Tonks held the hug as long as she could, feeling a little dizzy as she drank in his distinct scent; bayberry and something underneath, something feral and wild. Then he let her go, looking awake again.

"Did you go with you werewolves?" she whispered.

"Yes," he whispered back, holding her shoulders. She slipped her arms around his waist. "I heard you tracked down that dementor. Impressive, Nymphadora."

She felt her smile broadening, wondering if she looked like an idiot, and not able to stop. "Thanks, Remus. What did I miss in the meeting?"

Remus frowned. "Sirius wanted to escort Harry to his hearing." Tonks raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "My thoughts exactly," said Remus. "And Dumbledore's. Mundungus mentioned that a lot of people are leaving London. Apparently there's a new criminal overlord and no one's seen him, but Mundungus's contact are disappearing left and right. Hestia was accosted by someone, she's all right," he added hurriedly. "This wizard knew she was close to Dumbledore and I guess the conversation got pretty heated and he jinxed her. She knows him, she was very upset." Tonks made a mental note to call on her when she could. "And, of course, today is Harry's haring. If he is expelled, which Dumbledore does not deny is a possibility, we will have to escort him back to the Dursley. Sirius fought for Harry staying here at headquarters, but Dumbledore is adamant that he return to his aunt and uncle. Dumbledore and myself will explain the situation to the Dursleys, if we must." He paused, looking thoughtful. "That's it, I think, I can't remember anything else."

"Excuse me," said Tonks, and she put her face on his chest and yawned, a great big yawn she had been holding in while Remus talked. She resurfaced, giggling. "Sorry."

He was smiling. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast. Harry will be down in a moment, Molly just woke him."

Molly, as was her custom, made Tonks some breakfast and a cup of tea. SIrius was moodily tearing his toast to crumbs. No one was speaking to him. Arthur was telling Molly about a book he had just read, an automobile manual, and Molly was dutifully ignoring him.

"How was duty last night, Tonks?" she asked, cutting Arthur off. Remus sat beside Tonks, but was looking worriedly at Sirius.

"Fine, thanks," Tonks replied. She took a big gulp of tea. "I'm knackered from this dementor case," she was stifling a yawn. Harry appeared, coming down the stairs. "And I'll have to tell Dumbledore I can't do the shift tonight," she said, giving in to the yawn. "I'm just too tired." Harry sat across from her, next to Sirius. "Wotcher, Harry."

"'Lo, Tonks."

Molly put some toast in front of him. Everyone tried to bolster him up a bit. He looked like he was going to be sick or faint, or both. Tonks felt for him. Remus was being so kind. She could tell Harry had a lot of respect for him, which filled her with pride, as though Remus was already hers.

Finally, Arthur announced it was time to go. Harry asked if Sirius could come.

"Dumbledore said no," said Molly, "and I must say, I think he's -"

"Quite right," finished Sirius, looking very sour indeed. He didn't even look up as Harry and Arthur left. Tonks felt the familiar twist of pity and embarrassment for him. How could he think Dumbledore would agree to Sirius going to the Ministry itself? It was almost laughable, if you thought about it, so Tonks didn't.

Arthur had agreed to fill in for her, so Tonks didn't need to stay to contact Dumbledore. She needed to get to work. She briefly considered calling in sick, but decided against it. Scrimgeour would only become more suspicious about her lack of energy, now that he had given her that sleeping potion.

Remus rose with her when she announced she was leaving, fifteen minutes, and another cup of tea, later.

"Thanks, again, Molly," she said. She stopped by Sirius and put her hand on his shoulder, leaning toward his ear. "The day will come when you leave this house for good," she said, quietly, so Molly couldn't hear her. Remus, standing by the stairs, politely pretended not to hear.

Sirius tried to smile, but it faltered into a grimace, and he merely patted her hand.

Tonks followed Remus up the stairs. He opened the door for her and walked her to the sidewalk.

"I can't come with you," he said. "I think Sirius would like the company of someone other than Molly. I don't know what Dumbledore's playing at, keeping him cooped up like this. I wholeheartedly agree he should go nowhere near the Ministry, but it's only a matter of time before he gets impulsive and reckless." He sighed.

"You're a good friend, Remus. How long will you be in London this time?"

He smiled. "A couple of weeks."

"Let's get together. I can't tonight, I'm dead on my feet. How's Friday?"
Remus drew in a deep breath. She looked so hopeful and he couldn't bear to douse that hope. What was he doing? For her own good he needed to separate himself from her. "Sure, that sounds great. Why don't I pick you up at your place around seven?"

She beamed at him, looking like a sky at sunrise. He thought her hair might be getting even brighter as he watched. "I'd love that." She stood on her toes and kissed him. He returned the kiss briefly, and disengaged himself.

"I'll see you Friday."

"Bye, Remus." She turned and walked away, looked around for Muggles, and Disapparated.

