FIC: "One, Two, Breathe" for lineaments

[girlykisses]

Title: One, Two, Breathe
Author/Artist: ???
Recipient's name: lineaments
Characters/Pairings: Tonks, Cho, hints at Tonks/Cho
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Tonks shows Cho what it's like to be an Auror, and Cho
shows Tonks some things she didn't want to see.
Warnings: Alcohol use, references to canon pairings.
Notes: More gen than femmeslash, sorry. Many thanks to my beta, Lis.

One, Two, Breathe

July 3rd

"All right, Tonks?"

Tonks smiled at the cheerful, tense, pitying face of Hestia Jones.
"All right, Hestia," she said, obliging the older woman. For some
reason, all the Order veterans seemed to think she was constantly on
the verge of breakdown since Dumbledore's death, and the Aurors most
of all.

Hestia smiled again, that horrid, forced smile that Tonks hated so,
and disappeared into Moody's office. Scrimgeour, it turned out, was a
big enthusiast of the legendary Auror, and had been courting him to
rejoin the Department of Magical Law Enforcement temporarily, until He
who Must Not Be Named was defeated. Mad-Eye had been dubious, but
Professor McGonagall had convinced him that he was even more useful in
the Department than out of it, especially with Kingsley constantly on
duty among the Muggles.

With a sigh, Tonks turned to look at her half-finished report. She
wished everyone would stop treating her like a china doll accidentally
caught in the crossfire. She'd had a bad year, that was true, but she
was still an Auror. She'd passed three years' worth of rigorous
training with flying colors. Surely that counted for something.
Shaking her head, she resolved not to dwell on the matter.

"Wotcher, Tonks."

Turning swiftly in her chair, Tonks was just about to give the speaker
a piece of her mind when she recognized Kingsley. Squeaking, she
leaped out of her chair and hugged him fiercely.

Kingsley laughed. "Have I been gone that long? I'm not dead, yet."

She shrugged. "We've hardly seen you in the office at all, the past
few months," she said, by way of an explanation.

"I've been busy," he replied, and his face darkened. "It seems like
every day there's a Dark object in the mail, or a hex on one of the
minor ministers to reverse."

Tonks made a face, half revolted and half deprecating. "Are they
bored, or something?" she said quietly. "You'd think they have better
things to do than that."

"It's their sport," said Kingsley.

She frowned, but didn't say anything.

"Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about," said
Kingsley. "There's something I'd like to ask of you, a favor of
sorts."

"Oh?" Tonks' ears perked up; she owed Kingsley a great deal, and would
do a lot to repay that debt.

"We assess -"

"Who's we?" she asked curiously.

"The senior Order members, Nymphadora," he answered. "Hush and listen.
We assess a larger than usual number of applications to join Auror
training, this coming autumn. Minerva tells me many of the students
took Dumbledore's death to heart, and those who have completed their
N.E.W.T.s speak eagerly of fighting You Know Who.

"She suspects many of them speak out of anger and vengefulness, and
we're all concerned about how the turmoil of the last year might
affect the rates of success among next season's trainees. We don't
want anyone to get hurt, and someone invariably will if these
youngsters put themselves in harm's way without realizing what they
are getting into."

"All right, then," said Tonks, "but how do I figure in?"

"During the application review process, Alastor suggested that we
obligate the applicants to spend some time with a seasoned Auror
before we approve them for training, to make sure they've had the
opportunity to appreciate the complexities and dangers of the job. I
agree with him on that, but not on the age of the Auror sponsors."
Kingsley sighed, shook his head, and then continued, "I've finally got
him convinced to use sponsors young enough that the applicants can
relate to them, somewhat. I'd like you to be one of them."

"Me?" said Tonks, incredulous. "Sponsor an applicant for Auror
training? Are you sure you're not -"

"I'm sure, Tonks," said Kingsley, meeting her eyes gravely. "I can't
think of anyone in this office who'd be better suited to giving future
Aurors their first glimpse of the job." He smiled, breaking the
tension. "Good enough for you?"

