July 9th, Tuesday

Cups of ice cream we ate: 6; number of schmaltzy love movies we watched: 4; number of persons who knew my secret about a day after I found out I had one: 2 (well, 3 including me);

We did have a pyjama party right after dinner. I really put a lot of effort into it: I persuaded Molly to let the girls stay up all night with me, asked Minerva to transfigure a piano stool into a TV and a vase into a VCR, paid Fred to go to a muggle video store and rent some movies for us, sent the girls to buy us ice cream and, finally, cleaned my room. I fleetingly considered just making the video session in the living room, but decided against it and for the privacy of my room. I even managed to get some rum, pineapple and coconut juice to make Pina Coladas. I know Molly probably wouldn't approve of it, but they haven't exactly had it easy. They deserve some fun. And I haven't had any alcohol since what I have taken to calling "the unfortunate incident". After ample preparations, we finally settled into the landscape of mattresses, blankets and pillows I made on the floor in my room and tucked in the delicious sandwiches Molly had made for us.

"So, what's new with you, girls? Anything happening at school over the past weeks? How were your O.W.L.s, Ginny?"

"Great! I think I might've fantasized a little bit too colourful in divination, but once I predicted Luna's death, Trelawney loved it."

"How did Luna take it?"

"She was okay with it, just said that she would rather be drowned by a Grindylow than trampled by a Thestral. I had to promise her I would do that in my NEWTs."

"How 'bout you, Mione, still top of the class?" Hermione blushed, and Ginny nudged her in the side.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, Hermione. Someone has to show that git Malfoy his place!"

"It's amazing how the three of you split all of your daily duties. Even pissing off Malfoy: Harry, Ron and Ginny defeat him on the Quidditch pitch, and you best him in class. I bet Severus isn't too happy about that."

"He hates it! He's the only teacher in whose lessons it's really fun to be attentive and quiet. It irks him to no end when he can't take points from Gryffindor."

"Speaking of pissing off Malfoy- guess what Ginny did!"

"You hexed him into a frog."

"Yeah, that too, but that was already back in February. The best one was the word-jumbling-spell last week. It was hilarious! Not a single one of his insults came out right, and everyone just laughed at him."

"Yes, Ginny did a really brilliant job there. I mean, she's been doing something evil to him every week since the beginning of the year, but that must have been the most humiliating experience in his whole school era."

"Miss Weasley! What do I have to hear – hexing other students? If your mother knew about this!"

"The first two months, I tried to get her off it, afraid that she would lose us points, but it didn't work. Her mind was set. And miraculously, she's never been caught. Malfoy can't prove anything, and no one besides his little gang is willing to testify against Ginny. It's so good to see him get what he deserves!"

"What made you start to hex him in the first place?" I asked her interestedly. Ginny blushed a little.

"Well, you see, I'd finally gathered the courage to ask Justin on a date, you know, the tall, dark Hufflepuff, and we spent this wonderful day in Hogsmeade and it was sooo romantic, until Malfoy came along and spoiled it all. At first he just insulted us, you know the usual stuff about my family, but later when we were in the Three Broomsticks, I had to use the bathroom, and when I came back, Justin was gone. I only found Malfoy sitting at our table, drinking my butterbeer, and smirking, and I knew he had done something horrible. Justin hasn't talked to me since! So I figured he had to be punished. Maybe his parents and Snape always let him get away with everything, and everyone else is too afraid to stand up to him, but I'm fed up. I'm not taking his shit any longer! So now, he gets his weekly hex, and everyone at school is allowed to come and watch." From Ginnys savage speech I figured the pina coladas were starting to kick in, and I could feel them, too, for I whooped loudly.

"Ginny, you're my queen. Someone should have told that spoiled brat off long ago." Hermione looked at us pensively.

"You know the weird thing is, he doesn't seem to mind that much. I mean, I thought he would try to threaten Ginny, or tell his Daddy, or send his bodyguards out, but he didn't react. She's humiliating him in front of everyone, and he just lets her. It's a little creepy, actually." She paused for a moment, while the wheels in my head went faster.

