The house was completely quiet as Harry felt a twitch in his right shoulder. It was a very bothersome twitch and he couldn't remain asleep with the irritation. He was half awake trying to rotate the pain away when he realized that he was on his back and Tonks was lying on top of him. He was able to complete a few passes of his shoulder without disturbing her. Pain gone, Harry looked at the person who was covering him more than the sheet.
Her hair was spread across his chest in rivulets moving slightly with every breath. Her nose breached the curtain of hair and sent her expelled breath through the hair. Tonks' head was comfortably nestled on Harry's left shoulder forcing his left arm to hold her in place. Her left hand was holding his right side firmly preventing him from leaving or moving too much. Harry smiled as he finally felt like he had a place to belong. 'I like this so much. I feel good here. I feel like I am supposed to be here. Is this what everyone else feels like most of the time?'
Harry continued assessing his position. Tonks' left leg was draped over his. She was pressed against the full length of his body or as much of it as she covered. Harry closed his eyes and reveled in the feeling of Tonks' body against his. The warmth and softness was something he had never experienced before outside of this summer. Now that he had felt it, Harry craved the sensation. Comforting and special, Harry yearned to feel it as often as possible.
A deep breath from Tonks' forced Harry's eyes open again. He watched as Tonks snuggled her head deeper into his shoulder and chest. He felt her breasts rub against his side and he fought with his hormone-driven thoughts. 'Keep it together. Tonks is just a friend…who you have been snogging with every night since you got here. She is just playing around, it means nothing to her. Her eyes say different.' Harry continued to watch Tonks shift in her sleep and his body was responding accordingly. 'Bollocks, this is going to be embarrassing when she wakes up.'
A few minutes more of Tonks trying to dig into Harry's body and she settled. Harry couldn't see her eyes, but he could feel her heart beating steady and strong. He could feel his reaction pressing against her leg and he hoped that she wouldn't laugh at him when she woke up.
"Morning, Harry," Tonks said softly in a very female voice. Harry reacted even worse than he already had. "I 'feel' you are awake and ready for a new day."
'Oh hell, she doesn't stop.' Harry looked down as Tonks cleared her hair away from her face. Harry saw a warm and hungry look in her eyes once they were uncovered. He hesitated before speaking. "I, um, sorry Tonks, I just…"
Tonks cut him off by placing her hand behind his head and pulling herself up to his face. Her lips met his and quickly her tongue was involved. She kissed him like her life was at stake. She pressed her lips to his in a hungry desperation. Her tongue flicked around his mouth in a never-ending race. Her breathing accelerated and her body moved slowly upwards making the kisses easier to perform.
As she snogged Harry for everything he was worth, Tonks moved her body into a position where she was more on top of him than before. Her left leg had made it to the other side of his body preventing him from moving in that direction and her left foot had curled under his right knee locking them together more firmly. Her chest was pleasantly resting on Harry's and he could feel her nipples move against his skin from behind the fabric of her shirt.
The kisses continued but the fevered-pitch slowed to a steadier and heated pace. They were deeper and more thorough kisses. Harry decided to let Tonks control the pace and anything else she wanted. 'She knows better than I do. I am the teenaged-boy here.' Her right leg had taken up a position to his left effectively giving her all control in the matter of the morning's activities.
Harry was regaining control of his own body, especially one very excited spot, when he felt her hips move against his own. He paused as he felt her flat stomach roll against his lower abdomen. She was moving slowly but that didn't matter to an excited fifteen-year-old. Harry responded by thrusting his hips upward and rubbing against her. Tonks never skipped a beat and repeated the motion earning her a similar response. A dozen or so repetitions and she changed her angle.
Tonks lowered herself to lie flush with Harry's body. She rubbed herself, up and down along Harry's body, moving her pelvis slowly around his crotch. Harry could feel the heat being put off by her and he loved every minute. He smelled something that he couldn't place, but he liked it all the same. As Tonks moved the heat increased and Harry was beginning to worry about certain things happening. He pulled away from her eager mouth and wanted to ask her a question before he became too worked up.
Tonks opened her eyes enough to see his face and cut off his question with her mouth while moving her right hand from his chest to his crotch. She moved it slowly around telling him everything he needed to know. The pace increased and Harry was starting to feel the pressure down there. He wanted her to feel the same thing so he broke the kiss and stared at her face until she opened her eyes.
He forced his way into her mind like he had done before and she put up no resistance. The warm feeling his body was undergoing was shared by his mind. He saw swirls of warm, soft colors and felt a gust of heated air pass through his head. He felt a burning sensation in his lower regions that wasn't there before. He heard a soft squeal of pleasure escape Tonks mouth right before he covered it with his own.
