Writer's Note- I have other stories in the works, but this one so rudly crashed the gates. I'm new to, but passionate about the nt/rl ship. Enjoy.
Chapter One-
"C'mon, Nymph, just change it. You know I like it better long."
"But Marcus, I like it better short. Besides, it's too hot today for long hair."
"Just for tonight, love, do it for me, please?" He leaned in and gave her a small kiss on the cheek, wafting the odor of his cigarette under her nose, which was small and pointed today.
Nymphadora Tonks was at her boyfriends flat. For their one-year anniversary, it was his idea of a romantic date to have her come over and watch band practice. He talked to her while he took a break to smoke.
Marcus was a short, burly man who lived on the bottom floor, in a section of London surrounded by neighbors so consumed by societal woes, that they were indifferent to the racket created by his band. He had met Tonks at a club, and she had heard of his group. He was a muggle, which didn't matter to her, and she was attracted to his artistic side. And, like any relationship, it had started out happily enough. Tonks was able to ignore the drinking and the drugs, rationalizing that it was all just a part of the lifestyle. Lately, different thoughts had started to creep into her head. Is this what it's always going to be like?
She sighed and smiled, being her normal cheerful self. "Sorry, Marcus. Besides, I've got to head out soon anyway. There's a meeting tonight at headquarters."
"A meeting tonight? I thought you were gonna stay and watch the band." He didn't trouble to conceal the disappointment in his voice.
"I'm sorry, love, it's mandatory."
"What's it about?" He asked suspiciously.
She laughed. "Come on, you know I can't tell you that. It's just a meeting of the Order. I'm sure it's nothing big."
"Than just blow it off, Nymph, I was hoping to spend time with you after practice."
She had long ago given up on trying to get him to call her by her last name. "You know I can't. Mandatory is mandatory. Where did I leave my bag? Oh, it's over there..." She walked across the room to retrieve her purse, accidentally knocking over a kick drum on her way. The drum, on its way down, upturned a symbol set, which collided with Marcus's shiny new bass guitar, propped up on the wall and sent it smashing down on to the cement floor.
"OH! I'm sorry!" Tonks exclaimed as a stream of swear words came from the other band members at the inadvertent abuse to their equipment.
Marcus looked down at his guitar, lying dented on the floor. "Jesus Christ, Nymph! Could you be any clumsier? Trampling about like a bloody cow... Look at my guitar!"
"I said I was sorry!"
"Just get out. Go to your fucking meeting." He said, never taking his eyes off his instrument.
"But Marcus, I..."
"I said go!" He shouted, turning to her at last. "Just get out, fucking cow," he muttered under his breath, his attention turned back to his guitar.
"Marcus...I'm sorry." She whispered, in shock. She tore her gaze off him, and slipped out the door, unshed tears stinging in her eyes.
She arrived at 12 Grimauld Place, to meet the usual crowd. There was Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alabastor Moody, Mungdus Fletcher, Severus Snape, Dedalus Diggle and Remus Lupin. She said hi to everyone as she made her way inside, keeping her face turned slightly so that any residual pinkness would go unnoticed.
"Would you like a spot of tea, dear? You're looking a bit peaky."
Tonks smiled at Mrs. Weasley. Nothing ever got past her. "Sure, Molly, I'd love some."
"Good. Remus was just making some. Go and tell him you want a cup."
Obediently she pushed the kitchen door open to find Remus preparing tea around the stove. He was a tall, thin man, with soft ash brown hair, dressed in shabby grey robes that did not manage to detract from his kind, prematurely lined face. He smiled when he saw her, adding further warmth to his handsome, benevolent features. "Evening, Tonks."
"Wotcher, Remus," she said rather more quietly than she would have normally. She straightened in attempt to recover some normalcy, hoping he hadn't noticed her tone or ruddiness in her face. "Er, is there enough for one more?"
"Of course." With a wave of his wand he conjured up another cup on the tray. "It's all ready."
"I'll get it!" Tonks exclaimed, eager to be of help. She grabbed the tray readied herself to carry it to the meeting room before she tripped over the untied laces of her combat boots, yelped and fell spectacularly onto the floor, the tray and it's tea cups crashing along with her, hot tea spraying all over the room.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She felt like crying again. Why did she always have to be such a klutz?
"Are you ok?" Lupin asked, concerned as he helped her up, clearing up the mess with a simple 'repairo', and the teacups returned unharmed with their contents on the tray.
She couldn't help but blush, knowing the whole of the Order has probably heard her latest manifestation of clumsiness. This fear was realized as a wary Mrs. Weasley came bustling into the kitchen, to find Tonks with Lupin, his arm still around her waist to steady her.
"Oh my. Are you alright, dear?"
"Yeah, Molly. I just dropped the tea tray." She admitted sheepishly.
"Well, come on, you two, we're starting soon." And she left the kitchen.
"Did you hurt yourself?" Lupin questioned, motioning at a red patch left on her leg, just above her knee. She had noticed the scalding pain but hoped he hadn't noticed. "Here, let me." He gently placed two fingers onto the burn, causing her heart to leap into her throat. She had had a schoolgirl crush on him for ages, since she met him several years ago as he was a friend of her cousin Sirus. He healed her with a few whispered words. "That's better, isn't it?" He caught her eye and smiled, picking up the tray and she followed him into the meeting room. Everyone was gathered.
Dumbledore himself was there to lead. The topic of tonight's gathering was to learn about a newly developed spell called the Summons. Dumbledore created this spell especially for members of the Order of Phoenix, because of what happened to Arthur Weasley last year. If Harry had not seen him be attacked in a vision, Arthur might have not been discovered in time. When preformed, the spell would summon a member of the Order. It was a surprisingly complicated bit of wand work.
Witches and wizards zipped around the room as they all practiced the spell. The meeting was only over when Dumbledore was finally convinced that they had all got the gist of it. Some like Kingsley had mastered it straight away while some like Dedalus Diggle took longer to master it. Tonks had grasped the concept, but kept sending her intended in the wrong direction. Eventually, the crowd waned and left just Lupin and Tonks, who was determined to perfect this.
"It's more of a wave and flick, try that. And the incantation, drop your voice a little." Lupin stood behind her. He covered her wand hand with hers, correcting her movements. "See? Wave and flick." She paid attention and tried to ignore the warmth and roughness of his hand. "Once more," he said, guiding her hand. "Wave and flick."
"I think I got it, Remus. Stand across the room, let me practice myself."
He crossed the room, folded his arms and waited. She closed her eyes, her face screwed up in concentration. "SUMMONS!"
This time it has worked properly and Lupin raced to her side. The spell worked, not totally unlike like a summoning charm for use on humans, but it send a strong message to the recipient that they were in demand.
"Very good, Tonks! You've got it!" He said encouragingly when she had summoned him across the room for the third time. This time, she had gotten a bit enthusiastic, and called him a little closer than she had meant to. She could smell his enchanting scent; almost feel the teasing bristle of his chin. He seemed to have noted this, and backed away. Did he seem reluctant to, or was it her wild imagination getting the better of her? "I think that's enough for tonight." He said softly, still standing rather close to her. "You've done very well."
"Thanks." She replied nervously, his proximity screwing up the processings of her brain.
"It's late," he said, checking his pocket watch. "Can I walk you home?"
"That's ok, Remus, I remember the way." She joked with him, but she was intrigued by his offer.
She wished him a good evening, and set out into the hot, drizzly London night.
Writer's Note-That's it for now. Please review, and i'll post again soon.