Good morning sunshine, Tonks and Ginny

Tonks had a rather long talk with Remus, a small recap of all that happened, before her body just rather gave up on her. She had to sleep. So she retired from the table and after writing a small note to leave under Ginny's door, she collapsed into sleep in the guest bedroom of Grimmauld Place. The note simply said:

"Ginny,
I am back. I am fine. Sorry I was gone so long. I'll be asleep in the guest bedroom when you get up, feel free to come and poke me. I missed you.

-Tonks"

And so, that's where she was. About 6 hours into her long, long needed sleep, but the sun was now shining and those in the house hold were probably slowly awakening. At the moment, however, Tonks was not one of them. She had managed to pull off her over robes and her shoes, but that was about it. She's laying on the bed, still fully clothed in her slacks and black shirt. She didn't even make it under the covers last night.

Her hair, for the moment, had gone back to it's real mousy brown. It had grown quiet long in reality, she never bothering to cut it, and amassed in soft waves all across the pillow and the bed beneath her. She lay flopped on her back, one arm draped overtop of her head on the pillow and the other over her stomach. She just looked exhausted, even in rest. Her breath made her stomach and chest rise and fall slowly. Otherwise... nothing moved in the guest room.

<sub>Ginny normally, though unbeknownst to her mother, was one of the last people to retire to bed. The deciding factor wasn't the fact that she just couldn't fall asleep unless it was extremely late, her growing insomnia was becoming more of a nuisance than anything else. Up in her room or tucked away in the den - fire nearly burned out and the floorboards making the only noise at the hour - the youngest Weasley was beginning to feel rather like a caged bird. She was sure that she wasn't the only one who felt that way, in fact Ginny was positive that the trio, too, were feeling the pressure of walls closing in.

However, with all this said, she was well aware that on approximately every second evening Remus would take up residence in the downstairs lounging areas. Nearly every third Mad-Eye was roaming around in a contemplative manner - his fake leg clunking with every step while his ragged breath could be heard even from the second landing. The Order members would come and go all the time, so that evening hadn't felt any different; although more meetings were being held in the past few months than in years, Ginny never would have suspected that a particular someone had just returned 'home'.

The red head had miraculously been in bed and dozing off when the note had been slipped under her door. Had she been reading or writing letters, she might have nipped down the hall and greeted Tonks immediately. It was only when the light filtered lazily through the half-closed curtains of her room did the girl rise. She wasn't sure of the hour, although she could guess that it was somewhere around eight. Agreeing with herself on the estimation, she knew that it would only be another hour until breakfast would be served.

Stretching out any kinks in her body, she yawned in an unlady-like manner before running her hands through her hair and over her face. Ginny loved to take her time waking up, starting with the simplest things first (like stretching, yawning, wiping sleep from her eyes) working her way up to the hardest (which was actually getting out of bed). After several moments of actions attributed to the waking-up process, Ginny scanned the room in a rather absentminded fashion, only to see something rather out of place.

Throwing routine to the wind, Ginny leapt out from under her covers and beelined for the folded parchment on the floor. Unsure of who could have written it, she hastily opened it and read the contents eagerly. An enormous smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she scanned the page a second time, just to be sure it said what she thought. Tonks was back. This was some of the most wonderful news Ginny had received in a while. Dashing around like a mad hare, she grabbed her housecoat and followed through the motions of getting to the guestroom - she had to be quiet, in case others on that floor were still sleeping soundly.

Palm against the door, ear pressed against the cold oak, not a single sound could be heard from the room on the other side. Slowly, Ginny's smile faded as it was replaced by a pout - Tonks couldn't have left without warning, could she have? No, perhaps she was just a very quiet sleeper. She might not have even been in the room at all, but was instead up and perky like usual, waiting in the kitchen for the first meal of the day. Knocking on the door and waiting a few moments, Ginny opened the door.

Shutting it behind her, she found that Tonks was, in fact, still in the room - she also looked as though she was passed out, dead to the world and all its going-ons. She must have come in extremely late, it wouldn't have been right for Ginny to wake the woman after her terribly long journey. Although... the note did say to poke her. Shuffling forward, Ginny craned her neck as she observed older female. She looked so peaceful--

"Toooonks? Are you alive in there?" Ginny asked softly, risking getting hexed by the Auror as her index finger gently prodded the latter's shoulder blade. "Hullooo?"</sub>

Well, Ginny is in luck, for Tonks' wand is actually not in her hand at the moment. Yes, it's tucked in the side of her sleeve, but not in her hand, so even if Tonks would wake up with such a jerk, Ginny would have a moment to duck away from the hex. But just a moment. Tonks rather was that good.

