Not Quite Strangers

A/N: In this chapter they barely know each other, although they have met. I was thinking maybe they've known who each other are for about two or three weeks but they haven't really worked together yet. Therefore, in this story, they don't start off madly in love with each other, or even friends, exactly. I just wanted to start from this point and see where it goes. If you were looking for quick and dirty, look elsewhere .. I wanted to write something that defines how their relationship grows, because I think it is the sweetest thing . Rating will probably go up in future chapters. Enough blabbering from me, and on with the story…

From Tonks's Diary

Day in and day out, I am waiting. Waiting for something. What, I cannot guess. A reason, I suppose. Something other than this same old routine of daily life. I work, I watch, I wait, I worry. The bitter stench of war is ever present, and it has all barely begun. ' How could life get more exciting?' so many would ask. To be an auror upon the return of the Dark Lord. But maybe excitement isn't what I'm looking for. That's not one of the missing pieces. So, tomorrow, the cycle begins again. Work, watch, wait, worry. And tomorrow will just be another day like any other. Unless I can find a way to make things more interesting…

"Wotcher, Remus," Tonks said as she sat—well, tripped— herself next to him at the breakfast table. Today, her hair was long and sea green, her eyes a stormy gray.

He had been sipping his tea and swallowed carefully so he wouldn't chuckle at her unceremonious entrance. It had been a close call, but he hadn't choked and he hadn't laughed, so it turned out alright. "Good morning, Nympha—"

Glaring daggers, she hissed, "Don't use that dreadful name. It's Tonks."

Looking amused, he attempted again. "Good morning, Tonks. Better?"

"Much." She grinned disarmingly. After a moment's silence, she commented in a bubbly, casual manner, "Haven't seen you around lately." They were not quite strangers, but she didn't know very much about him and he seemed to keep to himself. Normally she would scarcely have noticed his absence or been remotely curious, but she was quite sure he hadn't had an assignment recently, and wondered.

"I've been feeling a little under the weather," he replied mildly.

"Oh?" Tonks said, staring down at her plate and looking for all the world like she had been expecting anything else. She looked up at him with faint concern lining her features. "I'm sorry to hear that. I trust you're feeling better now?"

"Reasonably. For a man of my age, that is." Staring at the empty spot at the table across from him, he ran a hand through his hair, something that was obviously a habit. Her eyes were drawn to the gray streaks in his hair at the gesture. Despite them, Tonks didn't think he looked old, just…tired.

She scoffed. "You're not that old, Remus."

Lupin sighed and turned to look at her. "A good deal older than you, Miss Tonks."

Tonks made a face at the title. "I'm not one of your students, Professor."

"You certainly are picky about what people call you." Lupin noted.

"Well, a lot's in a name, you know." She had been using her hand animatedly as she spoke and now smoothly transitioned to pick up her fork and stab eagerly at her food.

Tonks' hunger began to set in and she practically inhaled her breakfast after merely staring at it for the entire length of their conversation. Lupin had opened his mouth to respond but stopped and watched in amazement.

Her cheeks tinged ever so slightly pink as she saw his reaction. A grin tried to work its way onto her face but her mouth was still full and it didn't work very well. It ended up being a closed-mouth and very puffy-cheeked restrained giggle. When she was finally able to speak again, she muttered, "Sorry. I'm starving. I just…kind of… noticed, all the sudden."

Before Lupin could reply, Molly walked into the kitchen. "No need to apologize, dear. Eat up. Remus, you too."

Lupin nodded, and finished his breakfast without hurrying. He thanked Molly and was about to leave when Mad-Eye entered the room.

At about the same time, Tonks scrunched up her nose with the effort of changing her appearance. Her hair was now considerably shorter. Where before it had nearly come to her waist, now it framed her face and fell just past her chin. The color was still sea green, but to make it more interesting, the tips were a shimmering silver.

"Tonks," Mad-Eye growled by way of greeting. He gave a small nod in Lupin's direction. "Remus." He leaned over the table and set a piece of parchment where they could both see it. "I've got an assignment for you."

Clipped to the piece of parchment was a photograph of an old house that appeared to be on the verge of collapse. It was apparent that it had been ill-cared for and had experienced many years of neglect. The window shutter was crooked, hanging by one hinge and swaying with a creaky noise in the breeze.

