Preparations at Tonks's House (AIM thread)
Date: Saturday, March 25
Time: Morning
Location: Tonks Residence, Liverpool
Characters Involved: June, Tonks, Andromeda Tonks (NPC)
Rating: PG
Complete
With a bag clutched in one hand, June appeared with a >pop< on the front walk of Tonks's house. Turning her ears to the sounds of people moving about inside, she made her way to the door, and when her outstretched palm found solid wood, she knocked.
Tonks opened the door quickly, having already been in the living room when June arrived, watching at the windows anxiously for her friend. She giggled and clasped June's arm, wishing to help her friend to hurry inside. "June! Hello!"
"'Morning, Tonks!" Wrapping her arm around her friend's, she gave it a squeeze, and leaned in to kiss Tonks on the cheek. "Thanks again for letting me come! Professor McGonagall actually did something to the dress, so I think it's better, but I still haven't a clue how to do all of this." She gave her free hand a helpless wave.
Tonks leaned in and hugged June during June's trademark kiss, and laughed. "That is good news! I was worried Mum would make it worse... thank goodness you won't be able to see my dress- the one she made for me, bought- all that!" Tonks was leading June toward the stairwell as she spoke, then ever so carefully helped June up the stairs- about 15 steps- and then into her bedroom, that was to the right another 5 steps. Once the girls were in the room, Tonks yelled toward her Mum's room across the narrow hallway. "Mum- June's here, if you haven't heard!" She then pulled June toward the bed that was at their right, and tried to free June of her bag.
"Oh, but I want to see your dress!" June complained, though she was laughing at her friend's despairing tone. Tonks in a dress... what a thing to miss out on! "You'll have to tell me exactly what it looks like. Or if you won't, maybe your mum will." She let Tonks take the bag from her, stopping as she felt the bed beside her.
Tonks shook her head as she placed June's bag on the edge of the bed, and then took June's hands. "No- you wouldn't. Imagine... Imagine a watermelon... I think that'd be your best bet. Mum will rant and rave about how I inspired the pink- but I'd never put pink together with green....and she has... quite efficiently!" Tonks chuckled. Even though her words were very much of complaint, her tone of voice was happy, spirited, and very energetic. June always did that to Tonks. "Ok, let me show you around, Madam." And that she did, walking June around the rectangular bedroom. From the bed to the middle of the room, where her writing desk and chair sat, along the right side wall where the bay window was, and then forward to the end where the wardrobe rested. It was open, and hanging on the right side door was Tonks' dress. "Here we are," Tonks said and helped June find the dress so her friend could feel the embroidery.
Letting herself be guided around the room, June took note of where everything was, though she kept a bit more of her attention on where they were going than she had during her tour of Spinner's End. For one thing, she was unlikely to have to spend much time making her own way, unassisted, around this space, and for another, for all she loved and trusted Tonks, her former mentor was a notorious klutz and June didn't particularly want them both to end up on the floor. Still, they made it around the room without incident, and came to the dress.
"Well, it feels absolutely beautiful," she said sincerely, tracing the delicate lines of embroidery beneath her fingertips. She ran her hands down along the lines of the dress and tried to put it together with her memories of Tonks's slender frame. "I'm sure you'll look like an absolute princess - whether you like it or not!" she added teasingly.
Tonks couldn't help it, as she grinned and chuckled enthusiastically, while June felt the dress hanging off the door- and talked of Princesses and beauty. "Not if I can help it I won't," Tonks retorted and put her hands on top of her friend's. "You'll be the belle of the ball- and I'm just going to win a ruddy bet. I'm not doing my hair- I'm not fixing anything with my face... All I'm to do is wash up, dress up and march my arse to the Gala." For some reason, Tonks sounded like she was on a military mission. She gripped both of June's hands and led her away from the dress. "Now- what do we do first? You are certain your dress is fine? Well, I mean... not in need of fixing, right?"
"You're not doing anything to your hair or face? Not that there's anything wrong with them, but Tonks... this is a Gala. You don't want to pretty yourself up just a little, just this once?" Even June, who'd never felt any particular desire to attend dressy occasions, was getting a little excited about this.