Tonks was still dubious, but Kingsley seemed so certain. "All right,"
she said. "Where do I sign up?"

July 28th

By the time the matter of the Auror applicants came up again, Tonks
had nearly forgotten about her conversation with Kingsley. She was
quite surprised, then, when she arrived one Monday morning to see two
people standing by her desk.

"Morning, Hestia," she said, looking quite perplexed.

"Good morning, Tonks," said Hestia, smiling glowingly at her. "This is
Nymphadora Tonks, one of our most highly praised young Aurors. Only on
the job for three years or so, and already she's acclaimed herself."

"You're too kind, Hestia," said Tonks, knowing the witch would
blithely ignore the dryness of her tone.

"Tonks," said Hestia, putting her special emphasis on the name,
"meet your assignment for the next few weeks, Cho Chang. Cho has
applied for Auror training. All her documents are in order, and her
marks are quite high."

Cho, a girl who looked much younger than eighteen, smiled at Tonks
with obvious nerves.

"Well, I'll leave you two to get acquainted," said Hestia, smiling
from ear to ear. "Tonks, there's a schedule on your desk."

Glancing at the girl, Tonks offered her a hand. "Pleased to meet you, Cho."

"Likewise," said Cho, shaking the offered hand. Her palms were small,
and she gripped Tonks' hand too firmly before letting go of it too
quickly.

"Please, sit down," offered Tonks, gesturing at the extra chair
someone had had the foresight to place next to her desk.

Cho sat, gathering her violet robes around her carefully. "So, err,
should I call you Tonks, or…"

Tonks tried to smile. "Yeah, everyone calls me Tonks. Let's have a
look at our schedule, shall we?" She rummaged among the many pieces of
parchment on her desk before finally locating one far less wrinkled
and stained than the others, which had to be the schedule. She was
skimming the second page when she heard a small cough to her right.

Cho was sitting with her hands pressed together in her lap, looking at
her expectantly.

Annoyed, Tonks said, "Yes, right," and then, "It looks like we're
headed for Liverpool today, to have a look at a witch who's suspected
in Dark object trafficking. They've been running rampant since Zavier
Borgin's disappearance in May, especially up north." She decided not
to mention the Order's suspicions of Death Eater hideouts and lairs in
that general area.

"When do we leave?" asked Cho.

The girl was certainly eager. "Not so fast," said Tonks. "First, let's
have a cuppa and a little chat."

Cho watched her silently while she poured two cups of tea and loaded
her own with sugar and milk. Although she took the guest cup, she
seemed too lost in stirring to actually drink it.

"There, isn't that better?" asked Tonks, not expecting an answer. "So
tell me, who'd you lose?"

The girl blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Who did you lose?" repeated Tonks, too patiently. "Who do you know
who was killed by You Know Who?"

She looked down, and her voice was very soft when she said, "My boyfriend."

Leaning forward, Tonks propped her chin on her hand and watched the
girl carefully as she asked, "Do you think he'd like to be avenged?"

Cho looked up at her, her expression obscured by fine black hairs. "I
think he'd like to be alive."

Tonks smiled crookedly. "Good," she said inexplicably. "I think he
probably would. He can't be, though, and you can. What makes you think
you should throw that away?"

"Probably the same thing that makes you think it," said Cho, still
through her bangs. "Someone has to so it."

Now Tonks was grinning. "You'll do," she said. "Finish your tea. I'll
go conjure you some Muggle clothing. We're going incognito, today."

August 1st

"So tell me about your family," said Tonks, once she had
finished the abbreviated version of her family saga.

Cho shrugged and sipped her gillywater. "Mum's a Herbologist, dad
works at Gringotts. I have an older sister, much older. We're
not much in contact. I was closest to my grandmother, but she died
when I was twelve."

Tonks nodded over her mead. "My brother's twelve," she said. "We can't really…"

"Relate?" said Cho.

