Author's Note: Here you go, lovelies!
"All you have to do is pretend like we're dating." Tonks reiterates from her letter to Charlie. "I'll send you a few pre-written letters that you can send me while you're in Romania. Let's say in two months, we decide to break up. Something about us not being able to do the long-distance thing. Plus I'll be taking my auror assessment then. "
"So you have this all planned out?" Charlie questions eying his best friend since they were eleven, and she had morphed into Professor Sprout."What is in it for you? Like I understand your mum getting off your back but I would think I would be the last person she would expect for you to bring home."
"You would be surprised." Tonks quips back. At his words, she imagines bringing Remus home. Her heart swells but the magnitude of her bringing home her cousin's best mate to meet her parents was not something she wanted to think about right now. She can't lie to Charlie when he is doing such a huge favour for her. "Do not freak out, alright.? You promise you will not freak out on me or tell anyone else. Lyra already knows. It was not intentional for her to find out."
"So it's true." Charlie gasps in astonishment putting two and two together. "I swore Lyra was just overreacting and taking it out on you because she did not pass her NEWT level-DADA and you had." Tonks runs her hand through her now crimson-colored hair matching the flush of her cheeks. "You and Professor Lupin, huh?" Charlie continues. " How long has this been going on? So that's why you want me to pretend to be dating you so this can fly under the radar for a while longer."
"It is just…" Tonks tries to find the words but none seem to come to her.
"Just make sure I get to be at your wedding, okay." Charlie teases her trying to get a smile out of her. "I'll gladly do this, Tonks. To get Mum off my back."
"I'll mention it to my dad in passing. I'll write to my mom about it. Sirius found out in the worst way possible, so this will get him off our backs too." Tonks adds Ringling her fingers. Remembering Sirus' face when Luperca flew down to perch on her boot.
"How…" Charlie tries to ask, motioning his finger between the two. "I mean, how does Professor Lupin feel about all this?"
"Remus would prefer it not be happening, but he understands that it must so that we can keep this private. We agreed to avoid the suspicion that we had a relationship while I was still a student, this has to be a thing."
"But you did." Charlie corrects her by putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I know that tosser" Tonks shakes her head holding out her hand for him to grab "Shall we go inside and tell your Mum?"
"I hope she believes this" Charlie mutters more to himself than to anyone. "I can never fool, Mum."
"I've got all the relationship milestones taken care of" Tonks answers him as they get to the back door. "Ready?"
"Yes… No, you're my best friend. I can't even imagine this happening" Charlie admits. He never imagined being romantically involved with Tonks. Yes, she had been his first kiss but that's because he felt pressured, and he wanted to ride that Comet 260 she was not supposed to have as a first-year. It didn't even occur to him to just ask her. He blamed his older brother, he kept teasing him about Tonks during the holiday break, and he was a confused eleven-year-old.
"Charlie, just pretend I am a dragon" Tonks chuckles opening the door. "It'll make it a little less awkward."
"Tonks" cries, Mrs. Weasley. "I wasn't sure you had got the invite. The owl had returned the letter to us inviting you here. How have you been? "
"Oh, I mentioned to Charlie that I was staying at Grimmauld Place for a month or so." glancing back at him with adoring eyes. "He found me. I am fine, just studying for my auror assessment."
"Well, all that matters is you got the invite." Mrs. Weasley exclaims. "You must know the Potter's then? Ron adores playing with little Harry. They should be here soon."
"Yes, they are always at Grimmauld. I didn't realize they were coming." Tonks answers. Hoping James or Lily would not ask any questions about what has happened recently or mention her relationship with the fellow Marauder.
"Mum before anyone else gets here. We want to tell you something." Charlie declares with much more confidence than he had in the garden.
"We?" Mrs. Weasley asks her eyes darting between Tonks and her son. A smile beginning to form on her face.