Fortunately, something in Tonks realizes she's in a safe bed. That is a safe voice, and even just the smell of Grimmauld place and the sleep tossled Ginny was familiar. Her senses almost were heighted, or just trained into being keen over her time spying up north, so all these little details quickly ran through her mind before she ever opened her eyes. And she smiled. Still so tired (she probably could have slept for 20 more hours), but she smiled. There was a reason she told Ginny to wake her. Next to Remus, or perhaps even a bit more than him, Tonks missed Ginny most of all.

Tonks had never had a younger sister. No siblings at all. But secretly, deep down inside, she'd always wanted one. Ginny stepped so nicely into the roll that Tonks could barely remember life without her. And now, her favourite girl was right there. Tonks just grinned, eyes still shut, and abruptly sat up just enough to wrap her arms around Ginny and tug her immediately down into the bed, ontop of the sheets with Tonks.

Tonks laughed, finally opening her eyes, keeping one arm around Ginny's waist. "...Hello, Gin. Early riser these days, are you?" Tonks' voice betrayed exhaustion she tried not to let her body show. Slightly crackled and husky with the depth of sleep she was pulled from, she at least got some sound from her lips. But she was still smiling, and holding onto Ginny for dear life.

<sub>While Ginny had been bracing herself for some sort of reaction, Tonks couldn't have been that deep a dreamer given her chosen field - an Auror always had to be alert, even when they were sleeping - she hadn't quite expected what had taken place. In a flurry of giggles, the young girl found herself being hoisted into the bed just next to Tonks, while the lingering result was like a gentle hug. It seemed that, while the worn out look in her eyes gave her away, Tonks was very much her usual playful self. It was nice to know that some things never changed, no matter how bad the world got.

The two girls seemed to have missed one another dearly; it was apparent in Ginny as she smiled warmly at the older female. It would have been hard to ever forget what Tonks was like, even her appearance was burned into the young Weasley's mind, however if she's been gone any longer it would have been painful - Ginny had come to look up to Tonks as one would a surrogate older sister. Obviously having grown up with six brothers, all older than she, the girl was receptive to the idea. It hadn't taken much for her to open up to the pink-haired wonder, after all, that hidden desire for a female-like figure other than her mother buried deep inside.

Getting comfortable on the bed, shifting a moment so her hair was tugging so harshly on her scalp, Ginny's eyes traced Tonks' face in a look that read relief and even concern. Where had the woman been all this time? Surely she couldn't have been under cover for the many months she'd been gone, she had been expected back quite some time ago. Remus had given Ginny every reason to remain optimistic about the matter, the man just had that way about him - he probably could have made the hardest of hearts soften if he tried. While the girl believed no real harm had come to the Auror, that pang of worry was still there.

"You could say that. This house... I find I don't sleep well in it anyway, no matter what." She replied, shrugging indifferently. It might have seemed like an odd comment coming from someone who had grown up in a house like the Burrow, but it was the honest truth. Ginny missed her own house, her own bed and everything about the place that she had previously taken for granted.

She wanted to bombard Tonks with questions, find out everything she could with what happened and what had taken the woman so long - if the young girl weren't so relieved just to see her, it all might have sounded like a mother chastising a child. Ginny had to remind herself, though, that Tonks had only just returned to Grimmauld Place and was probably not wanting to think about the things that she'd seen on her solo escapade.

"How're you? I really didn't want to wake you, but you had said to. Was worried I'd have my eyebrows cursed off for a moment there." She added, nose wrinkling as she let out a soft laugh.</sub>

Tonks didn't let go for the time being, her arm close around Ginny's waist. The girl was warm, and after months around Durmstrang, well, Tonks felt like she was never going to be warm again. So she held on tight to Ginny and relaxed there, fighting the temptation to be draw back into sleep. The girl's questions kept her going, at least, kept her mind sharpened and her thoughts flowing instead of haulting dead and back into the rest that her body so dearly, dearly wanted. "I... I'm fine. Tired... cold, but fine. And I'm glad you woke me or I probably would have slept through the entire day, Ginny." Tonks admitted quietly, still not moving a muscle otherwise. Perhaps she still might sleep the day.

