Contact

The sun was burning through the last of the hazy clouds in the brilliant summer sky; the streets shimmered with the reflected heat. Only in the maze of narrow alleyways that ran between the buildings could one find any remains of the early morning cool, but the tradeoff for escape from the heat was a dank grime that assaulted the nose and shoes of anyone so unfortunate as to choose to wander in. The rubbish heaps scattered throughout were home to an array of scavengers, too intent upon survival to pay much heed to anything beyond finding their next meal.

A crack cut through the stealthy rustling in one miserable alley, disturbing the rats and sending them squeaking into a nearby sewer. The cause of their hasty retreat glanced around his filthy surroundings, quickly ascertaining that none of the eyes peering out at him from the piles of refuse were human. His nostrils flared in disgust at the stink and he quickly picked his way out toward the street, pausing to peer through the bars of the iron gate that separated the narrower alleyway from the wider road beyond. He took a few moments to flick a cautious eye over the immediate environs before he quietly pushed open the gate and stepped out of the shadows into the bright embrace of sunlit sidewalk.

The appointed destination was several blocks away, but security protocols demanded that he approach the spot more circumspectly than via direct Apparation, and so he was forced to walk through the blazing London streets on his way to what Sirius had jokingly referred to as a play date.

He had to admit that this was one of the odder missions to which he had ever been assigned, and certainly the oddest partner. She came highly recommended by Alastor and Kingsley, and having read through her file when she had first joined the Order a few weeks back, he recalled that her list of qualifications was impressive.

Still, the fact that the bulk of this mission required him to keep in contact with someone posing as a four-year-old girl made the whole situation seem a bit of a farce. He sternly reminded himself that their targets were anything but a laughing matter.

The Death Eaters they were ordered to observe had never been officially convicted of any crimes, but Alastor's ears had pricked up the moment their names were mentioned in Kingsley's report; he himself recalled in harrowing detail the atrocities connected with one of the pair from the first war. Moody was insistent on going initially, but a sudden lead on Voldemort in northern England made it necessary to hand this mission off to the only other Order member who was both available and familiar with the Death Eaters in question: namely, Lupin himself.

So, here he was, nearly to the intersection where he would catch his first glimpse of this girl, this Auror, Nymphadora Tonks.

Odd that she was related to Sirius. Would she have the same Black arrogance? The same cynical, biting sense of humor? The same unconscious grace that Sirius had retained, even after twelve years in Azkaban?

Lupin had no doubt of her loyalty or bravery - both were vouched for by Moody and Dumbledore. The mere fact that she was an Auror at such a young age (How old was she again? Twenty-two? Twenty three? Ridiculously young, anyway, to have qualified for such an elite and dangerous career.) spoke all the more highly of her abilities. Not, thankfully, that he would have to witness her use of them on this mission. Never had he gladder of the promise of a boring surveillance assignment, this last full moon having bestowed more than its usual share of exhaustion. Trudging four blocks in the baking heat had him longing for a quiet place to sit down.

A glint of gold attracted his eye. It took a moment for his mind to adjust to the scene his glance encountered, and his mouth curled involuntarily into a smile as he worked out that the tiny elfin shape playing in the park was turning somersaults over the grass, coming to an abrupt halt under a shade tree by the simple means of running into the trunk. She shook out her tangled gilt curls and began to pull up handfuls of grass, throwing them into the air only to have them fall back and settle over her hair and dress.

Either she's a consummate actress, he reflected, amusement at her antics widening his smile into a full-blown grin, or she's really enjoying herself out there.

His leg muscles protested the forced march he had just demanded of them, and he glanced around in the hopes of finding a nearby stairwell or alley entranceway in which to sit. About a third of the way down the next block was a reasonably acceptable alley - which meant that the rubbish piles were slightly fewer and the buildings channeled the breeze so as to lessen the smell. At least it gave him a place to rest unobserved and with a clear view of the park. He Transfigured a few pieces of discarded lumber into a crude stool and settled himself down to await the arrival of their quarry.

