Paradox, Part 6
Jul. 11th, 2005 09:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pandora_culpaPoor Tonks. It must be a Monday.
Title: Paradox
Dramatis Personae: Tonks, Mad Eye Moody
Scene Rating: PG (still. Should get more interesting later.)
At some point she must have slept, though her sleep was anything but sound. By the time the sun peaked through the tattered, dusty curtains of her room Tonks felt as though she hadn't rested at all. Her eyes were puffed and bleary, and her entire body ached with exhaustion. But she dragged herself from bed all the same, stumbling into the shower and then into her clothes, and Apparating to the Ministry without bothering with breakfast. After her last two experiences in the kitchen of Grimmauld, she was less than eager to run the risk of encountering a similar phenomenon.
The Apparition points within the Ministry were busy that morning, so she hurried through the crowds and up to the relative quiet of the Department of Aurors, a small world of cubicles and clutter on the third floor. Ducking a flock of inter-office memos that fluttered past as she came through the door, Tonks quickly glanced about to see who was in the office that morning. Jameson was sipping his coffee and reading The Daily Prophet, while Collins was chatting up the newest graduate, Trillby. Of Moody there was no sign, and she felt the briefest stab of relief at that realization. Despite her resolution to confess to him about the odd things she'd been experiencing, Tonks had no great desire that morning to speak to anyone at all.
She crept through the cubicles, managing to avoid any notice until she came to her own space, where she dropped into her chair with a sigh. Her work station was much like everyone else's, covered with scrolls and memos, reminders of things yet to be completed, and reams of bureaucratic paperwork to be muddled through. Pushing a teetering pile of scrolls and office memos to one side, she laid her head down against the blotter, wishing it were a pillow. If only she could catch a few winks of sleep, make up for the restless nights…
"Wake yourself up, girl," barked a gruff voice behind her.
Tonks didn't even flinch. "No," she replied. "Just give me my assignment."
His claw-foot thunked loudly against the chair leg as he kicked it hard enough to spin the chair partly around. Tonks yelped and sat up in alarm, which had the unfortunate result of sending her crashing to the floor in a heap. Hurrying to regain her feet, she upset the dustbin and then promptly banged her head on the corner of the desk, causing her to swear at the sudden pain. Finally struggling upright, she tugged her uniform straight and was opening her mouth to protest when she realized that the entire department had come to a standstill and everyone was staring at her.
A hot flush of embarrassment spread across her cheeks but the rough old man simply looked her over and nodded his grizzled head curtly. "Better," he rasped. "You're on beat with me." And then he was stumping off, snapping out assignments to the other Aurors, all of whom suddenly were terribly busy.
Face flaming, Tonks briefly stared daggers after his retreating back before throwing her cloak recklessly across her shoulders and stomping through the office after him. She nearly fell flat on her face over Dawlish's briefcase, but caught herself and fixed him with a frigid glance that stilled any laughter, finally managing to make it to the front of the department without losing any more of her already-strained dignity. There she stood stiffly, while Moody made announcements to the room at large concerning assignments and various ongoing projects. "And don't forget to check the board," he exhorted the other Aurors. "There's been a Ministry meeting called for the end of the week. Mandatory," he added, fixing Collins with a stern look from his mismatched eyes as the younger man groaned loudly.
"A Ministry meeting," Tonks said flatly while people began moving to begin their tasks for the day. Moody swung his head around to study her, and she stared back, unintimidated. "And what time is this meeting?"
The old Auror gazed unblinkingly at her, then snorted. "Cheeky," he groused, and began limping toward the door.
She followed, catching up to him downstairs at the Apparition stations. "You haven't answered the question," she pointed out, her voice pitched low enough that only he could hear her.
The old man sighed almost imperceptibly, only his magical Eye wheeling about to look directly at her. "No, I didn't," he replied quietly, before continuing at normal volume. "And we should be in Knockturn Alley by now. Come on." And he stepped up to the dais, not glancing back at her before disappearing with a loud crack.
