When Tonks returned to Hogsmeade, there was no chance to follow up on dark spells or free werewolves or Sanjiv's curious questions about life in the Order. Christmas presents had started to drift in for Hogwarts students, from old friends or more distant family than they'd be returning to, and the school had been sending out regular reminders that packages would be checked. Everyone had apparently come to the conclusion that it would be wise to send things at the beginning of December, and boxes were piled up at the post office. An ill-tempered Dawlish snapped at Tonks that she'd have to add a shift doing this, as the rest of them were. "Half the damned senders have left us nasty notes about opening the packages. You'd think they'd be glad someone was making sure that no one was slipping cursed-damned-opals to their little darlings and using a blocking or disguising spell in the paper." He pulled one such note out, scanned it, and tossed it to the floor. On it, Tonks could read, ...and mind you don't jostle it, it's breakable...

Tonks sighed and sat down across from him. "Well, no one likes their private things gone through when they know full well they're not sending anything dangerous."

"And of course, we know it's really from who it says it's from, and that we can trust everyone sending packages."

Tonks picked up a brown-paper wrapped package addressed to "M. Belby," and resigned herself to the search.

The packages flew in at an alarming rate over the next two weeks, and between that and guard duty for the Ministry and for Dumbledore, who absented himself from the school again, Tonks had next to no time for scrubbing at the Shrieking Shack or addressing the matter of Robert Alderman and his family. She spoke briefly to Dumbledore about helping them disappearing--preferably long before Robert did, so that Greyback wouldn't make the connection--offering Fleur's suggestion as a destination, but he was also in and out of Hogsmeade, and she didn't expect him to do anything.

She certainly didn't expect him to kill Fiona Crowler and her entire family two days later.

"It will be an accident," he said gravely, staring out the window of her room at the Hog's Head. "Rowan Lovegood has agreed to print such an outlandish take on it that no one will question that it was an accident."

"The Quibbler...?"

"I am not above learning from my students," Dumbledore said. "Lovegood's daughter, Luna, hides nothing from him, and he has been trustworthy with the information she gave him while they traveled last summer. I thought he would be a likely ally in this. And Miss Granger demonstrated the usefulness of having friends in the press."

"What's he going to do? Suggest that Stubby Boardman killed them?"

Dumbledore grinned. "I imagine it will be something of that nature."

"Why not just make it look like the other disappearances?"

"Because, alas, Lord Voldemort is well aware of those disappearances, and would certainly find it suspicious if the family of one of Greyback's victims matched the pattern when he knows perfectly well that he didn't arrange it." He checked his pocket watch. "I'll need to hurry," he said. "Are you off duty this evening?"

"For once."

"Good. Make sure that no one is watching the Shrieking Shack. And ask Miss Delacour to join you there." He left.

Fleur arrived importantly thirty minutes later, looking pleased with herself, and engaged Tonks in an animated conversation about the club they were allegedly going to visit together, at least until they were out of earshot of the Hog's Head. Then she grew quiet. "I spoke to my grandmuzzer," she said as soon as they'd reached the Shrieking Shack and cast spells to keep curious eyes and ears away (it was closely related to the one used to protect the pitch at the Quidditch World Cup, not nearly as strong, but modified to include witches and wizards). "She and ze ozzers are 'appy to 'elp."

"Thank you, Fleur."

Fleur gave her a guarded look. "You'll come with us zis time?"

"If it's all right."

"Yes, yes. She is... curious. She 'as never met a mayta... er... I'm sorry. I do not use zis word often. Metamofe--"

Tonks laughed. "It took me seven years to learn how to say it, and I needed it. 'Metamorphmagus.' But I don't think I'll be able to entertain her much this year."

"I'm sorry," Fleur said sheepishly, an unusual and oddly attractive expression for her. "My grandmuzzer sees it all as a grand adventure. She 'as not 'ad much to do seence my grandfazzer died."

"How did they meet?" Tonks asked. "Your grandparents, I mean."

Fleur shrugged. "Eh. It is not exciting, really. My grandfazzer was studying ze Veela in Bulgaria, and my grandmuzzer took a liking to 'im." She smiled faintly. "'E was not so quick. 'E thought she was only one more Veela. She decided to show 'im. She does not like being dismissed. Zey fell in love and went back to France. She tried living 'uman for a bit, but--"

The night was broken by three quick pops, and a high-pitched, terrified wailing.

