La Réunion des Noirs
Harry Potter does not belong to me. Nor do I believe it ever will.
This is my entry for the One Day in the Life of an Eight-Year-Old Challenge. My character was Nymphadora Tonks. I think I did okay with it.
"Mummy, I thought you said we were going to get ice cream. Not go shopping for five hours."
"Nymphadora, hush." Mother and daughter were currently in the ladies' section of Madame Malkin's robe shop. Nymphadora gave an audible sigh as she slid down to sit on the ground as her mother looked through some robes that had been marked down. She was currently bombarded with shopping bags from various stores that her mother claimed she needed to go. "What do you think of this robe, Nymphadora?"
The eight-year-old looked up at the robe her mother was currently holding out to show her. It was a sickly green colour in Nymphadora's opinion. Of course, she'd never tell Mum that. "Who is it for?" That was the response she opted for. It was the one least likely to get her in trouble.
"I was thinking for you, sweetheart!" Andromeda Tonks meant well; that was something Nymphadora knew better than everyone having to spend eight long years being her mother's dress-up doll. "It would go so well with that purple hair you love so much." Andromeda was simply radiant as she came over to her daughter and hoisting her up to her feet. Bags forgotten, Andromeda brought her only child over in front of a full length mirror and began stripping her of her outer robes.
"Mum! Stop." She hadn't meant for the outburst, but the way her mother was manhandling her didn't sit well with Nymphadora. She was aware of what had happened between her mother and the maternal family due to Andromeda's marriage to Ted Tonks. She had never met any of her aunts or her grandparents, but she was well aware of how much it had affected her mum. "I'm sorry, Mummy." Nymphadora apologised. The expression that had come over her mother's features didn't bode well with her and if she apologised now, it would be easier to finish the night on a light note. Taking the vomit-coloured robe from her mother, Nymphadora finished removing her outer robe and put the new one on.
"You look beautiful, Dora." Andromeda kissed the top of her daughter's mousy brown hair. It was the colour she had been born with. Dora beamed at her mother. She really did try to do everything she could to keep her mother happy. "Let me see the robe with that purple hair."
Willingly, Dora changed her hair so that it was a soft violet shade that – if she did say so herself – did go nice with the puke robe. "It looks very nice, Mum." Andromeda was so proud of her only child. "However, I am getting a bit hungry. Do you think that we could go get a bite to eat?" Dora looked at her mother through the mirror. The mirror had been uncharacteristically quiet and for that, Nymphadora was grateful. Soft brown eyes looked into a deep forest green pair. The brown ones were sad but there was a smile to the face. Dora hated that. Daddy had told her that the eyes were the windows to everyone's soul. They were expressive and told a story of life. "Mummy? Why don't we get the robe and we can go over to the Leaky Cauldron before going home. I'm sure Daddy would love to see the new robe you bought me."
The smile on Andromeda brightened a tad, but those brown eyes remained sullen. "Of course, my love. Why don't we get this robe and we'll go get a bite to eat. What do you say?" Nymphadora nodded and let her mother believe that lunch was her own idea. There was no need for a fight today.
When the vomit-robe – as Dora had now affectionately dubbed it – was bought, Andromeda and Dora made their way to the Leaky Cauldron where they were greeted by the barkeep, Tom. "Afternoon, ladies. Can I get you both something to drink?"
Andromeda declined yet told her daughter she could get whatever it was she wanted. Pumpkin juice. That was what she had asked for. It was something small and simple as well as inexpensive. After a quick look at the menu, Andromeda stood and told Dora that she would be back momentarily. Nymphadora tried to smile; really she did, but it was useless. She had had an outburst and it upset her mother. It would take a lot of convincing and apologising to make this better. Shaking her head, Dora looked back down at the menu only to hear a gurgle from behind her. Turning around, she saw a child sitting in a buggy. He looked to be about a year old and was alone. She looked around for a mother that looked similar to the child but found no one. She decided to go over and look at the child.
He was cute – for a baby anyways. He had the whitest blonde hair she had ever seen and piercing ice blue eyes. "Hey there little guy." She said; her voice soft as to not upset him. He looked at her with curious eyes and held up a sticky hand. Nymphadora let him grab onto her hand and smiled. "Where's your Mummy, little boy?" She didn't expect a response from him but decided to amuse him till either her Mum or his Mum got back. And so, she changed her hair colour. It went from the purple it had been since the robe store now to a bubble-gum pink. The little boy's eyes bugged out of his head and a smile flitted onto his soft features. "You're a cutie." She told him.
Blondie gurgled again and Dora found herself changing her hair colour once again. It went from the pink shade to an almost off-white colour which amused the child. He let go of her finger and clapped, giggling as well. Her nose began to transform into that of a pig and she oinked quietly.
"What do you think you are doing?" A rough voice ice cold spoke from behind her. Turning around, Nymphadora looked at a woman with blonde hair and ocean blue eyes. "I asked what you—" The woman's words were quickly cut off when she noticed the swine nose on the girl and she sneered. "Get away from my Draco you mudblood lover." To say Nymphadora was confused would be an understatement. She had heard the word before, but how would this woman know? "Did you hear me, runt? I said get the bloody hell away from my Draco!"