"Exactly," agreed Tonks enthusiastically, raising her glass. "We can't
relate." He glass proved to be empty. "Tom, another mead?"

"Sure thing, Tonks," said Tom, grinning at her toothlessly.

She flashed him her favorite smile and turned back to Cho. "So," she
said, deciding she'd given the girl time enough to adjust to her,
"tell me more about this boyfriend."

Cho faltered. "Cedric?"

Tonks nodded. "Yeah, a name is a good start."

"His name's - was - Cedric Diggory," said Cho. "Maybe you've heard of him?"

Tonks stared at the girl, quickly counting years in her head. She
would have been… fifteen? Sixteen?

Cho smiled wryly and sniffed, then took another sip from her drink. "I
thought so," she said, her voice a little strangled, maybe from
swallowing too quickly.

"But…" said Tonks, feeling stupid.

"What?" said Cho. Her voice was as soft as it had been all day, but
somehow there was a challenge in that one word.

"The boy you were seeing died, and two years later you still want to -"

"Tonks," said Cho, "I told you already, I'm not trying to avenge
anyone, and I'm not still hung up about it, either. Cedric was
one of the sweetest, kindest, most honestly good people I've
ever met, though, and if there's anything I can do to keep any boys
like him from dying, then I'll damn well do it."

"You're not still… hung up?" said Tonks doubtfully.

Cho put her hand over her heart. "I swear it," she said. "I even have
a boyfriend. Sort of."

"Sort of?" asked Tonks, raising her eyebrows.

"He's meant to go back to Hogwarts in the Autumn," explained Cho. "I
expect I'll be as busy as he is, if not more, this year. His ex will
be there, and she's quite a bit prettier than me."

Tonks snorted.

Pursing her lips, Cho said, "Well, she's a redhead, and everyone
prefers them. You can change your appearance at will, and your
hair is red."

"It's pink!" said Tonks indignantly.

Cho brushed her hand at her. "Anyway, are you satisfied that my
motives are pure? Because I'd like to get home before midnight."

Tonks flapped her hand in the air, feeling a bit like an idiot. She
watched the girl's short, slight figure disappear in a burst of green
flames, and then sank back into her mead. She didn't much feel like
returning to her empty flat. Not before she was well and thoroughly
hammered, at any rate.

August 4th

"Wotcher, Cho," said Tonks upon reaching her desk, the next Monday.
"Have a nice weekend?"

"Lovely," said Cho, not looking up from her book. "You?"

"It was all right," said Tonks, only half-lying. Saturday had been
rather dreadful, but Sunday was a dramatic improvement, and her
weekend had ended on a positive note.

Cho shut her book and tucked it into her handbag, then looked up at
Tonks, who was still standing.

"No change of clothes today," said Tonks cheerfully, "we're in our
element. We're going to Diagon Alley."

"Patrol?" asked Cho.

Tonks wagged her finger at her. "You've been speaking to other Aurors
behind my back," she accused.

"Hestia is very kind," replied Cho.

Tonks pulled a face. "Hestia is terribly overbearing. She wouldn't be
such a mother if she'd had time to have kids of her own."

Cho shrugged lightly.

"Trust me," said Tonks, "I've known her far longer than you have. She
and my mother go way back."

"Sounds like there's a story in that," remarked Cho, getting up and
dusting the back of her robes.

"There is," grinned Tonks, "but don't worry, you won't be hearing it
today. Let's go."

August 11th

"Wotcher, Tonks," said Cho, plopping her handbag on the floor next to
her chair. "Want some tea?"

"Sure, all right, whatever," mumbled Tonks.

Cho returned shortly with two cups, handed Tonks one and sat down with
hers. She took a sip, looking at her over the rim of her teacup, and
said, "So, tell me about it."

Tonks turned her teacup in her hands. "It's nothing serious," she said.

"You're wearing navy," said Cho. "What's wrong?"

