Autumn, 1986 - 3rd Year

"You know, Nymphadora, I was sure you were a loser from the first time I saw you. But now, after finding out about your family… Could anybody be more disappointing than you?" Melissa was looking at her with as much contempt as she could muster.

The girls at her side started giggling at Tonks.

She and Atticus had been sitting on a Stone bench in the courtyard, enjoying one of the last warms days of autumn and waiting for Mitch and Charlie to join them. Even though they were not in the same houses, they often spent their free time together.

The small gang of Slytherin girls that had been giggling on the opposite corner of the courtyard had approached them just moments after they had arrived, apparently with no other intention than provoke them.

"Shut up, Ambrosius!" Atticus growled, rising from the bench.

"Aw, her little boyfriend is defending her, isn't this sweet?" jeered Desdemona.

"Shut it," said Tonks, standing up as well, her previously blue hair turning deep red. "What do you mean about my family?" she spat at Melissa.

"Oh, but you surely know what I'm talking about," she said with a mocking air of innocence "Such a noble line of purebloods… of curse, that was true until you came along, right?"

"What the devil are you talking about?" Tonks asked. Her family being pureblood? Come off it! Her dad was a Muggleborn, wasn't he?

"She doesn't know!" Melissa gleefully told the other girls.

"Well, I am afraid we are not the ones to tell you, Nymphy, you'll have to find out on your own. Such a shame of a family really." Suzanne ended, patting her condescendingly on the cheek.

"You shut it about my family!" Tonks drew her wand.

"Tonks, don't. It's not worth it." Atticus grabbed her right arm and her wand, pointing it to one of the walls of the courtyard just in case.

"Aw, isn't this cute?" Melissa said. "You two are reall-"

But what they really were, no one could find out, for Tonks had freed herself from Atticus' grip, launched herself forward with all her might, and gave Melissa a punch in the eye. She stumbled and fell into the ground. Tonks probably would have fallen as well, but Atticus took hold of her just in time.

"Ouch! Freak!" Melissa spat at her.

"Stop talking about my family and I may spare your other eye," Tonks said fiercely.

"You filthy-"

"Hey, what's going on?" a boy's voice boomed from behind Tonks.

Bill Weasley materialized out of nowhere. He had an uncommon ability for spotting mischief, which made him so good a Prefect.

Seeing Tonks' fiery red hair he gave an audible sigh.

"Somehow I guessed you'd be around," he told her in a would-be weary voice, but Tonks knew better. He wasn't likely to give her detention, but his presence meant she would not have the chance to give anybody any more black eyes. Are least, not for now.

"She attacked me!" Melissa accused, standing on her feet with the help of her two friends.

Bill looked at the bloodshot eye she was displaying and the forming black shadow underneath it. Tonks could tell he was fighting hard to keep himself from laughing.

"You go to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey will sort you out," he said to the Slytherin girl. Then he added to her friends, "you two, go with her."

"She has to be punished," Desdemona whined jerking her head in Tonks' direction.

"No, she doesn't," said Atticus, "you all were insulting her."

"Telling the truth is not an insult-" Suzanne started.

"Enough!" Bill exclaimed. "If she gets punished or not is none of your business. Move along now."

The three girls retreated, murmuring in a very audible way things that sounded like "She's his brother's friend," "unfair," and "darn Gryffindor Prefect".

When he was sure that the girls were out of earshot, Bill chuckled and then composed a serious expression.

"Tonks?" he asked.

"Bill?" she answered, looking directly at his eyes.

"Did you punch her?"

"Yup!"

"With your fist?"

"Yup!"

"Why?"

"'Cause she's a bloody disgr-"

"I don't want to know what do you think she is, I want to know what she did to you," he cut across what he knew would be a long flow of verbal abuse.

"Oh… well, she insulted me and my family. She said I was disappointing and something about a long line of purebloods I didn't understand," Tonks told him promptly. "And Suzanne called me "Nymphy"… I should have punched her as well," she added thoughtfully.

Atticus was starting to laugh madly at the exchange, supporting himself on the bench.

"Tonks!"

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry Bill, I won't do it again… and if I do it, I'll be sure you're not around." She smiled impishly at the bigger boy.

"Tonks!"

"Kidding, kidding," she said hastily. "But you have to agree with me, Bill, that one of the downsides of being a Prefect is that you're not allowed to hex Slytherins anymore, eh?"

"Nymphadora!"

"Alright, I got it, Billy boy, you're serious about it. And don't call me that."

"Darn right I'm serious," he said, trying to sound every bit as severe as he could. "And don't call me Billy boy either."

"Ok… I'll save that one for the Quidditch pitch."

Bill snorted. "I suggest you keep your mouth shut on the pitch and focus instead on trying to put that Quaffle through the hoops. I would hate to flatten your team again the way we did last season."

Tonks' hair seemed to turn even redder, if possible.

"You'll see, Billy boy."

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it," he said smiling. And then, adopting a stern face, he put a hand on her shoulder and added, "honestly though, Tonks, you should know better as not to be disturbed by anything those Slytherins say, right?"

"Yeah, I know… I just, lost it this time."

"It happens to the best of us," Bill said with a wink. "Just, don't "lost it" again, alright? See you around."

"Bye!" Tonks called. "Billy boy," she added in an undertone. Atticus started laughing again. Bill turned around suspiciously and Tonks put on the most innocent face she could muster. He shook his head and walked away.

A/N: Thanks a lot to my amazing beta PottedLilies and to those kind enough to leave a review!

And a special mention to my amazing brother, the best friggin' critic there is!