div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"Midnight was Tonks favorite time of the day. Everyone in the Hufflepuff dormitory was sleeping, she and Rae Blackwell could sneak into the kitchen for their marathon of midnight snacks. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"They've been doing this for years sometimes it was the only time they saw each other. Especially this year. Rae was busy studying for the NEWTS and trying to decide what she was going to do with the rest of her life. And Tonks was struggling with her OWLS, just like everyone else in her year was. This wasn't how she thought fifth year would go, stuck in the tedious routine that was school and quidditch, which explained her poor impulse control./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Have you gone in for career counseling with Sprout yet?" Rae asked as they took a seat on the cheery yellow rug infront of the fire. Tonks glanced at her friend and shook her head. The sudden jerking movement of her neck caused shooting pains to spread across her body. A few days after her and Charlie's training session and her body was still recoiling from the abuse she put it through. Rae watched Tonks restricted movement with worry in her bright blue eyes. Tonks didn't want to talk about it, though she was sure Rae would find a way to get it out of her./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Not yet, tomorrow I think." Rae just nodded, silently watching as Tonks dipped a whole pickle into the peanut butter she had smuggled into school. Her gaze was like the rays of the sun, burning Tonks' fair skin with a slight tingle. "I can see the questions in your eyes, why not ask them instead of staring at me like that."/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I didn't know if you wanted to talk about it." Rae said softly. There was a shyness about her tonight that was unlike her./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""When has that stopped you before?" A slightly mischievous smirk spread across her whole face. Rae's somber mood lifted as she laughed. The sound personifying girlhood, it was in essence everything that made Rae Rae./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""True, so what's with the pained expression on your face?"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I spent three hours today playing with Charlie." It wasn't until she saw the sly brow arch on her friends face that she realized she could have worded that so much better. A soft blush crept onto Tonks' cheeks. "What I mean is that Charlie was helping me by hitting Bludgers at me for three hours. That's all." She felt the need to add the last part from the look in Rae's eyes. Like her dreams were coming true. Rae was a third year when Charlie and Tonks had become friends and from that moment Rae had not kept quiet about how cute they would be together. Luckily tonight she kept it to herself. Even as she went on talking about something else Tonks' mind was back on that moment in the pitch. She could have sworn Charlie was going to kiss her and maybe that's why she panicked and fleed. And while she wanted to talk about it and try to understand why she was feeing so down, she knew if she mentioned any of it to Rae the girl would spend the rest of the year trying to push the two of them together.../div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"The next day her body wasn't feeing any better, over night several bruises popped up on her shoulders and back. Rae spent the majority of the morning trying to talk Tonks into going to the hospital wing to get them fixed up, but she just didn't get it. Sure she was in a little pain but they were badges of honor. Proof she was more then her schoolwork, and that was a great feeling./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Skip next class with me?" Rae asked as they walked down one extremely crowded hallway. Students from every direction bumped into her, forcing her into a stone column. Large hands that could not possibly belong to Rae held her up on her feet when the pain in her shoulder made her want to crumple to the floor. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"Her breath was taken away as she looked into the eyes of Hunter Savage. She let her eyes rack over him. His dark wavy hair laid perfectly across his forehead, a rogue hair fell infront of his green eyes. Eyes that matched perfectly with his green and silver tie./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""It's Tonks right?" He asked, she had to ripe her gaze off of him when she noticed Rae swinging her arms in the hall behind him. The girl winked and scattered down the hallway. "Are you okay?"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Yeah," she said when she finally found her voice. "I did some endurance training yesterday and the Bludgers really kicked my ass." He laughed softly but there was still concern in his gaze. His hands still on her arms holding her./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""They tend to do that." Suddenly he yanked her forward, she stumbled over her own feet and into his chest as a loud bang echoed from behind her. "Stupid second years don't know how to watch where they are going." He said with a scoff. She couldn't breath and this time it had nothing to do with Hunter. She held her shoulder and tried not to groan. His fingers graded the skin at her neck as he pulled her shirt open. "This looks really bad lets get you up to Madam Pomfrey." She didn't argue with him as he pulled her in the direction of the hospital wing./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Thanks,"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""It's no problem Tonks, plus it gives me a reason to talk to you." She smiled softly as they turned down a nearly empty hallway. Newly hatched butterflies were flapping heir wings in the pit of her stomach. Hunter was pretty well known in their year. He was basically Charlie with dark hair and a bad reputation but he was by far the most desirable boy in the school. It was the mix of dark skin and soft blue eyes that took everybody by surprise. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Why would you need a reason to talk to me?" She asked glancing out of the corner of her eyes to look at him. He had his gaze fixed on her face, a gentle smile playing at his lips. He didn't smile much in the one class they had together but every time Tonks caught it she knew there was something behind his soulful eyes. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Because it would be weird if I just asked you out randomly." Tonks was shocked into silence. She normally talked too much in situations like this, over sharing and bumbling her words about but she couldn't seem to make her lips move. Luckily they turned into the hospital wing and madam Pomfrey ushered her behind a curtain to check out all of her bruising./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"After a particularly foul tasting potion the pain in her bones began to subside. Madam Pomfrey sat and watched as the bruises started to fade. The matron shaking her head and muttering about the stupidity of sports as she headed back to her office./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""You alright in there?" Hunter's voice sounded from the other side of the curtain, Tonks froze in the middle of buttoning up her shirt. Never in a million years did Tonks think Hunter would have waited around on her. She slipped her yellow and black tie over her head and ripped back the curtain to see him leaning against a bed across the room. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""You didn't have to stay." She said, he just shook his head./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""What kind of Healer would I be if I didn't? Plus you didn't answer my question." She smiled softly as every nerve in her body began to buzz. This was really happening. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""To be fair you didn't really ask one." Together they began to walk down the hall, his soft laugh following them./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Tonks, will you go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I'd love to." She could barely contain her excitement. Five years here at Hogwarts and she had never been on a date. Plenty of boys had asked but she had never said yes. This felt like the start of something and she was almost as excited about this as she was the Hufflepuff Gryffindor game Friday night. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"They went their separate ways after promising to catch up and make a plan for their trip. Tonks was walking on air as she hurried towards the greenhouse before she missed another class./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"Her feet caught on the door as she entered the greenhouse and she landed on her face. Every set of eyes seemed drawn to her as she righted herself. She could see Charlie hanging in the back trying not to bust a gut from holding back his laughter. Professor Sprout stopped Tonks as she tried to make it back there before she caused another scene./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Where have you been Ms. Tonks?" She demanded, her normal cool demeaner always seemed to vanish when Tonks was in the room./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""The hospital wing." She muttered keeping her eyes on the floor of the greenhouse. She had planned on lying but as head of the Hufflepuff house, professor Sprout always seemed to bring the truth out of her./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Very well." She motioned for Tonks to take her spot next to Charlie. "Oh but next time try to get hurt after my class."/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Man does she have it out for you." Charlie said with a laugh as he tended to the fanged geranium they were tasked with taking care of. She eyed the plant suspiciously, it wanted a piece of her more then professor Sprout did. "What'd you do to her?"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""It's not my fault." Tonks said sticking with her set excuse. Years she'd had been messing around with magic and pranks, it was her automatic response and she couldn't help when it came out of her mouth. "Professor Sprout just has no sense of humor."/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Never mind I don't want to know what you did. So why were you really late?" He asked as she set her stuff down underneath the table. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I wasn't lying I was at the hospital wing."/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Tonks are you okay?" His attention shifted down to her kneeling at his feet and the vicious fanged geranium took that moment to bite through Charlie's holely gloves. He yelped softly and jumped back from the malicious plant. It was just as Tonks feared, it had tasted her blood and now it wanted more./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"She jumped up and pressed a bandage to his hand. All thoughts from the night before had vanished from her head completely. Charlie was her friend and he'd be just as excited for her as she was. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""That's not even the exciting part." She said looking up into Charlie's eyes. He smiled weakly still obviously focused on the puncture wounds in his fingers. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""What's exciting about going to the hospital wing?"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Exactly, unless you are escorted and asked out by one Hunter Savage." Charlie stopped moving and just stared at his friend. A million thoughts going on behind those dark eyes of his and Tonks couldn't distinguish a single one of them. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Tonks," he paused after her name, his eyes darting around the room. Clearly Mr. Smooth was at a loss for words. For some reason that perked her up. "Why would he want to go out with you." He said when he finally spoke. His words like a slap across the face. She was angry, truly and bitterly angry at her friend. She knew she was quirky and she never lacked for dating options so why would Charlie say such a thing./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Maybe because I'm awesome and not hard on the eyes."/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Yeah but that's because of your Metamorphmagus. Who knows what you really look like." Embarrassment seemed to over take him but his words were out. Tonks had thought she couldn't be angrier at him but she didn't want to test it. She held her hand up as he began to open his mouth to speak./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Don't, don't speak. Let's just do this in silence." She snapped, all of her rage and sadness vibrating through her voice. He was her friend, he wasn't suppose to say things like that. Even when they were making fun of each other it had never been that hurtful. She didn't know what to think. