*** Remus had been told by Dumbledore to give some important documents to Tonks. He would rather it be someone else but he had no choice. Dumbledore made it clearly that it was to be Remus to hand the papers in person. As he arrived at her flat he heard voices inside. Wondering why she had company this early in the morning he rang the bell.
" Your practically naked," a woman voiced exclaimed behind the door. " Whose fault is that?" A male's voice taunted. The door opened and Remus was face to face with Charlie who was only dressed in his undergarments.
Remus was so shocked that he didn't even respond when Charlie greeted him. He then noticed Tonks who looked shocked but then pushed past Charlie to pull Remus inside and closed the door.
"Wotcher Remus," Tonks said as the three stood awkwardly in the hallway. "What brings you about this early in the morning?"
" Dumbledore told me to give you these papers personally," Remus answered his voice rather hard. Tonks was dressed only in a shirt, probably Charlie's. He felt a dark feeling in the pit of his stomach but he had never felt it before. He wanted to demand what the bloody hell was going on but Charlie had already disappeared into the kitchen complaining about making more eggs and Tonks was looking through the papers with interest.
Tonks caught his eye and said before Remus could say anything, "Thank you, for bringing theses to me. I wasn't feeling well last night and Charlie helped me home."
" He spend the night?" Remus demanded. He felt the dark feeling rising again though he tried to suppress it.
" We drank a bit too much, and he slept on the couch." Tonks shrugged obviously not concerned. "We didn't do anything, if that's what you're implying. I promise."
" Why should I believe you," Remus blurted out without thinking and regretting it immediately. He was never angry but right now he felt so out of control. Had she forgotten him already?
" WHY? Why you ask? If anyone should be asking that question it's me don't you think?" She yelled back suddenly angry. "You tell me that you don't like me and then you get upset because one of my friends stays over?"
" He's naked!" Remus retorted.
" I spilled something on him!" Tonks said. "Your jealous just admit it! You like me-"
" I won't!" Then Remus grabbed the door opened it and left, slamming the door behind him. When he arrived at home he slammed the door to his bedroom so hard that it bounced back.
He wasn't like this, the reasonable part in his head told him. He was the calm one, it was Sirius who was the one with the temper not him. But he knew it was because he had felt jealous on seeing Tonks with Charlie. He felt on edge, Remus looked himself in the mirror, he looked tired and his gray hairs showed more then usual. He needed to face the fact; Tonks belonged with someone younger then him. Someone that wouldn't hurt her. Because he knew that he had hurt her when he left her flat. ***
Tonks couldn't believe what had just happened. She stood on the door way for a couple of minutes then rushed to her room. She cried on her pillow, something the old Tonks would have called a pansy move. But Remus wouldn't face the fact that she loved him, and it broke her heart to think about him. She knew he thought that Tonks and Charlie had slept together but he hadn't given her time to explain.
Tonks heard a knock on the door; she rubbed her eye to wipe the tears away, " Come in."
" Tonks, are you alright?" Charlie asked as he sat on the edge of her bed.
" I'm fine," But her voice broke on the last part. Why did everything go so wrong when it came to love?
" The guy you were talking about last night, was it Remus Lupin?" He asked.
No point on denying that now. " Yeah."
" Tonks, I'm not good in advice but maybe my mum can give you advice," He suggested. " You can see her later today, if you want."
Tonks thought about it, then nodded, maybe Molly would be able to help her. God knows she needed help.
Tonks arrived with Charlie later that evening. As she entered she was greeted with a hug by Ginny. Tonks hugged her back and trying to seem more cheerful than she felt.
"I'm so glad you're here! It's been a nightmare," and Ginny went on to tell her about how Bill was to marry Fleur, or Phlegm, as Ginny called her. Molly apparently disapproved of the whole marriage thing. " Mum's in the kitchen."
*Molly was in the kitchen busy cleaning some dishes when Tonks entered the kitchen. They just had dinner and Charlie had barely given her any noticed that company was arriving.
"Molly do you want any help?" Tonks asked as she entered.
" Oh, hello dear." Molly greeted her with a half hug. " I'm almost done with this." With a wave of her wand the dishes pilled themselves neatly in the sink. Molly sat next to Tonks who had perched herself on chair. Molly noticed that Tonks was paler than usual and she had brown hair rather than her pink hair. Was she still feeling guilty over Sirius death?
"Tonks, dear, what wrong? Are you not over Sirius yet?" Molly asked gently. Maybe what Arthur had suggested, Tonks loving Sirius more than family, was true.
" No, I'm still grieving but it's not that bad anymore." Tonks smiled weakly. " Its…my heart."
" Your heart?" Molly repeated confused. If it wasn't Sirius who could it be? Kingsley?
" I'm in love with a man Molly, but he doesn't want to love me back." Maybe a love triangle, oh please let it be Bill.
" What do you mean? Who is this man?" Molly suddenly betting it was Bill. Then that silly girl Fleur wouldn't marry Bill.
" It's Remus, Remus Lupin." Molly's jaw dropped open. She would never have guessed.
" How? When?" Molly was confused.
" Well I started to fall for him when I first met him. And we spend so much time together and then we kissed me and he said he liked me too but he doesn't want to because he's scared. He thinks he'll hurt me," Tonks told her in a rush.
" Well he is a werewolf-,"Molly tried to reason with her.
" That doesn't matter. I don't care if he's a werewolf. I love him." Tonks exclaimed.
" And he is a bit too old for you, dear, and he has no job."
" He's not that old. It's only because the stress that he's a werewolf that he looks older and he might not have a job but that's hardly his fault! It's the ministry putting those anti- werewolf laws." Tonks sighed. "Please Molly don't lecture me. I know how I feel and I love him."
" I know you love him. But how are you going to get him to accept his feelings. You can't just seduce him-" but Molly didn't finish because she saw the look in Tonks face. "Now, Tonks, don't think-"
"Why not?" Tonks demanded. She had very little options here.
"Because that's a childish move and you want to show him that you're an adult. That you're mature for him."
" Then what?" Tonks was running out of ideas.
"Well-" but an owl interrupted her sentence; it carried a message from Kingsley.
"Guess I have to go back to work again," she had left early so that she could come to the Burrow but now had to go back.
" Honey just let time take it's course. He'll come around, just give him time," Molly advised her as Tonks got up and headed out.
" Thanks Molly, I really needed someone's help," Tonks replied.
Molly sat back, thinking this was going to be interesting.
Tonks arrived at work to find loads of paperwork on her desk. It would take hours to review theses reports and then follow them all up. As Tonks sat down ready to start her work, Kingsley entered her cubicle.
" Tonks we are having another meeting down the hall, hurry up," Kingsley commented.
" Alright! Man if we keep having theses bloody meetings I'll never be able to finish my paperwork." Tonks got up tripping on her robes and crashed into Kingsley.
" Tonks, are you alright?" He asked in his deep voice. "You seem.." He didn't finish.
"Off? Yeah well that's what love gets you," Tonks muttered as she headed toward the meeting hall.
" Love?" Kingsley asked as he followed her, confused.