"Really, it's nothing," insisted Tonks. "I just fought with my
boyfriend last night."

"Commitment issues?" asked Cho.

Tonks gave her a look.

"I have an older sister," said Cho, shrugging, and sipped her tea.

"You think that qualifies you to be a couples' counselor?" asked Tonks
with raised eyebrows.

"You think it's an uncommon problem?" the girl asked back. "If you're
really certain that your problems are so much more complicated than
anyone else's, you can just say you don't want to talk about it, and
I'll never bring it up again."

Tonks hesitated before she spoke. "He keep putting me off with
excuses," she said quietly, and sighed even more quietly. "I know he
wants it, and it would be better for both of us, so why resist? I'm
tired of living alone. I like it when he's there. I want him to always
be there."

"And he objects?" prompted Cho.

Tonks shrugged. "He says he likes things the way they are. Sometimes
he says we shouldn't rush into anything. I think what he really means
is he doesn't want me around all the time. He's a private man."

"He keeps secrets?" asked Cho.

"Not secrets, exactly," said Tonks. "He just… I guess he doesn't like
talking about these things, because he always gets tetchy when I bring
it up."

"You like him?" asked Cho.

"I love him!" said Tonks hotly.

"Give him time," advised Cho. "He'll come round, and more quickly if
you let him be than if you pick fights with him all the time."

"I didn't pick a fight with him!" objected Tonks. "I just asked him if
he wanted to move in with me. How is that picking a fight?"

"Didn't you just say he doesn't like when you bring it up?" Cho pointed out.

Tonks' blush spread quickly over her pale face. "That wasn't about
moving in with me," she admitted quietly. "It was… something else."

Cho examined her without a word, then sipped her tea.

"You think I'm rushing," said Tonks.

"Did I say that I thought you were rushing?" asked Cho. "I didn't hear
myself say that."

"Whatever," said Tonks, standing up and clinking her teacup down onto
the cluttered desk. "Go change. We're off to Yorkshire in twenty
minutes to investigate a report about possessed budgies."

Cho looked up at her. "Possessed budgies," she repeated.

"I know," said Tonks with a sigh as she turned to fetch her change of
clothing. "I've been reduced to investigating suspicious ornamental
birds, would you believe it?"

Surprisingly, the reports of possession, although greatly dramatized,
were not completely bogus. Once captured, the offending budgerigar
proved to be a large barn owl cleverly charmed with illusionary
spells. Tonks pocketed the letter it was carrying to bring back to
Moody, and Cho conjured a large cage for the owl.

"It's important, is it?" asked Cho, nodding to the letter that Tonks
had just put a Sealing Charm on.

Tonks nodded. "I recognize the handwriting," she said darkly, hoping
it would discourage her charge from asking anymore questions.

Cho apparently took the hint, because she quickly fell silent.

"I sent for reinforcements," said Tonks a moment later. "We'd better
wait here until they arrive."

Feeling un-talkative for a change, Tonks hardly said two words during
their half-hour wait. When a team of Aurors finally Apparated, she
approached them alone to hand Moody the intercepted letter.

Mad-Eye Unsealed the letter with a tap of his wand and unrolled the
first few inches of parchment, scanning them with his one human eye.
"Snape," he said, his mouth twisting even more than usual.

"That's what I thought," said Tonks grimly.

He clapped her on the back. "Good job, Tonks. Go back to the office
and relax. You deserve it."

Tonks nodded, pleased, and turned to find Cho sitting exactly where
she'd left her, looking at her mutely. She glared, and said, "Come on,
let's Apparate back to the department. We have to write a report about
all this. Feel like getting to know the boring side of Auror
work?"

"Sure," said Cho.

She was beginning to become irritated with the girl's obliging ways,
but immediately checked herself. Clearly, Cho had a great need to
please others, which could be attributed to her wanting to become an
Auror very badly. It was poor form of Tonks to snap at her, and she
resolved to make her best effort at kindness. In that spirit, once her
report was filed and Moody made it clear that they would not be
following the lead, she invited Cho to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.

