Harry breathed deeply at those words. "What do you know about that night? I need to know."
"Paul and Tiki know something bad happen. We feel when happen. We get to 'hideaway' and Dumblydore be there with big man. Dumblydore take baby Harry and give to big man. We not allowed to visit baby Harry. Tiki cry. Paul and Tiki bring Master and Mistress here and bury Master and Mistress. Tiki never cry so bad."
"They are here?" Harry asked both hesitant and unable to contain himself. "Where did you bury them?"
"Master and Mistress bury in family grave. Grave in back near stables where Jules sleeps."
Harry closed his eyes and took in deep breaths while he thought over the idea of visiting his parents' graves. "Thank you for doing that, Tiki." Harry patted Tiki's arm before looking at Tonks who still slept quietly.
As the morning continued until nearly lunchtime, Tiki told Harry about his parents and what life was like at Potter Estate. Harry learned that his first birthday party was a large affair involving many people at another location they used for events where non-family members would attend. Tiki had described an intense battle with baby Harry concerning accidental magic and the cake. By the end, the cake ultimately lost the fight and Tiki had to change her dress.
Harry found out that the Potter's left the Estate to protect it from further probing by Voldemort and the Death Eaters. The Estate had been kept secret since the Middle Ages and James did not want to be the Potter to expose it. The cottage that was destroyed that fateful night had been used as a local presence in the nearby community. The Fidelius Charm had been an idea of Dumbledore's to hide the Potters.
Tiki told Harry about the night she brought Lily back to Potter Estate for the last time. The poor elf had to pause multiple times to regain control of herself. Harry finally stopped the retelling by giving the elf a hug. Harry didn't know why he had to hear the story, but he couldn't force Tiki to relive the experience since it was so traumatizing for her.
As he consoled Tiki, Harry looked around the room finding sun shining through the windows lighting the hardwood floors and the painted ceiling. The dark red drapes nearly glowed from the sunlight and faint specs of dust floating in the air were illuminated as they slowly drifted to the floor. Regardless of the circumstances, Harry felt content and at peace with himself.
A tremor in the couch caused Harry to turn to Tonks who was staring up at him with her normal, brilliant eyes. "Nymph, this is Tiki. She was my mum's assistant."
Tonks smiled at Tiki, "My name is Tonks. Please do not call me Nymph or any other variation thereof. Only Harry gets to call me anything other than Tonks."
"Mistress Tonks, Tiki will be happy to serve you as friend of Harry."
"No Mistress, please, just Tonks." Tonks changed her appearance to her usual spiky-haired auror look.
"Oh, Tonks can be different people?" Tiki squealed bouncing in front of the couch. "This most fun. Tiki not know people who do this."
A gruff voice from the doorway broke the moment, "What you yelling about, Tiki?" An old and wrinkled elf pattered into the room. He wore a simple dark grey jacket buttoned once. When he saw Harry sitting on the couch, his eyes widened. "Master James?" The elf questioned but seemed to know that wasn't correct.
"It Harry, Paul. Harry come back to us. Tiki so happy."
"Master Harry, sir," Paul said bowing low nearing touching his nose to the floor.
"It is just Harry, Paul, pleasure to meet you, again," Harry said respectfully.
"Not him too," Paul commented under his breath. "What does Master Harry wish of Paul?"
"It is just Harry, Paul. I am not your master. I am just Harry."
"Master Harry, Paul has been through this with Mistress Lily. If Mistress Lily could not change Paul, how can you?" Paul looked determined but quite neutral at the same time.
"What did you call my father?"
"Master James."
"Did he ask you not to call him Master?"
"Only when Mistress Lily was in room. When she leave, Master James would reverse the order."
"Master James like making Mistress Lily mad at him," Tiki added with a firm head nod.
"Sounds like something Ron and Hermione would do to get each other worked up," Harry said under his breath but Tonks heard him. "Well, I order you not to call me Master Harry. Harry is fine. Tiki has the same orders."
"And I am Tonks."
"Harry can order me to call him, Harry, but you can not, Mistress Tonks." Paul seemed very sure of himself when he informed them of his position.
"You are to call her Tonks, Paul," Harry provided the necessary authority. "Please follow her requests as you would mine. She will be staying here either way so let's fine a way to make this work out, okay?"
"As you wish, Harry," Paul bowed in agreement.
Harry groaned quietly at the bow, but let it pass unmentioned. The older elf seemed to be much more set in his ways than Tiki. Harry watched Paul wonder around the room looking slightly lost and out of place. Harry could see similarities between Paul and Kreacher. After some small talk, Paul excused himself to return to his duties outside. Tiki explained that she took care of the house and Paul handled the grounds. Harry asked how things had been going over the years. Tiki informed him that with Paul getting older, they were at the near limit of their abilities keeping the Estate at a respectable level of cleanliness.
