Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Season 3, as Beater 1 of the Appleby Arrows.
Prompts:
(quote) 'Boyfriends and girlfriends will come and go but this is for life' - Phoebe Buffay, Friends.
(song) 'You Got a Friend In Me' by Randy Newman
(opening sentence) It had been a very long day.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
It had been a very long day. Therefore, it was nice when Tonks finally got the chance to go to her favorite abandoned tower and relax as she watched the sun start to lower.
"Well, it's been awhile since I've seen a friendly face around these parts," a voice echoed in the tower. Tonks, whose eyes were closed, smiled.
"It's been hectic," she opened her eyes to look at the ghost, "N.E.W.T.s have been a pain."
The ghost, Hufflepuff's own Fat Friar, frowned. "Have you already been here seven years? It doesn't feel nearly that long."
"Must be the downside to being dead," Tonks joked, "Time passes too quickly for you to keep up." Though it was light humor she was going for, she felt the uneasiness between herself and the Fat Friar. They had been friends for many years, which made what she was about to do all the more difficult.
"Is something troubling you, dear?" he asked, his hands clasped together, an eyebrow raised. He'd been able to read her well for far too long.
Tonks pursed her lips and willed herself to not look away. "Tonight's my last night here," she said with a deep breath, "So I came up here to see you and say goo -" She couldn't get the last word out, choking back tears.
"No, no, we can't have any of that nonsense," the chubby ghost replied, floating over to where the bubblegum pink haired girl was standing. "This is supposed to be an exciting time for you! In a few months you'll be able to start training as an Auror, that's been your dream ever since you were little."
Tonks was crying now, trying and failing to regain her composure, "I-I know, but I'm leaving. It's unlikely I'll ever be able to come back soon, and it's not as if we can communicate any other way. Ghost or not, you were my first friend here, it was you who made me feel confident with my metamorphagus, and you who was always there to listen."
"You're preparing yourself for the worst, you don't know what's going to happen."
She gave him a hard look. "No, I'm preparing myself for the inevitable. Whose to say you won't forget me in a few years time? You've been used to seeing my face for the last seven years, and we all know how awful a ghost's memory can be. Even if I could ever come back, whose to say you'd remember me?"
The Fat Friar chuckled, earning a glare from Tonks who didn't find the situation amusing at all. "I could never forget anyone like you, my dear. You've made me well liked again, instead of being made fun of from people in my very own house. You've made me feel more alive than I ever felt when I was living. You, one of my closest friends, are unforgettable. I'm not like anyone else you've ever known in life because... well... boyfriends and girlfriends will come and go, but this is for life." He gestured the space between the two of them, which made Tonks smile. "Friendship, true friendship, never dies out, Nymphadora."
Tonks, still watery eyed, shook her head, "I told you to never call me that," she laughed.
"I'm aware."
She laughed again, "Here's to always being friends, whether in this life or the next." Tonks sighed, folding her arms out on the balcony.
"You've always got a friend in me, Tonks. Remember that."
She hummed in acknowledgement, and they both watched their last sunset together, fading from a world on fire to a dark abyss.
Eight Years Later...
There's was screaming and wreckage everywhere. Spells were buzzing through the once calm corridors, and bodies littered the floor. It was crazy being a ghost, as there were so many spirits trying to pass through to the afterlife. They were all asking him questions, since they could actually see him. After assuring all of them (well, the ones he could tell that were good) that they'd be alright, a familiar face entered the corridor looking around, holding hands with a man.
"No," the Fat Friar whispered, rushing towards them.
"Fat Friar! What's going on, I'm dead right? Why am I still -"
"No, no, no!" he cried, "You can't be dead. My dear Tonks, what have you done!"
Tonks, instead of being offended, simply smiled, "I've helped ensure that my son has safe future. We will win this battle, and the war will end tonight. But I need you to promise me something, old friend."
The Fat Friar was still in shock, it had been many years since he had seen Tonks and here she was, not even alive. "Anything," he muttered, not remembering the last time he felt this upset.
"Teddy, our son," she gestured between herself and the other man, who seemed to be more concerned with the battle then the exchange happening before him, "will be in Hogwarts in a few years. Look out for him, make friends with him, just like you did with me all those years ago when you found me in that tower."
"Yes, I can do that," he said exasperated. The Fat Friar thought back to the time she was talking about, the memory vivid in his mind. "I believe it's now time for you to move on."
Tonks nodded, "I never thought it would end like this."
"I had hoped it would never end like this for you."
She took a deep breath, "And another thing," she winked, "Don't forget me." Tonks closed her eyes and a bright light surrounded herself and the other man.
"Never," the ghost replied as the light disappeared, taking her with it and leaving only the sun to rise in the background. Had they all been fighting all night? The Fat Friar looked around once more, seeing other spirits looked down at their own bodies in confusion. He sighed, knowing it was his responsibility to explain to them what was happening.
He saw a tall, redheaded boy down the corridor, and as the light of the new day lit the halls, he made his way towards him.
Eleven Years Later...
"Hello there."
Teddy jumped which made him land on his ankle the wrong way, and he crumpled to the ground.
"My, my, you really are your mother's son, aren't you? She was always tripping over air, it was a wonder how she ended up being an amazing Quidditch player."
"My mother is dead." At the mention of his mother, Teddy unconsciously turned his hair bubblegum pink, one of the many shades he saw her have in pictures.
"Yes, I know," he frowned, "I was the one that helped her and your father move on. After I promised her that I would find you."
"What?"
"Your mother, Nymphadora, though I never really called her that since she hated the name, wanted me to talk to you. We were great friends back when she was in Hogwarts, and boy she had so many stories to tell. I think she wanted me to tell you about her, what she was like and what not."
Teddy frowned. "So it was you who left that note to come here, then?" he asked.
"No," the Fat Friar chuckled. "For I am a ghost, and cannot write. I had someone else do it for me, and it worked. You're here."
The young boy pursed his lips, taking in the situation, then leaned against the balcony. "So my house's ghost was also my mothers best friend? How did that happen?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, one day I heard a huge crash echo from the tower. When I went up to investigate I found her there on the ground, rubbing her head with one hand and a broomstick in the other. Apparently she had been trying to fly, as the pitch was closed for tryouts and..." The Fat Friar kept on going, sharing his memories with Teddy who listened for hours until the sunset, and promised to come back again. However, the ghost made the boy promise to bring his own stories in return.
A/N: This was interesting for me to write. The one restriction I had was that it had to be a friendship between two Hufflepuff's and I didn't want to choose anyone too obvious (Ernie, Cedric, Hannah, Susan) so I thought I'd step outside my box. Hmm... tell me what you thought.