(Okay, importance notice: there are quotes from the actual books in this chapter! The bit where they rescue Harry and the fight between molly and Sirius are all from Book 5. Also, sorry this chapter is a bit dull. Good stuff to come though! Remus and Tonks' causal flirting will become more consequential soon I promise. Though I kind of like how drawn out it is. They are both so cute.)

51 We all have a curse with our name on

"What was your favourite subject at school?" Tonks asked me as she rested her chin on her palm her fluffy pink hair falling across her face. I chuckled and caressed the stem of my wine glass. She had been asking me questions like this all night.

"Honestly Tonks, can't the man have any secrets?" Arthur asked Tonks jokingly as he took her finished dinner plate from in front of her.

"Oh! No let me do that!" Tonks insisted as Arthur put Tonks' plate on top of the pile he had levitated into the air next to him.

"No Tonks!" Molly cried out a little too hastily, "You carry on, Ginny is going to do the washing up."

"What?" Ginny, who had been doodling in her transfiguration textbook, suddenly cried out in indignation.

"Come on, off your bottom." Molly said to her daughter as she charmed the sink to start filling up with warm soapy water. Molly pointed her wand at the floating pile of plates which gracefully drifted across the room towards the sink.

"Make Fred and George do it!" Ginny whined gesturing to the red-haired boys sitting opposite her. "They can use magic."

"Which is exactly why I don't want them to do it. Last time they got washing up liquid all over the ceiling." Molly said.

"What's the big deal? The ceiling needed a clean." Fred said while George, with his head resting on the wooden kitchen table, continued to snore having dropped off some twenty minutes ago (one of their magical sweets gone wrong perhaps?).

"I'll help Ginny!" Tonks said standing up and accidentally head-butting Arthur who was still standing next to her.

"Oof!" Exclaimed Arthur his glasses slipping off his nose.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Tonks squeaked catching Arthur's glasses before they hit the floor with paradoxical dexterity.

"Don't worry Tonks," Arthur said kindly taking his glasses back and rubbing his chin, "but perhaps Molly is right, maybe you should leave the washing up to Ginny."

"Dad!" Ginny cried again slamming her transfiguration book shut. Tonks blushed and sat back down opposite me. I gave her a consoling smile and poured some more wine into her now empty glass.

"I'll help you Ginny." Said Hermione, who had been helping Ron with a History of Magic essay, and the two girls got up from the table and made their way to the sink.

"Wait wait! What shall I put next?" Ron cried out pointing at the parchment in front of him with his ink-stained fingers.

"Ron I can't give you every sentence! I might as well write it for you!" Hermione protested.

"Well it would save a lot of time." Ron said with a smirk and Hermione glared at him, though I noticed the corners of her mouth twitching.

"You learn a lot more by doing it yourself, Ron." I advised gently from a few seats down.

"Don't be hypocritical Remus, you let me copy your history essays every week." Sirius, who was sitting next to me with Crookshanks purring on his lap.

"And do you know anything about the history of magic?" I asked shrewdly. Tonks and Fred tittered while Sirius rolled his eyes. "A case in point, Ron." I added gesturing towards Sirius. Ron laughed and turned his attention back to his essay.

"Well folks, I'd best be off!" Bill said brightly from the opposite end of the table. Bill picked up his wine glass and finished it.

"Oh, where are you off to?" Molly asked pleasantly.

"I have a date." Bill said happily as he tucked a strand of his long ginger hair behind his ear.

"With the witch with the belly button piercing?" Molly asked with an air of disapproval as she vanished the crumbs off the kitchen table with a wave of her wand.

"No, no, someone else." Bill said lifting his leather jacket off the back of his chair.

"Someone else? How many women are you dating?" Fred exclaimed with a tinge of jealousy.

"Who is it then?" Ginny asked from amongst the soapy dishes.

"Well – I'm being a bit optimistic calling it a date..." Bill said his ears going slightly red.

"Who is she though?" Ginny pressed.