Harry told them he might know of another elf that could help out. Tiki was quite pleased to hear that until she noticed the dust floating in the air near the window. The last Harry saw of Tiki that morning was her running out of the newly cleaned living room yelling at the dust to go away.
Tonks pulled Harry into an embrace and kissed him deeply. "Well, you have a home now, Harry. What are you going to do with it?"
"I am going to live in it, Nymph. I am going to simply live in it. This is where I was meant to live. I was supposed to stay here if anything had happened to them. I feel…I don't know, I feel at peace here. I belong here. It is big and old and empty, but I belong here. Maybe that is why I liked Hogwarts so much at night. It is a lot like this place. It has the same feel to it."
"I know what you mean, Harry. It has a great feel to it, but more than that, you haven't stopped smiling since I woke up. That was a great nap I had. I never want to go through that ward again though. My bones ached from it. Now, what are the plans?"
"We should probably get the rest of your things before someone notices I am gone. Otherwise, they will stalk you until they find me. Do you know how to get back here now that you are keyed into the wards?"
"I think I know how to get back here now," Tonks thought for a few minutes. Her hair changed from pink, to red, to purple, to black as she thought. "Yeah, I know how to get here again. It isn't easy figuring it out though. Those wards make it nearly impossible to remember the location."
"And you are permitted to know them too. I need to read the journal on them so I can figure them out before I leave. I can't rely on a portkey to get here. I need to know the coordinates by heart so I can Apparate."
"We can explore the house when I get back then?" Tonks asked.
"Definitely, Nymph."
"Well, cheers then." Tonks kissed Harry on the lips giving him a little tongue in the process before searching for her way to the front door.
A squeal and a crack let Harry know that Jules was still outside and waiting for visitors. He grabbed the book and went outside finding Jules patiently waiting for Tonks to return. A glint in his eyes told Harry it wasn't going to be a pleasant meeting.
"Jules, you will be nice to Tonks. Do you understand?"
Jules looked up before trotting over to Harry and sniffing. Satisfied, she laid down behind Harry and in front of the door. Seeing a good place to wait for Tonks to return, Harry sat down and used Jules as a backrest. Opening the book, Harry started to read about the Estate and the protective magic surrounding it. In minutes, Harry decided to focus on the basics and worry about the average stuff later.
"Another Hermione project I think."
Tonks appeared in her flat and quickly moved to the bedroom gathering everything she could with a wave of her wand. The corner of the room quickly filled with clothes and other small belongings she planned to take with her. She hesitated over one of her drawers before deciding it was a good idea.
Ten minutes later, Tonks had her clothes shrunken and stuffed in a bag. She left the bedroom but heard a noise come from the living room. Setting the bag down quickly, Tonks tossed a spell into the room and moved to the far wall waiting for the intruder to reveal himself. A gruff laugh told her what she needed to know.
"Moody, what in the hell do you think you are doing?"
"Keeping tabs on you since that's the best chance I have of finding Potter," came the reply from a slowly materializing shape.
"Whatever do you mean?" Tonks asked moving to the kitchen to ensure that any food left around was disposed of.
"I know the boy isn't at the house. Funny that I choose today to see if things are really as bad as he said and what do I find?"
"Not sure, what did you find?" Tonks noticed that Moody didn't have his wand out so she knew that she had a chance to get away if she needed to.
"I found a rather large muggle, unconscious and with a shattered leg, another nearly hysterical muggle running around the house, and finally a really confused fat one blankly watching the telly trying to ignore everything else."
"He is always blankly watching the telly, nothing new there."
"Tonks, what did you do to the muggle? I had to revive him three times before he came around. Then, I had to Silence him to hear myself think. She was no help. I ask again, what did you do to the muggle?"
Tonks thought it over and decided it was safe to answer honestly. "I did nothing, Moody. Now, if you don't mind, I have somewhere to be right now." Tonks gathered her bag and dropped the picture from the hallway into it before closing it up.
"Where are you going, Tonks?"
"Like I said, somewhere."
"Tonks," Moody growled drawing his wand only to be met with another. "Where is Potter."
"Harry is where he wants to be. He is where he should have been from the beginning. Now, I am invited to stay there with him and I am going to do just that one way or another."
Moody sighed and lowered his wand. "Fiery and all determination. Just like when you started at the academy. Where is he, Tonks?"
"I will not tell you, and even if I could, I wouldn't. You know, he will come looking for me if I don't make it back soon."
"And why would that scare me?"
