The pubs close to the Ministry each cater to a specific clientele. The Gavel is where the wizards and witches who deal with trials and hearings mingle, and The Iron Shackle is the pub Aurors gather in on Friday nights. Sitting at a table near the dartboards lining the back wall listening to Remus and Kingsley chat, I glanced at the door for the tenth time in as many minutes. Finally seeing my friend making her way around the bar, I stood and called, "Wotcher, Cami!"

She waved and headed toward our table. "Hello, Tonks, Remus, Kingsley." Picking up the tankard of Butterbeer I'd ordered for her, she smiled. "Thanks."

"Butterbeer?" Kingsley's tone was humorously inquiring. He lifted a brow along with his glass of imported ale.

Cami tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes met mine for a brief instant before she said quietly, "I don't drink."

Everyone got the implication. She wasn't abstaining for religious convictions. The quick glance she'd thrown me had been rueful and pained. Cami had been the one to invite me to drown my sorrows after my break-up with Evan. Long after I'd quit in drunken misery, she'd kept on drinking until she'd passed out. Soon afterwards, Morty and I had persuaded her to enter a treatment programme.

I asked Cami about a recent case. Without divulging specifics, she told us about an insurance scam with an ironic humour that Kingsley clearly appreciated. I was mentally patting myself on the back when Remus leaned close to whisper, "You're an adorable matchmaker."

Pretending to pout, I said huffily, "Adorable?"

He smiled wolfishly. I now enjoyed the aptness of the expression as much as the tingle that went down my spine in response. In a low, husky voice he said, "Sexy."

"That's better." I kissed him full on the mouth to show my appreciation. I was very appreciative. Our companions were not.

"PDA's are considered unbecoming to an Auror, Tonks," Kingsley said.

I unlocked Remus's lips and turned to respond indignantly that I wasn't on duty when I noticed the corners of Kingsley's mouth were twitching. Cami giggled. I made a face. "OK, fine, it's only natural that you're jealous, being unattached. I understand completely, and I'll be more considerate."

"How kind," Cami said with a long-suffering look at the wizard on her right.

Kingsley smiled. Inwardly, I gloated over my brilliance in getting the two together. Jumping up when I saw a group leave a dartboard open, I dashed over to claim it. "Let's play!"

A few hours later, Remus and I had won two matches of Cricket, and he'd narrowly won several matches of 501, but I'd lost something more important than a darts match. My matchmaking hadn't been the success I'd first thought it would be. Kingsley and Cami got along great, but they didn't strike sparks off each other. There were no lingering looks, brushing of fingers or anything remotely like romantic interest arcing between them. Sitting at our table listening to the pair discussing dogs—he had a chocolate lab, and she was gushing about the Newfoundland mix of her dreams—I tried not to pout.

Remus whispered in my ear, "Whenever you do that with your lower lip, I want to. . . ."

Instantly distracted from my disappointment, I leaned closer, murmuring, "What?"

My eyes opened wide when I felt his finger rubbing my lip back and forth. He chuckled. I looked at him with a dazed smile before throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him soundly.

"Merlin save you, Tonks, if you act like this on Halloween," Kingsley said.

Remus asked, "What's this about Halloween?" His sideways glance read my nervousness, and he sat up straighter.

Before he could ask, Kingsley said, "I think I've had one ale too many. Thanks for inviting me. I've enjoyed getting to know everyone better, but I'd better Apparate home." He flashed a piratical smile. I looked surreptitiously over at Cami. Nope, she wasn't even affected in the gorgeous guy appreciation way that I was. Sighing heavily, I rose along with the others and followed them to the door.

Once the other two had Apparated, Remus regarded me steadily. "I think we need to talk."

"Want to go admire the last quarter moon on my rooftop?" His expression softened. He nodded and then Apparated. I released a deep breath and followed suit.

Up amongst the greenery of the rooftop garden, I stood crossing my arms, not looking forward to sharing the details of our next mission. I should've told him sooner, but I hadn't wanted to deal with the reality myself, so I'd procrastinated.

"Feeling defensive?"

Immediately rubbing my arms like I'd been cold, I shook my head and laughed a bit. "No, not at all, I didn't come up with this plan, I just got handed it like a hot potato." My laugh was short. "I…I guess I figured I'd let it cool down a bit before I tossed it at you."

