Title: Christmas in June
Format & Word Count: Fic; 3826 words
Rating: PG
Warning: Fluff. Gobs of it. And it's not really beta'd either.
Summary: Remus makes up for the Christmas he missed
Author's Note: Inspired by the song "Broken" by Norah Jones. From the first time I heard this song I thought of Remus and knew I'd eventually break down and write about it. Written for the rtchallenge at Livejournal
I saw him stand alone ... under a broken street light,
So sincere ... singing silent night,
But the trees they were full ... and the grass was green,
It was the sweetest thing I had ever seen.
"Broken" by Norah Jones
Nymphadora Tonks bent low over the flickering candle on the cracked, wooden windowsill and let out a slow breath, careful not to splatter hot wax on the glass as she extinguished the flame. Even in the dark she could navigate the room expertly. Watch out for the desk and chair, Tonks, and don't forget you left a towel on the floor. It was only natural she'd familiarised herself with the room, after all she'd lived at the Three Broomsticks for nearly a year while she was stationed in Hogsmeade.
Taking off the olive green cable knit jumper she'd stolen from Remus and hanging it on the bedpost, Tonks flopped down on the bed, the springs loudly protesting the weight upon them. The squeaking continued as she laid first on her right side, immediately turning to her left, before finally settling on her back all in the first ten seconds. She burrowed her head into the lumpy pillow trying to find the precise level of comfort needed to fall asleep- especially on a night such as this.
Hours ago they had buried Dumbledore on the grounds of Hogwarts in an emotionally-charged funeral service. She and Remus had sought support from one another, reaching out to take one another's hand, sharing a brave smile in the face of fear and apprehension. Afterward, the Aurors, the Order, and Faculty had escorted the students and families to the Hogwarts Express for safe transport back to London. It was as they were returning back to the village that Remus had turned to Tonks and asked if she fancied a cup of tea and a chat.
A cup of tea turned into a pot of tea and dinner, while the chat turned into a stroll and undoubtedly the most honest discussion she and Remus ever shared. She had fully expected a brief goodbye with a chaste kiss when Remus walked her to her door, but was surprised when Remus accepted her invitation to come to her room- and even more surprised when he agreed to share a bottle of wine.
The bouquet in the wine blossomed… as did the amorous feelings after two magnums of merlot. At first they sat side by side with shoulders and thighs touching, chatting in low voices and whispers, lips holding back smiles, eyes coyly darting back and forth. But the night had ended with the most glorious snog she'd had in a year, her body pinned under Remus' weight, his hands itching to roam elsewhere.
He'd left not long after that, not in a panicky retreat, but with a soft kiss and the promise to return tomorrow. He explained he had something to do, there was nothing to fear, and promised he would see her in the morning.
Tonks couldn't remember ever trying to brush her teeth with a bigger smile on her face.
As she lay in bed, rethinking the evening, she bit her lip to hold back a smile. Maybe, after all this time, they were finally making progress. Maybe it was truly sinking in that she didn't care about too old, too poor, too dangerous at all. Perhaps they could return to the way things were more than one year ago when they fell in love at Grimmauld Place.
She curled up and closed her eyes with a sigh. Progress, that's all she could hope for. Darkness surrounded her, the wine made her eyelids heavy, and the promise of dreams about Remus were already beckoning.
It could have been an hour later or mere seconds, she wasn't sure, but suddenly a familiar tune was running through her head. Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.
For a moment she thought it was the alarm telling her it was morning and time to get her lazy arse out of bed, but… it was June. Why would Christmas songs be playing now?
Opening her eyes, Tonks realised it was still dark, still summer, and the voice did not belong to Myron Wagtail… yet it was familiar.
Probably some drunkard from the pub, she thought pushing herself up into a sitting position, disentangling the blankets before stumbling out of the bed on lazy legs and making her way to the window.
She rubbed a hand over her face, willing herself to wake up- but not too much- and see if the disruption warranted Auror attention. Nudging open the curtain with her elbow she was shocked into full alertness at the sight below.
Remus.
Singing.
Christmas carols.
In the street.
The lamps illuminating the High Street were flickering low and gold, save the one outside her room which she'd purposely put out herself with a slingshot when Mad-Eye would not lend her the Deluminator. Though the person was clearly sticking to the shadows, there was no mistaking it was Remus.
She'd only heard him actually sing once when she'd surprised him in the shower with a cup of tea and nearly scared the life out of him, but he did have a nice voice- not Myron-nice, but it was very genuine and melodic.
Fingers, cold against the brass latch, fumbled to open the window as more of the song filled the quiet village.
"Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace."
