Who: Fred and Tonks What: Fred hits on Tonks and gets shot down Where: Pub When: After Andromeda arrived Status/Rating: Complete/low
Fred made his way to the pub, smiling. He was really happy for Tonks, having her whole family with her. She was lucky. He wished his entire family was here. But hopefully, with her entire family there, it meant that she would be happier, which was always a good thing. Maybe now...
He shook his head and stepped inside the pub, spotting Tonks immediately. He was just here to celebrate with her. That was it. But still...He sat down across from her, a wide grin on his face and signaled to the bartender for two pints. "I would ask how you are, but I'm pretty sure I already know you're ecstatic."
~*~
Tonks was more than happy! She was thrilled! Her mum was here and that meant a lot to Tonks. She'd always run to her mum with her problems and now Mum was HERE. Which was a good thing considering how many problems she had. Tonks was waiting for Fred at the pub with a bright, joyful smile lighting her face up in a way morphing never could.
Spotting her favourite ginger twin, Tonks bolted up to hug him, knocking two chairs over in the process. She leaned over to hug him, shoving her chest into his face. "BRILLIANT. Isn't it!? I wish your Mum was here and then life would be PERFECT." Well. Nearly.
~*~
"Yeah, I can see that," Fred's words were slightly muffled, what with the breasts in his face. He wrapped an arm around her, giving her waist a good, quick squeeze, before reaching up to pull her off so he could breath. And ignore the fact that his face was bright red now.
"Have you been to see her yet?" He took a large gulp of his pint that had just arrived and kept his face ducked long enough to give his face time to return back to normal. Oh yeah, Fred was smooth.
~*~
"Yup! Nearly right away! Back home I hadn't seen her in a few weeks. It was hard to go anywhere, but you know that." Tonks sat back in a chair and smiled at Fred. He was such a great bloke. All the Weasleys were, really. Picking up her pint, Tonks swallowed some back like a pro and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"I wish she was a bit older though. It's sort of like having a sister who is my mum. A bit odd."
~*~
"Imagine having a nephew who's older than you." Or, well Teddy was nearly her age, so he supposed that she did know what it was like. Fred drank the rest of his pint, deciding that if he was going to do anything about his little crush (was it a crush? It was the only reason his stomach would be acting so oddly, unless it was indigestion), he should do it now.
"Hey, Tonks, I was thinking we should hang out." He flashed her a nervous smile, wishing he could be as smooth as he usually was.
~*~
Tonks looked over her left shoulder and then the right. Then over the left once more. Leaning across the table, Tonks lowered her voice to a loud whisper. "Are we not hanging out right now? Is this a dream? Are you a figment of my imagination, Fred Weasley?" She reached across the table to pinch his nose lightly and laughed. "You feel real enough to me!"
~*~
Fred blinked slowly, his mouth hanging open slightly. What had he asked? If she wanted to hang...Merlin, he was an idiot. He felt up a finger, telling her to wait a moment, and he walked up to the bar, ordered a bottle of firewhiskey, and came back. He needed some courage if he was going to try that again.
"Yeah, you're right. Sorry, I was just...uh, thinking it had been so long since we had hung out! It didn't even occur to me." He flashed her a smile, lifting his glass in a toast. "To hanging out, yeah?"
~*~
Tonks spotted the bottle of whiskey and clapped. "Hell yes. Fred, my dear Fred. You know how to celebrate." Tonks had cut back on her drinking after becoming a married woman. After all, married women didn't go to pubs every weekend and drink until they had to crawl home. But she wasn't really a married woman here, was she? That meant she could get utterly pissed and not feel the slightest bit of guilt!
Pouring herself a generous glass, Tonks lifted it and clinked it against Fred's. "To hanging out!"
~*~
Fred smiled and immediately downed his glass, pouring himself another one. Then a thought occured to him. There was no point in asking her to dinner if she was getting back with Remus. After all, she had never told him how her date with him went. Grimacing slightly, he said, "You never really told me how your date went." A simple raising of his eyebrows clearly said, 'but you better.' He took a sip of his second glass, waiting for her to speak.
~*~
Tonks made a face, wrinkling up her nose as though she'd just sniffed sour milk. "It was awful. I don't think he gets me at all. It was like.. it felt like he was there because he thought he should be there, not because he wanted to be there." Tonks hated knowing that the man she loved probably didn't want to spend time with her. Who wanted to feel like that? Certainly not Tonks.
"He's still great and I love him, but I don't know. I just don't think he likes me like that. But how can he not like me now if he liked me before? So maybe he never liked me? I don't know."
