A/N: OK, here it is, the one you've all been waiting for … A NEW STORY! YAY!
UPDATED: Sorry for those who are confused, there were a couple of things I wanted to change. Read again if you wish, it will make more sense if you do.
Just so you know, I imagine this to be happening in early April 1989. An explanation of how I reached that is at the end of the chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else you recognise, but I do own Will (man, I want a boyfriend like him!)
Chapter One
It was All HIS Idea
It started out as a joke. We had Career Advice the next day, and I had no idea what I was going to tell Flitwick. I mean, I wasn't exactly a model student, was I? I kidded around in class and just scraped through exams. As long as I passed, however marginally, I was happy.
Anyway, the whole thing started out as a joke. My boyfriend and I were alone in the common room (get your minds out of the gutter!) talking about the said appointments with our Head of House.
"Do you know what you're going to say to him?" I asked Will.
"I've always fancied something not too hard, like … I dunno … working with animals, maybe? I always like Care of Magical Creatures, so maybe something like that …"
I giggled. "You don't even take Care of Magical Creatures, you dimwit."
"So? That doesn't mean I can't enjoy it!" Will replied heatedly, though there was laughter in his eyes.
"Good luck getting into something like that, William Beaumont, you lovable old idiot you," I laughed, kissing him on the nose. "You do need OWLs in Care of Magical Creatures to get into work with animals. Haven't you been reading those pamphlets?" I grabbed a fistful of the said pamphlets sitting atop the table near us.
"What about you, Nymph?" he asked me. "What do you plan on doing once you get out of here?"
I shrugged. "Something not too difficult, like you said, I guess," I replied thoughtfully. "I probably don't have the marks to do anything else."
To my surprise, Will burst out laughing. "What?" I asked, hurt. "I don't have the marks to get into something like Healing, do I?"
"No," he spluttered, trying to keep a straight face and failing dismally. "I just had the funniest thought, that's all."
"What was it?" I asked.
"You said that you wanted to be an Auror. Isn't that funny? I mean, you, an Auror? I'll become Minister for Magic before that happens!"
Normally I would have laughed with him. But that night, something just struck a chord and I took what he said to heart.
"You know, just for that, I'll tell Flitwick I want to be an Auror."
My beloved boyfriend began laughing even harder. "Come off it, Nymph! You, an Auror? You, the girl who's too busy experimenting with hairstyles and nose shapes to pay attention in class?"
"Yeah," I said. "If it's the last thing I do, I'll become an Auror."
The laughter died down. "Are – are you – serious?" he asked.
"Absolutely," I replied. I was laughing by then.
He still thought it was a joke. Man, I thought it was a joke. But I never even considered telling Flitwick anything else. After an Auror, nothing seemed right. I just had to be an Auror. Nothing else would do.
The next day I tried to knock gracefully on the door of Filius Flitwick, my Head of House and Charms teacher, but the effect was rather ruined by the fact that I'd been running so fast that I ran headlong into the door.
"Come in," I heard as I managed to knock properly.
"Sorry, Professor," I muttered as I went in.
"Miss Tonks?" he asked uncertainly. A normal person would be rather put off by this behaviour from a teacher they've known for nearly five years, but I was used to it.
"Yes, Professor." I suppose I had put in more of an effort that day. I had a perfect button nose, blue eyes and blonde straight hair; I looked almost normal. Not like the last time I'd seen Flitwick, where I'd been experimenting and had hair in the colours of the Union Jack. But anyway, I'd made an effort that day.
"Miss Tonks, please sit down," said Flitwick kindly. "Now, what sort of career would you like to get into?"
"I'd like to be an Auror, Professor."
I expected him to burst out laughing like Will had the night before, but he managed to keep a straight face.
"Hmm…" he said as he flicked through my folder. "You'll need at least five 'Exceeds Expectations' NEWTs, Miss Tonks, and there's a further three years of study outside Hogwarts, are you sure that you want to make that sort of commitment?"
"Yes, sir," I replied confidently.
"Very well. Let's see here, you'll need to study Defence Against the Dark Arts, obviously, and I'd recommend Transfiguration and Charms. You may also consider taking Potions -"
"Potions?" I squeaked.
