Chapter 20: Meeting the Parents
Tonks
Percy did warn her that his home city was a tad crowded, but Tonks was not prepared for this. There was hardly any room to walk down the sidewalks, people pushed their way through, moving with an impatience that she failed to understand. Most folks weren't even paying attention to where they were headed, heads down buried in something that was held in their hand, or loudly talking into a similar device held up to their ear.
More than once, Tonks had been run into shoulder first, only to receive a harsh glare from the retreating individual as they kept moving without breaking stride. So far, she hadn't noticed any odd looks sent her way, nobody seeming to care about her outfit that was apparently straight out of the 1930s. Although, she wondered if that was because nobody even looked at her to begin with.
Mrs. O'Leary had ended up in a back alley, filled with trash and what Tonks hoped wasn't urine. They had immediately hopped off, and she quickly disappeared to who knows where, for what Percy assured Tonks was the hound's nap time. Tonks had felt a bit queasy from the travel, but it had passed quickly. They had walked past a disheveled man that was passed out, slumped on the wall of the alley. A bottle was loosely grasped in his hand, and reeked as if he hadn't cleaned himself in weeks. Judging by the matted hair and visible specks of dirt on his person, he probably hadn't. He sort of reminded her of Mundungus, except for the hair.
Percy walked right past him without hesitation, so Tonks followed. They emerged into the open area out of the alley, and Tonks immediately began to suffer from sensory overload. Bright lights shining from impossibly tall glass buildings, loud voices of an unreal number of people surrounded her, all attempting to speak over each other at the same time. It all assaulted her senses in conjunction, and they were not happy. This was a new experience for her, and she thought it got busy in Diagon Alley. She realized just how right Percy was when he called the Diagon Alley crowd 'Childs play'.
Percy grasped her hand and began to lead her down the street, through the crowd like he had last summer during what Tonks liked to refer to as their 'first date'. She still stumbled behind him as they moved, even with her crowd navigation practice.
"You live here?" Tonks had to stop Percy and lean in close to his ear to make sure he could hear over the hustle and bustle, car horns and wailing sirens.
"Just a little further." He nearly shouted back. After some more dodging and weaving, and loads of thanks to Percy for his crowd maneuvering ability, they came to stand in the lobby of an average looking block of flats. Percy led her up the stairs and through the halls after exchanging a greeting with the man standing behind the counter in the lobby.
He stopped her in front of an unassuming white door with a small peephole, taking a deep breath and flattening his clothes with a quick swipe of his hand. He raised a fist, and Tonks suddenly found herself nervous.
Percy was one of the best people she knew, and she thanked Merlin she was able to have grown close to him - with another wish that she wasn't hallucinating when she deduced that he had some sort of feelings for her too. He had to, right? He was taking her to see his family after all…
But what if they didn't like her? What if she blew her chance because they thought she was immature or something, that she wasn't good enough for their son. What if they weren't nice? Though that one quickly flew out of her mind; how could they not be after raising someone like Percy?
What if-
Her train of uninspiring thoughts left her mind with a swing of the door. A wonderfully homely aroma filled the hallway almost immediately, and many of Tonks' fears left her mind. A woman stood in the doorway, who Tonks could only assume was Mrs. Jackson, brown hair down to her shoulders and the warmest brown eyes you could imagine found Percy standing there. She surged forward with a brilliant smile, enveloping her son in a desperate hug.
It was a nice reunion to watch, a mum who hadn't seen her son in about six months, it was heartwarming. Though she was beginning to feel a bit awkward, standing in the hallway while mother and son embraced. Their hug ended shortly after, and Percy's mum looked at her for the first time.
Her eyes were… Well, they made her feel at ease in an instant. Warm, inviting and Tonks already felt like she would do anything to make this woman happy.
"Mom, this is Tonks. Tonks, this is my mom." Percy gave a brief introduction. Before Tonks could say anything, she found herself in the midst of one of the best hugs she had ever received. A deep breath filled her nostrils with a subtle smell of cinnamon and sweets. It was gentle, comforting and made her feel safe. In fact, she felt so cozy she didn't want her to let go. It was as if someone had cast the heating charm directly into her back. Now she knew why Percy had held on for so long.
The warmth remained for a moment after she had let go, and Tonks was severely disappointed, hoping that more hugs would come her way during their brief stay. She had received many a hug from Molly, though those were more enveloping and firm, almost overbearing. Not that she was saying Molly gave bad hugs, but Percy's mum was in a league of her own.
She was hoping that she didn't have a stupid smile on her face while she was standing, basking in the glory of Mrs. Jackson. Merlin, she had only just met the woman. "Good to meet you, Mrs. Jackson."
"Oh, it's Mrs. Blofis." She waved Tonks off with a gentle smile. "But please, call me Sally. Now come in won't you? Don't just stand in the hall." Her voice was gentle and warm, able to put anyone at ease with a few simple words. Maybe they should just have Sally go talk to Voldemort, maybe the war would end before it even truly began.
"Thank you, Sally." Tonks wasted no time taking her up on the offer, suddenly all too eager to see the rest of Percy's family that week. Hopefully they were all like Sally. She could hear Percy shuffle in behind her with a chuckle, most likely knowing exactly what was going on in her head.
"Your mum is awesome!" Tonks whisper-yelled into Percy's ear.
"You just met her."
"I don't care. I love her."
Percy shook his head, and the two stepped into the apartment after Sally had cleared the doorway. She removed her outerwear, hanging her hat and jacket on the hook next to the door. Their flat was a decent size, with a large, open living room leading into a pretty updated kitchen.
A taller man with salt and pepper hair had risen from the couch when her and Percy had crossed through the doorway. That must be Percy's dad, Tonks assumed. But he didn't look that much like Percy at all, honestly. He drew Percy into a brief, one-armed embrace, letting go after a short moment.
"Welcome home, Percy." He said with a smile, which Percy returned.
"Thanks, Paul." Percy doesn't even call him his dad? He refers to him by his first name?
"Tonks." Percy turned towards her. "This is my stepdad, Paul."
