Today was the day. Charlie Weasley was sixteen and going to ask his longtime crush and best friend to a date in Hogsmeade. It was a Friday, and the outing was scheduled for the next day. Short notice, but he didn't want to give her too long to think about it, afraid she would come up with an excuse.
Charlie chided himself for being paranoid. It wasn't like they had never been to Hogsmeade before. They went every chance they got, usually to frequent Zonko's Joke Shop or drool over HoneyDukes chocolate. Usually together too, as friends. Except when she had a date, or when she tried to give him one. Charlie shuddered. Whenever Tonks tried to send Charlie on a date, disaster ensued immediately thereafter. The girls she chose (or bribed) to go out with him were hardly ever the ones he would have chosen. Which is to say, they weren't her.
Tonks had dates more frequently than Charlie, but her relationships never lasted long. She would moon over a boy for weeks, declaring him to be absolutely perfect. She would do her best to impress him, using her Metamorphageous abilities to their fullest and trying to catch his eye. Undoubtably, the boy would notice, because people always noticed Tonks when she wanted them to. He would ask her out, and she would, of course, say yes. They would go on a few dates, and appear to be quite happy. Tonks would spend her free time professing her newfound love to Charlie, and he would try to restrain himself from pounding the object of her affections on the Quidditch pitch. After those few dates, though, Tonks would go back to her normal self. The one with the spiky pink hair and Weird Sisters t-shirts. Her new boyfriend was never impressed and the relationship would be over as soon as she went back to being a 'freak'. Charlie would then stop suppressing his fury during Quidditch.
And Charlie would be there for her to cry on his shoulder. Always there. He had long ago resolved that he would never make her cry. Provided that she ever saw him as more than a shoulder to cry on.
He knew that after her last break up nearly two weeks ago, she wouldn't yet have found a new date to Hogsmeade, and it was a little late for her to find him a girl to go with. However, he wouldn't put it past her. Tonks was known for her spontaneity.
This trip to the village would be different from their previous ones together, because if she said yes, they would go as more than friends. Sometime today, he would ask her. He would ask Nymphadora Tonks to go to Hogsmeade with him. Charlie was, understandably, nervous. He had waited, mustering his courage and planning his timing, for what seemed like ages. They had been best friends since first year, but he knew now that he wanted to be more.
Charlie gathered his books for Potions class and frowned in the mirror at his freckles. Weasley trait or not, he didn't much care for them. Sighing, he wished for his older brother's looks. Bill was considered one of the best looking wizards at school. With his long red auburn hair and dark brown eyes, he had always been regarded as a heartthrob, even if he did have freckles. Charlie's hair was a carroty red, his eyes were a light blue, and he didn't bear his freckles with as much dignity as his brother. The only thing he had going for him was his Quidditch skills. He had become Gryffindor's seeker in his second year, and had finally earned a name for himself as something other than Bill Weasley's brother.
Well, good looks or not, he hoped she would say yes to a date. Charlie had never had much luck with girls, and he hadn't much cared. Tonks (she would kill him if he even thought Nymphadora) was the only girl he would want to impress, and she seemed to like him already, even if it was only as a friend.
Raking a hand through his hair and trying to flatten a wayward cowlick, he hurried out of the common room to go meet Tonks on the way to Potions. Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were together in that class and it was one of Charlie's favorite times of day. He despised potions, and he loathed Professor Snape, but it was a class with Tonks and that made it worth it.
"Wotcher, Weasley." Charlie grinned at the familiar greeting. It was standard Tonks. She insisted on using his last name, figuring if she liked hers better he must too. She'd been doing that since about third year, but sometimes he wished she would just call him Charlie.
The greeting was followed by an equalling familiar crash. The fact that she was standing on level ground and not moving meant nothing. Not for Tonks. The girl was quite capable of tripping over air. Charlie spun around, but wasn't in time to prevent her fall. He ignored the girls snickering behind him and offered his hand to the fallen witch. She was already onto her knees, so she brushed away his hand. She never stayed on the ground for long, even if she ended up there frequently. Upon standing, however, she stumbled again and grabbed his arm for balance.
Then she smiled at him, and he couldn't help but grin back. "Ready for Potions?" he asked.
Her smile disappeared. "Yeah, Potions, love it." She pulled a face, and as if finding inspiration, she morphed her features to model Snape's. She dropped her voice an octave and drew out her words in a good imitation of their professor. "Miss Tonks, you are a complete and utter failure. Your infernal clumsiness and lack of comprehension of potions puts the entire class at risk. If you spill that disaster on the floor I will have you polishing it in detention."
Charlie was always a little frightened when she did that. Her imitation was spot on. After sending an intimidating Snape glare his way, she changed back to her real face and grinned smugly. The snickering girls were now whispering and walking quickly in the opposite direction.
Charlie shook his head. "You had better not let Snape catch you doing that, or you'll be doing more than scrubbing floors."
Snape's detentions were always creative, if nothing else. He had once demanded that Charlie and Tonks retrieve a new supply of newt eyes after she had tripped into Charlie causing his freshly brewed project to spill all over their teacher. His robes had turned a most interesting shade of orange, and Charlie's face had turned an interesting shade of red. It was detention for the two criminals and then Tonks had quipped in what she thought was a quiet voice that it was a 'good color on him, really brought out his eyes'. And a second detention had been added to their schedule. Charlie hardly thought he deserved the second one, but if it was time spent with Tonks, then he wouldn't complain too loudly. But the newt eye retrieval had certainly been his worst detention to date.
Tonks shrugged easily. "That's why I don't plan to let him catch me. Come on, wouldn't want to be late." She grabbed his arm and pulled him into movement, but she let go far too soon for his taste.