Nymphadora apparates about a block from where she and Remus were supposed to meet in Chigwell. Upon steadying herself, she turns and leans her head against the alley wall, suppressing the tears that were threatening to overtake her. She takes several slow, deep breaths before swallowing her emotion and starting down the alley toward the street.
After walking down the block, she spots Remus standing inconspicuously near a bus stop. She swallows hard again before approaching, trying to put on a brave face.
"Wotcher."
"Evening Miss Tonks," he replies cheerily. "Or should I say, Mrs…?"
She stares at him for a moment, confused, before understanding that he was asking what her new surname would be. "Oh-" she coughs, trying to shove the emotion away again. "Lewis."
"Nymphadora Lewis," he chuckles. There's an awkward silence. "Shall we press on then?"
"Please."
They start walking together as dusk falls over London.
"You alright after last night?" he asks, smiling over at her.
"Gosh," she gushes, releasing a nervous breath. "I thought Mad-Eye was going to kill me for being late."
"I'm sorry. Had I known, I would've made sure you were awake in time."
"Oh please," she replies, shocked at his genuine concern. "It was my own dumb fault. How are you?"
"I'm fine," he says. "I didn't drink as much as you or Sirius. Alcohol affects me differently when it's close to my time of the month."
She snorts, all her worries of the last hour seeming to disappear. She feels like she can breathe again, even if only for a little while.
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She and Remus spend a little over four hours on patrol in Chigwell, scoping out a couple of potential Death Eater residences and meeting places. Around 11, Remus decides to call it quits.
"You sure you're alright?" he asks just as they were about to part ways. Truthfully, she did not know where she was going to go once she split from Remus. She couldn't go to her flat.
"Oh yeah," she laughs nervously. "Totally."
He eyes her curiously. "I don't believe you."
Her heart sinks into her stomach as they approach a garden wall. She sits in defeat.
"You lie like Sirius," he chuckles. "Must be a family thing."
She sighs heavily, eyeing the small thin band she still wore on her left ring finger.
"I broke up with my fiancé today."
He doesn't reply immediately, staring down at her in shock. "I'm so sorry, Nymphadora, I-"
"Please don't call me that."
"Sorry," he replies. He takes a seat next to her and tentatively lays a comforting hand on her shoulder. She flinches in surprise and he recoils.
"I'm sorry, no," she starts, getting nervous and not able to make coherent sentences. "I just- I mean- It's not that I don't want you to- I just can't stop thinking about-"
"Shhh, Tonks," he scoots himself away down the wall. "It's alright."
The tears that she had been pushing away for hours finally come. He watches her sadly from his spot down the wall. Suddenly, he looks up, noticing the clear night sky above.
"I know," he starts, standing up. "Come with me."
"Where?"
"It's a surprise." He holds out his hand and she takes it, apparating to the park across from Grimmauld Place. Not letting go of her hand, he leads her across the street, reveals number 12, and up the front steps. When they enter, the house is very dark and still. He turns and uses his free hand to motion being quiet. They then start up the stairs. They go all the way up to the fourth floor, where upon approaching, can hear loud rock music coming from Sirius's bedroom. However, Remus passes the two bedrooms on this floor and leads her to a ladder at the end of the hall. He starts up and she follows.
When they reach the top, Nymphadora realizes that this is the roof access Sirius had mentioned on the tour he had given her. On the roof, there's a small ledge, just big enough for two people to comfortably sit and admire the view of the city and the clear sky above.
"This is my favorite spot in the house," Remus explains. "I come up here all the time to clear my head and be alone. But I don't mind sharing it with you."
She blushes, wiping her eyes as he settles down and pats the spot on the ledge next to him for her to sit. She gets comfortable, slightly nervous about how close to falling off the roof they were but overwhelmed with gratitude for the kindness he was showing her.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
She considers this for a moment. "It just wasn't the right fit. Nothing wrong with the lad, he was fine. Spent too much time wasting away playing video games than doing much else."
"What did it for you then?"
She scoffs. "He was excited to tell me something work related. It was that he had been promoted to head janitor for the seventh floor. And here I am, a member of the Order, trying to prevent another war, while he's just… doing nothing."
He nods, an incredible listener. She sighs heavily again, holding her head in her hands.
"Sometimes there's nothing wrong except the two people just don't fit," he agrees. He tips his head back and gazes up at the wonderful galaxies and stars above. She looks over at him, the glow of these stars lighting up his scarred face.
"You speak from experience?"
It's his turn to scoff. "Sadly."
"Who was she?"
"He."
"Oh."
"It's not that… I-" It's his turn to jumble over his words. He steadies himself before continuing. "I'm bi."
She nods. "Alright."
"Alright?"
"Yeah," she smiles. "Brilliant."
He smiles back. "God that's almost as nerve-wracking as telling someone I'm a werewolf."
"You don't have to worry about that with me," she replies.
She takes a moment to appreciate the view above them before silently laying her head on his shoulder. Moments pass, and wordlessly, she removes the small band from her left hand and throws it off the roof into the darkness below.
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