Strangeways, Here We Come

Clumsiness…

She had always been given grief about her clumsiness, and it annoyed her to no end. After all, it wasn't like she did any of it purposely! She tried, she really did, but the shouts of "Tonks, watch out!", or "Tonks, don't touch that!", and occasionally, "Tonks, that was a priceless family heirloom!" were all too common.

Most people tittered about it good-naturedly at first, seeing her as a source of amusement, but that never lasted long. Soon there came winces and grimaces at the path of destruction she inevitably managed to leave in her wake. Fine china was hidden if she was in the house, and soon that was extended to anything glass and ceramic as well, regardless of craftsmanship or worth. Molly had even allotted her an unbreakable plastic cup to drink from, but somehow she had managed to crack that too – she had no idea how exactly, all she knew was that it was embarrassing to be treated like a child.

As much as it bothered others, it bothered her more. She had worked hard in attempts to become graceful, but it simply hadn't stuck. It wasn't like she enjoyed being a walking disaster, or having people inevitably shift from laughing with her to laughing at her…

But things changed when she met him. She thought that surely her childish antics (no matter how unintentional) would repel the dignified professor, but by some miracle they hadn't. Instead, he seemed to smile every time her inelegance reared its ugly head, as if he thought it… adorable? She had waited for the entertainment value to wear off and for the annoyance to begin, but it never had. That amazed her.

Instead of snickering or chastising her, he always took the time to help her up, asking if she was alright. Nobody else ever did that anymore, probably assuming that by now she was immune to bumps and bruises. If she hadn't already noticed his politeness and attractiveness and all-around wonderfulness then that certainly would have opened her eyes.

What she did notice was how strong he was and how good he smelled when he caught her in his arms after tripping. In fact, she rather liked that position, it becoming familiar after a few more saves. He always managed to sweep her up whenever she stumbled in his vicinity – soon her devious mind led her to be even clumsier around him.

Okay, so maybe she did some of it purposely…

Please review, I'd love to know what you think about it!

Toodles,
- ish -