A/N:

Contests-

- The Hogwarts Casino 2014- Roulette- 23 – write about some receiving shocking news

- Harry Potter Chapter Competition- Godric's Hollow - Alternatively, write about going home.

It had been a long day for Tonks at the ministry, dirty looks from her coworkers after she ended up eating the last chocolate frog, paperwork and more paperwork pilled up on her desk, and worst of all, Kingsley and Mad Eye being out on a mission for the Order, leaving her all alone. It had been fairly late at night when she had finished up all the paperwork, and Molly had invited both Sirius and Remus over for dinner at The Burrow, as well as Tonks. It had been a rather pleasant and enjoyable evening, despite her long day, and Tonks was reluctant to retire for the night. However, when Remus volunteered to drop her to her apartment, Tonks was more than ready to head home.

"Come on, Remus! It'll be a ton of fun! I promise," Tonks pleaded, as they headed into her apartment, "Even Molly agreed to come."

"I still don't see how throwing Sirius a birthday party is a good idea..." Remus replied wearily, following her into the familiar apartment, "Do we really want to give Sirius access to alcohol?"

"Fine," Tonks said, "If I limit Sirius's alcohol consumption, will you come?"

"I still don't see why you're so insistent on me coming."

"You're his best friend!" she countered, crossing her arms and faking a pout. While her true reasons for begging him to come were quite the contrary, she couldn't help but hope this conversation would end differently than the others that started this way.

"So what? You now parties aren't exactly my scene," Remus replied, not falling for her fake pout. He had fallen for it far too many times.

"It'll be at Grimmauld Place and Sirius is hosting," Tonks explained, "It's just going to be the Order, not much of a crazy party if you as me..."

Remus let out a chuckle, "Well that's Sirius for you, hosting his own birthday party."

"Come on, cut the guy some slack, he's driving himself insane living in that house by himself. He's got to have some company every now and then, Tonks replied, rolling her eyes slightly before responding, "Oh yeah, and he's insisting I bring a date, which is why I'm back to you."

"You want ME to be your date," Remus asked, clearly shocked, although he had heard many similar proposals from her before, "Me?" he repeated. He could swear Sirius was trying to hook Tonks up with someone, as he always he insisted she brought a date to any party he had anything to do with. With Remus being the one of Tonk's close friends she often asked him to accompany her, but he always refused for one reason or the other. Lately, those conversations had begun ending in arguments, however being the way Tonks was, nothing prevented her from asking.

"Yeah, I thought I made it pretty clear when I said: 'Remus, you're coming with me to Sirius's birthday party.' You're pretty slow for someone who was once a professor, you know," Tonks stated in a matter-of-fact tone, as if her intentions were crystal clear the whole time.

"Don't you want some younger, better non-werewolf wizard to go with?" Remus said stepping away from her, a pang in his heart. It hurt him to do this again, but it was for the better.

"Once again, if I wanted some dumb young wizard, why would I ask you of all people? I don't care about your werewolf-ness. I like you, Remus," Tonls said, her voice raising slightly, she knew where this conversation was going, but she refused to back down.

"Why don't you get it, you know I'm a W-E-R-E-W-O-L-F! I'm far to old, poor, and shabby for you!"

"I can spell, Remus!" Tonks replied, becoming more and more frustrated, "And I don't care how old you are, I don't care if you are dirt poor, and if you are really worried about being shabby, than I will make Molly take you clothes shopping, but for heaven's sake, why can't you see that that stuff doesn't matter to me?"

"Because it should matter! I wouldn't forgive myself if I was the cause of you losing out on a good life," Remus replied.

"I'm old enough to make my own decisions and know what's good for me. Why don't you get it? My life is better with you, you not going to ruin my life!"

"Yes I am. You deserve better, you deserve someone who is... just someone who isn't me!"

"So that's it! You just don't like me. You think I'm just too immature for you... is that it?" Tonks countered, knowing this wasn't that case. She had had this conversation enough times to know he's get stuck between denying his feelings and he hurting hers.

"No of course not, that isn't it. It's just that...you're far too good for me... and I will never be good enough for you," he said, scrambling for a decent explanation.

"I don't see a problem then!" Tonks said throwing her hands up in the air, "If you like me and I like you, then why won't you just admit it?"

"Because it could never work, I don't want to ruin your life, you're young and vibrant and have a lot to live for, it wouldn't be fair for me to come into your life an ruin it, okay?"

"Fair? Really, Remus? Fair?" Tonks said, fuming, "What's not fair is that I love you, yeah, that's right, I love you, but you refuse to admit anything you me. You rather die than admit you have feelings for me!"

There was pin drop silence in the room. The news shocked Remus, nobody had ever told him that they were in love with him before. He tried to form the right words to reply, but he couldn't. They had had this conversation many time before all of them ending the same way, Remus slinking away, or Tonks marching away, promptly falling over her own feet. However, this time it was different. They wouldn't totally forget about the conversation and act as if nothing was wrong between them. This time it was different.

As the silence continued, neither of the pair wanting to be the first to break the silence, Remus wondered if it was okay to be selfish. Did he love her as well? This was usually the point when Remus would push his feelings aside and leave. Tomorrow would be a new day and they would forgot whatever happened, then Tonks would bring up the topic again and the cycle would continue. When would the cycle stop? This would be the last he presumed, or rather hoped.

Finally deciding what to say, he realized it was just best to let her go, "Tonks."

"What?" she asked, all the traces of bitterness that had been stuck in her words had now disappeared.

"I'll go...I'll go with you to Sirius's party."

Where had that come from? For once in his life, he forgot about his head, and let his heart guide his actions. He knew he would regret it, but for that the split second where pure happiness spread throughout Tonks's face, he knew it was worth it. He loved her...and she loved him.

A/N:

Word Count: 1,274 words (without A/N's)