Intimate Confessions

Gijane

Disclaimer, Rating, Summary: See Chapter One

Chapter Notes: The Morning After (squeals with excitement) and the two lovely days in between. Ascella is two stars that are part of the Sagittarius Constellation. They make up the armpit of the Archer. (I'm so mean, aren't I?)

Thanks for the reviews so far. I LOVE reviews! Got another beta. Poor Godricgal had to move house! Thanks to LadyoftheLake for beta'ing. She's Canadian and I'm American, so any glaring 'Americanisms' around...SORRY.

Chapter Thirteen - Beginning and Ending

Lupin woke up very late the next morning and choked on mouthful of hair. Not completely awake, he brushed it out of his face and sat up. He blinked as the memories from the previous night came flooding back to him: Death Eaters had invaded Hogwarts; Albus Dumbledore was dead, murdered by Severus Snape; his cover with the werewolves was blown; Greyback had savaged Bill Weasley. Tonks' confrontation of him in the Hospital Wing; his confrontation of her outside the Three Broomsticks; Apparating to Lupin Manor; their declarations to one another; making love.

He looked over a still slumbering Tonks. He smiled realizing it was her hair he woke up to a face full of. He brushed it back to reveal her pale heart shaped face. She murmured incoherently, rolled over, and fell out of the bed. He let out a shout of laughter. He was still chucking as her head popped up.

"Morning." She mumbled. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Good morning, love." He replied as he helped her back into bed. "You know what the best thing is about marrying a Metamorphmagus?"

"We're getting married? I don't remember you asking. I remember you telling me, but not asking me."

Lupin was taken aback. He opened his mouth, unsure what to say, when he saw her dark eyes twinkling with laughter. Two could play at this game.

"I marked you as my mate last night. We are getting married. End of story." He threw back the covers and walked over to his desk, removed a small box, then got back into bed.

"Thanks for the lovely view. "Tonks teased.

"Glad you enjoyed it. Here." He shoved the box at her.

She opened the box to reveal a large diamond engagement ring. "Muggles use diamond rings to symbolize an engagement." He explained to her. "My father gave this to my mother. I want you to have it." He paused for dramatic effect. "Will you marry me, Nymphadora?"

Tonks began to cry as Lupin removed it from the box and slid it over her left ring finger. "Oh Remus, yes!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him close. He settled her in the crook of his arm and began to stroke her hair. "It's so beautiful. My Dad gave Mum one as well, though not nearly as large. I couldn't wear this all the time; I'd destroy it within a week." She smiled watery as he agreed. "Now tell me, what's the best thing about marrying a Metamorphmagus?"

Lupin grinned a cocky smile, "You go to sleep with a brunette and wake up with a blonde." He fingered a honey blonde curl.

Tonks let out a shriek and tumbled out of bed again. Offering Lupin the same view he had just offered her, she ran over to the full-length mirror beside the picture window. She was completely unmorphed, totally in her natural state. "It's a miracle." She joked.

"Wonder what the miracle was." Lupin laughed. "Now, get back in bed." He threw back the covers for her.

Tonks giggled as she joined him. "Well, now I'm not worried about you or us. You told me Sirius' death was not my fault and I accept that now. And I saw last night that the kids do a halfway decent job defending themselves, potion or not. Thank God that Scrimgeour gave me the next two days off. I'll still have the stress of the job, but not with all that extra to go along with it. I plan to relax for two whole days."

"Time for a bit of a lie-in. We are not allowed to get out of bed for the next two days."

"How do we eat?" Tonks asked logically.

"Katrina. She'll check in on us."

As if on cue, the house elf knocked on the door. "Master? Miss?"

"Good morning, Katrina." They called in unison. The bedroom door swung open to reveal the Lupin family house elf balancing a full tray with her magic.

"Good morning, Master. Good morning, Miss. Katrina figures Master and Miss is very hungry. Miss was loud last night."

