Fic: Temper Flare
Title: Temper Flare
Author: pinkhairedauror
Format & Word Count: Ficlette, 540 words
Rating: PG-13 (just in case)
Prompt: 6: Whimsy
Warning: Some creative insults?
Summary: The Spy must know why the most colourful member of the Order has wilted so. So he finds out - his way. During HBP.
Author's Note: I hope this one makes sense. It kind of does, in my head. Also, the ... use of the prompt is a lot less fluffy than I originally wanted to do.
"You didn't just do what I thought you did... did you?" Her outraged voice echoed through the now-empty rooms of the Order Headquarters. "You can't just... use... THAT on a ... whimsy!"
Tonks was actually so very angry that the edges of her mouse-grey hair recovered a slight hint of scarlet.
"That was not a random whim, Nymphadora--"
"And don't call me Nymphadora, you bloody git!"
"-- I needed to know what the problem was with somebody I need to work with. And since you did not choose to answer me, I had to - find out."
"You insufferable, bat-like, cold-hearted, miserable, colour-blind, tactless... reptile!"
He'd taken her by surprise, which was the only reason he HAD seen anything. It had been long established that under normal - ok, under full concentration - she could withstand his attempt to barge into her mind.
I've become careless. This must be remedied. Tonight it was Snape. Next time it could be an adversary - or another Auror. True, very few were as sneaky as Severus, but it was too risky.
Thinking about the practical aspects of things quickly quelled her initial anger, and the faint colour drained away. Her hair returned to its brown; her face to its pallour. Her voice for the next words was tight, controlled. Quiet.
"If you ever breathe a word about that, Severus, you'll regret it." She wasn't even sure how much of her soul was in that threat. But it wasn't her secret alone, and she had to give the warning. The thought of Snape bringing it up to, or around, Remus chilled her to the bone.
A few months ago, the threat would have been totally whole-hearted, and it would have been effective. A few months ago, she probably would have elaborated too - something including shampoo and hexing into next week, most likely, to start with.
That was then. This was now.
"Don't bother. Your... secret is safe with me." His sibillation made her tighten her lips. "I am not interested in giving away information for free. Besides, it could hardly be used to hurt you worse, could it?"
"Probably not." A small pause, then she added, "it was a whimsy. While I'm no longer able to morph, my usual skills are the same as always. I've not made any mistakes on missions, either for the Auror office or for the Order. Please keep that in mind before you try to find things out this way again."
"Maybe I will. Or maybe I will just..." his fingers tapped his wand as he turned to go, "just wait until you make a mistake again."
She wished she could stay angry. She wished she could even be happy that he'd retreated. She wished she could put her energy into things again.
But that was all gone now. She even found herself caring about THAT less and less. She heard the front door close, and then turned to find Kreacher staring at her, his eyes disapproving.
"Be glad. It won't ever be all right for me again, the way things are going."
"Maybe Kreacher will be so," he answered. Then, as she was closing the door on her way out, she heard the unavoidable addition. "Freak."
Author: pinkhairedauror
Format & Word Count: Ficlette, 540 words
Rating: PG-13 (just in case)
Prompt: 6: Whimsy
Warning: Some creative insults?
Summary: The Spy must know why the most colourful member of the Order has wilted so. So he finds out - his way. During HBP.
Author's Note: I hope this one makes sense. It kind of does, in my head. Also, the ... use of the prompt is a lot less fluffy than I originally wanted to do.
"You didn't just do what I thought you did... did you?" Her outraged voice echoed through the now-empty rooms of the Order Headquarters. "You can't just... use... THAT on a ... whimsy!"
Tonks was actually so very angry that the edges of her mouse-grey hair recovered a slight hint of scarlet.
"That was not a random whim, Nymphadora--"
"And don't call me Nymphadora, you bloody git!"
"-- I needed to know what the problem was with somebody I need to work with. And since you did not choose to answer me, I had to - find out."
"You insufferable, bat-like, cold-hearted, miserable, colour-blind, tactless... reptile!"
He'd taken her by surprise, which was the only reason he HAD seen anything. It had been long established that under normal - ok, under full concentration - she could withstand his attempt to barge into her mind.
I've become careless. This must be remedied. Tonight it was Snape. Next time it could be an adversary - or another Auror. True, very few were as sneaky as Severus, but it was too risky.
Thinking about the practical aspects of things quickly quelled her initial anger, and the faint colour drained away. Her hair returned to its brown; her face to its pallour. Her voice for the next words was tight, controlled. Quiet.
"If you ever breathe a word about that, Severus, you'll regret it." She wasn't even sure how much of her soul was in that threat. But it wasn't her secret alone, and she had to give the warning. The thought of Snape bringing it up to, or around, Remus chilled her to the bone.
A few months ago, the threat would have been totally whole-hearted, and it would have been effective. A few months ago, she probably would have elaborated too - something including shampoo and hexing into next week, most likely, to start with.
That was then. This was now.
"Don't bother. Your... secret is safe with me." His sibillation made her tighten her lips. "I am not interested in giving away information for free. Besides, it could hardly be used to hurt you worse, could it?"
"Probably not." A small pause, then she added, "it was a whimsy. While I'm no longer able to morph, my usual skills are the same as always. I've not made any mistakes on missions, either for the Auror office or for the Order. Please keep that in mind before you try to find things out this way again."
"Maybe I will. Or maybe I will just..." his fingers tapped his wand as he turned to go, "just wait until you make a mistake again."
She wished she could stay angry. She wished she could even be happy that he'd retreated. She wished she could put her energy into things again.
But that was all gone now. She even found herself caring about THAT less and less. She heard the front door close, and then turned to find Kreacher staring at her, his eyes disapproving.
"Be glad. It won't ever be all right for me again, the way things are going."
"Maybe Kreacher will be so," he answered. Then, as she was closing the door on her way out, she heard the unavoidable addition. "Freak."