Not So Impossible: the Story of Lupin and Tonks

Chapter One – Getting to Know You

Getting to know you,

Getting to know all about you,

Getting to like you,

Getting to hope you like me.

"Getting to Know You", The King and I ~

Author's Note: Well, here it is!! The first chapter of my first fanfiction! I am going to post the first two chapters together because this one is not very long and also because I want you to get into the characters and the story before I leave you hanging - he he. This story is only going to be about 6 chapters long and is all in Tonks' POV. I plan on updating once a week....So read, enjoy and please leave a review at the end - I would love to know what you think!!

It's funny how life works sometimes. How sometimes the one thing you think you don't need turns out to be the very thing that completes you. Ok, that sounded rather cheesy, so let me rephrase:

I have never been (and probably never will be) romantic. I don't cry at happy endings and get the 'warm fuzzies' when couples finally get together. That's just not me. I've never really thought about marriage or L.O.V.E., at least not as far as I myself am concerned. I just never felt the need for it – I loved my career, had a wonderful, supportive family, great friends and could change my appearance at will. I mean, what more could a girl want, right? Right.

Wrong.

When I met Remus Lupin for the first time, we had instant chemistry and I knew at once that he and I were destined to fall in love, get married and have lots of little babies with bright pink hair. Really? I hear you say. No. Not really.

In actual fact, our first meeting went something like this:

Molly Weasley: Tonks, I would like you to meet a friend of the family and fellow member of the Order – Remus Lupin. Remus, this is Sirius' cousin, Nymphadora Tonks.

Tonks: (knocks chair into Molly as she ever so gracefully bounces over to shake Remus' hand) Oh, sorry Molly! I didn't see the chair! Hi Remus, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.

Remus: Hi Nymphadora (Oh no. He did not just call me Nymphadora. My stupid mother and her 'creative' names. I hope he doesn't make a habit of this…) It's lovely to finally meet you as well – Sirius has spoken about you before – I understand you're an Auror?

Tonks: Yes, and I absolutely love my job. There's no greater thrill than catching dark wizards! I understand you're a werewolf? (Oops. Probably shouldn't have said that so bluntly…)

Remus: Uh, yeah. (Looks awkward for a moment). I don't like to think that that defines me though. It's just something I happen to be, rather than who I am, if you know what I mean?

Tonks: Oh, um, yeah. Totally. I mean, I didn't mean to imply, that is to say, I, uh…

Remus: Oh, no worries. I get it all the time. (Smiles stiffly and turns to Molly) Well, Molly, I really think I ought to get going – it's getting late and Sirius is expecting me back for supper.

Molly: Of course, Remus. I'm sorry that you couldn't stay for longer. Maybe next time?

Remus: Absolutely. It was nice meeting you Nymphadora (Ugh. That name again). I suppose I'll see you around?

Tonks: Oh, yes, right. Nice meeting you too Remus.

(Remus leaves and Tonks (aka me) is left feeling once again like she opened her mouth and stuck her too big left foot right into it.)

See? Instant chemistry. We got on like a house on fire, all smoke and no substance.

So what changed? Well initially, nothing. We would see each other at Order meetings, smile politely and make small talk about the weather or whatever came to mind, eventually moving on to talk to someone else, feeling somewhat relieved that we had fulfilled our social obligations, as it were, without any further casualties. Things were still a bit awkward between us due to my 'mouth over mind' moment at our first meeting and I wasn't quite sure how to breach the wall which I instinctively felt he had erected between us.

However, over time I found myself almost unconsciously watching him, observing how he interacted with others and his attitude towards the work he did for the Order. And as I watched him, something started to grow within me – a curiosity to know more about him, a desire to be his friend and to pull down the invisible barrier between us. From what I could see, he was a brave, gentle and considerate man and I must admit I was intrigued to discover how such a personality could coexist with the vicious werewolf which I knew to be an inescapable part of him.

And so I began to go out of my way to spend time with him, finding ways to 'bump' into him (sometimes all too literally, although those were not deliberate), surreptitiously eavesdropping on his conversations with others, and extending our own conversations beyond discussions of the weather and Voldemort's latest tactics to include more personal topics. At first it was difficult as he was very reserved, but over time he began to open up little by little and this is what I learned:

Remus Lupin is quiet and reserved.

He is a deep thinker and tends to be introspective.

He has always been on the outskirts of society (well ever since he was bitten), and only ever had a few really good friends, one of whom is dead.

He deeply admires Dumbledore and strives to be like him, always reaching out to those who, like himself, are outsiders.

He has a subtle sense of humour which only surfaces on rare occasions, but has the ability to light up the room when it does (clichéd as that sounds).

He is infallibly polite and civil, even to his enemies.

He is the complete antithesis of me.

Yes, the more I got to know him, the more I realised how absolutely opposite we were and yet inexplicably, the more I was drawn to him.

I can't pin down the single moment or conversation when I began to feel the first stirrings of something more than just friendship; all I know was that as I watched him battle his insecurities, continually be the 'bigger man' when Snape jibed him, and unfailingly treat others with selfless compassion and warmth, I began to see him through new eyes.

I have frequently had opportunity to change my eye colour and size as a Metamorphmagus, but never have my eyes seen so clearly as when they looked at Remus Lupin and noticed, really noticed, him for the first time. When I looked at him, I no longer saw the tired, prematurely aged, worn out man that I had seen before. I saw other things, like how warm and expressive his brown eyes were, how a small dimple would appear at the corner of his mouth when he smiled, and how when he was thinking deeply he would run his hands through his hair, making it stick up in all directions, temporarily making him look like an innocent little boy again.

And as I noticed these and other things, I realised to my consternation that I, Nymphadora Andromeda Tonks, confirmed career woman and eccentric, quirky Metamorphmagus, was falling in love. With a werewolf. Who was 13 years old than me. And almost certainly not in love with me.

Darn it.