One-shot. Evil plot bunny that became a strange sort of pet in my mind. I had to write it out so that I could finish my English paper. Enjoy. Review. Give me feedback. Notice the "feed" in "feedback?" You know how food keeps us alive and happy? Therefore, feed me with feedback and I will be alive and happy. Strange logic, yes? Okay, I'm rambling. R&R!
He called her Nymphadora.
There was no crime in calling her that; it was her name, after all.
To everyone else, she was just Tonks. One syllable, concise, and quickly snapped out whenever she made a blunder.
A lamp knocked over and smashed.
"TONKS!"
A platter holding dinner's main course overturned.
"TONKS!"
Simple enough.
She had asked to be called Tonks. It was also her name, albeit her surname. Nymphadora made her feel like a stuck-up regal pig-queen. Tonks made her feel as though she had no elegant title to live up to.
Yet he called her Nymphadora.
He took the time out of his day to utter four syllables instead of one.
Unlike the other occupants of Number 15, Grimmauld Place, 'Nymphadora' was not yelled in annoyance, but spoken in a kindly and even tone.
A tumble down the stairs was always followed up by an extended hand to assist, a bemused smile, and a "Nymphadora."
A trip on the rug amazingly lost its burn as he would catch her in mid-fall. "Nymphadora."
Of course she was required to brush him off with a Look and an exasperated call of, "Don't call me Nymphadora!"
He would smile and shrug it off, rolling her name over his tongue as he watched her petite form stumble away.
She had always told herself that she was self-reliant. She did not need any help from anyone, clumsy as she was. Then he came along with his quiet and patient words. He did not treat her as a child or speak down to her as the other Order members, but cared for her in a quiet way.
For years, she had fought the elegance and grace that came with the name Nymphadora. Now, when no one was looking, she would pose in front of the mirror, holding her nose high and tilting her chin. He made her feel beautiful; he made her feel refined, and all from simply calling her Nymphadora.
Even when they fought, which was often, he called her Nymphadora. Unlike the others who spouted an enraged "TONKS!" he instead would correct her where correction was needed, always ending with her first name.
It was as though he was calling out an alter ego or an alternate personality by calling her Nymphadora. A yell of "TONKS!" put her on the defensive and gave her warning to start running, cleaning, or repairing. "Nymphadora" caught her off guard every time. She would have to stop dead in mid-sentence to correct him before continuing. It broke her concentration.
For anyone else, calling Tonks Nymphadora was like calling Voldemort Tom Riddle. It unleashed anger, frustration, denial, and a good deal of yelling. For him, it was all she could do to snap out a correction and move on.
Eventually, she did not want to correct him, and only continued to do so for appearance's sake. It made her feel special. It made her feel appreciated. It made her feel forgiven. It made her feel rebuked.
It made her fall in love with him.
All because he called her Nymphadora.
