"Miss Llewellyn, just what exactly have you done to that rabbit?"
The blonde winced at the shrewd, familiar tone of McGonagall's berating. "Erm... my wand slipped?"
The class snickered, McGonagall's eyes narrowing as she fixed the placement of the creature's left ear and tail, which had been accidentally switched (with no harm to the rabbit, thankfully). "See to it that it doesn't happen again. You're my best student, Pandora, and I don't know what's happening today, but I would advise you to concentrate."
Don't ruin Pandora's reputation, Tonks thought, gritting her teeth to prevent anything snarky from escaping. "Yes, Professor, it won't happen again."
McGonagall nodded stiffly, turning on her heel. "Now, class, your next task will be to Vanish your respective animals and make them reappear on the desk of the person to the left of you. Don't expect to master this on your first try, it is a very difficult task that requires..."
Tonks groaned internally. Merlin, she hated this class.
OOO
An hour later, Tonks, back to her normal appearance, stood at the Ravenclaw knocker, arguing with it.
"Come on, I know I'm not a Ravenclaw, but I need to talk to Pandora - "
"You must solve the problem to pass," it stated stubbornly, cutting her off.
Just as she was contemplating hexes that might (read: definitely wouldn't) work in opening the entrance, a small first year emerged from the entrance, nervously avoiding eye contact. Tonks swiftly shouldered the door open, making her way up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. She knocked softly on the door with the plate marked 'Sixth Years.' "Dora? Can I come in?"
She heard a soft "yes" and quietly pushed the door open, careful not to disturb the older girl too much. Tonks strode to Pandora's bed, the one by the heavily-curtained window, and gently lowered herself next to the lanky blonde, who was curled up under her duvet. Tonks smiled, rubbing her back. "It went well, only messed up a Sticking Charm and involuntarily rearranged a rabbit's anatomy. No one suspected a thing."
"I told you, Dora, you didn't need to go for me," Pandora replied, smiling weakly. "I could afford to miss one day."
"And I can afford to miss several. I'm only in fourth year, no OWLs for me yet," Tonks rebutted. "Plus, one bad day shouldn't affect your otherwise perfect attendance."
Pandora sighed, holding her friend's hand. "I really love you and appreciate your sentiment, but you really didn't need to. All of my classes are difficult, and I'm sure it was hard to pay attention to all that boring stuff you don't need, and - "
"Hush," Tonks interrupted, patting the girl's back. "You're one of my best friends, and I don't want you straining yourself on a day your mental health isn't particularly up to par. It's really nothing."
The blonde was quiet for a moment. "I could not have asked for a better friend, you know."
"That's true. I am the exemplary Hufflepuff, after all," Tonks agreed, grinning.
Pandora giggled, shaking her head. Tonks tilted her head. "But most importantly, are you feeling better?"
"Better, yes. Wonderful compared to this morning," Pandora stated. "Not completely myself, but definitely better."
Tonks nodded. "Do you want a bit more time alone?"
Pandora nodded shyly. "Would you mind?"
"Of course not, love. Just send Gwen if you need me," Tonks said, mentioning Pandora's cat, who was splayed out on the floor in a sliver of afternoon sunlight.
Pandora nodded. "I will. I'll see you at dinner, Dora."
"Alright, I'll save you some blueberry pie," Tonks promised, pushing the dorm's door closed. "See you in a bit."
"Goodbye, Dora. Thank you."
Tonks winked. "It's what I do." The door shut softly.
OOO
A/N
Alright, so yes, Pandora Llewellyn is supposed to be the unmarried Pandora Lovegood. I just picked Llewellyn as a surname because her real surname is never given. I'm not saying Pandora in particular was depressed, but you can't pretend depression is only limited to the Muggle world. Bad days are something that everyone has to deal with, and I just think this is a cute, considerate thing Tonks totally would've done for someone she loves. I know there's, like, a 95% chance these two didn't know of the other's existence, but I couldn't resist (Dora and Dora? Adorable). Anyway, this was just a fun little thing I whipped up, and also my first fic on here, so thank you for reading!
