Chapter 5: Enter Nymphadora Tonks:
Two more weeks soon passed as he got used to the presence of Zephyr. Each day that passed bonded the two closer together. Zephyr already loved spending time with him and even the Tonks. He greatly enjoyed listening to Ted and his musings, but it was the quiet Andi he truly liked spending time with. As he told Harry she had a quiet ferocity to her actions, he greatly enjoyed her company, he would even occasionally affectionately nudge her face.
The Tonks themselves enjoyed Zephyr's company as he was an outgoing snake who liked to be mischievous, twice he had used his invisibility ability to scare Ted, who was unaware of his presence. Each time Ted would flick his belly with his finger in annoyance and amusement.
Soon June 11th arrived which signaled the arrival of Dora. Ted left around noon to go pick her up, soon though a crack signified their return.
"MUM WHERE ARE YOU" Dora shouted as soon as she got in.
Andi merely shook her head while sitting on the couch next to a nervous Harry before saying, "In the living room dear."
The sound of loud footsteps was heard as a beautiful pink-haired girl came stumbling into the room, barely avoiding tripping over nothing, Ted following behind her smiling in amusement.
She looked at her mom before seeing Harry sitting on the couch next to her, his hair cycling through a variety of colors due to his nerves, which caused Dora to still and her eyes to go wide in shock. After like 20 seconds of staring Andi just laughed at her reaction, Ted joining in also, which finally caused Dora to leave her stupor before she launched herself at Harry dragging him up and pulling him into a 'Hermione' hug (as he had deemed all violent breath-stealing hugs).
"Can't Breathe" He barely managed to choke out as Zephyr looked on from Andi's shoulder in confusion.
Pulling away, though keeping his right arm in hers she looked to her mom before saying in exasperation "Mom, why didn't you tell me you got me another metamorph."
At that Harry started sputtering, causing Ted to laugh and Andi to try to look annoyed, though her amusement clearly showed.
"Nymphadora Vulpecula Tonks!"
"Mummmmm, don't call me Nymphadora" she whined her hair turning a bright crimson.
"Nymphadora is a lovely name dear," Andi said smiling at her in a patronizing way. The game was back on Andi thought as she looked at her daughter's whiny face.
Harry meanwhile was doing his best to remove his hand from this crazy girl's grip, he was unfortunately unsuccessful as she was holding on to him so hard that he was sure he would need his wand to get her off. He doubted Andi or Ted would like that though, though with how hard she was holding him she was going to leave a bruise.
"YOU DON"T HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT" Dora yelled, deafening Harry momentarily.
Meanwhile, Zephyr hissed $ She's loud. $
Hearing the hissing Dora stiffened noticing Zephyr for the first time, who was perched on her mother's shoulder, she looked at him with fear.
Seeing her look Andi explained, "This is Zephyr Nymphadora he is Harry's familiar and a part of our family now."
After saying this Zephyr floated up to a still Dora and affectionately rubbed her cheek causing her to relax and let out a giggle. As she did, she let go of Harry's hand to scratch Zephyr's neck who preened and let out a hum of contentment. Harry meanwhile backed the hell away from this girl/monster.
His movement caught her attention, she then turned her attention back to him. His hair turned bright white in fright, seeing his hair she just snickered which caused his hair to turn to his natural black showing his annoyance.
As she moved towards him, he moved behind the couch hoping to keep something in the way of her. It proved ineffective as she followed him which caused him to move to the other side of the couch, she frowned seeing this before she smirked and chased him, an action he mirrored by dodging her.
"NYMPHADORA VULPECULA TONKS, HARRY JAMES POTTER YOU TWO STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" Andi yelled out. At his name Dora stopped and looked at him in confusion, she then looked to her mom in an explain this right now way.
"Sit down both of you now!"
Harry sat down in the armchair across from Andi, Ted meanwhile took a seat to his wife's right, as Zephyr once more attached himself to Andi's shoulder. Harry hoped by sitting down in the armchair he would avoid Dora, sadly that was not to be as she decided to perch herself sideways on his lap so she could look at him and her parents.
He tried to get up, but she held him down though. Ted looked on trying not to laugh at Harry's predicament. He knew this was going to happen and judging by the reaction of his wife she had resigned herself to this outcome.
"Nymphadora got off him this minute, can't you see he's uncomfortable!" Andi let out in exasperation. The whole time thinking she was glad she was a witch and didn't have to worry about blood pressure.
Dora pouted before getting up and stomping to sit next to her father on the couch. She looked at Harry and winked at him causing him to blush a Weasley shade of red. Zephyr meanwhile flew over to her and coiled himself onto her lap. With joy, she started to pet him causing him to hum in satisfaction.
