Sorry about the wait; hopefully this chapter will make up for it. Things are most certainly heating up; but don't relax quite yet; we all know that there will be a catch.


Chapter 10: Toil, Trouble and Scars

"We can't just sit here and do nothing! This is complete and utter bullsh-"

The final syllable of Sirius' sentence was drowned out by the impact of his fists on the wooden kitchen table. Their glasses jumped up from the surface in fright, falling back down in a clatter. Tonks glanced at Remus, who looked torn.

"Sirius..." Remus began, "We simply cannot do anything about Harry whilst he's at Hogwarts. I know that you're worried for him, but he's safe. Nothing can touch him at Hogwarts, not while Dumbledore's there and you know it."

It had been a few weeks since Harry had contacted his Godfather via the fireplace, and Sirius' anger had grown rapidly. Tonight, it had bubbled over. Tonks was silently glad that he had saved the worst of his anger until the Order meeting had ended, and it was just Remus, Sirius and herself in the dimly lit kitchen.

"That's bollocks, Remus! You think that he's safe when Umbridge is there? The woman's the lowest of the low. How can he be learning defence from her? What happens when the dark arts come knocking on the door? They look in their textbooks?"

Tonks piped up. "Sirius, they'll all be fine-"

"He needs to be here! We're his family!" he roared, his face colouring an angry pink. "I've had to live in the dark for all of his life. Not knowing whether he was safe; not knowing who was after him. I couldn't do anything to keep him safe at all! How is it any different now? Tell me! This is just another prison, and I'll be damned if you can keep me here!"

"Look –"

"No! You can't keep me here like an animal! I'm a free man! An innocent man!"

"We know that. No one's suggesting that you're not. I understand why you feel frustrated, but Dumbledore is keeping you here for your own good. To leave the house and risk being seen would put the entire Order in jeopardy." Remus' voice was growing impatient; they had been trying in vain to calm Sirius down for at least half an hour.

Something in her dark haired cousin seemed to sag and fail, and he slumped forwards in his chair, seemingly defeated for the moment. His curtain of thick hair hung over his face, stringy with what looked to be days without being washed. His eyes had grown bloodshot and the circles around his eyes had deepened and darkened until they looked like bruises. He was a broken man; imprisoned. Tonks didn't know how much longer he could last.

Very slowly, Sirius stood. His legs seemed to wobble, almost unstable. Wordlessly, he left the kitchen. Tonks and Remus let him go, following him with their worried eyes.

When the door had banged shut and the footsteps faded into distant sounds, Tonks spoke. "Should we go after him? He seems pretty pissed off."

"No," Remus dragged a hand over his weary face. "I'll speak to him later. I'm in no mood to put up with this. He's behaving like a spoilt child. Harry is not his best friend. Sirius needs to feel some kind of responsibility for Harry's wellbeing; and his continued safety relies on him being at Hogwarts. It's the safest place for him."

"He was in Azkaban for over a decade, Remus. I'd be pretty angry at the world if that happened to me. And Harry's like a son to him. It's understandable that he misses him. I don't think that we can blame him for acting like a bit of a prat."

"No," Remus agreed, almost reluctantly.

Tonks sighed and stood, making her way around the table. She approached the back of his chair and leaned down, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her face in the firm curve of his shoulder. He felt tense.

"Come on Remus, loosen up. It's Halloween."

Remus let out a small chuckle, but it sounded a little hollow. "Yes," he noted dryly. "Your choice of hair colour hadn't escaped me."

For the spooky occasion, Tonks had worn her hair acid green. She grinned into his neck, feeling the rough scratch of his stubble against her neck. Since their encounter last week, Tonks had found her confidence in their burgeoning relationship growing, and found that teasing him was highly entertaining, especially when he visibly struggled to control himself in her presence. She would win this battle if it killed her; he hadn't kissed her since that first time.

"You ought to be careful, Remus. You know dark creatures prey on negative feelings. At this rate you'll have every ghoul in London knocking on your bedroom door."

She dragged her mouth up to his ear, letting him hear her breathe. She couldn't help it; the lust pulsing through her had grown and grown and grown until it was unbearable; it ruled her. The tension that she needed to dispel; not entirely a sexual energy, more of a hunger for some kind of response from him. She needed him to let himself have what he desired. Now she knew that he wanted her as much as she wanted him, it was all she could think of.

"Remus?" she asked.