Cho ordered gillywater, and Tonks began to suspect that the girl
couldn't hold liquor.

"Don't you ever drink anything heavier than that?" she asked,
forcefully moderating her voice.

Shrugging, Cho said, "I've never been much for alcohol. The girls in
my dormitory used to make a big fuss about sneaking in firewhiskey,
but it tasted vile to me, and the one time I had more than a mouthful,
I was ill at Quidditch practice the next day."

"You played Quidditch?" asked Tonks.

"Don't be so shocked," replied Cho, half-smiling. "I know I don't look
like the athlete people might expect."

"I'm not shocked," Tonks protested. Not exactly, at least. "How long
have you been playing?"

"I've played since I was eight. I was a Seeker at Hogwarts."

"Who do you support?" asked Tonks, propping her elbows on the bar and
leaning forward.

"The Tornados."

Tonks made a face, and Cho laughed.

"Yes, I get that a lot," she said. "Surprisingly often. You'd think I
admitted to secretly sympathizing with You Know Who."

"If you admit it, it's not a secret anymore," Tonks pointed out.

Cho just shrugged.

August 15th

"Next week is your last," said Tonks, watching Cho's face for her reaction.

"Yes," said Cho, "and the week after that I have my interview."

"Have you decided whether you're going in for it?" asked Tonks.

"Not yet, actually," said Cho. "I… Well, it's a big decision. Mum
doesn't want me to do it, of course, and dad is ambivalent. She's
conjured up a job offer through one of her work friends, some
secretarial position with a wand polish company in Aberdeen."

"It sounds tedious," said Tonks candidly.

"Doesn't it?" said Cho. "But still, I'm not sure. Who's to say I'll
make it through the training at all? So many people are trying at the
same time; some of them must be better suited for it than me."

"You're a good witch, Cho," said Tonks.

"Even if I am," insisted Cho, "that might not be enough."

Tonks thought about it for a moment. "Well, I hope you go in
for it, at any rate," she said. "I think you'd make a great Auror."

Cho smiled. "Thanks."

August 16th

Perhaps it hadn't been a good idea to take the girl out, that Friday
night. Maybe it was even a bad idea to wheedle her into drinking so
much, the first time she'd even shown visible signs of nerves. Or
maybe she was really as bad a drinker as she'd professed, when Tonks
had bought her that first mug of mead. At any rate, it was Tonks' duty
to take care of her once she was as thoroughly plastered as she
hadn't set out to become, and so Cho had spent her Friday night
sleeping heavily on the couch in Tonks' living room.

Early Saturday morning, when a dull, throbbing headache had disturbed
her sleep, Tonks had went to the kitchen to get a drink of water, and
when she passed the couch Cho was still asleep, in the same position
she'd left her in late last night. Her face creased; if she'd done the
girl any real harm… but no, she was stirring finally, and Tonks
recognized in her labored motions the same heaviness of limb she
usually woke up with, when she'd outdone her capacity, which still
happened now and then.

Cho was muttering something, trying to sit up.

With a heartfelt sigh, Tonks dipped into the kitchen and returned with
two glasses of water. She put hers down on the end table and closed
Cho's fingers around the other one. "Drink," she ordered.

Cho gulped, coughed and muttered.

Leaning in close, Tonks tried to hear what she was saying.

"Breathe," said Cho softly. "Breathe." She reached up, and before
Tonks knew it, had wrapped two slippery arms around her neck, one
sliding down to settle near her waist.

She had no choice but to get an awkward grip on the girl and haul her
to her feet.

"Ugh," said Cho and wobbled, bracing herself, half-limp, against Tonks.

"Coffee," countered Tonks. "Let's get you to the kitchen."

