A typical Weasley male moment

“Okay, so what do I do?” Tonks asked in defeat, slumping against her desk.

“Well… the twins didn’t believe me when I said I had a girlfriend...”

“Hmmm- wonder why that would be? Oh! maybe because YOU DON”T!”

“…yeah… and so they said ‘prove it’ and I kinda said that I would- long story short- my girlfriend Alex is coming for dinner on Wednesday.”

“...Alex?”

“Short for Alexis”

At Tonks’ disgusted look he shrugged his shoulders and said “Well it’s better than Nymphadora”

“Can’t argue with that. So did your big mouth tell them at all what Alex looks like?”

“Nope; so you can have free range with that- just try and turn up with natural coloured hair; otherwise they may suspect.”

“Yes- because heaven forbid they find out you don’t have a girlfriend.”
Charlie rolled his eyes and continued “As I was saying- you can have free range with that; just nothing to out of the ordinary please”

He was interrupted by a blaring siren.

Tonks jumped to her feet, pulling her wand out as she went.

“I gotta go- I’ll come by work tomorrow to sort this mess out.”

Charlie didn’t even have time to say goodbye before she was out the door at a run, tripping over her own feet as she went.

He stood, mouth agape for a second, before shaking his head.

“Aurors”

“Hi- I’m here to see Charlie Weasley”

The man looked up from behind the desk. He looked like he would be more comfortable in a wrestling ring, but he gave a gruff smile and nodded, jerking his thumb to the door to his left.

“He’s out in the Ridgeback pen”

“Um… thanks.”

Tonks made her way out to the Ridgeback pen, only to walk into Charlie. Literally.

“Oof!”

“Umfh!”

The two fell to the ground winded, before looking up to see whom it was they walked into.

Charlie’s eyes widened.

“I’m very sorry miss- I wasn’t watching-”

“Miss? Since when did you call me miss?” snorted Tonks, accepting Charlie’s offered hand.

“Tonks?” he said in disbelief.

“Someone give the boy a medal.”

“You...you have natural coloured hair. It’s…not pink.”

“Good to know you’re not colour blind- do you have a place where we can talk without being eaten by one of your colleagues?”

“Oh, the dragons won’t attack”

“Well that’s a bonus, but I wasn’t talking about the dragons.”

“Oi- they may look a bit off; but looks can be deceiving.”

“Ain’t that the truth of it.” Muttered Tonks as she followed Charlie through a large gate, and fell into an easy pace into the habitat.

“Yeah, I was going to say- you’ve outdone yourself this time Tonks- they’d never recognize you!”

“Thanks, but I didn’t do anything- this is my natural appearance”

Charlie’s mouth fell agape.

“No way! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this- you never went all natural at school, did you?”

“I haven’t been ‘all natural’ in a long time- not since I was nine, and I really got a hang for morphing.”

“Then why do you morph… I mean… well you’re hardly ugly.”

“Uhh… thanks, I think… And I change my appearance because I enjoy it. Makes me different- unique”

“Well you were hardly ever normal.”

Tonks elbowed him, before looking around and taking in her surroundings.

“Where are we?”

“Norwegian Ridgeback pen” Charlie replied calmly

“WHAT! You brought me to see one of your giant lizards!?”

“Dragon,” Charlie corrected, slightly miffed. “There’s a difference.”

“Yeah- it’s appetite!”

“I told you before; Norbert wouldn’t hurt a thing- completely harmless, just as Hagrid raised him to be.”

“Hagrid raised it? Oh that makes me feel so much better!”

“Come on- you’re an auror, you’re supposed to be brave.”

“There’s a saying Mad-Eye once told us- ‘Bravery is just a nicer way for saying stupidity- I’ve got news for ya- nice people get killed.’”

Charlie grinned. “Yeah, well that’s Mad-Eye isn’t it?”

“He has an uncanny ability to be right.”

Charlie shook his head and pushed past some bushes.

Tonks looked after him, considering, before throwing herself after him muttering, “What the hell, add one more stupid things I’ve done to my list”

“DOESN’T ATTACK MY ARSE! I AM GOING TO GUT YOU CHARLIE WEASLEY! IF I EVER GET THE USE OF MY LEG BACK I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN, CHOP YOU UP, FEED YOU TO THAT OVERGROWN LIZARD, AND THEN MAKE HAGRID CLEAN UP THE MESS!” Tonks yelled at Charlie as she was carried away to the ward that cared for magical burns at St Mungos.

Charlie stood in shock, ears ringing even as the doors closed, a Healer at his shoulder and the entire waiting room staring at him.

The healer shook his head, a bemused smile on his face. He patted Charlie on the shoulder.

“Bit of advice son,” he said quietly as the room went back to their own business, “Not the best idea to take your girlfriend to work with you.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Charlie muttered, ears turning a vivid fuchsia.

“Sure.” The healer smiled, and walked away, adding over his shoulder “good luck with that one- she won’t be very happy with you if she can’t get back to work.”

Charlie winced at the thought.

“I’m a dead man.”