Fear Itself

            Chapter 4

    Tonks awoke to the sound of muffled shouts. She rubbed sleep blearily from her eyes and sat up. After a few moments, the shouts started again. Since nobody else was in the house, it was obvious that Harry was having a nightmare. She got out of bed quietly and padded over to her door.

    When she turned on the light, Tonks glanced at the clock - it read twenty past midnight. She opened the door and crept into the hallway. Harry's cries were wordless, but tinged with an edge of panic. When she walked down the hall, his shout formed two distinct words, "Stop it!" followed by an anguished wail.

    Tonks let herself into Harry's room. The dim light from the hall seeped into the room enough for her to see him thrashing about in his bedcovers. She approached the bed slowly, calling his name. When she got to the foot of his bed, Harry sat bolt upright. Tonks breathed in sharply, but managed not to scream.

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    "Who's there?" Harry asked. He was doing his best not to sound afraid, but he was sure Tonks could see right through him.

    "It's Tonks, Harry. You're at the Order's Headquarters, remember?" Harry gave a little sigh and his shoulders sagged a little. She eased around to the side of his bed and sat next to him. The light was dim, but he could see the purple and yellow polka-dots on her white robe.

    Tonks put her arm around his shoulders and said, "There now, Harry, its only a bad dream." She gave him an encouraging squeeze, but he could only snort.

    "I could only wish it were a simple dream." He shook his head, as if to clear the grotesque images from his mind.

    "What do you mean?" Harry knew the question was coming, but he was still afraid of it. He put his head in his hands and scrubbed his fingers through his hair. He had to tell someone, even if they couldn't do anything about it. So he told Tonks about the nightmare, and how it was always the same. He told her of it's nightly occurrence, and that it woke him too early.

    When he finished, Harry noticed that Tonks was gripping him rather tightly. She felt awfully warm, and hint of that perfume he'd caught earlier seemed strong in his nose.

    "Harry, why haven't you told anyone about this?" He sighed a little, knowing that this would be asked as well.

    "I tried, at first. It was just, well, every time I tried to write it down, it came out sounding... I don't know, stupid, I guess. Childish, maybe." He was glad he couldn't see Tonks' face, her voice was full enough of emotion.

    "Oh, Harry! I knew we should have been checking in on you." She bent her head against his for a moment. "We've been worried that you wouldn't want to say if something was wrong. Dumbledore's been hoping you'd keep practicing Occlumency, but it sounds like it isn't working." Now Harry was glad that she couldn't see the look of guilt on his face. He hadn't tried, not even once - especially after that snotty little note Snape had sent him.

    "Well then, there's nothing to do for it tonight. Dumbledore needs to know about this, but chances are you'll have to have a sit-down with Severus." At the mention of Snape, Harry's shoulders tensed. "Now calm down, Harry. Sev's really good at what he does, even if he is a hooligan."

    Harry shook his head again and sighed. He didn't want to start talking about Snape right now. He still had his doubts as to who the man was loyal to in the first place. Thankfully, Tonks decided not to talk anymore at all. "Let's try to get some sleep then. Tomorrow's a big day."

    Tonks got off the bed, but instead of leaving she went and closed the door. When she walked back to Harry's bed, Harry asked, "Tonks, what are-"

    "Shush, now. You need sleep, and I..." she trailed off.

    "You what?"

    "I don't want to leave you by yourself, Harry," she said softly. He could almost swear he heard something more in her voice than worry. She climbed into bed next to him and snugged in close to him. Very close. "You'll just have to worry about propriety tomorrow. Besides, I don't snore." There was a smile in her voice.

    The perfume he'd caught when they flooed into the kitchen was still about her, faintly. To Harry it was intoxicating. He thought of the bed Ron slept in just a few feet away. "You know, Tonks-"

    "Nym," she interrupted.

    "Huh?" He had no idea what she meant by that.

    "Call me Nym, would you? Tonks works for most everyone, but it's been a while since..." She didn't finish the sentence. She had lifted her head to look at him, dark though it was. Harry knew that she was giving him somthing very special to her. He couldn't make sense of what he was feeling.

    "Nym..." he said. It sounded right to him. "I thought you hated yo-" she interrupted him again by pressing her lips to his. 'Oh bloody hell' he thought. He'd realized now what he was feeling. His mind echoed her earlier words - worry about it tomorrow. Harry gave in and returned her kiss. After a few moments, he moved one arm around her waist. His free hand reached up to stroke her hair, which had gone from slightly wavy to very curly. He did not miss her hand sliding down his back. He nervously stopped kissing her.

    "Uh, Nym..." Harry had no idea what he should say. Thankfully, Nym didn't let him.

    "Oh, shut up Harry," she laughed as she said it. 'Oh bugger' he thought as she moved in again.

