AN- The song used in this chapter is 'Dance with You', by Live. Lyrics will be presented in italics.
Sitting on the beach
The island king of loveDeep in Fijian Seas
Deep in some blissful dream
It had been like a revelation. The thing they prayed for, that they dared not believe could happen, did happen. Harry had found and destroyed all of the Horcruxes. The cup, the snake, Ravenclaws sword, the locket. All found, all destroyed, along with Voldemort.
Yes, Harry had defeated him at last. He had gone from 'the boy who lived', to 'the chosen one', to the 'savior of wizardkind'.
Remus Lupin reflected on this as he lay upon white sands, watching the tide drift lazily in. Nymphadora lay in his lap, asleep, and soaking in the brilliant sun.
Where the goddess finally sleeps
In the lap of her lover
Subdued in all her rage
The rays danced serenely over the water, bathing their beach in an ethereal glow. Surely she would want to see this. He gave her a little nudge. "Dora, darling, wake up. Look at the ocean."
She made an amusing noise of waking and turned her head to view.
And I am aglow with the taste of the demons driven out
And happily replaced with the presence of real love
The only one who saves
"Look at that, Dora. Isn't it beautiful?" As a reply, she kissed his tanning chest and snuggled into his sun-warmed body.
I wanna dance with you
I see a world where people live and die with grace
The karmic ocean dried up and leave no trace
Remus Lupin had never put much stock in miracles before, perhaps because he never dared. It was easier for him to face his life if he just accepted it for what it was. Lycanthropy had doomed him to a life lived alone, as he dared not let anyone get too close, lest he contaminate them.
And Tonks had certainly done her best to tempt him. But when she tested his resolve, he remembered what happened to those who did get close. Lily, James, Sirius, then Dumbledore, all gone, all taken from him. He would not let that happen to her. He wouldn't let her get too close. Yet now, it didn't seem to matter. What was the point in stopping love? It that was what this was...
I wanna dance with you
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
And lead us back to a world we would not face
"Remus, say it again. Tell me how we got to this place."
"We won, Dora. The war is over," he recanted. "What could possibly be a greater reason to take a vacation? And with what better company?" She smiled and stretched. All the tension he had grown used to seeing in her face had vanished, leaving her more beautiful than ever.
The stillness in your eyes
Convinces me that I
I don't know a thing
A question, new and unpleasant rolled into his mind. True, they were here together now, but now that they were free to be...did she still want...abruptly he was compelled to make it real, to make certain that he was not dreaming. Could she really be his?
I been around the world and I've tasted all the wines
A half a billion times came sickened to your shores
You show me what this life is for
He loved her, and he could not deny it anymore than he could stop the tide from coming in. Now that he was finally free to say it, did she still want to hear it?
I wanna dance with you
I see a world where people live and die with grace
The karmic ocean dried up and leave no trace
I wanna dance with you
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
And lead us back to a world we would not face
He looked at her. She was lying in the warm, pure sand next to him, her eyes closed once more. Every muscle in her body relaxed, joy painted across her faultless face.
He couldn't do it. Not at this twinkling, not when she was so happy, he couldn't risk spoiling this perfect moment. He sighed quietly and shook his head.
In this altered state
Full of so much pain and rage
You know we've got to find a way to let it go
It wasn't long before Tonks stirred from her tranquil state and wanted to go swimming. Remus, who normally preferred to stay dry, resisted. But with the sparkling, crystal blue water beckoning, and a persistent metamorphmagus pushing him, he soon gave in.
Cool water lapped at his knees, the sand soft and smooth beneath his feet. She dove into the waves with gusto, swimming as if she had not been able to do so in years.
"Remus! Come out further! The waves are excellent!" She called to him. Reserves held him back.
Still laughing from her last tidal confrontation, she turned to see where he was, still standing close to shore. Turning her back completely to the ocean, she faced him, ready to call his name again when a huge wave roared up behind her, slapping her into the water.
"TONKS!" Remus rushed forward and dove into the water to retrieve her. Her arm slung over his shoulder, her coughs quickly turned to laughter as he brought her back to land.
Sittin' on the beach
The island king of love
Deep in Fijian Seas
Deep in the heart of it all where the goddess finally sleepsAfter eons of war and lifetimes
She's smilin' and free, nothin' left
But a cracking voice and a song, oh lord
The absurdity at laughing at nearly drowning made him laugh, too. Her joy was contagious and spreading. He pulled her close to him. "Are you alright?"
"I've never been better in my life," she grinned, her dark eyes twinkling, burning. "Remus, I have to tell you something," she said, suddenly quite serious. "Whether you want to hear it or not, please, just let me say it."
"Dora, I..."
"I love you, Remus. Please let me."
She had said it. And his response, after a second's pause, was to kiss her, and to let her know in this kiss exactly how he felt.
I wanna dance with you
I see a world where people live and die with grace
The karmic ocean dried up and leave no trace
I wanna dance with youI see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
And lead us back to a world we would not face
We would not faceWe would not face
We would not face
We would not face
We would not face
FIN
AN- Yay! We are all happy now. Please review and let me know what you thought of this effort.