"The backyard only worse," Tonks hinted with a smirk. "If you thought that was bad, you haven't seen anything yet. He is better than I am, Moody. You know I am no slouch, but compared to him, I am nothing."
Moody sighed again. "That boy is going to cause so many problems for us."
"He will only cause problems if you aren't willing to work with him. He will not be controlled. You know as well as I do that he is not the type to be used and controlled. It isn't his personality nor is it his way. If a side must be chosen amongst the good, I will choose his. Do not make me chose sides."
"We do not need factions fighting the Dark Lord. That will only make us weaker and easier to kill off. Where is he, Tonks? If for no other reason than to easy my mind."
"Can't say, Moody. You are not responsible for Harry. He is responsible for himself and anything else he wishes to be. Don't make his life harder."
Tonks stepped back and smiled sadly at Moody. "Harry is his own person, Alastor. Treat him that way and you will earn more of his respect. Don't waste your time looking for him. Only one person has ever found a Potter when they didn't want to be found and he had inside help. You won't find inside help here."
Tonks nodded a goodbye and Disapparated with a soft crack reappearing near the park on Privet Drive. Tonks moved a few feet away before Disapparating again and appearing near the Shrieking Shack. She went to other side of the structure before Disapparating again to Potter Estate.
Tonks planned to appear in the front yard, but felt a solid force push her outside of the grounds depositing her in the same place where the portkey took her and Harry to earlier in the day. She didn't feel the same level of urging to leave the area, but Tonks still felt it faintly in the back of her mind.
Hurrying along Tonks moved up the path and came to the gate. She pushed on it and found that it opened slowly for her. Once inside the gate, the urging to leave lessened before disappearing. Tonks saw Jules sitting in front of the door along with Harry. Reaching Harry, Tonks smiled at him receiving the same in return.
Harry looked up to see Tonks standing over him holding a rather full looking bag. He smiled at her and stood up patting Jules on the head. "Nymph, did you feel the wards at all?"
"It forced me outside of the grounds and I felt the Repelling ward, but it was a lot less than before."
"Good, that is how it is supposed to work according to the book. Since you don't have Potter blood in you, you will always feel the ward outside of the property and you can't Apparate inside the grounds. I gave up trying to figure out how they work and just tried to learn how to use them. I swear they are the most confusing things I have ever read."
"Warding is a specialty most never grasp nor even try. I know little about them other than Anti-Apparition and Anti-Portkey wards. I only know those from the academy. Oh, speaking of, Moody knows you are gone. He was in my flat waiting to find out where you are. I told him I couldn't tell him and I left."
"How did he take it?"
"Better than I expected but not all that surprising. So, where do we start the tour?"
"Well, Nymph, how about the first floor and we work our way up from there?"
"Excellent, lead the way, Master Harry."
"Nymphadora," Harry said warningly. "Your cheek will only get you into trouble. I might let Jules have a go at you if you continue to be unpleasant."
Tonks smirked and on her tiptoes pulled Harry's head down to her level. "I would rather you have a go at me, Harry. That sounds a lot more enjoyable to me." Tonks grabbed his bum before she picked up her bag and started around Jules who remained lying on the ground.
"Minx!"
"No, Tonks, but I will forgive your mistake just this once."
"Tease then," Harry called after her before catching up and twirling her around in the air. "You may get what you want if you aren't careful."
"Threat or a promise, Harry," Tonks looked hungrily into Harry's eyes.
"Both," Harry replied slowly knowing he was making a deal with a she-devil. He wasn't disappointed by Tonks' reaction to his words. She smirked and licked her lips before walking into the house swaying her bum most noticeably. "I am in trouble."
The tour revealed the living room and foyer they had already seen. The ornate dining hall, immediately off the living room, shimmered from all the crystal glassware and golden plates and goblets set about the long table. Harry counted twenty places arranged on the table which could have been expanded to hold another six people. The room was bright and overly clean compared to what Harry had come to expect from similar Hogwarts' furnishings.
Next, they found the kitchen which looked to be a miniature version of Hogwarts' kitchen. Tiki found them "messing about" the kitchen and quickly ushered them back into the hallway as nicely as she could. Tonks laughed as Harry tried to explain that they were just looking around, but the elf refused to believe it. She kept saying that James and Sirius always said the same things right before something exploded or a disaster occurred.
Tonks took pity on Harry and led him away from the kitchen and found a stairwell leading to the basement. They followed it down the circular stone steps and came to a wine cellar that had to have at least a couple thousand bottles of wine and other liquor. They found a storage room filled with numerous things that Harry didn't bother to explore.
Back on the main level next to the cellar door, Harry opened a door that opened into a long garage filled with classic to newer automobiles. Harry walked down the line of autos reading and recognizing the names. Aston Martin was the label on most of the autos varying in styles and ages. Harry recognized one of the designs as something he had seen on the telly one night when the Dursleys were too busy to shoo him away.