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"As soon as class was over he attempted to speak to her but she couldn't even look at him. Was that why he was her friend? Just so he didn't have to worry about guys trying to hit on her? His words still hurt as they echoed around in her head. She left her bag and ran away from him./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"They've been doing this for years sometimes it was the only time they saw each other. Especially this year. Rae was busy studying for the NEWTS and trying to decide what she was going to do with the rest of her life. And Tonks was struggling with her OWLS, just like everyone else in her year was. This wasn't how she thought fifth year would go, stuck in the tedious routine that was school and quidditch, which explained her poor impulse control./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Have you gone in for career counseling with Sprout yet?" Rae asked as they took a seat on the cheery yellow rug infront of the fire. Tonks glanced at her friend and shook her head. The sudden jerking movement of her neck caused shooting pains to spread across her body. A few days after her and Charlie's training session and her body was still recoiling from the abuse she put it through. Rae watched Tonks restricted movement with worry in her bright blue eyes. Tonks didn't want to talk about it, though she was sure Rae would find a way to get it out of her./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Not yet, tomorrow I think." Rae just nodded, silently watching as Tonks dipped a whole pickle into the peanut butter she had smuggled into school. Her gaze was like the rays of the sun, burning Tonks' fair skin with a slight tingle. "I can see the questions in your eyes, why not ask them instead of staring at me like that."/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I didn't know if you wanted to talk about it." Rae said softly. There was a shyness about her tonight that was unlike her./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""When has that stopped you before?" A slightly mischievous smirk spread across her whole face. Rae's somber mood lifted as she laughed. The sound personifying girlhood, it was in essence everything that made Rae Rae./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""True, so what's with the pained expression on your face?"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I spent three hours today playing with Charlie." It wasn't until she saw the sly brow arch on her friends face that she realized she could have worded that so much better. A soft blush crept onto Tonks' cheeks. "What I mean is that Charlie was helping me by hitting Bludgers at me for three hours. That's all." She felt the need to add the last part from the look in Rae's eyes. Like her dreams were coming true. Rae was a third year when Charlie and Tonks had become friends and from that moment Rae had not kept quiet about how cute they would be together. Luckily tonight she kept it to herself. Even as she went on talking about something else Tonks' mind was back on that moment in the pitch. She could have sworn Charlie was going to kiss her and maybe that's why she panicked and fleed. And while she wanted to talk about it and try to understand why she was feeing so down, she knew if she mentioned any of it to Rae the girl would spend the rest of the year trying to push the two of them together.../div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"The next day her body wasn't feeing any better, over night several bruises popped up on her shoulders and back. Rae spent the majority of the morning trying to talk Tonks into going to the hospital wing to get them fixed up, but she just didn't get it. Sure she was in a little pain but they were badges of honor. Proof she was more then her schoolwork, and that was a great feeling./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Skip next class with me?" Rae asked as they walked down one extremely crowded hallway. Students from every direction bumped into her, forcing her into a stone column. Large hands that could not possibly belong to Rae held her up on her feet when the pain in her shoulder made her want to crumple to the floor. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"Her breath was taken away as she looked into the eyes of Hunter Savage. She let her eyes rack over him. His dark wavy hair laid perfectly across his forehead, a rogue hair fell infront of his green eyes. Eyes that matched perfectly with his green and silver tie./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""It's Tonks right?" He asked, she had to ripe her gaze off of him when she noticed Rae swinging her arms in the hall behind him. The girl winked and scattered down the hallway. "Are you okay?"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Yeah," she said when she finally found her voice. "I did some endurance training yesterday and the Bludgers really kicked my ass." He laughed softly but there was still concern in his gaze. His hands still on her arms holding her./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""They tend to do that." Suddenly he yanked her forward, she stumbled over her own feet and into his chest as a loud bang echoed from behind her. "Stupid second years don't know how to watch where they are going." He said with a scoff. She couldn't breath and this time it had nothing to do with Hunter. She held her shoulder and tried not to groan. His fingers graded the skin at her neck as he pulled her shirt open. "This looks really bad lets get you up to Madam Pomfrey." She didn't argue with him as he pulled her in the direction of the hospital wing./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Thanks,"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""It's no problem Tonks, plus it gives me a reason to talk to you." She smiled softly as they turned down a nearly empty hallway. Newly hatched butterflies were flapping heir wings in the pit of her stomach. Hunter was pretty well known in their year. He was basically Charlie with dark hair and a bad reputation but he was by far the most desirable boy in the school. It was the mix of dark skin and soft blue eyes that took everybody by surprise. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Why would you need a reason to talk to me?" She asked glancing out of the corner of her eyes to look at him. He had his gaze fixed on her face, a gentle smile playing at his lips. He didn't smile much in the one class they had together but every time Tonks caught it she knew there was something behind his soulful eyes. