Tonks woke to Ophelia tugging at her shirt. "You little beast, yes, I'll feed you," she told the cat. Tonks stretched as she got out of bed, noticing the neatly folded blanket on the couch. Remus was gone. She stepped to the other side of the screen, and asked, tentatively, "Remus?"

"Tea, Tonks?" Remus replied, offering her a steaming cup.

"Thank you, Remus," she said. "You make an excellent cup of tea, you do."

"I've got something else for you, too."

"Show me!"

"Cinnamon rolls," he replied. "I thought you might like them."

"Remus, wow! I didn't know you could bake!"

"The many benefits of living alone, Tonks. I learnt quickly, because I had to."

"Do you have to bring your perpetual loneliness to every conversation?" Tonks teased.

"You seem to have the unique talent of bringing it out in me," admitted Remus.

Tonks saw Remus gazing at her; she looked down and realized she was still in her pajamas. "I should change, shouldn't I?" she muttered.

"If you wish, Tonks," said Remus. "It's your home, after all."

"I'll just pop a jumper on." She went back behind the screen and dug out a knit jumper from the pile on her bed and slipped it over her head. When she got out from behind the screen, she saw Remus sitting on the sofa with a plate of gigantic cinnamon rolls in front of him.

"These look divine, Remus," said Tonks, as she grabbed a roll from the plate and stuffed a bite into her mouth.

"It's the least I can do for you," he said. "I was a royal ass to you last night. I'm sorry I lost my temper with you. I wish I could blame it on the lycanthropy, but it's my own lack of self-control."

"It's okay, Remus," said Tonks. "It was late, and I'd been badgering you. No need to be so proper."

"It's not okay, though, Tonks," replied Remus. "You deserve nothing but respect from me, and I failed to give you that respect."

"Remus, you can be such a polite prat sometimes, you know that?" Tonks mocked indignation at him over another bite of the cinnamon roll.

"I'll take a compliment wherever I can get it," said Remus, rolling his eyes at her.

"So, what're you doing the rest of the day?" asked Tonks.

Remus pulled out a parchment from his faded tweed jacket and read it. "We're both free for the day. Look for yourself." He showed the parchment to Tonks.

Tonks looked it over. Her first free day in ages and it happened to coincide with Remus' free day.

"I just had a thought, Remus," she ventured.

"What would that thought be, Tonks?" asked Remus, arching his brow upwards.

"Can you teach me how to make these? They're delicious."

"You want to spend the day learning how to make cinnamon rolls with me? You don't want to rest?"

"I could really use the practice in the kitchen." Tonks looked up at Remus, hoping he'd agree. After their row the night before, she was desperate to show him that she genuinely cared to spend time with him; she found it so easy to care about him and infuriating that he couldn't care for himself.

"I'd be happy to help you, Tonks," said Remus. "If you'll allow me to get back to Headquarters to change my own clothing and get a few ingredients. I'd like to check in with Sirius too. I know he's got the Weasleys and Hermione to keep him company, but I'm sure he could use me around for a while, too. Can I come back around dinnertime?"

"Of course!" Tonks replied. "7 okay?"

"7 is perfect," Remus said. "I'll see you then."

Remus got up from the couch to leave, and Tonks got up with him. As he got closer to the door, Tonks grabbed his arm. He turned around to face her. Tonks stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. She whispered into his ear, "I'll see you tonight, promise?"

"I promise," he whispered back, before slipping through the door on the way back to Grimmauld Place.

Tonks turned around and looked at the state of her flat. If she was going to have Remus over again this evening, she needed to clean up. She spent her afternoon casting whatever charms she could to clean and de-clutter her space. When she was satisfied with her efforts, she sank back down in the sofa and fell asleep.

…

A few quick raps at the door awoke Tonks. It must be Remus, she thought. She had forgotten to change out of her pajamas in her rush to clean the flat, but she had no time left, and, looking through the glass on the door, saw Remus on the landing with a brown paper bag in his hands.

She opened the door and said, "Wotcher, Remus!"

"Good evening, Tonks," he said, eyeing her jumper and shorts again, as he walked through the threshold and closed the door behind him.

"I was in a hurry to clean before you came back, but I forgot to clean myself before you got here. Do you mind if I shower and change? I won't be long."

"Of course, take care of yourself," said Remus. "I can wait with Ophelia. I've brought her something as well."

"She'll be in a jolly mood tonight then. I hope you don't mind waiting on the sofa while I get ready. I promise I'll be quick."

"Take your time, Tonks. We're not in any rush," said Remus, smiling back at her.