Leaving the garage, Harry and Tonks found loo that looked rather updated. Modern fixtures and plumbing proved that the home was anything but outdated. Harry never really noticed as they moved from the old parts to the newer ones. Everything seemed put together seamlessly. Ascending the stairs, Harry looked ahead to the elegant hallway extending past several rooms and turning left into another area of the home.
The first set of doors opened into bedrooms of normal size and décor. As they reached the end of the hallway, Harry saw three rooms with much fancier doors to them. The first one led to a nursery decorated with Quidditch scenes on the walls and various Quidditch-themed items around the room. Harry sat down heavily on an ancient rocking chair next to a crib. The crib was made and awaited a baby to be laid in it.
Harry took a few deep breaths as he took in everything. He saw a few stuffed animals arranged in the crib. A black dog, a wolf, a stag, and a rat were in each corner waiting for someone to play with them. With a shaky hand, Harry pulled the stag out of the bed and held it carefully in his hands. One of the antlers had been chewed on and it looked frayed. The fur appeared to be matted in places and the tail looked to be about ready to fall off.
A comforting hand found its way to Harry's shoulder and a warm body pressed against his side. "I think you did that, Harry. I can just see you chewing on it. Go on, give it a try." Tonks was playfully while giving Harry support as he assimilated what was very obviously his room before they left.
Harry cradled the stag in his left arm as he touched each of the other animals in turn. The rat got the least amount of time while the dog got the most second only to the stag. Under the pillow, Harry found a griffin which looked a lot like Jules and matched her coloring perfectly.
"Mistress Lily like stuffed Jules best," said Tiki from the doorway. "Mistress always try to get baby Harry to play with it most, but stuffed James always win. Mistress never give up."
"Tiki, have you kept this room as it was then?" Harry asked.
"Tiki keep baby Harry room same. Paul never come here."
Harry let a small tear slide down his cheek as he hugged the stag tightly. He picked up the griffin and held it for a bit before giving it to Tonks to hold on to. "Present to you, Nymph. Keep it please."
"Harry, this is yours. I can't keep it." Harry met her eyes and she relented instantly. "Whenever you want it back, just ask."
They left the room closing the door softly. They shared a hug in the hallway before opening the door across the way and founding a large bedroom with a massive four poster bed. The rest of the room gave off an aura of sophistication and elegance.
"Master and Mistress Potter's room," Tiki said. "I never meet Master and Mistress, but Paul miss Master and Mistress. Paul stay here at night in closet. He want to be close to Master and Mistress."
"I thought my dad dying caused Paul to become like he is."
"Master James make Paul more bad."
"Harry, most elves only lose one or two masters during their life," Tonks said saving Tiki from describing the situation. "Paul has lost about four so far. I doubt he knows what to do right now."
"I see Kreacher when I look at him," Harry said.
"That demented painting made Kreacher as bad as he was, but he would have been worse than Paul. At least Paul was treated well."
"Can elves retire?"
"Paul no retire," Tiki said firmly.
"Well, can he do less around here? I mean, I think I could get another elf to help out and pick up the slack. Actually, I am sure he would jump at the chance to help out knowing him."
"Paul need some help, that all," Tiki explained.
"I will see if he can help us out then, Tiki. I only want to help Paul out before he really loses it."
The last door opened into the largest room on the floor. Vibrant Gryffindor colors dominated the room. The poster bed was as large as the previous in the other room, but it appeared more subdued. The furniture complimented the décor and the lighting made everything jump out. A walk in closet could be found next to a tall dresser. Tiki began moving the clothes into a pile using magic and her hands.
"What are you doing, Tiki?"
"I is making room ready for Harry and Tonks. Harry need room for things."
Harry was cut off by Tonks hugging him. "You can't leave everything the same, Harry. It isn't going to make them come back. This is your place and the only way to make it truly yours is to live in it. Let Tiki do her thing. All the stuff can be moved into the other room."
Harry accepted the idea Tonks offered. Returning the hug, Harry held Tonks tightly as he watched Tiki clean out all of the clothing in the room. When she finished, Harry told her where their clothes were. Harry and Tonks continued to search the room and found the attached bathroom to be even more modern than the downstairs one. By Harry's count, the house had at least four bathrooms and he wasn't done yet.
A door near the closet led to the nursery which Tonks explained in graphic detail. When she finished, Harry wasn't sure how parents survived having kids. Thoughts of the number of sleepless nights the Weasleys went through nearly caused Harry to worry about their sanity after the twins. He doubted anyone would willingly risk having another child after having twins.
