Had she ever mentioned how fun Mad-Eye and McGowan could be? Because they were. Not with her, of course, she was just some lowly Trainee here to be ordered about and teased. Which she didn't really mind because they were decent about it, unlike some Mentors she could name. And yes, she was referring McCabbert's. Who was just seriously, well, maybe not awful but he was annoying. They were in their final year now. Their final year! The had to get stuck in a cram in as much knowledge as they possibly could. All the mentors were doing just that. Except for him.

And then you had Mad-Eye who went a step further than everyone else. And McGowan who just added chaos but technically it helped her. She was so, so lucky.

"Quit your dreaming and listen up," Mad-Eye barked at her.

Most of the time. Most of the time she was lucky.

"I'm listening. I'm listening."

"Sure, you are."

"I am!"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up and listen?"

"Actually, you told me to 'quit my dreaming and listen up'," Tonks couldn't help but cheekily correct him.

Yes, she really was incapable of controlling herself sometimes. This being one of those times. She just couldn't help it; it had been too tempting. And now she was regretting it, just a little bit because she hadn't quite counted on Mad-Eye's glare to be that intense. Tonks shrunk in on herself slightly and tried to give him a smile. It didn't work.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't apologise," he snapped. "It's a-"

"Sign of weakness, I know," she finished for him.

Which, of course, didn't help her case at all. She resisted the urge to bash her head off her desk. Maybe that would remind her brain to control her tongue. Or at least knock her out so she couldn't say anything. That could work too and she'd take whatever she could get at this point.

"If you like smart arse-y remarks then we better put it to go use," he informed her with this far too pleased look on his face.

Tonks got this sinking feeling in her stomach. Why hadn't she just kept her mouth shut.

"You can transcribe all of the of the witness statements from those kids a team brought in the other day." He later out her punishment.

And what a horrible one it was. Tonks groaned at the thought.

Even all of them in the Academy knew who those kids were, none of the actual Aurors would stop complaining about them. They were these kids, literal kids, all between fifteen and nineteen who thought they were some sort of edgy gang. They were general nuisances and did stupid stuff when they were together. Obviously, they did nothing to bring the attention of the Auror Office on them - they were stupid, not dangerous - but the Magical Law Enforcement Squad were another story. Petty theft, vandalism, graffiti, being rude to Law Enforcement and pretty much everyone they came into contact with and all these other small-time crimes were enough to give these kids a decent sized file. The reason they came to the attention of the Aurors was because they were, unfortunately, witnesses to some Dark Magic. And them not being in trouble did not stop them from having smart mouths.

Which meant the interviews were long and infuriating to listen to. How the ones interviewing them didn't strangle their neck, Tonks would never know. They must be literal saints.

"You're absolutely nuts, you know that, Mad-Eye?"

As soon as she said it, she froze. And it was like the whole world had as well. Mad-E- no, Moody! Moody! Moody and McGowan had frozen as well.

What had she just said? Had she really said that? Had she really used a nickname? On her Mentor? Who was Alastor Moody? Yeah, there was no way she was going to even think of his nickname right now. There was no way she had said that. Yeah, that was it. It was all just a figment of her imagination. Which would be a lot easier to believe if those two would just stand looking at her like that! Then she could pretend that everything was normal and that was that.

Oh, Merlin, God and whoever else was up there. She really had just said that. Out loud. For everyone to hear. Well, two people but still. She had done it!

This was all her own fault. The entire time she had been off (a whole seven days), she had been referring to Moody as Mad-Eye because that's what everyone did. You kind of got used to hearing it and eventually you started using it yourself. Which is what she had been doing. The thing was, she had always been careful not to use it within the Academy. At all. Just in case she slipped up. But apparently, she didn't need that precaution because she was just going to go ahead and do it anyway! Oh, how stupid was she? Why did she always let her mouth run off like that?

That was it. She was done. Over. It was all over. She was going to be asked to pack her bags and go.

She waited for him to start bellowing at her except that it never came. In fact, the room was oddly quiet. Except for her panicked breathing, that is. She risked a look at them.

Why did McGowan look so happy?

"Ha! I told you!" McGowan said triumphantly. "Told you she would actually say it to your face!"

Ma-Moody looked like he didn't know whether to be annoyed, shocked or impressed. His face kind of cycled between all three.

He then dug into his pocket and passed a few gold coins to her.

"I thought I'd overhear you calling me that," he explained at her confused look, misinterpreting why she was confused.

She shook her head on disbelief.

"But I just insulted you!" She managed to get out. "No one calls you that to your face."

He stared at her, titling his head to one side, looking all piercing and intimidating. She gulped. This was it. He was going to start shouting now. She braced herself.

"You can call me that once you've graduated," he said finally.

"Yes, si-, wait, what?"

There was no way she had heard that right, there was just no way. No one called Moody, Mad-Eye. At least, not to his face. Obviously. Even if he didn't seem to mind the nickname (which, he didn't, considering he sometimes he referred to himself as 'old Mad-Eye') that didn't mean you just said it to his face. That was just rude.

But Moody was nodding, a thoughtful look now on his face.

"Once you've graduated, you can call me that," he repeated.

Her mouth was gaping open. Her jaw hurt but Tonks really didn't care.

"B-but, but, but why?"

That probably wasn't the first question she should have asked but it was the first one that came out anyway.

Oh, how embarrassing was this? It was awful. She couldn't believe that she had done it. Why had she done it? Why was she like this?

"You know that you're the first person to actually call me that to my face?" He said, not answering her question.

"I didn't mean to," she said urgently.

She didn't want him thinking that she went around disrespecting him like that. She didn't. In fact, she had the utmost respect for him.

"I know," he dismissed. "But you can. In a year, anyway."

"Have to keep some of that decorum," McGowan added, somehow doing it with a straight face.

Moody threw a crumpled-up piece of paper at her without looking. It hit her right in the forehead.