Tonks shuffled back to her freshly tidied closet to grab clean clothes – a pair of faded jeans and a Weird Sisters t-shirt. She went to her bathroom and closed the door, eager to take a shower. After a hot shower, she stood in front of the mirror to adjust her appearance. There were small bags under her eyes, so she morphed those away. She set a drying charm to her hair, and decided on her favorite shade – bubblegum pink – and long, wavy curls. She'd put it up in a bun before baking, and let it back down afterwards. She dressed herself quickly, and headed back out to the living room. She didn't see Remus on the sofa, but could hear him in the kitchen with Ophelia.

"That's it, Ophelia," said Remus. "Tuna fish for the pretty kitty."

Tonks found him on the floor with Ophelia, feeding her tinned tuna out of his hands.

"I didn't realize you liked cats this much," she said.

"My mother was very fond of them. We had one before I was bitten, but my parents gave him to a neighbor before we moved away. After I moved out, my mother was finally able to get another without fearing for its life."

Remus can't let it go, can he? Tonks thought to herself.

"Ophelia seems to like you a lot. Sweet of you to bring her something. She only gets the dry bits from me."

"Have you had dinner yet?" Remus asked.

Tonks shook her head. "I spent all day tidying and napping, so I'm starving."

"I expected as much," he said, rolling his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tonks gave him a playful look.

"When I made cinnamon rolls this morning, your cupboards were nearly empty. You do have to take care of yourself, you know."

Tonks rolled her eyes at him now. "You sound like my parents."

"Is it so terrible that people care about you, too?" Remus quipped.

Tonks crossed her arms and noticed he was unpacking the paper bag. Tomatoes, onions, garlic bulbs, cream, and pasta appeared on her countertop, alongside a bottle of wine.

"What's all this?" Tonks asked.

"I assumed you wouldn't have eaten much before I came, so I picked up a few things for you."

"You didn't need to get me groceries!"

"I didn't. This is for dinner," he said, a broad smile forming on his face.

At this, Tonks wrapped her arms around Remus' waist. "Thank you," she breathed, "you really didn't have to do this."

Remus said, "It's my pleasure. Would you like to help me?"

Tonks let him go and got to work with him. She turned on the wireless to jazz, and Remus smiled again as he diced an onion.

"You do this the Muggle way?" Tonks asked, eyes wide.

"Surprisingly soothing," Remus replied. "My mum wasn't sure if I'd ever learn any other way, so she taught me the Muggle methods just in case."

Tonks joined him at his side and learned from him as he prepared them dinner. He worked slowly to show her what he was doing. He obviously enjoyed teaching; no wonder he had been a professor at Hogwarts before. If only Snape hadn't outed him as a werewolf, he could still be there…but then maybe she wouldn't be able to spend this time with him if he were there.

The evening passed far sooner than Tonks had expected, and she found herself on the sofa with Remus again, with a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls awaiting them in the kitchen.

"I can't thank you enough, Remus," she said. "That was delicious."

"It's not much compared to Molly's cooking," he replied. "But I do miss cooking."

"Stop being so self-deprecating, Remus." Tonks sighed. "You're good at this too. Take the compliment."

"Thank you, Tonks," he said, softly.

"I saw you're off again this week," said Tonks. "You won't be back till the end of the week?"

"It's a full moon this week."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot."

"No need to apologize. I hardly expect you to remember the moon phases."

"Where will you go?"

"To my cottage in Yorkshire. Sirius offered his cellar, but I can't risk transformation with so many people in the house. When it's just the two of us again, maybe. I'll be at my cottage. Much safer."

Tonks knew better than to question this; after last night, she had learned the hard way that this was a sore subject for him, despite his openness.

"You'll get back in one piece though, okay?" asked Tonks.

Remus chuckled. "I'll do my best. I can't control what I do."

"Does Wolfsbane help?"

"Significantly. Wolfsbane Potion allows me to keep my human brain in control. I still transform, but I'm far less dangerous to myself and others. When I took Wolfsbane when I was at Hogwarts last year, I spent my transformations sleeping in my office under my desk. Those were the most pleasant full moons I've had since before I was bitten."

"Why don't you take it now?"

Remus laughed darkly. "The ingredients are outrageously expensive. My savings would be wiped out within weeks." He added, "It doesn't help that the potion is highly complex. Snape, for all his faults, is a true Potion Master. I would have only trusted his work for such a task."

"He made it for you?" Tonks asked, incredulously.

"At Dumbledore's request," Remus replied. "As much as Snape frustrates me, I owe him a depth of gratitude for making my year at Hogwarts one of the most pleasant in my adulthood."

Tonks found a begrudging new respect for Snape. He might be a greasy git, she thought, but at least he took care of Remus.