Tonks broke his thoughts by dragging him into the hallway again and following the left hand turn into a wide circular room with stairs curving up the far wall. Books lined the walls and Harry thought of Hermione running around barely able to contain herself. In the center of the room a couch and a collection of chairs sat with a few tables around them.
They took the stairs up and found a room that looked like a training room of sorts. Swords decorated the walls along with suits of armor, shields, and other medieval relics. A few dragonhide cloaks hung from a rack waiting to be used. A diagram had been painted on the floor with numbers and lines.
Harry went to the next floor and saw a table with a model showing the Estate, the village, and the nearby area. Harry was intrigued and started poking at it with his wand. The model came to life and numerous dots appeared listing names. Harry could only think that it was the predecessor to the Marauder's Map. The dots moved and Harry wanted to know how to zoom in and out. Tonks found a thin book hidden in a drawer in the table.
After a few minutes of scanning, Tonks told Harry how to zoom in and out. Very soon, Harry was looking at the Estate grounds and building. He saw Jules still sitting in front of the door and Paul moving about the grounds disappearing from one place and reappearing in another. Tiki was moving around the master bedroom obviously putting clothes away. It also showed Harry and Tonks. Harry had a title of 'Lord' before his name leading him to look in the book for an answer as to why.
He found his answer near the back under Labels and Identification. It said that the last Potter heir always held the title of Lord as was custom from centuries ago. There was no way to change it no matter how much Harry wanted to. Tonks only laughed at his frustration earning her a vicious glare.
"Tough, Harry, sorry, Lord Potter if you will."
"Nymphadora, I swear, do not call me that…"
"Or what?" Tonks moved in front of him and pressed her chest to his. His anger lessened as she increased her body contact with him. "What will you do, Lord Potter?"
"This," Harry said as he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder and smacked her bum. A squeal escaped her lips followed by a laugh. Harry bounced a few times before turning off the map and continuing up the stairs to the last level.
The room was empty except for a table near the far wall and a row of rather large cubby holes. Hedwig was settled in the largest spot with her head under her wing. Harry smiled at his sleeping friend before looking around the room. A ladder in the center led to the roof through a trapdoor in the ceiling. Harry kept turning around in circles taking in the view from the windows that lined the walls. He could see the entire grounds and a stream that seemed to run along one side of the property.
A tap on his bum reminded Harry that he had Tonks over his shoulder. "As much fun as this is, the turning is beginning to make me nauseous. Could you let me down and find another way to punish me please?"
Harry set Tonks on her own feet only to catch her when she teetered to the side. He held her up as she settled her stomach. "Let's avoid that in the future if we can. I am not sure if I could stop a repeat attempt."
"Is that the spinning or the over-the-shoulder bit?"
"The spinning around the room upside-down part, the over-the-shoulder part was fun actually. I see Hedwig found her home."
Hedwig moved slightly and cracked open one eye long enough to confirm who was in the room before returning to her slumber. Harry walked over and stroked her feathers lightly looking out the nearby window. The fact that it was his home, the whole thing, completely hit him at that moment. His smile grew as he watched the sun moving closer to the horizon in the west.
Tonks wrapped her arm around his back and curled into him. "What are you thinking?"
"It is all mine. It has been all mine for years. I have a home now. Whether or not it is empty, it's still mine. Up until now, everything that was mine could fit into a trunk with room to spare. I never had a place before. The Dursleys always made sure that I never got too comfortable in my cupboard. The room was hardly a place you would want to stay. Now, look at all this."
"It is yours, Harry. Yours to hide in, share with, or escape to."
Harry finished looking out the windows and pulled Tonks to the stairs. He led her all the way to the foyer before saying anything. "I have to pick up the bike from the Dursleys and stop by Hogwarts. Tiki and Paul need help here and I think I can get them some. Do you want to come with?"
"Of course, Harry." Tonks gave him a kiss and checked for her wand. "Ready when you are."
Harry grabbed on to Tonks' hand and Apparated back to Privet Drive long enough to grab his bike and portkey it back to the Estate. They found themselves in Hogsmeade standing behind Honeydukes. "Follow me, Nymph."
Harry led her into Honeydukes and past an empty counter. He took her into the cellar and through the tunnel. Tonks never asked a single question, but she seemed close a few times as Harry maneuvered his way into Hogwarts and ended up in the third floor corridor.
"Harry, how many times have you done this?"
"Broke into Hogwarts? None that I can think of. Broke out of Hogwarts, a few times I guess. Some times just needed doing so I did them, like now. Come on, it is a ways to the kitchens from here."
