When I look into your eyes
I can see a love restrained
But darlin' when I hold you
Don't you know I feel the same?
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November rain
Been through this such a long, long time
Just tryin' to kill the pain,
But lovers always come and lovers always go
And no one's really sure who's lettin' go today
Walking away
If we could take the time to lay it on the line
I could rest my head
Just knowin' that you were mine
All mine
So if you want to love me
Then darlin' don't refrain
Or I'll just end up walkin'
In the cold November rain
Do you need some time...on your own?
Do you need some time...all alone?
Everybody needs some time...on their own,
Don't you know you need some time...all alone?
I know it's hard to keep an open heart
When even friends seem out to harm you
But if you could heal a broken heart
Wouldn't time be out to charm you?
Sometimes I need some time...on my own
Sometimes I need some time...all alone,
Everybody needs some time...on their own,
Don't you know you need some time...all alone?
And when your fears subside
And shadows still remain, (Oh Yeah)
I know that you can love me
When there's no one left to blame
So never mind the darkness
We still can find a way
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
Even cold November rain
--
Stupid November mornings.
Stupid... STUPID... cold... November mornings...
Tonks shivered as she stepped into the shower and the icy cold water ran down her back. It was 5 o'clock in the morning and the Weasley shower wasn't the greatest plumbing in the world. Reaching blindly for her wand as the water slashed onto her face, Tonks gripped the handle and waved a heating spell at the gushing spout which heated and made the water pouring out of it a refreshing warmth. Drawing the shower curtain, Tonks sighed happily and threw her wand over the bath tub onto the floor. She showered quickly, wanting to get to work as quickly as possible without disturbing anyone...
Okay... Charlie.
Rubbing the shampoo in her hair to create a lather, Tonks closed her eyes, as lazily as was allowed by the pelting water, and thought of the day ahead. Dimly in the back of her mind she knew there was something important but as always, she had forgotten. Screwing up her eyes in determination, she searched her memory, looking for a possible event that she would vaguely remember. Unable to find the thought, Tonks rinsed her hair, turned the cold, metal tap off and drew back the shower curtain. She then jumped out of the bath, careful not to slip on the wet floor.
Piling her hair up in a towel on top of her head, Tonks wrapped a towel loosely around her and picked up her wand before unlocking the door and peering outside to check that the coast was clear. Sure that no one was there, Tonks jogged along the corridor to the end where the stairs to her bedroom in the loft was. She was just near the end when Fred came out of his room at the bottom of the corridor and collided with Tonks. In the semi-darkness, Tonks screamed before Fred hurriedly lit a light and stared at her, grinning widely.
"Hello, hello."
Tonks scowled and gripped her towel a bit tighter. Just what she needed, a Weasley brother ogling her at a ridiculous time of the morning.
"What you doing up this early?" she whispered, beginning to wonder whether her scream had awoken anyone. She saw Fred's eyes twinkle before he opened his door wide and a petite blonde girl stared bashfully back at them.
"This is Anna..."
"No..." whispered Tonks, horrified. "Please tell me that isn't Fleur's baby sister."
The young adult beamed at Tonks, obviously pleased that she was recognised. Tonks shook her head and scowled at Fred.
"Not baby. She's the middle one."
"Can she understand English?"
"Uh... no not really. But she's great in bed--"
"How old is she?"
Fred looked awkward as he starched his ear. "Uh...17?"
"Fred Weasley..." Tonks barged passed the couple and reached for Anna's bag that was on the bed, trying to ignore the mess of the bedroom and heavy smell of sex. The room was lit by a faint glow of candlelight and Tonks noticed that Fred had cleared away the usual joke shop items.
Tonks turned to Anna, still trying to hold up her towel that was revealing more flesh by the second. "Laissez et trouvez un homme qui ne recherche pas le sexe pour l'aider dépit son meilleur ami avec qui il est dans l'amour."
Anna and Fred looked curiously at Tonks but both for very different reasons. After a moments silence Anna looked a little hurt and slapped Fred before snatching her bag off Tonks and running down the stairs and out of the house loudly.
"I think I upset her," Tonks said with no concern. She looked at Fred who looked oddly amused.
"I never knew you could speak French."
"I never knew you could be such a slut."
Fred raised his eyebrow. "Touch
Tonks shook her head and smiled reluctantly. "Where did you find her?"
"She and Fleur are staying in the leaky cauldron." Fred walked over to his bed and stretched out luxuriously. Tonks laughed inwardly, analyzing the situation in her head as to how they looked. Fred's voice interrupted her thoughts. "What did you say when you spoke in French?"
"Why do you care?" Tonks sat on the end of Fred's bed, rubbing her hair dry with the towel, and stared at him, searching for any sign of emotion. As she thought, there was none, and she frowned slightly, annoyed that Fred could hurt a girl so much. She thought he had a bigger heart than that. Sighing Tonks answered him straight. "I told her to leave and find a man who doesn't want sex plainly for the reason that he is in love with his best friend."
Fred stared at Tonks grimly, a frown playing on the eyebrows and mouth. "I don't think Lee's that gorgeous." It was meant as a joke but Tonks saw no mirth in his tone.