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Because it would be weird if I just asked you out randomly." Tonks was shocked into silence. She normally talked too much in situations like this, over sharing and bumbling her words about but she couldn't seem to make her lips move. Luckily they turned into the hospital wing and madam Pomfrey ushered her behind a curtain to check out all of her bruising./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"After a particularly foul tasting potion the pain in her bones began to subside. Madam Pomfrey sat and watched as the bruises started to fade. The matron shaking her head and muttering about the stupidity of sports as she headed back to her office./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""You alright in there?" Hunter's voice sounded from the other side of the curtain, Tonks froze in the middle of buttoning up her shirt. Never in a million years did Tonks think Hunter would have waited around on her. She slipped her yellow and black tie over her head and ripped back the curtain to see him leaning against a bed across the room. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""You didn't have to stay." She said, he just shook his head./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""What kind of Healer would I be if I didn't? Plus you didn't answer my question." She smiled softly as every nerve in her body began to buzz. This was really happening. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""To be fair you didn't really ask one." Together they began to walk down the hall, his soft laugh following them./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Tonks, will you go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I'd love to." She could barely contain her excitement. Five years here at Hogwarts and she had never been on a date. Plenty of boys had asked but she had never said yes. This felt like the start of something and she was almost as excited about this as she was the Hufflepuff Gryffindor game Friday night. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"They went their separate ways after promising to catch up and make a plan for their trip. Tonks was walking on air as she hurried towards the greenhouse before she missed another class./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"Her feet caught on the door as she entered the greenhouse and she landed on her face. Every set of eyes seemed drawn to her as she righted herself. She could see Charlie hanging in the back trying not to bust a gut from holding back his laughter. Professor Sprout stopped Tonks as she tried to make it back there before she caused another scene./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Where have you been Ms. Tonks?" She demanded, her normal cool demeaner always seemed to vanish when Tonks was in the room./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""The hospital wing." She muttered keeping her eyes on the floor of the greenhouse. She had planned on lying but as head of the Hufflepuff house, professor Sprout always seemed to bring the truth out of her./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Very well." She motioned for Tonks to take her spot next to Charlie. "Oh but next time try to get hurt after my class."/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Man does she have it out for you." Charlie said with a laugh as he tended to the fanged geranium they were tasked with taking care of. She eyed the plant suspiciously, it wanted a piece of her more then professor Sprout did. "What'd you do to her?"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""It's not my fault." Tonks said sticking with her set excuse. Years she'd had been messing around with magic and pranks, it was her automatic response and she couldn't help when it came out of her mouth. "Professor Sprout just has no sense of humor."/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Never mind I don't want to know what you did. So why were you really late?" He asked as she set her stuff down underneath the table. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I wasn't lying I was at the hospital wing."/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Tonks are you okay?" His attention shifted down to her kneeling at his feet and the vicious fanged geranium took that moment to bite through Charlie's holely gloves. He yelped softly and jumped back from the malicious plant. It was just as Tonks feared, it had tasted her blood and now it wanted more./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"She jumped up and pressed a bandage to his hand. All thoughts from the night before had vanished from her head completely. Charlie was her friend and he'd be just as excited for her as she was. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""That's not even the exciting part." She said looking up into Charlie's eyes. He smiled weakly still obviously focused on the puncture wounds in his fingers. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""What's exciting about going to the hospital wing?"/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Exactly, unless you are escorted and asked out by one Hunter Savage." Charlie stopped moving and just stared at his friend. A million thoughts going on behind those dark eyes of his and Tonks couldn't distinguish a single one of them. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Tonks," he paused after her name, his eyes darting around the room. Clearly Mr. Smooth was at a loss for words. For some reason that perked her up. "Why would he want to go out with you." He said when he finally spoke. His words like a slap across the face. She was angry, truly and bitterly angry at her friend. She knew she was quirky and she never lacked for dating options so why would Charlie say such a thing./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Maybe because I'm awesome and not hard on the eyes."/div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Yeah but that's because of your Metamorphmagus. Who knows what you really look like." Embarrassment seemed to over take him but his words were out. Tonks had thought she couldn't be angrier at him but she didn't want to test it. She held her hand up as he began to open his mouth to speak./div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Don't, don't speak. Let's just do this in silence." She snapped, all of her rage and sadness vibrating through her voice. He was her friend, he wasn't suppose to say things like that. Even when they were making fun of each other it had never been that hurtful. She didn't know what to think. /div
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"As soon as class was over he attempted to speak to her but she couldn't even look at him. Was that why he was her friend? Just so he didn't have to worry about guys trying to hit on her? His words still hurt as they echoed around in her head. She left her bag and ran away from him./div