Tonks moved her hips faster and with more determination than previously. She was rubbing and moving around faster and faster. Her breathing had increased to short and fast breaths. Harry's hands had moved from her sides to her back and lower when she moved upward. Her firm butt was higher with her last stroke and Harry held it tightly in his hands. He flexed his fingers squeezing the muscle and skin and heard another sound escape from Tonks' throat.
Harry gave a slight push on her rear and she responded by moving in the same direction. She pushed against him forcefully earning a moan from Harry. They continued the movement a few times before the heat became overwhelming under the sheet. In one swift motion of her left arm, Tonks threw the sheet off of them and sat up placing her hips directly above Harry's.
She placed both her hands on his chest and pushed. Her hips were moving around and Harry felt the pressure in himself increase again. He opened his eyes to see Tonks above him rocking back and forth. Her hair was mussed and she wasn't showing any signs of slowing. Harry moved his hands to the sides of her hips and slowed her somewhat. Tonks opened her eyes and looked right into Harry's.
He saw the hunger had been replaced by desire and that was all he could see. He forced his way into her welcoming mind again feeling his urges increase. Tonks bucked forcefully and proceeded to grind herself into Harry's groin. She kept her eyes open and stared into his face as she sped up her actions. Harry watched as her eyes sparkled with passion as she writhed around on top of him. He knew he was beyond the point of no return, but he didn't care. It was only a matter of time and he would have a mess to clean up.
Tonks smiled a smile that Harry could only describe as lustful. She found her pace and maintained it until she was squealing softly with each of Harry's moans. They were staring at each other and were in perfect sync. Tonks breathing was fast and steady now, but Harry's was fast and wild. Tonks changed the pace to a slower but more forceful stroke. With each one, Harry felt like he would lose it, but he managed to hold on surprising himself.
Tonks' breathing had changed, again, to desperate breaths with each stroke. Her eyes were becoming unfocused and she was gripping Harry's shoulders tightly. Her squeals had gotten louder and Harry's moans were matching her noises. They were moving together and Harry felt a burning sensation. He thrust once and he finally felt the release. Tonks squealed louder than any other time, thus far, and collapsed onto Harry's chest.
Her body was racked with her deep breaths and some small shivers. Harry allowed himself to calm somewhat before he wrapped his arms around her small body. Having no idea what to say or do, Harry went with the safest thing he could think of. "Cold, Tonks?" 'I may be the Boy-Who-Lived, but I have no idea what the hell to do here.'
"You really have no clue what you did and what happened, do you?" Tonks asked looking up into his eyes. "You are so cute and innocent."
"First time for everything, so I think I am entitled to being clueless, Nymphadora."
Tonks hesitated, and then smiled sweetly. "Yes, you are, Harry." She took a deep breath and continued. "I am not sure how that happened, but I just wanted to kiss you at first. That turned into snogging which turned into rubbing which turned into dry humping…you have no reason to worry about keeping your women happy in the future. You might not know what you are doing, but you improvise better than anyone else I know."
"Thanks, I think."
"That is a compliment, Harry. Thank you very much."
"For what, exactly?"
"For making me happy and feeling wanted. And whatever you do with that form of Legilimency. Wow!"
"I don't do Legilimency, do I?"
"Yes, Harry, you do. It is the most pleasant application of that particular skill I have experienced, but it is the same. You are very good at it and I hope you keep practicing it with me." Tonks eyes narrowed and she looked like a hopeful and satisfied woman.
"If this is what will happen every time, I think I can make that promise then." Harry tried to hide the rising blush as he realized exactly what he had just done with Tonks.
Tonks half closed her eyes and murmured to herself, "Thank Merlin for that." Her mouth spread into a smile and she snuggled into Harry's neck since she was still on top of him. "Are you going to kiss me, Harry?"
"Do you want me to?"
"After an orgasm like that, you can do just about anything you want." Tonks said quietly and smiled. Slowly her eyes widened and her mouth opened into an 'O' shape. "Oops, I shouldn't have said that." At Harry's completely puzzled look, she explained. "Harry, you are young. I know this and I shouldn't have done what I did with you."
"I was doing it as well, Tonks. Besides, you have said that I act older than I am."
"True, you do, Harry, but until now it has only been teasing and kissing. I kind of went further this time."
"I understand," Harry said in a depressed way. "If you want, we can forget this ever happened."
"No," Tonks said quickly. "I want to…I need to…I am lost Harry. I know what I want and I think I know what I need, but this is far more complicated for me than it is for you."
