AN: This is not the first fanfic I've ever written, but it's the first I've published on here, so I hope I did OK!

Tonks was sitting at the kitchen table in Grimmauld Place, enjoying a cup of tea laced with Firewhiskey with Sirius. He had been regaling her with tales of his and Remus's mischief-making in their Hogwarts days, and afterwards. He had just finished telling her the one about the Boggart from the days when Remus had taught Harry's third year class. They were both in fits at the thought of Snape in drag, and Tonks's sides ached with laughing.

Her giggles subsided and she let out a quiet sigh. Not only was Remus extremely clever and so good at magic that it impressed even an Auror, he had a mischievous side and was very funny once you got to know him. Not to mention he was sexy as hell. Those lucky kids, she thought dreamily.

Sirius was still chortling, reclining back on two legs of his chair with ease, when he caught sight of her expression. His chair dropped back to all fours with a bang, and he stopped chuckling. 'You fancy him!' he said in a shocked voice.

Tonks was immediately defensive. 'I never said that! And even if I did, why do you say it like it's such a bad thing?'

'I never thought he would be your type!' Sirius said, grinning. 'And come on, he's Moony. He's not exactly great at picking up girls. I don't believe it. Moony and my cousin!' He chortled.

Tonks scowled and opened her mouth to retort, but a figure appeared in the kitchen door, halting her train of thought. Remus was standing in the semi-darkness, looking worse than she'd ever seen him, but somehow downright sexy at the same time. His sandy hair was rumpled and falling into his blue eyes, which were tired and weary. His scars were more prominent than usual, and he looked several years older. He was wearing a pair of fraying navy-striped pyjamas.

'Tonks?' he said hoarsely. 'I didn't realise you were here.' He retreated further into the shadows as he said this, almost in shame.

'Oh, come out, Moony,' Sirius said exasperatedly. 'We're all friends here.'

'Friends who did not just spend the night going through a strenuous two-way transformation,' Remus said drily, but stepped out of the shadows, the merry candlelight of the kitchen throwing him into sudden relief.

He had shadows under his eyes and was limping slightly. He sat down opposite Tonks with a slight wince, avoiding her gaze. Tonks knew the best way to get him to acknowledge her was to act as though he had not just changed into a wolf hours before.

'Sirius was telling me about your Hogwarts days,' she said cheerfully. 'And I thought I misbehaved. I couldn't hold a candle to the four of you.'

'Oh?' he said gruffly. 'And did he tell you the one where I almost killed Severus?'

Tonks sighed. 'No, actually. He was just telling me about the Boggart, which, incidentally, turned into Snape in drag.'

Remus's lips twitched in amusement, and his eyes finally met hers. 'That's a shame. I believe I would have done the tale more justice.'

Sirius cleared his throat. 'I'm going to go and search for more Firewhiskey,' he said rather loudly, and left the kitchen.

Remus sighed, looking amused. 'His eyesight must be getting worse,' he said drily, gesturing to the bottles on the kitchen counter.

'Perhaps he thinks we might need more than that,' Tonks replied, the corner of her mouth lifting.

'I doubt even Sirius could get through – what is it – ten? Ten bottles of Firewhiskey in an evening.' He rubbed his shoulder as though it was irritating him.

Tonks had spoken before she knew she was going to. 'Would you like a massage?'

'A what?' He was looking at her wearily.

Tonks inwardly rolled her eyes at herself, before rolling with it. 'A massage. Your shoulder. It's bugging you, isn't it?'

Remus looked uncomfortable. 'It's nothing I can't – I wouldn't want to impose –'

'Nonsense,' she said briskly, getting up and plonking herself into the seat next to him.

He looked at her, half-curious, half-bewildered. Her hands settled on his shoulders. 'Turn around, Remus,' she said. He hesitated momentarily before obeying. Her fingers kneaded his shoulders, and she winced at how many knots there were. 'Merlin, Remus! How long has it been since you relaxed these shoulders?'

'Probably not since my mother died,' he said quietly.

Tonks swallowed. 'Well, I'm here to do it now,' she said.

She felt him tense slightly beneath her hands, but ignored it, continuing to work out the knots in his shoulders before making her way down his back. As her thumbs worked down either side of his spine, he arched his back, groaning in relief. She smiled slightly, and set to work on his neck, releasing the tension that had built up there. She worked her way up the back of his head, into his soft, fine hair. It felt brilliant against her fingers, and she closed her eyes briefly.

After a moment, she released him. 'There,' she said softly.

He moved his neck from side to side before turning and smiling awkwardly at her. 'Thank you,' he said.

She smiled. 'Anytime.'

He swallowed and looked away. 'Thank you for being so – for not pitying me, or bringing attention to –'

'Remus, I could never pity you,' she said, interrupting him. 'I wish you didn't have to deal with this, certainly, but I don't pity you. You're too strong and brave to attract pity.'

'I'm not brave,' he said quietly.

'Of course you are, you're a Gryffindor, aren't you?'

He half-smiled. 'Yes, but it's not the same thing. Being a Gryffindor does not equal bravery in all cases. I am too scared to take risks, to live, to –'

Determined to stop his lament of self-recrimination, she covered his mouth with hers. For one heart-stopping moment he was frozen, but then his lips softened under hers, parting to let their tongues intertwine, and her hands were in his hair and his on her waist. When they broke apart she was practically straddling him.

'Dora,' he murmured. Her heart leapt at the affectionate name. His eyes were closed, his breath hot on her face. 'I shouldn't have –'

'Don't you dare, Remus. Don't you dare!'

His eye flew open. 'Tonks,' he said calmly. 'You do not fancy me, I am simply in a convenient position –'

'How dare you!' she cried. 'How dare you imply that I would take advantage of someone like that!'

'I didn't – I wasn't –' he stammered.

'I kissed you because I fancy you! I have since our first guard duty together, and if your stupid, messed up little brain can't accept that, then –'

She could not continue because his lips had slanted over hers and he was kissing her almost desperately, his hands fisting in the back of her shirt. 'Dora,' he gasped against her mouth and she knotted her fingers in his hair, straddling his hips, twining her feet around the chair legs so she would not fall. His hands were mapping out every inch of her skin, and she kissed her way down his neck as he shuddered with sensation. His lips found hers once more and he had just sucked her bottom lip into his mouth when they heard Sirius enter the kitchen.

'Sorry it took me so long, I couldn't find – AH! My eyes!' There was a clang as two bottles hit the floor.

They broke apart. To Tonks's immense delight, Remus was smirking. His eyes twinkled up at her before he turned his head towards Sirius. 'I thought you left the room because you expected this to happen? You cannot pretend to be surprised over seeing it to fruition.'

Tonks muffled her laughter in his soft cotton shirt.

Sirius smirked. 'Well, I won't say "I told you so". I'll save that for my best man speech.'

Tonks rolled her eyes as Remus paled. 'For the love of Merlin, Sirius, I've only just got him to agree to a relationship. Let's not push it, shall we?'

'Right you are, Dora,' he replied with a grin.