"Muggles think this house is haunted." Mad-Eye explained. "I want you two to take a look and make sure there are no foundations to these rumors. Muggles tend to be fairly unobservant of true magic at work, but you never know. Check for any signs of Death Eater activity in the vicinity, recent or otherwise."

With that he left, muttering loudly over his shoulder, "Remember! Con—"

"—stant vigilance!" Lupin and Tonks finished for him simultaneously. "We know." Tonks added, rolling her eyes.

Lupin took the photograph and the piece of parchment. Scanning it, he saw that it listed the address of the house as well as the names of a number of recent muggle owners and the reasons why they left so soon after purchasing the home. He raised an eyebrow.

Name Reason for Leaving

Cecilia Moore Infestations of bats and rats Edward GrantWindows keep breaking, even after bars have been

put in front of the glass. I've replaced them three times.

Autumn and Jason Holloway Hissing, snakelike noises at odd times in the night

There was more, but he stopped reading and handed the parchment to Tonks. "Looks like he may be onto something. Third line down."

The color drained out of her face a little. "You don't think…"

"Voldemort himself? No. Mad-Eye would have more than prepared for that. He wouldn't wish us off with a simple 'Constant vigilance' then. But maybe, at one point, Voldemort hid there. Or some other parseltongue among his followers."

Tonks flinched at the name the first time, but steeled herself against the impulse the second. Her expression was noticeably more cheerful after his response. "Well, you ready?" He nodded. "This'll be interesting, to see what Muggles qualify as 'haunted'. Funny, don't you think, how they're so quick to deny magic when they see it but spend so much time making up fairy tales and superstitions."

"That does seem irrational and hypocritical." Lupin murmured in agreement.

"Oh, come on, Remus, you say that like it's a bad thing." Tonks teased. "I'll have you know that being irrational has helped me out of quite a few sticky situations at the ministry. Of course, don't go telling—" She stumbled on an uneven section of the sidewalk and almost fell face first but caught herself just in time. He had leaned forward to help her but she waved him off, an embarrassed grin on her face. "I'm fine, just a bit more clumsy than I'd like. Anyway, as I was saying, don't go telling that to Moody!"

Lupin paused for a moment and remembered she was also an Auror, albeit one just out of training. The thought made him realize how much younger than him she really was. She was so young, closer in age to Harry and Ron and Hermione than him, and suddenly he could see it where he had scarcely noticed before. Her vibrant energy compared to his mild manner, the brisk gait she walked at while his strides were longer but slower. "You can trust me."

They were several blocks away from Grimmauld Place now. Lupin looked around for any muggles that might be nearby and then suggested, "Around the next corner there's a small alley. From there we should be able to apparate to—" he checked the address quickly, "Briarwood Circle unseen."

The alley was abandoned just as he had hoped, and with a loud popping noise the two of them stood in the far corner of the yard, overgrown with trees. The house was every bit as decrepit as it had appeared in the picture. But what that rendition had not been able to convey was the awful smell of rotting wood and who knew what else that emanated from the property.

Lupin and Tonks exchanged a disgusted glance. "Now this is what you call a fixer-upper," She commented as Lupin prodded the bottom step of the porch with his toe in order to determine if it was safe to walk on. He gingerly stepped on the next one and motioned for her to follow. The stairs creaked under the strain of their feet, decayed from disuse. "Think any of those muggles moved out just for the smell?" Tonks asked lightheartedly. Lupin chuckled. Then the door creaked open, as it was loose on its hinges, and wiped the grin off of both of their faces.

Haunted or no, this house had an eerie quality to it. And judging by the pair of muddy boots flung haphazardly in the hall, someone had been here recently. Recently enough that they might not have left yet. The mud was still wet and a drop oozed to the ground.

A/N: I promise, it will get more complex and interesting! Tonks' entry is mean to be different from her usual personality, as people usually reveal the side they are least likely to share when writing personal things like that. I don't know how many chapters I'm planning, but this is definitely not a one shot like my other stories…Tonks/Lupin Romance will develop gradually, and they'll become good friends first. The fic will be mostly focused on them, but I do have some plans about this mission that involve a few other plotlines as well. Review! If you don't like it tell me why (but please try and be polite). The interaction between them will be much better in later chapters when they know each other better…sorry if this piece didn't come off well because of the emotion (or lack thereof). I have to establish this first before I can continue.