T is for Tonks

Chapter 15 - Hammered.

I don't know if any of you guys have seen Total Eclipse, its the movie with David Thewlis and Leo DiCaprio? When I think of drunk Remus, it instantly brings me back to that film. 

H x

Tonks was incredibly lucky, incredibly lucky, to be able to get Christmas Day off of work. Although she secretly thought that it was because Kingsley had taken pity on her. It being hers and Remus's first Christmas together, after all. She had clocked out, after finishing her shift on the 24th with a spring in her step. Herself and Remus would be spending Christmas day with the Weasleys at Grimmauld place. Arthur had still not returned home from St Mungo's, but there was the promise of day release so that he could spend some time with his children whilst they were still on leave from school.

She only had one more thing to do, in order to succeed in her plans for the most perfect day. After leaving work, Tonks went straight to The Leaky Cauldron and through to Diagon Alley, where she was due to pick up a gift she had ordered for Remus. The Wizarding high street was decorated with tinsel, boughs of holly and mistletoe. There were wreaths with red berries on each of the shop doors and a ginormous Christmas tree had been erected in front of Gringotts Bank. It was the perfect winter wonderland, minus the snow that rarely fell at this time of year in London.

Grinning, Tonks entered Amanuensis Quills, a small stationary shop which was fluttering with little green fairies that were sprinkling fake snow around the shop. The smell of ink and fresh parchment was barely masked by the smell of the Christmas cookies that were sat on a plate next to the cash register, intended for customers to help themselves. Tonks spoke to the small wizard who owned the shop, who excitedly ran into the back stock room. Not a moment later he had returned with an oblong package that was wrapped in brown paper. Some weeks earlier, Tonks had visited the establishment in order to purchase a Christmas gift for Remus, when her eyes fell upon two quills. They were made out of long, sleek black feathers that looked majestic when caught in the right light. The bottom half of the quill was made out of clear glass which swirled to form an elegant point. When she had spoken to the Shop Keep, he had offered to engrave the glass part of the quill, and Tonks had agreed. Narrow swirling lines etched into the glass now  formed the inscription. R. J. Lupin.

Feeling satisfied with her gift, Tonks left the shop and was planning to go straight back to Grimmauld place when something else caught her eye. In the window of Flourish and Blotts was the most beautiful leather bound book that she had ever seen. A Complete History of Healing Magic. Tonks could practically picture Remus drooling over the book himself. She couldn't resist but buy it for him. The witch at the desk sized up her dungarees with a raised eyebrow when Tonks asked for the book in the window. Heaving it over to the counter, the witch began to press buttons on the register. Tonks let her fingers run over the well tended walnut colored Leather. "That will be 40 Galleons, my love" she had said with a sickly smile on her face and Tonks felt her stomach drop. Hesitantly, she handed over the money and dashed out of Flourish and Blotts before she made any other impulsive decisions that made her penniless.

Using skills that she had gathered as an Auror, Tonks had managed to sneak the packages upstairs to her room, without alerting anyone in the household. She shut the bedroom door behind her and was about to make her way quietly downstairs to announce her arrival when she heard a curious noise from a bedroom a few doors down. Thinking the worst, she crept down the corridor towards the disturbance. Her senses were heightened and her wand was raised in case of threat. 

After taking a breath, Tonks kicked open the door and burst into the room. Much to her surprise, the occupant (or rather, occupants) of the room was not a Boggart or a hoard of pixies, but the Weasley twins. They were both crouched down by the side of a large double bed and both jumped at her sudden arrival. Judging by the possessions inside the room, Tonks guessed that this was Molly's room. Once the boys realized that it was not their mother, but Tonks, who had busted them they relaxed.