Hello everyone! Thanks so much to all of you amazing, beautiful people who reviewed the last chapter. To BAM: I set it sometime during the existence of the second Order. Hope this helps! Warning: This chapter contains serious snogging. If you don't want that-but seriously, who doesn't-just skip the end.
It was Christmas Eve now, temperatures in the freezing range and a blanket of glistening snow beneath a cold, clear sky. There was no Order meeting today, most of the members were off with their families, ringing in the Christmas holiday with their loved ones near. In a small cemetery far removed from the bustling city of London, a man in a tattered coat stood with his hands in his pockets in front of a small grave marker. The tombstone was small, plain, free of ornate text or concrete angels. In modest script were the words Maria Lupin, beloved wife and mother. Beneath that was the date of her birth and the date of her death. He read the words silently, though he had memorized them long ago. It was such a plain dedication, a modest summery of what had been a very full life. Remus had wanted to leave out the beloved wife part, mostly because his father had quickly deserted the family once he learned of his only son's lycanthropy. The bitter old man had hung in the background like some somber ghost at Maria's funeral, shedding silent tears in the back row whilst Remus delivered the eulogy. He hadn't bothered to comfort his father. The bitter old man didn't deserve sympathy.
"I'm sorry, mum," Remus said quietly. "I'm sorry that you never got to see your grandchildren."
Not that I have any, he thought gloomily. Not that I even have a girl.
His mother had always urged him to 'find a nice girl, settle down, raise a family', but Remus knew that he could never do that. He refused to selfishly impose his condition on an innocent woman and-God forbid-child. And yet he could never refuse his mother one of her last wishes…
"I promise that I'll find a nice girl, mum." His mind drifted to a pretty young Metamorphagus, one who was most likely with her family right now, celebrating Christmas Eve. He quickly attempted put the thought out of his mind. Tonks was young and beautiful and did not deserve a poor werewolf like himself.
As if she'd have you anyway, Remus thought dully.
"Remus." Someone was calling his name across the silent graveyard. He jumped a little, eyes searching the winter landscape for the speaker. There was a young woman slowly making her way through the deep snow, long red hair tumbling in waves from beneath a woolen hat. She wore a patched coat over a lumpy sweater that greatly resembled Mrs. Weasley's handiwork.
"Remus!" She waded a few steps forwards and he instantly recognized her as Tonks. When she got close enough she flung her arms around him.
"Happy Christmas Eve," she said quietly against his shoulder. He was still shocked to see her here, in this lonesome country graveyard of all places.
"How did you find me here?" He wanted to know, wanted to know why she had come.
"Dumbledore," said Tonks, and Remus was flooded-not for the first time-wth appreciation for the man's kindness. "He told me about your mum…how you visit her at Christmas."
Remus nodded silently, glancing back towards the simple gravemarker and the bones that lay frozen beneath it.
"I can't believe it's been nearly five years, " he murmered. He had been so much younger then, that day that he had scattered dark earth across his mother's casket. Though he was never innocent-never truly, not with the life he had lived-those memories represented a far different time. Times were darker now, everything brief and uncertain. You clung to what you had in these days, because you were never sure when it might be ripped from you without warning.
"It's beautiful here," Tonks said as they trudged back down the gentle slope to the village that lay snow-covered below. "No crowds, no people."
Remus admired the darkening snowy bosom of the hills, rising to the steep fellsides. Beneath the snow, he knew, lay wild heather, the purest shade of purple imaginable. Down the snowy track, the golden lights of the Muggle village twinkled like stars against the virgin snow. Tonks looped her arm through Remus' as they made the slow descent to the little hamlet.
"She always loved it here. My mother, I mean." Remus said slowly. "She moved to the country after my father-after my father left."
Tonks glanced up at him with sympathy in her hazel eyes.
"I'm sorry, Remus. That must have been awful."
He managed a tight smile and quickly changed the conversation. She didn't need to hear about his tattered family history, and he didn't need to be complaining about it. Life happened, life went on. Time stopped for no one.
"Speaking of family, why aren't you with yours?" He asked. Tonks scuffed the toe of her booth through the snow and sighed.
"My mum and dad are abroad, visiting my dad's sister in Paris. Muggle, you see." A tiny light sparkled behind her eyes. It was one of the things that Remus found himself fascinated with. "They took an areoplane to get there."
"So you're alone, then?" He asked. They walked through the kissing gate that lead out of the graveyard and began making their way towards the Muggle village below.
"I was alone," Tonks corrected. "I'm not anymore. I'm with you, aren't I?"
He slid a tentative arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Tonks clutched his arm, a blissful smile on her face.
The village was alight with Christmas decorations, red green and gold draping every available surface. From a small church on the High Street, the high voices of a choir carried on the frozen air.
"Happy Christmas, Remus." She leaned in and kissed him, gently at first. He wanted to push her away, to prevent her from this complete and utter mistake she was making. There was no way that she would ever be happy with him, he was too old, too dangerous, too poor…
Her kiss burned like firewhiskey, and it was a sensation that Remus found himself being tangled in. He couldn't let go, he couldn't stop kissin her, couldn't stop himself from sliding his arms around her waist, drawing her closer, pressing their bodies together. Merlin, he couldn't stop. She was like a drug, a drink, an addiction that he was unable to resist.
He pulled away, holding her at arm's length. Her red hair was mussed, the tips turning to bright pink.
"Oh, Remus…" She began, and trailed off with a happy sigh. "Do you want to get out of here?"
"Headquarters?" He asked and she nodded. He gripped her smaller hand in his and together they fell through time and space, landing on the icy ground outside of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.
Tonks tripped a little up the step, giggling slightly as Remus caught her arm to prevent her from falling.
"My knight in shining armour," she said, clinging to his arm. He opened the door and they stumbled inside, out of the frigid night air.
"Let's pick up where we left off, shall we?" Tonks suggested. Remus pressed her against the wall, sliding his arms around her lithe frame. He couldn't imagine anything better in the world-in the whole universe-than kissing Nymphadora Tonks on Christmas Eve. Tonks pushed him backwards onto the stairwell, straddling him, her fingers swiftly undoing his coat buttons. She had somehow managed to already wriggle out of her coat and he lifted her sweater over her head, leaving her only in a form-fitting shirt. She pressed against him, and the little moans that she was making were slowly driving him mad. He hadn't wanted anyone-wanted wanted-anyone quite so much as he wanted Tonks right now. He was fighting the urge to pin her against the wall and shag her senseless.
Calm the bloody hell down, Remus. You've only kissed her once before, don't rush things like this…
Her arms were linked around his neck and he was pinning her against the wall, hands on either side of her,
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"
Sirius was standing in the doorway, looking royally pissed off.
Okay guys, sorry for the crap ending, I just needed to update and I hope that you don't hate me for being a crap story-ender. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW, my luvs. Have wonderful weekends! Love from Riddy.
