Author's Note: Written for the 100 Stories/Prompts challenge on the HPFF. The first prompt was 'fancy'. Enjoy, and please review! You guys have been reviewing so much and have been so faithful to my stories…Like, it's insane, and it's why I have been writing so much! :D Keep it coming- If I get 5 reviews for this chapter, the 5th reviewer will have a Remus/Tonks story written for them of their choice. Yes, I am that thankful *hearts and cookies*
God Bless,
Sarah.
Tonks entered Number 12 Grimmauld Place with an air of resignation. How could he be so stupid; so dumb?! So-
"-Good evening, Nymphadora."
The voice penetrated her very being, and her blood ran cold.
"Don't call me Nymphadora," she replied dangerously.
Her heart-rate spiked as the speaker grabbed a lock of her brown hair, disregarding her question.
"Brown?" He mused.
"Auburn," she shot back, yanking her hair from his grasp. "Bloody ouch!" She groaned, messaging the spot on her scalp that section of hair was attached to.
"It suits you," Remus said softly, disregarding her statement again. It was a compliment; All hse had to do was accept it.
"I suppose depressing hair colors do suit me- I have been upset more often than not these days," she spoke bitterly.
Remus had no comment to this now and walked past her politely with his cloak hanging over his arm. He rested a hand gently on her shoulder as he moved past her, but she shrugged it off angrily, rushing past him.
She said nothing for the rest of the night, listening intently to the meeting as she sat but only hearing his voice in her head. The Order shrunk away as his mantra of refusal pounded into her head.
Too old, too poor, too dangerous. She heard it over, and over, and over.
"You aren't dangerous you bloody git!" The words left her mouth before she could stop them, and her heart thumped into her throat as all eyes fell on her.
"Tonks," Mad-Eye began. "I do believe Mundungus is indeed too, unfit, for the job at the present ti-"
"-No, it isn't about Dung. I'm sorry," she cut off, grabbing her coat and rushing out the door.
Everyone fell silent; motionless except Remus. His standing was almost immediate, and he rushed after her.
"Tonks!" He called, opening the doors that she was shutting in his face. "Dora!"
Still, she ignored him, rushing to the very front door. With a flick of his wand, he swung the door shut, though. She said nothing as she faced the closed door, clutching the handle with white knuckles.
"Nymphadora Tonks," he spoke dangerously. Tonks couldn't help but gulp, but she remained frozen. She deserved whatever he had coming to her; for the wolf to rage.
For the first time ever, she was just ready to take it- she didn't even comment on the use of her full name.
"Look at me, Dora," his ton softened- it was pleading.
She didn't acknowledge him; her knuckles turned even whiter is that was even possible.
"Dora, you are absolutely ruining everything," he began, and now, he saw her visibly flinch.
Ruining what? Them or her alone?
Thoughts pounded in her head as bitter tears spilled over from her eyes.
"You're going so stir crazy," he continued. "You're working such long shifts and going home to an empty house. I told you that you could stay at mine up until the week of the full moon- but you're so bloody stubborn."
At that, she finally spun around to face him, rage bubbling up inside of her.
"Yes, Lupin, because I would just love to spend the night in your bed while you're on the couch!" She fumed.
"Tonks, please calm down."
"No! I am done being calm!" The tears were flowing freely down her cheeks now, and it broke Remus's heart to see.
He reached out to envelope her in a hug, but she pulled away from his arms, tripping over the umbrella stand and falling backwards. She wrapped her head painfully on the side of the door and he rushed forward, kneeling beside her and cradling her head in his hands.
"Are you alright?" He asked gently, and for a moment, her world faded away again.
All that was left was him.
"Remus, I fancy you a lot."
He swallowed slowly, gathering his thoughts. Finally, he replied the most typical thing he could have; the one that hurt her the most.
"I know you do, Dora. I know you do."
"Do you fancy me too?" She asked.
Her voice was desperate now; it was soft and warm. Remus gripped her hand with one of his own that he removed from behind her head, and smoothed her hair back with his thumb.
"I do, Tonks. I do a lot."
She pulled his face down to meet hers, then, and their lips met for the first time. Tonks's head swam with the pain that resulted from her fall, and the butterflies that were shooting up from her stomach into her skull. It was blissful; it was perfect.
She fancied him- she had known this for a long time.
But the fact that he fancied her back…
That was beautiful.
