All The Pieces

Chapter Four

Above: A song that WILL make you cry :) I enjoy listening to sad songs when I write. I really have no idea why.

TONKS

Tonks stormed into Grimmauld place, slamming  the door behind her. In the fifteen minute walk from her parents house, she had managed to get herself angry again. At her mother. At the world.  At herself, for being human.

Remus and Sirius, whose game of checkers had been severely rattled by the force of the door, looked up at Tonks and immediately packed up and scurried away to find a different place to play.

Tonks, needing someone to talk to, followed them.

"Tonks, don't knock over the table," warned Sirius.

"I won't," sighed Tonks. "Sorry about that, I just needed to blow off some steam.

"What's wrong?" asked Remus, seeming concerned. He looked up from the game. Sirius jumped over two of his men and took then into a makeshift prison he'd made inside the lid of the checkers box.

"I don't know." Tonks flopped onto the couch, feeling it bounce her back up, and then set her to rest.

"I'll go make some tea. Want some, Sirius?" Remus, using the table for support, stood up.

"Hot chocolate!" cried Sirius.

"It's pretty hot outside. We can't make that," objected Remus.

"You're making hot tea," pointed out Sirius.

"How 'bout orange lemonade?" suggested Tonks from where she was half sliding half falling off the couch.

"That'll work. Lemonade with orange juice in it?" asked Remus.

"Yes, that'll be nice." Tonks closed her eyes.

"If you're up to it, then take over for me in checkers," said Remus.

"That's fine." Tonks was agreeable to this, since checkers didn't require much effort or energy.

Sirius jumped his man to the end of the board. "Hey, hand over a checker! King!"

Tonks handed him another checker which Sirius placed on top of his checker.

"It feels like I'm playing with Remus," commented Sirius.

"Why?" Tonks captured three of Sirius's men. 

"Because he plays with the same gloomy attitude. Look, your life's much nicer than his, so start acting like it," said Sirius, laying down his checker and looking Tonks in the eye.

"Yeah, life's not that great right now," sighed Tonks.

"What's wrong?"

"Swear you won't tell anyone, especially Remus?" asked Tonks.

"Of course. That's what cousins are for," said Sirius reassuringly.

"What are cousins for?" asked a voice from the doorway. Remus was back with a pitcher of orange-yellow liquid and three glasses. 

"For making you feel better," said Tonks quickly, having no shame in lying.

"Yup, they really are." Remus poured orangeade into the cups and passed them out. "Cheers."

"Cheers," said Tonks, clinking glasses with both Remus and Sirius and then gulping down the cool liquid. It made her feel much better, just like how she'd needed to be squirted with the hose. She also felt pretty sleepy, and felt her eyelids growing heavy.

"Mmmm," said Sirius, licking his lip. "This is much better than hot chocolate! And, there's more of it!"

"Yeah, it feels really good when it's hot outside, doesn't it, Tonks?" asked Remus. Tonks didn't answer. "Tonks?" asked Remus again. He looked over at Tonks. She was asleep, worn out from her day. Remus covered her with a sheet, and he and Sirius started a quiet game of Battleship.