Of Mistletoe and Meetings

Nymphadora Tonks had plans for Christmas Eve. They involved crackling fires, laughter, and mince pies. They involved dazzling her new boyfriend with her domestic brilliance and succulent cooking. They did not involve being stuck to the ceiling.

"Hello?" she called, her voice echoing dismally through the empty house. "Can anyone hear me? I could do with a little help here..."

There was no reply.

Tonks attempted once again to tug her hand away from the ceiling. She was going to kill those Weasley twins. Who on earth would need glue this strong anyhow? It certainly wasn't intended to be used for innocent purposes. The stuff was resistant to every Unsticking Charm Tonks threw at it. All Tonks had been doing was putting up some mistletoe, and now she felt like she was being practically suckered to the roof. Stupid mistletoe. She glared at the innocent looking plant wedged between her hand and the ceiling. All she had wanted was an opportunity for a nice cuddle in the corner with Remus, and now look at her. Stupid tradition. To her disgust, she saw a grey flatheaded beetle crawl out of one of the leaves. A Nargle. Yuck.

Behind her, Tonks heard a soft click and whipped around. She could hear voices murmuring in the hall. Someone was there! Weak with relief Tonks opened her mouth to call out, and then stopped. It was four o'clock in the afternoon. None of the Order was likely to visit the Headquarters at this time of day. What if it was an intruder? Tonks closed her mouth and listened. The voices stopped, and Tonks heard a distant click as if a door far away had been closed. The footsteps were slow and deliberate, walking towards her room. Tonks edged further into the darkness by the wall, wobbling on her ladder, and with her unstuck left hand reached for her wand. The door opened. From above, Tonks saw an unfamiliar blond head poking in through the doorway.

"What an old dump," a voice drawled. "And I'm supposed to stay here?" The boy entered the room, Tonks watching him closely. Certainly not an Order member, but too young to be a Death Eater, surely? He wore wizard's robes and she thought she could see a wand tip peeking out of his pocket. The boy was surveying the snake's head over the fireplace with interest now. He looked at the stove where her mulled wine was brewing, stuck a finger in it, and licked it. Tonks forgot to be cautious.

"Hey!" she called out. "What do you think you're doing?"

The boy jumped about a foot in the air and swung around.

"Who are you?" He had his wand out and was waving it around the kitchen wildly. "Where are you? This had better not be a trap, I'm warning you!"

"I'm Tonks," Tonks said shortly. "I'm the one whose mulled wine you were spoiling. Don't you know how rude it is to sick your fingers in someone else's cooking?"

The boy looked up, caught sight of her and lowered his wand.

"I was only looking," he said sullenly. "It tasted awful anyway."

"I beg your-"

"What are you doing on the ceiling anyhow?" The boy cut across her rudely.

Tonks bit back an angry retort. She didn't know who this unpleasant young man was, but she was going to need his help getting down. "I've, er, glued my hand to it. You couldn't help me, could you?"

The boy sneered. "What on earth did you do that for?"

"It was an accident. I was putting up mistletoe and I used too much superglue."

"I thought members of the Order were supposed to be intelligent," the boy said disgustedly. "You are a member of the Order, aren't you? Not just some half - wit they've got stashed away?"

Tonks ignored this. "Would you help me down?"

The boy tipped his head to one side appraisingly. "What's in it for me?"

"Did I mention I was an Auror?" Tonks said conversationally. "I'm actually the Department's resident expert on the Curse of the Everlasting Bogies. And even though I'm stuck to the ceiling, I can still reach my wand. Are you going to help me or not?"

The boy scowled. "Fine."

He stomped over to the ladder and began to climb up. Half way up he stopped short, frowning. "What did you say you were sticking up there?"

"Mistletoe."

The boy took a flying leap off the ladder, nearly kicking it over in the process.

"Watch it!" Tonks said angrily.

The boy had flushed poppy red. "I'm not kissing some mad woman stuck to a ceiling!"

"I didn't ask you to-" Tonks began bewildered, and then realised what he was on about. "Oh, right. Look, you don't have to kiss me, you know. I'll let you off."

The boy looked didn't move, but looked up at her distrustfully. He honestly seemed to think she had stuck herself to the ceiling on purpose just so that she could pounce on unsuspecting teenage boys and demand a snog. Tonks sighed.

"Fine. Don't come up. Just - go and get me a superglue antidote. If you go to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes I'll give you the money."

The boy looked at her scornfully. "I'm in hiding. I can't just stroll into a shop and ask for an antidote."

"You're in-" Tonks suddenly realised who the boy was. "Draco Malfoy."

"Of course," the boy said with the air of being someone everyone should recognize.

"Is your mother coming here too?" Tonks asked curiously. She'd known the Malfoys had been offered shelter by Dumbledore before he died, and Harry Potter had suggested the Headmaster's wishes be observed. She looked at the boy more closely, wondering if he realised that they were related.

"Yes. When that c-crazy eye person finds her."

"Moody?"

The boy shifted as if the name made him uncomfortable and his face grew a little paler. Tonks was puzzled. Mad- Eye Moody was certainly a rather disconcerting person to be around, but she didn't see why the boy should be scared of him.

"I suppose I could try and make you an antidote," Malfoy said, changing the subject.

"Do you know how?" Tonks was not at all sure about this idea.

The boy sniffed. "It isn't hard." He began rooting through the cupboards. "Do you have any parsnips?"

"What? No," said Tonks. "Do you need them for an Unsticking potion?"

The boy looked at her disdainfully. "Of course. Don't you know anything?"

"Hello?" a voice spoke softly from the next room, making Malfoy jump. "Dora?"

Tonks felt a wave of relief break over her. "Remus! I'm in the kitchen!"

Remus Lupin entered the kitchen, looking in mild surprise from Malfoy to Tonks balanced on the ladder and back.

"I was putting up mistletoe," Tonks explained, rather sheepishly. "Only the glue stuck me to the ceiling. Malfoy here was making me an Unsticking potion."

"I see." Remus' mouth twitched. "An excellent plan, but perhaps it would be better if I tried something." He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the ceiling. "Waddiwasi!" he cried and the glue suddenly wrenched itself away from her hand and went shooting across the room.

"Ow!" Malfoy clutched a hand to his forehead where the lump of glue had bounced off it.

"Oh, sorry, Draco." Remus looked anxiously at the young Malfoy. "It is a rather violent spell, I'm afraid. James discovered it."

The boy glared resentfully at Remus, but said nothing. Tonks, suddenly realizing she could move, half fell down the ladder. Remus sprang forwards.

"Oh," Tonks said in mild surprise, upon finding herself comfortably ensconced in Remus Lupin's arms.

"Oh," said Remus in mild surprise upon finding her there. He smiled "So mistletoe, hmm?"

"Full of Nargles, I'm afraid."

"Oh?" Remus sounded a little disappointed.

"Yeah. Still. I suppose we could make do without."

"I suppose we could."

And Nymphadora Tonks reached up to kiss her fiancée, blissfully unaware of the look of disgust spreading across her young cousin's face.