No copyright infringement is intended
This story will be an alternating POV between Tonks and Lupin, starting after the hospital ward scene in HBP. Spoilers for HBP.
A Chance at Happiness by Fairygirlie
I watched an ashamed and embarrassed Tonks slip out of the hospital ward at Hogwarts as quietly as she could soon after Harry left the room with Professor McGonagall. She can be quite stealthy when she needs to be. Although everyone remaining in the room was preoccupied with Bill's questionable condition, her absence was also duly noted in the looks I was being given by Molly and Arthur Weasley.
While gazing at Fleur attending to her son's jagged wounds, Molly softly spoke. "You need to go to her Remus. Please, you need to talk to her. She's been worried about you for months. She barely eats, she can't concentrate, she's even having problems changing her appearance."
"I know that," I replied. It's hard not to notice the absence of pink hair.
"Really Remus," she continued, "everyone knows you have strong feelings for her. Why do you insist on hiding them?"
"I'm sorry Molly," I said, "things between us will never be simple. I can't walk through her front door, sweep her up into my arms and say 'Tonks, darling, please forgive me for being an insensitive oaf. I love you intensely and want you to be my mate for life, consequences be damned.' It could never work out, I know it and deep down inside, she knows it as well."
Molly, Arthur and even Fluer stared at me dumbfounded. I knew in that instant I had said too much.
"Mate for life? I never knew you felt quite that strongly about her," Arthur said.
"Well, I've never actually verbalized it before," I said. Damn, I feel my face start to flush. Why can't I keep these emotions buried?
"How long have you felt this way, Remus?" Molly asked. "We all picked up on an attraction between you two long before Sirius, um, uh," she stammered, still uncomfortable mentioning his demise.
"Probably from the moment I met her" I admitted. This was true. From the moment I met Nymphadora Tonks, I was drawn to her like a moth to the flame. She was so unlike anyone I've ever met. "But from the moment I first met her, I've been reminding myself of the painful truth: she needs more than a poor, unemployed werewolf in her life. Especially one who's over a decade older than her. She needs a reliable mate, someone without the potential to rip her throat out once a month. Someone who would be a constant in her life. Someone who deserves her love. Not long after Sirius fell behind the veil, I decided to distance myself from her. She didn't need any further pain in her life."
"She's an auror, she can take care of herself" Molly said, "and besides, she loves you as much as you love her, even with all the pain you've inadvertently caused her. "
"Yes, after tonight, I realized that as well." I said.
"I think you know what you need to do, Remus," Arthur said with the hint of a smile in his voice.
From the bed, a groggy, disoriented Bill Weasley started to wake up. Bill and Molly crowded around their wounded son, both with tears of joy in their eyes. The joy of having another moment with their son. The joy of knowing that despite sustaining a life-threatening injury he'll still have love and happiness in his life.
I slipped out of the hospital ward as silently as possible. I need to think.