The Boy Who Fell In Love
Summary: When Nymphadora Tonks gets sent on an important task, she is a woman on a mission: go back to Hogwarts, and find Harry Potter. Once there, new feelings surface and she makes friends with people she never expected to.
A/N: All reviews/constructive critism are welcome! Keep reviewing and tell me what you think, I will be grateful! I would like to dedicate this chapter to The-Only-Weasley-Girl and HAS-DOBBYSOCK-425 as they have given me idea's and help me throughout this chapter. Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Harry sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. He was still tired but did not feel like sleeping anymore. He didn't know how this was possible, there must be magic or some sort of potion involved, he decided, but the beds in the hospital wing were even more uncomfortable than his old mattress under the cupboard back at the Dursley's.
He turned to the nurse, who was looking at him with a rather unusual expression on her face. Harry glared at Madam Pomfrey suspiciously. "What?"
The witch was unable to keep up her usual, professional mask, and gave him a faint, full of fun smile.
"Do you know, Mr Potter, this is the twenty eighth time you come to visit the hospital wing? You've been here so often and so long, you are on pace to break the record of most time spent here and in order to commiserate such marvellous achievement, I have decided to dedicate this bed to your personal use."
Madam Pomfrey summoned a package from her office and gave it to Harry. Eyebrows raised, he tore it open and found a bronze plaque bearing his name and a list of dates. He recognized some of them, there was the day when he confronted Voldemort and got the Philosophers stone from Professor Quirrell; that Quidditch game in second year when Lockhart Vanished all the bones in his arm; the afternoon at the end of second year, after the excitement of rescuing Ginny and defeating the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets died down, he reported to the nurse for much needed treatment; there was even his brief stay from the Dementor attack during their first Quidditch game of his third year.
"I wish I can say you are simply a clumsy student in a magical school, and that Quidditch is so dangerous it should be banned." Her dislike for Quidditch and its risks was well known to the school. "But as you might have noticed, a lot of your visits involved dangers from, shall we say extra-curricular and rather life-threatening events. Trouble seems to follow you, Mr Potter."
Harry was touched by the words from the school nurse. He forced himself to smile and said, in a casual tone, "What can I say? It is a gift. I am the Boy-Who-Lived, you know."
His Lockhart-impression was rewarded with an evil glare. "You have no idea how much the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall worry about you. And for that matter, so do I." Harry lowered his head, embarrassed by her actually caring about him. "You have to take better care of yourself, Mr Potter."
Harry was suddenly very interested in the plaque, tracing his finger on dates that indicated briefer stays. He couldn't recall those occasions, however. "What are these supposed to be?" He asked.
Madam Pomfrey took a look and replied after a moment. "Minor injuries from your lessons, which did not need overnight stays."
"Oh, like when Seamus Finnigan exploded his cauldron and burnt me?"
"Precisely, now Mr Potter, less talking you need to rest for your injuries to heal."
…
"Blimey, Hermione, hurry up!" Tonks shouted, "We need to go see Harry!"
Tonks was nervous, considering Harry and herself were just friends, she didn't understand the uncontainable extent of worry she had for the young boy. It was funny, Tonks mused to herself, how much she had come to care for the black haired young wizard in just a few short months. She now felt like she knew Harry Potter, even if it was just a little. Knowing he was injured had burned right through her, a million images of what was wrong with him flying into her mind.
"I know, I know," Hermione shrieked. "Here," she said running down the stairs down from the Gryffindor dormitories, "I've got him a card, and some flowers,"
"No way, oh Merlin. I haven't got him anything." Tonks sulked, her eyes suddenly lit up, "wait here one sec, okay?" she said, hurrying up the stairs and into the Gryffindor girls dormitory, "where is it, where is it…" she muttered, flinging everything out of her trunk and sprawling it out across the majority of the dormitory.
Tonks had gotten quite used to living at Hogwarts again, the one thing she did miss, however was Quidditch. She used to love playing her role in the matches, especially when she beat Gryffindor only because it caused Charlie to go off in a massive tantrum. She even, strangely, enjoyed the lessons, even though she did still strongly hate the homework with a passion. Of course that excluded her and Harry's transfiguration project which they still had found hardly anything on.
