A Woman's Shoes

A Woman's Shoes

By Dimgwrthien

Sitting in front of the poised mirror, Tonks wrinkled her brow once more, waiting as her hair turned from vivid pink to orange.

“No,” Hermione told her, covering the mirror with one hand. “Think of a more natural color. I think that would work better.”

“Tell me what he would like, then, and it would be easier,” Tonks muttered, touching a hand to the short hair and frowning.

Since the summer began, Tonks had finally gotten Remus to notice her fully and accept her. He spent more and more time with her, but at the moment, he was off on another mission. Tonks had no clue what he was doing this time - probably something stupid and dangerous - because his cover with the werewolves had to have been blown.

“I think he would want something plain,” Ginny told her, perched several feet away on a chair. “Like how you looked before.”

“You were depressing that way, no offence,” Hermione told Tonks, glancing at Ginny. “I think something more cheerful, but simple.”

“There’s no such thing as cheerful and simple at the same time,” Tonks sighed. She glanced at the part of the mirror that she could see under Hermione’s hand, and changed her hair to the same light brown she had before, her eyes turning a dark grey a second later.

“No,” Ginny muttered.

“What are you going to wear when he’s back?” Hermione asked her tactfully. She moved her hand from the mirror as Tonks picked it up again. “Just base it off of that.”

“Don’t wear anything too ordinary, or else he’s going to think you don’t care much,” Ginny added over Hermione’s head.

Tonks glanced at the red-haired girl and frowned. “I have no clue. I usually wear -”

“Go with what you usually wear,” Hermione said gently. “I think he would prefer that.”

“No,” Ginny interrupted. “Wear something different, maybe a bit fancier.”

“I think he would prefer simple. Professor Lupin is like that, you know. He likes you for being you. Just - just go with what you normally do -”

“He’s not going to think you care!” Ginny sang from behind Hermione, who furrowed her brow.

Tonks refused to point out how much the two reminded her of an angel and devil, mainly because she could not decide which was which.

“I think I’ll just go with pink,” Tonks started saying before Ginny continued on.

“I don’t think he likes the pink too much. He’s rather depressed -”

“I think the pink is perfect,” Hermione to her over Ginny. “And I think you should just wear jeans and everything like usual. It’s only him coming back, not a date or anything.”

Tonks considered this. “True,” she acknowledged. “I think I’ll go with that -”

“At least wear something fancy,” Ginny pleaded. “He’ll like it.”

Shooting both of them a look, Tonks frowned. “I think I can decide from here.”

***

Tonks decided to marry the two ideas. Her hair was vivid pink again, though her clothes seemed rather fine. Her shirt had thin sleeves and was a plain white, neatly smoothed out over her bright pink shirt. She had on high heels, which she had never mastered walking in.

Taking a step forward, she grabbed the wall of her flat with one hand, cursing loudly. Remus promised to stop by her house as soon as he could to see her, and she considered changing into something else like Hermione suggested.

However, there was a knock at the door before she had the chance to rethink her decision.

Running to the door and feeling her ankles knock together, screaming in protest, she threw open the door and hugged the figure in the doorway. She could not move and grabbed him to make sure she did not collapse completely. “I missed you, Remus!” she yelled happily, feeling her ankles snap once.

“It’s nice to see you, too, but I think you have the wrong person,” came the gruff voice. Tonks, still gripping his arms to keep standing, looked to see Moody there, a shocked expression on his face. “You ought to check who’s there, first.”

Blushing crimson, she muttered a small reply. Moody ignored her and said, “I’m just here to tell you Minerva made a special Order meeting tonight.”

Nodding, Tonks let go of him, allowing the older man to Apparate away I an instant.

She reached down, still clutching the wall, and ripped off the shoes, chucking them at the wall and leaving a dent. She decided not to bother fixing the dent, but instead started to pull out of her skirt when there was another knock at the door.

“Shit!” she yelled, forgetting that whoever was there could hear here.

“I could come back later,” came the amused answer from behind the door. Realizing that this time it was Remus, Tonks ripped open the door, smiling at him.

Remus smiled back as Tonks looked at him once. At least he didn’t come back in as bad of shape as he had with the other werewolves.

“I see you weren’t expecting me,” Remus coughed, refusing to look anywhere below her neck. A faint glow came to his eyes as he tried not to laugh.

“Shit!” she yelled again, blushing so deep as to put her hair to shame and looking around. She must have looked weird with only her short shirt on, no skirt or shoes. “Where did it go?”

“Should I -?” Remus started to ask.

“No!” she called at him as she ran around the room, looking. “One second -” She stepped on the sharp, upturned heel of her disposed of shoes and screamed once more.

Remus’ hands were on her shoulders, dragging her away from the shoes that she had hexed with her wand enough times to make them turn into green boas.

Taking the wand from her hands, Remus gently told her, “Don’t, Nymphadora.”

Still blushing and grumbling, she let herself he steered to the chair, forced down on the soft surface.

She wrapped her arms around Remus, feeling embarrassed and angry. “I -” she started but Remus was kneeling down in front of her, hands still on her shoulders.

“It’s fine,” he told her quickly.

Tonks leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. Remus’ eyes widen but he did not protest. “I’m sorry,” she whispered before he could stop. A devilish smile came over her face. “But if I can’t kind any trousers to wear, you shouldn’t get any, either.”

Remus stepped on the shoes next as he tried to get away from her and managed to prove that gentlemen do not have clean mouths, either.