Note: The plot idea evolved after watching the new "Pride and Prejudice". I highly recommend it!
This is my take on the TonksLupin romance that takes place in HBP. It's TonksCharlie, so beware if you're all for TonksLupin.
As attention turned to Hagrid, Lupin grabbed Tonks' arm and pulled her out into the hall and down part of the stairway to a small cove.
"Tonks! It's time we got this straightened out! I have told you time and time again that nothing will work out between us, and I meant it! It's not just my age, wealth, and . . ."
"Shh!" said Tonks, putting her hand over his mouth. She looked at him sheepishly. "Don't worry about it Remus. To tell you the truth I'm not in love with you. I hope it doesn't hurt too much." She teased.
Remus let out a breath. "Good, I was confused because I thought you knew about Sirius and that I was going to have to tell Molly so that she'd get off my back."
"Actually," said Tonks, "Sirius is part of the reason I picked you. I knew you'd never reciprocate and since my patronous had changed to a dog I thought I could pass it off as a werewolf and so it was perfect. I had to give Molly a name you see."
Remus looked at her quizzically, "Why did you have to give Molly a name?"
"She knew I liked someone you see, and that it wasn't working out."
"So, who do you fancy," Remus asked with a smirk on his face. Seeing the look Tonks was giving him he added, "I've let Molly hound me for the better part of a year about this. I think I deserve to know."
Tonks sighed. "Charlie." At Remus' look she said, "now you know why I couldn't tell her. I would have been so embarrassed and she'd have given me looks all the time, saying how I was such a wonderful girl and that I shouldn't give up on him because when she was done with him he'd see what a catch I was. Also, she'd make me tell her the whole story, and I really don't want to go through it again."
Remus looked over Tonks and felt a strong urge to protect her come over him. He'd known her almost since the day she was born and hated to see her hurt. "Do you want to tell me about it? Even just outline it, it'll make you feel better." He asked.
He could see her mull it over and knew she'd decided to before she nodded yes. "I've always had a little crush on him, we were in the same year at Hogwarts, you see. Once the Order started up again it just kept growing, so nine months ago I decided to tell him. It was a huge mistake. You know how when your in "love" you overanalyze the other person and take any little thing as a sign? Well, I'd read the signs completely wrong. Obviously all those things I was were made out of disgust rather than endearment. He shot me down, there was no doubt about what he felt, feels, about me. He said, 'I could never love a girl as clumsy as you. I could also never respect you when you go around changing your appearances at random in strange ways.'"
"Come hear darling," Remus said, holding his arms open for Tonks. She practically collapsed into his arms and began to sob. Tonks didn't stop crying until a "ahem" startled her and she pulled slightly out of Remus' arms. She and Remus looked into the face of the newcomer, none other than Charlie Weasley.
He cleared his throat again. "Are my family still in the hospital wing?"
Sensing that Tonks wasn't about to answer, Remus nodded, "Yes, they were there when we left." Charlie gave a quick smile and quizzical glance then walked in the direction of the hospital wing.
As Charlie entered the hospital wing his thoughts were not focused upon his brother but on Tonks and Remus. His mother had mentioned to him a few times how she felt bad for Tonks and her crush on Remus. At first Charlie had brushed it off, his mom didn't know what she was talking about. Then others started mentioning it too. He'd worried about it for a few days, without really knowing why, before he'd decided that people were just interpreting Tonks wrong. He hadn't seen anything, after all he'd been in Romania since it had happened. Now he knew there was know way to escape it. The first time he'd seen her since it had involved her in Remus' arms.
What bothered him most about the entire thing was that he seemed to care. He'd had no trouble nine months ago telling her that he had no feelings what so ever for her, yet here he was getting jealous over some werewolf.
"Charlie! I'm so glad you came! Come see your brother." He was broken from his thoughts as his mother's voice tore through them.
The next time he saw her was in the Great Hall. All the students were gone and Hogwarts had been made the temporary Order Headquarter, since Snape could lead a band of death eaters into Grimbold any time he, or rather the Dark Lord, pleased.
He saw her walk in through the doors and noticed that her hair was a mousy brown color then remembered it had been as well when he'd seen them together. He frowned, she looked so strange and unlike the girl he knew, or had known. His frowned deepened as he remembered his words, I could also never respect you when you go around changing your appearances at random in strange ways. How could he have been so stupid?
His eyes continued to follow her as she flitted around the Great Hall, talking to various people and never once glancing in his direction. He'd never noticed those glances until he'd gone back to Romania and thought about what she'd said. Now as he stood in there watching her he began to wish she'd look back, even for the shortest second.
He'd realized many things that he'd missed about her when he'd gone back over their times together in his mind. The way he always watched the umbrella stand when people were called down to eat, not wanting her to trip on it and wake up Mrs. Black. How the first thing he'd asked Ginny every morning was what color Tonks' hair was that day, since Tonks shared a room with his sister and Hermione, and it would always be different from what Ginny had said. He'd never quite figured out if Ginny had just made up a color because she wasn't sure or if Tonks had actually changed it again.
He'd also realized how many of her quirks he'd learned. She liked to butter her toast then flip it over and eat it so the buttery side was on the bottom. She changed her hair between 2 to 15 times a day and you could usually tell her moods by it. She also was less clumsy when it was raining, that was his favorite.
He was shaken from his thoughts about Tonks once again, but this time by Ginny. "Charlie, can you help me with something? "
As Tonks' walked around the Great Hall she could feel Charlie's eyes following her. She'd only known they were his when she'd walked over to Ginny and asked, afterwards asking Ginny to distract him. She couldn't bear to have him staring at her any longer, it made her hopeful and she knew that was a mistake.
She continued to walk around asking people if she could help. It was mostly unsuccessful because they'd see her trip or do some other clumsy thing just before she'd ask. I wish it was raining, she thought. Finally, out of things to do she decided to go to the kitchens, the house elves didn't care if she tripped into their masterpiece cake. It actually delighted them since they could make a new one. At least someone appreciated her talents, she thought.
As she walked through the abandoned halls her mind flitted from place to place. She followed her feet unconsciously. They knew the way to the kitchens well enough not to trip, unless of course there was an obstacle in her path.
Charlie was making his way back from the kitchens when something warm and soft collided with him. He reached out to one hand to steady himself and caught the object with the other, so it wouldn't pull him over. He looked down and found himself staring into the grayest eyes he'd ever seen. "Tonks."
"I . . I'm sorry, usually clumsiness." She offered as explanation.
"Yeah, it's not raining." He added.
He saw her start, "Yes."
Then he found himself blurting, "Why haven't you changed your hair for ages?"
He could tell it was a question she did not want to answer, especially when asked by him. "Someone," she said, her throat hitching, "told me it was hard to respect someone who did that."
"Well," he found himself saying, once again without meaning to, "that person was wrong. Never change yourself because of what one stupid git says."
She looked at him uncertainly, "I . . . um, guess your right."
He could feel her pulling away and quickly wrapped his other arm around her. "Tonks, I was a git, a bloody arse, not to notice how special you are. I'm so sorry about what I said, you wouldn't be you if you weren't clumsy and your a metamorphagus, of course you're going to change your appearance! Please, do you still feel the way you did? I've made a complete turn about myself, believe me I regret what I said more than anything else I've ever done."
He watched her closely. At the first crack of a smile he swooped down and covered it with one of his own.
"I'm sorry Remus," said Molly as she watched her son and her favorite metamorphagus.
"Don't worry about it. I'd have it no other way." Remus answered, then looked up to the skies, where he was sure Sirius was watching as well.
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