Fred Weasley is actually just insane. (gigglefit) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-02-26 12:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, fred weasley, nymphadora tonks |
Who: Tonks + Fred Weasley
When: Before Wonderland plot.
Where: A bar!
What: Hangin' out. Catchin' up.
Rating: Low
Status: Complete
It'd been a while since Fred and Tonks had hung out -- and while he supposed their friendship was kind of forgiving in that regard, it didn't mean Fred wanted to be a stranger forever.
So, he'd texted her earlier in the day, and they made plans to go out. Because why not? That was what friends did, obviously.
Once he'd closed up the shop, changed his clothes and bid adieu to his brother, Fred was on his way.
They'd arranged to meet at a bar they both liked -- nothing flashy, just a normal corner sort of bar with a chill clientele and enough seats that it wasn't too crowded.
As usual, he was running just a few minutes late. Percy had apparently stolen all the punctuality that the Weasley family had to offer.
Tonks had readily agreed to meet Fred for a catch up, she’d been so wrapped up in Big Mac recently, not that it was a bad thing, but she did need to make more of an effort to see what was going on in hers friends lives. And Fred was one of her very best friends and meeting up with him was always a more relaxed and fun arrangement.
She’d gotten there before him, which was no surprise, and managed to find a good spot which was fairly private, which could come in handy since she had brought along her wand.
Spotting him come in she gave him a little wave so he could spot her.
Fred gave a wild sort of wave, even as he stopped by the bar, got them some beers and then moved his way over to her little out of the way booth. “Oooh,” he said, plopping down on the seat across from hers, “Lookit all this ambiance. Brilliant.”
Tonks laughed after thanking him for the drink, “Just for you Freddie” she teased him, “And maybe the magic tricks I’ll show you later” she added in a quieter tone.
Fred was pretty excited for that, honestly. The idea of seeing real magic was enough to put him on the edge of his seat. It was -- tempting and amazing and just utterly brilliant. Just think -- if he could do it too and become better at it -- he could make amazing new things for his store. “You’re too kind,” he told Tonks, with a sharp grin even as he settled more into his seat and stretched his legs out obnoxiously far. “So. How’s it going?”
Tonks was looking forward to showing him, she’d only managed to practice a little but it seemed she retained some memories from her dreams which helped her.
A huge bright smile crept over her face at the question, “Really, really good” she told him honestly, “Life seems to be on my side right now. How about you?” she asked, “Business good?”
She did seem to be a bit-- uh. Brighter than usual. If that made sense. Fred rose an eyebrow thoughtfully at that. “Business is good as can be. February is a little slow, but I think it always is a bit.” He shrugged, taking a drink of his beer. “Otherwise good. Can’t complain. Working on my resolutions for the year a bit.”
After taking a sip of her own drink she said, “I agree, February is a little slow for everybody I think. Maybe its a delayed reaction from Christmas and the New Year” she joked before asking, “What resolutions are you working on?”
“Oh, you know. Getting out more. Dating a bit.” He shrugged. It was odd, because Fred was kind of a social butterfly, but he was also very much a workaholic. It was a strange mix of things to be.
“I could always set you up” she told him her eyes twinkling mischievously, “Like properly though” she added, and she would because right now Tonks wanted everybody to be as happy and in love as she was with Big Mac.
“Properly?” Fred asked, slightly concerned, because really what did that even mean? And what had this woman done with Tonks? He eyed her a little more closely for a second before everything clicked. “Ohhhh. You’re seeing someone.”
“One person at a time” she told him wryly, jogging his memory about his attempt to do the same for her. A smile burst onto her face and she nodded, “I am” she confirmed, “I, Nymphadora Tonks, am completely and utterly in love” she laughed.
Fred rolled his eyes. One at a time. What kind of craziness was that? The redhead wasn’t sure he’d ever really be in love. He got bored. He didn’t know how to settle down. He didn’t understand the concept of a real relationship. Because there was nothing more permanent than what he had with his twin. But he did like having fun with it. That was something, anyway.
He leaned forward, giving an interested face at her admission of twue wuv. “Now that’s something. Tell me.”
Tonks was now convinced everybody should fall in love and be as happy as she was, and Fred, being one of her very best friends definitely deserved to find that someone special.