"Wotcher." She greeted. Ah, stepdad. That made more sense after a brief explanation. That's why Percy didn't resemble him all that much. Truthfully, he didn't share many features with Sally, either. Tonks gave Paul's hand a nice, firm shake, introducing herself as Percy's friend from across the pond.
"Only friend, Perce?" Sally teased innocently. Tonks wished.
Percy rolled his eyes. "Can we not, mom." He said, face turning a faint shade of red.
"Okay, okay." She relented. "I'm just saying, Percy. It'd be good for you." She was obviously not afraid of talking about these things in front of Tonks. She leaned in close to Percy, but Tonks was still able to strain her ears to hear. "She's very pretty, too." And that made Tonks' heart swell. She had just met the woman, and her approval already made her feel that good. "Food is ready, if you're hungry." Sally said aloud once again.
"We're starving." Percy responded eagerly. "Tonks' stomach has been complaining since we left during breakfast in England."
"I'm with you." Paul motioned towards her. "Do you know how tough it is to have to hold off while smelling Sally's cooking for this long?"
"How long have you been waiting?" Percy asked with a little worry. Tonks felt the same way, she would hate to have kept them waiting for long, it was sort of rude if she and Percy were the reason they were holding off their appetites.
"Ten minutes." Sally shrugged, leading the group into the kitchen.
"That's a long time." Paul argued back good naturedly. They all moved together into the kitchen, sitting around a round table with four chairs, inhaling the scent of fresh breakfast before them. A stack of blue pancakes was waiting for her, and she was ever so eager to stuff them in her face. If they were that good when Percy was cooking, how delicious were Sally's blue pancakes going to be? It was past due to find out.
Tonks took a big bite, and the taste sent her leaning back in her chair, savoring the flavor as they melted in her mouth. They were heavenly, and even better since Tonks was denied breakfast earlier on. "These pancakes are absolutely delicious, Sally." Tonks couldn't help but compliment the woman out loud. "Best I've ever had."
"What about mine?" Percy asked, having finished chewing his bite right as her compliment ended. He feigned offense, delicately placing his hand on his chest and shooting her a disbelieving look.
"I'm sure they were good, Percy." Sally reassured him while Tonks was busy swallowing another eager bite.
"I mean yours were good." Tonks said. "But these are bonkers." She dove in for another bite, unable to restrain herself any longer. A brief silence followed a rich laugh from Percy who was not at all disappointed by her assessment, all four too busy eating to make much conversation. Clinks of silverware on plates and silent chewing were the only sounds that accompanied the meal.
"Your food is good, Paul?" Sally asked her husband, finally breaking the ravenous silence.
Hmm? Paul looked up cautiously, as he was caught red-handed shoveling more pancake into his mouth that was hovering just above the plate. He hadn't said a word during the whole meal, too occupied with making up for those last ten minutes he had lost. He swallowed thickly, putting down his fork and returning to a good posture. He raised his eyebrows, silently asking her to repeat her question.
"Everything good?" Sally obliged.
"Oh, yes." Paul answered without hesitation. "As always."
That was the last conversation for the remainder of the meal, everyone silently agreeing to prioritize eating before anything else. They soon came to the cleaning up stage, and Tonks ended up next to Sally at the sink, having offered to help the woman clean the dishes. She was used to seeing them cleaned with magic, but didn't hesitate with the work either.
She was assigned to rinsing after Sally had scrubbed the dishes, dropping them off on her side of the sink. She would methodically rinse off the suds, and stack them neatly into the dish rack. Percy and Paul had retired to the couch in the living room after Sally had kicked them out, stating they would meet them there after the dishes were clean.
"It's nice to see Percy back to normal." Sally mused, scrubbing one of the plates that had been used for breakfast.
"Normal?" Tonks asked the woman, carefully placing that same plate in the rack.
Sally nodded, grabbing another plate. "You've only been here an hour, and this is the most I've seen him laugh and smile since… Well, I'll let Percy tell you."
"Since Annabeth?"
"So, Percy told you?" Sally asked, pausing in her washing motions for her answer. Tonks nodded when Sally's eyes were on her. "Before that, he was so full of life. Laughing, joking, hardly seen without a smile - at least I barely did. He even had plans for their future." Sally was staring at the wall behind the sink, washing the silverware before her with automatic motions. "After, he was…" she trailed off, shaking her head and finished scrubbing the forks, dropping them for Tonks to rinse.
She did, placing the last of the dishes in the rack. A comforting hand fell onto her shoulder, and she turned towards Sally's warm eyes. She had thrown the dish towel over her shoulder, leaning on the counter backwards. "I can tell that you've helped him a lot already. Thank you, as his mother." She said genuinely. Tonks wasn't so sure she had done so much for Percy, he always seemed to be the one comforting her. "I hope he's done the same for you."
Percy had, without a doubt, impacted her in more ways than she probably even realized. "Loads." Tonks settled for a simple reply and as genuine of a smile that she could muster. Sally returned her smile with one that Tonks was sure she'd never tire of.
"Good." Sally transferred the dish towel from her shoulder to the oven door, wiping her hands together. "Let's go relax, shall we?"
They quickly cleaned the sink and dried their hands on the towel, before sauntering into the living room and sitting on the furniture with Percy and Paul. Tonks plopped down next to Percy, and Sally in a recliner adjacent to her husband.
They were both concentrated on the screen when the women joined them, the television much more complicated and advanced then the one her father always was watching. There was a sport being played on the screen, loads of players skating back and forth on a sheet of what looked like ice. They didn't acknowledge them, their eyes only passing back and forth with the small black dot that moved between the pieces of wood the players held in their hands.
"Boys." Sally tried, but they were too invested. Something bad must've happened, as Paul leaned forward and let out a frustrated sigh, bringing his hands up to hide his face.
"Boys!" Sally said with a much more forceful tone. That caused them to slightly jump in their seats, whipping their heads towards her with panicked eyes. "We have a guest."
"Right." Paul said, sitting forwards on his chair, elbows resting on his knees. "So, Tonks…" He paused for confirmation, and she nodded. "Where are you from?"
"Southern England."