"Speaking of which, I must go," Remus continued. "I should gather my things so I can return to my cottage."

"Do you really have to head back so early? How many days is it till the full moon?"

"Three days. I already feel my joints aching. If I had Wolfsbane, it would be less of a bother, but I prefer to be alone as close to the full moon as possible. I'll be spending tomorrow with Sirius on Order work, and then off to the cottage till the end of the week."

"How do you feel as you get closer to the full moon?" Tonks asked.

Remus hesitated. "Everything begins to ache, and the lupine thoughts start invading my own. My temper becomes worse. I feel myself growing more aggressive and more dangerous. It's a terribly unpleasant feeling, to feel myself losing control. I learned long ago that it was better for me to stay away from others on the days before the full moon."

"I'm sorry," Tonks murmured. "Is it any better after the moon?"

"Considerably. I feel myself again, at least mentally. I nearly always have injuries to heal-"

"-how severe are the injuries?"

"Most of the time, broken bones and gashes. It's been a long time since I hurt myself badly enough to need someone else's urgent help."

"Urgent help?"

"Life threatening injuries. When I was at Hogwarts, becoming an adolescent werewolf had its unique disadvantages. I became a lot stronger than I knew what to do with. Bless Madam Pomfrey for rescuing me more than once after a particularly bloody moon."

Tonks gaped at him. "Are you sure you don't need anyone's help now?"

"I'm very sure, Tonks," Remus said, with a feeble smile. "Though help makes it easier, I've gotten comfortable taking care of my injuries alone."

"I'm sorry you have to go it alone, Remus."

"It's not your fault, Tonks. No need to be sorry."

Tonks sat on the sofa, deep in thought. She had done well enough in Potions to make it as an Auror, she thought, could she make Wolfsbane for him?

"I really must go, Tonks. I need to gather my things before going back to my cottage."

"Of course," replied Tonks. "I can't thank you enough for dinner tonight. I can see why the girls went on about your teaching. I'm sure that if I'd been at Hogwarts, you'd have been my favorite professor too." She grinned at him.

Remus blushed, and got up to put his tweed jacket back on. On his way out, Tonks wrapped her arms around his waist again for a tight hug. She stood on her toes again, and said softly, "Be safe, okay? Come back in one piece?"

"I'll do my best," Remus breathed. Tonks kissed his cheek again, and he closed the door behind him, off to face another full moon.

…

The following morning, Tonks woke up in a hurry. An urgent message from the Ministry had reached her, and she scrambled to get her Auror robes together. She Flooed into the Ministry from her fireplace and rushed to get to her office.

"You're late again, Tonks," Dawlish sneered.

Tonks scowled at him, and got to her cube. None other than Dolores Umbridge was waiting for her. Tonks' heart froze momentarily as she saw the toady woman dressed in pink from head to toe, a velvet bow perched on her head. Tonks quickly changed her own hair from pink to a brilliant azure; she wanted to look nothing like the woman who sat in her chair.

"I had forgotten you had that special skill, Nymphadora," said Umbridge, in a falsely sweet voice.

"Please, call me Tonks. I prefer it."

Umbridge stared at her. "As you wish, Tonks." Umbridge continued, "The Ministry has a new task for you."

"Oh? How can I help?"

"We understand you have been working to identify traitors to the Ministry, is that correct?" Umbridge gave Tonks a simpering smile.

"Yes, that is correct," replied Tonks, her heart thumping underneath her robes.

"We have a unique proposition for you, and we would very much like it if you accepted."

"I'm happy to accept any task the Ministry assigns me. It's my job."

"Very well then, Tonks." Tonks hated the way Umbridge emphasized her name with such disdain.

Umbridge continued, "We would like for you to focus your effort on sub-human traitors to the Ministry."

"Sub-human, ma'am?"

"You know, giants, centaurs, goblins, elves, werewolves," Umbridge replied. "Those pretending to have fully human capabilities. They are far too dangerous for a civilized society, and we feel they will use their savagery to overturn the Ministry."

Tonks felt the anger swelling up in her chest. How dare she? Keeping her voice as level as she could, Tonks asked, "How will this affect my current investigations?"

"Your superior, Shacklebolt, will cover the true humans on your list. We would like for you to focus your efforts on the sub-humans."

"May I ask," Tonks said slowly, "how I am expected to investigate these groups, and whether this was the urgent message I was summoned for?"

"We expect you to utilize your, hem hem, unique talents to spy upon the groups and discover their nefarious intentions. And yes, we at the Ministry consider this an urgent task."

"What if I don't find any?" Tonks asked, struggling to keep her anger at bay.

