Summary: Creatures abound today for Remus and Tonks.

NYMPH vs WOLF
Soothing the Savage Beast

Tonks' Flat

Nymphadora Tonks woke up to find she was eager for another day of housecleaning at Grimmauld Place.

"That does it; I've gone mad," she muttered to herself as she got her things together. Bandana? Check. Goggles? Check. Gloves? Check. Bra on? Double check. "Fully loaded and completely loopy."

"Interesting choice of words," said her reflection as she adjusted her hair color.

Tonks frowned at herself and crossed her arms over her chest. "My reasons for helping out at number twelve have nothing to do with learning more about Remus Lupin."

She pointed a finger at her reflection as she continued, "In fact, Lupin has no part in my motivation to spend my days off housecleaning."

She tilted her nose upward and insisted, "Lupin holds no interest for me beyond the fact that he's a colleague."

Tonks nodded firmly at her reflection. "Remus Lupin is in no way an issue for me."

Mad-eye Moody, on the other hand, was.

Just as she finished her self-admonition, an owl pecked at her window. It dropped a bright yellow envelope to her before darting away. Tonks immediately recognized it as an Auror summons. She opened it quickly and groaned.

Tonks,

You've got to intercept Moody.
Proceed with immediate haste to the Kings Mall Shopping Centre.

KS

PS. We're counting on you, Tonks. He'd turn the rest of us into ferrets.

Tonks hung her head, "Mad-eye! What are you up to now?"

She had the distinction of being the only apprentice not to be transformed into a bouncing ferret by the esteemed Auror. She wasn't sure why Moody liked her; he called her cheeky and impertinent often enough. Thus she carried the dubious honor of being the teacher's pet of a rather odd man. Somehow that made sense.

Tonks suppressed the urge to send a message to Lupin. She had to get to Moody immediately. With luck she'd be done in a jiffy. Tonks disappeared with a pop.

- - - - - - - - -

Grimmauld Place

Remus Lupin couldn't believe how long he'd slept. He checked his watch to find it was almost nine in the morning when he suddenly sat up in bed. He rubbed his eyes, then wondered why Tonks hadn't woken him. No, that was the dream. He wondered why Tonks' arrival this morning had failed to wake him. That would be reality.

And his reality loomed near. Tonight would be full moon, so of course he was feeling more drained than normal as he fought the emerging wolf within. Tonight he would leave for Wolf Rock, but today, there was work to do.

Lupin stood up, straightened his clothing a bit, but decided to see if there were other signs of life in the house before a shower and change. Tonks should have been here--unless she had decided she'd met her commitment. The Masher Tree seemed to really upset her yesterday. Or perhaps she was tired of associating with certain elements in the house, such as the resident werewolf. She'd be aware of the waxing moon.

Lupin walked down the stairs but didn't hear a sound. All was quiet at Order headquarters and the gloomy atmosphere was back in place. No Tonks.

He checked the kitchen, but as soon as his eyes fell on the table, Lupin bellowed, "Sirius Black!"

- - - - - - - - - -

Kings Mall

Tonks spent a half hour tracking down Moody. The department stores of the shopping centre were deserted except for the janitors at this time of the morning, but the area to search was large. She came upon a series of burnt out vending machines and used them as the trail. A quick reparo fixed most of them.

Why Mad-eye had decided to torch a train ride, a sweet vendor, a drink vendor, and one that offered odd little dolls with fuzzy hair called trolls, she wasn't sure. Perhaps he was disgusted that Muggles wouldn't know a troll if they saw one?

"Wotcher, Mad-eye," called Tonks as she spotted her quarry. "Out on a mission?"

"Tonks, good, good. You can help me. Now watch and listen," said the aged Auror as he pulled Tonks back from walking across the corridor at the mall. "It's clearly a demonic possession."

Moody stomped across and as he passed a storefront, a voice said, "Have you checked your weight today?"

Moody turned with his wand, but Tonks quickly stopped him. "Mad-eye, wouldn't your eye tell you if it were possessed?"

"It's been a bit off lately," murmured Moody. "Ever since that fool Crouch used it."

Tonks nodded sagely. Moody still needed some time to recover from his months spent locked in a chest. The experience had done his paranoia no good. "I'll have you know that your target is just a Muggle scale for weighing people."

"Judging their souls, is it?"

"No, it's gauging their body mass," explained Tonks.

"But it talked when I just approached it."

"I believe they call that a motion sensor. You move close to it and when it detects you, it'll appear to talk, but it's like the wireless network."

Moody looked at the device suspiciously again. He glanced back along his trail and said, "Well, at least I took care of the evil lot behind me."

"Afraid not, Mad-eye, you've been vandalising these shops for the past hour I'd say."

"Really? Are you sure? Because that little metal train was possessed with a dozen children. I could hear them laughing."

"It's a ride, Mad-eye. Children put in their coin and the train moves up and down."

"Are you certain it's not an insidious plan by the Death Eaters to lure Muggles to their doom?"

"No, it's an insidious plan by the Muggle business guild to lure the lot into spending money," assured Tonks. "Come on, let's go outside. If you want to chase Dark Arts, you can help us get the rooms cleaned out at Order Headquarters."