She frowned at the comments about Ginny not sleeping well. That caused concern to crease over her brow, her eyes trailing back in the direction of the girl whom she held so close -- indeed like a younger sister. She looked for signs of exhaustion in Ginny's face or eyes, or anything that might at least set off warning bells in her mind that there was a deeper problem here. Yes, perhaps she was being a bit over protective but she cared about Ginny, and she had been gone so long... too long, really. If anything had happened while she was gone, she'd never have forgiven herself. After a few moments of scanning, though, she seemed calmed enough to consider Ginny's lack of ability to sleep simply the same reason they all had it. The war, the vaguely eerie house, the fight they all had stepped into battling.

"Well, you can tug off your robe and get under the covers and we can just have an all day sleep over right here, you know?" Tonks joked lightly, though a good part of her wasn't really teasing. The prospect of staying in bed longer was rather sleep, especially if each of them could manage to get a bit more comfortable than what Tonks was wearing right now.

<sub>Tired and cold were probably only the tip of the iceberg, verbs that hardly could begin to describe how Tonks was deep down - after all, anyone who'd done what she had would be changed, even if in the smallest of ways. The mission the woman had gone through with could have gone horribly wrong (thank Merlin it hadn't) and Ginny couldn't imagine the Order without Tonks - she was a big part of everyone's life now, the woman just had that air and way of being that made people like her despite what they wanted.

Feeling as though she were being used as a teddy bear - a comfort object when someone didn't feel at their peak - which was fine by her, Ginny nodded while imaging what Tonks had said could be true. She had been sleeping so soundly that it was surprising a little prod had woken her; it would also probably do the woman's health some good if she did catch up on her rest. A warm bed was as inviting as ever, even to Ginny who had just rose from several hours of sleep herself. Besides, they had a good hour to kill until breakfast and even then they didn't have to go immediately down. At the moment, time spent commiserating and catching up was much more appealing then bacon and eggs.

Hearing the suggestion of a daytime slumber party, Ginny grinned and thought rather highly of the idea. Tonks needed her rest and the younger girl wasn't going to deny it from her. The former was still dressed in her attire from the evening before, she must have been so drained she didn't even have the drive to change before falling into bed. Poor thing, Ginny thought, it would do her some good to have some proper company after... Durmstrang. Ugh. What a horrible place to have to go during such darks times, even for a fully trained Auror and Order member.

"I'll bet we could con Mum into bringing you breakfast in bed, even!" The sixteen-year-old claimed, the idea sounding perfect. It would have been easy; Molly Weasley had been just as worried about Tonks' whereabouts as anyone else and would only be too pleased to tend to the woman while she recuperated.

For the moment, Ginny would stand in place of a helper, as she finally managed to heave herself from the bed and bustle about the room in search of pajamas - she'd be damned if she allowed Tonks to rest properly in her daytime clothes. Pulling open drawers and unsure of what she'd find, eventually she procured a pair. Turning to look at the young woman who was still in the bed, she grinned triumphantly while holding them up. "Tonks sized, how convenient." She teased, nose wrinkling in what was becoming a characteristic manner. "Put 'em on and we'll get to it, then." Returning to the side of the bed, she handed them over and then turned her back to allow some privacy.

Ginny was looking forward to just spending time with Tonks. While Hermione proved to be a great friend, the girl had Harry and Ron to be with and couldn't provide the same insight into problems that Tonks could. Considering this while waiting for Tonks to get changed, perhaps Ginny had an obligation to tell her about what had been going on at Grimmauld outside of the meetings and reports of the Order members.</sub>

Yes, it's true, a small part of Tonks was almost using Ginny as a teddy bear, holding the girl close and warm when some of her felt like she might never be warm again. But it wasn't just a teddy bear. It was Ginny. One of the people she thought most of while she was gone, and one of the people for whom she was most scared during this entire war. Ginny, who was bright, young, and yet still managed to some how be innocent. Ginny who could just make someone smile by talking to them or smiling back at them. Ginny who was simply a wonderful ray of sunshine in this entirely too cold and dark world. That's who she was holding onto. And most of all, Ginny who had been the closest thing to a little sister she ever had. She didn't want to let go. She was too scared something happened to the girl while she was away, too scared that she might come back not to see her face. And now that it was here, Tonks couldn't let go. Just a few minutes longer, at least.

