'A fifth-year should not be this intimidating.' That was the only thought running through Tonks's head as Daphne Greengrass's crystal-blue eyes pinned her like a predator eyeing prey. Every muscle in the girl's body was poised, like she was ready for a fight. The girl was standing her ground, she was radiating a cold, possessive energy that was far more unnerving than it should have been coming from a fifth year student.
"Well?" Daphne pressed, her tone sharp enough to cut steel. "You haven't given me an answer."
Daphne was not about to just back down because another woman had strolled in and decided she could insert herself into her relationship. She had worked hard for this. She had taken a risk by pursuing Harry publicly, by showing him she wasn't afraid of the whispers and the judgment, and she had won. He might be interested in this... this Auror, but if he wanted her to agree to something like this, then this woman had better prove that she was worthy of it.
Daphne had a keen understanding of value. She wasn't just a commodity to be had, and she was going to make it clear that Tonks wasn't either. The terms had to be set. This was not a negotiation. This woman would not just come and then think she would fold.
Tonks drew a slow breath. She was a forward person and would not waste her time going around in circles. She knew she was good, and she was not about to have her value questioned by a student, a really hot student. She liked to get to the matter of things.
The only reason that had even happened with Remus was because anytime she tried to bring the matters of their relationship up, he'd conveniently change the topic. Now that she looked back on it, that should have been a sign that he really wasn't serious about them.
"Yes," Tonks said firmly, staring back at the girl.
Daphne's face, which had seemed carved out of stone, twitched. Tonks knew she wasn't happy about the response. Well, she could understand, after all, if she were in her position, she wouldn't want to share what was hers either.
The only reason Daphne hadn't just outright said no and chased her away was because she knew Harry liked her too and didn't want to ruin what she had with him. She knew Harry wouldn't likely just break up with her because of this, only a fool would do something like that, but there would be something between them, and Daphne no doubt wanted to take charge so that Harry didn't go off on his own.
'Hehe,' she laughed a little in her head, 'the little snake is no doubt looking for something to use to reject me outright. ' While Tonks had been raised in a somewhat standard household, her mother, being from the House of Black, had all but trained her to watch and understand people.
This was the so-called pureblood women's training, so that she didn't get "used" as her mother told her, saying that it was better to understand how people operated so that she always had the upper hand. While Tonks never really got the training down, she did pick up a few things, and right now, while she observed Daphne, she just couldn't help but try to hide a smile.
'How cute,' she thought to herself. She seemed to lose that nervousness that she had felt when she first came, feeling herself relaxing and getting back into her normal perky self.
The girl before her was a mix of arrogance and possessiveness. She was sure of herself that Harry wouldn't leave her, but was not going to take the chance and allow Tonks an in to snatch her boyfriend from her.
Now that Tonks thought about it.
'hmmm.' She looked at the girl, stared at her. As Tonks had noticed when she first saw her, she was beautiful, and that nervousness that she tried to hide was just too cute.
Well, that settled it. She had come here looking to get a chance with Harry, but now found herself wanting more.
'Why settle for just a boyfriend when she could get a girlfriend added to the package too?' After all, it's not like Tonks had an issue with dating women. She'd had a girlfriend in the past during her curious times. While it didn't work out between them, she had enjoyed the experience and had no problem with having a woman as a partner.
A sly smile appeared on her face as she leaned forward. "Well, now that I think about it, you're cute yourself."
Daphne recoiled back. Her carefully constructed facade cracked, a flash of genuine surprise in her eyes. This was not how things should be going.
"You know, I just came here for Harry, but maybe I'll snatch you up too," she whispered the last part at the girl.
Daphne's face seemed to immediately turn an interesting shade of red. Oh, it seemed that for all the girl's cold exterior, she was innocent inside. The girl sputtered as she tried to compose herself, but Tonks didn't give her the time. She shifted from where she had sat down and moved closer to her.
"You know, we'd have so much fun together." Daphne tried to back away, but Tonks's arm shot out and wrapped around the girl, pulling her closer. "Just close your eyes and imagine it, you, me, and Harry in between us, as he holds us close and then…"
Before she finished, Daphne shoved her off. "Enough!" the girl shouted as she stood up and put some distance between her and Tonks.
Tonks couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"You… you pervert!" Daphne snapped, which set Tonks off again.