Lupin laughed at his impertinent house elf as Tonks blushed scarlet. At the sight of the tears in her eyes they both felt guilty, which was doubled, as elf begged, "Please don't take Miss away from Katrina again."

"I'm not going anywhere, Katrina." Tonks told her gently, getting out of bed wrapped in the sheet. Kneeling in front the house elf, she told her, "In fact, you better owl my mother so you two can coordinate wedding plans."

"Miss is wearing Mistress' ring. Master has asked Miss to marry him?"

"Yes, I did, Katrina." Lupin said joining Tonks wrapped in the blanket. "I'm very lucky, and grateful, that she accepted. Let Nymphadora owl her mother first before you begin wedding plans. A small wedding." He added as the house elf exited the room excitedly.

"Back in bed." Tonks told him, pushing him gently onto the bed.

"Yes, my love. What are you going to do to me?"

"Have my wicked Metamorphmagus way with you of course. Do you like red heads? Or perhaps, black?" She giggled as Lupin pulled Tonks down into the bed with him.

"I love Dora, any way, shape, or form she comes in. Pink?" He asked hopefully.

Scrunching up her eyes, she morphed. She could tell by the look of joy on his face that her hair was once again short, spiky, and bubblegum pink.

They spent the rest of the day in bed alternating between making love, talking about what had happened the night before, and sleeping.

Tonks rolled out of bed as morning broke on the second day. She quietly dressed in her jeans and his jumper then went barefoot downstairs to owl her parents. As she was finishing the letter, Lupin strolled into the kitchen.

"You broke our lie-in." He smiled at her.

"Owling Mum and Dad. Not that I'm complaining, but how many more times could we make love?" She blushed at his grin. "I see.And you called yourself an old man."

"A wolf never tires of his mate." He grinned at her, acknowledging her backhanded compliment. "Speaking of, I need to check your mark. Is that my jumper?"

"Yes, darling." She told him absentmindedly, scratching her chin with the quill. "Isn't marriage all about sharing?"

Shaking his head, he crossed the room to where she was sitting on a stool, writing on the counter. "You do know that we have a dining room with a table?"

"More cosy in here." Tonks waved at her large mug of tea and large plate of toast. "How's this sound? ' Dear Mum and Dad, You have heard by now what happened the other night. Both Remus" Tonks looked up for a moment "She always asks after you" Then returned to reading her letter "- and I are fine. We are at Lupin Manor until contacted, probably sometime today. There is a spot of joy in this sad time, Remus has asked me to marry him and I accepted-" Once again, Tonks interupted herself "I can see her face now!" Then finished reading what she'd written. "A small wedding, Mum! We'll be by soon as we can. Love, Remus and Nymphadora'."

"We're a matched set now, huh. Remus and Nymphadora." He said as he stole a piece of her toast. "Marriage is all about sharing." He tossed her own words back at her as she protested.

Tonks stuck her tounge out at him, then she sealed the letter with her wand and attached it to the large barn owl that belonged to the Manor. They watched together at the kitchen door as the owl took off.

"Now, let me check your mark." He pulled his jumper down to reveal her left shoulder. There was the werewolf mate bite that he had given her two nights ago. It was pink and swollen, but looked nothing like the bites that Bill had received.

"Amazing." Tonks murmured.

"What?" He asked, prodding the skin gently.

"My sense of smell seems like its on overload. All I can smell is you. I'm totally aroused right now." She told him before turning and capturing his mouth savagely.

"Oh my God." Lupin muttered as he backed her out of the kitchen and back up to the bedroom.

Lupin's eyes cracked open a few hours later to see Minerva McGonagall's Patronus staring at him. It meowed in greeting then relayed its message. As it vanished, he groaned.

"Dora." He shook his mate. "Wake up, love. Minerva needs us."

"I'm up." Tonks said sleepily. "Did you call me Dora?"

"Yes. I have been. Do you want me to call you Tonks as we make love? You hate your given name, though it is appropriate."