"I think you know who I was talking about."
Fred looked down and Tonks could see him biting him lip impatiently. Suddenly he muttered in a husky voice, "She's been gone for 3 months. No letter... no nothing."
Tonks dropped her towel and moved up the bed, resting a hand on Fred's thigh. "She loves you. She just doesn't know how to handle you. Merlin Fred, you've been mates for 8 years. She's just as scared as you to break the friendship. But deep in my heart, and everyone else's, it's obvious you're meant to be with Angelina."
Fred nodded, looking up. "I should go and find her."
"She's playing quidditch in Paris this week yes?"
"Yes."
"Then go and find her. Beg for forgiveness if you have to. Just don't lose her."
Fred nodded again and Tonks smiled, wondering vaguely why all Weasley men were so temperamental in relation to their women and yet loved them so much that they would die for them. She saw it in Fred and Angelina, Ron and Hermione, Bill and Fleur, Charlie and...
Fred sat up straight and embraced Tonks tightly. "Thanks hun," he whispered into her ear. Tonks heard a movement by the door before Fred placed a soft kiss of thanks on her cheek and pulled away again. Her back to the door, Tonks could only tell something was wrong when she saw Fred's face. He was looking towards the door with a mixture of amusement, horror and apology.
"Ah... this looks bad," he muttered under his breath, clenching his teeth and trying not to smirk.
"Fred?"
Tonks felt as though a bucket of ice had been poured down her throat.
"Hey Char, my bestest, favouritest, big brother!" Fred laughed and slipped of the bed. "What brings you to the wing of our humble abode this early in the morning?"
Charlie was looking at Fred irritably and Tonks realised that she was still only clutching a towel around her. He himself was clad in his pajama bottoms. Tonks stifled a gasp as she saw that Charlie was all lean muscle and smooth skin. A few copper hairs ran the length of this torso to spread out across the chest. Tonks struggled to not look down and see the hair thicken below the navel.
Damn, those trousers were low.
Obviously, her attempt at not looking had failed. Charlie's ears were flushing, though why Tonks couldn't understand. SHE was the one completely naked save for a towel. She tried to look innocent, all the while fixated on the hipbone that was just visible above the baggy grey bottoms. With every movement he made, the material shifted and the shadows accentuated its contours. Clearing her throat quickly, she stood up and grabbed her wand.
"Hey Charlie."
Charlie looked across to Tonks with an odd expression. Was it hurt?
"Tonks," he acknowledged. Turning to Fred he replied, "I was here because I thought I heard Nymphadora--" Tonks scowled, "--scream."
"Yes, that you did my bro. You see she was standing practically starkers in the corridor waiting for me to ravage her but when I finally did, her surprise was apparent--"
"Shut up Fred. I just came to get rid of An--" Tonks stopped, knowing that Charlie would be furious with his brother for bedding Fleur's sister. "--Anarlene... from Diagon Alley."
Fred threw her a thankful glance before Charlie frowned at her. "Anarlene?"
"Yeah, I'm sure I've said something about her before. Anyway, Tonks helped me sort out a few things and now she's free to run off to wherever she was going to."
"My bedroom," Tonks pointed out, feeling uncomfortable at the thought that Charlie was meters in front of her and she was nearly naked. She suddenly caught his gaze which was steel cobalt. Her breath catching in her throat, Tonks fled the room and ran to her bedroom. Seconds later Charlie appeared behind her and pushed her against the wall softly, leaning over her on his right arm.
"What happened there? Are you and Fred--"
"No!" Tonks sounded a little angrier than she had intended but she was angry for Charlie not believing them. "No," she repeated, a little more calmly. "I was just trying to help him realise that he's going to lose the woman he loves because..." Tonks' breath hitched in her throat as she gazed at Charlie who was inches from her. She saw him suddenly blush furiously and gazed to where her towel was revealing her thigh. She blushed herself as she saw the erection tenting his trousers slightly. "I have to go..." she whispered softly and slipped out form under his arm to run up her bedroom stairs.
"Tonks... are you free later on?"
It happened in a split second. Going to turn, Tonks stumbled slightly and lost her towel. Feeling a horrible sensation of embarrassment creep over her, she grimaced as Charlie's eyes widened and he turned away.
"Oh... uh... well...if you're not... I've got to...anything...right." Tonks chocked back a laugh as he spoke, flustered and bright red.
It took a lot to unnerve Charlie Weasley.
She was grateful that she obviously had a lot.
Struggling to pull up the towel, she turned and gripped Charlie's hand, her very insides quivering as she stood beside him.
"I... it would be nice... to meet you later." Charlie was still looking towards the bathroom and Tonks giggled, amused that he was decent enough to look away. "I'm all covered," she added a little more seriously. Charlie turned slowly, looking relived when he saw that she was, indeed, all covered. She was confused however when seconds alter he nodded and strode quickly down the corridor and back down the stairs to the second floor.
Tonks blinked a couple of times before frowning and reaching for the handle of her door. Seconds later she heard heavy footsteps pounding up the stairs and Charlie arrived, slightly panting.
"Did you just say anything?"
Tonks smiled weakly and shook her head. "Nothing Charlie. See you when I get home."