"Is it true?" Mainwaring demanded.
"Did she answer? Is it true?" Eggleston asked eagerly, coming up from behind Mainwaring.
"I don't know."
"Why don't you know? Haven't you asked her?"
"I have!"
"Well, then?"
"She hadn't answered!"
"Why?"
"I don't know!"
Tonks took this moment to cough pointedly to get their attention. Surprisingly, it worked and both heads snapped around to face her so quickly that she was afraid that their necks were going to snap. She gave them a little wave.
"I'm right here, guys."
"Tonks!" They chorused like they were surprised to see her.
She rolled her eyes at them as they looked at her eagerly.
"What?" She asked when they didn't say anything.
"Well?" Mainwaring countered.
"Well, what?"
"Is it true?"
Making an exasperated noise, she crossed her arms.
"Is what true?"
"You know..."
"Actually, I don't because you haven't asked me anything.
Mainwaring frowned. "I haven't?"
"You haven't?" Eggleston echoed and turned to Mainwaring. "I thought you said that you had?"
"I thought I had," he turned back to her. "Are you sure I haven't?"
"Nope. Not at all."
"Huh. I really thought I had."
"Go on then," Eggleston elbowed him. "Ask her."
He helped and frowned as he rubbed his arm. "It's your fault I haven't. You interrupted me."
"No, I didn't."
"You did."
"I didn't."
"Well, then how come I haven't asked her then?"
"I don't know!"
"Because you're being an idiot!"
"You're the idiot for not asking her!"
"It's your fault that I haven't!"
"Hardly! You hadn't asked her when I walked up!"
"I was working up to It!"
"Sure, you were."
"I was!"
"Uh huh."
"You ask her then."
"Oh, no. You said You were going to."
Tonks watched this go back and forth for a few minutes, genuinely interested in how long they could keep going. It turned out it was quite a long time. Which was hilarious but it did get boring after a while.
"Guys! Can someone ask me the damn question already!"
The way they were getting on reminded her of the Weasley twins when she was in Hogwarts. Well, they weren't as loud as those two (No one was as loud as a Weasley could be) but they were certainly just as obnoxious. And normally she would just walk away and let then bicker but apparently, they had a question to ask her and would probably just chase after her if she walked away. That and she was kind of interested in what they were so desperate to ask her.
Surprisingly, her shouting at them actually shocked them into silence. Which, of course, was the opposite of what she wanted.
"Come on!" She exclaimed when they made no move to say anything.
They looked at each other and then had this weird fight where they elbowed each other, trying to get the other to talk. Before she could shout at them again, Mainwaring finally blurted it out.
"Is it true that Auror Moody is teaching you how to cast a Patronus?"
Her first instinct was to go on the defensive.
"I thought you all didn't want to know about how Moody was training me anymore?"
Mainly because They all thought he was either crazy or a pushed way too hard for no reason. Or both. Look, as long as she wasn't complaining she didn't see why they should care.
"You didn't tell us you were being taught how to cast a Patronus"
She rolled her eyes. How did news like that even get out? It wasn't like she was going around bragging about it. Did they walk past Moody's room or something? But it was well away from everyone by design. Moody's paranoia in full effect.
Today was the only the second day since the Pepper-up incident (as Moody was now taking it) that Moody actually let her do any sort of complicated spell. She had been allowed to go back to practicing some of the more powerful spells used in duelling yesterday. Apparently, he didn't want any accidents with unintentionally or impulsively overpowered spells while she had the potion running through her system. Though that had been five days ago now so Tonks thought he was being more than a little dramatic. She had pointed this out but Moody hadn't listened and kept her doing easy spells or even just reading things up. Aka, it had been a boring couple of days. Though, getting back to trying to do a Patronus definitely made up for it. And, although she didn't want to admit it, the break did make her feel a bit better
She was definitely getting better at it. The silver mist she was producing was definitely more of a dense, silver fog. And it looked like it was trying to make some sort of shape instead of just being a cloud which was exciting. Her excitement had unfortunately made all of her hard work vanish because she had become distracted but still, it was visible progress! It was kind of exciting even though it wasn't much.
What would her Patronus be? It was going to be an animal of some sort, obviously - she knew that much - but as far as she knew, you couldn't predict what might come out of your wand. Would it be something big and cool like... Like a bear? She hoped it wasn't something really small like a mouse or something. That would be kind of pathetic. Would a mouse even have mug of an effect on a Dementor? Did the size of your Patronus matter? She would have to ask Moody.
"But that's really, really complicated."
"It is," Tonks agreed.
Trust her, she knew that. It had been weeks and she still got stupid silver mist. Which was still good, according to Moody but she had thought that she'd be a bit further on by now. You know, actually make in come together, maybe even start to make a shadowy shape or something. But nothing. She was trying not to be too disheartened about it, moat adult witches and wizards couldn't produce one but, you know, she had this hope that she would be one of those that could.
"But you're still being taught it?"
"Uh huh."
Hey, she wasn't complaining even though she wished she was actually getting somewhere. Silver mist was pretty cool.
"With two months left before we get off for revision for exams?" Mainwaring asked incredulously.
"Six weeks, actually, but yeah."
In hindsight, that did sound like an incredibly stupid thing to be doing. In her excitement she hadn't even thought of that.
"That's mad," Eggleston said.
She shrugged. "Want to tell Moody that?"
The speed at which his eyes widened was hilarious as he shook his head vigorously.
"No way."
"Tell me what?"
They all jumped at the sudden gruff voice. Though, Eggleston and Mainwaring both looked terrified.
"Hi, Moody," she greeted in a bored tone.
The two guys stuttered out something that she supposed was a greeting. Moody just stared at them which didn't help matters.
"What did you want these two to tell me?"
"Nothing!" Mainwaring said far too loudly.
Moody turned to him and raised an eyebrow, making him go bright red.
"Obviously you have something to tell me."
She really shouldn't but Tonks found Mainwaring's panicked spluttering hilarious.