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Desperate Times, Desperate Measures	By : Daye Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Harry/Tonks Views: 93097 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter franchise. I make no money from the writing of this.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Ok, long time, no updates. Really, long time and no updates but when it was six months later and I was still getting reviews on it, I kinda got the hint, guys.

Chapter 7: Homecoming

As it turned out, Tonks’ little stunt did not seem to overly annoy the Ministry. At least not by so much that they didn’t send a car to take them to King’s Cross Station on September the first. Harry supposed that Rufus Scrimgeour considered that the bad publicity of Harry getting attacking on his way to London would be far worse than the Auror Department’s nose being tweaked.

Harry resolutely refused to be impressed by the Ministry’s cars, even as they made steady progress through the unmoving London traffic. He was still in a bad mood; in fact he had never approached the return to Hogwarts in lower spirits. Not even, he thought rather melodramatically, when he had thought that there was a dangerous mass murderer out for his blood.

Upon arrival at the Station, the ministry men quickly unloaded his and Tonks’ heavy trunks and abandoned them to the hustle and bustle of the busy station. Like Professor Lupin had in a previous year, Tonks was taking the train to Hogwarts along with the rest of the students, partially for the security of all the students but mostly to keep an eye on Harry. Harry had a sneaking suspicion that Tonks was hoping that they would make it up on the train ride. However, Harry was determined that it would take far more than a day locked in a small carriage compartment with nothing to do to accomplish that.

As they entered the crowded building, Tonks drew closer to Harry’s back, which rather than providing reassurance just made Harry feel more claustrophobic. He’d never liked crowds; they were too much like being surrounded by Dudley’s gang. The effect only became more pronounced when they passed through the solid barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten and onto Platform 9 & ¾, because unlike the Muggles who paid him no mind, Harry could feel the gaze of every single one of the fascinated wizards as if their eyeballs were glued to his skull.

Still having Tonks with him had some advantages, she was taller than him and had perfected a good Aurorish glower that made people want to get out of their way, so their progress inside the train was quick and efficient. Luckily Harry ran into a pair of familiar faces almost at once; a round faced boy and a girl with a faraway look and lots of blonde hair.

“Hello Neville, Hello Luna,” Harry smiled, “You two know Tonks right?”

Luna and Neville gave him a slightly confused look.

“Or maybe you don’t? She helped us out at the end of last year, but you probably never got properly introduced,” Harry continued, “Tonks, is our new Defence Teacher, and in case you’ve not been getting The Prophet, she’s also my wife. Tonks, this is Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood.”

Luna and Neville gave him a slightly confused look.

“Let’s find a compartment shall we?” Harry said, defeated.

They found a compartment and quickly entered it. There was a group of fourth year girls hanging about, looking like the wanted to try and talk to him but Tonks scared them off with a quick glare as she closed the compartment’s door with some force. She then sat down and immediately put her feet up on the seat opposite so her long legs barricaded the entrance quite effectively.

Neville shot her a slightly worried look, although he had made tremendous progress in the last last year, he still appeared to be prone to nervousness in unfamiliar situations.

Harry stole a quick look at Tonk’s face as well; her eyebrows nearly met in the middle with the force of her frown. She had not said a word since they’d entered the train station. It seemed he was not the only one in a bad mood. Harry had very little sympathy though, after all this was all her fault.

“So, are we still doing DA meetings this year?” Luna asked after a few moments of awkward silence,

“Umm,” Harry said, really not having considered it at all, “I don’t suppose we need to now we’ve got a decent Defence teacher instead of Umbridge.”

“Aww,” Neville piped up, “I really liked the DA. I learned loads with you, Harry!”

“Yes, I liked the meetings. It was like how I imagine having friends would be.” Luna added.

Harry and Neville exchanged a glance filled with mutual embarrassment and not an insubstantial amount of pity. Truth be told though, Harry was rather fond of Luna, though the girl’s aggressive eccentricity could be rather off putting. She was nevertheless a loyal friend, even accompanying Harry into the Ministry. He’d not forgotten her words at the end of last year which had been the only thing to give him some measure of peace about Sirius’ death.