Harry followed the familiar path to the kitchen missing all the normal hang ups and problems that would commonly catch an inexperienced student. Tonks watched Harry move about the school with practiced ease. He tickled the pear, not missing a beat, and entered the kitchen finding a few elves moving about getting ready for dinner.
Once he was seen, many more elves appeared from places all over. Soon Harry had one hand full of cookies and the other carrying a basket of assorted food. Tonks had gratefully accepted a cuppa and found herself inundated by hopeful elves wishing to feed her.
"Um, thank you, all of you, but could I speak with Dobby please?"
One elf bowed and popped away only to be replaced by a blur of an elf who tackled Harry at the knees.
"Harry Potter, sir, yous is visiting poor Dobby and during the summer like Dobby did Harry Potter, sir."
"Yes, I am Dobby, but I have a question to ask you. Would you be willing to come to my house and help the other elves who are there? They need some help with us staying there now and I thought of you." Dobby grabbed his ears and his mouth dropped opened. "I can pay you if you are worried about that and you can have days off if you want…"
"Harry Potter, sir, wants Dobby to be his house elf? Dobby accepts without any pay and no days off. Dobby will be the bestest house elf Harry Potter has."
Harry watched Dobby nod causing his ears to flap like a bird trying to take off for the first time. "First thing, though, is you can call me Harry. No sirs, or Masters, or any other title. Just Harry is fine."
Dobby beamed at him before turning around and scurrying off into the depths of the kitchen. He returned carrying a basket with needles sticking out and yarn trailing behind him as he hurried to his new master. "Dobby is ready, Harry Pot… Harry."
"Good catch, Dobby. This is Tonks. She will be living with us. Treat her as you would me."
"Oh, you can treat me with less honour than you do Harry, thanks," Tonks added quickly seeing the elf bouncing on his feet. "I am just Tonks."
"No friend of Harry deserves less than full honours, Tonksie."
"Tonks, please only Tonks."
"Dobby will try, Tonks."
The return trip home almost ended prematurely. Dobby, not being used to sneaking around Hogwarts while following others, was almost caught by a rather disgruntled Snape and nearly give away Harry and Tonks in the process. Harry thought Snape looked anxious about something and his mood seemed even darker than normal.
The greasy professor stalked down the hallway heading towards the entrance hall. Just as Snape rounded the corner, Harry thought he saw him grimace. Grabbing a nearly sobbing Dobby by the arm, Harry pulled the weepy elf along their escape path. Once they were out of ear shot of any of the castle inhabitants, Harry told Dobby not to worry about what almost happened. The constant assurances from Harry took them all the way to Honeydukes cellar.
Harry pulled out the portkey ring and directed it home. For the first time in his life, Harry could remember wanting to go somewhere other than Hogwarts and calling it home. Holding the enchanted item out, his companions grabbed on and they were deposited outside the grounds again. It took both Tonks and Harry to wrestle the poor elf onto the grounds as it seemed Dobby was more strongly affected by the wards than Tonks had been.
Once they were inside, Tiki helped hold Dobby down while Harry relieved him of the overpowering urge to flee. Within minutes, Dobby was bouncing like his old self awaiting orders from Harry. Tiki remembered that Harry hadn't eaten since he had gotten to Potter Estate leaving Dobby in a near fit until Tonks Summoned the basket of goodies the Hogwarts' elves had given them.
The dining room was used for a quick meal and Harry had told Tiki and Dobby to join them while they ate. Once the remains had been cleared, Tiki offered to show Dobby around the property after Tonks had spoken to her for a short time. Suspicious, Harry asked Tonks what was going on.
"What ever do you mean, Harry?"
"You are up to something and I think I deserve to know, Nymphadora."
"You do, do you? Well, I was wondering where I was going to sleep. It is quite late and we were woken up too early for my tastes."
"Um, I thought that…you know."
"I do? What exactly do I know then?" Tonks queried with a cheeky smirk not unlike Hermione's when she knew some that the others didn't.
"Well, I guess since there are other rooms that you can pick one of them."
"If that is what you want?"
"I," Harry paused thinking of a way out of the situation he had been led into. "I want whatever you want, Nymph."
"Let's go up to your room then and figure it out. I know I don't have that much stuff, but I think I might fit nicely in one of the other rooms. A girl needs her space you know."
"Okay, if you are sure?" Harry was crushed. He had hoped that things would continue as they had been now that they had a place to themselves and the Dursleys were no where to be found.
Tonks led the way to Harry's new room. She swished her rear incitingly as she ascended the stairs with Harry following. Once in the room, Harry closed the door as his mood clouded over dramatically considering his previous joy. Tonks went into the bathroom and began making some noise by moving her things around.
