Unhappy Birthday or Death of a Disco Dancer
Tonks stood in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection. Some recycled tune was playing on the radio in the background and she hummed along. This was a great improvement from the past few weeks. She had come to a conclusion about tonight. It was the twins' birthday party, it was their night and therefore, she was going to enjoy herself for them. And for herself. She had to admit it was getting boring (not to mention exhausting) to feel depressed all the time. So her improved spirit went out on a shopping spree.
Tonks didn't really see herself as the girly type, but new clothes were helping her mood more than she would have expected. She threw on her new coat and grabbed the twins' presents from her coffee table and left for Diagon Alley.
"Mum, will you relax? We have everything under control," George urged his mother to sit down and he plucked the two large pitchers of butterbeer from her hands. The twins' shop looked very festive indeed. They had moved all of the freestanding shelves to be replaced by large tables laden down with food and other tables for people to sit down. There was a clear area near where the register counter usually resided that served as a dance floor for the evening. Molly had arrived early to help her sons, but as they insisted, they had everything under control.
She swept the hair away from her face. "So, everything's been going well then?" she asked. Fred and George looked at each other. No matter how many times she saw them, or could plainly see that they were very successful at what they were doing, she had to ask.
"Everything's great," Fred assured her as he checked a list on a clipboard. Molly nodded, for the meantime, convinced.
"Who else is going to be here?" she asked, for lack of anything else to do.
George grinned. "It's going to be wicked," he said as he handed his mother the clipboard Fred had been looking after. Molly looked at it and realized it was a guest list. She glanced down, seeing that she, Arthur and Bill and Fleur were all at the top. She grimaced slightly at Fleur's name, but let it go quickly. Further down, she saw Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, old classmates of the twins. She then noticed members of the Order. Kingsley, Mad Eye, Mundungus (again, she grimaced), Lupin and Tonks.
'Lupin and Tonks,' Molly thought to herself. She hadn't seen nor heard from either of them in quite some time. She wondered what was going on between them, but put it out of her mind abruptly. She realized it was not her place to help them; it was up to them to figure things out. But getting them to be in the same place at once had proved a bit of a challenge last time she checked…
"Are Remus and Tonks both coming?" she tried to ask nonchalantly.
Fred laughed. "They better. Lupin was just in here a week ago. He's thinking of becoming spokeswizard for our new line of daydreams," he said, sounding thoroughly amused. Molly nodded absently. That last statement didn't make a whole lot of sense to her, but already her brain was working out how to get the two of them to talk tonight. It seemed to even preoccupy her enough to lay off Bill and Fleur for awhile.
Mad Eye Moody then stumbled through the open door, a large bulky package in his arms. It rather looked as though he was carrying a pane of glass. "I've come early to let you know I can't stay tonight," he said as the twins descended on him, looking eagerly at the package.
"Is that for us, Mad Eye?" Fred asked quickly. Mad Eye's magical eye swiveled around to the back of his head.
"Hello Molly, Arthur. How are you?" he asked, ignoring the twins' protests.
The Weasley's waved. Fred and George were fiddling with the uneven ends of the wrapping paper. Mad Eye grunted. "All right, all right. You can open this now, seeing as I have to be off. Took me ages to find one I thought was good enough," he said as he placed it carefully down on one of the empty tables.
The twins immediately fell upon it and tore the wrappings off as Molly and Arthur came to stand beside them. George glanced at what looked to be a mirror. "It's a foe glass, isn't it, Mad Eye?" he asked excitedly.
Moody nodded. "I figured you could hang it up behind your counter or something. Probably get more folks to buy things if anything else. And it should help you spot any little buggers trying to steal anything," he added with a sneer.
"Thanks Mad Eye," Fred grinned. Mad Eye nodded again and waved as he hoisted his robe back over himself and left.
"C'mon Remus, Fred and George made me promise," Bill said. "I can't leave until I make sure you're coming with." He had his arm wrapped around Fleur as they sat on Remus's couch. Remus emerged from the bathroom, running a hand through his hair nervously.
