Part Three: Handle With Care

"She's quite a good Auror, really," booms Kinsley Shacklebolt, "despite how it looks."

Remus gapes at Tonks, who, en route to answer Kingsley's knock, tripped over the troll-foot umbrella stand and somehow ended up prone on the floor. Just as Remus moves to assist her, Kingsly shakes his hand.

"Good to see you, Remus," says the wizard Remus has not seen since Hogwarts days. "Where's Sirius?"

When Kingsley retreats downstairs, Remus reaches out to Tonks. "Hand up?"

She regards him with round eyes. "Blokes never do that for me."

He's as surprised as she; aiding a witch is simply what one does. "Do they fear you'll bring them down with you?"

"I can, y'know." With a grip more suited to Kinsley than this pixie, Tonks tugs on Remus' hand.

As he careers to the floor, Tonks' teasing expression becomes horrified. "Oh God, I'm sorry!" Her hands fly over her mouth. "Bloody—! I didn't mean—!"

"Didn't you?" Remus quirks an eyebrow as he rights himself.

"Honestly, I didn't! Merlin, you must think I'm a walking disaster. I'm so—!"

"No harm done." He pats her shoulder and hopes the gesture will ease her distress. "Anyway, this is the closest I've come in a long time to taking a tumble with a girl."

She looks at him with unabashed surprise, then goes red. Godric Gryffindor, did he say that to a young witch he met ten minutes ago? His hand falls from her shoulder as his own face burns.

"Well, I'm just dead clumsy," says Tonks. "Kingsley calls me a good Auror, but the truth is, I nearly failed Stealth and Tracking."

"Perhaps I could teach you a few simple balance charms?"

"No such things." Tonks gives a rueful smile. "I've scoured all the spell books."

"I know. I was just trying to make you feel better. Did it work?"

"Yeah." She stands and nudges his foot with hers. "Now, if you're not afraid of me, can I give you a hand up?"

He accepts her hand, again surprised by the strength of it, and says, "I'm not afraid of you."

Tonks' grip changes, and Remus notices how small her hand is, and holds his larger one awkwardly. She is not gentle, but plainly wants to be.

"I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of the law," says Remus. "You're stronger than you look. I believe you're a good Auror."

"I got your robes all filthy." She swipes roughly at his clothing, sending up little puffs of dust. "Merlin, I'm so sorry."

Remus considers how her grip changed when he told her he was not afraid of her, and decides to conduct an experiment.

"Sirius and I have been trying to get this old house clean. I'm sure all that dust was already on me."

"Well, can I still try to get it off?" Tonks asks.

"Certainly," says Remus. "Thank you."

Her touch is instantly feather light, proving his hypothesis correct: when handled with care, Tonks is careful.