tonks/ginny
WHO: Tonks and Ginny
WHAT: Celebrations lead to revelations.
WHERE: Tonks' classroom
WHEN: Backdated to Wednesday.
RATING: PG
STATUS: Done.



With most of her exams done for the week and only one left to go, Ginny was feeling rather confident. Okay, so she should've done a bit more studying for History of Magic because she was pretty sure she'd made up half of the Goblins' names for that particular essay, but other than that she was sure that she hadn't failed anything. And in the grand scheme of things, knowing a particular Goblin's name who was beheaded in the revolt of 1343 wasn't going to be the deciding factor in anything she was planning on doing in her life.

It was just DADA left to go and that one she was hardly concerned about at all. After all, when one has been faced with the Dark Arts head on, one learns a few things along the way that will never be forgotten. Not only that, but Professor Lupin was one of the best teachers she'd had since starting Hogwarts. She was sure she'd learned everything he'd wanted to get across.

So it was with light spirits that Ginny was walking down the corridor towards her other favorite professor's office. She had been meaning to drop in on Tonks before the term ended and now with only one exam left, she felt like it was the perfect time. She gave a knock on the door a bit more excitedly than probably necessary.

Tonks never thought she'd love teaching. Sure, she had always enjoyed learning, but sitting down in a classroom and learning from a book had never been her idea of a good time. She had done very well, but most of that had been due to luck rather than good study habits. In fact, it wasn't until Auror training that Tonks really buckled down and even then it was out of necessity. Yet, Tonks had discovered that she could reach her students in instructing them in the ways she wished professors had taught her. Her tactics seemed to work in that many passed, if not did downright well on, their final exams. She had just finished her last one, setting her quill down. She felt surprisingly sad. Even if she'd be seeing some of them right back at Hogwarts in the fall, there was still a whole summer to get through. Nonetheless, Tonks was looking forward to spending extra time with Remus and her family. Tonks actually smiled as she thought about that. She'd see not only Remus and her parents more, but hopefully Draco and maybe even Narcissa. It was an odd thought, but things had changed quickly. Tonks wasn't going to fight it.

Her mind had been going a million miles a minute when she heard the knock. "Come in!" She called brightly. She always liked visitors.

Ginny pushed the door open, sticking her head in first and giving a quick look around the office for her friend. When she spotted the young professor, she gave a bright smile and opened the door the rest of the way. "Hullo!" She said cheerfully as she shut the door behind her. "Are you busy? I'm nearly done so I thought I'd drop by for a bit." Tonks was as good as an older sister to Ginny. Not having an older sister of her own she had to sort of adopt one and Tonks just seemed like a natural choice.

The sister feeling was entirely mutual; Tonks never had any siblings, but the Weasleys had been as good as a second family to Nymphadora. Hence, she swept over to Ginny, banging her knee on a desk along the way, to give her a huge hug. "No! Just finished my grading in fact." She kissed her cheek, still grinning. "How were the tests then? How's Neville? Tell me everything!"

"Oh brilliant! Do I get to know how I did or do I have to wait til it's all official like?" Ginny teased with a laugh. She gave Tonks a tight squeeze and pecked her cheek, her smile wide across her face. "Oh exams were fine...mostly anyhow." Ginny informed. "History of Magic." She elaborated making a face which was meant to explain it all. "And Neville is absolutely fantastic. Really. Godric it's just bloody fantastic. He's taking me to the World Cup this summer. And we're going to meet Gwenog Jones. Gwenog Jones!!" The look on Ginny's face was enough to let anyone know just how happy and excited she was. "I mean, I'm going to miss him next year and all, but we decided to make the best out of the summer like." She let out a small sigh, still smiling. "What about you then? How's Professor Lupin? Do you have any brill plans for the summer?"

Tonks laughed almost helplessly as Ginny shot out all that information. She held a hand up. "Okay, my fault, but one thing at a time!" She grabbed Ginny's hand, yanking her down into a seat. "Oooh, with Megan, yeah? Sounds brilliant. Absolutely brilliant!" In that moment, Tonks was every bit the big sister rather than professor, but who cared? Classes were done and Ginny might as well been Tonks' precious baby sister. "And, Remus is good. Really good." Tonks hadn't seen him happier really. Teaching agreed with him.

