the_debt_of_time

"Oh, I'm all right." Tonks offered a sad little smile. "What're you doing down in the
village?"
"Professor McGonagall is allowing some of us that are done with classes for the
term to finish up last minute Christmas shopping. Plus, there's a Christmas Party tonight,
and I needed to get a new pair of shoes."
"Christmas party? Hot date?" Tonks said with a teasing grin that did not quite reach
her eyes.
Hermione scoffed, thinking of Cormac and the colossal mistake she had made in
asking him. It was impulsive, and she was already regretting it. "He likes to think so."
Tonks laughed, and the sight made Hermione lighten up inside. She watched
carefully to see if Tonks's hair would turn a bright-coloured shade, but it sadly remained
mousy brown, looking lifeless.
"I'll walk with you. Tell me all about him."
"Oh, I can barely stand him," Hermione confessed. "His name is Cormac
McLaggen, and I only asked him to go with me to get under Ron's skin," she admitted with
a bitter sigh. "Ronald has acquired a new girlfriend for the purpose of making me jealous,
and all it's actually doing is making me nauseous. It's not right that he's just using her.
Though, I suppose I'm doing no better with McLaggen."
"Go easy on yourself," Tonks advised. "Wizards sometimes need their egos taken
down a notch."
"Some need a little more reassurance, though," Hermione agreed knowingly,
offering a small smile as Tonks turned and stared at her.
"Merlin, you really are too smart for your own good, you know that? How'd you
figure it out?"
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Harry saw your Patronus. He said
it almost looked like Padfoot. I remember summer and Christmas at Grimmauld Place, and
you and Sirius weren't close—not like that."
"He's not taking Sirius's death very well," Tonks admitted quietly. She did not say
out loud who he was, but Hermione knew. "Blames himself, I suspect. You haven't heard
from him lately, have you?"