It was pretty late in the afternoon, and the big table in the Burrow was set for dinner. At the head of the table sat Remus looking very tired, with his eyes looking right into the burning candles on the table. Molly threw him a wondering and suspicious look when she put a basket of bread down in front of him.

"Is everything all right, Remus? You look a bit dreamy tonight."

With a surprised look on his face, he took his eyes away from the burning candles and looked up at Molly, with a weak smile, and just nodded to her.

"Hmm, ok. But if something is bothering you, you can tell me you know.

I have always been a good listener. Just ask Arthur."

"I believe you, Molly. But I have nothing to tell you. I just got too little sleep last night; that's all."

"Oh, yeah. You do look a little pale. Dumbledore is putting too much responsibility on you, if you ask me. I think you should go straight to bed after dinner."

Remus sighed and nodded again. He didn't want to start an argument with Molly now; he was way too tried for it. But maybe he should do as she said, go to bed after the dinner. But it was one problem with that, he knew that he was going to dream about her again. Yes, again, every night since that time he had come over to her house hurt and weak, he had thought about her constantly, night and day. But the nights were worse; all his dreams were of her. That smile of hers, the hair and her voice ringing in his head, begging him for a chance.

"Remus! Merlin's beard! What is the matter with you!"

"Nothing, I'm just tired, as I said."

"Well you nearly fell asleep on the table just right now. Drink this while I get the boys in from the garden, it's a potion for colds. I think you are about to get one."

Molly put a mug that was smoking on the table and walked out of the kitchen. He sat still looking at the grey smoke coming from the mug and then sat up a little so he could see the contents of the mug. A grimace of disgust spread across his face as he saw the green substance in there. Okay Remus, he thought. If you can fight other werewolves, you can drink this. In a half minute he drank it all up in three big gulps. Afterwards he felt really sick, but he forced it all down again and helped himself to a glass of water. Just as he stood by the sink, drinking all this water to get the nasty taste away, he heard a knocking on the door. He stared at it for a moment, wondering if he should open. Maybe it was Moody or Arthur, than it was just silly to stand here, but he should tell Molly first before opening, it was her house after all.

"Molly! It's someone at the door!"

"Well, open then! But don't forget to ask them for the password first."

Remus put the glass down in the kitchen sink and began to walk over to the door. He was just about to ask the person on the other side of the door for the password, when a voice came before he could speak. A voice that got his heart to beat fast.

"Is there someone there! Molly? Ginny? Hello! I'm sorry that I'm late but there was problem at work. Hello? "

Oh no, Remus thought. I can't see her now. Molly hadn't said anything about inviting Tonks for dinner, too. Oh, Merlin, I have to get out of this house. He backed away from the door and walked to the chair where his bag was, picked it up and began to pack all his paper on the table about Fenrir Greyback and the other werewolves in his "gang". It was all reports to Dumbledore. Yes, he thought again almost relieved. I have an excuse to leave. All I have to say is that I must deliver these papers to Dumbledore. That I had forgotten about it all until now. He had gotten his bag up on his shoulder and he turned around to begin walking to the garden to tell Molly when he saw her coming rushing into kitchen.

"Remus! Why haven't you opened the door yet! Oh, Tonks! My dear, how long have you waited out there?"

It was all too late. Molly had opened the door before Remus had gotten a word out and she was now welcoming a gloomy looking Tonks into the kitchen. All Remus could do was stand still and look down to his feet. The next thing he heard was Tonks' calming voice to Molly.

"It's okay Molly, not so long at all. I was late; it was my own fault."

"It was not! Remus was in the kitchen. Why didn't you open it?"

"I thought it was someone… else… And I couldn't remember… the right… ehmm… password."

He looked up when he thought how childish it must have been to stand with his eyes down at his feet. When he looked up and met Tonks eyes, he regretted it and looked away quickly. When her voice came again, he thought he could hear the hurt in it, or maybe it was just his imagination.

"It's alright Remus, I understand completely."

"Well, you could have said something at least. What if Tonks had left?

That would have been terrible."

"But I didn't, I'm here now. Honestly, it's okay Molly."

"Good then. Well, why don't you and Remus take a place around the

table while I go and get those boys again. Sometimes I think they are deaf…"

"But… I can't…" Remus began to say, but he stopped himself before finishing, because Molly didn't seem to hear. In the next moment she was out of the kitchen and the only thing they could see was her round backside walking away. He took a deep breath before looking over at Tonks, who stood with her arms crossed and a sulky look on her face.

