Apologies for this chapter not being posted last night; my laptop was having a hissy fit and decided to crash out for the night. Please note the rating on this one is an M, but it's a fairly gentle one.

Chapter Two

Declarations of Intent.

They walked into the Ministry of Magic with the minimum of fuss, mainly because instead of Eric, the usual security wizard, a grinning Kingsley was sat at the desk waiting for them.

"Wands," he grunted at them, folding up the newspaper he'd been reading, and doing a good impression of Eric's customary greeting to visitors.

"Yes, we've got them, thanks. And you're certainly not getting your hands on them." Tonks looked at him. "How long have we got and who's in the building?"

"About an hour till Eric comes round," Kingsley looked thoughtfully at his watch, "and fortunately hardly anyone's left. Percy Weasley hasn't checked out, he must be doing his normal overtime stint, but I don't suppose you're planning a sight-seeing trip around his department, are you?"

"No, but I want to pop up to ours." Tonks felt Remus' eyes on her, because she hadn't said anything on the way over, but then the idea had only arrived seconds before she said the words. "There's no one up there, is there?"

"No, they've all gone." Kingsley was looking at her curiously as well. "You won't be long though, will you? Some of us haven't had any dinner. And I don't want anyone unexpected nipping back tonight because they've forgotten something."

"Five minutes," Tonks promised. "And I don't think either of us wants to spend longer with Melvyn than is necessary."

"No." Kingsley frowned, and picked up his paper again. "Poor kid. Seems just the sort to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Anyway, don't hang around." He grinned and leant back in his chair, putting his long legs and elegant brown shoes on the table. At another time Tonks would have found this funny, because humourless Eric would have had an absolute fit if he'd seen it, but all she could manage was a nod and a tight smile, leaving it to Remus to say something which made Kingsley laugh.

"Is there something you want to get?" Remus asked when they were in the lift and on their way to level two. He was leaning back in the corner, watching her.

Tonks listened to the female voice announcing they'd reached their destination, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. "I just want to-" she broke off, giving herself time, while the golden grille door opened and they both stepped out. She turned to look at him. "I thought you might like to see my desk. Do you mind?"

"No, I-" She'd never seen Remus taken aback before, nor had she ever seen the expression that flickered across his face.

"I'd love to see where you work," he said at last. "I really would."

She smiled and ducked her head down, still feeling oddly shy. She led him through the heavy oak doors and into the open area divided into cubicles. They stopped briefly at Kingsley's desk, and Remus frowned at all the newspaper cuttings and old photographs of Sirius lining the walls, while she wondered if this were a very bad move on her part.

They walked towards the corner cubicle, chosen by her because it was near the window, and you had a good view of everyone else. She pointed out the doors you went through to reach Arthur's office.

"Well, this is it." She gestured with her hand, and immediately wished she'd left it tidier. The in-tray was over-flowing with four days worth of memos, which didn't help. "These are all the Auror Manuals – Mad-Eye wrote half of them. All the pictures are The Weird Sisters and other groups I like. Kingsley gave me the one of Sirius at the Potter's wedding, because I wanted a nice picture of him, and it's the only one, really." She stopped, trying to see it all through Remus' eyes, and then went on.

"That's the plant Molly gave me, which shouts abuse at me when I don't remember to water it. Those are my many, many quills because I'm always losing them. That's the Muggle straw donkey I brought back from a holiday abroad because I thought it was such a laugh. In my drawers," she pointed at the bottom one, "well, that one's my emergency chocolate stash, for when I'm having a really bad day. And this one-"

She broke off. He'd been standing slightly behind her so she couldn't see his expression, and now his arm came round her waist, pulling her gently back against him.

"And this?" He'd picked up the black photo frame and was holding it in front of her. He ducked his head down and rested his chin on her shoulder, his cheek against hers.

She swallowed. "I wanted one of us."

Only it wasn't, really. Unlike every other Auror who could display a photo of their loved one without fear of awkward questions, she couldn't put a photo of a rather well-known werewolf on the corner of hers. This one had been taken ages ago at the Weasleys, when they'd both been invited to Sunday lunch. Arthur had been late home, infuriating Molly, and Bill had taken a shot of them arguing; while in the background Remus was calmly reading on the sofa and Tonks was trying not to laugh. As Molly shook her dripping gravy spoon at Arthur in exasperation, splattering it everywhere, Remus raised his head from his book and smiled straight at Tonks.

