Part Three of Three
"Good to see you again!" Clifford Lucas said boisterously, ushering Tonks and Remus into his office. "This is Mark Petrello, our head of intelligence and security. Mark, this is Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin of the British Ministry," said Lucas, gesturing to a tall, middle-aged man with dark hair and eyes. Tonks decided not to correct him; she was a Ministry member, at least, even if Remus wasn't.
"Nice to meet you," Petrello replied cordially, shaking their hands. The three of them settled into chairs in front of Lucas' desk.
"I have filled Petrello in on what you told me on Wednesday. We agree it would be in our interest to aid your cause as best we can. We stayed out of the war against Grindelwald too long, and we all know what came of that disaster. My father knew Roosevelt personally and tried to explain the magnitude of the war, but it took the bombing of Pearl Harbor for him to do anything about it," Lucas explained.
Remus smiled at the news that the Americans would help. "We hope the Muggles will not become involved as they were during the Second World War."
"What is it you do for the Ministry, Mr. Lupin?" Petrello asked.
"Research," Remus replied, thinking quickly. "Tonks here is an Auror, though."
"Are you really? Is it your department we would be working with?" inquired Petrello.
"Hopefully," Tonks answered honestly. "In all likelihood, you would aid the Order directly. Minerva McGonagall and Alastor Moody are largely in charge of the Order now. We sought American support because of your excellent intelligence department, so any operations would be highly classified and covert."
"Of course, of course. You tell McGonagall I will be contacting her sometime next week, after I get my team together. She is now the headmistress of your school?" Remus and Tonks both nodded. "Very well," said Petrello. "I look forward to working with the two of you."
Lucas smiled and clapped his hands together. "Well, that's settled then. I know this will end happily for all of us." Remus and Tonks nodded politely and rose to leave.
"'May the Force be with you!'" Lucas called after them. "If you see young Mr. Potter, tell him that for me, will you?"
Tonks glanced back at Lucas with a brilliant smile. "Of course we will."
Tonks and Remus grabbed lunch from a small café before returning to their room. "You know," Tonks said as she paced back and forth across the carpet, "we still have almost twenty-four hours before our scheduled portkey back to England. Don't you feel like doing something fun? Especially since the mission turned out to be so successful."
"Um, I don't know. I think I've already had enough fun on this trip," Remus said with a smirk.
Tonks thought for a moment before jumping up on the bed next to Remus. "I know! Let's get married!"
Remus shook his head and made a motion to clean out his ear, thinking he could not have heard that correctly. "What?"
"We should get married. I told you when we first got here this city made me want to do something crazy," said Tonks seriously. "Really, though, it would be practical as well. There's almost no red tape involved in getting a marriage license here."
"But-but…I haven't even asked you to marry me!" Remus sputtered.
"I know that. But you want to, don't you? We certainly danced around each other enough back home. And the process would take ages there, especially with all the tests and paperwork we'd have to go through since I'm an Auror and you're a werewolf. They'd have to make sure I wouldn't reveal any classified information to you, and I'm sure you're quite aware of all the stupid regulations you'd have to deal with. It would probably be over a year before the Ministry would approve the license, if they did at all." Tonks spoke quickly, her eyes brimming with excitement.
"But Nymphadora, I never asked!"
"You didn't have to," Tonks replied. "Come on, haven't you always wanted to do something so wild no one would believe it was true? Imagine the look on Molly's face! Or Mad-Eye! Ahh, that would be great."
"Marriage seems to be a little too serious to take so lightly," Remus replied soberly. He moved off the bed and leaned up against the wall. She couldn't possibly be serious, could she?
Apparently she was. "Remus, I want to. When are we going to get the chance again? You avoided me for a year before I could get through to you, and I'm sick of waiting. Sure, it's a little unorthodox, but that's half the fun."
Remus sighed and crossed his arms. "What would your parents say?"
"They'll get over the shock and be happy, I'm sure. I don't really care what they think anyway; if I did, I wouldn't be an Auror," said Tonks. She scrunched up her face and changed her hair back to its real color, though the brown didn't seem as dull as it had before. For a fleeting moment, Remus wondered if the Muggle hotel workers had taken notice of her frequent hair color changes, but he figured it wasn't all that important. Not in this city, at least.
He had to admit he had often dreamed of sharing his life with the spunky young Auror. It had been terrible trying to hide his childish crush, firstfrom Sirius and then from the feral werewolves. Others were bound to disapprove. He was twelve years older than she. He was a bleeding werewolf. He had no real job at the moment. Surely things like this should matter to a bright young Metamorphmagus who had one of the most prestigious jobs in the Ministry.
Glancing at Tonks, though, he could see that none of these things really mattered to her at all. Though she had told him this "a million times," as she said, he had never really believed it before now. She had apparently loved him since she was five, which he still found almost unbelievable. He remembered Sirius' five-year-old cousin Dora, who had instantly attached herself to her older cousin's friends. His seventeen-year-old self had been wary at first, afraid he might hurt her, but she had always welcomed him. Her parents had as well. Then, of course, everything had gone to hell and he had retreated back into his misery. He had been alone for too long.