They apparated outside the store into an unusually bright day for London. Tonks looked up at the blue sky and smiled. Moody looked up at the blue sky and roared, "Hippogriff!"

"What?" asked Tonks in surprise. Was Moody now mental? But then she caught sight of the wingspan, the beak, and the horse's hind end. "Blimey, you're right!"

"We'll have to call in the Department for Control of Magical Creatures."

"Wait, Mad-eye. Didn't Sirius have a hippogriff?" asked Tonks. "I think his name was Buckbeak." .

"True, but Black set it free before coming to London. Order Headquarters is no place for a large animal," said Moody. "Here, help me cast an illusion. A hot air balloon should work."

Tonks lent her aid to Moody and said, "We'll have to lure him down. We can't call Sirius, though, but I bet Lupin would know if it is Buckbeak."

"I'll send for him," responded Moody. "Lucky thing I was making my rounds this morning."

Tonks couldn't prevent the roll of her eyes as she wished Lupin were here now. He was probably accustomed to dealing with situations created by one Sirius Black.

- - - - - - - - - -

Grimmauld Place

Sirius awoke when he heard his mother's portrait begin its ranting. He thought it was Tonks arriving, but when he shut the curtains on the portrait, he still heard a loud voice emanating from the kitchen.

"PADFOOT! GET IN HERE!"

Sirius yawned and absently scratched behind his ear. Really, you'd think Lupin would be more considerate than to berate him so early in the morning. The last bastion of the Noble House of Black cinched his dressing robe and made a regal entrance into the kitchen.

"You have a problem, Moony?" asked Sirius when he entered.

"Problem? You're the one with the problem. What do you see here on the kitchen table?

Sirius peered over Lupin's shoulder. Oh, that. He kept a sober tone as he replied, "Looks like soap scum."

"Yes, very good, knew there was a reason they let you graduate from Hogwarts." Lupin took a breath before continuing. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but in that soap scum, do you see the impression of the backside of a human body?"

Sirius didn't bother to look, he just shrugged. "Could be. You were always better at seeing the patterns than I was, Moony."

"Sirius, I can appreciate your desperation, believe me, but did you have to go from sexually deprived to sexually depraved in one fell swoop?"

"Transitions are your expertise, not mine," replied Sirius blandly.

"Sirius! On the kitchen table?" Lupin pointed at the abused area and chided, "We eat off of that surface."

"Look, we had no other options, Moony. Emmeline was getting Snuffles all nice and clean, so I had to transform to tell her how grateful I was. Before I know it she has me on the kitchen table," said Sirius defensively. "And as a gentlemen I felt compelled to accommodate the lady's wishes. Besides, two adults couldn't fit into the small tub"

"What tub?" asked Lupin.

Sirius walked around the table and spotted the tub hidden from view. He cleared his throat before saying, "I'll just go empty this."

"You didn't clean up after yourself?" asked Lupin as he came to peer around. "Oh, this is disgusting!"

"We got distracted," explained Sirius.

"Say no more."

"But you don't understand. She got all soapy, so we had to go upstairs to rinse off, then we got distracted again, well, a few more times, actually."

"BUT THE KITCHEN TABLE!"

"You're such a prude, Moony. Haven't you ever--wait. You mean you've never? Ever?"

"I certainly wouldn't on the kitchen table!"

"Whew. For a moment there I thought you were a virgin," sighed Sirius with a quick wipe of his forehead.

Lupin just closed his eyes and kept his mouth shut. His sexual experience, or lack thereof, was not the issue here. "Look, let's get this mess cleaned up before Tonks shows up."

"I bet Tonks would understand," muttered Sirius.

Then a commotion from upstairs caught their attention. The sound of a veritable stampede was reverberating through the house.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's your house; don't you know?" asked Lupin. The hackles at the back of his neck were rising and he was visited with an impulse to transform into the werewolf for his own protection. "Sirius, you didn't keep any strange pets, did you? Other than Buckbeak, of course."

"We let Buckbeak go at Land's End," reminded Sirius, but began walking toward the end of the hallway that led to the set of stairs leading to a tower and its sole room.

"He'd not be able to find the house on his own even if he did come looking for you," said Lupin with a note of concern. Sirius had released Buckbeak when he came to stay with Lupin for a few days at the lighthouse to avoid imprisoning him at Grimauld Place. Had the hippogriff come looking for his old companion?

"Buckbeak is probably happy in the country chasing down stoats," offered Sirius with a shrug. They reached the landing that would lead to Mrs. Black's room as the last rumble faded away. "The noise has stopped, but this was clearly the source."

"I thought we were going to keep this room sealed," said Lupin. Again he had the uncomfortable feeling that he'd feel safer as a werewolf. Sirius had been very stubborn about avoiding the room.

"Kreacher keeps undoing the ward we put on it. Perhaps it's time I found out what Mummy Dearest was up to while I was a guest at Azkaban?"

Lupin nodded and they both drew their wands. Before they put a foot on the stairs, they heard a cacophony of sounds just beyond the door: honking, hissing, growling, an eerie human laugh.

"Oh, Merlin, she couldn't have!" Sirius glared at the door, shook his head in disbelief, then wiped a hand across his face. His distress was clear. "I think she finally did it. She got her fondest wish."