Charlie grabs Tonks hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Unknown to Mrs. Weasley, it was not out of love but out of a squeeze telling Tonks he had this under control. "Mum, we've been going about this in secret for the last few months but…"
Mrs. Weasley hugs her son before he can finish his speech "oh, darling! I'm so happy for you. I knew eventually you two would see what was between you." Over Mrs. Weasley's head, Tonks gives him a thumbs up and mouths a good job to him.
Ron suddenly races into the room "Harry's here! Harry's here!" not caring what was happening in the kitchen.
"I was hoping I would not cry but here I am." The red-haired woman continues wiping her eyes "It's a shame Charlie is leaving. You two could have spent so much time together."
"Well, I will be studying for my auror assessments in two months. I don't think I would be able to get anything done with Charlie, here around" Tonks teases him as Charlie blushes. She had rehearsed what she was going to say. "so it is probably better." Charlie's winks back at her.
"Lily, James" Mrs. Weasley exclaims as James and Lily walk through the back door with guilty expressions on their face.
"Good afternoon, Molly. We may have brought a friend or two." James answers timidly "let's just say Harry would not leave without Sirius and Remus needed to get out of the house for a bit." Hearing Remus's name, her brain starts to panic. How was she supposed to pretend to be in a relationship with her best friend while he was here? That smug smile he always had would catch her off guard.
"The more the merry" Molly exclaims " we have a reason to celebrate though. Charlie and Tonks just told me they are dating."
James and Lily wide-eyed look towards Tonks. Behind Mrs. Weasley's head, she shakes her head as if saying do not ask questions. Hoping that they got the message.
"Harry, how many times do I have to tell you, you can not do that?" they hear a rough voice from right outside exclaim coming nearer to the door.
"Don't scold him, Remus. It's not like you haven't done anything recently that you aren't supposed to do."
Tonks runs a hand through her hair trying not to blush at Sirius' words as they enter the house. Sirius dressed in his normal attire of a green dress shirt and black dress pants while Remus looks ruggedly handsome with his jeans and elbow patched cardigan. Maybe it was because the last time she had seen him was the morning after. Maybe it was because it was two days till the full moon, and he was just oozing out androsterone. Whatever the reason, all she knew was she couldn't act on them, at least not here. She was supposed to be pretending to be with Charlie.
"Harry!" Ron screams as Sirius puts the boy down.
"Sirius, we have been over this" Lily scolds him as Ron and Harry run off to play in the garden. "You need to stop babying him. Harry can walk, he is seven years old now." Sirius crosses his arms and gives a huff stalking into the front room." He always hated being scolded because he wanted to spoil his godson.
"Well, Arthur will be here soon. He took the rest of the boys out to go into town to grab some more sparkling sticks or whatever the muggles call them." Mrs. Weasley explains busying herself in the kitchen. "Remus, Sirius, Charlie just announced he and Tonks are in a relationship."
Looking up at her words, Sirius's eyes widening "Wait, I thought." then looking towards Remus.
"Yeah, I know about that rumor going around at school" Charlie interrupts knowing that Sirius knew. "It is because Tonks was taking extra lessons with Professor Lupin. My girl is going to become the youngest Auror recruit"
Sirius eyes Tonks, Charlie, and Remus. Remus stepped on Sirius' foot to get him to stop talking. Remus had mentioned a couple of nights before that he was too old and too dangerous to pursue anything with his cousin's daughter. He realized that he was in the wrong and regretted it. He felt bad for lying to his friends but there was something about Tonks that made him want to do this. At least Sirius and Remus were talking now.
"Fred, George get back here with that" they all heard a voice exclaim getting louder as if the voice was running in the yard.
"Oh dear, I need to check on Ginny but I should probably help Arthur" Molly mutters placing the pudding in the middle of the table.
"I will check on Ginny, Molly. First door on the right?" Lily offers walking up the stairs. "James can go help Arthur. You are the host after all."
Tonks glances at Remus as she sits down. Leaning on the threshold of the door into the study observing him as if he is a piece of art hanging on a museum wall. Both green and dark eyes meet in an intense gaze as they hear Sirius say "Thank you, Ted. Have you heard the good news?"