Professor Potter Ch. 14 (Harry Potter) (Patreon)

A/N: Man, you guys had Tonks do the smart thing, crazy :P

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Staring into Yennefer’s violet eyes, Nymphadora Tonks comes to a decision that she wasn’t expecting to come to. The Devil You Know…

Abruptly, Tonks steps back from Yennefer’s desk, causing the utterly gorgeous older witch to raise a perfectly sculpted eyebrow in question.

“You’re right. Why make an uninformed deal with you when I can play the field, yeah?”

Yennefer’s smile turns somewhat frigid, her lips thinning out ever so slightly as her eyes flash with an inch of threatening malice.

“Careful now, dear little Nym… I can assure you, I’m the kinder among those you could go to in this school.”

Smirking, feeling more and more confident about her decision by the second, Tonks juts out her chin, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Oh, I’m not going to go to any of them… why should I, when I can go straight to the source? I think it’s time my mother and I finally had an overdue heart-to-heart.”

This time, Yennefer’s face doesn’t so much as twitch or change. If she has any reaction to Tonks so deftly sidestepping the problem she was facing, she doesn’t show it. However, that in and of itself might be a tell, Tonks can’t help but figure. After a moment’s pause, Yennefer flares her nostrils, letting out an exhale as she leans back in her chair while tapping a finger on her desk.

“Very well, love. If you think that will work out for you, go ahead. I will be waiting, when you fail to get what you want.”

Yennefer’s confidence is a little unnerving. Just why was she so convinced that Tonks and her mother wouldn’t be able to talk this out like two regular adults? Furrowing her brow, throwing Yen one last uncertain look, Tonks retreats from the Potion Mistress’ office, making her way back up through the castle.

Refusing to put this off for a moment longer, the Hogwarts Caretaker makes her way directly to the Headmistress’ Quarters. NOT her office. As tempting as that might be, Tonks wants to diffuse some of the power and authority her mother has, as well as avoid all of the prying eyes and ears of the past Headmasters and Headmistresses whose paintings hang on the walls overlooking her.

Instead, Tonks arrives outside of her mother’s quarters and knocks. When that doesn’t get an answer, she sends out a patronus missive to Andromeda, a message that simply says ‘I’m waiting to speak outside of your chambers’. When the patronus runs off rather than entering the room, Tonks knows she’s… early by a little bit.

Still, nothing for it, is there? She stands and waits, leaning against the cobblestone wall with her arms crossed over her chest, until her mother finally arrives. It’s telling that Andromeda didn’t send back another patronus in response, though Tonks doesn’t know how to read into it exactly. Her mother looks… ever so slightly harried, as she approaches her door, her eyes flicking over Tonks before she ultimately lets out a resigned sigh.

“… Very well. Come, join me inside.”

Nodding, Tonks watches as Andromeda uses her wand to unravel the magical lock on the door to her quarters. While passwords might be the norm in some parts of the castle, other areas were considered much too important to trust to such a basic form of security. Andromeda’s chambers, for instance, were guarded by her magical signature, not something that could be spoofed very easily, especially not without her knowledge.

The door opens and Andromeda steps inside. Tonks follows her mother in, feeling almost like a young teenager again, rather than an adult witch with a child of her own. But then, if anyone could make you feel like a little kid, it would be your parents. As the door closes and locks behind her, Tonks mulls over just how she’s going to start this conversation.

“I presume this is about Harry?”

Well, that works. If her mother wants to get things going…

“Yes, it is. I think I deserve answers, mother. This is… honestly, it’s ridiculous that you even showed up in Harry’s quarters to stop me in the first place! And via a secret passage of all things!”

Rather than respond to Tonks’ berating, Andromeda walks over to a cabinet and pulls out two glasses and a bottle of firewhisky. Tonks’ eyebrows raise at that, more than a little surprised. Funnily enough… she’s never drank with her mother before. This is a little different, to be sure, and she finds herself walking forward a bit more slowly as Andromeda pours them both a couple of fingers of the magical liquor before handing one of the glasses to her daughter.

