As Remus had predicted, it had taken only a few days before the news of Tonks and Remus' relationship to spread throughout the Order. The very next day Kingsley had teased Tonks about it while out on patrol. She had chosen to pretend like she hadn't heard him but judging by his knowing smile she assumed her furious blushing had given it away.

Two days later Emmeline congratulated Tonks on her new relationship. "Well it was about time one of you made a move. Honestly even Moody could tell you had a thing for each other," she confided with a wink. Tonks cringed inwardly, wondering just how obviously desperate she had been that even her famously unempathetic mentor had picked up on it.

By the end of the week, even Mundungus seemed to know. He stopped in to bring the newest iteration of the mission schedule and seemed disappointed to not find Remus and Tonks embroiled in the throes of passion. When Sirius invited him to stay for a drink, he made increasingly lewd implicating comments culminating in a declaration of Remus manly prowess. "Right lucky you are Remus. Tonks, here is a real looker!" he exclaimed excitedly, patting a very uncomfortable Remus vigorously on the back. Sirius failed utterly in containing his laughter, while Tonks pursed her lips and reminded herself that Dumbledore would not appreciate her lighting Mundungus on fire.

"Well you really called that one," Sirius admitted to Remus after finally escorting Mundungus to the front door. "Didn't take Molly anytime at all to spread the knowledge of your blessed union."

Tonks narrowed her eyes, "I've got it on good authority that it was actually Arthur who told Kingsley." She buried her face in her hands. She really hoped that was all he had told him. She really didn't need half the Auror department teasing her about her choice of bra color.

Remus looked up briefly from his reading, "And there is an Order meeting tomorrow night. Hagrid is finally back and ready to give us the full briefing of his trip."

Tonks, hopeful for a change in subject, took the seat next to Remus. "Oh good. I was really starting to worry about him."

Sirius dropped into another empty seat. "Well what are you two going to do?" he asked, completely ignoring Tonks' perfectly timed segue.

Remus put down the parchment he'd been reading and faced Sirius. "I thought we had already decided what we were going to do? Besides, it's going to be hard to deny it at this point. Unless you changed your mind about leaving yourself out of it?"

Tonks leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling. Was it too much to expect to avoid this awkward minefield of a conversation?

"No. I haven't," Sirius replied, his arms crossed. "What I meant was are you going to hold hands and be generally embarassing or are you going to try to play it cool?"

Tonks returned her chair back to the floor, staring at the two of them. The intensity of their eye contact made her feel as if they had forgotten she was even there.

She thought about nonchalantly clearing her throat but before she could Remus turned to her. "We haven't really talked about it yet," he replied.

Now they were both focused on her and she couldn't think of a thing to say in reply. Her mind had betrayed her with blankness. "Err whatever your comfortable with," she managed.

Per the usual, Sirius looked like he was about to start laughing. Remus gave her a small smile. "It's not like we need to plot out the whole night anyways. Really the focus will be on the meeting and Hagrid."

"Good luck with that," Sirius replied cheekily as he stood up and exited toward the hall. "I suppose I should go find that useless house elf to get this place looking presentable for tomorrow. I haven't seen him clean a thing in days."

Remus tentatively put his hand over hers on top the table. "He's just being an arse. Really love we don't have to make a big thing out of it."

She smiled at him, enjoying the way he now casually touched her like this. "I think it would be okay if we held hands. If you want to!" she added in a rush.

He tucked his free hand beneath her chin and traced the line of her jaw this is thumb. "Sounds lovely."

She leaned forward into his touch but he withdrew both his hands. "I'm sorry. I've got to get going."

She nodded in understanding, hoping her disappointment wasn't obvious. "Of course. Me too honestly."

They both got to their feet. She lingered, awkwardly wondering if she should or could kiss him goodbye. She wasn't even sure why she was feeling so uncomfortable. Somehow with the new public element of their relationship, she felt more pressure, more expectation to conform to the traditional roles of a romantic relationship. Roles she had never felt fit.

With minimal hesitation, Remus reached out and pulled her close to him. He held her firmly and whispered in her ear, "Are you okay? You look upset."

She squeezed him tightly and hid her face against his chest. "I'm fine really. It's nothing."

Gently he pulled her back to look into her eyes. "It seems like it's something."

