Stupid, stupid, stupid.
He shook his head. This is not what I intended.
"Uh, Remus?"
"Nymphadora?" he asked as she bounded up to him, standing on the balls of her feet to look farther into his absentminded face.
"I want you to come with me and Kings. That way things'll fall together more, you know?" she smiled, her yellow eyes too gold to be catlike. They sparkled. "With inducting Amy."
How could he refuse her with that look?
Why did she do this to him?
He nodded a little, too much on his mind to answer fluidly and calmly.
"…wants more than friendship."
To his embarrassment he colored like a school boy, but she skipped away before she could see… or else, like her berating cousin, she would have asked what his matter was.
He followed her. "Are we leaving immediately?"
"As soon as Kings gets here," she beamed.
"Wasn't he just downstairs?" Remus inquired. He vividly remembered that Kingsley had been in the kitchens moments ago.
"Yeah, he had an owl in from his sister. She needed him for something or other," she shrugged with a smile. "Though he said it'd be quick. The bugger's still not back yet."
Remus shrugged.
An idea ran through her mind, and her expression became fierce, "If he went an' got her without me I will cheerfully flay him to death," she said, stalking away towards the door of the manor. Remus went to calm her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he did so. She turned to face him with an inquiring look.
"Nymphadora, he's done no such thing. I'd hold him down for you if he has," he grinned. She smiled at him. "And since the plan has just been thought of no outside source can have gotten a hold of the information yet. You'll be completely safe."
Nymphadora frowned, "Who gives bullocks if I'm safe or not? Merlin, I'd love to be attacked on the mission! I need some action!"
She had her hands comically in the air as though she was going to hit something.
"Remus here'll give you some action," Sirius smirked, popping up unwontedly.
Remus rolled his eyes casually at his friend, and felt like running over him with the knight bus.
What Remus didn't catch was Nymphadora's blush.
"Hey, you blokes, what'd I miss?" Kingsley entered the door. "Tonksie, you look like you could cook an egg on that face."
"I'll cook you like an egg, you bugger. Let's go! I can't wait to catch Amy up on everything!" she was half way out of the door without her boots on before Remus could catch her. She went red, "Right."
Sirius laughed.
Remus threw him a glare that would have frozen the tropics over.
Sirius' returning grin was full of too much of the old Marauder mischief for Remus to feel like he'd be able to sleep for a month. Remus knew that look. He had given James that look whenever he was going to do something… evil… to Lily.
"No," mouthed Remus.
"Yes," mouth Sirius.
"C'mon, Remus! Let's go!"
Remus' horror seemed to melt with her excited expression as her warm hand enveloped his. Once her face turned from him as she dragged him away did he look back at his newest demon.
Sirius' face was blocked out by the door as it shut with a ominous thud. The only thing that would have finalized Remus' certainness of his friend's new demonic ideals would have been that little laugh of his. And Remus would have eaten his own tail if Sirius wasn't laughing right at that moment.