Declaimer: I do not own anything you recognize as J.K. Rowling's property and/or Warner Bros. Corp., Bloomsbury Editorials, bleh bleh bleh bleh… yes whatever. I'll call my lawyer if you call yours, and mine is scarier!

Important: This work is not up for reproduction without previous authorization… You steal it and I cut your… fingers off.

Warning: Don't really know the rating yet, so beware it might get hot in here. I'll let you know when I've figured it out though…

Note: Thanks to J.K. Rowling for her wonderful magical world, -HUGGLES- I know there are like a zillion stories about what happened in between the scene of Tonks and Remus in the Hospital Wing and the funeral of Dumbledore, I just felt like doing this one! And just so you know, this hasn't been through beta because… well, I'm just a lazy prat and don't want it to be so… kick me. Lol. R&R!

A Decisive Woman

By: Julia

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," said Professor McGonagall curtly…

Tonks stared at the old woman with strange curiosity, she was right, but why couldn't Remus understand that? Why would he want to put an end to the only beautiful thing that there was left for them? Why did he want her to swallow all her feelings for him and pretend that they never existed? She couldn't, she just… couldn't. Yes, maybe he was considerably older and he was surely penniless but Tonks didn't care… She loved him for who he was – werewolf and everything – not for what he had or how old he was. Remus…

She was drwan away from her thoughts by the sound of the door being shot closed. She looked around, McGonagall and Harry were gone. Molly and Fleur were crying by Bill's side and the rest was sitting around the bed staring at him with gloomed expressions, wondering what would be of that poor young man that once had been a whole man. Except for Remus, Remus was…

Their eyes met, she held his gaze with a strong one. He wouldn't see her cry over him again, she wouldn't show weakness, she had to be strong for both of them as Remus refused to. She sighed; she wouldn't let this be over. It was outrageous! They loved each other! So she turned around and left the Hospital Wing thinking, what could she do to make him see what she saw? She had tried everything, talk to him, have others talk to him, not talk to him at all… But that was it, no more nice little Tonks – it was time for extreme actions!

"He won't know what hit him…" She whispered to herself as she apparated away.

. - . - . - .

Later that same night, Remus walked into number 12 Grimmauld place. The house seemed desserted, all the lights were off and a heavy silence reigned around. He went to the kitchen and sat down in the darkness, he couldn't believe Dumbledore was… dead. And Harry, poor Harry… But as Hermione had said, at least he had Ginny. Yes, at least Harry had Ginny.

A pitched loud scream filled the air, a woman asking for help hysterically. Remus jumped to his feet, his wand in his right hand. He looked around while a second scream hit him. Nymphadora? He ran upstairs, as fast as he could. He kicked the first door open and looked inside the room, nothing. The second… Nothing. Third…Nothing. A third scream. Finally he reached her; she was kneeling in a corner of the room, her hands covering her ears, screaming as loud as her lungs let her.

"Nymphadora!" He exclaimed.

Tonks stood up and pointed her wand at him, a flash of red light almost caught him but it hit the door and it closed loudly, Remus could hear the lock clicking and the door suddenly sealing itself. His eyes grew wide; his gaze went from her to the door and back several times. What was she doing?

"Nymphadora, what is this all about?" Confussion clear in his voice.

Tonks lowered her wand and smiled, it was a type of smile that he had never seen in her. It reminded him a lot of the grin that Sirius and James had when they were up to no good.

"Claiming what's mine." She replied simply. "I don't care how stubborn you are, you won't go out of this room until you've understand that I am not giving up on you."

"We've been through this Nymphadora… Dumbledore's death has disturbed you badly." Remus took out his wand, he turned to unlock the door when…

"Accio wand!" Remus' wand flew to her open hand. "I am in charge here. Now, sit."

There was a chair in the middle of the room, the only furniture there – he noticed. Wandless and in front of a woman whose gaze seemed dangerous, Remus did as told and sat down.

"Nymphadora, you have to-"

"Shut up. Rule number 1, you are not allowed to talk unless I say so. Rule number 2, don't call me like that." She snaped.

"But-"

"Sh!"

She stared at him from one corner of the room for a while, then, walked to stand right in front of him. He couldn't understand how this would make him change his mind, because he certainly wasn't going to. Remus loved her deeply – no doubt – but because of that, he wanted the best for her and he knew he was not the best she could have. He thought about telling her this, but she looked so fierce that he didn't dare open his mouth. Finally, she spoke.

