Remus looked down at the woman in his arms and couldn't understand how they had ended up like this. Well, he knew how they physically ended up like this - they had a lot to talk about and she was still sharing a flat with the Aurors so he had invited her over to his place. Nothing had happened except talking and apparently falling asleep on each other. So yes, he understood how they got here.

But he didn't understand how they got here emotionally. Especially after this whole year - it had been a year now. He had completely ruined things, walloped in it and then completely ignored the problem and pushed, pushed, pushed her away. There was no way that they should be emotionally invested in each other again. It just didn't make sense.

Okay, he wasn't making much sense but you couldn't blame him. Albus Dumbledore was dead, something was going on with Harry and Dora - could he call her Dora again? - was right here with him. Forgive him if his mind was all jumbled up.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked with a sleepy mumbled.

Remus jumped slightly, jarring her. He hadn't realised she was awake.

"You're awake?"

"You're thinking too loud," she said by way of explanation as she sat up and rubbed at her eyes.

It was a very familiar movement to him and she looked just as adorable doing it now as she had all those months ago. He had forgotten just how messed up her hair got in her sleep. Very cute.

He missed her warm weight on him, it felt like he was missing something. Resisting the urge to pull her back onto him (he did not have that right at the moment), he watched her slowly waken up properly.

"What were you thinking of, anyway?" she asked in a slightly raspy voice.

Wordlessly, he passed her the glass of water from yesterday that was on the table. Gratefully, she gulped it down, nearly emptying it despite the grimace at the staleness of it.

"Everything. Nothing. Us. Dumbledore."

"That sounds like an awful lot of thinking."

He hummed in agreement as she tried to gather her thoughts.

"I've been thinking about us too," she said, looking away from him.

Remus didn't think his stomach had ever sank so fast - not even in that split second between his friends telling him they knew about his secret and then them saying they didn't care. Was she having second thoughts? Did she think it wouldn't work?

Yes, Remus was aware of how much of a hypocrite he was but he had literally just seen the light, so to speak, it couldn't get snuffed out now! There was enough of that going around.

"Yes?" he croaked out.

Tonks didn't seem to notice the emotions that were welling up in him or him at all. She wasn't even looking at him, instead she was resolutely looking at her twisting hands. Not a good sign.

"I was thinking that it wasn't your choice to make," she said quietly. "It wasn't ever your choice to make. Not alone, anyway."

Remus sighed heavily. He understood that now. Or, at least the idea that they should actually communicate with each other before making dramatic decisions. Especially if it avoided moments like these where she sounded so hurt and broken even after they had got back together. They had got back together, right?

"I know. And I'm sorry. I went about everything the wrong way and it didn't actually help anything. I'm sorry."

She gave him a long look before nodding her acceptance. "Okay."

"Okay?" he couldn't help but let some hope leak into his voice.

"Yeah, we're okay. Still need to talk about some things," she cautioned. "But we're okay. More than okay."

Remus heaved a sigh of relief that he hadn't even realised he'd been holding. He had wanted this outcome. Even after everything he had made them go through this year this was the outcome he truly wanted in his heart of hearts.

"I'll listen to my heart more," he promised her on that note.

"You better," she said in a half-threatening manner.

Tough, her voice was wavering a bit. Like she holding back tears. Which he definitely did not want.

"I'll never be that stupid again," he reiterated, because he really wasn't going to. Never ever, ever. Too much to lose and the world was uncertain enough as it was.

She was giving him a weird look.

"Are you okay?" he asked, unable to place her expression.

Her answer wasn't exactly in words, though it did use her mouth. Tonks was suddenly kissing him. Kissing him rather thoroughly, with pressing lips and her fists clutching at his front so he didn't get away.

Well, he certainly wasn't going anywhere and there was only one thing he could do. He kissed her back, that was the only polite thing to do, after all. And wow. This was not how he remembered it being. And he had thought longingly of her kisses a lot. Probably more than what was healthy, to be honest. And this was a hundred, no a thousand times better.

Eventually, of course, they both had to breathe again. Pesky lungs. So, they reluctantly parted, breathing heavily. Tonks had red cheeks, swollen lips and glazed over eyes. Remus was pretty sure that he wasn't much better.

"I have been wanting to do that forever," Tonks said breathlessly.

Remus just nodded, feeling rather in a daze. Apparently, he had wanted to do that for a while as well. He had thought he had pretty much buried that longing but no, he definitely hadn't. Not that he was considering that to be a bad thing right now.

She waved her hand in front of his face. "Remus? You okay?"

Whoops, apparently, he hadn't been paying attention. He beamed at her.

"I'm more than okay, I'm great!" he declared.

Yes, it was goofy and just a bit soppy but it felt like a whole weight had been lifted off him. Were is worries and concerns still there? Yes, of course they were. But was he starting to realise how little they mattered in the grand scheme of things? Definitely.

"Sure, you still want to do this?" she teased.

Teasing she might be but Remus took this rather seriously, he heard that catch of vulnerability in her voice. And hated himself for putting it there. Gently, he grabbed one of her hands and stroked his fingers across her knuckles soothingly.

"There's nothing else I want to do more."