Ginny laughed as her cheeks flushed a bit. "Sorry. Got a little excited." She took a deep breath to help calm herself down and smiled at Tonks. "Oh that's brills. The pair of you are just...ace." Ginny said with another small laugh. "I'm counting on the fact that he's not going to monopolize your whole summer though? I need some Tonks time and the like. I'm going to be working at the twins' shop so you can imagine the kind of therapy that's going to be needed after a few weeks of that" Ginny joked. She loved her brothers dearly, but even she found them to be a bit high-energy for her sometimes. She was excited though. If nothing else, working in Diagon ally would get her out of the Burrow on a regular basis. It was going to be odd with Ron on his way out and all. She was not looking forward to her Mum's reaction to her youngest son growing up.

"Oy." Tonks rolled her eyes. "Three Weasleys in that shop? Not sure I can handle it!" She paused, tapping her finger to her chin. "Actually...I have a few spells I can use..." She playfully swatted Ginny's arm. "Course I'll save time for you, don't be a dunderhead! You are on my list of very important people to see, I'll have you know."

"I'm sure the shop will never be the same." Ginny laughed. "Then again, few places are after we've all managed to leave our mark. What this school is going to do one I'm off in the real world I haven't a clue. Merlin it's been ages since Hogwarts was without a Weasley. Since Bill was an ickle. And he's ancient." She was teasing of course because she knew that Tonks and Bill were dangerously close in age, only about two years apart. "And good. I'd be hurt and all sorts of crushed if that wasn't the case." She gave her most obnoxious smile that she could manage before laughing again. "It just so happens you're on my list of very important people as well."

"Hey hey now! Quit it with that old business!" Tonks feigned great insult, crossing her arms over her chest and giving the younger woman a "evil" eye.

"Who? Me?" Ginny in turn feigned innocence, holding her hands up to her chest in pretend shock and horror. "I would never call you old!" A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth
threatening to give her away completely.

"There! I see that! Right there!" Tonks tapped Ginny's mouth with one finger. "The smile doesn't lie!" She couldn't help dissolving into giggles. "You youngin!"

Ginny brushed her cheek with the tips of her fingers and looked upwards in mock modesty. "You're just jealous of my youth and beauty" She said in a high pitched giggly voice. She let out a teasing sigh before dissolving into her own fit of giggles.

"Hey, I can morph!" Tonks reminded Ginny, smirking. "I could look like you if I realllllly wanted to." Wiggling her nose, she rested her elbows in Ginny's lap. "Then wouldn't I give you a run!"

"Bugger." Ginny frowned. "How did I forget that?" She asked with a sigh. "Cheater." She muttered with a grin.

Straightening, Tonks held a hand up. "I solemnly swear to never ever use my morphing for evil."

"Well alright then. I suppose I can allow it then." She smiled widely. "Does playing a fantastic prank on the twins count as evil?" Ginny pondered with a mischievous smirk growing across her face. It was very clear that an idea was busy forming itself in the redhead's mind.

"Oh, I know that look." Full of excess energy, Tonks got up and started collecting various items to box up for the summer break. "So long as it won't have your mum after me!"

"Would I ever do that to you?" Ginny said innocently before pausing, "I mean again." She amended. "I think we both learned our lesson after the last time..." She stifled another small giggle at the memory. "Do you need help packing things up like?"

Tonks threw a roll of paper towels, aiming for Ginny's head. "Oy, that wasn't funny! I can't get disowned from a family that isn't even mine!" The words were out before she even knew it. She might have said the very same thing a year earlier without a second thought, but that was before she had met the very ones who had thrown her mother from their lives. Hence, it felt disloyal to say any such thing even in a jovial manner. She glanced down to disguise her momentary loss of control. "Yeah, uh, grab some small stuff and just throw it in a box." Tonks liked to keep her classroom decorated so it was inviting to the students.