It had been a secret, mischievous smile, and it had been just for her. She could still remember the unexpected jolt it had given her, and how she'd spent hours afterwards trying to work out why it had.

Remus replaced the photo carefully. "Do you think we look like a couple of Nifflers in that one?"

She eyed him through her hair. "I wasn't even sure you liked me then."

"I've always liked you. Far too much." He kissed her temple, resting his face against hers for a minute, and sighed. "We have to go."

She felt her smile fade. "Yes, we do."

He looked at her as they made their way back towards the lift, her hand resting lightly in his. "Thank you for showing me that."

"Really?"

"Really." He nodded, squeezed her hand, and then his face took on a far grimmer look, which, no doubt, reflected hers.

Fitzgibbon, a small, ginger-haired man, with odd tufts of white in his wiry hair, was waiting for them as they came down the final staircase which led to the dungeons and the old courtroom where they'd held Harry's hearing. Tonks thought he resembled a ferret even more than normal.

"Hope you don't mind having your ears blasted by the pair of 'em," he said, as he led them down a windowless corridor, further into the gloom. "What with one hollering all kinds of threats, and the other crying for his Mum for hours – fair does your head in, having to listen to it all."

"That must be tough." Tonks didn't bother to hide the sarcasm. But Fitzgibbon took her words at face value.

"Yeah, they don't pay me enough for this. Well," he grinned, showing little pointed teeth, the bottom row more prominent than the top, "I've done alright today, of course. Better than expected, you might say. And I'm good at doing the old self-Muffliato so I can have a bit of shut-eye from all the racket. You don't need to worry about me, if you need to make him yell the place down."

Remus touched her arm, effectively stopping her from saying what she was going to. "Where is he?" he asked, evenly.

"That one, one from the end." Fitzgibbon pointed. "Cell seven three seven. Don't go near the one after it, not unless you want to meet Akira The Don, as he calls himself. Cocky bastard won't be so lively when the Dementors have got hold of him tomorrow. Oh, and you'll need this."

He passed Remus a small key. "And don't undo his hobbles, whatever you do."

"What hobbles?" Tonks stared at him. "He's not a high security prisoner."

"Yeah, well, he don't look like it to me either, love." Fitzgibbon snorted. "Fudge's orders. He's tightening everything up around here, and shipping more and more out to Azkaban. Getting worried about his own job, if you ask me. You must have heard the rumours. Hey!" He'd been backing away from them as he spoke, towards the small guard's room in the corner, but now he paused, looking anxious. "Don't forget, I'll need a Memory Charm. I don't want to remember anything about this, do I?"

"You won't." Remus' tone was curt. "We'll see you shortly."

"Right you are." Fitzgibbon nodded to him cheerfully, and disappeared.

Tonks leant her head against the side of the cold black wall. "All the office gossip says Scrimgeour would just love to get his scrawny backside in Fudge's chair. And that Fudge will do anything to cling onto it."

"Yes." Remus looked around and took the bottle of Veritaserum out of his pocket.

"I used to love coming to work here. I couldn't wait to get to my desk each day. It's all I ever wanted to do."

"I know." He walked over to the water fountain and filled a goblet. He poured three precise drops from the bottle into it. "And there's still good people here, doing a good job. Not everyone is like Fudge or that guard. You know that, Tonks."

"It gets hard to remember, sometimes. Everything seems a bit murky at the moment." She straightened up, cross with herself for moaning, when he so rarely did. "Anyway," she forced some levity into her voice, "talking of murky, brace yourself for the blonde bombshell."

She concentrated and screwed up her eyes, visualising Carmen's wide, lips, the knowing expression, the slight, sensual gap between her two front teeth and the long curtain of hair that fell forward over one eye, allowing her numerous opportunities to flick it casually back in a pale golden cloud. This time, there was a distinct lack of flirting as she chucked it over one shoulder to get it out the way. Bloody Carmen wouldn't be seen dead in Tonks' top and jeans, but she wasn't going to mess around with them either.

"Do you think Melvyn will notice that Carmen's lost some of her chest?" She turned towards Remus, thinking it was still easier to joke than meet his eyes looking like this. Ridiculous really, when he'd seen her as everything from an old lady to a typical mumsy-like figure, with everyone's favourite aunt thrown in for good measure, yet she didn't want him to see her as this sexy piece of work.