His head turned a fraction towards her, and she chased his lips with hers. He outran her, titling his head back and avoiding contact. She let her head sag against his shoulder, sighing in frustration.

"Kiss me," she told him firmly, trying again to chase his mouth.

"I shouldn't."

"Why not? If you want to; and I most definitely want you to."

He seemed to ponder this for a moment. He gently grasped her wrists, which rested against his chest, and grazed her skin with his warm thumbs, deep in thought. "It's not right. I shouldn't be so selfish. I can't..."

"Shut up, Remus."

His head turned quickly in her direction, and she grinned, taking the opportunity to cover her mouth with his. The prickle of his stubble against the outside of her mouth urged her on, along with his surprised, muffled exclamation against her mouth, which sounded like something between a protest and an appreciation. She leaned further over his shoulder, angling herself into a more comfortable position.

Gently, he drew his face away from hers.

Tonks sighed. "You should be more careful, you could give a girl a complex. It's the green hair isn't it?"

Remus said nothing. His breath came quick and shallow.

The last full moon had passed uneventfully thanks to Jasper's brew of Wolfsbane, and Remus had seemed fully recovered. For a moment though, Tonks was worried for his health.

"You need to calm down, Nymphadora. I've explained numerous times that our situation is not straightforward. This is...highly inappropriate in terms of our positions in the Order. You know, if someone suspected something, we would be assigned new partners. Have you considered what would happen to your job at the Ministry if this was made public?"

"If what was made public?" Tonks snapped. "It's not like you're doing anything, is it? From where I'm standing it looks like I'm the one making a fool of myself."

He looked her firmly in the eyes. "That's the last thing I wanted to make you feel."

"Well, you've done a fine job of it nonetheless."

He rose from his chair, the scrape of wood against stone awkward in the silence. He looked for a moment as though he were going to hug her, but seemed to restrain himself at the last minute.

"Sorry," he told her. After what looked like careful deliberation, he took her hand in his and raised it to his mouth, grazing her knuckles with the lightest of kisses.

"Are you?" she wondered. "Or are you saying sorry to placate me because I'm scaring you? You need to tell me if I'm making a fool out of myself. God knows I do it enough."

"If anyone's making a fool of themselves then it's me," he told her quietly.

Tonks gaped. "You? Why?"

"Come on, Nymphadora. Look at yourself; and then look at me. Why would you possibly want someone over a decade older than you without a penny to his name?"

"For goodness sake, Remus!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "Do you honestly think that any of those even crossed my mind for the slightest second? If you were thirty years older and twice as poor it wouldn't make any difference."

"You say that now, but-"

"No!" Tonks cut him off, furious. "How dare you even suggest that? I'm not listening to this anymore. It's bloody insulting that you honestly believe I could be so shallow."

"That's not-"

"Shut up Remus, I'm angry at you."

Tonks put all of her rage into making it to the door, needing to get out of the room before she said something she's regret. Her blood felt hot as it pulsed through her; her hands shook slightly with anger.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To see Sirius. He's upset, remember? Don't follow me."

He didn't.

She eventually found Sirius in an old, damp disused bedroom. He hadn't lit any lamps, and was sat next to the drafty window in a battered armchair, slumped low so that she could only really see the back of his head and shoulders, shrouded in stringy black hair. She wondered idly when he had last washed his hair. He hadn't noticed her come in; he was staring out into the closing evening. The red sunset on the horizon cast a peaceful glow across the room, but Tonks knew that her cousin was anything but restful.

"Sirius," she spoke loudly, announcing her presence.

He sighed once, deliberately. "What?"

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"You already have, haven't you?"

She sighed and approached him, ignoring the protests of the creaky floorboards as she went. She perched on the arm of his chair, nudging his elbow off so that she could settle herself more comfortably.

For a few moments, she watched the sunset with him.

"Cheer up, Sirius. You never know; Snape might turn up tonight, and we know what a crowd pleaser he is."

This didn't even pull the slightest of smiles from him, and Tonks cursed her lack of people skills.

"I'm jealous, you know," Sirius stated, keeping his eyes locked forward. Tonks made a small noise of questioning. "Of you and Moony. I'm jealous that you two are allowed to have what I'm being denied every day. It's been so long since I've even flirted with a woman, you know. Let alone been able to..." he broke off, pinching the bridge of his nose. Tonks was reminded of Remus a little, and wondered who had picked up the habit from whom.

