Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any rights or anything like that so please don't anyone sue.
A/N: Thank you to all my loyal reviewers, you guys totally rock and keep me motivated to keep on going. Ok, like I've stated in the last chapter, I've hit a bit of a writer's block so I'm sorry if this chapter isn't that great, hopefully I'll overcome this terrible disease. Until then, on with the story!
Remus was already up and waiting when Tonks entered the kitchen, looking half-asleep.
"W-Wotcher Remus." She yawned.
Remus chuckled lightly. "Morning Tonks." He wanted her so bad.
"Shall we get going then?" She asked brightly; still showing off her trademark bubblegum pink hairstyle.
"Yes." Remus nodded.
"Oh, we don't have to walk anywhere." Tonks said, as Remus began to file out of the kitchen. "Dumbledore says that the person we're looking for should be in the Hog's Head all day."
Remus gave her a quizzical look. "Why would someone be at the Hog's Head this time of day?"
Tonks shrugged. "Dunno. I'm just repeating what Dumbledore told me."
"Alright. I guess we should apparate then." He said, convinced of Tonks' answer.
She smiled brightly. "I'll meet you right outside of The Three Broomsticks." She said and before Remus could respond she had disappeared with a tiny "pop".
Remus waited a minute before apparating. He was extremely depressed. He didn't get that good of night's rest last night, his mind wouldn't allow him. He kept thinking about Tonks. He wanted her so bad, he had admitted it to himself, but he could never ever allow anything to happen between them other than friendship. Not that Tonks would ever want him anyway, why would she? On the other hand, she had admitted to trying to kiss him, maybe that was something. Remus, realizing he had been standing there for at least a couple minutes shook his head. He had to stay focused. He apparated to the Three Broomsticks where he found Tonks.
"Finally, I thought you got lost." She said giggling.
Remus couldn't help but laugh also. Tonks had a way of making you laugh, even if you were on your deathbed, she could somehow manage to make you crack a smile or two. "Sorry." He said.
She smiled at him; her smile reached her sparkling eyes. "Let's go then." And she led the way towards The Hog's Head.
"Hang on Tonks." Remus said, catching up with her.
She turned to look at him. "What?" She asked.
"Is The Hog's Head even open this time of day?" He asked, looking around Hogsmeade, which was completely deserted.
"Oh yes, The Hog's Head stays open 24 hours, you didn't know that?" She teased.
No, Remus hadn't known that. Tonks, seeing the surprised look on Remus, laughed and hurried along down road. When they reached The Hog's Head, Tonks stopped them before entering.
"We better disguise ourselves." She warned and next second, she had pitch-black hair that fell just pass her shoulders and violently dark green eyes. "Here." She said, reaching behind Remus' neck. For a split second, Remus thought she was going to try and kiss him again. "Put your hood on, no one will be able to see your face." She lifted the hood up and draped it over Remus' head. She had to stand on tiptoe, seeing as she was a bit shorter than Remus. Her face nearly touched his as she pulled the hood over.
Remus never had to assert more self-control than he had to right now. He could easily grab Tonks and plant a kiss on her right then and there, but he couldn't. He bit his tongue to force himself to not give in to his emotions.
"There we go." She said softly, her eyes meeting Remus'. She smiled faintly but her smile grew as she continued to stare at him. Her eyes also seemed to glaze over, as if she were lost in thought or something. Her cheeks began to pinken but her smile never faltered.
Remus also stared back; he wasn't able to look away from her. It was as if she was hypnotizing him, he stared deep into her eyes and his began to glaze over as well. She was so beautiful, why did she have to be so damn beautiful? And why did she have to be everything he wanted and everything he could never have? This was torture. Finally, Remus came to his senses.
He cleared his throat. "Should we, should we get going then?" He asked.
Tonks seemed to snap out of whatever stupor she was in. "Oh, yes, of course." She blushed more as she stepped back from Remus.