"Nice." Paul bobbed his head up and down, casting frequent glances out the side of his eye back towards the action on the television. Tonks could tell he was trying to be sneaky.
"Paul!" Not sneaky enough, it seemed.
"Sorry, sorry." He chanted, one last cursory look at the screen. "It's just a good game, honey,"
"There are more important things." Sally chided. "Percy brought his girlfriend home." Percy didn't make to correct her, and Tonks certainly wasn't going to be the one to do it.
"You're right. I'm sorry." Paul relented, clicking off the television with the press of a button.
"I love your hair, dear." Sally said with a smile. "Did you dye it?"
Tonks glanced at Percy, silently asking him how much she should divulge. They probably should have established it before they arrived, but she wasn't sure how much Percy's mum and stepdad knew about magic. He only nodded encouragingly in response. "I'm a metamorphmagus."
"What does that mean?" Paul asked, his attention now focused solely on her after the chastising he received from Sally.
Right, Tonks almost forgot they were muggles. They probably didn't know what she was talking about. "I can change my appearance at will."
"Oh, that's neat." Sally chimed excitedly from her spot. "So, you just prefer pink?"
"Yup." Tonks bobbed her head, popping the 'p'. "Had it that way long as I can remember."
"So if you wanted to, you could just change what you look like? Just like that?" Paul snapped his finger to prove his point.
"Just like that."
"That's pretty neat." Paul leaned back in his chair, propping his foot up on his other leg. "Is that a rare gift?"
"I don't know anyone else who is." She answered, to which he nodded, seemingly satisfied for now.
"Caused some problems in school, right Tonksy?" Percy brought up. Tonks really wasn't planning on going that deep, but apparently he had other plans.
"I can understand that." Sally said, a sad smile propped on her face. Tonks decided that she wasn't a fan of that look, Sally deserved to have that happy smile from when they knocked on the door, except all the time. "Must have been plenty of requests." She was impressed, for Sally to understand that so quickly. Especially that having been the first time she had heard about someone with Tonks' abilities.
"Nobody really wanted to get to know me." She confessed. "They just wanted me to be someone else. Percy doesn't do that though." She threw her arm around Percy, dragging him in close to herself. She added the last part, hoping to raise the mood and move on from that topic. It was something she had moved past, which Percy had no small role in.
"He better not." Sally gave him a pointed look.
"She said I didn't, mom." Percy defended himself amidst the snickers coming from Paul on the sideline.
"I'm just saying, I raised you better than that." Tonks couldn't help the chuckle. There was something about their mother-son bickering that was amusing and adorable at the same time.
"So, do you become the other person, or just look like them?" Paul asked without taking a breath. "What about your DNA? Or health concerns? Blood type?" He fired off his questions, reminiscent of Hermione really, not giving her time to answer. "Sounds similar to a novel I read once. Fantastic literature, it was written by-"
"Paul." Percy cut him off. He paused, mid hand gesture.
"Yes?"
"Your English teacher is showing."
"Oh." He replied, lowering his hands. "Sorry, I - I tend to ask lots of questions."
"That's alright." Tonks laughed off his concern, completely used to Hermione doing it. "It does come in handy for my job, though." She changed the direction of the topic, hoping to talk about more than just the abilities she was born with.
"Oh, and what is it you do?" Sally inquired, thankfully following along with Tonks.
"I'm an auror."
Sally and Paul glanced at each other, not saying a word. Tonks wasn't sure if they had something against aurors, or they just didn't know what that really meant. There was a bit of an awkward silence, nobody really knowing what to say about her job. Percy finally decided to answer their question before they asked, giving Tonks a hand.
"She's like a magical policeman." Their faces lit up in recognition, with both mouthing an 'ahh' and matching looks of realization.
"That must be exciting!" Paul exclaimed, looking eager to hear about her robust tales of daring adventure and thrilling chases through the streets of magical London. He was going to be slightly disappointed however, as auror work was much more paperwork than anything else. At least in her current experience level.
"Not as much as you'd think, honestly." She regretfully informed him. "I've done some fieldwork, but I'm mostly filling out forms and other paperwork."
"Hmm." Paul mused, hand on his chin in thought. "The fieldwork you have done has been exciting, no?"
"Sort of." She answered honestly. "I'm still pretty new to the department, so I get mostly boring cases. Though some have a bit of thrill."
Paul tapped his chin a few, deliberate times. "I think we can work with that."
"Work with what?" Tonks asked, unsure of what the man was referring to. Whatever it was, he was clearly excited about the prospect, nearly buzzing in anticipation in his seat.
"Yeah, what're you talking about Paul?" Percy asked along with her, sitting forward with cautious curiosity.
"It's a great story, isn't it?" He turned towards Sally with an encouraging look. She just rolled her eyes slightly, as if they'd had this conversation before. "Would make a great novel."
"Paul, I've already told you. I need inspiration to write another one."
"You're a writer?" Tonks asked, surprised. Percy had never mentioned that, ever. Of course, he hadn't told her many specifics about his parents. Only the vague notion that his mum was 'the best ever', which is similar to the answer that most sons would give. The whole writing thing was news to her, and mighty impressive to be honest. Tonks could never do something like that, she simply didn't have the patience.
"Only got on the New York Times bestseller list." Paul boasted, the pride in his wife evident in both his eyes and his voice. He sat up a tad straighter, and his chest puffed out ever so slightly.
"I'm not that good, Paul." Sally said, suddenly sheepish. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and Tonks caught a glimpse of a faint tinge of red on her cheek.
"Pfft." Paul was having none of it, waving off her attempt at being modest. He turned back towards Tonks, his pride still outwardly glowing. "I'd use her book in my English class if I could."
"Yeah, ma. Don't sell yourself short." Tonks heard Percy reassure his mom in the background of her brief conversation with Paul.
"Why can't you use Sally's book?" She asked, curious on how the muggle education system was structured.
"Um, state requirements and such." He said disappointingly, rubbing the back of his neck. "They require certain books, and then there's never enough time in the school year to fit anymore." He explained.
