She leaned against the door in the hall with her eyes closed, her lips parted. One hand lay over her breast and her small top shifted out of place. Obviously, she was trying to catch her breath, with little success from Sirius's point of view. Damn, she is his cousin and damn, Lupin has fallen for the sweet minx. Too soon she opened her eyes to find his not so innocent gaze. Blushing even more if that was possible, she downed her head, but then stood up and with an emphatic gaze. Don't you dare to say a thing – she let him stand there.
He went to the drawing room, and just how he had suspected, Remus Lupin was sitting on a chair taking long breaths of air. The scene was priceless.
"Don't you dare." Remus warned.
"What? I wasn't going to say a thing."
"Sure." Remus opened his eyes and Sirius sat in the nearby chair.
"You know... that's almost illegal." Remus chuckled at that despite himself and Sirius
continued letting his feet rest in the central table. "I never thought that you, of all of us, would have a thing for torture. Who could believe that the always serene and responsible Remus Lupin could find his pleasure from the physical and psychological pain of a young woman."
"We're taking our time, not that it's any of your business."
"You. Are. Scared."
"Maybe I am."
"She loves you."
"That's the whole point, isn't it?" Sirius kept silent, Remus stood up and started to pace. "I... I feel like I'm in a bloody nightmare. I'm waiting for her to wake up and realise that she doesn't want anything to do with me. Look at me, Sirius, I don't have a job, I don't have money, I'm not young, good-looking or even healthy. For Merlin's sake! I become a monster once in a month and she... she…"
"She's all that you ever wanted."
"I'm pathetic," Remus declared in frustration.
"Well…yeah," Sirius said as a matter of fact. "What? You were expecting me to kiss it and make all better?" Standing up, Sirius continued. "I know how you feel. I'm in your shoes, Moony. Not a lot of money here either, not a job, and I'm not getting any younger. I may be better looking than you, and I become a dog at will, but trust me, being on the top ten World's Most Dangerous Fugitives list and not having a bloody clue about the popular culture of the last thirteen years doesn't give me any Witch Weekly awards. If there was a woman nuts enough to accept me, I'd be her dying slave because... because I have nothing to loose."
"And what about her? She could loose everything."
"Maybe, but that's not your call."
A little later at Tonks flat, an almost sleeping auror in pyjamas went to open the door to her place.
"Coming! Really, if it's another one of those sellers…" Standing there was Remus Lupin.
"Oh my God. Is something wrong? Is it my father?"
"No! Nothing is wrong. I... I just... I just wanted to see you."
"Oh! You're really sweet," she said, relaxing and stealing a little brush of his lips. 'What is he doing here, he said no more time alone for us through the next full moon?' she thought. The silence started to seem uncomfortable under the threshold.
"I thought I'd come by to talk with you, but I see you're tired. I'll come back..."
"No! I'm not tired." She looked down at herself, noticing her p.j.'s. "I took a shower this afternoon and you know my p.j.'s seemed really comfortable then, but I wasn't going to sleep. I can change back."
"No, you don't have to, Tonks. I just wanted to see you, and I've seen you, so I'll be leaving now. Sorry to bother you." He was turning for leave, but she grabbed his arm.
"Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?"
"I'd love to."
It was a really small place, with the kitchen being integrated with the living room, and it was rather plain and boring if you thought about it, but she didn't spent a lot of time on it. She barely knew where the things were, like in this moment when she was searching for a kettle to heat the water. "I know you're over here, see there you are." She was pinning herself to get to it in one of the top cabinets when she felt his presence behind her. He was taller than her, so he could help her with that, just that his hands didn't try to reach for the kettle, they were on her hips while his mouth found his way to her earlobe.
"What are you doing?" She said almost jumping, and placing at least two steps between them.
"I'm sorry, it's just that..."
"It's the moon, isn't it?"
"No, not really. I had been lying about that."
"I started to suspect that much. I mean, it being the new moon after all."
"I'm sorry. It's been a time for me, and I'm not just talking about the sex part. Not that you have to have sex with me, I didn't come here tonight looking for that. I know how it seems, but - I want you - that's not a secret for you or for me, and the whole thing is...what I'm trying to say is that I love you. I love you, Nymphadora Tonks." At first she was speechless, then she crossed the distance and gave him a hot kiss.
AN: Thanks to my wonderful Beta Rubine Goslay.