Hello everyone, my name is the Lonely Lorekeeper, and welcome to my first fanfiction—or, at least, my first fanfiction in a very long time. I've been a fan of Harry Potter for a long time now, I grew up reading the books and have since grown to now read many fanfictions about the series. This is my first attempt at one such fanfiction, so I hope you all wish me luck, especially considering what exactly I'm trying to do.

Now, a lot of you might notice that the premise—and, especially this first chapter—feels a lot like another Harry/Tonks fanfiction already on this site. That fanfiction, written by losthpfanficwriter, formerly erbkaiser, is Nymphadora's Beau, and it's one of my favorite fanfictions on this site. However, from what I've seen of losthpfanficwriter, they seem to have abandoned this site, and their stories all lay unfinished. Because of this, I've decided that I would try my hand at writing my favorite of their stories, Nymphadora's Beau, in my own style.

I should be clear that I do not have the express permission of losthpfanficwriter to do this. I have attempted to contact them about this, but all attempts thus far have been fruitless. If anyone has any knowledge of how to contact them, please message me so I can try and get their permission to do this. Until then, however, please enjoy Chapter 1 of To Date a Metamorph.

[edit: April 2, 2019] I now have express permission from losthpfanficwriter to write this story, provided that I give give proper reference to them and the original work.

Chapter 1: Mother Knows Best

Andromeda Tonks (ne Black) strode confidently and calmly down the shadowy street that was Knockturn Alley. Though most witches and wizards tried to avoid this seedier side of the shopping district, her occupation as a healer and potions mistress demanded she visit, if only for the rare and valuable ingredients she could only find here, from the alley's less-than-savory dealers.

Thankfully, the alley's patrons never tried anything with her. She liked to believe it was because of how she held herself—though she had been banished from the Ancient and Noble House of Black for about twenty-two years, she still looked and acted the part of a member of the powerful and honorable family, and that attitude went a long way towards discouraging unwanted advances. Then again, it could simply be that they remembered her from when she was still a student at Hogwarts—one of the three Black Sisters, a force to be reckoned with—and had no desire to even come close to messing with her, even now, so long after graduation.

And, of course, there was her striking resemblance to her elder sister, Bellatrix Lestrange.

Whatever the reason was, though, Andromeda had a fairly pleasant afternoon. She found the ingredients she needed for her newest pet project with relative ease, she had an almost-friendly chat with some old school friends she hadn't seen in a while, and she'd picked up a new book while perusing one of the alley's less suspicious book stores.

She had just finished picking up the last of the items on her list—a vial of Acromantula venom she was hoping to work into a powerful panacea—and was just about to turn and leave the alley for the more vibrant and welcoming Diagon Alley, when she found herself bumping into one of the Aurors standing guard nearby. The simple bump was enough to cause the red-robed Auror to stumble and fall onto the cobbled street under her feet, landing with a less than graceful 'oomph!'

"Oh, pardon me, are you alright?" Andromeda asked, stepping closer and shifting the shopping bags she held in her arms so that she could reach out a hand to help the hapless Auror back to her feet. As she did, however, she quickly recognized her, and a warm smile spread across her face. "Why, Nymphadora! I didn't know you would be standing watch in Diagon Alley today, I would've come by earlier had I known."

Nymphadora Tonks—known to those outside her family simply as Tonks—quickly leaped back up onto her feet, dusted herself off, and then turned to her mother, her hair turning a pinkish shade of red. "Mum, how many times have I told you not to call me that?"

Andromeda merely shook her head, an amused smile on her face that said she very well knew how many times. "There's nothing wrong with the name Nymphadora, dear, it's a very beautiful and magical name. Honestly, I truly do not understand why you're so bothered by it."

Beside her, Tonks could hear her partner stifling his sniggers. "Not a word, Perkins, or I'll have you stuck walking like an ostrich all the way back to the precinct."

The snickering promptly ended, though Perkins was quick to smile and nod kindly at the elder Tonks woman. "Nice to see you again, Madam Tonks," the older Auror said, before turning and taking a few steps away from the mother and daughter duo. "I'll give you two some space, if you don't mind."

Andromeda nodded thankfully back to the wizard before turning her gaze back to her daughter standing before her. Tonks was dressed in the bright scarlet robes of the Aurors, but beyond the basic robes she lacked the rest of the uniform Perkins proudly wore. Instead, peeking out from under the Auror robes Andromeda could see the punkish apparel she had come to so clearly recognize from her daughter. She wasn't bothered too much by the torn-up jeans and combat boots, but it did make her wonder a bit just how long this 'rebel-punk' phase would last.

Still, she smiled warmly at her daughter as she spoke. "Well, you're looking well, Nymphadora dear. Still taking care of yourself, I hope? It's been a while since your father and I last saw you."

Tonks nodded, giving her mother a noncommittal shrug. "I've been doing alright, just really busy these days, now that I'm a full-time Auror and not just a trainee. It's alright, though most of the time I just get myself stuck with guard duty, so it can be a bit boring. Especially when I have to do the same late for…"

She paused, biting her tongue quickly and glancing around to see if Perkins had caught her slip up. She wasn't supposed to mention Order business in public—they were a secret organization, after all, and most Aurors probably wouldn't take to kindly to an organization set up with the sole intention of fighting a secret shadow war with an enemy that most of the Ministry believed was still dead.

