Remus was in her flat again. Ophelia, her cat, cozied up next to him on the squashy couch, as Tonks noisily prepared two cups of tea.

Remus looked around the flat again, taking in the view. The bed was still unmade, hiding behind the screen. A small pile of clothes lay haphazardly on top of the patchwork quilt. The flat's floor was more cluttered than it had been before, covered with loose articles of clothing, pieces of parchment, and dog-eared books. Tonks had since decorated her walls, with two posters of the Weird Sisters gracing the wall above the sofa, and photos of her family and friends adorning the shelves of the bookcase next to the sofa.

"I'm sorry for the mess," said Tonks, as she sloshed hot tea on the floor on the way from the kitchen.

"It's not a bother, I assure you," said Remus. "It's much nicer here than at Headquarters."

"You're just saying that," said Tonks. "I'm sure the Order would be offended at finding my knickers over talks of You-Know-Who, especially Snape. He's the last git I'd like to have see my knickers."

Remus snorted into his tea, blushing at the thought of finding her clothes at Grimmauld Place. "No, I don't think the Order would like that," he replied.

"Do you mind if I ask you something, Tonks?" Remus asked. Tonks looked almost apprehensive? Or was it his imagination? "It's nothing serious, I promise," he assured her.

"I'm an open book, so go ahead!" Tonks replied brightly.

"What is the task that the Ministry has for you?" he asked.

"Oh! That! Scrimgeour has me writing reports on Dumbledore's supposed sympathizers. You're on the list."

"I am?"

"Well, I think that after Dumbledore hired you and the news of you-your-um-"

"-the fact that I am a werewolf, go on-"

"-yes, that, I think the Ministry assumed you'd be chums."

"The Ministry got one thing right, at least."

Tonks laughed. "All the names on their list are in the Order. I don't think that the names they have are surprising though. You, Molly and Arthur, Hagrid, well, everyone at Hogwarts, except Snape, oddly enough…"

"Severus is a bit of an enigma for everyone."

"Why is that? I would've never pegged him as a member of the Order. Thought he liked the Dark stuff, is all. He seems to hate you and Sirius especially."

Remus had to keep his voice as even as he could. "Severus doesn't like us because of some unfortunate pranks we played on him at school. That being said, he's been a dedicated supporter of our cause since the first war. He's an excellent spy."

"He may be a good spy, but he's never been anything but nasty to everyone else."

"I think he had a harder life than we give him credit for," said Remus, quietly.

Tonks paused for a moment to sip her tea. "Can I ask you something, Remus?"

"You can ask me anything, Tonks." He heard the words come out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying.

"What was it like to grow up as a werewolf?"

More curiosity. He didn't mind being open with Tonks anymore. She had seemingly accepted his condition, as a friend. She didn't treat him any differently than she treated Sirius, Molly, or any of the Weasleys, so he felt grateful to have gotten a new friend who didn't think he was a waste of space.

"I'm sorry, was that too personal again?" Tonks asked.

"No, not at all. It's natural you'd be curious. Am I the first werewolf you've met?"

"Yes, and you're so different than what I expected," said Tonks. "In a good way, really good way," she added, after seeing his slightly alarmed face. "I'm sorry, I've never been the best in conversation."

"I don't mind, really. Now that we're becoming friends, it's much easier." Remus smiled at her. Friends, he thought, forever just friends, never any more.

"Of course we're friends!" exclaimed Tonks, "already. We're already friends!"

Remus smiled more widely at her, hardly able to contain his joy and gratefulness that she acknowledged him as a friend.

"So, what would you like to know, Tonks?"

"Can I really ask you anything about it, Remus?"

"Yes, really," replied Remus. "As much as I hate being a werewolf, I don't mind talking about it as much with a friend." True enough, he thought, he didn't mind sharing with a good friend, and if what he said didn't scare her off, then maybe...no. He had to put a stop to that train of thought. She was a friend, forever a friend.

Tonks thought for a moment. "I'll go back to my first question - what was it like to grow up as a werewolf?"

"Lonely. I got bitten so young I can barely remember what it was like to be normal. My parents had to keep far away from almost everyone. They would never let me play with other children, for fear that I would share that I was a werewolf. I let it slip a few times, and it was awful. No one would talk to me or my parents again, so they moved a lot to keep us from settling down in any place, so no one would be suspicious. My parents suffered differently than I did, but we all suffered for it."

"Were others really that terrible to you and your family?"

"It was harder to see as a child. I remember starting friendships only to have them disappear quickly. I thought it was my parents' fault for moving so much, till I realized it was my fault. That was one of the worst feelings I'd ever had. I had condemned them to the same lonely, outcast life."

"You know it's not your fault, Remus," said Tonks, softly. "You didn't choose this."

"No, I didn't, but it was a hard load to carry. There's a reason most parents leave their children for dead after they're bitten." He felt the lump in his throat again and his eyes itch slightly.

