1994-11-15: Oh, Irony

Participants:

Sirius_icon.gif Tonks_icon.gif

Scene Title Oh, Irony
Synopsis Tonks checks in on Sirius, brings him some treats and rants.
Location Undisclosed Safehouse
Date Nov 15, 1994
Watch For N/A
Logger Bad Dog

What luck. It seems that Umbridge hasn't removed Tonks from the guest list, yet. And Tonks has managed to get a shift where there aren't any shift Hit Wizards about. AND she knows the person who's currently on guard duty. While not someone she would consider trustworthy, the person does take the duty seriously, without twisting it too much. So the package in Tonks hand is inspected, but not denied. And Tonks made sure to let her mother know not to make anything that would look like a good place to hide something. So, at first, she'll look about downstairs. "Sirius?"

A couple of days after part two of his trial, Sirius is feeling edgy again. His disguise is now gone and if something comes up, that'll make hiding all the more difficult for him. That and the canine commentary from Edwin is not helping his mood at all. Downstairs, in plain view of guards, Sirius is sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. "In the kitchen," he calls when he hears Tonks's voice. Some of the guards get a frown, they seem to be waiting for him to do something like, transform and go for their throats.

Oh yay, Kitchen! This makes it easy. "Brought you something," Tonks says as she sets the box down and pops the top. Inside is an assortment of baked treats. Cookies and small cakes mainly, because, again, Tonks didn't want to get her mother accused of hiding a wand in the pie.

Sirius gets up from his seat and moves to give Tonks a hug, "You and your mother are a lifesaver. How's Andromeda holding up?" He knows his cousin is a proud sort and would be holding back emotion while in full view. "No knife? Oh look, a muzzle," he jokes, which is met with a series of glowers. "The dog jokes haven't stopped since the other day," he asides to Tonks as he helps himself to a cookie.

Andromeda is, after all, a Black, tried and true, even if she was blasted off the tree. "She's doing fine. waiting until we get home before she says anything on the matter." She scratches the back of her head, "She says your form is dripping in irony, by the way. She's not sure if you even realized it." Tonks pulls up a chair and settles down, throwing her booted feet up on the table as if she owned the place.

"I know this isn't easy on her.. it is good seeing her again however," Sirius says around a mouthful of cookie. So manners are something to relearn. He smiles cheekily at the relayed comment from Andromeda. "Oh I realize it. James liked to point it out frequently." Taking another cookie, he resumes his seat and points Tonks to the teapot that still has hot water. "Mugs are in the cabinet and there's still some tea left if you fancy some."

Tonks actually laughs a bit, "Oh she'll be glad to know. She was worried Azkaban rotted your wit." She stands up and walks over. "I didn't know about the dog association with the family though. Not until Mum pointed out to me when we were talking about it. It's not like I ever got to see the spiffy stuff." She's quiet as she works on making herself some tea, always heavy on the sugar side. Because she needs more sugar, obviously. Girl's going to be diabetic by the time she's thirty.

"It tried." At least, it's slowly coming back. It's taken some time, but slowly Sirius is feeling human again. "Mm.. yes, on the coat of arms," he says in a dark tone. Not to mention the obvious dog star reference, personality, so much irony to be had. "I'm amazed as is Miss Maplewood that there's been no cross examination so far. We're waiting for the other shoe to drop, or so goes the phrase."

Lifting the cup to her lips, Tonks regards Sirius' guards. "WE got our suspicions. She's not leaving it alone." Translation: She's going to sabotage it. Or at least, that's how Tonks feels, but she doesn't thinks he's at liberty to be completely truthful. "Wish the old toad would roll over and croak."

"Patience," Sirius cautions without telling his cousin to say no more because.. too many ears listening in here. "I can't imagine this will go as easy as it is appearing. Not after the testimony of the other day.. McGonagall was amazing, then again, that's our dear professor for you."

"Sorry, a little more cross with her than usual ever since she screwed with my duties," Tonks takes another drink and then retakes her seat, complete with the feet on the table. "Oh, Professor McGonagall was absolutely amazing. She's still really scary too…"

Sirius raises an eyebrow and leans over, swiping another cookie. "What did she do?," he murmurs before taking a bite. He's more interested in hearing what's being done now, rather than going back over McGonagall's brilliance.

There's a groan and an eye roll. "I went to question her about that damned letter. Standard procedure, right? So we'd have an idea of where to look. I did everything Kingsley told me to do. I did my best to keep my tone civil, to not shoot her looks, /everything/." She frowns for a moment, "Well, initially. She kept insisting you were a death eater, that I had a /bias/, and that I should probably be removed and assigned desk assignments. I tried to tell her I knew how to do my job, and bias wasn't going to be a factor, but she just kept poking." She sets the mug down and then twiddles her thumbs, much how Dumbledore had done at the trial. "Then she insulted Mad-Eye."

Sirius nods his head in a patient manner as he listens to Tonks without interruption. It's difficult to tell whether or not having testified is a weight lifted or a weight added, he at least seems more lucid. He frowns a little as he reaches for his mug and takes a sip. "You shouldn't have let her get to you, although I'm a shining example to be speaking… try to keep your head down and to stay out of her way. She's got an agenda and I feel she's just getting started."