Ginny ducked, but not in time and the paper towels bounced off the top of her head. She let out a small yelp and laughed. "You know as well as me that Mum wouldn't disown you! She enjoys making us all feel a bit guilty a little too much for that." Besides, Ginny thought silently, if she hadn't disowned Percy yet, then there was little any of them could do to get out of that bond.

The redhead moved from her chair and began collecting small knick-knacks and piling them into a nearby box. "Merlin, you've got a lot of stuff."

Tonks was quite content to get off the subject of family discernment. "Need a homey environment to teach, I think." She knew some other professors would disagree, but Tonks had always learned better when she felt comfortable in her surroundings. "Besides..." She picked up a small frame from her desk. "I like having some familiar things from home too." She caught sight of what Ginny went to pick up and made to grab it. "Oh, love, not that..." She looked away, feeling almost guilty. Whether it was for the girl next to her or for the boy in the photograph she didn't know. She just knew she didn't want Ginny seeing the photo they had taken together on their Christmas holiday.

"Fair point. Godric knows I learn more from you than in Binns's class." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Don't even know what I'm doing still taking that cla-" She broke off midway through her word as Tonks moved to grab for what she was holding. Automatically, her eyes glanced down at the photo and she stopped, furrowing her brow in confusion before glancing over at her friend. "What...I mean when did you and Malfoy...Tonks?" She was a bit too thrown by the photo to form actual sentences it seemed.

She hadn't hidden the fact that they went together, but she hadn't exactly broadcast it either. Part of the reasoning had been he was still her student as well as Remus' but another part had been she wanted to be free to form a relationship in which no one else interfered. Not his family, not hers...

"Over Christmas," Tonks replied quietly. "Remus and I had already planned a holiday and..." She reached a hand out to touch Ginny's shoulder. "And it was a chance to get away and to...you know."

Ginny had been vaguely aware that Tonks and Malfoy were getting closer. But she'd mainly interpreted the change as Malfoy was no longer harboring feelings that Tonks and her family might as well not have existed at all. Ginny hadn't exactly given it anymore thought than it was just the pair of them speaking civilly to each other and perhaps even Malofy realizing that Tonks is rather brilliant. She hadn't quite expected that they'd be going on holiday together. "Oh." Was all Ginny said for a long moment before setting the picture down and finding something else to pack away in the box. "So you lot had an ace time and all then." She wasn't trying to sound like a brat about the whole thing, but she couldn't help but find it a little hurtful that she hadn't known about it all.

Tonks' eyes lingered on the photograph a moment longer before she placed it in her box. She went behind Ginny, running a hand through the girl's bright hair. "I was scared, Gin." Tonks hated admitting such, but Ginny had a right to know. "I didn't know what would come of it, but now that...it's a difficult position, can't you understand that?"

"Oh bugger, don't." Ginny half laughed. "You oughn't feel guilty over it." She turned to face her friend and let out a small sigh. "I'm sorry. I just didn't realize the pair of you were so close is all. And well...He and I don't exactly get along." She tried to hide the bit of sarcasm, but wasn't entirely successful on that front.

"I know," Tonks admitted. "I know and I don't ask you to change just like I don't ask him to change, but...I love you, you know that yeah? And it doesn't matter who else I love, because it won't change anything." Her heart pounded. She knew it was silly and that she was a 27 year old woman, but, really, she wanted her family. All of them. Her parents, Remus, the Weasleys, Draco...maybe even Narcissa.

"Well then that's all I need to know then, yeah?" Ginny asked with a small hesitant smile. Though Tonks had never really talked about getting to know the family that had disowned her mother, and while for the most part Ginny could understand why the older girl wasn't very curious. After all, who would really want to get to know Bellatrix Lestrange? The redhead wasn't so selfish that she couldn't see that this was clearly important to Tonks. She wasn't going to begrudge her that. "Just so long as you're still my fill-in big sister and all." She said with a grin.

Relieved, Tonks threw her arms around Ginny again. "You'd have to fire me and even then...I'd never stop being your sister. Never."

Ginny squeezed her friend back tightly. "Well good then. I'm glad we've got that all settled. Looks like I'm stuck with you for a good long time." She laughed, a teensy bit of relief washing over her as well.