Her alarm rang and she bolted upright and smacked it so hard that it went skidding across her bedroom. Unfortunately, she hadn't exactly been accurate with the way she hit it and it was still ringing. Loudly. It took her a second to process that before groaning loudly and dragging herself out of bed. Why had she listened to her dad about using a muggle alarm clock again? It was so shrill and annoying and okay, she understood that that was how they were supposed to work but still. She could really do without all of this in the morning. It was very dramatic and probably not good for her health.

"I'm coming. I'm coming she said in exasperation as she walked across her room.

Stupid alarm clock. It was actually vibrating against the floor; it was that obnoxious. Why would someone even make an alarm clock that was That dramatic and shrill? It just seemed to be a bit much. But she was awake. She was very much awake.

At least she had actually ended up falling asleep. That was good, wasn't it? Today was bound to feel like a long day so sleep was good. Especially since she hadn't been getting a lot of it recently. She had just been so jittery. Who wouldn't be when they finally got the job of their dreams after passing some very gruelling exams? She was an Auror now! Granted, she would be a Probationary one for about three months and then would be a Junior Auror but she was still an Auror! She no longer had Trainee in her title! She was a fully-fledged Auror! She had passed her exams with good marks (except Stealth and Tracking but the important thing there was that she had passed it and nothing else mattered, okay?).

The whole ten days between getting her results and today had both felt like they were dragging on and whizzing by. It was a weird feeling. Summer was definitely officially over for her. She didn't have time to enjoy the last few days of freedom while she ran around like a headless chicken trying to get last minute things sorted out. There were always last-minute things no matter how prepared you were. Like getting her introductory paperwork. Yes, more paperwork. And her robes. She got her robes!

She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled, resisting the urge to twirl in front of it. That was silly and adults didn't do silly. Especially adults who were Aurors. She was going to have to be sensible. She did let a big grin slip out but only for a split second. She really liked the look of herself in these robes. Definitely suited her.

This was it, Tonks smoothed down the front of her brand-new robes. All nice a scarlet and bright with the emblem on the breast. She was wearing Auror robes! Her! She was an Auror! Look at that! On her first day at work. Well, nearly because she hadn't left yet and oh, Merlin was that the time? She better get cracking.

Thank Merlin her parents had reminded her that she needed to fill out an application in order to be allowed to apparate into the Atrium or else she would have been stuck using the floo. Which would be awkward considering her Muggle Flat wasn't connected to the floo. She would have had to use the visitor's entrance and that simply wasn't something an Auror should be doing, you know?

One very hasty apparition later and she was here. She was here in the Ministry of Magic as an actual employee. Who would have thought?

Just in time she realised that she was still in the official apparition point and moved out of the way just as someone apparated into that exact spot. Yikes, that was a close one. Starting the day off with broken bones was not her idea of a good start. She was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to face anyone ever again if that happened. But it didn't happen so she could continue on. Why did it feel like she was going on some big adventure? She supposed that it was the start of an adventure, if she wanted to be all poetic. She checked her watched and her eyes widened. There was no time to be poetic! If she wanted to be on time, she had to get a move on!

Thank Merlin for lifts, that was she was saying because if she had had to run up flights of stairs it really wouldn't have ended well.

And now she was on the right floor. There were people in scarlet robes striding past her. This was it. This was her floor now. This was where she was going to be working. Well, through the big double doors at the end of the corridor.

Was it silly to feel like she needed someone to walk her in? A grown up. Just to show her that she was in the right place and tell her that she was great and that everything was going to be okay. She wasn't feeling very grown up at the minute.

"Tonks," she heard behind her, making her jump.

People really needed to stop doing that to her. But, oh, how happy she was to see a familiar face. She would have even welcomed Jones' face. Well. Hmm. Okay, she wasn't quite that desperate. But McCabbert was definitely a good face to see.

"Would you have ever thought it?" She asked with a stupid grin on her face.

McCabbert actually gave her a genuine smile in return which shocked Tonks. She didn't think she had ever seen her smile.

"This is surreal," her snarky friend told her.

"Tell me about it."

"What are we telling? What are we telling?"

Both of them looked at each other and tolled their eyes fondly.

"Jean!" They greeted their extremely excited friend.

"We're all Aurors!" Jean said excitedly, she even clapped her hands together.

"Okay, your excitement is up here," said Tonks, holding her hand above her head. "I'm going to need you to bring right the way back here," she put it about level with her chest.

McCabbert snorted.

"And you need to be a bit more excited," Tonks told her.

"I'm excited!"

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "Because none of us can tell."

"Don't care. I'm not going to get all stupid and giddy about it."

"But you're feeling like that in the inside, right?" Jean asked seriously.

McCabbert sighed in fond exasperation.

"Yes."

They were like a bunch of baby chicks with the way they were all clucking about each other. A couple of older Aurors walked past them and shook their heads fondly. Well, she hoped those were fond looks or else they had all managed to annoy their new co-workers before they even entered the office, which would be quite impressive.

McCabbert checked her watch and glanced at the doors, "We better go in. We don't want to be late."

"Yes," Tonks agreed but didn't move.

Suddenly it felt like she had been stuck in place by a, well, a sticking charm.

"After you," McCabbert tried.

"No. I'm good. You first."

"You were here first."

"Exactly. I'm giving you a chance to go first. It's only fair."

"Nope. First one here, first one to go in."

"Nope."

"Seriously? You don't have an answer other than 'Nope'?"

"Nope."

"I'm not going in first."

Knowing her luck she would fall flat on her face or something.

Jean made an exasperated noise and linked arms with both of them.

"Let's go in together!"

Their friend (and Tonks was now using that term loosely) moved too fast for either of them to react and all but dragged them through the doors.

Well, it looked like their first day had begun.