Thanks to my wonderful team for betaing (and for putting up with me and my rants XD)!

Summary: Nymphadora Tonks is left broken-hearted by her boyfriend, but she doesn't know her best friend will be the one to mend her heart.

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling and nothing belongs to me, as always. I don't make any money out of this story.

.:.

Written for:

[QLFC] Tutshill Tornados: Round 1 - Keeper: Write about someone making the best of a bad situation.

Other prompts listed at the end

Word count (without the A/N): 2,963 words

Nymphadora Tonks stared at Michael Smith and smiled. She was glad he didn't notice her grin was perhaps a little too forced. She listened as he told her, once again, his feats as a Chaser in the last Quidditch game, and she nodded fervently. She loved it when he told her all about the different techniques he used to be in sync with all his fellow players. It made her want to do more than just cheer for her team (or his, if they weren't opposed). But then again… She was so clumsy and she was sincerely afraid she would just make them lose the game.

"So, Tonks, have you thought about what I said last week?" Michael asked her.

"I've already told you, Michael," she sighed. "I won't try out for the Hufflepuff team, as a Chaser, or anything else for that matter. I'm totally fine staying in the bleachers."

"But you'd be awesome, you have to at least try! And imagine it. A Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff Quidditch match with you and me playing against each other…"

"That's the thing, Michael. I don't want to be opposed to you in a Quidditch game. It would be just… wrong."

"Oh, come on!" he exclaimed, and he sounded so disappointed (in her or in himself, she didn't know) she stepped back a little, surprised by his outburst.

He didn't act like that often, but when he did it shocked her. He was always so kind and never shouted at her… except in those moments.

"You're just being ridiculous, Nymphadora," he continued more calmly, and it sounded like he had put up a wall between them (but she didn't need to worry, right? It was just a little argument…)..

"Do not call me Nymphadora," she seethed, trying to control her rising anger and stop her hair from turning into a violent red colour. "I'm not being ridiculous, I'm just trying to—"

"Then why do you not want to get onto the team?" he asked her.

"Because I'm not made for Quidditch! I like our flying lessons and you know it, but participating in a Quidditch match is not for me and you can't tell me otherwise!"

She pushed her long, pink hair out of her face and glared at him before simply walking away. When he was like this, she preferred to keep her distance.

He followed her and she shook her head, but she didn't stop him.

"Okay, so I won't try and tell you otherwise, Dora," he told her, his voice soft like cotton. "What do you say we go out into the grounds? Near the lake?"

She tried to gauge his mood and she finally agreed. She really believed he was only trying to make it up to her, but when they started walking on the beach near the water, he didn't take her hand. She frowned and looked at him, and she saw a little smirk playing on the corner of his lips.

"Why did you make me come here?" she asked him nervously.

"Because I want to break up with you," he answered matter-of-factly.

She froze and looked right into his grey eyes, which reflected the sun. And then she laughed a little.

"You're kidding me, right?" she asked, still laughing.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" he retorted, and she studied him more closely.

He had a smirk on his face, but it wasn't a playful one like the one he always showed when they were together, it was cruel and merciless. He crossed his arms and defied her silently. When she understood he wasn't joking, she stuttered, "But... We're... I mean…"

"Come on, Tonks, don't tell me you didn't hear me correctly!" he mocked her.

Her cheeks reddened and she felt anger welling up inside of her, and she wasn't even able to breathe under the pressure. How dare he make fun of her like that? she thought, and her anger turned into fury. She couldn't do anything but glare at him and then she shook her head. He didn't even deserve her attention anymore. And she tried (she really tried) to convince herself of this. But as he walked away without sparing her a second glance, a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away furiously and turned towards the lake, and she sat down on the sand.

She loved him. She really did. And he had just broken her heart in a matter of seconds. She still couldn't understand what had just happened. One moment they were talking (more or less) calmly about Quidditch and the next he was dumping her like she was nothing but a toy he was tired of using!

When she felt more tears rolling down her cheeks, she stood up and turned away from the lake.

She just wanted to get back to the castle, but instead, she found herself staring at a red-haired boy (a fifth year, just like her). Charlie Weasley… One of her best friends. He had always been so kind to her. He was always helping her up when she tripped over her own two feet in the hallways, he was even giving her advice on how to fly properly, and he was tutoring her in so many subjects…

She reddened when she saw his brows furrowing. She probably looked ridiculous with her tear-stained cheeks, her eyes red from crying.

"Dora?" he asked incredulously. "What happened?"

"It's nothing, really," she tried to convince him, but he didn't take the bait and crossed his arms.

"You're not the type of girl to cry over nothing," he retorted, shaking his head.