"I'll bet we could con Mum into bringing you breakfast in bed, even!" Tonks heard Ginny exclaim softly. That made her laugh, though the thought of being able to stay up here for most of the day and still get some nourishment in here also was entirely too tempting an idea. She smiled drowsily over towards Ginny and just nodded, reaching her free hand up to rub against her eyes and try to wake up just a little bit more so she could be an active participant in this converstion and not just fall back asleep in the middle of Ginny's sentence.

"That... sounds too lovely. If it's not too much trouble for your mum. Really, I can get my arse up... I think." But the thought of missing food, that was one Tonks wasn't going to bear. She had been lucky to get a full meal a day up in Durmstrang, not to mention that each meal tasted vaguely like gruel by the end of it. The Hogwarts kids really did have it lucky, once upon a time. Tonks' lack of food was showing too, her heart shaped face rather thinner than before and lithe body just a bit too bony. It could easily be fixed, but at the moment she just wasn't the same Tonks.

Then Ginny was gone. Not -gone- gone, but out of the bed and out of Tonk's arm again. Tonks blearily sat up, resting upon her elbows and looking over towards Ginny as she bustled about the room. A few moments later there were a pair of pale blue pajamas in Ginny's hand -- just a tank top and a pair of loose flannel pants -- but they would do quite nicely. Tonks laughed a bit, "I think I left those here months ago. I'd forgotten about them." Now came the truly hard part -- getting out of bed. She accepted the pair and smiled a moment as Ginny turned around, "Thanks, Gin." before raising her hips enough to pull off her socks and slacks, and then removed her wand from the small pocket on the sleeve of her arm. She set it on the bedside table and pulled her shirt off as well. She did her best to make it quickly into the pajamas and then just collapsed back down into bed. "...By Merlin, Ginny... I'm getting old."

She had no clue about the thoughts Ginny was happening about what happened here at Grimmauld, but if she did, Merlin knows she'd want to hear about it.

<sub>One couldn’t' be so sure if Tonks could manage to drag her bottom out of bed, not when sleep seemed so tempting after what Ginny was sure had to have been the hardest mission the woman had ever undertaken. She deserved at least some rest, although the Order would probably call upon her countless times over before the day was through. Needless to say, the numbed of members seemed to be dwindling while the Wizarding community was fast approaching depressing days. Although Ginny didn't want to share Tonks with anyone at the moment, it was doubtful that the woman wouldn't have another job by the next morning - or at least she would have to present her findings to all of the Order and then it would be decided what the next step should be.

Waiting like a patient pet while Tonks got changed, she laughed and shrugged. "Welcome. Just be glad there not completely moth-eaten; Mum's been making us go on another of her cleaning rampages again, but I think we're fighting a losing battle with this house." She replied, making conversation until it was proper to turn around once more. In the meantime, she shrugged off her housecoat and tossed it onto a nearby chair. The morning was actually not as chilly as she might have expected, or perhaps it was just the room - that part of the house might have had more insulation the some of the other various decrepit rooms.

Laughing once more as Tonks made her remark, signaling that the woman had finally finished sleepily grunting her way into the pair of pajamas, Ginny turned and gave the other a skeptical smile. "No you're not. If you're getting old, then everyone else in this house is ancient. You just need a good night's sleep." She reassured, shaking her head while her hair flopped about. Although Tonks was nearly a decade older than Ginny, the distance between their ages didn't feel like that much. Maybe it was because Tonks acted much younger than she was, much more carefree and fun to be around - not so much obsessed with where her life was going, but rather living it how she wanted. That was why Ginny admired her so much, the young girl only hoped to amount to half of what Tonks was.

Now that Tonks was properly dressed, Ginny had no qualms about leaping back onto the bed knees first. Gently gripping the older woman by the shoulders, she gave a little shake and continued to smile brightly. "You'll see. In no time, your body will feel back to normal. And if anyone comes banging down the door, tell 'em to sod off for the afternoon." She confirmed, feeling in higher spirits then she had for nearly the whole week - Tonks presence just had that effect on the young girl, after all.