"You know what?" he said suddenly. "Let's get married."
The line at the Marriage License Bureau was a little long, but less than an hour later they had acquired all the necessary paperwork. It took a bit longer than usual because the clerk had to make several photocopies of their Muggle passports, which were understandably dodgy, as Kingsley had made them.
Next they visited a small jewelry shop to pick out inexpensive rings. Remus let Tonks choose; he didn't particularly care and she was paying more than half price anyway. Her gambling winnings had gone much farther than he had expected. Tonks showed him the plain gold bands as they left the shop, mentioning that they could charm them as was done in wizarding ceremonies later. That taken care of, they stopped at a small outdoor drink bar to look over the paperwork.
"Now, the hotel has a wedding chapel, but we could go somewhere else. There are all sorts of themes to choose from. We could even have an Elvis impersonator perform!" Tonks said excitedly as she shuffled through the sizeable stack of brochures.
Remus shifted in the rather uncomfortable plastic chair. Suddenly this seemed like the worst idea ever. "Why don't we go back to the hotel and see if we can't just do it there. That seems easiest." He had no idea what an Elvis impersonator was, but it couldn't be anything good.
Nodding, Tonks threw away her plastic lemonade cup and started back for the hotel eagerly. He followed a few steps behind, smiling at her bouncing figure. Her attitude made him feel a little less worried about the whole thing.
The hotel's wedding chapel had an opening that afternoon, as it seemed someone had cancelled at the last minute. Remus couldn't decide if this was fortunate or not. Before he could really stop to think about it, though, Tonks dragged him to the preparation area to pick out clothes.
She looked through the rack of brightly colored medieval costumes with a look of concentration on her face. "Let's see. Do you want to dress as Merlin or King Arthur?"
"Nymphadora, this is so tacky. Do we really need to wear this stuff?" Remus poked at the velvet sleeve of a very elaborate "wizards' robe."
"This from a man who wears tweed," Tonks said, snorting. "That's half the fun. Can you help me find a dress I won't trip over?"
Sighing, Remus began searching through the various gowns. His eyes finally landed on a pale pink satin. It was delicate and feminine, but not overly so.
"How about this one?" he said, pulling it out to show the dress to Tonks. "It looks like it would fit you."
Tonks grabbed the dress and eyed it critically. "It's perfect," she declared. "Now, what are you wearing?"
Sheepishly, Remus held up his own old set of grey dress robes. "Everything they have here is either too fancy or too fake-looking. I can get by in this, I think."
"Oh fine. You need to sign this paper, by the way, for the hotel." Tonks handed Remus a sheet of paper and a ballpoint pen. She hurried into the changing room, humming some nonsensical tune.
Remus looked over the marriage certificate, cursed himself for being an idiot, and signed the paper as required. He pulled on the worn robes – they had been somewhat decent once, when he had worn them to James and Lily's wedding. For some reason, he had been possessed to bring them on this trip.
"I guess I know why," he murmured wryly, buttoning the sleeve. He stared at himself in the full-length mirror. The robes were a little dusty and clashed with his brown shoes. He traced a finger over a long scar on his cheek and wondered when his hair had gotten so grey. "This is a bad idea," he mumbled to himself. "Only a month ago she was still depressed because of my stubbornness. We kissed for what might as well be the first time two days ago (his brief lapses of judgment during denial didn't count). On top of that, I look like some sort of pathetic Muggle clown."
With a sigh, he stepped back into the reception area to wait for Tonks. He smiled at the sounds of her cursing as she apparently struggled with the dress, but as the door opened his heart leapt into his throat.
The pink satin gown had long, bell-shaped sleeves and a square-cut neckline. The bodice was fitted before flaring out just below the waist to trail elegantly downwards, the hemline barely meeting the floor. Tonks was built boyishly, but still most definitely a woman, and the dress suited her perfectly.
"You did a good job finding this," she said shyly. "I think I'm going barefoot, though, I'll be less likely to fall on my face then."
Remus finally found his voice. "You look beautiful, Nymphadora." She flushed prettily before grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the chapel.
The chapel was decorated to look like a medieval castle. Red banners hung from the walls, and torches lit the path to the altar. Remus was reminded of Hogwarts, if Hogwarts had electric torches and fake stone walls. The wedding official looked like a bad imitation of a pagan priest, and some perfectly awful music came from an organ in the corner that was, at least, real. The woman playing it, however, had a mechanical look to her, as though she had been programmed to play wedding songs until she eventually gave up and died. Two other hotel employees, dressed as knights, stood as witnesses, and Tonks squeezed his hand as they approached the official.
