A/N-WOW! 24 reviews! I love you people! *hugs and butterbeer all around!* Before I begin, I have just a few announcements:

1) I may or may not be able to access my computer so much from now on, so I'm not sure how this will affect the story. If I'm lucky, I'll use the time that I'm not on the computer to plan rather than just dawdling as usual, but I may not get that chance with all my homework. Stupid AP class :-P. So basically if I don't update to the day when I say I will, please don't hunt me down and kill me, I haven't forgotten!

2) For those of you who've read the first chapter while this one was on hiatus, I edited the introduction to the first chapter to include a time frame, if you're interested.

3) Bah, I've just re-read this chapter, and it looks so very plotless. But I promise it's not. Just sit back and enjoy the fluff and slight bit of drama this chapter, mmkay?

Also, to individual readers:

-Ofthewest: I agree, and I didn't think I represented the age difference well enough when I posted it. I'm trying to put more emphasis on this now, let me know if it's working!

-Erin, Kate, and Mrs. Thompson: Ha ha. Or ha da na:) Thanks for the reviews, they still count! It is almost a chapter, and now look, it's a whole chapter! Wow! *gasp*. Also, note the use of the word "bunnies" a bit further down...

-Manny2003: Well, you'll just have to stick around to find out, now, won't you? ^_^ I'm glad you liked it.

-Golden.Slumbers: Oh, don't worry; this definitely won't fall into the infinite black hole of millions of words long, plotless fluff. Now that's not to say I don't have plans of writing plotless fluff ever again, because that's most certainly not true, but this fic will indeed have a plot, although it might not introduce itself for another chapter or two. But don't you worry. The plot bunnies are being kept well fed and are ready to jump into action whenever I call them.

-Everyone else who reviewed: I really appreciate your reviews, please keep me updated on how I'm doing, how much you like the way the plot's going, etcetera. I love to hear from you!!!!

So without further adieu...

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Chapter 2-Miss Captivated

The sun cascaded in through the old window, warming the face of the sleeping witch in the corner. She allowed her eyes to flutter open and squinted as she adjusted to the sudden change in light. The clock on the nightstand read just past eight in the morning, and although Tonks knew she should have gotten out of bed hours ago, she fought the urge to roll back over and fall asleep again. She couldn't quite remember the dream she'd been having, but it had involved Remus and that was exactly the type of dream that was worth staying in bed for. As she shrugged on a dressing gown, she tried to recall some of the details. It had been an infinitely good dream. She had touched him; no, she had kissed him, but she couldn't remember why. She scanned her brain for answers as she walked into the kitchen sleepily, where a loud yawn announced her arrival. The kitchen was practically deserted, save for Sirius and Remus sitting around the large table, who seemed to have stopped talking the moment she'd entered.

"Tonks," said Remus, in his neutral, pleasant tone of voice, "Good morning."

"Morning, Remus; Sirius," she said, nodding at them both respectively. Sirius raised an eyebrow and slyly chose the words "Yes, morning indeed. We've all slept a bit late today, I wonder why that is?"

"I've just been telling Sirius that you didn't arrive until quite late last night and that I couldn't sleep, and for the strangest reason he doesn't seem to believe me. Frankly I'd like to know why Sirius hasn't woken up until just minutes ago, wouldn't you?"

Tonks pursed her lips. Yes, she could remember coming back from...something fairly late. In fact it had almost been midnight. And there wasn't a reason for Remus to lie to Sirius, so yes, that must have been about right. But what had she done last night? She shook her head and wished for about the millionth time in her life that she could change her ability to remember facts as well as her appearance at will. As she thought, Sirius took from his place at the table to the sink a cleaned plate that looked as if it had once been the home to several layers of that muggle breakfast Hermione had called "canpakes" and a considerable amount of a syrupy substance.

"It's my house, you know, Remus. I'm allowed to do as I please, at whatever hour I please."

Remus smiled. "Why so defensive?"

"No reason. Simply stating the facts...well, I should probably go get dressed. You know, it's been nearly a week since last Hogwarts term ended, shouldn't we be seeing about getting Harry to headquarters? I could stop by; give those muggles a nice little visit..." Sirius crouched down on all fours and began to growl in a manner that might have been fierce had he not been wearing a flowery nightshirt he'd found while cleaning the house a few days earlier. Remus on the other hand, was already dressed in a plain black, slightly frayed robe, and seemed to be wearing matching pants underneath. Tonks couldn't help but notice a sliver of a thin white undershirt that was visible through his robes, which were hanging just a bit too low on his chest to be good for her concentration. She realized Sirius had been staring up at her with a sad puppy look in his eyes for a moment before she remembered to laugh good-naturedly, and patted Sirius on the head on her way to the faded oak cabinets.

