I saw beauty in everything but the moon. The sky, the stars, the sea, the earth; all of it was beautiful. I was an advocate of beautiful things and I thought that I understood when something was truly beautiful.
And then she walked into the room and suddenly there was nothing more beautiful than she. Not the sky, nor the stars, nor the sea, nor the earth. I stared, moments, mere seconds, passing between us. She didn't even see me. With this enticing, coy smile on her face, she surveyed the room, meeting fellow Order Members for the first time. I tried to look anywhere but at her until Sirius slapped me on the back and dragged me over to make introductions.
"Cousin! Meet my dear friend, Remus Lupin. Remus, this is my sweet cousin Nymphadora Tonks," he cried. Sirius was always so good at speaking. Normally, so was I. Yet the words didn't come. She finally looked at me and something remarkable happened. Her smile changed into something else. What was it? I couldn't say. No woman had looked at me with such an expression. Not once in my entire life. I think Sirius might have seen what was going on, so gently, he backed up and prepared to make a hasty escape.
One of us had to move so slowly, I extended my hand. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Tonks." You're reading this wrong, Remus. She is too young. Too beautiful. It's the scars. She's afraid. And the moment was broken.
Her lopsided grin returned and she grabbed my hand, shaking it confidently. I tried not to revel in the feel of her soft hand brushing my rough one, but it became an impossible task as she let go and then placed her hands on her slender hips, taking a stance that became her. "Pleasure all mine, Remus! Lose the 'miss'. Tonks'll do. No need for such formalities, y'know?" She winked at me, skirted around me and I turned my head to see her introduce herself to the others.
"What was that, old friend?" Sirius murmured under his breath as he approached once more. I shook my head.
"It was nothing, Sirius. I don't know what you're talking about. If that's the only new member being brought in, I may head home." I couldn't look at Sirius, knew I was doing a piss poor job of keeping my true feelings hidden, but she had knocked my senses for a loop. The sound of her voice, the smell of strawberries that had overcome me when she'd stepped past, the completely reckless way in which she stumbled around the room like she didn't care if she fell.
"Doesn't look like nothing to me, Remus. Looks like..." I can't recall what he said past that because at that moment, her hair turned a miraculous shade of turquoise. She had me in that moment. She had me, but I could never allow myself to act upon it. As she performed for the other members, showing off her morphing talents, I locked it away in a special place within my heart.
"Good evening, Sirius." And with one last look I turned my back and left 12 Grimmauld place, unknowing that the moment my back was turned, her eyes followed me and lingered.