She didn't want to wonder if he found Carmen more attractive than her.

He'd put the goblet and potion down, and was looking at her.

"Wotcher, Nymphadora," he said.

"Why you-"

He laughed. "Still you, then." He ran the backs of his fingers lightly down her cheek. "Only you'd sound that stroppy."

She started to laugh herself then, a weight suddenly lifting from her, except it was drowned out by a roar from the cell at the end. They both spun round and listened to the words, and then the deranged taunting that followed.

"I'm not sure that's anatomically possible." Tonks drew her wand. "Give me a minute. I like putting mad bastards in their place."

"No, you need to see Melvyn." He'd stepped in front of her and handed her the goblet, along with the key, and nodded firmly at the nearest cell. "You should see him on your own first, anyway, and try and get his confidence. I'm going to have a quick chat with our loud friend."

He turned on his heel before she had time to argue, and she had to admit that she could see the sense of it.

Except it meant she had to see Melvyn.

She could hear the faint whimpering as she slid the key in the lock, and knew what she'd see and smell when she stepped inside. He was lying on his side in the corner of the cell, his wrists bound in front of him with silver cords; his shoulders, indeed his whole body, shaking in silent, fearful sobs.

She placed the goblet and down carefully on the floor, and knelt down next to him.

"Melvyn?"

He flinched and rolled his head to look at her, the pale blue eyes fearful and beseeching under the mop of hair.

"Melvyn." She touched his shoulder lightly and smiled at him.

"C-Carmen?" He looked at her in bewilderment.

"Yes." She switched to sounding brisk and matter-of-fact. "Come on. Let's get you sat up."

"W-What's happening?" He let her help him into a sitting position in the corner. There were stains down his front that looked like vomit. "What are you doing here?"

She frowned at the tight cords, which were cutting painfully into the plump, freckled flesh of his wrists. She flicked her wand and loosened them. He was indeed hobbled, and she loosened them too, because his ankles must be in the same sorry state.

"Carmen?" He was looking at her with eyes that were starting to shine, and she realised exactly what he was thinking, and that she'd have to crush that straight away.

"I work here, Melvyn, and you're in trouble, I'm afraid. A friend and I need to talk to you."

"But-" The bewildered look was back. "You haven't come to ge-"

"No." She cut him off and rose to her feet, dusting her knees. "We need to talk to you. Try and sort things out."

He stared at her, tear stains clearly visible on his cheeks. "Are you going to sort out that man next door too? Only he's threatened to cut me into bits, said he'd gut me like a fish while I sleep." He swallowed convulsively and she saw his bound hands shaking. "He knows you're here too, I heard him just now shouting about a whore and what he'd do to her. I can hear him all the time in my head, he never stops."

"You can't hear him now, can you? My friend's very persuasive." Tonks nodded encouragingly, thanking Merlin the chanting had stopped, and glanced round the small cell, wondering if they'd held Sturgis Podmore in this same soulless, airless place before they'd sent him to Azkaban.

"How do you work here if you work at Madame Primpernelle's?" The pale blue eyes were puzzled. "And why am I here? I don't understand what's going on."

"Look I haven't got time for a lot of explanations, Melvyn, you're going to have to trust me. We want to help you, and the only way to do that is to tell us the truth about something." Tonks smiled, feeling it to be every bit as counterfeit as when Carmen had used it before, and picked up the goblet. "You must be thirsty."

"I want to go home. Please take me home, Miss."

Tonks thought of how she'd like to be anywhere but here, doing this. It was a relief when Remus walked into the cell, his wand in his hand.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes." His lips curled humourlessly. "An acute attack of laryngitis was always likely with all that shouting."

"And?"

"And he won't feel much like partying in the morning, either." He looked at her evenly for a moment and then at Melvyn. "Hello."

"Hello." Blue and grey eyes looked at each other with what seemed like a similar degree of interest. "Are you going to get me out of here?"

"We're going to ask you some questions that should hopefully lead to that eventuality," Remus said calmly, an attitude that seemed to reassure Melvyn as he blinked at him, looking slightly more alert. "And those questions are all about when you worked here, at the Ministry. With Simeon Darrowby."

"Simeon…" Melvyn shrugged. "I didn't like him much. He always moaned I put too much milk in his tea." He looked at Tonks and then back at Remus. "Are you her boyfriend?"

