(no subject)

The fluttering of wings at the window woke Tonks from her restless sleep.

She blinked her eyes open and slid out of bed, a muttered Lumos flaring the candle to life. She threw open the sash.

It was Hestia.

A cold stone settled in the pit of Tonks' stomach as she absently stroked the bird and untied the letter from her leg. Mechanically, she opened the envelope, sat down on the bed, and began to read.

She read it once. Twice. Three times. She didn't really notice the tear that slid off the end of her nose, splashing onto the page.

After a long while, she folded up the letter and set it on the bedside table.

She wanted so much to believe him. But something told her that hoping for too much would hurt all the more in the end.

As she crawled back down under the covers, Tonks rolled away from his side of the bed, shivering slightly.

Sleep was a long time in returning.

(no subject)

*It's nearly dawn, and she still hasn't slept much. Tonks shifts in the ancient bed, pulling the covers up further around her, and then narrows her eyes.

There's someone else in the room.*

(no subject)

Tonks was back down in the library at Grimmauld Place, a map in front of her and a mug of tea at her elbow. She methodically checked the map against the list of incident reports in her hand, looking for any possible pattern or association. She glanced over at Bernard's letter on the table, unsettled -- not only because she didn't really know what to say to Bernard, still, but also because the thought of Peter Pettigrew, well-intentioned though he may be, un-Bound and stirring things up did not sit well on her mind. The balance was fragile, these days, and it needed to tip the right way.

She looked up as an owl flew in the open dormer window, depositing a letter on top of the map. She tossed her an owl treat from the bag on the corner of the desk, and opened the envelope, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes for a moment before reading.

As she read over it, she bit her lip. It was silly to have gone off like that and not say where she'd be. She hated to make Tom worry, especially.

Bernard, too.

Tonks pulled out clean sheets of parchment and wrote two letters.

Dear Tom,

Yes, I'm all right, I'm at Headquarters. Sorry for not letting you know sooner, but I've been burying myself with work today in order not to think about Things too much. Not all that successful, really.

Bernard wrote to me what happened last night. I'm just not sure what to think. I know you're right, it's hard with people coming in from all times and places -- but it makes me wonder.

I'll be back in the House of Arch tonight. Maybe we can talk soon.

Tonks



Bernard,

Thanks for letting us know about Peter. I'll pass the information along.

Are you all right?

I'm safe.


Tonks stared at the letters for a moment, and then called the owl back over. She tied the letters to her leg and sent her winging back out in the pale January light.

Then she turned back to her map, staring at it for a long time without really seeing anything.

(no subject)

Bernard,

Right now, I'm at Headquarters. Remus let me stay the night. I'll be back at the House of Arch tonight, though, so please don't worry. I'm safe and fine in that regard.

But I can't help but think of the fact that people seem to come to Milliways for a reason. Why is it that she showed up there last night, then? Maybe it's because you and she are meant to be together, in this timeline, in the bar. I don't know. I don't pretend to understand it. But I do know that seeing her with you was one of the scariest moments of my life. I know now how much I could get hurt, and it's frightening.

I just need some time to think about what we're doing.

Nymphadora