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perfectworrytitle: Looking Far Too Skinny
verse: Harry Potter
community:![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
galentinesday
recipient:flipflop_diva
characters: Molly Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks
pairings: implied (one sided) Tonks/Lupin
word count: 984
rating: G
summary: Tonks gets some tea and comfort from Mrs Weasley.
notes: this was my first real gift fic/exchange, not counting informal gifts for my friends. I had a lot of fun and I can't wait to do it again sometime!
"You don't look like yourself," says Molly Weasley. Waving her wand over her shoulder, she draws a chair for Tonks in her cramped kitchen. Not "hello," or "how have you been?" but "you don't look like yourself."
"I never do," says Tonks, with a wan smile.
With a flick of her wand, Mrs Weasley sends a consoling cup of chamomile tea soaring across the cramped kitchen to Tonks. The mug settles itself comfortably down, a few inches out of reach, and slides across the table before settling into place. Not a single drop of tea sloshes over the side until Tonks picks it up and nearly spills it down her front. She hastily cleans up the kitchen table with a swish and a flick before Mrs Weasley can see the mess she's made.
Tonks takes a cautious sip and when she doesn't burn herself, a longer draught. The tea warms her insides, from the roots of her ashy blond hair to the tips of her fingers, purple paint chipping and peeling. There are dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, and no matter how she changes her face, she is pale and clammy. Her eyes are dull, lacking their usual spark and sparkle, but who doesn't look a little tired, a little worn out around the edges these days?
The cool air hangs heavy with the threat of rain. Lately, Mrs Weasley has to dry the wash with magic because it's too damp to dry outside, even in the middle of June.
Molly turns from her cauldron to look seriously at Tonks for a moment. "That's not what I meant, dear," she says. Tonks smiles again, a little more honestly this time. Then she scrunches up her face in concentration for a moment, and when she opens her eyes, she has freckles on the bridge of her nose and auburn red hair spiking up on the top and curling slightly around her ears. Molly isn't looking; she's already turned her attention back to dinner.
When she turns again a few moments later to collect the teacup, Molly gives a little start to see a redheaded young woman seated at her kitchen table. She's known Tonks long enough that she's used to different noses and outrageous hair colors, but looking over to see someone who could be her own daughter gives her a moment's pause.
"No good?" laughs Tonks, and she shakes her head. Her hair falls down over her shoulders, heavy and dark. Her nose returns to it's normal shape; thankfully inherited from her father's side of the family. The freckles disappear, but Molly can still see the redheaded Tonks in her mind's eye. Tonks had been melancholy all summer, ever since --- but it sharpened the pain to see such a sad expression on a face that could belong to one of her own children.
"I thought for a moment," says Molly. "It's nothing, dear." She shakes her head and busies herself with stirring the cauldron again. "I just thought," but whatever she thinks, she keeps to herself and Tonks is left with her own thoughts again.
Molly Weasley feels more motherly than her own mother. Tonks knows it's not that Andromeda doesn't care. Andromeda Tonks might have been blasted from the family tree, but Black blood still flows in her veins. It makes her face sharp and her tongue sharper. Still, Nymphadora seeks refuge in the Weasley family kitchen while she's pining, because the women of the Black family don't understand pining. Maybe Mrs Weasley doesn't, either, but she does understand comfort and chamomile tea.
"Staying for dinner?" asks Molly. Tonks rises to help her with the stack of plates, but Mrs Wealsey sends them flying through the air, landing neatly on the table. One plate hovers, awaiting her reply. Tonks' eyes sweep over the table; a seat for each of the Weasley children, minus Percy the git and Bill in Egypt, plus Harry, Hermione, and of course Mr Weasley. "Charlie will be here," says Mrs Weasley, and Tonks suddenly remembers how alike Molly and Andromeda really are, but its not Charlie she wants to know about.
"Remus is coming by for dinner," says Molly, following Tonks' glance to the extra. "He's been looking rather thin lately."
"I should go." Mrs Weasley's cooking smells delicious and Tonks likes to talk to the girls about their career plans after Hogwarts, but the Lupin's name leaves a metallic taste in her mouth. "I - I just remembered," she stammers, knocking over a chair in her hurry to leave. Mrs Weasley rights it before she has time to reach for her wand. "Office things," she says apologetically. "You know. Paperwork and ministry business. Arthur knows what I mean," she adds, eyes flicking up to the clock as his name moves from "work" to "traveling," and snaps to "home."
The clock doesn't count down until Remus' arrival. Tonks gives Mrs Weasley a pained smile and sees herself out.
"Thanks for the tea, Mrs Weasley," she shouts from the doorway.
"You're welcome, dear," calls Mrs Weasley, and Tonks thinks she sounds a little cross, but by then she's can already feel the familiar pressure of Apparition and the air fills the void she leaves with a popping noise.
She doesn't know why she's Appirated to this place until she opens her eyes in a side street running perpendicular to Diagon Alley. She and Remus argued here. It's only a short walk from where she's staying and she takes the journey on foot, letting the cold night breeze tangle her hair, still long from her last transformation.
