Summary: Lupin Tonks. Nymphadora's thoughts during her review sessions with Remus.

Warning: Sexual Content. Do not read for character development.

Midnight Confessions
Review Sessions

I turn off the shower abruptly when I realize that I'm not sure when I'll see Remus again. We were both overloaded with work. I feel disgruntled, so I shove the shower curtain aside.

"Would my lady like some help drying off?"

I leap at the open towel and squeal, "Remus!"

I'm trying to grab him while he wraps the towel around me.

"I don't need a shower, Tonks." He succeeds in getting me bound in the towel and adds a very distracting pressure. The roughness of the towel is sheer pleasure in his beautiful hands.

"What you need is a kiss."

Yes, Teacher knows best, Professor, so I start with that sweet cherish kiss that I've been able to share with only him, but soon my desire takes over. Ah, there it is, that low moan at the back of his throat that tells me he needs me. I smile into the kiss then he pulls back.

He catches his breath and just holds me against him for a moment. I revel in his warmth, the feel of his lean body against mine. His voice is husky. "What I need is a review on my seduction lessons."

"You have an admirable thirst for knowledge, Professor." I feel his hands stroking my body through the towel again. The man has a single-minded purpose and I do enjoy his attention to detail.

"I've always been a diligent student," he confesses as he begins nibbling on my ear lobe.

"Ah, that feels is so nice," I sigh as his mouth continues its journey along my throat and across my shoulder.

I've become so sensitive to his touch that I'm pressing myself against him while he leisurely tortures my desire. I decide to test his resolve and ask, "Sure you don't want the final exam?"

Remus stops nibbling on my body and remains silent for a moment.

Damn! Why am I so impatient? I've been doing so well, and here I go and ruin it. I could have pushed our sexual relationship, but I want him to be the one to seduce me when we finally make love. I want so much more with Remus than sexual release. But here I am, letting my body betray me. I'm about to make the whole question a joke when he finally speaks.

"Nymphadora, come to Holyhead with me."

"Holyhead?" I echo the name as it evokes memories of my first visit there. The Wolfshadow amulet, discovering that Remus Lupin is venificus primo, a direct descendent of Roman Wizards. It's like being asked to visit parents. "Your ancestral home?"

He stays quiet and just waits patiently. My mind then runs through everything I've ever read about lycanthropy.

"Is this a wolf thing about mating for life?" I don't realize I say it aloud.

Remus laughs softly and embraces me. "No, actually, wolves tend to be monogamous, but they can have several mates in a lifetime."

He reaches around my waist to take my hand in his and admits "It's more a Lupin thing. Do you understand?"

I step back as I realize what he's really asking. He doesn't just want my body; he wants an expression ofof a lasting bond. Yes, this is what I wanted from him. Body, heart, soul. I look down at our clasped hands and think about the handfast marriage of Mallus and Brina, his forebears.

"You want me with you at Holyhead?"

"No one else but you," he replies softly.

He's looking at me expectantly and all I can do is try to recover my equilibrium. Have I finally gotten this relationship thing right? I want to tell him that we can leave in the morning, but suddenly, I'm filled with disappointment and again I begin talking without thinking.

"Remus, I won't be able to go." I'm shaking my head emphatically when I suddenly notice the look of disbelief in his eyes. Me and my stupidly impulsive speech! I quickly add, "Until around Christmas. My assignments will keep me busy until then."

That smile! Oh, that smile could lead me straight to hell and I would gladly follow.

"You're worth waiting for, Nymphadora. I hope you think that I am."

Worth it? I've been patiently holding back from jumping the man since early summer and he asks that question?

I have to smile as I begin playing with the buttons of his shirt. I tease them apart as I ask, "Will we have lots of review sessions?"

"Absolutely," agrees Remus as he shrugs out of his shirt. He's gotten over his reticence about disrobing in front of me, so I find the price of our lessons well worth it.

I don't say a word, I just let the towel fall away.

