Final drabble (for now!) - Luna and Tonks
At long last! Okay, my personal opinion is that this is pants ... but, it's been driving me nuts and I honestly don't have the time to work on it anymore! But it was fun while it lasted, and I think there's lots more potential in the Tonks and Luna world. This is for gilpin25, who requested Tonks, Luna and the promp "earrings." It comes in at 933 words.
“Excuse me, but Hogwarts students aren’t supposed to be here. I’m going to have to escort you back to the castle.”
Tonks stood glaring at the young girl with long, dirty-blonde hair and protuberant eyes who was standing in the shop holding a pair of silver earrings shot through with what looked like onyx - which, Tonks thought, were much nicer than the radishes currently adorning the girl’s ears. How this girl had slipped through the increased security at the castle was beyond her, but Hogsmeade at dusk was no place for a student - not these days.
The girl stared up at her, blinked, and then broke into a sudden and radiant smile that caught Tonks off guard. “I’m with my father. We’re doing our Christmas shopping,” she said, pointing towards a tall man in turquoise robes standing at the back of the shop, examining a row of waist-shrinking belts. “You must be Tonks,” she added, unexpectedly.
Tonks narrowed her eyes at her. “Yes,” she said. The girl looked as though she was expecting Tonks to say more, but Tonks had little desire to make idle conversation with a Hogwarts schoolgirl - or with anyone, for that matter.
“I’m Luna Lovegood,” the girl offered. “Ginny Weasley told me about you. She said you used to be a metamorphmagus.”
“I …” Tonks sputtered. “She said I used to be a metamorphmagus?”
Luna nodded. “If I were a metamorphmagus, I would do something different with my hair,” she said, indicating Tonks’ limp brown locks. “Ginny says she prefers it pink.”
Tonks stared at her. In other, happier days, she would have found such candid comments refreshing, even amusing. Now, however, she felt a faint twinge of annoyance coupled with a desire to morph her nose into something rude. But, she thought sadly, there was no point - try as she might, she could not morph even a freckle onto her clear complexion. And it had been a long time since she had even tried.
But, ‘used to be a metamorphmagus’? It had never occurred to her that she might never get her powers back. The leaden feeling in her stomach got heavier as the thought sunk in. She felt hot tears prick at her eyes and looked away, blinking rapidly. Feeling humiliated, she turned away and started towards the door of the shop.
“Anyway, I told her she was mistaken,” Luna said conversationally, as if Tonks had not just stalked off towards the door. “About you not being a metamorphmagus, I mean,” Luna continued. “I think metamorphmagi are like Glabenyadels.”
Tonks turned around. Luna looked up at Tonks as if this last statement were self-explanatory, nodding as if she expected Tonks to agree wholeheartedly with her.
Tonks shook her head and closed her eyes. “Like what?” she asked.
Luna’s eyes widened with excitement. “Glabenyadels. You know - tiny little birds, although sometimes they’re huge, and not always birds - they change shape and size all the time, no one knows what their true form actually is - but you can always recognize them because of their song.”
“Their song.” Tonks raised an eyebrow.
“Mmm,” Luna said. “I think I can do it, hold on.” And before Tonks could stop her, Luna had tossed back her head and started making a sound like she was yodeling with a mouthful of salt water.
Tonks, surprising herself, burst out laughing. Luna looked affronted, and Tonks was quick to stifle her laughter. “I’m sorry,” she said, snorting. “It’s just that … um, well, with such a …distinct song they must be easy prey - kind of makes the whole disguise thing rather pointless.”
“Since when did having a point matter?” Luna asked.
Tonks was beginning to think that walking out had been the right idea in the first place. Er …” she said. “Sorry, but what exactly does this have to do with me?”
“They’re named for the kind of sound they make,” Luna said, and she tossed back her head and gargeled/yodeled again, completely oblivious to the stares of the other store patrons or her father’s proud gaze. “That’s what they’re known for, more than changing colour or size. And you - apparently you’re known for being a real laugh, a talented Auror, a good friend. It doesn’t matter what colour your hair is, not really. It doesn’t make you who you are, anyway. That’s what I told Ginny, and she quite agrees.”
Tonks was speechless. Is that what people really thought of her? Did Ginny and her friends really talk about her that way to their schoolmates? She had assumed they told stories about her nose-morphing, her odd clothes and punky hairstyles … but even though they were a decade younger than her, their good opinion still mattered to her. She felt slightly cheered, and looked down at Luna in wonderment.
“Erm … thank you,” she mumbled. “I mean, it’s nice that you’ve heard those things about me. Thank you for telling me.”
“You’re welcome!” Luna chirped. As Tonks turned to go, Luna called, “Wait! Can you do me a favour? It’s only … well, Ginny says she really likes your style, and I’m looking for a pair of earrings for her for Christmas. Do you think she’ll like these ones?” she said, indicating the ones in her hand.