"I bloody well should be!" she hissed, pushing the window open, leaning out onto the sill. "It's the middle of the sodding night, what in the name of Merlin's appendix are you doing?"
"Singing," he said plainly, moving away from the lamp post towards her window. "I should have thought it obvious, Dora."
"Are you drunk?" she blurted out, clapping a hand over her own mouth, startled at the level of volume her voice had reached. She cursed inwardly and cringed.
"Not remotely," he said stuffing his hands in his pockets when he came to stand directly beneath the window, craning his neck up to see her. The smile on his face was laced with mischief.
"Rosmerta is going to kick me out. What are you doing singing Christmas carols at this hour in the middle of summer?"
"Technically we're not to the summer solstice quite yet- it's spring, but I realised we didn't get to spend Christmas together and I wanted to rectify that."
Tonks' lips twitched. It was either the most idiotic, or the sweetest thing she had ever seen. "And we have to celebrate now?" she asked, letting the smile break free.
"Absolutely. Otherwise I may lose my nerve," Remus replied, looking down at the street, hands jostling in his trouser pockets. "Come down for a moment."
"But Remus it's the – "
"Please?"
There was something in the tone of his voice that expressed seriousness, bordering on urgency.
"And you'd better ask me a security question or I'll report you to Mad-Eye myself," he added, looking over each shoulder and then back up at the open window on the second floor of the Three Broomsticks.
She fought the urge to poke her tongue out at him. "What colour was my hair the first day we met?" Tonks sat on the edge of the sill the cool night air rushing in over her bare legs and folded her arms across her chest, waiting for his reply.
"For the first five or ten seconds it was violet- until you tripped over the troll leg umbrella stand at headquarters and, as your temper flared, so did your hair and it went to bright orange." The smirk on his face was full of cheek.
"Violet would have sufficed you know. You needn't have relived my most embarrassing moment."
"I love that moment," he interrupted hissing loudly. "That's when I started falling in love with you."
That was her Remus. Only her Remus would know what to say to make her feel at ease with her accident-prone self. And she loved him all the more for it.
"Please- come down."
How could she resist smiling at him and complying with his wishes… even in the middle of the night. And who knew, perhaps she could talk him into coming back upstairs for a snuggle and a lie in the next morning.
"All right." Tonks grabbed the knobby jumper off the bedpost and fumbled for her wand on the bedside table. Shoes… shoes… Her mind was reeling as she whispered Lumos! and began searching about the room for a pair of shoes. My stars! What does Remus want at this hour? Was he joking about celebrating Christmas? What were his plans for the evening? Ruddy shoes! If she found them she could be outside finding out what his plans were, not speculating about them alone.
One red Converse All-Star peeked out from beneath the towel on the floor but its mate was nowhere to be found, however an orange one lay on its side under the bed. "Close enough!" she hissed, slipping her feet into both shoes, laces almost tripping her up as she hurried toward the door and barrelled down the stairs.
Each step brought her closer to him, and with each step her heart pounded and fluttered a little more. An hour ago she had been content with just making progress but now it seemed as though their relationship had not quite returned to 'normal' but was racing through the trials and tribulations of the past two years at lightning fast speed. They hadn't bypassed the awkwardness or the hurt regarding their separation, but the fact that he was here- now- and wanted to see her seemed to subdue the most pressing worries.
When Tonks reached the bottom of the stairs and flung the door open into the alleyway she gasped at the sight.
Enchanted snow floated down like tiny prisms caught in the light from the lamps flickering along the High Street, swirling in the summer breeze, piling up in little drifts, crunching under her feet as she stepped out into the alley.
It was such a paradox- snow, in June? She'd seen magical snow dozens if not a hundred times over the years, but the effort that Remus had put forth was the magic. As she walked toward the open end of the alley, Tonks held out an open palm, capturing some of the snow, which did not melt on the warmth of her skin nor burn with cold.
Snow covered the green trees so full of life, and only the tip of the tallest blades of grass poked through the fluffy white accumulation. And Remus too, hands still in his pockets and a sheepish smile still on his face, had dusting of snow on his hair and shoulders.
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," Tonks replied, unable to refrain from smiling at the absurdity of wishing someone a Happy Christmas in June. She came to stand before him and giggled, taking in the extent of the magical world he'd created. It wasn't just the Three Broomsticks that was covered in snow, but rather, the entire block.
She was closer to the lamps and he didn't miss a trick. "Is that my jumper? I've searched everywhere for that," he said, narrowing his eyes in an attempt to look tough as he examined the woolly creation hanging loosely on her frame.