My hands begin to roam across his scarred chest. I know their texture so well now and I've learned the tricks that allow Remus to feel my caresses as my nails graze the skin lightly. I tease his nipples with my tongue and feel his long fingers pressing against my scalp. Then his hands move to caress my breasts and I know he's eager to follow with his mouth.

My breath hitches as he follows through. Oh, he likes to give payback does he? I'm stretching while he's bending to me. He releases me for a moment and I tell him, "Hold still a minute."

A little leap puts my legs around his waist as his hands capture me. I'm wrapped around him as he kisses me while he's stroking my legs, my hips. I feel like the most desirable woman on creation because I merit the attention of this man and his beautiful hands.

Ah, his hands are fueling my desire. I feel his thumb run down my spine and a shiver of pleasure washes through me. Soon after I realize he's carried me to our bed. He lays me down but I keep my legs wrapped around him. I can't bear to lose contact with him now.

He kisses me senseless for a moment as he pulls off his trousers, but soon I feel the pressure of his body against me. The cotton of his boxers separates us, but I understand what he wants. How easily we fall into a rhythm. How easily I find my pleasure in this simple act.

The delicious pressure, the knowledge that soon there won't be anything between us. I imagine him actually inside of me and the pleasure rushes through me in waves of passion. I feel Remus smiling against me when I regain some coherence. He's getting rather cocky, I think, but as he puts his attention now to finding his release, I have no complaints.

He moves against me with more pressure, more force as I let my hands wander under the waistband of his boxers. Oh, yes, he likes that, doesn't he? He's suddenly catching his breath andyes, my dear professor is reduced to inarticulate grunting.

And I realize that unlike other men I've been with, when he finds his release, he's not the only one smiling.

x-x-x-x-x-x

I've found the trick to entering Grimmauld Place now and I quietly open the door and smile at the sleeping form in the bed. I shuck off my flipflops along with most of my clothing before tugging up the blanket.

He turns immediately to embrace me. It's so nice being involved with a man who has a brain and uses it.

"Another quiet night?"

"Mmhm." I'm so tired that I barely have the energy to unbutton his flannel pajama top and press against him. The skin to skin contact is delicious, so I start tugging at the waistband of his pajama pants as well. I hear him sigh briefly, but he gives in. See, a man with a brain is a marvelous lover, er, lover in training.

"Did your ankle bother you?"

"Uh uh." His body is so warm compared to the cold outside. And there's the perfect spot on his throat for my frozen nose. "You feel toasty."

"Thermal vampire," he mutters.

I'm smiling at the image of a Werewolf being chased around by an ice-blue vampire with frosty hair and relax against him. He hasn't felt anything yet. I bring my toes into close contact with his legs and he jerks back.

"Tonks, get those ice cubes away from me!"

A challenge! Now, when could a Black ever back down from a challenge? It's tradition, I say, so I continue to attack his enticingly long legs.

"They're called toes." I try to wedge them between his calves, but he's countering with evasive maneuvers. But my Auror training hasn't gone to waste. Distract and assault is called for, so I let my hand trail downward for a quick tease. Ah, yes, he can't help but lean into the caress, can he?

"And if you'd let me tuck them into you, they'd get warmed up."

He realizes his mistake in surrendering to my touch, so I am left with no choice but to quench his evasive maneuvers. A full frontal attack has me pressing against his torso while I'm nibbling at his ear lobe. Is that a moan I hear? Then I sweep down for a quick lingual assault on his chest. Victory! My toes are now snuggled between his knees.

I wriggle them in delight. "You're the best bed warmer!"

"How can the rest of your body be so warm and your toes be so cold? It can't be natural," he mutters in surrender. He strokes my arm in lazy circles.

I can only giggle before admitting, "I couldn't find my boots, so I wore the flipflops."

He can't believe I didn't use magic to prevent the ice cold toes until he concludes, "You just decided you'd use me for my body heat?"