I admired the fluid grace of his movements, even while acknowledging silently that if I got my teeth rattled for keeping secrets, I deserved it. Instead of shaking me, Remus slid his hands up and down my arms in a comforting motion. "You don't have to handle things by yourself anymore. Let me share the burdens."

Blinking back tears of relief that he wasn't mad, I tried to smile. "All right." Unable to look into his eyes, I turned my head to rest on his shoulder and hugged him. I released a shaky breath. "Our cover this time isn't a couple, since Rosier might be on the lookout for one. It's…er…a father and daughter."

The hands that had begun stroking my back stilled. "Who?" My strangled laugh caused him to say, "No. Not the Parkinsons."

The quiet indignation in his voice made me feel better for my outburst in Kingsley's office. I'd used expletives that had once earned Mum's infamous Soapy Mouth Jinx. Once I'd stopped cursing and calmed down, I realized that the plan was sound. Although the knowledge had been paid for dearly, I knew the Parkinsons, and Prissy, especially well. I could impersonate her in a heartbeat. I just didn't want to. In a small voice, I said, "If there was any other way, I'd say hell no, but there's not, so I said I'd do it."

"Oh, baby." His lips grazed my forehead and then drifted down to my mouth. The way he said "baby" wasn't the same as those blokes you hear in the pub saying, "Order me another beer, will you baby?" It wasn't demeaning. It was used in the same way I'd called him baby, with tenderness and caring.

A kiss in the moonlight is usually romantic, but this was comforting. Remus knew I didn't look forward to being Evan's fiancée for a night, and I was well aware that he didn't look forward to watching me swan around with my ex, even if I was playing the part of someone else.

"He never made me feel the way you make me feel," I said as his lips trailed down my throat. When he reached the curve where the love bite had once shown, my heart pounded. "Do it again." His mouth was warm, and after lightly sucking my skin, his lips returned to mine. I lightly sucked his tongue. Our kiss became passionate. After several heated moments, Remus stepped away, breathing heavily.

"I'll come back tomorrow at eleven and bring a picnic for the park. You can tell me the details then." His smile was tight. "Er…I think I'll bring Snuffles along." Remus's gaze flickered down to my chest. "Remove the temptation to mark my territory further."

"Remove?" I smiled cheekily.

"Reduce," he conceded, smiling. I offered to see him downstairs, but he shook his head and headed for the fire escape. The waning moon seemed to put a spring in his stride, or maybe that was me.

I went to watch him climb down, blowing him a kiss when he reached the bottom. After Remus Apparated, I reclined on the lounger and watched the stars, smiling as I rubbed with my fingertips the small, private reminder that the man I claimed also claimed me.

On Halloween, Remus and I met in back of the Parkinsons' London home and entered through the kitchen entrance. The staff had been dismissed, making the Underground's work easier. I led Remus up the service stairway, stopping at the third floor landing to give him a warm, thorough kiss. "That's got to last until you look yourself again."

The backs of his fingers brushed my cheek. "I'm grateful they're not an affectionate family." Remus's lips twisted. "I'm even happier that Priscilla is cool toward her fiancé as well."

I nodded in heartfelt agreement. If Prissy had been the lovey-dovey type toward Evan, I wouldn't be able to pull the evening off. Thankfully, like a lot of Slytherins, she regarded the emotions that made my life worthwhile bourgeois and distasteful. Steering my mind away from the flash of memory of her lying passively on Evan's bed as though thinking of England or something, I kissed Remus again. That was brill for ridding my brain of unpleasantness.

"Ahem."

I turned to see a small group of Underground members. My eyes met Emmeline's. She winked before saying, "If you are finished discussing the upcoming mission, we are ready to proceed."

Sturgis Podmore snorted. Kingsley told Remus, "This way. We've got the Polyjuice Maximus and Parkinson's costume."

Sighing as I watched my guy stride off to get stuffy, I followed Emmeline and Hestia into Priscilla's bedroom. It was really pink. My jaw dropped as I surveyed the frilly room that would give me nightmares. Hestia smiled. "Lovely, isn't it?"

