Ted Tonks

16- Hufflepuff-Sixth Year

[checkmate-tonks]

eli-parkinson‌:

Elijah’s secrets weren’t something he could tell just anyone. He liked Ted alright, but what was he supposed to say? ‘I’m planning on joining Lord Voldemort, but I haven’t told my sister, yet. I know she is going to hate me for it, but I need to make this choice for my future.’ Plus, he was sure Ted would not appreciate the fact in general, considering everything. No, it was best he kept this one to himself, at least for now. “That’s good though, then!” Ted really seemed to not enjoy keeping secrets, so at least he was down by one. It struck him that he hadn’t really ever had a conversation with the other wizard outside of their chess games. “So, Tonks, other than chess, what do you like to do with your time?”

Ted’s eyes lit up, happy to talk about the things that interested him; lighter topics were much easier for him right now. “Not much, honestly,” he chuckled. “Gobstones is another one I love. Tabletop games have been my special interest for as long as I can remember, but I also like reading, just not as much?” He took another bite of one of Eli’s snacks before asking “How about you? What do you do for fun?” Ted was glad he didn’t just ramble about his likes and dislikes for an hour; he could do that if he wasn’t careful.

[checkmate-tonks]

medablxck‌:

“Never to be mentioned again.” she mimed locking her mouth with a key. She was just as glad to not think of exams any time soon - besides, they still had time, didn’t they? “Oh, come on, everyone has major developments. Even if they’re small to everyone else. My cat managed to accompany me to class and didn’t attack another cat - or person - once. A major development to him and me, small to everyone else. You don’t even have one of those?” 

His eyes went wide with a genuine smile. “Queen Margaux? Didn’t attack anyone? Are you sure you had the right cat?” he asked in disbelief. He thought for a second about her question, trying to think of some sort of answer that would satisfy her. “I mean, nothing’s really changed for me? I’ve haven’t lost a game of chess or gobstones yet, herbology still sucks, I’m still single... breakfast was good this morning, I guess?” 

[checkmate-tonks]

medablxck‌:

“Suppose that wouldn’t help you much, would it?” Andromeda quickly - but neatly - threw her books into her bag. She was certain she wouldn’t fall asleep anytime soon, as long as she kept moving in some capacity. “Just you wait until exams. I’m alright, otherwise - how are you? Any new major developments in the life of Ted Tonks?” She wasn’t going to bother him about her parents, and the only other exciting thing happening to her at the moment was between her, Hestia, and the ghosts. Besides, the way things were going at school, every day she found herself increasingly worried about her Muggleborn friends - Ted especially.

“Oh god, please don’t mention exams,” he begged, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Ted absolutely had more on his mind than exams, but that minor stress was incredibly unnecessary on top of the major stress he already had. “I can’t handle it on top of everything else.” His tone was joking, but there was definitely a bit of truth to his words. He then shook his head. “’Major developments?’” he repeated with a slight chuckle. “No, since when do I have any major developments? Like ever?”

[checkmate-tonks]

medablxck‌:

“Okay… But we’re coming back to this! Europa is too important to skip past, my exhaustion won’t be an excuse for your not figuring out the tidal pulls.” But she was grateful for the break; the names of stars were beginning to blur together even for her. “I’m starving, actually. Lunch break?”

“We will,” he promised her. “I just don’t want you falling asleep while we do.” He laughed before nodding. “Lunch break, perfect, let’s go,” he said, packing up his things into his bag and throwing his bag over the shoulder. He let her lead the way, walking right next to her. “So besides being more tired than I think I’ve ever seen you, how are you?”

[checkmate-tonks]

eli-parkinson‌:

“I’m sorry to hear that.” It struck him as they were talking that this was the most they had ever shared with one another. Eli felt bad in that moment, mostly because he knew it was his fault for always being so focused on the game and not the person he was playing. “Well, if you ever need to talk about it or get something off your chest, your secrets are safe with me.” Eli shrugged at Ted’s question, pondering it for a few moments. “Both, really. Secrets that will hurt them when they come out, but will also hurt that they weren’t told before hand.” He wasn’t going to share what the secret was, that was something he hadn’t told anyone, but it did feel like a relief to share the parts he was telling.

Ted gave him a soft but genuine smile, appreciating the offer, but knowing he’d probably never take him up on it. Nothing against Elijah personally, it was just that Ted had been paranoid about almost everyone wearing green robes lately, especially ones with prominent pureblood surnames. “Thanks, Eli,” he said. “Me too.” And he did mean it, but he also that he didn’t have any ill intentions. With Elijah Parkinson, he couldn’t be one hundred percent certain. He then nodded, understanding where Eli was coming from. The only problem is now Ted was really curious, but he managed to stop himself from asking for details. “Yeah, that makes sense.” Ted thought for a second before saying “Besides the Remus thing, I only have one secret left. Wow. That’s crazy.”