"You'll have to give me your professional opinion on the dress, though. Professor McGonagall seemed satisfied with it anyway." And it, too, felt beautiful, but then it always had. "Where did you put my bag?"
Tonks led June back to the bed- directly across the room without the tour back, and met up with the bed at the back of her knees with a light stop. "Oh, just this once? Hah- yeah, I do it this time, and then it'll be expected of me thereafter... all the time... and then the comments will start- 'Tonks- why don't you do this.. like you did at the Gala'... ok, maybe that'll be Mum- but I - just...there is more to it than all that June. Much more." Tonks sounded very serious at the end, almost nervous serious. She let go of June's hands to put her hands on June's shoulders and helped turn her around, and then sit down on the edge of the bed. Then she plucked up the bag from the bed and put it on June's lap. "I've got loads to tell you- and I’ve also got loads of questions."
Allowing herself to be steered back to the bed and sat down, June closed her hands over the sides of the bag, concerned by Tonks's suddenly grave tone. "You know I'm always good for listening. Questions I'll answer if I can. What did you want to talk about?"
Tonks squatted down in front of June and helped her friend open the bag, eager to see what this dress looked like. "Ok- well... namely... remember that bet I told you about... the one with Charlie?"
A little surprised to feel the tugging at the bag she held, June nevertheless willingly helped Tonks open it up. She couldn't help being eager to hear her friend's reaction, since she couldn't judge it very well for herself. "Oh, it was with Charlie? Charlie Weasley? I remember you told me about a bet with a man, but you didn't say who."
Out of the bag came yards and yards of heavy silk in a rich, soft turquoise. The Transfiguration professor had worked a miracle with Theo’s mother’s ‘awful’ dress. The high collar was encircled with a band of glistening gold embroidery dotted with small blue and green gems, and matching embroidery bands circled the tops of the sleeves where they were cut to expose her shoulders, and also where the billowing fabric of the sleeves would be caught at her wrists. The style was a little antiquated, but classically elegant.
The smile June turned on Tonks was definitely nervous. "What do you think? Honestly, how is it?"
Tonks was about to answer June's inquiry about the whole 'yes it's Charlie' bet- but never was able to say a word when she saw her friends amazing dress. "June.... that's blooming amazing..." was all she could say as her hands went to touch the dress, and her eyes stared at the turquoise color with awe.
Andromeda, Tonks' mother, whisked into the room with a bright smile on her face, carrying a pair of shoes that had been charmed a lovely shade of green- to match Tonks' dress. Oh joy!. She glanced at the two girls at Tonks’ bed, placed the shoes next to the wardrobe, then walked toward the girls with a spring in her step. "Where is the dress?"
Tonks looked up at her mother and waved a hand. "No- it's ok, Mum... McGonagall helped- June... yesterday." Tonks’ mum nodded her head slightly and then stepped back as she eyed the dress that rested over June's lap. "Well, I'll get my things then... oh- you girls will look so lovely tonight!" she exclaimed and then vanished as quickly as she came. The woman was obviously in very high spirits and glowing with pride.
About to say, "Is it really?" June stopped herself when Andromeda entered. "Thank you so much for the offer of he...elp..." She trailed off again as she heard the woman's footsteps tapping briskly out of the room. It put her in mind of a line from an old Muggle movie she'd been fond of growing up.
"My," she said to Tonks with a bit of a mischievous grin. "People come and go so quickly here!"
Tonks looked at June and burst out laughing. The initial reaction to June's comment was indeed funny, but add that into the fact that Tonks had had three visitors in three days- something that rarely ever happened- and each visitor was whisked into and out of her room quite quickly, it made Tonks burst. "Oh June, you just don't know...." she managed to say between her spurts. Her hands pulled the dress off June's lap and walked to the wardrobe as best she could while continuing to giggle. "I'll hang this up next to mine- it'll remind me that I have nothing to worry about now... no one is going to pay any attention to me while I'm next to you- in this!"
