I just want to thank everyone who has been reading and reviewing and faving and alerting. I LOVE reviews. They make my day. I just want to warn you that some of you may loathe this chapter. I am not jumping right into the relationship with Lupin and Tonks. It's going to be a slow, painful build. As it should be. Remember it took them two years to get together. Love to you all...

Syd


July 5, 1995

Tonks reviewed herself in the mirror as she waited for Bill and the Veela to come and pick her up. Bill had set her up on a date with his friend Rowan. She was nervous, but determined to stick to her resolution to do something with herself other than work. Spending time with her thirty-five year old second cousin did not count. After trying various colors and styles with her hair, she finally went back to the long brown with the blue streaks. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, there was a knock at the door. Trying not to seem desperate, she waited a moment before opening the door. Bill grinned down at her. Standing next to him was possibly the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen. Veela…Her mind reminded her.

"'Ello Tonks!" The girl cried, lunging forward to kiss Tonks on both cheeks. She tossed her hair back before introducing herself. "I am Fleur!" She looked sideways at Bill with such a look of pride, it made Tonks instantly like her.

"Nice to meet you." Tonks said kindly.

"Rowan is going to meet us at the restaurant." Bill explained. "Let's all apparate to Diagon Alley and go from there." Within seconds, they were standing in the middle of the crowded square. A young man with chestnut hair ran over to meet them.

"Bill!" Tonks smiled, relieved that he wasn't some creep. Of course, he was Bill's friend so he wouldn't be.

"Rowan…this is Tonks." Bill said, as Tonks offered her hand. Rowan smiled at her and took it. Was she blushing?

Dinner went well, Tonks found herself very comfortable with Rowan. She hadn't knocked one thing over the entire time! Once they'd paid their tab, they decided to head to the newest sports bar called Sid's Quidditch Pitch. She, Bill and Rowen all ordered ale while Fleur ordered some fruity drink. After a few drinks, Rowen asked if she wanted to dance.

"Sure!" She said, noticing that Fleur was already a bit tipsy. The music was upbeat and Tonks found it easy to let go. She'd definitely have to thank Bill for introducing her to Rowan.

"So…did you ever play Quidditch?" He asked.

"Yes actually," She replied. "I was a chaser for two years. How about you?" She asked as they returned to the bar.

"I was actually keeper. I'm surprised I don't remember you from school." He replied. She laughed.

"Well we were in different houses and you were three years ahead of me so it would have been really hard for us to have noticed each other."

"That's true." He conceded. "So, what house were you in?" He asked.

"Hufflepuff…you?"

"Gryffindor. You know, with Bill." She blushed.

"Right. Of course…that was a stupid question." He beamed at her.

"Not at all. Not all friends are in the same house." Before she said anything else, Bill interrupted.

"Listen you two, sorry to butt in, but I have to take Fleur home. She's a little under the weather." Fleur let out a high pitched giggle and Tonks raised her eyebrow at Bill.

"She looks really sick Bill…" She said sarcastically. Bill gave her a look as Rowan laughed heartily.

"Shut up you…goodnight!" He said, with a smile.

"Au Revoir!" Fleur said in a sing song voice as they disapparated.

"I wonder what their getting up to." Rowan chuckled.

"Yeah…it must be nice to have…" He cut her off, however, because he had kissed her.

Remus Lupin had sunk to his lowest as he trudged through Diagon Alley. He'd been refused a job as a maintenance attendant in a storage warehouse. It was over. Maybe he should just give it up and join a werewolf community. No, he thought, Then I'm no better than them. He yelped as his foot pricked with pain and knelt to discover that there was a hole between the shoe and sole. New shoes were a luxury he could not afford. He tried to repair the damage with his wand, but the shoes were simply too worn. Hell, he couldn't even afford to drink his sorrows away. Wistfully, he looked at the sign for the new bar he was standing in front of. Sid's Quidditch Pitch.

With a sigh, he walked past the open door and looked in to see people laughing and enjoying themselves. He sorely wished that Sirius was able to go out once in a while for a drink with him. The days of fun with Sirius, James and Lily were long gone. A smile came to his face as he remembered the last time they'd all gone out together. Harry had just recently been born and to celebrate, they'd all gone to a nice restaurant for drinks and dinner. Of course, Peter had beent here too, but that was before anyone could have ever dreamed he would betray them. Lily had brought little Harry along with his scrunched face and thick mop of James's messy black hair.

Now, as Remus watched these people enjoy themselves, oblivious to anything but themselves, he envied them for that. The two friends arm wrestling in the corner. The girls dancing with each other. The young couple at the bar kissing…Wait! As the girl pulled away in surprise, Remus recognized her. Nymphadora Tonks looked thoroughly shocked as she eyed the young man. Remus smiled in earnest for the first time that night.

"Good for her." He said aloud, almost relieved for an excuse to stop thinking about her. He disapparated back to Grimmauld Place to fall into bed.

"Wow…" Tonks replied, taking a swig of her ale.

"Yeah. Sorry." Rowan said breathlessly.

"Don't apologize!" She said, reaching out take his hand and instead knocking over her bottle of ale. He laughed and took her hand anyway. He picked up the tab and decided to see her home.

"I've had a wonderful time Tonks." He said, standing taller than her though he was not a tall man.

"Yes, I had fun! Thank you Rowan." She answered, feeling the anxiety build in the pit of her stomach. He kissed her again, this time with more passion.

"Can I come inside?" He asked, and his words splashed over her like a bucket of ice water.

"What?" She asked. He grinned.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" He repeated. Her smile faded.

"Oh…Rowan…I would, but…look…I like you, but I can't…" He nodded.

"I understand…but I was referring more to a cup of coffee than a shag."

