starfishstar (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
starfishstar) wrote2014-09-10 09:20 pm
starfishstar) wrote2014-09-10 09:20 pm
Entry tags:
Be the Light in My Lantern, chapter 2
BE THE LIGHT IN MY LANTERN
Summary: In which Remus and Tonks fight battles, arrest criminals, befriend werewolves, overcome inner demons and, despite it all, find themselves a happy ending. A love story, and a story of the Order years. (At long last, my Remus/Tonks epic, which has been years in the making!)
Chapter 2: Cleaning Days
If you said let's go
If you said I'm sick of this place
I would listen to you
I wouldn't hesitate
–Calexico/Françoiz Breut, Si Tu Disais
"Tonks, dear, do you know if Remus is planning to be back here any time soon?" Molly Weasley asked, passing by with a pile of fresh laundry nearly overflowing from her arms.
Slightly sweaty and with damp hair reverted to brown, Tonks was sitting with Harry, Ron and Hermione on the stairs by one of the upstairs landings, the four of them having finally managed to banish a particularly recalcitrant ghoul from one of the house's toilets.
"What? No, Molly, sorry, I wouldn't know," Tonks answered, too quickly, then mentally kicked herself as Molly paused in the relentless march of her household tasks and considered Tonks for a moment.
Honestly, what was it about Remus? He was funny and charming and intelligent as all get out, sure, but why should that matter? Tonks wasn’t looking for a boyfriend or, Merlin forbid, someone serious to settle down with, like her mum seemed to think she should be doing. Between work and the Order, she had far too much going on in her life to want even to think about something like that.
And anyway, it didn’t matter, and why did she now apparently blush when she heard his name?
Tonks looked up to find Molly still regarding her thoughtfully, and blushed harder. Oh, for crying out loud.
"Oh, well," Molly replied. "I thought we could ask him to do something about that grandfather clock in the hallway upstairs, the one that keeps shooting out bolts. He was such a wonder with the writing desk that snapped its drawers at anyone who passed by. That man has a knack for charmed furniture."
And with that, Molly and her pile of laundry disappeared down the stairs, revealing her daughter coming up behind her.
"I heard Sirius say he'd be gone a couple more days," Ginny told the others, flopping down onto the top step next to Hermione. "I wish they'd tell us what he was doing!" she added.
"I wish anyone'd tell us anything," Ron grumbled.
A mad gleam came into Ginny’s eye, and Tonks was reminded anew just how much the youngest Weasley sometimes resembled her elder twin brothers.
"Tonks," Ginny said slowly, "but you can tell us, can't you?"
"There you're assuming I know anything about any secret missions that may or may not be taking place," Tonks replied, screwing up her face briefly to return her hair to short and pink. "Which I'm rather sorry to say I don't."
"No, I mean in general," Ginny clarified. "You can tell us more about things than Mum and Sirius and Professor Lupin would. You know just as much as them."
"Yeah!" Ron enthused, suddenly looking at Tonks as if he'd never seen her properly before. "Tonks, you're in the Order, but you're, you know. Pretty cool," he finished lamely.
Tonks cast a glance towards Harry, but Harry was staring down at his trainers, not listening. He'd seemed to enjoy himself when they were all laughing and ducking the ghoul's volleys of water, but now he'd gone quiet again.
"Tonks?" Hermione asked tentatively.
She shook her head. "Really, kids, no. It's not down to me to decide who the Order tells what. But I understand your frustration!" she added, as Ginny glared. "Look, I know you want to know more, but try to think about it this way – nobody, barring maybe Dumbledore, actually knows all of what's going on. Just because I'm a member of the Order doesn't mean anyone is going to tell me where Remus is right now or what precisely Snape gets up to all the time."
"Snape," Harry muttered, the first thing he'd said in a while. "I'd really like to know…" But he trailed off and didn't finish the sentence.
"Me too," Hermione agreed, even though Harry hadn’t completed that thought. "And it doesn't help any, does it, that he turns up here goading Sirius about how he's out there doing more than him."
"Stupid git," Ron muttered, then glanced at Tonks guiltily to see if she would scold him for insulting another Order member.
"That's Professor Stupid Git to you," she said sternly, earning her a laugh from all of them, even grudgingly from Harry.
Later, when she stayed for dinner, Tonks found herself watching them, Harry and his two best friends and the way they interacted, seeming almost to complete one another's thoughts.
It reminded her of another set of three close friends she'd heard about recently and she winced again at the thoughtlessly prying things she'd asked Remus that night in the kitchen. She was rather glad, or so she told herself, that the man in question seemed to have disappeared for the time being – it saved her from putting her foot in her mouth any more than strictly necessary.
After dinner, Tonks managed to corner Harry in the entrance hallway just before she left.
"Harry," she said, speaking quietly to avoid rousing the vile portrait of Sirius' mum. "Don't worry too much about the Ministry thing. They really don't have a case against you. They're just trying to make you look bad, but believe me, Dumbledore won't let it happen."
If anything, Harry only looked glummer and Tonks’ heart went out to him. All fifteen-year-olds felt put upon and misunderstood by the world. In Harry's case, it was actually true.
"Chin up," she whispered. "Because, hey, at least it can't get any worse than it already is, right?"
Harry looked startled, then nodded and even gave her a small smile. "Yeah. That’s true. Thanks, Tonks."
"See ya, Harry. Ask Molly or Sirius to come seal the enchantments on the door again after I go out, okay?"
She stepped out into the evening light, gratefully breathing in the fresh air. Poor Sirius, stuck in there all the time, she thought. And poor Harry, not knowing what the world's got in store for him even past next week.