"Down, boy," Tonks commanded as Sirius pretended to snap at her fingers. His eyes darted around the room briefly before he scampered out of the room, still on two more limbs than he had entered with. She gave an amused sigh and proceeded to pour herself a cup of coffee, as well as quickly toasting a piece of bread with her wand. She sat at the table across from Remus, and she noticed that the look in his golden hazel eyes had changed from a friendly, content look to a more intense gaze.

"I thought it would be best if I didn't mention to Sirius our...run-in last night. I hope you don't mind."

Tonks promptly dropped to coffee mug she was carrying, causing the liquid to spill all around herself and the table. A small shriek escaped her mouth as Remus commanded the coffee to "Scourgify!" he smiled, the wavy, crooked line forming at his mouth captivating her through her astonishment. "I don't think the coffee does much to comfort you if it ends up on the floor," he offered, handing her the mug that had miraculously not broken. She felt her pupils dilate and her face grow a strange shade of red she couldn't have produced of her own free will. 

"You mean..." her voice trailed off, contemplating the abrupt flash of memory silently. 'No,' she told herself firmly. 'I dreamed that. It never really happened.' Nevertheless, Remus seemed too amused by Tonks' reaction to agree with what she was forcing herself to believe. "Did we really...?"She decided, was an innocent enough question to ask. His chuckle unnerved her slightly.

"That all depends on what you mean by 'really'. If you're attempting to use it as a verb meaning 'senselessly snog a considerable portion of the night away', then yes, I'd say we 'really'. Or however you might go about saying that in the past tense."

"Oh," she said in a small voice. "Right." She waited for a long, awkward silence to follow, but it never came. Instead she found in the interval between the rude cacophonies mundane noises, a melodic tune composed of her knowledge that he could see into her very thoughts; that he knew that she'd very much like to resume where they'd left of last night right here on the kitchen table, but that she was much too dignified to admit it. And she, in turn, could see that he was clearly enjoying his position at the moment. As their thoughts collided in midair and produced note after note in the grand symphony that was becoming this moment in time, a moment that Tonks was pressing into her memory with all her might for no particular reason right down to the dirty canpake dish by the sink, her thoughts shifted to Sirius and suddenly the composer of her life threw his hands at the keys in frustration, causing a rapid collision of the beautiful notes into something sour. At this, she was prompted to stand and clear her dish of a half eaten piece of toast from the table.

"What did you tell Sirius, anyway?" she asked coolly as soon as her back was to him at the sink.

"I told him as much of the truth as I could without scarring him for life."

"Was that really your concern? For him?" she asked sarcastically.

"I'm...not quite sure I understand your question."

"You were worried about what he'd think, weren't you? Rational, responsible Remus having a little fun after hours with some practically teenage witch up in her bedroom...I know exactly how that would translate down at the Hog's Head!" In her anger, she forgot her wand entirely and had begun to do the dishes by hand, which proved to be a dangerous task, as the plates kept slipping from her grip and threatening to break.

"But what you're implying is something that completely didn't-"

"Do you think Sirius would care what I'm implying? You know exactly what he'd say. Can't have poor Remus damaging his sparkling clean reputation." She made a noise of disgust as a dish slid from her hands and crashed against the wooden planks of the floor. Remus quickly rose from his chair and ordered the dish to "Reparo!" He then turned to face Tonks, grabbing her wrist and forcing her to stop her cleaning rampage.

"Listen," he began calmly but firmly, "there were two reasons I didn't tell Sirius every detail of last night. One of those is that I didn't want this complicating things; complicating our work with the Order, or our relationship with the others in the house. And I most certainly didn't want those others in the house complicating whatever may or may not happen between us in the future," he added with an encouraging smile. "The rest of them can't know, not just yet, anyway."

She sighed. "You're right. I'm just making something out of nothing. I forget to warn you right before I go psychotic." He smiled and brushed a stray strand of now long raven hair off her face, his hands lingering on her face for one split second before he kissed her gently and turned to leave the room. A thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Remus?"

She nearly forgot herself as he turned around, his golden eyes catching the reflection of the sunlight and creating a truly heart stopping effect on her.

"Yes?"

 "What was the other reason you didn't tell Sirius?

He assumed a professor-like air and met her gaze with honesty and seriousness. "That wouldn't have been very gentlemanly of me, now would it?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. Honestly, did he have to have the perfect answer? She wasn't sure if she was more taken with his reply or the fact that she knew he'd meant it.

"You really are too good for me, you know that?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly and allowed a lopsided grin to pass over his face. "I know. But you love me anyway."

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