The faintest footfall behind him gave a split second warning, just enough time to surge to his feet before a wand point was shoved into his lower back.

A voice spoke, soft and deadly. "Don't move, or you and Blondie out there'll be dead before you can make it a step, understand?"

Lupin nodded almost absently as his mind was thrown into sudden chaos.

Blondie? How could he know...? Oh hell - this is a set up. How do I warn her? There's still time for her to get away...

"Well, well," sneered the voice. "Dumbledore's pet wolf. Didn't think they'd send you here, Lupin, right after the full moon. Claremont'll be pleased to have caught you as well as that little girlie out there. Or should I say big girlie?"

An unpleasant snigger stirred the hairs on the back of Lupin's neck as his heart thudded in his chest, painful rapid beats that drowned out the menacing voice behind him for a moment. He stared helplessly at the tiny figure now swinging from a tree branch, utterly oblivious to the danger so swiftly bearing down on her.

His mind grasped desperately at some way to escape. Attempt to Apparate over to the park and grab her? Try and take the Death Eater behind him before he could give a warning? Sacrifice himself in giving an obvious signal so that she would know to flee? Each plan was rapidly formulated and discarded. There was every chance that he could not act quickly enough, and he held no hope that the Death Eater was bluffing in his threat to kill her outright.

Sudden pain pierced through his thoughts as his captor cast a stinging hex at his back. "I said hand over your wand, you piece of shite! That sweet little bit in the park will be joining us soon enough, and trust me, you'll get more than an eyeful then!" Another round of low, suggestive laughter made it all the more difficult for Lupin to stand in silence, his lips barely containing the instinctive shout of warning that tore at his throat.

He slowly reached into his sleeve and pulled out his wand, tipping it behind his head. It was jerked out of his grasp as he kept his eyes fastened on the child now chasing a butterfly through the grass. The overwhelming sense of having failed her struck him just a moment before the stunning spell.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nymphadora. He used my name. Oh SHIT! He knows! The thought splintered through her mind like shards of glass, reflecting itself over and over. He knows he knows he knows he knows. She'd never been the fainting type and was dismayed now to find that darkness threatened to suck her down into oblivion. Pull yourself together, you stupid girl! If you give up now, you're dead.

She kicked and shoved her fear to the back of her consciousness where it could whimper quietly in a corner. Harder to master was the revulsion that crawled over her skin at the continued forced contact with Claremont, his arms still wrapped about her as he climbed the stairs. The block of flats they had entered lay just across the park from where she had been playing.

Lennox set up a complaint, something about having to walk like a damn Muggle, and Claremont took the opportunity to coldly stare her in the eye as he reminded the other Death Eater that the anti-Apparation wards in the building were of far more concern than his comfort. She mutely nodded her understanding - there would be no escape that way.

How was she going to get out of this? It would certainly help if she wasn't the size of house-elf. She played with the idea of morphing back to her natural form. If she could effect the change quickly enough, she might throw Claremont off balance and - then what? Immediately get blasted by Lennox? They had taken her wand as soon as they entered the building, and she wouldn't make it two steps without it. Another strike against it was her clothing: what she wore fit a four-year-old body well enough, but if she morphed the clothes would never survive, and then she'd be captive and naked in front of these two maniacs. Fear traced another cold finger down her back at the thought. --> [Author:Lisa Rene]

She shook her head to clear the blackness that once again swirled around the edges of her vision.

The air smelled of old food and stale cigarette smoke, underlaid with faint odours that bespoke the presence of pets and unwashed humanity. When they topped the third rise of stairs, Lennox trudged to a door halfway down the corridor and traced a small design on the handle with his wand before tapping it lightly.