“I’d do it again too, I’m afraid. I know you might not understand this, Tonks… but it’s for your own good that you don’t get too close to Harry. It’s for both of your own goods, in fact.”

Knocking back her own glass of firewhisky, the Hogwarts Headmistress coughs a bit before sighing. Tonks takes a sip from her glass, managing to contain her reaction as it burns all the way through her. While she’s busy formulating a response, her mother is busy pouring herself another glass.

“I suppose that has something to do with Yennefer and the Lodge of Sorceresses, doesn’t it? Them and whatever their purpose for being at Hogwarts is this year.”

Tonks catches her mother in the midst of tipping her glass back for another drink, only for Andromeda to sputter and have to lower the glass, her head whipping around to stare at her daughter, wide-eyed. Tonks just raises an eyebrow in response, watching as Andromeda’s shoulders ultimately slump and she places a hand upon her forehead, letting out a put upon sigh.

As her mother collects her thoughts, Tonks gives her the chance to response, sipping more of the firewhisky down and enjoying the burn for what it is. Sure, she hadn’t come here planning on getting drunk, but… well, it felt like this might be a conversation for it.

“I won’t bother asking how you came to that conclusion… no, it would be rather obvious at this point, wouldn’t it? Tch, I exposed you to far too much of that stuff in your youth. Though I wonder, why do you mention Yennefer in particular?”

Shrugging, Tonks tips back her glass and swallows the rest of the firewhisky in it. Not enough to make her cough and hack, but certainly enough to burn even harder as she puts the glass down, noting how her mother immediately refills it for her.

“Because… I went to speak with our venerable Potions Mistress today. About you… and how to get around you to get to Harry.”

Andromeda goes absolutely still at that, and Tonks hurriedly continues explaining herself.

“I decided not to make a deal with her. Not before talking to you, at least.”

Her mother relaxes marginally at hearing that, before letting out a slightly unladylike snort as she raises an eyebrow in Tonks’ direction.

“Oh? Going to go back to her if you don’t like what I have to say, Nym?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, thrusting out her chin and firming up her jaw, Tonks refuses to back down.

“Perhaps. But I’d prefer we talk things out instead, rather than you forcing my hand.”

Quiet for a moment, Andromeda eventually chuckles and shakes her head.

“Of course. Because it all comes back to me, doesn’t it? Forcing everyone’s hands, one way or another…”

She’s rarely seen her mother so… melancholic or melodramatic. Frowning, brow furrowed, Tonks takes another sip of her firewhisky and also a step forward, instinctively wanting to offer some comfort to Andromeda.

“Mother… what is going on? You’ve always had your secrets, but it feels like that’s all coming to a head. You need to let someone in… and who better than your own daughter? Tell me something, tell me what I need to know. Is it about the Lodge? Is it about Harry? Is he in danger?”

Sighing, Andromeda moves over to a nearby couch and sits down.

“Not… not quite. The immediate danger is minimal. The danger facing Harry is one of… slow corruption. The Lodge doesn’t want to hurt him, Nym. They want to USE him; they want to CONTROL him.”

Both eyebrows raised now, Tonks moves and sits next to her mother, mouth opening and closing a couple times as she takes this in, as she processes what Andromeda is saying. It’s a hard potion to swallow however, and in the end, she’s forced to ask for clarification.

“I’m sorry… what?”

“… A long time ago, as you well know, the Lodge of Sorceresses got me out of a tough jam. Yennefer was my direct contact with them, and you of course got to know her the best as a result. But basically, I ended up owing them all quite a lot. And for a long time, it didn’t really matter… I was a junior member of the Lodge as a matter of course, I paid my dues, and that was that.”

Shaking her head, Andromeda gets a far away look in her eye.

“Power of the likes that Harry can call upon… it comes along rather rarely, Nym. There have been incredibly powerful, incredibly influential Wizards over the millennia. Merlin, for one… Nicholas Flamel for another. Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. More recently… Tom Marvolo Riddle and Harry James Potter.”

Drinking more firewhisky, Andromeda shrugs.