The two entered The Hog's Head; it was surprisingly full for the early hour it was. Several witches were all congregated in a dark corner, their faces half-hidden in darkness. Two middle-aged wizards were sitting at a table to the side of the bar; they were hunched over and talking animatedly to one another. And there was a shifty looking wizard, or at least Remus thought he might have been a wizard. He was wrapped entirely in cloth, as if he were a mummy. He was sitting at the bar, sipping drinks.
"Over there." Tonks whispered, she yanked her head towards the two wizards who were talking to each other.
Remus nodded and he and Tonks led the way over to the table that was right behind them. They could hear every word they were saying perfectly; Remus more so than Tonks as his hearing was magnified by being a werewolf.
"So, the Dark Lord has been feeling strange you say?" One of the wizards asked. His voice was deep.
"Yes, he's been having strange feelings. Like one time he was very happy about something but then all of a sudden, he was depressed and sad." The other replied, he had a croaky voice.
"What does he think it is?" The deep-voiced wizard asked.
The other shook his head. "I dunno but he thinks something is up but he won't tell anyone. Anyone except his little pet, Severus, that is." The croaky voiced wizard said bitterly.
"You don't like Severus?" The other asked.
"No! I don't trust him. And neither does Bellatrix either, we both think he's up to something but we dare not argue with the Dark Lord."
The two were silent for a moment, as they took a swig from the drinks they had ordered. Tonks and Remus were so intent on listening to the conversation, they didn't notice the bar keep come up to them.
"What'll it be?" He asked.
They both jumped a little.
"Uh- a glass of…firewhiskey, for me and my friend here." Tonks replied.
The bar keep looked at the two suspiciously but then ran off and a second later had returned with their drinks.
"Firewhiskey at seven in the morning?" Remus asked.
Tonks shrugged. "I don't know. I was just trying to be, you know, dark and mysterious." She said with a smile.
Remus stifled his laughter as the two wizards behind them started talking again.
"What about Potter?" The deep-voiced wizard asked.
This immediately got Remus and Tonks' attention. They were still and silent, not daring to even breathe loudly.
"Oh the Dark Lord has got plans for him." The croaky one said darkly.
"Yea? Like?"
"Well, you know about the Prophecy, right?"
"No, what prophecy?" The deep voiced wizard asked.
The croaky voiced wizard stopped. "Well…if you don't know about the Prophecy, I probably shouldn't tell you. If the Dark Lord hasn't confided in you…" He trailed off.
"Ah, come on." The other coaxed.
The other shook his head. "Nope, sorry. I'm not going to get on the Dark Lord's bad side on account of you."
The other gave up and drank his drink. The two then got up and headed towards the door, Remus and Tonks followed suit. The two wizards were walking along the road, Tonks and Remus kept close by, but not too close so they wouldn't expect anything. The two wizards kept taking odd turns around the buildings in Hogsmeade and they kept weaving in and out of alleyways and such. Finally, when they had disappeared behind a corner, Remus held his arm to stop Tonks from following.
"What?" She asked quietly.
Remus shook his head. "I don't like this, there's something fishy going on. I can sense it."
Tonks wasn't hearing any of it. "Look, if you want to stand around here all day, be my guest, but I'm not about to let two Death Eaters just walk away that easily." She said, keeping her voice down all the while.
Remus looked at her. She had guts, no doubt about it, but she obviously didn't realize the danger of the situation. For all they knew, a group of Death Eaters was waiting just around the corner, ready to attack. Tonks hadn't thought of this point of view as she ducked out from under Remus' arm that was blocking her from going any further and marched on.
"Tonks!" Remus whispered.
She ignored him and continued to walk. Remus didn't like this but he wasn't about to let her go off on her own. He quickly caught up with her as she turned the corner. Remus had been right to think something was up, the two Death Eaters lunged at Tonks as soon as she had turned the corner. She screamed and a jet of light was silhouetted against the wall of the alley. Remus ran as fast as he could and turned the corner to see the two Death Eaters dueling with Tonks. Remus quickly withdrew his wand and uttered a spell that hit one of the Death Eaters, squarely in the jaw. He got thrown back and slammed against the wall, his body still. Remus' spell had obviously knocked him unconscience. The other immediately sent a spell towards Tonks and hit her in the stomach. She dropped to the ground and struggled as if invisible ropes were binding her.
