I'm not so sure about this chapter. I have severely lost motivation on this story and it's a struggle to keep going.

Those who have been reviewing, Thankyou. It really does help me to keep on writing. Those who aren't reviewing, all I can say is that you let me down, and when I stop writing this one day, you'll be the reason for all the disappointed people who actually read AND review this story. Then, they will all punish you with the Cruciatus.

Sorry for the long time updating. I've been sick and busy, and then busy and sick.

Also, I don't own Harry Potter, the fabulous JK does : )

"You did all this for me?" Sirius asked in an awestruck voice that sounded out of place given that it was a tone Sirius hardly ever used. He glanced around the dining room, every inch of which was plastered with decorations. Tonks had gone a little overboard and swathed the whole room in bright colours; streamers, floating lights and glitter. In the middle of the table was a cake that Tonks and Remus had made, not wanting to force any worry or work onto Molly. Tonks had actually gotten through a cooking session with out catching on fire, the cake catching on fire or the kitchen catching on fire, largely due to the fact that Remus had been standing right beside her the whole time, helping her.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "No, we did this all for Severus Snape." It hadn't been easy keeping Sirius away for long enough to decorate but Remus had herded Sirius into his forest room, and locked the door with a spell that only someone on the outside could lift. He seemed dumbstruck, but his eyes narrowed at her playful mention of Snape.

Remus laughed and, playing along, cheerfully added. "When we showed up in the dungeon with the cake though, he most regrettably informed us that it is not his birthday, and that he would wish us good day but that he would then be lying."

"So we thought we'd settle for second best," Tonks laughed at the look on Sirius's face, "It brought us here to you."

Remus frowned in mock concern. "Wait," he said slowly, 'It is your birthday right? It has been years, and I recall you saying that it was your birthday on at least ten separate occasions each year. I think I sussed out the right date though."

Sirius grinned at the memories and Tonks snorted. "He's bragging," she whispered conspiratorially, hiding her mouth with her hand and beckoning in Remus's direction, winking at Sirius, "He had a friendly chat with your mother's portrait."

Sirius burst into laughter. "Yeah… Right…" he choked out; the image of Remus and his mother having a conversation in the hall was hilarious. In fact, the idea that his mother would remember when his birthday was, was just as funny.

Remus glared at Tonks but she could see the amusement in his eyes. "You'll pay for that," he said, lunging at her to wrap his arms around her waist, tackling her backwards onto the couch. Tonks squealed, struggling to get free, but he had her pinned underneath him, grinning as he dug his fingers into her side. Tonks was extremely ticklish - something Remus knew, and often held against her.

She tried to keep a straight face, but he just moved his other hand behind her knee, tickling her there because he knew it would weaken her. She broke then, laughing hard, her face going red, and her hair turning yellow, causing Remus to laugh at her. He leant down to kiss her, his hands becoming still at her sides, and then moving down to lightly rest on her hips. His fringe was in her eyes, and her hands were in his hair as she got lost in his kiss. He moved his lips down her neck, and up just below her ear and she gasped…

There was a loud cough from behind them and Remus and Tonks suddenly realised the position they were in. Remus grinned, not looking at all ashamed, and Tonks laughed loudly, poking her tongue out at Sirius.

"Just one more Padfoot. Look away if you have to," Remus said, chuckling to himself as he heard Sirius groan in frustration behind him. Remus leaned down to brush his lips against Tonks', and she met his lips eagerly. He had intended to kiss her softly, and not get lost because he'd only promised one more kiss, but as his lips found Tonks' again he sighed and sank deeper and deeper into oblivion until…

"For crying out Merlin," Sirius said loudly, startling the two apart again, "It's my birthday, so no more of…. That." he gestured vaguely at them, not willing to look at them in case they were at it again. Tonks was twining her fingers into Remus's hair, playing with his fringe.

Remus grinned mischievously, trying to ignore Tonks playing with his hair, because she distracted him way too much to allow him to form coherent thoughts. "So, if we were to do this again, you'd kick us out of your party?"

