Summary: HBP spoilers! A Lupin/Tonks one-shot taking place after they leave the Hogwarts hospital wing.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Lupin/Tonks

Disclaimer: I do not take credit for anything associated with Harry Potter. No financial profit is being made.

Don't Be Afraid of Love

Remus pushed through the doors of the Hogwarts hospital wing without waiting for the young woman

behind him to catch up with him. His gentlemanly nature would have normally moved him to hold the door for a female, but tonight his manners were off his list of things to think about. Though Nymphadora couldn't have been more than ten paces away from him, Lupin let the double doors swing closed without looking back. A voice in the back of his head told him that it was exceedingly bad form for him to rush away at a time like this, but he ignored it and walked on.

A few seconds later he heard the doors open behind him, but he didn't stop.

"Remus, stop! Please don't walk away."

Nymphadora's words were spoken sincerely. Remus felt a strange tightening in his chest upon hearing the desperate tone of her voice. If things had been different, he would have turned around and walked towards her. He would have pulled her to him and kissed her senseless. He would have told her that he loved her.

But with the way things were, he couldn't allow himself to go to the one woman he wanted more than he'd ever dare admit. He forced himself to continue down the hallway, away from her.

Over and over, he told himself that he was doing this for her own good.

But how hard it was for him to distance himself from her, when he knew she was the only one who would ever make him feel fully human. If he walked away from her now, he would be giving up his only chance of finding true love.

The thought pained him profoundly, but he did not pause. Instead, he quickened his stride, hoping that Nymphadora would give up on her pursuit of him. The sound of her footsteps didn't stop. She started to run, her boots making staccato clicks on the linoleum floor.

Dammit, Nymphadora, you're just making this harder for both of us.

The next thing Remus knew, Nymphadora had caught him by the arm and he finally stopped to look at her. The imploring look in her gray eyes made his heart ache. She still hadn't taken her hand off his arm.

"Let go of me, Nymphadora." Remus said softly.

"Why? So that you can run away from me again?" she asked him, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Don't do this right now. Please just leave me alone," he begged her.

"Is that what you really want?" she asked him, her voice barely more than a whisper.

No, of course not! he thought silently. But what I want doesn't matter.

Remus did not immediately reply. He looked away from her, unable to think straight while looking into her soulful eyes. Several seconds passed with neither one willing to break the silence. Both knew that this was the last time they would be in this position. Whatever happened, Nymphadora knew full well that she would have to accept the outcome. If Remus turned away now, their chance at a life together would be gone forever.

Remus told himself that he should walk away from her, that he should end it now, but he was unable to move. He just couldn't bring himself to leave her standing in the hallway, couldn't bring himself to break her heart.

She moved half a step closer to him, so close that her body was nearly touching his. Her feminine scent entered his nostrils and it took every bit of his will power to keep himself from touching her.

Here was a woman who knew what he was, and accepted him, no, loved him. She was offering to give him the one thing that no one else could give, her love. The one thing that was more precious to him than all the wolfsbane in the world. The one thing he would never have, if he walked away from her now. And that was precisely what he was about to do.

And yet...

What if?...No! I can't have a sexual relationship with her! I'm daft for even thinking about it.

Push her away! End it now! Get away from her before you do something you'll regret later.

Remus raised his gaze, but only gave her a look out of the corners of his eyes instead of looking at her directly.

"Remus...please, hear me out. If after I'm done talking, you still feel the same way, I swear I'll never bother you again. But please, listen to what I'm about to say."

Remus turned his head to look at her. It was the acknowledgment she needed to continue.

