(Open) I cannot decode, my whole life spins into a frenzy.
With Harry safely shipped off to stay with the Dursleys once again for the summer, there was little to do but to wait and prepare. From her spot at the long dining table, Tonks could hear Molly and a few others bustle about 12 Grimmauld. They were packing. Sirius’ death had left the fate of Order’s headquarters in question. Until that could be sorted, they were shifting operations to the Burrow.
Tonks was supposed to be helping everyone pack. It was all just a matter of walking up the steps, picking up a box, and tossing things into it. She wasn’t as tidy as Molly, that was true, but it wasn’t the thought of cleaning that was keeping her from walking up those steps. At the moment, she felt as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. There were a lot of bad thoughts that plagued her mind but the one she kept coming back to was Sirius death. Tonks had been dueling Bellatrix last. If only she hadn’t lost her footing then Bellatrix wouldn’t have been able to move onto dueling Sirius. If Bellatrix hadn’t moved on then maybe Sirius might not have fallen behind that blasted veil, just when she had been getting to know him too.
She lingered at the table for a few more minutes before finally rising. Tonks picked up her jacket and slung it around her shoulders. She could hear people milling about in the kitchen but so far, they hadn’t made their presence known to Tonks. That was fine with her, she was going to leave and maybe get some fresh air.
On her way out of the kitchen, Tonks nearly tripped and fell flat on her face. It was that blasted, troll-leg umbrella stand again. She stopped what she was doing in order to stare down at the stand before giving it a good kick. “Ow…” That was a mistake. The stand had not budged but she was sure that the bones in her foot had. “You stupid, bloody, piece of rubbish!” Every word was punctuated with a kick to the umbrella stand though this time Tonks was wise enough to kick the stand with the side of her foot as opposed to using her toes.
“Oi Tonks, what did that stand ever do to you?”
Tonks looked up, mid-kick, at Charlie Weasley who was visiting. “It had it coming,” she remarked. “Now is there something you wanted or did you just want to watch me abuse inanimate objects?”
“Mum wanted to know if you were going to come around to the Burrow for dinner tonight. Should I tell her that you’ll be otherwise engaged in harming household items?”
She opened her mouth and then immediately closed it. He could be just as insufferable as his twin brothers. She knew that he wasn’t trying to be, that it was only her mood that made her annoyed, but she still found herself wanting to hex him. “No. I’ll be there.” Tonks then turned around to leave. She hadn’t taken two steps when her shoe got caught up the flare of her jeans. She felt herself fall and was for certain that she would have hit the floor, if Charlie hadn’t reached out and grabbed her arm. “Thanks Charlie.”
“Don’t mention it.” He replied, only letting go of her arm when she was on solid footing. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Yeah,” Tonks replied and stepped away from him. “If you see your Mum, tell her I just needed to catch some fresh air. She’s insistent on leaving this house cleaner than she found it.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that. Bye Tonks.”
“Good-bye Charlie.” She said and then made her way out of 12 Grimmauld Place. It wasn’t going to be the last time she saw the house, she was sure that once some of the kinks were worked out the Order would be back in business there. Even if it didn’t work out, Tonks wasn’t so sure that she’d miss the place. The Burrow, at least, was friendly.
Outside, she crossed the street to enter the worn down Muggle park. Her pink trainers didn’t make much noise as she walked along the footpath. Every so often, she let out a sigh or would look around. She crossed to the other side of the park before deciding that getting air wasn’t making her feel better. Maybe Molly could spare her a few moments, she was good at listening. Tonks turned around. Talking to Molly was exactly what she was going to do and so Tonks turned around to walk back to 12 Grimmauld Place.
She was halfway there when Tonks collided with something. It was true that she was a klutz but normally she could see what hit her. The collision caused Tonks to jerk and to do a ninety-degree turn. She didn’t see anything not even when she did a complete one-eighty turn, there was still nothing. That was peculiar and made Tonks feel a little on edge. There had been a couple of kids playing on the swings but that couldn’t have been what hit her. She shook her head, no, it couldn’t have been that.
“Alright Tonks, keep it together. You don’t want these Muggles thinking you’re a nutter.” She muttered to herself and started to head back down the path when she was again struck. The blow was so hard that Tonks momentarily saw lights and was spun around. She blinked and when opened her eyes. She let out a little curse when a frigid gust of wind blew into her.
She wasn’t in London anymore.
Tonks wasn’t anywhere that she recognized. They skyline most definitely did not belong to London and the fountain that she was standing next to didn't resemble one she was familiar with. Had she touched a portkey without her knowing it? If she had, what was it and where had it delivered her to?
Another gust of wind blew and Tonks shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Wherever she was, it was cold. “You're not a green little thing fresh into Auror training, you'll be fine. You need to find out where you are and get shelter.” If there were buildings then there had to be people in them, Tonks reasoned.
