The students were now filing out of the castle, heading to Hogsmeade, so the bustling crowd that had been active earlier was thinning rapidly. Surprisingly, many people stayed behind; including the Marauders, Lily Evans, and Tonks.

Tonks was too busy making desperate, I'm-so-in-love faces to notice the smaller crowd. Only Lily Evans caught her making those weird yet funny expressions.

When Lily spotted Tonks making absurd faces, she skipped up to her curiously. "Hello, Nymphadora," Lily said, as she always forgot to call Tonks by her last name.

"Tonks. Call me Tonks," Tonks reminded her through gritted teeth, blushing furiously. "Hello, Lily." Her mind was settled on Remus; how smart he was, how kind he was...

Lily studied Nymphadora Call-Me-Tonks carefully. "Nymph-- Tonks, might I ask you if you are well?" Lily questioned, confused. "You made rather...Odd faces that..." Her voice dwindled into an amused yet concerned noise.

Tonks ruffled her short bubblegum pink hair that turned a desperate shade of red. "Yes, well..." Tonks said ruefully. "I'm fine, Lily, I appreciate it--?"

Lily's hands cupped around Tonks's cheeks. "Are you absolutely SURE?" she asked, giving her a bit of a shake. Tonks staggered back. "Sorry." She suppressed a laugh.

Tonks scowled a bit. "Lily, I love you and all, but I'm fine," she said, sounding slightly cold. Lily didn't look convinced. "Lily, please."

Lily held on and inspected Tonks very carefully. After that she let go and said simply, "You're in love." She smiled at Tonks matter-of-factly.

Tonks pretended to look bewildered and puzzled. "In love?" she repeated, slightly hunched down. "Pssh, no way! That's about as true as...as Remus being a werewolf or something."

Lily furrowed her eyebrows together. "Why bring up Remus John Lupin into this conversation?" she asked suspiciously. Then it hit her. "You fancy Rem-"

Tonks's eyes widened and her hand flew to Lily's mouth. "Ssh, quiet, Lily!" she pleaded, looking around. Lily's muffled voice was strained and couldn't be understood.

A few panicked voices echoed around the hallways again, and Tonks knew they belonged to the Marauders. In a hurry, she morphed into a rat unknowingly.

Lily screamed.

The Marauders came into view. They looked pained. Remus spotted Rat-Tonks and yelled, "PETER, NO!" James looked at Rat-Tonks too and looked distressed. He glanced up at Lily, who was still screaming.

"LILY, THAT'S JUST PETER--"

"--WHAT? PETER PETTIGREW? THAT'S TONKS, YOU NUMSKULL--"

"--wait, it's Tonks?"

Rat-Tonks was scurrying around in a hurry. Remus, who was too busy scolding Peter-who-was-actually-Tonks to hear Lily and James's loud exchange, lunged for her. Sirius was about to tell him it was her, but thought better of it.

"PETER, DON'T!" Sirius screamed, playing along. James looked at him as if he was stupid, but Sirius just winked at him back, and James knew it was part of a plan of his.

Remus enclosed his hand around Tonks as quickly as possible. Tonks squirmed under his grip, confused and frightened. "Gotcha!" he rasped. He used two hands to trap her. "Peter, not now--" He mumbled to his hands.

Tonks, slightly running out of air, morphed back into her normal self, coughing. Remus screamed in surprise, evidently stunned.

James and Sirius shared a high five. Lily rushed over to Tonks, frightened and undoubtedly lost in what was happening.

The next thing they knew, they were all in detention.