Written for Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments - Term 11, Assignment 5 - Culinary Arts, Task 1: write about a birthday.
Also written for Care of Magical Creatures Class at The Golden Snitch Forum (Beauxbatons, Guinefort) - House Elf: write about a Hufflepuff.
An Un-fur-gettable Birthday
Tonks had had a long day at the Ministry. She had spent most of her day running about, trying to placate the right people (whoever said being an Auror wasn't political?) and now she was exhausted.
Any plans of running a long bath and snuggling up in bed evaporated as soon as she saw Viktor, however. Her surly Bulgarian boyfriend was waiting for her at the door to their flat. In his hands, he held a package wrapped in sensible brown paper.
"This is for you," he said gruffly, thrusting the bundle at her. Tonks was accustomed to his varying degrees of gruffness by now to know that this was an affectionate sort of gruffness, however. "Happy birthday, Nymphadora."
"Tonks," she corrected automatically, then smiled brightly at him. With all of the stress at work, she had completely forgotten that it was her birthday. "You didn't have to get me anything, Viktor."
He waved a hand. "It vos nothing. You vill like."
"Well, thank you," Tonks said, plunking herself down at the small wooden table in the kitchen.
She made quick work of unwrapping the present, which turned out to be an assortment of fur clothes — a silver stole with matching earmuffs and a pure white coat. She studied them, a bit puzzled. Her memory wasn't the best, but she couldn't remember ever mentioning a desire for such extravagant garments.
"Blimey. These are...great," she said, holding up the coat and trying not to imagine spilling wine — or anything else — on it. "They must have cost a fortune, though. You know, I'd have been alright with some new shoes for work or something. You really didn't have to go to all this trouble."
"No trouble. And these are not just from me. They are also from my family," Viktor explained. "Every veek I am writing them, telling them vot a vonderful person you are. They vont to meet you, Nymphadora. That is other part of your present. Ve vill spend two veeks with them next month."
In her shock, Tonks nearly dropped the coat, and had to scramble to keep it from hitting the floor. "Two weeks? With...with your family?"
"Ve haff been together for nearly two years and still they have not met you," Viktor reminded her, tucking a strand of honey-colored hair behind her ear. "They vould like to meet mother of my children."
"But we...we don't have any children," Tonks said dazedly.
Viktor shrugged. "Not yet. But maybe soon ve vill, they are thinking."
Tonks looked at him in dismay. Kids weren't something that she had given much thought to, if she was being honest. "I'm only 25, Viktor. And you—you're still playing Quidditch! There'll be plenty of time for kids later."
"Yes, I know this. But my family vould still like to meet you," Viktor persisted. He took her hands in his and locked eyes with her. "It vould mean a lot to me if you vent on trip."
Tonks squirmed a little, racking her brain for an excuse not to go, before letting out a sigh. If it was that important to Viktor, she would do it for his sake. After all, he hardly ever asked anything else of her. "Alright, fine, but no kid talk. And do I really have to wear these clothes?"
"My family vill be most insulted if you do not vear them," Viktor told her, looking as though he was hiding a smile.
"Damn," she muttered. She just knew she was going to ruin that coat.
Word count: 591