I remembered the photo on the back of the novel I'd picked up in Hestia's flat. Barbara Cartland seemed to have been inordinately fond of the colour. I smiled weakly. "That's one way to put it." Mrs. Vance coughed discretely. I pressed my lips together to keep from giggling. Priscilla was sleeping in her canopied bed, and hearing a soft snore, I asked, "Memory/Sleep Charm combination spell?"

Emmeline nodded. "Hestia's quite talented with them."

I resolved never to be in a room alone with Hestia and to utilise Shielding Charms at all times. She'd probably love to make me forget Remus. I'd seen her envious look in the corridor.

"Here's your costume," the witch who coveted my man said in a tone that made my insides drop. It was maliciously amused.

I saw why. My costume was that of Columbine, the perky servant in the classic Comedie Francaise. The full skirted dress ended at the knees. The blue, red, and green diamond patterned fabric would make Priscilla's figure look even stouter. That didn't bother me. Neither did the mob cap and frilly little apron. After metamorphosing into Prissy and being helped into my dress, the reason for my dislike of the costume became readily apparent. The bodice was indecently low.

Hestia's glee turned to horror. I feigned innocence. "What's wrong?" She made incoherent splutters. I grinned at Emmeline. "This thing is charmed to keep me from spilling out, right?"

"Of course." The stately inclination of the older woman's head was belied by the naughty twinkle in her eye. "You didn't have any…wardrobe malfunctions…last time, did you?"

"Last time? What's this about last time?" Hestia's cheeks flushed bright pink with indignation.

Emmeline waved her hand dismissively. "No time for your prudishness, Hestia, we have a mission to commence."

Downstairs in the library, I saw my "father" Reginald in an old fashioned Harlequin costume of a tight fitting long jacket and trousers made up of diamond patches of green, blue, and red. He held a tan mask in his hand, ironically representing that he was one of the people.

"You look…charming…my dear Columbine," Remus said.

I snickered. "Yeah, right." Smiling, I said, "You should be Scaramouche instead of Harlequin."

My partner smiled widely, an odd sight to see on the patrician face. Prissy took after her mother, who was recovering at their country estate from some illness, probably an aversion to her icy husband. Bowing, Remus said, "He was born with the gift of laughter and the sense that the world was mad. That's a quote from Scaramouche, and thank you for the compliment." Wrinkling his nose, no doubt over my liberal use of perfume, he smiled. "I hope Sabatini was correct when he wrote, "In this world, nothing succeeds like audacity."

"I'd drink to that if I had one," I said, gazing toward the drinks cabinet. "Can I have one?"

"No," Kingsley snapped. "You need to keep your wits sharp tonight, Tonks."

Merlin, he acted like I'd drink a bottle and go staggering. Remus reached out and took my hand in his, giving it a squeeze. "You'll do fine."

Some imp of mischief made me say, "You're the best Daddy in the whole wide world!" and throw my arms around Remus/Reginald's neck, planting a kiss on his open-in-shock mouth. Hestia, Sturgis and Kingsley protested, Sturgis muttering, "That's not right." Emmeline's chuckle was echoed by Remus, who stepped away shaking his head. I said throatily, "Will you read me a bedtime story later, Daddy?"

A wolfish smile on cold-fish features was surreal. "How about Little Red Riding Hood?"

"How about you Floo to Malfoy Manor and stop this sick and disgusting display?" Hestia demanded.

I shrugged and flounced toward the fireplace. Before I threw the Floo powder, I stated with a sneer, "You're just jealous because Daddy likes me best." The look on the witch's face was priceless. I was still smirking when I stepped into the Malfoy library.

"Delightful costume, my dear Priscilla. How…buxom…you look. Evan is awaiting you in the ballroom." Lucius Malfoy, in a white costume with a black mask, was a fitting Pulcinella. In the Italian Commedie dell'arte, the character was witty, and always got out of everything. Slytherin were quite fond of satire as long as it was directed at others. Narcissa, breaking with what I'd thought was the ball's theme, was Marie Antoinette. They turned to Remus and bestowed their cool greetings on him as well. The moment another guest stepped out of the fireplace, we took our leave.

"They do this sort of thing often?" Remus asked quietly as we surveyed the ballroom. Sumptuously decorated in black and white, the space was filled with costumed partygoers.

I nodded. "If the merely wealthy entertain grandly, then rich Slytherin pure-bloods must entertain three times as lavishly."

