Avocado

"Mum?" Thirteen-year-old Nymphadora Tonks looked up at her mother. "Mum, do you think I could change my hair to red, just for today?"

Andromeda's eyes widened as she stared at her daughter's newly changed auburn hair. "Nymphadora, change it back this instant! No one will be able to recognize you when we meet up with them!" Nymphadora scowled but changed her hair back to its usual black.

"But I like red better," she grumbled. "Do you think we can stop in Quality Quidditch Supplies? Charlie might be in there. Maybe we can meet up with him and his family." Charlie Weasley was a friend of Nymphadora's from school; they were in the same year. Both loved Quidditch with a passion.

"I suppose," Andromeda said, sighing. Nymphadora and Andromeda made their way through the crowds of Diagon Alley, entering the equally full Quidditch supplies shop. "Only half an hour, though, Nymphadora; we need to get your school things."

"Nymph! Hey, Nymph!" Charlie called from a display of Cleansweep Fives, the newest Cleansweep model. "What do you think of this one?" he said, motioning towards the Cleansweeps. Andromeda moved off, smiling a little. "D'you think this'll give us more of a chance?"

"Anything will," Nymphadora said with a teasing grin. "Especially with those lousy Beaters we've got on the team..."

"Yeah, but no one wants to play Beater these days! The twins like the position, but no one else does, though..." Charlie said. He sighed.

" I think Nimbuses are much better than Cleansweeps, though," Nymphadora said. "Better acceleration and braking."

Charlie sighed again. "I wish I could get a Nimbus too." He frowned. "What was that?"

"What?" Nymphadora asked in confusion.

"That sniffling noise." Perplexed, both teenagers began looking behind boxes and shelves, searching for the source of the sniffling noises that were definitely coming from behind something. "Do you think it's an animal, maybe from Magical Menagerie or something?" Charlie said.

"Mummy..."

"Nymph, don't call for your mother!" Charlie hissed. "She'll probably scare it away or something, no offense..."

"I didn't call for my mother!" Nymphadora retorted indignantly.

"Mummy..."

"Charlie, that's not funny! Your falsettos are awful!" Nymphadora said, poking Charlie hard on the small of his back so that he jumped and crashed into a pile of boxes. "You are such a prat..."

But Charlie wasn't paying attention to Nymphadora's tirade. "Blimey! There's a little kid here, behind the boxes... Hey! That bloody hurt, you little bugger! Don't you dare kick me again... Ouch! Why I'm going to... Gotcha!" He emerged triumphantly from behind the boxes, dragging a small, pale boy by the arm.

"Let go of me, you ugly flobberworm!" the boy sobbed, hitting Charlie with his tiny fists. "Mummy! Mummy!"

"What's your name, you bloody wanker?" Charlie demanded.

"Charlie, stop that," Nymphadora said, rolling her eyes and bending down to the boy's level. Charlie glared at the boy, and he scuttled to a spot behind Nymphadora, grasping her robes and peering fearfully at Charlie. Charlie and Nymphadora exchanged glances. "Are you lost?" Nymphadora said kindly.

The boy's face scrunched up in misery, and he nodded. "All I wanted was to see some Snitches!" he wailed. "Mummy wasn't watching, so I came here. Then I couldn't find her anymore! I want my mummy!" he sobbed. "Everyone here's mean, like him!" he added, pointing at Charlie and crying into Nymphadora's robes.

"Right, well first you have to tell us your name, Snitch-boy," Charlie snarled, nursing his arm, "if you want us to help you!"

"I don't like you!" the boy screamed at Charlie, tears flying out of his eyes. "When I'm b-b-bigger, after I go to H-Hogwarts, I'll Avocado you!"

"Avocado?" Charlie repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Avocado?"

"Yes! And you'll help, won't you?" the boy said, looking earnestly at Nymphadora.

"Er..." Nymphadora said uncertainly.

"Charlie!" Molly Weasley hurried over. "Charlie, we were looking all over for you! Oh, hello, Nymphadora," she said kindly. "And who's this?" she asked, looking at the boy. "What's your name, dear?"

"I don't like my name," the boy said, scowling, "because it's stupid. Everyone's always saying how we should all thank Harry Potter for saving us from the Dark Lord, so I named myself Harry."