"Even if I did start writing again." Sally called loudly, drawing both of their attention back to her along with Percy. "I can't just use Tonks' story without permission. That's wrong."
"I don't mind, honest." Tonks said without pause, looking between a relenting Sally and a jubilant Paul, cutting off her half-hearted protest. "It's actually really flattering. Nobody has ever taken that much of an interest in me before." She finished, entirely conscious of how meek her voice began to sound at the end.
"Well, how about this, dear?" Sally began to propose, jumping up from her seat with surprising agility and traversing the distance between the two pieces of furniture in a few steps and plopping down next to Tonks on the couch. "Tomorrow morning, we do a little shopping, maybe grab something to eat. And you can start to really tell me about yourself, see what happens from there. How does that sound?"
Sounded great to Tonks. Shopping was always fun, and she was interested in how much different the muggle stores would be compared to the magical world. She would mostly be interested in the variety, in eighty percent of the available clothing not being robes, honestly. And, she would get to spend more time with Sally, which was a big plus. She nodded enthusiastically to Sally's proposal. "Sounds great."
"You want me to tag along?" Percy asked from her other side, and Tonks was not fully convinced he wasn't jealous of her getting to spend some alone time with Sally.
"That's okay, Percy. Why don't you stay here with Paul." Sally patted Tonks shoulder gently, and her arm tingled in delight. "I think this should be a girls trip." Percy begrudgingly accepted his mum's instruction, crossing his arms and leaning back into the crook between the back of the couch and its arm.
They fell into a brief silence after they hashed out their plan for the following day. Sally still hasn't removed her hand from Tonks' shoulder, not that she would ever force Sally to move it. Sally eventually broke the silence, beginning a new conversation under a different topic. "You said you left England this morning?"
"That's right." Tonks answered for the two of them.
"How did you get here?" She followed up, most likely referencing how quickly they made the trip.
"Percy's dog…" She tried, unsure of how to explain their method of travel, and how much Sally and Paul knew about Percy's 'pets'. She also, admittedly, may have forgotten the dog's name.
"Mrs. O'Leary?"
"Yeah, Mrs. O'Leary." Tonks was thankful for the reminder. Sally and Paul apparently knew more than she thought they did. Maybe the rules were more lax here in America. Tonks was used to the strict policy in England; absolutely no revealing magic to muggles. "We, uhh… we went with her."
"Mrs. O'Leary is a good girl." Percy called, finished with his pouting in the corner of the couch. "And it's called shadow traveling." He added matter-of-factly.
"She is a good girl." Sally agreed.
"Though sometimes the licking is a bit much." Paul added from the recliner. "It's like taking a bath." He joked, which drew a round of chuckles. The image from that morning popped into Tonks' head; Percy trapped under the giant dog, helpless to stop her tongue from slobbering over his body.
"She does tend to get overzealous at times." Percy admitted with a shrug, inspecting his fingernails innocently.
"I've never done shadow travel. Though, I'm told it's disorienting. Is that true?" Sally asked Tonks with scrunched eyebrows, hand still perched on her shoulder.
"Sort of." Tonks said, leaning back into the couch after her lower back began to ache a bit from sitting so upright. Sally's hand finally fell off her shoulder, and she wasn't afraid to admit she already missed the contact. "In England, most of us get around by apparition, which actually has a similar feeling. I was already used to it before this morning at least."
Sally responded with an exaggerated ahh, folding her hands in her lap. "I'm honestly surprised we didn't hitch a ride with Blackjack." Tonks spoke up, feeling more confident now bringing up her world amidst Sally and Paul, especially Sally. "Every time we have to apparate, Percy complains the whole time. It's bloody annoying!"
She got Paul to laugh, and she drew a chuckle out of Sally, even as she scolded Percy for his excessive complaining amidst his scathing look that was shared between Tonks and his mum. "Blackjack would've gladly done it." Percy came to the defense of his choice of transport. "But two people all the way over the Atlantic would be a bit much. Even though he wouldn't admit it."
"So why is shadow traveling okay, but apparition isn't?" Tonks asked him, curious as to why he was more comfortable with one when they were essentially the same thing.
"One-" he held up a finger. "Shadow traveling is more instantaneous, you only get that shitty feeling for a moment."
"Perseus!"
"Sorry, mom." He cringed and recanted sheepishly before holding up another finger to prove his second point. "Two; Mrs. O'Leary is an expert, she's not going to chop off one of my limbs."
"Apparition can cut off your limbs?!" Sally exclaimed nervously, taken aback by this new information that Percy had let slip.
"It's called splinching, and it only happens to those who cannot focus on where they need to go." Tonks explained patiently for Sally and Paul, who looked relieved that it was more related to operator error and not just luck of the draw. She immediately swiveled her head back towards him with a raised eyebrow. "By the way Perce, are you saying you don't trust me? Is that why you refused to have me apparate us here?"
"Tonksy." He sighed, returning the arched eyebrow. "I do trust you… but, I've seen you trip over the same umbrella stand seven times." Percy deadpanned.
"So?" She countered. "It's obviously a tripping hazard." She attempted to seep a bit of annoyance in her tone, though she had a warm, fuzzy feeling running through her limbs at Percy's reaffirmation of his trust in her.
"It's never moved. It's been in the same spot since I got there."
"Maybe it should be moved, then." She crossed her arms, sending him a glare that held barely any weight behind it. Percy didn't seem to care. He just stayed leaned back in his spot on the couch.
"Look at them." Sally's wistful voice reached her ears, distracting Tonks from her mild annoyance at Percy's insistence of bringing up her clumsiness in front of his mum. Sally held a small, soft smile and a hand on her chest, as if she had seen something adorable; like a dog cuddling with a cat. "Already arguing like an old married couple." Sally sighed happily.
"When's the wedding?" Paul piped up, ridding his feet of his slippers and plopping them on the table that lie between all the furniture.
"C'mon Paul." Percy whined, throwing his head back over the couch with a groan. "I expect that from my mom, but not you." Paul only shrugged from his newly reclined position, sending Percy into an extended groan once more. That brief interaction elicited a round of spirited chuckles from the other occupants of the room, while Percy's head hung over the back of the couch.
