Early September, 1995.

"Have you ever tried to turn yourself into an animal?"

Tonks was half asleep and event though he knew she needed to rest, he felt he had important reasons to ask. Obviously wanting to understand what she was being asked about, she looked up at Remus' face, blinking.

"Huh?"

"I was wondering if you've ever tried to morph yourself to take an animal's form," he repeated calmly.

She shook her head slowly, trying hastily to wake her brain up, and she sat a bit straighter on the bed.

"No…" she said slowly. "I haven't… I don't know if I can…"

"I don't know if you could either," he said pulling her closer, "but I was thinking the other day, when you were morphing your nose in front of Ginny and Hermione… you actually managed a pig snout, didn't you?"

"Yeah but… well, dunno. There is one thing trying to morph some small part of your body, like your nose or your hair… bigger parts are more difficult. Not just the morphing, but staying like that long enough and then morphing back. But then again I can also alter the shape and size of my bones if I wanted to."

As to prove her point she extended her small hand in front of Remus and focusing on it she made it grow almost twice its size, replacing her short fingernails with long claw-like ones.

"Impressive," he murmured.

"Not really," she said stroking his chest playfully with one of the overgrown fingernails. "I was born a Metamorphmagus so it's not such a great feature to be able to change the size of my hands."

"Nonetheless, I am sure it takes a great deal of concentration to control it."

"Yeah... I suppose it does. Again, it depends on what are you trying to morph," she said, turning her hand back to its normal size.

He remained silent for a while, he had had another idea, somewhat terrifying and he was feeling this question should not wait. How to make it could be the tricky part.

"But…" he finally spoke again.

"But?"

He felt he might blush.

"Nothing. It's a very silly question."

"Oh, come on! Tell me!"

"Well… I was wondering," he looked at her, somewhat sheepishly, and stroked her cheek with the back of his finger. "This is really you, right?"

Tonks looked at him amused.

"Meaning?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Meaning…" Remus was now positively blushing, "Are you morphed right now? Is it what you look like without…?"

He could not continue, for she was laughing softly, her entire body rocking against his. Remus chuckled awkwardly.

"No one had ever asked me that before." She gasped for air. "But it's a very good question."

She screw her face in concentration and Remus could see how his bright red short hair swiftly became clearer and longer until it was a cascade of golden locks. Her features were changing as well, the shape of her nose was a bit different, her lips seemed swollen and redder and when she opened her eyes, they were blue and framed with long black eyelashes. He was looking at an entirely different person.

"What if I told you I look like this?" said the unfamiliar woman with a deep velvety voice. "And what if I confess I've trying to hide it because it would draw too much attention?"

Remus looked at that femme fatale lying next to him and felt a bit uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say. Staring closer at her though, he saw a familiar mischievous light on those eyes, some sort of energy that had nothing to do with shape or colour.

"You're not," he finally said smiling.

The blonde gave a deep laugh and screwing her face proceeded to rearrange her features again, setting on the ones Remus was used to see, the hazel eyes, the heart shaped face. The only difference between the previous one was the hair, now a bit longer and green.

She smiled and looked at him.

"This is me, Remus," she spoke with her usual kind voice. "I could take any form I want, but I've chosen to stay with my own. Not only because it'll take an amount of energy to remain morphed the whole time but because reality fits me better."

He reached for her face and kissed her softly.

"And the hair?" he murmured to her lips.

"Oh… that."

He looked up, arching his eyebrows.

"The colour of my hair is something I wasn't so thrilled with." She bit her lip.

"What's the original colour?"

"That I won't show you. And I really hope you'll never get to see it."