She laughed, “He is not one of the guys you set me up with” she told him, “He’s my roommates brother and he’s just amazing.”
Since Fred had basically just done a quick inquiry on the internet for suitors, he couldn’t exactly be disappointed that it wasn’t one of his. Fred was a little bit like a gossipy school-girl sometimes. He liked details and chatter like this -- probably why he tended to have more friends that were women than men. “Oh? What’s his name? What’s he like?”
“Big McIntosh” she told him, “Big Mac for short. He runs an orchard, which is absolutely beautiful. He’s tall, over 6 foot, very handsome” she grinned, “But so kind and fun. I feel so at home with him, like I can be me” she knew she was gushing somewhat but she couldn’t help it.
Big Mac? Really? What an odd name. Fred really, really had to bite back the urge to ask if he came with a side of fries.
He shook his head and took a pull of his beer before giving Tonks a look. “I’m nearly jealous,” he said, and only half meant it. As much as he had fun hitting on and proposing to his friend, they really were just that: friends. “How long has this been going on for?”
Tonks was quite impressed with Freds self restraint, she had been expecting some kind of teasing and was pleasantly surprised when nothing came.
She smiled, they really were the best of friends which is why they could joke and mess around together so much, “We met just before Christmas but it didn’t get really serious until January” she admitted.
Hey, he knew how to behave! Sometimes. Sort of. When he wanted to.
“Look at you,” Fred gushed jokingly. “My little Tonks, all grown up and in lurve.” he wiped away a fake tear from his cheek. “I’m so proud.”
"Shut up you loon" she replied laughingly, leaning over to swat him, "Being in love doesn't make me grown up, there's still plenty of childish fun in me yet" she grinned.
“No,” Fred said, literally giggling even as he scooted back away from her terrible assault, “It’s all over. Soon enough you’ll only be interested in scrapbooking and looking at pictures of babies in oversized hats.”
Tonks put a hand to her chest and put on a look of abject terror, "Not the hat babies, you have to save me from the hat babies" she told him pleadingly, "You're my only hope, I can't be a baby loving scrapbooker" she added her lips twitching slightly with amusement.
“Suuuure,” said Fred, leaning forward again, since she no longer seemed to want to murder him in a ruthless manner. “Put it all on my shoulders. I’ll just have to do my best to save you from a fate of banality, hard as it might be.”
She usually only tried to murder him once or twice in their get togethers so he was probably safe, probably.
"My hero" she drawled in a perfect southern accent, "I knew I could count on you dearest Freddie"
Fred waved the compliment away as if it was something he could actually take credit for, but was just so beyond that. Finishing off his beer he stood up. “I’ll grab another round. But when I come back, you’d best be ready to show me your moves. And not the ones you’ve got for ‘Mac. I mean the magic sort."
"I'll show you moves you've never dreamed of" she grinned before adding, "Though you probably will at some point."
Fred gave a snort before wandering off to the bar for a moment. He was actually really excited to see some magic. Ever since he’d been having the dreams, he’d been hoping to do a little of his own experimenting -- alas, he didn’t have a wand and apparently just saying the words wasn’t enough.
Paying for the beers after a moments wait, Fred tipped his head to the bartender before making his way back to his and Tonks’ undercover little table.
While Fred was at the bar she removed the wand from her bag and placed it on the table in front of her, smiling as he returned to their table.
“So” she said as he sat down, “What have you seen in your dreams that you’d like to see here?”
“Start with something simple,” Fred suggested, although there was mischief in his eyes. “Lumos.”
Tonks nodded, picking up her wand she focused as she spoke, “Lumos” The wand lit up just as it did in her dreams and when practising here. She grinned at Fred, “Simple” she told him.
“Simple,” Fred repeated. It was perfect, Fred decided. Just like he’d dreamed it. Curiously, his fingers moved to the tip of the wand, as if he might touch or embrace the magic there.
She smiled as he reached out to touch the wand and couldn’t stop herself from moving the wand to see if she could make him jump. “Sorry, sorry” she apologised, “I couldn’t resist”
He did jump, a little, and then looked up at her with narrowed eyes. “Terrible excuse of a woman, you are,” he said -- although he clearly didn’t mean it. “Can I--?” He knew that using someone else’s wand didn’t always work, but he did desperately want to give it a go.
