AN - Thank you SO much for your gorgeous reviews... seriously! They all make me smile and are just so lovely, I appreciate every single one :) - Now I hope you are ready to be singing Christmas songs in July! :)

Chapter Nine - Deck the halls with do dar boo bar

"Dashing through the snow on a something something sleigh, oh what fun it is to sing, a sleighing song tonight… Oooooo…"

Remus stirred, one eye opening just enough to glower at whoever was making that god-awful noise at what could only be a few hours after he'd finally gotten to sleep.

"Jingle bells, Charlie, Bill smell, Percy flew away, oh what fun it is to hex Fred and George all Christmas day. Hey!"

Ginny. Molly had warned them. Giving into his fate, accepting that there was no way he would get to stay in bed much longer, Remus stretched out his long legs. Pulling back the covers, he quickly changed him mind, pulling them up to his chin instead. It was freezing!

"Ruddolf the red gnomed reindeer, had a very shiny gnome and if you ever saw him, you would even say he glows!"

"Ginny, shut up! I mean it! It's not even 7am!"

Remus smiled at the knowledge that he wasn't the only person present in the Weasley house that wasn't enjoying the festive wake up call.

"No, I won't shut up. It's CHRISTMAS!"

Remus clenched the covers tighter to his body. Debating whether it was worth getting from under the warm covers to fetch another blanket from the pile in the corner of the room. He decided instead to risk freezing off one arm. As quickly as he could, he grabbed his wand from his bedside cabinet and waved it haphazardly, sending a few items cascading off his desk, he flicked it again and two blankets flew at him. Laying them over him and casting a warming charm for good measure, Remus snuggled back down into his pillow.

"Broom bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening, a beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, flying through a winter wonderland."

Remus rolled away from the door, maybe if he tried really hard, he'd be able to ignore the noise and snooze for another 30 minutes or so. Facing the window, he could see through a gap in the curtains that it had snowed hard overnight. Remus closed his eyes and tried not to think about the thing - the person - he'd lay thinking about until just a few hours ago… Tonks.

She knew. The one thing he always dreaded people finding out or having to tell them. Here they were within the first week of meeting each other and she already knew; and even more miraculously, she didn't seem to care. Of course, he'd been here before and the reason for his obsesses thoughts all night were because he worried that like Nina, once the news had sunk in, Tonks too would decide it was too much of a risk, a burden. He wouldn't blame her. It would be the sensible most logical stance to take.

The much more pleasing thought Remus had spent some time mulling over, was what might have happened if Molly hadn't interrupted them. Would they have kissed? Remus rolled his eyes at himself – he already knew the answer. He would never kiss someone until they'd had time to digest who he was.

Though, he'd never come as close to kissing a woman who didn't know who he was as he had with Tonks. There was something about her. She made him feel like… she made him feel. Something that he'd tried very hard not to do since that Halloween all those years ago. He had the Weasleys he could drop in on occasionally and he'd kept in touch with Dumbledore, but he hadn't really allowed himself to develop any new relationships in a very long time. It kept him safe. It was for the best. People who felt too much got hurt.

And yet, from the moment he'd met Tonks, he'd felt… he'd felt amused as he'd seen her try and stop herself from falling in such a dramatic fashion, arms flailing. He'd felt concern as she'd hit the floor. He'd felt shocked as she had told him she too was connected to Sirius. Foolish when he'd realised that she'd thought he'd judged her for the connection. Content as they had chatted and gotten to know each other, happy as he'd watched her fly rings around the Weasley twins, flustered when she'd told him she'd noticed him. Warmth when they'd spoken of traditions and his parents. Excitement when he'd seen her in a party dress and been the one who got to hold her close and dance with her...He had been shocked at himself; how easy it had felt to flirt with her, to act like any ordinary man who fancied a woman.

Because that's how she made him feel. Like an ordinary man. Not like a monster, a creature, a beast.

"He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, but he's not a gifted seer he's just a creepy man, so stay awake for goodness sake!"

Remus couldn't help but chuckle. Ginny was relentless and he had to admit, her Christmas song renditions were eventful, if a little off key. Remus heard the bedroom door next to his open and wondered if Ginny was about to get hexed into ceasing her festive singing.