"Yes, I am." Remus answered without hesitation, and Tonks, who'd fully expected him to deny it, because apart from anything else it made sense if they were playing Carmen as the sympathy card, was hard put not to gape at him.

It must be purely her imagination that he'd sounded slightly smug when he said it.

"Thought so." Melvyn wiped his bound hands across his nose. He looked at Tonks again and sniffed. "Why were you bothering with me then, Miss? Aren't you happy with him? If you were just playing with me, then you're as bad as the people who've put me here, and you should be ashamed. You should have been honest."

"Melvyn, you don't quite und-" Remus started, but Tonks, feeling the guilt clawing at her stomach, cut him off.

"You're right." She looked at Melvyn, sat in a pathetic heap on the floor, in a cell that stank of urine and many things, but mostly fear. "I needed to get to know you quickly to ask you these questions. It's part of my job. But I'm very sorry if I've hurt your feelings because I didn't mean to."

The blue eyes were still fixed on her, with a look in them she couldn't quite fathom. "So you're happy then?"

"Yes, I'm ve-" Tonks was going to simply agree with him to get him off the subject, but stopped as another thought unexpectedly came into her head and, even more unexpectedly, refused to let go of her. It was going to be very strange to make this declaration at this time, in this setting, with this petrified boy as the only witness, when she'd waited so long to say it at the best of times. And this was so very far from being that.

Still, why not?

Saying it at the best of times was easy. Saying it now made it real.

"I love him," she said clearly to Melvyn, but her eyes went straight over him to the man who was staring at her.

The grey eyes seemed to burn into hers and she suddenly knew that any time would have been the right time to say it. He didn't move a muscle or say a word, but she knew. She could have been sixty feet away from him, not six, and she'd still have known.

It didn't even matter that she had Carmen's face on.

"You look like that girl who worked here when I worked with Simeon." Melvyn, on the floor at their feet, seemed to be conducting a conversation with himself. "I kept dreaming about her, but she just laughed at me. Girls always laugh at me. Perhaps they picked you because they thought I'd fancy you because you were like her. I expect people like you do lots of checking up. Can I have that drink now, Miss? I expect you've put Veritaserum in it to make me talk, haven't you?"

Tonks felt a finger of ice touch her spine. Remus' head snapped round.

"Have you had Veritaserum before, Melvyn?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm?" The round face squinted up at him. "Simeon made me have some once, he said it was a test as he needed someone trustworthy. But he disappeared the next day so I don't know what he wanted me to do. I probably wouldn't have done it, I didn't like him. I only do things for people I like. And I hated that stuff, it's like a vice in your head, twisting it till you say everything you'd hate people to know." He giggled. "Like Simeon knows I've never kissed a girl and what books I like to look at when I'm on my own."

Oh God, thought Tonks. He's not innocent. He's not…

Melvyn giggled again. Tonks thought the expression she'd been trying to recognise before was one of cunning, the totally unexpected cunning of the utterly simple. "I mean," he said, looking directly at Remus, "do you tell her the whole truth? Do you trust her with your secrets? Would you drink it and tell her everything?"

Remus looked at him for a long moment, then at his watch, before turning to Tonks.

"I'm going to try Legilimency first," he said. "You'll have to help me."

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Tonks always hesitated about asking Remus back to her flat late at night because, again, it never seemed to be the right time or one of them had had a rough day. Or was likely to have one to look forward to in the morning. And when he did come in, it always resulted in him dragging himself away an hour or so later, a look on his face that suggested he was far from being content with this.

It didn't do her any good either.

She knew something had changed, but she thought it was up to him now. So as to put off the moment when one of them would have to say something about it, she asked him the question she'd already voiced once.

"Did we do the right thing by Melvyn? I'd like to think we gave him a chance, at least."

Remus, who'd stopped on the steps behind her – and a lot closer to her than she'd realised – shrugged slightly.

"I'd like to think so, too. That Memory Charm you've done on him has eradicated the fact that he would have considered doing whatever it was Simeon wanted. And, as he said, he didn't like Simeon, so by his reasoning was unlikely to have done it anyway. They've no reason to hold him that I can see."

"Yes, but-" Tonks shivered.

"Yes." Remus smiled grimly. "I don't know either. When he was lecturing me about honesty and standing up to people there was a moment when he reminded me of Neville Longbottom, and after that there were definitely moments when he reminded me of Peter Pettigrew. If he gets in with the wrong crowd, well …"

"But we had to give him the chance," said Tonks firmly.

