Tbh, one of my personal favorite chapters. Hope you enjoy reading! Please fave and review!
Tonks and Remus walk along the streets of Muggle London, walking past various stores and restaurants. Tonks will occasionally stop and point to one store, telling Remus of her adventures on that particular store with her father, Ted Tonks, when she was a little girl, and Remus would listen fondly. Sometimes, Tonks would walk faster, ahead of Remus, so he had to catch up and find her, only to see her once again in front of a shop, ready to tell her companion another story of her experience in the specific store.
"I'm getting hungry, are you?" Tonks asks, looking up at Remus, who nods. "What do you feel like eating tonight?"
Remus hums and shrugs. "I'd prefer anything, honestly." he says. "What about you? Anything in mind?"
Tonks looks up at the stores as they continue to walk. "I'm trying to look for the restaurant my folks and I used to go to when I was a kid," she says. "They sell these really good slow-roast lamb sandwiches that I'm sure you'll love!" She grins, looking up at him. "I wonder where...oh there it is!"
She points to a cafe two blocks from where they are as they walk together towards it. The two enter, and Tonks tugs at Remus' sleeve to point at the counter fridge filled with sandwiches and pies.
"I'd really recommend their slow-roast lamb sandwich, they're absolutely good if you ask me, and I did promise you good food. Well, not really, but I did say that this is a thank you for what you did and-" Remus lays a hand on one of her shoulders and she purses her lips together.
"I'll get the slow-roast lamb sandwich, like what you recommended." he tells her. She smiles and nods.
"I swear by Merlin you won't get disappointed." she tells him, grinning. Remus chuckles and nods.
"Come on, let's go get a booth." Remus tells her, resting a hand on the small of her back as he leads her to an empty booth at the far end of the cafe. Tonks sits down on the seat across Remus as she calls for a waiter to tell him their order. Remus watches quietly, and smiles at the waiter before he leaves.
Tonks leans forward and once again, her stormy-grey eyes change to that of Remus' blue ones. Remus smiles. "What's wrong with having stormy-grey eyes?" he asks her, chuckling.
Tonks grins and tucks her hair behind her ear. "Nothing, I just like the color of your eyes." she tells him softly, before changing it back to her natural stormy-grey ones.
Remus' heart starts beating faster, and he feels a funny feeling at the pit of his stomach. He feels a smile forming on his lips and Tonks smiles at him. Remus clears his throat, trying to push the funny feeling down. Whatever was he feeling anyway? Does he like her? Does he fancy her? Is he slowly falling in love with the beautiful woman in front of him? No, he tells himself, she is young, and she has her whole life ahead of her. He inwardly sighs, knowing very well that even if he does, indeed, fancy her or is in love with her, a woman as beautiful, loving and smart as Nymphadora Tonks will never fancy nor fall in love for an old werewolf like him.
"So, Dumbledore give you any new missions yet?" she asks him. Remus snaps out of his thoughts and shakes his head.
"There's nothing much to do, really, now that Harry's back for summer with the Dursleys." he replies and shrugs. "Poor boy should've stayed in Grimmauld Place with Sirius instead."
Tonks nods. "He had a fit about it, yeah? With Dumbledore, I mean. Trying to convince the old man to let the boy stay with his godfather instead of his cruel aunt, uncle and fat cousin." she says. "Look at him, he barely eats while his cousin probably hogs all the food in their stash."
Remus laughs and shakes his head. "He takes after James with his physique. Harry's definitely the splitting image of his father at his age." he tells her, allowing his mind to remember his late best friend.
"I wish I met him." she says quietly. "I heard you lot were quite the troublemakers in your year in Hogwarts." She smirks. "Sirius had told me about it, the Marauders, yeah?"
Remus chuckles. "It was James and Sirius mostly who did the pranks. I was in the background most of the time." he tells her, winking.
Tonks scoffs. "I bet you were the one who thinks of the pranks, you and…" she trails off, unsure whether or not she should say the name of the traitor Marauder, the one who had cost James and Lily their lives.
He sighs. "Yeah, well, Peter had his own share. He was mostly the one who executes some pranks, I only do the planning and all that." he tells her.
Tonks smiles and laughs. "Who would have thought Professor Lupin would actually be the one formulating the famous troublemakers' pranks?" Remus laughs and shakes his head.
"I bet you were quite the prankster back in your years in Hogwarts." Remus tells her. Tonks smirks and leans back.