His red hair caught the light of the sun and she surprised herself when she found herself looking at him very differently than before. She shook her head, pushing away her distracting (and not so appropriate) thoughts.

"Michael broke up with me," she finally admitted. "Just now. And I don't even know why! I mean, he just threw that in my face and he…" she trailed off and tried to regain control of her voice.

"He broke up with you?" Charlie repeated incredulously, and she nodded once. "But why?" the boy insisted, and she couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

"You think I'd be here if I knew why?"

"No, probably not," he admitted. "You'd probably be chasing after him with a broom in your hands, and—"

"And I'd whack kick him with it, that's what I would do!" she exclaimed, smiling a little. "Especially if his reason is one like… 'I'm sorry, but I'm seeing another girl', or worse, 'You shouldn't have argued with me about Quidditch'. Imagine it, Charlie! Breaking up with a girl just because she refused to sign up for a Quidditch team…"

He laughed a little and added, "Especially a girl like you."

"What?" she asked.

"I mean… He'd be stupid if he broke up with you just because you didn't want to sign up for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Besides, you on a broom for more than a few minutes… I'd pay to see that!"

She smacked him on the arm, but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. It lit up her green eyes in a beautiful way.

She laced her arm with his and dragged him towards the castle, her pink hair bouncing on her shoulders.

"I knew you told me not to trust Michael, Elody, but—" Tonks started.

"That's not what I said," her best friend cut her off.

They were sitting on a couch in the Hufflepuff Common Room, and they could hear everyone else chatting happily. It almost made her feel uneasy to speak about that when they could have just talked with everyone else.

"I said," Elody Whitfield continued, "that you shouldn't let yourself love someone who could bail out on you in a second, and for no reason at that! And that's exactly what happened!"

Tonks shook her head and smiled ruefully at her friend.

"I should have listened to you on that one," she admitted. "I really thought I was in love with him, and now he just… He broke my heart."

"Come on, Tonks, don't be so sad!" Elody encouraged her when she saw her friend lower her head. "Now you'll be able to have loads of fun with me and the girls! And really, I can't dream of anything better than that!"

A little laugh escaped Tonks's mouth and she shook her head a little. Her friend had such a dismissive attitude when it came to boys, and she couldn't bring herself to have the same.

"You also have to admit that Smith didn't let you do anything you wanted to do," Elody continued, studying her face. "Really, it was all about him and what he wanted when you were with him. And you're still surprised that boys are not my only interest..."

"They're not for me either!" she protested. "And you're wrong. It was Michael who taught me everything I know about flying and Quidditch, and—"

"Really?" her best friend mused. "I thought it was Charlie Weasley who was tutoring you? And not only in flying," she added with a playful smile.

"What?" Tonks exclaimed, and she grabbed a pillow and threw it at her best friend's face.

Elody grabbed it, laughing wholeheartedly, and so the pillow fight commenced!

One week after her break-up (a week she spent avoiding Michael like Dragon Pox), Tonks spotted her former boyfriend at the end of the corridor she was walking in. She froze and looked at him for a little while, when suddenly, he grabbed the girl he was talking to by the hand and pulled her towards him, kissing her full on the mouth.

She stared, mouth agape, at the couple and almost turned away, but then she tried to steel herself. She told herself that Elody was right; she was finally free of him and his hold on her, and that would be for the better. How she pitied that girl though.

When they pulled away, Michael saw her and he looked briefly horrified. She waved at him though and turned away from him, a smile on her lips.

She tripped over her own feet and fell on her knees. She grumbled exasperatedly and hoped that she wasn't distracted because of him.

She felt a hand on her elbow and looked up swiftly to see Charlie, grinning at her from his place on the ground. She rolled her eyes. Even when he was crouched down on the floor, he was taller than her. She thought about changing her appearance, but she immediately pushed back these stupid thoughts. It wasn't the first time that this had happened: he was always there to see her fall (and she was almost beginning to think that he was following her everywhere…).

"Always there when I need you, right?" she teased him and stood up again.

"Of course, Dora," he answered, a grin on his face. "But where are you going in such a hurry?"

"I… was escaping," she admitted.

"Escaping what?" He looked alarmed, and she felt grateful for having a good friend like him… and irritated, because she obviously could take care of herself.

"Oh, you can go and try to see it… if they haven't stopped by now."

"You're talking about Michael, aren't you?" he asked her knowingly.

"Yes. One week after he's broken up with me, and he's already with someone else! It's… unfair, and I don't deserve this!"

"I thought Elody would've told you by now. You're better off without him. Besides, this means you can go looking for other, more honest boys… or not."

"I'm not the type of girl who dates boys just to have fun," she reminded him, a little crease between her brows.

"I know that, Dora. I wasn't suggesting that. But maybe you should try…"

He fell silent, and she stared at him, an eyebrow cocked.

