Author's note: Just something I had hanging around in a deep, dark corner of my computer, gathering dust. I believe I wrote it sometime after the release of HBP, because I found Depressed!Tonks to be absolutely adorable. It was supposed to be longer, but I found it works better just as it is.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

First

Tonks was in St. Mungo's the first time she met Remus Lupin.

It was the year of the Triwizard tournament, sometime before Christmas, and she was fixing herself a cup of coffee in the Visitor's Tearoom on the fifth floor, having been at the hospital for two days and hardly sleeping at all.

Her new partner had been injured badly by the foreign wizards they had been tracking. His head had been bashed in and chest ripped open while Tonks had been bumbling around on the ground, looking for her wand, which had fallen out of her hand when she somersaulted out of the way of an Unforgivable.

This wouldn't be the first time someone had been injured because of her.

Her hands were shaking terribly and she knew she looked like complete and utter shit, with her puffy eyes and mangy, mousy hair. She was ready to burst into tears for the millionth time today because Kingsley had just told her that one more screw-up would get her put on a desk job or fired, her partner's family members just kept glaring at her, whispering in loud tones about her obvious incompetence, and her coffee just wouldn't stay in the bloody cup –

"Here, let me help you," a hoarse, kindly voice said from her side.

Tonks started, spilling hot coffee over her hand, and whipped her head around, staring at the stranger in surprise. He was only a bit taller than her and very thin, nearly bordering on unhealthy. His brown hair was peppered prematurely with grey and his face looked worn, small scars littering his pale skin, his amber eyes the softest feature on his face. He was dressed in the standard St. Mungo's nightclothes, very shabby robes covering them, and was smiling rather sympathetically at her.

It took Tonks a moment or two to realise that her hand had just been scalded by coffee.

She dropped her coffee mug, hastily wiping her hand on her dirty Auror robes, realised then that the coffee had spilled and was spreading all over the serving table, and other visitors were glaring at her –

"Oh, sorry – sorry, sorry – " she exclaimed, distractedly reaching for some napkins to clean the mess up, before realising that she was a bloody witch –

"Scourgify," he said, waving his wand at the spill as she had fumbled in her pockets for her own wand.

She'd looked up, embarrassed and flustered, feeling the need to cry again, and he simply handed her a cup of coffee, smiling gently.

"Remus Lupin," he stated, introducing himself and holding out a bandaged hand.

"Tonks," she replied, shaking his hand with her own trembling one. "Nymphandora Tonks, actually, but I – I prefer my surname, if you can't guess – "

She took a sip of her coffee as his small smile expanded across his face.

"Family member upstairs, Tonks?" he asked, gently leading her away from the serving table and the angry mob that had been forming behind her.

"No," she replied, her voice cracking. "My partner – I'm an Auror, you see, just qualified – and he's hu-hurt – " She sniffled then, pathetically, feeling the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She was going to cry in front of a complete stranger, damn it all! " – and it's all my fault – "

This wouldn't be the last time that Remus would have to talk some sense into her.

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