Title: Tomorrow
Author: chromatic.daydream
Chapter: One of one

Authors Note: For Rebecca, who wanted something centered on Remus and Tonks. You ask and I do deliver. Hopefully this satisfies you until 7/21/07.

…
"Why do you do it?"
"Why do I do what?"

Her voice was soft and sleepy, and although Remus could not see her, he knew her eyes were closed drowsily. A tiny line of moonlight filtered in between the curtains to illuminate the otherwise dark room. His hand snaked beneath the covers to feel out her warm skin, the greying man sighing into the crook of her neck as he wrapped himself around her body.

"Why do you do this, Nymph? Why do you fight the fight?"
"You mean, why do I fight the unwinnable fight?"

His lips smirked at her astute comment; she was always on the top of her game, his Nymphadora was. She couldn't have been anymore right. Although, tonight of all nights it probably wasn't hard to guess the sentiment that was on many of the members of the Order's minds. Lying there breathing into the darkness, Remus could scarcely get his mind around what had taken place only a night ago.

Surreal that 24 hours removed from the death of the greatest wizard ever known, Remus was lying naked curled up with the woman of his dreams. It felt wrong, almost. But only almost.

"Love, why do you fight?" Her voice murmured.
"You know why I do, Dora. Everyone knows why. But you… you don't have to be here. You've got so much to live for and yet…."
"And yet I'm lying here beside you, ready to face whatever tomorrow brings with the same conviction you do."
"But why? For what?"

He had expected silence. For Nymphadora ran her fingers through his hair gently, their positions somehow over the course of their discussion had changed. His head nestled comfortably on her chest, arms encircling her tiny waist as her breath sent goosebumps down his spine. The comfort he found in her was remarkable; she had become his sunshine, his life, and Remus would even concede that she was his love.

The world after all, could use more love in it.

"Because I cannot pretend the fight wouldn't come to my doorstep. That it wouldn't come and take my Muggle Dad, and take my blood-traitor Mum, and…. god-forbid they try to take you away, Remus. I'm half Muggle too, aren't I? They'd come for me, when Hermione, and the Weasley's aren't enough to satisfy them."

She paused, letting her words sink in for only second before her next statement took Remus' breath away.

"I don't want to explain to my children why I didn't do everything in my power to save their grandfather, and save their grandmother… save their father. They deserve normal lives…"

It was a sudden overload on Remus' senses; his nose was filled with the scent of Nymphadora's lemon shampoo, the taste of his suddenly dry mouth, the feel of her skin beneath his hands, her grey eyes staring at him through the darkness, the sound of the creaking house, and most importantly, the sudden overwhelming constriction of his heart as he realized what she had just said.

"Rem?"

As fast as his heart had filled with love for the women next to him, it broke with the tremor in voice as she blinked rapidly at him. His Nymphadora was confident and strong and passionate, not trembling in the silence as she waited for a response.

"I… I think I'd like that for them too."
"You would?"
"I do." Remus rolled over to pin her beneath him, "I do in every sense of the word, Dora. When this is all over, all of it, it's going to be you, and me, and as many beautiful little versions of you as we can manage."
"Why won't they be like you?"
"Because you are infinitely more beautiful. And the world needs more metamorphagus' to drive me insane."
"I drive you insane?"
"Incredibly. I think I'm greying at twice the rate as before. Hey!"

He glared at her in mock outrage for a second, her hand running back over the shoulder she smacked him on. Her black hair was curled in distorted stands on the pillow beneath her, imperfect and natural, and completely Nymphadora. Or completely the way he saw her in these private moments.

There hadn't been many, even less when he had gone to live with the pack, but their stolen moments over the past year had been worth living for. And now suddenly, for the first time in his life, Remus really felt like there was a real future to live for. A future to fight for; to honour Lily and James, and Sirius' memory, to improve the lives of everyone like him, and now to be a husband, and a father, and a better man than he thought he could be.

"Love?" A hand stroked his cheek softly.
"Tomorrow reality sets in again." He mumbled, "Tomorrow I don't want to go back to just being another Order Member to you."
"You were never just another Order Member, Remus."
"… If I asked you right now to face tomorrow with me hand in hand, would you?"
"I already do face everyday with you, Remus."

The patience of this woman was unlimited. Yet her innocence and inability to see between his words as she normally did was almost comical, Remus wrapping a strand of hair around his finger. There really did need to be more love in the world.

"Dora, what if I put a ring on that hand?"