Lately I began wondering what made Remus first start to fall in love with Tonks. So I just had to find out! I put pen to paper and here's what I came up with!
Set sometime during the Order of The Pheonix, before their feelings became clear and Remus rejected Tonks for what he thought was her own good. Enjoy!
Disclaimers: The Harry Potter world is all J.K Rowling's! I've just been borrowing it for a bit!
"Oh, hi Remus" Tonks said brightly "How are you?"
Lupin put down the newspaper he was reading and looked up as Tonks dumped her bag onto the floor by the door. "I'm perfectly fine Nymphadora,"
Tonks grimaced "That's not my name," She moaned as she flopped into the nearest chair.
"Oh, sorry. Coffee?" He stood up and lifted the coffee pot, pouring some for both of them as Tonks replied "Oh, of course, thanks Remus,"
He set the mug in her hand, their fingers brushing. He didn't notice the tingling that passed between them. Tonks had gone faintly pink, which escaped his notice as he sat back down in his own chair. By then Tonks seemed to have recovered enough to say "I didn't know you'd be here at all."
"I'm only here for a couple of days. Dumbledore needed me at the next meeting and suggested I wait out for a couple days and get some proper food in me." He sounded slightly bitter and the younger woman leaned across the table to touch his hand in comfort. Lupin smiled wryly.
"I'm just moaning. Ignore me; you don't want to be sucked into my pathetic problems." There was a slightly awkward silence. Then Tonks laughed.
"Since when did you become all doom and gloom Remus?" despite the teasing there was hint of concern behind her voice. Remus herd it and smiled. It was always good to be back among friends, people who actually cared. He was feeling a bit down since his last visit. Being among others of his kind he was getting too used to moaning and groping over everything. In a way he was glad Tonks was here to bring him back down to earth.
"Sorry Nymphadora, really, I'll get over it."
"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Her good mood momentarily disappeared. "Why do you have such a problem with calling me that? Everyone else calls me Tonks. Tonks, Remus, that's my name!"
There was a chuckle from the doorway, Sirius walked in.
"I thought I herd you dear cousin." He laughed again when Tonks pulled a face at him and flopped down into a chair.
"I like your new hair by the way, very... interesting..."
Tonk's hand flew to her hair at once. She hadn't remembered changing it since she last saw him. He obviously didn't like it. Remus had been too polite to say anything, of course. Had she changed it without remembering?
She practically flew to the nearest reflective surface, he was making her nervous. With a shock Tonks ran her hands through her slowly reddening hair. It was only halfway up the roots, and clashed horribly with the pink that it was covering. She focused her attention for a second and it went back to being fully pink. Tonks realised she hadn't subconsciously changed it since her school days when she had been completely embarrassed by a group of Slytherins.
With a glance back at the table Tonks knew why it had happened again, Remus. She was just feeling a little flustered. She set her coffee on the sink nearby and started to make her way back to her seat. As she passed, however, the ever-clumsy-Tonks tripped over her own feet and fell.
Before she hit the ground however Remus caught her with lightning fast reflexes and set her on her feet. Tonks couldn't breathe, while Remus gave her a small smile, completely oblivious to her pounding heart.
"Are you okay?" He asked. Tonks could only nod.
As she made her way back to her seat she stumbled slightly again. Remus had just held her! The though replayed in her mind and she blushed, subconsciously trying to check her hair in the toaster behind Sirius, just in case it had changed again. She couldn't tell, but just in case Tonks focused her hair on being pink.
Lupin was turning back to Sirius, surprised he hadn't commented on his cousin's clumsy fall. Usually he loved to tease her. Instead he found his friend sitting with a slow smile spreading across his face, comprehension dawning in his eyes.
"What is it?" Remus asked him. Sirius' smile merely grew larger. He tapped the side of his nose suggestively but said nothing.
Lupin sighed, if Sirius didn't want to tell him he didn't have to, Remus wasn't going to try and weasel it out of him no matter how curious he was. It wasn't at if Sirius would tell him. Instead the werewolf turned back to Tonks.
"Are you staying for tea then?" She jumped as she was pulled out of her thoughts.
"Oh, yes, um – have you seen Molly? I need to talk to her."
As Remus shrugged the woman in question walked in. Molly beamed as she noticed the new arrival.
"Tonks, dear, I didn't hear you arrive. Staying for dinner are you?"