"And that would be?"

"A miniature magical menagerie."

Lupin was astounded by the implication. The room could be filled with all manner of dangerous fauna. But further contemplation was interrupted by the appearance of a Patronus that he immediately recognized as Moody's badger. The message was delivered only for Lupin to hear.

Badger to Buckbeak.

"I've got to go, Sirius. Here, give me that," said Lupin as he roughly unwrapped the dressing gown from Sirius.

"Ay, what!"

"Don't do anything without me," called Lupin as he dashed out of the house with the robe over his shoulder. He thought clearly about the image of the place the Patronus had transmitted and disapparated as soon as he stepped outside the threshold.

Sirius stood there in nothing but his boxers for a moment. He'd gladly give Lupin the shirt off his back, but it wasn't like Lupin to ever ask him for something, let alone just whisk it away. "Well, I hope you put it to good use, Moony."

Sirius trotted back up the stairs to get some more rest. Emmeline had really wiped him out.

- - - - - - - - - -

Kings Mall

"Moody, what's this about Buckbeak," asked Lupin as soon as he appeared beside Moody.

"Wotcher, Remus," called Tonks from behind.

Lupin turned in surprise and was suddenly self-conscious that he still wore yesterday's clothes. Moody hadn't mentioned Tonks was with him. He quickly gathered his composure while surreptitiously casting a grooming spell as he swiped a hand through his hair. "Good morning, Tonks. So this is where you've been?"

"I get all the special jobs," said Tonks with a nod. "What do you think?"

"Is it Buckbeak?" asked Moody as he pointed upward. He released the illusion to reveal it to Lupin.

Lupin drew his eyes away from Tonks' bright smile and peered at the winged form circling in the air. He donned the dressing gown he had been carrying over his shoulder that had the Black family crest after a quick adjustment for fit. Then he surprised the Aurors by bringing his fingers to his lips and emitting a shrill whistle.

The hippogriff hovered for a moment before streaking to the ground in a rapid descent. Lupin confirmed, "It's Buckbeak."

The hippogriff landed gracefully, but ruffled his feathers when he caught sight of Lupin rather than Black on the ground. Lupin executed a graceful bow and began to speak quietly.

Lupin held out his arm so that Buckbeak could catch the scent of his familiar companion from the sleeve. "You're looking for Sirius, aren't you? Miss him? Yes, he does have that effect."

Lupin was now approaching Buckbeak and began stroking the wings gently as he spoke. Tonks couldn't take her eyes off of the graceful movement of his hands, the elegant fingers offering a soothing touch.

Moody stomped closer to the hippogriff, but shook his head. "Order Headquarters is no place for a winged creature. Where will we put him?"

"We might have just the thing. It looks like we'll need to clear out Mrs. Black's old room in the tower after all. We found evidence that she was harboring a miniature zoo in there. I wouldn't be surprised if the room is equipped to tend to the needs of a variety of animals, given that we can clear it, of course."

"We'll both be there to help," offered Tonks immediately. Moody needed something constructive to do with his time off before he became a menace to the Muggle world. "But how do we get him home?"

"I remember a similar incident, but it was hundreds of years ago." Moody's eye was spinning as he told the tale. "A lady escorted a hippogriff out of a hostile Muggle town by riding it like a horse. What was her name?"

"Ah, yes, Lady Godiva," said Lupin, then saw a rosy pink blush rising on Tonks. He couldn't resist temptation. "Oh, I see you're familiar with the details of the story, Tonks."

"I am quite aware of Godiva's bizarre habits," said Tonks primly. "And I have no intention of emulating her."

"But it's the perfect distraction, Tonks," insisted Moody. "No one would notice that the horse was in fact a hippogriff if--"

"Mad-eye, I am not riding Buckbeak buck naked through town!"

"Tempermental, isn't she?" murmured Moody to Lupin.

"I've noticed," agreed Lupin, but the way Tonks was swatting her wand against the palm of her hand was a clear sign he needed to offer a constructive comment. "But what about a mounted Muggle police?"

The swatting stopped as she looked up at Buckbeak. She quickly wrapped her bandana around her hair before donning gloves. She tapped her wand to her shoulder and suddenly appeared in full uniform of Metropolitan police, including the equestrian helmet with the red and white checkered band. "That could work. Now we transform Buckbeak into a horse."

"Allow me," said Moody. The hippogriff shrank a bit and his wings folded into his body. Buckbeak emitted a squawk of displeasure until Lupin began stroking his neck and speaking in a soothing voice.

"Good boy, steady there," cooed Tonks as she approached Buckbeak and bowed.

Lupin looked around for something she could transform into tack and pulled an old newspaper out of a trash bin. Tonks transfigured it into regulation gear for mounted police, using a strip to create a loose bridle. Buckbeak seemed willing to accept this as Lupin continued to stroke his neck.

The creature seemed to be calm, so she climbed on his back. "Nice pony."

Obviously Buckbeak didn't like being called a pony because he reared once, then started to race away with Tonks bouncing on the mount, trying desperately to get her feet into the stirrups.

"Ooo, ouch, ow..."