He did not really pay much attention to the words of the ceremony. It was obviously a very fake reproduction of some supposed medieval ritual. Instead, he stared at Tonks as the official performed his piece. The man stumbled over their unusual names, which caused Tonks to shake with silent laughter. Remus tried to glare at her reprovingly, but he couldn't stop from smiling himself. The whole thing really was too funny.
When asked to repeat some vow, Remus did so. A distant part of his brain noted that the words rhymed childishly. He then placed the ring on her finger as instructed, and felt the cool weight of the metal as she returned the gesture. The whole thing seemed very surreal until Tonks pulled him in for a kiss.
They posed for pictures afterwards and Remus hoped he never had to see them. They probably looked ridiculous. A small crowd had gathered outside the chapel area, and he tried to hide his face as the same front desk clerk met his eyes with a knowing smile. They changed back into their Muggle clothes and ran back to their room. Tonks couldn't stop laughing.
"That was great!" she said, breathing heavily. "Best thing I ever did."
"I'd have to agree there," Remus replied as he kicked off his worn brown shoes. He pulled Tonks closer to him and breathed in the scent of her hair. She smiled up at him and brushed a stray strand of graying hair from his face.
"I love you, Nymphadora," he said softly, tracing the line of her jaw with his finger.
"I know," Tonks replied with a smirk. "Which is good, I suppose, as we're married." Her smile grew wider as she met his embrace.
"You did what?" Molly Weasley exclaimed as Tonks and Remus made their report at the next Order meeting. Much to Remus' chagrin, Tonks had insisted upon wearing her "I Did Vegas" t-shirt, and had forced him to wear his as well. He had put on a jumper over it, though.
"Like I said, we met with the American Secretary of Magic and the head of their Department of Intelligence, and they agreed to help in any way they can. Then, since we had an extra day in the States, Remus and I decided to get married," Tonks explained, grinning madly.
"You don't just decide to get married because you have some free time!" Molly said exasperatedly. Remus supposed she was just upset because she hadn't been able to over plan their wedding as she was doing Bill and Fleur's.
"Oh come now, Molly, they're adults. I, for one, think it is wonderful," Arthur said excitedly. He eyes suddenly grew round with anticipation. "Did you really have a Muggle wedding?"
"Yes, we did, though it was somewhat…different from a traditional wedding," Remus replied with a chuckle. He sensed movement at his side and glanced in horror at Tonks, who was pulling something from her pocket. "Nymphadora, no. You are not showing them those awful pictures."
"Why not? My mum thought they were cute," Tonks replied. Remus shuddered at the memory; that had been an awkward visit, despite the fact that Tonks' parents had seemed mostly accepting of the whole thing.
"I thought you said it was a Muggle wedding. Why did you wear wizard robes, Remus?" Arthur asked, looking almost disappointed as he peered at one of the photos.
"It was a Muggle wedding, but in Las Vegas they have these crazy wedding chapels where you can have themed ceremonies. Ours was this ridiculous Merlin and King Arthur thing," Remus said, frowning down at the Muggle prints of himself and Tonks standing in the fake castle flanked by the fake knights. He supposed it had been better than having an Elvis impersonator.
"It was not ridiculous!" Tonks said, swatting Remus' arm with a picture. She suddenly glanced over at McGonagall, as though remembering something. "Minerva, do you know where Harry is? We have a message for him."
McGonagall looked at her with a somewhat startled expression, but she was smiling nonetheless. "He is at the Burrow, I believe, as Bill and Fleur's wedding is in two days." Molly and Arthur both nodded to confirm this fact.
"Brilliant, we'll be there," Tonks said. "I wonder if Harry has seen Star Wars."
"Star Wars? What are you on about?" Molly asked. "What happened to you in that city, Remus, you were always so responsible."
"The American Secretary of Magic wanted us to tell Harry something…it's a line from a Muggle film," Remus said. He couldn't help but laugh at the flabbergasted look on Molly's face, though he understood where she was coming from.
Before this trip he could never have imagined himself doing something so outrageous. Quiet, unassuming Remus Lupin never acted so rashly. Tonks had actually needed to remind him they were married the morning after the ceremony, as he hadn't been quite sure that it had really happened. It was probably a good thing James and Sirius weren't around to make fun of him over that. He smiled slightly, then noticed that Molly was still looking for him to explain himself.
"Getting married may have been a bit…impulsive, but it felt right. Being in that city does something to you…I can't describe it," he said finally, looking at Tonks fondly.
"Well, it's about bloody time," Moody grumbled. "We've been waiting for this to happen for ages." Remus glanced around the table to see the rest of the Order members nodding and smiling. Even Molly now looked a bit teary-eyed.
"See, I told you it was a good idea," Tonks whispered, nudging Remus in the ribs playfully.
"Yes, I guess it was," he agreed. "Even if it was a bit tacky."
The End
A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this little story. I know it was a welcome distraction from studying for me (last exam is tomorrow!). Thanks to everyone who reviewed; I love reading your comments. Happy Holidays!