"Your parents must have loved you a lot."

Remus felt his eyes water. Tonks conjured a tissue and handed it to him. There was something about Tonks that made him feel vulnerable; despite having known her for just a few weeks, he felt as himself around her sometimes as he did with Sirius.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's alright, really," said Remus, after wiping his eyes. "I don't talk about them enough. They suffered a lot to keep me alive."

"How did you make it to Hogwarts?"

"Dumbledore. He assured my parents that he would create a safe place for me to transform each full moon so that I could learn. I owe him for almost everything I have now."

"Where did you transform? The dungeons?"

Remus laughed darkly. "No, that would be too dangerous. It couldn't be anywhere near students. You know the Shrieking Shack?"

"NO. WAY. Really?!" Tonks' face was incredulous. "I thought it was haunted."

"Dumbledore helped encourage that rumor while I was there to keep students away for my transformations. I took a secret passage out of the castle to the Whomping Willow. There's a little trick to get under the tree and down to the Shrieking Shack."

"What's it like in there?"

"The last time I was there, it remained similar to how I'd left it in my school days. It used to look a lot nicer, but I tore it apart over seven years. It's mostly in disrepair now."

Tonks paused again and sipped her tea. She looked pensive. "Are you really that dangerous when you've transformed?"

Remus stared at her in disbelief. She couldn't be that clueless. This was an Auror, for Merlin's sake, not a schoolchild.

Tonks stammered and blurted, "It's just, you're so different than I expected."

Remus kept staring.

"I don't mean to be patronizing, I don't, it's just you're nothing like how werewolves are depicted."

"Please don't be mad at me, Remus," she whispered. "I never know the right thing to say. Just forget it."

For a moment, Remus took pity on Tonks. She was trying to understand him, he could tell. He, a "good" werewolf, defied most peoples' expectations of who werewolves could be, and she had likely been taught to believe to expect the worst of his kind.

"I'm not surprised," started Remus. "I am sure that you've been taught that werewolves are among the worst sort of half-breeds."

Tonks looked up from her cup of tea, a startled expression on her face.

"Werewolves are like humans, in that there are "good" ones and "bad" ones."

"But you're human, Remus," protested Tonks. "You just have a-an-illness."

"You're too kind. I am not fully human anymore, Tonks." He continued, "But, I'll answer your earlier question."

"I am terribly, terribly dangerous when I transform. I am a danger to myself and to others. I forget who I am when I transform. The wolf takes over. I cannot distinguish a loved one versus an enemy when I transform. I am as likely to tear my closest friends apart as I am to tearing apart my enemies. Nearly everything about me becomes capable of causing another a painful, cruel death. I can only harm."

Tonks was now staring at him, rapt with attention.

"When I transform, I always hurt myself. I transform alone, in as secure of quarters as I'm able to find, and apply as many silencing and security charms as I'm able. As a child, it was a cage. As I grew older, it became a cellar or basement. When there's nothing else to destroy, I turn on myself."

"Your parents kept you in a cage?"

"What choice did they have? When I transformed, I became an unbelievable danger to them and to anyone around us. It was only for the full moon. The scars you see are mostly self-inflicted. I hurt myself every full moon without meaning to, and if I was released from my own prison, I'd hurt anyone who got in my way. Every full moon, I expose myself and everyone around me to a painful death - or a cursed life. It's far safer for me to be alone."

Tonks sat quietly on the armchair. Remus was looking down at his scarred hands as he spoke, trying to avoid her gaze.

"I know this is overwhelming, Tonks," he murmured. "I can understand if you'd like me to leave now."

She stood up from her chair and sat next to him, holding his hands with her own. The touch of her soft, scar-free hands over his own scarred ones sent shivers down his spine. He kept his head down, wanting to avoid the pity.

"I don't want you to leave, Remus," she whispered.

Remus' head was spinning. She didn't want him to leave. She was holding his hands.

"Why did you bother asking?" Remus asked. He felt almost unbearably vulnerable now, waiting for her to kick and scream his cursed self far away from her. This conversation had happened before with other women. In those cases, the repulsion towards him had been so powerful that it had been impossible to carry on any form of friendship, let alone relationship, with any of them. He felt moments away from destroying another friendship over the curse of his lycanthropy.

Tonks let out a sigh, still holding his hands in her own. "I just wanted to...understand you better," she finally said.

"Why?" Remus looked up, surprised her face was so close to his own. He could see the flecks in her eyes, the small lines in her lips, the lashes that opened and closed for her to see him. He felt the shiver again in his spine, and his stomach lurched again to see her so close.

"Because you're my friend, Remus," she said.

"And I like you, just as you are," she added.

"I find that very surprising," remarked Remus. His heart fluttered and felt like a teenager again; did she like him as a friend? He felt so foolish. It could never be.

"Is that because you think no one would like you when they learn you're a werewolf?" Tonks let his hands go, her face now showing indignation.

