Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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Chapter Fifteen: It is Crucial For All "Humor" Genre Stories to Have a Happy Ending. Oh, Bugger It.
It was three months, thirteen days until he talked to me again. I don't know how many hours, I'm not obsessed. Gawd.
Not that I didn't try to get him to talk to me, though. Pfft. Of course I did. I was almost a stalker. But, believe me, I know the line. I loathe the line.
"Please talk to me," I hurried to keep up with his long strides. "Please, please. I am so fucking sorry. Crap, right, sorry, probably not a time to swear. Shit, Tonks. Oh, bugger!"
He kept his head high, turned decidedly away from me.
"Oh, come on. You're being childish now." He continued with what he was doing, unfazed. "Okay, that was a little harsh. I apologize. You're not childish. You're loving, caring, attractive …" He yawned. "Okay, that was uncalled for!"
He turned, and I span sharply, right at his heels. I arched my finger together, in a sort of praying-to-God fashion. "Please. Give me another chance."
He looked me straight in the eyes, and my heart gave a sort of crippled jump. "Tonks." He started, and chills went down my spine at how he said my name. His eyes bored into mine, those dark brown pools of lust he called facial features just wanting, waiting … "I'm in a bathrobe, standing in my bathroom, about to get into a bath that you watched me prepare for the last half hour. Please get out of my house!" And with that, he slammed the door in my face.
I stood still on the spot for a few moments, before turning and beginning to walk down the hall. Well, that was rude. I made sure I tipped over his potpourri jar on my way out.
But, I mean, I understood. Sort of. What I had done was, well … not so great. I should have told him. I know. But I never thought it'd escalate…whatever. What's done is done.
I was in Grimmauld, in late September. The summer had passed, with the only times he'd actually spoken to me was in the presence of Harry and the kids (he actually introduced me as Nymphadora! After all those years, I'd had no idea he'd remembered…), when we were discussing matters of the Order (or Harry, for that matter, but those two tend to go hand in hand. Not literally, thank lord), or to tell me to piss off.
I was sitting on the couch, pretending to read. Arthur had (temporarily) installed a Muggle TV as a source of entertainment, ensuring Molly that it would not short-circuit. Now, for the time being at least, Molly doesn't even allow a wireless, and tends to throw a bit of a hissy fit if you're not doing something strictly unMuggular. It must be hell living with Arthur.
I didn't even notice when he sat down, as I was actually listening to my friend's mp3 player. Really, when I started humming, I thought Molly would have caught on that it wasn't to the tune of 100 Poisonous Plants and How to Disassemble Them.
"Nymphadora."
"Wake me up inside, wake up me up inside, call my name and saaaave meeee froooom the daaaaark …" I bobbed my head along to the music - naive, happy, slightly emo …
Lupin bowed his head, sighing. "Nymphadora."
"Bid my blood to run!" I did a little jig and tossed back my hair. "Before I come undone!"
"Nymphadora …" He gritted his teeth, and shook his hair out of his face.
"Saaaave meeee frooom the nooooothiiiiing I've beeeecooooome…! Nah nah nah!" I did a drum roll before I felt a thin hand on my shoulder, a sudden coldness swirling around my earphone-clad ears and a loud voice clearly saying, "Nymphadora!"
My eyes, which had been conveniently shut, flew open, and I stared at my interrupter. "Hello!" I squeaked, my eyes growing ever larger as I took in Lupin's new, scruffier, less facial hair-ish look. I hadn't seen him in a few weeks, after all. "You shaved." My eyes flew up to his hairline. "And forgot to cut." Lupin looked … not so pleased, and I quickly laughed nervously. "Not the point!" I quickly put my player away, and assembled myself on the couch, so I was in the best position to kiss him, if the time came. Mwahaha.
I shook my head, letting it fall into strawberry curls along my shoulder. I had gotten bored with the spike look, anyways. "So why are you here, Remus Lupin?"
"I think I've boycotted you for long enough," he responded, quite seriously. I stared down at the floor for a moment, thinking. "I think we need to talk about us. To be able to work together in the Order, and see each other almost every other day … we need to work this out." There was something different about him. Something stonier. The last time we really spoke had been the night when I told him (showed him?) everything, and when he suggested a, well, relationship, I suppose. He had seemed so … happy? Revealing, too. Like he was so willing to give up his life for something with me. But now … my stomach twisted unsettlingly. He didn't look the same.
His eyes were on the floor now. "Nymphadora. I'm aware that, at one point, our feelings toward each other could have developed into something more than friendship, to be frank." He smiled wistfully, and I just stared at him, my face blank. "But after all that's happened …" He stopped again, this time with no smile. "I'm sure we'll find we have lots in common. Despite our many disputes, we seem to get along, in some twisted sort of way. I think …" He shook his head softly, with a tiny laugh. "I think we'll be fast friends." He held out his hand, staring at me with thoughtful eyes. "So what do you say?"
I didn't respond for as long as I could get away with. Then, slowly, I raised my hand, wearing my own subtle smile. "I can't wait." I shook his hand hard.
We drew apart, and he made to stand up. "Your hair looks good, by the way." He glanced back at me.
"Really?"
"Oh, yes." I grinned. "It's very flattering. You'll surely attract Emmeline Vance's slit – I mean, eye, now."
He chuckled, and nodded, signaling his departure.
I stared into the depths of my magazine, once again, not really reading it. My head was spinning fast, as a million thoughts whirled around in there.
Friends? Oh, of course. There was an attraction between us, we couldn't deny it. I couldn't, at least. Friends can never stay friends. Hadn't he watched when Harry Met Sally?
I uncurled my legs, stretching them out, and fighting back the urge to smile. I couldn't, though. I grinned wide, and my eyes sparkled. We could be friends. We could get on great. We could be happy.
But he wasn't getting away that easy.
For once, I was prepared to withstand heartbreak, bitterness, and probably a hell of a lot of tears.
Touching the remnants of that goddamn rose tattoo, I put a finger to my lips, grinning even wider. I must have looked crazy. Hell, I probably was. Am. Whatever.
As I plugged my earphones back in, and curled back into place, I watched silently as Molly passed by, carrying a basket of laundry, with Ginny trailing along behind her, begging for something or other.
"Arthur!" she screamed. "Arthur! Help me with this! Arthur!"
"Mum! Please, I swear I won't lose this one …"
I smiled again. Well played, Remus Lupin. I do have to give you props. However, I'm a lot feistier than you think. And, being an only child, I tend to like to get what I want. More to the point, I may also be in love (guess who). And the feisty-only child-love complex is really one you do not want to challenge. So …
Turning the volume to the point that Molly would bite my head off, I started into my magazine, for real.
Let the games begin.
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A/N: And that's the end, people. I'll not be writing a sequel, or an epilogue. I hope, however, you enjoyed it, and I thank all my readers and reviewers. You kept me going ). Oh, and lyrics from "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence.