Unexpected Comfort
Moody had spent the last few days working non-stop at the Ministry and was completely and utterly exhausted. Just to make matters even worse he now had to go to an Order meeting. Still at least he would escape from Scrimgeour and Umbridge's constant bickering for a few hours, even if the Weasley twins would undoubtedly have some sort of prank lined up for him.
He picked up his staff and headed for his office door, narrowly missing a rather upset looking Tonks as she returned to the office, having forgotten something again.
"Tonks what's wrong?" he asked, not liking seeing his aurors upset.
"Where are we going now Mad-Eye?" she asked him, rolling her eyes.
"Oh yes of course. You have to see Remus. You could always stay here and pretend to be ill or something you know," he said, having had a tiring day he didn't particularly feel like trying to comfort her but he hated seeing her like this. It made his mood worse as well which never really helped matters.
"No! I mean… well… I want to see him…. I just don't want to be rejected any more."
Mad-Eye sighed and nodded his head, wondering why she put herself through so much. Basically anyone in the auror department would be more than happy to go out with her but her heart seemed set on Remus. "Why do you still want to see him so much, even though he keeps turning you down?" Mad-Eye asked curiously as they left the office together.
"Because….. I don't know. I guess I'm just hanging onto the last bit of hope, even though he'll never change his mind," she sighed heavily, her hair going even darker brown in colour than it had been before the conversation with Mad-Eye; something she didn't think was possible.
"Why don't you look at other men instead though?" Mad-Eye asked, knowing just how many of the men in the office wanted to go out with her.
"Nobody would want to go out with me, Mad-Eye," she said, sighing heavily again. Mad-Eye was so surprised by what she said that he almost didn't see plant pot in front of him and had to quickly dodge it to avoid looking like a complete idiot in front of the entire office.
"Nobody would want to go out with you? Are you crazy?" he said, rather loudly and several heads in the office turned towards them. Tonks turned a dull shade of red and Mad-Eye lowered the volume he was speaking at to just above inaudibility, "Tonks most of the men in the office would go out with you!"
"I doubt that Mad-Eye. I'm too clumsy. And it's not like I'm pretty or anything," she said, avoiding looking at him.
"Merlin's beard, Tonks! Where did you get such a crazy idea from? You are pretty!" Mad-Eye replied, looking rather astonished that she even thought that.
Tonks looked up at Mad-Eye, unsure of what to say. She hadn't expected to hear that from anyone, let alone her boss and mentor for the past 8 years.
By this time they had reached the lifts and there was only the two of them in the lift they entered. Tonks looked at Mad-Eye, still unsure of why he had said she was pretty. "Do you really think I'm pretty?" she asked him.
"Yes!" Mad-Eye replied. Tonks smiled, her hair turning back to pink, and she hugged him. He looked quite surprised to be hugged by her but he was glad she was happy again.
"Thanks Mad-Eye," she said, letting go of him as the lift reached the floor they were heading to and the doors opened.