"Honestly, Molly, I'm fine." Tonks sighed inwardly.

"Nonsense, dear, have a few more biscuits." She complied, knowing that it would be worse for her if she put up a fight. If there was one thing mothers knew how to do, it was guilt trip you into doing what they wanted. She just nibbled absently, and looked toward the sliver of sky that was visible through the Burrow's kitchen window.

It was the second full moon night since she and Remus had started exploring a more-than-friends relationship. She didn't want to pry into that part of his life too soon. She knew he didn't want her involved, but it didn't stop her from fretting.

"Now, tell me what's on your mind."

She decided to try the evasive tack, even knowing it probably wouldn't be very helpful. "Oh, this and that. The atmosphere at the Ministry is getting worse. I've learned that I may have to be stationed at Hogwarts. By the way, I saw that Arthur's been promoted. Congratulations. No one deserves it more than he does."

Her face fairly glowed. "Thank you." But then she delivered her patented Don't-think-I-don't-see-those-Extendable-Ears-Fred-and-George look. "But you still haven't told me what's bothering you."

"No, I haven't." She decided to simply give in. "It's Remus."

"Ah, it's the full moon tonight, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and it's only the second one since Sirius died. And he won't talk to me about it." She froze, aware of how she sounded, aware of the blush blooming on her face. She twirled a piece of her hair, which was her customary pink that she was chagrined to note had gone a little brown at the tips.

However, Molly's smile was understanding. "I'm sorry, dear. But has he ever spoken to you about it before?"

"Well, no, not a lot, but since we've-" She broke off. She and Remus weren't explicitly hiding their relationship, but they didn't need everybody's noses in their business.

"Since you've started dating, you'd thought that he would open up more." Tonks gaped at her. The older woman beamed. "Honestly, Tonks, it's quite obvious."

"Oh." The sound didn't go nearly far enough to cover her embarrassment. She had tried to be subtle.

"I'm extremely happy for both of you." Tonks half expected her to hold forth on dresses, china and table arrangements for a Christmas wedding, but that was not the case. "How long has it been?"

She couldn't hold back the sheepish grin that lifted the corners of her mouth. "A little more than a month." She felt her face fall just a little. "I only hope that he knows he can tell me things. It won't change how I feel."

"He'll realize that. It may take time, even a long time, but he will."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Molly."

"I know what you're feeling, Tonks." Empathetic as Molly was, Tonks doubted it. "Arthur had some doubts at the beginning of our relationship. He was always worried about the money and my family." In the back of her mind, she recognized that of course Molly and Arthur hadn't always been married, but it was still an odd thought.

"Oh. I didn't know that."

"Yes." She was wearing a rather wistful. "But he realized soon enough that I only wanted him. I'm sure Remus will be the same." Tonks knew that her relationship with Remus wasn't the same, but she felt buoyed anyway.

Then, they heard three knocks at the kitchen door. Tonks' hand automatically went to her wand, but she calmed herself; it was probably only Arthur. Molly's voice trembled, though, as she demanded, "Who's there? Declare yourself!"

"It is I, Dumbledore, bringing Harry."

She saw the older woman visibly relax as she opened the door. "Harry, dear! Gracious, Albus, you gave me a fright, you said not to expect you before morning."

She still gave an instinctive wince every time she saw the Headmaster's withered hand. "We were lucky." He and Harry entered the Burrow. "Slughorn proved much more than I had expected. Harry's doing, of course. Ah, hello, Nymphadora!"

She smiled at both of them. "Hello, Professor. Wotcher, Harry." It was good to see Harry again. He looked pale and a little thinner than he had been when she'd seen him at King's Cross. But that was understandable. She wished she could tell him how she missed Sirius and at least partly felt his loss. However, she knew she was bound to botch such a conversation, and she really didn't know him well enough to get involved.

She was at a loss as to what to say to him even by way of innocent small talk. Plus, she didn't really like the knowing way Dumbledore was looking at her. She chastised herself for growing as paranoid as Mad-Eye. But she didn't think she was entirely imagining things.

