A/N: I hope this chapter clears up any confusion. If you were curious, most of the Vegas landmarks depicted here are real (my aunt lives there). Please read and review!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Star Wars still don't belong to me. Pity, that.

Part Two of Three

Remus settled back into the bed in the hotel room and sighed. The last full moon had been particularly rough on him, and being in such close proximity to one Nymphadora Tonks was not helping his nerves any. She made him want to feel happy and alive again, despite the horrors of the war around them. A part of him that he had thought long dormant had slowly reawakened.

He knew Tonks was frustrated. They had made strides in their relationship after Dumbledore's funeral, but she had immediately gone off on some Auror mission and he had retreated into his old opinions during their time apart. He honestly had no idea where they stood right now.

"You're a fool, Remus Lupin," he berated himself. "This is your dead best friend's baby cousin." Groaning, he pulled a pillow over his face. Why did things have to be so complicated?

"Wotcher Remus!" Tonks said brightly, bounding into the room. Her hair was the same neon green color it had been when they arrived in the city. "You definitely should have come to the casino with me. I won 500 American Muggle dollars! Isn't that great! Those slot machine things really are ingenious."

Remus removed the pillow from his face and sat up, a look of disbelief on his face. "You went gambling…and won?"

"Of course. I told you I was going to explore the hotel, but you didn't want to come," she said with a grin, pulling a wad of greenish paper bills out of her pocket. "I was going to get dinner at this restaurant downstairs, since I've come into some money. They apparently have really good ribs. Anyway, I thought you might want to come, since you've been cooped up in here. What did you do all day anyway?"

Fantasized about you, Remus thought, but he managed to mumble, "Watched television. Did you know there is a museum dedicated to some Muggle named Liberace?"

"You watched the tourist information channel? Blimey, you need to get out of here. We're going for ribs. My treat." Tonks shoved Remus off the bed and waved her little wad of cash in his face. "And you thought nothing good could come of gambling."

The restaurant was crowded, and it took a little over a half hour for them to be seated. Tonks immediately began poring over the menu, listing off things that sounded good. After several minutes, she discarded the main menu and picked up the drink menu. "I think I want a cocktail to go with my ribs. Do you want anything?"

Remus glanced over the drink menu and shook his head. He was not willing to spend that much money on drinks; water was fine for him. The ribs were expensive enough.

The waiter came to take their order, and Remus let Tonks go first. After Tonks had ordered her drink, the waiter looked at her carefully.

"Do you have ID, miss?" he asked, glancing amusedly at Remus.

"Oh, right." Tonks fumbled in her pocket and produced her passport. The waiter studied it for a few moments before nodding. Apparently satisfied, he turned to Remus and took his order before scurrying away.

"What was that about?" Remus asked, slightly unnerved.

"You have to be twenty-one to drink alcohol in the States. They checked my passport in the casino earlier, too, as the same age rule applies there," Tonks explained easily.

Remus shifted in his seat uncomfortably. The knowledge that people believed Tonks to be under twenty-one made him feel really, really old. The suggestive glance from the waiter hadn't helped, either. He tried to tell himself that her wildly colored hair made her look younger than she actually was, but this didn't make him feel better at all.

Dinner came soon, though, and the ribs were good enough to provide a distraction. Remus couldn't remember the last time he had eaten something so delicious. They chatted amiably between bites, and all in all dinner was a big success.

Maybe this city wasn't so bad after all, Remus realized as they left the restaurant. At Tonks' suggestion, he even agreed to wander around the streets for awhile. He still thought the lights and flashing signs were a bit ridiculous, but he could tell Tonks loved it. It wasn't often she could venture into the Muggle world with bright blue hair and not look out of place.

"Look! A street performer!" Tonks said excitedly, pointing to a man dressed in a colorful jester's costume juggling an impressive array of objects. Loud, annoying music accompanied the performance, which was generally executed with great skill. The man clearly knew what he was doing. Tonks applauded loudly and whistled through her fingers as the performer juggled three flaming torches and two small swords at the same time, and Remus found watching her reaction to be more entertaining than the act itself. They stood there for a few more minutes before continuing down the Strip.

They passed a realistic-looking volcano in front of a large hotel, which Remus thought a little odd. A large crowd had gathered and excited shouts filled the air as the volcano "erupted." Tonks grinned at him, and he managed a small smile. The Muggles in this city did a good job getting by without magic, Remus realized. He wondered how much of that was due to the fact that the American magical government headquarters was hidden here.

Tonks continued to point out various landmarks, finally stopping at a large souvenir shop. She immediately found a display of souvenir t-shirts that read "I Did Vegas" in giant red letters on the front. "We have to get these!" she said, rifling through the rack to find shirts in their sizes.

Remus sensed that it would be useless to protest as Tonks bounded to the counter with two shirts in hand. He flushed furiously as the store clerk smirked at him and he quickly stuffed the shirt in the pocket of his jacket.

After about two hours Tonks ducked into a small shop, leaving Remus standing on the sidewalk feeling foolish. She emerged a few minutes later carrying three small plastic boxes. He looked at her curiously, but she merely smiled and started back towards the hotel.