"Oh!" She said, humiliated, "Of course!"

July 6, 1995

Remus sat at the kitchen table miserably, looking through the paper.

"Still looking for a job mate?" Sirius asked, coming in and pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Always…Sirius…I can't begin to express how grateful I am for you letting me stay." He replied embarrassed. Sirius sighed.

"Moony, this house will always be open for you. So stop thanking me…" Remus smiled uneasily.

"I'll try…but I'll never stop being grateful." Sirius made some comment under his breath, but Remus ignored it.

"Molly owled today, said they're going to get Hermione in a couple of weeks from her parents." Sirius said. Remus nodded.

"And then they're all coming here?" He asked. Sirius nodded in the affirmative.

"I wish we could just go get Harry." Sirius grumbled, making a face at the hot cereal Remus offered him.

"I do too…I hate to think of him there with those…people. I mean, Petunia is one thing…she's just a bit bitter, but that husband of hers is…"

"A pig." Sirius finished for his friend. "I haven't seen the nephew what's-his-face since I saw that picture when he was just a baby…was it Duffy?" Taking a bite of his own cereal, Remus laughed.

"I think Harry said it was Dudley." He responded, tossing the paper aside. "Why do I even look? Nothing will come of it!"

"Don't think like that…someone out there is going to see how qualified you are…I don't know why you don't just lie about being a werewolf." Sirius said casually.

"Easy for you to say Padfoot, but one day the boss gets a hold of the werewolf registry from the Ministry and not only will I be fired, but I'll never work again, no matter what."

"You know what you need Moony?" Sirius said with his mouth full before washing it down with pumpkin juice. "You need a good lay." Remus spit out his own juice.

"What?" He asked, hoping he'd heard wrong.

"You heard me…a good tumble in the sheets would do you good…and the ladies love scars." Sirius laughed, seeing the look on his friend's face. "Oh come off it…when was the last time you did the nasty?"

"Sirius!" Remus cried, his face completely red.

"Get over it," Sirius laughed unaffected. "How long? Six months? A year? Two years?" Remus sighed, realizing he was a thirty-five year old man.

"Six years." He replied blankly, staring into his cereal. Sirius dropped his spoon.

"Six years? Bloody Hell! You're joking! With who?" He asked. Remus shook his head.

"No one you would know. We were both very, very drunk and it was an experience I was glad to forget. She was not from around here. Never attended Hogwarts." The truth was, in his desperation, he'd once looked for a job in the Muggle world and had slept with a Muggle girl. Imagine the awkward explanation he'd have to give her if she'd been pregnant. But she'd been on something called a Pill.

"I knew it…you need a good shag." Sirius went on, irritating Remus.

"It seems like you're the one craving a shag Padfoot!" He said, surprised at how much he sounded like James when he spoke like that. "Trying to live vicariously through your old friend?" He teased. To his surprise, Sirius grinned.

"You're damn right I am…I'm not ashamed to say I could use a little time in the sack with a lady. I've got you beat! Fourteen years! Ugh! In that time I could have raised Harry and found him a nice Godmother…it makes me sick! I could have had kids of my own too."

"You still could Sirius." Remus added gently.

"Yeah I suppose…if I found the right girl…and you know, if Harry liked her. Because he comes first." Sirius said fiercely. Remus smiled.

"James would have been really proud of you just now." Remus said quietly.

"Yeah." Sirius said soberly. "But it wasn't for James. It was for Harry. I hate that he can't be here with us! We're his family not those…those…wankers!"

"Easy…" Remus said comfortingly. "I know Harry's been through a lot, but he's going to be fine…and we'll get to spend Christmas and Easter holidays with him."

"You're right…" Sirius said, "Well, I'm going upstairs to feed Buckbeak." He said at the sound of pounding from upstairs. Remus sighed and looked into the fireplace. He truly hoped Harry was alright.

Same Day

Tonks grinned as she opened her window and let the brown owl in. She was carrying a bundle and a note. Flowers…from Rowan? He'd stayed until nearly dawn talking to her before he left. Indeed, the note said,

Tonks,

Thank you for the coffee. I still don't think it was awful despite what you think. I can't believe you said it was chewable…I enjoyed it all the same. Meet me for dinner this Saturday at the same restaurant? This time without Bill and his girlfriend? Let me know.

Rowan

She unwrapped the flowers and put them into a vase before responding that she would go. A small twinge of disappointment tugged at her because Saturday was five days away, but he still wanted to see her again and that was something. Glancing at her clock she cursed and threw on her Auror robes before apparating to her Mum's to use the fireplace to floo to work.

"What are you smiling so much for Nymphadora Tonks?" Andromeda asked, when she heard her daughter apparate.

"Nothing…" Tonks replied. "Just having a good day." Grabbing for a muffin she added, "I met a boy."

"Oh?" 'Dromeda said, interested.

"Yeah…we're going on another date this Saturday…he's three years older than me. But…it's still early so I don't want to talk about it and jinx it."

Andromeda smiled and reached out to brush Tonks's blue hair back from her face.

"You know…when you were four years old, you told me you were going to marry Sirius's friend." She laughed then, remembering.

"Remus?" Tonks laughed. "I was quite the imaginative kid, huh?" Andromeda nodded fondly.

"I don't care who you end up with…as long as you're happy whether he be a Wizard, Squib, or even Muggle." Andromeda squeezed her daughter's hand. "Just…take it slow 'Dora. Don't rush into things…"

"I know Mum." She said, "It's been three years since I've been on a date…I'd say I'm way beyond taking things slow." Tonks kissed her mother on the cheek. "Well…I've got to get going…loads of paperwork." She said. "Love you Mum."

"I love you too 'Dora dear." Andromeda said, watching her daughter leave through the floo network.