"Dumbledore would have." Remus looked at her. "He always gives people a chance. Anyway," he leaned his shoulders back against the jamb of the door with his arms folded, "I don't know about you, but I've had enough of Melvyn for one night, and the fact that we've gained next to nothing from it all. There are a few other things I'd like to discuss, that we never normally have time for."

"There are?" Tonks felt her heart start to thump. He looked as though he was prepared to lean there for the rest of the evening.

"Furry dice, for a start."

"What?" She thought she must have misheard.

"And nodding dogs." Remus nodded as well, rather thoughtfully. "That needs to be discussed because I'm not sure which you'd prefer."

"Have you gone mad?"

"Probably. It's been quite a day and I've discovered a few things. Like the fact that you haven't invited me in yet, so I'll have to invite myself. May I come in?"

She folded her own arms and did her best to glare at him. "You're not coming in till you tell me what you're on about. I've had a very hard day myself, I've made embarrassing declarations in public, and all I get in ret-"

"Muggles have furry dice in their vehicles. I've seen them hanging in the windows. And they have these nodding toy dogs in the back ones that must really annoy the person behind. Now I know you're keen on straw donkeys, I'm going to ask Arthur to track some down for you. I want to get you something for your desk."

"You-" She stopped, staring at him.

"It's what couples do, isn't it?" He smiled at her. "Couples in a serious relationship would certainly give one another things for their desks. And you bought me that little chocolate dispenser for my Birthday, which I've got on mine, so it's only fair I give you something in return for yours."

She swallowed. "Are we in a serious relationship?"

"If you open the door, I'll show you how serious."

She took two hesitant steps which took her to the door, fumbling to get it open. He watched her closely, while she thought she could feel his breath on her hair, and then she had the damn thing open at last and they were inside; standing in her small, pokey hallway where, although she'd kissed him good night there a hundred times, it all felt suddenly very different.

"The place is a tip," she said, saying the first thing that came into her head.

"Yes, I expect it is." He lent forward, brushed the pink hair aside, and kissed the side of her neck.

"There's unwashed pots piled up in the kitchen, and I haven't even made the bed."

His lips were very warm on her skin. "Well that'll probably save some time. It was good of you to plan ahead."

It occurred to her that she ought to make him work at this before she just wound her arms round his neck and enjoyed every single second. It was the least she deserved, after all.

"Look," she said, trying to sound indignant, "I thought you were supposed to be telling me things. A girl needs to be romanced, you know, even in times like these. You're supposed to be whispering things you wouldn't want anyone else to hear before we get to the ripping each other's clothes off part."

He lifted his head, and reached behind her, opening the door to the bedroom.

"Well I was planning to do both at once, but you're probably right." He smiled at her, but he touched her face with the lightest of fingers and his words were soft and serious. "So perhaps I should start by saying that I have no idea what you're doing with someone like me, but I'm so thankful that you are. And as long I've got you, and know you're all right, I feel I can get through anything." The finger touched her lips and then traced a path along the bottom one. "I can't imagine anything that could keep me from you for very long. Even this war couldn't manage that."

His hands touched her shoulders and he steered her gently backwards on her nerveless legs, neatly dodging a pair of black stilettos that she'd considered and rejected for Carmen first thing. How long ago all that seemed; back in a time when he hadn't said those words, and she'd had no idea how much she needed to hear them. He shut the door behind them with his foot, and turned her ninety degrees so her back was to the door.

He placed his hands on either side of her head against the door, and leant slightly against her. She felt his warm breath on her face and the jolt in her stomach exactly like that first time so long ago.

"So what's your idea of a romantic setting then? Sun, sea or sand?" He turned his head to look round the room. "And don't do that-" he gave her a severe look as she tried to unhook his shirt from the back of his trousers "- or I won't be responsible for the consequences."

She laid her head back against the door, her thoughts still spinning from his earlier words, and laughed at him. "You can't put the sea in my bedroom, Remus. Anyway," she said, hurriedly, as he raised an eyebrow at her in what looked like challenge and reached for his wand, "I'd like a beautiful night sky with all the stars looking down at us. Although only if you'd like that as well?" she added, suddenly thinking that this probably wasn't the best thing in the world to suggest to him.

