A/N: Sorry this chapter's a bit short, but I'm getting busy now that our holidays are over and the next ones will probably only be one chunk as well. Usual disclaimers, blah blah blah.

Nimrithiel - Thank you, lol. The poetry is not "mine", strictly speaking. I don't write poetry like that.

anony - I have! Here's the 3rd chapter!

FetishFemale - Thanks for keeping up with the story, one step more is here!

slightly so - Your wish is my command. Or, at least, when we both want the same thing.

I hate the way you're always right,
I hate it when you lie,
There's a pain in my back from staying in this cramped position for so long. I shiver to think the state Remus' must be in. Hiding behind a bush isn't exactly my idea of a good time, and hiding behind a bush without moving or making any sounds for an hour is hell. Consoling myself with the thought of a nice, long soak in the tub after we get back only helps so much. Nudging Remus, I put my mouth to his ear and whisper as quietly as I can.

"Do we really have to do this? It doesn't look like there is anyone in there." His eyebrows move into an amused position, and we maneuver with excruciating slowness so he can whisper back into my ear. "Yes, we do. And even if your multicolored eyes can't see anything, my nose is telling me there's something in there." Oh. Of course. That's the thing about Remus – he's got a better chance than Kingsley and I put together of detecting somebody in a rundown house if they're hiding behind the wall.

His description of my eyes brought something else quite differently multicolored to my mind. Suddenly, an image of Remus in his huge wolf form surrounded by multicolored cubs jumping on him popped into my head. I had to clamp my mouth on the nearest thing, which happened to be my knee, to stop myself laughing. It worked rather well, except that I know have a pain in my knee as well as my back. Remus is looking at me rather strangely, and I can't blame him. As a werewolf, he bit himself, but as a human, he did not. And witnessing me doing it was probably quite unexpected.

"Something wrong, Nymph? Did something crawl up there?" With tears of both laughter and aches prickling my eyes, I shook my head slightly and leaned up to talk to him. "Nothing there, but it hurts and so does my back. How much longer do we have to stay here?" His brief look of puzzlement was replaced by a bemused grin. "Nymphadora, I'm the middle-aged werewolf with declining health, you're the young, fit auror and yet you're the one complaining about back pain?"

I had to try very, very hard to resist the temptation to bite his knee, which was right next to mine. As usual, Remus was right. He must be suffering in silence, as usual, and suffering so much more than me. A small twinge in my heart set off the voice in my head again. He's next to you, Tonks, he's soooo close… Remus starts slightly when he feels my hand on his back. Quickly, before he can object, I run my had across the stiff muscles and massage them, trying to rub the soreness away. For a moment, he looks completely stunned. Then he smiles his thanks, and resumes watching the house. Is it just me, or was his smile slightly forced, strained?

"Any better? Sorry I've been whining." He turns his head to reply but his eyes remain fixed on the rank back door. "I'm fine, it doesn't really hurt." His muscles flatly contradicted his words, cold and hard. Grinning evilly, I lean in closer than strictly necessary so my lips brush lightly against his ear. "Are you afraid of me?" He tries to keep the act up too when somebody smiles and frowns at the same time, one of them is a lie. And I think I know which. "No, just… Tonks, please. We're on a mission. We shouldn't be… distracted from our real purpose here."

His shoulders stiffen, and I mean the whole structure, bones, ligaments and nerves, not just the muscles. I know time's up, and two hands fiddle with my wand now. Instantly, the tension in Remus frees up, and the carefully constructed mask of calm amiableness is slipped on. He was lying. He is afraid of me and what I want. This time, the tears prickling my ears are from neither laughter or my aching body.