"I've had my own fair share, yeah," she tells him. "I usually do it with Charlie Weasley, the one in Romania?" Remus nods, recalling the second Weasley from Molly's stories of her children. "Yeah, we were quite the duo back in the day. Bet we've topped some of your pranks." She adds, with a smirk.
"Oh really? I doubt that, Nymphadora. Impress me." Remus asks, leaning forward, clasping his hands in front of him. Tonks smirks and tilts her head, thinking.
"It was during a Quidditch game, Gryffindors up against Hufflepuff, yeah?" Tonks starts, looking back at Remus with a small smirk playing on her lips. "Charlie and I were playing, and we both charmed the bludgers that any time it will come near us or be thrown at us, it will actually get thrown at Snape."
"Oh no." Remus says, his eyes sparkling with amusement and a smile forming on his lips. Tonks nods slowly, her smile becoming wider.
"Oh yes," she replies. "So the Gryffindor beater was actually Charlie's mate, Ben, but he was someone I didn't really like at all. Some mutual annoyance, really. So I keep on flying by him to annoy him so he threw the bludger to my direction but instead of hitting me…"
"Oh, Merlin!" Remus laughs loudly and Tonks claps her hands, laughing as she shakes her head. "Blimey, Severus got hit by the bludger?"
"Well, not exactly, 'cause when he saw it was flying in his direction he grabbed his wand and poof, gone into flames." Tonks tells him. "The game had to end there, and at the end of the game, he was eyeing Charlie and me the whole time but he couldn't really prove it was us because-"
"The both of you were players of the game." Remus supplies, making Tonks nod eagerly. "I must admit, I am impressed by this prank of yours. Who thought of it?"
"I did, of course!" Tonks chirps. "Although Charlie did the charming, being the klutz I was who couldn't sneak quietly in Quidditch equipment closets."
Remus smiles, imagining a younger Tonks probably knocking off brooms and tripping over benches with her yellow Hufflepuff robes. "But that doesn't mean it tops our Marauder pranks." Remus continues.
Tonks scoffs and nods at Remus. "Come on then, what have you done to top that kind of masterwork?" she asks.
"In our sixth year, during the Quidditch match of Slytherin and Ravenclaw, we snuck in the Slytherin dormitory, went to Severus' bed." Remus starts. "It was very simple. We know that every night, Severus wrote on this particular notebook using this particular quill, and oftentimes our Slytherin sources would tell us that he would just leave it on the desk beside his bed during class time."
Tonks nods, and Remus continues, "And so what we did, while James and Peter guarded the dormitory door, in case anyone enters, Sirius and I snuck up to his bed and found the notebook and quill lying on the desk. We charmed the quill and notebook to be portkeys to one of the shower rooms in the Slytherin girls' bathroom, and in Minerva's bedroom."
Tonks is laughing hysterically at this point, as she wraps her arms around her stomach and tears are already threatening to fall from her eyes at any moment. Remus laughs with her, though his laugh a little softer than Tonks' howls and snorts. "So right as we expected, that night, our head boy came with the news that Severus was found in one of the shower rooms in the girls' bathroom. The worst part there…" Remus smirks, and Tonks shakes her head, laughing louder than ever.
"Someone was showering there!" Tonks supplies, as Remus nods. "Oh, Merlin, that's horrible, I tell you, it was wicked! Who thought of that?"
"The wizard in front of you, of course." Remus answers, and Tonks laughs, wiping the stray tears from the corners of her eyes. "Of course Severus knew we were the ones who tampered with his things but he had no proof. He later found himself in Minerva's bedroom the moment he picked up the notebook in an attempt to storm off."
"Bloody hell, you lot." Tonks says, shaking her head, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "No wonder Snape is the horrible bloke he is. He has always been the target of pranks even when he became a professor!"
Remus snickers and laughs. "Although I cannot really do the same now, seeing as he brews my Wolfsbane for me every month," he sighs. "I do miss those years we actually make fun of him, seeing his expression and all."
Tonks frowns. "Why does he get to brew your Wolfsbane? Aren't there any other? He might actually have his own tricks up his sleeve to trick you when you drink your potion, you know." she tells him.
Remus shakes his head and smiles at her assuredly. "Dumbledore instructed him to, and I'm sure he follows Dumbledore and his orders. I have that much trust in him."
