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The Travel Go Challenge – Draco/Ginny; Tonks/Remus; Random; Mood; Setting
The Garden
Remus could smell the scent of the flowers as he sat on a bench under a tree. The sun was high in the sky, warming everything and making everything in sight clearly visible for him to see. It was one of those picturesque settings that he had seen in one of the muggle movies Lily had dragged them to watch every so often, those really romantic ones where the girl always ended up with the guy and managed to forgive him for his mistakes.
That was exactly what he was trying to do. Tonks had gotten upset when he told her that they should not be together, that it was too dangerous. It was the truth. He did not want to hurt Tonks and he had to protect her from himself, but she obviously did not want to be protected from him.
When Ginny had found out, she had scolded him and made him feel like a scared teenager. She told had told him quite frankly that if he loved Tonks that he would care about what Tonks thought instead of trying to think for her. She pointed out that Tonks was an adult and could decide for herself, and then moved on to point out that she and Draco still had a relationship despite the danger involved. They loved each other and that was what mattered. She had been the one to suggest this setting, saying that he had to make it up to Tonks and that all girls loved it when the guy got all romantic. He had not been particularly sure about the whole idea but he had conceded and agreed to try it quickly at Ginny's glare. That girl could glare like her mother.
His heart nearly stopped when he saw Tonks wandering around the flowers. She looked like an angel, his angel. She had darkened her hair and picked a couple bright flowers to put in her hair. She looked beautiful and he could only stare as she caught sight of him and moved towards him to sit on the bench next to him.
"Did you do all this Moony?" Tonks asked with a smile on her voice.
"I had some help," he admitted looking down at his hands. Now that Tonks was here, he could not remember what he was supposed to say or how he was supposed to apologize and make it up to Tonks. She was so beautiful that it was distracting his mind to the point where he could barely think.
"You look beautiful," he finally managed after some silence, and many attempts at getting his thoughts back in order.
"Thank you," Tonks smiled again. "I really like the flowers. They are all so colourful and pretty."
Remus took a deep breath, he was probably going to mess this up anyway so he might as well blurt the entire thing out like the Gryffindor he was and wait for Tonks' reaction afterwards.
"Tonks," he started and she turned to face him completely, "I'm sorry. I only tried to push you away to protect you. I don't want to hurt you. I don't know what I'd do if I ever saw you hurt and if I had harmed you …" he shook his head. "I love you Tonks and I'm sorry if I hurt you."
Remus winced mentally as he butchered the entire speech Hermione had helped him prepare at Ginny's request. The speech had been pretty good and if he had managed it, it would have been impressive but he knew from the very start that he was probably going to mess up and he had. Spectacularly.
Tonks looked at him for a moment then began to laugh.
"You don't need to apologize. I realized your reasons after some thought and I can understand your fears, Moony. You did not have to go through all this, a simple conversation at a café would have sufficed," Tonks smiled.
Remus sighed in relief. "I knew that but you had Ginny on your side, and that girl is terrifying and she had been in one of her demanding moods when she heard that you had stormed away from the Burrow angrily after shouting at me, she only heard you shouting of course and refused to listen to my side of the entire thing. I'd swear she channels Molly sometimes and yet other times she looks so innocent. Sometimes I wonder how Draco manages with her but when I see them together I understand."
Tonks laughed, she knew this all too well. "What were they going to make you do if I hadn't forgiven you?"
Remus winced visibly. "They were going to make me paint a portrait of you and send it to you with an apology or send me to Neville to find a plant that you would love. They were going to make me paint first but I simply cannot paint to save my life, they did not know about the lack of experience in that sector."
Tonks laughed harder. "I remember … that time … when you … were dared …" Tonks could not even finish her sentence with how hard she was laughing but Remus knew exactly what she was talking about anyway. There was only one time that he had been dared to paint anything and that had been disastrous. There had been more paint on him that on the actual canvas. He had walked around with paint stuck in his hair for over a week. Sirius had never let him live that down, neither would Tonks apparently.
Remus could not help in, he started laughing as well. Despite the fact that it had happened to him, it had been rather hilarious. He remembered when he had looked into the mirror every day that week and had almost burst out laughing every single time.
Behind a couple of bushes across the garden, Ginny and Hemione high-fived each other on a job well done, Moony and Tonks were and item once again.