Tonks grinned. "Yes Molly, if that's alright with you,"
The older woman nodded. "Of course, the more the merrier! Although I do have laundry to do before I start to make it, so it may be a while..."
"I can do the laundry if you want Molly," Tonks offered, standing up. She'd talk to Molly later.
"Oh, would you? Thank you so much dear, it's so nice to have someone else around to help." She looked pointedly at Sirius who gave her a sheepish grin.
"I'll see you at dinner then," said Tonks, heading out of the door and down the all to collect the dirty clothes from whatever order members had been staying this time. Now she just had to try and perform the proper household charms, never her strong point.
Sirius leaned right across the table as Molly moved to open some cupboards and begin cooking.
"So Remus..." He began, looking as though he'd burst with smugness. "Did you notice anything new about Tonks?" He was hoping the attraction his cousin surely felt was mutual.
"N-New?" Remus was confused. Was this something to do with what Sirius had found out?
"Yes, Tonks seems rather-"
Suddenly Molly turned around. She looked furious "Sirius, shut you mouth right now." She hissed.
"What?" Sirius had a look of false innocence on. "I was merely asking Remus if he-"
"Outside, right now! I need a word with you Sirius Black!" She was wearing her most terrifying expression, usually reserved for her husband and children.
Reus grinned "Better listen to her Padfoot, she looks dangerous."
Sirius glanced into Molly's fiery eyes and decided Remus was probably right.
"What did I do?" he asked when they were safely behind a shut door.
Molly seemed to swell with indignance as she ignored his question and began her attack
"You know don't you?" Molly ranted. "How on Earth did you work it out? Or did she tell you? – Surely not! She wouldn't be that stupid!" The old woman took a deep breath, glaring at Sirius expectantly.
"Oh, well, yeah," he said as he realised what she meant. He didn't quite understand the reaction. "It's not hard to spot...But what's so bad about me knowing. She likes him, I'm sure he'd like her too if you'd just let me-"
"Let you! Let you! Let you do what?" Molly growled "You were going to tell him, weren't you? It won't work like that!" She barely paused to draw breath "Besides, she'd be so embarrassed. Can't you think about her feelings? if your little stunt didn't work where'd she be left? It would be mortifying! Why can't you just leave things to sort themselves-"
But Sirius interrupted. "I wasn't going to tell him she's got a thing for him!"
This clearly stopped Molly's argument in its tracks. Her brow furrowed in confusion "Oh, what – what were you going to tell him?"
"I was going to see if he likes her too!" Sirius hissed urgently. He'd just realised he needed to get back and do it before anyone else arrived.
"You were..." Molly tapped her chin thoughtfully "Well, maybe, but don't give too much away. Maybe if we both said a few things." She seemed suddenly excited at the prospect of playing matchmaker.
"Well I think it would work," Began Sirius "If I-"
But he was cut off.
"Helloooo," Came the call from the door "We're here!"
Molly and Sirius looked up at the nearest clock in alarm.
"Oh my, that'll be Hestia and Emmeline – already here. I'd better get back to making tea!" And Molly hurried off, Sirius slumping in after her.
"What was that about?" asked Remus.
"Nothing," Came the reply. "Where were we anyway," he grinned suddenly, "Oh, yeah I was just saying how nice Tonks looked tonight."
Molly interrupted, "Sirius can you greet the guests first!"
So Sirius slipped out into the hall to show Hestia and Emmeline in, and to leave Lupin wondering over his remark.
At dinner later on Remus found himself watching Tonks more closely then he ever had before.
Sirius was right. She did look very nice. There was a certain radiance to her as she laughed and made jokes.
Tonks glanced up. Her eyes sparked when she looked at him and Remus felt a lurch somewhere in his chest.
Sirius was more right then he knew. There was something new about Nymphadora. She did, indeed look nice tonight. He couldn't believe he'd never seen it before, although he may have been trying to repress it. Now that he realised his growing attraction Remus smiled ruefully. He wasn't going to be able to have a relationship with anyone, let alone the lovely Nymphadora. But she'd be a good wife to some man. Some other man of course, never him. Remus almost sighed. It was such a pity...
Remus Lupin was so caught up in contemplation of his own past blindness that he didn't notice the smug looks Molly and Sirius exchanged.
It seemed Sirius Black's plan was going to work.
Hope you enjoyed it! I liked the idea of Sirius and Molly uniting for some match-making. Please reveiw!