"Oh... that's nice," Molly said, smiling.

"Nymphadora! Come now, we have to get your things," Andromeda said, stepping in. "Hello, Molly, Charlie..." She trailed off as she saw the boy. "Draco! What are you doing here? Your mother's out there, looking for you, and here you are... have you been crying?" she said all in one breath.

"Who are you?" the boy named Draco said. Molly frowned for some reason. Nymphadora and Charlie looked at each other, both confused. How did Andromeda know this boy?

"Never mind who I am," Andromeda said sharply.

"I don't like the name Draco," Draco said peevishly. "My name's Harry now." He stared at her for a moment. "You look like my mummy. Are you Aunt Andromeda?"

Nymphadora blinked in shock. "Aunt Andromeda?" she said, spinning to face her mother.

Andromeda nodded and sighed. "Nymphadora, this is your cousin Draco, Draco this is Nymphadora," she said. "Draco is my sister Narcissa's son."

"You never told me you had a sister!" Nymphadora said. Andromeda rarely talked about her family; she had mentioned a few times that she came from a very narrow-minded Pureblood family, but nothing else.

"I'll talk to you later," Andromeda mouthed.

"No!" Nymphadora said, anger flaring up inside her. "You kept secrets about your family from me for thirteen years..." She gulped. "I'm leaving now. Just leave me alone." Andromeda and Molly looked at each other helplessly as Nymphadora stalked out of the shop and hid in a small space between Madam Malkin's and the apothecary.

A few minutes later, a small voice said, "We can Avocado them, you know, if you don't like them." Nymphadora looked up. Draco was standing in front of her, looking very proud that he had made a suggestion. He must have followed her out of the shop. "Mummy said I had a cousin, but she never told me much about you," he added, sitting down next to her.

"What does 'Avocado' mean?" Nymphadora said curiously, quite amused.

Draco shrugged. "It's a spell," he said. He didn't expand on his explanation.

They sat that way for a while, in silence. Nymphadora felt tired from the revelation and from the day's events. Maybe if she closed her eyes a bit...

"Nymphadora," Draco whispered. Nymphadora opened her eyes. He was standing in front of her, looking down at her. It was then when she realized that there was an older boy behind him, sneering down at her and holding Draco. He was blond, with pointed features and pale skin. At the moment, his cold gray eyes were boring into her.

"Why, hello Nymphadora," the boy said, tightening his hold on Draco.

"Who are you?" Nymphadora demanded, getting up. No doubt the boy was a Dark wizard or something... "How do you know me?"

"Just call me Malfoy," the boy said, sounding amused.

"Mummy!" Draco cried, struggling against his captor. "I want my mummy!"

"You're exhibiting weakness, by calling her that stupid name, you imbecile!" Malfoy snapped at Draco. "Her name is 'Mother', not 'Mummy'."

"You're his older brother, aren't you?" Nymphadora said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Close," Malfoy said, smirking. "Oh, no, Nymphadora, don't let your guard down. I might still be evil enough to Avocado something." He grinned. "Maybe this little boy can show you what kind of spell Avocado is..."

To Nymphadora's horror, Malfoy pointed his wand at Draco. "Avada Kedavra," he said, smirking contentedly as Draco slumped to the ground, lifeless, his gray eyes staring accusingly at Nymphadora. "And that is what Avocado is, Nymphadora," Malfoy said. Nymphadora could only stare at him in horror as he laughed. "Dear, dear, he doesn't seem to be as innocent as you thought he was, does he?"

"Nymphadora!" someone shouted, as if from far away. "NYMPHADORA!"

Nymphadora's eyes jerked open. Draco was watching her, looking frightened. "Why were you shouting?" he said.

"Draco!" Nymphadora said, relieved. She flung her arms around him and hugged him. "Oh, Merlin, it was just a nightmare... Draco, did you know Avocado's a killing curse? You can't just..."

"Of course I know it's a killing curse," Draco said indifferently. "I'm a Malfoy, after all; we know lots of things. One day, Father's going to teach me it, and I'll use it on everyone who I don't like. Like that mean flobberworm back in the shop."

And Nymphadora knew she was holding a future murderer in her arms.

- fin -