With Christmas came the usual cheeriness, and things seemed to lighten considerably within the Order of the Phoenix. But there was a red stain splattered across the snow when they heard about Arthur Weasley's attack. He was hovering close to death. And the reason they even knew about it, was Harry Potter.

Nobody had realized that simply guarding the prophecy would be so dangerous. There was an urgent meeting on December 23rd to discuss whether they should even continue to guard it, when the possibility of one of them being captured or killed was so real. Even Kingsley and Tonks were there, forgetting about work for once. It was Christmas so oh well. Harry and the Weasley children were taken immediately from Hogwarts into Grimmauld Place.

Sirius was worried, watching Harry's pained face, as they waited for news in the kitchen. His godson didn't have any idea what was happening to him, and Sirius did not want to be the one to tell him. He cared too much about him. Sighing, he drifted into sleep, not waking until Molly came. She delivered the good news that Arthur would indeed live, and thanked Harry profusely for saving him.

Sirius watched happily enough, but wondered whether Umbridge had known. If she said anything to Fudge, then the Ministry would probably expel Harry without a second thought.
He sighed. The Ministry really needed to wake up and get their heads out of their butts. After telling Molly that he didn't mind her family staying for Christmas, he left the room.

*/*/*

"You should hear him Sirius! It's the same every time, 'I've got nothing to give you.' Why doesn't he understand?"

"I don't know, because maybe you're the first girl to fall in love with him since our 5th year at Hogwarts?" Sirius responded in a "duh" voice.

"Yeah, so what, does that mean he has short term memory loss?"

Sirius raised his eyebrow. "Short term?"

Tonks blushed. "Are you going to help me or not?"

He shrugged. "Sure, if you want. So, you want Moony to notice you, correct?" She nodded. "And you want him to fall in love with you, right?" She nodded again. "Ok, so that basically translates into you want to make him jealous."

"Sure, Sirius, if that's what you think it means." She laughed and winked.

"Anyway…" Sirius rolled his eyes, than a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "You know…he has a brother."

Tonks raised her eyebrows.

Mad-Eye and Tonks were supposed to escort the Weasley's and Harry to see Arthur on Christmas Eve. The whole time, Tonks couldn't get her mind off what Sirius had said. Was she that shallow to him? Well, she wasn't going to do it. Not unless Lupin didn't say anything to her at Christmas. Then she might…

"Obviously Potter doesn't realize what that means, but if You-know-Who's possessing him then…" Mad-eye was talking to Molly, Arthur and Tonks at 's. Tonks was shocked at Mad-eye's statement.

"Are you sure that's what's going on? If it is…well he told us all he saw it himself. But it couldn't mean that, could it?" Tonks felt bad for Harry. He had never asked for any of this.

Mad-eye however, gave her a pitying look. "Dora, what else does it mean?"

"Quit patronizing me!" She stuck out her tongue at him. Molly and Arthur smiled.

Afterwards, back at Grimmauld Place, Molly beckoned Tonks over to her in the kitchen while no one was around. "Hullo dear. So do you know how you're going to get Remus to fall so in love with you that he doesn't care about anything else?" She smiled.

Tonks smiled back, but looked sheepish. "Well, Sirius says he has a brother…But I only want to make him jealous not hurt him!"

"Ah, yes, that might be going a little too far, but then again, it is Sirius." Molly sighed. "Well, it's worth a shot, and it will probably make him realize that he's the only one he wants you to be with. Not someone young and whole, or whatever all he says. So you go ahead, and I'll say something to him."

"All right, thanks so much Molly!" Tonks bounded away, happy, but also with a forbidding feeling in the pit of her stomach.

*/*/*

"Good for you Tonks! His name's Don. I'll set it up if you want." He winked, leaning back in the recliner of the living room.

She rolled her eyes. "Sirius I don't want to actually have a relationship with him, just for Remus to see us holding hands or something."

"Fine, but how is that going to work?" Sirius wanted to know.

She shrugged. "I don't know…Apparate to his house or something."

He winced. "Oh, one little thing I forgot…he's a Squib."

"What?" Tonks mouth dropped. "Well…I guess it's just one more thing he hasn't told me. Just like when I had to force him to tell me he was a werewolf." She turned away from Sirius.

"No…Tonk's it isn't like that….Don doesn't-"

The door to the living room opened at that moment. Lupin looked furious, and hurt. "Oh, hello Padfoot, hope I wasn't interrupting, friend." He glared at Tonks.

She had the decency to look ashamed, but Sirius stepped closer to Lupin. "No, friend, you didn't interrupt anything, we were just discussing how hurt my cousin here was when you rejected her for the 100th time."

Now Lupin looked ashamed, and Tonks was angry. "Yes, Remus, you know Sirius's is right, we're only having this discussion because of you!" She glared.

"No…Dora, you don't understand…" he trailed off at the look on her face.

