A/N: There is an OC in this chapter named Barry Pruce. I'm going to indulge in a shameless bit of self promotion and say that he is from one of my other stories, "Magical Connection." I hope you enjoy this installment.

Chapter 2

1994

Nymphadora Tonks was sitting at the bar of the Three Broomsticks on Christmas Eve for the second year in a row. She had been in the restaurant several times since the previous year. She always half expected to see the professor with the brilliant amber eyes, but she never did. She hardly ever thought about him, but she sometimes wished that she had asked his name.

Then, that summer she saw the headline in the Daily Prophet. His name was Remus Lupin, and he was a werewolf. She did a double take when she noticed that detail. He had seemed so normal and sweet. At first, she thought it was all a joke, but the anger that was palpable in Hogsmeade told her that it was all very serious. She knew that werewolves were dangerous, but she figured that, if the man she met were one, then they couldn't all be evil. She felt it was unfair that he was forced to resign when he obviously loved the job so much and was probably good at it.

She remembered all that and wondered what he was doing since he left, if he were able to find any work at all after the publicity. Her musings were interrupted by one of her least favorite people in the world.

Barry Pruce, her model-turned-Auror associate, was the most pompous and loathsome man, no, human being, on the planet. "Why, hello, Nymphadora," he said flashing his overly white teeth and drawing out the syllables in her hated name. "It looks like Christmas is coming a little early for you. Seeing as I am dateless tonight, I've come to relieve you of your loneliness." Another eye-aching smile.

"Who says I'm lonely? I happen to waiting for someone." That statement was an utter lie, but she had to get him to go away before he made her hex him.

Pruce was unfazed. "Oh, babydoll," he began. She was really starting to get angry when he pulled out the saccharine pet name that was almost as bad as the N-word. "I'm sure I could show you a better time than that bloke. Why don't you come and sit with me?" He positively leered at her; several female patrons were glaring enviously at her, but she only wanted him to go away.

"No. Go away. I don't know how many times that I will have to tell you that I'm not interested before you catch on, but I'll keep telling you until you do." She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled in what she hoped was the most intimidating pose she could muster.

"Aw, I know, you just love your game of playing hard to get. But soon you're just going to give into your desire to be with me." Tonks was ready with another angry retort when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I'm late, sweetheart. I got caught up at work." She recognized that smooth hoarse tone.Sure enough, Remus Lupin was standing next to her, smiling serenely.

She grinned in return. "I'm glad you're here, love." She said gushingly. She turned to Pruce. "Now, if you don't mind, my boyfriend and I would like some alone time." She smiled with a false brightness. Pruce struggled to maintain his composure, but he was losing the battle against an unsightly confusion as he slinked away.

When he was out of sight, Remus removed his hand from Tonks' shoulder. "Thank you." She looked back at him. His robes were even shabbier than last Christmas and he looked almost emaciated, but he bore the same warm smile that she remembered. He also wore a wide-brimmed hat; she guessed that he was trying not to be recognized.

"No problem. I hope you don't mind my method of scaring him off."

She shrugged. "I wouldn't have cared if you had kissed me full on the mouthif it got him to go away." She realized that she may have said too much, but she characteristically spoke before thinking. He chuckled, but he was still standing a bit awkwardly. "You could sit down if you want. The least I could do is buy you a drink."

He looked at her uncertainly. "You don't mind that I'm…?"

"No. I don't." She ordered two butterbeers from Rosmerta. "I'm sorry about the DADA job. It's too bad that you didn't break the curse."

He shrugged. "I'm lucky that Dumbledore even gave me a chance in the first place. Did you get your Auror certification?"

"Yep. Just this past spring." She proudly showed him her Auror badge. She didn't quite know what to say next. "So, what have you been doing these past months?" she inquired tentatively.

"Well, as you can probably guess, I've been unemployed." He didn't sound bitter, but his voice was tinged with sadness. "I've been doing a few odd jobs for Dumbledore." Remus paused, as if considering whether or not to say what he wanted to. "I have to admit that it's nice to finally know your name, Nymphadora."

"It's Tonks." He looked puzzled. "Tonks is my last name. That guy earlier was just being a prat. Nobody calls me the N-word unless they want to get hexed."

"Oh, alright, I think it's a lovely name, though."

She huffed, "You and my mother only."

He smiled at her. "So, what have you been doing, Tonks, besides becoming a full-fledged Auror?"

She shrugged. "There hasn't been much time for anything else."

"Tell me, is the life of a young Auror as exciting as one might think?"

She laughed. "Oh, yes, filling out endless paperwork is a real adrenaline rush." Remus chuckled. "But I am part of the team that's looking for Sirius Black. I guess they want me to prove my loyalty to the Ministry by working on the case, seeing as he is my cousin." Tonks noticed him stiffen the smallest; she probably would not have seen if she were not trained in close observation.

"Do you have any leads?" he asked with the merest tremor in his voice.

"At least once a week some old woman claims that she saw him in her flower bed, but we really haven't gotten anywhere. Why?"

"Well… he's a dangerous criminal, and it would be a relief if he were back in Azkaban." Tonks was not convinced by his reply.

"I don't know, though. They'd probably sack me for saying this, but part of me feels like he's innocent, that it's all a big misunderstanding. My mum always used to talk about how much they loved each other when they were younger, and how he wasn't like the rest of the Blacks. I guess even the best people can go astray," she finished wistfully. Remus looked genuinely shocked by her statement.

"I suppose it's possible. People have been framed in the past." He spoke with such determined and perfect nonchalance that, if Tonks didn't know better, she would have thought that he knew more than he was saying. "Anyway, he probably wouldn't do anything until it gets warmer. I imagine that he's just hiding and biding his time."

Tonks nodded. It seemed the end of that subject. They went on to talk of music (a topic on which they had nothing in common), politics (they both believed that Fudge was a complete idiot, off the record of course), and their days at Hogwarts (they compared detention records; Tonks won narrowly, but he said that she had nothing on a few of his school friends). Once again it was after midnight when they realized that they should be going to their respective homes. Once again they found themselves under the mistletoe at the front door. Their kiss was a few moments longer than their first.

As they met the cold wind outside, Remus called to a big black dog by the name of Snuffles. Tonks said, petting the dog's curly fur, "I saw Snuffles earlier; I thought he must be a stray."

Remus snorted with laughter. "Oh, you might call him a stray. He certainly is badly behaved." Snuffles looked at him in an almost reproachful way.

"But you take care of him anyway?"

"In a manner of speaking. Well, it was nice to see you again Nym-" She glared at him. "Tonks. Happy Christmas, auld lang syne, etc."

"Take care. Bye, Snuffles." They waved at each other and disapparated in unison.