"We very much doubt that will be the case, Tonks. Simply turn in your suspects and we will punish the culprits appropriately," said Umbridge, an uncomfortable grin appearing on her face.

Tonks glared at Umbridge, but, considering her post, simply said, "As you wish, ma'am."

"That's the cooperating spirit I had expected from you, as an Auror."

Tonks feigned a smile at Umbridge as she left Tonks' cube.

"One more piece of advice, Tonks," Umbridge said.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"I strongly suggest you begin with the suspects we have already identified. We believe they will help you uncover further suspicious activities."

"Of course, ma'am," replied Tonks.

Umbridge walked away as Tonks cursed under her breath. Of course they wanted her to go after werewolves, giants, centaurs, and others.

"Tonks!" A gravelly voice barked at her across the corridor.

Tonks looked up to see Moody calling her into his office. Relieved, she left her cube and went into his office. After he cast charms to muffle the sounds from the hallway, she poured out her thoughts.

"That HAG Umbridge wants me to investigate what she calls sub-humans, including werewolves – that includes Remus, of course – and Hagrid, and anyone else who Dumbledore and the Order are trying to protect. How the fuck am I supposed to do this? It was bad enough when it was just Order members but now this?!"

"Fudge is behind this," said Moody. "Dumbledore sent Hagrid to try to convince the giants to join our cause, but his absence has been noted by observers near Hogwarts."

"So is it just giants I'm supposed to go after? Don't they know how dangerous that is?"

"Not just giants, no," replied Moody. "Fudge thinks that Dumbledore will try to use Lupin to recruit werewolves too."

"Is that what he's having Remus do?"

"Not that I'm aware of, Tonks. Not yet, I hope."

"You hope? Isn't that dangerous too?"

"Lupin's tougher than you give him credit for," Moody replied. "You forget he survived the first war."

"Right," said Tonks. "So I'm supposed to go into the mountains looking for giants, into Merlin-knows-where for werewolves, and then what?"

"Report suspicious behavior to the Ministry."

"What if I don't find any?"

"You'll find Death Eaters trying to recruit them."

"But not Dumbledore trying to recruit them."

"Not yet."

"So I'm supposed to risk my life for the Ministry and tell them information they will refuse to hear?"

"Yes."

"So what the fuck am I going to tell them without getting sacked?"

"Let Alfie take the lead."

"ALFIE? HIM?"

"Scrimgeour requested him specifically."

"I have to go gallivanting for giants and goblins with him?"

"Yes." Moody's face was set. "I know it means you'll be missing Order business here, but you'll manage."

Tonks got up to leave his office. "I know I do. I don't have to be happy about it, though."

…

"I'll be going on longer-term jobs with the Ministry," said Tonks. "It's apparently important work."

"Of course they'd have you doing important work, Dora!" said Ted. "I'm proud of you."

"Where are you going, Nymphadora?" asked Andromeda.

"I can't say. I don't know how long I'll be out either," replied Tonks.

"Is Scrimgeour out of his mind? What does he mean by sending you off like this?"

"I'm not going alone, mum. I'll have Alfie with me," sighed Tonks.

"He's a nice bloke," said Ted. "You get along well, don't you?"

"I do," said Tonks, "but an open-ended assignment with him might drive me mad."

"When will you bring Ophelia?" asked Andromeda.

"One of my friends will be taking care of her," replied Tonks. "She'll be in good hands."

"I didn't know one of your schoolmates had moved to London, Nymphadora. Which one will be taking care of Ophelia?"

"Not a schoolmate, a new friend, mum," replied Tonks. "Met him through work."

"Him?" asked Ted, with a broadening smile. "Is it a boyfriend?"

"No," rushed Tonks, "it's not like that at all. He's new to London, and I thought he could use the company."

"That's sweet of you to think of him, Dora," said Ted, the mischievous gleam not leaving his eyes.

"Really, dad, it's not like that," said Tonks. "He's just a friend. Even if I were interested in him, I know he doesn't feel the same way."

At this, Andromeda's eyebrows were raised. "Just how do you know that, Nymphadora?"

"I just do, okay? Please, just let it go. A friend is taking care of Ophelia and you don't need to worry about me trekking across Britain with Alfie." Tonks sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"'Dromeda, I think we'll have to let Dora figure this one out on her own," said Ted. "She's almost twenty-three and she's a professional."

"Thanks, Dad," Tonks mumbled. "I think it's time to go. I'm heading out early tomorrow and I've got to meet up with my friend – y'know, the one taking care of Ophelia."

Ted grinned again, stealing a glance at Andromeda. Tonks rolled her eyes at both of them, and Apparated to Headquarters.