"Er, Fleur Delacour..." Bill mumbled.

"What?" About four people exclaimed. I'm not entirely certain who the four were but one of them was definitely Tonks.

"The Triwizard Champion?" Ginny exclaimed in awe.

"You're too old for her! She's closer to my age than yours!" Ron cried in outrage.

"Yeah, like you'd have chance with her." Fred hissed.

"Er, yeah, she's got a job at Gringotts." Bill explained shrugging on his jacket.

"Excuse me, Mr Weasley I'm not sure I approve." Tonks said doing quite a good impression of Molly's chastising tone.

"Of me dating Fleur? But she's smart, gorgeous and french...what's not to like?" Bill argued.

"Not of you dating Fleur of Fleur dating you!" Tonks returned. "She's a good friend of mine, you know."

"Really?" Said both Bill and Molly.

"Yeah, so better be a perfect gentleman, Mr Weasley." Tonks warned pointing a finger at Bill who grinned.

"I'm always a gentleman." Bill said smirking.

"I better go as well," Arthur said as he inspected Ron's essay over his shoulder, "I told Kingsley's department I'd have a report ready for them by tomorrow, and I haven't even started it yet what with..."

Arthur paused noticing the number of non-Order members who had suddenly become extremely attentive.

"Well you know what with." Arthur finished. "It shouldn't take me too long, I've done all the research for it..."

"Alright dear, but don't stay in the office too late, you can always ask for an extension." Molly said kindly putting her hand on her husband's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. Arthur smiled at her then kissed her cheek. Arthur and Bill headed towards the kitchen stairs, with Molly following so that she could lock the door after them.

In their absence, Fred and Ron had a small fight about why Fleur was out of Ron's league, and Tonks turned back to me with a broad smile.

"So – what was your favourite subject?"

"I don't think I really had one." I replied thoughtfully. "Maybe charms."

"Charms? Ah, so you're a dreamer." Tonks said smiling like a cheshire cat.

"I don't understand, how does liking charms make me a dreamer?"

"Well charms make things or people do things they wouldn't naturally do – like fly, or become invisible, or forget something memorable. Basically, you look at the world and think, wouldn't it be neat if stuff did this instead of that. Charms are your dreams or thoughts come to life." Tonks said, her hands gesticulating beautifully as she spoke. I knew I was smiling like a besotted moron, but I couldn't help it! I was a besotted moron!

"What a wonderful way of putting it." I remarked, ignoring Sirius' disparaging snort. "The patronus charm is a good example of that, as it is, as you said, your positive thoughts come to life to protect you."

"Yeah, so someone who's good at charms, wants to make the world like their dreams." Tonks said, her blue eyes glowing brightly.

"Merlin, the pair of you!" Sirius interjected, and 'there pair of us' turned to look at him. "You're both so overly romantic. Charms are for girls."

Tonks and I exchanged smirks.

"Transfiguration is much better." Sirius continued ignoring us. "Remember how I used to transfigure James' glasses into various birds? They would fly off his face and he would have blindly chase after them with a net."

"Yes, you did have a talent for transfiguration. You changed them into an eagle once, poor James got the fright of his life!" I recounted.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter, "He was just sitting there doodling pictures of his future wife when all of a sudden a giant bird of prey was sitting on his face."

"I like transfiguration as well." Tonks admitted, after the image of James Potter squinting through myopic eyes and flaying a net around in a vain attempt to catch an eagle ceased to amuse her.

"I was good at it," she added with a shrug and to demonstrate her natural skill she changed her hair from pink to baby blue. While I admired Tonks transformed tresses Ginny and Hermione finished the washing up and soon they were being ushered upstairs by Molly, along with Ron and the twins. Tonks, Sirius and I bid them goodnight as they past us on the way to the stairs.

"Transfiguration I found tricky." I confessed once the children were gone.

"Didn't you teach transfiguration at that other school you worked in?" Tonks asked her eyes narrowed, "the one in Ireland?"

