Gift for sa_brina86 from bluemermaid
To: Brina/sa_brina86
From: Crystal/bluemermaid
Title: Hufflepuffs Don't Cheat
Summary: Tonks wins a race and claims her prize, all while repping Hufflepuff pride. :D
Characters/Pairings: Charlie Weasley/Nymphadora Tonks
Genre: Friendship with hinted romance
Beta: Dearest K. <3
Rating/Warnings: G, no warnings.
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 922
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Nope
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
The banner unfurled before her, long and shimmering, gleaming with all the colours of the rainbow and fluttering in an unseen wind, hovering precisely at waist level and held up by nothing but magic, the spell Tonks herself had cast not fifteen minutes earlier. At the sight of it coming closer, she put on an extra burst of speed, gasping for breath as she barrelled across the grass, her muscles aching as she leaped forward just one more step -
A shower of colourful sparks rained down upon her as she stepped through the banner, its magical ribbons vanishing from sight as a large golden medallion appeared around her neck. Tonks thrust her arms up into the air with a rush of victory, of warm buzzing excitement, of laughter. She turned to look back down the makeshift track. "Who's faster now, Charles?" she taunted, one hand on her hip, breathing heavily as her body continued to vibrate with the exertion of the run.
Charlie Weasley was only a moment behind her, his run having slowed to a jog once Tonks had crossed the finish line. He gave her a playful shove. "You're such a cheater, Nymphadora," he said, drawing out the syllables of her name, placing undue emphasis upon each one.
"Oh, shut up," Tonks replied, shoving back. "I've never cheated a day in my life. You're the one they told me to watch out for." She stuck her tongue out at him. "The Weasleys are a troublesome bunch, they say. Especially your twins."
Charlie laughed. "Yeah, best steer clear of them," he told her, shaking his head. "They're still trying to figure out a way to sneak into Hogsmeade whenever they want. Very troublesome." He heaved a sigh, kicking his legs up behind him one after the other, to stretch his aching muscles. "So. You won, then. Claim your prize, m'lady."
Tonks grinned and put her finger to her chin, pretending to think. "Oh, whatever shall I request from the little boy who thought he could outrun somebody just because she's a girl? This will be a puzzler."
"That's not what I said," Charlie cried in protest. "It was merely a sport between two friends, none of this 'boy versus girl' nonsense. I know you could kick my arse six ways from Sunday."
"You got that right, Chuck," Tonks replied, pointing at him. "And for my prize I want you to host a training session of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team."
"Now, that's illegal and you know it," Charlie said, pointing back. "I can't give tips to an opposing team, it's...it's fraternizing with the enemy, is what it is."
"So I'm the enemy now?" Tonks pretended to size him up, gazing at him from top to bottom, then widening her eyes comically large for effect, putting a bit of her own unique magic into it. "A moment ago I was just part of 'two friends.'"
"Oi, you're the one who went and got herself sorted into Hufflepuff house," Charlie said with a shrug. "You could have been a star Gryffindor player under my direct tutelage."
"Don't flatter yourself, I'm flourishing just fine without you. I merely wanted you to assist some of the younger members of the team. And don't knock Hufflepuff house within my earshot, Weasley, or I'll hex your tongue straight out of your head."
He looked hurt for a moment, then shrugged again. "You're practically a lion to me already, anyway. We spend all of our extra time together." He leaned in, nudged her shoulder. "Climbing trees and running races."
"All things vital to a Hogwarts curriculum," Tonks added. She grinned, nudged Charlie back, then sat down suddenly on the ground, placing her palms upon the soft grass. She peered up at Charlie, fluttering her eyelids. "You enjoy our interhouse activities, don't you?"
"Of course," he replied with a grin, sitting down beside her. He put his hand over hers in the grass; Tonks felt a shiver go through her body at the contact. They were always touching, her and Charlie, bumping shoulders and punching one another playfully. This touch felt different; softer, somehow. She found that she didn't mind it at all.
He was speaking again and she had to rush to catch up, her brain attempting to rewind time so as to replay the moment, rehear the syllables escaping his lips. "If you could choose, would you? You're close enough."
"Close enough to what?" Tonks asked.
"Gryffindor. Brave, adventurous, fun-loving...a certain disregard for the rules." He grinned at her.
"No, thanks," Tonks replied, shaking her head. "I break only the rules that are unnecessary, in my own humble opinion. I'm the fairest woman in all the land, really. And I work my arse off when I have to. I'm a Hufflepuff, Charles, and you best get used to it, because I'm never defecting. Another trait of the badgers, by the way; I'm intensely loyal to my kind."
"Fine, then, Nymphadora. Explain to me why you cheated in the race."
"I didn't!" Tonks slapped him, and Charlie leapt to his feet, laughing wildly as she stumbled to regain her own footing, tumbling off into another footrace. "You're the cheater, Charlie Weasley," she yelled, her arms windmilling briefly before she hit her stride, before she sucked in a lungful of air and prepared to outrun her best friend yet again.
She didn't really want him to coach her Quidditch team for a day; she just thought it would be hilarious watching the third years giggle over handsome Charlie Weasley.