Tonks took them from her and examined them up close before handing them back. “She’ll love them,” she answered. “They’re just like something I would wear. And tell Ginny to quit spreading bollocks about me not being a metamorphmagus anymore,” she said, but she was smiling. “Tell her I said mousey brown is the new pink.”
“Excuse me, but Hogwarts students aren’t supposed to be here. I’m going to have to escort you back to the castle.”
Tonks stood glaring at the young girl with long, dirty-blonde hair and protuberant eyes who was standing in the shop holding a pair of silver earrings shot through with what looked like onyx - which, Tonks thought, were much nicer than the radishes currently adorning the girl’s ears. How this girl had slipped through the increased security at the castle was beyond her, but Hogsmeade at dusk was no place for a student - not these days.
The girl stared up at her, blinked, and then broke into a sudden and radiant smile that caught Tonks off guard. “I’m with my father. We’re doing our Christmas shopping,” she said, pointing towards a tall man in turquoise robes standing at the back of the shop, examining a row of waist-shrinking belts. “You must be Tonks,” she added, unexpectedly.
Tonks narrowed her eyes at her. “Yes,” she said. The girl looked as though she was expecting Tonks to say more, but Tonks had little desire to make idle conversation with a Hogwarts schoolgirl - or with anyone, for that matter.
“I’m Luna Lovegood,” the girl offered. “Ginny Weasley told me about you. She said you used to be a metamorphmagus.”
“I …” Tonks sputtered. “She said I used to be a metamorphmagus?”
Luna nodded. “If I were a metamorphmagus, I would do something different with my hair,” she said, indicating Tonks’ limp brown locks. “Ginny says she prefers it pink.”
Tonks stared at her. In other, happier days, she would have found such candid comments refreshing, even amusing. Now, however, she felt a faint twinge of annoyance coupled with a desire to morph her nose into something rude. But, she thought sadly, there was no point - try as she might, she could not morph even a freckle onto her clear complexion. And it had been a long time since she had even tried.
But, ‘used to be a metamorphmagus’? It had never occurred to her that she might never get her powers back. The leaden feeling in her stomach got heavier as the thought sunk in. She felt hot tears prick at her eyes and looked away, blinking rapidly. Feeling humiliated, she turned away and started towards the door of the shop.
“Anyway, I told her she was mistaken,” Luna said conversationally, as if Tonks had not just stalked off towards the door. “About you not being a metamorphmagus, I mean,” Luna continued. “I think metamorphmagi are like Glabenyadels.”
Tonks turned around. Luna looked up at Tonks as if this last statement were self-explanatory, nodding as if she expected Tonks to agree wholeheartedly with her.
Tonks shook her head and closed her eyes. “Like what?” she asked.
Luna’s eyes widened with excitement. “Glabenyadels. You know - tiny little birds, although sometimes they’re huge, and not always birds - they change shape and size all the time, no one knows what their true form actually is - but you can always recognize them because of their song.”
“Their song.” Tonks raised an eyebrow.
“Mmm,” Luna said. “I think I can do it, hold on.” And before Tonks could stop her, Luna had tossed back her head and started making a sound like she was yodeling with a mouthful of salt water.
Tonks, surprising herself, burst out laughing. Luna looked affronted, and Tonks was quick to stifle her laughter. “I’m sorry,” she said, snorting. “It’s just that … um, well, with such a …distinct song they must be easy prey - kind of makes the whole disguise thing rather pointless.”
“Since when did having a point matter?” Luna asked.
Tonks was beginning to think that walking out had been the right idea in the first place. Er …” she said. “Sorry, but what exactly does this have to do with me?”
“They’re named for the kind of sound they make,” Luna said, and she tossed back her head and gargeled/yodeled again, completely oblivious to the stares of the other store patrons or her father’s proud gaze. “That’s what they’re known for, more than changing colour or size. And you - apparently you’re known for being a real laugh, a talented Auror, a good friend. It doesn’t matter what colour your hair is, not really. It doesn’t make you who you are, anyway. That’s what I told Ginny, and she quite agrees.”
Tonks was speechless. Is that what people really thought of her? Did Ginny and her friends really talk about her that way to their schoolmates? She had assumed they told stories about her nose-morphing, her odd clothes and punky hairstyles … but even though they were a decade younger than her, their good opinion still mattered to her. She felt slightly cheered, and looked down at Luna in wonderment.
“Erm … thank you,” she mumbled. “I mean, it’s nice that you’ve heard those things about me. Thank you for telling me.”
“You’re welcome!” Luna chirped. As Tonks turned to go, Luna called, “Wait! Can you do me a favour? It’s only … well, Ginny says she really likes your style, and I’m looking for a pair of earrings for her for Christmas. Do you think she’ll like these ones?” she said, indicating the ones in her hand.
Tonks took them from her and examined them up close before handing them back. “She’ll love them,” she answered. “They’re just like something I would wear. And tell Ginny to quit spreading bollocks about me not being a metamorphmagus anymore,” she said, but she was smiling. “Tell her I said mousey brown is the new pink.”