"Er, yes, but I'm not really that good at it." I said, taking another drink of wine.

"What did you get in your NEWT?"

"You do ask a lot of questions."

"Oh, sorry." Tonks blushed. "It's just...I bet you're one of those people who say they're rubbish at something and then get outstandings in everything."

"Oh I see." I said blushing myself. I could hear Sirius tutting as he sat next to me.

"You got an outstanding didn't you?" Tonks said knowingly and I winced.

"But still, my transfiguration skills are not beyond NEWT level, whereas I'm sure yours are." I said quickly and Tonks laughed covering her eyes with her hand. Sirius stood up, shoving Crookshanks off his lap as he did so, and picked up the empty bottle of wine in front of me.

"Shall I get another?" He asked.

"Er," I began, "I suspect Tonks is eager to get home." I added looking questioningly at the young woman.

"Oh, er," she said timidly, "not really. I've not much to do tonight. A few reports, but I'll do them in the morning."

"Don't your friends miss you? You surely can't prefer the company of us old fogies?" I asked quietly.

"I told you, I don't have that many friends in London." Tonks said. "Only Hestia, and you've met her..." (Hestia had joined the Order a few days ago) "she's lovely but not especially exciting."

"And we are?" I questioned with a smirk.

"Of course we are!" Sirius answered, as he fiddled around in the wine cupboard, "Now we have some elf wine here, or some er...kirsch? The hell's that?"

"It's er, cherry brandy." I informed him.

"Well, aren't you the font of all knowledge." Sirius murmured sarcastically. "Shall we give it a go?"

"It's not very nice Sirius..." I began but I was interrupted by a roar of flames from the fireplace to my right and Tonks crying "guys!" her tone suddenly very serious. I looked towards the fireplace and saw Arthur's head sitting in the middle of it. Sirius Tonks and I quickly gathered around the fireplace.

"Arthur? What-" I began, as the Order only ever contacted headquarters via floo if it was an emergency, as use of the floo network was traceable.

"It's Harry." Arthur said slightly breathlessly.

"What's happened?" Sirius demanded his voice harsh and authoritative.

"He's been caught doing underage magic." Arthur explained, "a patronus charm."

"A patronus?" Tonks murmured confused. "Why?"

"Harry wouldn't cast a patronus unless there was a need for it," I asserted, "which can only mean-"

"Dementors." Sirius finished for me. "He was attacked?"

"In Surry? But Dementors can't leave Azkaban..." Tonks said, then she looked carefully at my eyes, "not without a wizard's help. You don't think...?"

"It's too early to tell, but I agree with Remus, that Harry wouldn't cast a patronus just for the sake of it. However, the ministry are not so logical – they wanted to expell him from Hogwarts and destroy his wand."

"Wanted to? They've changed their mind?" Said Sirius.

"It was fortunate I came in tonight. I saw the automatic warning go out from Mafalda's office, then the night staff get ready to go out to Surry. I managed to stall them a bit and then Dumbledore arrived." Arthur explained.

"Ah, well done." I said as Arthur paused for breath.

"Thank you." Said Arthur. "Dumbledore sent messages to Amelia Bones and Mafalda, and less then five minutes later they had turned up. They soon agreed that this was obviously not a usual case of underage magic – so now nothing will be done until Harry has had a disciplinary hearing on the twelfth."

I breathed out and Tonks bit her lip.

"Who was on duty tonight?" Sirius asked, a crease between his eyebrows and a muscle in his jaw tensed.

"Er..." I murmured riffling through my recent memories, "Dung."

"Where was he when the Dementors descended?" Tonks asked with a raised eyebrow and a distrustful tone.

"I don't know, AWOL I'm presuming." Said Arthur. I saw anger flash in Sirius's eyes. It was fortunate for Dung that Sirius liked him, it meant that he'd get away with a nasty hex.

"The little shit." Muttered Tonks. "Figgy's still there though right?"

