Lupin arrived at Grimmauld Place to find Tonks and Sirius once again in the kitchen. He wondered if they ever moved in his absence. Surely Tonks should be at work? The man dismissed the thought as he joined them at the table. Tonks beamed a grin at him but Sirius didn't even turn to acknowledge him.

"Hi, Remus," he said distractedly and continued to stare in front of him, his head moving from side to side ever so slightly. Remus frowned and noticed Tonks roll her eyes.

"Er…Sirius…what are you doing?" he asked slowly. Again, his friend failed to look at him.

"I'm watching lint," Sirius replied quietly, his eyes darting quickly. He let out a quick breath, which caused the piece of fluff he was observing to dance in the air. The man grinned at his own game. Remus gave a cough.

"Right…an eventful day I see," he muttered. Sirius snapped his gaze to his old friend. Turning back, he gave a growl.

"Oh no, I've lost it! Where's it gone?" he cried, desperately searching the air in front of him. Sirius looked crestfallen. He stuck out his bottom lip and folded his arms across his chest, clearly blaming Remus for the demise of his entertaining pastime.

"Would you like some tea, Remus?" Tonks spoke up, breaking the locked eyes of the two wizards.

"What? Oh, yes thank you Nymphadora."

Tonks smiled sweetly, ignoring the use of her first name, and sauntered over to the teapot. Managing to keep all of the liquid in the chipped mug, she turned back to the table and handed it to the man, stroking his hand deliberately as he received his drink. Sirius noticed and rolled his eyes; hadn't she given up yet?

"Thank you, Nymphadora," Remus said again. Their eyes met briefly before she looked away. Tonks took the seat next to him, rather than the one she had just vacated.

"So…Remus," she purred his name. "I was thinking maybe we could do something tomorrow. Get out of this house. Go to the park or something, what do you say?"

Remus pretended to consider this for a moment.

"Sounds great, Dora," he replied. Sirius suddenly looked eager.

"Ooh can I come too? Can I?" he piped like an excited child. He stamped his feet under the table in desperation. "I can chase the ducks. Pleeease let me come!"

Tonks looked at him sympathetically.

"Oh sorry love, but you know it's not safe. Besides… I was kinda hoping it would just be me and Remus." She licked her lip suggestively at this, causing Sirius' eyes to widen.

"Oh," he said bluntly. Only now was he beginning to realise the damage this silly bet was doing to his relationship with both Tonks and Remus. "Fine, I didn't want to go anyway," he lied blatantly. Tonks ignored it with a grin.

"Great!" she sang. Sirius looked thoroughly miserable.

Tonks began to stroke Lupin's hair gently as they chatted without Sirius. Whatever Remus would say, Tonks would respond with a girly giggle and reply,

"Oh you're so funny, Remus!"

Sirius had taken enough of it.

"What's funny about that?" he scoffed, causing both heads to turn to him.

"Oh, are you still here?" Remus asked mildly. The shocked expression on Sirius' face almost caused Tonks to burst out in genuine laughter. She reminded herself to thank Lupin later.

"Yes, I am," her cousin replied through clenched teeth. He rose angrily from his seat and headed for the pantry. Once out of view Remus winked at Tonks. She snickered quietly and then turned to face the open pantry door. Sirius stood there glaring at her, seen by her but not by Remus.

"What are you doing!" he mouthed to her, clearly annoyed. She simply smiled at him and then raised her mug to her lips. "Stop it now!" he demanded silently. Tonks raised her eyebrows.

"Are you alright in there, love?" she called.

"I'm fine," he called back grumpily. "Would you like a hobnob?"

"You mean the biscuit?" Tonks blinked in mock-confusion. Sirius' nostrils flared.

"Yes I mean the biscuit!" he hissed.

"Ah, then no," Tonks responded. Remus gave a quiet chuckle.

Sirius clicked his knuckles in agitation.

"Can you not find them?" Tonks called, knowing full well that he wasn't even looking. "Perhaps I should help you."

"Yes, perhaps you should!" Sirius agreed testily. She rose from her seat and blew a kiss towards Remus, before joining her cousin in the pantry.

"You are really starting to piss me off!" Sirius spat once the witch had joined him. Tonks blinked once more.

"Are you calling off our bet, Sirius?" she asked. "Scared you're losing?" She poked her tongue between her teeth. Sirius snarled at her.

"I am losing, and I don't like it! But not because I'm losing my money but because you're messing with things you shouldn't. I'm calling the bet off. Leave Remus alone!" he demanded. Tonks grimaced. She hadn't realised that Remus meant so much to Sirius. But she stood her ground.

"No way, it's just getting fun."

"Are you two ok in there?" Remus' voice could be heard.

"We're fine," they answered together. Sirius then lowered his voice once more.

"You're pathetic, you know that? You're not fooling anyone but Remus…and that's only because he's a fool. I can't believe he's buying it."

"Buying what?"

" 'You're so funny, Remus,' " Sirius squeaked. " 'Bite me, Remus!' "

Tonks laughed at him.

"Is that what I sound like?"

"Worse."

The cousins stared at each other for a moment. Tonks shrugged.

"Fine…I'll try to tone it down, but I'm not promising anything. That man brings out the worst in me." She bit her bottom lip teasingly. Sirius cringed. "I bet he's amazing in the sack," she added over her shoulder as she left the cupboard. Sirius ran a hang over his eyes before snatching the biscuits off the shelf and joining her in the kitchen.

"We found his hobnob. It was difficult but we found it in the end," Tonks was saying to Remus. Sirius hated that the man laughed. As Tonks sat down, she knocked Remus' mug slightly (accidentally, of course) causing his tea to slosh into his lap.

"Oh no," she cringed, truly embarrassed. Sirius looked up and laughed, until he saw Tonks grab for a teacloth and begin to rub his friends thighs slowly. This caused the laugh to end abruptly.

"I…I think he's got it, Tonks," Sirius stuttered.

"He sure has," she replied quietly, though her eyes never left Lupin's. Things were going from bad to worse for poor Sirius. He bit his tongue, but was dying to scream at his young cousin, to tell her to stop manhandling (or woman-handling) his best friend. The words never came out. Instead he gawped at the scene in horror.

Remus took the witch's moving hand in his own, and placed them on the table.

"That's fine Nymphadora," he told her huskily. "In fact, I might just go change." Tonks blinked at him quizzically, with her back to Sirius. Remus leant forwards and whispered something into her ear. Sirius was surprised to see her blushing. The man then brushed his lips lightly against hers, before rising from his chair and leaving the room without another glance.

"Ok," Tonks breathed to him as he departed. She then flashed a triumphant grin to her cousin, who sat there astounded.

"Alright! Alright! You win, congratulations." He delved into his pocket and threw some coins across the table. "Well done Dora. Now leave him the hell alone!"

Tonks beamed at the coins in her hand. Success! Now for bet number two.

"Leave him alone? Why Sirius…I can't possibly lead this man on and then not deliver the goods. You want me to leave him hanging? No can do Cuz. In fact…I'd better not keep him waiting. He needs this." She rose from the table. Sirius began spluttering in protest but she raised a hand.

"You're right Sirius…I should change. What do you think of that short skirt I wore the other day? You remember that one?" Sirius did, of course, but couldn't find his voice. He nodded numbly. "Great!" She skipped around the table to kiss the defeated man on the cheek. "Have a good evening, love." She shot up the stairs, giggling to herself and leaving her cousin in a stupor in her wake.