"Oh Ginny singing loud is frightful, But the smell of Molly's breakfast delightful. And since we've no place to gooooo. Let is snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!"

Remus swung his legs out of bed, padding across the cold wooden floorboards in his bear feet, he grabbed his dressing gown and put it on, covering his burgundy pyjamas. Stomping into his slippers, he pulled his bedroom door open, to see Tonks leaning over the banister right outside his room. "Tonks…what are you doing? Don't encourage her!"

Tonks turned around and beamed at him. "Oh I don't know. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"

Remus' brain, after only a measly 3 hours of sleep encouraged him to scowl, scoff and then slam his door shut; but the sight of Tonks clad in reindeer pyjamas, an elf dressing gown and snowmen slippers rendered him unable to do anything other than stare at her and smile goofily.

"Come on Scrooge! Join in!"

Remus smiled, "Bar humbug!"

Tonks laughed heartily before stepping towards Remus' door. "You know, you may as well join in. There is not a chance Ginny is going back to bed. Molly is already up making breakfast and once they've eaten, it's the best part of the day – present time!"

Remus laughed at the way Tonks pumped her eyebrows up and down and she tried to persuade him out of his bedroom with the lure of a cooked breakfast and Christmas presents. He wondered, his face colouring at the thought, if Tonks knew the only real inducement he needed, was her.

Stepping toward the banister, Remus cleared his throat, lent over and sang at the top of his voice: "She doesn't show signs of stopping, and my ears they are a popping, the light outsides still low. Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!"

Remus smiled as Ginny and Tonks both cheered. "See Mum, Remus is already up." Remus heard Ginny telling Molly a few floors below them.

"Merry Christmas oh and nice PJ's." Tonks said as she passed Remus to head downstairs.

Remus hated the blush he could feel colouring his neck and cheeks. "Merry Christmas. Nice slippers."

Tonks nodded towards the cacophony of sound that had overtaken he house, "You coming down?"

Remus followed her, "My first Weasley Christmas. Let's go!"

Tonks stopped on the second floor. "Hmmm, you're first. Are you sure you're ready?"

Hearing the bedlam coming from below, Remus wasn't entirely sure, but nodded anyway and followed Tonks to the Weasley kitchen. Molly had laid on a spread of bacon sandwiches and pastries, which all smelt amazing. Wanting to save room for the feast Remus knew Molly had been preparing for days, he took one sandwich and one croissant, admiring Tonks, who piled her plate high.

After the rounds of "Merry Christmas" had been administered and hugs been given, the Weasleys, Tonks and Lupin sat at the dining room table and ate their breakfast in almost silence. Except for Tonks who kept humming, what sounded to Remus might be 'Deck the Halls'. The appearance of food had even stopped Ginny from singing.

Once Tonks had put away an impressive amount of food and plates had been magically sent back to the kitchen, the Weasley children and Tonks all jumped up as though all performing a choreographed dance routine. They pushed chairs, footstools and coffees tables out of the way, and dragged in dining room chairs and cushions, so there was enough room for everyone to sit around the Christmas tree. Tonks then picked up a small sack propped up against the wall next to tree and started placing small piles of presents next to chairs, singing to herself as she did so…

"Deck the halls with doo dar, boo, bar, fa la la la la la la la. Santa's fat and always jolly, Fa la la la la la la la. Dressed am I in elf apparel, fa la la la la la la la, Trolls don't like this ancient carol, fa la la la la la la!"

Remus had to admit, he liked Ginny and Tonk's versions of these songs more than the ones his Dad had sung when he was a boy. Clearing his throat, he continued from Tonks' verse. "See the pile of gifts before us, fa la la la la la la la! Blink and Gin will've opened them for us, fa la la la la la la! Join me in a muggle Christmas, fa la la la la la la, hoping Santa hasn't missed us! Fa la la la la la la la!"

Remus felt that the smile Tonks gave him and the way she squeezed his upper arm as she walked passed him to claim a cushion on the floor next to the tree, was more than enough to constitute the best Christmas present he had ever received. As Remus, without really paying any attention to what he was doing, went to sit on a dining room chair, Molly stopped him.

