It was weird to go back to work and back to so-called normal life. Especially since it felt like everything had changed yet nothing had changed. And there she was, not making any sense. Look, she never claimed to be good at describing her emotions, okay? She just knew that it felt weird to have to act all settled even though she wanted to spin around in giddy glee because she was married. Married to Remus Lupin.

She stretched out her hand and smiled at the rings that were now decorating it. Tonks didn't know whether she should be annoyed or amused over the fact that none of her co-workers had noticed the addition of her rings. These were meant to be some of the most observant people around but didn't notice when a sparkly rock appeared on her finger. Yes, she still went by Auror Tonks - for the mean time anyway. She wasn't too sure whether or not she wanted to change it. Tonks loved having the surname Lupin now but she didn't quite want to give up her own completely, even if it was only used in an unofficial sort of way. But whatever. These days you couldn't just assume someone was unmarried just because they continued using their maiden name.

Still, Tonks thought that someone would have noticed something was different. Okay, they couldn't guess from her surname but surely, like she said, the rings would have given it away? Or maybe even the bounce in her step and the giddiness she had been feeling ever since Remus had proposed. She knew she certainly hadn't hidden that very well. Hadn't even bothered, if she was being honest. So, Tonks was a bit insulted that no one picked up on it. Whatever. Apparently Aurors were oblivious when it had nothing to do with a crime. And did she even was her relationship and marriage to be put under the office's microscope? Probably not.

Oh well, in the grand scheme of things she supposed it didn't matter. Particularly when there was work to be done. A lot of it. Which meant there was a lot of parchment work to go with it. Parchment work that needed signatures and therefore the people who wrote those signatures gad to he tracked down. Tonks looked down at the bit of parchment she was holding and sighed. Thompson had been chasing after her for this one and it just needed one more signature. Hopefully Dawlish was actually at his desk this time.

She poked her head around his door. Oh, good, he was.

"Hey, Dawlish, can you check this report for me and add your signature? Thompson's been hounding me for it."

"Is this the one on the Young case?" He asked without looking up.

"Yeah."

"That happen a fortnight ago! Everyone else already handed in their reports!"

"Hence the hounding, can you please make sure I remembered this right?"

She brought her parchment over and pointed at the paragraph she was talking about. This was the problem with forgetting reports, you forgot details. Suddenly her hand was yanked forwards and she nearly toppled over his desk.

"What the hell?" Tonks demanded, trying to pull her hands free from Dawlish's grasp.

He didn't listen to her, instead he actually pulled her hand closer. Since when did he have such a strong grip?

"What's that?" He asked loudly.

"Except for some sort of assault in the workplace?"

He gave her a dirty look but thankfully dropped her hand.

"Why are you wearing rings on your left hand?"

Tonks didn't even think about it almost immediately she sarcastically replied, "That's where people tend to put their engagement and wedding rings," she said sarcastically.

Okay, to be fair to him, she hadn't really been wearing her engagement ring in the office but that was because she was always out on patrol or something so she didn't want it to catch on anything. But she had definitely been wearing it when she had parchment work only days (of which there had been far too many, in her opinion). Did he really just not notice? Not that she went out of her way to interact with Dawlish that much. Still, he should have noticed.

"You're married?"

Oops, she had forgot that she hadn't exactly told people about that. Though, it didn't matter. She wasn't ashamed of it or, heaven forbid, Remus or anything. Everything had just happened so fast and then her and Remus had just kind 9f wanted to be wrapped up in each other. There were more important things going on than their relationship, after all.

"Yes?"

"When did that happen?"

Of course, Dawlish wasn't speaking in a normal tone of voice. Not that he really did quiet anyway. But the problem with basically shouting in an office that was just made up of cubicles meant that nothing was exactly private.

Yes, it was quite obvious that people in the surrounding cubicles were listening in. The absence of scratching quills and rustling parchment kind of gave that away. That and the "Shhh!" from people. Really? Did people think she was that oblivious?

"Last week."

"LAST WEEK?"

Okay, now everyone had definitely abandoned any pretence that they weren't listening in. People were actually peering over the walls of his cubicle. Nosey parkers.

"Since when were you even in a relationship?"

Tonks just raised her eye rows at him. That was none of his business, was it? Sheepishly, he looked away, realising how invasive and inappropriate that question was.

"Who's in a relationship?" Savage asked, appearing at the door. "And do you realise, like, half the office is listening in?"

"Tonks is! Actually, Tonks is married!"

"What?"

Now Savage was by her side, looking closely at her hand. At least he didn't grab it.

"You're married?" Savage asked incredulously.

"Yep."

Seriously, was it that surprising?

"That was awfully quick. You aren't pregnant, are you?" Dawlish asked suspiciously.

"You can't say that!" Savage hissed.

"Why not?"

"You just, you just can't ask things like that!"

"I'm not, by the way," Tonks said quickly. "I'm not pregnant."

"You're not?"

Both men were now staring at her very flat stomach. Even so, she turned away from them.

"I'm not."

She thought she said that firm enough.

"Huh."

Dawlish almost seemed... disappointed? Like he wanted some drama or something. Not that her personal life was any of his business. Pity she couldn't hit him but no, that sort of behaviour was inappropriate for the workplace.

"And it didn't happen that quickly," Tonks told them, thinking back on her and Remus' relationship. "It's not like I knew a guy for a few weeks and just married him."

"Wait, were you in a relationship last year?" Dawlish asked, squinting suspiciously at her.

Savage was just shaking his head in exasperation.

"No." she replied shortly.

Last year was still a bit raw for her. It did not need to be brought up. But Jr was giving her a confused and slightly pitying look now so she thought it would be best if she explained a little bit further.

"I was the year before. And then we had a break and then, well," she fluttered her hand at them.

"You're married," Dawlish finished. unnecessarily.

"Yeah."

"I just can't believe it."