He looked like a lost little boy. "I like women. A lot. Always have. Apart from James, I'd say that's what I miss the most. It's so simple, and I took it for granted. Just a woman's touch. And now, with you and Remus...You're my cousin and he's my best mate. I'm happy for you, I suppose. But it's just constantly there in my bloody face."

"It's nothing, really," Tonks lied, not sure what to say.

"Yes it is. I've known for quite a while. Nothing to do in this house but watch. I probably knew before you both did."

"Right. Sorry," she mumbled.

"Doesn't matter," he joked. "Maybe Hestia Jones has a sister I can work my irresistible charms on."

Tonks snorted in amusement.

"But it's alright, because if I can't have a lover then I can at least spend my time trying to be a good godfather. Oh wait, no I can't; Harry's not even here because Dumbledore won't let him spend time with his actual family. There's a war coming; does he really need a History of Magic O.W.L? I can teach him whatever he needs to learn to keep himself safe. I just want him here."

Tonks squeezed her cousin's shoulder, feeling the thick muscle which had tensed. Under the emaciated exterior he really was quite strong, inside and out. It was easy to see how he had no trouble attracting women before he went to Azkaban. He seemed to ooze confidence and strength, despite his current state of distress.

"I know," she told him. "Perhaps you can persuade Dumbledore to let him come here for Christmas? I don't know. It can't hurt. We could escort him here."

"He'll say it's too dangerous. I know it. I can't speak to the man anymore; I'll get into trouble if I hex the leader of the resistance."

Tonks chuckled and tried to work the tight knots out of his back with her fingers.

"Ouch! Bloody hell, don't do that, you're no good at it."

"Stop being such a baby, Sirius. I'm trying to get you to relax. I know a charm that'll help if you like-"

"No!" Sirius said quickly, looking frightened.

"Oh, very funny," she said scornfully.

Trapped in a sudden rush of pure affection for her cousin, she swooped down and placed a kiss on his forehead. She felt him rub her back through her robes and felt a little more content that she had at least helped him get some issues off his chest. She saw him as a brother; a piece of family where her own didn't understand.

Sirius looked thoughtfully at her acid green hair. "I know some people have bizarre fetishes but, really, I don't see why Remus has you wearing your hair that colour."

She swatted his arm. "It's for Halloween, you muppet."

"Well, I'm scared," he praised.

"You can talk," Tonks rebutted, taking a lock of his hair gingerly between her fingers. "When was the last time you washed this?"

"It's studied carelessness," Sirius said defensively. "You're not showing a whole lot of respect towards your elder cousin, are you?"

Suddenly, he attacked, tickling her sides vigorously, making her squirm and squeal. She tried to get away from his onslaught. When they finally calmed down, Tonks caught her breath, giggling under her breath.

For a moment, she considered telling Sirius that she and Remus had just quarrelled, but somehow it didn't feel right. For once, the focus was on how Sirius felt, and she didn't know how he would feel if the subject turned to his best friend. She could see, under the years of experience and age, a lost boy who was disowned by his family, vying for some attention.


Clunk, clunk, clunk...

Mad-Eye's wooden leg hit the pavement rhythmically, its echoing beat serving as some kind of ominous march, signalling some approaching destruction. Tonks shivered in the late November air, the tips of her fingers sore and frozen where they peeked out of her fingerless gloves. It was always best to be mobile in her fingers should she need to quickly pull out her wand. The footsteps of her fellow Order members merged into one hollow sound, her own heavy boots lost amongst the din. Everyone was silent; Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Emmeline, Hestia, Remus and herself.

Tonks noticed how Remus stayed a little behind her; close enough so that she could feel his warmth. It felt too close, as she was supposed to be angry with him. Without turning around, she could sense his hand itching to rest at the small of her back as it so often did.

Tonks frowned; she didn't need him to look after her.

Clunk, clunk, clunk...

The tension was palpable; Dedalus Diggle had called for help a short while ago, and they had hasted to answer him. But now, walking along what looked like an ordinary Muggle street, they felt the anxiety mount. What would they find when they entered Dedalus' house? Was this to be their first casualty since the Order reformed?

Tonks swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to not think of Dedalus; a small and cheerful wizard, facing a gaggle of Death Eaters alone. She shook her head and tried to pull herself together; Dedalus could handle himself – he was a formidable wizard.

