A/N: Hey, y'all! It's been ages, honestly, since I've written this pairing… but enjoy some RemusTonks. Also, Remus was "first amused, then impressed, then seriously smitten by the young witch"? Demiromantic, and no one can convince me otherwise.

Word Count: 678

Note: I'm not quite counting this as a warning, because this isn't tied to his romantic orientation, but Remus does question whether it's a good thing that he's falling in love here, or if he's deserving of it. So if that's going to bother you, best back out now.

Enjoy!

Remus sat in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place, his head in his hands and a cup of tea sitting between his elbows. His head was pounding painfully, but he didn't bother trying to locate a potion to help; he felt he deserved the pain after the way he'd drained the bottle last night.

Besides, the pain was familiar. The new feelings cropping up inside him were not.

"Well, you look miserable this morning. Fun night last night?"

Remus winced as the chipper voice cut through the silence. He raised his gaze until his amber eyes met Nymphadora's—hers were violet today. Very pretty.

He resisted the urge to tell her so and instead said, "Hardly. I think the drink had more fun than I did, in all honesty."

His words were followed by a snort, and Remus' lips twitched with quiet pride. The next thing he knew, Tonks was pulling out the chair opposite Remus and plopping herself into the seat.

"Misery likes company," she explained when he raised a brow at her. Then, from seemingly nowhere, she pulled out a chocolate bar and slid it over to Remus. "That ought to make you feel better. Don't you crave the stuff?"

Remus glanced down at the packaging and bit back a laugh. A Cadbury bar. "For good reason," he protested weakly. He smiled gratefully at her and opened it. "Thank you."

She smiled at him in return, and Remus tried to stomp down the affection rising within him. He was half-terrified of this interaction; it had only been yesterday when he realized that he, at least, had left friendship behind.

"So," Dora said slowly, drawing the word out. "What was the reason for your indulgence, Professor Lupin? You're not one to drink in excess."

Well, he could hardly tell her that he feared these new feelings, that she was shaping up to be his first romantic love. Because that's what it had to be, wasn't it? James had certainly described the emotion enough during their school years. And the way he felt… it was different than when Tonks had first introduced herself to him.

So he decided on a half-truth. "Mmm. Lost another job yesterday."

"Oh, bugger." Her violet eyes narrowed in anger. "I'm sorry, Remus. I'm sure you were more than capable."

Embarrassingly overqualified for the job would have been more accurate, but Remus didn't correct her. "It's all right," he muttered, staring down at his tea. "Things were never going to work from the start."

Tonks pulled her brows down into a frown, and indignation colored her voice when she spoke. "It should have, though."

Ah, the other reason Remus was terrified of falling for her. "People don't care about that, Nymphadora."

"It's Tonks, as you bloody well know, Remus. And people do care—I do! The entire Order does!"

Remus broke off a square of chocolate and popped it in his mouth to avoid answering. Once upon a time, he'd been used to those declarations of faith, but a devastating betrayal and twelve years alone had made him realize how flimsy those promises really were.

But Tonks seemed to sense his hesitation. She reached out a hand and covered his own with it, her thumb bravely tracing one of his scars. "Give yourself more credit," she demanded. "You're a good person, Remus, and people care about you." She hesitated briefly, then dragged her spare hand through her pink hair. "In some cases, they do more than just care."

Remus stilled. He wasn't entirely sure if she was implying what he hoped she was, but he kept his mouth shut for fear of getting it wrong. He did, however, turn his hand so their palms were touching—even if the movement was shaky and unsure.

But Tonk's violet eyes lit up, and she bit her lip as a grin overtook her face. She looked back at Remus and sent him a wink. He felt his face heat up, and though he wasn't sure if he wanted to pursue these feelings, Remus sent a hesitant smile back to her.

A/N

Godric Says: 5. "Things were never going to work from the start."

Herbology: Individual: (food) chocolate

Capture the Flag: (pairing) RemusTonks

Fortnightly: Pride Booth: 7. Write about a character who identifies as aromantic (demiromantic)

Fortnightly: Unfortunate Escapes: The Austere Academy: (pairing) RemusTonks

366: 62. Crave

Insane: 720. (plot point) a hangover