"If you say so, I guess." Tonks mumbles. Before Remus can say anything, the waiter comes in with their sandwiches on his tray. He puts the plates down in front of the two before asking if there would be anything else they would need. When the two shake their head, he gives a small bow and leaves after telling them to enjoy their meal.
Remus takes a bite from his sandwich and Tonks watches him carefully, her own sandwich already in her hands. Remus nods, and hums in delight. "Merlin, Tonks, this sandwich is amazing!" he tells her, biting another from his sandwich. Remus watches as Tonks' lips curl into a smile as she takes a bite in her own sandwich as well.
After dinner, the two start walking along the streets of Muggle London, as they continue to talk about Tonks' work and cases as an Auror, and Remus' previous job as a Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts professor three years prior. Remus tells Tonks of stories about how he had taught Harry the patronus charm, and how the trio had helped capture Peter Pettigrew who attempted to escape after Remus' transformation.
While walking and while it became Tonks' turn to tell her story of how she morphed into one of the secretaries so she can sneak out some snacks from Scrimgeour's office, Remus accidentally brushes his hand against hers and she pauses for a moment to smile and look down at their hands before continuing her story. Remus' heart races, and the familiar funny feeling at the pit of his stomach has one again returned. As he listens to Tonks, he hears himself battle against...well, himself, of what he should do, and what he is feeling.
Hold her hand, I'm sure she doesn't bite. One of the voices tells him.
Unlike you, old werewolf. She might leave you in the middle of Muggle London, and the next time you see each other in the Order meeting, you will be screwed embarrassed. One of the voices fight back.
Did you see the way she blushed when your hand brushed up against yours? Remus looks down at Tonks' face, and sees that her cheeks are definitely still rosy in contrast to her usual pale complexion. He wondered why she had not morphed it like she used to?
Before any of the voices in his head can say anything further, Remus watches as Tonks starts to fall over, tripping on Merlin-knows-what. He lunges forward, grabbing her by her waist as she grabs the sleeves of his coat. She catches her breath, and he pulls her up, not letting go of his grip around her small waist.
"I'm sorry," she tells him sheepishly. "I did tell you I failed my Stealth portion in my Auror exam." She chuckles.
Remus looks at her in the eyes, smiling as he tucks a lock of her pink hair behind her ear and removing the fringes of her hair from her eyes. Her eyes are on him, and she rests her hands on his chest. His fingers stroked her cheeks gently, as if taking in and memorizing the feel of her face against his touch, as she unconsciously leans her face against his slender fingers. What am I doing? Remus thinks. Or maybe I should just stop thinking…just this once…
Without any hesitation, Remus lowers down and presses his lips gently against hers, his eyes closed, and his arms still wrapped around her waist. A few moments later, he feels her smile against his lips as her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer to her as she starts kissing him back softly, effectively making him pull her body closer to his.
Suddenly, there they were, as Sirius had put it, snogging in the middle of Muggle London.
When they pull away, with foreheads still touching, Tonks giggles and Remus smiles, kissing the tip of her nose, then planting a small gentle kiss on her lips. When they eventually pull away, Tonks blushes and her eyes change once again to Remus' blue eyes. Remus smiles as he reaches for her hand, intertwining their fingers together and they walk, as Tonks eventually continues her story-the part where she had finally smuggled chocolate frogs from Scrimgeour's stash in his office, to which Remus chuckles.
When they reach Tonks' flat, Remus had let go of her hand to gently caress her hair and stroke her cheek. Tonks smiles and takes a step closer to Remus, resting her hands on his chest. Remus cups her cheek with both hands and pulls her in to kiss her forehead, then her lips once again.
"I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" Tonks asks him softly. Remus nods and Tonks smiles, wrapping her arms around his waist. Remus, then wraps his arms around her small frame.
"Good night, Nymphadora." Remus tells her, when they eventually pulled away from each other.
"Good night, Remus." Tonks replies, finding herself unable to berate him for using her first name.
When Remus had reached Twelve Grimmauld Place, Sirius is sitting on the kitchen table directly in front of the doorway, nursing a glass of firewhiskey in his hand. Remus need not say anything, because the moment Remus had walked in the kitchen, Sirius starts howling and laughing, summoning a glass from the cupboard and pouring firewhiskey in it.
"Here's to Moony mooning-and snogging-my dear cousin." Sirius raises his glass. While Remus rolls his eyes to his best friend's teasing, he raises his own glass and drinks the firewhiskey.