"I didn't' blow my top or anything," Tonks insists! "I might've sounded a bit cross, but I didn't completely lose it. I tried pointing out to her that she didn't really /know/ how to work as an Auror, that we /can't/ afford things like bias and such in our work. And then she…" Tonks face screws up in a familiar expression. Little Tonks about to wail about how Mum didn't let her eat the candy Sirius had brought over, "She put me on /paperwork/. The kind that /trainees/ start off doing. But now I don't have the added fun factor of Mad-eye throwing spells and critters at me while I'm doing it!"

"It wouldn't take much of a reaction on your part to get her going," Sirius says as he looks down into the cup of his tea. He shakes his head, "It would have been best to keep quiet and just walk away. In a situation like that with a hag like her? But what's done is done… try and not give her more reason to go after you. Unless you don't mind losing your job or having who knows what thrown at you, without the added fun of it coming from Mad-Eye." He reaches over to pat Tonks on the hand. He knows that expression on her face, which is why he started sneaking her candy before life went to Hell in a handbasket for him.

The /expression/ on her face clearly says 'You're one to talk,' but Tonks wisely doesn't actually voice it. "You don't understand. Neither does Kingsley. You guys don't see how she looks at me." She shudders here. "She gives me the same look she gives Remus, or Mr. Noble." She pauses and explains, "The vampire, not Jack." She takes a deep breath, "I try, but, she sees wrong in /everything/ I do. Everything. That woman is horrid."

"Tonks.. I /do/ understand and so does Kingsley. Wear it with pride, you're different and in a good way. It means you aren't a brainwashed, ignorant bint like she is." Sirius scoots his chair closer so that he can continue speaking quietly. "She is horrid, she's acting Minister, and I doubt when it comes time to select a new Minister, she won't be it. This is temporary, and we have to fight back in /other ways/."

"Fine," she says with a grumble, her bottom lip sticking out petulantly. She may not act spoiled, but these little shows here and there do sort of show off that she likely /was/ indulged a bit on all sides, even Andromeda's. "But the moment she actually tosses the word 'freak' at me, I'm hexing her kitten plates."

Sirius smiles fondly at Tonks, the same sort of smile he would give her as a child when Andromeda was too strict. "All I can do is caution you, and I know such a thing is rich coming from me. You haven't even half a clue as to what I got on with when I was younger than you." Fighting for the Order, living on the edge, and being incredibly reckless. "Just ask yourself, is it worth your job? You fought hard to become an Auror, and Umbridge is a temporary block in the road."

"Well, when she gets ousted I can get my job back?" But, no, Tonks doesn't want to lose her job. Even if she has been pulled off all of her cases, and regulated to mundane paperwork. She continues to pout. "You think I can get Kingsley to throw stunning spells at me while I do my work?"

Sirius tries to give a disapproving look at Tonks as he lowers his voice and leans in.. Probably giving the guards something to talk about <tm>. "Perhaps, perhaps not, we do need as many people on the inside as possible." He pulls back and reaches out to playfully tweak Tonks's cheek. "Be strong."

Oh hey! "I'm not a kid anymore," she grumbles and rubs her hand against her cheek. She's not even going to ask what that might look like to the guards! She does feel a little better, finally able to rant to a sympathetic source about her treatment. Of course, it's also hard to convey she /does/ try to keep things in check, but well, there are those little triggers that just set off about ten generations worth of inbreeding. "They treating you okay?" she says as a change of subject and thumbs back towards the guards.

"No you're not and I'm surprised some nice chap hasn't snapped you up yet, and I haven't had the opportunity to haze them properly." Uhoh. Smiling, Sirius finishes off his tea and scoots the mug away. "Just do your job, and fight back as you can. You're resourceful and intelligent. She likes paperwork? Give her a headache by doing the job she assigned you, and cheerfully remind her that she's now got the top job.. sorry.. this requires her signature. Just for an example of course." Taking up another cookie, he nudges the box in Tonks's direction, "That Gifford is a right git, won't lay off for a moment. The others? More or less, they're okay. Keep expecting me to transform and make a bolt for it I wager."

There's a slight cough and a color to her cheeks, and Tonks unwisely glances somewhere else. She doesn't know why, but still. The topic has now become an odd means of embarrassing the metamorph. "I'll find some way, don't worry," says Tonks. "After all, Hellion Hufflepuff right here." Oh, if only Sirius wasn't in Azkaban, he would've been so amused at her exploits. And they probably would've been worse because he'd likely encourage them, much to her mother's annoyance.
"I've suggested to Kingsley to work on the guard rotation," she speaks quietly. "Gifford's not trustworthy, even just in a general sense. I've already passed along pertinent information. He says he'll try to talk to Scrimgeour to make sure there's someone around who'll stop you from getting zapped, but he also says it's imperative /you/ keep your temper and not give into his goading." Now time to take what Sirius says and turn it back on him! "But, Umbridge is going to want to double check any schedule changes."