The scene was growing more uncomfortable by the minute as Molly bustled around trying to make everyone more tea and Tonks simply sat at the table. She decided she ought to just try to get a little sleep before her shift the next morning. "I'd better be off. Thanks for the tea and sympathy, Molly. Good night, everyone."

She exited the kitchen and promptly Apparated to her flat.

----

Remus was to the point where he felt only anticipation before his third date with Tonks, a little over a month after their first. However, there was one problem that he had to face. The funds that Dumbledore had given him, ostensibly for his house, would have to last indefinitely. Modest as their dates had been so far, they couldn't continue if he did not find some way of making more money. Perhaps he could find a Muggle part-time job…

But he ruled that thought out even as it struck him. He had to devote all his time to the Order. Dumbledore was relying on him, and he couldn't let him down again. A few weeks ago, he had brought over all the books and some notes that Remus would need for researching Horcruxes and Voldemort's movements. Remus had been spending almost every spare moment poring through, with the notable exception of his second date with Tonks. His prospects for finding anything useful were looking rather unlikely at the moment.

He shook his head and stifled such negative thoughts as he knocked on Tonks' door and answered her security question.

"Wotcher." She smiled up at him expectantly. He leant down and kissed her softly.

"Good evening. Ready?" She nodded, closing the door and performing various charms on it. She linked one of her hands with his as they made their way down the steps and out into the back alley. "I hope you don't mind going Muggle again?"

"Course not. It's fun to get away from the Wizarding world sometimes." Her earnest tones let him believe that she was really satisfied. He was grateful for that, although doubt that he could truly continue to make her happy niggled at the back of his mind.

He Apparated them to another pub that he knew from the days of the First War. It was in about the same condition as the one he had taken her to on their first date, but he did think that the interior was slightly more cheerful.

Once they were seated and had placed their orders, he asked, "So, how was work today?"

She shrugged noncommittally. "Fine. Long. Even though the Ministry's finally admitted that Voldemort's back, they're still not working as efficiently as they might. At least they're not uselessly chasing Sirius anymore." She winced and her face instantly went bright red. Her eyes became huge, horrified disks as she started to apologize. "I'm sorry. I didn't-"

He took her hand across the table in order to try to soothe some of her sense of committing a faux-pas. "Don't worry about it." They had only spoken about Sirius occasionally since June, but he needed her to know that the subject wasn't forbidden. It might help both of them to talk about him sometimes.

They lapsed into a short silence and their food arrived.

"Anyway, how was your day?" He wished that she could ask about his work, but it was no good to dwell.

"Productive. I did some research."

"The top-secret research that only you and Dumbledore can know about?" He could only muster a tight smile in response, and she frowned. Damn. He didn't want her to think that she had offended him.

And he wanted to tell her. When Dumbledore had told the others about his research during a meeting, she had teased him afterward and said surely he could tell her. He'd said no, that Dumbledore had sworn him to absolute secrecy. She never asked after that, and he was grateful. But he always felt as if he had answered her too harshly.

He forced himself to give her a proper smile. "Sorry."

"S'alright. Adds a bit of mystery." They began their usual bantering as they finished their meals.

He noticed that she was biting her lower lip as he drew the wallet that kept especially for when went into the Muggle world. She looked as if she was about to say something but abruptly closed lips tightly. "Is something the matter?"

"Well…" Her eyes gleamed with hesitation. "I was just…I was going to offer to pay."

"Oh." Remus thought his stomach might have sunk all the way to his toes. "That's not necessary."

"It would be no trouble. You paid for the first two. And it is almost the twenty-first century." She was finding her voice, and he realized they were in for a long argument (also their first as a couple). His sensible side saw her point. She was an Auror and was paid a good salary; she wasn't offering out of pity. But his pride flared up against the very idea. He had so little to offer her as it was; he could at least pay for dinner.

