Ours to Catch Chapter 8

Tonks wasn’t very forthcoming with information about what to expect with her visit. She didn’t know how long Hermione would be there, exactly what the Black sisters would want to talk with her about or even if Malfoy would make an appearance since his mom was there. Hermione took her time packing, making sure to pack anything and everything she may need; mostly just an array of clothes, books she thought she may need like history of the pureblood lineage’s and several on protective charms, spells and wards.

Tonks simply went through Hermione’s muggle books to see if she recognized any of them and used her magic when Hermione needed her to. While Hermione was technically of age thanks to her excessive use of a time turner for an entire year, she didn’t want to risk getting in trouble so she had Tonks use the shrinking and feather light spell for her. Tonks didn’t mind, it was the least she could do since she knew her aunts, especially Bellatrix, likely had something planned for the muggleborn when she arrived at the manor.

“Tonks, be honest with me, do you know what’s going on?” Hermione finally asked, breaking the silence the two had fallen into while the younger woman packed. Hermione had a lot of questions and if Tonks wouldn’t, or couldn’t, answer the most important questions she had, she could at least try and get some type of information from her. Tonks had to know something.

Tonks hesitated on answering. It wasn’t like she had all the answers the Golden Girl would want but she at least knew some things. For instance, she knew the reason why her mum wasn’t actually black listed from her family like the general public liked to think. Well, she knew a little about it, she didn’t know the details. She was also concerned that if she told Hermione thinks the sisters didn’t want the younger woman to know, she would get in trouble. The sisters were plotters and if she went against whatever plan they had in place, she would be on their bad side. She really didn’t want that.

But she also couldn’t leave Hermione as much in the dark as the sister’s seemingly want her to be. If she were in Hermione’s spot, she would be itching for answers too. She had to share with the girl if only because she couldn’t imagine how much being in the dark was killing the bookworm who had to know everything.

“Honestly?” Tonks asked as she shrunk a book to plan in Hermione’s luggage, “I don’t know much.” She added with a helpless shrug. She was close with her mum, much closer to her than she was to her dad, but she couldn’t get her mum to say much.

“What do you know?” Hermione asked as she studied her books to make sure she wasn’t leaving anything behind she may need.

“Only that there’s a prophecy that’s apparently super important to my mum and aunts.” Tonks answered right away. “Supposedly something about them coming into their true power or something. They’ve never actually told me the prophecy.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Hermione asked as she turned her full attention to her friend.

“I have no idea, but I know my mum had been trying to figure out a way to get you away from the Order long enough to talk with you.” Tonks revealed, “But Molly has a way of making sure you either stay with the boys or with another Order member, it’s rather frustrating actually.” Tonks could remember the rants her mum would go on when Molly, either knowingly or unknowingly she didn’t know, always got in the way.

“Why did she want me away from the Order?” Hermione asked, “Aren’t you both part of it? I thought you guys were trying to get rid of Voldemort, is that not a good thing?” Hermione was confused. Why did it seem every time she got answers, she only got more confused?

“Well, it’s a lot more complicated than that.” Tonks said as she thought over everything she knew about the war and where exactly her mother and her sisters stood on it.

“How complicated is it?” Hermione asked, starting to get angry about all the non-answers her friend was giving her. “Voldemort wants people like me, muggleborns and half-bloods to be killed and to not be given the chance to learn magic. Dumbledore is trying to stop him and Harry is apparently the key to all that, how complicated is that?” True she didn’t understand Harry’s part in it, why he was so important in the plan, but if Dumbledore said he was, then it had to be true. Dumbledore hadn’t steered them wrong yet.

“Well, it’s a lot more complicated than that.” Tonks said as she scratched the back of her head. She was starting to regret saying anything at all. Her mum and her sisters would have been a lot better to explain everything; Tonks was sure she would end up doing a bad job. Perhaps she wouldn’t say as much as she originally planned, but she could at least give Hermione some info to at least keep her interested in talking with the sisters. Perhaps taking her straight to her mum instead of the other two would be best. “Voldemort wants more than just to kill the human raised witches and wizards and Dumbledore wants more than just to let them go. It’s a very convoluted reason and history and honestly, it would be better if my mum explained. She was there for most everything while it happened after-all.”

“That doesn’t really explain anything Tonks.” Hermione said in an annoyed tone. She almost felt like she was talking with her boys again, they talked a lot, said a lot, but really didn’t actually say anything meaningful to help the situation. It was the fastest way for Hermione to get a headache.

“Well, in all fairness, I am trying to get you to people that can explain a lot better than I can.” Tonks weakly defended herself. “I think they are keeping me in the dark because they don’t want to have certain info leaked. Like, I do know some things, enough to know I don’t want to be in Dumbledore’s Order and I don’t want to be in the Dark Lord’s gang either. But I think it would be better for my mum talk with you about it; probably even better than my aunts. My mum knows exactly what you would know given she’s in the Order also, she’s also a lot more patient than her sisters.”

Hermione knew Tonks was probably right, she probably should wait to push for answers until she was speaking with someone who had more answers. But talking with circles with the sisters again was not something she was looking forward to; would Andromeda be the same? Andromeda had always been blunt with her in the past. But with the way things were going with people ‘sharing information with her’, she didn’t actually learn much.

But it was still the only way she could get answers and the safest bet was to talk with Andromeda; the woman always made her feel safe. Hermione didn’t think that safe feeling would change anytime soon.

Hermione slammed her trunk close, sure she had at least the bare minimum of what she would need and turned back towards Tonks.

“Okay, take me to your mum then. Perhaps she will have more information for me that may actually answer some questions.” Hermione said with a determined look.

Tonks couldn’t help but sigh in relief, her mission for her aunts was over. Yes, she would be directing Hermione directly to her mum, not even bother to send a patronus to let her aunts know the muggleborn was there; they would know she was there the second she crossed the wards anyways. Her mum could deal with keeping her sisters a safe distance while she eased Hermione’s nerves about being around the two dark witches, one of whom had a reputation to being horrible to muggleborns.

“Sure ‘Mione, I promise, my mum can clear it all up for you.” She said with a wide smile as she walked closer to Hermione so she could side-aparate with the witch. With a few quick flicks of her want, Hermione’s trunk was shrunk and in the girls ever-present beaded bag and Tonks had the brunette hand. A few seconds later and both women left Hermione’s room with a pop. She was glad she wouldn’t have to stick around for the talk about to happen, she wasn’t so sure Hermione wouldn’t be mad.