A/N: This one isn't a pair I've ever written, but it's probably my favorite Tonks pairing, and was written for someone for whom this is her OTP. It's sweet. Give it a chance.

Disclaimer: Not mine again. Oh, well. Maybe Bill'll wise up someday. ;)

It's About Time

Tonks loved being friends with Charlie Weasley. Especially because it got her invites to the Burrow during the summer. Not so much to play Quidditch with Charlie, though that was good, too, but because there was always a chance she might "accidentally" see his older brother coming from the bathroom in only a towel.

But Bill was one of those guys who was so wrapped up in their own world that they never noticed someone younger than them. He was nice enough to her when he did notice her, but he also always managed to call her Nymphadora. And she always forced herself to smile at him when he did. After all, better not to disagree with him, right?

So, when she got an invitation from Charlie to come to Bill's going-away party, she did the only thing she could do. She dressed to the nines, even learning a few makeup charms from her mum, who thought it was "cute" that she had a crush. Never mind that her heart was breaking.

The party had been so packed that she'd barely managed to say two words to him before he was distracted by someone else. She'd gone out into the Burrow's gardens, dejected. This was possibly the worst night of her life.

And then an arm had draped over her shoulders. "Hey," a friendly voice said.

"Hi, Charlie," she'd sighed.

He'd laughed. "Give him time, Tonks. You're both still kids."

"By the time Bill Weasley notices me, I'll be lucky if I'm not as old as Dumbledore is now," she grumbled.

"I wouldn't say that," another voice said, and Tonks felt her face flush. She was grateful at least that it was already pretty dark, thereby hiding her blush.

Charlie's arm disappeared, and he winked at his brother as he returned to the house.

"Hey, Bill," she'd said.

"Hey, Nymphadora," he'd grinned.

She rolled her eyes.

"What?"

"You never notice anything about me, do you?" she asked.

He shrugged. "You're Charlie's best friend. I try to keep friendly and just that with my brother's friends. I wouldn't want things to get too confusing, you know?"

"Yeah, well, maybe confusing is better," she said, meeting his eyes for the first time.

"So all that is for me?" he asked, gesturing at her outfit. She nodded. He stepped forward and cast a spell at her. "I like you the old way better," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

She smiled and settled into his embrace. "Me too."