Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything at all. Some of the conversations are from an actual RolePlay. If you wish to know about this RPG site, please go to my author's page for the link.

:O:

The whole floor was deserted, for almost everyone had gone home to rest safely for the night. Many Aurors with family had an unsaid excuse to go home earlier, because you never know that one day they might not be home when you arrive. And no one said anything to stop them.

Tonks sat in her cubicle back at the Auror HQ. She numbly sat in her chair staring at the blank wall in front of her. She thought about that particular part of what he said that night. "What I failed to say three months ago is that I don't think I'm ready for those kinds of responsibilities." So did that imply that he was only dating her because she had caused a scene back at the Hospital Wing three months ago? Was he planning to break up with her soon? Waiting awhile until she got tired of him? I hate men…

She felt her eyes sting and soon she had given up on trying to hold them in. Her tears fell silently, while she was still looking at the blank walls. Many other fellow Aurors had pictures of their family and friends, and yet she had none. She often got jealous at the pictures of their children hugging and kissing them. She hoped that one day, she would have pictures like them to fill up her small cubicle. The tears still fell, and she laughed aloud softly at how foolish she might look right now. Crying over a guy because he said he doesn't want to marry you.

She heard footsteps coming down the hall, and she quickly got rid of the blotchy skin and her runny nose. She then picked some random paperwork that had pilled up on her desk. She bent her head down, looking as if she was in deep concentration. The footsteps passed, and she sighed of relief. Suddenly, the footsteps seem to slow down and they quickened the pace back to her door. A familiar head of her fellow Auror came into view.

"Tonks?" she asked uncertainly. "That you?"

She sighed again, and lifted her head putting on a happy face. "Yes, it's only me."

"Dear lord, what happened to your hair?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

Hair, she thought. Bullocks! "Uh...I was just trying on different colors. You know me, I like variety!" she said quickly and fake laughing.

"Well, just for the record, that makes you look…look older and more mature," she said still eyeing Tonks. "I thought someone was rummaging through your office, because I couldn't recognize you! The brown suits you by the way," she said with a smile and went on her way to the end of the hall. Her footsteps' died away and there was silence once more.

Tonks groaned loudly and smacked away the tall pile of paperwork on her desk. The papers went every which way and finally landed on the ground. She let her head drop on the desk with a loud thump. Whenever she was upset with Remus her hair turned the same mousy brown color as his. Of course, he had the gray streaks in his. Bloody emotions and morphing… She slowly drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Remus Lupin.

:O:

Andromeda Tonks was sitting at her desk. For the first time in a while, she had something other than healing patients to do; filing. As the Healer tapped her wand onto the top of a large pile of sheets (which immediately hole-punched themselves and began sorting themselves into three piles), the door to her office opened, revealing her daughter.

Andromeda looked up to see her daughter, mousey-brown haired today, walk in and stand by the door. "Dora," Andromeda said. She stood up and walked towards the door, seeing the pile of sheets stop shuffling about. "What brings you here?"

"Hello mum," she said weakly. "How's work?" she asked straining to smile, but couldn't. Her smile came out more like a grimace. She walked over and gave her mother a hug. She hadn't hugged her only mother in a long time now that she thought about it. She felt like young girl today, feeling so secure in her mother's arms.

Andromeda hugged her daughter. She could sense something was wrong - the hug, the color of Tonks' hair, the smile-grimace - everything pointed to a problem. "Work's fine. But are you alright?"

"Oh sure, the usual work. The field work, and I'm fine by the way, I wasn't hurt," she said before her mother asked if she felt sore from the night before. "Work just got me more stressed out than usual." She looked to her mother, who had on an expression that clearly read 'Stop beating around the bush and tell mum what's wrong'.

"Oh alright, something has happened."

Andromeda smiled and led her daughter to the chair in front of her desk. "So, what happened?" she asked, conjuring up a chair to sit beside her daughter.

"Ever had an experience where a guy said that he wasn't good enough for you?" Tonks asked her mother.

"Is it Remus?" Andromeda asked softly, smiling sadly. She figured out why her hair was mousy brown today, instead of the usual cheerful pink.

"Who else would it be?" she answered dryly.

"Is that what he said? That he wasn't good enough for you?" Andromeda asked concerned.

"Yeah, he said he was too poor to marry me," she said sorrowfully.

"Marriage?" she asked surprised. "How did this topic come up?"

"It slipped," she said cringing at her clumsiness.

"Oh Dora," she said as she brought her daughter to her and hugged her again. "You gotta understand. It's his morals; you can't blame him for feeling that way. I'm so sorry darling."

"I know."

"Maybe he's too sagacious for his own good, turning away one of the most beautiful, intelligent, and overall wonderful woman, just because he doesn't feel worthy of her. He's just too gentlemanly, don't you think?"

"Yes."

"I'm sure he'll come around, Dora. He's a good man and he loves you," she said kindly and kissing her head.

"Healer Tonks, patient in room 406 needs you ASAP," someone shouted from the doorway.

"I'll be there in a second! Now, Dora, shouldn't you be at work?" she asked as she got up from her seat.

"Thanks for reminding me, mum," she said dully. "I'm in no mood for work. I'm calling in sick."

"Good idea, dear. You should rest. See you soon," she said waving as she horridly went out the door.

Tonks just sat there, thinking about what her mother had said. So much for getting advice from mum. He loves me? Then why does he pull away from me whenever I try to get close? She sat there pondering, while the papers on Healer Tonks' desk kept on filing.