"Yeah, maybe not, but don't bother explaining!" Fighting back the tears, Tonks left the room, slamming the door as hard as she could. Yeah, she thought bitterly, I'm the one who doesn't understand.

"Moony…" Sirius reached out a consoling arm, but Lupin shook his head, and sat down with his head in hands.

"She really thinks that hurting me will make me want to be with her," he muttered into his palms. "I was going to be with her…but never mind now."

"Remus, are you serious? She loves you!" Sirius protested, but Lupin just shook his head, saying no more. Getting the hint, Sirius left the room as well.

*/*/*

Tonks was curled up in a ball on her bed. She didn't get it. She thought that maybe a jealous Remus would help, but no such luck. There didn't even seem to be a jealous Remus, just a hurt one. She was so confused. So did he not want to be with her at all then? Did the kiss mean nothing? She pounded her pillow. Yeah, maybe she shouldn't have tried to make him jealous, or even discussed it, but if he had just accepted her, she wouldn't have needed to. Feeling broken, she stood up and looked through her bag. She would prove to him that he loved her, that he needed her. She just needed something to wear…

Lupin paced the floor of the kitchen, distractedly talking to other members of the Order on Christmas night. He was just muttering something incoherent to Kingsley when Molly walked up to him, wearing a festive red hat. "Remus, could I talk to you for a moment?" She motioned him towards the pantry.

He nodded. "Of course, Molly. Happy Christmas," he spoke cheerfully, but wondered what she could want.

"And you, dear. I was wondering…how are things with you and Tonks?" She had to tread carefully, but the two of them were meant to be together and she was going to help it along as best she could.

Lupin shook his head. "I don't think there is any me and Tonks," he said wearily. "I've got nothing for her, I'm too poor-"

"But she'll be a little richer with you."

"No, I'm too old-"

"Love makes you younger."

"I've nothing to offer-"

"Offer your heart." She smiled kindly at him, and at last Remus saw the truth. It didn't matter to her if he had anything, as long as he had his heart to give. He smiled in return and thanked her, leaving the pantry intending to find Tonks.

Just as he reentered the kitchen, Tonks came in from upstairs. Lupin almost ran into the table, and nearly knocked Mundungus Fletcher over he was so shocked.

Tonks had turned her hair to a dark brown for the holidays, pinned up in a bun with fun curls falling down. She had put on a carefree, holly-green dress that went down to the knees with a poofy skirt. With that, a paler green shawl was around her and red and green striped heels on her feet, she looked more beautiful than Lupin had ever seen her. Seeing Remus staring at her, she grinned and made her way toward him through the crowded kitchen. "Happy Christmas Mad-Eye, yes you too Kingsley…Hi Remus." She smiled at him.

He resisted the urge to kiss her. "Hello Dora. Happy Christmas."

"And you, Remus-

"I'm sorry" They spoke at the same time, and both their faces relaxed into smiles. A slow song by Celestina Warbeck came on the WWN, and Lupin looked down and Nymphadora with glowing eyes.

"Would you like to dance?"

She looked back at him the same way. "Only on the roof." He just laughed and swept her into his arms. Molly and Sirius looked on approvingly. For disagreeing on so many things, they seemed to be in one mind here.

Whispering something in her ear, Lupin made Tonks smile mischievously. A few minutes later they both exited the kitchen right after each other, laughing. At midnight, Mad-eye looked up to find Tonks. He quickly looked away. He'd give them some privacy.

*/*/*

Tonks woke up the next morning feeling happier then she'd felt in a long, long time. Dimly wondering why, she rolled over and saw the most handsome man in her world next to her. She smiled. Finally. Looking at Remus's watch she saw it was 12:30. She didn't even care. Looking up, she found Remus's gorgeous dark green eyes.

He smiled at her joyfully. "Good morning Dora…did that really happen?" He sounded so confused that she couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, I think it did." She kissed his cheek gently. He smiled widely.

"It's nice to wake up to you." He kissed her jaw line, and then her forehead and lips. She smiled and kissed him back.

"I love you." She whispered it softly into his ear.

"I love you too Dora." He smiled at her. They just lay there for a while looking into each other's eyes, until the clock read 1:05. Finally Remus reluctantly got out of bed, dressed, and slowly walked backwards towards the door. When he bumped into the door, he spoke. "I should probably go, shower…See you later." She waved, still smiling.

She'd had sex with Remus Lupin. She was with the man she loved. Finally! Nymphadora Cassi Lupin, she tested out in her head. That doesn't sound too bad. She sighed contentedly and was just getting out of bed, thinking she should probably shower too, when there was a knock on the door. Thinking it might be him again, she skipped happily to the door, knocking over a burnt out candle on the way.

She opened the door, and came face to face with someone who could only be Don Lupin. "Damn it, Sirius," she muttered under her breath.