Intimate Confessions
Gijane
Disclaimer, Rating, Summary: See Chapter One
Chapter Notes: Tonks and Lupin's PoV in meeting the Hogwarts Express at the end of Phoenix. All text in italics directly taken from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (American paperback ed., pgs 867-870). Since there is lots of direct text used, this chapter is long! Dora puts two and two together and comes up with some interesting answers regarding the Marauders. Dora qualified as an Auror during the spring/summer of 'GoF', going her line of "I only qualified a year ago." (American paperback ed, p 52) to Harry during the 'OotP' summer. Doing the maths, Moody could have trained her. Poor Remus, I can so picture him there in his kitchen, confused.
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I took their surnames out! Are you happy, Darker(with a damned underscore)Rage?
Chapter Four- Thoroughly Modern Remus
Lupinfollowed his house elf down the stairs to the kitchen. He heard Tonks following behind him, uncharacteristically silent. He smiled to himself, knowing hehad thrown her for a loop with his announcement.
"Remus." She said softly.
He paused halfway through the living room and turned round. "Yes, love?"
"Marauder?" She went into his arms.
He enveloped her, leaned back against a table, and grinned. "That's what the four of us- Peter, Sirius, James, and I- called ourselves at Hogwarts. The four Marauders, tearing the place up."
"But you were a prefect!" Tonks had a look of mock horror on her face. Lupin laughed.
"Yes, I know, but a bad one. Poor Lily, she had the workload of the two Gryffindor prefects between the full moons, me in detention with Prongs, Padfoot, or both, or the four of us running off somewhere."
Tonks laughed. "I can't see you misbehaving at all! But I also couldn't picture you with your tongue down my throat, but that just happened."
"Oh, I misbehaved all right! Tried not too, but I usually was dragged along- not that I put up much of a fight- with James and Sirius. I think Dumbledore gave James the Head Boy badge because I failed miserably as prefect. I think he thought since I couldn't, or actually wouldn't, control them, maybe making James Head Boy would."
"Did it work?"
"Only to get Lily's attention."
Tonks snorted with laughter. "Well, at least something good came out of it."
"That's precisely what Dumbledore said at their wedding."
They both laughed. It felt good to after the sadness of their previous conversation.
"Master!" Katrina called from the kitchen. "Mr Moody is waiting."
"Let's go," Lupin said, releasing her. "Can't keep old Mad-Eye waiting. He might think that Death Eaters have taken us hostage or something."
Tonks rocked with laughter and headed towards the kitchen. "I'm surprised that the entire Ministry or the Order hasn't descended on your doorstep yet. I left St Mungos yesterday evening with barely a word to anyone. And I left in the company of a known werewolf as my escort. 'We must help poor little Tonks! Send out the search party!' Moody must have contacted either the hospital or Mum, or both. Constant Vigilance!"
"You are so bad, Nymphadora Tonks." He was laughing so hard he was crying.
She smirked at him. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good…Moony."
Lupin stopped short, totally shocked. Then he started laughing again. "Sirius?" he asked.
"No!" Tonks turned around. She looked annoyed, to his further amusement. "He never told me! I just figured it out on my own. Fabulous map, darling. Do you know how long it took Charlie Weasley and me to figure out how to operate it?"
"Filch confiscated the map from us at the end of seventh year. When and where did you find it? Of course it took a while, would you want something like that easy to use!"
"During second year, after we had another run in with Filch. I can't remember what we had done to tick him off that time." Lupin smirked as she continued. "So there I am, sweet, innocent little me," He snorted with disbelief. She ignored him. "And I notice this piece of parchment sticking out of his filing cabinet drawer, which was marked 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous'. So, of course, I had to check it out. Charlie levitated Mrs Norris, diverting Filch's attention, and I grabbed it. Best detentions we ever earned. We only told the twins where to find it when Filch confiscated it back from us in the sixth year. I wonder who they'll pass it to?"
"Harry. Actually, they gave it to him during his third year. Same year I taught him," he informed her.
"One in the eye for Filch, Prongs's son now in possession."
Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody watched from the fireplace as the kitchen door swung open and Lupin and Tonks entered, laughing hysterically. The sight of the two of them made him smile, something he rarely did, but they weren't getting off that easily.