"After everything that's happened, after everything we've been through, I want something good in my life. Dumbledore knew I was in love with you. He told me that if I was persistent enough, and if you were still the same man you were when he asked you to teach at this school, then you'd make the right choice and let me love you. I don't know, perhaps you have changed. Maybe you aren't the same man. And if that's the case, I suppose I'm wasting my breath trying to convince you to do something that you're dead set against doing." Nymphadora looked into Remus's green eyes and sighed. Remus saw a look of silent pleading in the depths of her eyes. "But if you are the same man, and I believe you are, then how can you walk away from me? I understand that you're afraid, and I understand why. But what I don't understand is, why you would rather break my heart and walk away from me instead of acknowledging the feelings we have for each other. If you walk away now, this is the end of our friendship. I won't continue to be your friend when I know that I'd never be truly happy with just being your friend. That would be too painful for me, and that's not fair. You understand that, don't you? I love you Remus. And even if you walk away from me now, I think a part of me will always love you. There are dangerous times ahead of us, and I don't want to go through what's ahead alone. I guess I'll have to if you leave me standing here, but I'd much rather face the future with you." Nymphadora stared into Remus's eyes, waiting for his reply. She finally released her hold on his arm and waited for him to walk away from her. Seconds passed, and Remus stayed where he was.

It was as if time stood still. Then Remus, instead of turning away, reached his right hand out, ever so slowly and touched Nymphadora's cheek with his cupped palm. Gently, he rubbed his thumb across her skin, and stared down into her eyes as a single tear slid down her left cheek.

He then bent down and brushed his lips against hers in a soft, slow kiss. She bent her head up and brought her hands to rest on his chest. In that moment everything was forgotten, except for the kisses they shared. Remus kissed her a second time, clearly making his decision known. Each deliberate movement of his mouth was a resounding silent yes to Nymphadora's question as to whether he truly loved her.

Nymphadora smiled against his lips and Remus pulled away just enough so that he could look at her expression.

"You don't know how happy you've just made me," she told him, her eyes sparkling with tears of joy.

Remus smiled. "I could say the same,"

Nymphadora let out a little half laugh. "Perhaps we can arrange a double wedding with Bill and Fleur,"

Remus raised a brow.

"Perhaps, but I'm not about to let you out of my sight before then. I don't think I can wait two months before I have you in my house. Unless, of course, you object to not waiting."

Nymphadora smiled.

"My, my how we've changed!"

"You know full well that's what I've wanted this entire time, but I couldn't bring myself to act on my feelings for you. I know I'm being forward, I'll understand if you want to wait. I mean, that's what women usually do, right?"

Nymphadora actually snorted.

"That may well be what women usually do, but I don't think this is a usual courtship, now is it?"

"No, but if you"–

"Remus, I know about werewolves. And if you're asking me to go home with you tonight, I will. Not because I feel I have to, but because I want to. I want you to know, and truly understand that I mean what I say when I tell you that I'll love you in every way that I can,"

"But I don't want you to think"–

Nymphadora silenced him with another kiss. She ran her tongue lightly along the side of his mouth before moving it across the inside of his mouth and over his tongue. It was all Remus could do to prevent himself from letting out an audible moan of ecstacy. Nymphadora teased his tongue with hers, making little figure eights on the side of it. She kissed him harder and slid her tongue deeper, causing him to tighten his arm around her waist.

After playing with him for a few seconds longer she broke contact and looked into his eyes.

"Are you convinced now?"

"I think I am," his voice was uncharacteristically deep and husky with arousal. He bent as if to kiss her again, but Nymphadora gently laid her hand over his lips to stop him.

"Let's go someplace a little more comfortable," she told him, with a devilish little smile.

Remus stepped back and gallantly offered Nymphadora his hand. She took it and he led her down the corridor. As they walked she raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a questioning look.

"You're not letting me go now, are you?"

He squeezed her hand and smiled.

"No, I don't think I am,"

"Good, because I don't ever want you leaving me,"

"I won't Nymphadora," he told her softly and then added, "I promise you that,"

"I love you so much," she said to him.

"I love you, too. And I always will,"

Nymphadora smiled at him again and the two of them left the school hand in hand, ready to commit themselves to each other forever.

A/N: So that's my little one shot. Tell me what you thought of it. I really want to do a sequel, but if I do write one, it will probably be rated R. And if you thought Remus and Nymphadora seemed a out of character for how they would react to Dumbledore's death, I do have reasons for their behavior, but I'm not going to explain everything in this Author's Note. I'm really happy with how this turned out and I hope you are too. Please leave me a review!