She grinned even more wickedly at his words, “Learnt from the best” she quipped, before handing her wand over, “Of course, knock yourself out. Only not actually” she told him.
Rolling his eyes at her, he took the still faintly glowing wand from Tonks. He looked around for a moment, a little curious to make sure no one was watching them. Noting the the coast was clear, he bit his lower lip for a second, and then grinned widely. He was was excited as a child on Christmas morning. “Nox,” he said, motioning with the wand in a way that was terribly familiar.
He hadn’t been expecting every bloody light in the bar to go out, though. Which was exactly what happened.
Tonks laughed quite loudly before covering her mouth with her hand, “Fred that was quite possibly the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen” she told him quietly when she could talk. Taking the wand back she turned the lights back on.
Fred flopped back in his seat with a sigh that turned into a giggle. He couldn’t help himself. “Alright,” he said, “No more practicing in public places for me.”
“Well it worked” Tonks pointed out, “I’d say that’s pretty good since you’ve never actually tried it before and it’s not your wand” she told him encouragingly.
“Point,” Fred agreed, wiggling back up in his seat to reach his beer. “Now. Show me more.”
Tonks grinned as she glanced around, “Wingardium leviosa” she said, causing his beer to hover above the table as she moved it out of his reach.
“Have I mentioned,” Fred said, with an expression of wonder that completely negated his words, “that you are an awful woman?” He leaned forward to try and pluck the drink out of mid-air. Really, he was taking this all very well.
“I think you meant to say ‘awesome’” she grinned in return as she watched him chase the drink for a minute more before letting him take it.
“Oh,” said Fred, a little dryly in a rarely used deadpan. “I guess I get the two confused.” And then he ruined it all by sticking his tongue out at her.
Tonks stuck her tongue out back at him before smiling, “Okay, come on what have you seen in your dreams that you want to see here?” she asked, figuring she’d make it up to him.
Thinking of something worthy to see was a little hard, admittedly. Fred was particularly interested in loud, flashy things -- and those were the sorts of things that wouldn’t do in a place like this. But... he rose his eyebrows and settled his chin on his palms. “Can you apparate?”
Tonks shook her head sadly, “Nope” she replied, “I’ve tried a few times and nothing” with her line of work it would have come in really handy too. It was a shame but she wouldn’t give up, after all when she’d first acquired her wand she hadn’t been able to do anything either.
“Sigh,” sighed Fred. Because it seemed like a swell thing to say at a time like this. He hadn’t learned to do it yet in his dreams either, which was a bit of a shame, but he was sure he’d get to it eventually. “Well. What’s your most impressive thing? C’mon, don’t make me do all the work.”
Tonks chuckled softly and gave in, “</i>Orchideous</i>” she murmured and moments later a conjured beautiful arrangement of flowers appeared, “Maybe less impressive and more pretty but I like it” she told him, “Oh and then there’s the fun tricks you can do” she murmured another incantation and aimed it at another booth. The man tried to pick up his glass but it wouldn’t budge from the table.
Conjuring flowers was cool, yeah, but Fred was nearly ready to compare the trick to babies and scrapbooking again. The words didn’t quite slip off his tongue though, because the next trick she showed made him cackle loudly, very impressed. “Brilliant,” he said between giggles. Of course that was up his alley.
She thought he’d like that one, she knew him well enough after all. And even if she hadn’t the man owned a joke shop for crying out loud, something that was also the same in the dream world though she wasn’t sure if he had dreamt that far yet.
“I can’t wait to see if you get your wand too” she told him, “You’re going to have so much fun, finding the most mischievous spells you can no doubt”
He hadn’t dreamed that far ahead at all. But he was sure he’d get there eventually. “Well, you got yours. Why wouldn’t I get mine?”
“I think you will” she told him, “I mean I’m not the only one from our dream world with one so it totally makes sense that you will get yours too.”
Fred was inclined to agree with her. Then again, it was easy to agree with Tonks. Reaching toward his beer again, he grinned. “Well, this has certainly been enlightening.”