"What is and why?"
"First off, you are a guy, Harry, and thank Merlin for that. The rules are different for men than they are for women when it involves relationships. Second, I am the adult and people expect me to be in control. If you couldn't tell, I lose control when it comes to you. I become young schoolgirl when I kiss you. I am not sure why, but I lose complete and total control of myself. Even if I wanted to be in control, I couldn't do it. Third, you are you. I am a nobody and you are Harry Potter. That just wouldn't sit well with others. You are supposed to be with a pure-blooded princess or something like that not a half-blooded goofball."
"I don't care what others think or say, Tonks. I am deciding what my life is going to be like now. I will not live by others wishes, wants, or expectations. I am taking control of my life and you should too. You are giving me the opportunity to make that happen and if I can do that for you then I will."
"It is not the same thing, Harry. I…do you like me, Harry?"
Harry paused and thought about the question. "Yes, I like you Tonks. Why do you need to ask?"
"How do you like me? A friend, a fuck-buddy, a passing interest? What is your motivation?"
"You are my friend, Tonks. Anything more than that I can't really tell. This is all new to me." Harry wasn't sure what was going on but it seemed important to Tonks.
"Marcus talked to me yesterday about us." Harry gave a confused look. "He is very good at reading people's intentions, Harry. You are a fifteen-year-old male so you are very easy to read as far as a few things are concerned. He knew I was interested in you by the way I talked about you. He knew it was just a matter of time before my flirty nature would lead to something like this and he told me to distance myself from you."
"What business of his is it about what we do?" Harry asked feeling his anger rise.
"It is his business if it disrupts the teams. It has happened before and they frown on coupling inside of teams."
Harry heard what she said but couldn't get past the word coupling. "Are we a couple then?"
"I don't know," Tonks admitted. "It would be nice to have someone, but I doubt you would want to be with me. I am older than you. I am not much to look at compared to those you could get. I am a klutz most of the time unless I am really focused."
"Well, I am socially inept thanks to my relatives. I am scrawny. I have a nasty looking scar on my head. My luck is bound to run out soon, and I attract the attention of psychopaths. I'd say I am worse off."
"You are none of those things, Harry. You are a hero to many. You are cute and sexy, and you turn a wonderful red color. Yep, that is the one." Tonks said pointing to the red color forming on Harry's cheeks.
Harry forced the blush away and tried to think of something to say in return. "You are a great person, Tonks. You are cute and sexy as well. I have fun with you." Harry thought of the big one and chose to say it. "You are helping me stay alive. That means a lot to me. Everyone else would have locked me away for safekeeping. You are letting me make my own way through this. You are letting me be my own person. I am not about to give up on you, now am I?"
Tonks heard the passion in Harry's voice and he was dead serious the whole time he spoke. "You really believe in me, don't you?"
"Of course I do. You not only believe in me, but you are willing to help me. I like you for all those reasons and more. You have helped me in getting over Sirius. I am not there yet, but you have gotten me to where I am. Thank you."
"You are welcome but back to us. I enjoy being with you, Harry. You make me happy, in more ways than one." Tonks smiled seductively then giggled. "I am not about to let you go this easily. Remember, I do many things that I am told not to do."
Feeling playful and more self-assured than he had in years, Harry made a comment. "You shouldn't kiss me again. It is a very bad thing to do, Nymphadora." Harry watched as Tonks smiled and stretched up to kiss him. Their lips met and images of earlier swam to the forefront of his mind. Harry forced himself to concentrate on the present and remember the rest later when he had time.
They kissed for a few minutes before Harry felt his body react again. Tonks shifted to give Harry some room for himself and continued kissing. She lessened her kisses until they were very light. She pulled back and gazed into Harry's eyes. "You can call me Nymphadora when we are alone if you want. It sounds nice coming from you. I have enough names to remember without you coming up with another one."
"Thank you, Nymphadora. Your help and friendship means a lot to me." His playful mood returning, Harry added, "and snogging you is a bit of alright too." Harry rolled over, dumping Tonks off, and slipped out of the bed. He moved back to the door and waited for the attack. It never came but a few giggles did from the roll of sheets. "What is so funny?"
"Look for yourself," Tonks said peeking out of a fold in the sheets. Harry looked down and saw what was so funny. His blush returned full strength and he spun to hide the front of his boxers.
"When you are finished laughing at me, could you hand me my wand?" Harry said.
"I get you off once and you forget you can summon your wand on your own. Which part do we need to practice, do you think?"