"Mm hm." Our little duel has taken the last of my energy, but I add, "Review session in the morning, Professor. Set your alarm early."

I hear him sigh, but when my hand flutters to his face, he kisses the fingertips and I can feel his smile. I'm already drifting to sleep as he wraps his arms around me.

And in the morning, I'm woken by the warm mouth nibbling on the nape of my neck while a hand curls around to caress my breasts. I feel his arousal pressing against my hips and snuggle back against him to increase the pressure.

Ah, the little bites he's using on my skin are wonderful, but so is the way he rubs his cheek against my hair. He's whispering to me that I am so soft and flawless and because he says it, I believe it.

And then his hand travels lower and I catch it between my thighs. He's spent our lessons learning my body, learning the rhythm and pressure to use in his stimulation. Those marvelous hands of his are magic unto themselves. And I revel in the thought that I am the only woman he has touched this intimately.

Blissful pleasure is easy to find in his hands, although this time it's a quiet bliss that makes me press against him. I become aware of his arousal against my hips and slip our garments just enough for skin to skin contact.

He's using a slow, teasing rhythm against me, so I press against him while I let my hand caress his hip. I feel his body tense and then he's holding me tightly.

"Mm, Remus? I need to breathe."

"Un," he murmurs as he releases me for a moment to deal with the mess. There are advantages to having use of wandless magic in a lover.

I translate his grunt to mean an apology, but stay snuggled against him under the covers. The world doesn't seem so cold as long as I'm in his arms.

x-x-x-x-x-x

"Tonks?"

I heard Remus as soon as he opened the door to my flat and I struggle to remain silent. I had found this sweater at a Muggle store and there was something about it that invited touch. I decided my test subject would be Remus. Luckily for me, Moody had dropped word that my Professor had completed his mission.

"Tonks?"

He opens the door to the bedroom and pokes his head around the door. I have the room dimly lit and have turned my Tweed bear to face the wall. His eyes rake over my body and I have to smile. His eyebrow quirks in a question and I just press my palms against the mattress and shrug.

I am wearing nothing but the soft, fluffy, black jumper I had found. Normally I revel in colorful outfits, but this was too inviting. The neck on the jumper is wide and I strategically let it fall to reveal the top of one shoulder and the top curves of my breasts. I rub my legs together just to draw his attention back to them. And by the hungry look in his eyes, I've succeeded.

Remus comes to me silently and as usual I'm drawn to the grace with which he carries his body. Yes, his transformation sometimes leave him limping, but even in those movements he is graceful. He is slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt and I know my eyes reflect my desire as again I'm drawn to the movements of his beautiful hands.

He kneels shirtless in front of me and I put my arms around his neck while my legs capture his waist.

"Welcome back, Professor Lupin." I lean in to kiss him as I thread my fingers through his hair. It's late and he must be tired, but the way his tongue is teasing my own indicates he still has some energy left.

I press closer against him and feel his hands stroking the soft threads of the jumper. The feel of the garment rubbing against my back is wonderful, especially when he's kissing my neck like this.

He pulls back to look at me and while one hand is gliding along my outer thigh, the other just fingers the neck of the jumper as it falls over the tops of my breasts. Then he begins caressing my breasts through the texture of the jumper and I press closer to him.

Remus shoves the neck open so that he can access my left breast with his mouth, and I just can't get close enough to him. I wrap my legs tighter around his waist and I hear him groan when he realizes I'm completely nude under the sweater.

He slowly rubs his face against the fabric as he descends. I giggle a bit as the caress through the soft fabric tickles me. He stops for a moment to capture my mouth in a kiss, but his hands are now caressing my thighs and I'm the one moaning as I anticipate his intent.

He descends quickly this time and presses my back against the mattress as my legs wrap around his neck. I feel his cheek rubbing against my thighs, then soon his mouth is doing delightful things to my body. My fingers are raking through the familiar texture of his hair. The pleasure sweeps through me all of a sudden and I feel his hands stroking my body under the sweater as my climax starts to resolve.