Thankfully, her partner was focused on surveying the contents of a nearby shop's window and hadn't seemed to hear her. Sighing, Tonks turned back to her mother who smiled knowingly back at her.

"Well now, that does sound a bit taxing. Perhaps you could do with a break—why don't you come over tonight for dinner? I know your father would love to talk with you again, and you could even bring your new boyfriend, that Taylor fellow wasn't it?"

Andromeda knew she was playing a dangerous game here. Her daughter had more than a slightly troublesome dating history, and one that she preferred to keep her parents out of for the most part. What she did know was that Tonks had a tendency to chase after what she called 'bad boys', and after Charlie Weasley had decided not long after graduation that he'd rather chase after fiery dragons than excitable metamorphs, she'd started dating around even more. The last one she'd known of was Barrold 'Blue-Jeans' Taylor, one of her fellow Aurors.

"Barry and I aren't together anymore, actually," Tonks quickly replied as she looked away, a response that Andromeda easily picked up on and narrowed her eyes over, "but other than that, sounds great. And, really, mum, please stop calling me that name in public."

Andromeda's eyes softened as her daughter looked back at her, and she stepped forward to give her a small hug. As she stepped back, however, her eyes sparkled with amusement. "I'm afraid not, my dear Nymphadora, it's a perfectly fine name, and one you really should appreciate more."

Her eyes still shining with unspoken laughter at how annoyed her daughter was becoming—friendly teasing was a time-honored tradition within the Black house, after all—she quickly sidestepped Nymphadora and began walking off. "Well then, dear, I'm afraid I must be off, still quite a few errands to run, I'm afraid. I'll look forward to seeing you this evening around six o'clock, dear!"

And with that, Andromeda Tonks turned and disappeared down the bustling streets of Diagon Alley, leaving her fuming daughter behind.

"It really is a shame that you and Barrold didn't end up working out, I rather liked him," Ted Tonks, Tonks' father, mentioned idly later that evening. The Tonks family had already finished their supper and, after Ted and Andromeda had finished cleaning the dishes and putting them away, had moved into the living room to chat. This chat, mind you, included subjects Tonks would rather steer her parents away from.

Subjects like her romantic life, for instance.

You liking him was the exact reason why I went and dumped him in the first place, Tonks thought to herself, mentally rolling her eyes. It wasn't that she disliked her parents, of course, far from it, in fact. Tonks, however, wanted to pursue danger and excitement, and wanted a partner that could keep up with her. So, any guy that couldn't keep up, or who her parents approved of, she felt would just be settling for something less.

Still, she forced a smile and shrugged back at her father. "Well, it just wasn't working out, Dad, sorry. Barry was just so…well, boring, you know?"

"Barrold, boring?" Andromeda asked, raising an eyebrow as she set her cup of evening tea down. "But Nymphadora dear, wasn't the reason you were attracted to Barrold to begin with was because he rode one of those motoricized bicycles and would go out racing?"

"Motorcycles, Mum," Tonks gently corrected, before sighing and shrugging. "And, yeah, he rides one pretty much everywhere, but other than that he's actually kind of boring—honestly, he reminds me a lot of Dad." As soon as she said that, her hair turned a flustered yellow color and she quickly added, "Not that there's anything wrong with you, of course, Dad!"

Ted Tonks merely chuckled gently in response. "That's quite alright dear. I'll be the first to admit that I live a fairly relaxed life. Well, if you're not dating Barrold, perhaps there's someone else you're interested in nowadays?"

"Well…" Tonks slowly replied, mulling the question over in her head, before she smiled and turned back to look at her father and mother again. "There is one guy I've been thinking about recently. You see, whenever I'm not doing my Auror duties, I've been over helping with the Order. And while I'm there, I've been spending a lot of time with Remus…"

"Remus, as in Lupin?" Andromeda looked and sounded surprised, before her lips turned up into a gentle smile. "It's been a while since I last saw Remus, I remember him when he was just a little Gryffie, hanging out with Sirius and James. He was always the most level-headed of their group, I've heard he grew up into a fine young man, in spite of his…well, problem…"

"Problem?" Tonks asked, her eyes wide with shock.

"Yes, yes, of course, dear," Andromeda nodded, lifting her cup of tea back to her lips before setting it back down again. "All of us prefects were told ahead of time that Remus Lupin was a werewolf, just in case anything happened, of course. It never did, though, Remus was always one of the most respectable students at the school, whenever he wasn't causing trouble with James and Sirius, of course."

"Couldn't put it better myself, love," Ted added with a grin, "Why, I even heard that he was Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts about two years ago, one of the best they've had in a while, too." He flashed a grin over at his daughter. "I must say, it's a welcome surprise to finally see you deciding to chase after someone with a good deal of stability in his life for once, Dora dear."