Nymphadora began backing up, only to back into the table. "Um… who are you?"
"Who am I? I'm his mother. Narcissa Malfoy if you must know. Why don't you go back to your mudblood father and blood traitor mother? Before I make you."
Nymphadora looked around to see if she could spot her mother. Hopefully she would be able to help her out of the situation. "I-I'm sorry Ma'am." Nymphadora bowed slowly before standing back up. If there was one thing her mother disapproved of, it was disrespecting her elders. With one last look at the child who had to deal with the insufferable woman, Dora quickly went back to her table. It was then that her mother came back into the bar.
"You! Blood traitor, keep that wretched girl away from my son. I thought you kept her on a leash. Isn't that what you do with mudbloods?" The woman – Narcissa – sneered at Dora's mother. Dora could see the recognition in those brown eyes as they stared at the blonde woman.
"Cissy that is hardly language for public. What are you doing in a dingy bar with your son when you have a whole mansion to roam around in?" Nymphadora watched back and forth as she listened to her mother and the blonde go back and forth.
"You are not my keeper blood traitor. You left your family long ago and I doubt that you have any concern for your own sister." Then it clicked. It clicked the moment the woman said sister. This was her aunt and that child in the seat was her cousin. Nymphadora felt bad for causing such a ruckus, but the baby had been left alone.
"Cissy, I didn't relate with Mother and Father's wishes. I could stay in a world where no one accepted Ted."
"Ah yes, your mudblood. Did it ever occur to you how it might affect your sisters? Bella's still irate with what you did to Mother. Granted, Mother was angry herself when she caught you with that mudblood."
"His name is Ted, Cissy. You know, you could come over for tea sometime." Dora wanted to stop the train wreck that she started. She wished the stupid baby hadn't been there, all alone and make her want to make him smile.
"Have tea? With you? Why, I would rather cut my own tongue out that have tea with some blood traitor." Narcissa barked.
"Why did you listen to the lies they told you, Cissy?"
"They weren't lies! Mother and Father would never lie to us. It was you who defected. It was you and that other mudblood lover who decided to try and break up the family."
"You mean, Sirius? Merlin, Cissy, they truly did a number on you. But I doubt Bellatrix had an easier time being older than us both."
"Mum… I'm not hungry anymore. Can we just go home?" It was the first time Nymphadora spoke up since the exchange started between Mum and Aunt Cissy.
"We're going, Nymphadora." Andromeda grabbed Dora by the arm as well as grabbing the bags before they left the Leaky Cauldron. But not before Narcissa got her last word in.
"Go on! Go back to your mudblood, blood traitor. And stay away from my family!"
When Andromeda and Nymphadora got home, Andromeda refused to talk or even look at her daughter. "Mummy…" Dora looked at her mother. She had just had a confrontation with her own sister; one sister who hated her more than anything. "I'm sorry I played with the baby, Mummy." Dora's mother just walked past her daughter and into the bedroom she shared with her husband. The same husband who was sitting at the kitchen dinette reading the Daily Prophet.
"Merlin, I didn't think you two would ever come back." The smile that was on his face was wiped clean off when he saw his daughter's sullen features and his wife make a beeline for their bedroom only to shut and lock the door. "What happened, Dora?"
Nymphadora went to sit on the chair next to her father and just stared at the table. "I met my Aunt Narcissa today." Her voice was a monotone as her hair grew a deep, dark brown and eyes grew almost black. "Also met my cousin Draco. He's a cute kid and got in a few giggles with my hair. But then his mother saw me and decided to ask me what I was doing. She must have recognised me but I don't know how." Dora's eyes knitted together in concentration over how her aunt could have known her.
"Dora, your mother still loves her family very much. Sadly, they don't feel the same about her."
"I know, Daddy."
"Please let me finish, Dora." A blush crept up over Dora's nose as her hair turned slightly auburn. "Mummy still loves her side of the family. Every year you've gotten bigger, she's sent out pictures to them. Now, I don't know what they do with them, but my guess is that Narcissa Malfoy recognised you from those photos."
"Why is Mum trying so hard to hold onto a past and family that don't love her?"
"I wish I knew, pet." Ted placed an arm around his daughter's shoulders. Today had been a rather eventful day for the eight-year-old. "Why don't you go get washed up for dinner. I'll try and rouse Mummy from the bedroom." With that, Ted kissed the top of his daughter's head and went to his bedroom. That was a day Nymphadora Tonks would never forget.
Author's Notes: For never having written Tonks before, I think I did alright. It might not be a normal day in the life of Tonks, but it could still be a day. Plus, I feel Dromeda would still love her family even after they deserted her. At least in the beginning. I'm not 100% positive I got Tonks' personality right, but after looking up a bit on her personality, it said that she was really friendly. I think I made her a bit withdrawn whenever something stressful was going on, but I feel any 8-year-old would feel that. Tell me what you think!