"Immobilus," called Moody while Lupin apparated to the pair. The hippogriff came to a sudden stop, but Tonks went flying over the shoulder.

Lupin found himself grabbing onto any part of the Auror he could access, until he saw her blush. He quickly readjusted his handhold on her body in hopes that she wouldn't resort to slapping him. Instead Tonks found her feet and took a deep breath.

"Remus, it looks like you'll have to ride with me. I can't wear that robe over this uniform. Just mount up and cast a disillusionment charm."

"What?" asked Lupin. He bent to speak to Tonks. "I'm too old for this, Tonks. I haven't ridden a mount since Sirius decided we should take the Beauxbatons Abraxans for a joy ride."

"And when were you at Beauxbatons?" asked Tonks with curiosity.

"Summer holiday after sixth year. Lily Evans was visiting a friend in France and James Potter dragged the lot of us with him to spy on her."

"I believe the term is stalking," offered Tonks.

"No, stalking applies when the girl doesn't want the attention. Anyway, I couldn't sit down for three days after that escapade."

"The Abraxans are giants in comparison. Look, you're the only one who can keep Buckbeak in check," said Tonks. "I'll enhance the cushioning charm."

"Tonks has a point, Lupin. Better you suffering a sore bum than her suffering a broken neck," declared Moody, thus effectively ending the argument. "I'll cast the disillusionment charm and monitor your progress to Order headquarters in case you have any trouble."

Lupin reluctantly tucked away his wand and mounted behind Tonks after she adjusted the saddle. He sat a bit stiffly and uncomfortably, but more from the fact that he wanted to avoid touching her. For her part, Tonks was relieved when she felt Lupin slip behind her. She could feel the warmth from his body. Then she felt Lupin's hands fluttering from her shoulders to her waist as if trying to decide where to hold on.

"Hang on to my waist, Remus, " offered Tonks. The she squirmed as his hands fell into position and admonished, "And don't tickle."

Tickling was not what was on his mind as his arms went around her waist. She made him feel rather gangly and awkward. They were soon walking at a steady gait, but Tonks sat with a rather stiff posture. Lupin finally murmured, "Just lean back. Fair exchange."

Tonks was glad that he couldn't see the blush on her face, but she followed his suggestion. She relaxed into him, which actually made his hold around her waist more comfortable.

So on that bright morning, the Muggles saw a mounted Metropolitan police officer making her way through London and occasionally chasing down a madman who had a penchant for vandalising innocent vending machines. Thus, although it took them a few hours to arrive at their destination, they couldn't have blended better if it were planned.

- - - - - - - - - -

Grimmauld Place

"Whoa! Right, we're here," said Tonks as Moody approached the door to number twelve.

Lupin lost no time in sliding off of Buckbeak, then had to dodge Tonks' leg as she also quickly dismounted. He moved up to stroke Bubkbeak's mane and said, "Best leave him as a horse for the moment. He'll be easier to pull inside."

"Right," agreed Tonks as she used the reins to lead him forward. She transformed her clothing into jeans and t-shirt as she walked.

Lupin was amused to find her a bit bowlegged, but then realized he was staring at her. He really was becoming an old lecher, wasn't he? They made it into the entry hall where Moody had already dealt with the rantings of Mrs. Black's portrait.

"Here's your robe back, Sirius," offered Lupin as he handed the dressing gown back to Sirius. "I needed it to lure Buckbeak."

Sirius, who had taken the time to dress properly, moved forward from the foot of the stairs in surprise. "Buckbeak?"

Buckbeak whinnied in delight as Sirius walked to him and pet his nose.

"He came looking for you, Padfoot, although we're keeping him as a horse until we can get a room ready," confirmed Lupin. "He's grown quite attached to you it seems."

"Oh, Buckbeak, you silly goose. What are we going to do with you?" Sirius was stroking the horse's neck. "You must be thirsty. I'll get some water up for him. In fact, we might as well take lunch ourselves. There's quite a bit of work ahead. "

"Good idea, I'm parched and peckish," said Tonks as she quickly skipped down the stairs. They could soon here her yelling, "SIRIUS BLACK!"

Sirius rolled his eyes while Lupin asked, "Didn't you clean up the mess in the kitchen?"

"You said not to do anything until you got back," replied Sirius. He tied the reins around the banister before the men walked to the kitchen to find Tonks with her hand on her hips.

"Sirius! What kind of slick move is this? We eat off of that surface." She was pointing with indignation at the soap scum on the kitchen table.

"That's what I said," peeped Lupin.

Moody, on the other hand, seemed undisturbed. "A man's got to to what a man's got to do."

"Thank you, Mad-eye, I knew someone would understand," said Sirius. "Look, I'll just," he flicked his wand over the oak tabletop, "clean it up and it's all set to right."

"Oh, no, I want a new tabletop," demanded Tonks.

"Tonks, be reasonable. It's clean. Look." Sirius waved his wand again and said, "It's even sanitized."

Lupin, who probably would have accepted this edict, watched in amusement as Tonks stepped up to her cousin and sweetly explained.

"Sirius, I want a new tabletop and I assure you, I will check for transfiguration. And if I don't get a new tabletop, then I will relay the history of this surface to Molly Weasley."