"I think so." Arthur said.

"She wont be much help if Harry's attacked again," Sirius said as he snatched the History essay Ron had left in the kitchen from the table. He ripped off the bottom of the last page, took a quill and wrote a message on it.

"What are you writing?" I asked.

"I'm telling Harry to stay in the house – he should be safe there right?" Sirius said rolling the message back up.

"Yes, as long as he stays indoors." I said.

"Has someone taken over from Dung?" Tonks asked Arthur.

"Er, I don't know." Arthur replied.

"We should go over there." Tonks added looking at me, "do a sweep – check there are no more Dementors lurking about."

"Yes, good idea." I agreed.

"Are there any brooms here, Sirius? We'll have a better vantage point from the air." Said Tonks, and it was suddenly very evident that she was an auror.

"Yes we do, in a cupboard in the hall. But I haven't checked them for curses." Sirius said regarding Tonks and I with concern.

"It's okay, Ron and Ginny brought theirs with them for Quidditch practice, they will let you borrow them." Said Arthur.

"Right, well let's not waste anymore time." I said, gesturing to Tonks that we should leave.

"Arthur, will you send this for me, we haven't any owls here at the moment." Said Sirius. Arthur's hand suddenly appeared next to his head in the fire and he reached out towards Sirius. Sirius squatted down and put his message into Arthur's hand.

"I'l send it now. I'll be back in about an hour." Arthur said before he vanished from the fire.

"And Dumbledore thought he'd be safer there than here." Sirius said bitterly once Arthur had gone. I opened my mouth, perhaps to defend Dumbledore, but decided, upon seeing Sirius's expression, that that would not be helpful.

Instead I said, "don't worry. He'll be here before the week is out."

Tonks and I did a sweep of Little Whinging that night, but found nothing out of the ordinary. The next morning the Order held an emergency meeting. Dung got an earful from almost everyone for being absent from his post; Dumbledore approved the plan I had drawn up for transporting Harry; and eight people volunteered to form the advance guard with me, which was more than I had asked for, but as Moody had said, the more the better. Although none of the Order members had been attacked yet (probably because the Death Eaters didn't know the Order existed) Sturgis had spotted two possible Death Eaters in Little Whinging last week, supporting our theory that we weren't the only people keeping an eye on Harry, so it made sense to err on the side of caution. The first part of the plan, a genius idea accredited to Tonks, to get the Dursleys out of the way, went smoothly, as did the second part: a scan of Little Whinging by our rear guard. The third part was a little less regimented...

"Better wizards that you have lost buttocks, you know!"

"Who d'you know who's lost a buttock?" Tonks asked Moody after his startling remark. She seemed genuinely intrigued.

"Never you mind," replied Moody before turning to Harry, "you just keep your wand out of your back pocket! Elementary wand-safety, nobody bothers with it any more."

Harry gave Moody a nervous glance and decided to just hold his wand in his hand, while Moody made his way to the Dursley's kitchen. Tonks rolled her eyes at the old wizard.

"And I saw that!" Moody snapped at Tonks who just laughed. I smiled at her and she winked at me, causing a pleasurable twinge somewhere in the region of my abdomen. I kept my feelings hidden and turned my attention to James' son. It had been such a long time since I had seen him. He had grown at least six inches, and looked even more like his father. I noticed his bright green eyes dart at the witches and wizards convened in the hallway. He looked excited and confused and defiant all at the same time. I knew from Sirius that Harry had not enjoyed his summer holidays, that he had felt isolated, abandoned even. The sudden appearance of eight magical folk must have been strange for him.

When Harry was a baby, he rarely cried, but he was extraordinarily attentive. He would inspect everything so carefully; and when you held him he'd stare at your face with such curiosity. Fifteen years later and it was evident that Harry still possessed that indomitable inquisitiveness. I felt a surge of affection for him. However, being the emotionally repressed man that I am, I had no way of expressing it. I shook Harry's hand and asked him how he was. It was a good thing I was unlikely to ever have a son of my own: imagine me saying goodbye to him as he left for Hogwarts for the first time, or comforting him after a nightmare, or greeting him after a long separation and only being able to shake his hand!

