AN: This is my favourite chapter so far :)

It all belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Spring came again, cool and wet. It began raining in March and everyday until early May seemed colder and wetter then the day before. When the sun finally came out and the ground finally dried it was half way through May. The students could be found outside after this at every chance they got soaking up the sun and the warm weather.

One particular day found Tonks sitting down by the lake. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, eyes closed and face tilted back into the sun. She was trying to warm her self after coming from potions in the dungeons. She knew she should be taking advantage of the break to be studying, the exams were coming up in three weeks, but she couldn't force herself to open a book.

A shadow fell across her, blocking out the sunlight. She opened her eye's slightly to see a handsome face with the same grey eyes as her smiling down at her.

"You're blocking my light." She said lazily, leaning back to look at him.

Sirius flopped down beside her pushing his long black hair out of his face. Nearby some girls saw him and started twittering to each other, giggling. Sirius didn't seem to see or hear them.

"Shouldn't you be studying?" he asked in mock sever tones.

Tonks snorted. "Yeah that's a good one coming from you. I've never heard of you ever opening a book."

"Yeah well Remus studies enough for all of us doesn't he." He grinned. "In fact I just escaped him. Had to leave James behind though, but he understands. It's every man for him self when it comes to Remus's study schedules. He might not mind it so much this time Lily was going to study with them."

"Is she talking to him now then?"

Sirius laughed his bark like laugh. "If you call short sentences and half glares talking. Think she might be warming up to him though. She's stopped hanging out with Snivellus; that's got to help some. Best thing she could ever do really." He said coolly.

"I heard you stopped seeing that Semple prat."

Tonks glanced at him "Why does everyone think he's such a loser? I mean yeah he did turn out to be conceited and he was possessive but he's really not that bad." She sighed. "At least Remus can be glad he was proven right. He told me Liam was a berk."

Sirius looked at her shrewdly. "He said that eh? Well he would."

"What'd you mean? He didn't want to say anything but I kinda pushed him."

"He was bloody jealous is what I mean. You're a fairly smart girl Tonks." She frowned at that. Sirius just laughed and continued. "You must have realized that our dear friend Remus would love to be more than friends with you." He wiggled his eyebrows. "In fact I'd say he wants to be very good friends."

Tonks shook her head. She'd been half in love with Remus since she was a tiny little first year. Never in the almost five years that she had known him had she ever seen any indication that he returned the feeling.

"Your imagining things Sirius. He doesn't like me like that and he never will." She didn't realize that she sounded depressed and resigned as she said this.

"I've known Remus since he was a terrified firsty with a weird aversion to wearing socks. It's true," he added seeing her look. "He would not wear socks even when it was below zero. But that's not the point. I've shared a dorm with him for almost seven years and he has become like my brother. Certainly more then the one I have. I've seen him after his worst transformations barely able to stand and sick for days. I've seen him pissed off his face and I've even seen him cry; not something I want to experience again. He tells me things. Merlin knows why since he knows I'll just take the piss out of him after wards but he does. I know he fancy's you because he's all but stood up and declared it to all of Gryffindor tower."

"If he likes me so much, then why has he never said anything?" Tonks demanded feeling cross. "What's he so bloody afraid of?"

Sirius gave her a significant look. "You've nailed it right there. He's afraid. He's got it in his head that he doesn't deserve the happiness that other people have. He thinks that because of his problem he's unworthy. It took us two weeks to convince him we didn't think any less of him because of what he is. Some how this fear has been ingrained in him. He tried to push you away when you found out didn't he?"

"He said that he'd understand if I never wanted to see or speak to him again. I told him he was being a fool and was mental to think I'd just go off and abandon him like that." She was still finding it hard to believe that Remus could fancy her. It seemed unfathomable.

"I think you should confront him, see how he reacts."

She looked at her cousin like she thought he was the one that had gone mental. "Confront him? What just go up to him and say hey Remus I was just wondering if you fancied me at all cause I really really like you and if it's not at all awkward would you care to snog? Yeah that'll go over smashingly. I'll just look like a fool and he'll try to let me down nicely like the fine caring bloke that he is and I'll just feel even more horrible."

Sirius laughed loudly at that causing the girls who had been staring at him to jump which caused them to go into another fit of giggles. "You don't know until you try." He said after he had calmed down.

Tonks sighed and looked out at the Lake. The giant squid had some tentacles poking out of the water as if trying to sun them. "I guess. Thanks. Who knew you could be so serious for so long."

Sirius smirked a gleam in his eye as he opened his mouth to say something.

"Don't," she warned. "If you say I'm always 'Sirius' then I may just have to punch you."

He laughed again. "Fair enough. Besides," he said standing. "I don't need to say it, you just did it for me." And he walked off toward the castle whistling as he went.

Tonks stood soon after and headed in to get her books. Should she try and see if Remus returned her feelings? It wasn't like she was a little girl anymore, she was fifteen and she knew that what she felt was not just an infatuation likely to go away. It had been growing for years. Could she just ignore it and go on as she had just being the best friend? Could she stand by and watch someone else come along, someone who was beautiful and accepted him for who he was. No. It would kill her to see someone else holding his hand, looking at him with adoration, kissing him… Merlin now she was envisioning kissing him!