Lupin was actually impressed. Why hadn't he thought of that threat? He looked expectantly at Sirius.

"Best give in, Black," advised Moody. "No one wants to suffer the wrath of the Weasley matriarch."

"Fine," replied Sirius in an offended tone. "How about mahogany?"

"No, we need something warmer," said Lupin.

"Yes, I'd say, maple," chimed in Tonks.

"I was about to suggest that," acknowledged Lupin.

Sirius grudgingly changed the tabletop as he muttered, "Bullies."

Soon the company was eating a quick lunch in the kitchen on the inviolate tabletop while Buckbeak drank fully and nibbled on some rats that Snuffles had caught for him. It was a welcome break before the work ahead.

- - - - - - - - - -

Once lunch was finished, they sat at the table sipping tea, except for Lupin who had excused himself. He soon rejoined them to sit by Tonks' side. She noticed that he had not only changed clothes, but also managed a quick shower. And he smelled nice and clean.

Tonks adjusted her position when she realized she was actually leaning into Lupin's personal space as she took a deep breath. She practically turned her back on the man, so she missed Lupin's puzzled frown at her body language.

"It's clear that we can't let the hippogriff go. He'd just try to find Black again and compromise Order headquarters," began Moody.

"Buckbeak has an even temper and he's been in confined places before," explained Sirius.

"We can clear out your mother's old room for his use." As Lupin heard his words, he realized his 'we' meant he and Tonks. "She had to have facilities for taking care of the beasts, no matter what their size."

"The tower room is quite spacious and has the height of two stories," confirmed Sirius.

"That sounds serviceable," agreed Moody as he leaned back. "We're the Aurors; Tonks and I can clean out the menagerie from the tower."

Tonks turned and exchanged a glance with Lupin. It felt odd not to be partnered with each other, but there was no reason to argue with the assignment other than personal preference. Wait. Preference?

"I might need that magic eye of yours, Mad-eye. Kreacher won't like having mother's room disturbed, so I'll have to keep him busy, but he can be rather clever about hiding my parents' toys. I'm sure the dangers of the menagerie will be obvious. Mumsy, on the other hand, wasn't a subtle woman."

"My eye's been a bit sketchy at detecting Dark Arts, but I suppose exercising it will do some good," agreed Moody. "Right, then, Tonks, you're with Lupin. Let's get to work."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tonks and Lupin walked to the tower and drew their wands.

"What do you think we'll find in there?" asked Tonks.

"Dragons, unicorns, acromantula, harpies, chimera," said Lupin as he echoed a catalog of magical beasts. He turned to her with a serious look. "Possibly a manticore."

Tonks shivered. The manticore was particularly vile in that it would have a human face amid the monstrous body. Its taste for human flesh made it almost cannabilistic. "You open the door and I'll go in first--"

Lupin put his hand up to protest, but Tonks continued, "I take the low ground to cast an adhesion spell while you check anything flying."

Lupin acquiesced with a nod. Doing the manly thing would be quite stupid in this situation. "I'll cast a net," said Lupin, then quickly added, "And not a word about percussion instruments from you."

Tonks made sure she had an innocent expression on her face. "I'll have to pass that one on to Dad."

Lupin shook his head, but then the eerie human laugh again filled the hallway. He felt the hackles rising on his neck. He murmured to himself, "I wish it were full moon already."

Tonks looked at him sharply, then swallowed the lump that was suddenly in her throat. What kind of threat would make Lupin prefer his werewolf form?

But his voice was calm and steady. "Ready? Go."

Lupin released the ward on the door and it flew open.

The Auror cast an adhesion spell across the floor in front of her. This stopped the stampede that was about to overtake them, but Tonks found she had to immediately follow with stupefy and immobilization spells. She skimmed above the floor with a levitation charm as she dealt with menacing strikes from acromantula, chimera, and a variety of wraiths. Although most were no taller than a meter, they still held their deadlier qualities.

In the meantime the Professor cast his webs at a variety of creatures swarming toward them. Soon several nets hung suspended from the ceiling like cocoons. Harpies, dragons, and other flying beasts were shrieking and growling, but Lupin reinforced the nets so they would hold.

Then, as Tonks scanned for Lupin's location, the source of the eerie laughter swooped toward her. She deflected the beast, but managed to get a good look at the wide mouth holding the sharp rows of teeth that distorted the human face. A manticore!

The manticore flew up with a roar as his leathery wings beat the air. He hovered above her for a moment to adjust his position. The strike of the scorpion's tail would be deadly. But as Tonks prepared a shield spell, she saw Lupin execute an oddly disturbing maneuver. He leapt from the floor to the bay of the closest window and landed in a crouch. Then he repeated the maneuver to get to the next window where he would be closer to the manticore. It was a motion that echoed a wolf, not a human.

"Gladius!" Lupin's voice seemed to fill the room as he lashed out with his wand. The sword spell effectively severed the scorpion's tail from the manticore who, although reduced in size, was easily as tall as Lupin.

The manticore roared with pain and then turned with an eerie laugh. He could ignore the weak little girl below him to take care of this combatant. His voice came out as a hiss as he taunted Lupin. "You would feast of her sweet flesh, too, Dark Brother. Do not deny me my meal because you are too weak to take your fill."