Tonks' head was spinning—not literally, of course, but as a metamorph it certainly could've. This was not what she had been expecting when she had planned this conversation out ahead of time. She had thought that they would be outraged or upset that she was choosing to try and pursue someone who was technically a dark creature, never mind the fact that said someone was also nearly twice her age. To have them not only not throw a fuss over it, but actually seem to approve of her pursuing Remus, truly threw her for a loop.

"So, so, so you approve of me and Remus?"

"Of course, dear—he's probably the best choice you've made yet," Andromeda replied with a nod. "In fact, next family dinner, why don't you bring him over? Ted and I would love to chat with him, wouldn't we Ted?"

"Oh, most definitely," Ted nodded, smiling warmly back at his wife.

Tonks shook her head in confusion. This had not gone at all how she'd wanted, and so she quickly stood and came up with an excuse to leave. She needed time to think—if her parents were so keen on her pursuing Remus, then perhaps she should turn her attention elsewhere. There was still Barry's friend Magnus she'd been eyeing for a bit…the larger, gruffer Auror might throw the other Tonkses off their rhythm, and he did seem like a lot of fun…

Just before Tonks could leave, however, she heard her mother call her back.

"Nymphadora, dear, I really am glad that you're finally settling down and out of this…rebellious phase you've been going through. Why, for a while there, I was almost afraid you might do something stupid and try hooking up with that Potter boy."

Tonks froze on the back step and turned to her mother. "Potter…you mean Harry Potter? Why would you ever think I'd try and hook up with him?"

Andromeda shrugged gently, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked back at her daughter. "Well, like you said, you've been spending a lot of time with the Order recently. And, since you've been tasked with watching him over the summer, I was afraid you might decide to try and pursue him. His father was quite the dashing rogue, you know, and he's quickly growing up that same way. But no, I'm glad you've chosen to settle with a more mature, respectable older wizard instead."

"I…see," Tonks replied slowly, the wheels spinning furiously in her head. "So…you'd rather I didn't go out with someone like…someone younger than me, I mean?" She then quickly added, "Just out of curiosity."

"Well a younger man, especially one that's still in Hogwarts would be bad enough, but for it to be someone with such a knack for finding trouble, someone who has been at the center of the secret war since its beginning…" Andromeda Tonks shook her head and shot her daughter a firm stare. "No, definitely not! Harry Potter would be nothing but trouble, Nymphadora Andromeda Tonks, and I swear if I hear that you've tried anything with him, I'll blow the roof of this house to come and snap some sense back into you."

Tonks paused, mulling this over, but before she could reply, Andromeda's stern expression softened and she moved her hand to the door. "Well now, I've said my piece. Now, off you go, and give Remus our love, Nymphadora dear."

And with that, Andromeda swung the back door shut, leaving Tonks to her thoughts.

Tonks stood absolutely still on the back door step for a moment longer before turning and slowly walking down the steps to the backyard patio. Her mind kept turning over her mother's words, both back inside the house when she'd brought up Remus, and what she'd said just now about Harry. It was clear that her dating the werewolf was out of the cards—he was just too likable in her parents' eyes, no it wouldn't do. But Harry, on the other hand… Harry was the Boy-Who-Lived, the center of much of the hysteria coming from the Daily Prophet these days, and even a worse troublemaker than Remus ever was.

A smirk slipped onto Tonks' lips as she made up her mind. If Mum thinks she can tell me who I can and can't date, she's got another thing coming…she's right, of course, Harry's been growing up a lot, and if I can get a few shifts in a row to myself, maybe I can see for myself just how much he's grown…

She chuckled to herself at the thought, her breasts expanding a few sizes as her metamorphic powers reacted to her subconscious desires. Smirking, she placed her hands over her straining shirt, the plan slowly working away in her mind. Yes, this will work…Harry Potter, by the time I'm done with you, you will be mine!

With that, Nymphadora Tonks spun on her heel and disapparated out of the Tonks' backyard with a sharp crack.

Back inside the house, Ted and Andromeda Tonks watched their daughter through the blinds hanging over the window. They watched her silently stand in the backyard for several minutes, before finally disapparating. As soon as she disappeared, Ted sighed deeply and moved to wrap his arm around his wife's waist and pull her close against him.

"Think she bought it, love?" he asked, glancing back at her.

"I certainly hope so, Ted," she replied, her head bowing as she felt the beginning of a migraine coming on. "Honestly, though, Remus Lupin, of all people? I know she's chased after troublemakers, but he's by far one of the worst! Ever since Lily and James' deaths, he's been nothing but a coward and a slacker. If she actually did end up with him, I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up running out on her, not to mention if he managed to knock her up, too!"

The former daughter of the house of Black sighed deeply and shook her head again. "I seriously have no idea what goes on in that daughter of mine's head. No, Harry will be a much better choice. From what I've heard of him, he's mature and honest and kind—he may just be exactly what our daughter needs to stay grounded for once in her life."

Ted Tonks just chuckled softly in response, nodding silently at his wife's assessment. Grinning silently to himself, he found his eyes drift back to the spot his daughter had been standing in a moment earlier, replaying her actions as the two of them had seen them from their hidden spot within the kitchen. Finally, the two of them stepped away from the window, with Ted sharing one last thought on the matter.

"That poor boy has no idea what he's in for."