𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 | B. WEASLEY

─ four, he's lame!

HANDS OF GOLD
act one, chapter four
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━ NYMPHADORAA TONKS,
SEPTEMBER 1989 ━
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𝗛ugo McLaggen wasn't that lame. Nymphadora will admit that, maybe she was being a little dramatic. He wasn't bad looking either, but he wasn't as good looking as her current crush. Nymphadora was bisexual, she came out to her friends and parents a few months after she found out. She had initially thought Ted would be angry, as she knew her mother and her friends will accept her, but to her surprise Ted accepted her with open arms. She was surprised, yes, but entirely grateful for it as well. Nymphie would never tell anyone who her crush was, well her current crush. She could have three crushes in one month and be over then within a week, but for some reason, she didn't want to leave her mind.

Nymphie would like to say first, that even she doesn't know when she started to find Gemma Johanna Wood attractive. Maybe it was when she learned that Gemma was named after John Deacon, or when she first found out Gemma was a Queen fan. ❨ Nymphie was one too, but not as huge of a fan as Gemma. ❩ But Nymphie was sure it will pass, all her crushes eventually pass, even though it was had been nearly four weeks of this new, weird feeling towards her best friend.

Which is why Nymphie has been trying to avoid her. She could stand it when it was Charlie and her, but Gemma alone? No thank you. Even though Nymphadora didn't play Quidditch, she sometimes watched Gemma and the Hufflepuff team practice, but today, she had hurriedly told Gemma that she had something to do and sprinted to the kitchens, where she found Hugo laughing with Oliver, Percy Weasley nearby.

"Tonks!" Percy was first to notice her and she awkwardly smiled at them, nearly tripping on her untied boots.

"What are you guys doing here?" Nymphadora asked them, sliding in beside Oliver and the brown haired boy shrugged. Nymphadora didn't understand how Gemma was the only redhead in their family but then again she was the only Metamorphmagus in her family so who was she to speak?

"Hugo has the hots for my sister." Oliver shrugged once more. Nymphadora could feel her blood boil. Hugo McLaggen was lame! How dare he like Gemma?! But then again, he wasn't really that lame.

"Why are you so laid back about it?" Nymphadora raised a brow at Oliver, who smirked.

"Come on Tonks, it's my sister." He told her, catching a grape in his mouth before he chewed it and swallowed. "I reckon she already has a list of ways to kill Bill and let's be honest, Hugo has no chance with her, whatsoever."

"You doubt me." Hugo pouted.

"I second everything Oliver said. Gemma is quite scary at times and I'm impressed at her ability to refrain from killing my brother." Percy added in and Nymphadora cracked a grin. Of course she knew exactly what Gemma was capable of. She was a fucking hurricane and no man could stop her, even the ones who claimed to be God.

"Which is exactly why she's a Beater." Nymphadora nodded. "Be glad you don't share a dorm with her, the things she tells me about."

"Are we seriously going to ignore the fact that Oliver doubts me?" Hugo asked, brow raised and Nymphie sighed.

"What do you want us to do then? Place a bet and see if you can survive Gemma's wrath?" Nymphadora lazily asked. She knew, of course, that Gemma was going to destroy the poor boy and she was all for it.

Hugo grinned broadly. "You're bloody on Tonks."

"Ten Galleons that Gemma will murder you within the first week." Nymphadora slyly smiled and she saw Percy raise a brow.

"Twenty that I will talk to her, and twenty more that we'll kiss."

"Now you're pushing it McLaggen." Oliver shook his head. "She'll tell you that she's not a whore and that she will slit your throat in your sleep before you get a slap across the face."

"I'm not Weasley ━ or Thomas." Hugo shook his head this time. Nymphie's blood still boiled when she thought about Gareth Thomas, Gemma's ex boyfriend. He was in their year, tall, dark boy with a bitter heart and poison for a tongue. Nymphadora doesn't know what Gemma saw in him at that time.

"You may not be Bill, but she'll still murder you." Percy pointed out.

"Listen to the boy McLaggen, Gemma isn't one to play with." Nymphadora added and Hugo raised a brow at her. "I'm just saying if you want to go to sleep and just never wake up, go for it, it's your life."

"Well, you're still on Tonks."

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𝗡ymphadora gasped, hand flying towards her mouth when she saw Gemma throw her head back, laughing at what Hugo McLaggen said and she could feel her blood boil. Hugo had no right. Gemma was her friend ━ her crush. Gemma wasn't some prize to be won, she was a stubborn, feiry badger with the temper of a lion and the tongue of a snake. But Nymphie only swallowed hard and clamped twenty Galleons in Hugo's hand when he extended it and Gemma raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you paying him?" Nymphadora grumbled something before she sighed.

"I bet that you will murder him the minute he tries to talk to you and he bet that you won't." She grumbled again, crossing her arms over her chest and beside her, Charlie gasped.

"You're joking!" When Nymphie shook her head, Charlie gasped again, nearly flying out his chair. "But I'm not allowed to place any more bets on Gemma yet you're allowed to?! That's so unfair!"

Nymphadora opened her mouth to say something but Bill happened to be passing by, robes in his hands and his hair loose.

"Hey Ge ━" Bill went sprawling to the floor, landing awkwardly on the floor and Nymphadora could see Gemma burn a red, obviously trying not to laugh at what Bill just did. It was no secret that Bill Weasley did everything in his power to let Gemma notice him, one way or another. Whether he got hurt in the process, he didn't care. Nymphadora thought him mad and stupid.

Nymphadora knew how much that irritated Gemma. She truly disliked him. Or at least she says. Nymphie has seen the secret smiles, heard the little laughs, she's seen the way Gemma blushed. Gemma Wood liked William Weasley, and she didn't even know. Or she did know and she was trying to tell herself that she doesn't. Nymphadora thought she was better off with Bill anyway. It's not like Gemma will like her. No matter what Freddie says, Gemma will think of her as a friend, nothing more, nothing less, forever.

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an.
I didn't plan for Nymphadora to like Gemma, sorry.