"No! I'm not like you. I won't be like you." He thrust again with the Sword Spell as he fended off the attack from the lion's claws.

Tonks knew that no stupefy or immobilisation spell would be effective against the creature, but then her eyes fell on the deadly stinger that was writhing on the floor. "Accio."

The dismembered limb flew to her hand and Tonks forced down the bile in her throat as she carefully touched it. She cast her next spell silently, but targeted the wingardium leviosa with efficiency. The stinger was aimed at the exposed underbelly of the beast.

The loud shriek of pain from the manticore as the stinger penetrated his abdomen made Tonks cover her ears. She barely had time to cushion the fall of the beast so that it wouldn't land on the terrier-sized unicorns below it. The Auror carefully set the body in a clear area, then covered it by summoning the bedcover. The poison was already doing its work on decomposing the body.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Tonks looked up to find Lupin leaning against the window sill as he knelt in its bay. She carefully gauged her distance before levitating to his side. She was happy to see his eyes flutter open. "Remus! Did you get bitten?"

He found the question rather amusing and had to laugh, although he must sound a bit mad to Tonks. "Not by the manticore."

"Good swordsmanship, Professor," she teased lightly. "You'd make quite the swashbuckler."

"Runs in the family, but be that as it may, Nymphadora, I'm going to do a very unmanly thing now."

"Remus? Wha--"

Faint. The Auror caught the Professor before he pitched forward, then carefully floated with him to the bed that was against the wall near the door. She leaned over him before she let her gaze inspect his body. No major wounds, although his jeans had some new rips. She placed her palm over a larger wound on his thigh and chanted the healing spell. She repeated this over a few more minor cuts on his arms and her voice resembled a song as she did her work.

Tonks judged her progress, then noticed how pale he looked. How could he have mustered the energy required to leap to the window bay? Then she remembered the full moon was tonight. Was a little bit of the wolf lurking near the surface now? Had he harnessed that energy to protect her?

Foolish man, she was the Auror; she could protect herself But Tonks pushed back the notion that Lupin thought of her as a weak woman. Valkyrie, he had called her. No, he was simply protecting his partner and was willing to use any resources he had to that end.

"Remus Lupin, you would have made a good Auror," she murmured as she scanned his face.

She brushed away the fringe of hair falling on his face. His forehead was too high, his nose was too long. In fact, his entire body was lanky, although his long fingers were elegant, like his toes. Toes? She hadn't realized he was barefoot until now, but it made sense that the maneuvers he executed would be hampered by shoes.

"My! What big feet you have," murmured Tonks with a half smile as she remembered the Muggle story about Little Red Riding Hood. "I told you that you're too bloody tall."

The lean body did not respond to her taunts, but kept breathing gently. The scars on his face invited her touch, but she quenched the impulse. With her penchant for hurting the man, she'd wind up poking his eye.

Instead she lay beside him and let his head rest against her. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around him. One would have thought she were embracing a lover except for the wand carefully positioned over his heart. In fact, she was casting a minor healing spell with her touch. She let the energy flow through her and into him, not enough to drain her, but just enough to ease his weariness.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Lupin inhaled and a familiar scent filled him. He began stirring as he said, "Tonks."

"Quit squirming or we'll both fall off," she chided gently. They were too close to the edge of the bed.

By this time Lupin realized the position he had put her in and shuffled quickly to the foot of the bed as he sat up. "Thank you for the rescue."

"Just returning the favor," said Tonks as she averted her face. The way he had scuttled away from her had hurt.

Lupin registered her obvious discomfort with him, her body language was a strong rejection. He looked down at his bare feet and cringed inside. Tonks had witnessed rather anomalous behavior, actions that would look more canine than human. The room was filled with dangerous creatures, his brethren. How could this not be a strong reminder of his curse?

So he as was his nature, he fell into character as the objective scholar to distance himself from both the beast within and the woman at his side.

"That was quick thinking about using the stinger against the manticore, especially targeting his belly. Their stinger won't penetrate their hide anywhere else." He cleared his throat as he realized how he was stating the obvious.

Tonks shrugged and let herself be drawn into the conversation. "I read the Malleus Manticorum in the restricted section of the library at Hogwarts. Call it morbid curiosity. While other girls were looking up love potions, I was looking up carnivorous beasts."

"I'm glad you're not a typical girl then," said Lupin rather absently, then internally kicked his cortex. Brilliant choice of words, Lupin.

"This is quite a room," said Tonks to change the subject from her feminine shortcomings. "And it's perfect for Buckbeak."

They surveyed the room in silence for a moment. The large, circular area had a series of tall windows with deep bays, some holding nests. The ceiling was easily two stories tall and, while still constrained, would allow Buckbeak to stretch his wings a bit. A trough rimmed the wall with spouts for water at even intervals. A large aquarium about a meter in height stood under one window with what looked like a Kraken and a Kelpie within. The human accommodations were along the wall closest to the door with the four poster bed practically on a pedestal.

"I wonder how she managed to maintain the enchantment," said Lupin as his eyes turned to the creatures they had captured. "A potion in the water? A reduction charm? Magical technology?"