My eyes flutter open and I grab the waist of his trousers. Silly man, he was supposed to take these off! He lets me flip him onto his back to take care of this transgression, but of course I have to stop and kiss his hipbones, nibble on his belly and trail kisses along his thighs as I work off the rest of his clothes.

I let my eyes rake down his naked body as I kneel on the bed just contemplating this delightful man. I toss off the jumper before I lunge at him. My mouth moves on him and I enjoy the way he feels. I enjoy knowing that he's my little secret. Did I use the word little to describe Remus Lupin? Not by anyone's definition, I'd say, and that's my little secret.

I let my mouth wander all over him, but come back to attend to his release. This time he doesn't hesitate to thrust forward and I join in facilitating the rhythm. My hands delight in his firm texture as I'm teasing him, pushing him over the edge. And victory again is mine.

I kiss my way up his body and snuggle against him. It's homecomings like these that get me through the times we're apart. I think I can live with that.

x-x-x-x-x-x

It's past midnight and I'm tired as I drag myself to my flat. I know that I'm late, so I expect Remus to be in bed already. I throw open the door to find the Professor sitting at the table in my kitchen bent over a book. Yes, he's wearing his flannel pajamas and looks ready for bed, but the exposed neck is enticing.

"Don't move a muscle." I use my best commanding Auror voice and actually pull out my wand. I want him frozen in place for the moment. Just seeing the light falling on his skin is filling me with naughty thoughts. It's definitely time for a review session.

Remus has the presence of mind to obey me, although I see a light smile quirking his lips as I approach.

"Perfect," I whisper before I attach my mouth to the nape of his neck.

"What?" he asks.

I have to ignore the question because suddenly I have to taste his jawline, then take a detour down his throat, then back up to his earlobe, and of course, I can't be preferential, so I nibble on his other earlobe. I am such a good teacher!

He repeats his question a bit breathlessly. "What is perfect?"

"You have a beautifully slender neck." Watch out, Professor, you're dealing with a woman in lust with your body. I move the book so I can straddle his lap. I squirm against him a bit and find his response quite delightful. Full points for adapting quickly to the situation.

"Ah," he says as if he had missed the obvious. He puts one arm around my waist while his other rubs along my thigh. "I thought you liked my long legs."

"Mm hm, and your hands," I agree readily since he's now stroking my back with firm pressure. The massage is intentional and I'm again struck by how considerate he is.

Then I open my eyes and I'm drawn to his mouth. I whisper just above his lips, "And definitely your mouth. You have a very," I kiss one corner, "kissable," I kiss the other corner, "mouth."

We lose ourselves in the kiss. In fact, I can't remember enjoying kissing any man as much as I do Remus. Sometimes that's all we have time for, but every fleeting moment is worth it.

I pull out of the kiss and unbutton his shirt. I hear amusement in his voice as he says, "But you couldn't possibly find this nose appealing."

Foolish man! I lean forward to kiss the bridge of his nose. Then I rub my nose lightly against his and I feel him shiver at the simple touch. "I think your nose is absolutely delightful, Professor Lupin."

I hear him laugh softly. "Nymphadora, you do wonderful things for my ego."

I register the sincerity shining from his eyes as he says this. Doesn't he realize I'm the lucky one? Sometimes I have a niggling doubt that he's with me just because I'm available, like the men who haunted my past. But Remus Lupin is not like the others. I frown at the thought and blurt out the question, "So what do you think of me?"

I can feel him catching his breath as if, as if he's afraid of something. What? Is this the moment of truth where he tells me that all he wants is my body? Damn! I should have been telling him how much he means to me, how my heart yearns for his presence in my life, how I feel like I have an indestructible soul when I know he's there, believing in me. What awful confession will he make?

"I love you, Nymphadora."

