Author's note: Happy New Year's! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.

Warnings: NA

Priority Change

Tonks clucked her tongue when someone rushed to block the elevator doors, but when she saw that it was Kingsley climbing in she smiled. Her old friend looked tired, but he stood straight and held his head high as he always did and carried those purple robes of his well. If she hadn't worked at his side and spent multiple evening shifts with him, she wouldn't be able to tell how hard the Minister of Magic was working and the toll it was taking on his sleep.

"Well, well," she said. "Wotcher, Mr Minister. An honour to see you, riding the elevator like the common folk."

"Auror Tonks," he said, tilting his head.

"Another night spent sleeping in your office, I see," Tonks said. "What does Sirius think of that?"

"Bold of you to assume that he wasn't there too," Kingsley said. "He loves visiting, he calls it 'redemption.' There's no telling how far he'll go in a single day now that he's free and proven innocent."

"I know," Tonks said. "When you work late, he's usually in my flat and occasionally having slumber parties with my husband—just by the way."

"I know that too," Kingsley said. "You're here early yourself. Are you working a 6:00-6:00 shift?"

"Yup," Dora said, popping her p.

"At least you're free tonight," Kingsley said. "Which, by the way—I have to talk to you about, I'm glad I ran into you. I'm hosting a New Year's Eve party—it'll mostly be former Order of the Phoenix members, my assistant, some other Aurors, my sisters and nephews might swing by... I figure we'll need it after the year that we've had. It'll be nice to start something new, even if it just a year. It's last minute, I know, but if you and Remus want to come…"

"Are you kidding?" Tonks said. "My maternity leave was cut short by a war breaking out and a sudden surge in Death Eaters that needed to be captured, and I have a nine-month-old baby who's teething what I believe to be 1000 teeth. Staying up until midnight means nothing to me, calendar changes be damned."

"I'm taking care of food and drink," Kingsley said.

"My husband bought me new pajama pants that are the fuzziest thing I've ever touched and the second our son is asleep, he's promised me Chinese food with extra spring rolls and a good old fashioned movie marathon," Tonks said. "You're very dear to me, Kingsley, but I wouldn't go to a party tonight to put you out if you were on fire."

Stacked with: MC4A; Advent Calendar

Individual Challenge(s): Hufflepuff MC; Winter Wonderland; Home for the Holidays; Golden Times; Old Shoes; Themes & Things A (Family); Themes & Things F (Honesty) Ethnic & Present; True Colours; Rian-Russo Inversion; Flags & Ribbons; In a Flash

Word Count: 429

Shipping Wars

Ship (Team): Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks (Technicolour Moon)

List (Prompt): Fall Medium 1 (Take-out/Take-away)