“Of course, we’re your friends, Luna. Whether we continue with the DA or not, won’t change that one bit,” Harry said, gently.

“I think you should continue, Harry,” said a quiet voice from the doorway. Harry turned towards Tonks in surprise but she was still facing away from them, even as she continued talking, “Sometimes the best way to learn something is to teach it and there’s no such thing as too much practise after all.”

Harry made an indistinct noise in the back of his throat and turned his attention to the scenery whizzing past the window next to him as the Express rumbled on.

~0~

By the time, Ron and Hermione entered the compartment; it had subsided back into a stony silence. The two gazed over the still compartment and then exchanged worried looks. The bad mood emanating from the married couple was palpable and quite in contrast to the happy affectionate attitude Harry had displayed on his birthday. Obviously, something had changed between them in the last month. Internally, Hermione sighed. It was going to take forever to drag the tale out of Harry if she was any judge of it and even longer to fix it.

“Hello, everyone,” She said brightly, receiving genuine smiles and hellos from Neville and Luna but only grunts from Harry and Tonks, who were steadfastly staring in opposite directions. Tonks removed her feet from blocking the compartment door to let them pass but only did so begrudgingly.

“Hello Harry, Hello Tonks,” Hermione said rather pointedly. “Did you have a nice journey to the station?”

“The Ministry sent a car for us,” Tonks said shortly, “So we made good time. Now, I really should do a sweep of the train.”

And with that, she rose to her feet and left, half colliding with the door in her hurry to leave.

“Well. That was nice,” grumbled Ron as he dropped into Tonks’ vacated seat, “What’s her problem?”

Harry did not answer, nor did he look at them. Hermione and Ron exchanged another glance.

This was going to be a long train ride.

~0~

Tonks did not return to their compartment for the rest of the journey and this suited Harry just fine. This, coupled with the arrival of copious amounts of sugar via the Lunch Trolley, served to lighten Harry’s dark mood enough that he decided to join in the exploding snap game that lasted most of the way to Hogwarts. Although he still ignored Ron and Hermione’s attempts to talk to him about his holidays to their growing annoyance.

Eventually, they reached Hogsmeade station and everyone dragged their trunks out onto the station. The cold evening air washed over Harry, feeling very pleasant after the increasingly stuffy confines of the train compartment. Still he didn’t have much time to enjoy it as he was caught up in the tide of students pulling him towards the Thestral propelled Carriage.

The castle of Hogwarts slowly came into view as the Thestrals trotted up its long sweeping drive. The towers and battlements of the old fortress looked impressively solid and tough. As he stepped over the threshold, he couldn’t help but feel better, a sense of reassurance and safety surrounded him as surely as the stone walls did. He was safe. He was Home.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville made their way across the room to the Gryffindor table, while with a slightly melancholy last look at them, Luna headed in the opposite direction towards the Ravenclaw table.

As they waited for the feast to begin, Harry finally saw Tonks again, at her place on the staff table with the other Teachers. It suddenly struck just how out of place she looked there, being at least half the age of anyone else there. The other teachers were all wearing their best robes; Tonks on the other hand was still wearing her favourite battered Red dragonskin jacket over a T-shirt with what Harry recalled to be a highly inappropriate slogan printed across it. Tonks did appear unnerved by this. At least, if she was, she was doing a good job of not showing it as she chatted with plump Professor Sprout, who had been her old Head of House when she was a student.

Harry had been so transfixed with Tonks that it was quite a surprise when the Sorting Hat started shouting out houses for the new first years.

When everyone was settled in their places in their new house tables, Dumbledore stood to address them all.

“Welcome,” He said, his voice effortlessly filling the hall, though Harry could not tell if this was done by magic or simple force of oration, “welcome all, to another year at Hogwarts! As ever I am afraid there are niggling organisational details that I must enlighten you about before I can let you enjoy our magnificent feast.