Lupin wanted to go in and talk down Sirius, who was fuming, he knew. He needed advice, too, on how to extricate himself from this situation. He had been so sure she would decide against him after his absence that he hadn't even considered the possibility she might want to continue seeing him. No witch had ever dated him after finding out he was a werewolf. He had tried, as a much younger man, but as soon as he disappeared for three days, so did his girlfriends. He had dated a fellow werewolf once, but that had ended...badly. He had never encountered a woman so thoroughly unconcerned with his condition. And she should be concerned. He was literally a monster. Tales of his kind were told to frighten.

With a heavy sigh, he went back inside the house. The kids had woken up and were eating breakfast, but Sirius was not present. He found his friend in his mother's room feeding Buckbeak.

"Sirius," he said, coming in and sitting in an armchair across from the bed, where Sirius sat. "I'm not intruding, am I?"
"Of course not," said Sirius, rather gruff.

"Listen, Tonks is right, the Ministry will one day realize that Voldemort is back. You need never come back to this house."

Sirius hung his head. He gave a great, world-weary sigh and sat up straight, leaning against a bed post and crossing his arms against his chest. His indolent posture and smug smile were so familiar, Lupin could see right past twelve years of Azkaban prison, to his young friend, when it had been a quartet, instead of a duo.

"What else does Tonks say, Moony?"

Lupin flushed. "I don't understand."

"You seem to be spending a lot of time with my fair cousin. Holding doors open, ogling her when you think no one's looking." Sirius's smug smirk deepened considerably. Lupin could feel a shifty grin forming on his own face and then hated himself. How dare he allow himself to feel happy at that bright young woman's demise? He was an old fool, allowing himself to be teased like a schoolboy.

"It's not a laughing matter, Sirius." Sirius gave a barking laugh. "Snuffles, please, help me. I don't know what to do."

"You mean for a date? Or do you need an explanation of what happens between a man and a woman?"

Lupin felt his face heat scarlet, and leapt to his feet in his agitation. Buckbeak flapped his wings irritably at the sudden movement, but Sirius rubbed his flank soothingly and the hippogriff quieted.

"I'm perfectly serious," said Lupin. "This girl can't - or won't - see me for what I am. A life with me would destroy her utterly. Can't you understand? I started something, and I must end it. I must, before it gets too serious. I'll never be able to live with myself if I hurt her."

Sirius was serious now. "Well, you've got a problem then, Moony. You think you'll hurt her by being with her, but I promise you'll hurt her if you break it off. She fancies you. She's an adult, she knows what she's getting into. Why don't you just enjoy yourself, for once?"

Lupin almost shouted in his frustration, but remembered himself. He must not lose his temper. He would not lose his temper. The beast had him thirty-six days a year, why should it be allowed access to the rest of his time as well?

As calmly as he could, he said, "It's not a question of enjoyment. It's a question of right and wrong. My disease touches every aspect of my life. She would have to support us, would have to lie for me. Even if she thinks that wouldn't bother her, it would eventually. It bothers the bloody hell out of me, and I've been living with it for almost thirty years now. It would drive her to hate me. I just...I can't allow my pathetic existence to taint hers."

Sirius watched him as he sank back into the chair. "You are a human being," he said. "It is perfectly natural for you to fall for another human being. Yes, you are a werewolf, and, unfortunately, that's a big deal in our world, and it does make things hard for you. But you still deserve to be happy, and Tonks wants to be happy with you. You're not marrying tomorrow, so why don't you just...see how it goes? Maybe she'll decide you're a git and fall for a vampire instead."

Lupin laughed. He couldn't help it. He could feel his tension dissipating at his friend's words. He still didn't see how his happiness should come at the expense of Tonks's (and that he would eventually make her very unhappy he did not doubt). However, Sirius had echoed Tonks's view so effortlessly, it had jarred him. Dating was not a commitment. Perhaps he could date her. Undoubtedly, once he transformed, after spending weeks away from him whilst he spent time with other werewolves, she would tire of him. She would recognize the beast within and run. He would have to tame his wilder instincts...he swore to never be alone with her in private. She would at least be spared that.

Despite all his objections, he could not deny the thought of dating, of spending time with another person and building a connection (however ephemeral) made him feel like a very heavy weight was lifting. Tonks was like sunshine, and he had been stuck in the dark a long time.

"Moony? Are you still with us?" Sirius was waving his hands in the air as though signaling to a landing airplane.

"Yes, I…" he laughed. "Sorry, I was lost in thought."

Sirius laughed too. "No need to apologize. You look happy though. Did you decide to go for it then?"

Lupin thought. "I guess there's no harm in seeing where it goes," he said with a smile and Sirius whooped. "But if it goes down a serious path -"

"You'll cross that bridge when you come to it," Sirius said firmly.

"And I won't. There's no way she will love me once she knows me."

Sirius said nothing. He knew his friend too well and had had this conversation with him too many times. He hoped Remus was wrong, but it was hard to know. Certainly, Lupin's life would be difficult for any romantic partner. He hoped for Lupin's sake that Tonks was different.