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    Harry awoke with a mildly unpleasant tingling sensation in his left arm. He turned his head to look at Nym. She looked so peaceful. Harry sardonically listened to her soft snoring, and stroked her cheek.

    Their kissing had not turned into something more serious, physically. Even so, Harry felt that a strong bond had formed between them. He was a little bewildered that Nym saw something in him. It hadn't mattered last night, but now he had time to think.

    Nym wasn't anything like Cho Chang - she was older, for one. Maybe not old enough to be his mother, but close enough. She was also an AUror, so she'd most likely seen quite a bit while working for the Ministry. She was bound to be more complex than to be drawn to his 'fame'. So what was it then?

    His thoughts were broken by a muffled thump behind him. He rolled onto his back slowly, and saw Fred Weasley standing just inside his door. His brother George was just outside. Both were agape, and Harry didn't have to think hard to figure out what they thought had happened. He almost laughed, but he didn't want to wake Nym.

    Harry immediately sobered. What if Ron and Hermione were here? What would _they_ say? He made a shooing gesture with his hand. When neither looked like they were going to leave, Harry eased his arm from beneath Nym slowly. When he was satisfied that she hadn't been awakened, he got out of bed. He changed out of his pajamas into his regular clothes.

    After Harry had dressed, he walked over to Fred and pushed him back through the open door. Fred looked as though he were going to say something, but Harry held a finger to his lips with a warning glance. He mouthed the word kitchen and closed the door with a final glare.

    Harry moved through the darkened room leaned across the bed to nuzzle the nape of Nym's neck. She murmured and smiled, then ran her hand through his hair. "So I haven't scared you away then. What time is it?"

    "I'll have to turn the light on, Nym." At this she groaned, throwing the crook of her elbow across her eyes.

    "Well, if you must," she replied in mock irritation. Harry grinned and went to turn on the light. The clock read a quarter of five. Nym snarled at this revalation. "You slept well enough. Why are you up so early?" Harry debated on whether he should tell her about the twins. Honesty won.

    "Fred and George were here. You should have seen their faces, Nym." She threw her arm off her face and stared blearily at him.

    "Huh?" she said, shocked. Harry stifled a smile.

    "Fred and George," he repeated. "The Weasley twins? I think, no, I _know_ what they were thinking-" Nym sat up quickly.

    "When they saw us in bed together!" Nym finished for him. She groaned and flopped back down. "Oh, Merlin's Beard! We'll never convince them it was innocent. Never mind what we're going to have to do to keep them quiet."

    "I think I might have an idea on that, Nym." She looked up at him.

    "Oh, and how's that?" Harry only winked at her and grinned wickedly.

    "Come on, you, up. They'll be down in the kitchen."

    "If they know what's good for them," Nym muttered. She tossed back the blanket. "Is anyone else here?"

    "I doubt it, but you never know. Knowing those two, they were trying to get the drop on me with some new monstrosity they've cooked up." Harry remembered all too well the 'best for last' gag gift they had promised him. Nym nodded as she climbed out of bed.

    "Well then, Harry, shall we present a united front, or can you handle them by yourself for a few minutes?" Harry shrugged, then impulsively wrapped his arm around her waist. She let out a soft yelp. "Oof! All right then, let's go. She put her arm around his shoulders. Together they flounced out of the room. The hallway was empty, so they went downstairs.

    The kitchen was warm but quiet. The Twins were nowhere in sight, but there was a small package on the table. Propped against it was a card that said 'Open Me'. Harry gingerly picked reached for his 'present'.

    Harry immediately snatched his hand back as it rustled and gave a tiny shriek. The wrapping was torn off from within, and what looked like a Weasley Snap-Dragon emerged. The creature gave another cry at the sight of Harry and reared back, as if inhaling. Before he could duck, it opened its jaws wide and spewed out purple flames. Harry and Tonks both yelled as they were engulfed. They beat at the flames to no avail. Even as the fire spread, Harry realized sheepishly that he wasn't feeling any heat. His clothes had all the appearance of smoldering and burning, but remained cool and intact.

    Harry looked over at Nym, who had also understood the joke. She looked somewhere between cross and hysterical. As if on cue, Fred and George appeared out of thin air. Both were howling with laughter and pounding each other on their backs. Fred even danced a little jig, but had to dodge Nym's sudden rush forward.

    George spoke up. "Oh come off it, Tonks! You almost spoiled our prank on Harry. We just had to get even with you too. Fair trade for stealing our thunder, wouldn't you say.

    "About that..." She paused in her reply to look about the kitchen, which was burning merrily. It gave the room and everything in it an indigo hue. "How do you stop this? Its all very fun, but I can't think straight." She crossed her arms, which caused her upper half to go up in flames. Harry couldn't help but laugh.