“First, I must note that given current events, the Castle has undergone significant upgrades in security and everyone, even our old hands, should pay attention to the notices detailing the new arrangements. I look to the prefects and our Head Boy and Girl to make sure that all students are as safe as possible. Mr Filch would like me to inform you that he has imposed a ban on all products from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes joke shop. And finally, of course, there is our annual change in Defence professors.”

There was an appreciative chuckle around the hall at the all too accurate joke.

“This year, we are pleased to add Auror Nymphadora Tonks, lately of the Ministry to our faculty’s ranks.”

The applause was widespread and enthusiastic. Particularly with Tonks’ old housemates in Hufflepuff and, Harry noted and felt a frown creasing his forehead, most of the older lads in the room. Harry doubted this had anything to do with their appreciation of her talents in fighting the Dark Arts. Terry Boot even went as far as sticking his fingers in his mouth and wolf whistling. Evidently the force of Harry’s glower had become tangible at that point, because Terry suddenly stopped whistling, looked right at Harry and then quailed at the dark look on his face.

Still, it took quite a lot of house-elf prepared food to alleviate Harry’s temper after that.

~0~

Tonks wandered down the halls of Hogwarts for the first time in years and for the first time in even more years, she was wandering through the halls of Hogwarts lost. This wasn’t exactly her fault, she mused, not only did the layout of the castle change of its own accord over time but she’d never visited a Teacher’s quarters before. She’d never even known they’d existed. Teachers had not as far as she’d been aware had an existence outside of their academic duties. Though of course it was quite silly, she imagined that when she was a student she’d just thought that the teachers spent all the time when they weren’t teaching in their offices. Maybe they slept there as well; with their feet up on their desks.

As it turned out the quarters of the Defence Against the Dark Arts tutor were not that far from the great hall and consisted of a small suite of rooms. A large main room that seemed to be a miniature kitchen, dining room, lounge and study all combined into one and a pair of smaller rooms, one with an old fashioned but comfortable double bed and the other was the bathroom, which held quite a generous size bath.

Tonks noted that some helpful house elf had already placed her trunk in her bedroom and mostly emptied it of items that could easily be identified. Her wardrobe had already been filled with her clothes. Even so the amount of books and other odds and ends that were left in the bottom seemed an insurmountable task to sort out this evening. Instead lacking the motivation to actually do anything, Tonks just shed her clothing onto the floor and burrowed under the covers of her new bed.

It had, after all, been a very long trying day. Even trying to keep the brats on the train off each other’s throats had been exhausting, Tonks was already wondering if taking this job had been a mistake, and, if the dark look on his face as she had been announced was any indication, so was Harry.

Still even as tired as she was, sleep seemed to elude Tonks. The silence of the room was deafening as she lay in the centre of the big bed...

All alone.

~0~

The next morning was the start of a new term’s classes which also meant Harry had to get up a lot earlier than he had been. Unusually, this wasn’t much of a problem for him. He actually hadn’t slept very well. His four poster bed in Gryffindor Tower, replete as it was with drapes, blankets and warming bedpans had nevertheless just seemed too cold.

A hearty Hogwarts breakfast was just the thing to perk him up, he thought as he trudged into the great hall. For once, the piles of sausages, scrambled eggs, bacon and fried bread that Harry was stacking on his plate rivalled the amount of food on Ron’s, who was sitting next to him. Without words being exchanged they both eagerly attacked their food.

He’d nearly finished it as well; he was wolfing down the last of his streaky bacon as Professor McGonagall finished sorting out Neville’s NEWT timetable.

“It’s high time your Grandmother learned to be proud of the grandson she’s got, rather than the one she thinks she ought to have – particularly after what happened at the Ministry.” She was saying just, as Harry frantically washed down the food with a long draught of pumpkin juice.

“Ah! Potter,” McGonagall said to him, with just the slightest extra hint of warmth showing in her tone, although she could have just been getting a sore throat, “Charms, Herbology, Transfiguration. All fine, I was very pleased indeed with your Transfiguration mark, Potter and I see that your Potions’ mark was vastly improved as well. I’m sorry that Professor Snape doesn’t see it the same way. Now, Care Of Magical Creatures, alright but I should warn you that you won’t be getting much in the way of company. That just leaves...”