She appeared right on his heels, just behind Borgin and Burke's establishment. Glaring at him, she snapped, "Fine, we're here. Now can we talk about-"
"No. We're walking the Alley today. There have been several possible sightings of known Death Eaters here in the past weeks. We'll see if we can't flush a few of them out." He gave her a good looking-over and added, "Try not to look so much like yourself, won't you? You're on point."
"Damn," she swore quietly, even though it wasn't an entirely unexpected order. After all, the grizzled old Auror with his magical Eye was hardly inconspicuous, even in the unusual crowds that frequented this district, and with a long-suffering sigh she closed her eyes and morphed her face. Her spiky bubblegum hair darkened to deep chestnut curls, and the heart shape of her face seemed to melt into a soft oval. Plump, rosy lips curved upward in a smile and bright emerald eyes almost the color of Harry's twinkled as Tonks winked at her companion. "What do you think?"
"Terrible," he told her, though his natural eye remained transfixed upon her. "Too pretty. Pretty young women are likely to attract notice, be remembered. We don't need that kind of attention today. Tone it down."
Tonks pouted at him. "You're no fun." But she let her hair lighten to dull blonde, and her features relaxed as well until her face was simple and forgettable. He nodded curtly at the change, apparently satisfied for the time, and began pulling his Invisibility Cloak from the pack he carried.
The normality of the morning had almost made her forget the oddities of the past days, but staring at the silvery, half-visible fabric made her stomach roll and jump. The queasy feeling reminded her of the uneasy questions that had been bothering her, as well as her intention to speak to the old Auror about them. Seeing that he was almost done with arranging the cloak on his shoulders- only his head was still able to be seen- she blurted out, "I really need to talk to you."
"Later," he replied in an absent tone, still plucking at the folds of the cloak.
"Mad Eye!" she began indignantly, but a ferocious stare from him froze her tongue.
"Do your job, and we'll have whatever discussion is appropriate later, at a suitable venue. Have you taken leave of your senses, bringing up matters of sensitivity here? Now hurry up- we're late enough as it is." And with that he drew the hood of the cloak up over his head, disappearing completely.
Irritated but sensible enough to see his point, Tonks cast a quick glamour on her clothing and led the way to the front of the building. Behind her she could hear a dull clomping from his wooden leg, though that sound soon vanished beneath the noise from the Alley itself as she emerged into the bustling traffic there.
"Left." She barely heard Moody's hoarse whisper, but nodded imperceptibly and turned up the street.
Knockturn Alley, while set up in much the same manner as Diagon Alley, was nothing at all like its mate. Instead of the clean, open space of Diagon, with its colorful shops and outside patios, Knockturn was awkward and ugly. Cobbles were missing in the broad lane, and the storefronts gave the impression of being jammed uncomfortably against their neighbors. A sallow mist was ever-present along its twists and turns, the paint was peeling off of doorframes and windows, ravens congregated on the sagging rooftops, and every hinge groaned at the slightest touch. It was, in short, the most dismal place in all of Wizarding London.
Moody thrived on it.
At his insistence, they took their time ranging along the winding lane. Tonks led, drifting from window to window, ostensibly studying their wares while Moody observed from a short distance back. It was slow going, and not particularly interesting, though the job required that she see everything- without seeming to watch anything in particular. Once they had reached the far end Moody had her change her face and place a new glamour on her clothes, and thus redisguised they proceeded down the Alley once more.
After three passes without seeing anything worse than a shop involved in some semi-legal trafficking of laudanum and a particularly ugly shouting match between a street vendor and a passerby, Tonks paused before a window at an apothecary and pretended to examine the labels of the potions on display. "How much longer?" she hissed out the side of her mouth. "I'm bloody well parched."
She couldn't see him, but she sensed the old Auror's approach. "Back to Borgin and Burke's," he whispered, and then his presence was gone, no doubt already working his way through the crowds. Grateful for the needed break, she wasted no time in following suit.