The small house loomed, and they all picked up their speed, breaking into a hasty jog which carried them the rest of the way to the door. Mad-Eye struggled along behind, muttering curses under his hoarse breath.

The door was hanging off its hinges.

They rushed inside, wands held aloft.

Tonks felt the breath leave her body; her heart stuttering as she was faced with Dedalus' small sitting room.

"Oh," she heard Hestia breathe, her voice distant.

Dedalus was knelt amongst the ruins of what had once been his sofa and dining table. Without his characteristic hat, his head looked curiously small. He was rocking back and forth, cradling an equally tiny woman against his chest. His body wracked with sobs, and Tonks could clearly see the lifeless eyes of the woman he cradled; she was clearly dead.

"Tonks," Mad-Eye called, and she jumped. The wizard indicated to the corner of the room, where a cloaked lump lay, immobile.

She took the hint and carefully trod over the broken glass to the fallen attacker. Dedalus' wails echoed through the room and Tonks felt a sudden wave of hatred for this cloaked wizard. She pulled back the hood, faced with an unfamiliar, harsh face with thick features. Tonks checked his pulse; he was dead. She felt a kind of grim satisfaction that Dedalus had given the attacker what he deserved.

"My wife," Dedalus called, distraught. "Oh, my June!"

"He's dead," Tonks muttered to Mad-Eye. Hestia and Emmeline had knelt next to Dedalus, their eyes wet.

Mad-Eye gave a gruff nod. Tonks sought out Remus' face and found him watching the horrific scene with a grim expression. He had retreated to the other side of the room; unlike him. He was usually the first to offer comfort and a shoulder to cry on. She sighed deeply as Mad-Eye dished out instructions, sending everyone to secure the house and inform Dumbledore of the attack. Mad-Eye, not the best of comforters, bound the body of the attacker and levitated it brutally from the room. Its head lolled onto its shoulder, and Tonks felt sick.

Remus hadn't moved.

She slowly made her way over to him, their quarrel seeming insignificant now. She didn't care about being angry with him; she just wanted him close.

She stood, her shoulder touching his and took his hand. Their robes masked their clasped fingers from the others.

Tonks felt Remus' hand twitch in hers and held on tighter.

"Don't let me go," she told him under her breath.

His hand stilled, then squeezed. "I won't."

She tried to look natural; as though they were simply too colleagues standing side by side. His thumb brushed the skin on the back of her hand and she sighed, wishing that she could get closer to him.

Mad-Eye burst in angrily, with a growl of frustration. Tonks jumped and she and Remus dropped each other's hands quickly.

"Mad-Eye," Tonks hissed, indicating towards the distraught wizard currently cradling his dead wife. "What is it?"

Moody leaned forward conspiratorially. "It's McLean. He worked at the Ministry. One of Scrimgeour's heavyweights. You won't have seen him, Tonks. He doesn't exactly sit around in the office finishing paperwork, I can tell you that."

Tonks gaped. "The Ministry?" she asked, incredulous. "Could he have joined the Death Eaters?"

"I have a sneaking suspicion that's not the case at all," he growled, and left with one last sympathetic glance at Dedalus.

"We're not needed here," Remus told her quietly. "Whatever it is we think we should say to Dedalus, he won't want to hear it. Not right now. I feel an intruder upon his grief."

"Let's go," Tonks urged, tugging on the sleeve of his robes.

Quietly, they removed themselves from Dedalus' house. As soon as they were free from the restrictive security spells, Remus pulled her close and apparated them both.

She scarcely had time to think, because in the split second it took her to get her bearings, Remus had pressed her against the stone, cold wall and covered her mouth with his.

She made a small noise of appreciation and pulled back for air. Her breath came in streams of misty steam which twisted with his and floated off into the atmosphere. Tonks grabbed the labels of his overcoat and tugged him down to her mouth fiercely. It was an apology and a promise and a kiss of absolute, pure adoration and want. His hands, resting against the wall of either side of her head, pinned her steady. Not that she needed any persuasion to stay put.

"Why the change of heart?" she gasped out against his mouth, with a great deal of difficulty.

"Shh," he replied unhelpfully and continued to kiss her, a hand lifting lightly under her chin, holding her head steady as he slowly melted her from the outside in.

She whimpered as he cupped her face oh so gently, tugging her bottom lip between his. Winding her arms around his strong shoulders, she felt every muscle in her bottom clench and unclench with the intensity of the feelings washing through her. She hands fisted against the fabric of his robes.

