Disclaimer: I have no rights whatsoever over Harry Potter and his world. I'm only having fun playing with the characters. All hail the great JK Rowling!
A/N -- This story is continuing where the "Love by the Lake", however, it can stand independently. Enjoy!
A soft stream of sunlight hit Remus' face. He winced and started to stretch when he felt a small warm body cuddled against his own. He opened his eyes and contemplated the amazing woman beside him. The conversation the night before in the lake had wiped away all traces of worry and unhappiness from her visage. She looked completely relaxed and innocent while sleeping, it would be a shame to wake her.
Remus resisted the urge to brusha hand along her face and carefully extracted himself from her sleeping form. She seemed instantly to miss his body, and was about to wake up when he put a pillow to replace his former position. Remus quietly padded across the room towards the window as she settled back into a serene slumber. His brown eyes unconsciously surveyed the guest room where he and Tonks had spent the night.
After walking back to the castle, he and Tonks set off directly toward his assigned rooms. Once there, they snuggled in the bed, too exhausted to kiss or talk. They just clung to each other, relishing each other's company, until slumber overtook them.
Now, in the morning light, Remus scrutinized his surroundings. The bedroom contained a large four poster bed, where his – well, where Tonks lay, a dresser, a night side table, and a large, boldly colored tapestry hanging on one wall. There were two doors exiting the room opposite the tapestry, one to a small lavatory and the other to the sitting room.
Remus looked outside and quietly watched the sun rising over Forbidden Forest. All of a sudden, each and every incident that had occurred over the past twenty-four hours punched him like a fist to the gut. Dumbledore was dead. Bill was in the Hospital Ward, horribly disfigured, mauled by the werewolf Greyback. And, most ground shaking of all, he had, ah, "progressed beyond friendship" with the lovely woman in the bed behind him.
He started to feel dizzy and his head swung as the repercussions of all these actions dashed across his mind. He put one scarred hand against the stone wall to steady himself.
Who would lead the Order? What would happen at Hogwarts? Would it reopen next school year? How would the upcoming full moon affect Bill? Was his mission with the werewolves over? …but one question overpowered all of these… what in the world would he do with the woman lying in the bed behind him, 10 years his junior?
Before he could answer his questions, however, a voice thick with sleep and uncertainty, called from behind him, "…Remus?" Remus padded back across the room and stooped over the bed to give Nymphadora Tonks a kiss on the lips. A kiss of reassurance, a kiss of comfort, and most importantly, a kiss full of promises for tomorrow.
"That's the hell of way to say good morning, I think I can very easily get used to that . . ." Tonks purred against his lips before she raised her hands to capture his face and kiss him back with every bit of longing and love in her.
Remus pulled back, gazed into her bright grey eyes, and smiled. He had meant to only greet her, but her kisses would quickly progress them to place he did not want to go – yet.
"Good morning Nymphadora love, did you sleep well?" Remus asked.
Tonks visibly flinched when she heard her detested first name, "Tonks! Remus please, Tonks! If we're starting a relationship, you really have to start calling me Tonks, or there will be dire ramifications." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as the last sentence rolled of her tongue.
Remus simply raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm a Marauder, I fear nothing!"
Their light banter ended immediately as their minds drifted to the other Marauders, then to the circumstances that brought them together.
They automatically got ready for the day without further speech. Tonks skipped out to use the loo, stumbling only once while Remus made the bed. After making the bed, Remus showered and changed while Tonks wandered onto the loveseat, simply staring at the stone walls. She was thinking about Dumbledore. She was intent on replaying every memory she had with him. She had visited him quite a lot while at Hogwarts, though not as impish as the Marauders, or as innovative as Fred and George Weasley, Tonks had played a fair amount of pranks in her school days.
Many of the girls did not like her because of her morphing abilities. They thought she would steal their boyfriends, and resented the fact that she could look beautiful as a Veela on a passing whim. After being hackled and teased for her first four years, Tonks spent her remaining three giving hell to each and every one of her tormentors.
"Kind, old Dumbledore," she whispered to the stone walls. He found her abilities highly amusing and delightful, though he tried not to show his enthusiasm as Headmaster. In his presence, she felt more like a child with a special gift, rather than a "freak", the nickname a Slytherin saw it fit to bestow on her. The same nickname she was called more often than she cared to remember.
Her eyes shone with tears that threatened to fall as her mind drifted from one memory to the next. Before she could control them, tears were running down her cheeks and dropping unto her Weird Sister t-shirt.
A soft kiss on the top of her head broke her reverie. She shrieked, jumped off the sofa, and succeeded in landing hard on the ground.
"Oh, Merlin Remus! Don't scare me like that. I didn't hear you." She quickly blinked back her tears, not wanting Remus to see her crying – again.
Sensing her distress, Remus knelt on the ground beside her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Were you thinking about Dumbledore? It's okay to cry Nymphie, he was a great man."
She briefly wondered how was he so damn insightful, then brushed off the thought and answered, "Yeah. Umm, you called me Nymphie. Where did that come from?" she enquired as she allowed him to lift her of the floor.
"I don't know, it just came out of mouth," Remus admitted with a shrug, "Why, don't you like it?"
"Yah," Tonks muttered as she found a comfy niche for herself in the crock of his arm, "it sounds lovely coming from you. If anyone else dares call me that though, I think I'll hex them."
They sat for a moment, relishing in each other's closeness and love. Remus questioned again, why he had denied himself the pleasure of holding her. She just molded against his body so perfectly. It was as if she were made for him…
Tonks stomach growled suddenly, ruining their small moment of piece.
"Nymphie, was that your stomach?" Remus asked in an amused voice. The corners of his lips turned upwards, smirking slightly.
"Yeah," Tonks confessed, "I, umm, haven't been eating very much for a while." They both knew the reason she hadn't been eating. Him.
Feeling guilty, Remus wordlessly tugged at her hand and led her out the door of the room and towards the Great Hall for breakfast.
They didn't know what the day would bring, but whatever happened, they were prepared for it because they had each other. i don't know if you want to add this, it seems awfully clichéd . . .
Dumbledore was right, the world is better with a little bit more love in it, Remus reflected as he walked into the Great Hall with Tonks, hand in hand.
A/N – Okay, my second fan fic. Can you please leave a little review and let me know what you thin? I'm considering starting a lil' series of Remus/Tonks stories, since they are my favorite ship and all. Will write if I have encouragement! Cheers.