"Shh," Fiona Crowler said, picking up a girl with fine blonde hair. "Oh, shh, shh. It's all right."

"I'll take her," a man said, reaching for her. He was already carrying a small boy on one hip, but he had big strong arms, and there was room for both of them. The girl went easily. The man looked lost, checking his children repeatedly, as if to make sure they were really there.

"Fiona," Tonks said.

Fiona bit her lip and nodded.

"Er... you said you would do something. What was it?"

"I said I'd cover Lupin's registration," she said. "And what did you tell me to cover for being there?"

"Werewolf attacks in the Orkneys, though anyone could have heard me say that."

Fiona's lips quivered. "I'm sorry. I'm not thinking clearly. I--"

"Shh," Tonks said.

The little girl continued to cry, and her father continued to soothe her. Her brother patted her wrist.

"Fleur," Tonks said. "Open the house."

Fleur did the spells quickly and let everyone into the garden. A cold drizzle was starting. The girl looked up at the many boarded windows and wailed something about ghosts.

"It's just for a while," Crowler told her, though he was also looking at the place suspiciously.

"It's not haunted," Tonks said. "Any more than you're all dead. Come in."

She led them inside, glad that it was in better shape than it had been. She'd repaired most of the chairs in the parlor, but the dining room itself was in better shape, so she'd switched the positioning of the rooms. The new parlor looked almost entirely complete now, and she led the Crowlers to it. Fiona looked for a long time at the drawing above the fireplace, but said nothing about it. "This is my husband Roald," Fiona said. "And my children, Jason and Electa." She burst into tears. "It's done, isn't it? It's really done."

"I want Miss Vera!" Electa said. "I want Miss Vera and she burnt up!"

At this, Jason started to wail.

"Miss Vera is her doll?"

"Our cat," Fiona said. "And she didn't burn up, Ellie. She went out, and Professor Dumbledore will bring her to us." She gave Roald a guarded look.

He nodded. "You'll get Miss Vera back," he said.

"M-m-my BOOKS!" Electa cried, and Roald winced. "I want my books!" She fell onto the floor, weeping into the carpet.

Fleur stepped tentatively into the room. "'ow did... eh...?"

"An accident," Roald said numbly. "We staged an accident. Potion. Explosion. The house..." He fell silent again, then frowned at Fleur. "Who are you?"

"This is Fleur Delacour," Tonks said. "She's got a safe place for you to go."

Roald nodded. "Yes. Dumbledore explained. Of course. Thank you. Veela. Fascinating." He blinked. "I'm a magizoologist," he offered.

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence, except for Electa's continued tears, and Tonks looked uncomfortably at Fiona. "We're going to get Robert soon," she said. "We want to pull the others out as well. We're afraid that Greyback will hide them once Robert goes."

"He will. Will their families come?"

"Probably not."

"When are you going to try?" Roald asked.

"I need to speak to someone," Tonks said. "Find out what we have to work with there. Hopefully, it will be January." She sighed. "But we'll need to make sure that Greyback doesn't suspect anything when you drop out of sight. If he starts watching Robert too closely..."

"You'd stop doing it?" Fiona interjected shrilly. "After--?"

"No, no!" Tonks assured her. "But it may take time to deflect any suspicion. We'll see. Maybe he won't suspect a thing."

"It will give us time to settle in," Roald said.

On the floor, Electa's tears had finally trailed off, and she crawled over to her mother. "I want to go home," she said.

"And so you shall."

Tonks looked up. Dumbledore was standing in the doorway, a gray and white cat in his arms. He carried to Electa, and lowered it into her arms.

"You'll go to a new home," he said. "Miss Delacour... if you would lead the way?"

