"Are you cold or something?" Tonks muttered to Remus. He looked at her confusedly, breaking his concentration temporarily from the heated argument between several members. An argument always managed to break out between several Order members in every meeting.
"A little," Remus replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Because you've got goose bumps all up and down your arm," she replied, pointing to them, accidentally touching his arm in the process. Remus felt an odd sensation in his stomach and he felt even more goose bumps rise. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sirius raise an eyebrow at the odd conversation the two were having. Dumbledore announced the meeting over and everyone stood up.
"I'm knitting you a sweater," Tonks told him. She froze for a moment while wrapping her scarf around her neck and added, "On second thought, I'm going to knit you several sweaters, a few scarves, and some mittens."
"You don't have to…" Remus muttered, turning red slightly.
"Well I want to and I will. Just consider them early Christmas presents."
"Two months early."
Tonks sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'll see you later, I can't stay for dinner this time. Bye Remus. Bye Sirius." With that she left through the kitchen door. Remus sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and sat back down at the table. He only dimly registered that he and Sirius were the only ones left; he just kept staring at the kitchen door leading in to the hall. Sirius gave a loud cough that made Remus jump up and come back to his senses.
"Oh, right, dinner," Remus said hurriedly, getting up and looking through the cupboards. He had somehow forgotten where everything was kept in the kitchen. "Sorry. I've got a lot on my mind. Where're the pots?"
"Not with the silverware, I can assure you," Sirius remarked amusedly. With a flick of his wand, a pot, spoon, cutting board, knife, meat, and several other objects came flying out and started preparing themselves.
"I'll just set the table, then," Remus decided. "Where're the plates?"
"Interesting meeting," Sirius commented while the two of them ate some time later. Remus nodded.
"Yes, it was," he agreed. "Kingsley's report was-"
"I wasn't talking about any reports," Sirius cut in. "I was talking about something else."
"What?" Remus inquired. Sirius shrugged in response and shoveled some food in to his mouth.
"Remember when James first told us how much he liked Lily and I started shouting: 'James loves Lily'?"
Remus chuckled and nodded. James had turned very red when that incident happened.
"I did the same thing with Wormtail when he told us he liked some Hufflepuff girl," Sirius continued. "I never thought I'd get to do that again…until tonight."
"What're you talking about?" Remus asked confusedly.
Sirius grinned, cleared his throat, and said in a sing-song voice: "Remus loves Tonks! Remus loves Tonks!"
Remus opened and closed his mouth, obviously speechless. His attempts at speaking were not very successful.
"I-you-…got the wrong-I'm not….she's-stop singing that!" Sirius happily obliged and resumed eating.
"You've got the wrong idea," Remus said after thinking very hard about what to say.
"Oh, Tonks," Sirius teased in a horrible impersonation of Remus. "You don't have to knit me a sweater. Just say you'll love me forever and ever!"
"Sirius…"
"You know, I wouldn't have pegged you as a guy who would fall for Tonks, but now I see that you two are absolutely perfect for each other."
"I don't feel anything for her other than platonic friendship!" Remus protested. He knew it would be no use in the end. He always lost any sort of argument with Sirius. But he was determined in this one. He did not like Tonks. He did not.
"OK, then explain a few things," Sirius ordered. "How come you got even more goose bumps when Tonks touched your arm?"
"I-" Remus began, but Sirius just continued.
"Why did you blush so terribly when Tonks said she would knit you a few sweaters?"
"It's called modesty-"
"How come after Tonks talked to you after the meeting, you spent forever simply staring at the kitchen door and when you finally snapped out of it, you couldn't remember where a single thing was?"
"I've got a lot on my mind."
"Yes, you do Moony," Sirius agreed. "You've got Tonks on your mind." Remus groaned and buried his head in his arms.
"Tonks is a fellow member of the Order and a friend," he said simply when he finally lifted his head. Then he sighed. "Besides, even if I did like her, I'm too old for her. I don't have a lot of money and I'm not the safest houseguest. Too dangerous."
"Mate, Tonks is more dangerous in a room full of glass," Sirius remarked with a straight face. "and I don't believe that you don't like her."
"I'll prove it to you," Remus said, stabbing his meat viciously with his fork. "Next time she's here I will show you that I don't like her."
Sirius smiled and agreed.
The next week, Remus was sitting in the kitchen chatting with Sirius when Tonks entered the kitchen. She was sporting long, shiny black hair and was carrying a bag.
"Hello, Remus," Tonks greeted, setting down the bag and going to the stove to pour herself a cup of tea. Remus, who was taking a sip of his own tea at the time, choked on it. After recovering from his short coughing fit he looked up and smiled weakly.
"Hi Tonks," he choked.
Damn you, Sirius, he thought to himself. Now I feel awkward because you think I like her and I don't!
"Are you alright?" Tonks asked. She attempted to set her teacup down on the table but ended up letting go too son and it dropped on to the table, breaking in two.
"Let me get that for you," Remus offered, taking out his wand. He moved his wand toward Tonks' smashed teacup, but did nothing more than knock his own over. He looked down at his lap, embarrassed.
"Both of you just sit still," Sirius said. With a flick of his wand he repaired both teacups. "I'll get you both some more tea. Honestly, Tonks, you're rubbing off on Remus a bit too much."
Tonks looked a little embarrassed as well now.
"What's in the bag?" Sirius asked as he poured tea in to the cups. Tonks no longer looked embarrassed and was now alert.
"Oh, I had almost forgotten about that!" she exclaimed. She retrieved the bag and brought it back over to the table. "Happy Early Christmas," Tonks said, placing it in front of Remus.
"I said you didn't have to," Remus muttered opening the bag. Inside were ten sweaters, four scarves, six pairs of mittens, and nine pairs of socks. "Wow. Thanks Tonks."
"So is there any other reason you're here Tonks?" Sirius asked, setting down the refilled teacups. "Besides giving Remus a whole new wardrobe, I mean."
"It's not that much!" Tonks protested, turning red.
"How many sweaters are in the bag again?"
"Leave her alone," Remus growled. Suddenly realizing how he sounded, he tried to cover it up by sipping on his tea and staring determinedly at the floor.
"I'm just visiting," Tonks said. "I have today off."
"So lunch for three then," Remus said, standing up. Any excuse to get away from the table.
"I'll help," Tonks offered, rushing ahead of Remus to the stove. Sirius conveniently forgot to tell either of them he had spilt some tea. She slipped and fell backwards. Remus reacted quickly and caught her.
"Er..." Remus turned slightly red at the position they were in. He helped Tonks back up to a standing position. "Are you alright?" he asked, searching for a rag to wipe up the tea.
"I'm-" The bell rang and Mrs. Black's loud screams filled the house. "I'll get it!" Tonks offered. She rushed out of the room, wand brandished.
After the screams died down, two sets of footsteps could be heard making their way up the stairs. Remus sighed, sat down at the table and buried his head in his hands.
"Oba, youin. Ilooktong," Remus mumbled incoherently.
"What was that?" Sirius asked. He was grinning widely. He knew what Remus probably said. Remus lifted his head.
"OK, you win. I like Tonks," Remus said quietly. Sirius punched a fist in the air triumphantly. Remus groaned and rested his head back in to his arms. He would never be hearing the end of this.