This is written for the Hardest Challenge Ever. At least 2500 words in 2 hours. My pairing I was given was Neville/Tonks and as much as I try to stick to canon even with fanon pairings, I just couldn't see a school-age Neville being with Tonks so for the purposes of this challenge, she survived the Battle and is still an Auror. Deal with it. :) As always, reviews are appreciated!

Neville woke up on the first day of term feeling very groggy and not prepared to teach that morning in the least. Luckily he had already skimmed the schedule and he only had a couple of classes that day and they were all for first and second years. He was very thankful that it would be an easy day.

It had been a long summer of volunteering at the Auror office at the Ministry of Magic. He was hoping to make that his place of employment during the summers because he had always thought that if he couldn't teach, he would want to be an Auror and also because he couldn't stand not doing something for months at a time.

Deep down, Neville was a man of action. Perhaps it had taken him all of his school career at Hogwarts to figure that out, but that seventh year from hell, he had proven to himself that he could stand up and be a leader. He wanted to work at the Auror office and prove it. Of course, Harry had readily agreed to take him under his wing for which Neville was eternally grateful. However for the last few weeks, Neville had been training under someone else.

A very beautiful someone else.

He didn't know what it was about Nymphadora Tonks that attracted him so much. Maybe it was that her hair was never the same color. Or maybe it was the fact that, like him, she was rather clumsy, and after running into each other so many times, they'd managed to make a dance out of it. A bumbling, messy waltz.

The snooze button on his alarm went off and he forced himself to get out of bed and stop daydreaming about someone he knew he didn't stand a chance with. He ran his hand through his hair and quickly brushed his teeth and put on his robes.

The Great Hall was abuzz with excitement. The students were wide awake and ready for the first day of class. They hadn't been broken down with homework or exams or detentions yet. Neville greeted some older students as he made his way to the staff table where most of the teachers were already sitting.

"Good morning, Neville," Professor McGonagall said.

"Good morning, Professor." He buttered some bread and began to eat his breakfast that magically appeared before him.

"How were your holidays?" McGonagall asked. "I understand you were volunteering with Harry. I'm sure you excelled greatly. In fact, it's hard for me to believe that you didn't take up a job as an Auror immediately after you left here."

Neville nodded. "I'm afraid my grades were not up to par with what is usually expected of Aurors."

McGonagall gave him a knowing look before lowering her voice to a whisper so that others could not hear. "Sometimes, Mr. Longbottom, exceptions can be made." She winked and then went back to her meal. Neville blushed under such praise from a former professor who very rarely gave compliments to anyone, much less to him.

He was distracted from his embarrassment by the post arriving and he was surprised to find that there was a letter for him folded inside his Daily Prophet. He quickly set the newspaper aside and opened the letter to find familiar handwriting covering the parchment inside.

Dear Neville,

I hope you have a wonderful first day back at Hogwarts. Perhaps you'd like to meet me for a drink and you can tell me about it? I have something to tell you as well. If you can, meet me at the Three Broomsticks around nine tonight.

Your friend,

Tonks

He smiled to himself and hoped no one else noticed because if they did they would surely know it was from a girl. He never could keep a straight face when it was something like that.

He turned the note over and quickly scribbled a response agreeing to meet her and tied it to the owl's leg that was still sitting perched on his shoulder. As soon as the letter was secured the owl flew away and Neville hurriedly swallowed the rest of his breakfast before practically running to the greenhouse.

It seemed he felt that if he rushed everything he did that time would keep up with him and it would be nine o'clock before he knew it. But alas, it was not so. In fact, time seemed to slow down as is always the way with days that have something to look forward to at the end of them.

He cursed his watch every time he looked down at it and he was sure his new students thought he was a crazy person who should definitely not be teaching children.

The only exciting thing that happened that day was that the Venomous Tentacula managed to grab hold of an unsuspecting Hufflepuff and Neville had to save her though the plant had only wanted to play and had not been in the mood to seriously injure. The young girl was hysterical though and he was forced to end class early much to the rest of the first years' excitement.

Neville changed his shirt several times before leaving the castle later that evening. It was stupid really this infatuation with Tonks. She was only a friend after all. She didn't like him that way. Even if she did, nothing could come of it if they were going to work together.