Once behind the Dark artifacts store, Tonks waited until Moody slipped the hood from his head before asking, "Where shall we go? I suppose it's too much to hope that you'd agree to the Leaky Cauldron."
Moody brushed a few errant strands of steely hair from his face. "Far too obvious, lass. Once an Auror is spotted there, any chance of meeting a Death Eater even on this street is practically gone."
She made a face. "I really don't want to have to Apparate to Hogsmeade, or bother with some Muggle establishment- you'd never pass there. What-"
"Don't go off your trolley," he grumbled. "There's a place nearby where we can go, and it's safe enough to talk in as well. Follow me." And slipping the Invisibility Cloak from his shoulders, he stumped over to a narrow passageway between two large blocky buildings behind Borgin and Burke's. Tonks followed behind him with curiosity, as well as a little apprehension. Knockturn Alley was one thing; these little runs between the decrepit buildings were narrow and dark, piled with refuse and creating warrens with too many blind spots to travel through with safety. She'd always stayed clear of them except when it was absolutely unavoidable; she'd learned that from Moody himself.
But Mad Eye didn't seem a bit concerned, or at least no more than he was in any public place. He apparently knew the area and within a few minutes he was opening a dingy back door to what sounded like a pub from the raucous sounds that drifted out to greet them. Tonks arched an eyebrow at him when he glanced over his shoulder at her, and the old man gave a frightful grin, his natural eye glinting.
"Step lively, lass, they don't much appreciate this door hanging open. Wouldn't do to have the riffraff getting in."
"And what are we?" Tonks asked, slipping through the door and letting it fall shut behind her. They were in the pub's kitchen and despite their unannounced appearance, the kitchen staff only nodded curtly at Moody and went on about their business. With a smile more natural than any she'd seen on his face before, Mad Eye gestured her toward a rickety set of steps in the corner.
"Welcome guests," he replied. "Let's go and have that pint, eh?"
~*~*~
Title: Paradox
Dramatis Personae: Tonks, Mad Eye Moody
Scene Rating: PG (still. Should get more interesting later.)
At some point she must have slept, though her sleep was anything but sound. By the time the sun peaked through the tattered, dusty curtains of her room Tonks felt as though she hadn't rested at all. Her eyes were puffed and bleary, and her entire body ached with exhaustion. But she dragged herself from bed all the same, stumbling into the shower and then into her clothes, and Apparating to the Ministry without bothering with breakfast. After her last two experiences in the kitchen of Grimmauld, she was less than eager to run the risk of encountering a similar phenomenon.
The Apparition points within the Ministry were busy that morning, so she hurried through the crowds and up to the relative quiet of the Department of Aurors, a small world of cubicles and clutter on the third floor. Ducking a flock of inter-office memos that fluttered past as she came through the door, Tonks quickly glanced about to see who was in the office that morning. Jameson was sipping his coffee and reading The Daily Prophet, while Collins was chatting up the newest graduate, Trillby. Of Moody there was no sign, and she felt the briefest stab of relief at that realization. Despite her resolution to confess to him about the odd things she'd been experiencing, Tonks had no great desire that morning to speak to anyone at all.
She crept through the cubicles, managing to avoid any notice until she came to her own space, where she dropped into her chair with a sigh. Her work station was much like everyone else's, covered with scrolls and memos, reminders of things yet to be completed, and reams of bureaucratic paperwork to be muddled through. Pushing a teetering pile of scrolls and office memos to one side, she laid her head down against the blotter, wishing it were a pillow. If only she could catch a few winks of sleep, make up for the restless nights…
"Wake yourself up, girl," barked a gruff voice behind her.
Tonks didn't even flinch. "No," she replied. "Just give me my assignment."
