A/N: I had not intended on finishing this chapter so soon. I am drained.

Tonks was not the type of woman to go completely mental over a man.

Not typically.

Yet here she was, huddled in the frigid hallway of a falling-down-around-her shack waiting.

Waiting for her man to be a man again.

Reliving that moment on the stairs over and over again. Her cheeks burned at the memory of his hands on her.

She had been exerting a small amount of self control up until now, allowing herself to only think about Remus-the-man and not Remus-dear-god-can-you-imagine-what's-under-those-robes. Now it was all she could think about.

How could he kiss her like that and just leave?

Bloody bastard. Bloody, wonderful, sexy bastard.

She imagined his hands roughly pulling her close and shivered. It would have to be a full moon.

Remus paced inside the locked room in the shrieking shack. More precisely, the wolf paced the room, and Remus paced inside his head.

He could smell Tonks. Smell her nearby and it was driving him mad. The wolf went to the door and sniffed, shoving his nose close to the gap between door and frame.

She was there, he knew. He could smell her.

Could smell her blood.

Remus consciously forced the wolf away from the door. No. Not her.

He paced.

Why had he done that? Why had he kissed her?

He heard movement on the other side of the door.

Tonks, no. Leave. Get out of here.

The wolf was intrigued. Human. Female. Not afraid. It went to the door again.

Remus struggled within the wolf/himself. This was why he ought to have stayed away from her. Why he should never have encouraged her. Why he bloody well shouldn't have kissed her.

Her scent all around him, her skin against his lips.

He lifted his muzzle to the sky and howled.

I can't have you.

A muffled thump came from the hallway. A whisper, a sigh.

The wolf went to the door and reared up on his hind legs, standing taller than a man.

Her blood, sweet in her veins.

A flash of an image, a fraction of a dream. Her running, trees, and the thrill of the hunt.

Remus fought the vision, fought the wolf for control. He growled low in his throat.

Hunting, running, chasing.

I told you I was too dangerous. Why couldn't you leave me alone?

Victory, capture, her soft throat between his teeth, her blood spilling hot over his hands.

Over his hands.

The moon had barely set when Tonks was removing the wards on the door and scrambling inside. She froze in the doorway as Remus' naked, sweat slick body hit the ground and he cried out, a pained hopeless sound.

He struggled to his hands and knees, crept forward a few inches, and then pitched over onto his side with a thud.

"Remus?" She whispered.

"Get… out." He rasped, shudders wracking his body.

As she watched, his muscles convulsed under his skin, as if they were readjusting to being human once more.

Slowly, he moved, carefully shifting his weight until he rolled onto his back. He closed his eyes and just lay there. He didn't have the energy to move any more, and it would hurt too much even to try. In a little while, he would be able to drag himself into bed, but right now, it was all he could do to keep breathing.

He could feel her eyes on him, though. And was immediately aware of his nakedness. He made a feeble attempt to cover himself, and then gave it up as his muscles spasmed again.

Let her see, he thought viciously. Let her see the truth of it.

The room was silent.

Then, her gasp. "Oh, Remus."

He opened his eyes painfully. Somehow, she was on her knees beside him now. She turned her face away when his gaze met hers.

"Look at me." He ordered, his voice hoarse.

She shook her head, taking a shuddering breath.

"Look at me, Nymphadora." He snarled softly. "Look at what it is you think you want."

She gave a little sob. Then she reached out, her hand trembling. She looked at him sideways as her fingers brushed his hip, tracing the ridges of scar tissue there.

She had known, without ever seeing, that he was scarred. Had known that the scars were more than just those on his hands and face. But to see him, laid out before her, his pale skin marked with years of injury; it was worse than she could have imagined.

And beyond the roadmap of scars, was the toll that life had taken on his body. There wasn't a bit of fat on him; she could practically count his ribs.

To her, he was beautiful.

She skimmed her hand over his hip, over the bumps of his ribs, to press it firmly against his chest where she could feel his heart beating erratically.

"I love you." She told him.

With sudden ferocity, he reached up and flung her hand away from him. "Don't!"

She stared at him. "Don't what?" She reached toward him again.

He slapped her hand away, a startling growl in his throat. "No, Tonks. Don't."

"Don't what! Don't touch you? Don't love you?" She asked, her voice breaking. "I can't not. Let me help you, Remus."

"I don't need…" He trailed off, sitting up and grabbing the blanket that lay nearby and pulling it around himself.

"What?" She whispered. "You don't need what?"

"You." He said, his voice brittle and cruel. "I don't need you. I don't want you."

He struggled to his feet, the blanket clutched around his hips.

"You don't mean that." She shook her head slowly.

"I've never meant anything more."

Her face creased with confusion. "But…but, I love you."

"I don't love you." He said coldly. His face was a hard mask.

Her eyes glistened with tears. "You're lying. I know you're lying."

A muscle worked in his jaw. It was a struggle for him to remain upright, but he did it, not wanting to appear weak. Not now. He could collapse when she was gone.

Tonks got to her feet and took a step toward him. He could see the hurt and confusion in her eyes.

He backed away, the edges of the blanket swishing softly on the floor.

"Leave." He told her.

She shook her head.

"Please Tonks. Leave me alone."

"No."

His control snapped. "For fuck's sake! Get out of here! I don't want you. I don't love you, leave me alone!"

Her head snapped back as if he'd struck her. She straightened her shoulders. "I hate you." She whispered painfully.

He turned his back on her.

He held his breath until he heard her footsteps recede. Until he heard her clattering down the stairs and the slam of the front door.

Then he let it out. Then he dropped to his knees, his strength gone.

"Leave me alone." He whispered.