"Well, maybe he doesn't do anything because no one ever told him off. Maybe he enjoys being called on his actions for once. Maybe" I paused to make my statement more effective, "maybe he's got a masochist streak, and you're fulfilling it."

"Ew! Tonks! That's disgusting!" Ginny made gagging noises.

Hermione looked pensive again, then she blurted out

"Maybe he's got a crush on you, and can't show it because of this whole house and family feud thing, you know, and the fact that you don't like him. Or he just doesn't know how to show it, so he keeps taunting you. Like smaller boys do when they like girls."

"Come on, Mione, that's ridiculous."

"No it isn't. It fits quite excellent with what Tonks has said. Haha, Malfoy's got a crush on Ginny. We've got him for years with that one."

"Yeah, I'm sure teasing him will be helpful once he's a Death Eater battling you over life and death."

"You think he's gonna be one one day."

"Of course. I mean, come on, what else can he do? He's destined to be one."

"There's way too much destiny involved in this whole war thing for my liking."

"Come on, could we please not talk about the war? It's holidays, we should relax and think positive."

"You're right, Tonks. So, what's up with you?"

"Well, I've been stuck in this house for the past two weeks, but there's been loads of things happening."

"Really?"

"No."

"Poor thing. I bet it was terribly boring."

"It was once the vomiting stopped, but then Remus got injured and put under house arrest, so at least I had someone to talk." Yeah, right! I really tried to suppress the blush, using all my strength and willpower, but it just crept up, and of course Hermione picked on to it at once.

"Talked? Nothing more?"

"Yes. No. I mean, we also cooked and played chess and read books and stuff."

"Aha. So – you liked it?"

"Sure. I like cooking, even though I still blow up the occasional kitchen device, and I like reading, and not so much chess, because I always lose…"

"No, I mean do you like his company. Or I could also say – do you like him?" I blushed. Again.

"Yeah, spill it, Tonks. You like Professor Lupin, don't you?"

"Man, you calling him Professor Lupin makes this even weirder. Why don't you just call him Remus? He asked you like a million times."

"We know. We'll have to get used to him not being a professor anymore. But we promise we'll try this summer."

"Well, then I am relieved."

"I bet you are. So, since when?"

"Since when what?"

"Since when do you have feelings for him. Gosh, Tonks, don't play dumb!"

"Who said I had feelings for him?"

"Tonks! We're not stupid! You're blushing, you're walking around with that goofy smile, you can spend ten minutes just staring into space…We knew there was something as soon as we saw you. We just didn't know who it was."

"But now, it all makes sense."

"Sometimes I hate you for being so smart."

"Well, not everyone can be as dense as a certain brother of Ginny." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"So, tell us. We want to hear everything."

"At least, we believe we want to hear everything. But keep in mind that for us, he's still our old professor, so watch what details you want to share."

"Yes, spare us the saucy scenes."

"There are no saucy scenes. We haven't even kissed. He doesn't return my feelings."

"Do you know that for a fact?"

"Come on, he's ten years older than me, and so much smarter. He deserves someone who's cool and elegant and sophisticated, not a clumsy half-wit with pink hair."

"You're being too hard on yourself. Don't you know, opposites attract? You might be just the woman he's looking for." I shrugged, not really convinced, but too tipsy to be seriously depressed.

"Now tell us, exactly how strong are your feelings?"

"Well, I've been seeing him as a friend since I started working for the order with him, but over these past two weeks, things have changed. I think it might even border on love. He's just so nice, and sweet and smart and sophisticated and kind and gentle and caring, and attractive, too. You know, these cardigans and woollen jumpers hide a lot."

"Have you seen him naked!" Ginny's voice was bordering on painfully shrill right now, so I quickly calmed her down.

"No, only shirtless once or twice. That's it, I swear." The girls still looked a little suspicious.

"So, what do you want to do now? Plan on telling him?"

"Telling him? Are you mad? I'm not going to completely humiliate myself. I tell you what I'm gonna do" … pause for effect …"nothing!" Having said that, I tuned out the girls' complaining and their arguments why I should tell him, and poured myself another glass of Pina colada with extra rum.

A/B: Sorry there's no Remus interaction in here. But I wanted to make Tonks a normal girl, and every normal girl has to chat with her friends from time to time.