After a moment's struggle, she managed to settle one arm around Cho's
waist, while Cho's arms wrapped themselves loosely, almost
distractedly, around her. Though nearly deadweight, she was so much
smaller than her that Tonks could easily support her through the ten
paces or so to the kitchen. Once there she pushed the warm weight into
a chair, where it settled not unlike a sack of grain.

Cho groaned, dumping her arms on the kitchen table and nestling her
head among them.

"Hold on," said Tonks. "I'll have the coffee ready for you in a
minute." She set water to boil with a flick of her wand, and leaned
against the counter.

Cho paused her muttering long enough to cast Tonks a pale imitation of
a glare. "Told you I don't drink," she croaked.

Tonks shrugged. "My mistake," she said. "I should have stopped you
after the second drink."

Groaning, Cho settled her head back on her arms.

Tonks left her to her muttering and turned back to the counter to fix
the coffee. Once it was ready, she set a cup before the girl and kept
one for herself, sitting across from her. The hangover had erased most
of the delicacy and grace that usually characterized her movements,
leaving her looking somewhere between exhausted and miserable.

They drank their coffee in silence. When she finished her cup, Tonks
found Cho's shoes and brought them to the kitchen. She watched Cho put
them on and finger-comb her hair out of the corner of her eye while
washing the dishes.

As she was leaving, Tonks said, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Cho froze in her place, her silhouette framed by the chipped paint of
the doorway. "It's worth," she said, and walked out, shutting the door
behind her.

August 18th

"Morning, Cho," said Tonks tentatively, "how was your weekend?"

"Quite awful, really," said Cho easily.

Tonks blanched.

"My boyfriend decided to break up with me preemptively, as he's going
back to school, soon," said Cho, smiling crookedly and sipping her tea
as delicately as ever.

Tonks nodded her understanding. "He thinks you're too old for him, eh?"

"Yeah, maybe," said Cho, "or maybe he's thinking of rekindling with
his ex. They'll probably meet at Flourish and Blott's, next week and
chat about the National Cup. Maybe he'll offer to tutor her through
her N.E.W.T. classes, or help her with Astronomy coursework." As she
spoke, her lips arched into a half grimace, half wry smile.

"Oh, well," stumbled Tonks, suppressing her annoyance with herself,
"you're too good for younger boys, anyway. You need someone who's on
your level."

"I'd rather not need anyone," said Cho, the emphasis light and
stone-hard.

Tonks blinked. "Right," she said. "I'm not quite sure what you mean. I
think I'll go make myself some tea."

Cho gestured to the desk, where Tonks' mug stood ready. Tonk picked it
up and half-yelped. "Nice Warming Charm," she said
appreciatively.

"Thanks," said Cho, smiling. "What's on the schedule for today?"

August 19th

"You're late."

Tonks looked up from her tea guiltily. "Wotcher, Moody."

Mad-Eye glared.

"I'm sorry!" said Tonks hastily. "I'm - I was - I had a rough night,
all right?"

Mad-Eye glowered. "We'll speak about it tonight," he said, "before the
meeting. Be early."

"Yes, Moody," said Tonks, feeling clammy.

"Go get your girl," he said then. "You're off to Glasgow today, and
she's been waiting ever so patiently."

Tonks' stomach sank. "Yes, of course she was," she said softly.

Cocking his eyebrow, Mad-Eye added, "Be good. It's their last week,
and it'd be a shame to ruin a perfectly good impression." Without
waiting for a reply, he turned his back on her and stalked into his
office, shutting the door audibly behind him.

She skulked to her desk, stirring her tea vigorously.

"Morning," said Cho. "You look dreadful. Bad night?"

"Awful," replied Tonks with a deep sigh.

"Want to go out tonight? Take your mind off things, have a drink or
two?" suggested Cho. "No more than that for me, I think, but you seem
to be able to take it at your stride."

"Err, what?" asked Tonks, distracted by the report she was reading.

"I asked if you wanted to go drinking tonight," repeated Cho, looking
a little blank.

