Chapter 14 A bit early

It had been time for Remus to leave Grimmuald place. He decided it was best to leave without saying goodbye to Sirius, since their last conversation didn't go so well.

He was terribly afraid that he was going to be late to pick her up. He was supposed to show up at eight o'clock at Tonk's address: 143 Hen Toe Street. Her bright pink house was very square and tall, and it was squeezed in between two muggle homes which were twice the size.

Unfortunately, Remus slightly miscalculated his timing and had showed up to her house an hour early. Remus found himself behind a large bush on the corner of the street deciding whether he should leave or not. Standing here made him feel uneasy and he began losing his confidence. He was arguing with himself at why he had agreed to go out with Tonks tonight.

"Are you seriously trying to hide from me?" Tonks had apparated behind him?

Lupin jumped, "Why are going around sneaking up on people?"

"Why are you hiding outside? You could have just come to the door?"

"I'm a bit early?... But I wasn't hiding." Lupin understated.

"A bit?" Tonks smiled, "Are those llilyrnations?"

"Yeah, I got them for you?" Remus handed her the flowers that were a mixed breed of carnations and lilies. He was trying to convince himself that he had bought the flowers to be polite and not to impress her.

"Thanks," she grabbed the flowers and took a great whiff of them, "They're lovely. Did you fancy a cup of tea before we head out? Or would you rather have me bring it out here so you can have more time with the bushes?"

"I'll join you inside, if you wouldn't mind?" Remus, trying to act cool, smiled.

When he walked into her home, he immediately noticed how the architecture of the house looked completely upside down, with her carpeted purple ceiling and the indigo floor which ironically looked like a ceiling; and her walls consisted of hundreds of mirrors.

"Have a seat." Tonks suggested, "I'm just going to put these in some water."

Remus was not sure how he was going to have a seat. Tonks' couch was not exactly the most conventional piece of furniture. Her green couch wass centered in the middle of the room, but it was completely squared off, and there no spaces to let you in. Inside of the square consisted of a pile of clothes, books, papers, and other knickknacks.

Tonks walked back into the room with two cups of tea. She somehow managed to jump over the back of the couch without spilling a single drop and sat down.

"Come sit."

Lupin hesitantly stepped over the couch one leg at a time, "Nice place you have here."

"I finally got my own place last year. Me mum and dad were quite upset when I moved out, and they thought I might have made a few wrong designing choices."

"I like it?"

"You're not just saying that to be nice?"

"No, I quite mean it. It matches your personality perfectly?" and then he said sarcastically, "So it's boring, dull, and average."

"And you forgot peaceful." She smiled.

After a few more moments, both of them had finished their tea. Lupin noticed that Tonks was still wearing an old pair of baggy jeans and Weird sisters t-shirt. He had assumed that he had interrupted her by showing up early.

"Umm, I can wait here if you wanted to get ready?" Remus smiled.

Tonks, who started to blush, said, "I am ready."

"Oh?" Lupin said awkwardly, especially when he realized that he was way too dressed up compared to her.

"You ready to go then?" Tonks said tossing her empty cup in the middle of the floor, contributing to the growing pile of junk.

"Yeah," Lupin said neatly putting his cup aside, "where did you want to go?"

Tonks hopped back over the couch and said, "Oh I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Lupin struggled getting over the couch.

Tonks put on jean jacket and said, "Yeah. Don't worry, you won't get punch this time."

Lupin left out a nervous laugh, "Good."

Tonks started laughing hysterically as she reminisced that night, "You got juiced up pretty fast; you can't hold liquor well, can you?"

"I wasn't that juiced up?"

"Now that I'm thinking, that guy barely touched you. A light breeze would have knocked you down."

"I'm glad you are having a good laugh about this. I am quite the joker."

"The joker who can't tell time," She said as they were headed out the door, "a whole hour early? Remus, you really need to get yourself a watch."

"You really are not going to tell me what we're doing tonight?" Remus hesitated, as they walked out on her front porch.

As they were separated only by a few inches, she stretched her arm out and said "you're just going to have to wait and see." Remus, who felt both excited and frightened, grabbed her hand and before he knew it, they had apparated away from Hen Toe Street.