"F-fine..." Harry said. Then I introduced him to the advance guard ("Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus!"), and before too long we had got the all-clear from the rear guard and were mounting our brooms and heading for the sky.

The night we collected Harry was also the night Snape returned from a week long mission where he had attempted to make contact with the Death Eaters. When the advance guard arrived the meeting had already started so poor Harry was shunted upstairs while the rest of us quickly trooped down to the kitchen (the Order had grown sufficiently in numbers to render the dining room too small for meetings). The room was packed, with extra chairs squished in where ever there was room. When the advance guard entered there was a small round of applause.

"All go smoothly then?" Arthur asked, and I nodded.

"Journey back was uneventful." Sturgis said as he grabbed a chair next to a green haired wizard with a piggish nose called Thunder (I think his real name was Jerry).

"Bloody freezing though." Tonks added running a hand through her bright pink hair and taking a seat next to Minerva. Tonks gestured for me to sit next to her. I followed her advice, but after sitting down I wondered whether it had been a wise decision: because the room was so full, the chairs were very close together, so close in fact that Tonks thigh was pressed against my own, and I'm ashamed to admit what this did to my heart rate.

"No-one followed you?" Asked Dumbledore, his expression serious.

"No, I don't think so." I replied.

"I did suggest doing a loop to make sure-" Moody added.

"No-one followed us, I did a foe-detection spell every ten minutes, there was no-one there." Tonks said.

"The Dark Lord has little interest in tailing Potter." Snape said, his cold voice making everyone feel tense. Snape's black eyes scanned his now silent audience.

"Killing Potter is still amongst his dearest desires, but he wont try again until he has the prophecy. Fortunately the secrets of the department of mysteries remain as mysterious to him as they do to the rest of us." Snape said.

Severus Snape was a mystery himself. Like everyone else, I wondered what had made him change sides all those years ago. He was such a bitter man, and seemingly obsessed with power: he delighted in belittling other Order members, especially those of muggle parentage, and he definitely had a sadistic streak. He seemed an archetypal Death Eater, so why he had decided to betray Voldemort and ally himself with people he seemed to despise? The only theory I had was that somewhere behind his rancourous, unfriendly demeanour was a decent human being.

Snape went on to give a report on what he had learnt from trailing Death Eaters. He named a few new suspects and spoke of how Voldemort was using blackmail to gain servants. My mind was beginning to wander to the woman next to me, and the coquettish number of shirt buttons she had undone, when Snape brought me back to reality with a jolt.

"I also learnt that the Dark lord may now have vampires on his side." Snape said. "Including Leohnard."

"Leohnard? I thought he was a myth..." Dedelus Diggle exclaimed nervously.

"If only that were true." Dumbledore remarked solemnly.

"But he told me he wouldn't." I said. "I got the impression he thought working for Voldemort was degrading."

"He told you? When did you speak to him?" Emmeline asked with surprise.

"I, er," I began awkwardly, as I really didn't want to recount this tale. "I monitored some Death Eaters in Germany last year, and encountered Leohnard."

"Apparently Leohnard has changed his mind." Snape said sharply. "Perhaps, since you killed most of his court, he needs the Dark Lord's support."

There was a collective murmur of surprise and everyone turned to look at me with rapt curiosity.

"You killed his court?" Arthur asked in a quiet shocked voice. I dared not look anyone in the eyes. I didn't want them to know, I didn't want them to look at me and think of the werewolf that had killed a court of vampires. Especially Tonks. I had grown so fond of her, I didn't want to remind her of the horrific monster living inside me. I didn't want her to think of me that way.

There was an uncomfortable silence then, "Leohnard's court attempted to kill several aurors," said Tonks, "including me – we were out there after the Carrows. Remus managed to lure them away by dissapparating with Leohnard himself. He saved us but, almost got himself killed."

