Remadora Mistletoe

"You really think I should go? I won't know anyone there," Nymphadora Tonks told her friend Madge.

"Of course you should go! You love parties. Besides, Remus will be there..." Madge said the last sentence in a sing-songy voice and Tonks hit her in the face with a pillow.

"Hey!" Madge exclaimed. "You know you like him. That's no reason to hit me in the face."

Tonks knew Madge was right. She did like Remus. With his knitted sweaters, his books, and his scars. He was so handsome, but he acted like he didn't know it. Maybe he didn't. And even though he hung out with her cousin Sirius and his group of "too cool for school" weirdos, he didn't act like he thought he was cool. And he didn't act like an idiot like the rest of his friends did.

But that was not why she was going to the party. She wished she was going because Remus had invited her, but the only reason she was really going to the Gryffindor Christmas party was because her obnoxious cousin had asked her to come. She wasn't sure why he wanted her to be there, but she had nothing better to do, so she was going.

"Do I look alright?" Tonks asked.

"I mean, you would look better if you would let me put makeup on you, or a dress or something, but yeah. You look good." Out of the two of them, Madge was definitely more of a girly-girl than Tonks was. She was always trying to get Tonks to let her make her over. Tonks thought Madge was fighting a losing battle, but she hadn't given up yet.

"Alright. I guess I should go. I don't want to be too late," Tonks said, heading to the door.

"Bye! Have fun! And don't stay up too late, young lady!" Madge called as Tonks left the room.

She laughed as the door closed. She walked to Gryffindor tower thinking of nothing except for being mildly concerned about how she would get into the common room without the password. Once she got to the corridor where the entrance was, though, instead she was thinking of something else. Make that someone else.

Remus was going to be at the party. Tonks found that she was nervous. Normally she didn't care what other people thought, but she realized she cared what he thought. She couldn't keep herself from thinking about his chocolate brown eyes and adorable smile. Or the way his face lit up when he read a particularly good part of his book. Or how she would see him in the halls with his friends. They were always an inseparable group, but he always stood out to her. Or-

Stop it! She told herself. She needed to stop obsessing and just go and have fun. It was Christmas, after all.

She got to the portrait that hung over the entrance to Gryffindor tower. Remus was standing next to the painting.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked him.

"Um, Sirius told me to come out here to let you in. He said he wanted to go say hi to... Carol? I think that's her name. She's his girlfriend this week." He was looking at the ground.

"Oh, okay." Tonks didn't ask him what he meant by "this week". Everyone who knew Sirius knew that he went through girlfriends like Remus went through books.

Remus gave the lady in the painting the password, "sleigh bells", and led her inside.

The entire common room was decked out in red, white, and green. There was a big Christmas tree in the corner by the large fire that was burning brightly. Christmas music was playing, though Tonks couldn't see where it was coming from. Large Christmas baubles floated around, and there was a table with butterbeers, Christmas cookies, and hot chocolate.

Tonks saw Sirius on the dance floor with a brunette girl in a white dress covered in sparkling snowflakes. So much for talking to the only person I know here, she thought. Sirius would most likely be busy with the girl for the entire party.