"Nevermind," he finally smiled tensely.

"No, tell me, please, Charlie," she begged him, and he seemed to hesitate.

But then he did answer her. "Haven't you ever thought about why exactly I wanted to become friends with you? Why I wanted to… tutor you, as you call it?"

She hummed and thought about it. Of course, her thoughts had wandered there, more than once, but she had never really drawn a conclusion. To her, it was just because he was a kind guy, and that was all.

"I've always been… attracted to you," he confessed in a whisper. "At first, I thought it was because of the Metamorphmagus thing, and your pink hair and your eyes that could change colours, but then… I came to know you, and it has been… It's been the most wonderful three years of my life. For now."

She stared at him and then burst out laughing, in a way that only he and Elody could ever cause. When she calmed down a little, she finally said, "You were attracted to me because I was a Metamorphmagus at the beginning? You really are the only one!"

"I've always liked strange things," he smirked before realizing what he had just said. "Not that being strange is a bad thing, of course!" he added hurriedly.

She smiled a little when she saw his uneasiness, and she stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, "You're probably the first one ever."

When she pulled away from him, there was a grin (a real, beautiful smile) on her lips.

She looked into his grey eyes and her smile disappeared. For once, Charlie Weasley actually looked deadly serious.

"Why do you think he was with you?" he suddenly asked her.

"I don't know," she immediately answered. She had thought about it a thousand times and really, she hadn't found any good reason as to why he had asked her out in the first place. Maybe it was because he wanted to go out with the Metamorphmagus, or maybe it was just because he was really attracted to her and found her beautiful. Either way, he was gone from her life now (and she once again tried to push the sight of him kissing another girl away from her).

"Sweetie?" she suddenly heard, and she saw Elody standing next to Charlie. They were both staring at her intently, and she realized she'd been lost in her own thoughts.

She looked back at the boy and in one second, they both understood the other. They wouldn't try to take things between them further than friendship for now. It was too soon, and neither of them wanted to ruin everything. But maybe, one day, they would.

They shared their first kiss a few months later, on the last day at Hogwarts. Their friendship really hadn't changed one bit in the last few months, and surprisingly, they hadn't been awkward with each other.

But if there was a good day to finally attempt something, this was it. She was scared that during the summer, that flame between them would just disappear, and she really didn't want that.

He was walking beside her when she put a hand on his arm (she would have reached for his shoulder if she wasn't so little in her current form). He turned towards her and frowned, and Elody stopped as well.

"No, no, you can go on," Tonks encouraged her best friend.

Elody smiled widely at her and sauntered towards the carriages. She rolled her eyes and followed the silhouette of her friend. Shyness crept inside of her and she lowered her eyes, trying not to cross Charlie's gaze.

"Okay," she started nervously. "You do remember that day when I first spotted Michael with this other girl?"

He just hummed and quirked an eyebrow, and she cursed herself. Of course he remembered. Why would he forget?

"Well, this moment was clearly interrupted by El, and—"

"And you're asking me to kiss you right now, aren't you?" he asked, smirking, and she smacked his arm because how could he make a joke when she was obviously so uncomfortable?

He calmed down and leaned a little closer to her, and she nodded anxiously. That would be the first kiss she'd share with someone other than Michael, and in truth, she couldn't wait.

"Alright," he murmured, his lips brushing over hers, and then he was really kissing her.

It was a little awkward (of course it was, every first kiss is to some extent) but it was perfect and it was theirs, and it was so much better than every other kiss she had ever shared.

When he pulled away, she smiled brightly up at him and affirmed, "I think I'm going to be happy with you, Charlie Weasley. Happier than I've ever been."

He smiled and brushed his fingers over her cheek. "You will. I swear I'm going to love you and protect you until—"

"Don't say 'until I die'. 'Tis a little too early for that," she teased him.

"I wasn't going to say that! I was going to say… For the next ten years or so? But I can aim a little higher if you want me to!"

She burst out laughing, but when she calmed down, she pushed her hair out of her face and said, "I believe you'll love me more than… someone we both know did, but I can take care of myself. Really, I don't need anyone to protect me."

"I know that, Dora! You do know about teasing, right?"

She hit his back with the flat of her hand harder than she'd meant to and he stumbled forward. When he looked back at her, he had managed to put on a hurt mask, but she saw past it and just sauntered past him, her laugh ringing in the air between them.

Also written for:

[HSWW] April Auction: Day 8 / Auction 2 - Era: Interim

[HSWW] Yearly Events:

365 Prompts: 142. Heart

Insane Prompt Challenge: 676. (restriction) No characters over 18

Yearly Scavenger Hunt: 51. Write a pairing you've never written before