She felt herself blush and looked down at her appearance- Oh! how I must look about now. Two different shoes, bare legs clad in little more than knickers, and a skimpy black camisole that exposed not only the navel ring she had, but the tattoo she'd gotten the day she graduated from Auror training as well. Remus' jumper was the most orderly thing she had on. "You left it at Grimmauld when you left to join Greyback. I realise I should have given it to you, but I was terrified it would be the only thing I had left to remember you by."
"Let's- have a seat," Remus began, avoiding the topic and pointing at the snow-covered bench on the far side of the street. His voice was soft and raspy and he held out a worn, weathered hand, smiling- a true smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle- when she placed her palm in his.
Tonks could not imagine what he might wish to talk about at this late hour, especially after having just said goodnight not two hours ago and left her with the kind of kiss that lingered for hours, its presence impressed upon her skin. Brushing the enchanted snow off the bench he gestured for her to sit first and waited until she was settled before joining her. She wondered if his cheeks ached from smiling as much as hers did, but it was an ache she'd happily bear so long as he never failed to return her smile.
The momentary lapse of chatter gave her more of an opportunity to appreciate the true effort he'd made by decorating this little corner of the world for her. Curiosity buzzed inside her, zipping like an electric current through her body and every centimetre of her longed to ask what on earth all this was for but it was his surprise and she didn't fancy ruining it to quench her own interest.
"I've had much on my mind these last few days- since Dumbledore died."
The smile slid from Tonks' face. The conversation wasn't headed where she anticipated- not that she had any conclusive idea regarding what Remus wanted to talk about anyway. But the tone in his voice was sombre and apologetic and Tonks knew from past experience that leaving Remus to brood alone for too long could result in impetuous decisions.
"And it all seemed to culminate tonight- in your room- when we were on your bed - "
"Snogging?" Tonks supplied, watching as Remus swallowed nervously and pointed to her as though giving her credit for her articulation.
"Yes, snogging. In sharing such an intimate moment with you, I'd realised how much I missed out on- things I'd previously taken for granted- sharing a cup of tea, holding hands, spending holidays together."
She was genuinely touched and a bit giddy realising this was not going to be 'too old, too poor, too dangerous' part 352. "It's OK, we'll have time," Tonks began, draping her left hand behind Remus' neck, her fingers tangling in the soft, greying-brown hair curled against the collar of his jacket.
He shook his head emphatically, capturing her hand in his and pressing a kiss to her palm. "No, that's not how I want to live life anymore. We're at war now- everything will change. Do you hear me- everything." He punctuated the last word very clearly, adding to the heavy weight it bore. Even in the dark his eyes were clear and bright and Tonks had no doubt how serious he was. "I hate to admit that I was thinking of more than just you in that blissful moment of intimacy- but I wanted to try and make up for some of the time we'd lost."
"Christmas," Tonks said, tilting her head back, feeling the enchanted snow tickle her face and tangle in her hair.
"Christmas," Remus confirmed. "I've had a present for you for over a year now. I'd spoken to Sirius not long before he died and asked his opinion on your gift and I was quite shocked at his lack of stinging retort. It was my intention to give it to you this Christmas past, but- "
He didn't need to say the words; she could fill in the blanks herself. He'd come home for Christmas after spending months with the ferals, but he and Tonks had not seen one another over the holidays. It was his desire to stay as recluse as possible during the brief leave and Tonks busied herself with work so as to not be tempted to show up at the Burrow and hex Remus seven ways a Sunday for being a git.
"I know," Tonks sighed, giving his hand a gentle squeeze, ducking her head to meet his eyes.
A gift. As if she needed another present after the beauty of this Christmas in June. That was the kind of gift she'd remember for the rest of her life.
He was digging in his pocket suddenly and produced a small square box wrapped in shiny red paper with a silver bow attached.
"Engorgio," he whispered, watching the box swell slightly. "Here you go, Happy Christmas."
Tonks felt her stomach muscles contract as she let out a nervous breath of laughter. "Thank you. Shall I open it now or nip upstairs and hunt up the one I bought for you and never got to give you."
Remus shook his head slowly and reached out, setting the box on her knee. "No, open it now." He remained leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looked down at the snow collecting on his shoes.
"Oh all right," Tonks relented, rolling her eyes and slumping against the back of the bench for support. "I feel silly though. Can I go get yours when I'm done?"
He nodded, hair sliding forward, obscuring his gaze. "That'd be all right."
Tonks wasted no time tearing off the bow sticking it on top of Remus' head before ripping the red paper from the box. She heard the breath of laughter from Remus and felt her own cheeks pinken in response. He looked up at the top of his head, silver bow glinting against the silver in his hair under the moonlight and watched Tonks carefully as she pried open the box.
