*"You don't really want Fleur around forever?" Ginny asked Ron incredulously. When he merely shrugged, she said, "Well, Mum's going to put a stop to it if she can, I bet you anything."
"How's she going to manage that?" asked Harry.
"She keeps trying to get Tonks round for dinner. I think she's hoping Bill will fall for Tonks instead. I hope he does, I'd much rather have her in the family."
"Yeah, that'll work," said Ron sarcastically. "Listen, no bloke in his right mind's going to fancy Tonks when Fleur's around. I mean, Tonks is okay-looking when she isn't doing stupid things to her hair and her nose…"
*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Chapter Five
Dinner at the Burrow
Lupin sat patiently near Mad-Eye as Mrs. Weasley was putting the last finishing touches on what would be guaranteed as another excellent meal. He wanted to appreciate the company and food as much as he could tonight since the future told him he wouldn't be able to frequent the area as much as he usually did. Within a week he would be heading off underground with the werewolves, trying to convincingly gain the trust of a man he loathed for making him what he is. It all seemed like a horribly ironic card of fate that he should be assigned to it, and yet who else could it have been?
He glanced around the kitchen, happy to turn his thoughts away from his impending task. To his surprise, Bill and Fleur had decided to join them this evening, and Lupin was delighted to see the excited red head with his new fiancée. He did not know too much about the Veela woman and what he had heard was mostly from a scornful Mrs. Weasley. Lupin had thought that Mollys interpretation of the girl was bias, considering she was rather overly protective of her children, but now having met Fleur he was surprised to find that he agreed with Mrs. Weasleys assumptions.
Fleur was beautiful, that was no lie, and strikingly so, but her appearance gave way to an obvious vanity about her. Lupin had caught her several times staring into her spoons reflection, and she seemed to constantly tousle her hair, especially when Bill was looking at her. He had heard from Harry that she was quite intelligent, having been in the TriWizard Tournament, but when Lupin had tried to start a conversation about the teachings of Beauxbaton versus Hogwarts (something he'd been curious to know of), she quickly turned the conversation around into something about a boy she once knew who was also getting married. From there she continued to discuss the arrangements of the wedding and Lupin had completely lost interest.
He looked at them now, pampering over each other and giggling to themselves about some inside lovers joke. Lupin couldn't help but smile. He'd known Bill a long time, and seeing him blindly in love, whether sickly so or not, made him happy for the young lad. His mind trailed to another woman and he couldn't help but wonder where she was and how she was doing. He had wishfully hoped that Tonks would have joined them tonight, knowing it was probably his last meal here for awhile and that Mrs. Weasely had invited her several times to it. Much to his disappointment she had not come and the small hope inside of Lupin faded away at the realization. He shouldn't have expected anything more from her after what he had said to her, but he couldn't help but desperately wish she was here. The room seemed empty and less vibrant without her in it.
Lupin jumped as Molly slammed a plate down in front of Mad-Eye with unnecessary force and he looked up to meet a deadly stare. Molly had been more than cold to him tonight and he was already certain he knew why. He always appreciate Mrs. Weasleys character, understanding her need to keep everyone around her safe and content, but that never meant he wasn't afraid of her moments of wrath just like everyone else was. She was extremely opinionated and Lupin was sure that now that she knew of Tonks and him, she would be inclined to make her thoughts on it clearly known. By the looks of things tonight, she had not sided with Lupin on the matter.
He watched her as she strode over to her seat at the head of the table and sat down. To his surprise, he saw that everyone around him had already begun digging into their plates and he realized that Molly had purposefully dished out every ones meal except his. She sat smugly at her own seat, avoiding his stare and patiently waiting for him to notice the conspicuous neglect.
Lupin sighed openly and eyed where the food was. Naturally, all of the dishes were conveniently positioned on Mollys side of the table.
"Molly," asked Lupin in the kindest voice he could muster. "Could you pass the potatoes?"
His question was met with ignorance as Molly engagement herself in polite conversation with Mad-Eye. Realizing that her anger was not going to reside anytime soon, he stood up to walk over and fill up his own dish. As he sat back down next to Bill, he noticed that Fleur had taken herself to the bathroom.