June's answering laugh was relieved; she trusted Professor McGonagall, of course, but her friend's reaction was still immensely reassuring. "Tonks, no one is going to recognize you! In a dress? An elegant, embroidered dress? They're going to think someone has you under Imperius!" Her grin widening, she lowered her voice. "Which, admittedly, your mum might have done, mightn't she? If you hadn't decided to do this on your own. She seems much happier about it than you do!"
And again Tonks burst out laughing. "That's why I don't want to go-- truly I don't. If I hadn't opened my trap and... made that bet with Charlie..." She whispered so her mother would not overhear. "None of this would be happening. I don’t dare tell Mum.... It's nice to see her happy and overly excited that I'm her daughter every once in awhile," Tonks teased. Once the dress was properly hung up, Tonks had made her way back to her friend and poked at the bag. "Anything else in here?"
"Shoes?" Fishing in the bag, June pulled out a pair of low-heeled slippers in the same jewel-tone as the dress. The tops would cross over the tops of her feet, caught in the center with a slightly larger green gem in a gold setting. "All I had were some old, plain black ones of my cousin's, but she did something to those too - they're fancier.
"Now you have got to tell me about this bet you keep talking about. Unless your mum comes back, of course, but I'm absolutely dying of curiosity, so... talk!"
Tonks gently took the shoes from June, again mesmerized by the color, and quickly placed them next to the green one's her mother had brought, before returning to June and sharing a seat on the bed. "The shoes match perfectly.. hah- just like mine," she teased. "I don't think...no, forget it- I'm telling you. The bet is to see which one of us cleans up the best- done up proper and formal. Whoever looks the less scrubby. Between him and I. Tell me you'll vote for me please....we are....oh gods I forgot!" Tonks stood up from the bed and gasped. "I have to go up to people with him when we ask opinions.... Cripes!!! Everyone is going to know..... I'm read like a book... they'll know!"
The explanation of the terms of the bet had June dying of laughter. She didn't mean to be, it was just... of all the things to bet on, and all the people to be doing the betting - she should have expected it would be something like that! And Tonks's panic at the prospect just made it all the funnier.
"Oh, Tonks, of course I'll vote for you!" she promised, when she could control her giggles. It was impossible to resist teasing, though, so she went on: "Unless of course Charlie does the better job cleaning up. You might have to do something with your hair and face after all, you know. You won't win if you turn up looking like you just threw on a dress and ran out the door!"
Tonks shot a look at June that was both of horror, and disgust, as her hands went flying up to her face to push away her hair. "What?- June! No-... no you think?
"I am not going to have to do more-... than the dress....right??"
June shook her head fondly. "I seriously doubt you'd be able to get past your mother without letting her do something with your hair anyway. But... I'm only saying, if you really want to win..." She gave a little shrug, though the grin still playing about her mouth gave away her amusement. "You might have to be spectacular."
Tonks shook her head and grabbed June's hands. Her hands seemed to need to grab onto something as they went. "I cannot look 'Spectacular'... not....not after what happened..." She trailed off as she lowered her head and sighed. "The bloody wanker..." She muttered to herself.
"After what happened?" Somehow June had the feeling Tonks wasn't talking about the bet anymore. She squeezed the hands that were wrapped so tightly around hers, her laughter vanishing. "What do you mean? What happened?"
"He- I.. We-.... Oh gods, neither of us rightly know anything..." Tonks stammered. "He was here last night- err...this morning... in my room.... we had to have a talk about the night before that....because I was at his house, getting drunk with him." Tonks squeezed June's hands back as she lowered herself down and sat next to June to whisper to her. "I passed out at his house, June.... and when I woke up- it was...well.... gods, promise not to tell a soul!!"
"I won't, I won't," June hastened to reassure her. "But neither of you rightly... know anything? You didn't... that is, you couldn't tell... Tonks, when you woke up, what?" The end of that sentence seemed suddenly extremely important in getting to the bottom of this.