"Not there Remus. Your pile of gifts is there, next to Tonks. Do you mind sitting on a cushion? Fred, swap that dining room chair with Remus' cushion."

Remus replied without looking at Molly, "No, honestly Molly, the cushion is fine." Lowering himself down onto the large mustard yellow cushion, Remus still didn't take his eyes off the pile that Molly had pointed to.

He had presents. He had presents to open on Christmas day.

People had occasionally, kindly given him gifts over the years, but he had always opened them when he received them, which as he had spent the last 12 Christmases alone, was always before or after Christmas.

"The cushion is fine for now, but will you be able to get up?"

Remus looked to his left, "Huh?"

"Don't worry; I'll save your blushes. When you're ready to stand up, I'll distract them so you can stand in dignity, without everyone watching your attempts."

Remus scoffed, "Attempts? You know, it's hard to remember to forget that you called me old within hours of meeting me, especially since you keep reinforcing the thought. Perhaps I should just forget to remember all the other things too…"

Tonks sniggered, "You're just so easy to wind up… really, you only have yourself to blame."

Remus couldn't help but smile at the faux innocence Tonks was attempting to project. "Oh is that so?" Before he could say anything further, Molly interrupted. Sitting on the sofa next to Arthur she clapped her hands, silencing the whole room.

"Merry Christmas Everyone! Well… dig in!"

With that, Remus watched with joy as a flurry of ripping and tearing begun, paper being thrown across the room between siblings. Each Weasley of course received a knitted scarf from Molly, who had also made Ginny some special gloves, woollen, but with grips sewn onto the palm.

"Thanks Mum! These are ace!"

"I'm sorry they aren't the ones you wanted dear. Anything with the word Quidditch on is so expensive…"

Ginny stood and hugged her Mum and Dad, "No, honestly Mum these are perfect. Better than the ones I saw! These will give me a much better grip when I'm flying."

The twins loved their book from Tonks, which Remus found suspicious. He knew they loved Quidditch, but he was sure they were more the play it, or watch it, than the read about it, sort of fans. He wondered whether Tonks had charmed the cover. Molly cooed over the book Tonks bought her, "Look at her, Arthur look that is Celestina when she was just 20, already so beautiful." Of course, Arthur was far too interested in his own present from Tonks to pay his wife too much attention.

Though she clearly loved the book, Molly loved the scarf Tonks had made her even more. "It's nowhere near as good as yours, but I figured with all the scarfs you make for everyone else; you should have one of your own."

The tears in Molly's eyes showed just how truly touched she was. Even Arthur was prized away from his own assortment of muggle Christmas gifts too look at the scarf proudly wrapped around his wife's neck.

"You look lovely Dear. Tonks picked just the right colour; it brings out your eyes."

Remus smiled as Arthur lent in a placed a peck on Molly's lips. It was only Tonk's nudge to his shoulder that reminded him he had gifts of his own to open.

He opened a small square box from the twins, which continued a book called, 'Don't judge me 'cause I'm square.'

"It's a compendium of interesting facts from the 16th to the 19th Century and has information on how muggle and wizarding history are linked. We thought it might be quite boring, but it's actually got some really good stuff in there."

Remus turned the book over in his hands. It was such a thoughtful gift. "Clearly the name is apt then. Thank you so much. I can't wait to read it."

Of course, Remus, like everyone else present, received a scarf from Molly as well as a selection of small special editions bars of Honeydukes newest flavoured chocolates. Ginny who was excitedly opening her present from Tonks, had got Remus a colour changing quick quill, for marking essays. According to Ginny, it would make it more fun.

"Tonks! You got me a training session with The Holyhead Harpies!"

Ginny was on her feet, dancing around the room, before throwing herself at Tonks. "Yes, you'll have to wait until Summer I'm afraid, they said you need to be 13, but we'll be spending the day with them at one of their training sessions."

Remus was sure the Ginny would be holding on to the piece of parchment inviting her to join her favourite Quidditch team until the summer.

"That ones yours as well you know." Tonks put her left hand on Remus' upper arm and pointed to a present that had somehow slipped out of his pile and was sitting just under the coffee table. It was a small, squidgy, rectangular parcel, wrapped in the same rainbow clad Santa paper Tonks had wrapped everyone else's presents in.