"Where have you two been? All I know is that Tonks left St Mungos yesterday after harassing a Healer to discharge her. You're lucky that the Healer knew your name, Lupin." Moody paused as Lupin and Tonks burst out laughing again. "Both of you are totally barking mad! I owled your mother to inform her of where you were, young lady. She told me to bugger off. She said that you were an adult and knew what you were doing. Fat lot she knows! She'll owl you later today."
"What's that mean 'fat lot she knows'? I am an adult! Good for Mum! Bugger off, Moody!" Tonks stuck her tongue out at him. Lupin bit his lip trying not to laugh.
"Remus," Moody turned to him. "I though you had enough common sense to bring her someplace safe."
"Lupin Manor is safe!" Tonks answered. "However, thanks for worrying…Dad. Is this why you're calling?" Lupin bit down harder and started turning red. Moody eyed him with his magical eye suspiciously before turning back to Tonks.
"Don't you give me lip!" Moody scolded. You only get away with it because you're the last I trained."
"Really? I didn't know that." Lupin said. Tonks rolled her eyes.
"Scrimgeour asked me to come out of retirement to train her. He was ecstatic to be getting a Metamorphmagus as a trainee. He knew she'd need extra special training. Was he ever right! You and stealth were not meant to mix, lass. Only had a few months more retirement before Dumbledore called. We know how that turned out. But, training Tonks was the best fun I'd had in years." Moody bit back another smile.
"Cheers, Mad-Eye!" She returned his smile.
"Why are you calling then, Moody?" Lupin asked.
"Ah, yes. I wanted to know if you two wanted to join Arthur, Molly and I at King's Cross this afternoon to pick up young Harry. And the Weasley children, of course. We plan to have a little… chat with his aunt and uncle."
"Absolutely." Tonks answered for both of them. "We'll meet you there."
"'Till this afternoon. You, recover." Moody said, pointing at Tonks. "You, make sure she does." He pointed at Lupin. With those parting words, his head disappeared from the magical fire.
Tonks shook her head at the now empty fireplace. "So, Professor, how are you going to help me recover?" she asked suggestively.
Lupin stared at her if all his dreams had come true as she moved into the circle of his arms. He closed his eyes in pleasure as she planted butterfly kisses along his jaw line. Her lips hovered over his for a second. He took that moment to take control and fused their mouths together.
She moaned with pleasure, pressing closer, causing Lupin to growl and intensify the kiss. He backed her up against the wall roughly. She wound a leg around his waist and rubbed against him suggestively. He growled again, deeper.
He suddenly broke the kiss. "Proper courtship." He muttered, panting slightly, to himself as a reminder. He pressed his forehead to hers. Tonks was glassy eyed and her pink lips were swollen from his kiss. She looked utterly enticing.
"More." Was all she had to say.
"Sod it." He muttered, leaning in for more but they broke apart at a booming clatter.
"Master?" Katrina stood in front of her dropped pot. He looked down at his house elf. She had tears in her eyes.
"Your Master has decided to court me, Katrina." Tonks told her gently, pulling herself together.
"Truly, Master? You make Miss my Mistress soon?" The house elf sniffled loudly.
Tonks answered for him since he was still in a trance. "Yes, Katrina. One day, very soon."
Lupin shot her a look of surprise as Katrina launched herself at him, crying tears of joy. He comforted her.
"What do you think follows courtship, Remus?" She asked, her dark eyes sparkling with humour.
"Marriage. It didn't sink in until just now." He smiled.
"Marriage to me, you poor bloke!"
Tonks laughed as Lupin picked her and Katrina up and whirled them around, laughing with pleasure.
"I never thought I'd marry, to be quite honest. How many girls would marry a werewolf?" he asked quietly, putting her down. Katrina wandered off to cook breakfast,
"This one would." She pecked him on the lips.
"Yes, you would, and for that I'll be eternally grateful." He planted a return kiss on her lips. "Now, let get up stairs and get ready to go meet Harry and the kids. Separately, Nymphadora!" He added, recognizing the naughty look in her eye. "Katrina, we'll be in London. We should be home late. Don't do dinner, we'll eat out."
"And who's paying?" Tonks asked as they left the kitchen hand in hand heading upstairs.
"You are, love."
"Thoroughly modern Remus." She grinned as he started to laugh.
Lupin and Tonks Apparated into an alleyway across the street form King's Cross later that afternoon. Carefully crossing the busy boulevard, they entered the train station.
