The Best-Friend Interrogation

'C'mon! There's got to be someone!' Shania said, with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

'There isn't! I swear!' Tonks replied, hoping she wasn't blushing as hard it felt she was.

'There has to be! You drift off more than usual and your hair keeps getting pink streaks! Only time I ever saw that happen was when you had that giant crush on Jackle Moongurt in sixth year. And you ended up dating him if I remember correctly,' Fildala smiled. 'So go on, who is it? Is it that handsome new Auror -oh what's his name- Dalius Smera?'

'It's can't be!' Shania piped up. Tonks looked at her.

'Why?'

'Because…because, I'm seeing him,' Shania said, her cheeks growing furiously red. Tonks burst out laughing.

'Looks like it shouldn't be me you're interrogating!' she laughed. 'Look, as my best-friends, you know all. And I am not dating anyone!'

'We never said you were dating someone, we're saying you like someone!' Fildala said giggling. Tonks threw a Cockroach Cluster at her. 'Ugh, don't throw them! I hate them!'

'I like them,' Shania said picking one up and popping one into her mouth. Fildala wrinkled her nose and turned back to Tonks, but before she could say anything, Tonks cut her off.

'So, Shania, how are things between you and Dalius?' she said smirking. It was pay back time. Shania choked on her Cockroach Cluster and smiled weakly. Fildala held a hand up.

'Oh no Nyphie! Don't change the subject, now, tell us who this guy is or I'll hex it out of you!' she said reaching into her pocket for her wand.

'You wouldn't dare hex an Auror in the middle of Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour!' Tonks said, raising a hand to her chest in mock fear.

'Try me! I can say you were a "filthy half-breed"!' Fildala said, doing an excellent impression of Dolores Umbridge. She and Shania burst out laughing. Tonks however, felt slightly offended.

'What do you mean, "Filthy half-breed"? How does that fit into it?' she asked, trying to control the bitterness.

'If I say you were a werewolf or something, Dolores would make sure I won't get in trouble for hexing you!' Fildala said, replacing her wand for a spoon. 'She hates them. She'll probably award me! Raving lunatic,' she finished spooning up some chocolate ice-cream into her mouth.

'Stop trying to distract us Nyphie!' Shania said waving her hand. 'Back to this guy! Tell us now or I will seriously jinx you!'

Tonks sighed finally giving up; 'Fine! My cousin has this friend right, and he's-'

'Rich?' Shania said grinning devilishly.

'NO! He's unemployed at the moment. But he used to be a teacher at Hogwarts,' Tonks said. Fildala gave her friend a curious look.

'He can't be that young then, Hogwarts teacher's usually are as old as Dumbledore!' she exclaimed. Tonks smiled thinking of what Dumbledore had said to her the previous night.

'If the Ministry stopped making me look mad, well madder than usual, I think I might actually have company for dinner tonight. Even in my old age, I have to say I am devilishly handsome!'

'He's about thirty five,' Tonks said taking a sip of her butter beer.

'You're twenty-three!' Shania cried. 'Jeez Nyphie, you didn't look like the kind of witch to take interest in older guys!'

'Yeah, and by the sounds of it, he's probably a genius!' Fildala said. Tonks felt her stomach plummet.

'You're right. He's smart, reserved and quite sensible. While I'm a dumb-bell, a klutz and queen of the chaotic! He'd never look at me,' Tonks sighed. Her friends immediately amended their comments.

'That's not what we meant!' Fildala cried dropping her spoon with a clunk! 'What we meant was, don't get your hopes up to far! But any guy would have to be nuts not to go out with you!'

'And you are smart! You're an Auror for crying out loud! It should be him who's thinking you won't look!' Shania said brightly. Tonks smiled. She did love her friends. Suddenly, new burst of mischief flashed into Shania's eyes. 'So, is he cute?'

Tonks gagged on her butter-beer; 'Um, he's rather nice yeah-' Fildala laughed.

'So, when do we get to meet this "Smart, handsome and modest" Prince Charming?' she asked grinning.

'Well, he's meeting me here in Diagon Alley in a few minutes,' Tonks said checking her watch.

'You evil little cow!' Shania shrieked. 'You were going on a date with him anyway and then made us feel bad when we said it might not happen!'

'It's not a date!' Tonks rushed, feeling her cheeks burn. 'Kingsley's coming too.'

'Ooh! Double date!' Fildala teased. Tonks whipped out her own wand.

'Unless you want a giant zit in between your eyes, you better shut it!' she said, trying to sound serious but couldn't stop a giggle that broke through.

'Dora?' Tonks turned to see Remus Lupin standing next to their table watching her with the most curious expression on his face. 'Am I interrupting something?'

'N-no,' Tonks said feebly. She could feel her hair changing. Shania and Fildala both smirked.

'Nyphie, your hair,' Shania said, biting her lower lip. Tonks reached up to realise it was bright pink.

'I like it, it's very suiting,' Remus said smiling. Tonks melted. 'We better go. Kingsley couldn't make it and Alastor came instead. So unless we want to be cursed until admitting we're not the real Remus and Nyphadora, I think we better head off.'

'Okay,' Tonks said, ignoring her friends giggling at her. 'I just need to finish something here with my friends and I'll be right there.'

'Alright, I'll be over by Florish and Blotts if you need me,' Remus said inclining his head to all three witches before leaving. Fildala and Shania burst out laughing.

'Nyphadora Tonks, by any chance was that your Prince Charming?' Shania said mischievously, her brown eyes ablaze with trouble.

'Nice bum,' Fildala said raising her eye-brows. 'I might ask him out! He's dead gorgeous!'

'You better not!' Tonks said getting up.

'I can see why you like him,' Shania said a little more seriously. 'He's quite the gentleman. But there's a little something shining through, like a little messer or something. Bet that'll be fun!'

'Shut up,' Tonks said. Waving goodbye, Tonks ran up to meet Remus and Mad-Eye, who looked furious.

'Nyphadora! We cannot wait for you to finish your business! Do you think the Dark Lord will kill you after your little chat?'

'If we go now, will you shut up?' Tonks asked. Mad-Eye grunted and limped off down the street. Remus walked along-side Tonks and then bent down to her level.

'You know, I may not have been as mad as Sirius, but I can tell you I was quite the messer in my time,' he said.

Tonks could feel the blood rush her cheeks. Embarrassment washed over her. 'What do you mean?'

'As a werewolf, I have an excellent sense of hearing,' Remus said giving a quick wink and walking ahead to Mad-Eye.

'Shania, someday you're going to pay for that,' Tonks mumbled under breath as she followed the two older men.

Juts a pointless humor!