A/N: Hey… so there will be flashbacks… making it more Lily/Lupin and Tonks/Lupin, but it does have some interesting twists while still going along with the books as much as possible… lol.. it's like half Au… Read. Enjoy. Review… :-)
A Rough Road
Chapter Four
A week later Lupin sat in the library reading a book and he had grabbed off one off the shelves. It was to the best of his knowledge Sirius' as it had nothing to do with how perfect
said Sirius as Lupin opened the letter.
"Maybe you're right," said Lupin as he read over Dumbledore's letter.
"From the headmaster?" said Sirius in a falsely polite manner.
"Yeah," said Lupin, "He wants to station me in Hogsmeade. So I'll be closer to the school."
"Oh," said Sirius, "I'm sorry mate."
"Only for the next week," said Lupin, still looking at the letter, "Apparently he thinks I'll be needed. It's not until just after Valentine's Day, which is good because Ollivander only needs me up until then."
"Oh," said Sirius, used to his friend doing odd jobs for some of the kinder Wizarding community, "What're you doing for Ollivander?"
"He just sent me an owl the other day that he needed some help in his shop," said Lupin, "He's been busy lately and wants me to help him out with some of his book keeping. He says he'll keep me on for a month or so."
"That's good," said Sirius, but lupin saw the annoyance on his face.
Lupin had gotten top grades all through school and was extraordinarily bright. He had graduated at the top of their class and yet no one would hire him. His grades should have meant that he could do just about anything he wanted, but nobody would hire a werewolf. It was complete ignorance, as anyone knew if they spent more than ten seconds with Lupin he would prove all their prejudices against werewolves wrong.
Dumbledore had paid him his teacher's salary for a year after he was fired, as severant's pay, then paid him again to go underground with the werewolves at the end of the previous year. He was ok with that and he always managed to scrape some sort of thing for himself, but it was hard, much harder than it should have been for him, but he refused to be paid for doing nothing, and he refused to stay with someone for much longer than a few weeks. Unless of course it was Sirius, where he could earn his keep by being the one sent out on errands and do odd jobs for the order while he was at it.
"What time is it?" Lupin asked and Sirius looked at his watch.
"Three-thirty," said Sirius fixing his sleeve to fall over his watch again, "Why?"
"Tonks gets off at five," said Lupin.
"I take it she's coming over?" said Sirius and Lupin nodded.
"I offered to cook her dinner," said Lupin, rubbing his eyes as he sat up, "She said she'd be by after work."
"Oh, right," said Sirius, "You told me you needed the kitchen and stuff last night, right?"
"Yeah," said Lupin, "I'll make your dinner first, then you can eat it when you get hungry."
"You don't need to cook for me, Mate," said Sirius mischievously, "I'm not your girl, or your kid. No matter how much you do look after me."
"What do you want for dinner?" Lupin asked, disregarding Sirius' statement, and Sirius took a heavy breath.
"Shepherd's pie sounds good," said Sirius happily and Lupin rolled his eyes, "If I tell you I love you and cuddle with you later will it be more worth your time."
"Shut up," said Lupin as he put the book he had been reading over his letter from Dumbledore on the coffee table.
"Just cook whatever you're making for her," said Sirius as Lupin reached the door.
"You don't like spaghetti," said Lupin, and Sirius raised his eyebrows.
"Lady and the Tramping it are we?" Sirius asked playfully, Lupin didn't even want to know how he, the son of pureblood mania, had seen the muggle movie.
"I thought Beauty and the Beast would be more appropriate," said Lupin, shrugging as he walked out of the room.
"Never caught that one," Sirius called after him, and Lupin chuckled as he headed down to the kitchen.
He whipped Sirius up his shepherd's pie very quickly with the aid of Magic. He set Sirius' dinner out on the table and went back to the kitchen to cook for himself and Tonks. This he made fully from scratch, without really using his wand, he always thought things tasted better that way. He was stirring the pasta as Sirius came in with his plate, all cleaned by magic, and set it in the cabinet.
"How's it coming?" Sirius asked, sitting at the small wooden table, leaning back.
"Good," said Lupin passively as he stirred the sauce in the pan before letting it simmer and going to sit with Sirius, "What am I doing?"
"You're cooking dinner for your girlfriend?" Sirius said questioningly as Lupin put his head in his hands.
"I'm Thirty-five years old," said Lupin, "Poor and… she's twenty-two and beautiful. What is
she doing with me?"
"I honestly don't know," said Sirius, "But I wouldn't question it, she likes you."
"For some ungodly reason," said Lupin and Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Shut up and enjoy, Remus," said Sirius.
"At her expense?" said Lupin, looking up, and resting his chin in his hands, "I should just nip this in the bud."
"Because it could actually work out?" Sirius asked and Lupin gave him a skeptical look, "Listen, mate, I've seen you pass up a lot because you don't think you're good enough. Lily, for example, but seriously, Lily's not here to tell you this, so I'm going to say it for her, a little less nicely than she would have. 'Shut up and take what should be yours. You're a good guy, and you need to learn to take what's delivered to your doorstep.' Also, and I'm just throwing this in here, Mate, you're a moron for believing whatever old Snivelly told you the other night."
"Thanks," said Lupin, getting up to go stir the pasta before straining it.