Crystal/Hufflepuff/31 Points
From: Crystal/bluemermaid
Title: Hufflepuffs Don't Cheat
Summary: Tonks wins a race and claims her prize, all while repping Hufflepuff pride. :D
Characters/Pairings: Charlie Weasley/Nymphadora Tonks
Genre: Friendship with hinted romance
Beta: Dearest K. <3
Rating/Warnings: G, no warnings.
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 922
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Nope
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
The banner unfurled before her, long and shimmering, gleaming with all the colours of the rainbow and fluttering in an unseen wind, hovering precisely at waist level and held up by nothing but magic, the spell Tonks herself had cast not fifteen minutes earlier. At the sight of it coming closer, she put on an extra burst of speed, gasping for breath as she barrelled across the grass, her muscles aching as she leaped forward just one more step -
A shower of colourful sparks rained down upon her as she stepped through the banner, its magical ribbons vanishing from sight as a large golden medallion appeared around her neck. Tonks thrust her arms up into the air with a rush of victory, of warm buzzing excitement, of laughter. She turned to look back down the makeshift track. "Who's faster now, Charles?" she taunted, one hand on her hip, breathing heavily as her body continued to vibrate with the exertion of the run.
Charlie Weasley was only a moment behind her, his run having slowed to a jog once Tonks had crossed the finish line. He gave her a playful shove. "You're such a cheater, Nymphadora," he said, drawing out the syllables of her name, placing undue emphasis upon each one.
"Oh, shut up," Tonks replied, shoving back. "I've never cheated a day in my life. You're the one they told me to watch out for." She stuck her tongue out at him. "The Weasleys are a troublesome bunch, they say. Especially your twins."
Charlie laughed. "Yeah, best steer clear of them," he told her, shaking his head. "They're still trying to figure out a way to sneak into Hogsmeade whenever they want. Very troublesome." He heaved a sigh, kicking his legs up behind him one after the other, to stretch his aching muscles. "So. You won, then. Claim your prize, m'lady."
Tonks grinned and put her finger to her chin, pretending to think. "Oh, whatever shall I request from the little boy who thought he could outrun somebody just because she's a girl? This will be a puzzler."
"That's not what I said," Charlie cried in protest. "It was merely a sport between two friends, none of this 'boy versus girl' nonsense. I know you could kick my arse six ways from Sunday."
"You got that right, Chuck," Tonks replied, pointing at him. "And for my prize I want you to host a training session of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team."
"Now, that's illegal and you know it," Charlie said, pointing back. "I can't give tips to an opposing team, it's...it's fraternizing with the enemy, is what it is."
"So I'm the enemy now?" Tonks pretended to size him up, gazing at him from top to bottom, then widening her eyes comically large for effect, putting a bit of her own unique magic into it. "A moment ago I was just part of 'two friends.'"
"Oi, you're the one who went and got herself sorted into Hufflepuff house," Charlie said with a shrug. "You could have been a star Gryffindor player under my direct tutelage."
"Don't flatter yourself, I'm flourishing just fine without you. I merely wanted you to assist some of the younger members of the team. And don't knock Hufflepuff house within my earshot, Weasley, or I'll hex your tongue straight out of your head."
He looked hurt for a moment, then shrugged again. "You're practically a lion to me already, anyway. We spend all of our extra time together." He leaned in, nudged her shoulder. "Climbing trees and running races."
"All things vital to a Hogwarts curriculum," Tonks added. She grinned, nudged Charlie back, then sat down suddenly on the ground, placing her palms upon the soft grass. She peered up at Charlie, fluttering her eyelids. "You enjoy our interhouse activities, don't you?"
"Of course," he replied with a grin, sitting down beside her. He put his hand over hers in the grass; Tonks felt a shiver go through her body at the contact. They were always touching, her and Charlie, bumping shoulders and punching one another playfully. This touch felt different; softer, somehow. She found that she didn't mind it at all.
He was speaking again and she had to rush to catch up, her brain attempting to rewind time so as to replay the moment, rehear the syllables escaping his lips. "If you could choose, would you? You're close enough."
"Close enough to what?" Tonks asked.
"Gryffindor. Brave, adventurous, fun-loving...a certain disregard for the rules." He grinned at her.
"No, thanks," Tonks replied, shaking her head. "I break only the rules that are unnecessary, in my own humble opinion. I'm the fairest woman in all the land, really. And I work my arse off when I have to. I'm a Hufflepuff, Charles, and you best get used to it, because I'm never defecting. Another trait of the badgers, by the way; I'm intensely loyal to my kind."
"Fine, then, Nymphadora. Explain to me why you cheated in the race."
"I didn't!" Tonks slapped him, and Charlie leapt to his feet, laughing wildly as she stumbled to regain her own footing, tumbling off into another footrace. "You're the cheater, Charlie Weasley," she yelled, her arms windmilling briefly before she hit her stride, before she sucked in a lungful of air and prepared to outrun her best friend yet again.
She didn't really want him to coach her Quidditch team for a day; she just thought it would be hilarious watching the third years giggle over handsome Charlie Weasley.
Crystal/Hufflepuff/31 Points