Daphne took a deep breath to calm herself. This woman was annoying, but she thought about what she had just suggested. It wasn't like Daphne had not experimented, she had with Tracy and didn't seem to mind the gender, but she didn't really seem to click with Tracy, and they left it at that.
But could it work out with this one? She looked at Tonks, checking her out, and she wouldn't deny that Tonks was hot, the bust, the hips, her face, and her ass. She was definitely not bad-looking, but would she be able to get along with her as she did with Harry?
Tonks had finally stopped laughing and patted the ground beside her, gesturing for the young girl to sit once more, and she did with a huff.
Tonks started seriously, "I know that you don't like it, honestly, I wouldn't either if I were you, but I also really like Harry. He's great, different from all the others I've dated. There's just something that just, just…"
"Draws you in," Daphne finished for her.
Tonks nodded. "You feel it too, right?"
Daphne agreed. "Yes."
"So you understand a little of what I mean. I know it's not really right to just butt into your relationship, but I'd like you to give me a chance at the very least," she told Daphne.
Tonks really did want the chance, it was hard to find a guy you just clicked with that wasn't a douche. "And I wasn't joking about the whole 2-for-1," she wiggled her eyebrows at the blonde girl, making her blush before she sighed.
Daphne could understand, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't now interested in the Metamorphmagus, but was she willing to give her a chance? She looked Tonks in the eyes and decided she'd try, if only because she, too, was now interested in the Auror.
She told the young woman, and she was ecstatic.
From there, they seemed to just talk, getting to know each other better. They discussed Harry's odd habits, his sometimes frightening intensity, and the cute habits that even he seemed to not notice about himself, like whenever he was tired, his right hand would rub his eyes like a tired cat and let out a cute yawn like a kid, or when he was embarrassed, the way his face turned red to his ear tips.
They discovered a mutual respect for his independence and his refusal to be pushed around by anyone. By the time Harry came back, he was quite happy to see the two getting along.
"Hey, sooooo… friends now?" he said, making his presence known as he walked up to them.
Tonks wrapped her arm around Daphne, resting her head on her shoulder. "The best of friends."
Daphne immediately shrugged her off and stood up, walking to Harry.
"Soooo… the conversation?" he asked, a little nervous. Did he still have a hot Slytherin girlfriend, or was he back to a single dog's life?
Daphne gave him the stink eye before sighing. "We have talked, and I'm willing to give it a try," she said, then hurriedly added, "But if I don't like it, I'm breaking up with you in an instant." She told him before turning to leave. "I'll leave you two to talk for now."
And with that, she left. Harry watched her go, a mix of relief and confusion on his face.
He turned to Tonks, and she gave him a smile as she came to him. "Got your lady's permission," she said grandly, like she had won the world.
"I have to say you have good taste in women if myself and previous company was anything to go by." She said, looking over his shoulder to watch Daphne walk away.
He turned his head to watch her leave. "Yeah, you are right about that." He turned back to her.
"So?"
"Well, I told you I was interested, and I wanted to give it a shot. No regrets later, you know." She stood close to him. Despite being younger, he was a little taller than her, so she had to look up a little.
"We have decided to try things out and see where it takes us," she said. "Things may become complicated later, but for now, let's just enjoy things as they are." She leaned in and kissed him for a few seconds before backing away. He pulled her back for a deeper kiss.
God, he loved his life. A broad, genuine grin stretched across his face as he held Tonks close. Everything was going his way. He had snagged the hottest girl in his year, and now another one was dating him, an incredible, vivacious woman who just happened to be an Auror.
His enemies were dying or suffering, his luck was up, and he was finally feeling like he was in control of his own life. He had dealt with Voldemort and Snape, and now he had two amazing women in his life.
Now, it was time to enjoy his life, and nothing could disturb it. He felt the kiss deepen, a wave of pure, untainted happiness washing over him. Nothing.
Next morning.
Murphy, you son of a bitch. He knew he had jinxed himself with what he had said.
His eyes were twitching as he stared at the newspaper in the Great Hall. It was as if the world itself had decided to call his bluff. The headline screamed across the table in bold, black ink, a stark contrast to the cheer of the morning.
GRINDELWALD HAS ESCAPED.
He slammed the paper down on the table with a crash, the sound echoing through the suddenly silent Great Hall, leaving cracks on it. What the hell, he was just having an amazing morning thinking about yesterday and what his future would be like now and after he'd removed the last obstacle, but now this.
He whispered to himself, his voice raw with a sudden, furious disbelief. "You have got to be shitting me."
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