Remus stormed out of Grimmauld, almost forgetting to apparate off the top step. He didn't even know where he was going until he got there, Hogsmeade.
Hogsmeade? Why was he in Hogsmeade?!
This made no sense, of all the places? But then again, of all the places...
This was the one place where he and Tonks would hang out alot. They would run along these streets, diving into shops... Stopping in the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer, a chat with Rosmerta... Remus insisting on checking Zonko's for new pranking material and seeing what the new era of prankers would be using (and maybe buying a few things behind her back to use later...).
He had to stop walking and lean against a wall as the flow of memories assaulted him. He shivered, despite the August heat.
Coward. Coward, Harry had called him. He was wasn't he? Running away from his wife at the first sign of danger, the first sign that something could go wrong.
Some Gryffindor he was...
He stood up, squared his shoulders and kept walking down the street. He looked with his eyes, watching the passerby, they traveled in groups, and were wary of the lone straggler who was walking alone.
As they should be. Remus thought warily as yet another group edged away from him. Gone was the merriness of old times, the happiness, the laughter.
It was replaced by sorrow, helplessness, fright.
Those feelings couldn't penetrate the werewolf though. He could feel nothing because he was allready filled with that. But there was still hope in him. Still hope for him, he decided as he turned on the spot and disapparated.
A small voice told him he was crazy, that he was headed for his doom. But the man didn't care as he trudged towards the gate. He fingered the wand in his cloak pocket, heaven knew he would need it.
"Who's there?!" a voice cut through the gloom, Remus realized what time it was now and cursed, this wouldn't help his case.
"It is I, Remus John Lupin, idiot extraordinaire, who abandoned his wife, Nymphadora Tonks, (who prefers her surname only), in this time of great peril. Oh, and there is the fact that I'm a werewolf."
Andromeda Tonks opened the door and glared at him. He gulped. His mother-in-law let him in grudgingly and closed the door quickly behind him.
"Mom? Who's there?" the mousy haired (Remus realized with a start) woman called from the top of the steps. She came out of the hall, and gave a start when she looked down and saw Remus there.
"You!" she growled, taking the steps two at a time. "You have some nerve coming back here!"
Before he knew it her fist was in his face and he was knocked back into the door. "Git!"
He looked up, rubbing his cheek. "I guess I deserved that didn't I?" He chuckled softly before adding for good measure, "Nymphadora."
If she wasn't mad before, she was now. But at the same time... She was happy.
He looked into her blue eyes and immediately averted them, wary of the storm that brewed there. "I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?!" she scoffed. "Oh that's cheap. Do you have any idea what these few days without you has done to me?!" She siezed the front of his shirt and shook him. "You left me! Again! I love you Remus Lupin! And I know you love me back!" she was crying now.
Letting go with her right hand she brandished it in his face. "You remember this? You remember this ring? Do you remember that we are freaking married? And yet, you left me."
She lowered her hand. She was sobbing in earnest now. "You promised Remus! You promised!" he looked at her quizzically.
"Till death do us part! Remember?! Till death do us part!"
She sobbed and leaned her head on his chest. "But I forgive you... Hear me? I forgive you. No matter what you do, no matter how idiotic you are, I forgive you. Because I love you. I love you so, so much."
"I'm so sorry for causing you this pain," Remus whispered, and his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. "I'm so sorry."
"You git."
"If there's anything I can do to regain your favor," he said, looking at Andromeda and his wife. "Anything at all, I will do it."
"You can cook," the older woman snorted. "Nymphadora... well... lets just say she's banned from the kitchen."
Remus laughed. "I can do that."
"Also," his wife added, a glint in her eyes, "You can sleep on the couch starting tomorrow night."
"Why tomorrow?"
"Because tonight I want to make sure you won't run away again."
His face fell. "Okay. Okay, I can do that too. Anything else?" then he chuckled. "Remus will do as Master commands, Master's every wish is Remus' command!"
Nymphadora laughed, her hair slowly turning to pink. "Goodness, I've missed you."
He kissed her, "and I you."
Later that night as they lay in bed holding eachother close, Tonks spoke, "Remus?"
"Mmm?" he replied, running his hands through her hair.
"What made you come back?"
He laughs. "Hogsmeade."
Short story with Remus and Tonks, I hope you enjoyed!