August 11, 1995
As the days pass, Nymphadora and Remus continue these secret meetings, doing everything in their power to make sure no one was starting to catch on to what was happening behind closed doors. Around other members of the Order and residents of Grimmauld Place, they both felt the need to be somewhat uptight and professional, treating each other solely as colleagues. Yet, when they met, it felt as if every single wall that either had built up was torn down, and they could enjoy each other's true selves.
On the night before Harry's hearing, the pair found themselves lounging together in Nymphadora's room. They almost exclusively met here, as Remus only had a small twin bed. Nymphadora had picked up takeout on her way home from work and they found themselves sprawled lazily across her bed, eating and chatting.
"Are you worried?"
"No," Remus replies. "Like you said, Amelia is fair."
"I know that," she rolls over onto her back. "But Fudge really seems to have it out for him."
"He doesn't have it out for Harry, he has it out for Dumbledore. He knows he's slipping," Remus chuckles. "He knows Dumbledore is right, he just doesn't want to admit it. He's frightened…we all are."
Nymphadora nods. "When I applied to work at the Ministry a couple years ago, I was so disillusioned. It's hard to know the truth about something you used to think so highly of."
Remus coughs on a bit of rice as she says this, laughing. "God, I forget how young you are sometimes. A couple years ago…"
"And?"
He looks taken aback by this question. "Nothing."
"Didn't seem to bother you last night…"
"You make me sound like I'm ancient," he laughs, amber eyes dancing as he watches her smile. "I'm not even old enough to be your father."
"Ew, why did you have to make it weird?" she sets her plastic container down on the bedside table and crawls over to sit in his lap. She starts kissing his neck as she feels him reach to set his food down as well.
"Thought you would've at least let me finish my meal first," he muses in her ear. "But I know you can be impatient sometimes."
"Me?" she scoffs. "Never."
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The next day, after Harry had returned from the Ministry having won his case, Sirius was in especially good spirits. After taking time to congratulate and spend time with Harry and other members of the Order, Remus retreated to the sitting room on the second floor to do some reading. Almost as soon as he sat down and got comfortable on the couch in front of the fire, the door behind him opened once again.
"Moony?"
"Yeah?" he replies, knowing it's Sirius.
"Got a minute?"
"Yeah."
Sirius comes around the side of the couch and takes a seat in the armchair to his left. He looks nervous.
"I, uh, have a question."
"I probably have an answer."
He takes a large breath and suddenly continues speaking very fast, all in one run-on sentence. "I want to preface this by saying, first off, this has absolutely nothing to do with our past and that I'm not judging you or anything I just want to know and if you don't want to tell me that's also okay, it's none of my business, but it also kinda is-"
"Pads," Remus cuts him off. "Just spit it out."
He looks down at his feet. "Are you sleeping with my cousin?"
Remus is taken aback by this. He knows Sirius had seen him leaving Tonks's room that morning but had figured he hadn't caught on due to the commotion surrounding Harry. He takes a deep breath and considers his options. "Yeah."
Sirius begins to ramble again.
"Hey, hey," Remus cuts him off again. "You don't need to be so nervous."
"How can I not be?" Sirius replies. "Asking my ex about his new flame."
Remus looks down into his lap. "Might be a stretch to call you my ex."
"Okay, we never made it official, so what? We were in love, Remus, and everyone knew it."
Remus sighs, an aching feeling creeping into his chest. "I know. Right person, wrong time."
Sirius stands in frustration, walking over to admire the street below from the windows. "I'm not trying to get you back, that's all I was trying to say."
"It's not serious," Remus replies. "We aren't dating."
"You're just fucking her."
"More or less."
Sirius takes another deep breath in an effort to calm himself. "Again, I'm not trying to say we should get back together. I'm perfectly fine with just being friends. I hate to ask, but does she even know?"
"Know?"
"About us?"
Remus sets his book down. "She knows there was someone. A male someone."
"But not me?"
"No."
"Well are you going to tell her?"
"Eventually."
"Why are you being so short with me?" Sirius asks, exasperated. He turns to meet Remus's eyes, face contorted in frustration.
"Sirius," Remus starts. "For twelve years, I had to pretend that you were dead. I couldn't bear to live knowing that the man I loved so deeply was capable of doing that to our friends. When I found out the truth, I couldn't just turn that off. I lived every single day for those twelve years mourning you along with the others. It's still weird to me. It's still new for me to realize you're alive and not a traitor."
Sirius nods, looking sad. "So, you like her?"
"Yeah," Remus replies. "I do. Being with her makes me feel alive for the first time in fourteen years. I had just been floating through life, emotionless, and now I actually feel something."
"That's how I felt when I saw you again for the first time."
With that, Sirius stalks out of the room, leaving Remus feeling very confused and alone.
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That night, as Remus and Nymphadora lay in bed together, getting ready to go to sleep, he decides to bring it up.
"Tonks?"
"Yeah?" she replies through the darkness.
"I know we aren't serious or anything…"
"Okay, and?" she asks, a note of hurt in her voice.
"I'm just trying to tell you I don't want you to take this the wrong way."
"Alright, I'll do my best."
"Remember how I told you I spoke from experience about right person, wrong time?"
"Yeah."
"Well," he starts. "I feel like it's only fair of me to tell you it was Sirius."
"So, you have a thing for the Black family, eh?"
He quirks an eyebrow, confused by her playful reaction.
"Come on, Remus," she says. "Did you expect me to be upset or something?"
"Kinda."
"Like you said…we aren't serious."
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