"I feel the remnants of some magical instrument," said Tonks as she closed her eyes to follow the source of magic. She opened her eyes and pointed to a cell against the wall. "And I bet the manticore was restrained for most of his time here. The bonds look freshly broken."

Lupin fingered the curtains on the four poster bed. "The curtains have a protective ward. Mrs. Black probably used that as her safe haven from her menagerie."

"What do we do with these now? Hagrid's off on a mission," said Tonks as she stood. "We can't just massacre the lot."

They stood by each other and looked at the captured beasts. Yes, many were dangerous, but their reduced size made them manageable. Then out of a bureau drawer by the bed, they saw a fluffy white head with long, floppy ears appear.

Tonks squealed in delight. "Oh, a bunny! Poor thing! I bet it was some creature's meal."

She picked it up and the pink nose twitched. Tonks put it on her shoulder and was cooing at it while she stroked it. "Lupin, meet lepus."

But when Lupin approached for a closer look, the rabbit suddenly revealed long, sharp incisors and red, feral eyes.

"Tonks, get away from that thing!"

Tonks brought the bunny to arm's length and asked, "What's wrong, Remus? You're not afraid of an ickle wabbit?"

The bunny's eyes were back to pink and it seemed to be trembling in her hands.

"Tonks, this is a lepus vorpalis. I've directly observed their carnivorous behavior at the Caerbannog Cave," said Lupin. He suddenly lunged for it, effectively grabbing the beast out of Tonks' hands.

The vorpal bunny revealed its true nature again with a snarl. Lupin said with satisfaction, "See, it is a were-rabbit."

It suddenly clamped its mouth shut and assumed its innocent facade.

"So? I'll just avoid giving it meat," said Tonks as she recovered the furry white bundle and rubbed the fur against her face. "It's a perfectly gentle creature other than once a month. They don't attack unless provoked and even then it's only on the day of the full moon."

"Nymphadora Tonks, how can you be phobic about canines but not feral lepines?" The woman was exasperating, thought Lupin.

"I think it has something to do with the floppy ears," said Tonks calmly in an odd reversal of roles. "Anyway, Wimples is my furry little problem now, not yours."

Her comment was an echo of James Potter for Lupin. All he managed to get out was, "Wimples?"

"Don't you think it suits him?" said Tonks, clearly enchanted with her new acquisition. "I've been meaning to get a pet. And the lepus vorpalis train very well as guard animals. I thought you would know this, Professor."

"That requires a very strict regimen," countered Lupin.

"And are you implying I'm incapable of that level of discipline?"

Lupin opened his mouth to speak, but was at a loss. Regardless of what he said, it would lead to Tonks keeping the dangerous animal. He finally settled for, "Fine, but I want to see read your training schedule."

"Fine," agreed Tonks primly.

"Fine." Lupin shook his head. He scanned the menagerie and made a firm decision to place them before Tonks decided to keep anymore creatures. "I think I know who can take the rest."

"Don't tell me Hagrid has a twin brother?"

"No, Skeeve Irvin is obsessed with magical creatures, but he doesn't delude himself about the danger. Although he does have a dragon named Gleep."

"And you thought Wimples was a funny name," accused Tonks.

Lupin refused to rise to the bait. "Skeeve runs a preserve. He's convinced Muggles that he's a crocodile hunter by assuming an alias, but he's actually capturing magical creatures for relocation."

"Croc hunter? Why does that sound familiar?" murmured Tonks.

"We should be able to contact him by floo," said Lupin. "Here, let's get some of the more interesting creatures into crates so he can see them. Oh, and let's take the aquarium, too."

"Right, then. Here you go, Wimples. Wait here for Nanna."

- - - - - - - - - - -

Tonks and Lupin conferred with Moody and Sirius, who had been having a hectic time keeping Kreacher in check as they cleaned the other rooms. They gave their blessing to the plan, a necessary element since Sirius was the official owner of the menagerie and Moody would be the one making the delivery. The two men then helped Tonks and Lupin crate the specimens so that Buckbeak could have free run of his new room.

So it was that at eight in the evening in London, Lupin threw floo powder in, but just enough so he could talk to his colleague rather than travel through to him. Five o'clock in the morning in Australia should be perfect for catching Skeeve at home before his busy day began.

"Skeeve? Skeeve, it's Remus Lupin."

Lupin waited patiently with the aquarium in clear view. He had his back turned to Tonks who was suddenly having trouble keeping the lid on a cage. She finally sat on top of it by the time Lupin got a response.

"Crikey! Is that a Kraken!" The man in the floo had brown hair, a friendly round face, and a boisterous voice.

Now Tonks remembered. She exclaimed, "You're, you're--"

"Yes, he is," said Lupin over his shoulder with a nod. Hadn't he told her that? "That's his alias."

The Professor then turned to the man and said, "Skeeve, as you can see, it is indeed a Kraken and a Kelpie. We found a miniature menagerie and need a safe haven for the creatures. They include dragons, harpies, acromantula, a chimera, a herd of unicorns and abraxans."

A long whistle greeted them. "Of course I'll take the lot. I've just gotten a new area declared a wildlife preserve." Then he seemed to peer over Lupin's shoulder and asked, "Is that your sheila?"

