"Just what was that?" Moody demanded, glaring as he loomed over her.
Something that would usually be intimidating but one, Tonks was used to it by now, and two, she was a bit busy being on her arse and panting heavily.
Also, she was trying not to wince too much because Moody always went on at her about not showing when you were in pain or injured because opponents would take that as an opening to attack, believing you were weak. And she definitely didn't want to be perceived as weak. No way. Even if her arse was throbbing. There had better not be a bruise there because that would really suck.
"I got hit, that's what that was," she managed to get out.
She hoped she managed to convey just how annoyed she was at that question too. Because, come on, wasn't it obvious? The spell had hit her and she had been knocked over. You couldn't get much more obvious than that!
Why was he even giving her that exasperated look anyway? Last time she checked, getting knocked down after getting hit by a spell was actually one of the better options! She wasn't knocked out and she hadn't actually been injured. Technically, she could jump right back to her feet and continue on with the fight. Which is what she had been planning to do if a certain somebody hadn't decided to l9om over her. Maybe she should do it and headbutted him in the jaw. It would serve him right. And be totally worth any punishment run he made her do.
Which actually weren't as bad as they used to be. For one, she rarely fell over her own feet anymore on the track and two, she no longer collapsed at the end due to her inability to get enough air into her lungs. She could actually do the runs now. Not that they were pleasant or anything like that, they were still a punishment, after all. But they definitely had got easier. Which was something she was never, ever going to tell Moody because Merlin knew what else he might come up with to deal with her cheekiness. Tonks really didn't want to know.
"And why did you get hit?" He demanded, still looking really annoyed at her.
She didn't do anything wrong! Well, okay, technically she misjudged that spell and of course ending up on your arse when in a duel was never a good thing but that didn't usually earn her that particular glare of Moody's.
"Because I didn't dodge it in time," she said, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
Nor had she shielded against it but that was kind of the point. Moody was sending her rapid-fire spells which forced her to think on her feet on how to dodge. Only the first spell could really be shielded against, unless you held your shield for longer but that expended energy and time that would be better used for dodging, getting the hell out of the situation or even capturing your attacker.
"You didn't dodge it in time," he mocked.
"Yeah," she gave him a confused look and gestured at herself. "I didn't dodge it in time."
That much was very obvious. Was that magical eye of his malfunctioning or something? Could a magical eye malfunction? Actually, how did you do about getting a magical eye. Tonks shook her head, that didn't matter right now. What mattered right now was the fact that Moody was looming over her looking thoroughly fed up with her. So what? She fell. It happened. And yeah, maybe she should be told off for it but not the way he was going on.
"That spell can't be dodged!"
"Yeah, well, I figured that out pretty quickly!" She snapped, rubbing her arse as she stood up.
Merlin, she had fallen heavily. She was going to have an impressive bruise, she just knew kt. It wasn't even a maybe now. Moody better not make her did and listen to him talk tomorrow. That wasn't the usual teaching style but knowing her luck he would do it just to spite her. And now he was rolling his eyes at her. That was her thing, thank you very much.
"What made you think you could dodge and area-dependant spell?"
And area dependant spell did what it said on the tin, so to speak. You didn't cast it at someone, you cast it in a direction and the effects happened on that area, not a specific thing like most hexes and curses. For example, the one that Moody just cast was a floor shaking one.
"I didn't realise that that's what it was!"
She really didn't, it was a yellow colour - much like a lot of hexes, hence the trying to dodge it. She didn't exactly want to get got by a hex if she could help it!
"It has a fuzzy edge and it doesn't make that tell-tale hissing noise as it goes through the air," he demonstrated. "What do hexes typically look like?"
"Sharp-edged and hissing?" She said cheekily, only to get a dark look in return. Uh oh, better answer properly. "Also have a more solid colour and strike faster."
Again, why she dodged without thinking. At least she got am approving nod for that.
"Tell me why I could restrict the effects of it to this room instead of the whole building," he instructed.
She rolled her eyes at him. She knew this already and he knew it but he wasn't letting up. He crossed his arms and glared at her.
"Because you deliberately underpowered it," she recited dully.
She wasn't stupid, after all. Well, maybe she was considering that she had ended up on her arse but still! She damn well knew all that crap about area spells and the whole the stronger you can cast them the bigger the area they'd affect would be! It wasn't rocket science, as her dad said.
"So, you do know all this," he grumbled.
"It was a bit cruel to use that one on me, by the way," she told him, crossing her arms, ignoring his last comment.
"How did you figure that?"
"Because its sole purpose to purpose make people fall flat on their faces!" She exclaimed. "I already do enough of that!"
All he did was snort in response.
"Aye, okay, it might have been a bit mean."
"Thank you," she said, flopping down in her chair. "That's all I wanted you to admit."
"We'll have to do it again then."
"What?" She spluttered. "No!"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"So, you learn how to brace yourself and not fall over. This way you'll have the advantage."
"I don't think that someone's going to cast a floor shaking spell on the area in a fight!"
"You never know! They might! CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"
Tonks was annoyed that she still jumped when he bellowed that. But he wasn't going to intimidate her into backing down. No, he was not.
"They won't!" She insisted and ploughed on before he could interrupt her. "Because that spell runs the task of knocking you over as well if you don't concentrate on it enough. Like you said, it effects a circle around you. Not just in front!"
And if you were in the middle of a duel you weren't going to risk all of your concentration on one spell.
"You're right," Moody said proudly.
"Huh? I mean, yeah!" She quickly covered her surprise and stood a little straighter.
"You're still practicing it though."
"Oh, come on!"