star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER TWO

"Don't you get used to her if she's staying in the same house?" Harry asked Ron, referring to the effects Fleur's Veela ancestry had on him.

"Well, you do," Ron answered, "but if she jumps out at you unexpectedly, like then..."

"It's pathetic," Hermione said angrily.

"You don't really want her around forever?" Ginny asked Ron. He shrugged. "Well, Mum's going to put a stop to it if she can, I bet you anything."

"How's she going to manage that?" Harry asked.

"She keeps trying to get Tonks round for dinner. I think she's hoping Bill will fall for Tonks instead. I hope he does, I'd much rather have her in the family."

"Yeah, that'll work," Ron scoffed. "Listen, no bloke in his right mind's going to fancy Tonks when Fleur's around. I mean, Tonks is okay-looking when she isn't doing stupid things to her hair and nose, but-"

"Ronald, stop talking right now," Arabella said, not appreciating the things he was saying about Tonks.

"She's a damn sight nicer than Phlegm," Ginny said.

"And she's more intelligent, she's an Auror!" Hermione added.

"Fleur's not stupid, she was good enough to enter the Triwizard Tournament," Harry said.

"Yeah, and how'd that work out for her?" Arabella laughed derisively.

"Not you as well, Harry!" Hermione groaned.

"I suppose you like the way Phlegm says 'Harry,' do you?" Ginny said in a bitter tone.

"No," said Harry. "I was just saying, Phlegm - I mean, Fleur-"

"I'd much rather have Tonks in the family. At least she's a laugh."

"She hasn't been much of a laugh lately," Ron said. "Every time I've seen her she's looked more like Moaning Myrtle."

"That's not fair," Hermione said. "She still hasn't got over what happened... you know... I mean, he was her cousin!" Arabella recognized right away that she was talking about Sirius's death.

"Tonks and Sirius barely knew each other! Sirius was in Azkaban half her life and before that their families never met-"

"That's not the point. She thinks it was her fault he died!"

"How does she work that one out?" Harry asked.

"Well, she was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, wasn't she? I think she feels that if only she had finished her off, Bellatrix couldn't have killed Sirius."

"That's stupid," Ron said.

"It's survivor's guilt. I know Lupin's tried to talk her around, but she's still really down. She's actually having trouble with her Metamorphosing!"

"With her-?"

"She can't change her appearance like she used to. I think her powers must have been affected by shock, or something."