"Here!" she smiled, putting the item into her satchel.
"I'm back," she gasped, out of breath from her rush down, "Got him something," she said patting her satchel.
"What did you get him?" Hermione asked. Tonks tapped her nose as they raced through the portrait hole.
The way up to the Hospital Wing seemed to take forever. It was like every staircase had decided to move, every portrait was visiting another, and every student was crowding the hallways.
After what felt like forever, they finally arrived at the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey was fussing over Harry as usual.
"I'm fine."
"Mr Potter-"
"Look!" Harry said, standing up from his seat on the hospital bed and doing a little twirl for her, "All in one piece. No injuries whatsoever. Can I go now, please?"
That wasn't exactly true, there was swelling on the back of his neck, a few cuts on his face, a cracked rib and his Quidditch robes were ripped a bit. Harry had never been one for hospitals though and after avoiding them for as much of his life as he could, was restless to leave this one. He just had to get past the persistent nurse.
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips.
"You'll go when I say you can go Mr Potter," she said curtly, "Now get into that bed!"
Harry's mouth twitched, but he bit his tongue and sat back on the bed; he refused to lie down though, just sat there with his legs dangling off the side. Ron was unconscious in the bed next to him; his broken ribs and fractured ankle were bandaged and near fixed, however that wasn't the reason for his un-waking state. Madam Pomfrey had dosed him almost immediately when he entered the hospital wing. Harry had instantly refused to take anything until he could see Professor McGonagall, Tonks or Hermione or someone who wasn't trying to knock him out for his own good.
Madam Pomfrey just gave him an irritated look and started fussing around another student. This one was actually injured though with her arm hanging loosely in a sling.
When she left, Tonks and Hermione rushed over to the boys.
"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione said rushing to his bedside, without giving time for him to answer she continued, "Here, I've got you a get well soon card and some flowers, oh, and…" she fumbled through her bag, "some Honeydukes chocolate and some chocolate frogs."
"Thanks Hermione." Harry said watching the bushy haired witch placing his presents onto his bedside table.
"Whoa Harry, you look awful. They really got you bad, huh?" Tonks said with a wink.
"How's Ron?" Hermione asked, glancing over to the unconscious body on her left.
"He's fine," Harry said, "Madam Pomfrey gave him something, knocked him out immediately."
"She's always dishing out the drugs," Tonks whispered so only Harry and Hermione could hear her, "she drugged me up once in my third year, I was completely out of it for the next couple of days."
Hermione looked at her startled, "A couple of days! What did you do?"
"I'll tell you another time," she replied with a wink.
Hermione nodded, and turned to face Harry again.
"Harry, you look fine, well, with the exception of the ripped uniform. Why are you still here?"
"She won't let me leave." Harry explained flatly, glaring the older witch who was tending to another injured student.
"Oh Harry! I almost forgot!" Tonks said rummaging through her overly large satchel, pulling out a badly wrapped single phoenix feather quill, one of the thirteen she had bought before her arrival to Hogwarts. "It's not much, but I didn't really prepare anything to bring to you, unlike Hermione," she said making the younger witch blush.
"Nym, it that a phoenix feather quill? Thanks, I've always wanted one of these." Harry said pulling Tonks into an extremely awkward one armed hug and placing the quill onto his bedside table next to Hermione's gifts.
In mere minutes Harry found himself face to face with Madam Pomfrey once more, she was holding out a goblet to him, an expectant look on her stern face. Harry frowned and took the drink from her, pulling a face as she walked away to the next patient. He cast a glance at Hermione and Tonks, who both just shrugged.
"I really hate hospitals," Harry muttered, staring at the purple liquid in front of him.
"Quiet Mr Potter! You can go soon after you've drank that, but no more Quidditch for at least a month." Madam Pomfrey said sternly.
"A month!" Harry said shocked and visibly upset.
"Yes, or would you prefer it to be longer." The nurse questioned his reaction.
"No a month is long enough, it's just I have training; we need to win the cup, and I have no replacement."
As soon as she had got to Hogwarts, Tonks had thought about trying out for the Quidditch team, and when the older witch had said no Quidditch, Tonks was certain to try out.