"What do you think?" asked Bill quietly as he leaned in towards Lupin gesturing to Fleurs empty seat. His face had a goofy grin stretching across it as he said it and Lupin smiled back at his friend kindly.
"Very pretty," was all he could think to say back, considering he had only just met her.
"Yea, well make sure you keep away," Bill joked back, sitting up. "Already have several of my brothers to make sure they keep their hands to themselves, wouldn't want to have to worry about you too." Lupin laughed, picturing the other Weasleys ogling Bills future wife.
" I assure you that you needn't worry about me," Lupin responded laughing, "Not quite my type, if I dare say so."
Bill gave him a wide smile and eyed him curiously. " So you actually have a type than? And here I was wondering if you've ever had a date before." He laughed loudly at his own joke. Lupin couldn't help but smile and wonder how nice it was to simply laugh and converse with his friend under such dire times. He had not done so since…
His momentary lightness ended at the thought and Molly quickly chimed in.
"Oh, Remus definitely has a type." She said with a trace of resentment in her voice. Lupin stiffened at her words. Surely she wouldn't blab it in front of everyone like this, would she? He looked over at her with pleading eyes and she angrily ignored him.
"Do you now?" said Bill, now keenly interested. He'd never heard Lupin talk about anything involving women before, and now that he thought of it, it seemed like a gapping whole in their relationship. He smiled at Remus, encouraging him to answer the question.
"Well I…" Lupin started, clearing his throat. He looked between the two Weasleys and feeling as though he would not be able to get out of the topic, decided to give in. "I suppose she'd have to be intelligent." He said fidgeting. The idea of describing his type without distinctly describing someone else seemed impossible to him. His 'type' was clearly one person. He struggled finding words vague enough to not give him away.
"And she'd be witty, someone who could easily make me laugh I guess." He continued, wary of the eyes on him. He heard Mrs. Weasley give a soft "hpmh" on the other end of the table.
"She certainly would have to with your absurdities." Molly added coldly. Bill, unnoticing of the growing tension between his mother and friend, looked on cheerfully at Lupin.
"And… colorful." He concluded, with a strained smile on his face at Bill. The last comment was rather obvious, but he could think of nothing else and was determined to switch the chatter to something different. Luckily Fleur had come prancing back into the kitchen.
"Are you talking about Tonks?" she asked, hearing Lupins last comment. His heart sank. That was not the change of conversation he was looking for. "I really do not think shes all zat 'colourful'. Everyone zaid she would be a lot of fun, but shes just zeems a wreck to me."
Lupin couldn't help but perk up in his seat at this. Nobody had ever described Tonks as a wreck before. If Tonks wasn't considered a cheery person, he didn't want to know what people must think of him.
*"She has let 'erself go, zat Tonks," Fleur mused, once again examining her own stunning reflection in the back of a teaspoon. "A big mistake if you ask me."
"Yes, thank you," replied Mrs. Weasley tartly, now just as eager as Lupin was a moment ago to turn the conversation.
"What do you mean?" Lupin asked despite himself. He couldn't help but be intrigued by her words.
"She looks a zight and never smiles. She reminds me of zomeone but I cannot t'ink of whom…" Fleur trailed and stretched her face upwards in thought.
"I don't know what you're going on about. That girls probably got the greatest spark I've ever seen!" chimed in Mad-Eye "Trained her myself, I did. Best darn Auror around…aside from the falling issue." He added and shoveled a spoonful of food into his mouth and grunted approvingly.
Lupin felt a surge of pride go through him at Mad-Eyes words and felt suddenly very aware of how much he did not like Fleurs company.
" 've got it!" cried Fleur, a smile spreading across her face. "Moaning Myrtle, from 'ogwarts!" she gave a loud crackle of a laugh and Lupin felt his face redden with anger. Who was she to judge what Tonks was or wasn't?