Fleur led them out to the narrow path behind the house, just beyond the Apparation barriers. She stepped forward and smiled nervously. "I 'ave the place 'ere," she said, handing Fiona a bit of parchment with the coordinates and several photographs. Fiona checked them, then passed them to Tonks. The sanctuary residents had set up their Apparition point well--subtle markers that Muggles wouldn't notice, yet distinctive enough for a witch or wizard to concentrate on. There was an evergreen bow stretched between two trees, and a wildly flowering vine draped over an arrangement of rocks. It wouldn't be flowering anymore, of course, but the picture was enough to give the shape of the land, so they could hold it in their minds, and distinctive enough that the thought would take them where they needed to be.

When they'd all had a good look at it, Fiona picked up Electa and Roald picked up Jason. Tonks took the cat (Granny would undoubtedly turn up her nose about this later). Dumbledore looked kindly at Electa, then they all Apparated.

A part of Tonks had expected it to be warmer in the south of France, but they were high in the mountains, and the air wasn't much warmer than it had been in Scotland. Electa looked around in a frightened way, shivering, and Fiona drew her close. The cat dug her claws into Tonks's cloak. High above the Apparition point, Tonks could see a house built on the mountain. Fleur was looking up toward it.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Roald asked.

Tonks looked around, alarmed. Dumbledore hadn't arrived with them. "I don't know."

"We should get inside," Fleur said. "I'm sure 'e will be along. I--" She smiled suddenly, her face lighting up. "Gabrielle!"

She started speaking rapid French, and ran to a bundled little creature who was bounding down a mountain path. They embraced, and Fleur led her over to the group. The little one--Gabrielle, Tonks guessed--looked curiously at Electa. Electa frowned for a moment, then waved.

"My grandmuzzer is sending a sleigh for us," Fleur said. "It will be warm, no?" She hugged Gabrielle again. "This is my sister," she said. "She 'as come to say 'ello. Say 'ello, Gabrielle."

"'eh-llo," Gabrielle said, and dipped a little curtsy to the Crowlers. Around her scarf and under her hood, Tonks could see strands of silky, white-blond hair like Fleur's.

"This is Madame and Monsieur Crowler," Fleur told Gabrielle--in English, and Tonks guessed that the little one was trying to learn the language--"and these are Electa and Jason."

Gabrielle took a few steps over toward Electa, who Fiona had put down. "I... 'ave... dolls," she said, and smiled.

Electa gave her a hopeful look.

Bells jingled in the night air, and Tonks looked up to see a large blue and silver sleigh coming around the bend on the road leading up the mountain. It was pulled by, of all things, a white hippogriff. Fleur ran up and bowed briefly, and the hippogriff bowed back. She patted its neck and said, "'ello, Mirabelle! 'ow is my old friend?"

Then she lapsed into French and fawned over the hippogriff until a soft, compelling voice said, "I welcome you to my home."

Tonks caught motion from the corner of her eye, and turned to see Roald walking forward, his face blank, Jason nearly forgotten in his arms.

"Grand-mère!" Fleur said, and put a hand over her face.

Tonks looked to the sleigh again and blinked. At first, she hadn't even seen the woman against the snow. Her skin was dead white, her hair silvery, her robes the same white as the snow. But her eyes were pale blue, her lips a strange and inviting red. It was an unusual, striking beauty, hypnotic. She looked no older than thirty. Slowly, she wrapped a scarf around her face. Roald stopped, looking confused.

"You are safe here," Fleur's grandmother said. Her words were clearer than Fleur's, and marked by a fully unidentifiable accent. "You will please join me. I am Valeska Delacour."

"Thank you for having us," Fiona said, bowing. She straightened. "I'll learn French as quickly as I possibly can, and try to be helpful to you."

"The language is of no consequence," Valeska said. "Many are spoken here." Fleur climbed into the sled and said something quietly in French. Valeska nodded. "I do not mean to be"--she glanced at Fleur--"cold?" Fleur nodded. "I am... it is often better for me to keep a distance from--" She gestured at Roald.

Fiona smiled faintly. "I appreciate that, Madame Delacour."

The scarf over Valeska's face moved slightly, and Tonks guessed that the smile had been returned. Fleur spoke to her again, and she looked down directly at Tonks. "You and yours have taken on a great work," she said. "I am glad to be of help to you."

"I'm grateful that you could be," Tonks said. "I hope I don't bring you trouble."