Andi then began the explanation of how Harry was there causing Dora to stare at him in shock. When she got to the part about Voldemort, Dora's hair took on a stark white appearance showing her fright. Andi reassured her that it would be ok, and it took almost 5 minutes to calm her down.
Dora had remembered the tail end of the last war and the fear that permeated their society. After the tale, Dora slowly got up putting the now-sleeping Zephyr down on the couch.
She slowly made her way to the nervous Harry before she pulled him up to his feet and she then gave him a gentle hug. This caused him to relax in her arms after a few seconds.
She then pulled away and cupped his head in her hands and kissed him, causing his hair and face to turn red before he pulled away.
"Nymphadora" Andi tried to sound angry but at this point, she had seen it coming.
Turning around Dora looked at her mom innocently before replying "What he's mine." This caused Ted to shake his head in exasperation and Harry to look at her like she was mental.
Ted stood up and turned to his daughter looking at her sternly "Dora, he's a person, not an object."
Properly chastised Dora looked down in fake shame, though a slight smirk on her face let Ted know that she was unrepentant.
Andi hoping to head her daughter off said, "Now Nymphadora dear look at it this way not only does Harry get a family, but you get a brother." At the word brother Dora looked at her mother in horror.
"NOOO," she said leaping to her feet hair shifting bright red, "He's gonna be my boyfriend, not brother" she finished muttering.
Harry thoroughly annoyed at this point, which was evident in his crimson hair stood up "What about what I want!", looking at Zephyr $ Let's go! $ he said causing Dora to flinch in shock at the serpentine language her new soon-to-be boyfriend elicited. Zephyr meanwhile flew towards the leaving Harry curling around his shoulders and neck.
Ted was just shaking his head, while Andi looked on the verge of yelling at her daughter. All the progress they had made with the currently raven-haired teen had just gone up into smoke.
For the first time since she had arrived home, Dora felt ashamed of her actions. She thought she was in the right, come on another metamorph, a person that would understand how it is to be like her! After her horrible 4th year, she had sworn off dating.
All the guys she dated wanted her to turn into a supermodel or something. One guy even tried to have her turn into his mother, Ewwww, she was pretty sure his jaw still had an indent where her fist had connected, which brought a grin to her face at the memory.
Maybe it was being in a different time and losing all his friends that aided his reluctance in wanting to be her boyfriend. She would give him some time, she giggled at that 'time', to get comfortable with the idea of being her boyfriend.
She was sure he'd see the benefits; girls would flock to him just because he could be anyone, with her she would never expect him to change for her benefit, she hated when people asked her to change into someone else.
She didn't mind occasionally changing her looks, but she drew the line at people asking her to be someone else. She was Nymphadora Tonks, and she wouldn't pretend to be who she wasn't, well within reason of course. She still needed her ability to prank others after all, and she would need it for undercover work when she became an Auror. Also, with them both being metamorphs, the relationship would be truly equal.
Knocking her little hellion out of her deep-thinking Andi cleared her throat to get her attention, it worked as Nymphadora jumped at the sudden noise. "Now Nymphadora, Harry is now a part of our family. You will treat him with respect and also respect his boundaries. That means if he does not wish to engage in a relationship with you, you are to leave him alone!"
Dora scowled in annoyance at her mother, but before she could respond, Andi gave her daughter her signature 'mom' glare which instantly stopped all forms of protest.
"Your mother is right Dora, Harry just lost everything, he doesn't need you to destroy what little he has because you decided to see him as 'yours' especially because he's the only ever metamorph you have ever met."
"B-But"
"No Buts young lady, you will respect his privacy and space otherwise you will be grounded until you leave for Hogwarts again, he needs a friend right now not a complicated love life."
Dora looked defiantly at her mother, but her mother didn't care as she continued, "AM I CLEAR NYMPHADORA!" her mother shouted tired of her daughter's irresponsibility to look at the young man's feelings regardless of her wants.
"Yes Mom" Dora muttered angrily. At that Andi just raised her eyebrows while Ted crossed his arms.
Seeing this Dora tried again, "yes mom" she said meekly this time.
"Now you will go put your trunk away, I assume you left it in the hallway?" at her daughter's nod she just rolled her eyes. "Then you will go and apologize to Harry. Speaking of which his name is now Harrison Phillip Evans, for obvious reasons he cannot use his original name at the moment. Until the time he graduates Hogwarts he will be your father and I's ward. That does not mean you can try to force him into a relationship."
"She's right Dora you can't force someone to like you," at this, she scowled, and her father just trudged on "Dora how would you like it if someone you just met came up to you and kissed you and said you were theirs?" he said frowning.
At this Dora just stilled, she had to concede her father had a point if someone tried to do that to her, she would sucker punch them in the nuts or kick them. Either one would make her skip off happily. She decided right then and there to pursue her new infatuation slowly to ease him into a relationship. Every other girl better back the hell off though.