Harry went into the closet and began gathering her shirts and piling them up in a chair near the door. Numbly, Harry moved back and forth between the two locations. A soft coo from behind him broke his depressed stupor. Harry turned around and dropped the collection of shirts he had been holding.
Tonks stood in the doorway to the bathroom wearing a sheer robe revealing a dull blue nightie underneath. Harry found that he couldn't move nor could he talk. He managed only unintelligible sounds as Tonks advanced on his position seemingly unaware of her affect on him.
"Harry, what on earth are you doing? Tiki put those away for a reason. Why are you taking them out of the closet?" Tonks stared at him waiting for an answer while her hair shifted in color to match her nightie before changing back to her real color.
"Um, you wanted me to?" Harry muttered unsure of where to look as he was torn between her face and the rest of her body.
"I said no such thing," Tonks said as she approached Harry. She swayed her hips slowly as she walked up to him. She let the tie on the sheer robe slip open causing it to flare out as she sauntered towards Harry. The robe barely clung to her naked shoulders when Tonks stopped before Harry and looked up at him. "I said no such thing, Harry Potter."
Her voice softened as every word left her lips which glistened in the waning light of the evening. Harry felt himself screaming for breath as he realized that he had been holding it since her appearance. Discretely inhaling as deeply as possible, Harry smiled a crooked smile and shrugged. Tonks' smirk became even more seductive as she read his actions.
She leaned closer to Harry and let out a breath. "Something you want to say Harry?"
Harry looked into her eyes and knew what she meant, because he had seen that look before. "I just wanted to thank you, Nymphadora. For everything."
Tonks smiled again which allowed Harry an opening to place his hands on her shoulders. Raising her eyebrows led to Harry sliding the robe from its precarious position to the floor. Harry lightly rubbed her now completely bare shoulders as she spoke very low. "You had better do more than that, Harry."
Unable to think and left with only action, Harry pulled Tonks to him and kissed her forcefully and passionately. Tonks responded by wrapping her arms around Harry and rubbing his back and anywhere else she could reach. Their kisses went from uncontrolled and wild to deliberate and focused. Harry lost his shirt as they moved to the bed. Harry quickly lost his pants as Tonks made quick work of them.
Reaching the bed, Tonks turned them around and pushed Harry backwards onto the bed. She promptly removed Harry's remaining clothing proving she had what it took to make him happy. Tonks smiled hungrily as she slowly slid her only piece of clothing to the floor. Standing before Harry in all her glory, Tonks slid her hands down her front starting at her neck and ending on her thighs.
"We aren't at Privet Drive any longer, Harry. I expect you to make good on your suggestions." Tonks moved forward and slid her legs along either side of Harry's. She hovered above his eager body planting kiss after kiss moving closer to his mouth.
A series of tongue battles later, Tonks began to move her breasts up and down Harry's chest. She teased him by hovering her mouth ever so close to him but never making contact. After he groaned for the third time, Tonks moved to kiss Harry with reckless abandon. She pressed her chest against him rubbing her erect nipples against his own.
As the minutes passed, Tonks wiggled her lower half higher and higher on Harry. An unwanted pause in the action brought Harry's mind back into control for a few seconds.
"Harry, Summon my wand please."
Harry did so without hesitation and only minimal concentration. Tonks took her wand from Harry's hand caressing it softly while doing so. She mumbled a few words and aimed her wand at her abdomen. Once she was finished, she tossed her wand over her head and began kissing Harry again with a renewed energy.
Harry did what anyone in the same position would do, anything he could. He touched her arms, legs, sides, breasts, neck, and even managed to venture between her legs for a few seconds before she grabbed his hands and held them at his sides.
Tonks pulled back and looked into Harry's eyes. He saw that her previous hunger had increased and her eyes were looking nearly as wild and eager as they did after she had achieved a climax.
"Nymphadora, what?"
"Hush," Tonks said softly. "At least for now."
Her coy smile shifted to one of determination. She kissed Harry again and didn't let up. She released his hands and they went directly to her back. He held her to him and rubbed her back slowly as he focused on the kisses. Tonks took a deep breath and moved down on Harry.
To his surprise, Tonks had taken one of her hands and grabbed him firmly at the same time as she had moved down. His world stopped before restarting at a run. He felt fire and pleasure he hadn't experienced before. Tonks moved further down pausing every time Harry took a sharp breath. She gave him a few seconds to recover before continuing.
When he thought she would never stop, Tonks came to rest flush against his lower regions. Harry's hands had moved to her bum and held her in place preventing her from moving more than a few centimeters in any one direction. Trying to regain control of any part of his body, Harry focused on Tonks' half lidded eyes and the look of lust mixed with devilishness.
"Nymph?" Harry breathed out.
"From time to time, yes. Now is one of those times, Harry. Just enjoy it. I know I will."
