Title: Touching Souls
Author: Mucada
Rating: G
Disclaimer: 110 Jo's. 110 canon. ;)
Summary: "She then said something about how his eyes crinkled just then. " HBP SPOILERS R/T
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And so it was. He remembered one moment, when they were at the Weasley's. They had been sitting on the couch, and Remus pretended that Hermione and Ginny weren't listening in on their conversation. Was he harsh enough to Tonks, to not have told the two girls to stop eavesdropping? Now that he thought about it, it shamed him that he thought so little about her feelings not to take them seriously.
That was, until he realized that his feelings weren't just lust, unresolved tension, or just a selfish reason to feel passion again. They were in fact true, and he remembered the exact moment he came to this epiphany. It was in muggle London, after they had cleaned out the old Order headquarters, and Remus felt obligated at the time to walk Tonks home to her flat. It wasn't a big event at all, he just didn't want her walking alone at dust. Remus had grown tired as they had walked, and he had lagged behind for a while because he knee was stiff from his last transformation. He remembered Tonks, not looking at him at all as she grabbed his arm and slowed her pace to match his. They said nothing as she wrapped her arm around his waist and soon after he placed his arm around hers as well. From behind they probably looked like lovers, and Remus finally felt something. He felt her small hand against his hip, and he felt the warmth under his arm.
He had since then forgotten what it was to love.
So, naturally, more out of reflex than point, he tried to push her away. Was he too self-righteous? He told himself that he didn't want to see her hurt, but honestly he knew that he was afraid of what he didn't understand. He didn't understand how such a person could love someone like him. What did it take inside of her to hold onto him? That night, in the hospital wing, standing in front of Tonks as she shook him relentlessly for his insanity, they did have equal stubbornness after all, he realized one thing. Minerva did say that the world needed some love. Tonks wanted love, and he wanted love.
They were touching souls, really. He didn't mind that they may seem obscure, because Tonks had changed her hair pink again, and he didn't laugh at it or tease her in anyway. He just kissed her and said he liked the color on her. She then said something about how his eyes crinkled just then. They sat at Dumbledore's funeral, and Remus didn't cry, he never did at funerals. Crying would come later when the moment was upon him and something inside would tell himself that Albus was dead. He hadn't reached that part of the grieving yet. Tonks had the night before, and today they seemed to be on the same emotional wavelength, even if she was a few steps ahead.
They had sat heads together and both wishing to leave. Remus always told himself he should be celebrating lives from now on because he had experienced too much grief. It never worked, with Lily and James, with Sirius –twice, and now he knew it wouldn't work just yet with Dumbledore, although he was hoping something new would allow him to try that.
He was celebrating something new now too. He was sure nothing else mattered.
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So my OTP? Yeah, it's canon. too smug for her own good