Disclaimer: Not mine, of course!
A/N: Written earlier this evening, because there really is nothing better than some Remus/Dora sweetness on a stormy English day!
The first time I met her, she had just fallen over something. I suppose, in all fairness to her, it was still relatively early, only about nine o'clock. Okay, by still relatively early, I mean relatively early for her. Her hair was tightly curled and grey, and her face was extremely pale, deeply lined with dozens of wrinkles. Her eyes were small, and squinty behind thick round glasses. She was very small, couldn't have been more than five foot, with hunched shoulders.
'Who in the…?' I had asked, slightly shocked at the strange person I had just caught.
'Nymphadora Tonks, Metamorphmagus, Order Member, clumsiest fool you've ever had the pleasure of meeting,' she grinned, sticking her hand out in front of her. Her face changed, it was smooth and heart shaped now, her eyes were a dark, vibrant violet. Her hair was bright, bubblegum pink, and stuck up in short spikes. She was taller than before, though only by a few inches, and not as skinny. The skinny look, I instantly decided, did not suit her at all.
'Order Member? If you don't mind me asking, why have I never seen you before?'
'Oh, well, I'm also an Auror, and I was on a mission, pretending to be that wiry old bird you saw a few minutes ago. Who are you? Don't remember seeing you at my last meeting either?'
Last meeting had been the evening of a full moon. 'Erm, well Nymphadora… bad circumstances… for me at least,' I murmured, stuttering slightly.
Understanding seemed to dawn on her. 'Remus Lupin. Of course! It was a full moon that night. Anyway, I've got to go and see Molly, tell her I haven't died - you know how she is!' She beamed, but turned back to me and said, laughing teasingly, 'Remus? Call me Nymphadora again and I'll hex your balls off!' before flouncing away, tripping as she went.
I saw her again quite a few times, and we became good friends. Although, I don't think I really knew her until after Sirius died. We were closest to him, both of us his family.
Up until that point, I thought her quite childish, immature and naïve. I don't think I realised that was her way of raising everyone's spirits, making the war a little less dark. When Sirius died, she didn't bother morphing anymore. According to the few who had seen her, she was bright, and pretty, naturally. And she should have been very pretty, but her skin was sallow, and dark bags sit underneath her dull eyes. Her hair was lank and mousey brown.
I knew his death had left a gaping whole in each of our lives, but I couldn't bare for her to be in this strange sort of depression any longer. I'd grown fond of her. Too fond of her. I ignored my fondness for months; I was, after all, too poor, too old and too dangerous for her. Nevertheless, I was her friend, at least, and what were friends for?
'Nymphadora? Are you okay?' I asked.
'Yes, just bloody fine, Remus, bloody fine.' She snapped back at me.
'I know Sirius is gone, but he wouldn't want you to …' I started, but she stood up, cutting me off before I could finish.
'Sirius? SIRIUS? You think this is about Sirius?' She glared at me.
'I… well, isn't it?' I said, bewildered.
She stormed towards me, for once not falling over. 'No Remus! Can't you see it? It's you, you prat.' She grabbed the front of my robes. 'I love you.'
'Nymphadora…I…I'm too old for you… too poor… too dangerous…' I stuttered. Why would she possibly want me?
Her eyes narrowed. 'You see? That's why I didn't say anything to you. Remus, for Merlin's sake, when will you start doing what makes you happy? But no, I suppose it'll have to be enough that we're both miserable and alone, wont it? Because you're too POOR. Too DANGEROUS. Too OLD.' She shouted the last few words at me. 'I don't care, Remus. I don't care. I still want you.' She whispered in my ear, before kissing my cheek. She stalked away, managing not to fall over.
From outside the room, she shouted to me: 'And my name is TONKS!'
'…Don't you see? SHE LOVES HIM ANYWAY! JUST LIKE I LOVE YOU!'
'No, Dora! IT'S NOT THE SAME! Bill isn't affected like I am! I'm dangerous …' I can't make her understand, Bill and I, our situations are nothing alike. She doesn't understand I just want to keep her safe.
'And poor and old, I've heard it before, Remus!' She turns from me, no longer shouting, but her face is still red, I can see, and she's trembling slightly. 'I'll never want anyone but you. Everyone else can see that, Remus, why cant you? If you don't care for me, I'll never bring this up again, and you can go back to being boring and alone. So tell me, Remus. Tell me you don't love me.'
Is that really what she thinks? Merlin, that girl really does have no idea. I can't think of the perfect words to explain to her how I feel. I grab her by her shoulders, turn her to face me, and kiss her. We've not kissed before, but I know that first kisses are meant to be sweet and innocent. This kiss isn't. This kiss is full of passion and desperation and desire. This kiss shows her how much I need her, hopefully destroying those ridiculous notions she keeps vocalising.
'I love you, Nymphadora, you great fool,' I say, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, one hand wound into her hair, pulling her face to my chest. She hugs me back, just as tightly. 'Are you certain? Are you certain this is what you want? Me? Not someone younger and more attractive, who could offer you a wonderful home?' I ask, and for the first time, I'm anxious of her answer.
She pulls back and looks me in the eye. 'You can offer me the best home I could ever want, Remus. A home with you is the only home I ever want to have! Besides, I happen to think you're pretty hot, in your own special way,' she smirks at me, but her eyes are honest.
The next words to come out of my mouth surprise me, but I find that I mean them, truly and completely. 'Marry me, Nymphadora.'
She kisses me again. This kiss is full of just as much feeling as our first. 'Just because we are now engaged, Remus, does not mean you can call me Nymphadora!'
I don't think she's never been more beautiful. She's my wife, she's natural, and she's painting a nursery, getting ready for our child. She's six months pregnant, and even in the middle of a war, we're happy.
She's painting the nursery yellow - honey yellow. She's using a roller on the walls, splattering paint onto her hair and face. She seems blissfully oblivious to it, humming her favourite Weird Sisters song, caressing her round stomach every now and then.
'Have you finished the crib yet?' she asks me excitedly.
'Yes, just finished now, Dora. I don't understand why we couldn't have done this the wizard way?' I ask, but she knows I'm just humouring her. I'm glad we're doing it the muggle way. Both my mother and her father were muggle born, so we wanted this pregnancy to be as muggle as possible.
'Because, sweetheart darling Remus,' she smiles at me, 'we are delightfully boring little sods!'
She stands up to look at the crib.
'Dora! Careful!' I cry, but it's too late. Her left foot is ankle deep in the pot of paint, yellow splashes covering her purple dungarees. She's looks at me and we both start laughing.
'Nymphadora…' I laugh, shaking my head.
'Remus, we may be married now, with a clumsy, metamorphmagus, were-child on the way, but that does not, I repeat, not give you the right to call me Nymphadora! Dora, please. D-O-R-A!'
I can see right through her, she doesn't really mind it. Some things will never change. She smiles at me, even through her pretend anger, and I return it warmly, taking her in my arms, not caring about her yellowed leg.
'You'll always be Nymphadora to me, love.'