“Defence Against the Dark Arts,” Harry prompted, wondering at the hold up.

“Yes,” McGonagall said, “Defence Against the Dark Arts.... Potter, Are you sure?”

“Why wouldn’t I be sure?” Harry asked, “Are you saying I wouldn’t benefit from Defence classes, Professor?”

“No...” McGonagall said, “It’s just...”

“I got an Outstanding grade in that OWL you know.” Harry continued,

“Yes, but...”

“The practical exam mark was something like a hundred and eight percent,” Harry said.

“Harry! It’s not you I am objecting to,” McGonagall said as a couple of pink spots appeared on her cheeks, “It’s just, well, Professor Tonks is...”

“A complete professional,” Harry said firmly.

“Yes,” McGonagall said, her lips rather thin and white, “Of course.”

~0~

“So,” said Hermione as she looked over the Ancient Runes text book she was reading, “What do you think is up with Harry?”

Ron looked up from the Chess board he was arranging with a heavy sigh. They were both seated in their favourite armchairs in the common room. It was one of their first free periods, and the only one that he and Hermione had alone together. Harry was meanwhile down on the grounds as one of half a dozen people taking Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid.

“I mean did you see the look on Tonks’ face on the train yesterday?” Hermione continued, oblivious, “and Harry looked like he hadn’t slept at all this morning. There’s something going on.”

“I imagine there is.” Ron said grumpily. Hermione did not miss his tone.

“What’s your problem Ron?” She asked.

“Nothing,” Ron snapped, angrily. Hermione blanched slightly as his harsh tone and opened her mouth to retort, when she noticed that he suddenly looked rather abashed.

“Sorry,” he muttered, running his hands through his shaggy red hair, “It’s just... can we have, just once, a conversation that doesn’t revolve around Harry?”

Hermione could have pointed out that, they quite often did have conversations like that but wisely didn’t say so, and just nodded.

“I mean,” Ron said and continued to talk about Harry regardless, “Yes, he’s obviously in a mood. Yes, there’s something up with him but honestly Hermione, when isn’t there? Bugger’s never happy is he? Sure, he’s got a lot on his plate, no denying that. But come on, look at what he has got. Quidditch Captain, Dumbledore looking out for him. Everyone looking up to him. He even gets a major babe like Tonks just thrown into his lap. I mean some of us can’t even pluck up the courage to ask a girl out and he’s there moping about how he had to sleep with a gorgeous intelligent women!”

There was a pause here, as Ron seemed to run out of words and just sat gazing at Hermione,

“So,” Hermione leant closer to him as a small amused smile curved the corners of her lips, “Who do you want to ask out?”

“What?” Ron spluttered and cringed slightly as he replayed his speech in his head, his ears going brick red “Nothing! Err... No-one, I mean. It was just, err... hypothetical right? I mean, you wanna play chess now? I’ll let you go first.”

Hermione’s smile only grew wider as she reached for the white pieces.

She didn’t really mind that he’d completely crushed her at the game by the end of the free period. Just as the game ended, Harry hauled himself through the portrait hole, looking slightly battered and his robes were muddied and tattered by whatever monster Hagrid had decided to teach at NEWT Level.

As she hurried off to greet him, she heard a faint sigh from Ron behind her.

“Here we go again,” He muttered.

~0~0~0~

A/n: Well, no smuttiness this time I’m afraid but at least it’s back right? If you’ve got this far, you could always use that review buttons that just a bit further down...

I have been heavily referencing this fic from Half Blood prince which is especially obvious in the first chapter and the train dialogue in this one. As well the quoting McGonagall’s encouragement of Neville, because honestly, I like Neville and I loved that bit but beyond this, its highly dubious how much I'll stick with canon. Obviously the Malfoy subplot has not happened and I'm not sure if horcrux even exist for this fic.

Next: Working for the Weekend
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Desperate Times, Desperate Measures