The Hand-Full of People

He wasn't mad, though his body was trembling with an unexplained anger. Remus just needed Harry to understand the severity of the events that the world was experiencing, and that they all needed to trust Dumbledore to know right from wrong. Harry was young and couldn't see clearly past the hatred and loathing he, Snape, and Malfoy shared, but Remus could.

As Remus began to formulate a little more rational advice, a gentle hand caressed right shoulder, forcing him to think on other things. He glanced up at Tonks, who's naturally sharp green eyes were soft, and exceptionally understanding, and her already sweetly featured face was slightly concerned with caring shadows around an unconvincing smile. "Come on," she whispered kindly as she past by. Remus still didn't think Harry fully understood, nor did he feel he should leave the room without apologizing to Harry for speaking to him with such disrespect, but Harry didn't seem keen to listen to anymore lectures, and Remus really didn't want to fight over something that wouldn't have a winner.

"Molly," Tonks caught Molly's attention while glancing back at him, "may we go upstairs?" Remus felt the warmth of her fingertips against his palm as she took hold of his hand, the expression on her face a worried and painful look; she must have been able to feel him shaking, or maybe he looked worse than he felt.

Molly's face suddenly flooded with color, and Fred and George smirk from the corner, but this didn't seem to bother Tonks too much.

"Y-yes," Molly stuttered with embarrassment, absent-mindly rubbing her hands in flour-splattered apron, "you can go in…um… Fred and George's room, I suppose…s-since they have to sleep in there anymore." Both the twins' jaws dropped as their mother said this, and Remus heard their whispers in uproar argument as Tonks lead him upstairs by the hand, staring at the steps. "You're never there," Molly hissed in a high pitched voice.

Fred lept in, "We have to sleep in there tonight!"

"I'm not going to say no!"

"But mum-!" George wailed, "Why can't they use your room?"

"Beca-!"

"I don't want them snogging in our room!" Fred growled.

"I think there's going to be just a bit more than snogging going on up there," Ron was sniggered, grabbing a plate of pies.

"Shut up ya toss pot!" Fred snapped.

"Remus needs her!" Molly whispered furiously, "If they want to be alone… then I'm just fine with it. We could all use a little more love in our lives."

Behind her soft brown hair, Remus noticed Tonks had turned quite pink in the cheeks, and her palm was extremely warm as she lead him into a small bedroom. As he watched her close the plaid curtains on the far window, shutting out the moon's glow, Remus felt his heart jerk into a much faster paced beat. In the split second before she brought the fabric together, he found the moon beautiful. Tonks could make anything beautiful, even the moon. It fell upon her like silk and lit her profile like a seamless mask, giving her a breath taking halo.

Remus closed his eyes at the warm feeling of Tonks's gentle hands coursing down his arms. "You're trembling," she murmured with a worry-laden voice, lacing her fingers around his palms. Her gentle voice, slightly raspy from the cigarettes she used to hold to her soft lips, broke weakly with the loving concern she had for him. Remus lifted his heavy lids to find her studying his face through her bangs, her lips parted and brimmed with consoling words. "I'm sure he understands you're just trying to be rational," Tonks whispered, rubbing her fingers back up his shoulders.

Sighing with the relaxation that came with her soft touch, Remus slid his hands down the curve of her waist and coiled his arms around her lower back. "I still shouldn't have spoken to him like that. He's not stupid, and who would make something like that up? I was demeaning, and he didn't deserve it."

Chills trickled down his spine, rippling through his arms, as delicate fingers wove through his graying hair, and as Tonks's chest pressed lightly against his. "You were just being a good father," she breathed, the warmth of her calm breath seeping into his skin as her head subsided to his chest.

"I'm not his father," Remus snapped ruefully, backing away from her slowly, "and possess no right to speak to my best friend's son like that!" Tonks stared up at him nervously, resting her palms against his neck. He was scaring her again as he raised voice and began trembling with the similar violence he was when she had taken him from the argument downstairs. "I'm sorry," he sighed, dropping his gaze from her apprehensive eyes, "I- I just-" Remus's hands curled up into fists as his body went ridged.

A soothing hush wrapped around him as Tonks stepped closer, stroking his hair in a gentle, but desperate fashion. "I know," she murmured, her forehead pressed against his hair line. Her breath fell onto his mouth, relaxing his tense muscles and clenched jaw. "You never have to apologize," her lips brushed against his as she spoke, and it took everything Remus had to allow her to finish what it was she wanted to say, "You can't change what comes with your condition. And Remus, I love you so much regardless."

They were unbelievably soft and gentle, her lips, much like her caring demeanor that had never failed to bring him to where ever he needed to be. No matter how far he meandered from the beaten track, she was the only one able to calm him, ease his troubled mind, and lead him back home. And as she folded him in her arms, and he felt the warmth of her chest melting through him like Bourbon, Remus's unexplained anger slipped out of his weak body.

Her lips loosened their hold on him, but remained parted against his own lips, graciously granting him the lenience of patient options.

Remus pulled her closer, coursing his fingertips up her spine, and tucking her head under his chin. Tonks nuzzled into his neck passionately, as though nothing could've made her happier, but Remus knew how desperate she was for him to take her just a little further. "I can't go any-" he whispered, resting his cheek in her soft hair.

"I know," she murmured, tucking her hands in between their chests and cuddling up to him.

He tightened his arms around her, cradling her, and closing his eyes. "I love you," he whispered to her for the first time, kissing her hair lovingly.