Not Going Anywhere

by hmweasley

Tonks has been proving herself since she first revealed that she'd be an Auror only to be faced by sceptical classmates. Years later, a full-fledged Auror, she's supposed to be past that, but joining the Order of the Phoenix is another reminder of just how inexperienced she still is. Luckily, she's not ready to give up yet.

40. Chapter 40

In retrospect, Tonks should have remembered Fleur's wedding sooner than she did. Her decision to marry Remus had been so spontaneous that her friend's ongoing wedding plans had slipped her mind until she next saw Fleur.

It took most of lunch for Tonks to finish explaining everything that had happened since they'd last spoken. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she finished. Something that had felt so simple at the time had led to far more apologies than she'd ever expected.

But Fleur's immediate reaction to hearing about the wedding had already been more positive than Andromeda's, and her smile widened as Tonks finished her story. Reaching across the table, she patted Tonks' hand.

"There's no need to apologise. I'm very happy for you both." She shook her head in amusement. "And also amazed. I never could have eloped like that. It's incredible."

Tonks chuckled. "Yeah, I don't know. I guess I've never dreamt about a wedding like some people do. It seemed like the easiest option. At the time, at least."

Fleur laughed. "After helping me plan my own wedding for so many months, I can see why you'd think that. Merlin knows I'm stressed, but I hope it will be worth it in the end."

"Of course it will!" Tonks said. "You and Bill are going to have the greatest wedding I've ever attended."

She'd never actually been to that many, but that fact went unsaid. Everything had been going so well that her stomach plummeted when Fleur's smile fell.

"Hey," Tonks said, leaning forward. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Fleur said as she did her best to smile. She took some time to dab at the tears threatening to leak from her eyes. "Now that it's close, I suppose I'm a little nervous about all of the wedding planning."

Tonks got up and moved around to Fleur's side of the table. Taking a seat beside her friend, she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Oh, Fleur, I don't think it would be possible to be more prepared for a wedding than you are. You've thought about things that never would have occurred to me."

Fleur laughed. Though a few tears still shone in her eyes, she did appear comforted. "Thank you, Tonks. That means a lot."