A/N: Not mine. I will take Remus and Sirius though. Two for one package deal,haha!

The rain was coming down hard, drenching everything and everyone who was unfortunate enough to be out in it. Tonks was one of the few, but unlike her classmates she didn't run for cover, instead trudging slowly up the hill from the green houses, apparently lost in thought. What do I do? She wondered miserably as she got nearer to the castle. I mean it's not like he'll ever ask me out or anything. She thought back to just before Herbology and shuddered. You're such an idiot Tonks! She cursed herself. There you are asked out for the first time, by a cute boy no less, and all you can do is stammer and say you'll have to think about it. He probably hates me now. So distracted was she with her thoughts that Tonks didn't see the figure standing under a tree just to her right.

"Nymphadora?"

She stopped and backtracked, smiling slightly when she saw whom it was. "Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," she admonished as she stepped under the tree.

He, like her, was soaked from the rain and the fringe of his sandy hair stuck to his face, obscuring the eyes she had come to love. They were like no other eyes she had ever seen before, a warm brown, that was so dark it was like Amber, with flecks of gold. His right eye had more flecks then his left she knew. Merlin, she thought as he pushed his fringe out his eyes and smiled at her, why does he have to be so beautiful?

"Taking a stroll in the rain?" he asked

"What?" she frowned shaken from her musing. "Oh no. I mean I guess. I was on my way back from Herbology. Got too caught up in thinking I suppose. What're you doing out here."

"Waiting for James, Sirius and Peter. Professor Kettleburn is yelling at them, something about causing a herd of Unicorn to stampede."

Tonks raised a quizzical brow. "I thought Unicorns were studied in third year?"

Remus raised both brows at her, as he did very often and suppressed a grin. "They are."

Then they were both laughing. It was moments like this that made her not want to consider going out with someone else. If she was being quite honest with herself she knew that she had a rather large crush on Remus.

"I've been thinking," he said after their laughter had died down. "You really do have a lovely name."

Tonks snorted and rolled her eyes. "Now you're just taking the piss. No one could ever think Nymphadora is lovely except my Mother and I'm pretty sure she was high on PCP when she named me."

Remus shook his head, sending his fringe back into his eyes. He automatically pushed it away and said, "No I really do think its lovely. And as I had started to say, I don't really like calling you Tonks. It seems impersonal somehow."

Tonks thought about this for a moment. "Everyone calls me Tonks though, except for my parents. What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing," Remus said assuredly. "And if we were only acquaintances I wouldn't care, but we're friends and it doesn't feel right to me. I mean I don't call Sirius, Black or Peter just Pettigrew."

She could see the logic behind that, but she didn't know what to suggest he call her. Definitely not Nymph, that was almost as bad as Nymphadora.

"Got any suggestions then?"

Remus appeared to be thinking. "What about Dora?" he asked at length.

Dora. It was what her father called her and never before had she let anyone else. But it didn't feel wrong for Remus to call her that. Yes, it would definitely be okay.

She smiled. "Fine. You can call me Dora." She rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder lightly. "Only you would insist on using proper first names."

Remus only smiled, and she found herself thinking back to the incident before Herbology. Should she say something? After all he was her friend, and in many ways the closest she had ever had. Even if she did fancy him.

"Michael Collagen asked me out before Herbology," Tonks found herself blurting.

For a moment Remus stared at her, seemingly shocked at her abrupt announcement.

"And I wanted to say yes, sort of. Maybe. But all I could do was stammer like some fool and basically stick my foot in my mouth and tell him I would think about it," She rambled even though her brain was telling her she should shut up.

"And I… he's really really cute and good at Qudditch, which would just make Cally rant if I went out with him cause he's her rival, but it's the first time anyone has ever asked me out, but you know what that's like yeah? I mean tons of girls must be after you, and I don't even know why I'm telling you all this." She finished seeing that his dazed look had been replaced with one of amusement.

"Dora," He said laughing. "I honestly didn't understand a word of what you just said except something about Michael Collagen asking you out and your friend Cally and Qudditch."

Tonks blushed scarlet, and her hair turned the same colour as her cheeks. "Sorry, I was rambling a bit wasn't I?"

"A bit? Dora you didn't stop to breath once. Now as to your Collagen issue you should say yes, if I understood you correctly. It's only one date it won't commit you to him for life."

Over her shoulder he could see Peter heading up the hill and toward the tree.

"Right. I'll do that. It's only one date."

Peter had entered under the tree by then.

"Wotcher Peter." She said, her hair going back to it's regular pink.

"Hello Tonks," He turned to his friend. "They've got detention for a week starting after dinner tonight."

Remus raised a brow. "How did you get out of it then?"

Peter smiled. Tonks couldn't help noticing at that moment that there was something distinctly rodent like about him. "James told Kettleburn it was all he and Sirius' doing."

Remus sighed. "Where are they?"

Peter cast a look at Tonks as if to say not in front of her. She tried not to take it personally, she had a feeling that Peter didn't like her.

"Ah." Remus nodded and turned to her. "I have to go Dora, see you later?"

Tonks nodded, a little confused, but she didn't pry. Remus was allowed to have his secrets. She knew there was a lot of stuff he kept from her.

"Yeah. See you later." She watched as the two boys headed back out into the rain before she herself headed back up to the school.

Time to find Michael, she resolved. After all, it didn't look like Remus had any inclination of her true feelings toward him. It would probably be best to keep it that way. Besides, she told herself almost bitterly, he wouldn't want to go out with you any way.