Outwardly impassive, Remus made a quiet sound of wry humour. "Rosier's on his way over, and by his costume, believes himself a Scaramouche. When he arrives, I'm off to find Parkinson's associates." His voice lowered. "Take a deep breath and remember that what we're doing is vital, and midnight is only a few hours away."

In traditional costume colours of black with silver and white trim, Evan lifted his white and black mask to say, "Good evening. You're both looking very festive." He extended his arm. "Come, Priscilla."

Feeling like a pug called by her master, I placed my hand on his sleeve. Hours later, after I'd obediently trailed along, chatting with the wives and partners of his associates and dancing with everyone he instructed me to, I noticed that the ballroom crowd was thinner. The guests who had worn the costume of the Commedie dell'arte or Francais were absent except Evan. He was smiling down into the pretty face of a Wizengamot official's wife. She complimented him on his "Romeo outfit." My lips curved. At that instant, my temporary fiancé's eyes caught mine. I felt a frisson of alarm, but he merely smiled in return and continued to chat with the other woman.

A short while later, he steered me out of the ballroom and up the grand staircase, saying, "How remiss I've been, failing to greet my dear fiancée properly."

I was manoeuvred into a small guest bedroom. Unhappily aware that our shared amusement had made Evan suspicious, I clung to my assumed personae and passively allowed him to take me into his arms. Thankful that Prissy was a repressed woman, I stood trying not to shudder while he kissed me. It wasn't that his mouth was repulsive physically. It just felt deeply wrong to have any man but Remus pressing his lips to mine. I detached my mind while his hands roamed and his kiss grew demanding.

Startled by his pushing me back onto the bed, I protested instinctively, "Evan, no."

He stared down at me and drawled, "You're dressed as a servant, my dear, so if you don't want to service me, you'd better start talking, Nymphadora."

Involuntarily, my body jerked. Pale blue eyes blazed. "I've spent all night sorting out the couples, wondering who you were impersonating. I never guessed you'd have this much nerve." Allowing his body weight to imprison me, he said in grudging admiration, "If you hadn't slipped up at the end, I would never have been the wiser."

I whimpered. "Evan, why are you acting this way? I don't understand."

He chuckled. "Do you think Prissy knows the difference between Romeo and Scaramouche? The only thing she enjoys learning about is the latest fad and gossip." His lips brushed mine. "If you don't change, my little metamorphmagus, I'm going to take that silence as an invitation."

His hand was on my thigh. Desperately, I turned my head to the side, saying dully, "I smiled because I thought you looked like Romeo too, but I won't stop you if this is what you want." The resignation in my tone halted the upward slide of his fingers. He took my chin in his hand and turned my face in order to peer at me intently.

"Damn me, I really can't tell." The hand he'd removed from beneath my skirt trailed over the skin exposed by my bodice. "If I offended you, Priscilla, then I apologise. Although I am not privy to certain plans, I know that secrecy is vital, and your father would be the first to agree with my methodology." Kissing me softly, he coaxed, "Tell me again why you want to marry me."

Was this a trick question? In Auror training, we'd learnt the principle of Occam's Razor, the law of economy which states the simplest explanation is the best. Clinging to that tenet, I looked him in the eyes and forced myself to say, "I love you."

Evan cradled my face in his hands. "Only one woman has ever said she loved me, and that's you, Nymphadora."

I froze in shock as his mouth covered mine.

A/N: A fine mess our Tonks has got herself into! If you've never read Scaramouche, I highly recommend it- Andre-Louis is a great anti-hero, the villain an attractive devil like Evan, and the old film of it doesn't do the written word justice. Words can't do justice to how thankful I am for reviewers, so I'll just say thanks to 40/16 Amy baka-oona2003 Camillia Vincent Carnivalgirl craziestanimefan cupcakeswirl Distempered ElspethBates Embellished FNP Godricgal ishandahalf kathaania Longbottom Machiavelli Jr. MamaLisa MiSs-X-MooNy NalaravatheRed NazgulGirl Neurotica paulalou plzkthx101 Quicksilver Foxx Ruby Slipknot- 3113 Slytherin Love Goddess Staysa Stormy Bean sunny9847 Thee-Unknown-Factor The Fiction Spider TrueBluePotterFan