Sirius nodded solemnly. "I can party on my own," he told them. He preferred not to, and though he made a big deal out of it, he had no problem with Tonks and Remus's public displays of affection. He was just glad that they were both happy, and he could see it in their eyes. Tonight however, the two seemed to have their minds on each other, getting carried away, and it was uncomfortable to watch. He'd prefer not to be put off his cake.

Tonks snorted in amusement. "Alright then," she pushed Remus off her, offering him her hand and standing up, "See you Siri!" She proceeded to lead Remus out the door, glancing at him so that he could see the laughter in her eyes.

She was halfway to the door when they heard a mumbled sound. Tonks laughed and turned around. Remus turned with her and they looked at Sirius who apparently, had tried to say something. "What was that Padfoot, old friend?" he said cheerfully, "You'll need to speak louder. I'm going deaf in my old age."

Sirius glared because it was obvious that Remus's last sentence was meant to be an insult, but he spoke anyway. "Don't go. I cant eat the whole cake on my own."

Remus and Tonks laughed. "Are you sure Siri?" Tonks asked him, infinitely sure that Sirius could scoff the whole cake down on his own in less than a minute, "Because we can go and party with Snape…" She smiled so that Sirius knew she was kidding.

Sirius grinned. "Go on then," he told her, waving her away, "I know how much you love his company."

Tonks laughed, glad that he was cheerful again. "That's the Siri I know and occasionally love," she said, laughing at the look on his face as he took in her words.

"Occasionally?" he asked her in mock outrage, "I'll have you know, that my family always loves me, and you can't be the only exception."

Tonks laughed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, Bellatrix adores you," she told him, "I know you are best buddies with Narcissa, and if your mothers screaming isn't proof of love, I don't know what is."

Sirius laughed and Remus watched them both, amused and amazed. "What can I say?" Sirius said, grinning mischievously, and Tonks and Remus exchanged apprehensive glances, "I make all the ladies scream."

This time it was Sirius that dived at Tonks, scooping her up into his arms and running towards the table, threatening to drop her headfirst into the cake. Tonks was squealing because there was no doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to drop her on the cake.

"Remus, help me!" Tonks cried, laughing as Sirius shifted to dig his fingers into her ribs, making her squirm with laughter.

"No! Moooony! Help me!" Sirius called out.

Remus shook his head at the both of them before speaking. "Sorry Padfoot," he said, grinning, "I'm team Dora."

Sirius laughed, and it sounded almost like a cackle. "Then into the cake she goes," he said, swinging her so that she swerved dangerously close to the cake.

Remus chuckled; he had a secret weapon. "You drop her in the cake, and you'll get to watch me lick it off her," he told Sirius.

Sirius grimaced and set Tonks upright straight away, disgusted at the very thought of having to watch such an event, because he had no doubt that Remus would actually do it.

"Moooooooonnnyy!" Sirius yelped, covering his ears with his hands, "You don't bloody talk about a man's cousin like that when he's standing right there."

There was a twinkle in Remus's eye as he shrugged and grinned. "You don't try to drop a man's girlfriend in a cake with him standing there either."

Sirius grinned. "But she's my cousin," he said cheerfully, "I have certain rights. I am allowed to annoy the hell out of her."

"For the bloody sake of Merlin's non-existent, bloody left eyebrow," Tonks said exasperated at Sirius's completely illogical sense of logic. Remus was half glaring, half grinning at Sirius and Tonks grinned happily as she looked at them both fondly, "Lets just all skip dinner and eat the cake." As she looked at Remus she laughed, and the need for him in her eyes was apparent. The thought of Remus cleaning the cake off her with his tongue appealed to her, and now she kind of wished that Sirius had actually dropped her in the cake. Maybe she could trip and accidently land in the cake…

She cleared her mind of the thought as Sirius spoke again. "Yes, cake does sound good," he looked at her suspiciously, as if he knew what she had just been thinking, "Good thing I decided not to drop Nymphy in it otherwise no-one would get any of it."

"I wouldn't say no-one," Tonks grinned, winking at Remus, who smiled back at her, his eyes betraying how very much he wanted and needed her. They would both have to make a concentrated effort tonight to focus on Sirius instead of each other.

Tonks searched for anything to distract her from her thoughts of Remus and … But no, she couldn't think of that. She wracked her brains, her eyes finally catching on the chair tucked close under the table that hid Sirius' birthday present.

