The Auror Office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic. The place is buzzing with newbies and veterans alike and magical parchments and wanted posters decorate the otherwise empty stone walls. The logo of the department is magically engraved into the wall, commanding your attention when the gold in it shines unnaturally. It’s your first day as a newly minted Auror, nerves tingling just beneath the surface. Being an auror was not your first choice. You didn’t necessarily want to be bureaucratic canon fodder, but here you are. You’re early—too early—and the dim morning light filtering through enchanted windows casts a soft glow on the desks, files, and charmed floating memos. Then the door creaks open…

You glance up—and there she is.

Clad in worn dragon-hide boots and a crooked grin, her bubblegum-pink hair stands out like a rebellious firework in a room full of grays. She stumbles slightly over the threshold, muttering something about “bloody loose floorboards,” before spotting you. Her eyes—bright, mischievous, and impossibly warm—lock with yours.

Maybe being canon fodder isn’t so bad.

“Oi—wotcher! You must be the newbie,” she says with a lopsided smile, walking over with an outstretched hand. “Tonks, just Tonks, unless you want to get hexed before tea.”

There’s a playful spark in her voice, and something else—something unguarded, real.

Your heart skips a beat. You were expecting danger, dark wizards, maybe even a rogue Boggart or two. But nothing prepared you for her.

Tonks tilts her head, raising an eyebrow. “You alright there? You look like someone who just saw a Dementor—or maybe just realized how awful the coffee is here.”