He was all she felt.

Nothing could touch them, she realised, in this small, cold alley; so dim and dreary, but set on fire with the love with rushed from his lips to hers and back again. She could feel every corner of him and she loved him all; every idiosyncrasy and insecurity. She would go to the end of the earth and fall off, just for him. How could she ever tell him just how much she truly, deeply loved him?

Tonks pulled back and gasped. "I..." her breath caught against the cold night air.

Remus frowned. "Are you alright?" he asked, a little breathless.

Tonks nodded and cleared her throat, her face reddening a little. He brushed the hair back from her face with gentle fingers. His skin felt a little rough, but warm.

She glanced across to Number 12, and asked, "Should we go inside? It's bloody freezing."

He nodded and shifted his weight a little. Tonks noticed that when the weight hit his left leg, a flicker of pain crossed his face. Tonks frowned.

"Are you hurt?" she asked frantically, scanning the folds of his robes as though expecting to find some gaping wound rushing with blood.

He gave his head a short shake, his face tense. "It's nothing. The last transformation wasn't kind on my knee. Don't worry; it's happened before."

"But you had the Wolfsbane last transformation," Tonks frowned in confusion.

"Oh, no, it wasn't inflicted by the wolf," Remus told her, looking unsure about whether he should be mentioning it at all. "When I transform, either into the wolf or back to myself...I shouldn't be telling you this, it's not a pretty thought..."

"No, go on, I'm not squeamish," Tonks reassured, curious.

Well, for the change to happen, my bones have to shift and grow...and, well sometimes the bones aren't always in the most comfortable of positions. This month, I found my knee dislocated-" he noticed Tonks look of pure horror. "Don't worry. Sirius fixed it back. It's just a little sore."

"Get Mad-Eye to kiss it better," she suggested, digging his ribs with her fingers. She had the sudden thought that one of his ribs could also have been dislocated, and stopped her onslaught.

"I have a feeling that that would make the pain infinitely worse," Remus joked dryly.

"You'd have the most vigilant knee in the whole of London, though," Tonks laughed.

"Ah, yes, doesn't pain sharpen the senses?" he pondered thoughtfully, a small smile playing across his lips.

Tonks wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest, muffling her words. "I don't ever want you to be in pain," she told him, but suspected that he hadn't heard anything more than an incoherent mumble. He cupped the back of her head with a large hand and let her hold onto him for a while. His steady heartbeat; a sure sign that he was okay, was comforting to the point that Tonks thought herself able to fall asleep standing against him should she wish to do so.

He whispered against her hand, "I'm still not saying this isn't complicated. I still don't think that I deserve you, and I still think that in this war we should stray from making close bonds. But I can't fight you anymore. If this is truly what you want, then I can't say no to you. Because it's what I want too. Time is so precious..."

"Come on," Tonks told him quietly, and led the way back into the Order Headquarters.

They were immediately ambushed by a worried Sirius. "What happened?" he asked frantically as soon as the ended the dimly lit kitchen. The fire had almost burnt out. "What's going on? No one sent word to me. Who's dead?"

"Dedalus' wife was killed in a struggle. It would seem that the Ministry sent someone round as a scare tactic, but it all went tragically wrong," Remus told his friend grimly.

"Oh, I see," Sirius sighed, running a hand through his hair. Tonks couldn't be sure, but it looked a little more kempt that the last time she had seen it. "Poor guy."

"Yes," Remus agreed, sitting down at the table. Tonks took a seat next to him.

"It must have been Scrimgeour. Or the Minister himself, even. They're getting desperate now," Tonks supplied. "It's killing them not knowing what Dumbledore's doing."

It would seem that, as in the case of Remus and Tonks, the tension had between Sirius and Remus had disappeared. Times such as this diminished such little quarrels and brought them together. Tonks felt a sort of contentment at once again being with her friends.

When word had been sent that Dedalus was doing well and staying at Hestia's house for the night, and that his wife's body had been removed and Dumbledore informed, Tonks announced that she needed to go.

"I'll go with you," Remus offered. Tonks made to protest. "I don't think, in light of what has happened, it would be wise for any of us to go home alone, do you? Fine Auror or not, we should stick together."

"Right, okay," Tonks gave in. "But if you think you're going to look behind my curtains for me, you've another thing coming."