"See?" said Sirius, "What would you ever do without me?"
Lupin smiled as he strained the pasta and threw it into a bowl with the sauce. He started divvying it up between two plates when they heard the door open upstairs and something large falling onto the ground.
"I got it," said Sirius as Lupin grabbed a bottle of wine, and levitated the two plates over towards the table.
"Thanks," said Lupin nervously as he flicked his wand and set candles on fire all around the kitchen.
"Look at that, Romeo," Sirius teased as he headed up the stairs, "I'll send her down."
Sirius' mother screamed for only a few seconds before Tonks came down the stairs, Lupin presumed Sirius muffled her by some sort of magic.
"How was work?" Lupin asked as she entered the dining room, and put her arms around his neck.
"Dead boring," she said as she kissed him lightly.
"Really?" Lupin asked, smiling with a small twinkle in his eye as she looked up into his eyes, he then added grimly, "I'm sure it'll pick up soon, it's only a matter of time."
"Don't be so cheery, Remus," she said with a smile, kissing his cheek before walking over to the table.
She looked at the table for a second. Lupin had it set for the two of them, set up so that they were across from each other with a candle in the middle and the fire behind them. She just looked at the table for a second then pulled the further plate forward so it was next to the other plate.
"I knew something was wrong," said Lupin as he walked over and put his arms around her, kissing the side of her neck.
"This is so much better," she replied with a smile as he lenaed over and kissed he lightly.
"Hungry?"
"Extremely,'" she replied as he released her, then led her to sit down by her hand.
"Eat then," He said, and he watched her eat for a few minutes before picking up a fork himself.
He smiled as he finished off and realized that Tonks was finished and watching him. Their actual eating time had been spent in comfortable silence as they ate. She hadn't been kidding when she said she was hungry. He leaned back as she leaned onto his chest as he sent the dishes into kitchen and wrapped his arms around her. She sighed heavily and turned her head up to look into his eyes.
"You're adorable," she said and Lupin rolled his eyes.
"Tonks, you're beautiful," He said as he leaned down and kissed her sweetly as he tried to ignore a loud thump from upstairs.
"What was that?" Tonks asked and Lupin shrugged.
"Sirius feeding Buckbeak?" He asked and Tonks just looked at him for a second.
"Moony! Need some help!"
"He's like a little kid I swear," said Lupin a little irritatedly as he stood up and Tonks followed him to the stairs.
"I've never seen you this irritated," she said and Lupin smirked.
"Interrupting time with you is unacceptable," He said sweetly as they started to climb up a second flight of stairs.
They came to the landing out near Lupin and Sirius' rooms. He was lying on the ground clutching his leg, which was sticking out at an odd angle. He had seemingly fallen down the stairs.
"What're we going to do?" Tonks immediately started to panic, "It's not like we can bring him to St. Mungos."
"Relax," said Lupin, flicking his wand almost lazily as Sirius sprang to his feet.
"Thanks, Mate," He said and Tonks just looked up at Lupin.
"Did I miss something?" She asked and Sirius chuckled.
"He never told you he was going to be a healer?" said Sirius, "Top of his class, only the article that announced his furry little secret came out just after graduation, nobody would hire the poor guy."
"Honestly?" Tonks asked Lupin, who shrugged.
"It was a long time ago," said Lupin, "You should be good, Sirius. Just the leg?"
"There's a little pain in my buttocks area," said Sirius and Lupin chuckled.
"Yeah, I know the feeling," said Lupin, "You'll be fine."
"Oh, don't be a sore sport, Moony," said Sirius, looking at Tonks and winking at her mischievously, "I don't think she minds."
"I don't," said Tonks shyly and Lupin smiled at her weakly.
"I'll go now," said Sirius smiling as he passed them and into his bedroom.
"So…" said Tonks, attaching herself to Lupin's arm, "Can we go for a walk?"
"Sure," said Lupin, checking his watch before leading her back down the stairs.
He grabbed her coat off the stand and helped her into it. He smiled at her sweetly as she opened the door and they stepped outside.
"Which way is more scenic?" Tonks asked him as they walked onto the sidewalk, hands laced together.
"That way's a park," said Lupin pointing right, "And left's all residential."
"Park sounds nice," said Tonks with a cheery smile and he nodded as they headed up the street. They walked up to the gates, which were locked by the time they arrived, and Tonks stopped, as Lupin looked up at the fence, "What're you doing?"
"Jumping the fence, of course," said Lupin and Tonks laughed.
"Why don't we just Apparate to the other side of the fence?" Tonks asked and Lupin shook his head as he started to climb up.
"That's not nearly as fun, c'mon," He said, chuckling lightly as he landed safely on the other side, "C'mon."
"I don't know.."
"C'mon, Tonks," said Lupin smiling, "Aren't you supposed to be the one telling me to hop the fence?"
"Fine," said Tonks and Lupin smiled as she landed beside him, "Happy?"
"Perfectly," Lupin with a mischievous smile as he led her off for a stroll hand in hand.
"So tell me about your last girlfriend," said Tonks and Lupin raised his eyebrows, "Oh, c'mon. I know I'm not your first, but I also can't imagine someone being so stupid to break up with you."
Lupin was silent for a second.
"That's an extraordinarily long story," said Lupin, swinging their hands, "How about you have a go first."
