Bizarre Love Triangle

Part 2: Old Friends

"'Lo Dory," said Charlie, finding himself pressed to the floor beneath the petite Auror who was that day sporting a head of spiky blue hair.

"Hi, yourself," answered Tonks with an impish smile. She then sat up and proceeded to pummel Charlie savagely in the chest.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming, you stupid great prat?" Tonks asked, ceasing her assault only at the intervention of Bill, who quickly lifted her to her feet.

"I've missed you too, Nymphadora," Charlie answered obnoxiously, taking a hand up offered by Harry.

"Do NOT make me kill you within the first five minutes of your arrival, Charles," warned Tonks with a grin. "I've only just gotten your mother to like me."

With that, Tonks ran back over to Charlie, who lifted her into a tight affectionate hug. Once again, curious murmuring erupted among the younger set.

"Hey, Charlie, care to greet any of your family members while you're at it?" asked Ginny, her tone a touch harsher than she intended.

"As patient as ever I see, Gingerbread," replied Charlie, crossing the room to ruffle his only sister's hair.

"Don't call me that!" huffed Ginny. "And don't think I didn't hear you snicker, Harry Potter!" she called across the room with a glare to the boy with the naturally ruffled hair. Her brothers all had a hearty laugh at this, but Harry, it seemed, at least had the decency to blush a little and look the tiniest bit contrite.

"Ok, you lot, lunch is....CHARLIE!" shrieked Mrs. Weasley as she reentered the room. She ran to her son and repeated the display of affection that had been showered upon Harry just twenty minutes earlier.

The distraction gave Ginny a golden opportunity to accost her eldest brother. The combined effort of tugging Bill's arm downward and standing on her tiptoes allowed her to whisper directly into his ear.

"Bill, what in the world was all that about? Did Charlie and Tonks...you know...date each other?" questioned Ginny in an excited rush.

To her extreme disappointment, her brother just flashed an infuriating smile and repeated the very insulting hair ruffle maneuver previously employed by Charlie.

"Mum," called Bill in a slightly raised voice, necessitated by the din the wild speculations buzzing about the room. "Poor Harry is starving over here. And I'm sure Charlie could use a good meal after his long journey. How about that lunch you promised us?"

When they were finally able to pry Charlie from his mother's grip, the group descended upon the basement kitchen. Upon reaching their destination, Tonks fell into what had become her regular seat at the foot of the long table in between Remus and Ginny.

Fortuitously, Mrs. Weasley forced Charlie into the seat next to herself and Bill at the table's head, thus placing him directly across from Tonks. Although they wouldn't be able to speak, she was free to pull faces at him when his mum wasn't looking.

"So...Tonks," began Hermione cautiously as the group tucked in to the meal. "You know Bill and Charlie from Hogwarts?" she continued, providing Tonks with the undivided attention of the closer half of the table.

Most acutely, but least obviously, the attention of the man seated to her immediate left.

"Oh, yeah," answered Tonks casually. "Charlie is my best mate," she added, pulling her tongue out at the muscular redhead when he looked up at the sound of his name.

"We were partners in crime, really," she continued with a smile. "I dragged him on missions to torture Slytherins and he forced me into the forest to stalk Hagrid's exotic beasts. Billy-boy, on the other hand, was a couple years older and a bit too cool to hang around that much with his younger brother and his friends. But, we were able to drag him along on a few of our greatest adventures."

When Tonks finished, she blew a final raspberry at Charlie and began helping herself to the dish of potatoes directly in front of her.

Her attention thus occupied, Tonks failed to notice the significant looks that passed between Hermione and Harry and Fred and George. Hermione was frantically searching for the most delicate phrasing of the question that seemed to be occupying their minds when the silence was abruptly broken.

"So, how exactly did Charlie break your heart, Tonks?" inquired Ron rather bluntly, in between overlarge helpings of cottage pie. This earned him matched snorts from his elder twin brothers, but yet another disapproving pinch from Hermione.

Tonks lowered her potato-laden fork to her plate and glanced at the other side of the table, very obviously confirming that the elder Weasleys were not in fact listening.

Slowly, and somewhat dramatically, she leaned in to the table. In the gravest of whispers Tonks said, "Oh, it was terrible. He very callously tossed me over.... for a bunch of dragons!"

When she finished, Tonks held on to a severe frown for a few seconds, only to have it overtaken by a wicked grin worthy of her dear departed cousin. With a quick wink to Ron, she proceeded to burst out into an uncontrolled fit of laughter.

Next to her, Remus found himself finally able to release the nervous breath that he had been unwittingly keeping since Ron had first begun his inquiry.