Seeing their daughter finally get the message, Andi and Ted let out sighs of relief. Unfortunately, or thankfully for them, they didn't know her ending thoughts on the matter.
"Good now go do what your mother told you"
"Yes, Dad" getting up she hugged her dad and kissed her mom on the cheek before running out of the room and tripping. She got up and gave them a sheepish smile and left the room.
"Dromeda I think things are going to be worse than we thought." Andi just put her head in her hands while Ted rubbed her shoulders comfortingly.
Dora or Tonks as she liked to be called, though she tolerated Dora in the presence of her family, Harry would be fine to call her Dora also. Otherwise, it might get confusing if he addressed her as Tonks in a room full of people who could answer to that address. She would have to get him to call her Tonks at school though, can't have people think it was ok to call her by any variation of her first name.
She had finally finished putting away her school things, her mom never let Tilly clean her room, which annoyed their house elf, but Dora realized long ago that it was her mom's way of teaching her responsibility, not that it worked though.
When she was done she decided it was time to go apologize to her soon-to-be boyfriend. Making her way to the guest room or as she guessed it was now Harry's room.
As she approached the door she noticed him sitting on the bed with his head down, while devoting all his attention to Zephyr. Dora already loved that snake, it seemed like her, fun and a little rebellious. Why else would its perch on her mother's shoulders?
Before she could enter though she became enthralled with him hissing at Zephyr. It slipped her mind that he could speak to it, but to be fair she only heard him that once.
She watched in silence as he and Zephyr hissed back at each other, a small smile gracing his lips, which caused her to be entranced. He was handsome when he smiled, after less than a minute though he noticed her and met her eyes and tensed. At that she mentally berated herself for how she treated him, she was starting to see what her parents said about him, not that she was changing her gameplan, she would just try to befriend him first and she'd have to take it slower.
"Wotcher Harry!"
"H-h-hello?"
"Was that a question or a hello?"
His face flushed at that causing her to laugh before her face went serious "I'm sorry about before, it's just I've never met another person like me before."
"It's ok I guess," he said looking down.
"NO... it's not Harry I made you uncomfortable, so I'm sorry. I still think you'd make the perfect boyfriend though, but I guess I'll settle for a friend" she said teasingly, causing him to flush a deeper shade of red.
"ANY ways, have you eaten lunch yet?" she said letting the ANY sound louder than usual.
"No, we were waiting for you to get home."
"Well then come on, let's go eat. You too Zephyr!" at that Zephyr flew into her arms as she proceeded to scratch under his chin, with him letting out a hiss of contentment.
"He likes getting scratched under his chin."
"I figured, he practically drools when I do this and it's only the second time"
$ I DO NOT DROOL $ at that he caused Harry to laugh, Dora looked at him asking him to tell her what he said.
"He said he doesn't drool," Harry said between laughs.
Dora looked down at Zephyr who was giving her his best non-threatening threat look before she cracked a smile and started scratching under his chin again. Zephyr lost his composure though causing her to laugh.
She then looked at Harry with a grin still attached to her face, "Well then come on I missed Tilly's cooking." she said turning and leaving through the door. Harry just shook his head and followed.
He made his way downstairs where Dora was already sitting in a chair, with Zephyr on her lap, waiting for food to be ready. Soon they were eating, he hoped that with Dora now here he would still feel like a part of the family.
Only time would tell though, and while Dora seemed like she would bring him headaches she also seemed like she was the type of person to bring joy to life. He would just wait and see, though he was not inclined to date her, she seemed like she wanted everything her way.
He wasn't thinking of dating all that much anyway, he had only ever had one date (the yule ball) and two crushes, both of which would never pan out with the now age difference.
Cho would now be 7 years younger than him and Fleur while not a huge difference (she was originally 3 years older after all) would be 4, which at their current age would be creepy. He mentally put them both in the friend zone, not that either would have looked at him anyway in his original time.
As he was deep in thought while eating, the general mind of the occupants of the house was hopefully things would work out. The only one who was not in mind with the others was Zephyr who was internally complaining that the loud pink-haired girl wasn't scratching his belly, it was so hard to get good help he hissed internally.
AN: I wanted Tonks to feel like an immature young adult that has been spoiled by being an only child. She at the moment thinks that Harry is 'hers' but that will quickly change.
Also, for those that like Newt I have a whole arc planned for him set during the summer before year 7, so it will be a bit away, roughly chapter 25, also Rolf will become a main character because he is mostly unknown outside of his marriage in canon to Luna and being Newt's grandson.
I also like Newt, so to write a younger less experienced version of him I think will make for a great school year character. For those wondering this story will go all the way through their remaining Hogwarts years and the 4 years of Auror or unspeakable life.
Updated and Edited with Grammarly on 10/13/22