"Yes, Miss Tonks, Potions. I see here that you are struggling a little in Potions but I'm sure that Professor Snape would be happy to speak to you about your grade -"
"Professor Snape hates me, sir!"
Flitwick raised an eyebrow at me. "I'm sure Professor Snape feels nothing of the sort. He does not accept any students who do not achieve an 'Outstanding' grade in their OWL, so you will have to study hard for your exam. Do you have a problem with that, Miss Tonks?"
"No, sir."
"Very well." He flicked through my folder again. "As for Defence Against the Dark Arts, you seem to be averaging an 'Exceeds Expectations' grade, which is excellent, Professor Rosenberg will have no problem with taking you next year –"
"Professor Rosenberg? What about Professor Quirrell?"
"He's taking a year off for some hands-on experience, Miss Tonks, as I am sure you have been informed -"
Eh? I thought. Whatever…
"Professor McGonagall tells me you're achieving a 'Poor' at the moment, and she won't take anything below an E, so some work is needed there. You've been getting fairly consistent A's in my classes so your Charms is almost up to scratch. Do you have any questions, Miss Tonks?"
"What else should I study?" I asked. "You said I needed five E's but you've only mentioned four subjects."
"Hmm." He looked through my folder again. "Ancient Runes could be useful, but you seem to be doing a little poorly in that subject. Perhaps Care of Magical Creatures would be a good idea? Professor Kettleburn has graded you at an A at the moment, so you seem to be doing well. Is that all?" I nodded. "Very well. You may leave."
"Sorry, Professor, just one question?"
"Yes, Miss Tonks?"
"Do you think I can do it?" I asked. "Do you think I can be an Auror?"
"Miss Tonks," he began, removing his glasses and polishing them on his robes. "I believe you can do anything if you try."
"Thanks, Professor," I said as I stood.
"You're most welcome, Miss Tonks. Do come and see me if you have any problems."
My consultation was one of the last for the day, so I felt no need to return to my class (I think it was Ancient Runes). I headed for the common room to drop off my books before dinner. As soon as the bell went I rushed my hungry backside to the Great Hall.
I had a mouthful of mashed potato and lamb chop when Will sat beside me.
"Well, how did you go?" he asked as he placed five sausages on his plate (yes, he was a big eater, my Will).
I swallowed hurriedly. "Flitwick reckons I can do it."
"Serious?"
I nodded. "I need to do a lot of work between now and exams, but it's possible. What about you?"
"He suggested I 'think about something hands-on in the Ministry of Magic'. You know, like Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes or something. They don't want very much, and it would be fun, he reckons."
He took a mouthful and chewed thoughtfully. After a long pause, he said, "D'you know what, Nymph? I think you can do it, too."
Final A/N: OK, to explain the Quirrell thing: Hagrid told Harry in the first book that Quirrell had taken a year off, and we learn later that this is where he met Voldemort. I, like most people, assumed that this was the year before Harry began at Hogwarts, but if you look at the text closely you'll see that Hagrid has already had time to get used to the changes in Quirrell's character, which would not have been possible if he'd only just got back. There is also no 'Welcome Back, Professor Quirrell' speech at the Welcoming Feast, which would seem natural if he'd just got back. So he must have been back for at least a year already, and I'm making an executive decision that his year off was the 1989-1990 school year, in which Tonks was in sixth year. There is an excellent essay on the Harry Potter Lexicon describing this: Quirrell's Leave of Absence.
And how did I work out what year this was all happening in? Well:
Tonks says when she meets Harry that she only qualified as an Auror a year before. This was in summer 1995, so she qualified around summer 1994 (around the time Lupin quit his teaching job and Harry started fourth year). McGonagall told Harry that Auror training lasts three years, so she began her third year in summer 1993 (after the Chamber of Secrets incident), her second in summer 1992 (after the Philosopher's Stone incident) and her first in summer 1991 (around the time Harry starts at Hogwarts). So she began her seventh year at Hogwarts in 1990, and took her OWLs in 1989. OK? According to my calculations (and a lot of other people's too) Charlie Weasley was in Tonks' year. Most of this is also confirmed on the Lexicon, so don't just take my word for it!
I would just like to point out that that was one hell of an Author's Note.