Harry hung his head in embarrassment. He summoned his wand into his hand instantly and cast the Cleaning Charm on his clothing. He sighed then turned around and faced the still laughing woman in his bed. As her giggles subsided, she began unwrapping herself from the sheets. Finally, she threw off the sheet completely and watched Harry's eyes bulge a little among other things as well.
"Like what you see?" She asked teasingly moving her arm above her head and moving her legs slightly apart.
Harry controlled himself and then started to laugh. Tonks sexy smile dropped into a confused look. "What is so funny, mister?" Harry laughed even harder forcing him to make his way to his desk so he could sit down.
Tonks was really worried now. She looked at her breasts and saw that they were as covered as they were going to get. She sat up a little and looked down at her underwear. The green lace panties were in place, but there was a white spot showing just how excited Tonks had been during their activities. Tonks thought of getting embarrassed but chose to push the limits even further with Harry.
"It is just proof you can satisfy a woman. Do you want to try again, Harry? Maybe we could try to wake up your relatives this time. I think we have enough time for another tumble." Tonks watched as all humor left Harry's face. Desire and eagerness replaced the smile for a few seconds before Harry became serious.
"I joke about sex, Harry. Get used to it. I am serious in a way, but we should get ready to leave soon. Friday's are short days for us. We usually only stay until lunch then we enjoy the rest of our day doing our own thing. I am sure Horace wants to finish up his lesson on transportation from yesterday. You should have the portkey thing down now so you should move on to Apparition next. Think what fun you can have with that."
Tonks slid out of the bed slowly letting Harry watch every movement carefully. She let her legs dangle for a short time before standing up. She looked into his eyes until he met her gaze. "Keep your mind on the task at hand while working, Harry. I will always be there at the end of the day for you to play with when you are done."
"You aren't a plaything, Tonks. You are a friend of mine. I don't see you as a toy."
"You had better see me as something to play with some of the time, Harry, or we will have words." Tonks let a smile grow on her face. "And it is Nymphadora when we are alone, Harry."
"Yes, Nymphadora, I will remember."
Tonks turned and bent over to retrieve things from her hidden bag of clothing. She heard Harry take a deep breath through his teeth when she bent over. 'I love doing that to him. He will be so much fun this summer. At least I am not frustrated like I was last night. He has skills, that is for sure, but practice make perfect.'
Tonks picked out her daywear and threw on her cloak so there wouldn't be a repeat of the previous day's morning-encounter with Petunia. 'Once is more than enough and this time she could see that something happened, and happen it did, oh baby.'
Harry watched her leave the room and disappear from view. He fell back on to his bed and covered his eyes. 'What did I just get myself into? What is going on here? Damn she is hot… Bugger, I can't even keep my mind off her when she isn't in the room. Is this a good thing to do? I don't know, but I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.'
Harry sat up and decided he should get tidy up his room while he had the time. He located all of his dirty clothes and dumped them into a pile in the corner. His books were straightened and his quill set organized. Harry looked around his room and saw that Hedwig was in her cage staring at him with an odd look.
"What did I do, Hedwig?" She didn't respond. "Fine, what did I forget to do?" Hedwig ruffled her feathers a little but kept her place. "Stuffed it up real good this time then, I am sorry Hedwig. Please forgive me and tell me what you need." The owl dipped her head in the direction of the food and water dishes. "Oh shit. How long has it been, girl?"
Harry opened his trunk and found a bag of treats and some owl food. He gave Hedwig two treats ignoring the pain when she 'accidentally' nipped his fingers. Harry grabbed the water tray and left his room in search of water. With the bathroom occupied by Tonks, Harry went to the kitchen. He entered the room and filled the dish from the tap. He bounded up the stairs, into his room again, and slid the tray towards Hedwig.
She looked at him and then at the bottom of her cage. Getting the hint, Harry Vanished the waste with his wand. For the first time since he saw her that morning, Hedwig relaxed and took a drink. "I am sorry, girl. I guess I have been a little preoccupied lately."
"And I heard every sound of it too, Potter."
Harry spun on his heels and leveled his wand at the blob in the doorway. "Bugger off, Dud," Harry snapped. "I haven't the time for you right now."
Dudley was wearing a t-shirt that barely fit him and sweatpants that were at their very limits to contain his girth. "Why? Off to shag your woman somewhere else? I heard you through the wall, well her anyway. Thought you weren't shagging her."
"You know thinking isn't your best quality, Dud. Maybe you should leave that for others to do. Just be the muscle and everything will be alright."
"Give me one good reason not to tell Mum."
"I don't give a shit if you do tell her, Dud. I do not care what she thinks or what she expects. My life is my life and she has nothing to say about it."