"Ready?" Bill asked as they stood up. Remus nodded as he shrugged into his traveling cloak. They left the small apartment and apparated to Diagon Alley.
By seven o'clock, everyone on the twins' list had arrived and most were getting properly smashed. Lee Jordan had brought with him a very large stereo and it was blasting music quite loudly. The few (older) adults (for if truth be told, the twins' were adults as well, they just preferred to see past that) sat at one table in the corner and watched the others.
Tonks was sitting next to Bill and Kingsley and was trying her very best not to look at Remus. Yes, she had resolved to put everything behind her for the night and enjoy it, but she was finding that was a lot easier to say in the privacy of her small bedroom rather than here where he was sitting on the other side of the table from her. When he had arrived, he had smiled at her and she gave him a small smile in return, but that was it. She had also noted that he chose to sit in a seat further from her. Tonks wasn't sure what it meant, but she hadn't taken it as a good sign for open conversation between them.
And probably to the shock of either one of them, everyone else at their table was watching Remus and Tonks very carefully. After awhile, when all they had exchanged were pleasantries, Molly was going crazy, ready to say anything to get them to sit next to each other, or perhaps have Remus stand up and announce their engagement. But Arthur shook his head. He had already been over this with his wife. No one was going to get the two most stubborn people in the world to relent except themselves and they were just the bystanders, waiting to see how it played out. Coincidentally, it was the same tactic he used to get Molly to stop fussing over Bill and Fleur.
A little while later, Molly yawned and Arthur suggested they push off, leaving the young people to really enjoy themselves. Kingsley checked his watch and realized he should probably be getting back home as well. The three stood up and wished the twins a happy birthday and went outside and apparated home.
There weren't too many people left, a few close friends of the twins from school, Verity their faithful employee and a few other friends the twins had made since moving to Diagon Alley. And representing the older crowd, Bill and Fleur who were sitting in between Remus and Tonks. After a few moments, however, the music changed and Fleur was soon tugging Bill over to the dance floor. Bill grinned at both Remus and Tonks and followed his fiancée to the floor.
Remus shifted slightly in his seat and glanced at Tonks. She was bobbing her head to the song and watching the people dancing. As he watched her, Remus's stomach gave a sort of swooping sensation, as though he'd just missed a step going downstairs. She must have noticed him watching her, because she turned and looked at him. For a moment, he panicked, as if looking at her was not allowed anymore. But surely, after something as intimate as they had shared, watching was nothing. Then suddenly, she smiled at him. Not her usual wide smile, but a small and rather sedate gesture. Yet it gave him enough courage to move over and sit in the empty chair beside her.
He started to talk, but the music was too loud and he found he had to lean his head closer to hers so that he could be heard. "How-how are you?" he managed to ask, although their close proximity was nerve wracking to him.
She turned to look him in the eye and she took a minute or two before she responded. "I'm…good," she finished finally, the small smile still gracing her lips. She wanted to ask him how he was doing, put him in the same awkward position, having to think about the answer before he said anything, carefully calculating what one little word might do. For they were perched so precariously, possibility and opportunity dangling by a thread in front of them now, that the wrong word could throw them into a swirling downward spiral. Again. So she didn't ask him.
Unnerved by each other's gaze, the intensity of the silence between them caused them both to look away again, and so they turned their attention to the dance floor, where everyone else left at the party were dancing. Fred was dancing wildly, a half empty firewhiskey bottle in his hand. They noticed that everyone else was now holding shot glasses. George turned around and noticed Remus and Tonks sitting down and he frowned. He jumped over to where they were sitting and sat on the table in front of them.
"Now, why exactly are the two of you sitting here, moping about, and everyone else is having fun? This will not do at all! Come on," he grabbed Tonks's arm with one hand and Remus's arm in the other, "Have a few shots with us!" he said, dragging them to their feet.
Remus glanced at his watch. "I should probably be going," he said slowly. George glared at him. "Lupin, it is 9:30, the only place you are going to go, is right over there," he said, pointing to the dance floor.