– – – – –
(continue to CHAPTER THREE)
Summary: In which Remus and Tonks fight battles, arrest criminals, befriend werewolves, overcome inner demons and, despite it all, find themselves a happy ending. A love story, and a story of the Order years. (At long last, my Remus/Tonks epic, which has been years in the making!)
Chapter 2: Cleaning Days
If you said let's go
If you said I'm sick of this place
I would listen to you
I wouldn't hesitate
–Calexico/Françoiz Breut, Si Tu Disais
"Tonks, dear, do you know if Remus is planning to be back here any time soon?" Molly Weasley asked, passing by with a pile of fresh laundry nearly overflowing from her arms.
Slightly sweaty and with damp hair reverted to brown, Tonks was sitting with Harry, Ron and Hermione on the stairs by one of the upstairs landings, the four of them having finally managed to banish a particularly recalcitrant ghoul from one of the house's toilets.
"What? No, Molly, sorry, I wouldn't know," Tonks answered, too quickly, then mentally kicked herself as Molly paused in the relentless march of her household tasks and considered Tonks for a moment.
Honestly, what was it about Remus? He was funny and charming and intelligent as all get out, sure, but why should that matter? Tonks wasn’t looking for a boyfriend or, Merlin forbid, someone serious to settle down with, like her mum seemed to think she should be doing. Between work and the Order, she had far too much going on in her life to want even to think about something like that.
And anyway, it didn’t matter, and why did she now apparently blush when she heard his name?
Tonks looked up to find Molly still regarding her thoughtfully, and blushed harder. Oh, for crying out loud.
"Oh, well," Molly replied. "I thought we could ask him to do something about that grandfather clock in the hallway upstairs, the one that keeps shooting out bolts. He was such a wonder with the writing desk that snapped its drawers at anyone who passed by. That man has a knack for charmed furniture."
And with that, Molly and her pile of laundry disappeared down the stairs, revealing her daughter coming up behind her.
"I heard Sirius say he'd be gone a couple more days," Ginny told the others, flopping down onto the top step next to Hermione. "I wish they'd tell us what he was doing!" she added.
"I wish anyone'd tell us anything," Ron grumbled.
A mad gleam came into Ginny’s eye, and Tonks was reminded anew just how much the youngest Weasley sometimes resembled her elder twin brothers.
"Tonks," Ginny said slowly, "but you can tell us, can't you?"
"There you're assuming I know anything about any secret missions that may or may not be taking place," Tonks replied, screwing up her face briefly to return her hair to short and pink. "Which I'm rather sorry to say I don't."
"No, I mean in general," Ginny clarified. "You can tell us more about things than Mum and Sirius and Professor Lupin would. You know just as much as them."
"Yeah!" Ron enthused, suddenly looking at Tonks as if he'd never seen her properly before. "Tonks, you're in the Order, but you're, you know. Pretty cool," he finished lamely.
Tonks cast a glance towards Harry, but Harry was staring down at his trainers, not listening. He'd seemed to enjoy himself when they were all laughing and ducking the ghoul's volleys of water, but now he'd gone quiet again.
"Tonks?" Hermione asked tentatively.
She shook her head. "Really, kids, no. It's not down to me to decide who the Order tells what. But I understand your frustration!" she added, as Ginny glared. "Look, I know you want to know more, but try to think about it this way – nobody, barring maybe Dumbledore, actually knows all of what's going on. Just because I'm a member of the Order doesn't mean anyone is going to tell me where Remus is right now or what precisely Snape gets up to all the time."
"Snape," Harry muttered, the first thing he'd said in a while. "I'd really like to know…" But he trailed off and didn't finish the sentence.
"Me too," Hermione agreed, even though Harry hadn’t completed that thought. "And it doesn't help any, does it, that he turns up here goading Sirius about how he's out there doing more than him."
"Stupid git," Ron muttered, then glanced at Tonks guiltily to see if she would scold him for insulting another Order member.
"That's Professor Stupid Git to you," she said sternly, earning her a laugh from all of them, even grudgingly from Harry.
Later, when she stayed for dinner, Tonks found herself watching them, Harry and his two best friends and the way they interacted, seeming almost to complete one another's thoughts.
It reminded her of another set of three close friends she'd heard about recently and she winced again at the thoughtlessly prying things she'd asked Remus that night in the kitchen. She was rather glad, or so she told herself, that the man in question seemed to have disappeared for the time being – it saved her from putting her foot in her mouth any more than strictly necessary.
After dinner, Tonks managed to corner Harry in the entrance hallway just before she left.
"Harry," she said, speaking quietly to avoid rousing the vile portrait of Sirius' mum. "Don't worry too much about the Ministry thing. They really don't have a case against you. They're just trying to make you look bad, but believe me, Dumbledore won't let it happen."
If anything, Harry only looked glummer and Tonks’ heart went out to him. All fifteen-year-olds felt put upon and misunderstood by the world. In Harry's case, it was actually true.
"Chin up," she whispered. "Because, hey, at least it can't get any worse than it already is, right?"
Harry looked startled, then nodded and even gave her a small smile. "Yeah. That’s true. Thanks, Tonks."
"See ya, Harry. Ask Molly or Sirius to come seal the enchantments on the door again after I go out, okay?"
She stepped out into the evening light, gratefully breathing in the fresh air. Poor Sirius, stuck in there all the time, she thought. And poor Harry, not knowing what the world's got in store for him even past next week.
– – – – –
(continue to CHAPTER THREE)