"I could tell Dad. It would be fun to watch him beat you up again."
"And I would drop him like the sack of shite that he is. If you really want to see your own father hurt, by all means, tell him. I am done letting others run my life. Get in my way, Dudley, and I will run you over. Do not test me on this. Another thing, hassle Tonks at all, and I will break every bone in your body. That is a promise." Harry lowered his wand and turned back to his dirty clothes and cast the Cleaning Charm on them. He started hanging them up or folding them so they could be put away.
Dudley stood in the doorway and watched as Harry moved about the room confidently. His little piggy eyes followed every movement and every action closely. Something had changed about Harry and he didn't know what it was. "What is different about you? Something isn't right and I don't know what it is."
Harry stopped cleaning his room and turned to his massive cousin. "Like I said, thinking isn't your strong point. I am the same as I always have been. I may just be more like I am at school right now then how I usually am here. Get used to the change because I am not going back to how it was before. I am what I am, Dud."
Dudley was about to make a comment, but a sharp jab from a wand in his back silenced him. "Budge over you great lump." Tonks slipped in the room quickly and ignored the shocked look on Dudley's face. "Harry, you cleaned your room. How nice. After we are done at work, I will take you to my place so you can clean it as well. I am not a very tidy person if you couldn't tell."
"Not in the slightest, Nymphadora." Harry ducked when she threw her dirty clothes at him. "That is for your cheek, Harry. Now, be a good boy and clean those too. I am running out of clothes over here and I doubt you want me walking around your room naked tomorrow." Tonks looked up from her nearly empty bag and saw the look on Harry's face. "Then again, you probably do want me walking around your room naked. Oh well, I guess I will play it by ear."
"Are you going to leave soon, Dud?" Harry asked showing his displeasure at Dudley's presence. "I have a few things to take care of and it would be best if you weren't here for them." Harry watched as Dudley backed out of his room and walked down the hallway. Harry closed the door and let out a breath. "He heard us, Nymphadora."
"He heard what, Harry?" Tonks gave a big smile and waited for Harry to answer.
"You love this, don't you?"
"What?" Tonks asked innocently. "Making you embarrassed? Most definitely. Teasing you? Yep, that too. Reminding you of this morning? Anytime I can get away with it safely." Tonks saw that Harry wasn't exactly enjoying her humor this early in the morning. "Oh, Harry, let it go. Don't worry about that worthless git. He is an idiot and I doubt he would say anything to anyone. Now, take your shower so we can leave and be sure to bring your vault key in case we have time to go shopping."
Harry left the room and returned ten minutes later. He found Tonks sitting on his bed humming to herself. "Keeping busy, Nymphadora?"
Tonks sat up and smiled brightly. "The more you say it the more I like hearing it. Yes, I am keeping myself busy. Now, create the portkey so we can leave this ever so pleasant location."
Harry picked up one of his used quills from its arranged location on his desk and tapped it with his wand. It turned blue for a second before he extended it for Tonks to grab. She grabbed it with her right hand and flipped up her hood. Harry copied her actions and waited for the timer to go off. The tug signaled the beginning of the trip and Harry readied himself for another day of abuse and anger. He arrived in the atrium of the Ministry and saw a group of people waiting to pass through the checkpoint.
Tonks didn't hesitate a second before striding past the queue of people. Harry sighed and followed Tonks to the front of the queue. A few people mumbled something, but no one said anything too loud. The guard was visibly flustered by the number of people waiting and the presence of two Unspeakables didn't make it any easier for him. Tonks and Harry walked to the lifts and pressed the button. The lift arrived and they proceeded to the ninth floor.
"You know you could have made the portkey take us directly to our level, right?"
"I didn't know that?" Harry said.
"You made it take you right to the training room yesterday. Why would things be different today?"
"I, I don't know. I guess I didn't think about it. "
"All portkeys go through the wards and the wards block anyone who isn't authorized. You are authorized so why not take advantage of it in the future. Remember, you are an Unspeakable. Being one gives you all sorts of privileges and freedoms. Use them when you need to or what use is it to have them."
"I will try to remember that, Chamel. I am still getting used to the new me so bear with me here."
"No problem. By the way, I like the new you. He is all cute and sexy," Tonks was cheery and Harry couldn't help but smile at her.
"I doubt Horace will care about that aspect of me." The lift chimed and they exited into the hallway. Tonks opened the door and Harry followed her to the training room. What he saw surprised him a bit.
There were a lot of people here today. Harry could count the number of groups easier than the people. He saw a group that looked like the same three from the day before. He saw two other groups on the far side of the room which looked to have three people each. At the range, he saw at least five people but he wasn't sure. A loud voice prevented him from counting any further.