All thoughts of explaining the events that Tonks had missed - some of which Ginny shouldn't share with anyone for them to succeed, anyway - were thrown out the window for the moment. Right now, Ginny's attention was on Tonks and what she had been up to. Easily she could be told 'not now' but that was doubtful. Keen eyes searching Tonks for any unconscious clues, she released the woman from the grip and settled underneath the sheets as a child would when readying for a bedtime story. "So, h-how was it?"</sub>

When Ginny climbed back into bed with her and shook her shoulders, Tonks just laughed. It felt good to laugh again. It felt like something she hadn't done in months and... in fact, it WAS something she hadn't done in months. Just laughed, and felt warm hands near her and a smiling face infront of her. God, she did love Ginny. They were sisters for everything other than blood. As that thought crossed Tonks' mind, well, something a bit colder set in. All those thoughts she had before about possibly losing Ginny, all those horrible feelings just flashed back. They'd probably never really go away, but looking into the girl's face now and feeling her close and warm made things particularly personal.

Without another thought, Tonks just pulled Ginny tight into her arms and hugged her close. It was abrupt, and not the cuddling of before, but a straight out hug. She stroked one hand quietly down the back of Ginny Weasley's red hair and kept the girl close against her chest for several heartbeats. Not yet answering the question, not that it was a question she really wanted to address anyway, Tonks just held her close. Held her protectively. Held her like she could shield Ginny from the entire world even though she knew she couldn't. She sighed.

"Ginny. I am so sorry I left. I was... scared. So scared something would happen to you and I wouldn't be here. You know... I won't let anything happen to you. Nothing. You're too wonderful... to important. I'm back and I'm not going again. I won't... risk it again. I won't risk you." Tonks was too tired, letting all those somewhat foolish but quite passionate words spill out all at once. But she had to say them. She needed to.

<sub>It wasn't unusual behavior to miss another so dearly. Ginny couldn't imagine what Tonks had been through, also there was the fact that she had no one but the people of the Order and the Weasleys left to come back to. If anyone had suffered while she was absent, if would have taken an extremely heavy toll on the now fragile woman. She'd been through quite an experience that would hopefully end up helping the good side, however it was all for a price - while outwardly she didn't seem all that different, Ginny could tell that Tonks had changed upon her return to Grimmauld. There was a little flicker of fear in her words, an uncomfortable emptiness in her touch that could only be attributed to what she'd been through. In time these things would probably heal, however with the events so clear in the mind it would be a while from that moment.

Ginny was pulled into yet another embrace, however this one was a full hug that was different from the other previous gestures. Returning the motion, the young girl wrapped her arms around Tonks' neck and held on like a child would to a parent in times of fear. The older woman was by far not the only one who was concerned about the youngest Weasley's fate - after all, while Ginny had promised countless times over that she would stay safe and sound in the house, things had recently changed. She would be venturing not only out of the Black house, but to Godric's Hollow, possibly the last place that she should be going.

Determined and decided, she would not change her mind even if someone like Tonks begged her to. This was what she had wanted since learning that the trio would be seeking out the Horcruxes, she wanted to be involved and not just exist in a world that needed all the help it could get. While there were many dangers in the entire mission, it was something that was necessary and would end up being done. Although Ginny never had kept a secret from Tonks before and it made her ache to the very soul to begin now, it would probably be best to keep the information from the sister-like figure. The woman had been through enough already; she didn't need the knowledge of the mission taxing her mind too.

Patting her on the back in a comforting manner, her heart aching as she listened to the confession, knowing that the bond the two shared had grown far deeper than perhaps either of them realized. Both had been searching for a replacement in their lives, something that had been missing for so many years, and finally had found it in one another. To imagine that being taken away so abruptly would be horrific, something that Ginny knew she wouldn't be able to bear. What must have been going through Tonks' mind must have been double what had crossed Ginny's own. After all, the Auror had been delayed and thought to be in trouble for quite some time prior to her appearance at Grimmauld.

"It's okay, Tonks, everything's going to be okay now. We're both safe and sound here, see?" She said soothingly, attempting to smile despite the inner turmoil she was going through. Ginny knew that Tonks meant every word she said, while the young girl felt exactly the same. "I promise, we'll both be okay at the end of all this. Everything will be okay..."

