Dance with the Devil

Tonks surveyed the entrance to the mansion. Every pureblood home had a way to prove your family identity, and bypass ringing the bell to get in. Sure enough, she spotted a gargoyle perched on a pedestal next to the door. She closed her eyes and stuck out a finger—which the gargoyle promptly bit. Blood dribbled into its mouth and the door opened with a soft click.

She made it to the parlor as Draco reached the middle of his rant at Ginny.

"…can't believe you'd disappear like that! The disrespect! I thought I'd—"

"Shut it, cousin," Tonks said.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Draco asked. "How did you get in?"

Tonks held up her finger. "We're related, remember?"

"Get out!"

"Okay," Tonks said, shrugging. "But you'll have to come with me. You see, Magical Law Enforcement gave me the immense honor of arresting you myself."

"What I do in my home is none of your business," Draco sneered.

"Sure it is," Tonks said calmly.

"Where do you think you're going?" Draco bellowed at Ginny. "I'm not done with you yet."

"I'm leaving, Draco," Ginny said, simply.

Tonks stood in between the two of them. They'd decided earlier that Ginny should get out as quickly as possible. It wasn't that the younger witch couldn't handle herself in a duel, it was just that Ginny was still hurt, so it probably wouldn't be a very good idea. She heard Ginny Disapparate and said, "Come with me, Draco."

"If you think I'm going to Azkaban for one minute—"

"Try three years. Ginny's memories, and her injuries, made the head of Magical Law Enforcement cringe." She took out her wand, ready for a fight. "Please don't make me force you."

"You have no idea who you're dealing with," Draco said, quietly. "You may have been able to get into the house, but you have none of the Black powers."

"You're caught, Draco. You have nowhere to go. An MLE squad is surrounding the mansion as we speak. Fighting me won't get you anywhere."

"We'll see."

The next second, spells were flying. Tonks dodged them easily. Draco's method of dueling was mostly based on trying to trip her up. He'd obviously never seen her in action before. The chairs, lamps, and tables he threw her way were nothing more than annoyances. She did trip a few times, but she'd long since learned how to recover, or use it to her advantage. She chose the latter this time, making it seem like she'd actually fallen. When Draco stepped out from around the corner, she shot a spell at him, sending him flying into the wall.

He struggled to his feet, glaring at her. The room looked like a battle field. He closed his eyes for a moment, a look of serene calm coming over him.

Before Tonks had time to disarm him, the ground started to rumble. "What the hell?" she muttered.

"Again, you've underestimated me, cousin," he said. Three skeletal figures rose from the ground. "Another Black talent that I've inherited. I'll make you a deal—you leave now, and I won't let them tear you limb from limb."

Tonks backed away from the group. In a split second, she made her decision—she would fight fire with fire. Stopping in her tracks, she closed her eyes and summoned her own skeletons. Looking across the hall at Draco's astonished face, she said two words, "Fight them."

The skeletons met in the middle of the room with a mighty crash. If the parlor hadn't been destroyed, it certainly was now. Tonks used this time to slip into one of the halls and chase Draco down the stairs. Glass exploded around them as their duel sent ornaments and decorations flying. Draco conjured a deep purple mist that made Tonks feel woozy for a second, but she dropped to the floor before breathing too much of it in. It took all of her concentration, but she managed to pull off a hurricane spell. Wind and rain mixed with the mist, making the foyer of the mansion look like one great purple storm cloud. She directed the wind toward Draco, who flipped through the air. It didn't make too much of a difference, as he was still able to send two electric blue hexes at her.

He dropped to the ground a few feet away from her and yelled, "Avada Kedavra!"

Tonks dodged, but only just. She sent a compression hex, and then a stunning spell toward him, and he hit the ground. Panting, she walked the rest of the way down the stairs and took his wand. A commotion behind her made her whip around. Their little armies had followed them. "Finite," she said, pointing her wand at them. The six figures dissolved into dust.

Ten members of Magical Law Enforcement came through the door at that moment. All of them looked around, stunned, at the destruction.

"I think I called for backup about five minutes ago," Tonks said, stowing her wand.

"Sorry, Captain Tonks," one of them said. "We didn't want to distract you."

"Just get him to Azkaban."

*One Week Later*

"Thanks, Billings," Tonks said as she walked down the hall of the jail.

The guard nodded at her and closed the hall's door.

She continued down to one of the larger cells. "Evening, Draco."

"Leave."

"I can't. You see, I have to deliver a message to you. Trust me, I tried to pass this off to a minion, but they're all terrified of you for some reason."

"What do you want?"

"I came to tell you that the divorce has been finalized."

"Good. I didn't want the slut anyway."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Also, all of the Dark Magic paraphernalia in your house was confiscated two days ago. Don't be surprised if your home looks a bit empty…five years from now when you get out."

"Got them to up the sentence, did you?"

"I didn't have to do anything. Three years for what you did to Ginny, one for trying to kill a Ministry official, and one for using Dark Magic."

"Then you should be locked up too," Draco said, finally standing. He walked over and held onto the bars of the cell. "You did give in to your…er…baser instincts."

"Are you really so dense to think that every dark wizard catcher uses stunning spells to bring you psychos in?" she asked.

"No, but I didn't think you'd use anything the Black family is known for."

"Well then you're dumber than I thought. I was playing by the rules you set. That's why I won. I've seen what happens when people think that their noble intentions will triumph over evil. It's called adapting."

Draco sneered at her. "Get out."

"With pleasure." Tonks turned and walked down the hall again.

The guard let her out into the third floor lobby. "How'd he take it, then? Am I going to have to make sure there are no sharp objects around, or take away his shoe laces?"

"Maybe," Tonks said, looking at the door. "But I don't think so."

The guard looked at her for a moment. "What did he say to you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Not exactly. Just saw myself…what I could've been."

The guard looked at her quizzically, but let it drop. "Have a good weekend, then."

Tonks smiled at him and made her way out of the prison. She Apparated back to her flat, but stopped in front of the hall mirror. She changed into her normal appearance, and then changed her hair color—first to black, and then to blonde. Shuddering, she turned her hair purple again.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked, looking in from the living room.

"Ginny!" Tonks said, jumping. "I thought you were at your mum's."

"I was, but then I came here to deliver your invitation to the Weasleys' Weekly Dinner. What were you doing?"

"Nothing," she said, smiling. "Let's get back to your parents house." With one last look in the mirror—she was definitely Tonks again—she followed Ginny into the fireplace.