[checkmate-tonks]

medablxck‌:

“Oh- Yeah, yeah, I’m okay! Just tired.” she nodded quickly, more in an attempt to shake the sleep away than anything else. She hadn’t meant to zone out for a second there (did anyone ever mean to zone out?), and that was a tad embarrassing. “Were we- What were we working on, again? Europa?”

He let out a soft chuckle at her as he closed his book. “Let’s take a break,” he said, resting his head on top of the textbook and looking up at her. “I can barely focus even when you’re explaining things in a cool passionate way. But if you’re too tired, there’s no way we’re getting through this.” He gave her a supportive smile before asking “You hungry?”

[checkmate-tonks]

raiscamander‌:

          She felt bad for snapping. Usually she didn’t feel bad for snapping at people. There were several people in the castle that she shouldn’t snap at. Of course, snapping without thinking was the exact thing she did. “Why are you playing chess in the hall anyway? Those pieces are tripping hazards.” Luckily, she’d snapped otherwise Raielyn might have given him detention.

“Oh, um...” he started, looking from his pieces to her shoes, his nerves not letting him look her in the eye. “I just... I-I didn’t think I was in the way and liked the lighting here,” he explained, finally finishing up and shrinking the board down so he could place it into his pocket. He got off the floor before asking “Do you want to play? We’d go somewhere else so we wouldn’t be in the way of anything.” He figured she’d probably say no, but playing someone else sounded better than playing by himself again.

[checkmate-tonks]

eli-parkinson‌:

“That really blows, mate. I wish there was something I could say that would help.” Eli could understand why Ted had felt blindsided by the whole thing, even if there really was no one to blame. “At least now, though, you don’t have to keep that secret anymore. Maybe in the long run, it’ll be for the best that it is out in the open.” He gave Ted a reassuring smile, “Did you talk to him about it the night of the party?” Eli couldn’t help the small chuckle he let out. He he was asking Ted personal questions, but Ted was such a good guy that he was apologizing for doing the same. “It’s fine, Tonks. Yeah, I’ve got some big secrets. I just don’t know how to talk about them to the people that I need to without hurting them.” He wasn’t going to tell Ted what the specifics were, but it felt nice to finally be able to speak of any part of it to someone. 

“Thanks,” he said, nodding along to what Eli said. He agreed, it just still didn’t feel good. “Yeah, we talked that night. Let’s just say it didn’t go well.” He really didn’t want to go into details; being rejected was bad enough, he didn’t want to relive it. He was glad Eli didn’t seem upset about him prying, so much so that he had forgotten the lesson he just learned and asked another question. “You’re keeping secrets that will hurt them if they knew? Or if they didn’t know?”

[medablxck]

Andromeda was blessed to not ever really need that much sleep. She regularly stayed up late and woke up early, and normally it didn’t bother her, but today was one of those rare days her lack of sleep caught up to her. Her Astronomy textbook sat open on the table in front of her, but she was more dozing off than reading. “Hm…” she nodded in agreement with the individual who started speaking to her, before realizing that she had absolutely no idea what they had just said, “Sorry, what?”

[checkmate-tonks]

Ted was already bad at studying for subjects he wasn’t in love with, so he usually asked Andromeda for help with astronomy, but he knew immediately that Andromeda wasn’t herself today. “Hey, you okay?” he asked before she tried to simply nod. Now he was a little concerned. “I asked if you were okay, Dromeda.”

[checkmate-tonks]

18, 36

18. Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

Wisdom. He’s always really impressed with what kinds of things people are knowledgeable about, since he knows those are the things people are passionate about.

36. How does your character behave around people they dislike?

Very quiet. Either for his own safety, or just because he’s not sure what to say. He does his best to make eye contact but that’s even hard for him with people he likes. With people he doesn’t it’s nearly impossible.

[i-see-light-blog]

Character Development Questions: Hard Mode

[shcgc]

Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

Does your character remember names or faces easier?

Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

What does your character like in other people?

What does your character dislike in other people?

How quick is your character to trust someone else?

How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

How does your character behave around children?

How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

How does your character behave around people they like?

How does your character behave around people they dislike?

Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

How does your character treat people in service jobs?

Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

[checkmate-tonks]

eli-parkinson‌:

Elijah might not be able to truly know what the other boy was going through as fas as the secret relationship part, but he knew about keeping secrets. It wasn’t something he enjoyed, either. Especially when the people he was keeping his secrets from were the most important people to him. “So I am guessing the truth serum caused one of you to tell people the night of the feast about your former relationship?” He had been worried about his secrets slipping out at the party and was glad they hadn’t. “Are you and Remus okay, now?” He reached into his bag and emptied out the rest of his snacks for them to share. “I don’t like keeping secrets, either. It sucks, makes me feel like I’m hiding parts of myself, but you are right sometimes you have to.”

“Yeah,” he said with a nod, taking a bite of one of the snacks. “I think it was because Sterling asked him about it and Remus couldn’t lie, but... still, it kind of hurt being caught off guard like that.” He then shook his head. “Not that I blame Sterling or anything, like how could he have known about us being a secret? We were... well, a secret. I just wish Remus had told me it was alright to tell people before I was blindsided.” He took another bite before shrugging with a slight frown. “I don’t know. We haven’t spoken since.” He looked up to meet Eli’s eyes before asking “Are yours big?” His eyes then widened and he shook his head. “Sorry, none of my business, don’t answer that.” Fuck me and my non-existent filter.

[checkmate-tonks]

sereinmuse‌:

There was absolutely nothing to do as Barty walked aimlessly through the halls. The sound of others cheering from a nearby room suddenly caught his attention, making his way passed the people leaving. He learned what the commotion was about before entering the room, meeting Ted’s gaze as he shut the door. Barty didn’t now Ted well, but heard of how easy it was for Baz to rile him up and of Elijah’s chess rivalry with him. The fifth year figured the boy could provide some form of entertainment, good or bad. “You still play gobstones? What are you? A pathetic first year?”

Ted had never interacted with Barty before, and honestly, it was on purpose. There was something about him that made Ted feel uneasy, and with all the shit with Kenny and Lily, Ted was now even more distrusting of Slytherins like him. “It’s a game of skill and strategy,” he said, his go-to response when people accused him of being young for still loving the game.

[dirkthemuggleborn]

@checkmate-tonks​

          “Hey, Ted,” Dirk said, sitting down beside his friend. “How are you doing? It seems like… I don’t know it’s been so long since we’ve actually talked. Are you alright?” He wasn’t thinking about everything going on right now because when he did, it gave him a headache. 

[checkmate-tonks]

Ted had been slowly feeling better from the party, but he was still a little sad, especially since Remus and Charity were officially together now. Or at least Ted assumed, since he definitely noticed the shift between them because he couldn’t look away. Still, seeing Dirk always helped Ted feel better, so his small smile was still genuine. “Hey,” he greeted, “I’m... yeah, I’m getting there. How about you?”

[raiscamander]

@checkmate-tonks​

          “Did you not hear me the first time? I said get out of my way.” The Slytherin usually would have watched her tone when talking to people. Lately, however, she just really didn’t give a damn about what other people said or thought. So instead she tried not to feel bad about snapping.

[checkmate-tonks]

Ted hadn’t heard the first time. He didn’t think he was particularly in the way, playing a game of chess by himself on the floor on the side of the hallway, but maybe he was in front of a door or something? “Oh, s-sorry,” he said, packing up his game as quickly as possible to try and get out of her way.

[checkmate-tonks]

eli-parkinson‌:

Just to prove his point and just because he did feel bad about the way he had acted at the party, he gestured towards the chess set. “How about we have our re-match at a later date and just sit and chat for a bit today, instead?” The party had taken a turn for the worst, but he wasn’t sure what had gone on with Ted during it. “The night certainly could have gone much better. Did something happen - I mean other than my little outburst over chess?” He didn’t want to pry, but if Ted wanted to talk, he would be a listening ear.

Ted’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, looking from him to the board. “Oh, um... cool, yeah!” he said, all of his worries about Eli just wanting to beat him fading; if that was the case, he wouldn’t bother talking to him outside of games, right? “Um... yeah,” he answered with an awkward smile. “I just... Remus and I dated? Secretly? For a while and... he never told me I could tell people, so I’ve just been stuck with this secret for who knows how much longer than I needed to. and like... I hate keeping secrets? I have to, obviously, everyone does, but I hate it?” He didn’t feel like adding that he had basically gotten rejected by the boy; he was already embarrassed enough.

[checkmate-tonks]

@sereinmuse​

Gobstones club had actually been really fun today, with a few people actually getting close to beating Ted. However, he still had his winner streak, but at least he had to fight for it this time. His hair was still slightly wet from washing off with his towel hanging around his neck. He was the last one in the room, cleaning up the rest of his things when he saw the door open.