Chapter Twenty Nine - In Which Tonks Makes A Realization
Dedicated to FanFicFan909 (my best friend) and Xxrunnin-wit-pandasxX – who both had birthdays this week! Happy Birthday!
As Tonks rushed back into the classroom she realized that, Professor Lupin had been telling the truth, he had loved her all along, in fact he loved her so much that he was afraid that she would die. And Tonks felt guilty, she felt bad, because Tonks knew that she shouldn't be happy, she shouldn't be glad that he was so afraid of losing her but Tonks knew that he was only like that because he cared about her and Tonks knew that he couldn't refuse her now.
When Tonks entered the room, she found Professor Lupin crouching, frozen to the ground. He was still staring at the place on the floor where her mangled body had been lying moments ago.
Upon hearing her, he looked up staring at the outline of her body; as if to reassure himself that she was still alive.
"I'm sorry" whispered Professor Lupin looking up at her with misty eyes.
Tonks sighed and lowered herself down sitting on the floor behind him. She stroked his hair for a moment, gently and softly, in the way she had always wanted to before. She had that look in her eye, the kind of look someone has toward another person when they love them deeply and she had a small upturned smile in her lip, the kind that she couldn't help smile when he was looking at her.
Professor Lupin just looked at her, then at the spot on the floor where her body was laying, then back to her again, letting out a strangled cry of relief. He embraced her, embarrassed by such a strong flow of emotions coming from a grown up man.
"I'm so sorry Tonks" he repeated again hugging her and attempting to take in everything, her smell, her touch and her feelings. "I think everybody is convinced that I'm in love with you now" he choked out with a sad laugh.
Tonks just held him tightly, "no they don't there probably just convinced that I'm afraid of werewolves, that's what I tried to tell my friends anyway. Besides" continued Tonks brushing some of his brown hair away from his forehead, "I don't care what they think, I'm graduating in a month, I'll never see them again" Tonks shrugged "and I was standing right next to you, it wasn't that obvious"
"Maybe, I hope your right" sighed Professor Lupin
"Definitely" replied Tonks, "you're just overthinking everything again"
"And you're under thinking everything"
"Looks like we're perfect together then" smiled Tonks looking up at him, while Professor Lupin just averted his gaze.
Tonks grabbed the front of his robes shaking him slightly, "you can't ignore me forever" she wined burying her face in his chest.
"But you don't understand" cried Professor Lupin sympathetically,
"Well!" cried Tonks "explain then" she demanded, "Tell me why you won't let me love you!"
"Fine then!" explained Professor Lupin getting frustrated as to why she wasn't listening, "I'll tell you and…" he took in a deep breath "you're going to hate me for it and you won't love me, but maybe then you'll realize" he finished rubbing his forehead. "You can't love me because…because…because…
I'm a werewolf" he blurted out simply trying his best to hide his face.
And suddenly it all made sense. Like clockwork in her mind, the pieces seemed to fit and it all began to make sense, the sickness almost every month, the DVD from his friends, the boggart and even her patronus seemed to fit. Her thoughts were running at a million miles an hour and Tonks knew deep down that it didn't matter, she loved him regardless.
Professor Lupin just turned to leave, not even able to bring himself to look at her.
"I don't care" yelled Tonks desperately.
Professor Lupin froze, "I don't care if you're a werewolf" she continued, "I love you just as much, if not more now, it shows your bravery, how you keep going every month, how you pick yourself up to teach us even when you're sick. Don't you see!" argued Tonks, "Isn't it obvious? Your different, Well, I'm different to!" she was almost shouting now, "We can be different together".
"No Tonks!" he shouted using her surname, "Just no! I can't believe you still want me after all of this" he sighed looking down at his trembling hands, struggling to control his willpower, "you deserve someone young and whole"
"I've told you a million times" sighed Tonks sadly, " I don't care about how old you are, you're really not much old than me, your only older in your mind, I don't care how dangerous you are, we'll be careful and I know I can protect myself and I don't care how poor you are, money won't make me happy. I don't want anyone else, I just want you"
"Don't be difficult Nymphadora" warned Professor Lupin.
Tonks let out a hefty groan, "Ugggh, I'm not the one being difficult" she cried.
"Fine" snapped Professor Lupin
"Fine what?" asked Tonks looking up at him quickly and meeting his eye.
"Fine…" he continued, "I will take you on one date" he sighed holding up a finger and knowing he had just made a grave mistake, "one date" he repeated, "but only after you've finished your exams and I'm officially allowed to date you. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it properly" he sighed "then maybe you'll realize that, you're making a huge mistake and then you can find someone younger, someone better for you"
But Tonks wasn't listening, she was too busy, flinging her arms and spinning Professor Lupin around the room giggling, and he had to admit, she did look rather gorgeous.
"And don't worry" added Tonks unable to control her smile even though she was headed to charms class, "I won't give up on you, your perfect Remus Lupin" she giggled at his first name and winked. Professor Lupin just sighed, she was really going to be the death of him.
"And don't call me Professor!" he shouted out, "You make me feel old"
"But you are my Professor aren't you?" smirked Tonks
"For now"...he replied
Author's Note – Yay! "At last!" I heard you cry, Yep so 29 chapters later, something finally seems to be happening! This one isn't particularly long, sorry, but sometimes short and simple is sometimes the best.
What would your boggart be? Mine would probably be something pathetic, like public speaking or people hating me, something stupid like that, even though I know that that type of thing doesn't matter and I also have this weird phobia of small spaces and diving off boards into swimming pools. Yeah, I'm strange..
Mary – That username thing is really annoying isn't it? I found out about that too when I tried to send someone my email and it wouldn't work, I thinks it's the dots that it doesn't like anyway, I read your story "Pranking" It was so funny especially the prank on Snape and Sirius's reaction, I loved it, I really hope you keep writing it
Letswilhelm - (thanks for your review, it was so long and of course you made me laugh again - It's kind of cool how you live in Brazil, I'm so jealous, it sounds so exotic )
Adventure-Seeking-Juliet – I'm glad you like it
JessAndFriend- ha ha I didn't know about Charlie actually being in Tonks's year and not Bill...oopsy daisy… I just assumed it was the other way around ha ha ahh well, doesn't matter, I should have probably done a bit more research before I started this story!
JellyBeaan007 – Thanks for the review, Yes I love that one, Petal in the Rain – is one of my faveourites too actually. If you want a good Jilly one you should check out "A Matter Of Technique by B.C. Daily, It's only a one-shot, not very long, but it's really good!
Happy Reading
PrincessDreamGirl