"That one is yours." Remus pointed to a gift which sat between them, wrapped in the brown paper he had wrapped all his gifts in. Molly's new apron, Arthur's collection of old muggle coins, the twin's obscure potion ingredients (which they'd requested) and Ginny's '100 Most Power Witches' book. Remus hadn't been sure whether he and Tonks would be exchanging gifts and he had thought about what he'd bought her over and over, wondering whether he should return it.

Remus opened the parcel from Tonks slowly, carefully. Inside was a scarf in a deep maroon colour, with strands of golden brown weaved through the fabric. Wrapped inside the scarf was a cassette tape, on the label Tonks had written, Tonks' Mega Muggle Mix of Noise.

Remus held the tape up to Tonks. "Did you make this?"

Tonks smiled, nodding, "Yep. Without magic too. I thought you'd appreciate a gift made the muggle way, like you used to do with your parents. I didn't make the scarf though, I just spotted that the day we walked into the village and thought it would like nice with your hair and eyes."

Remus couldn't help the sly grin that took over his face. "Oh really…"

Tonks pursed her lips, "Mmmm, although now I see you holding it, I'm not sure that colour goes well with your particular shade of smug."

Remus laughed loudly. "Thank you. I can't wait to listen to this. What's on it?"

Tonks wiggled her eyebrows. "It says it all on the label. My very own mega mix of the very best muggle music. Just remember when you're listening that I made it without magic, so I only had Arthur's old muggle radio he keeps in the shed, meaning my options to what songs I could put on there were somewhat limited. I was pretty happy with how it turned out though. It took forever, stopping it just as the song finished, you know, those muggles talk a lot on the radio, not like wizard music stations, the muggles play one song, then talk for ages before playing another."

Remus kept looking from the gifts she had so thoughtfully given him, to her beautiful, heart shaped face. "Your turn." He nodded to the brown paper parcel in her hands.

"Ooo!" Tonks squealed in delight as she, in a stark contrast to Remus' approach, tore into the gift, ripping the paper off in seconds. In her hands, she held a deep rectangular box. Etched onto the wooden box was a quotation,

"Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it."

When Tonks didn't look up from the box, Remus said, "It's a trinket box. The quote is from Rainer Marie Rilke, he's a muggle poet and author who was writing to a young aspiring poet. It's a beautiful read, but I thought this quote in particular – well I thought, after our conversation about your Mum…" Tonks still not having looked at him or said anything, Remus faulted, "I'm sorry Tonks, I thought it would give you comfort…"

Tonks looked up, "Sorry? Remus it's beautiful! Did you do… for me?"

Remus smiled, "I'll admit that I didn't stick to the whole 'making' a present as much as my Father would have wanted me to. I bought the trinket box, but I engraved the quote onto it, without magic and if you open it up…"

Tonks lifted the lid slowly to discover some biscuits. "I did make those, with Molly's help, to make up for not having made the box."

Tonks traced her fingers along the engraved quote, "Remus, thank you. It's so beautiful."

Sitting and staring into Tonks eyes, knowing that she knew who he was, what he was, yet still she seemed to like him as much as he liked her… it was enough to take his breath away. It was certainly enough to make him forget his surroundings. Molly's exclamation that she needed to go and check on dinner, reminded Remus that it wasn't just the two of them sitting in front of the Christmas tree.

Turning to the twins, he talked to them about their gifts, agreed to an afternoon friendly game of Quidditch and tried desperately not to turn and look at Tonks who was talking to Arthur and Ginny.

He periodically also had to remind himself that he was a 33-year-old man and not a lovestruck teenager. Tonks was 21 and had her whole life ahead of her. She'd realise it, that he was a risk not worth taking. She just needed a few days for his confession to sink in.

No normal 21 year old would want to date a greying werewolf.

More than anything, Remus spent the day struggling to push the irritating, Sirius-like voice out of his head which kept screaming on repeat…

"Then again mate, there isn't much normal about her."

AN - Hope you enjoyed this chapter! What present would you want from Remus or Tonks? Let me know that and what you thought of this chapter! :)