She stamped her feet and took a big breath. "I'm just freaking out a little. I've never had a public relationship before. I mean to say I've never introduced a lover to anyone I know. I mean… I don't know what I'm doing and I'm terrified." She was staring very hard at her feet now. She hadn't quite meant to share that much.

Remus pulled her close again. "Me either. Until very recently, I've never had anyone to introduce someone too."

His admission made her feel like an ungrateful child. Of course as a lifelong sufferer of lycanthropy whose only friends were murdered or imprisoned at the tender age of twenty one when would he have ever had the mundane experience of introducing a partner to his friends and coworkers? His anxiety was probably far greater than her own. "Remus, I'm sorry I didn't think-"

He silenced her with a kiss. She was so startled it took her breath away. "Stop that. Don't feel sorry for me. It's no one's fault. Besides life has gotten much better lately."

She nodded again. Her face stern and certain. Remus didn't want her pity. It was her love and support he was asking for. "Then we'll do this for the first time together," she assured him.

He smiled before kissing her once more. This time she was prepared and returned his gesture with enthusiasm. When they parted for air, he attempted to pull away but she clung tighter. "I really do have to go," he said breathlessly.

She kissed him once more before finally releasing him.

Despite his reassurance, she still worried about the meeting for the rest of the day and most of the next as well. Sirius didn't miss a chance to tease her about it which only served to put her more on edge.

Due to the mismatched nature of their schedules she didn't see Remus again until just a half an hour before the meeting. By then she felt like she was walking on a thin high wire like the Muggles at the circus.

She had gotten off work late and was rushing to try to squeeze in a shower before the meeting started. She burst through the bedroom door only to walk in on Remus and Sirius in naked but passionate embrace. "Sorry!" she shouted, slamming the door shut out of instinct before realizing that in this particular situation such a reaction didn't make any sense.

She slumped against the wall giving into some embarrassed anxious laughter. A moment later Sirius was standing stark naked in the doorway. "Are you having a fit?" he asked.

She looked at him and only began to laugh harder. Remus appeared behind him in the doorway, looking concerned.

Sirius took Tonks by the hand and pulled her into the room, "We don't have time for this. Whatever this is," he said not unkindly, gesturing to her shaking form.

She stumbled to the bed and managed to slow her giggling long enough to explain herself. "I'm sorry- I just- panicked," she gasped between laughs. "It was so stupid."

Sirius stared at her in contemplation for a moment before replying, "Well do want to join us then?" Remus was looking sheepish in the background.

"Oh no. I didn't mean to interrupt," she said regaining her composure. "I need to get cleaned up before the meeting."

"Well if you don't mind, we are going to get back to it then," he replied pulling Remus back toward the bed with him.

Remus went willingly but paused briefly to ask Tonks, "Are you sure you are okay?"

She got to her feet and smoothed down the front of her robes. "I'm fine, promise. Have fun!" She quickly collected some clean clothes from her pile on top of the dresser. "See you in a few," she called out as she hurried out the door.

Twenty minutes later she was feeling a little less agitated and a lot less of a mess as she met Remus at the top of the stairs. She could hear Sirius greeting someone downstairs in the foyer though she couldn't make out who.

Remus gave her an embarrassed smile and offered her his hand. "Ready?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be!" she replied. She didn't think this could be that much more embarrassing or awkward than her earlier giggle fit.

They descended the stairs hand in hand.

"Oh but you do make a handsome couple!" Dedalus exclaimed in greeting.

Remus nodded in reply and Tonks smiled.

"Well I must be heading in already. I want to make sure I get a good seat. Hagrid's a lovely fellow but he often forgets most of us can not see past him!" Dedalus explained as he scurried into the kitchen.

"Sorry Dedalus, no dinner tonight but the house elf should be serving drinks," Sirius called after him. Then he turned to Tonks and Remus. "Ah the lovebirds," he chided. "There are plenty of open seats in the back in case you want to snog during the boring bits." He winked.

Tonks could feel Remus bristling but before he could respond the doorbell rang again. "Duty calls!" Sirius cried and left them alone in the hall.

"I can't tell if he's pissed off or enjoying himself," Remus said quietly.

"Maybe a bit of both?" Tonks replied, squeezing his hand.