Again, that enigmatic movement of cloth. "I think Fenrir Greyback will give me no trouble," she said and raised her hand. It had turned into a sharp talon. As Tonks watched, it turned back. "Please join me. It is too cold to remain outside."

Tonks helped the Crowlers into the sleigh--she gave the cat to Electa, who introduced her to Gabrielle--and was about to climb in herself when there was a pop behind her. Albus Dumbledore appeared with a satchel. The bright corners of children's books were clearly visible poking out of it. He came to the sleigh and placed the bag beside Electa.

"I couldn't find your books," he said, "so I thought you might enjoy some of my own. It took more time to find them than I'd anticipated. I seem to have acquired a good many of them over the years." He smiled, and looked up at Valeska. "My dear Madame Delacour," he said. "It is lovely to see you again."

To Tonks's utter shock, Valeska was blushing. "Yes, yes... eh, thank you. Sir. And to see you."

Dumbledore winked, then looked at Tonks. "I'm afraid I can't stay. Will you and Miss Delacour be able to get the Crowlers settled in?"

"We'll be fine," Tonks said. "Thank you for everything."

"I wish only that it was all unnecessary," Dumbledore said. He nodded quickly to the Crowlers, then ducked back to the Apparition point and disappeared.

Once he was gone, Valeska returned to her crisp and business-like manner, and directed all of them into the sleigh. She had a strong warming charm on it, and there was no need for blankets. Fiona and Roald huddled together with Jason between them. Electa and Gabrielle spoke to one another excitedly in separate languages for the entire trip.

Mirabelle took them up the path, flying them over a heart-stopping gap halfway up. They landed on the other side with a thud, and the hippogriff looked back at them with a cheeky wink. Tonks wondered if Buckbeak would like to make her acquaintance.

"What's so funny?" Fleur asked, arching an eyebrow at a laugh Tonks hadn't realized had been aloud.

"I, er..." She covered her mouth. "Sorry. I seem to be playing matchmaker for a pair of hippogriffs."

Fleur grinned broadly. "I thought the same when I met Buckbeak. Fine, eh... friends they would make, wouldn't they?"

Valeska steered the sleigh into a clear area in front of the house Tonks had seen from the Apparition point. From this vantage point, she could see several other houses stretching back into a wild mountain wood. The door of one of them opened, and two tiny bundled figures rushed out. They spoke a garbled French that Tonks couldn't even begin to make out, but it was clear from their behavior that at some point in their lives, they'd been house elves. They eagerly helped Fiona out of the sleigh, and led them all to a small, neat house at the edge of the wood. The fire was already burning, and something that smelled lovely was simmering in a cauldron over it.

Valeska unlocked the door, and let them in. "This is your new home," she said. "It has been empty, but we have been trying to make it comfortable for humans. There are beef sarmales"--she nodded to the cauldron--"which were my late husband's favorite food."

"When my son arrives..." Fiona began.

Valeska nodded. "We are building--and hope you will help to build--areas for the young werewolves to transform. Many of us here are not human and can look after them and see they do not hurt one another." She looked around. "If you find that something is lacking, my home is the next over. You may ask anything of me, though I cannot make a promise to find everything you would like. I will make an attempt."

"Thank you," Fiona said.

"Keep the little ones inside tonight, until they have had a chance to meet everyone, and for everyone to know they are part of our home and not..." She stopped, blinked. "Not food," she finished simply. "I do not mean to upset you. They are in no danger as parts of this community. But they will need to be introduced as such."

"Per'aps we should let the Crowlers settle in?" Fleur suggested.

"Do you need anything?" Tonks asked Fiona.

"Just Bobby."

"We'll get him." Tonks touched Fiona's shoulder. "Would you like to settle in now? Do you need me to stay?"

"I think we should settle."

Valeska tapped her shoulder. "You will join us for dinner? More sarmales."

"If you'd like..."

"We would," Fleur said. "Come, Gabrielle!"

Gabrielle, who had been chattering to the cat in French, turned somewhat regretfully. She kissed Electa's cheek. "I will... come back?"

"Oh, yes, please!"

Tonks looked at Fiona again. "I'll be here through supper, then. If you think of anything..."

"I will." She turned away, and faced a new life and a new world.

Tonks followed Valeska back out into the snow.

