Remus was cold, wet and angry. The February rain fell hard against his shoulders and his tattered cloak did nothing to prevent the ice cold droplets hitting his skin. This was all Sirius' fault. No, thought Remus, This was all Tonks' fault. If she wasn't so perfect and if she hadn't stolen his heart the way she did, then Sirius wouldn't have bullied him into buying her something and none of this would have happened. Remus never would have found himself searching through Diagon Alley for an affordable present the day of Valentine's Day, nor would he have spotted a very suspicious looking Lucius Malfoy lurking at the entrance of Knockturn Alley and decided to follow him. He certainly wouldn't be literally stuck under shrubbery, too scared to move a muscle in case the aforementioned Malfoy spotted him as he conversed with one of his many cohorts.
Remus longed to be back in the damp comfort of Grimauld Place, where his girlfriend would wrap her arms around him and laugh with him-at him- until nothing else mattered but the crinkling of her eyes and the cracking of her voice. She had taken the day off today, Remus remembered, feeling his heart sink as realised the hurt she would feel when she found out that Remus was nowhere to be seen. He had been crouched in the same position for 3 and a half hours, caught in Lucius Malfoys cleverly placed trap to prevent him from being over heard, and escape seemed impossible. He could reach for his wand, the tip of it stuck out of his fraying trousers, but he daren't in case the rustling of the leave was enough to draw attention to himself. What would he do even if he did get his wand? He did not know the counter curse, having not truly been trained in the art of countering the Dark Arts. He needed someone who had.
Tonks!
He threw caution to wind and slowly reached for his wand, pausing as the movement sent a ripple through the leaves of plant he was hiding in. Lucius Malfoy and his sleazy looking accomplice did not notice. Remus felt his face crack into a smile as his fingers closed around the wood of his wand.
"Tonks ,I'm stuck in Knockturn Alley, I need your help" Remus thought repeatedly and a small wisp of a patronus appeared beside him before disappearing into nothingness again.
A few seconds later the distinct sound of apparition sounded somewhere behind him, but Remus daren't turn around to look. Malfoy's head immediately turned to the sound, frowning in Remus' direction as his hand clasped his wand tightly. Presumably seeing nothing, he turned back to the second man.
"pssst,Remus" the sound of her voice was music to Remus' chilled ears. He could feel her body pressed against his, smell her strawberry body wash, but could not see her.
"I'm stuck" he tried to hiss back.
"I know" she replied. She sounded smug, amused even, yet Remus felt her raise her wand none the less. "Brace yourself, don't move a muscle"
At once he felt his feet become free and he struggled to keep his balance to protect their hiding place.
"come on, lets go" Tonks mumbled, grabbing Remus' upper arm and twisting on the spot.
"What were you even doing in Knockturn alley?" Tonks wheezed through her persistent laughter.
"I saw Malfoy and tried to follow him" Remus shrugged with a shiver. Tonks continued to laugh loudly at his misfortune.
"I was trying to buy you something for Valentine's Day!" he exclaimed, bursting through her giggles. She sobered immediately but the grin did not leave her face.
"From Knockturn Alley? No thank you Remus"
"No,not from there, I was in Diagon alley; I saw Malfoy lurking about so I followed him. I didn't even manage to get you anything. I'm sorry" Remus concluded solemnly, shame creeping up on him like a pack of wild dogs. He had ruined it again, He did not deserve her.
Tonks was silent for a moment, her twinkling eyes studying Remus' frown with a passion that Remus knew he had not earned.
"I don't need a gift Remus, not when you around. You are my gift" Her warm lips pressed themselves against his cold ones, her hands stroked his soaking cheek and her dry body moved closer to his dripping one.
"Go and get changed Remus, for merlin's sake"