She laughed. "I do like Dora. You're only you can call me that, though." She smiled at the pleased look on his face.

Getting serious, Lupin told her, "Minerva has a mission for us. Grimmauld Place's Secret Keeper is gone. You and I have to go make sure and double check that there is no Order paperwork or anything of the sort lying around. While the house belongs to Harry, the Charm has been broken. Anyone, including Bellatrix and Narcissa, can go waltzing into the house.. Are you okay?"

"I don't want to go back there, Remus. There are too many memories."

"We have to go back, Dora. We'll face those memories together. Just think how happy Sirius would be now we're engaged." He stroked her cheek as a lone tear slid down it.

"He'd be ecstatic." She agreed. "Well, let's go and get this over with." She turned to reach for her jeans that she had been wearing for two days when she noticed her overnight bag on the bedside nightstand. "Katrina?" She asked him.

"Katrina. She's a smart little house elf. Willing to do anything to please her new Mistress."

"That reminds me, I'm going to have to give up my flat. Lupin Manor is my home now." She smiled at the grin that broke out on his face. "I'm going to take a quick shower.alone." She added. "Or we'll never get this mission done." She laughed as the grin turned to a fake pout.

During his turn in the shower, she dressed in the red lace knickers and bra he had chosen for her. Throwing on a clean pair of jeans and a purple t-shirt, she turned as he exited the bathroom draped on in a towel. "What colour hair?" She asked.

"Purple, to match your t-shirt." He told her quickly getting dressed. "Let's go."

They Apparated to Grimmauld Place's park. There, across the street, was Number 12. Neither made a move towards the house.

"I don't want to be here. " Tonks told him. "I haven't been here since that night."

"Neither have I."

"Where did you stay between that night and the sixth day when I woke up?"

"Either at the hospital or the Burrow. Molly cleaned out the house, including all my stuff. It's smart of Minerva to have someone double check. Are you ready for dear Auntie Ascella's screams?" He asked as he tapped the door with his wand. It opened.

"Ready as I'll ever be. You sure you want to marry me? That means you'll be marrying into the Black family."

He chucked as she shuddered. "I suppose I'll have to. I'll take them if I get you."

Remus pushed the door open, they were greeted with silence. Ascella Black's portrait still hung on the wall, but she watched as they entered the house.

They both jumped as she quietly asked, "Is it true? My son Sirius, the last Black, is dead. Tell me that Phineas Nigellus is lying. That the House of Black is not defunct."

Lupin and Tonks exchanged startled glances. Tonks shuffled up to her great aunt's portrait actually feeling sorrow for a woman who had screamed obstinacies at her and anyone else of whom she did not approve. "I'm sorry Aunt Ascella, but, yes, Sirius is dead. The only trueborn Blacks left are my mother, Aunt Bellatrix, and Aunt Narcissa. There is Draco and I, but." She trailed off as Mrs Black closed her eyes and looked away "Let's go, Remus."

They quickly searched the house in silence. Molly Weasley had done a thorough cleaning; there was not a paper, or anything else for that matter, in sight. Even the drawers in all the bedrooms were cleared out.

"Nothing." Lupin announced as he finished checking the desk in the library. He turned to see Tonks staring into the empty fireplace. "Are you alright, Dora?"

"I can't believe he's dead." She said. Remus wasn't sure if she was talking about Sirius or Dumbledore. "What are we going to do? Our fate rests solely in the hands of a 16 year old boy."

Lupin crossed to where she was standing. Turning her around, he raised her face to his and said, "We have to move on. We need to support Harry in whatever he needs to do, no matter what it costs us. We have each other, but Harry's going to need us as well."

"Let's go. There's nothing here." She whispered. "Take me home, Remus."

Hand in hand, they made their way to the front door. As they exited, Tonks told Mrs Black goodbye. They would probably never meet again.

Neither heard Ascella's sad whispered response of farewell.

TBC