Though she wasn't sure how true her words were, it was the reassurance that they both needed. A promise was put forth and Ginny meant it - they were going to make it through the dark times and come out together, with everyone else they held dear, into the light that the world was currently missing. The young girl refused to believe that anything would happen to Tonks or anyone else that was so important in her life; it was the only thing that kept her going, the firm belief that there was still some good left in the world and that the Order would fight to the very bitter end to end up succeeding.</sub>

Tonks was surprised to feel moisture upon the edges of her lashes. It came with that familiar but distant sting right behind her temples. A sting she hadn't actually felt her entire time away from England, from the Order. It was like in leaving she had cut off all her emotions. She was able to do the job, remain away for so long, pretend she was a murderer and a mud blood hater and all those horrid things that one must do when under cover because she simply felt nothing. Where her heart had been there was only a well of emptiness and her true heart tucked back inside so deep that no death eater would have ever seen it in her eyes, her motions, or her words. It had been strangely easy, cutting herself off like that. The hard part was coaxing it all back into existance.

Ginny was helping, though. Even if it was not a happy instance, those tears she felt as much out of the joy of being reunited with her heart-sister as she felt them from the pain of feeling nothing for so long. This was what it was like to have a heart again. To feel, and be warm and not be alone. This is what she had missed all those months and though the focus of the job made it too sickly easy to ignore all of this, returning to it made little sense to the calloused scar of her emotional core. Tonks said nothing for several long moments, but she breathed in deep against Ginny. She breathed that warmth, that scent of the girl. She breathed in heart that she had left behind. Her stomach and breasts rose and fell tight against Ginny's front, crushing them both a few heartbeats, but she did not let go.

Finally, the pain eased. She never let a single tear actually spill free, but that single clutch of a hug seemed to last forever while Tonks pulled back those last few parts of her that had gone missing while she was away. She turned her head up, kissing very lightly against Ginny's temple in a protective sort of pressure of her lips. Her hand came up to stroke down Ginny's red hair one last time before she pulled away. She then looked at Ginny, actually took in her face and eyes and the expression upon her pale features. That is when Tonks realized she was not the only one who had changed. Ginny had grown. There was something darker, something more determined behind the girl's eyes, and Tonks had no clue what it was.

"Ginny... what has happened? What changed? Something is wrong... something is different." Tonks finally spoke. Yes, Ginny might think it best to hide things, but Tonks was an Auror. Not only an Auror, but also a metamorphmagus. Tonks prided herself on knowing the most intimate details, ways and expressions of the human form. She could read the subtlest of changes in just a breath for a faint turn of an eyelash. Ginny had changed, Tonks knew it, she just didn't know why.

"What is going on, Ginny? What did I miss..." Tonks asked again, softly, her voice on the edge of being a demand but she did not. She would with hold any sort of panic for the time being. Remus would have told her last night if something -truly- horrid had happened. Perhaps Remus didn't even know...

<sub>The young girl would allow the hug to continue for as long as it was needed. She had no doubt that this was a part of the curing process for Tonks, to be back with the people that she loved after having to shut herself down completely to all emotions. Besides, it felt good to just sit in silence with someone who seemed to understand you so well; although Ginny always had her family around her if she ever really needed them, a shoulder to cry on or to lend an ear, it just wasn't the same. Of course, Mrs. Weasley was the only other female in the family and Ginny could have gone to her with many problems, most would only end up worrying the poor woman than she could handle. Tonks brought a level of maturity that was a step further than Ginny's own, however it still wasn't quite the intensity of other adults. She rationalized and actually provided insightful suggestions that were taken only as helpful criticism. Never once had the older woman reprimanded Ginny, even when she had come to her with many things that deserved disappointment.

It was an immense comfort to know that Tonks was back, safe and sound, under the roof of the Black house. While the battle was far from over, at least her part could pause for some while during her recuperation. The overworked woman deserved the time to collect herself, her thoughts and gain back her normal composure. While it was doubtful that she would be the same, almost juvenile Tonks that they all had first been introduced to, she would get back that optimistic nature only by being surrounded by those that cared deeply about her and her well being. Ginny would do everything in her power to make sure of this, including spending hours doting on the woman while she rested or just providing her simple company.

However, Ginny didn't even have time to avoid Tonks' perceptive glance, eyes being cast to the right far too slowly. It would have been difficult to hide anything from Tonks and the young Weasley didn't want to lie either. However, for Harry's sake, as well as Ron's and Hermione's, Tonks could not be told what was going on. She probably would not have tried to stop the teens herself, but there was always the chance that she would tell someone else so that they could stop the expedition from even beginning. No, Ginny would never be able to live with herself if that happened - after all the trust that Harry had put into her, finally asking her to come along, it would nearly kill her to know she had been the source of betrayal.

