Draco got up that morning feeling very nervous. He had this feeling that the Dream Team plus Co. wasn't very happy that he was staying at Grimmauld Place. From the looks they had given him the previous night, Draco could tell that he not many people would be talking to him besides Tonks. He put on his perfectly ironed clothes and walked out of his room. After taking a deep breath, he walked down the hallway toward the kitchen. When he entered the kitchen he saw the four faces he dreaded seeing the most sitting around the kitchen table and looking at him.
The five teens stared at each other, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, and would have continued so if Tonks had not chosen that moment to walk into the kitchen.
"Wotcher!" she said cheerily. "Draco, I see you've found the kitchen. Now what can I make you to eat?" Glancing at the others in the room she asked, "Would any of you like anything?"
The Gryffindors nodded no but Draco said, "I'll have whatever you make."
At this Tonks grinned, "You asked for it. Don't say I didn't worn you. Even Severus lost his cool facade when he ate one of my concoctions."
Draco looked like he was going to change his mind for a second then said, "I'll try it anyways. If it's as bad as you're implying I can just sue you."
Tonks laughed, "Draco dear, I can always say you put me under Imperious Curse."
As the two cousins laughed and joked Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny left the room. Tonks began to cook something that contained eggs, hot sauce, curry powder, and a variety of other ingredients Draco didn't recognize. As Draco watched Tonks cook he thought back to his life in Malfoy manor. Never had his mother or father cooked for him. He hadn't yet been at Grimmauld place for 24 hrs. and he already felt more comfortable there than he had at home. Surprising, he mused, considering Tonks, Dumbledore, and Snape were the only ones who had talked to him and he felt like hostile faces were constantly watching him.
"It's done," interrupted his thoughts. Draco looked over at Tonks to see her smiling at him triumphantly and holding a pan. He also noticed the flames coming u from the burner behind her.
Laughing he said, "It's done but you managed to start something on fire. Tonks turned around and, forgetting she held the pan, flung up her arms in despair. Draco and Tonks' breakfast flew out of the pan and into the air. There was just enough time for Draco to think that it was fortunate that no one was behind Tonks when Charlie walked in the door, directly in the path of the flying breakfast. Draco watched in slow motion as the eggs arched into the air and landed directly on Charlie's head.
"You've always had a good aim," Charlie said to Tonks. Draco only had a second to wonder about the comment before Tonks replied.
"Not that anybody noticed since the Gryffindor seeker got all the fame, it wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't shown off. Anyways, the eggs fit you." Throughout Tonks' comment Charlie's face had gotten progressively redder.
"Nymphadora Tonks! I did not show off!"
"Don't call me Nymphadora and of coarse you did. What do you think all those steep dives you always did were, and all the loop-de-loops?"
"Alright, but I was younger and had nothing to do but circle the pitch. Anyways, I didn't realize played Quiditch so that you could get famous!"
"It wasn't the fame, and it wasn't just me. It was the whole team. Everyone talked about the "best seeker ever". Never did they mention how the keeper kept out almost every shot, how the chasers always made their shots, or how the beaters never missed. No, anyone of us could have played professional Quiditch but no one cared for how good we were. It was all about Charlie. Even now, so many years later my own cousin talks about you. He didn't even know I was a chaser or that in all my years on the Gryffindor team that I made more goals than any other on a school team had!"
"Well, why didn't anyone say anything if it was so important?"
"We did!" Yelled Tonks. " But it shouldn't have been necessary!" With that she stomped out of the kitchen. She left Charlie with a red face and Draco with an empty stomach.
An awkward silence filled the room until Draco asked softly, "Was she really that great of a chaser?"
Charlie slumped into a chair next to Draco. "Yes." After a pause he added, "that cousin of yours really drives me crazy."
"Well," said Draco, "I think you drive her crazy too."
"No, not that way," Charlie sighed. "I always try to impress her and if I don't make a fool of myself then she thinks I'm stuck up and hates me for that. I also have this marvelous ability to start fights with her and insult her."
Draco smirked. "It must be genetic. You wouldn't believe all the fights Weasley and Granger get into. Everyone knows they're madly in love except for the two themselves."
Charlie laughed, "Yes, those two are destined but won't admit it. Just like Snape and Professor Sinistra."
Draco's jaw dropped. "Professor Snape and the batty astronomy teacher? You have to be kidding me!"
"Have you ever seen those two at it? Fred and George told me once that she threw a coffee mug at Snape. The time the twins spiked the punch they were professing their mutual love all night. If you listen quietly sometime to Snape when Sinistra is in the room you an hear him muttering under his breath about her."
Draco still looked a little skeptical. "Well, getting back to you and Dora, I think you have a chance. If she really despised you then she wouldn't waste her time by arguing with you. She also cares to much about what you do, an unbiased acquaintance wouldn't care if you were the biggest git in the world. She'd just laugh at you. Just don't et to hopeful and don't tell her that I advised you, because if she does hate you then she'd get mad at me to."
Charlie looked embarrassed then asked, "what can I do so she won't hate me as much?
Draco thought for a few moments. "Well, talking to me is one way, another is to act like yourself."
"That's what they all say," Charlie groaned.
"And it always works. You wouldn't want her to like a fake Charlie."
"So," asked Charlie, "when you were at Hogwarts were you always acting?"
"Most of it, but I am a genius!"
'Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class was about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye'
Chamber of Secrets