"Where were your friends during this?" Remus asked.

"My friends?" I asked sceptically. "I didn't have any friends. Not in Hufflepuff anyway."

"What about your old friends? Your childhood ones. Samantha and -?"

"James," I finished.

"Yeah!" Sirius burst out. "Didn't they stand up for you?"

"Well, Samantha got into Gryffindor," I explained. "So, I didn't see her much."

"Don't Abbots always get sorted in Hufflepuff though?" Sirius interrupted.

"Not always, Padfoot," Remus said with a sigh.

"Can you name an Abbot who hasn't gone into Hufflepuff?"

Remus stayed silent.

"See!"

"Yeah, James got into Hufflepuff."

"Ha!"

"But he quickly made friends with a few of the boys at first and they all seemed to think girls had cooties or something," I said with an eyeroll.

"So, he ignored you too?" Sirius demanded.

"Not exactly... he did pull me off that Gryffindor boy..."

Who I still couldn't remember the name of, by the way. Eh, he obviously didn't matter.

Sirius snorted. "It didn't sound like he was around much until then."

That's because he wasn't, unfortunately. But I had already said that.

"So, what did he do?"

"Well, it was more like what did Samantha do..."


"What's this I hear from Weasley about you getting into a fight?" Samantha demanded, standing over her, arms folded and a frown on her face.

Tonks slowly finished eating her bacon before she answered, "Shouldn't you be at the Gryffindor Table?"

It was breakfast time, after all. A time that was usually focused on eating.

"I've finished. And answer the question!"

Trying to delay answering, Tonks reached for another piece of toast. Samantha wasn't having it though and blocked her. Well, actually, she grabbed the plate of toast and stepped out of reach much to the annoyance of surrounding Hufflepuffs.

"Hey!"

"Answer me!"

"What?" Tonks asked defensively. "I got into a fight with a Gryffindor. I'm sure you've heard all about."

If she hadn't been a part of the crowd, Tonks thought bitterly.

"Yeah, I heard that," Samantha said, rolling her eyes. "Everyone's heard that. But why in Merlin's name were you fighting?"

Tonks mutinously stayed quiet. It was really none of Samantha's business.

"Answer me or the toast goes on the floor," Samantha threatened, holding the plate up high.

"Nope," a Prefect said, yanking the plate off her. "Have a spat all you want but leave the toast out of it."

Samantha gaped at the older boy's back, not daring to say something to an older student. Tonks snorted at the expression on her face.

"There goes your leverage," Tonks told her.

Samantha shot her a dirty look.

"I wouldn't need leverage if you would just talk to me. We're meant to be friends, Dora."

"Takes one to know one."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Oh, Tonks knew she was being childish and maybe just a little unfair but she thought that Samantha talking about being friends was a little bit hypocritical. Where had she been when the whole school was whispering about her, staring at her, spreading rumours, huh? Why should Tonks have to explain herself to her?

"It's Tonks," she corrected.

A hurt look flitted across Samantha's face. Tonks felt uncomfortable about it even though she wasn't being mean.

"You've always been Dora."

"Tonks is better. You know I hate my full name."

Samantha cracked a tiny smile. "Yeah, but your parents aren't ever going to call you by your surname."

"Well, they're allowed to call me Dora," Tonks replied begrudgingly.

It wasn't like she could force them. Everyone else on the other hand? Yes.

"What do you mean 'it takes one to know one?" Samantha asked.

Tonks shifted uncomfortably. She thought they had got past that bit of this conversation. Apparently not.

How on earth was she supposed to explain that she didn't think that Samantha had been much of a friend these past few months? Surely, she had heard all the comments and rumours about her? The mean words, the nasty whispers. You'd have to be deaf not to.

Suddenly everyone along the benches stood up.

"Time for class," someone commented, pushing their plate away from them.

"We'll talk later," Samantha promised her, darting back to the Gryffindor Table.

Tonks shook her head and grabbed her bag, which she has stashed at her feet. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. She wondered if Madam Pince would notice if she brought some dinner into the Library? Who was she kidding? That woman saw everything. She even threw someone out for chewing on the end of their quill. It wasn't even a sugar quill!

She sighed and swung her bag onto her shoulder. She would just have to think of something else. There was all day to think of a plan.


Or maybe there wasn't. Tonks forgot she had Transfiguration with the Gryffindors. Which meant Samantha was lined up along the corridor as well. Tonks ducked her head down, to pretend she didn't see her but that didn't work. Samantha made sure that she was standing next to her.

"Hi," the Gryffindor girl greeted.

"Hi," Tonks mumbled in reply.

It would be rude, after all, not to. And Tonks wasn't rude. Most of the time.

The two girls stood in awkward silence as their classmates chattered around them.

"So..." Samantha trailed off, blushing slightly.

Tonks didn't say anything and just raised an eyebrow. Samantha gulped under her gaze and shifted from foot to foot. Tonks wasn't even trying to be intimidating, she just didn't know what to say.

"Um..."

Maybe she wasn't going to say anything and they could go back to ignoring each other. But this time with Tonks doing half the ignoring. That should make it easier for them to do it, right?"

"I haven't been a very good friend, have I?" Samantha stated quietly.

Tonks continued to stare at her, a little less aggressively this time. What were you supposed to say to that? Were you supposed to say anything? Yes? Lie and say no?

Samantha seemed to take her silence as confirmation and sighed sadly.

"I didn't realise how bad it was," she tried to explain. "It thought they were just talking about your mum and dad's story."

That... that actually made sense. Samantha wouldn't have heard the nasty comments directed at her because... well, they were directed at her.

"S'okay."

Tonks felt really awkward. She hated apologies and stuff. It was no fun for anyone.

"No, it's not!" Samantha burst out, shocking her. "I should have made sure you were okay!"

"I can look after myself!"

"But I'm your friend! I meant to help!" Samantha exclaimed, eyes flashing.

Oh. Wow. Uh, Tonks didn't know that Samantha felt so strongly about this. It was kind of heart-warming. Which made her feel a bit silly. Maybe she had been being a bit dramatic.

"We are still friends?" Samantha checked in a more subdued tone.

Tonks didn't have it in her to even pretend to think as she grinned broadly.

"Friends."


"Well, at least you were all still friends," Remus said optimistically.

"Yeah," I scrunched up my nose. "It's a lot harder across Houses."

"I thought Molly Weasley said you were best friends with Charlie?" Sirius asked, eyebrows raised. "He's in a different House."

"Charlie... well, he's different," I finally said. "He never got into the whole House thing unless it was Quidditch."

"What about the House Cup?"

I shook my head. As long as Charlie had drains and Quidditch he was happy.