The door swung open and Claremont stepped in, carrying Tonks like a young bride over the threshold. She sickened at the image, knowing all too well by this point that her near future may indeed hold the terrifying mockery of a wedding night. Bad enough if she were in her normal form, but it would be absolute agony for the body of a small girl. Dear God, they would rip her apart...

Hold it together. Focus on the flat. Find a way OUT.

She scanned the surroundings, mentally cataloguing everything that passed within her line of vision. Narrow entrance hall with coat hooks in the wall that had been bolted in crookedly. Living room with a dingy sofa and an ancient wireless, the nicotine stained curtains pulled shut and clashing dreadfully with the faded grey walls. Another hallway, the light fixture broken so that it was harder to make out the loo through the first left hand doorway. A closed door on the right. Another open doorway on the left, a kitchen bearing evidence that someone here had recently indulged in whiskey. The one remaining door, across from the kitchen, was shut.

"Banks!" Claremont called through it quietly and stepped back when it was thrown open to reveal a third man, heavily stubbled and smoking a cigarette. "Do we have another guest?"

Banks raised his left arm to take a drag, and Tonks was surprised to see that there was no sign of a Dark Mark.

"Just like you said, but even you might be surprised who turned up." He moved out of the doorway to reveal a small, ill-lit bedroom with a bare, grimy mattress in one corner. Crumpled on the mattress was-

"Lupin," Claremont breathed out the name slowly. He stared down at the unconscious man, eyes glittering in the lamplight. Suddenly he broke into derisive laughter, his mirth causing a jolt of pain to shoot through Tonks' twisted leg as he tightened his grip. "By the Dark Lord, that's even better than I could have hoped for. Did you get his wand?"

Banks simply pulled the item out of his pocket and held it out. Claremont strode to the mattress and roughly tossed Tonks down beside the inert form of Remus Lupin before taking the proffered wand. Abruptly he turned back to stare at her.

A smile of obscene delight had wreathed itself across his face. Unwilling to contemplate the cause of his humour, she squirmed onto her stomach and instead focused on unconscious man beside her..

I am such a fucking idiot. No wonder he didn't show up - they must have gotten him before he could contact me, and there I was all pissed off because I thought he was unreliable. Bugger! Why didn't I see earlier that something was up?

Claremont followed her glance. "Poor Nymphadora," he mocked. "Your knight is quite unable to rescue you now, and appears to need a bit of rescuing himself. Don't worry, little one." Once again he twisted the phrase in such a way as to make her cringe into the wall. "Our werewolf here will live to see another day, even if you do not."

Tonks turned her head to stare, uncomprehending and knowing better than to draw any comfort from his statement. If Lupin was allowed to leave, alive, then Claremont must have a reason for letting him go -- but damned if she could fathom why. Frankly, she wasn't sure she wanted to understand, especially since reasoning out the meaning would require her to face the other half of the statement; namely, that she would not survive the day. With an effort she tore her eyes away from his gaze and curled up toward the wall, burying her face in her knees. It was getting harder to keep her emotions in check, and she stood no chance whatsoever if she continued to look at the Death Eater.

Vaguely registering when he ordered Banks to guard the front door, she tried to focus on preparing herself mentally for whatever Claremont had planned for her. Auror training, especially when Moody had anything to do with it, always covered the possibility of torture and running through the drills she had learned calmed her somewhat. She cast every pain-numbing spell over herself that she could call to mind, lamenting that without her wand to cast them at full power, their efficacy was severely limited.

Better than nothing, she reflected.

A disagreement between Lennox and Claremont refocused her attention on the pair. Lennox, from what Tonks could make out, seemed to be questioning whether or not the other man could properly control Lupin's wand. Her unease grew as the curious argument continued - why, when Claremont could control his own wand better than another wizard's, would he need to utilize Lupin's specifically?

Something in Claremont's posture indicated that Lennox had finally pushed him too far. "Really, you idiot," he hissed, "can you possibly be suggesting that you can do a better job? If you need the proof that badly, I'll indulge you so you'll shut up, but mark me, the Dark Lord will hear of this." He spun around to Tonks. "Flagello!"