He gave her that mischievous look she wondered if anyone else ever saw. "It's all right, Miss Tactful. I'm rather fond of the stars myself, it's the moon I have one or two issues with."

"I don't want a moon," she said, reaching up to kiss his cheek and wondering, as she always did, how he stayed so cheerful and sane about all the things that had happened to him, when a lesser person would have given up years ago. There was nothing he couldn't cope with. She started to kiss his neck and he grasped her round the waist with one arm, pulling her into his side, and flicked his wand at the ceiling.

"There," he said, sounding slightly smug again, and she raised her eyes to see a perfect starlit sky of darkest velvet stretching above their heads. The stars glinted at her like tiny pieces of diamond, casting bright pinpricks of light on her crumpled duvet and carpet.

"Anything else?" Remus still had his wand out-stretched.

Tonks kissed his cheek again and laid her face next to it. "A gentle breeze," she murmured into his neck, because it was a hot, muggy night, and she wanted nothing so much as to lie under that duvet with him and shut the rest of the world out.

The softest of breezes floated across the room and stirred her hair.

"Anything else?"

"Mmm." She flicked the wand out of his unresisting hand; her own hand pulling his shirt out, this time successfully, and then sliding up his warm, thin back.

"Just you and me," she said, incoherently. "That's all I want."

He slid his hand through her hair to the nape of her neck, the grey eyes searching hers, and he shook his head as though in wonder and kissed her. He kissed her mouth, her cheek, her forehead, her eyes, and she kissed him back and twisted her fingers in his hair. She moved her cheek against his as if she could melt into him.

"Yes," she said, as they started to move towards the bed, and she'd managed to get at least four of his buttons undone and his belt as well, which was a manoeuvre Mad-Eye had certainly never covered in his manuals. Somehow Remus had managed to get her top over her head, which she had no recollection of at all, although it had definitely happened because her breath caught in her throat as he kissed and licked the soft hollow between her breasts.

They were on the bed and, just to prove it was real life and that that always had unpleasant and unforeseen surprises, she thumped her head painfully against the headboard and he winced as his elbow caught on the bedside table. But their clothes smoothly disappeared – apart from one particularly stubborn boot of hers – and he put his mouth on her mouth and his fingers writhed in her hair. His hands moved down her throat to her breasts and her belly, and his mouth followed their path. She pushed him backwards in turn and kissed him and stroked his skin, loving the warmth and the smell of him, and listening to the sounds he made and not quite believing she could make him do that.

"Nymphadora," he said, in a voice that was distinctly unsteady, and then did something which made her think he could get away with it just this once, especially as she hadn't got breath to spare for arguing.

"Only in the bedroom!" she managed with an effort in response, and somehow they both laughed, and he said something else which literally turned her heart over, and knew she'd replay over and over in her mind later.

He rolled her onto her back and she held him fiercely; loving the feel of his body moving against hers, skin moving against skin, as well as against all the nightmares that the world outside could hold. His knee pressed on hers and she felt the small, gentle breeze caress her skin, and then he was smothering the sounds they both made with his mouth. She held onto him and pressed up into him, her fingers digging into his back and then clenching on his hips as she pressed again and again. The tiny beads of light were dancing on them and around them, and though she'd always despised those soppy romance novels with their clueless heroines she suddenly knew she was soaring amongst those stars.

And she knew he was, too.

In the morning she woke and found she'd rolled away from him in her sleep. The night sky had faded to the lightest of greys, but the stars were still faintly visible, like chips of ice. His hair looked as though someone had been twisting their hands through it all night, and she thought her own was probably even worse, and wanted to laugh. She smiled as she remembered the things they'd done and what he'd said to her. There was another day to face, a report to be given to Dumbledore and perhaps even more unpleasant work ahead, but as long as she had him, and they had this, then she knew what they were fighting for and that they'd be all right.

She went to settle down next to him again, when her eye was caught by the rose in the small vase on the bedside table he'd bumped into. It had opened overnight into a round rosette of the deepest pink petals, which curled upwards and outwards as though to greet the day. The brown edges were no longer visible and seemed not to exist any more.

So this is romance, she thought, and laid her head down softly next to his. And nothing can touch us now…

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Chapter three won't be that quick appearing as it's only half done and I'm about to go on holiday for a week, but I'll do my best. In the meantime, it would be great to hear if you enjoyed this one, and those that do get to discuss what type of scene you'd like Remus to put in the bedroom for you. ;)