Tonks was just rinsing out the last of the pink dye from her hair when her father walked into her room. He let out a long suffering sigh when he saw Tonks, dressed in a purple shift, bent over a bowl of water as she dyed her long hair yet another colour.
"You know the game's in half an hour," he said.
Tonks groaned. "I said I'm not going. I want to go out and see my friends," she said.
Her father frowned and said, "But you always used to love going to the soccer."
"Yes," said Tonks, exasperated. "That was when I was eight."
Her father just gave one of those stupid smiles that she had come to hate so much. He really didn't get it, she had tried to explain for years and had finally given up. He still thought that she'd go back to being a boy and be all normal and simple for him. She couldn't wait to move out to get away from all the unsubtle attempts to have her act as a regular boy and have people call her Tonks, and not Nathan. A name she cringed at every time her father said it.
"Ah, come on," her father said, "all the boys are going to be there. Go there and have a good time."
Tonks tried to ignore him, furiously drying her hair with a towel, not to rise and start shouting. "I'll have a good time with my friends," she said, "besides I haven't seen Remus all week."
Her father's smile tightened. Tonks knew he had so many stupid problems with her eclectic mix of friends. She got that he didn't like it when she was out at bars until three o'clock in the morning, but not his problem with her best friend Remus after he told her father he was gay. It had just gotten worse after Tonks had awkwardly told him that her and Remus were dating. Just worried about that sort of influence, according to her father. Tonks just saved all the harder to move out.
"You're twenty three," her father said. "Shouldn't you stop messing about with this sort of thing?"
"I'm not 'messing about' Dad," said Tonks, feeling her voice rise. "There's nothing weird about me dating."
"It is when you're seeing a guy when you're not gay. I've heard that these…" he trailed off. Tonks groaned, her father still couldn't even say 'transgender' even now, although he would be just as likely to say gays. "You know. I've heard that some of them even cut off their well," again, he broke of, gesturing vaguely down.
Tonks couldn't be bothered trying to explain to her father again. He didn't get that she wasn't gay, she was transgender. She had tried to have a serious conversation with him about doing more than just growing out her hair and shopping in the women's section in shops, maybe he thought it would be more simple if she was gay. Her parents hadn't let her take the hormone suppressing medication through puberty, after all, what it she changed her mind? But she had been fairly lucky with it. Small breasts that didn't bother her too much and she at least looked somewhat androgynous. But as she aged and heard her friends talking, she wanted more. But her father could barely say the word transgender without the conversation becoming so ridiculously awkward.
"Do you want to get sick? Don't you realise people die from AIDs and whatever other diseases get passed around in those places?"
"Honestly Dad!" said Tonks. She knew she was almost shouting, but she didn't care. She was over her father's stupid bias. "The Huffle's a good pub. Even Aunt Cissa goes there. We just have a few drinks, that's all. And you know Remus - he's a nice guy, he wouldn't do that sort of thing."
A deep frown appeared on her father's face. "And then what happens?" he asked in disgust. "I've heard what happens in those places. It's absolutely disgusting."
Tonks gritted her teeth. Her father refused to talk about Remus now, but she had to stay calm or she'd be grounded again.
"All we're going to do is have a few drinks and chat. We hardly even dance for god's sake."
"Do not swear in front of me," snapped her father.
"I didn't swear," Tonks snapped back, as she tried to even up her perpetually crooked eyeliner. She screwed up her nose and critiqued her appearance in the mirror. Good enough, she thought giving her hair a last fluff up. "Right. I'm going," she said, grabbing her bag.
"Not dressed like some sort of drag queen, you're not," said her father.
"Everyone dresses like this," said Tonks. "There's nothing wrong with it."
Her father snorted. "You're in a dress, Nathan. I want you down at the game tonight and that's final," he said.
Tonks clenched her fists. "I want to see my boyfriend," she repeated through clenched teeth.
Her father screwed is nose up in disgust, the corners of his lips curling upwards. He knew from experience that Tonks would leave no matter what he said. "Fine," he spat out. "No internet for a week and I want to see you delete your account from those weird chat groups you're always no."
"Whatever," said Tonks as she pushed past him. She was lucky enough to avoid her mother downstairs and was soon driving her car into town. Face set as she was determined not to show up with her mascara ruined. She knew she was in for another lecture. Like soccer, hang out with normal people, find a nice girl and settle down with a kid. Her parents wouldn't get it. She let out a sigh . Maybe Remus would let her crash at his place until she had saved enough to move out into her own place. His parents had the same issues as her own or else she'd just move in with him. She already had an eye on a nice little flat. She'd have to talk with him. She just couldn't stand continuing to try to explain that she wasn't a boy to her parents every day. If they wanted to live in their little fantasy, she'd just have to let them.
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History of Magic: Task 3
Write about someone going against their family to be with the one they love.