Tonks supposed she should have learned long ago not to make assumptions about the inside of a house from the outside--she knew the theory and practice of magical decoration and spatial alterations--but so few witches and wizards bothered with the complex charms that she still tended to expect that the inside of a house would at least be hinted at from the outside. So when she opened the wooden door to Valeska Delacour's neat little house, she anticipated entering a house much like the one she'd just left the Crowlers in--plank floors, a stone hearth, neat, rustic furniture.

She stopped just inside the door and just blinked.

Gabrielle ran in around her, and Fleur floated in, looking dreamily at the place. Tonks felt Valeska stop just behind her.

"You are surprised?"

"It's lovely," Tonks said.

The inside of Valeska's home wasn't a house at all. From this side, the door opened onto a mountain meadow. A rough wooden table had been set among what appeared to be trees. The ceiling, like the ceiling in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, was charmed to show the sky outside, and Tonks could see the snowflakes swirling lazily in the dark. A round firepit had been set up in the center of the meadow, and over it, a cauldron was simmering. Small rooms appeared as caves around what would have been the walls of the house, and Tonks could see three normal human beds, but her gaze drifted up to the far wall, where she could see over the precipitous drop, and there was a platform set high above the room, as narrow as the branch of a tree. A white robe was tossed casually over it, and a pillow had been affixed to it.

Gabrielle ran back from one of the cave rooms with an armful of torches, and handed them to Fleur, who lit them with a touch of her wand and set them into stands around the interior, bringing a cheerful firelight. The three Delacours took each other's hands, then Fleur reached back and took Tonks's. "Come," she said. "We dance before dinner."

"Oh!" Tonks said, trying to pull away. "I can't dance like a Veela. I'd trip over my own feet!"

"No, you will not," Valeska said. "Not if you hold tightly to Fleur's hand and mine." She took Tonks's other hand, and they were a circle of four now.

Gabrielle began to sway excitedly, her blonde hair drifting back and forth with her movement. She dipped in a little circle, and then Fleur was moving, and Valeska was moving, and Tonks suddenly felt the muscles in her body become fluid and smooth. Valeska began to sing wordlessly, a haunting, eastern tune. Fleur picked it up. Gabrielle hummed. Tonks listened to the tune once, twice, then let herself join in--a soft rise, a gentle drop, and her body moved with her voice, and the torchlight flickered.

It might have gone on for five minutes, or it might have been hours. Tonks didn't know. She felt she could have gone on dancing for days. Her body had never moved so cleanly before, and it filled her with a sense of lightness.

Someone gasped, and the dancing stopped.

"How astounding," Valeska said, staring at Tonks with a look of frank amazement.

"You see?" Fleur said, grinning at Tonks.

Gabrielle let go of Fleur and Valeska, breaking the circle, and clapped. "Like Grand-mère!" she said. "Like Grand-mère!"

Something silvery-white floated beside Tonks's face, and she moved her hand up to catch it, feeling the tug on her skull before she realized it was attached to her. Surprised, she drew her wand and said, "Speculus." A mirror materialized in her hand.

Her hair had become long and silvery blond, her lips a deep pink, her eyes soft blue.

"I, er... usually have to plan to do this. And... well, even with planning lately..." She smiled at her unfamiliar appearance. "Thank you for the dance."

Valeska nodded. "I have never met a fully human shapeshifter before. Animagi and werewolves, but never a human who can become a different human. I thought the tales were exaggerated."

"Well, there aren't many of us," Tonks said, a bit self-conscious. "And believe me, I'm still me." She glanced at the mirror again. "Though much prettier than usual, I have to say."

"You should see Lupin like this," Fleur said, winking. "'E would not be able to stay away."

Tonks shook her head and set the mirror down. "Remus likes me with gray hair. Or pink hair. Or..." She raised her eyebrows. "You didn't believe it for a moment when I said you were mistaken about Remus and me, did you?"

"Not even a second." Fleur grinned. "'E needs a reminder about you. 'E needs--"

"Oh, Fleur please..."

She looked up at the enchanted ceiling innocently.