I turned to look at her. The way she put it made me sound almost heroic.

"His, er, his court attacked me." I added. "And in my effort to escape I, well, I...I killed several of them."

"The rumours are that he wants revenge." Snape said, looking mighty pleased about it. "Leohnard is a dangerous vampire, if he is looking for you Lupin, I suggest you make yourself hard to find. A fidelus charm on your house maybe."

I could think of nothing better to do than nod.

"If you-know-who has vampires on his side then were are in trouble." Bill said with a dark look. "I don't know how you managed to kill a whole court of them, Remus. Vampires have some powerful magical abilities. If any of the rest of us were out numbered we'd be dead for sure."

The fact that I had had three inch claws and fangs that could slice through dragon hide might have had something to do with it.

"Perhaps we should consult some vampire hunters." Dedelus Diggle suggested, thankfully shifting the focus away from me.

A fidelus charm was probably a good idea, and of course Sirius would be my secret keeper. He would probably berate me for not doing something about the Leohnard situation sooner. I suppose it was foolish of me just to ignore it, but, well, I didn't want to make a fuss. I didn't want to seem worried. I was though: Leohnard had wanted to kill me just for depriving him of Tonks for a meal, Merlin knows what he wanted to do to me for killing his court. But, his being recruited by Voldemort might actually work in my favour: if Leohnard was occupied doing the Dark Lord's bidding, as terrible as that was for all mankind, it meant he would have less time to seek me out personally. And really, what was one more person who wanted me dead? This was a war, we all had a curse with our name on.

Once the meeting had ended Molly served us a late dinner, and after a delicious rhubarb crumble that Molly insisted I have two helpings of ("You are far too thin Remus! It's a wonder the breeze doesn't blow you away."), Sirius killed the pleasant mood that had slowly bloomed, that I had been using to distract myself, by asking Harry why he hadn't been pressing us for information about Voldemort. What followed was a short but heated argument between Sirius and Molly.

"He's not James, Sirius!" Molly had exclaimed angrily, after Sirius had tried to put forward the case that Harry, being the one who had witnessed Vodlemort's return, had a right to know at least something of what the Order was doing.

"I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly." Sirius had snapped back his dark eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm not sure you are!" Molly returned, "sometimes the way you talk about him, it's as though you you think you've go your best friend back!"

"What's wrong with that?" Harry suddenly exclaimed. Sirius' expression suddenly softened. I too looked at Harry with a distinct sense of melancholy. Sirius and I both knew what was going on in Harry's head, even if he wasn't entirely aware of it. We had both lost people we loved and knew what it felt like to desperately want them back. We understood that strange need to cling onto anything that made it feel like they weren't really gone. Harry liked the idea of Sirius seeing him as James, because it made it feel like his dad was still around somehow, living through him.

"What's wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you might look like him! You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!"

"Meaning I am an irresponsible godfather?" Sirius demanded trying hard, but in vain, to hide how angry he felt. His eyes flicked towards me, and I silently warned him to calm down, but Sirius ignored me.

"Meaning you have been known to act rashly, Siirus, which is why Dumbledore keeps reminding you to stay at home and-"

"We'll leave my instructions from Dumbledore out of this, if you please!"

"Arthur! Arthur, back me up!"

Arthur took a moment to clean his glasses before he responded, "Dumbledore knows the position has changed, Molly. He accepts that Harry will have to be filled in, to a certain extent, now that he is staying at Headquarters."

"Yes, but there's a difference between that and inviting him to ask whatever he likes!"

"Personally," I said, my voice very quiet compared to Molly's and Sirius', "I think it better that Harry get the facts – not all of the facts, Molly, but the general pictures – from us, rather than a garbled version from...others."

I highly doubted that Molly managed to destroy all of those eavesdropping devices Fred and George had invented so who knows what the kids had heard.