    Fred had recovered from his tumble. He walked over to the table where the dragon sat. As he moved closer, it screeched and set him ablaze. Unperturbed, Fred rapped his knuckles on the table next to it twice. The dragon snorted with a tiny puff of smoke (which sounded to Harry more like a small animal sneezing) and curled up to sleep. The flames immediately died down and disappeared. As he expected, everything was unscorched.

    "Harry, if you think we find it funny, you should have been there when we were still experimenting." George leaned close to Harry and Nym conspiriatorily. "Fred dyed himself purple after we got the illusion right. He was stuck like that a whole week."

    "Hey, not fair changing the subject, George," Fred said quickly. "I want to hear about Harry's best present this year." He looked at Harry and Nym smugly.

    Nym's answer startled Harry a bit. "Ask us no questions and we'll tell you no lies." George's mouth dropped open, and Fred blinked. Surely Nym wasn't going to let them think they had... Harry did his best to stop his imagination from traveling the path. She continued. "Honestly, Fred Weasley! What business is it of yours, anyway? You both had best keep quiet. If you don't, I'll turn the both of you into newts, and you will _not_ 'get better'." Nym's voice carried humor, but she looked half-serious. She was going to let them think whatever they liked!

    George didn't look at all worried, and neither did his brother. They looked to Harry. Knowing better than to try changing their minds, Harry went along. "Oh no, don't look at me! If I learned anything at all last year, its never kiss and tell."

    Fred choked, "You did! Well happy birthday!" He worked up another wicked grin. "I wonder what mum will say."

    George mimicked Mrs. Weasley's high pitched shrill. "Harry Potter, shame on you! A boy your age! And you!," he pointed at Nym, who managed to cover a smile with her hand, "You should know better! You're old enough to be Harry's mother!" Nym stamped her foot.

    "Now see here, George! I am not! If you say that again, I'll box your ears till you think you're hearing Big Ben all day for the rest of your life!" Her hair had instantly turned an impossible color of scarlet. George threw up his hands.

    Harry did his best to sound serious. "You'll say nothing to your mum, either of you," he said, darkly.

    "Or what?" they asked, in unison. Harry leaned in close to them, and they to him. After a whispered statement, Harry leaned back and sat down. The twins stared at him in horror.

    "You wouldn't!" George accused.

    "Try me," Harry grinned evilly. George made a zipping gesture across his lips.

    "Fine then, spoil our fun." Fred answered. "We won't say a word. But if you two keep acting friendly, we won't have to." Harry hadn't even noticed that Nym had scooted a chair next to his. He had laced his fingers between hers, their hands resting on the table. Apparently she didn't care what anyone thought. Harry was a bit nervous about this, but trusted her judgement. She gave his hand a little squeeze, and he stopped worrying.

    Fred looked at them, then at his brother, and shook his head. "Well, much as we hate to miss you making eyes at each other, we've got a shop to run. You two have fun, but not too much fun." George laughed and wiggled his eyebrows at them. Harry deliberately rolled his eyes. "Oh, before we go, mum's bringing everyone over at ten. That should give you at least a few hours of, _hem-hem_, privacy." Nym blew a raspberry at him. "_Happy Birthday_, Harry. Tonks." With a loud crack, George disapparated. Fred gave Harry a thumbs-up and winked at Nym. _CRACK!_

    Nym laughed throatily. "Those two! 'Old enough to be your mother', indeed! I'm not even thirty yet." Harry managed not to look suprised. 'Almost thirty??' he thought. He hadn't realized, or even really thought about it up til now. "So what did you threaten them with?" She looked at him quizically.

    Forgetting about numbers, Harry winked at her, then pulled her in close. He grazed his lips across her cheek and whispered in her ear. Nym laughed even harder than she had before.

    "Y- Y- You wouldn't!" She lauged again. When she subsided, Harry answered.

    "Oh yes I would. After some of the stuff they've pulled on me and Ron, I think turn about is fair play. I'll give them a chance though." Harry stifled a laugh of his own, but couldn't help smiling.

    "Oh those poor boys! I almost feel sorry for them if they spill. Their mother will skin them alive," she giggled. She ran her hand through his hair, her other trailing around on his back. "Shall we go back to bed for a bit?" Harry glanced at the clock. It was nearly six now. He nodded slowly.

    "I'd like that, Nym- but we aren't..." he trailed off nervously. Nym pulled away and took him by the shoulders. The look in her eyes was serious, but full of emotion.

    "No, Harry, not that. Now isn't the time, but maybe... We can't anyway. I know for a fact that Molly and the others will be here at eight-thirty. Those boys, honestly!" she rolled her eyes. Harry wasn't terribly suprised at George's deceit. He let himself be led, arm in arm, out of the kitchen.

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