"I don't understand you, I swear I've tried but Remus… I can't." As she spoke, her expression turned softer and softer until he could see through her honey-colored eyes that she was really suffering beyond reality.

Tonks leant against the wall and sat down; she stared at the floor with wide eyes and a hand covering her mouth. She stayed there, without moving a single muscle, for what seemed an hour. He didn't move either, she seemed in shock and that scared him. Finally, when he was thinking about getting closer, Tonks looked up at him and shook her head.

"No…" She whispered.

Remus raised an eyebrow staring at her. "No what?" He whispered too.

Tonks let out a tiny laugh. "You do love me… and he wants to be with me… You're just joking right? He's just joking…"

At times it seemed that she was not really aware of his presence, like if she was talking to the wall or the air. He cleared his throat, he had meant it. It was not that he didn't want to be with her exactly, he just thought they shouldn't. Denying what was real, wasn't going to help them through. And then, something unexpected happened. A sob escaped her mouth, tears poured uncontrollably down her cheeks like cascades.

"I am hopeless…" She explaimed. "I am hopeless, pathetically hopeless. You don't love me, but I love you… more than anything in this world. I love you. If you leave me, I'll just grieve to death" She sobbed hiding her face between her hands and hiccupping.

"Tonks don't say that-"

"Shut up! It is all your fault!" She stood up at once and got closer to him, he could feel her breathe against his skinn. "You bastard! I trusted you! I gave you my heart!"

Anger ran through her veins, he could almost see it filling her heart with hate. "Nymphadora…"

"Don't call me like that! You think that just because I love you, you have the right to do this to me!" Tonks shook her head, her face red and the pace of her breath uneasy.

Remus had had enough, he stood up at once and – ignoring her complaints and yells– he drew her close to him and held her tightly. "Nymphadora," he said in a soothing voice. "It's ok. It's ok to be mad… and depressed… and shocked. And it is okay if you think that denying it will make everything go away, but it won't… it won't."

She wrapped her arms around his neck; she wished none of this had happened. She wished Dumbledore was still alive… She wished Remus could allow himself to love her freely. She wished she had never bought that silly pair of pink leather boots because they were horrible. She wished so many things, but as Remus had said… Wishing would not make them happen.

She sighed and stepped away from him, his arms fell to his sides. And even when this time she was not looking directly at him, he knew she was talking just to him – not the wall, nor the air.

"You're right." She whispered. "We shouldn't… be together. You're right." He was starting to accept the fact that he didn't think they should be together and if he really thought so, then they shouldn't. Yes, they shouldn't. "Maybe, someday… I will find someone that's right."

Remus sighed in relief, finally… "Yes, you will. I am sure."

He thought that maybe now that everything was falling into place she would let him out, but what was his surprise when he walked to the door and turned around to ask her to unlock it and found that she stared at him with a different gaze than the one he had seconds before. Something told him she had changed her mind. "Nymphadora, open the door for me please."

She shook her head, "No, no I won't. I can't… I can't live without you."

"What? But you just said-"

"I know what I said, but I was wrong. I'll never find anyone else because I know that the only right person in this world for me…" She got closer to him, until his nose reached to touch her forehead. "… is standing in front of me." She whispered.

Remus closed his eyes, he felt the same way. Never would he love any woman as he loved Nymphadora. He was completely devoted to her.

"Remus," she heard her say, her hot breath caressing his neck. "Don't keep us apart. Let me love you. Please, let me love you."

Maybe it was the closeness of their bodies, maybe it was the feeling of her hands caressing his side, maybe it was the pleading tone in her voice… He didn't know what made him say it, but he did anyway. "I love you and I'll never leave you."

Remus wrapped for the second time, his arms around her and they kissed passionately. Their lips sending electrical waves through both of their bodies, their tongues dancing lustfully full of desire. When they broke the kiss, Remus looked into her eyes – he loved her eyes – and smiled. Never has they been this happy in their whole lives. "You're quite a decisive woman, did you know that?"

Tonks nodded, smiling broadly and – magically – her hair returned into a vivid shade of pink. There was still hope.

"An extraordinary assortment of people had already settled into half of the chairs… Most Harry did not recognize, but a few he did, including members of the Order: … Tonks, her hair miraculously returned to vividest pink: Remus Lupin, with whom she seemed to be holding hands."

The End