"God, how do the Muggles not recognize wizards? Remus, look at this." Tonks pointed out Mad-Eye and the Weasleys.
Lupin followed her finger and began to laugh. Arthur and Molly Weasley were blending in all right with the Muggles, but their twin sons, Fred and George, were wearing horrible green colour jackets. Herecognized that they were made from dragon skin.
Mad-Eye Moody was carrying a long staff and wearing a voluminous cloak. To top it off, he was wearing bowler hat pulled down over his magical eye. He looked quite intimidating.
"You don't exactly fit in with the pink hair, love." Lupin told her as they crossed the station floor.
"I thought the pink was your favourite!" She tugged at a lock of hair. "Remus, darling, I do fit in. Her hair is blue." Tonks pointed at a passing Muggle. "Oh, I like her cut too. I'll have to try it sometime."
"Oh God, help me! What I am I getting myself into marrying a Metamorphmagus?" He muttered jokingly, causing her to burst out laughing.
"You're in for the time of your life, darling."
He smiled. "I know I am. And quite looking forward to it."
"Wotcher, all." Tonks greeted everyone as they joined the group. She grunted as Molly pulled her into a motherly hug.
"Tonks, dear, how are you feeling? Mad-Eye told us that you were out of St Mungos. How's your mother?"
"I'm fine. Mum's fine, Molly." Lupin raised an eyebrow at her lie. Tonks had no idea how her mother was. She had not seen her in over week at least.
"Hello, Remus." Molly greeted him, hugging him as well. Tonks went on to greet Arthur, Mad-Eye, and the twins. "How are you?" she looked anxious.
"I'm fine, thank you for asking, Molly." Lupin awkwardly returned her hug. He shot Tonks a look over Molly's shoulder. Tonks had been silently laughing at him. The twins were red faced, trying not to laugh. Arthur and Mad-Eye also looked amused.
Molly went to say something but the children had begun to be cleared for passage through the magical barrier protecting Platform 9 3/4 from the Muggle world. They waited for Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny to clear.
"There they are!" Tonks said, spotting them first. "Look at Harry's face. He clearly wasn't expecting us."
"Ron, Ginny!" Molly called, rushing over to her children and embracing them. Arthur followed behind her. "Oh, and Harry dear- how are you?"
"Fine." Harry said as Molly hugged him.
"That's a lie." Tonks muttered to Lupin. He nodded his agreement. "Look at Ron!" He was eyeing the twin's jackets with disbelief written all over his face.
"What are they suppose to be?" They heard him ask his brothers. Lupin and Tonks let out snickers.
"Finest dragon skin, little bro." Fred said, playing with his zipper. "Business is booming and we'd thought we'd treat ourselves."
"Here comes Harry, Remus." Tonks warned him quietly.
"Hello, Harry," Lupin said as Molly had let go of Harry. She turned to greet Hermione.
"Hi," said Harry. "I didn't expect…what are you all doing here?"
"Well," said Lupin with a slight smile, "we thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home."
"I dunno if that's a good idea," said Harry at once.
"Oh, I think it is," growled Moody, who had limped closer. Tonks and Lupin nodded their agreement. "That'll be them, will it, Potter?"
Tonks and Lupin's gazes followed Moody's thumb. Harry leaned slightly to the left to see where Mad-Eye was pointing. There, across the station, were Harry's relations, all with appalled looks on their faces.
"Ah, Harry!" Arthur came up to greet him after he had finished greeting Hermione and her parents (rather enthusiastically). "Well – shall we do it, then?" he asked Moody.
"Yeah, I reckon so, Arthur," said Moody.
Tonks, Lupin, and Harry followed the two wizards across the station to where Harry's family were standing looking horrified as the magical group approached them. Hermione detached herself from her mother and followed. Ron, Ginny, and Molly followed Hermione.
"Good afternoon." Arthur said rather pleasantly, in Tonks's opinion, to who had to be Harry's uncle as he stopped right in front of him. "You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley."
"How could he forget?" Tonks whispered to Lupin. "Didn't Fred and George cause Arthur to practically destroy their kitchen a couple of years ago? Something about the boy and toffees."
"Living room." Muttered Harry, correcting her.