"Oh!" Sally suddenly said, surprising Tonks ever so slightly as she jumped up from beside her. She had her finger up in the air, and that drew Percy's attention, forcing him to lift his head up to glance at Sally. "I almost forgot!" She rushed into the kitchen by herself, amid curious stares shared between the two younger occupants, and a noncommittal shrug from Paul as their only answer.
Rustling sounds bled from the kitchen, signaling Sally's apparent searching for something through the drawers - closets opening and shutting with a dull bang, the seal of the refrigerator releasing and suctioning back together, she was clearly busy with something. A small crash sounded, followed by a meek oops!, and quiet jostling as whatever had fallen was placed back into its proper location.
Paul leaned forward, cautiously rising from the chair and peeking his head around the wall amidst all the commotion. "Need any help?"
Tonks didn't hear any reply, but Paul trudged forwards anyway, quickly disappearing behind the divider that lay between Tonks and the answer to her most recent curiosity. She looked to the reclined Percy with a questioning eyebrow, who only shrugged his shoulders, keeping his hands perched on top of his head.
He didn't stay that way for long, springing into action and on his feet in an instant that Tonks would've missed if she had blinked. She had never seen anyone move that quickly before, and a moment later, she found out why.
A homely aroma wafted through the apartment, practically beckoning Tonks to get her butt off the couch so she could devour whatever it was that radiated deliciousness. Her mouth watered of its own accord, forcing her to swallow more than once to avoid drool running down her chin.
Sally waltzed in, followed closely by Paul, with a plate loaded with some sort of desert, and Tonks' nose let her know immediately that was what she was searching for. Sally placed the plate down on the table, allowing the auror to feast her eyes on the contents. "Are those chocolate chip cookies?"
A hand landed on her shoulder, giving a soft squeeze. A small sniffle came from the direction of the hand. "No, Tonksy." Percy said shakily, as if he were barely holding off tears. "Those are blue chocolate chip cookies." He breathed deep, collecting himself in the face of the overwhelming urge to just dive in. Tonks knew, because she was feeling the same way; she could almost already taste them.
"Well, what're you waiting for?" Sally threw out her hands in their general direction. Percy took that as his que, dropping all illusions of dignified behavior as he practically shoved Tonks to the side in a beeline towards the plate like a ravenous animal.
She sputtered on the couch, not expecting to be shoved over with enough force to send her careening into the cushion. She watched from her sideways angle as Percy shoveled two, three, four… she lost count of how many he had grabbed. The aroma flew up her nostrils once more, kicking her into action before Percy could devour the whole plate.
She scrambled off the couch, lunging forward and grasping his wrist before he could snag another blue cookie. "Can I have one, Perce?" She asked, words dripping with sarcasm. "Merlin…"
"You weren't fast enough." He quipped, shoving yet another into his mouth. Tonks leveled him with a glare, the best one she could muster, from the bottom of her soul. She may have even used some of her powers to make her iris' darker so her eyes had more bite to them. Unfortunately, Percy didn't look fazed, casually continuing on his little cookie binge.
"I did make those for everyone, Percy." Sally pointed out, eyeing her son amidst his cookie fueled rampage.
"Yeah, so shove off Perce." Tonks pushed his shoulder with all her might, barely moving him to the side. She was always surprised with how sturdy on his feet Percy was, her strength barely affected him. Either way, it moved him enough for Tonks to have a window to snag a cookie or two.
He at least had the decency to look a bit guilty. "Sorry." He said sheepishly, cookie crumbs stuck on his cheek as a result of his massacre. "Haven't had these in awhile."
Tonks snagged two of the blue cookies while she had the opportunity, baking away from the plate and out of Percy's way in case he lost control again. Instead, he looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to give one a go. Instead she rolled her eyes, zeroing in on the spare cookie crumbs that had settled on his cheek. "You're ridiculous." She raised her hand, gently brushing the crumbs away from his face. His face was a bit scratchy, small bits of facial hair growing in as apparently he hadn't shaved in a few days. Tonks wondered what he would look like with a beard. She didn't doubt he would wear it pretty damn well.
He made a face at her action, flinching slightly, scrunching his eyes together in confusion, but he didn't move away. "What?" He asked with exasperation.
"You have crumbs on your face, Perce."
He wiped his own hand over his face after hers had retreated, attempting to knock away the crumbs that Tonks had already removed. "Are they gone?"
"Yeah, I got 'em." She turned her head away from Percy, looking towards Sally with wide eyes, wondering if she saw what was happening with her son and the mess he was causing. Instead, she was sharing a look with Paul, both sporting identical sly smiles. She shook her head, focusing back on the cookie in her hand. She finally was able to bring it to her mouth, taking half of the cookie in one bite.
An explosion of flavor overcame her senses, the perfect ratio of chocolate to vanilla that just melted deliciously in her mouth. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment that the flavor reached her taste buds for as long as she could, a warm sensation running down her spine. In the moment, she heard a contented groan, and she hoped that it didn't come from her own throat. She finished the cookie in another bite, and now she understood why Percy was so desperate to reach the plate initially.
She opened her eyes again, first meeting Percy's knowing smirk and raised eyebrow. "So… how was it?"
"These are bloody delicious." She breathed, almost out of breath for some inexplicable reason.
"Take as many as you want." Sally called, having sat back down on the chair. "I'm not going to eat them." There was nothing Tonks wanted more than to take the whole plate and retreat to another room, scarfing down the cookies with reckless abandon. But, she decided on a more tactful approach, placing her butt back down on the couch, and only grabbing one more. She was trying to make a good impression, after all.
Percy sat back down next to her, having grabbed a few more cookies in his hand while he was munching on one already in his mouth. "You never told me how long you were staying." Sally said once they had settled. Paul remained standing behind her chair, with a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Tonks waited for Percy to respond to his mother's question. But when he didn't, she turned her head to glance at him. He was in the middle of scarfing down another cookie, chewing slowly, the larger size of that particular cookie apparently proving a tad more difficult to get down his throat. If he tried to speak, there was no doubt he would be spewing bits of chocolate in her direction. She didn't want to give him that option. "We're here for about a week." She supplied in wake of Percy's predicament.
