Color of Protection (Nymphadora, R)

Appearing at the base of the steps leading to St. Mungo's with loud POP!, Ted took them two at a time. Bursting through the front door, he didn't even bother to stop at the front desk. He knew where he was heading, and a pause there would only slow him down. As the receptionist got to her feet to stop him, the flash of light that danced off the badge at his hip silenced her. Taking her seat, she returned to what she had been doing before. She may not know he was a Protector, but he was an Auror on a mission and to stop him was not recommended.

Opting for the stairs instead of the lift, Ted scaled the four flights to the fourth floor effortlessly and entered, making his way to the desk. "Nymphadora Tonks' room," he demanded in a tone that was even, collected, but filled with the urgency he felt rushing through him with every beat of his heart. Looking over her charts, the Healer found the girl's name and answered, "449, but, Sir-" Before she could finish, Ted was heading down the hall that held rooms 420 - 450, keeping a sharp eye on the plates that numbered each room. As Ted neared her room, he noticed two fellow Aurors of lower rank then he was guarding her door, one on either side.

Reaching her door, Ted nodded to both men and made to enter, but a firm hand on his chest brought him to a halt. "What's the meaning of this?" he asked the one who stopped him. "I'm sorry, Sir, but we have orders to not allow anyone to enter the rooms of the victims of this horrid event," the man replied. Ted was stunned. "You have got to be joking..." Ted said flatly. Giving his head a shake, the other Auror replied, "Afraid not, Sir. Minister's orders-" "The Minister? Madame Minister has said no one is to enter their rooms? I hardly believe that such an order would include family," Ted said coldly, looking from one to the other. "Order are orders, Sir," the first Auror quipped with a small shrug. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ted let out an exacerbated sigh, doing all he could to keep a level head.

"Douglas... Samuelson... I understand you were given orders," he said after several beats, lowering his hand, "But, you are both the biggest set of fucking morons I have ever met." Both Aurors glanced at one another, unsure of what to make of what Ted was saying. They were following orders, nothing more. "But, Sir-" Douglas began before Ted grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall, prompting Samuelson to pull his wand and aim it at Ted. "Let him go, Auror Tonks!" Samuelson stated firmly. "Lower your wand," Ted ordered, shooting an icy glare at the lower ranking Auror. Hesitating for a few moments, the Auror finally did as he was told. As much as he hated to use the superiority card, this was a time he needed to. "Now... You will allow me to enter my daughter's room, orders be damned. Do I make myself clear?" Ted growled to both men, moving his eyes from Samuelson to Douglas. Giving his head a shake, Douglas looked to his fellow Auror, beggin him to answer. Taking in a deep breath, Samuelson replied, "We know she's your daughter, Sir, but we can't. Minister Krum said-" Gritting his teeth, Ted glared at the two of them. "Do you have these orders?!" he demanded. Nodding, the second Auror the replied, "We do, but we aren't permitted to show you."

Ted was at his wit's end with these two. Each moment he wasted out here with them were moments he wasn't spending with Nymphadora. Precious moments... He knew the rules, just like every other Auror on the force. He also knew that these two were taking things to an extreme thanks to being fresh out of the Academy. Grabbing the badge from his belt, he held it up in Douglas' face. "I'm done playing Academy games... Show me. Now," Ted ordered. Both men froze as they were now faced with a supior ranking Auror giving them an order. With shaking hands, Douglas reached into his uniform coat pocket and pulled out the folded order dissertation, holding it out for Ted. Letting him go and opening the parchment, Ted scanned it as the shocked eyes of the two men watched him closely. Setting his teeth and letting out an angry breath through his nose as he finished reading the orders the Minister of Magic had given them, Ted turned his cold eyes on the men.

Pointing his index and middle fingers from one man to the other, Ted growled a warning, "You two Academy Lackeys, need to read your orders better... It says, 'No one, save for immediate family members, are permitted to enter unless permission from the guardian of the injured has been given...' Since I am her father, that means I am permitted in." Slamming the parchment flat against Douglas' chest, Ted shoved him out of the way and gripped the handle to room 449. "Now that I have spoon fed you your orders, make yourselves useful and do your job correctly," he growled darkly before pushing Nymphadora's door open and entering...

