Tonks rushed out of the hospital room and into the hallway, tears starting to spill from her eyes. She felt like such a fool. 'How could I have just thrown everything out there in front of everyone like that?' she asked herself.

She heard the door opening and quickly, without much thought, disapparated to the one place she felt she could truly be alone with her feelings and just mope: Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

When she arrived at the doorstop she quickly made her way in, past the deterrents set up to ward off anyone looking to cause harm or trouble to the occupants. It was so dark and musky smelling but Tonks didn't care. She wanted to be completely alone.

She wandered around the downstairs, finding herself heading to the kitchen. She opened a couple of the cabinets and found a box of crackers. She took it out and sat down at the table, opening up the package. The crackers were a bit stale but still edible. She ate a few before deciding that she was no longer hungry. She pushed the box aside and just stared straight ahead.

"Oh Sirius you git.. you are probably enjoying this aren't you? What made me think it was ok to do that?" she said aloud. "Maybe you could have talked some sense into that werewolf friend of yours…I just laid everything out, in front of everyone too. I have never been more embarrassed in all of my life. I really wish you were here. Even if just to laugh at me."

The sudden pop of someone apparating into the hallway made her jump nearly out of her skin. She pulled her wand out and had it at the ready to defend herself if needed.

She got up out of her chair and slowly headed to the door. "Who's there?" she called out, her wand straight out in front of her.

"Its only me, Nymphadora," came a familiar voice but one she particularly didn't care to hear at this moment. Remus.

"Don't call me that. And why are you here?" she asked, lowering her wand and peeking out into the hallway.

"I just knew you might be here. I came out into the hallway but you were gone," Remus started.

"Why did you come here? You made yourself pretty clear back at the hospital. And thanks for doing it in front of everyone. I've never been more mortified in my entire life."

"Nym….. Dora… Please. Can we just talk?" he asked her.

"About what? What is left to talk about? Dumbledore is dead… and you want nothing to do with me. You're too old…. too sick….too poor… Blah, blah, blah. Did I cover it all? Or is there something else I missed and you wanted to come tell me?" Tonks was almost spitting the words out at him.

"Dora please…" his nickname for her when she refused to allow him to call her by her full first name. It usually made her feel all tingly inside but now it had her seething mad.

"Don't you 'Dora' me. You don't get to. I gave you the option, I put everything out there in front of everybody and you made yourself perfectly clear how you really felt."

Remus came at her quickly, no time for her to react, and kissed her roughly on the lips. Tonks jumped back, swiping at him. "What the hell was that for?"

"Please… I'm sorry. Nymphadora. Dora. Please," Remus pleaded with her.

"Please what? You had your chance back there. You turned me down at my most vulnerable. You made me feel like a fool. You don't just get to change your mind suddenly."

"I'm the fool," Remus spoke, stepping closer to her, taking her hand in both of his. They were warm and hers had been cold from the drafty old house. "I was scared. You honestly do deserve so much better than me. I can't offer you much of a life at all."

"A life with you is all I wanted. I don't care about money or age or the fact you turn into a hairy beast once a month. You're only 12 years older Remus so at least give yourself a break. I've never been a materialistic girl and you being a werewolf doesn't scare me away. A life with you sounds down right perfect to me. But what suddenly made you change your mind?" she added at the end, afraid she was forgetting she was still mad at the man.

"Molly came over and had a very stern talk with me," Remus told her. Tonks looked at him a little confused, clearly needing a better explanation. "She grabbed me by the ear, yanked me to the side and said if I didn't go out after you right that moment she was going to unleash her motherly wrath on me and no one could save me. Something like that… And the Weasley children nodded and looked at me with horrified looks so I thought it best to listen to her."

Tonks giggled at the thought. "Well I will have to thank Molly the next time I see her."

"So, can you forgive this old, poor werewolf?" Remus asked, squeezing her hand.

"I don't know Remus, you really made me mad. Truly mad. You had me talking to ghosts."

"Sirius?" Remus asked.

Tonks nodded. "He was probably laughing hysterically at my misery as I sat there eating stale crackers."

"Do you want to come back to my flat? It isn't much but I'm sure we could order a pizza or something?"

"Is it warmer than here? I forgot how drafty this house was."

"We'll start a fire and get it warm in no time. Come Dora," Remus said as he disapparated them both to his flat.