"He was naked, June!...we were in bed together...and the last thing I remember- is falling onto the floor and he fell over me....on top of me... he and I in an awkward position is the last thing I ruddy remember!!!" Ok- Tonks was trying to remain calm, but that never ever happened. Though she whispered- but it was all coming out of her mouth quickly and intensely.
June's hands were starting to hurt with the force with which her distraught friend was squeezing them, but she didn't try to get free. She chewed on her lower lip, turning Tonks's words over in her head. That really didn't sound good at all, did it. No wonder Tonks was in a panic! "And you talked to him and he doesn't remember what happened either?" Wonderful. Poor Charlie. Poor Tonks! "Well... well, what about you? When you woke up? Were you, er... still wearing your clothes?"
Tonks had closed her eyes, while June commented, for the vision of seeing Charlie half naked -with blankets covering his lower half, so that she didn't really view any other portion of him- kept appearing in her head. Oh she wanted to use a memory charm on herself, for certain. "I woke up clothed- yes..." She got out through exhaled breaths, relieved to be able to say that much about it all. "But I don’t know how I ended up in is bed, how he ended up losing his clothes, and why we were all.... cuddles and cripes! In the same bed!"
"Well..." Truthfully, June couldn't see how either, but she was determined to try to make Tonks feel better. "..well, if you were both that sloshed, there could have been any number of ways you could have ended up there, couldn't there? Perhaps you just... lay down there when you got tired, and didn't think about it not being your own bed?" Ah-hah! "And that would be more likely than that you had the presence of mind to put all your clothes back on, wouldn't it, if something actually had happened?"
"Ok- if I was too drunk to remember getting to the bed, but got there- what makes you think I'd remember getting dressed after I had done something like that? And Charlie claims to know nothing about how we got into bed either! I'm just going to tell myself nothing happened....and be done with it... I will just to...." But it wasn't going to be that easy- she had to face that man again... after facing him last night, at the Gala. She had to be confident, prim and proper when she'd meet him up at Hogwarts, and she knew it was going to embarrass the hell out of her. "Charlie- he.... he acted like it was no big deal... but June- I just don't end up in men's beds.... Hell- I haven't even ended up in Remus' yet!" And that stung worse.
Time: Morning
Location: Tonks Residence, Liverpool
Characters Involved: June, Tonks, Andromeda Tonks (NPC)
Rating: PG
Complete
With a bag clutched in one hand, June appeared with a >pop< on the front walk of Tonks's house. Turning her ears to the sounds of people moving about inside, she made her way to the door, and when her outstretched palm found solid wood, she knocked.
Tonks opened the door quickly, having already been in the living room when June arrived, watching at the windows anxiously for her friend. She giggled and clasped June's arm, wishing to help her friend to hurry inside. "June! Hello!"
"'Morning, Tonks!" Wrapping her arm around her friend's, she gave it a squeeze, and leaned in to kiss Tonks on the cheek. "Thanks again for letting me come! Professor McGonagall actually did something to the dress, so I think it's better, but I still haven't a clue how to do all of this." She gave her free hand a helpless wave.
Tonks leaned in and hugged June during June's trademark kiss, and laughed. "That is good news! I was worried Mum would make it worse... thank goodness you won't be able to see my dress- the one she made for me, bought- all that!" Tonks was leading June toward the stairwell as she spoke, then ever so carefully helped June up the stairs- about 15 steps- and then into her bedroom, that was to the right another 5 steps. Once the girls were in the room, Tonks yelled toward her Mum's room across the narrow hallway. "Mum- June's here, if you haven't heard!" She then pulled June toward the bed that was at their right, and tried to free June of her bag.
"Oh, but I want to see your dress!" June complained, though she was laughing at her friend's despairing tone. Tonks in a dress... what a thing to miss out on! "You'll have to tell me exactly what it looks like. Or if you won't, maybe your mum will." She let Tonks take the bag from her, stopping as she felt the bed beside her.