Sirius snorted in amusement. "Do...attempt to drag yourself home before sunrise, wont you, Moony?"


"It's nothing special," Tonks told him cautiously, as they entered her rather cramped flat.

Tonks had liked to think of it as an expression of her personality, but to a casual viewer, it probably just looked messy. The small lounge area, which also acted as a dining area, was packed with books, paperwork and the occasional Weird Sisters poster. Some of the older ones were now moving a little sluggishly, while the newer ones bounded cheerfully and sang noiselessly, unaware of the life of entrapment which awaited them.

"It's charming," Remus reassured her, looking a little sheepish. Was he worried she would pounce on him? "Well, I really should be getting back-"

"No!" Tonks protested. "Don't go...erm, stay for a while."

She grabbed the front of his robes and manoeuvred – or rather, manhandled – him until he was sitting on the sofa. She took an old, discarded bra from the floor and shoved it in her pocket, her face colouring. "There, sit. Stay. I'll make us a drink."

He looked a little alarmed.

Brilliant; she had Remus in her flat, and she was practically throwing him around and talking to him like a pet. This wasn't the way she had imagined it, if she was honest. No wonder he wanted to leave.

She crossed to the adjoining kitchen area and put the kettle on, taking two mugs from the cupboard and silently thanking Merlin that she had washed up last night. She clumsily made two cups of tea and piled sugar into both of them; they both liked their tea very sweet. She found some slightly stale biscuits at the back of the shelf.

"Here we go," Tonks put the tea down in front of him, some of it sloshing over the sides and onto the coffee table. She winced and offered him a biscuit, which he took gratefully.

She saw him wince as he took a bite. "Ah, that's...that's quite interesting. What are these?"

Tonks looked at the packet. "They...were digestives."

"I see," he nodded, putting the remaining biscuit down on the table and taking a hefty gulp of tea.

"I'm not really a very good hostess, am I?" Tonks sighed, sitting down next to him.

"Nonsense," he chuckled. "I feel very welcome."

Feeling a little cold, Tonks lit a fire, letting the warmth wash over her and ease her weary bones, hoping that it would do the same for Remus. She drained her own cup of scalding tea and closed her eyes, sighing. A sudden wave of guilt washed over her; could Dedalus have been targeted because she had accidently let something slip which had raised Scrimgeour's suspicions. A sudden flashback to Dedalus and June Diggle, lying on the floor, separated forever, made Tonks want to curse Scrimgeour until he didn't know his own name.

"Come here." Remus hoarse, quiet voice broke through her reverie.

Tonks sighed in gratitude and crawled over to him, wrapping herself around him. He held her tightly. "Whatever it is that you're thinking, don't," he said against the side of her head. "No one is responsible. We all stand together, and we all share the blame and the grief."

She nodded into his neck, the slight growth of beard scratchy against her nose. She placed a kiss against his ear and felt him sigh deeply in response. She wondered in being in her arms did the same for him as being in his arms did for her. She felt safe and relaxed; nothing really mattered because he would be there to help her. It didn't matter if he was an oversensitive git, or if he didn't feel worthy of love, because no matter how he tried to deny it, this was proof that they couldn't live without each other.

She pressed a small, chaste kiss against his lips. He smiled. "I can kiss you whenever I want now," she told him slyly. "If you should just happen to look overwhelmingly handsome whilst giving a report at a meeting, I can just..."

She swallowed his look of horror with a deep kiss, and his hand at her back pulled her closer.

How had this happened so quickly? They had gone from friends to...whatever it was that they were...in a mere few weeks. Was this really it? Was this Remus' surrender? Or should she be prepared for him to call it off out of his own insecurities? Should she trust him not to break her heart? She would willingly give it to him, but how could she know that he wouldn't drop it in some gallant attempt to 'protect' her?

No, he wouldn't. She trusted him.

"Well, in that case," he told her in between small, sweet kisses. "I shall retain the right to storm into the Auror Office whenever I please."

"And stun me, and carry me away?" she asked, smiling against his mouth. "I shouldn't think you'd meet much resistance in a room full of bored Aurors."

"No, I shouldn't think so," he agreed seriously.

She grinned against his skin. "Imagine the look on Mad-Eye's face if he found out that I'd been so unvigilant," she feigned a look a horror.

"I would imagine that he'd burst a blood vessel or two," Remus agreed.