His claw-foot thunked loudly against the chair leg as he kicked it hard enough to spin the chair partly around. Tonks yelped and sat up in alarm, which had the unfortunate result of sending her crashing to the floor in a heap. Hurrying to regain her feet, she upset the dustbin and then promptly banged her head on the corner of the desk, causing her to swear at the sudden pain. Finally struggling upright, she tugged her uniform straight and was opening her mouth to protest when she realized that the entire department had come to a standstill and everyone was staring at her.
A hot flush of embarrassment spread across her cheeks but the rough old man simply looked her over and nodded his grizzled head curtly. "Better," he rasped. "You're on beat with me." And then he was stumping off, snapping out assignments to the other Aurors, all of whom suddenly were terribly busy.
Face flaming, Tonks briefly stared daggers after his retreating back before throwing her cloak recklessly across her shoulders and stomping through the office after him. She nearly fell flat on her face over Dawlish's briefcase, but caught herself and fixed him with a frigid glance that stilled any laughter, finally managing to make it to the front of the department without losing any more of her already-strained dignity. There she stood stiffly, while Moody made announcements to the room at large concerning assignments and various ongoing projects. "And don't forget to check the board," he exhorted the other Aurors. "There's been a Ministry meeting called for the end of the week. Mandatory," he added, fixing Collins with a stern look from his mismatched eyes as the younger man groaned loudly.
"A Ministry meeting," Tonks said flatly while people began moving to begin their tasks for the day. Moody swung his head around to study her, and she stared back, unintimidated. "And what time is this meeting?"
The old Auror gazed unblinkingly at her, then snorted. "Cheeky," he groused, and began limping toward the door.
She followed, catching up to him downstairs at the Apparition stations. "You haven't answered the question," she pointed out, her voice pitched low enough that only he could hear her.
The old man sighed almost imperceptibly, only his magical Eye wheeling about to look directly at her. "No, I didn't," he replied quietly, before continuing at normal volume. "And we should be in Knockturn Alley by now. Come on." And he stepped up to the dais, not glancing back at her before disappearing with a loud crack.
She appeared right on his heels, just behind Borgin and Burke's establishment. Glaring at him, she snapped, "Fine, we're here. Now can we talk about-"
"No. We're walking the Alley today. There have been several possible sightings of known Death Eaters here in the past weeks. We'll see if we can't flush a few of them out." He gave her a good looking-over and added, "Try not to look so much like yourself, won't you? You're on point."
"Damn," she swore quietly, even though it wasn't an entirely unexpected order. After all, the grizzled old Auror with his magical Eye was hardly inconspicuous, even in the unusual crowds that frequented this district, and with a long-suffering sigh she closed her eyes and morphed her face. Her spiky bubblegum hair darkened to deep chestnut curls, and the heart shape of her face seemed to melt into a soft oval. Plump, rosy lips curved upward in a smile and bright emerald eyes almost the color of Harry's twinkled as Tonks winked at her companion. "What do you think?"
"Terrible," he told her, though his natural eye remained transfixed upon her. "Too pretty. Pretty young women are likely to attract notice, be remembered. We don't need that kind of attention today. Tone it down."
Tonks pouted at him. "You're no fun." But she let her hair lighten to dull blonde, and her features relaxed as well until her face was simple and forgettable. He nodded curtly at the change, apparently satisfied for the time, and began pulling his Invisibility Cloak from the pack he carried.
The normality of the morning had almost made her forget the oddities of the past days, but staring at the silvery, half-visible fabric made her stomach roll and jump. The queasy feeling reminded her of the uneasy questions that had been bothering her, as well as her intention to speak to the old Auror about them. Seeing that he was almost done with arranging the cloak on his shoulders- only his head was still able to be seen- she blurted out, "I really need to talk to you."
"Later," he replied in an absent tone, still plucking at the folds of the cloak.
"Mad Eye!" she began indignantly, but a ferocious stare from him froze her tongue.