Tonks shook her head as she placed June's bag on the edge of the bed, and then took June's hands. "No- you wouldn't. Imagine... Imagine a watermelon... I think that'd be your best bet. Mum will rant and rave about how I inspired the pink- but I'd never put pink together with green....and she has... quite efficiently!" Tonks chuckled. Even though her words were very much of complaint, her tone of voice was happy, spirited, and very energetic. June always did that to Tonks. "Ok, let me show you around, Madam." And that she did, walking June around the rectangular bedroom. From the bed to the middle of the room, where her writing desk and chair sat, along the right side wall where the bay window was, and then forward to the end where the wardrobe rested. It was open, and hanging on the right side door was Tonks' dress. "Here we are," Tonks said and helped June find the dress so her friend could feel the embroidery.
Letting herself be guided around the room, June took note of where everything was, though she kept a bit more of her attention on where they were going than she had during her tour of Spinner's End. For one thing, she was unlikely to have to spend much time making her own way, unassisted, around this space, and for another, for all she loved and trusted Tonks, her former mentor was a notorious klutz and June didn't particularly want them both to end up on the floor. Still, they made it around the room without incident, and came to the dress.
"Well, it feels absolutely beautiful," she said sincerely, tracing the delicate lines of embroidery beneath her fingertips. She ran her hands down along the lines of the dress and tried to put it together with her memories of Tonks's slender frame. "I'm sure you'll look like an absolute princess - whether you like it or not!" she added teasingly.
Tonks couldn't help it, as she grinned and chuckled enthusiastically, while June felt the dress hanging off the door- and talked of Princesses and beauty. "Not if I can help it I won't," Tonks retorted and put her hands on top of her friend's. "You'll be the belle of the ball- and I'm just going to win a ruddy bet. I'm not doing my hair- I'm not fixing anything with my face... All I'm to do is wash up, dress up and march my arse to the Gala." For some reason, Tonks sounded like she was on a military mission. She gripped both of June's hands and led her away from the dress. "Now- what do we do first? You are certain your dress is fine? Well, I mean... not in need of fixing, right?"
"You're not doing anything to your hair or face? Not that there's anything wrong with them, but Tonks... this is a Gala. You don't want to pretty yourself up just a little, just this once?" Even June, who'd never felt any particular desire to attend dressy occasions, was getting a little excited about this.
"You'll have to give me your professional opinion on the dress, though. Professor McGonagall seemed satisfied with it anyway." And it, too, felt beautiful, but then it always had. "Where did you put my bag?"
Tonks led June back to the bed- directly across the room without the tour back, and met up with the bed at the back of her knees with a light stop. "Oh, just this once? Hah- yeah, I do it this time, and then it'll be expected of me thereafter... all the time... and then the comments will start- 'Tonks- why don't you do this.. like you did at the Gala'... ok, maybe that'll be Mum- but I - just...there is more to it than all that June. Much more." Tonks sounded very serious at the end, almost nervous serious. She let go of June's hands to put her hands on June's shoulders and helped turn her around, and then sit down on the edge of the bed. Then she plucked up the bag from the bed and put it on June's lap. "I've got loads to tell you- and I’ve also got loads of questions."
Allowing herself to be steered back to the bed and sat down, June closed her hands over the sides of the bag, concerned by Tonks's suddenly grave tone. "You know I'm always good for listening. Questions I'll answer if I can. What did you want to talk about?"
Tonks squatted down in front of June and helped her friend open the bag, eager to see what this dress looked like. "Ok- well... namely... remember that bet I told you about... the one with Charlie?"
A little surprised to feel the tugging at the bag she held, June nevertheless willingly helped Tonks open it up. She couldn't help being eager to hear her friend's reaction, since she couldn't judge it very well for herself. "Oh, it was with Charlie? Charlie Weasley? I remember you told me about a bet with a man, but you didn't say who."
Out of the bag came yards and yards of heavy silk in a rich, soft turquoise. The Transfiguration professor had worked a miracle with Theo’s mother’s ‘awful’ dress. The high collar was encircled with a band of glistening gold embroidery dotted with small blue and green gems, and matching embroidery bands circled the tops of the sleeves where they were cut to expose her shoulders, and also where the billowing fabric of the sleeves would be caught at her wrists. The style was a little antiquated, but classically elegant.