Quickly discarding the tissue paper inside she smiled, finding a blown-glass globe in vibrant red with hers and Remus' names etched on it in fancy silver script. "It's beautiful!" she exclaimed gently drawing the ornament from the box with a narrow loop of ribbon fastened through the filigreed silver hanger.
"I asked an old acquaintance to make it," Remus said, turning his head slightly to appraise Tonks.
Warm tears welled up in Tonks' eyes. Knowing Remus had put so much thought into her Christmas gift- knowing he'd imagined them down the road- together- made butterflies swoop and soar in her stomach. She'd never received something so sentimental from a bloke before, they usually bought cheap perfume, some ugly satchel, or nothing at all. What had prompted Remus to sit down with Sirius more than a year ago and get his opinion on a beautiful Christmas ornament though?
"There's more," Remus answered, as though reading her mind- she did always wonder if he was a secret Legilimens- and gestured toward the ornament. "It opens."
And sure enough there was a small silver hinge at the bottom.
"Remus- " Pursing her lips and furrowing her brow she hoped she managed to say, just by expression alone, that more was unnecessary- that this romantic gesture was more than enough.
Opening her eyes wide in effort to suspend the tears, Tonks sniffed and then carefully appraised the ornament, unsnapping the tiny closure, prying it open with delicate fingers.
Suspended inside, vibrating with the power of the magic holding it in place, was a silver ring with three diamonds; the centre slightly larger than the two surrounding it. Even in the dim light of the Hogsmeade lamps it sparkled brilliantly, like Polaris in the night sky.
"Oh my- "
Remus had fallen to both knees, reaching gently for her hand. This was what he'd asked Sirius about. "Nymphadora Tonks, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife? I don't have much by way of material possessions, but I promise that I have a deep and abiding love for you that will never die."
The tears had slid down Tonks' cheeks cooled slightly by the summery breeze blowing up the High Street, but Remus' hand gently caressing hers warmed her from the inside out. Her ears were quite plugged at the moment, for the sound of rushing blood and a pounding heart overwhelmed them, but she was nearly one hundred percent sure that Remus Lupin had just proposed.
Remus looked down at her hand still clutching the ornament with the silver ring suspended inside and then gazed into her darker eyes with his, brilliant, sparkling blue. "I can't say that things will be easy- they won't. We live in a time when the Ministry hates my kind and I cannot support you like I should, but being apart the last year- I saw the future I wanted every night in my dreams and I couldn't bear the thought of losing you to anyone else, even if I am a hopeless- "
"Git? Yes you are, and don't call your future wife Nymphadora, she doesn't like it. She'd prefer to go by Tonks Lupin if it's all the same to you."
Her hand was pressed to her mouth and she realised she could not control the giggling. Poor Remus was kneeling in the enchanted snow, his hand gently surrounding hers, and he wore an expression of having seen Blast-Ended Skrewts just crawl from Tonks' ears.
"D-does that mean?"
Tonks nodded, handing him the ornament. "Yes, I'll marry you."
He let out a breath- half relieved sigh, half chuckle, and reached inside the red glass ornament and plucked out the dainty ring. With shaking hands he put the globe back in the box and reached for Tonks' hand once again. "The ring belonged to my Grandmother. My Grandfather farmed magical potions ingredients and saved up for two years to buy my Gran her ring. I hope you don't mind- "
"It's beautiful, I'm honoured." She couldn't control the emotion if she tried, she was smiling, crying, and laughing all at once and she extended her fourth finger and watched as Remus slid the silver band into place, diamonds twinkling even in the night. A new ring could not have been any lovelier than the one that had now taken permanent residence on her finger. Wiping a happy tear away Tonks hoped that one day she would sit down with her own son or daughter and not only share hers and Remus' story, but a old and brambly branch of their own family tree.
Tonks slid down onto his lap, taking his face between her hands, their faces so close their breath almost intermingled. "I love you. I always have, an' I always will." His lips were pressed to hers warm, soft, parting slowly, tongue darting out to taste her. She inhaled sharply, arching against his chest as his hands pressed against the exposed skin at the base of her spine and drew her close. Her fingers slithered through his hair, grazing his scalp, gently pulling the hair at the nape of his neck.
She pulled away, drawing her left hand back to rest on Remus' chest and gazed at the ring encircling her finger. "This is the best Christmas I've ever had," she said with a sigh, resting her head on his shoulder.
Remus pressed a kiss to her forehead and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Nymphadora Tonks."