"I can't dance," he insisted as they reached the open space. Lee turned and handed Remus, Tonks and George shot glasses and Fred filled them.
"It is our birthday," Fred insisted. "And you two are going to bloody well enjoy yourselves. Besides, you're not paying for this firewhiskey, we are. Take advantage of it!" he said merrily.
Remus took a sideways glance at Tonks, who had already made to down the shot. He started to lift his glass as well, resigned to bloody well enjoy himself as best he could.
"Cheers!" George said as he knocked both their glasses. All three threw their heads back and downed the shot.
Immediately, they felt the effects. Tonks shivered slightly. And almost immediately, Fred was back and had poured them another shot.
The large clock in the corner made a sort of rumbling sound and a second later, a large model of a dragon burst out and made a sort of snarling, growling sound eleven times.
"Its eleven o'clock!" George shouted loudly, his speech slightly slurred in inebriation. He doubled over, Lee Jordan draped over him and both cackled loudly.
"Ruddy lightweights, the pair of 'em," Bill said, his eyes only slightly glazed over. He was sitting again and Fleur was sitting in his lap, kissing his neck unabashedly. Remus was sitting across from them, eyeing his empty shot glass and looking anywhere but at the two lovers. He turned and watched George and Lee for a moment. He chuckled slightly himself. He then let his eyes settle on Tonks. She was dancing with Fred and for a moment, Remus felt a pang of jealousy run through him. A second later, he felt ashamed with himself. They weren't even touching each other, yet he felt awful, seeing the two of them together like that. Smiling, laughing at Fred's erratic movements. She looked happy. He smiled bitterly to himself. Of course she was happy, they were all too drunk not to be. Fuck, he was happy! He was drunk, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been drunk. It felt wonderfully liberating and glorious.
Remus sort of shook himself out of his daze as he felt a pair of eyes on him. Sitting on the counter next to the register, Verity was looking at him. She had clear hazel eyes and they were staring fixedly at Remus. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He jumped slightly as George plopped himself down in the chair next to him. "She's been looking at you for quite a while, mate," he said, his voice sounding a lot more sober than it had a few minutes ago. "In fact," he said as he poured himself another shot, "She saw you come into the shop last week. Asked us about you. I have the feeling she's quite taken with you," he finished before downing his drink.
Remus coughed loudly at George's remark. He didn't quite know what to say in response, so he didn't say anything. George poured him another shot and Remus picked it up. His eyes met Verity's again before he threw it back. He shivered, slamming his glass down onto the table. 'Merlin, they get younger by the day,' he thought to himself dismally.
"You should da-hic-ance with her," George remarked. Remus raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh come on, Lupin. Don't look at me like that. I haven't seen you smile once in here tonight. And really, truly mean it," he added as Remus grinned at him, very much resembling the Cheshire cat. "I think you need to loosen up. Have a little fun! Throw caution and inhibition to the wind!" George was standing on his chair now, the firewhiskey bottle flailing about wildly.
Remus shuddered. He remembered all too well what happened the last time he threw caution and inhibition to the wind. He stood and pulled George back down in his seat.
"Cheers mate!" George sloshed, before standing and asking Angelina to dance with him. They shuffled onto the floor just as the music changed. It was slow and sensual and the feeling in the room changed dramatically from carefree and buoyant to one of a kind of bottled tension and passion. Remus noted that Tonks was still dancing with Fred and it bothered him. So he stood quickly and crossed to where Verity was sitting on the counter. He smiled at her.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked, holding out his hand. She returned the smile and slid gracefully off the counter, taking his outstretched hand.
He had to admit, she was very pretty. Her blonde hair, he noticed, she wore short, as Tonks often did. He felt her put her arms around him, and taking a deep breath, as if he was preparing to do something much harder, they started to dance.