He helped her arrange her legs so that she was straddling his lap more comfortably, but after a few soft kisses, he surprised her by shifting them suddenly, and she found herself being pressed into the cushions, his mouth exploring the contours of her face. She squealed in surprise and delight; Remus wasn't at all, and once encouraged, it would seem that he got rather carried away with himself.

He pulled back and frowned. "It's been two days since Halloween. I'm surprised the green hair is still in effect."

"I was thinking I'd keep it till December and then morph red stripes for Christmas," she waggled her eyebrows in a way which she suspected looked more silly that seductive.

He laughed, and she felt his breath, warm against her face. "You'd deck all the halls."

"Well, 'tis the season to be jolly, after all. Even if it is two months away. There will be none of your grumpy git-Remus act, I hope? Leave your scrooge hat with Kreacher."

"Hmm," he agreed. "You could even morph a white beard."

Tonks blinked. "What does Dumbledore have to do with Christmas?"

He laughed heartily. "No, it's a Muggle story. Father Christmas? Never mind."

"I think you just fancy me with a beard. And green and red hair. It's all coming out tonight, Remu-."

He shut her up with a firm kiss, muffling any protests at being cut off mid-sentence. She wound her fingers into his thick hair, earning a sigh against her mouth. He pushed her more firmly into the cushions of the sofa.

He pulled back, pressed one last sweet kiss against her mouth and sat up. He looked distinctly ruffled and flushed, Tonks noticed with pride. He straightened his robes and little and Tonks watched, not quite having the strength to sit up.

Remus noticed and looked smug. "Sorry. Here," he took her hands and pulled her into a sitting position, flattening her hair down a little.

Tonks cleared her throat in embarrassment. "Thanks."

She looked at him expectantly. Remus shot her an innocent, slightly confused look. "What?" he asked.

"That's it?" she asked. "You're just going to stop kissing me? I'm not impressed."

"I simply don't want to get carried away and prove Sirius right by stumbling back to Grimmauld Place at sunrise," he laughed.

Tonks shuffled closer, snuggling against him. "But I want you to get carried away and stumble back at sunrise," she protested, tickling his ribcage. He squirmed away from her fingers.

Suddenly remembering his injury, she placed a hand gently on his injured knee. It felt a little too warm, even through his trousers, and Tonks winced at how inflamed it must be, having only been dislocated and relocated a few days previously. "Is that sore?" she asked.

"A little, yes," he admitted, "but it will heal, like all things."

She traced a fresh looking scar on the back of his hand. Thin, fair hairs ran from the pale skin of his wrist and disappeared beneath the sleeve of his robes. She remembered the summer, when he would roll the sleeves of his shirts up to the crook of his elbow; how it had made her long to touch him. "And this?" she traced the scar gently.

"It will fade, but never really heal," he admitted, and stopped her with a gentle hand covering hers.

"Does it bother you?" she asked quietly.

"Less than it used to when I was younger. Back in Hogwarts hiding any scars was a difficult feat, but it was necessary, should I wish to avoid any awkward questions. I didn't know then that in time they would fade a little. The oldest scars have almost vanished. But back then, it all seemed so raw and new. I was young and foolish."

She nodded grimly and pressed a kiss to the back of his hand, feeling his eyes watch her.

With an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close. She snuggled into him, wondering if she could ever love him anymore than she did. His heart beat steadily beneath her ear; warm and comforting, and she felt her own pulse echo through him; their combined hearts.

"Everyone has scars," she reassured. "They're just the past. No prizes for guessing where most of mine are."

She gave a breathy, incredulous laugh as he pulled her knees onto his lap. She laughed in earnest as she tickled her kneecaps. He threw her a questioning look and she nodded, with a knowing smile. Gently, he pulled up the leg of her jeans, revealing two knees littered with an artwork of scars; some old, some brand new, from where she had fallen over.

He smiled fondly at her. "I thought so."

He pressed one, small kiss to her left knee and tugged her up so that he could kiss her mouth. She went willingly, feeling even closer to him now that they had shared something so intimate.

"I'm too old for you," he whispered in between kisses. "Too poor and too dangerous."

"You know that I don't care."

"You will care," he told her, and Tonks heard the pain in his voice. "One day, you will care."

"Never ever," she replied.

The look he gave her told Tonks that he still didn't believe her, but she knew that he wouldn't fight her either.

She wrapped her arms around him and whispered into his ear, "Don't let me go."

"I won't."

To be continued...


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