"Come on, Remus. I'm not trying to take away your manly pride." It was if her dark eyes could read the thoughts written in his lighter brown ones. "I only want to do my part. Maybe we can alternate or something."

"I…" He was going to argue, but he knew that she would most probably win in the end. And protesting would only make her feel guilty. He could make it up to her by giving her a nicer Christmas or birthday present. "Okay. Wait, you have Muggle money on you?"

She grinned. "Yeah. Aurors are always supposed to carry some, just in case." They stood and she paid at the bar. As they walked into the warm night, he saw that her face unaccountably bore marks of nervousness and guardedness.

----

"Er, would you like to come in for a bit?" Standing in front of the door to her flat, she twirled her wand in her fingers.

"All right." Part of her had hoped that he would say no because her flat was really in no state to be seen by company. But she ushered him in anyway. "Sorry about the mess."

"This is messy?" She looked around at the piles of mail on her kitchen table. Her gaze then wandered to her half-made bed and the clothes lying on top of it that could be seen through the slightly open door. Various dishes littered the sink.

"Isn't it?"

"Not compared to my place. In fact, this is pristine." She thought her eyebrow probably couldn't go much higher up her forehead. "I solemnly swear I'm not taking the mickey."

"And here I was thinking you'd be appalled that you're dating such a slob."

"Certainly not. A little clutter never hurt anyone. I find your completely clear floors particularly impressive." She was surprised to find look that seemed a little like genuine wonderment on his face.

"I learned a long time ago that I fall a lot less often if I don't leave anything lying around to trip over."

"Ah. That makes sense." She fidgeted with her wand some more. Remus had been in her flat once or twice before, but this was his first visit since they had started dating.

She could at least remember the basic rules of hostessing. "Um, would you like a butterbeer?"

"Yes, thank you." She rummaged through her cupboards as Remus sat on her sofa. She held the two recovered bottles tightly, carefully maneuvering herself to sit beside him. "Congratulations on your successful crossing."

"Git." His impish grin really did make it very difficult for her to be annoyed with him, but she could at least pretend.

"Guilty as charged." She rolled her eyes as they each sipped their drinks appreciatively. She brought her legs up underneath her and rested against the cushions more fully. She turned slightly to look at him. She liked to see him so relaxed.

Then, he shifted to mirror her position. Smiling at her in a way that made her breath catch, he tilted his head toward hers and kissed her soundly. As his lips moved over hers, she felt that maybe the romance novels she occasionally stole from her motherweren't so ridiculous as she used to think they were. Floating and soaring certainly seemed to be apt descriptions of the sensations running riot through her.

Wanting to feel more, she deepened the kiss. Meanwhile, Remus began gently kneading the skin at the base of her neck, sending delightful shivers up and down her spine. They spent some minutes thus engaged.

When they pulled apart, she had to fight off a dopey grin. "Well."

He rested his forehead against hers. "Well." They smiled at their mutual lack of eloquence. Apparently, they also mutually decided some things were better expressed through lips moving in time together than through words.

Eventually, they broke away from each other again. They resumed drinking. She was relieved that they still had the chance to do this and that she hadn't put him completely off her by insisting on paying tonight. She knew that she sometimes had to walk a delicate line in this relationship. She knew him well and she didn't have to tiptoe around him, but she knew equally well that his poverty bothered him in a way that it never disturbed her.

After finishing their butterbeers and several more long kisses, Remus drew back and kissed her cheek, telling her that he should probably. They both stood and she walked with him the short distance to her door. His lips touched hers lingeringly once more. "Good night. I'll probably see you the day after tomorrow at the meeting."

"Bye." She peeked through a slit in her door and watched him walk away. She didn't even try to suppress the dopey grin that she had earlier.

A/N: Some of the dialogue in the first section is taken directly from HBP p. 81-82 (US hardcover edition). My review bribe for this chapter is a date in a Muggle pub with Remus (or Tonks).