A small voice reminded him that he hadn't actually gotten the job yet, that he had only volunteered, and that it was only September and a lot could change between September and June.

He walked swiftly toward the little village of Hogsmeade and was greeted warmly by Madam Rosmerta when he entered the Three Broomsticks. He looked about him and realized that Tonks was not there yet. He ordered a butterbeer and sat down at the bar until she arrived.

"What brings you here on the first day of term, deary? Was it such a bad day? That can't bode well for the year." Rosmerta gave him a small smile as she washed a dirty glass and studied his nervous countenance.

Neville laughed. "Oh, not at all. Today was great, in fact. I was just a bit distracted is all. Haven't gotten used to the schedule yet."

Rosmerta gave him a look that told him she knew better but walked away without making any further comment. He took a sip of his butterbeer and nearly spit it back out as a face came out of nowhere and invaded his personal space. It was an ugly face too. It was the face of an old woman and it was wrinkled with mismatched eyes. Grey straggly hair hung down around the sallow cheeks and when the woman grinned several missing teeth were noticeable. What few teeth were there were bright yellow.

Neville swallowed the butterbeer in his mouth and stammered, "Erm… hello…"

The old woman shrieked with laughter, which he found both odd and creepy, until he watched in awe as the ugly, wrinkled features began to change. In a matter of seconds this disgusting old woman became a lovely green haired beauty with a heart shaped face that was beet red from laughing so hard at his look of horror and astonishment.

"How do you like my newest disguise?" she asked him motioning for Rosmerta to bring her a butterbeer.

"Very…" Neville searched for the appropriate words. He didn't really know what answer Tonks was looking for.

"Ugly?" she offered.

"I was going to say terrifying, but ugly as well. Yes, quite ugly."

Tonks beamed. "Good. I like terrifying. I was thinking of using it when I go to the zoo tomorrow and scare little children. Can you believe one of my assignments is at a Muggle zoo?"

"That should be fun though. I hope you can focus on your assignment and not scaring children."

"I will do my best," Tonks promised. She gave him a quizzical look as she caught him staring.

"Sorry." He blushed. Could he be any more obvious? "I just like your green hair. I don't think I've ever seen you with that color before."

It was Tonks' turn to be a little embarrassed and merely looked away from him and decided there was something interesting at the bottom of her glass.

"Thanks. I'm sad that I can't use my odd colors when I'm at work anymore. Harry told me, it calls attention to myself."

Neville then asked a question he'd always been meaning to ask her. "What is your natural hair color anyway?"

Tonks threw her head back and laughed. "I'll never tell!"

"Have I ever seen it?"

She shook her head.

"One day I will," Neville predicted.

And he did.

It took him exactly six months to think of a way to trick her into showing it to him. But he finally did it.

They were having one of their weekly meetings in the Three Broomsticks. Rosmerta would smirk from behind the bar and making kissy faces at Neville when Tonks' back was turned. He glare back at her and she would smirk some more and go about her business.

As the weeks had gone by, Neville had to admit, he was falling for Tonks harder than he had ever thought was possible. He wished that these weekly nights at the bar could be considered dates. But they'd never called them dates, not even in their letters. It was just another Monday night in Hogsmeade for two friends.

Neville sighed as he sat on one of the barstools waiting for his friend. She arrived wearing a big fluffy coat to guard her from the icy wind that was still blowing outside. Winter was holding on with two hands this year.

"Something warm!" she begged of Rosmerta and then turned to Neville happily chatting away about a bloke who had broken that Statute of Secrecy three times in one day. Neville nodded pretending to care, but only paying attention to the fact that her hair was green again today; a bright shade of lime green that shone in the dim light of the room. The question was still burning in his mind. What color was her hair really?

Tonks saw that she was losing his interest, or at least her conversation was, so she tried to change the topic.

"It's still cold out. It must be terrible for the Quidditch teams to practice. When's the next game?"

At the mention of Quidditch, the solution to the hair color dilemma was discovered.

"Next weekend!" Neville said excitedly. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin. You should come. I bet Slytherin wins."

Tonks looked at him in mock horror. "You would bet against your own house? For shame, Neville Longbottom. I'll gladly bet on Gryffindor against Slytherin any day."

