As I watched Harry and Minerva slowly walk from the hospital wing, I chanced a glance toward Tonks, her eyes downcast after the explosion that had blown forth. My hands trembled in front of me, and I could not pay attention to the words that were being said about what would now happen to the school, the war, Bill. My eyes seemed only to be able to look at her and at my shaking hands. My mind seemed to move my body and hover above everything that had transpired that evening. I knew that I was casting a curious shadow on the wing, but as I had expected them to, nobody bothered me, pulled me out of my trance.

Slowly, they, one by one, left with kind words to Bill and Fleur and most with a loving hug. When I finally snapped out of my trance-like state, I noticed that only Molly, Tonks, and Fleur remained to stay by Bill's side. I stood up slowly, not being sure of the thing that had suddenly popped into my mind. I gently walked over to Tonks, trying not to disturb the other three. I touched her arm softly, trying to convey the message that I wanted to talk to her.

She looked directly at me, my hand still barely touching her forearm, and silently, she stood and followed. We walked as we had walked numerous times before, not saying a word. The air was filled with the tense feeling of my past numerous rejections of her. She walked without the usual clumsiness that normally filled her aura but with grace long suppressed. The halls, though filled to their brim a few hours ago, were empty, empty of everything that I had grown used to seeing.

Her jaw was set in a most peculiar manner, as though she was longing to shout at me but could not find the courage to do it. Her eyes stared straight forward, though they stole several glances at me when she thought that I was not looking. I found myself comforted by the fact that she was beside me in these halls where a battle had just taken place. The cleanup, however, was already completed, and everything about the corridors leaked emptiness. She clenched her jaw further and stopped suddenly, causing me to also stop.

"I don't care if you think you're too old," she said, her voice portraying that her mind was clearly set on the matter. "I don't care! Do you hear me, Remus?" She clearly awaited an answer to the outburst, the answer that might silence her protests forever more. She waited for the nod that never came.

"You should care, Tonks," I said without hesitation. Her face fell, as though she had expected a different response due to the ambush in the hospital wing. "I'm a werewolf; there is nothing that will change that fact. I'm old, and I practically have nothing." She glanced down at her shoes and mumbled something that I did not hear. When I asked her about it, she looked up.

"I said, you don't have to be alone because of that," she said, her eyes drifting past me onto the wall behind. She looked as though all her tears were worn out all the tears that could possibly have been cried out had already done just that. "You're a good man," she continued. "You don't have to be alone, simply because of things out of your control. You've never intentionally hurt anybody. You don't deserve to be alone for the rest of your life."

Again, I felt like I was obligated to speak, but the words would not come out of my mouth. I sighed and, without waiting to see if she would follow, walked away, blindly wandering along the way we had started on. I was not surprised when she hurried to catch up with me and slid in front of her, her posture demanding a reply.

"I don't want to endanger anyone," I spoke with a rather unconvincing manner. "Is it not enough to try to protect those who matter to me?" Watching her eyes closely, I saw that she wasn't pleased with that response. She softly rolled her eyes, running her hand through her brown hair that she couldn't control anymore.

"Remus, Sirius and James didn't care when you told them that, did they?" she told me sternly, seeing me close my eyes tightly when she mentioned the past. "Why would I?" She gently touched my arm with her palm, wrapping her fingers around it with equal gentleness. "Sirius wouldn't want you to be alone for the rest of your life. James and Lilly wouldn't either. Dumbledore wouldn't. Imagine what your friends would have said to you. And I don't want you to be alone either."

I nodded slowly, knowing that she was right but not wanting to give in as easy as that. She understood, and she moved her hand to touch my own. My eyes fell down to the ground, and I opened my hand up to hers. I clutched it tightly as silently, though it seemed like I was screaming it at the top of my lungs, I felt my wall of indifference disappear. I let my heart open to her for the first time.

--

"I am really happy for the two of you." I heard Professor McGonagall talking to Tonks with an extremely cheery voice, concerning the funeral was about to start for Dumbledore. "It is good to see that you got your abilities back." The appearance of Tonks' pink hair had caused a happy shock at the Order meeting that had happened the day before.

Professor McGonagall turned to me and nodded, saying my name as a way of greeting. I turned toward Tonks and smiled softly. "Does this mean I can call you Nymphadora?" I asked the same that had been burning inside of me for days. A slight eye roll and a sharp shake of the head was the answer.

--

A/N: Finally a happy Remus/Tonks story. A missing moment from HBP. Any reviews are welcome and greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.

Beth.