Chapter Fourteen: Surprises

A/N: This is two and a half hours late in UK time but I'm sure you can all forgive me for that! Thank you for the amazing reviews so far! And thanks to everyone who's put this story on their favourites or follows. Reviews are to me what chocolate is to Remus :D !

Remus POV

Remus sat on the sofa across from the fireplace, staring at its remains thoughtfully. The fire had long been put out. He was feeling mortified and guilty, really guilty actually and on top of that, he felt like a herd of hippogriffs had stomped over him during the night. All in all, he definitely wasn't feeling very good. And as much as he tried to pull himself from the pensive mood he was in, Dora's hurt expression kept entering his mind and guilt wretched through him. He hated that look of hurt that was on her face. More than that, he hated the fact that he'd been the cause of it.

He'd been rude. She'd actually come to see him, knowing he was a fully transformed werewolf, because she was worried about him. She'd healed his wounds and spoke to him the entire night making it perhaps one of the best full moons of his life. Yet he knew he didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve Dora putting her life in danger just to make sure that he was okay. He was shocked more than anything, that someone actually cared that much about him. And he was shocked by her reaction the night before. She had smiled at him, petted the fur on his head and spoke with him at length. He never thought that anyone would feel anything but disgust and fear when seeing a fully transformed werewolf. Yet she proved him wrong, as she always did.

She spoke to him like he hadn't transformed in to a monster. She spoke to him like she wasn't speaking to a dark creature but just speaking to him, as she always did, like nothing had changed; except perhaps his lack of speech. She'd seemed comfortable, relaxed even and if Remus was being honest with himself, he found it quite difficult to handle. Being treated like this was rather a new experience for him and clearly he'd reacted badly to it. He knew that however unintended it was, he'd come across as angry. He'd come across as if he didn't want her there. And he wondered briefly if Dora would ever forgive him for his reaction.

He'd felt panicked though, when he'd transformed back in the morning and remembered that she was there. He felt almost positive that he'd hurt her, even though his memories of the night before were crystal clear. He was certain she'd be terrified, run out of the house now she knew he wasn't going to die. But she'd simply woken up and smiled at him, telling him as always, that she was fine. He'd been angry at himself because he could have hurt her and angry at her that she didn't see just how dangerous he was. Now, however, he wanted nothing more than for her to be here with him.

He sighed dejectedly though he decided he definitely would try to speak to Dora later today. She would be at work now though and he couldn't move right now from sheer exhaustion and his eyes felt very heavy. He lay down on the sofa; the soft fabric was smooth against his body and enticed him in to immediate relaxation. His eyes immediately closed and he was swept to the somewhat peaceful state of sleep.

Remus was snoring lightly, his mind immersed in deep sleep when a knock on the door followed by a crash made him jump up from the sofa, his over-alert reactions allowing him to awaken from sleep so abruptly.

He was startled when Dora entered the room cursing some unknown object, her hair chocolate brown and wavy. He looked at her, his eyes wide in surprise. She was still in her Auror robes and had evidently apparated here straight from work as she looked dishevelled and hurried. Her dark eyes glanced up at him sheepishly.

"Erm… I came over to say I'm sorry" she told him breathlessly as she hazarded a hesitant smile at him. He raised his eyebrows curiously.

"You're sorry?" Remus asked curiously. He genuinely had no idea why Dora would feel guilty when this was entirely his fault and felt somewhat compelled to placate her worry.

"Dora, you have nothing to be sorry for. It's me, I'm sorry; I have no right to be angry with you when you saved me from my imminent death." He smiled audaciously as he used her words and he noticed Dora's cheeks redden before she morphed the chagrin away.

"I just… well… I was scared that you could have got hurt." As she opened her mouth to protest, he continued "I know it's different with Wolfsbane. But there's always a chance, however small, that it might go wrong. And I don't want to take that chance. But, really, I am very grateful that you came over and that you can still stand to be in my company" he told her with complete honestly.

In fact, he was still in shock at Dora's arrival; she never stopped surprising him. He assumed she'd be much angrier at him than she was. He was convinced that after seeing someone as a fully transformed werewolf, nothing would be the same afterwards. And he briefly considered whether this was why he'd been so angry this morning; because he'd thought Dora wouldn't be the same with him. Yet here she was, the same Dora, speaking to him just the same. As he glanced up at her he observed a genuine smile appear on her face.