"What?" Lupin turned to find Tonks was leaning over the cage trying to make sure it was properly latched. He drew his eyes away and said, "No, no, she's not my girlfriend. Uh, she's a colleague, Nymphadora Tonks."

"Lupin, you're such a clod, you know that? Colleague! You've got plenty of colleagues and they won't keep you warm in that dismal island of yours. You should take me up on my offer. The job's always open."

"I appreciate that, Skeeve, but I like this dismal island of mine," said Lupin with a smile.

"Stubborn as an old croc," muttered Skeeve. "When can I expect the shipment?"

"I'll owl you a manifest of the cargo and the details of their arrival. Alastor Moody will be making the trip."

"Mad-eye? It'll be good to see the old codger."

"Good then. Thanks for helping out," said Lupin as he moved away from the floo.

He turned to find Tonks swatting a paw that was trying to pinch her bum and grumbling, "Stupid monkey!"

"We're set," said Lupin.

"I heard," replied Tonks. Yes, she had heard everything, from Lupin's enthusiastic denial of a relationship with her to the fact that if he wanted, Lupin could be gainfully employed. He could be free of all his problems if he would but go halfway around the world. "Here's the manifest. Oh, and there's the training schedule for Wimples."

Lupin took the parchment and sat at the table. He looked at the lists, but couldn't focus for a moment. The worst part of the housecleaning was over. Although far from pristine, the rooms were habitable. He knew Molly intended to keep the teens busy by attacking the remainder.

It was over. The only thing to lure Tonks back was Order business. Lupin blinked and forced himself to pay attention to the lists. The full moon would soon be upon him and he needed to get to Wolf Rock. He had drunk his Wolfsbane, but now that he was no longer distracted by the menagerie--or Tonks--he could feel the aches that foreshadowed his transformations. That's why he was aching, right?

"Everything looks good."

Tonks nodded. She had Wimples in a crate for safe transport to her flat. She had managed not to injure Lupin outright or flash him today, but somehow she had still managed to alienate him. Maybe he was just tired with the full moon coming. Tired of dealing with a clumsy tomboy whose only distinction was making dumb puns.

"Well, I guess I better go," said Tonks. "Good night, Remus."

Lupin stood, but all he could think to say was, "Good-bye, Nympahdora."

She didn't even turn around to admonish him.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Tonks introduced Wimples to her flat and spent the rest of the night setting up the spells that would help train him as a guard animal. The rabbit would be restless through the night, but with the rubber carrot she gave him to chew, the lepine should pass it without incident.

Before she went to bed, she stroked the bunny, but was thinking of another creature. It was probably a good thing that her time with Lupin had ended beyond the occasional Order meeting. Then why was she so restless as she looked up at the full moon? No, it had nothing to do with Lupin. It was clear that while he tolerated her as a colleague, he wanted nothing more to do with her.

"And that's just fine with me, Remus Lupin," said Tonks to herself as she pulled the pillow to her chest. But as she drifted into slumber, it was the memory of embracing him in her arms that brought her comfort.

Meanwhile in the distant west, a werewolf was curled up on his favorite rug as the full moon shone through his enchanted abode at Wolf Rock Lighthouse. His mind held images of color, so much color had filled his world of late. And the soft flowery scent that lingered. And sounds: argument, understanding, laughter. All of it so alive. All of it to be nothing more than a memory.

End of Chapter

Minor edits.

Author Notes:
I set out to explain how Buckbeak wound up at Grimmauld Place with Sirius. This seemed to be as plausible as any. My beta and I were amused by the idea of Moody zapping hapless and harmless vending machines that talk. Don't know if they're common in London, but call it creative license.

All right, throw the rotten tomatoes, but the idea of Steve Irwin, the Croc Hunter, actually being a wizard who casts illusions about wrestling crocodiles when he's actually dealing with magical creatures was seductive. Am I weird? And, yes, the reference to Skeeve and Gleep is a nod to Robert Aspirin's Myth Adventure series.

Edit to add: I wanted to give a last salute to Steve Irwin who several months after I posted this story. As I go back to read it, I'd like to think that the man's 'magic' still lingers.

Wimples is obviously the vorpal bunny from Monty Python's Holy Grail. And the idea was born long before I realized Wallace and Grommit have a movie about a were-rabbit coming out. Hey, I never claimed to be original; I just see fuzzy connections in a lot of things. Or furry ones... And I realize that were- means Man, but the term were-rabbit conveys the idea I wanted.

Gladius is not canon, but the closest Latin for sword. Also, the manticore is not supposed to be a Dark Creature outright, but this particular one was evil. I think the rest of the creatures resembled canon.

Ah, Tonks and Lupin. One step forward, two steps back--or is it sideways? Don't fret, we find out more about Lupin's background in the next chapter and it will be different from the Roman background I gave him in my first series of stories. Is Tonks out of his immediate life? Would I be writing this if she were?

Again and always, thank you for reading, reviewing and getting some fun out of odd references. Writing fanfic has been a nice diversion over a very strange, hectic week. I appreciate the continued positive reviews and, even with the setbacks, I hope the relationship is still making you smile and root for Tonks and Lupin.