She first came across Polyjuice potion in 1987.
At the time, Nymphadora 'Don't-call-me-Nymphadora' Tonks was 13 years old and in her third year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and already, her reputation was firmly solidified as that of a trouble-maker; making the most of her innate abilities in order to wreak havoc.
It was during one particular potions lesson when the conversation turned to Polyjuice potion. Tonks, fascinated by a potion which could achieve similar effects to what she could do naturally, had spent many a night engrossed in potion books, under the cover of darkness, researching its history and various uses.
She, of course, being a Metamorphmagus, never had any use of the potion herself – a fact which the Aurors made much use of once she became a fully-fledged Auror.
It wasn't, however, until she joined the Order, and met Fleur, that she ever took to wondering what would happen should she take the famed potion. That question led, quite obviously, to her wondering about the effect on someone who was to take a Polyjuice potion with her hair in it.
Fleur encouraged her in the best way she knew how.
"Don't be a pussy." Fleur stood on the other side of the potions bench to Tonks, her arms crossed as they both looked down at the steaming beaker of Polyjuice (complete with hair pinched from a sleeping Sirius' scalp) between them. They were in the basement of Grimmauld Place, repurposed into a make-shift potions lab. The walls were covered in shelves of glass jars, filled with all nature of ingredients from simple eye of newt to salamander skin floating in luminescent green liquid. The room was spelled to repel cobwebs, so it was shiny and clean and so sanitary you could eat directly off the floor.
Still, Tonks stared at the beaker distrustfully. "What if I get stuck?" she argued faintly. There was no worse fate that Tonks could imagine, than losing her Metamorphmagus abilities.
Fleur simply raised an eyebrow at her. "You doubt my potionz ability?"
"No, no!" Tonks rushed to assure. She glared at the beaker. "I just don't trust that. Nobody knows how it will react to someone like me."
"Vell," said Fleur cheerfully. "What better vay to find out than to test it, non?"
"I guess," grouched Tonks, already reaching for the beaker to down it. Just before it touched her lips she grumbled, "If this goes to shit, I'm blaming you."
Fleur's eyes glittered. "I'm counting on it."
The potion was just as unpleasant as the books had told her, and Tonks grimaced as she felt it slide down her throat. She swallowed once, twice, before she was sure the taste would be gone from the inside of her mouth and she let out a breath. The beaker gave a clack as she put it back on the table.
She waited a moment; a moment where nothing happened. She frowned and looked down at the empty beaker in disappointment. "Well that was–"
All of a sudden, she felt a stirring below her navel, not dissimilar to that of a port-key but in reverse, as if something was attempting to force itself into her space.
Fleur finally looked worried as Tonks' world gave a lurch and she felt herself stumble forward. In a flash, Fleur was in front of her, holding her up and stopping her from falling over entirely. Tonks held a hand to her head. "I don't – I don't feel so good, you know."
"Shh," Fleur hushed her while wildly searching for a chair to lead her to.
With another violent lurch, Tonks tore herself away from Fleur's hold. She fell to her hands and knees on the cold stone floor, her stomach rolling like a kettle to the boil. She had never felt anything half as bad as this; not even the first time she had apparated.
Heat travelled from her stomach up through her oesophagus, and she was struck by the sudden realisation that she was about to be sick.
The first liquid to splatter the cobbled stone was pearly silver. The same colour as the Polyjuice had been, Tonks thought hysterically.
The last thing she thought before she blacked out was that she hoped Fleur would make her death sound more heroic than it was.
"What in Merlin's name were you thinking?" Remus directed at Fleur and Tonks sternly, scowling at where Sirius was helping Tonks into bed.
Sirius shot him a glance. "C'mon, Moons. Let the kids have their fun."
Fleur stuck her nose in the air primly. "Yes Lupin. Let uz have our fun."
From the bed, Tonks let out a groan. Remus took that to mean she agreed with them. He sighed.
"Seven years at Hogwarts and you'd think I'd done my time," he muttered under his breath as he drew a hand down his face. "Okay," he said out loud, pointedly ignoring Sirius' amused look as he dropped his hand to the side. "This is what we're going to do. Fleur–" he pointed at her– "You are on Molly-duty. Seeing as you started this whole mess, you will be the one to deal with the fall out."
Fleur looked like she was going to complain, an outraged look taking over her face, but Remus just looked at her, and she shut her mouth, angrily storming to the door.
"Sirius," Remus said firmly, turning on him. Sirius' eyes were amused but they turned wary when he saw the glint in Remus' face. "You," Remus started. "Are going to clean up the basement."
Sirius' jaw dropped. "You're not serious," he said.
"No," Remus smirked. "But you are."
If it were possible, Sirius' jaw dropped even further. He spluttered for a moment. "You–I–what–"
"Yes, yes, very articulate," Remus teased. "But that's not going to get you out of cleaning."
Sirius' mouth snapped close. "Fine," he cut out through gritted teeth. "But you are going to pay for that later."
Remus' eyes glittered. "My dear Padfoot," he said. "I'm counting on it."
0_0
A/N: I have *no* idea what this turned into. It was supposed to just be a cute little one shot featuring Tonks and Fleur experimenting with polyjuice potion and just being besties, but it somehow turned into minor WolfStar? I...don't know how?
Might do more, might not, i dunno. Gimme feedback if you like and i'll consider writing more.
song rec - In the Arms of a Stranger by Mike Posner