Sally nodded in understanding, delaying her follow up question until Percy had finished his important task. The quiet chewing noises ceased amidst awkward silence, and Percy swallowed thickly. "Are you going to visit the rest of your family this week?" Sally smiled at them.
"Was planning on it."
"Do you think she's prepared?" Sally asked, concern evident in her tone. Prepared for what? What did she have to be prepared for? And why did Sally look concerned all of the sudden.
"We're gonna find out." Percy shrugged nonchalantly. There was a big difference on how Sally asked the question and how Percy answered it. Sally was sat upright, shooting her concerned look towards her son, who remained reclined next to Tonks as if he weren't just asked about how prepared she was to handle whatever was waiting for her later that week. It honestly made her a bit nervous how seriously Sally was taking it. "Have to do it eventually."
"True, but-"
"What do I have to be prepared for?" Tonks cut Sally off, immediately feeling bad for disrespecting such a nice woman. Thankfully, she didn't really seem to mind the interruption. "What am I getting into?" She loudly asked in Percy's direction, shooting him a look. It was a bit annoying how casually he was taking Sally's concern. From what she knew, which was admittedly very little, Sally wasn't one to say something like that without reason.
"Oh honey." Sally mused from her chair. "You're in for an experience."
"Eh, don't worry." Percy tried to reassure Tonks' newly found concern. "You'll be safe as long as you're with me." It wasn't really working too well.
"Percy, I don't think you're helping." Sally rolled her eyes at his reply, shaking her head slightly. Paul looked like he was enjoying the whole exchange, failing to hide a small smile behind a hand that was conveniently massaging his chin. "What he means is-"
"Sally!" A disembodied voice called out from down the hall towards where the bedrooms were located. It was dark down the hallway, and no lights in that stretch had been turned on all day. "Sally!" Tonks wasn't aware that there was anyone else in the flat, and neither was Percy judging from the confused look he adopted after he sat up from his reclined position.
"In the living room!" Sally replied to the mysterious voice, seemingly unfazed by the sudden interruption to their little get together. Neither was Paul, who had dropped his hand at that point.
"Is that-?" Percy asked his mum, pointing a questioning finger towards the origin of the voice.
Sally nodded to his half question, and Tonks couldn't be more confused. "He swings by every once in a while."
"How long has he been here?"
"He hasn't." So nobody had been in the flat when Tonks and Percy had gotten there then? Where did that voice come from? That front door hadn't opened since they had walked through early that morning, Tonks was positive she would have heard it open and close - it wasn't that large of a flat and she was a trained auror.
The boy who emerged from the shadows had one of the palest appearances she had ever seen. The tan, olive tinge that had stuck around hinted that this paleness was out of the norm, a paleness that could rival the ghosts that patrolled the Hogwarts Castle. As he stumbled closer, supporting himself with a hand on the wall, his black eyes and equally black hair did even more to point out how pale that boy was in the moment. If Tonks looked hard enough, she was sure she could make out the veins that ran through his cheeks and down his neck.
He was dressed in all black, from the obsidian jeans and shoes, to the black leather jacket with curly wool that ran inside the collar. A metal gleam drew her attention to his hand that held much of his weight on the wall, a ring bearing the face of a skull adorned his finger.
His shaggy black bangs fell in his face obscuring his dark eyes as he struggled even closer, stopping where the hallway ended, arm still propped on the corner while his other caressed his midsection.
Percy broke out of his trance, jolting out of his seat and towards the sickly looking boy. He grabbed the arm that was propped on the wall, slinging it over his own shoulder to offer his support. "Hey, Percy." The boy greeted tiredly through some slow breaths.
"You alright, man?"
"I'm good, just tired." The boy answered, shifting to lean most of his weight on Percy, who had to squat slightly to make it comfortable.
"Everything okay, Nico?" Sally asked the newly dubbed 'Nico'. She had risen from her seat sometime since Percy had gotten up and rushed over to help. Paul stood close off to her side.
"Just need to lie down." Nico breathed out, slowly waving off her concern with his free hand. His shoulder rose and fell with each labored breath he took against Percy. "Did a job for my dad, couldn't make it all the way back to camp." His explanation made absolutely zero sense to Tonks, but the other three nodded along without a second thought.
"Will is gonna be pissed." Percy smirked from his spot under Nico's arm.
His quip only caused Nico to roll his eyes, pushing a tired sigh through his lips. "Don't remind me." His eyes lazily scanned the room for the first time, as soon as he was stable. And for the first time, his black eyes fell on her. "Who's this?" He inquired while staring into her own. Tonks fought with every fiber of her being to hold his gaze, determined to save face in front of hopefully everyone from Percy's other life.
There was something deeply unnerving about his piercing gaze, as if he were looking directly into her soul and there was nothing she could do about it. When she had first met Percy, his presence had overwhelmed her, and she had felt small, meek. But, there was also an accompanying reassurance that Percy wouldn't hurt her, a feeling of calm and inviting warmth that had drawn her to him after she had gotten past his dangerous aura.
With this Nico, he had a similar presence, as if he were much more dangerous than his frailer frame made his outward appearance seem. That if he wanted her gone, she would be in the blink of an eye and a flick of his bony finger. Everything about his appearance, his aura, made every rational part of her brain scream for her to turn and walk right out of the apartment and march back to Grimmauld Place.
But, she was doing this for Percy, and he obviously had some sort of relationship with Nico, enough that he offered his assistance without hesitation. Besides, if she listened to every rational part of her brain, she wouldn't have found the currently best part of her life, who was standing under Nico's arm.
"This is Tonks." Percy introduced her. "She's my uh… friend, from England."
"From that magic place you went to?" Percy nodded, and Nico turned his head towards her again. "Nice to meet you, I'm Nico." He introduced himself through shaky breaths with a barely existent smile.
Tonks offered her own shaky smile, and only managed to nod in his direction with a thick swallow, not really trusting her words to come out clear in the moment, especially with his dark eyes focused entirely on her. Thankfully, Sally spoke up from behind her to break the tension that only seemed to exist for her. Even Paul was unbothered by Nico's sudden appearance in their apartment, and subsequent request.