The smile June turned on Tonks was definitely nervous. "What do you think? Honestly, how is it?"
Tonks was about to answer June's inquiry about the whole 'yes it's Charlie' bet- but never was able to say a word when she saw her friends amazing dress. "June.... that's blooming amazing..." was all she could say as her hands went to touch the dress, and her eyes stared at the turquoise color with awe.
Andromeda, Tonks' mother, whisked into the room with a bright smile on her face, carrying a pair of shoes that had been charmed a lovely shade of green- to match Tonks' dress. Oh joy!. She glanced at the two girls at Tonks’ bed, placed the shoes next to the wardrobe, then walked toward the girls with a spring in her step. "Where is the dress?"
Tonks looked up at her mother and waved a hand. "No- it's ok, Mum... McGonagall helped- June... yesterday." Tonks’ mum nodded her head slightly and then stepped back as she eyed the dress that rested over June's lap. "Well, I'll get my things then... oh- you girls will look so lovely tonight!" she exclaimed and then vanished as quickly as she came. The woman was obviously in very high spirits and glowing with pride.
About to say, "Is it really?" June stopped herself when Andromeda entered. "Thank you so much for the offer of he...elp..." She trailed off again as she heard the woman's footsteps tapping briskly out of the room. It put her in mind of a line from an old Muggle movie she'd been fond of growing up.
"My," she said to Tonks with a bit of a mischievous grin. "People come and go so quickly here!"
Tonks looked at June and burst out laughing. The initial reaction to June's comment was indeed funny, but add that into the fact that Tonks had had three visitors in three days- something that rarely ever happened- and each visitor was whisked into and out of her room quite quickly, it made Tonks burst. "Oh June, you just don't know...." she managed to say between her spurts. Her hands pulled the dress off June's lap and walked to the wardrobe as best she could while continuing to giggle. "I'll hang this up next to mine- it'll remind me that I have nothing to worry about now... no one is going to pay any attention to me while I'm next to you- in this!"
June's answering laugh was relieved; she trusted Professor McGonagall, of course, but her friend's reaction was still immensely reassuring. "Tonks, no one is going to recognize you! In a dress? An elegant, embroidered dress? They're going to think someone has you under Imperius!" Her grin widening, she lowered her voice. "Which, admittedly, your mum might have done, mightn't she? If you hadn't decided to do this on your own. She seems much happier about it than you do!"
And again Tonks burst out laughing. "That's why I don't want to go-- truly I don't. If I hadn't opened my trap and... made that bet with Charlie..." She whispered so her mother would not overhear. "None of this would be happening. I don’t dare tell Mum.... It's nice to see her happy and overly excited that I'm her daughter every once in awhile," Tonks teased. Once the dress was properly hung up, Tonks had made her way back to her friend and poked at the bag. "Anything else in here?"
"Shoes?" Fishing in the bag, June pulled out a pair of low-heeled slippers in the same jewel-tone as the dress. The tops would cross over the tops of her feet, caught in the center with a slightly larger green gem in a gold setting. "All I had were some old, plain black ones of my cousin's, but she did something to those too - they're fancier.
"Now you have got to tell me about this bet you keep talking about. Unless your mum comes back, of course, but I'm absolutely dying of curiosity, so... talk!"
Tonks gently took the shoes from June, again mesmerized by the color, and quickly placed them next to the green one's her mother had brought, before returning to June and sharing a seat on the bed. "The shoes match perfectly.. hah- just like mine," she teased. "I don't think...no, forget it- I'm telling you. The bet is to see which one of us cleans up the best- done up proper and formal. Whoever looks the less scrubby. Between him and I. Tell me you'll vote for me please....we are....oh gods I forgot!" Tonks stood up from the bed and gasped. "I have to go up to people with him when we ask opinions.... Cripes!!! Everyone is going to know..... I'm read like a book... they'll know!"
The explanation of the terms of the bet had June dying of laughter. She didn't mean to be, it was just... of all the things to bet on, and all the people to be doing the betting - she should have expected it would be something like that! And Tonks's panic at the prospect just made it all the funnier.