"You can't stay, can you?"

He didn't reply, but he looked in to her eyes as he shook his head.

"I knew it… It's because of me and what we talked about before."

"No, it's not. I have to… ehmm… give some papers to Dumbledore. "

"Papers to Dumbledore? It's always something like that… Why can't you just admit it? "

"Because that would be a lie, Tonks. It's not because of that…"

Remus looked a little angry as he began to walk to the door. He had had enough of this, he had thought that he would have had a good meal with the Weasleys but not if Tonks where there. He opened the door and walked out and was about to close it when Molly, Ron, Fred, George, Bill, and Fleur came into the kitchen ready for dinner.

"Remus! Are you leaving?"

"Yes I am, Molly. I'm so sorry; I forgot to tell you that I have to get some papers to Dumbledore."

"But, I'm sure Dumbledore can wait an hour or two. Those papers can't be that important."

"They are… I'm so sorry. Have a great evening all of you. And say hello to Harry and Hermione from me when they arrive."

In the next moment he was gone and the door was closed behind him. They all sat down as Molly said in an annoyed voice, "Dumbledore might be one of the strongest wizards, but even he should understand that Remus needs more sleep and better food."

None of them thought about Remus and why he really had to leave so quickly, expect for Tonks, who didn't eat much at all and felt a bit sick the rest of the evening…

-------------------------------------------

Just as Remus had sat some hours ago, Tonks sat now, at the head of the Weasley's table staring into the burning candles. Molly smiled at her as she did the dishes, waving her wand here and there as the plates floated in the midair washing themselves with some soap.

"Remus sat just like that before… looking as though something was on his mind… something that he wanted to keep as a secret."

"Oh… Did he?" Tonks said looking up, but she didn't retuned Mrs. Weasley's smile. She felt like crying, but she couldn't do that here. And she didn't want to go home either, to an empty house. That would really make her cry and feel down. More than she was feeling right now. She woke up from her dreams and thoughts when she heard the chair beside her creak a little, and when she turned her face she met Molly's kind smile and wondering eyes.

"What's the matter dear?"

"Nothing really. I'm just so silly…"

"You're not, or I don't really know that before you tell me, I guess."

A smile appeared on Tonks lips, and she felt Molly's hand on top of hers, holding it tightly. She could tell Molly, she knew that, and she really needed to tell someone. Someone more than Remus, that dolt. She thought angrily and looked up at Molly and sighed.

"Okay. It's someone… No, it's me having stupid feelings for someone that I shouldn't have feelings for at all. Not even friendly feelings, according to him. "

"Is this 'someone that I shouldn't have feelings for' maybe someone we all know?"

"Mmm… maybe."

She felt Molly's hand stroking her cheek and putting the blond hair she wore tonight behind her ear.

"And was it this someone who left very quickly this evening, with a silly excuse?"

"Yeah… How did you know?"

"My dear, I have known that for a while now… I'm not blind, you know."

They both sat very quietly after that; Tonks staring down at the table on their joined hands, and Molly still looking at her with the same smile on her face, as if she found all this very amusing. At last Tonks looked at her and said in a very low voice, thick with tears, "It's just that… I don't want to have these feelings for him, because he hates me…"

"Don't be silly, of course he doesn't hate you."

"Yes he does. He told me so… Or he said that we can't meet each other anymore. You saw what he did tonight; he couldn't even eat at the same table as me…"

"Do you know what I think? Or what I'm pretty sure I know… He's afraid."

"Afraid! Afraid of what? I don't care if he is a werewolf or not…"

Molly hugged Tonks tightly; holding her as tears was rolling down Tonks' cheeks. The next moment she could hear Molly's voice in her ear.

"But he does… He is afraid of hurting you. Not mentally, but physical…"

"But I can help him with that…"

"Maybe you can't. Maybe you can't until he himself can take the first step…"

"But when will that happen?"

"I don't know dear. I guess the only person who really knows that is

Remus himself…"

Sobbing sounds came from Molly's shoulder from Tonks, when the door to the kitchen suddenly burst open and in came Ron with a loud bang as he tried to stop the blood running from his nose.

"Mum… I thought it was real candy in that bowl on the living room table."

"Merlin's beard! Fred! George! Come down here now!"

Tonks smiled weakly at them all, as she tried to wipe her tears away.

Oh, Remus. You have to take the first step before I can help you…