Frowning deeply now, stare returning to Tonks' concerned features, she looked at the woman opposite her in a pleading manner. She was almost wishing that the other would drop the matter and read into the signs that Ginny just couldn't talk about it. "It's nothing." She assured after a few more minutes of intense silent, the inability to escape the matter closing in about the young girl. It wasn't easy saying such a line to the older woman, especially after they'd just had a much-needed heart-to-heart after being separated for so long. "Really, nothing has happened to anyone. I can't tell you the details, Tonks, I just can't. I'm so sorry. But you don't have to worry, it's really not worth it."</sub>

"Really, nothing has happened to anyone. I can't tell you the details, Tonks, I just can't. I'm so sorry. But you don't have to worry, it's really not worth it."

Those were, pretty much, the last words Tonks wanted to hear out of ANYONE'S mouth, much less Ginny Weasley. 'I can't tell you the details' meant it was something very, very big. Very important and probably very dangerous. and 'You don't have to worry' meant that Tonks should absolutely, positively be worrying. Tonks knew something was up and she wasn't happy about it in the least. She frowns to Ginny, studying the girl's face for a long, hard moment before just slowly shaking her head and sinking back into the bed with a quiet sigh. At least she was laying down again, her body found that a lot easier than anything right now.

"Well, of course I can't force you to tell me anything, Ginny, but I hear your voice. I can see your eyes, and I know this is something big. Something that I -am- going to worry about. So when you decide you -can- tell me, Ginny, please do so. I will be worried no matter what. I care about you, of course I'm going to worry." Tonks confessed softly, one hand reaching out to now just rest lightly on Ginny's leg. BUt that was probably the end of the matter for now. Tonks wouldn't push it, no matter how much she wanted to. Ginny was a young woman, she could make her own decisions and Tonks wouldn't treat her like a child.

Or perhaps Tonks was just too worried to get into any sort of debate at the moment. Either way, she breathed out quietly, closing her eyes again, very ready just to really rather sink back into sleep and try not to worry about it at least for a few hours. She could do that much. She stretched out slightly and rolled onto her side, "...If you're awake, don't feel a need to stay here. I think I'm going back to sleep for a few -years- at least. I'll be down when my brain can think." She murmured gently, eyes shut again.

<sub>Ginny winced inwardly and out as Tonks related to her - well, perhaps Ginny should look into taking up acting lessons after all this, for it seemed she was growing worse in her abilities. She used to be able to lie with a straight face even to her own mother, come up with quick stories to get her or her brothers out of trouble. Now, with Tonks, it seemed that all was just washed away. The woman was broken at the moment, Ginny could see that, so maybe it was for that reason the young girl had a hard time convincing the other. She didn't feel as though she had some dying need to tell someone about Godric's Hollow; after all, Harry, Ron and Hermione knew about what was going on and that should have been enough.

There was little point in continuing the argument as it seemed that Tonks was intent on remaining worried as well as curious. Which meant that Ginny would have to be careful not to let slip any information about the matter, which could get back to the woman. Although not a fan of keeping secrets from her, the youngest Weasley didn't have much choice. Patting Tonks' hand as it came to rest on her leg, Ginny sighed and nodded.

"I'll let Mum know to make an extra plate for you and I'll bring it up later." She offered, almost in an attempt to redeem herself after what they'd just been discussing. Seeing as Ginny had just spent the last several hours prior to arriving in the guestroom sleeping, she wasn't exactly tired at the moment. Instead, she thought it would be better if Tonks were left on her own to regain stamina. Perhaps Ginny would check on her before bringing up the tray of food, just to be sure that she was comfortable and resting soundly.

Although she would go to this extent for any of the weary Order members, Tonks deserved all the special treatment she was going to be getting from Ginny. Rising from the bed, slipping out from the covers and patting them down behind her, the young girl grasped Tonks' hand one last time and gave it a squeeze, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'll see you later, sleep well, Tonks." She said softly, before releasing the hold and moving towards the door, trying to be as quiet as possible in case the woman was already half-way to a restful sleep.</sub>

(I think that's a wrap! Excellent thread!)