I hear the words, but it's as if I'm in suspended animation. How could the man's hoarse voice make my given name sound so beautiful? Right, because he prefaced it...with...love?

I can only stare at him. Did Remus just say? I must have heard wrong. I have to blink and covertly pinch my thighs. Still, I need to give him a way out. I'm not sure how, but I manage to whisper, "I used to say 'I love you' all the time when I just meant 'I want you.'"

Remus caresses my cheek with but a single finger, but his voice is confident. "I've never said the words to anyone, but I know what they mean."

Then he cups my face in his hands and looks directly at me. He repeats the words clearly. "I love you."

My hands have moved to his chest and I can feel his heart racing as the silence stretches on as I try to find my courage. I'm so afraid I'll jinx this, but I know that for the first time, I truly understand the three precious words. I learned them from Remus Lupin. I can leave the shackles of my past mistakes behind me if I dare take this chance. A bubble of happiness rises in me, but why do I feel a tear in my eye. Because you're witlessly happy, you git!

Remus Lupin loves you. REMUS LOVES YOU!

I feel the smile lighting my face, then I have to laugh in delight. What could be easier than saying, "I love you, Remus."

I again spoke without thinking, but this time I have no regrets. I kiss him softly, sharing that cherish kiss that he had taught me so long ago it seems.

And I feel the tears streaming down my face, but I'm smiling as I test the sound of the words again. What a simple joy it is! "I love you."

"I love you, Nymphadora," he says again as he embraces me for a moment.

I can hear our hearts beating and I rub my face against his shoulder to wipe away the tears. My heart has never felt so free. He seems content to just hold me until he warns, "Hold on."

He stands with my legs wrapped around his waist and I'm chuckling as he carries me to our bed. We're shucking off our clothes so fast that he's on top of me kissing me before he realizes we have a witness.

Remus reaches out to turn the Tweed bear to face the wall at the same time I do. How anyone could fall out of this monster bed is beyond comprehension, but our maneuver to deal with our voyeur winds up upsetting our balance.

We end up tangled on the floor, both laughing. I straddle him to reach up to complete our mission of turning the bear around, but Remus distracts me by kissing my breasts as I lean over him.

Oh, he likes to tease me! I turn the bear around quickly and catch myself before I knock my head on the dresser. Luckily Remus caught me with most interesting hand holds.

He releases me to say. "You have perfectly lovely breasts."

"Go on, Professor," I encourage as I remain straddled on him.

"And an adorable belly," he says as he quickly follows through with a kiss.

"Breasts and belly," I repeat. I exaggerate a sigh. "Is that al-?"

He strikes again and captures my mouth. He releases the kiss and murmurs, "And the most delicious mouth, better than chocolate."

"Ah, now we're getting some place."

He kisses me again as his hands roam across my body. "And have I told you that I like your legs, too?"

"Never," I confess as I capture his arousal with my hand.

"Ah, and such lovely hands," he mumbles.

I give in to the impulse to press him against me. He's kissing my breasts and his hands are stroking my hips. Then I lose track of where he's touching me as my climax strikes. I lean forward, still pressing his arousal against me. "Let's get in bed."

We make the transition in haste and I kiss him as my hand finds the rhythm and caresses he needs. My tongue is probing his mouth and he seems sensitive to every flicker given the low moans I'm hearing. The tension mounts, then it's all I can do to hold him against me tightly as his pleasure flows through him.

He has to catch his breath, but as he drops a kiss to my shoulder, I say, "I love you, Remus."

"I love you," he echoes.

And in those words, we both find peace.

End of Review Sessions

A few people mentioned an interest in extended details of Midnight Confessions, so here it is. Thank you for the encouragement and thank you for reading.

Again, I hope it enhances rather than belittles the Lupin Tonks relationship. I thought I'd try Tonks' view this time, so I hoped it worked.

Next chapter will end this particular story and will deal with their consummation at Holyhead, but it might take several weeks before it's posted.