"Chamel, Recruit, over here." Horace was in the classroom area of room and he was looking impatient. Harry followed Tonks over there and settled into a chair behind a desk. He pulled out his journal and readied himself to take notes. "How did his portkeys work, Chamel?"
"Like they were supposed to, Horace. Did you have any doubts?"
"Of course I did. I wouldn't be me if I didn't doubt the fact that the recruits can even feed themselves without proper training. Now, today I want you to master Apparition. You have the whole coordinate thing down so this shouldn't be too difficult. There are a few types of Apparition; self, forced, and side-along. The first is self-explanatory. The second is where you drag an unwilling or unconscious person with you while Apparating. The unwilling can fight you so it is a battle of wills mostly. You must overpower the other while Apparating. We do not advise you to do this until you are very comfortable with the process. If the person is unconscious, then it is almost like side-along only a little more difficult. Side-along is what parents do, if they can, with their children. The traveler is willing and doesn't fight the effort to Apparate.
"Now, you will yourself from one location to another. It is just like the Portus spell only you are the object being moved not something else. There is no incantation and you must concentrate, fully, or you will leave a bit of yourself behind. This is painful for you and funny for me. The key in this exercise is to bore me to death. No splinching or I will take my time fixing you. You will feel like you are being squeezed through a hose or a very tight space. The smoother you are at this, the less noise you will make when you appear at your destination. A near silent Apparition will earn you a bar for stealth alone. Make this skill a priority for you to master. Range is based on your skill and power. Now, focus on your destination and will yourself to the location."
Horace walked away from the classroom area and stopped beyond the doorway and placed an X on the floor. He looked at Harry and nodded with a scowl. He turned and ventured over to the range and started barking out orders and criticism. Harry looked at Tonks and she smiled at him.
"Go ahead and give it a try. I will be over at the range working on my aim. I have to keep up with you don't I? It takes awhile to get anywhere with this so don't get discouraged if you find yourself in the same place after an hour or so." Tonks turned and joined the others at the range.
Harry turned and looked at the X on the floor a distance away. He ran through the instructions in his head and tried to apply the same technique he used with portkeys. After half an hour of focusing, visualizing, swearing, and grunting; Harry had yet to move and inch. 'Bollocks!'
Tonks was firing off spell after spell and she couldn't get any better than an 84 on accuracy. 'How does he get 80's and 90's consistently? I could spend every day here and never get those scores, not to mention I am hopelessly behind in power. Mid-70's are the best I seem to do with the occasional 80's on certain ones. I could knock down a door, but he could knock down a whole house. I wonder if he could take on a dragon.' Tonks continued firing for what seemed like an eternity until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She saw Marcus standing next to her and he waved her over to an unused corner of the room.
When they reached it, Marcus put up a Privacy Dome and spoke. "I asked what was going on with Harry yesterday and then I see you sleeping his bed. What is going on and do I have to be more concerned than I already am?"
"You what? What were you doing last night at Harry's house?"
"My job, Chamel. It is my job to make sure these teams work and there are no problems internally. You know the past results from inter-team relations. They do not work. They get people killed. Who am I going to bury this time? You, Cal, Harry? Who?"
"None of us, Marcus. As bad as it is that you were spying on us, at Harry's no less, we are fine. We are going to see where this takes us and that is that. I am happy and you should be happy for me." Tonks was trying to control her anger but she didn't want to lose whatever it was she had with Harry. He made her feel good about herself in a way she had never felt with someone. The anguish showed on her face.
A very soft pop sounded from behind Marcus and he spun around, wand out. Harry grabbed the wand in his left hand and aimed his wand at Marcus's throat. "What is going on, Chamel?"
Marcus saw first hand what Horace had been trying to describe. He saw Harry's eyes and determination was what shone brightly in them. He felt the raw power emanating from Harry as well. He waited for Tonks to answer and left his wand comfortably in Harry's grasp.
"He was asking me about you, Harry. He has a problem with us becoming involved like I said earlier. I told him that everything is fine and it wouldn't be a problem for us."
"Is that alright with you, Marcus?" Harry asked. His eyes were still sharp and he was ready to fight in an instant.
"I reserve the right to bring this up at a later time, but right now I see no problem with your current arrangement, Praeceps."
"Praeceps?" Harry questioned.
"Yes, that is your name, Praeceps. Let's shorten it to Ceps. It means dangerous in Latin and right now, with your wand ready to strike me down, I think it fits you quite well. I doubt Horace could think of a more fitting name. If I am not mistaken, you weren't here a moment ago and now you are. Does this mean you have Apparated successfully?"