Remus went into the bathroom and changed into a faded set of flannel pajamas. Nevada really had too warm a climate for flannel, but the hotel room was cool thanks to the Muggle air-conditioning. He returned to the main part of the room to find Tonks reclined on the bed, wearing a pair of pink boxer shorts and her "I Did Vegas" t-shirt. Her hair, he noticed, was also back to its trademark short-cropped bubble-gum color. She's happy, and you did that. Are you trying to make yourself miserable?

"Come here," she said, patting the spot next to her on the bed. "I rented some films. Figured we might as well make good use of the hotel's VCR."

Remus cautiously settled into the bed, making sure no part of him was touching Tonks. If he was going to do this, he had to take things slowly. Suddenly, words appeared on the screen. He turned to Tonks with a small smile as the music blared. "Star Wars? You really rented this?"

"Of course. Just watch," Tonks replied, shutting off the bedside lamp. The light by the door was still on, and there was a glow from the television, but the room was mostly dark. Remus shifted in his seat but managed to pay attention to the film.

It was quite good, he had to admit. He had only seen a Muggle film once before. Lily had wanted to take James, and James had of course dragged his friends with him. Remus chuckled at the memory; clearly, Lily had intended it to be a real date. Instead, Sirius had spent the entire time throwing popcorn at James and Lily while Remus tried to get Peter to shut up. The Muggles in the theater had not been impressed. In the end, he had not paid much attention to the actual film. From what he could remember, he hadn't really liked it.

Remus was somewhat puzzled by the ending. They had won the battle, but, unless he had missed it, Luke hadn't figured out who his father was. Tonks must have sensed his question, because she glanced at the clock and got up to fiddle with the VCR.

"There are actually three movies," she explained. "We can watch all of them right now if you want, but it will probably take until five in the morning."

Shrugging, Remus said, "I'm not really that tired. If you're up for it, let's watch the rest."

Tonks nodded and picked up her key card and a few Muggle dollars from the table. "If we're watching two more movies, I'm going to get some snacks. Want anything?" Remus shook his head. Tonks bounded out of the room and returned a few minutes later with two bottles and several bags.

"I got you something anyway," she said, flopping back down on the bed. "I don't know if you like Coca-Cola, but that's what they had. I also got some crisps and a couple of pastry-type things." She twisted the top off her Coke, only to have it explode all over herself and her half of the bed. "Drat. Should've remembered to let the fizz settle." She grabbed her wand and murmured a few cleaning spells. She had to attempt her Scourgify several times, but the blanket eventually ended up dry. Placing the bottle on the table, she moved to switch the videotapes.

"This one is called The Empire Strikes Back. I think it's the best one, although my dad disagrees. He likes the first one best," she said, taking a long drink from her Coke.

Remus stared at her in amazement. Within the span of five minutes she had purchased an assortment of Muggle junk food, caused a fizzy drink to explode all over, cleaned up said fizzy drink, and settled down to watch another film. She moved so quickly it made him dizzy.

Tonks was right, he decided, the second movie was better. He was also beginning to see why Lucas and Tonks found similarities between Luke and Harry. Both were brave, curious, and somewhat rash. Both had "saving-people-things" that resulted in disaster. The similarities ended there, though, in Remus' opinion. It wasn't a direct parallel by any means.

Though Tonks must have seen the films at least once before, she still had her eyes glued to the screen. At certain moments she would recite the lines along with the characters and then laugh uproariously. Remus had to admit it was the most fun he had had in a long time. There certainly weren't many moments of relaxation like this these days.

He felt suddenly guilty, wondering what the rest of the Order would think if they knew he and Tonks were watching Muggle films when they were supposed to be on a mission. It's not our fault Secretary Lucas can't meet again until Friday, his rebellious side said. He grinned inwardly; Tonks' antics had helped him find his inner Marauder again.

"How is that an ending? Han is frozen in that thing!" Remus exclaimed as the credits rolled. "How long did people have to wait for the next one?"

"Something like two years," Tonks replied. "My dad went crazy with anticipation…fortunately, we can see installment three in about two seconds." She switched the tapes and stole a drink from his Coca-Cola, having finished her own about a half hour ago. She shivered slightly and crawled under the comforter as the opening credits appeared on the screen.

They watched the third film in silence, each sneaking occasional glances at the other. Remus wasn't sure if it was all the sugar or the late hour or what, but he suddenly felt extremely anxious. The film was interesting, to be sure, but he realized it was Tonks who had made the experience enjoyable. During his time with the feral werewolves, he had thought of her more often than he liked to admit. She was the bright spot in his lonely life, and he decided it was high time he really, truly did something about it. As Luke returned victoriously to Princess Leia and Han Solo, Remus leaned over and looked at Tonks with bright eyes. Before she had a chance to speak, he kissed her.