"I could play as substitute when you're not able to Harry." she said assertively.
"Are you any good at playing seeker?" Harry asked, considering the offer that the pretty blonde had just made.
"I played as chaser when I was on the team before- I mean, of course, when I played for Beaubaxtons that is. Anyway it can't be that hard can it; you're just chasing a tiny golden fluttery ball until you catch it."
Harry cleared his throat loudly, obviously offended by Tonks understatement of being a seeker. This got to Harry, why did everyone think that all a seeker did was chase after the tiny golden snitch, they were wrong.
Hermione sighed; this was going to be another Quidditch conversation full of tedious Quidditch terms and facts that she didn't understand. She sank down into the chair next to the bed where Ron lay, still unconscious and starting reading 'Hogwarts: A History' for what felt like tenth time this week already.
"Er, actually you're wrong." Harry said "A seeker is one of the biggest roles in a game of Quidditch, if you catch the snitch you get one hundred and fifty points, if you catch the snitch you usually always win."
"Usually?" Tonks questioned, she waited until Madam Pomfrey was out of earshot to continue, "and oh my god! Mate, you sound just like Charlie, what is it with you seekers, always defending their position?"
"We don't defend our positions; we defend our team." Harry quoted, Tonks rolled her eyes.
"Yes, smartarse, but the rest of the team have to work hard, you won't score without the chasers, and they won't survive without the beaters whacking the Bludgers away from them, and the keeper is important to stop the other team scoring points!" Tonks quipped smugly.
Harry frowned. "A seeker uses agility and balance to stabilise themselves whilst flying for the snitch. You need to be agile to avoided being hit by Bludgers, and anyway, you can't just say 'I can catch the snitch' because you can't, Nym. It takes a lot of skill, and again, balance."
Harry emphasized the word 'balance' because he knew Tonks was extremely clumsy. "To be able to stay on the broom and not fall off when you do eventually catch the snitch is a lot of effort." He stressed.
"Urgh" a sudden moan rising from Ron's hospital bed caused Harry and Tonks to stop their debate, Hermione yelped at the sudden noise and Harry and Tonks looked over from their conversation as he stirred and wriggled around his bed.
"Does he always sleep like that?" asked Tonks light-heartedly, Harry just laughed and Hermione called Madam Pomfrey to inform her that Ron had now regained consciousness.
"Ah, Mr Weasley. Your injuries are now fully healed, once your feel that you are fully awake and dressed you are welcome to leave, alongside Miss Granger, I suppose?-"
"Hey! He's in a worse state than me and he can go, Merlin's beard!" Harry wailed in annoyance.
"I will not be having that sort of language in my hospital wing Mr Potter, Ron will be fine as he is not prone to accidents, as you are!" Madam Pomfrey told Harry sternly.
"What about in our third year, when he broke his bloody leg, oh, and in our first when he fell off that giant wizard chess piece. Or even last year when he was in that stupid lake for an hour." Harry argued with the nurse, reminding her of the injuries that Ron had gotten in his previous years at Hogwarts.
"Very well then Mr Potter, I suppose you're right he is just as bad as you." Madam Pomfrey agreed, giving Ron an annoyed glance.
"You, Mr Weasley will also be dismissed from sport for a month as well. You wouldn't be able to fly with a leg like that anyway."
A smile etched its way onto Madam Pomfrey's face.
"Oh, I remember when your brother Charlie broke his leg and couldn't play for a month, probably the same ruddy Bludger as well. It was done by his lady friend, oh, what was her name? Oh yes Nymphadora. Nymphadora Tonks, nice, very pretty young lady, and an auror now I believe."
"Oh, I remember that!" chirped Tonks smiling.
Madam Pomfrey looked at her puzzled, a confused look spreading across her face. Tonks suddenly realised what she had said, quickly starting to herself
"-I mean, I remember Ron telling us about it".
"It makes sense, Ron is always going on about his brother's, especially Charlie and Bill." said Madam Pomfrey as she walked away to see to her other patients.
"Oh well done, that was a close one!" whispered Harry.
"Yeah, it was, wasn't It." a new familiar voice said joining the conversation.
Tonks couldn't believe it.
It wasn't him, it couldn't be.
Why was he here?