Sirius mmhmms as Tonks has that evasive expression and head turn. "I get to interview this chap, although I dare say your father might have dibs over me." But /he's/ next in line. Got that? As the conversation moves on, he rolls with it. "Nice evasive maneuvering in conversation," he does say. "No Gifford isn't trustworthy, and now he knows how I overheard him and Mrs. Falton. As well as she would. She's threatened by this, I was taking note of her expression and lack of commentary." At turning his own words around, he smiles. "Touche."

All tonks can do is wave her hands as if trying to wave off the topic, mouthing 'there's no chap, none at all', though a small voice says there is, and that Sirius would be fine with him. That is ignored. "It does put a small dent in things," Tonks instead says. "And even if we can't guard you, you /mustn't/ give him any reason to pull his wand on you. Not to mention, claim self defense. I saw it, he was waiting for you to do anything he could call a threat."

Sirius smirks just a bit at Tonks waving her hands. Oh subject is dropped, it's just funny watching her squirm now. "It does, but we'll make do the best we can. I know 'Dora, I know. He warned me as he let me up from the chair. I've a feeling I could sneeze his way and he'd take it as a threat. Hopefully Umbridge can't stop the Wizengamot from coming to a fair ruling. I saw a good number of reactions when Miss Maplewood passed about the Prophet article."

The mention of the Wizengamot causes Tonks to shift slightly. "She's called inquiries into some of them," Tonks says quietly. "Especially those who seemed to be…favoring the trial and the evidence supporting you. Including the Nobles."

Sirius frowns and drums his fingertips against the table's surface. "That's her way, and I take this to mean she doesn't have a leg to stand on any other way. Although, I suppose if she really wanted to try, she would fight back in court. Of course, it is still rather early, and I must admit, without Peter in custody, my innocence is still greatly in doubt.'

Tonks reaches over, resting her hand over her cousin's. A simple, supportive gesture. She also digs into the box for a cookie. Snickerdoodle, mmm. "But so's your guilt," Tonks offers, "Which is /why/ she's suddenly nervous and acting like this."

Sirius smiles some and turns his hand over so that he can squeeze Tonks's in a light, affectionate gesture. "I wouldn't say she's nervous. Just that she finds this a threat to her precious Ministry. This has made a fool out of all of them, and also? I can't have been the only person chucked to the Dementors this way. It's rocking the proverbial boat."

"Just as well," Tonks states. "People should be sure of the guilt of people who they're throwing into such a place. It's just sad. Even Aunt Bella got a 'trial'." It was a laugh, but at least they had the option on whether or not to admit their guilt or claim their innocence. Which Bellatrix did the former in a most spectacular fashion. "They used you for a scapegoat, so that the people would have something solid, something to put their frustrations on after You-Know-who's defeat." She shakes her head, "Pathetic."

"She did, but that was after a lot of the hysteria died down. To be honest, I could have waited to try and kill Peter." Although, Sirius really shouldn't talk freely of that, even if it was matter of fact and the only way to see justice through. In his own mind that is. "And they still continue to do so. I don't like it, but that's how it is. I accept it to a point and now I'm fighting it. I could have just kept my head down when Miss Maplewood showed up, but it was a chance I wanted to take. I've had my doubts along the way and still do."

She smiles here. "I used to be one of them," thinking he was responsible for it. She does wonder, and it shows in her tone, if he faults her for that. She stands up here, walking over to give her cousin a light hug (No she's not slipping him anything funny, Guards!), "You'll pull through this, I know you will."

Sirius shakes his head, "You and everyone else. Even Dumbledore thought I was responsible. It was a stupid move we made, not trusting Dumbledore with that information. We were young and scared, which makes for a powerful combination." Not mistake he's keen to make again. "I also didn't help matters after escaping. I'm as much to blame as the next person." No, he's not going to hold Tonks responsible. Tonks's hug is returned, "I will, one way or the other." He's /not/ going to accept going through this mess to hear a declaration of guilty.

Standing up straighter, she smiles here. "Cool," is about all she has to say about that. Youngins and their speech. She glances at the nearest timepiece. "I should probably get going. Don't want to wear out my welcome." The guards are eyed. she does seem to have one more question, "You haven't seen Remus about lately, have you? He alright?"

Sirius gives Tonks a pat on the back, and then musses her hair. "Right. Don't want anyone to get suspicious, or jump to conclusions." He frowns a bit in thought as Tonks asks after his friend. "No. I've not. I'd wager he's being kept busy."

Maybe it's time she started keeping track of the moon's phases. It'd probably answer a few questions when the man disappears. "Right," she knows he was supposed to be doing other stuff. Tonks let's out a breath. "Alright. I'll try stopping back in again tomorrow, see how things are doing." That is, as long as she's permitted to.

"Behave, or I'll be telling your mother on you," Sirius says in a teasing manner as he fights the onset of the doldrums with his guest's departure. "I'll do my best not to bite Gifford."

All Tonks does is stick her tongue out at him before she turns and heads out.


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