The pieces fell into place as Tonks broke free of his hold and started moving rhythmically on him. Harry felt his control waver badly before he captured Tonks eyes once more. He forced his way into her mind willing her to feel what he felt. He knew he had succeeded when Tonks bucked wildly and screamed out before returning to her previous rhythm.
Harry couldn't formulate a conscious thought so he concentrated on his breathing. Every breath in and out was deliberate as he tried valiantly to pace himself. His only problem was the beautiful woman determinedly trying to break his will. Harry soon realized that Tonks was going to win and that time was fast approaching.
Everything was hypersensitive as Harry matched Tonks' pace. He met her down motion with an up motion. The meeting forced a pant out of Harry and a muffled squeal from Tonks. They continued like that until Harry felt the pressure in his body release in a burst of a wonderful feeling. With his coordination shot, Tonks went into overdrive throwing her body down on his as fast as she could. Her cries increased until she too lost control and collapsed on top of Harry.
He didn't want her move at all. He wanted her to stay right where she was. Her breathing even caused him too much stimulation. Harry did the only thing he could think of to hold her in place. He wrapped his arms around her and tightly held her to him. He kissed her forehead and whispered nothings to her. As his sensitivity lessened, Harry permitted her more range of motion but kept her well confined in his arms.
"Are you happy, Harry?" Tonks whispered into his chest.
"That was amazing, Nymphadora. Thank you."
"I have a little secret, Harry." Tonks moved bringing her mouth closer to his ear and causing him to grip her tightly to prevent her from moving too much. "There is much, much more where that came from. I can only hope that you will let me do that again, soon."
Harry had to stop himself from choking on his tongue when he processed what Tonks had said. Thinking fast and fighting the haze of pleasure, Harry responded. "Give me a few more minutes if you could."
Tonks answered by kissing Harry and rubbing her hands slowly around his chest. As the time progressed, so too did their actions. The elves spent the rest of the evening doing any chores that caused a lot of noise out of respect for their new master and mistress even if they refused to be called that.
Many miles away and a short distance north of London near the sea coast, a man groaned apparently from a large amount of pain. Those in the room cringed and shied away from the shuddering, cloaked form. Not a word was uttered, not a sound made by a living being.
The dim fire crackled being the only other source of noise in the long hall. The air was damp and pungent from the smoke that failed to travel up the floo which was in dire need of service.
The shuddering passed and dim red slits opened piercing the dark finding scared and leery followers awaiting punishment. Some deserved that punishment; others had not been complete failures in their roles. Those who had failed the worst were not among them. The snake-like eyes sought out a victim and rested on the quivering figure before him.
Clothing torn and slightly bloody the figure of a nearly teenaged girl began whimpering from the impending doom. The grim scowl changed to one of pure joy. He fed off of fear. Terror was his weapon. Power was his goal.
"Crucio." The girl screamed and he found it to be better than the most perfect symphony. He held the curse as the screams increased and wavered and lessened, As the screams changed to failing wails, he relented and released the spell. As the skinny girl continued to whimper and shiver on the damp, stone floor, the most evil of all people casually waved his wand removing the top piece of clothing from the girl.
The clothes would only ruin the effect and an effect was what he needed. With a thought and a stab of his wand, the girl's top half went erect as her lower half went limp. To an untrained observer, it would seem as if nothing was happening. At the first snap, it was apparent to all what the outcome would be. The second, third, and the near repetitive sounding of breaking ribs proved that terrible things were happening to the poor defenseless girl.
The snapping ended followed by a wet crunching and grinding sound. Once a small red slit appeared on her stomach, the final events happened quickly. The cut opened wide and fast as the insides erupted from within and showered outward covering the floor and those closest with bodily fluids and parts. The red slits for eyes were soon joined by a calm, toothy smile.
"Lord Voldemort has returned and all who fail me or stand between me and power will receive the same treatment." The room was silent as even the fire daren't interrupt. "Those who need to be dealt with will be dealt with soon enough. For now, Wormtail, clean that up. I will not have mudblood dirtying my chamber."
The rat-like man scurried over and began to magic away what was left of the body. "No Wormtail, no wand. Use your hands. Use your tongue if you must." The evil smile increased as Wormtail began a nervous attempt to return the expelled parts to the gaping hole in the broken body.
"Severus, you have not been as great a help as I had hoped."
Severus Snape controlled his mind as he moved before the Dark Lord ready to see his life end in a flash of green light. The last thought through his mind before the twisting red beam struck him was of how a scrawny boy with no overly apparent skill could stand before this creature and survive not once but several times. That thought was cut short as the burning hot knives found their way into every nerve ending in the Potion Master's body.