She gasped as an invisible whip cracked over her arms and legs, leaving behind angry red welts to mark its passing. It didn't hurt nearly as much as it could have, and she briefly offered up another silent thanks to Moody's training sessions. All the same, common sense whispered that putting on a show of pain would be necessary to avoid suspicion, so she drew more tightly into herself, whimpering.

Lennox had lapsed into silence, his truculent mood shifting into an avid appreciation for every lash that carved itself into her fair skin. He slowly licked his lips before shuffling over to the battered table in one corner of the room to light a cigarette.

Claremont cast him a look of disgust as he terminated the spell and walked over to Lupin. "Rennervate."

Tonks watched with nervous dread as he gasped into consciousness, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. She slowly uncurled and his head whipped around, pupils dilating in shock at the sight of her and their surroundings. Not daring to give him any overt sign of comfort, she instead pushed herself upright using his leg, giving it a light squeeze before pulling her hand away and wrapping her arms around her drawn-up knees.

His eyes flicked over her, taking in the scratches and dirt smears on her face, widening when they encountered the welts left after Claremont's demonstration. Something flashed, anger perhaps, the sudden intensity of it startling her for a moment as he slowly turned his head to face their captors.

"Hello, Claremont." When he spoke, his tone was shockingly polite, almost cordial. "Lovely to see you again, although given that I'm tied up and you're pointing my own wand at me, I'm forced to assume that you didn't invite us here for tea."

Tonks did her utmost not to gape, impressed beyond words at the brass balls of the man. To make such a flippant comment in the face of uncertain death was something she could see herself doing, but Mr. Bookworm? Where had that come from? Horrified as an unexpected grin threatened to lay hold of her features, she buried her face in her arms and could only listen to Claremont's cold reply.

"Witty as ever, I see. I knew there had to be some explanation for why Dumbledore allows such a ragged excuse for a man to hang round."

Low sniggers could be heard from where Lennox sat sprawled in a chair.

Peeking over her arm, Tonks could see Lupin's jaw tighten almost imperceptibly at the barb, but he continued in that impossibly calm tone, as if he and Claremont were simply discussing the weather.

"A pity that Voldemort can't say the same for you. Dumbledore admittedly has a soft spot for wit, but your master seems to prefer the witless. Are you really so certain of the outcome here today that you've already ruled out the possibility of our escape? Why do something as daft as to leave my wand whole? Obvious rule of war - remove all usable weapons from play. Perhaps all those years of forced inactivity have made you careless."

Claremont's eyes narrowed, but Lupin deliberately ignored the warning and forged on. "And isn't this a bit beneath you, sent to pick up a mere girl? Or did you have a harder time than you'd expected, explaining the reason for your life of comfort while Voldemort drifted like a spectral vagabond through Europe?"

Delicate nostrils flared as Claremont sucked in a breath and the hand clutching Lupin's wand twitched slightly.

"Hmm, struck a nerve there, have I?" Lupin smirked. "Well, don't take it to heart - someone has to take on the tasks that those in favour can't be bothered with. Or are you upset at the bit where I implied your master is nothing more than a - "

"Torqueo somes!"

The wand slashed through the air and Tonks felt her arms and legs uncurling, stretching out as if ropes had suddenly pulled her taut on an invisible rack, crashing her arms against Lupin as her legs were extended toward the opposite end of the mattress. So violent was the strain on her limbs that she cried out, the pain-warding spells unable to counteract the sudden agony inflicted on hyperextended joints and shrieking muscles. Fighting a wave of unconsciousness, her eyes sought out Lupin's and latched onto his gaze as to a lifeline. A spot of blood, bright red against the pallor of her skin, bloomed on her bottom lip as she bit down to contain another scream.

Just wanted to say, this is excellent.