Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 131

Jenna took out her wand and opened up the door fully, stepping inside the kitchen as she breathed heavily. Both Sirius and Snape were now looking toward the door with their wands pointing into each other's faces and Harry immobile between them, a hand stretched out to each of them, trying to force them apart.

"Drop your wands. Both of you," Jenna said firmly, glaring between them.

Although her voice was different. And in fact, so were her face, her clothes, and her entire features. Instead, she had taken the form of Tonks.

Both Sirius and Snape lowered their wands. Each wore an expression of utmost contempt, yet the unexpected entrance of so many witnesses seemed to have brought them to their senses. Yet, Harry's attention was fixed on Tonks, because he had never seen her look so serious and angry before.

Snape pocketed his wand and swept back across the kitchen, though he stopped when his eyes fell upon the wand that Jenna was holding in her hands. He gave her a nasty grin, realizing that it wasn't Tonks after all.

"Six o'clock Monday evening, Potter," Snape said coldly, though his deadly gaze was still fixed on Jenna.

And with that, Snape was gone. Sirius glared after him, his wand at his side. He still hadn't noticed that it wasn't Tonks who was standing there in the kitchen. So growling to himself, Sirius stormed out of the kitchen and went back upstairs into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Jenna gulped, glancing sideways at Harry who was still standing there, looking dazed. She realized that this was her first time being alone with Harry in the same room in a human form. She realized that if she spoke, it would be her first words to him after fourteen whole years.

Jenna had no idea what she was supposed to say, so she just cleared her throat awkwardly and placed her wand back in her pocket, stealing nervous glances at Harry, who was still frozen on the spot.

"Don't worry," Jenna finally mustered her courage and spoke, though she was avoiding Harry's eyes, "it will be all right."

"Yeah, right." Harry scoffed, shaking his head. "No more Quidditch, Umbridge waiting for us there, and Snape's private lessons to look forward to. It won't get any better than that."

"Whoa! What's with the sass, Potter?" Jenna said in Tonks's voice, chuckling. "Didn't know you had it in you."

But Harry didn't answer. He only sat back down on his seat around the kitchen table, gazing away. With an inaudible sigh, Jenna walked toward him and took Sirius's old seat beside Harry.

"Hey," Jenna said quietly, placing a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder, making him look up at her, "you won't be alone in this."

Harry didn't know what he was supposed to say, so he just gave her a light nod. But deep down, for some unknown reason, he had a sudden feeling of warmth and reassurance as he looked back into her eyes.

***

After Harry had gone back upstairs to pack his trunk for tomorrow, Jenna remained in the kitchen, sitting with her elbow on the table and her chin resting upon her palm. She was so lost in her thoughts that she had fully forgotten to transform back to her own self. So she just sat there in Tonks's form, gazing at nowhere.

Although Jenna was soon snapped out of her thoughts when Molly entered the kitchen along with Remus and Tonks.

They all came to a halt at Jenna's sight, until the real Tonks said, "Are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?"

"It's just Jenna," Remus said casually, entering the kitchen with a smile.

"Oh, right! I forgot you were a Metamorphmagus for a second," said Tonks, chuckling. "Is that how my hair looks like from the back?"

"Yeah," Jenna said with a grin, turning herself back to her own form after Molly closed the kitchen door behind them.

"Damn... then I suppose I should make my hair it a bit longer. But the pink looks good on me though, doesn't it?" Tonks said thoughtfully.

Remus chuckled as he sat down behind the kitchen table. "Yes, it looks good."

"Oh, thanks!" Tonks said cheerfully, joining them.

"Where's Sirius?" Molly asked Jenna, taking out a bowl of her homemade chocolate chip cookies and placing it in front of them.

"He's up in his room, I suppose," Jenna answered gloomily as she picked up a cookie, though she didn't eat it.

"Molly, these are awesome!" Tonks exclaimed, swallowing the cookies. "Can I take a few of them with me? I've got duty tonight at the Ministry. Might as well eat while I'm there."

"Of course, dear. Take as much as you want," Molly said kindly and Tonks beamed.

"So will you two accompany the kids to King's Cross station tomorrow?" Jenna asked, looking between Remus and Tonks.

But seeing as Tonks's mouth was full, Remus took it upon himself to answer. "No, we're actually taking them straight to Hogwarts with the Knight Bus. Dumbledore thinks that's the safest way for now."

"I see..." Jenna muttered. She wasn't pleased that she was leaving Sirius at all, worried that Snape's accusation of cowardice would lead Sirius into doing something reckless.

"Tonks, you've got something there — on your face," Remus suddenly said rather awkwardly, breaking the silence. He pointed lightly at the edge of Tonks's mouth, which was covered with chocolate.

Tonks tried to wipe a little spot at the edge of her lips, though that didn't make much of a difference. "Did I get it?" she asked.

Remus shook his head and laughed, before taking a handkerchief out of his shabby coat's picket and handing it to her. Tonks wiped the chocolate marks around her lips.

"Thanks," she said, handing the handkerchief back to Remus.

But they both broke down into laughter when they looked down at the handkerchief, only to see that it was now covered in chocolate.

"You know what? How about you just hold on to that?" Remus said sassily and Tonks chuckled, pocketing it.

"Sure," she said, still laughing. "This is the weirdest gift anyone has ever given me; a chocolatey handkerchief."

Remus chuckled along, though the sounds of their laughter faded into little sheepish smiles as they glanced back at each other in silence.

Jenna and Molly looked between them awkwardly before clearing their throat and starting a conversation among themselves.

Although Jenna could barely suppress her smile, because she had a feeling that if Tonks's hair wasn't already pink, it would've definitely changed color.