Neville grinned. "That's what I was hoping you would say. And when Slytherin wins, you are going to tell me what color your hair really is."

Tonks laid her head on the bar unable to believe she'd fallen for it. "You are evil! But all right." She held out her hand to shake on it. He reached for her hand but then stopped.

"What if Gryffindor wins?"

Tonks considered him a moment then stuck out her chin defiantly and announced, "You have to take me out to dinner. A nice dinner. Not just Monday nights at the bar."

She wanted him to take her to dinner? Neville looked at her incredulously. Didn't she know he'd love to take her out regardless of any stupid bet? He didn't say so though. He shook her hand and left the bar to go back up to the now, dark castle. He could wait until next weekend. But the problem now was what team he wanted to win more.

The day of the Quidditch match came. The wind had died down, but the weather was still very bitter. Hogwarts student all came out dressed in their warmest clothing and sporting red or green to cheer on their fellow students.

Neville was wearing an emerald jacket and earmuffs he'd nicked from the Herbology supplies that were usually reserved for potting Mandrakes. Tonks had shown up in red with hair to match. Neville had bet on Slytherin because although he was a loyal Gryffindor at heart, he wasn't blind to the fact that the Slytherin team this year was phenomenal and he doubted that even Gryffindor could beat them today. The whistle blew and the fourteen Quidditch players rose in the air and zoomed around the field. The Gryffindors were able to hold their own for a while but after about an hour of playing and no sign of the Snitch at all, the Slytherin Chasers came into their stride and score five goals on the opposing team in a matter of minutes. Neville heard Tonks groan beside him. He smiled to himself and at that moment he saw it. The golden Snitch was circling the Slytherin goal post to the far left. Luckily, the Slytherin Seeker had seen it too.

The crowd watched and roared their excitement as the Seeker got into position and drove his broom faster and faster, until it appeared that he might crash into the post. But at the last moment he was able to pull out of the way and take hold of the little golden ball.

The crowd of students erupted into cheers and Neville jumped up and down in victory while Tonks pretended to be devastated.

But as the students all filed into the castle, the two of them slowly made their way back to the village so that Tonks could Apparate back home. They spent that time going over the highlights of the game with great energy, which a few times caused them to run into each other and consequently to skirt around each other in that awkward dance that they had made up all those months ago. They found themselves in front of the Three Broomsticks and Neville stuck his hands in his coat pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels in nervousness.

"So…" he began.

Tonks sighed. "All right, all right. Close your eyes."

He obeyed and waited impatiently for her to instruct him to open them again. When she did he opened them to find that her hair was long and thick and brunette and it fell in waves down her back.

He felt his jaw drop in awe.

"Is that really what your hair looks like?"

"I know!" she covered her face in embarrassment. "It's awful!"

Neville shook his head and pulled her hands away from her face, forcing her to look at him.

"No, it's not. It's beautiful."

She swallowed nervously and her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. But nothing came out.

"And even though I won the bet," Neville continued and pulled her closer to him. "I still want to take you to dinner. If you still want to go to dinner anyway."

She nodded and then finally found her voice. "I'd like that."

Neville smiled. "Good. So Monday, we'll go to dinner instead of the bar. It's a date."

"Yeah," Tonks said breathlessly. "A date."

Neville realized he was still holding her hands and hastily let go. He made to turn back toward the school when Tonks stopped him.

"You really think my hair's not that bad?"

Neville reached over and ran his hand through the brunette locks. "I told you. It's beautiful. You're beautiful."

Tonks pulled a strand through her fingers and looked at it closely so that she wouldn't have to meet his eyes. "I've never been called beautiful before," she said quietly. "Eccentric, interesting, unique… but never beautiful."

Neville thought that was the saddest thing he'd ever heard. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, then whispered in her ear. "I'll have to get you used to it then."

With that he turned and walked back up to the castle but not before calling over his shoulder at her. "See you Monday!"

Tonks waved and Disapparated. Little did either of them know that there were two bartenders watching from inside the Three Broomsticks.

"Pay up, Ab," Rosmerta demanded and held out her hand.

The old man grumbled and dropped a few Galleons into her outstretched palm before walking down the street to the deserted Hog's Head.

And from that day on, Rosmerta never let Neville or Tonks forget that she'd known what would happen all along.