Author: Junius
Summary: Charlie leaves Romania to spend the holidays with his family and is reunited with his high school crush… eventual CW/NT.
Notes: Hooray, I have FINALLY finished my semester one exams! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and has been kind and patient enough to wait for me to update. This second chapter is for you!
More Notes: As always, comments about my writing and people's opinions on the unusual pairing would be particularly appreciated! And many thanks to Eraserhead for promoting me at Fiction Alley, you rule!
Disclaimer: Nope, they still don't belong to me.
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Charlie could hardly believe his eyes. Nymphadora Tonks, in the flesh, standing less than five feet away from him. Though she didn't look exactly as he remembered, there was no forgetting that grin. It was that grin that had first made him notice Nymphadora Tonks, the one thing that she could never really change about herself, at least not in Charlie's eyes. It was that grin that had been able to brighten anyone's day with its infectious warmth. It was that grin Charlie had fallen in love with.
"Tonks!" he exclaimed, getting to his feet. "I haven't seen you in a dragon's age! How are you?"
"Charlie Weasley!" she admonished with a smile. "You talk as though you're an old man. It's only been four years since we graduated."
She stepped forward and hugged him in a welcoming manner. Charlie paused for just a minute before returning the embrace. As they stepped apart, Tonks grinned up at him.
"Molly didn't tell me you were coming," she said, throwing a mock-accusing look in Mrs Weasley's direction. Mrs Weasley stood and placed her cup and saucer in the sink.
"I didn't realise you two knew each other," she smiled. "Charlie never mentioned it."
"I didn't know you were in the Order," Charlie explained, his gaze never leaving Tonks. She grinned flippantly.
"Well, it's just a lovely surprise than, isn't it?" she joked. Charlie didn't say out loud how true her words were.
Mrs Weasley seemed to sense that the two had much to talk about. "Well, Charlie, love," she said, getting to her feet. "I'll leave you with Tonks and make my way back to Platform 9 ¾. Ron and the others will be getting in soon and I told them I'd meet them."
Charlie nodded to his mother, who smiled at Tonks before Disapparating. Tonks immediately turned to Charlie, dragging him back down into his chair.
"So, what have you been up to since graduation?" she asked, plonking herself down in Mrs Weasley's recently vacated chair. "I haven't kept in contact with anyone from Hogwarts."
"I've been working with dragon's in Romania," he told her. Tonks' eyes widened.
"Dragons?" she repeated. "That must be tough work."
"It can be," Charlie admitted with a grin. "They don't have the sweetest temperaments. But I love it. What are you doing now?" he asked. Tonks beamed.
"I'm an Auror," she said, pride clearly evident in her tone. Charlie blinked.
"That's great!" he exclaimed. "That's what you always wanted to be, wasn't it?"
Tonks nodded. "I was a little worried I wouldn't pass the training," she confessed with a grin. "What with being so clumsy, but I managed it. Of course, being a Metamorphagus helped more than little."
"I expect it would," Charlie replied. "I always thought it amazing when we were at school."
"You did?" Tonks asked with pleasure. Charlie nodded.
"I always thought you were pretty amazing," he told her, before realising what he had said. This was neither the time nor place to bring up a stupid high school crush! He darted a look at Tonks, who was staring at him in confusion.
"I, uh… what I meant was," he began, before a voice from the hall interrupted him.
"I've finished in your room now, Tonks," it said. "Those Doxys shouldn't annoy you anymore."
The gaunt form of Sirius Black suddenly filled the kitchen doorway. He looked from Tonks to Charlie in surprise before a smile that was remarkably similar to Tonks's erupted on his face.
"You must be Charlie," he said, holding out a hand. "I'm Sirius. Welcome to the decidedly disturbing home of my not-so-sadly missed parents."
Charlie couldn't help but grin at this less than enthusiastic welcome. "This is your home?" he repeated. Sirius grimaced.
"More like the house my parents lived in," he replied. "I certainly never thought of it as home. I heard my mother shouting obscenities earlier," he said suddenly. "Was that the fault of my clumsy cousin here?"
He turned to face Tonks, who smacked him playfully on the arm. "No, it wasn't!" she said defensively. Charlie looked between Tonks and Sirius curiously.
"You're cousins?" he asked. Tonks flushed red and nodded.
"I never mentioned it at Hogwarts," she said softly. "That was when… well… you know…"
"When everyone thought I was a raving lunatic killer," Sirius filled in for her, his expression dark. Tonks looked as uncomfortable as Charlie felt. Sirius seemed to realise their discomfort as he immediately smiled again.
"Still, that's neither here nor now," he said, evidently trying to smooth over the awkwardness. "Kingsley was looking for you earlier, Tonks, he's back at the Ministry." Sirius turned to Charlie. "I think Molly made up a bedroom for you, Charlie, why don't I show you up there?"
Charlie nodded and picked up his suitcase. "See you tonight," he said to Tonks. She nodded, watching as the two men made their way out of the kitchen. As soon as they were out of sight, she collapsed back into her chair, her mind going back to Charlie's comment earlier. I always thought you were pretty amazing… whatever had he meant? Had he actually thought that she was amazing? Tonks found that thought to be pretty amazing itself, it was so unlikely. She and Charlie had never been more than friends…
Still, she thought as she stood and got ready to Apparate to the Ministry, she couldn't deny the warm glow the thought of Charlie Weasley calling her amazing gave her.
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Charlie and Tonks' ages are an educated guess. If a student is seventeen when they leave Hogwarts, then Percy must be nineteen in the fifth book, therefore Fred and George are seventeen and Ron fifteen. Going with the two-year gap trend, I decided Charlie (and therefore Tonks) must be twenty-one. Gosh, and I gave up Maths in Year 11! I'm so proud!