It was a joyful day at King's Cross Station that early September morning. Witches and Wizards from all over England gathered to send their children off on the Hogwarts' Express to go to school. Owls were hooting from within their cages, attendants were loading up the trunks full of text books and robes, and students climbed onto the train with gleeful expressions. Many waved to their parents before they disappeared into the train to find a compartment to their liking. Needless to say, all was well at Platform 9 and ¾ that lovely day.

A young fourteen year old Metamorphmagus witch named Nymphadora Tonks was pulling her heavy trunk towards the train. This young witch was all alone; both of her parents had died when she was six in during their Auror duties. Pulling her trunk and holding onto her owl cage which carried her black owl Leon, she stumbled up to the massive train. An attendant helped her load her belongings onto the train while she walked onto the impressive structure. Being a very clumsy girl, she tripped on the end of her robes and fell to the floor. Cussing softly, Tonks stood up and walked into an empty compartment where she sat by the window.

Jealously flared in her as she watched some of the students wave good-bye to their parents. Looking out her window, she winced as she watched the fifth year Gryffindors board the train. Among them were the four Marauders; Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin. The first three of the four always bullied and made fun of her, while Remus often just watched from the side lines with conflicted expressions. Tonks couldn't lie to herself; she knew that she held a soft spot for Remus. He was never mean to her… or friendly. The three of the four Marauders bullied her because she knew their identities. After accidentally happening upon one of their meetings in her second year, she learnt quickly that the four boys were the legendary Marauders. The only problem was that they found out that she knew, and they made her life a living hell. Tonks had never had friends before, since she was a shape-shifter and an outcast, so no one was there to stand up for her when the Marauders bullied her. She was thankful that they never physically harmed her; they just hexed her or tormented her in the hallways or during class.

Sitting by herself, Tonks nearly jumped out of her skin when the door to her compartment opened. Looking up, a groan escaped her as she saw the faces of Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus. The first three looked at her with grim expressions. "What are you doing here?" she snapped, clutching her owl cage tightly.

"Everywhere else is full Nymphie. Don't pretend you're not happy to see us," Sirius said with an evil grin as he sat across from Tonks. The other boys sat next to him, leaving Tonks alone on her end of the compartment.

"Would you stop calling me that, you git? I'd sooner sit with a dragon than you lot." Tonks hissed savagely. Sirius' face dropped into a scowl, as well as James', and Peter's. Remus stared out the window with a stoic expression.

James' wand was suddenly in her face, causing her to jerk back and hit her head on the wall behind her. "Don't call him a git, shape-shifter. A dark creature like you has no right to insult a pureblood like Sirius. I bet that's not even your real face! Why do you keep it so ugly Nymphie? If you can morph yourself, why don't you make yourself actually look pretty if you're going to hide your real features?"

Tears stung the back of Tonks' eyes. They had never insulted her like this before, so why was James doing it now? Did they get bored with their usual jokes and cruelty? "James," said Remus, who was looking at James with a slightly scared expression.

"You're not a dark creature, Moony. You have only been cursed, whereas this thing here choses to use her forms for dark intentions," James said, snapping the last part viciously. Tonks knew that Remus was a werewolf from where she'd heard their meeting during second year.

Fuming, Tonks stood up swiftly, accidentally rattling Leon's cage. "I've never, ever, used my powers for dark intentions!" she snapped, her pink hair turning red in anger. "How dare you say that I would? Why would I? If I were to use my skills for anything, it would be to change my appearance so that I could hide from prats like you, but I don't do that because you don't deserve that satisfaction of knowing that you make me hate myself!" Damn, I said too much! She sat back down as she watched their faces carefully. Remus looked pained, but Tonks paid him no mind. James had lowered his wand and sat back across from her, anger in every feature.

"Lies!" Peter said, glaring viciously at Tonks as he reached for his wand. "You've threatened revealing our identity countless times, but the way you did it this summer… and now you're telling us that you don't use your abilities for dark purposes?!

Tonks mouth gaped open. "I. Have. Never. Threatened. You."

A slightly confused look crossed the four guys' faces. James grew angry again. "Would you stop lying to us?! We know it was you! It was always by notes, but then you show up under a different appearance and threaten us! You're a dark witch who should be in Slytherin, not Hufflepuff."

Angry tears slipped over her cheeks. "I've never threatened you, and I have never spoken to you guys under a different appearance. May I see one of these notes?"

The boys looked apprehensive, but James pulled open his bag and handed her a piece of parchment. The writing on it was a messy scrawl, nothing like her neat handwriting. She read it carefully.

Foolish Marauders,

I've been feeling the need to spill the secret that I've happened upon, but deciding when and how is the only thing I'm still trying to figure out.

Nymphadora Tonks.

It was dated August 15th this year. She looked up at the four boys. "This isn't my writing," she said simply as she reached into her bag and pulled out her note book for writing. Reaching across, she handed it to Sirius who opened it. His eyes grew wide as he showed it to his friends. "I don't know who's been threatening you, but I haven't been. I've also never told anybody that I knew you were the Marauders."

The four boys looked up at her with slightly apologetic, but still skeptical, expressions. "Honestly?" Peter asked, watching her carefully.

Looking him in the eyes she said "I'd never tell anyone. Despite the fact that you guys have pushed me around for years, I have no intention of telling a secret that isn't mine to tell. If you guys had bothered to talk to me about the notes, instead of bullying me, than you would have known that it wasn't me threatening you." Tonks stood up; owl cage in her arms with her bag slung over her shoulder, and left the compartment.

The rest of the train ride she spent in the girl's loo, not wanting to go back to the compartment with the Gryffindors or go to a different one. Nobody would appreciate her coming to sit with them, so she made life easier for everybody by staying in the lavatory. Sitting on the counter top, she Tonks stroked her owl absentmindedly as she thought about how different life at Hogwarts will be without being bullied by the Marauders. Perhaps they'll still pick on me anyways…