Valeska set out dinner, and Gabrielle ran to Tonks with handfuls of pretty silk ribbons to tie her hair back with while she ate. By the time the meal was over, her own looks had settled back in, and the ribbons had fallen out, one by one, as the end of her hair migrated back up to its normal length just below her shoulders. She didn't mind--she was glad to know that her ability hadn't left her permanently, but the pretty blonde Veela she'd appeared to be hadn't felt at all like herself. Gabrielle made a point of decorating and fussing with her short, plain brown hair for a bit, making exaggerated noises about how it was "steel preetee." The sarmales were delicious, and Tonks was content to eat them and listen to Valeska and the girls tell her stories of the Veela... which were often quite different from stories humans told about the Veela. Being here with them, it was easy to forget that the very dance she'd so enjoyed was used to snare human men, who were then kept with extreme jealousy and malice toward intruders. In the Veela version of this, in the stories, the men were chosen specially and freed from their humdrum lives, and then protected from being forced back into them.

After dinner, Fleur headed off to help Gabrielle get ready for bed before they left, and Valeska motioned for Tonks to remain at the table. "This man," she said quietly, when the girls were out of earshot. "This werewolf you love... He has caused this?" She pointed at Tonks's hair, then made a fluttering motion with her hands, as if to indicate morphing. "He has taken your strength?"

"What? No." Tonks shrugged. "I just don't feel very pretty. Or playful. And that's all I've ever really used it for."

She nodded dubiously. "I wonder if he truly knows what he has cost you."

"I..." Tonks bit her lip. "Remus has problems of his own."

Valeska didn't answer this directly. "Men," she said, "often need to be shocked." She stood and started clearing the table.

Tonks got up and wandered around the home, noting both the human influences Valeska had picked up from her years in the human world--a rack of spices, a stove, running water, a shower--and the alien Veela sense that dominated the whole place. Aside from the Carpathian meadow theme, the decorations were non-visual in nature--simple wind chimes, a clever device made from violin strings that caught the wind and made a haunting sound, an odd scent-collage that kept Tonks busy for ten minutes, trying to identify the smells that filled her mind.

"Gabrielle wishes to say goodnight," Fleur said beside her.

Tonks jumped. "Oh. To me?"

"Yes. She likes you."

"Really?"

Fleur nodded and led her to the little cave-room where Gabrielle had set herself up like a princess in a canopied bed with ruffles and bows, which looked quite incongruous against a stone wall. She had three dolls in bed with her. "Good night, Tonks," she said carefully, and held out her arms.

Fleur gestured Tonks ahead, and Tonks curiously leaned down and hugged the little girl, then kissed her cheek. "Good night, Gabrielle," she said. "I've enjoyed meeting you."

She looked confused, and Fleur translated. Gabrielle said something else and Fleur smiled. "Gabrielle says you dance prettily and must come back."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be back. Could you thank her for being nice to Electa? I know Electa's younger than she is and doesn't speak French and..."

Fleur nodded and translated, and Gabrielle smiled broadly and said something cheerfully. Fleur put her hand over her mouth and smiled, and her eyes filled with tears. She sat down on Gabrielle's bed and smoothed her hair back, and hummed a lullaby. Gabrielle drifted off to sleep.

"You must leave, then?" Valeska asked.

"I'm expected at work in the morning," Tonks said.

"And I am 'elping Bill with 'is part of the guest list." Fleur kissed her grandmother. "I will come back soon, Grand-mère," she said, and held up her wand. "And you are always with me."

Valeska nodded gracefully and turned to Tonks. "You are welcome always," she said. "I look forward to receiving the young werewolves, and wish you well in their rescue." She looked back at Fleur and said something in French which Tonks was reasonably sure included the word "werewolf," but Fleur just nodded and didn't translate it.

They walked together to the Apparition point. Tonks thought about asking what Valeska had said, but as she'd been watching curiously, she assumed Fleur knew she wanted to know, and had already chosen not to tell her.

"What did your sister say?" she asked as they reached the bottom of the mountain. "I mean, you don't have to tell me. But when I said thank you for helping Electa..."

Fleur smiled. "She said she was 'appy to. Because..." The smile widened. "Because she 'as 'ad a big sister, and wants to be a big sister. Because I taught 'er." She looked up at the house and waved toward the wall, then turned on her heel and Apparated home.

Tonks followed her.