and joking, he whispered something to his friend.
"Is it just me, or does Ginny know something I don't? You and Ron complain that I'm hiding something, but I think I'm not the only one."
The girl looked at him with wide eyes, her face expressing total astonishment.
"No, there's nothing to hide, it's just that... I didn't like what Ginny said."
He was sure that both of them were hiding something, and sooner or later, he would find out. Ron came down shortly after, bathed and changed, although in some places, traces of green color could still be seen.
"I don't know what it is, but it's hard to get rid of."
The rest of the day was spent discussing and talking about the remaining Horcruxes, what they would do to find them. As soon as Hermione and Ginny entered Hogwarts, they would immerse themselves in the library to gather all the information they could about the mysterious owner of the initials.
Two days had passed since Harry received Tonks' letter, and he stayed at the Burrow. Every time an owl arrived, he asked if it was for him. He was getting desperate; the Order told him they were fine, but they were being followed and constantly changing hiding places.
It was five in the morning when Harry noticed someone approaching his bed. He sat up; there was little he could do without his wand, and without glasses, he could barely see anything.
"Relax, it's me," she said, touching his face.
"Nym!" he kissed her with desperation. "What are you doing here?"
"I just arrived, and I promised I wouldn't leave you hanging again. I thought that if we got up together, I wouldn't miss it." She approached the bed and snuggled up to Harry. "Molly allowed me to enter and let me sleep with you."
"It's a great idea." He shifted a bit so that she would be more comfortable.
He moved closer to her and stroked her hair.
"You've had me really worried. Why did it take you so long to come back?"
"We marked an object, and we didn't realize until a day later. It seemed strange that, with all the precautions we took, they got so close to us." She looked a bit sad. "What they marked was the photograph I gave you." He knew which one she meant. "They put a mark similar to the one on the letter, but they did it in a corner next to the shadows of the stairs, so it wasn't visible. We cast the revealing spell several times, but apparently, the glass was made in a way that repelled some spells." She smiled. "The seller assured me that the frame was of high quality, and he didn't lie."
"Don't worry; I prefer you over that photo. How did you realize?"
"I remembered the mark on the letter and thought to look behind the photo. I cast a revealing spell in case it was hidden on the back, and we found it." She closed her eyes a bit. "Then we tied it to a rat and left. We spent the whole day yesterday changing places every two minutes, and when we were sure they weren't following us, we came back. Lupin told me where you were, and I came for breakfast." She yawned. "But if you don't mind, what I want now is to sleep. You have no idea how Moody can be, we barely slept!"
"Okay, rest. I don't think anything will happen if we have breakfast later or even lunch."
"That's why I love you." She said, smiling.
She put her arm behind his head, and she leaned on his chest. Then, both gradually fell asleep.
Ron woke up to the delicious smell of pancakes coming from the kitchen. He sat on the bed, still half-asleep, and looked at his friend. Harry was still sleeping, but there was something he didn't quite understand. Harry was supposed to be wearing his pajamas, and the person he saw hadn't had time to change. They were still wearing a dark gray robe.
He quickly understood when he noticed the long hair.
"AHH!" he covered himself as best he could. "What are you two doing in bed?" Both woke up at his scream.
"Until you woke us up, sleeping," the brunette said, understanding everything. She hugged Tonks again, and they lay down ready to keep sleeping.
"But how, when?"
"Ron, we want to sleep; your mother let her in, ask her." The guy cut him off, throwing a cushion at him.
The redhead dressed timidly, as if afraid the girl would turn at any moment. He silently left the room and went downstairs.
In the living room, the twins and the girls were having breakfast with their parents.
"Why is Harry in bed with Tonks? When did she arrive?"
The twins looked at him, then at each other, and ran up the stairs. A simple wave of their mother's wand stopped them.
"You two have nothing to do upstairs!" She turned to her son. "She arrived around five in the morning, and I let her sleep with Harry. It didn't seem like a good idea for her to sleep on the sofa; she looked very tired. I must admit that when I heard a knock on the door, I was a little scared."
"I don't understand. When Hermione is in the house, if I go near the bedroom, you try to tear me apart. And Harry, you let him sleep with his girlfriend. I think I missed something."
"I don't have to worry about them; Tonks is responsible enough to respect this house, just like Harry." She looked at Hermione. "Don't be offended, dear; I trust you completely. It's him." She added, pointing to Ron.
The twins could finally react.
"Harry dating Nymphadora Tonks, this is incredible!"
"This guy is our hero; she's older than him, and yet he conquered her. George, we have to ask him to tell us his secret." His brother nodded.
Ginny looked at them annoyed.
"Surely your girlfriends will love to know what you think. After the bond, they must be thrilled with you." Just mentioning Alicia and Angelina was enough for the two would-be Don Juans to shut up and sit back down to finish their breakfast. Ginny looked at them amused.
Harry and Tonks woke up shortly after; Ron's scream had awakened them more than they thought. They wished each other good morning with a few kisses.
Harry started to caress the girl's back; the contact made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He felt very good in the arms of the dark-haired girl. But he remembered where they were.
"Harry, calm down, I wouldn't want Molly to think I took advantage of her trust."
Knowing what she meant, he controlled himself as best he could. He didn't want to take advantage of the circumstances either.
"You're right. The last thing I want is to bother the Weasleys."
A couple more kisses, and they got up. They changed, and shortly after, they went down for breakfast, holding hands.
At the table, the twins looked at them with wide eyes, shifting their gaze from one to the other.
"Did they find out?" he asked his friend, pointing to the two.
"Yes, and Mom had to charm them not to enter the room and check for themselves."
"We missed the show!" Fred said.
"Yes, it's been incredible; it's a shame you didn't see it." Everyone at the table looked at Tonks, with their eyes wide open. "I've been able to sleep through the night since I arrived until Ron woke us up."
The Weasley parents smiled, as did Harry. The rest looked foolish, thinking that the two had done more than sleep.
"Will you tell us what happened, Tonks?" they all asked.
"Why not? After leaving the party, we went to my house. There were several Death Eaters waiting at the door. They probably wanted to capture me to find out something about Harry or the Order. We managed to defeat them, but Moody told us that some escaped and would seek help. From that moment, we haven't stopped for more than two hours in the same place."
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