"Oh, Tonks, of course I'll vote for you!" she promised, when she could control her giggles. It was impossible to resist teasing, though, so she went on: "Unless of course Charlie does the better job cleaning up. You might have to do something with your hair and face after all, you know. You won't win if you turn up looking like you just threw on a dress and ran out the door!"
Tonks shot a look at June that was both of horror, and disgust, as her hands went flying up to her face to push away her hair. "What?- June! No-... no you think?
"I am not going to have to do more-... than the dress....right??"
June shook her head fondly. "I seriously doubt you'd be able to get past your mother without letting her do something with your hair anyway. But... I'm only saying, if you really want to win..." She gave a little shrug, though the grin still playing about her mouth gave away her amusement. "You might have to be spectacular."
Tonks shook her head and grabbed June's hands. Her hands seemed to need to grab onto something as they went. "I cannot look 'Spectacular'... not....not after what happened..." She trailed off as she lowered her head and sighed. "The bloody wanker..." She muttered to herself.
"After what happened?" Somehow June had the feeling Tonks wasn't talking about the bet anymore. She squeezed the hands that were wrapped so tightly around hers, her laughter vanishing. "What do you mean? What happened?"
"He- I.. We-.... Oh gods, neither of us rightly know anything..." Tonks stammered. "He was here last night- err...this morning... in my room.... we had to have a talk about the night before that....because I was at his house, getting drunk with him." Tonks squeezed June's hands back as she lowered herself down and sat next to June to whisper to her. "I passed out at his house, June.... and when I woke up- it was...well.... gods, promise not to tell a soul!!"
"I won't, I won't," June hastened to reassure her. "But neither of you rightly... know anything? You didn't... that is, you couldn't tell... Tonks, when you woke up, what?" The end of that sentence seemed suddenly extremely important in getting to the bottom of this.
"He was naked, June!...we were in bed together...and the last thing I remember- is falling onto the floor and he fell over me....on top of me... he and I in an awkward position is the last thing I ruddy remember!!!" Ok- Tonks was trying to remain calm, but that never ever happened. Though she whispered- but it was all coming out of her mouth quickly and intensely.
June's hands were starting to hurt with the force with which her distraught friend was squeezing them, but she didn't try to get free. She chewed on her lower lip, turning Tonks's words over in her head. That really didn't sound good at all, did it. No wonder Tonks was in a panic! "And you talked to him and he doesn't remember what happened either?" Wonderful. Poor Charlie. Poor Tonks! "Well... well, what about you? When you woke up? Were you, er... still wearing your clothes?"
Tonks had closed her eyes, while June commented, for the vision of seeing Charlie half naked -with blankets covering his lower half, so that she didn't really view any other portion of him- kept appearing in her head. Oh she wanted to use a memory charm on herself, for certain. "I woke up clothed- yes..." She got out through exhaled breaths, relieved to be able to say that much about it all. "But I don’t know how I ended up in is bed, how he ended up losing his clothes, and why we were all.... cuddles and cripes! In the same bed!"
"Well..." Truthfully, June couldn't see how either, but she was determined to try to make Tonks feel better. "..well, if you were both that sloshed, there could have been any number of ways you could have ended up there, couldn't there? Perhaps you just... lay down there when you got tired, and didn't think about it not being your own bed?" Ah-hah! "And that would be more likely than that you had the presence of mind to put all your clothes back on, wouldn't it, if something actually had happened?"
"Ok- if I was too drunk to remember getting to the bed, but got there- what makes you think I'd remember getting dressed after I had done something like that? And Charlie claims to know nothing about how we got into bed either! I'm just going to tell myself nothing happened....and be done with it... I will just to...." But it wasn't going to be that easy- she had to face that man again... after facing him last night, at the Gala. She had to be confident, prim and proper when she'd meet him up at Hogwarts, and she knew it was going to embarrass the hell out of her. "Charlie- he.... he acted like it was no big deal... but June- I just don't end up in men's beds.... Hell- I haven't even ended up in Remus' yet!" And that stung worse.