"Well I can see that I am going to be overruled." Molly said giving me an uncharacteristically cold glance, perhaps she had hoped I would be on her side. "I'll just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much, and speaking as someone who has Harry's best interests at heart-"

"He's not your son." Sirius said suddenly.

"He is as good as!" Molly returned passionately. "Who else has he got?"

"He's got me!" Sirius replied, obviously deeply offended that Molly was disregarding Sirius' affection for Harry.

"Yes, the thing is, it's been rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?"

Sirius looked absolutely livid. He rose from his chair. I could guess what he was thinking. As if it was my fault I was sent to prison! Molly blinked a few times as she looked at Sirius and I got the feeling she hadn't really meant what she had said. Her remark was borne from concern for Harry I knew, but it was below the belt.

"Molly, you are not the only person at this table who cares about Harry." I said sharply, Molly looked at me, but dared not argue with me. After that Molly was forced to accept that we would tell Harry (and in the end Fred, George, Ron and Hermione as well) some of what the Order had been doing. Perhaps because it would annoy Molly, Sirius told Harry and the others more than I had expected him to – he very nearly told Harry about the prophecy, which Dumbledore had specifically told us to keep secret from him. But Molly stopped him.

"You've given Harry plenty of information. Any more and you might just as well induct him into the Order straightaway!" She had said.

"Why not? I'll join, I want to join, I want to fight!" Harry said at once.

"No." I said calmly as I looked at Harry. He was far too young, far to young to fight in a war. "The Order is comprised only of overage wizards – wizards who have left school. There are dangers involved of which you can have no idea, any of you..."

Like lightning flashes, I remembered duelling with Death Eaters in the last war, fighting for my life as my comrades died beside me, learning of the Potters' death, the agony of a cruciatus curse and I imagined what horrible things a vengeful Leohnard might do to me.

"I think Molly's right, Sirius, we've said enough." I said firmly, Sirius looked sullen and shrugged, but like Molly, he also thought better than arguing with me. After that the children were sent to bed. Sirius remained in a bad mood, and for once Tonks decided she'd rather go home than spend any more time with us.

I walked her to the front door. I was about to open it to let her out when she touched my arm, indicating for me to wait. I gave her a questioning look.

"Are you worried?" She asked gently. "About Leohnard?"

I took deep breath before answering, "a little, but I've had people wanting to kill me before."

"I feel bad. It's sort of my fault." She said quietly.

"Your fault? How is it your fault?"

"If I hadn't have been there, you wouldn't have intervened, Leohnard's court wouldn't have tried to kill you...You wouldn't have..." Tonks found she couldn't finish that sentence. She bit her lip and tried not to look at the werewolf. I sighed deeply and stared at the ragged silk wallpaper.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Remus." She added a few moments later. A long silence followed while I tried to work out how she could know me so well after such a short time.

"I meant what I said you know." She said.

"What do you mean?"

"When I said I wasn't afraid of you, in Germany." She said fiddling with her blue painted nails. "It's true. I'm not. I know...that you are dangerous...when it's the full moon. But...that's just one night a month. The rest of the time you are you."

She looked at me uncertainly, almost as if she was looking to me for confirmation.

"It's really not that simple." I said. Tonks nodded and fiddled with her nails again. There was a long silence.

"Well, I er, I better go." She blurted when the silence had become too awkward. "I see you tomorrow, probably."

"Yes." I said, and Tonks bit her lip again and looked at me like I was causing her physical pain.

"That's a really long time to wait." She mumbled.

"What?" I asked and Tonks winced.

"Nothing. I have to go." She said quickly stabbing the door with her wand so that it opened. Feeling incredibly confused I watched Tonks walk down the stone steps into the street. She tripped on the last one and I was about to run out and catch her, but she righted herself before I needed to.

"I'm fine, I'm okay." She said. She stood in the middle of the street as if waiting for me to say something. When I said nothing she held out a hand and waved before she dissaparated.