There was no time like the present to find out and so Tonks started to walk away from the fountain and towards the buildings.. Besides, the walking would at least help to warm her up.
Tonks was supposed to be helping everyone pack. It was all just a matter of walking up the steps, picking up a box, and tossing things into it. She wasn’t as tidy as Molly, that was true, but it wasn’t the thought of cleaning that was keeping her from walking up those steps. At the moment, she felt as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. There were a lot of bad thoughts that plagued her mind but the one she kept coming back to was Sirius death. Tonks had been dueling Bellatrix last. If only she hadn’t lost her footing then Bellatrix wouldn’t have been able to move onto dueling Sirius. If Bellatrix hadn’t moved on then maybe Sirius might not have fallen behind that blasted veil, just when she had been getting to know him too.
She lingered at the table for a few more minutes before finally rising. Tonks picked up her jacket and slung it around her shoulders. She could hear people milling about in the kitchen but so far, they hadn’t made their presence known to Tonks. That was fine with her, she was going to leave and maybe get some fresh air.
On her way out of the kitchen, Tonks nearly tripped and fell flat on her face. It was that blasted, troll-leg umbrella stand again. She stopped what she was doing in order to stare down at the stand before giving it a good kick. “Ow…” That was a mistake. The stand had not budged but she was sure that the bones in her foot had. “You stupid, bloody, piece of rubbish!” Every word was punctuated with a kick to the umbrella stand though this time Tonks was wise enough to kick the stand with the side of her foot as opposed to using her toes.
“Oi Tonks, what did that stand ever do to you?”
Tonks looked up, mid-kick, at Charlie Weasley who was visiting. “It had it coming,” she remarked. “Now is there something you wanted or did you just want to watch me abuse inanimate objects?”
“Mum wanted to know if you were going to come around to the Burrow for dinner tonight. Should I tell her that you’ll be otherwise engaged in harming household items?”
She opened her mouth and then immediately closed it. He could be just as insufferable as his twin brothers. She knew that he wasn’t trying to be, that it was only her mood that made her annoyed, but she still found herself wanting to hex him. “No. I’ll be there.” Tonks then turned around to leave. She hadn’t taken two steps when her shoe got caught up the flare of her jeans. She felt herself fall and was for certain that she would have hit the floor, if Charlie hadn’t reached out and grabbed her arm. “Thanks Charlie.”
“Don’t mention it.” He replied, only letting go of her arm when she was on solid footing. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Yeah,” Tonks replied and stepped away from him. “If you see your Mum, tell her I just needed to catch some fresh air. She’s insistent on leaving this house cleaner than she found it.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that. Bye Tonks.”
“Good-bye Charlie.” She said and then made her way out of 12 Grimmauld Place. It wasn’t going to be the last time she saw the house, she was sure that once some of the kinks were worked out the Order would be back in business there. Even if it didn’t work out, Tonks wasn’t so sure that she’d miss the place. The Burrow, at least, was friendly.
Outside, she crossed the street to enter the worn down Muggle park. Her pink trainers didn’t make much noise as she walked along the footpath. Every so often, she let out a sigh or would look around. She crossed to the other side of the park before deciding that getting air wasn’t making her feel better. Maybe Molly could spare her a few moments, she was good at listening. Tonks turned around. Talking to Molly was exactly what she was going to do and so Tonks turned around to walk back to 12 Grimmauld Place.
She was halfway there when Tonks collided with something. It was true that she was a klutz but normally she could see what hit her. The collision caused Tonks to jerk and to do a ninety-degree turn. She didn’t see anything not even when she did a complete one-eighty turn, there was still nothing. That was peculiar and made Tonks feel a little on edge. There had been a couple of kids playing on the swings but that couldn’t have been what hit her. She shook her head, no, it couldn’t have been that.
“Alright Tonks, keep it together. You don’t want these Muggles thinking you’re a nutter.” She muttered to herself and started to head back down the path when she was again struck. The blow was so hard that Tonks momentarily saw lights and was spun around. She blinked and when opened her eyes. She let out a little curse when a frigid gust of wind blew into her.
She wasn’t in London anymore.
Tonks wasn’t anywhere that she recognized. They skyline most definitely did not belong to London and the fountain that she was standing next to didn't resemble one she was familiar with. Had she touched a portkey without her knowing it? If she had, what was it and where had it delivered her to?
Another gust of wind blew and Tonks shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Wherever she was, it was cold. “You're not a green little thing fresh into Auror training, you'll be fine. You need to find out where you are and get shelter.” If there were buildings then there had to be people in them, Tonks reasoned.
There was no time like the present to find out and so Tonks started to walk away from the fountain and towards the buildings.. Besides, the walking would at least help to warm her up.