"Are you sure that you don't want your present first?" Tonks asked, biting back a smile at the thought of Sirius trying to find his birthday present. Remus and Tonks had hidden it quite well, with clues for Sirius so he could find it.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Alright then," he said to them, "Give it to me."

Tonks grinned. "Alright then?" she asked him, picking up on his slightly reluctant tone, "Well, if you don't really want it…" She trailed off, catching Remus's eye and giving him a slightly amused look, which he reflected back at her.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Am I not enthusiastic enough for you Nympharoo?" he asked her, ignoring the look on her face as she took in this new nickname. He took a deep breath, grimacing and spoke in an extremely over-exaggeratedly cheerful way, "Oh my Merlin! A present? For me? REALLY? Where?"

Remus almost fell over laughing at the grin on Tonks face as Sirius grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently in his fake haste to get to the present. He accidently unbalanced her and she fell to the floor, laughing hard at Sirius and his child-like enthusiasm, even though he was faking it; mostly anyway.

"Now Nympharoo, you didn't have to fall over," Sirius said, as though he wasn't the cause of her fall. He looked to Remus, a twinkle in his eyes, "You get her head, I'll get her legs and we will drag her away, and tickle her to death. No-one would ever suspect either of us."

Remus chuckled. "You've got a deal," he told Sirius, "To the couch she goes."

Tonks looked at them both apprehensively, glaring at them each in turn. "I thought that you were team Dora?" Tonks asked as she started scooting backwards from the two men, "That's not fair. It's two on one."

Sirius laughed. "Yes, but it's a pretty even match because you are meant to be an Auror."

Tonks stop scooting backwards for a moment. "Meant to be?" she asked, narrowing her eyes and staring daggers at Sirius.

He shrugged. "You could prove it," he told her.

Within a second Tonks had grabbed her wand, waving it once at an unsuspecting Sirius, and muttering something he couldn't hear. The next thing he knew, he was hanging upside down by an ankle, being attacked by a deck of cards.

"Hang on!" Tonks exclaimed, 'I've had an idea."

Sirius was still upside down and glaring at her, but she seemed to forget that he was up there. He looked at her wearily. "And what is that, I regret to ask?"

She gave Sirius a withering look. "Let's play muggle games. Birthday games." She didn't bother to let him down from the roof even though his blood was draining to his head.

"Why the bloody hell would I do that?" Sirius rolled his eyes and reached for his own wand, waving it and muttering the spell that would let him down before falling to the floor.

"It'll be fun!" Tonks said cheerfully, looking to Remus pleading him to argue her case for her and ignoring the crash made by Sirius as he fell to the floor.

Remus rolled his eyes at her a little. "Er- I suppose it could be fun," he said in a completely unconvinced tone of voice.

Tonks laughed at both of them. "We can play pass the parcel and egg races and pin the tail on the donkey-"

Remus snorted in amusement. "Pin the tail on the what?" he asked, chuckling at her and her crooked sense of fun.

Tonks chose to ignore Remus, continuing her sentence. "-and I know these are all children's games but they can be fun. We could-"

Sirius had picked himself up off the floor. "How about this; you give me my present, then we eat the cake and if we get really, really desperately bored, we will play your muggle games."

"Fine," Tonks said, "But we can't give you the present."

Sirius frowned. "Then why-"

Tonks grinned mischievously. "Because you have to find it."

-RL&NT-

"I don't see why you are making me look for the present," Sirius grumbled, "Is it going to be another room?"

"That would be telling," Remus laughed, "And it's a secret."

"So scoot," Tonks said, handing him the first clue.

Sirius rolled his eyes and looked down at the piece of parchment Tonks handed him. "Can't we just eat the cake?"

Tonks rolled her eyes but made no answer and Sirius looked back down at the parchment, which was evidently a clue.

Moony states that this room has many books, but is not the library. Dora adds that it is usually occupied by a sleeping bookworm, whilst Moony glares at her.

Sincerely, Moony and Dora - ex-professor and super cool auror.

Sirius raised his eyebrows and looked at the two of them. "Was this really necessary?" he asked them.

They grinned and spoke together, "Yes."

