Is thanking you enough? Does it let you know how much you've helped?

[nymphadorauror]

Date: Friday, May 5th, 2000
Time: Evening
Place: Liverpool to London, Tonks’ residence to Grimmald
Characters Involved: Ron & Tonks
Rating: PG- Maybe 13
Complete

Comments

[nymphadorauror]

She bent down and gathered up her things, leaving Ron the same amount she had let him carry before, and then headed up the stairs.

Tonks had wanted to come to Grimmald and take a look upstairs before she went about the task of moving in, but all the things she had done with her time before this night had kept her busy. The Inquiry, the Investigation, the secret meetings with friends of all sorts of underlining incentives, the list could go on and on. Add in the fact that she hadn’t really told her parents she’d be leaving sometime soon for a temporary residence, until she either found her own place or had to move out, also played a big reason. But when her mum and dad had harped on her about the werewolf attack, she felt no reason not to tell them at that moment, and change the subject entirely. She could handle the cries and screams of misunderstood moving, over any lecture borne from paranoia. Even if Tonks was an Auror, and had been one for a long time now, her parents would still fret and worry for her well-being, and earlier today it was not easily heard.

She turned her head to glance behind her as she climbed the stairs very slowly. “Yeah, in the hallway is fine for this stuff… I’ll find a place later on for everything, I’m sure.” Then she added, “ I don’t think any room in this place could be considered ‘nice’, Ron.” But Tonks had attempted a slight smile after her words, thinking it was amusing to consider anything about this house as nice, or any other fluffy word that was a complete opposite in meaning compared to what was viewed inside Headquarters.

Her idle thoughts resulted in her missing a step on the stairs, and nearly tripped and fell down the slope she had climbed. Luckily her legs knew when they did not work right, or had stepped wrong, and one of them bent at the knee and attempted to catch herself with a crouching of her body, so she wouldn’t tumble backwards. Her knee met down onto a stair, and allowed her survived her unsteady feet- this time.

[beyond_measure]

Ron picked up the two boxes and the bag that he'd had originally and followed Tonks up the stairs, thankfully far enough back from her that he managed not to trip over her. Only just, though, as he nearly over-balanced and one box went tumbling down the stairs when he threw a hand out to the banister. He'd forgotten how dangerous Tonks and a staircase could be.

After he recovered his balance he gave Tonks a nervous smile and offered her his free hand to get her up.

"Alright, Tonks?"

He glanced back down the stairs at the box he'd been forced to drop, half its contents scattered along the staircase. He'd get it once he'd set these down.

[nymphadorauror]

Tonks shifted the boxes in her arms and, with the help of Ron, got back up on her feet. She suffocated a nervous chuckle from the tight press of her lips, as she grinned. Then she noticed Ron was without a box, as he glanced behind himself at what had fallen.

“Oh, Merlin… I’m sorry Ron. I’ll be more careful.” She said quietly with a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m alright… I hope,” and then another chuckle of nerves was released. She turned around and attempted to finish getting up the stairs without any more box injuries. When she made it to the top, she let out a sigh of relief and headed for the assumed middle of the hallway before she put the boxes down.

“Which rooms where which, Ron?” Tonks asked as she looked down the hall where she thought Ron would be.

[beyond_measure]

Ron's smile became more sincere and he placed his remaining box and bag at the top of the stairs before doubling back to get the one that had dropped, quickly piling everything back into it.

He heard Tonks's question and glanced up towards her as he finally picked up the box and stood to make his way back up the stairs.

"The one nearest the stairs was Harry's, Hermione's was in the middle and mine was on the end."

He grabbed the stuff at the top of the stairs to carry it to where Tonks had put her load.

[nymphadorauror]

She stood up to glance down each side of the hall, checking out the doors with casual glances as Ron finished piling her stuff together.

“Ah, okay. Thanks.” She said softly to his answer. Then her attention went back to Ron, with a tilt of her head. “Are the rooms all cleared out of important stuff, then?” She walked around the pile of stuff, making a casual stride to the stairs. Her eyes moved from the doors to the floor as she stepped.

“You’ll visit, won’t you? Well no… actually, I’ll probably visit you- out of preference.” She stammered, with another faint chuckle tinting her voice. Who was she kidding? It’d be a fluke to welcome visitors in a place like Grimmald, and on top of it- in comparison to the ‘castle’ this house was a broom closet. No one could visit a friend in a broom closet with the dust bunnies. The realization made her sigh as she approached the foot of the stairs.

Dust bunnies or not, she welcomed the silence of the house probably more than any would. And evern perhaps if that was an odd pleasantry for her at a time like this, she really didn't see any delightful options. Well, none that were perceived as delightful.

[beyond_measure]

Ron grinned down at her. "Ah, we can come visit, as well." Wouldn't want to live here alone without any company for long, myself...

"I think I rather fancy some tea. Not really in the mood to be around too many people right now."

It was true, actually. Somehow the idea of the Leaky was really unappealing, at the moment, and the idea of giving Tonks a way to try even more to pretend like nothing was wrong was even less appealing.

"Come on. I've been told I'm brilliant at taking biscuits out of the tin and putting them on a plate."

[nymphadorauror]

It was the way Ron had replied, perhaps, or his voice, or his grin, as they took to the stairs. No matter the cause, it provoked Tonks into a sliver of herself, enough to tease Ron for the moment.

“You’ll not be able to visit if I lock all the doors on you.” She said as she flicked her eyes back to look at Ron, while a faint smile eased itself on her lips. The idea was a bit funny, enough so to lighten the heavy burden she felt she carried that day. The burden of blame, guilt, sorrow, among many other negativities. This ray of sun out of all of it was but a breath long, and then she fell back into a sullen expression.

“Well… if you are certain you’d rather not, Ron… that’s fine with me. But then how may I repay your help? You’ll have to fill me in with a substitute idea, then. You may tell me while you awe me with your biscuit talents.”

She waited for him as she passed down the stairwell, to lead them toward the kitchen, she assumed.

[beyond_measure]

Human beings were, Ron decided, far too complicated. Was Tonks sad again because she didn't want to stay here? He'd thought that staying in for the night might be better for her, she seemed so stressed that a crowd might be a bad idea, but now he wasn't so sure.

"Well... If you'd rather go that's fine, too."

He was lost once again. Hermione was nothing compared to a distressed Tonks.

[nymphadorauror]

She gave Ron a considerate glance, trying to figure out what she wanted to do, while trying to see if he hinted on what he wanted to do. She was confusing herself with the indecisiveness.

“Since……well, since we are already here…. I suppose we can stay here. If you don’t mind.” She released a deep breath after that bit of final placement. As if it was a big decision to make. It wasn’t, but things were just not right with Tonks, and mentally she was having trouble coping with the stress.

“Besides, tea sounds better than a butterbeer or a firewhiskey.”

[beyond_measure]

"Tea sounds good." Ron grinned at Tonks, "Lead the way, then."

There really must be a reason his Mum always made people tea when they were upset, after all, and Tonks was definitely upset. Being in a somewhat homey kitchen, even here, would probably be more calming than any pub; besides, the Leaky on a Friday night would probably be even less relaxing than usual. Getting her a little less stressed sounded like the best plan at the moment, assuming it was at all possible.