"You worry too much, Remus" she told him playfully. Her hair had now turned her favourite shade of vivid pink, to which Remus smiled sincerely. "Let's just forget it… How are you anyway?" she asked seriously as she appraised him silently.

"I'm fine, you just interrupted a much-needed sleep actually" he told her light-heartedly.

"My apologies, but sleep is only for the weak anyway, Remus" she said, winking.

"Exactly, hence why I need so much of it right now!" he told her, laughing lightly. She laughed joyfully, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh! Guess who visited me at work today?" Dora questioned suddenly, frowning slightly as the roots of her hair began to slowly morph to a deep red.

"Given the roots of your hair, I doubt it's someone you like very much" he said with his eyebrows raised curiously. Dora examined her hair self-consciously as he smirked at her.

"No. Actually I think it's fair to say that she's one of very few people that I genuinely hate" she said seriously, vivid red having now overcame the pink in her hair. As he analysed her reaction, he realised the person that had turned Dora's hair a fiery red the last time…

"It wasn't Dolores Umbridge was it?" he asked, partly in disbelief.

"Yes! She had the audacity to give me about three tonnes of paperwork as well as help me in my 'analysis of cases, ensuring that all information about a person is considered'" she said, mimicking Umbridge's high-pitched voice in a derisive tone.

"She's so bloody patronising! 'all information is considered' - what she actually wants to consider is how we can be bigoted towards someone based on absolutely nothing" she said heatedly, her hair now shining a vivid red. Remus almost smiled at her indignant tone – almost, though her thoughts on Umbridge were completely valid and he was impressed that Dora was perceptive enough to see through her lies.

"She absolutely hates me" Dora laughed awkwardly.

"Why would she hate you?" he asked, surprised.

"I may or may not have told her what I think about her recent legislation…" Dora said putting on her most innocent face whilst Remus stared at her in disbelief.

"Dora! What-what did you say!?" he spluttered, hoping that she hadn't got herself in to trouble at work.

"That her laws are ridiculous, that she knows nothing about werewolves and that she's practically encouraging them to join Greyback" Dora said matter-of-factly and Remus stared at her in complete shock and awe.

"And she said?" he asked, incredulous.

"She was pretty livid actually" Dora said and he could swear she was quite proud of that. "Werewolves are dangerous dark half-breeds, you would do well to remember that Nymphadora" she mimicked in a derisive tone.

"She has a point" Remus told her, smiling slightly though his tone was serious because, for once, he did actually agree with Umbridge's words. It seemed too easy for Dora to forget how dangerous werewolves actually were… how dangerous he was.

"Shut up!" she said as she nudged him on the arm playfully.

"Really though, did you have to say that to her?" he asked seriously and Dora looked at him strangely.

"Yes I did. Someone had to take her down a notch or two, seriously. Besides, she asked me what I thought and I saw no reason to lie" Dora said proudly and he shook his head.

"What about… Oh I don't know… saving your job?" he asked worriedly and Dora smirked at him.

"Pffft. She doesn't have the power to fire me. And they wouldn't anyway; they need all the Aurors they can get at the moment" she said confidently and he had to smile.

"You're seriously mental. You do know that, don't you?" he said and she smiled with mirth.

"Yes, I have been made aware on a few occasions. But I would have been in a bad mood all day if I hadn't had the chance to say something to her. So really, you should actually be grateful." He raised his eyebrows at her.

Remus considered her for a moment. Once again, she'd surprised him. He couldn't believe that she'd stood up for his kind in front of Umbridge. He couldn't believe the proud way of which she brazenly proclaimed her views. That she'd had the courage to challenge Dolores Umbridge over her legislation awed him. Because the legislation affected his life so much and although she wouldn't change the law, she still made her opinions clear about it. And the fact that she even considered werewolves, considered him, worthy of such proclamation surprised him immensely.

"Anyway, do you fancy going over to Grimmauld Place?" she asked him suddenly, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah, Sirius will probably be worried. Could you apparate though? I don't think I'm quite up to it" he asked her embarrassedly. But he couldn't risk apparating this close from the full moon, especially if he was apparating with Dora.