"Oh," said Tonks. "Sorry, Cho, I couldn't possibly. I have an
important appointment tonight."

"Oh," said Cho slowly.

"Shall we go?" asked Tonks. "We're surprise-raiding an apothecary in
Glasgow today, and their stores are bloody huge. We need to start
early if we want to have a decent lunch break."

"Of course," said Cho, standing up and grabbing her purse.

August 20th

"So, did you end up going out, last night?" asked Tonks, dipping her
quill in an ink bottle.

Cho shrugged. "Alone?"

"Why not?" wondered Tonks. "I thought you wanted to celebrate being
free of your lousy boyfriend."

Cho smiled crookedly. "I guess that's one way to put it. You know what
they say about freedom, though."

"Actually, I don't."

"I thought you said your father was Muggle-born," said Cho, smiling again.

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand."

Cho shrugged. "Never mind me."

August 21st

That morning, when she plopped heavily down on her chair, Cho offered
her no hello or good morning, but watched her with a strange smile.

"Wotcher," said Tonks, drawing a hand over her eyes.

"You look tired."

"Yeah," said Tonks, "I am."

"But happy," said Cho, her strange smile widening. "Long night?"

Tonks glanced at her sidelong. "You want details?"

"Are you volunteering them?" asked Cho.

Her mouth quirked, growing an uncontrollable smile. "Maybe later. Are
you ready for patrol?"

"Ready whenever you are," said Cho, her smile tiny but still visible.

August 22nd

Tonks glanced at the clock; it was nearly five, and she was beginning
to worry that she wouldn't see Cho before the girl left. Luckily, the
celebration of the prospective trainees' last day was winding down, as
the older witches and wizards rushed home to their families, hoping
against hope that they would not have their dinner or their sleep
disrupted by emergency owls from the Department. With Cho's departure,
Tonks knew she, too, would return to the erratic schedule the Aurors
had come to expect. She wasn't looking forward to midnight raids and
pre-dawn security calls.

"There you are."

Her paranoid instincts momentarily reawakened, Tonks spun on her
heels. But the soft voice belonged to young Cho, smiling up at her.
With an effort to relax, Tonks returned her smile. "Anxious to leave?"

"So-so," said Cho. "I still haven't decided, if you're wondering."

"That wasn't going to be my next question," said Tonks.

Cho raised an eyebrow. "Anyway, I wasn't going to leave without saying
thank-you."

"No goodbye?" asked Tonks.

"I was hoping not," replied Cho, "if you don't mind terribly."

Tonks grinned. "You've been to my flat," she said, snatching a piece
of parchment and a quill from the nearest desk, "but in case you don't
remember the address, here it is. Owl me, and maybe we'll go out, some
weekend."

Cho smiled brightly. "I'd like that." She hesitated, her smile
softening a little, and then stood on tip-toes to kiss Tonks' cheek.
"If it's more difficult with him than without him, then you probably
need him too much. I'd really like it if you stayed in touch."

She shouldn't have said that, Tonks thought as she sat down to write
her final report. What did she know? She was only bitter because her
boyfriend had just left her. Or maybe she was projecting her own
problems onto other people. Besides, what she said didn't make any
sense; when you need someone, it's much more difficult without
them than with. Not that it was so difficult to be with him. And she
wasn't needy.

Shaking her head, Tonks tried to clear her mind. She'd never get this
report written if she let herself become distracted. Cho hadn't known
that half the reports she'd seen her hand in to Moody were about her
charge's potential compatibility for the job. She knew she had to get
this one written now, or she'd not write it until Moody yelled at her
about it. When she was finally done, she sealed the parchment with a
tap of her wand and added it to the outgoing pile. The clock showed
nearly half-past eight, though several desks but her own were still
occupied, and a memo or two were zooming overhead.

As she pinned her cloak and slung her backpack over one shoulder, she
rubbed her cheek and wondered whether she wanted to stay in touch with
Cho Chang, or not.