"Nico, dear. You can use the spare bedroom."
"Thank you, Sally." He said genuinely.
"Of course. Anytime." Sally responded softly. "Percy can get you there." Percy nudged Nico in the side, muttering something into his ear, and they both turned towards the shadows of the hall. Percy had one hand clasped around Nico's arm that was draped over his shoulders and his other arm wrapped around his waist to offer even more support. They began down the hall slowly and deliberately, one shaky step at a time towards the back of the hall.
She turned towards Sally and Paul once they had disappeared, a questioning eyebrow with a finger pointed where they had gone. "Nico is Percy's cousin. Well, one of them." Sally explained briefly.
"Your brother?" Tonks magically found her voice again once Nico had left the room.
"Oh, no." Sally waved her off with a soft smile. "That's his father's side of the family."
"He just shows up whenever he wants?"
"They're all pretty busy, and if they need somewhere to rest, well..." Sally smiled at her, gesturing towards the hallway as an example. Paul placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.
"Our door is always open." He stated, finishing his wife's sentence with a matching smile.
"How many are there?" Tonks asked them. Percy never told her how big his family was, and now it sounded like they had loads going on. The Black family was pretty expansive and influential in their world, perhaps Percy's family was similar to that.
"Oh, honey." Sally exhaled, tilting her head and widening her eyes. "More than you would believe."
"Perce?" Tonks called into the pitch black room. Everyone had retired to bed not too long ago, each having their fill of conversation and television for the night. Nico had yet to emerge from the room that Percy had led him to, and from the state he was in earlier, Tonks assumed he would be sleeping for quite some time.
Her voice filled the dark void that was Percy's childhood bedroom, affixed with only one twin sized bed that she was currently flopped on, and a portable blow up mattress that Percy had dragged out of the closet after they had gotten ready for bed.
Surprisingly, Sally and Paul had been completely open to the idea of her and Percy sleeping in the same bedroom. Maybe it was the fact that there was only one twin bed that helped ease their mind. Unfortunately, even though Percy insisted she take the bed, she found it hard to actually fall asleep. She had tossed and turned for a good while, staring into the darkness of the room, good rest evading her grasp quite well.
She could only take so much of that before she had to do something, and that's how she found herself calling out to him in the middle of the night, amidst the soft snores from the floor. There was a pause while the snores ceased for a moment, followed up by a sniffle and a groggy 'whuh?' that sounded as if he were still half asleep. She felt sort of guilty for waking him up without a good reason, but he was up now so there was no going back.
"I can't sleep." She said lamely to the darkness. There was a soft sigh - that she probably wasn't meant to hear - and a hollow shuffling from the floor. The room wasn't totally dark. There was a slight beam of moonlight that bled in through the window and landed beneath where Percy had placed the mattress on the floor. The moonlight nicely framed a pretty plant on the windowsill that looked like it was shining extra bright in the soft light.
Anyway, the light was enough for Tonks to notice the dark mass shifting on the bed, so that - presumably his front - was facing her. "Whasa mattah?"
"Thinking 'bout things, I guess." She answered lamely. She hadn't really thought this far ahead, only going so far as to hopefully distract her mind enough so that she could get some rest. And she had dragged him in as an unwilling participant.
"Like what?" His words were more lucid now, having shrugged off the sleepiness rather quickly. Tonks knew if she was awakened from a dead sleep it would take a hell of a lot longer for her to form complete thoughts.
"Loads of stuff." She said, attempting to buy herself some time to think of something reasonable to use as an excuse. "Like how bloody amazing your mom is."
There was a soft exhale, followed by a slight chuckle that brought a smile to her face in the dark. She could picture his exact expression even if she couldn't see it. "She is pretty great, isn't she."
"I mean, I was pretty nervous, coming on this trip with you, meeting your family. But, the moment she opened that door with a smile - I don't know, she just made me feel like I had nothing to worry about. Felt like I was walking into my own home." Tonks explained poorly. It really wasn't something that could be explained. Sally was just a woman that had this calming, motherly presence that just put you at ease no matter what. Maybe next time she has a stressful day at the office, she'll pop in and see Sally.
"She has that effect on people." Tonks could hear the smile in his voice. He loved talking about his mum, and it was simply adorable. Honestly though, if Sally was her own mother, she wouldn't shut up about her.
"And don't even get me started on the food." She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air above the bed to exaggerate her point. Whenever she thought about those precious cookies, her mouth suddenly remembered the heavenly flavor that had her mouth watering in an instant. "The best I've ever had."
"Don't let Molly hear you say that." He quipped from the dark. Tonks could see his form had shifted, head propped up by one hand while he laid on his side.
"You know I love Molly." She started cautiously. She knew Percy wouldn't repeat whatever she shared, but one could never be too cautious. "But Sally is all of that, without the extra smothering."
"I'll let her know she made a good impression on you." He said. "She'll be happy about that." Tonks lay there as a broad smile spread across her lips. To know that a woman like Sally, who she had come to respect a mighty amount in just one day, cared about making an impression on her… well, it made her feel special to have that insecurity reciprocated. "Probably shouldn't have talked you up so much, made my mom nervous."
"You tell your mum about me?" She asked, whipping her head to the side to look at the dark shape that was Percy.
"Every time I talk to her." He admitted, which caused that warm and fuzzy sensation to spread throughout her body once again. That seemed to happen quite often when he was around.
"Oh yeah?" Tonks rolled on her side, propping herself up on an elbow. "What do you tell her?"
"Only the bad things." Percy's dry humor jab was delivered with a straight face, she thought. Well, as much as she could think without actually being able to distinguish his features. She could just hear it in his voice, Tonks could tell.
"Is that so?" Tonks inquired cheekily, wondering how he was going to follow up that statement. Probably with something that would make her just appreciate him even more.
"Problem is… even the bad things turn out to be good." And she wasn't disappointed. To have someone that understood her so well, to accept her flaws with such eagerness meant the world to Tonks. Her whole life, from school to auror training, she had been told that her flaws were things she needed to fix, to change in order to become a better person.