Remus sighed. "Well shall we go take a seat?"

Tonks nodded. They began to move toward the kitchen but were interrupted by angry voices.

"I assure you Black I can find my own way to the kitchen," Severus Snape bellowed in his usual caustic tone.

"I'm just making sure you don't get grease on any of the wall hangings," Sirius ribbed in reply.

"Oh not him," Remus whispered, pulling Tonks back up the stairs in a useless attempt to avoid the man.

"Well what is this then?" Snape asked in mock confusion. "A little young for you isn't she Lupin?"

Remus gave up his escape attempt and turned to face him. Snape had a vile smile on his face. The corners of his mouth curled even more as he looked from Remus to Sirius and back again. "Or is she just the poor substitute for what you really lust after? The two of you are cousins aren't you?" he asked addressing Tonks and Sirius.

"Oh shut it Snape!" Sirius replied lazily. "You are just jealous Remus' has got a girlfriend and you don't. There's the door." he pointed toward the kitchen. Snape left in a huff, apparently bereft of a snarky comeback for once. "Can't believe that worked. I was sure he'd have something else to say," Sirius cheered. He lowered his voice and added, "If only he knew what we were doing half an hour ago." He laughed heartily as he headed back to the front door.

"Let's go before we get caught up with anyone else," Tonks suggested and Remus eagerly complied.

The kitchen was about half full when they entered. Tonks noticed Dedalus sitting in a front row seat, happily sipping a glass of brandy next to a sleeping Mundungus who was uncharacteristically early. Snape and Minerva were both shuffling around piles of parchment at the head table. Kingsley was standing at the far end of the room speaking animatedly with Moody, Arthur and Molly.

Remus guided her toward the empty corner in the back but before they reached their refuge, Molly turned to face them. The rest also turned to look and Kingsley trailed off in the middle of his sentence. He gave Tonks the slightest of winks and Moody gave one solemn nod as if to show his approval. Arthur was avoiding Tonks' eyes, his face a rosy pink. Tonks felt her own face resonating in response.

Molly motioned toward them with a look of such glee Tonks worried she might burst into tears. She noticed the brief look of vexation on Remus' face before it was replaced with a shy smile.

"Oh my dears," Molly gushed. "I'm just so happy for the two of you!" She couldn't help herself from patting Remus on the arm affectionately. Remus' cheeks were the same shade of pink as Arthur's now and Tonks wondered if the three of them matched.

"Molly, darling, you are embarrassing them," Arthur said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh no I'm not!" she exclaimed, shaking a hand to dismiss him. Kingsley looked to be trying very hard to not snicker.

"Yes, yes we are all quite happy for you but don't let your relationship get in the way of your duty. These things have a way of being a distraction," Moody chimed in. He eyed Tonks appraisingly with both eyes. Tonks blushed as she remembered a similar lecture she'd received from him after she had accidentally taken out a chunk of his wooden leg with an errant spell during a practice session because Allison had blown her a kiss.

"Oh come on Moody, we are all professionals here," Kingsley replied. Tonks would have to remember to thank him later.

"Of course. We would never let our feelings for each other blind us from the importance of the Order's work," Remus replied dropping Tonks' hand.

Tonks nodded fiercely in agreeance, though she regretted that they were no longer touching.

"Of course!" Molly echoed. "Moody that's not even a question." She gave Tonks a reassuring smile.

Moody gave a non-commital grunt.

"Oh here is Hagrid and Dumbledore!" Arthur gestured to the front of the room where Dumbledore had taken his customary seat and Hagrid was perched rather uncomfortably on the largest chair in the house which was still a few sizes too small for his large frame.

The group drifted away to their seats. Remus took Tonks' hand again and ushered her to the emptiest corner of the room. "Well that wasn't too bad," he whispered to her as they took their seats. "Although you will have to tell me later why Alastor felt it necessary to remind you to keep things professional," he teased.

"Oh that's an embarrassing story. Not a high point for me," Tonks replied, wrinkling her nose.

Sirius took a seat next to her. "What's embarrassing?" he asked.

"Later," Remus replied, turning to face the front of the room where Dumbledore was calling the meeting to order.

Sirius rolled his eyes before also focusing on Hagrid who was now recounting his journey to meet the Giants.