Closing his eyes and running his hands through his hair as he drew several calming breaths, Ted made a mental note to deal with those two later. For now, he needed to see to his daughter. Opening his eyes and moving to the bed where she lay, hooked up to several different devices that monitored her condition, Ted felt a knot form in his throat and his heart nearly break. "Oh, Nymph..." he cooed to her, gently sitting on the bed next to her. Taking her bandaged hand in his, he soothingly rubbed the back of it as he took in the bandages, bruises, cuts, and the like that marked her. He had been told that she had been tortured and crashed once, causing them to bring her back, but she had remained unconscious ever since. It was his job to protect her... How did this happen?

"Baby girl, it's Daddy. Open your eyes for me," Ted requested of her softly, a small smile touching his features as he willed for her to hear him and do as he asked...

They were relentless in the way they beat her down, pausing for a few moments to let her struggle to her feet but the drugs they filled her with made her fall and suddenly there hands were on her again kicking, hitting..she tasted blood and part of her drug addled brain registered that bones were breaking. Her head practically bounced off a wall and blood poured from a wound above her eye, she thought it was over that when Kain left they could go but his lackeys couldnt help but play with someone one more time pushing the envelope on when rescue would be near. At first they cornered Luna but she called out insults riling them till they came into her cell and made her there punching bag.

She felt cool steel cutting into her over and over in her heard she saw the sequence she could use to fight back but her body wouldn't reply. Somewhere in the distance she heard her name as it left Luna's lips as she slid to the floor somewhere she heard someone calling to her as the pain took her and oblivion swallowed her whole.

"Come on Dora stay with us" she dimly heard the healers speaking as they worked on her, and then suddenly she was awake and everything hurt, a scream of agony tore from her lungs her spine arched the lights above her blinding she felt her hear struggle so hard "D..Da...DAD" his name shouted out of her lips as the doctors tried to hold her down "oh poor thing.." she could hear a healer whisper "Da...da...Bill..." she reached for them but they didnt reach back where were they.."DADDY" she screamed and then her whole body tensed up, suddenly alarms were going off and she was shaking and everything hurt and then nothing, nothing happened ever again.

"Its daddy open your eyes" the voice floated over her ears and she tried to move her lips "mmm" but everything hurt she couldn't open her eyes she just knew pain.

Hearing his daughter stir slightly, even if she didn't open her eyes, made Ted's jaw clench and his smile falter. She was hurting, that much was apparent, and there was little he could do to make her not be in so much pain. Every fiber of his being as Auror, Protector, and, most of all, father screamed for him to do something, anything, to help her. Taking his hand and lightly placing it on the crown of her head, sliding it softly down her temple and cheek where he held it, like he did so often with her, Ted sighed. "It's alright, Nymph. It's alright. Daddy's here now..." he cooed gently to her. Letting out a soft breath through his nose, he added, "Please, Baby Girl... Give it a try. Open your eyes."

She whimpered with pain, somewhere in her dark world coloured with agony she heard her father and she ran to him even though it hurt so badly. "Daddy" she thought over and over till sudenly the words were on her lips "D..D..daddy"

She was hearing him. Ted's words were reaching her, wherever she was. Fighting tears that made his vision swim slightly, Ted waited patiently for Nymphadora to respond, however she could. D..D..daddy... Swallowing past the lump that suddenly appeared at her soft call to him, he nodded, a slight smile on his lips "That's it, Sweetheart. I'm here. I'm right here," he said giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Open your eyes, for me. You can do it," he called softly to her, keeping his hand on her cheek and his icy eyes locked on his daughter's face. Come on, Nymph... You can do it...

Slowly light invaded her dark world as she cracked her eyes open, she felt her body shudder and her hair grew then dissapeared her eyes flashing several colours before she settle on blue. "Dad..."

Drawing a silent breath, Ted held it as his daughter worked to open her eyes. Soon, many changes dealing with her hair and eyes took effect before seeming to settle on something. It was almost like when something electronic did a system reset before loadinf properly. It wasn't until she spoke that Ted let the breath he was holding go. Smiling down at her, a single tear ran down his cheek. Nodding he said, "Yes, Baby. I'm here. Welcome back." Leaning over, he very lightly kissed her forehead. "You're going to be alright, Nymph. I promise," he whispered to her, giving her a wink as he sat back up.