Then Percy, this seemingly perfect man with no glaring flaws - who appeared to be the shining example of what she had always been told - tells her to embrace her flaws? To accept them because that's what makes her who she is, makes her unique? To hear him say her flaws, what everyone else had considered imperfections, was what he truly liked about her, well… How did she get so lucky?
A lone tear trailed its way down her cheekbone, slightly tickling her face in its wake. She blinked furiously, swiping her hand across the damp streak with a sniffle that was louder than she had intended.
"Tonksy? You okay?" He probably had no clue how much of an effect he had on her, and she probably never
"Yeah, I'm okay." She quickly countered. "It's just-" she needed to think of a subject change, something different than the territory they had fallen into already. She needed to not be entirely vulnerable in an unfamiliar place, she had to keep some semblance of emotional stability in case something were to happen. A new subject popped into her head just in time, like he popped into the living room not too long ago. "Nico scares me a bit."
Percy snorted into the darkness. "He tends to do that to people." Wasn't a surprise to her, really. There was just something about that kid that was off-putting to her; she could imagine others would feel the same.
"Sally said he was your cousin?"
"On my dad's side." He answered. "He really is a good kid. He's just…-"
"Creepy? Ominous? Bloody terrifying?"
"I was gonna say secretive." Percy countered. "But, he has gotten a lot better since I met him."
"Better? I wouldn't have wanted to meet him before, then." She said plainly. If Percy said it, then Tonks believed Nico truly was a good person. But still, her only impression was him making her instincts go haywire with only a single look from across the room.
"He's had a tough life." Percy admitted softly, a tinge of regret laced in his tone. "And he does take after his father, which is the whole dark and brooding thing he's got going on."
"What's his father like?"
"Well," She could hear Percy's fingernails scraping across his scalp as he attended to an itch under his hair. The sound accompanying slight movements from the shadow below. "He's Nico dialed up to eleven. Even makes my skin crawl."
"Am I going to have to meet him?" She asked trepidatiously, afraid to hear the answer. If someone scared Percy, they were going to plummet down her list of people to come across.
"Probably not this week." She heard the nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. "But, you will eventually. Everyone does."
"He's that popular over here, huh?"
"I wouldn't say popular. More like… influential." He finished ominously. Tonks wracked her brain to come up with some position that matched Percy's vague description. Someone that was an older Nico, wasn't very popular but was quite influential at the same time. A politician, maybe? But Nico didn't seem the type to be a politician…
Oh well, the wee hours of the morning wasn't the time to be resting her brain capacity in solving vaguely explained mysteries from her, hopefully, soon to be partner. "How old is Nico?" He looked relatively young, physically at least, but Percy's comment about his tough life just came back to the forefront of her mind.
"Fifteen, sixteen…" he mused. "Though, he's technically over eighty."
That gave her pause, as it would anybody who was just told that tidbit, especially at that hour. "What?!" She whispered loudly. "Eighty?" She had seen wizards and witches well over that age, Merlin, she didn't even know how old Dumbledore was. But, they always showed their age in wrinkled facial features and such. None of them looked like they were in their teens.
"Technically." He emphasized, as if that made any difference to her. When somebody tells you they're sixteen, but technically eighty, that just makes no sense. At least to her.
"What does that even mean?" She asked, lost and confused in the shuffle on information and scenarios that flew through her head.
"It's a long story." He offered the age-old excuse. "And one with tons of necessary preceding information. Most of which you will learn in a day or two. And it's definitely not a story for-" he checked the clock that glowed a faint green in the corner. -"one-thirty in the morning."
"Okay, okay, fine." She relented, relaxing back onto the pillow with a promise of a thorough explanation in the near future. She could deal with that.
"Why do you ask, anyway?" He inquired. "Why all the interest in Nico."
"It's not just him." She answered. "I want to know about where you're from, your home. It's important to remember where you're from. It's a big part of someone's identity."
"I understand." He said, delicately. "And you will learn and understand a lot of why I am the way I am, I promise. But, it's also really late, and we need to get some sleep."
She nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see, and rolled onto her side, resting her hand between her cheek and the pillow. She was facing the wall, and despite the heat and the heavy comforter, she was cold. It was getting in the way of quality sleep. "Why are you sleeping on the floor, Perce?" She called out over her shoulder, twisting her neck so she wasn't talking directly into the wall.
"'Cause there's only one bed, and it's small."
"I can move over."
"I still don't think we'll fit."
"We can just cuddle up, we'll fit." He was right, it was going to be a tight fit. But that didn't matter much to her.
"Tonksy-"
"C'mon Perce." She cut him off. "We both know you'll sleep better up here than down there."
She heard a defeated sigh, and she mentally cheered for her victory. The mattress shuffled, sounded like a large balloon, and she heard a few soft footsteps headed towards the bed. The frame creaked slightly as his weight was shifted onto the mattress, jostling her a bit with the motion.
When he was settled, she glanced at him over her shoulder. He was flat on his back, head pointed up towards the ceiling, with his opposite arm and leg hanging off the edge. She reached back, blindly groping until she felt his forearm within her grasp. She brought it back towards herself, wrapping it around her side and under her own arm, drawing his hand up to her chest.
The rest of his body followed without resistance, settling behind her. His chest and stomach softly caressed her back, and she felt the change in pressure his chest provided with every breath. He shifted on his own accord, and his bottom arm snaked its way under her neck, extending out towards the wall in front her. He finally settled in, with steady breathing washing comforting warmth across the back of her neck and up to the base of her hair.
She smiled to herself, content with her current position, and ready to welcome the sweet refreshment of a good sleep. After all, the night they had spent together at his house in England was the best sleep she had ever gotten, she had told him as much. Why would this time be any different?
"Goodnight." She whispered into the wall, hoping he hadn't fallen into a slumber quite yet.
"G'night." Came his reply after a moment.
She took one deep breath, and with that smile still across her lips, she drifted into a pleasant scene of dream. One of the hopefully not-to-distant future.