Tonks can change what she looks like, but not who she is - or who she loves. Mrs Weasley worried that she didn't look like herself, but how to say that she no longer feels like herself? She wraps cloak closer around her shoulders and looks up at the waxing crescent moon.
verse: Harry Potter
community:
galentinesday recipient:
flipflop_diva characters: Molly Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks
pairings: implied (one sided) Tonks/Lupin
word count: 984
rating: G
summary: Tonks gets some tea and comfort from Mrs Weasley.
notes: this was my first real gift fic/exchange, not counting informal gifts for my friends. I had a lot of fun and I can't wait to do it again sometime!
"You don't look like yourself," says Molly Weasley. Waving her wand over her shoulder, she draws a chair for Tonks in her cramped kitchen. Not "hello," or "how have you been?" but "you don't look like yourself."
"I never do," says Tonks, with a wan smile.
With a flick of her wand, Mrs Weasley sends a consoling cup of chamomile tea soaring across the cramped kitchen to Tonks. The mug settles itself comfortably down, a few inches out of reach, and slides across the table before settling into place. Not a single drop of tea sloshes over the side until Tonks picks it up and nearly spills it down her front. She hastily cleans up the kitchen table with a swish and a flick before Mrs Weasley can see the mess she's made.
Tonks takes a cautious sip and when she doesn't burn herself, a longer draught. The tea warms her insides, from the roots of her ashy blond hair to the tips of her fingers, purple paint chipping and peeling. There are dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, and no matter how she changes her face, she is pale and clammy. Her eyes are dull, lacking their usual spark and sparkle, but who doesn't look a little tired, a little worn out around the edges these days?
The cool air hangs heavy with the threat of rain. Lately, Mrs Weasley has to dry the wash with magic because it's too damp to dry outside, even in the middle of June.
Molly turns from her cauldron to look seriously at Tonks for a moment. "That's not what I meant, dear," she says. Tonks smiles again, a little more honestly this time. Then she scrunches up her face in concentration for a moment, and when she opens her eyes, she has freckles on the bridge of her nose and auburn red hair spiking up on the top and curling slightly around her ears. Molly isn't looking; she's already turned her attention back to dinner.
When she turns again a few moments later to collect the teacup, Molly gives a little start to see a redheaded young woman seated at her kitchen table. She's known Tonks long enough that she's used to different noses and outrageous hair colors, but looking over to see someone who could be her own daughter gives her a moment's pause.
"No good?" laughs Tonks, and she shakes her head. Her hair falls down over her shoulders, heavy and dark. Her nose returns to it's normal shape; thankfully inherited from her father's side of the family. The freckles disappear, but Molly can still see the redheaded Tonks in her mind's eye. Tonks had been melancholy all summer, ever since --- but it sharpened the pain to see such a sad expression on a face that could belong to one of her own children.
"I thought for a moment," says Molly. "It's nothing, dear." She shakes her head and busies herself with stirring the cauldron again. "I just thought," but whatever she thinks, she keeps to herself and Tonks is left with her own thoughts again.
Molly Weasley feels more motherly than her own mother. Tonks knows it's not that Andromeda doesn't care. Andromeda Tonks might have been blasted from the family tree, but Black blood still flows in her veins. It makes her face sharp and her tongue sharper. Still, Nymphadora seeks refuge in the Weasley family kitchen while she's pining, because the women of the Black family don't understand pining. Maybe Mrs Weasley doesn't, either, but she does understand comfort and chamomile tea.
"Staying for dinner?" asks Molly. Tonks rises to help her with the stack of plates, but Mrs Wealsey sends them flying through the air, landing neatly on the table. One plate hovers, awaiting her reply. Tonks' eyes sweep over the table; a seat for each of the Weasley children, minus Percy the git and Bill in Egypt, plus Harry, Hermione, and of course Mr Weasley. "Charlie will be here," says Mrs Weasley, and Tonks suddenly remembers how alike Molly and Andromeda really are, but its not Charlie she wants to know about.
"Remus is coming by for dinner," says Molly, following Tonks' glance to the extra. "He's been looking rather thin lately."
"I should go." Mrs Weasley's cooking smells delicious and Tonks likes to talk to the girls about their career plans after Hogwarts, but the Lupin's name leaves a metallic taste in her mouth. "I - I just remembered," she stammers, knocking over a chair in her hurry to leave. Mrs Weasley rights it before she has time to reach for her wand. "Office things," she says apologetically. "You know. Paperwork and ministry business. Arthur knows what I mean," she adds, eyes flicking up to the clock as his name moves from "work" to "traveling," and snaps to "home."
The clock doesn't count down until Remus' arrival. Tonks gives Mrs Weasley a pained smile and sees herself out.
"Thanks for the tea, Mrs Weasley," she shouts from the doorway.
"You're welcome, dear," calls Mrs Weasley, and Tonks thinks she sounds a little cross, but by then she's can already feel the familiar pressure of Apparition and the air fills the void she leaves with a popping noise.
She doesn't know why she's Appirated to this place until she opens her eyes in a side street running perpendicular to Diagon Alley. She and Remus argued here. It's only a short walk from where she's staying and she takes the journey on foot, letting the cold night breeze tangle her hair, still long from her last transformation.
Tonks can change what she looks like, but not who she is - or who she loves. Mrs Weasley worried that she didn't look like herself, but how to say that she no longer feels like herself? She wraps cloak closer around her shoulders and looks up at the waxing crescent moon.