She shook her head furiously. She could risk it, but a part of her felt like it was too much. A nasty voice in her mind kept saying why would he want you? Your obnoxious, too fat, and walk around with pink hair. Never mind him being unworthy, it was her that should have the real fear of rejection.

But still, what if Sirius was right? He did know Remus better then she did, she had to admit. What if Remus did fancy her? Her heart seemed to give a little leap at that thought. She needed to find out, she decided. But again it was how to go about it that was the problem.

The thought tugged at her for the rest of the day until late that night when she was laying in bed listening to Cally snore. Staring at the top of her four-poster she thought, screw it. Life is too short to play games trying to see if someone fancies you or not. I'm just going to have to come right out and ask him and then we'll see. We'll go from there.

Tonks didn't get a chance to put her new resolve into action until the end of May. The final Quidditch match of the year had just been played; Gryffindor Vs. Hufflepuff, and both James and Cally had been injured and ended up in the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey had declared that both would be fine and kicked all concerned parties out of the room. Sirius and Peter had gone to join the party in the Gryffindor common room, Gryffindor had won, and left Tonks and Remus together. Remus said he wanted to get a bit of studying in before he joined the party and Tonks trailed behind him feeling that this was it. This was her moment to say something. The halls were deserted so if she were turned down no one but Remus would witness her mortification. Of course he might just be one person too many.

"How are you doing, since you broke up with Liam?" he asked abruptly before she could say anything.

"Oh, um fine I guess. I realized that I didn't like him as much as I thought I did, you know. No chemistry." She paused then seeing this as her opening.

"There is someone else though. Some one who I've liked for awhile now."

"Oh?" he asked trying to sound only remotely curious. "Who is it then? It's not that Arthur Milton is it? I've seen him eyeing you for a couple weeks now." He glanced back at her and smiled.

"Has he been?" she asked surprised, then quickly said. "No it's not him."

"Who then." Remus didn't really want to know, it would just be some other poor bloke that he would end up having less then friendly feelings towards.

Tonks took a steadying breath. "You."

Remus stopped walking abruptly causing her to have to try and maneuver around him at the last second and to end up tripping over her own feet. "Owe." She winced rubbing an elbow and looking up at him from the cold floor. "Warn me next time you decide to stop dead yeah?"

"You don't." he said, his lips seemed to be barely moving.

"Don't what? Fancy you? Yeah I'm pretty sure I do."

He reached down and pulled her to her feet, avoiding looking her in the eye. "Dora you don't. We spend so much time together you think you do, but you don't. You can't."

She straightened her robes and put her hands on her hips. "And why can't I? What is there that says Pink haired Metamorphmagus can't like unreasonable Werewolves?"

"I'm not being unreasonable. I'm telling you the truth." He said still not quiet looking at her.

"No." she said stubbornly. "You are telling me how I should feel. I know how I feel Remus Lupin. Just because you say that I can't possibly fancy you doesn't mean I don't. Here I am airing out my deepest feelings, feelings that I've kept hidden for years and all you can do is tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about? The least you could do is tell me if you fancy me too, because I'm already mortified enough as it is and I'd really like to end this. And would you stop trying not to look at me? I didn't grow two heads and a horn while I was on the floor you know."

"Dora…" he trailed off and finally looked her in the eyes. His eyes seemed more guarded the usual, as if he was trying not to give something away. "I'm a werewolf. No one in their right mind would ever want to be associated with me in that way, I've known that for years."

"Right." She said feeling angry. "So now not only do I not know my own feelings, I'm mental too? You know if you don't feel the same way Remus all you have to do is say so." She turned and began walking away. I will not cry, she told herself fiercely. I will not let him turn me into some silly girl that cries because a boy doesn't like her.

Remus stood and watched her walk away in indecision. He had always thought he was meant to be alone, always. It was one of the things John Lupin had made sure his son was aware of after he had been bitten. Werewolves did not marry, they did not have children. He should not inflict his curse on someone else. Remus believed this, felt it was right. So he had never considered dating, in fact he had resolved that he never would. It would just lead to heartache and rejection when they found out what he was. But Dora was different. She knew, had known for a while and yet here she was declaring her feelings for him. If she could do that, actually feel that way despite his issues, then who was he to deny what he felt? what he had felt for a while now.

"Dora."

She stopped but didn't turn. "Look if you're just going to tell me how silly I'm being then you can go…" she started to say vehemently, but didn't finish. For at that moment Remus put his hand on her shoulder and turned her quickly. Before she could utter another syllable he was kissing her.

It was like no other kiss she had received before. It sent a thrill down her spine and made her toes tingle. He kissed her softly, not demanding like Liam had, but giving instead. From that one kiss she could tell that kissing him would be like breathing. She would need to do it again and again. There would be no surviving without it.

When he finally pulled away her cheeks were pink and her eyes were wide almost disbelieving. Slowly she smiled and wrapped hr arms around his neck.

"Sorry." He said sounding more hoarse then usual. "I should have asked first."

She leaned closer so their foreheads were almost touching. "You don't ever have to ask." She too sounded a bit hoarse. "Feel free to do that whenever you want." She then leaned up and kissed his smiling lips again, feeling as if she never wanted that moment to end.