Both Lupin and Harry tried to keep straight faces as Tonks giggled. Vernon Dursley was purple faced, but had kept silent. His wife, Petunia, looked frightened and kept looking around. Dudley Dursley was trying to hide behind his parents, an impossible feat considering how large he was.
"Wonder what that's all about." Tonks whispered in Harry's ear.
"Uncle Vernon's ready to blow. Aunt Petunia is embarrassed someone will recognize her standing with us. Dudley's terrified of wizards." He whispered back. Lupin shook his head in amazement. Tonks quietly snorted with laughter.
"We thought we'd just have a few words with you about Harry." Arthur continued, still smiling.
"Yeah," growled Moody. "About how he's treated when he's at your place."
Mr Dursley's moustache bristled. He did not respond to Arthur, but addressed Mad-Eye instead.
"I am not aware that is any of your business what goes on in my house-"
"I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Dursley," growled Moody.
Tonks had to interrupt. She recognized Moody's mood. He wanted to pick a fight. Putting herself between Mad-Eye and Harry's uncle, she said to the Dursleys, "Anyway, that's not the point." Tonks shot Harry an odd look as Mrs Dursley closed her eyes, rather than look at her. "The point is, if we find out you've been horrible to Harry-"
"-and make no mistake, we'll hear about it," added Lupin pleasantly. Tonks smiled, they were always finishing each other's sentences.
"Yes." Arthur said. "Even if you won't let Harry use the fellytone-"
"Telephone," whispered Hermione. The others tried to keep straight faces.
"Yeah, if we even get a hint that Potter's been mistreated in any way, you'll have us to answer to," said Moody.
Mr Dursley drew in his chest. "Are you threatening me, sir?" He said it so loudly that people turned to stare. Mrs Dursley whimpered.
"Yes, I am." Tonks and Lupin recognized Moody's tone of voice. He was happy that Mr Dursley had grasped that fact so quickly.
"And do I look like the kind of man who can be intimidated?" Mr Dursley barked.
"Well…" said Moody, pushing back his bowler hat to revel his sinisterly revolving magical eye. "Yes, I'd have to say you do, Dursley."
He turned towards Harry, ignoring Mr Dursley's yelps of pain as he collided with a luggage trolley.
"So, Potter…give us a shout if you need us. If we don't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along." He paused as Mrs Dursley whimpered again. "Bye, then, Potter," said Moody, grasping Harry's shoulder for a moment with a gnarled hand.
Tonks had cocked her head to one side, trying to figure out the reason behind Mrs Dursley's piteous whimpers. She nodded her goodbye to Harry, who grinned at her.
"It's your hair." He explained about his aunt's reaction to her.
She rolled her eyes in exasperation. Harry grinned.
"Take care, Harry," said Lupin quietly. "Keep in touch." Tonks blinked back quick tears at his sad tone.
"Harry, we'll have you away from there as soon as we can." Molly told him, hugging him again.
"We'll see you soon, mate," said Ron anxiously, shaking Harry's hand.
"Really soon, Harry," said Hermione earnestly. "We promise."
Lupin watched as Harry nodded, dazed at all the people who cared for him. "He seems to be at a loss for words." He whispered into Tonks's ear.
"Wouldn't you be? To have no one love for you for so long, then to get all these people caring for you." She answered sadly.
They watched as Harry smiled, raised a hand in farewell, and led the way out of the station with his relations following behind hurriedly in his wake.
"That's a boy, Potter!" Moody said. "Have them follow you."
Tonks rounded on Mad-Eye. "What the hell was that?"
Ron, Ginny, Arthur, and Lupin snorted with amusement. Molly and Hermione looked scandalized at her language.
"What was what, lass?" Moody asked, trying to look innocent.
"You were dying to hex Harry's uncle into next week, so you were egged him on! I trained with you everyday for three years, so I know you well. Don't deny it!"
"You starting to sound like your mother, Nymphadora." He smirked as she flinched at her given name.
"Heaven forbid that should ever happen! Goodbye, everyone. We'll see you soon." Making a face at Moody, she pivoted on her heel and headed towards the station entrance.
"Goodbye." Lupin said quietly. He nodded then turned to follow Tonks.
Neither heard Molly whisper to Arthur, "I wonder what's going on with those two…finally."
Arthur Weasley smiled down fondly at his wife, "We'll have to wait and see, dear."
TBC