Tonks's breathing was quick and her feet were starting to hurt, so she was fairly happy when the song changed. She'd been dancing with Fred for awhile and she really had started to enjoy herself. When the music changed, she immediately moved closer to him. As they danced, out of the corner of her eye she noticed Remus was also dancing. It piqued her interest, she turned Fred around to get a better look at the girl.
"Who is that?" she asked Fred, nodding towards Remus and the girl, who had her head resting on his shoulder now. Tonks's eyes narrowed.
Fred followed her gaze. "Oh that's Verity. She works here, you know," he said absently.
Tonks nodded but her eyes were still glued to the other couple. Fred grinned. "You're not jealous are you?" he asked, his voice light and amused.
"What?" she asked, her attention suddenly snapped away from Remus. "I was just wondering who-"
"It's a little obvious," Fred interrupted her. "The two of you have been sneaking glances at each other all night, and the only two people who seemed not to have noticed is the two of you. Well, and maybe Verity. Bless her, she works hard, but she's about as bright as a tea cozy," he said solemnly.
Tonks pulled away from him slightly. "I have-I mean we haven't been-I don't know what you're talking about!" she sputtered angrily.
Fred raised an eyebrow. "I'm not stupid Tonks. And no one here is blind. If you're going to try and hoodwink us, you'll have to choose something a little less obvious."
Tonks walked away and sat down in an abandoned chair. She was short of breath now, but for an entirely different reason. Fred sat down next to her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you," he said gently, "but it's just…well, what happened? I mean, the two of you aren't even talking to each other now. And Lupin came in the other day saying he'd used the daydream charm you gave him. We thought that might be an improvement," he said, sounding slightly more cheerful.
Tonks coughed. "I know he used the charm," she said slowly, trying not to say too much.
"And?" Fred asked eagerly. He was still anxious to see how the experiment had worked.
Tonks stared at him. "And nothing. Look, its none of your business," she added at the crestfallen look on his face. She stood up quickly and poured herself a glass of water. She felt like she was going to be sick. Her hand was shaking as she raised the glass to her lips. She watched Remus still dancing with Verity, who suddenly turned around and started grinding herself against him. Tonks's glass fell to the floor. She turned quickly and ran out of the room.
She slammed the door to the bathroom quickly and leaned over the sink. Now she really felt as though she'd vomit. She splashed her face with cool water and then she sank to the floor, too tired to continue standing.
Remus had felt a little awkward when he felt Verity put her head on his shoulder. He had been watching Tonks at the time, so when she did it, he started slightly. She giggled. He watched as Tonks stalked off the dance floor, Fred following her. She looked upset about something. He wanted to tell her the only reason he was dancing with Verity in the first place was because she had been dancing with Fred, but he realized how ridiculous and childish that would have sounded, so he refrained.
When Tonks stood up, Remus thought for a moment that she was leaving. He started to pull away from Verity, for he still had not spoken to Tonks as he had meant to. However Verity took this opportunity to grind herself against him and he was caught completely off guard. He stared at her nonplussed and she grinned widely at him, her eyes glazed over. She was clearly drunk.
"Whoa, Verity are you all right?" he asked as he pulled back from her. He heard a door slam somewhere and realized Tonks was gone. As he pulled away, Verity fell to the floor and immediately started laughing.
Fred rushed forward to help her up. "Come on, Verity. Let's go sober you up a bit," he said, hoisting her up quickly. Remus watched the scene for a second. He felt a knot in his stomach, for some reason, he knew that Tonks had seen what had just happened and that was why she was gone.
He turned to Fred. "Where did-"
"She's in the bathroom," Fred said before Remus could even finish asking.
Remus went into the back room and found the bathroom door shut. He approached it cautiously, as if something awful might come bursting out and attack him. He wanted to knock. He wanted to talk to her, to explain, to apologize. He could hear movement on the other side of the door. Remus gritted his teeth and knocked tentatively on the door.
A/N: I feel kind of bad about putting Verity in a negative light. Oh well, I don't particularly like inserting OCs, so there you go. And I also couldn't decide between the two songs so that's why they're both in the title. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed. Its a happy thing! Cheers for reading!
