HAPPY EASTER, readers!

It was a rather obvious statement, but things really did look different from above. Tonks and Remus were entertaining themselves one afternoon by watching people in Muggle London go by from the window of their room at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Muggles are interesting, aren't they?" Tonks said to her partner.

"No, they're not." he said.

"You don't think so?"

"No…at least, not when you look at them. You look at a Muggle boy wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and a wizard boy wearing the same, and there's no difference. So really, in terms of appearance, Muggles are just wizards with a different sense of fashion."

Tonks didn't know how to reply to that. He was right, as usual. But Muggles were still fascinating, just because of the way they, well, were. They had a whole different culture, different slang, different fashions, different food…they were another world.

"I remember you used to say to me," she said "Last year, after Sirius died and we were both about as low as you can get, that you wished you could go to a different world and live there instead. Well, the Muggle world is a different world, so surely if that's what you really wanted, you could just immerse yourself in there. I know that makes me sound simple, but if what you want is right in front of you, why can't you…"

"I did go to a different world, Tonks. I went to live with the werewolves."

"It's not a different world." she said.

"You don't know, you weren't there." Remus told her, quietly, and she decided not to speak further on the subject. Remus hated talking about his time underground, and she wasn't about to pressure him until he was ready.

But apparently, he was.

"I was an outcast there." he told her. "I thought I would fit in, them being my own species, but I was wrong. I got the feeling I didn't belong anywhere. I was too wolfish for the wizard world and too wizard for the wolves. It makes sense when you consider that a werewolf is literally half-man, half-wolf, but that doesn't make it any less painful."

"I realised then that the wizarding world, though it has its flaws, is my home. But that made things even worse, because if I didn't belong in my own home, where on earth did I belong?"

He shot Tonks a desperate look, a rare display of raw emotion that lasted for about a second before he turned his eyes to the window again. Gently, she took his hand, just as she had before they travelled to the funeral of someone who had given Remus his place in the wizarding world.

"You belong with me." she whispered. "We can walk together through the streets of London, and while we may be outcasts up close…from a distance, we'll blend in."

She indicated the blurry Muggles, and the smile showed in his eyes again.

Dearest Nymphadora,

I know I promised I'd write but I haven't been able to. Times are hard out here, and though I've been here for a long time I still can't get used to it. I have no doubt that you're reading this and shaking your head at me for my foolish decision, and I'm almost certain that you're right.

I hoped that I could do well with this mission. Don't you think I was ideal for it? No, I know you don't, because in your opinion I should be with you and the rest, and mentoring Harry while I'm at it. But the truth is that I can't get through to anyone. I am so lonely here.

I do miss you, and believe me, I wish more than anything that I could stay with you and love you. I do love you, but you deserve the love of a better man. And I'm not worthy of your love. I thought I was bad back then when we were together, but if you were to see me now, I only hope you could understand the reason why I'm doing this to you.

I am so sorry, Nymphadora. I've made a foolish mistake leaving you and I want to go home and be with you. I wish we could go back to our past again instead of living in this horrible little world of the present. I wish I hadn't gone on this mission, it's not anywhere near what I wanted it to be, and so the excuse for leaving you alone and heartbroken is dissolved.

I've always wanted to love you, Nymphadora, but I prioritised the mission and now I'm paying for my mistake. Even though I am alone literally, I would probably be alone even if I was surrounded by friends, because I don't have you.

I wish I had never left you.

I wish we could put this behind us, or turn back the clock.

Even so, I want you to know that I love you.

Remus