"I guess so," Harry said noncommittally deciding to describe the feeling. "I felt like I couldn't breathe and was being forced through too-small-a-space if that helps."
"You Apparated alright, Ceps," said Marcus as happily as he could with a wand less than an inch from his jugular. "You were nearly silent as well. I think Horace will want to perfect your execution of this skill. Now, if I may, I must return to less exhilarating efforts."
Marcus stepped back and put his wand away. He nodded to Harry and Tonks and left the room. Horace had watched the entire exchange from the range and wondered what had happened. He knew Harry had Apparated because the room's wards notified him of the spell occurring. As he walked over to Harry, a Message spell from Marcus filled in all the blanks.
"I see you finally managed to Apparate after, an hour," Horace said after checking his watch. "Congratulations and all that. Now, do it faster and quieter. Move!" Horace walked away and left Harry to figure out how to accomplish what he was told.
Most of the morning disappeared and Harry had barely found his way concerning Apparition. He had found that as similar as it was supposed to be to portkey creation, it wasn't. He had tried many different techniques but nothing seemed to work very well.
"You will figure it out, Ceps," Tonks said quietly. "Again, everyone is different and this usually takes people awhile to master. At least your portkeys are spot on if you need to get somewhere."
"I don't understand," Harry said frustrated. "I did this earlier why can't I do it now?"
"Easy," Tonks said acting like it was the easiest thing in the world to figure out. "There is no damsel in distress so you are thinking too hard. Just let it happen, will yourself to where you want to be."
"Ceps," Horace made his presence known, "You are a pathetic failure at Apparition so we will move on to something else. You told me that you have been under the Imperius Curse before and I want to see it for myself. On guard!" Horace drew his wand and cast the spell instantly.
Harry had no time for a wand so he threw up an Absolvo shield and jumped backwards rolling away from Horace. The curse struck the shield but penetrated almost hitting Harry. As Harry was planting his feet, he drew his wand and pointed it at Horace but saw he was no longer there. A quick scan of the room told Harry that the room was gone and he was in a large grass field. 'God dammit. Doesn't he ever get tired of fighting?'
Harry moved away from his current position and began his retreat turning his head constantly. 'Bugger, why do I always forget to use what I have?' Harry tapped his cloak and disappeared. He cast a Silencing spell on his feet and looked for any clear spot amongst the grass so he wouldn't create an extremely visible void. There were no trees but the field had a few small rises to use as cover. Harry started moving towards them but kept a sharp eye out of any threat.
A good thirty yards away from the hills, Harry felt the attack begin. He dove to the side and put up his Absolvo shield as a spell flew past him. He started firing Reductors and Cutting Curses in the direction of the attackers. He knew there was more than one but less than four by counting the number of spells flying at him at one time. Most were the Imperius Curse but a few twisting red curses were thrown in for good measure as the volleys continued.
Harry returned fire switching to the bone curses. He heard one opponent go down with a scream. Harry was worried about his sanity when he rejoiced at hearing the scream. 'I am not like him. I do not enjoy the pain of others. I am only happy because there is one less enemy. That is all there is to it.'
Moving quickly to the hills and finding a good location to view the field, Harry waited for the next wave. He strengthened his Silencing spell and watched the grass for any movement. Nothing happened for a few minutes and he was getting worried. 'I hope I didn't really hurt the guy. I know this is just a test, but I don't want to hurt people I work with… He attacked me with Crucio and I returned fire. I will not feel bad about it. Voldemort doesn't have any sympathy and I can't beat him by wasting my time feeling sorry for everyone who tries to hurt me. This may just be training, but it is real enough and should be treated as such. Now where are they?'
Harry came up with a quick plan and executed it. "Accio Unspeakable." Harry summoned whoever was to his right. A shape came flying towards Harry from fifty feet away. He stunned the man and let him crumple into the ground upon landing. A spell shot at him from the left and center forcing Harry to dive out of the way. A third spell, from the top of the hill, struck Harry in the back while he was on the ground.
Immediately, Harry felt a calm wash over him and a voice told him to lower his wand and surrender. Harry fought the voice and regained his feet and turned to meet the attacker. A second person cancelled the invisibility charm on Harry's cloak and the third person joined the second in an offensive formation.
"Drop your wand, Ceps!" Ordered the first man.
"No!" Said Harry refusing to comply with the spell and order. His mind was fighting off the effects of the spell. He had almost beaten it when the second man cast the same spell on Harry. Harry now had two people ordering him to lower his wand and he was fighting the spells as hard as he could.