Sirius sighed and started to speak. "A sleeping bookworm… Well that obviously means Moony. Many books… Moony again… But not the library, so where?" Remus and Tonks exchanged glances; it was only a matter of time, "Oh, I get it. Moony's room."

Tonks nodded and laughed and started to walk towards Remus' room. Sirius stopped at the door, because pinned to it with a sticking charm was a note.

Deep in the forest there is a note that will direct the dog to his bone, says Moony. Dora maintains that the bone can only be found in the heaviest of rain.

Jokingly, Moony and Dora - Marauder and Metamorphmagus

Sirius snorted with amusement. "Direct the dog to his bone?" he asked them, looking at Remus, "Your work?"

Remus grinned. "Of course."

Sirius sighed, "Well this obviously means my forest room."

They walked to the forest room and outside the door, Remus and Tonks stopped. Tonks laughed, "Don't forget the rain," she told Sirius.

Sirius rolled his eyes and they heard rain start in the room as Sirius entered. They waited several moments before he emerged, sopping wet with gritted teeth. "Tell me why it had to be raining?"

Remus chuckled and Tonks grinned. "We thought it would be funny."

Sirius glared at them both until Remus waved his wand, casting a drying spell over Sirius, who held up the parchment.

Moony would like to say that the next clue lies with a certain favourite house elf. Dora advises you to arm yourself.

Moony and Dora, Pesky best friend and annoying cousin.

"I don't have a favourite…" Sirius trailed off as his eyes narrowed, "Don't tell me it is in Kreacher's - er - bedroom/cupboard."

The grins on Remus' and Tonks' faces gave him his answer. "Oh bloody Merlin," he muttered.

When they got to the kitchen, they stopped in front of the cupboard Kreacher liked to live in and Sirius took a deep breath, hoping that Kreacher wouldn't be in there. Slowly, he reached for the cupboard door and opened it. Kreacher wasn't there, but the clue was. Sirius reluctantly reached into the cupboard as though it would hurt him and quickly pulled out the clue, slamming the cupboard door as he did.

Twenty-seven clues later a weary Sirius glared at a still-smiling Tonks and a grinning Remus. He pulled the next clue out from in between the pages of a muggle book, Pride and Prejudice, and read it, deciding that if this wasn't the last one, he'd give up.

When a certain auror falls, the screaming starts. Said clumsy auror is glaring daggers at Moony who regrets to inform Padfoot that the last clue is at the scene of the screaming.

Moony and Dora, Amused werewolf and Grumpy auror.

Sirius looked up from the clue. "This means my mothers portrait doesn't it?" he asked, though he thought that he already knew the answer.

Tonks grinned and nodded. They all moved towards Mrs Black's portrait carefully, Remus keeping a tight grip on Tonks so that she couldn't possibly trip over the dreaded umbrella stand.

Underneath Sirius' mothers portrait was a box tied with ribbon, bright yellow with orange ribbon. Sirius was relieved and thought longingly of the cake waiting for him in the kitchen. He reached for the box carefully so that he didn't wake his mother.

The box was light and Sirius was instantly suspicious. He threw an apprehensive glance towards Remus and Tonks who looked casually nonchalant; suspiciously so. He lifted the lid on the box, his jaw immediately dropping at its contents. It held a single slip of parchment similar to the ones that held the clues.

In true Marauder style, this gift is a prank. Your real present is actually in the kitchen, on a chair, under the table. If you were constantly vigilant, you may have noticed it there earlier.

Bidding you good night, Moony and Dora; delighted marauder and extremely amused order member.

It was a few moments before Sirius could look up to glare at either of them, and when he finally did look up he found that he couldn't. Remus had his arm around Tonks, and they were both looking towards him with shining eyes. As annoying as this wild goose chase had been, Sirius had to acknowledge the effort they had put into this, just for him. His eyes twinkled as he grinned at them.

"You two really went to Hogsmeade and back on this one," he told them, raising his eyebrows.

Tonks grinned and closed the gap between herself and Sirius, hugging him gently around the waist. "I missed a lot of your birthdays Siri, and you deserve more than that; more than what life has dealt you so far."