Her shock was evident on her face, but soon she responded and kissed him back. A fire slowly spread through his veins, igniting his keen wolf senses. He pressed harder, enveloping her slender frame in his arms. She tasted of Coca-Cola and strawberry pastry, and her hair smelled of fresh flowers after a spring rain. It was several thousand times more amazing than he had imagined now that he didn't have to feel guilty anymore. After several minutes, he reluctantly broke the embrace, looking for her reaction.

She was smiling, which Remus took to be a good sign. "Wow," she managed. "I've seen The Return of the Jedi six times, and I can say with confidence that this was the best ending ever."

"Thanks, I guess. I hope I wasn't –" He was cut off as Tonks kissed him again.

"I've wanted this for a long time, Remus. You know that," she said with a sigh, flicking off the television and VCR. "Since I was five and Sirius brought you and James and the traitor over to visit, if I'm being completely honest with myself." Her voice was quiet, and she didn't quite manage to look Remus in the eye as she spoke.

"I guess I was afraid you wouldn't want a boring old werewolf like me. I'm not good enough for you," Remus responded softly, taking her hand in his. He was surprised she had held onto a twenty-year-old crush, especially after his behavior over the past year, but he couldn't say he was disappointed.

"We've been over this too many times," said Tonks plainly. She glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. "Seeing as it's nearly morning, I guess we should get some sleep. Good night, Remus."

"Good night, Nymphadora."

Remus awoke the next morning to see Tonks' side of the bed empty. She wasn't in the room at all, and he wondered if she had decided to try her luck at the slots again. Groaning, he glanced at the clock and realized it was nearly noon.

After a quick shower he pulled on a faded polo shirt and trousers. He had tried to pack his best clothes for this trip, as he wanted to make a good impression on the Americans, but he had very few possessions that could be considered the best anything. It was fortunate, really, that people generally paid more attention to Tonks than they did to him.

"Wotcher Remus," Tonks said as she carefully tiptoed into the room, balancing a brown paper bag and two cups of coffee in one hand and sporting a head full of springy blue curls. Sensing imminent disaster, Remus hurried forward to help.

"Thanks," she said with a grin. "Set a new record, I did. Managed to carry that stuff all the way across the street and back up to the room. The shop said they served tea, but I got coffee instead, never met an American who could make a good cup of tea. The scones looked okay though. Oh, and I returned the videos so we don't have to worry about late fees." She bit into one of the scones and chewed thoughtfully. "Not bad, really. Here, have one."

Remus took the scone and coffee and inclined his head in thanks. "So, what's on the agenda for the day?"

"Well, the hotel has two really nice pools, but you don't seem to be the swimming type to me," said Tonks between mouthfuls of scone. Remus shook his head furiously and shuddered at the thought. "That's what I thought. The casino yesterday was fun but a little goes a long way. Were you serious about the Liberace museum?"

"Um, no."

"Good, because I really wasn't looking forward to that. Hmm…" Tonks trailed off, apparently lost in thought. Remus waved a hand in front of her face, trying to catch her attention.

"Do you trust me?" Tonks asked seriously.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do," said Remus, slightly offended that she even had to ask.

"All right then." She ducked into the bathroom and returned a few seconds later dressed in a pair of cropped khaki trousers and a green tank top. She glanced at his outfit critically, then nodded. "You should be okay. Come on, we're kind of getting a late start but we should be able to catch the last bus. We can always Apparate back here, anyway."

Remus followed Tonks down the hall, wondering what she was planning. He wasn't so sure he liked the sound of this bus idea. "Where are we going?"

Tonks merely grinned widely. "You'll see."

After spending over an hour on a bus filled with loud Muggle tourists, Remus began to understand why Tonks had asked if he trusted her. He was curious, but he had never been very comfortable in crowds. A tour guide was talking up front, but it was too noisy for him to hear properly from their spot in the back of the bus.

They had clearly left the city, and the landscape was more rugged. When they finally stopped, Remus looked around, expecting to see some sort of building. Instead, he saw only a sign that read "Welcome to the Grand Canyon."

He glanced over at Tonks, an excited smile on his face. "This was the surprise? How did you know I wanted to see the Grand Canyon?"

Tonks shrugged. "Well, you put up with me wandering around the city, and I figured if you didn't like the lights and noise maybe you would like this."

Remus stepped away from the main tour group, eager to peer over the edge of the cliff. He had never seen anything so vast and magnificent in his life. "Makes you feel rather small and insignificant, doesn't it?"

Stepping closer to Remus, Tonks stared down at the gorge. "Yes…but it's peaceful too. Reminds me that good things can still be found in this world."

"Why Nymphadora, that was almost philosophical."

"What can I say? You're rubbing off on me." Tonks grabbed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. They stayed that way for a long time, until the sun set over the valley.

It was late when they finally returned to the hotel. They were able to Apparate directly into the room, as there were no wards set up around the Muggle hotel, even if it was the hiding place of the American Department of Magic.

"Thanks for a wonderful day," Remus said sincerely as they settled down to sleep. He picked at a loose thread on his flannel top, wrapping it around his finger idly.

"The pleasure was all mine," Tonks replied sleepily. She curled up under the comforter, and Remus realized he wasn't so worried about staying on his side of the bed.