"I will not surrender my wand," Harry choked out. He was resisting and gaining some ground in throwing off the spells. The third person cast the spell too adding even more force against Harry's mind. Harry's knees buckled under the sheer presence of three people ordering him to do the same thing.
The fight in his mind seemed to last forever. Harry fought off the calm feeling and tried to remain in reality. 'If Voldemort can't beat you, then these three can't either.' The voice in the back of Harry's mind was shouting over the other voices keeping him in control. Finally, Harry managed to stand and bring his wand to bear on the third person.
"Ossis Fragmen," Harry whispered. The man dove away from the vicious spell and his curse was broken. With that pressure lifted, Harry turned on the others and quickly broke their spells as well. No one was hit by Harry's attacks because they were so far away and could react in time to avoid them. Harry willed himself to move away from his current location as fast and as silently as he could. He felt the squeezing sensation and appeared behind the first man without a sound.
Harry lifted his wand and stunned the man with a direct hit to his head. The other two heard the man fall and fired spells at Harry rapidly. Harry willed himself behind the others and he appeared where he wanted to be. Another two quick stunners and Harry was alone in the field with three fallen opponents. Harry looked at his enemies and took a deep breath to regain some much needed oxygen.
The feeling of danger caused Harry to roll away as a twisting, red bolt of light soared over him. Harry got to his feet and saw a black cloaked figure twenty feet away. The bone-white mask told Harry that he was facing a Death Eater and that this was for real. All thoughts of training evaporated and he fell into survival mode like he had so many times before.
The Death Eater fired the Killing Curse at Harry and he dove away. From his place on the ground, Harry fired the Cruciatus Curse and missed the target by inches. Another Killing Curse forced Harry to retreat and move to the side. With few thoughts in his head, Harry chose to attack with everything he had.
Harry let lose with every violent spell he could think of. He was pouring his magic into each one and the Death Eater was diving away or throwing up a shield as often as the spells came. A few Crucio's and a Killing Curse later, Harry had to fight fire with fire. He limited himself to the Cruciatus Curse and continued fighting for his life. The minutes passed and the Death Eater was still fighting hard.
"She will be next, Boy. I will kill her after I am done playing with her first," said the robed figure. The voice sounded like Lucius Malfoy but Harry wasn't sure. "I will tear her heart out and watch her choke on it."
In his mind, Harry saw Tonks dying the way the man described. He didn't know how it happened, but he saw, heard, and felt Tonks dying before him. Scared, confused, and overwhelmed, Harry aimed his wand and unleashed a spell. He wanted to stop the Death Eater for good and never have him threaten Tonks' life again. He said the words and watched a vile, writhing, sickly-green jet of light erupt from his wand and strike the Death Eater in the chest.
The figure dropped to the ground limply and didn't move. Harry stared at the man for a second then scanned the field for any other attackers. He tried to summon anyone who was there, but no one appeared. The scene disappeared and the training room replaced it.
In a small group sat the other Unspeakables and a few were looking a little groggy as they wobbled in their seats. The others were motionless and Horace was standing off to the side. "You finally get Apparition down and manage to cast the Killing Curse too. Maybe you aren't so worthless after all."
Harry saw red at those words. He wanted to hurt Horace more than ever. He had just cast the Killing Curse on another and Horace acts like it was a normal day. Harry felt his magic writhing around inside of him and it wanted an outlet. Harry took a few steps towards Horace and raising his wand.
"Ceps," a figure moved in front of Harry and it sounded like Tonks. "It was only a test and you did well. Nothing was real, nothing really happened except for the three you stunned and poor Michael with a broken shoulder. Calm down. I am fine. You are fine."
"I cast the Killing Curse for the first time," Harry said dangerously. "How should I be feeling? I wanted to kill the Death Eater and as far as I was concerned, I did. I am no better than him now. I am just like him. He told me I was just like him and now I proved him right. I am just as evil as he is."
Tonks was shocked by what Harry had said. She grabbed his arm and pulled the unwilling teenager off to the side. She threw up a Privacy Dome and proceeded to question him. "What do you mean you are like him? You are nothing like him."
"I wanted to kill and I would have done it. I was happy when I heard that guy scream from my spell."
"Michael let his guard down because you are the new guy and he got himself hurt. They were there to curse you and beat you down. You did what you needed to do to survive. You only used the Killing Curse when Horace directed the room to threaten my life. I have seen people kill in battle before. The ones who enjoy it get a smile on their face. You didn't smile at all. Your face became blank and I knew you weren't thinking. You were reacting and that would have saved your life, Harry.