"Yes."

"Do you seriously believe that Sirius and everyone else care that you're a werewolf? And that they hate you for it?"

"Sirius is different; we grew up together."

"What about the others? Molly? Arthur? The kids? The girls went on and on the other day about how you were the best teacher they'd had at Hogwarts! Does all this mean nothing to you?"

Tonks was now angry. Her nostrils flared and her lips were pursed tightly. Her eyes no longer held the steady twinkle from before; they now gleamed with a passion Remus had never seen before. His heart fluttered again, now that he knew that Tonks had heard such praise from his previous pupils; he had to thank them the next chance he had.

"Do you really think that being a werewolf makes you so unlikable?"

"To most, yes."

"Do you really think so lowly of yourself?"

Remus wasn't sure how to answer this question. His life had proven that he was a second-class citizen to the vast majority of the Wizarding world. His very being barred him from steady employment, proper housing, or even basic respect. How could he possibly answer her question truthfully?

"According to our rules and laws, yes," Remus began slowly, mulling it over. "I do consider myself extraordinarily fortunate to have the support I have."

Tonks softened her gaze and uncrossed her arms. She kept her eyes locked on his, as she said, "You can accept that others support you, but not that they could actually like you?"

"That's not what I said."

"Then why do you have such a problem with the possibility that I like you, just as you are?"

Remus felt the words welling up out of him. "Because no one in their right mind would like the ugliness of what I am. Because I endanger everyone I become close to, if I'm not careful. Because I am disgusted by my kind and the reputation they have. Because, for the life of me, I can't understand why you willingly spend time with me knowing how dangerous I am. Am I some sort of project for you?"

He finished, "I thought you were smarter than that!" The words came out in a tumble, and he regretted it as soon as he said it.

Tonks looked appalled. The anger had come back to her face.

"You think I only want to be your friend because I'm stupid?" Tonks demanded. Her words shook with her anger. "You think I only want you around because you're entertainment?"

"No, I'm sorry, Tonks, I didn't mean it that way."

"Then what did you mean?" Tonks' nostrils flared again. Remus noticed a tear fall down her cheek. He shuddered at the sight; he had hurt her.

Remus put his hands over his eyes again and rubbed his temples.

"I'm sorry, Tonks," he repeated. He wasn't sure what to tell her, so he stammered, "Th-this is just new to me."

"What's new to you?"

"Having someone accept me for who I am so quickly." This was partly true. Remus had gotten close to others before and had it turn out very badly; in nearly all cases, it had been from them learning he was a werewolf. This time, he thought, she already knew he was a werewolf, and still wanted his company.

Tonks' face softened again at this. She looked pensive again.

"Would you like another cup of tea, Remus?" Tonks' voice had quieted down. Remus looked up at her face again and found her eyes, no longer gleaming with anger.

"And don't ask me if I'm sure," she added, with a small smile.

"That would be lovely, thank you," Remus replied, as he saw Tonks go back to the kitchen to make more tea for them. Remus looked at his watch again; it was 2 am.

"I know what time it is," Tonks said, as she returned with two new steaming cups of tea. "And I don't care."

Remus murmured his thanks to her, accepting the fresh cup of tea.

"You look exhausted, Remus. I'm sorry for badgering you."

"I'm sorry for losing my temper, and for insulting you. You really are far too kind to me, and you deserve a far better friend than I am."

Tonks smiled at him again. "I enjoy being kind to my friends, even if they are as infuriatingly stubborn as I am." She winked at him.

Remus smiled at her, thankful that she acknowledged him again as a friend.

"You can stay the night, you know," she told Remus. His heart thundered again. The possibility of staying with Tonks was unbearably tempting, tempered only by the thought that she saw him as no more than a friend. That was safer, he thought.

"If you insist, Tonks."

"I do insist!" Tonks turned around and grabbed a blanket and thrust it next to Remus.

"Ophelia might wake you before I do," said Tonks. "Just chuck her off you if she bothers you. She'll get the message."

Remus chuckled. "I'm sure she'll make a lovely companion on your couch. It's been awhile since I've shared a bed with any other living being." He felt his face grow hot again at this admission.

"Ophelia might be the one to turn you off to the idea altogether," Tonks chortled. "She's a brat about sharing."

"Need anything else, Remus?"

"No, Tonks, this is plenty. Thank you for your hospitality. I'll try to get some sleep here."

"Good, and if you need me, I'll be right over there." She gestured to the messy bed behind the screen.

Remus left his clothes on and crawled under the blanket, curled up on the couch. He watched, unconsciously holding his breath, Tonks' silhouette as she changed behind the screen, slipping out of her jeans and t-shirt to a small pair of shorts and a different t-shirt. He felt the shiver at his spine again, and an uncomfortable tension growing in his trousers. Readjusting himself, he let himself close his eyes and fall asleep, careful to tell himself over and over that she did not deserve to have him anywhere near her.