“From what I understand, the Lodge has a long history of… supporting these powerhouses, and in turn getting their own agendas taken care of in turn. Unfortunately, they picked the wrong horse to back almost a century ago. They sided with Grindelwald instead of Dumbledore and have been paying for it, picking up the pieces, ever since.”

Chuckling, Andromeda gives her daughter a look.

“With a healthy respect for Albus’ power, they kept their machinations out of British Affairs all this time, even avoiding offering Lord Voldemort their support. Of course, it’s possible they just understood what a crazy lunatic Riddle was, but all the same, they stayed away… because of Dumbledore. And then he went and died, and not only that, but Harry also managed to take care of Voldemort for good a year later.”

Tonks was starting to get an idea of where this was going. She was her mother’s daughter after all, and not an unintelligent woman in her own right. Still, she stays quiet, nursing her glass of firewhisky as her mother continues on with her story.

“The Lodge of Sorceresses saw their opportunity and took it. I am… overjoyed to be Headmistress of Hogwarts, don’t get me wrong. It’s a dream come true. However, I am only Hogwarts Headmistress because they made it happen. In exchange, it was considered my duty to get as many of them into faculty positions as possible. Just…”

Here, Andromeda leans in close, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

“I don’t want to give them Harry. I don’t want to see them put their hooks in the godfather to my grandson or turn him into their puppet. I just… I don’t want them to succeed. I might not understand their grander plans, but I believe I know enough to know I don’t want Harry in their clutches. And so, I worked to counterbalance them in the shadows through proxies as much as possible. Tis why the entire school faculty has not been replaced by Lodge members and only Lodge members.”

Tonks can’t help but stare at her mother, mouth slightly agape. It was a bit much, learning that there was a conspiracy at foot in the school she’d grown up in, that she’d attended for seven years. At the same time…

“… You’re an idiot, mother.”

Andromeda rears back as if struck, her slightly red and flushed face from the firewhisky contorting in hurt and then anger. But Tonks just holds up a hand, cutting her off.

“You’re not an idiot for trying to protect Harry. You’ve done the right thing. But you are an idiot for trying to do it all alone.”

Her face scrunching up, the Hogwarts Headmistress grimaces.

“What, you think I should have brought you in earlier or something?”

“YES!”

Tonks’ exasperated tone draws a scoff from Andromeda, who shakes her head.

“I was trying to protect you, daughter o’ mine! I was trying to keep you out of this mess, like I successfully have all your life!”

“I’m not a child anymore, mother! I’ll make my own mistakes! I’d prefer to make informed ones though, and if not for second guessing myself, I’d probably be doing Yennefer’s bidding right now because you didn’t tell me anything!”

That shuts Andromeda up, causing her shoulders to slump and her head to hang. In her mother’s moment of seeming weakness and contriteness, Tonks pushes for a little more.

“We need to tell Harry.”

That gets another scoff from Andromeda of course, who waves a hand dismissively at the idea.

“No. I’ve already tested the young man. As much as I care for Harry, he is… easily led around by his dick. Too easily. Given his age, it’s to be expected, but what good will telling him do? He’ll run right into their trap, end up under their control all the easier…”

Mouth agape, Tonks shakes her head.

“No, mother! That thinking is what got you into this situation in the first place! Keeping secrets, especially from Harry, will only do more harm than good at this point! The only way the Lodge is going to sink their claws into him is if he’s left in the dark! He needs to be able to make an informed decision!”

Looking conflicted and unsure of herself, Andromeda just whimpers.

“But… but what if it’s the wrong one?”

Straightening her back, even as she feels the effects of the firewhisky as well, Tonks nevertheless holds her head high.

“Then that’s his wrong decision to make, mother.”

Finally, the fight seems to go out of Andromeda entirely. Shaking her head, the older witch sighs.

“… Very well. How should we go about this? Should it be me? You? Us together? How do we even begin telling Harry all of this?”

Biting her lower lip, Tonks finds herself contemplating the question for longer than she would have thought. On the one hand, she was desperate for some alone time with Harry. On the other, this was bigger than her libido and sexual urges, right? Andromeda knew more than her about all of this… but she was loathe to once again leave the two of them alone together…