"She is not!" both Lupin and Molly yelled back at her defensively. Fleurs laughter stopped abruptly realizing she had hit a soft spot in the two of them. The table quieted from the outburst. Everyone was used to Mollys voice ringing out commandments and lectures, but not Lupins. Bill looked at the two of them, lost in what was going on.
" I was only joking…" added Fleur quietly, not sure what had made them so angry towards her.
"Shes just been having a rough go of it lately is all." said Molly, still red in the face and glaring at Lupin hatefully, clearly indicating that it was all his fault. "Some people can't appreciate just how wonderful she is." Her last words were directed entirely at Lupin and he turned away suddenly ashamed of Mrs. Weasleys judgment of him.
"She is wonderful, Fleur. I think I know better than anyone." Lupin added, talking to Fleur but hoping Molly could pick up on his meaning. "You should take more time to get to know her."
Fleur nodded, not entirely convinced and settled back into picking at her food.
" I imagine she won't be around much anymore." Mrs. Weasley added thoughtfully, a sad look in her face. Lupin caught the expression in her eyes and could've sworn they were starting to shine with tears. A feeling of guilt started working its way through him and he decided to ignore her glare and stare at his plate instead.
" I heard that Dawlish has become rather enamored with her actually." Mrs. Weasley added after taking several more bites of food. Her statement was hung with an air of satisfaction. Lupin could feel her eyes on him as Mad-Eye gave a loud laugh, spitting some food across the table.
"I'd like to see him try!" he barked at Molly, who was looking disdainfully back at the large man. "I'll never forget working with her in the office. Ain't too many girls in there and she had the eye of one too many." He struggled to control his laughter at the memory. "I don't know how many men she jinxed her first year before they all learned. Constant vigilance, that one!"
Lupin smiled at the thought of Tonks fighting smitten men back from her. If Molly was trying to make him jealous, it wasn't working. He knew Dawlish was a skeptical fellow when it came to what side of the war he was on. He knew Tonks well enough to know that she'd never dream of dating a man who wasn't as committed to the cause as much as she was. Molly would have to do better than that.
"Yes, well she'll soon forget us here at the Burrow I'm sure!" added Molly, trying to say it loudly enough through Mad-Eyes continuous laughs. Remus looked up at her at this point.
"I hope she does." He lied and watched as Mrs. Weasleys mouth became a line of disapproval before calmly looking back down at his plate again.
"Oh that reminds me." Said Mad-Eye, now fishing into his large cloak, the laughter gone from his face. He pulled out a small bottle. "She told me to give this to ya." He said, handing it over to Lupin.
He slowly took the bottle from his hand as an enormous feeling of sadness overcame him. It was the wolfbanes potion. His mouth frowned as he stared at the light liquid sloshing inside of the container. She had made it for him every month since last Christmas, even when Lupin had been trying to ignore her advances. She seemed to have always found a way to get it to him, sometimes leaving it on his dresser in his Grimmaulds bedroom or placing it atop his favorite book in the library. He had felt guilty of her continued support for him then, but now he felt even worse. After he had so cruelly rejected her, how could she even consider still making this for him? His heart nearly burst at the incredible person he had let slip away. He looked up at Moody, who had continued to enjoy his meal.
"Would you tell her she can stop making this for me?" he asked Mad-Eye calmly, placing the bottle into his pocket. "I won't be needing it for where I'm going." He explained and Mad-Eye shook his head in understanding before turning back to his plate.
The rest of dinner went on quietly, with Molly every now and then making snide remarks to Lupin in reference to Tonks. The rest of the table seemed oblivious to the hidden conversation the two were having. Eventually after seeing that her impertinence was no match for Lupins calm endurance, Molly gave up in exhaustion.
Despite the placid face he was playing for Molly, Lupin felt as though he would regret it forever if he did not get a chance to see Tonks again before he left. They both were dancing with such dangerous odds anymore, he thought solemnly. He'd have to find a way to her.
*Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Chapter Seven ( I know I used this out of context, but I think it fit well.)
Special thanks to Adelaide, loveislouder, and "Guest" for your wonderful reviews.