"Sure" she smiled and she grabbed his arm and he was pulled in to the familiar uncomfortable squeeze of apparition. They arrived at the doorway of Grimmauld Place and Remus felt rather lightheaded as turned the brass serpent-head door-knob as they entered the dark, dingy hallway.

They entered quietly, and the murky curtains that surrounded the horrible portrait of Walburga Black remained closed, although Kreacher walked past them, sulking.

"How my poor mistress would think of the scum they let in this house… shape-shifters and half-breeds and freaks!" The old house-elf muttered angrily under his breath, though loud enough for both Remus and Dora to hear and she sighed angrily.

"Shut the hell up, Kreacher!" Dora said frowning and the house-elf looked up at her in surprise, not used to this reaction from the usually calm half-blood. Remus smiled at her with his eyebrows raised and she smiled back, rolling her eyes. "Sorry, but he's highly irritating!" she laughed.

They walked in to the kitchen to find Sirius sitting at the table, immersed in the latest edition of The Daily Prophet, his eyebrows furrowed together in concentration.

"It's a bad day when you're concentrating on something, Padfoot" Remus smirked at him and Sirius jumped in surprise.

"Oh, hey! Nice of you both to return" he told them wryly.

"Have a look at this" he said to them, annoyance crossing his features as he hands them The Daily Prophet. The front cover featured a picture of Dumbledore and Harry and the article itself deemed them both to be attention seekers who'd made up lies about the return of Voldemort in order to further their own interests and to fear-monger amongst the wizarding world. Remus could feel anger course through his veins as he read each word carefully. Although he mostly held a calm exterior, his emotions were intense; he just hid it rather well. His emotions tended to be even more intense when the full moon was either very soon or had just passed.

Sirius took hold of the newspaper, threw it in the bin and smiled brightly at them;

"So Tonks, do you ever have a day off?" Sirius smirked at her in a light-hearted tone as he noticed her Auror robes.

"I do have one every now and then." Dora rolled her eyes.

"Really? Because usually there's some frantic bloody Ministry owl pecking my window trying to get you to come back" Sirius exclaimed seriously, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"What can I say? They miss my presence!" Dora grinned brazenly.

"Told you they wouldn't fire me, Remus!" she told him, sticking her tongue out childishly whilst he smiled slightly at her. Remus was still in disbelief that she had actually challenged Dolores Umbridge over her anti-werewolf legislation.

"Why would they fire you?" Sirius asked with his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"Remus is under the impression Umbridge could fire me after I argued with her about werewolves" she said, shaking her head and giving Remus that your-being-so-dramatic look to which he rolled his eyes. Sirius howled in laughter.

"That's hilarious Tonks! What did you say to her?" he asked, still laughing.

"It was nothing really. She asked me what I thought of her legislation and I told her it was ridiculous, that she knew nothing about werewolves and that she was encouraging them to join Greyback. Oh and that they were based on her own bigoted beliefs" Dora reiterated to Sirius, who currently seemed to be having a hard time trying to stop laughing.

"That – has – literally – made - my - week" he spluttered in between fits of laughter to which Dora shook her head, smiling.

"Oh I am glad" she said, rolling her eyes.

As they continued to chat, Remus could feel his gaze turn to Dora too often. At her very presence, he seemed to be in awe. He didn't think people could surprise him anymore until he met Dora. Every day she surprised him.

"Remus?" she said suddenly, breaking his reverie.

"Yes?"

"We have guard duty tonight" she reminded him.

"Ugh!" he groaned. He was feeling extremely lethargic and really didn't want to have to do guard duty tonight. He would much rather have spent the night in bed with a good book and a large bar of chocolate – the perfect remedy for after the full moon.

"Oh well that's charming" she said, smirking.

"I didn't mean it like that…" he said quickly.

"I'm joking, Remus" Dora rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it, I'll cheer you up" she said, a smile tugging on her lips.

He didn't doubt it. Dora always seemed to cheer him up just by her very presence. She seemed to constantly brighten his mood and she had no idea the effect she had on him. He liked Dora… he liked her a lot actually… maybe too much. He couldn't help that his feelings were more than friendly towards Dora but he also knew that he would never act upon them.

Because, in his opinion, Dora deserved much better than he could ever possibly offer her.