Remus rushed over to her but did not bend down towards her; he still had one Death Eater left.
"Expelliarmus!" Remus shouted before the Death Eater knew what hit him. His wand flew out of his hand and Remus shouted the disarming charm again, this time the spell hit the Death Eater square in the eyes and he slammed back against the wall, like his fallen comrade, knocking him out.
Remus bent down and muttered the counter curse that freed Tonks from her invisible bindings.
She got up. "Remus I-"
We better get going before they wake up." Remus cut her off. He pulled her gently by the arm and led them out of the alleyway and apparated them both back to Grimmauld Place.
Remus couldn't really say he was angry with young Tonks, just…a little annoyed. He had warned her about just barging into that alleyway but she hadn't listened to him, she had marched right into a fight. He knew she was young and restless but that didn't make him any less annoyed with her. He let go of her arm once they were safely back in Headquarters.
"Remus?" Tonks asked attentively once he had released her arm. "Are you…angry with me?"
Remus didn't look her straight in the eye, he now felt immensely guilty. She sounded sad and scared, like a little child. He sighed. "No Tonks, I'm just…I just wish you would have listened to me." He finally got the courage to look into her eyes.
"I'm sorry Remus. You're right, I should've listened to you." She gave Remus the most innocent puppy dog eyes he had ever seen. How could he be annoyed with her now?
He sighed again. "It's all right Tonks, you're just young and impulsive." He smiled faintly.
She smiled guiltily back. "So…are we okay?" She asked slowly.
He nodded. She looked relived and her hair immediately turned back to the short, bubblegum pink hairstyle. Remus chuckled; it was so cute how her hair always seemed to reflect her mood.
"Well, I guess we need to report to Dumbledore." Remus said, glancing around the gloomy house.
"MmHmm." Tonks said.
When Remus returned his gaze towards Tonks, he received a little shock, she had taken several steps closer to him so that her body wasn't even an inch away from his own. He gulped. What was she doing?
He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Right then, I'll-I'll go to H-Hogwarts and inform Dumbl-Dumbledore." He babbled. Why couldn't he just grab her and kiss her?
Tonks merely half-nodded, her eyes were glittering mischievously.
Remus clenched his hands into little balls of fists to stop himself from grabbing her in a tight embrace. He mustn't lose control; he had to control his emotions.
She began to step on tiptoe and as she did so, she closed her eyes, her face moving ever so closer to Remus'. Oh, how he wanted nothing more than to kiss her passionately, right here and now, but he couldn't. He had to put a stop to this.
"Well, I better get-get going then." Remus said right as Tonks' face was right in front of his.
He moved hastily out of the way and Tonks' abruptly opened her eyes. He saw that her cheeks had begun to blush; he hoped he hadn't embarrassed her.
"Okay then." She said. She had a frustrated look on her face.
"B-Bye then." He said. Right before he apparated the last thing he saw was Tonks giving him a mischievous, evil smile.
Remus reappeared in Hogsmeade, he hadn't really intended on reporting to Dumbledore just yet. There was so much on his mind. Tonks had definitely tried to kiss him just now and the frustrating part was, he wanted to kiss her too. He sighed heavily and walked slowly up the road that would lead him to Hogwarts. He wished he could apparate back to Grimmauld Place, find Tonks and confess his love for her. But he knew he never could. He could never be with her, no matter how much his heart yearned for her, no matter how much she might have loved him; he just couldn't be with her. He could not bear it if he ever did anything to harm her. He would just have to make it clear that he and Tonks could only be friends, that's it.
A/N: Well there it is, I hope it was ok. Please review and tell me what you all thought, and don't worry, when Remus and Tonks kiss, it'll be well worth the wait.