Tonks watched as Dawlish deliberately made sure to not look in her direction. Or even acknowledge her unless he had to. Which wasn't a lot because he was no longer her immediate boss. His sort of promotion to team lead in Hogsmeade was no longer in effect now that they were both back at the office. But he didn't even try to rile her up anymore. As much as she was loathe to admit it, she kind of liked the banter they had developed in recent months. Since her kidnap by Bellatrix and all, things had been much better. She'd try to wind him up, he'd snark at her, she retorted. Rinse and repeat. It was actually kind of fun now that he was actually responding instead of just blowing up and her like he would do before this year. Who would have thought? Not that that was happening anymore.

Nothing was happening anymore. That was the problem. She may as well not exist to him at all because that was how he was treating her. Like she wasn't even there. And she hated it. She seriously hated it. It was making her go crazy.

Tonks looked at him and he actually shifted slightly in his seat so that he couldn't even glance at her accidentally. Okay. That was it.

"You know what?" Tonks finally asked, slamming her hands down on her desk. "What is your problem?"

She was done with this attitude from Dawlish. She really was. It was becoming intolerable. Intolerable!

"Problem? I don't have a problem."

"Yes, you do. You have a massive problem with me and I want to know why?"

Dawlish refrained from answering her and continued shuffling papers on his desk. In fact, he even got a new set of papers and began organising them, head very resolutely down. Hmpf, well, if that's how he was going to play it...

Tonks stood up and walked towards him. Dawlish didn't see because he was too busy looking away from her. Which was perfect for what she wanted to do.

"Boo!"

Which was to frighten him of course! She actually managed to get right behind him and dog her fingers into his sides. She morphed them to be extra thin and pointy and boy did they work! He must have leapt at least six feet into the air. And his screech! He loud that she bet even the Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries heard him!

"What the hell is your problem!" Dawlish demanded as soon as he got his breath back.

"My problem is that you have a problem."

He rolled his eyes at her but told her, "And my problem is that we're here to protect and serve, Auror Tonks."

Auror Tonks. It was always Auror Tonks now. Not Tonks or even 'Hey you'. She hated the formality.

"I was doing protecting!"

They had already been over this. Honestly!

"Not as part of your team! You weren't serving properly at all!"

Wait, that was new. He had never told her that before.

"You're upset that you were left out?" she asked in disbelief.

Dawlish shook his head and gave her a look that implied she was an idiot.

"No, I'm upset that you failed to alert us so that we could do our jobs and help." He snapped with unusual venom.

"I didn't need to alert you!" Tonks replied just as hotly. "I was just there to -"

"- do patrols, I know," he waved off. "But what about when Death Eaters came? Why did you not get us then? That is literally our job description."

"What was I meant to do? Leave the fight and leave the Order a person short? You can't apparate on Hogwarts grounds, remember?"

"But you can send messages via Patronus, can't you?" Dawlish retorted, oddly calm even though he still had an edge to his voice. "You're one of the few people I know who can and all of those are also Order members."

That made Tonks raise her eyebrows. She hadn't been aware that Dawlish knew of that particular trick. Huh.

"I can," she said slowly. "I didn't think of that."

Because she had thought that all who needed to be there were already there. There was no need to call anyone else.

"Well, you should have," Dawlish said shortly.

"Bellatrix got to me," she stated.

Because that was true. Apparently if she and Bellatrix were in the same place, Bellatrix was bloody well going to focus on her. Of course, she was. It didn't exactly give her time to send off a Patronus!

That made him pause for a moment and look her up and down. Satisfied that she was present and in one piece, he continued.

"Didn't you idiots realised that you could have died?" he demanded. "And for no reason!"

"Pretty sure that protecting the school is a good reason," Tonks offered up weakly.

He was worried she was going to die? He actually cared?

"Don't you think we've lost enough people already?" he continued. "That there's been enough pointless deaths?"

Oh, that one hit hard for her. Of course, that was right. Nearly all the deaths this year had been pointless and senseless. And now Dawlish was worried too? Tonks didn't even think that Dawlish got worried, never mind worried about her.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Tonks finally said, folding her arms. "I didn't know that you would be so affected by this."

"Didn't think? You didn't think I'd-?" he spluttered and then he dramatically flung his hands up in the air, "Of course I would care about what would happen to you! I don't want you to go and get yourself killed?"

More gaped from her. She was going to strain her jaw muscles if she continued like this.

"Robert Dawlish, do you actually care about me?"

"Don't go yelling about it," he muttered, and rubbed his arm. "But, yeah, of course I do."

"Seriously?"

"Pretty sure that was your cousin."

Tonks could feel her eyes bug out. Dawlish made a joke! Dawlish never made jokes! He gave her a satisfied look.

"And your hair is back to changing colour."

She touched it lightly a grinned. "Yep. Got my shit sorted out."

Well, Remus did but Dawlish didn't need to know that. No, thank you.

"Good."

They kind of stood there awkwardly for a minute or so. Just... staring at each other. Tonks suddenly felt a really weird urge come over her.

"Eurk!" Dawlish got out as she engulfed him in a hug.

Yep, she, Nymphadora Tonks was hugging Robert Dawlish. Wonders would never cease! And he was hugging her back! Wow!

"Okay, that's enough," he said, pushing her away but his eyes were suspiciously red.

"Sorry. I just didn't realise you cared."

"Well, I do. Don't go disappearing again like that!"

"No promises."

"I'm going to put a tracker on you," he threatened weakly, not looking at her.

"I'd like to see you try, Robbie."

"Don't push it, Nymphadora."

They both burst out into laughter at that. Something they both needed.