The
Beginning
Gijane
Rating: PG
Summary: This little
plotbunny hopped into my head and it quickly grew into a monster,
making me write it out! Part Two's turning out huge. Should be up
soon!
Disclaimer: Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, and any other of
the beloved characters mentioned are from The Magical World of Harry
Potter, which belongs to JK Rowling and Associates. I'm just
borrowing them to entertain the fans until Book 7.
Many thanks to my shiny new beta, nfwbls. Since both of us are American, there might be a teeny Americanism here or there. But I've been told I'm pretty good, won't call them 'sweaters' or anything!
Part One: First Meeting
Remus Lupin was positive he had been bitten by the love bug the minute that Nymphadora Tonks crashed into him. It was early July at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Lupin had just opened the door to allow Albus Dumbledore and two Aurors in. The female Auror entered first and promptly tripped over the troll's leg umbrella stand, knocking it over. She went headfirst into his…well, below his belt area.
Mrs Black immediately woke up and began to scream at the noise. Lupin snapped out of his shock and gently extracted the stuttering Auror. With Professor Dumbledore's help, he wrestled closed the curtains closed on the shrieking portrait.
Slightly panting while he turned around, Lupin recognized the male Auror as Kingsley Shacklebolt. With a nod to Lupin, Kingsley turned his attention to the stammering woman, who immediately began to blush as well as stammer. Rolling his eyes at her and smiling at Lupin, he then followed a still chuckling Professor Dumbledore down the corridor towards the basement kitchen.
The woman was still stuttering out apologies. Lupin's wicked sense of humour knew how he could use the situation to ease the poor woman's plight. But before he could open his mouth, she managed to stop stammering and apologise first.
"I'm so sorry! I usually introduce myself to a bloke before I go headfirst into his private parts." She stuck a hand out at him, still blushing, but trying not to smile. "Name's Tonks."
His inner Marauder raised its head and immediately recognised a fellow mischief-maker. He took her hand that she meant for him to shake and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. "I do believe, even though we just met, that we are past handshakes," he told her. When she smirked, he knew that he was correct about her and began to laugh.
"Tonks?" Sirius' voice floated down the staircase as he sauntered down them. "Sweet Merlin…you're not Andi's little girl, are you?"
They both turned to watch Sirius descend. "Now there is only one person in this world stupid enough to call Mum 'Andi'. And that would be you, Sirius Black, no?" Tonks said to him as he made the landing. "But, yes, I am 'Andi's little girl'."
"All grown up," Sirius said, hugging her. Lupin's inner wolf was the one that responded this time, jealously, as she hugged Sirius back.
"And an Auror to boot," Sirius had continued, unaware of the conflict warring inside his friend. "The meeting's not for another hour. Let's go upstairs to the drawing room and catch up…Tonks. You have aversion to the name Andi saddled you with I suppose." Sirius paused, and then chuckled, as Tonks rolled her eyes. "I heard you met dear old mum already. Oi, Moony, you coming with?"
Lupin snapped out of imagining the many ways to torture his friend, smiled, and began to follow them up. Entering the study, Tonks turned to them as they settled in their armchairs by the fireplace and said huffily, "I do not have an aversion to my given name, Sirius."
"Do too," he responded. "Don't worry…Tonks, its family tradition you know, the horrid names. Although, I do like mine."
Tonks rolled her eyes again, and then leaned up against the mantelpiece between the two chairs. Lupin sprung up from his chair, offering it to her, but she waved him off with an "I've been behind a desk all day, sitting, no thank you." As he sat back down, she continued, "I suppose I'd then have to admit being related to you, Black."
Lupin's jealous inner wolf instantly relaxed. "How are you two related?" he asked.
"Moony, its Andi's little girl-"
"Perhaps he doesn't recognize the 'Andi', Sirius." Turing to Lupin, Tonks explained, "My mother is Andromeda Tonks, neé Black."
"Your…cousin?" Lupin asked his friend.
"Yeah," Sirius responded. "She's Bellatrix and Narcissa's sister."
"Oh…" It came out sympathetic. Sirius grinned as Tonks giggled.
"Andi was the smart one of the girls, Moony. She got blasted off the family tree when she married a Muggleborn." Sirius waved to the tapestry that was hanging across the room. Tonks went to inspect it. "I hate that thing. We really need to get it down."
Lupin nodded his understanding. "So, you're first cousins."
"First cousins, once removed," Sirius corrected.
"All right then."
With those words, a grin spread across his best friend's face. Lupin knew that Sirius had figured out that he was interested in Tonks. He winced as Sirius opened his mouth to comment, but a loud screech from a few floors above cut him off.
"What the bloody hell was that!" Tonks exclaimed, turning her back on the tapestry.
"Buckbeak," both wizards answered.
"What's a Buckbeak?" she asked, coming back over to the fireplace. She took Sirius' empty chair when he stood, grinning at the cross look he gave her.
"Buckbeak is Sirius' Hippogriff," Lupin told her, smirking at Sirius.
"How the hell did you get a Hippogriff while you've been on the run?" she asked.
"It's a long story; remind me to tell you it one time," he answered as he began to exit the room. "Let me go see what's wrong with him. He just finished eating so I bet Kreacher's harassing him. Moony, entertain Tonks, will you?" With that, Sirius exited the drawing room.
"Moony?" Tonks asked. "And I thought my given name was bad."
"It's a schoolboy nickname," Lupin explained. "I'm taking that Tonks is your surname."
She laughed. "Yeah. My given name is terrible. Never, ever, call me by it."
"What could be so bad? And I bet mine tops it."
"What's yours then? And I bet it is!"
"My given name couldn't be any more ironic," he told her with a sad smile.
"Really…So's mine. Probably worse. Go on then, full name since my darling cousin didn't properly introduce us."
Lupin chucked at her sarcasm. Wondering why he didn't fell the usual telltale fear when he introduced himself to somebody, he told her, "My name is Remus Lupin."
"Bloody hell," Tonks swore.
The inner-Marauder couldn't resist. "'Bloody hell' is your given name? Damn me, that is worse," he joked. Tonks actually snorted her laughter. "But I see you've heard of me."
She blushed. Lupin realized he enjoyed making her blush.
"Well, your name was splashed all over The Daily Prophet."
"Ah, yes. I'm the big bad werewolf," he said almost lazily.
"Please!" Tonks replied. "We met only ten minutes ago-"
"When you landed in my crotch," the Marauder in him made Lupin say before he could stop it.
"And I can tell that you would never hurt a fly," Tonks continued on as if he never interrupted. "That bitch hates anyone who doesn't conform. She can't stand me."
"You mean Umbridge? Why would she not like you?"
"Yeah…her. I tick her off whenever I can by morphing in front of her on purpose. Did it just the other day. Scrimgeour and Robards could barely hold their laughter in."
"Morph?" Lupin asked interestedly. Tonks scrunched her nose and instantly her long wavy black hair and grey eyes (he couldn't understand why he didn't see the family resemblance earlier) gave way to short neon pink spikes and sparking cobalt blue eyes.
"You're a Metamorphmagus," he said.
"Wow…very good. No one ever gets it on the first try."
"I bet their mouths are hanging open," he finished.
"Exactly. I passed Concealment and Disguise with no work at all, which was good since I had to work so bloody hard at Stealth and Tracking. Well, the Stealth part of it at least. I'm dead clumsy."
"Really? My crotch hadn't noticed." Lupin bit his tongue. What was his problem tonight? He hoped she wasn't offended.
Tonks burst out laughing. "Oh my God, you're too funny!"
"Who's funny?" Sirius asked as he opened the drawing room door and re-entered the room. "That snot-nose house-elf of mine was harassing poor Beaky. Told him to sod off." He paused to take in a hysterical Tonks and grinning Lupin. "Good job entertaining her, Moony."
"Thanks." Lupin shot him a look that clearly told him to get lost.
He knew Sirius interpreted the look correctly when he said, "Right. Moony, you continue to entertain Tonks while I go play host to the professors in the kitchen."
"Who else is down there besides Dumbledore?" Tonks asked interestedly.
"Snape-"
"That wanker!" she snarled.
"I knew I loved you," Sirius grinned. Tonks beamed at him.
"She's family, you have too," Lupin told him.
"Er, mate, remember my other family members!"
"Ah, yes, of course. Well, both you and Andromeda got blasted off the family tree so you can make your own family."
"Bloody hell, you're brilliant! I have family that I can actually be proud of!" Sirius grinned.
Lupin chuckled as Tonks cheered. "McGonagall's down there as well," he said, turning towards her.
"Holy Merlin, I haven't seen her since I left school! I wonder if she'd remember me."
"How could someone forget you?" Lupin asked, biting his tongue a split-second too late.
Tonks' eyes widened and Sirius covered a laugh with a cough, "You know the whole Metamorphmagus thing," he stumbled on trying to cover himself. "She's the Transfiguration teacher. I bet you were a fascinating-" Lupin snapped his mouth shut. Sirius was turning red from trying not to laugh and, surprisingly, Tonks looked disappointed. He had to explain. "I didn't mean it like that!" he told her, watching Sirius as he quietly left the drawing room again. "I meant-"
"I know what you meant," she interrupted softly.
Lupin felt like an arse. "You're a beautiful woman-" he began, but shut his mouth. Of course she was; she was a Metamorphmagus.
"You're an intelligent man, Remus," Tonks told him. "But I really did understand what you meant."
He flailed around looking for a new subject. "Ah…er…you never told me your given name." Lupin hoped that would distract her.
It did. Tonks smiled and then said, "It's Nymphadora."
"That's a beautiful name," he said sincerely. It was. "How is it ironic?"
"You know what a nymph is?"
"Yes."
"And you know what a Metamorphmagus is," she continued.
"Oh…" Lupin immediately realized where she was going.
"Precisely."
"May I call you Nymphadora?" he asked.
"Not if you want me to respond," she smirked at him.
The Marauder had him burst out laughing. "Well, Nymphadora, I can tell that this is the beginning of a great friendship."
"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus!"
"All right, I won't if you insist I don't…Nymphadora."