"Do your job, and we'll have whatever discussion is appropriate later, at a suitable venue. Have you taken leave of your senses, bringing up matters of sensitivity here? Now hurry up- we're late enough as it is." And with that he drew the hood of the cloak up over his head, disappearing completely.
Irritated but sensible enough to see his point, Tonks cast a quick glamour on her clothing and led the way to the front of the building. Behind her she could hear a dull clomping from his wooden leg, though that sound soon vanished beneath the noise from the Alley itself as she emerged into the bustling traffic there.
"Left." She barely heard Moody's hoarse whisper, but nodded imperceptibly and turned up the street.
Knockturn Alley, while set up in much the same manner as Diagon Alley, was nothing at all like its mate. Instead of the clean, open space of Diagon, with its colorful shops and outside patios, Knockturn was awkward and ugly. Cobbles were missing in the broad lane, and the storefronts gave the impression of being jammed uncomfortably against their neighbors. A sallow mist was ever-present along its twists and turns, the paint was peeling off of doorframes and windows, ravens congregated on the sagging rooftops, and every hinge groaned at the slightest touch. It was, in short, the most dismal place in all of Wizarding London.
Moody thrived on it.
At his insistence, they took their time ranging along the winding lane. Tonks led, drifting from window to window, ostensibly studying their wares while Moody observed from a short distance back. It was slow going, and not particularly interesting, though the job required that she see everything- without seeming to watch anything in particular. Once they had reached the far end Moody had her change her face and place a new glamour on her clothes, and thus redisguised they proceeded down the Alley once more.
After three passes without seeing anything worse than a shop involved in some semi-legal trafficking of laudanum and a particularly ugly shouting match between a street vendor and a passerby, Tonks paused before a window at an apothecary and pretended to examine the labels of the potions on display. "How much longer?" she hissed out the side of her mouth. "I'm bloody well parched."
She couldn't see him, but she sensed the old Auror's approach. "Back to Borgin and Burke's," he whispered, and then his presence was gone, no doubt already working his way through the crowds. Grateful for the needed break, she wasted no time in following suit.
Once behind the Dark artifacts store, Tonks waited until Moody slipped the hood from his head before asking, "Where shall we go? I suppose it's too much to hope that you'd agree to the Leaky Cauldron."
Moody brushed a few errant strands of steely hair from his face. "Far too obvious, lass. Once an Auror is spotted there, any chance of meeting a Death Eater even on this street is practically gone."
She made a face. "I really don't want to have to Apparate to Hogsmeade, or bother with some Muggle establishment- you'd never pass there. What-"
"Don't go off your trolley," he grumbled. "There's a place nearby where we can go, and it's safe enough to talk in as well. Follow me." And slipping the Invisibility Cloak from his shoulders, he stumped over to a narrow passageway between two large blocky buildings behind Borgin and Burke's. Tonks followed behind him with curiosity, as well as a little apprehension. Knockturn Alley was one thing; these little runs between the decrepit buildings were narrow and dark, piled with refuse and creating warrens with too many blind spots to travel through with safety. She'd always stayed clear of them except when it was absolutely unavoidable; she'd learned that from Moody himself.
But Mad Eye didn't seem a bit concerned, or at least no more than he was in any public place. He apparently knew the area and within a few minutes he was opening a dingy back door to what sounded like a pub from the raucous sounds that drifted out to greet them. Tonks arched an eyebrow at him when he glanced over his shoulder at her, and the old man gave a frightful grin, his natural eye glinting.
"Step lively, lass, they don't much appreciate this door hanging open. Wouldn't do to have the riffraff getting in."
"And what are we?" Tonks asked, slipping through the door and letting it fall shut behind her. They were in the pub's kitchen and despite their unannounced appearance, the kitchen staff only nodded curtly at Moody and went on about their business. With a smile more natural than any she'd seen on his face before, Mad Eye gestured her toward a rickety set of steps in the corner.
"Welcome guests," he replied. "Let's go and have that pint, eh?"