She pulled away and Sirius chuckled, "Oh, I don't know," he said happily, "It seems that I am lucky to have you both. I don't deserve you sometimes, when I am in a foul mood, but this house does that to me."

Tonks shrugged, "We all have our flaws," she told him, "It's what makes us human."

Remus tried to suppress his doubt at her words. He didn't think himself human sometimes, because of his condition, but Tonks was beginning to convince him, and he couldn't let her see that he still doubted himself.

Tonks could see doubt flash through Remus' eyes, and she could tell that he was trying to hold it in. She walked back over to him, took his hand and squeezed it. In her eyes he could see the understanding and he smiled at her. She leaned up to kiss him, and for once, Sirius said nothing.

When she pulled away she glanced at Sirius, but she could only see happiness in his eyes. "Can we go get some cake now?" he whined happily, "I'm hungry!"

Tonks and Remus laughed. "I suppose so," she said, her thoughts instantly flickering back to how she'd rather have her cake. She grinned to herself, but the other two didn't notice. They made their way back to the kitchen, where they feasted on the cake and swapped Hogwarts stories into the early hours of the morning.

-RL&NT-

The fireplace was flickering in the sitting room and Tonks felt extremely warm. Her head was in Remus' lap, and her body curled up on the couch. She had her eyes closed and Remus was stroking her hair. Sirius was in an armchair opposite them. They were all silent, enjoying each others company without feeling the need to speak out loud.

When the silence was broken, it was Sirius who spoke. "Is Nymph asleep?" he asked Remus ion a soft voice.

Remus was still stroking her hair. "I think so," he told Sirius in a quiet voice and Tonks knew from his tone that he would be looking at her. She tried to find her voice to tell them she was awake, but she couldn't. She felt too warm and sleepy. She settled for just listening to them, rather than being an active participant in their conversation.

"Moony, I feel strange," Sirius said and Tonks thought that he sounded worried.

It was a moment before Remus spoke. 'What do you mean?" he asked Sirius calmly.

"I just-" Sirius broke off, unable to voice his thoughts properly, "I just feel like something… bad… is going to happen soon and I don't know what, or why."

Tonks felt Remus' hands pause for a moment on her hair, before he continued to play with it. "It's probably nothing," he said, but he sounded unconvinced himself.

"No Moony," Sirius said, sounding more worried than before because Remus's response had failed to put him at ease, "Something is about to change; I can feel it."

"Things are changing all the time Padfoot," Remus said, his voice quiet and weary.

"I know," Sirius replied, "But this is different. I feel like time is running out and I can't shake it."

Remus stopped playing with her hair and moved his hands down her neck and shoulders, trailing his hands down her side to rest on her waist. He took her hand in one of his and twined their fingers together. Finally he spoke. "I can't tell you to change what you feel," Remus said slowly, "But whatever is coming is inevitable."

Sirius frowned, "So you feel it too?" he asked Remus, "I remember the last time I had this feeling, it was right before the traitor-"

Tonks heard Remus swallow, felt him shudder and then shake a little, his hand gripping hers. "Don't." Remus said, cutting Sirius off midsentence, even though Sirius had sounded as though he'd have a hard time finishing the sentence anyway.

There was silence and Tonks pondered what they had said. She'd been feeling the same way sometimes - had seen it in Remus' eyes occasionally, when he was deep in thought.

Remus broke the silence. "Yes, I feel it too," he said, eventually answering Sirius' question.

There was another silence and Remus' words hung in the air for a while.

"Well what do we do?" Sirius asked Remus, his voice unsure.

Remus sighed. "The same things we always do, only we'll be more careful," he said, his arms tightening around Tonks as he resolved not to let her go. He'd keep a closer eye on her from now on. He couldn't lose her - it would be unbearable.

"I feel…" Sirius spoke, "I feel like this could be the last birthday I have ever live through." He admitted how he felt; how he had been feeling all day.

Remus did not try to convince Sirius otherwise, and merely spoke the truth that they all knew, but tried not to think of.

"So many of us could die before our next birthday," he said quietly, "This is war."

Please please please read and review!

I am sad to say that Siri dies next chapter, and I'm sure he'd want reviews on his last birthday chapter : P I'm just saying.

Thankyou again to all my reviewers; you are all amazing!