~*~
Fred took another sip to hide the smile he felt at her first words. The smile soon disappeared as she kept talking though, and he got up and sat in the chair next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "'m Sorry Tonks. I know it sucks, not being with the person you want." Wow, the whiskey was starting to loosen his lips. "He doesn't know what he's missing. Like if it was--"
He cut himself off. He wasn't nearly drunk enough to be talking like that. Better remedy that, he thought as he downed the glass he had. He regretfully took the arm that was around Tonks' shoulder away and poured himself another glass, downing half of it.
~*~
Tonks' head fell to Fred's shoulder as his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Hugs were nice. She liked hugs. Her lower lip stuck out a bit when he pulled away. "I don't approve of you getting that far ahead of me," she said and pulled the bottle from him. Tonks pulled herself a drink and drank it back quickly in an attempt to catch up to Fred. "I'm cute, right? I mean.. I'm marriageableworthy, right? Does the lack of really awesome hair make me less awesome? Because I'd like to think I'm more about personality than looks anyway. So why doesn't he.. I mean.. why doesn't he like me? Is it because of my looks or my personality? Which part do you think he dislikes more?"
~*~
Fred's mouth fell open. She was asking him? He downed the rest of his glass before answering, "Of course you're marriageable! He's an idiot. Awesome pink hair or no, you're still the most brilliant girl I've ever met. I mean, if it were me, it'd kinda be like your thighs were thanksgiving and your stomach was christmas and I'd like to visit between the holidays, you know?"
Ah, word vomit. Lovely.
~*~
Tonks stared at Fred for a long moment. He had just.. had she heard him correctly? She had! Bursting into laughter, Tonks bent at the waist and slapped Fred's knee. That was bloody brilliant! One of the best worst lines she'd ever heard in her life. And Fred knew just when to say it to make her feel better about Remus. Honestly, the man had god like comedic timing. GOD LIKE.
"Where did you HEAR that!? That's the best thing I've ever heard in my entire life!"
~*~
Had he really said that?! Merlin...Fred pushed the glass away, fully blaming the alcohol for the words that had spilled out of his mouth. And she was laughing. laughing.
"I dunno, somewhere." Fred had the sudden urge to leave. Even if he was just quoting something, he had meant it! And it hurt that Tonks had laughed, but really what had he been expecting? For her to jump up and say 'Oh, that's my favorite pickup line, I must have you now!" Merlin, he was dumb.
He shook his head and smiled, "At least I made you laugh." That was what counted. Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Freddy boy, he thought to himself.
~*~
He had made her smile. What a lovely, lovely man. Tonks leaned over again and planted a big, wet kiss on his cheek. "You know. You're my new favoritest Weasley. The best of the best." And even if she was feeling the effects of a great deal of alcohol in a short period of time, Tonks meant that! Fred was brilliant. "Bill is a shadow of cool compared to you."
~*~
He grinned like an idiot at her kiss, feeling warm all across his cheeks. Her words weren't helping any either. Still...
"Oh, I know I am. Everyone knows how awesome I am." Fred stood up and pulled Tonks up as well. Acting on a spur of the moment (and the whiskey), he picked her up in a bridal carry, laughing as he walked out of the pub. "Now, you've been drinking, so I should walk you home."
~*~
"Oi! Fred!" Tonks swatted at him the best she could, but it was hard to look too angry when she was laughing like mad. "Put me down, you bloody wanker. I can walk!" Probably. "I don't need to be carried around like.. like.. like something!" Eloquent. Tonks couldn't really remember the last time she was carried like this. Remus wasn't the most playful sort of man, but that was okay. He was very Remusy and wonderful.
Squirming until she freed herself, Tonks fell flat on her arse on the ground. "Ow! That hurt!"
~*~
He couldn't stop laughing, even after she fell from his arms. Bending over, he offered her a hand, saying, "See, that wouldn't have happened if you'd just let me carry you." He shook his head making tsking sounds as he pulled her up. "Anyway, we're here." He smiled at Tonks and pulled her into a hug, letting the alcohol take over again as he kissed her on the forehead.
~*~
Tonks reached up and patted Fred's cheek. "My knight in shining armor," she said teasingly. "Protecting me from the evil twigs and pebbles of the island." She scrunched up her face at the kiss and grinned again. Like all Weasleys, Fred was a sweetheart. Honestly, they were just about the best family in the world and she was lucky to be friends with them. "First one to wake up goes and gets the hangover potion, yeah?"
~*~
"Deal." Seemed fair. Fred had started to turn around to go back to his bungalow, but stopped and looked back at Tonks, "I meant what I said, you know. You thought it was a joke, but if it was me, I wouldn't let you go for anything." He gave a shrug and waved before walking (stumbling) back to his bungalow to sleep.