Lunchtime

He lifts her up and kisses her cheek and then her forehead, squeezing her tight.

"I missed you," he murmurs. She'd forgotten, almost, the timbre of his voice.

"I missed you. Merlin, this is crazy," she says. He's thinner than Tonks remembers although that's hardly surprising. His hair's longer and stragglier than it used to be, and his old clothes are moth-eaten.

"Crazier for me," he points out, setting her back on the kitchen floor.

She looks him up and down, noting that despite everything he's as goodlooking as ever. She's waited far too long to be back in his arms.

"It's really good to see you," she says.

"How's your Mum? I missed her m-"

"Hello?" calls a voice from the hall, and the kitchen door opens.

"Moony!" exclaims Sirius Black, letting go of Tonks and looking excitedly at the person who has just appeared in the doorway, "Look who it is!"

The man at the door is holding a plate in one hand, and has a mug and glass gripped in the other (Tonks notes that she wouldn't be able to carry two in one hand like that). He's shorter than Sirius with cropped, tousled curly hair that's brown turning grey, and ears that stick out a bit. He's wearing a black nightshirt and jogging bottoms, underneath a red dressing gown. From his untidy hair and bleary expression it's clear that he's only just woken up. Jammy bastard, Tonks thinks, having left for work at seven in the morning. She has to admit, however, that the newcomer looks on the poorly side. He sounds out of breath, his skin is sallow and he's got bags under his grey eyes.

"Hello," he says, and he smiles as he holds out his hand, "Remus Lupin. I don't believe we've met. Sorry I'm not dressed, I didn't realise we had compa-"

"Met? If course you've met!" Sirius barks, "Don't you remember?"

Tonks has never seen this man before in her life, and he doesn't seem to recognise her either.

"Err, I don't, I'm afraid. My apologies," the man says awkwardly, looking unsure what to do with his hand for a moment, before shoving it into his dressing-gown pocket. His voice sounds hoarse.

"Me neither," Tonks admits, shrugging at him before looking to Sirius, "Should we know each other?"

"This is my cousin, Nymphadora. You know, Remus? Andromeda's kid,"

"Ah. Right. My apologies," Lupin repeats, sounding nonplussed.

"Nymphadora, this is my friend Remus. Moony. I used to bring him over sometimes when you were little. Don't you remember?" he demands again. He sounds slightly hurt and Tonks, still having no recollection of this man, can only mumble incoherently before Lupin cuts across her.

"It was ages ago," he tells Sirius, then adds to Tonks, "Never mind. It's nice to meet you again,"

"She's an Auror now," Sirius says, putting an arm around Tonks tightly. The pride in his voice is touching. "Mad-Eye's recruited her,"

Mad-Eye, who has characteristically excused himself from the family reunion to busy himself washing his eye in the sink, growls, "She's one of my best so don't go getting her head blown off,"

"Aw, Mad-Eye, that's so sweet," Tonks ribs him, then adds to Lupin, "It's only Sirius who calls me Nymphadora. Dreadful name, isn't it? Everybody else calls me Tonks,"

"Right,"

"Initial impressions, Tonks, go," orders Mad-Eye.

She turns to him exasperatedly. "We've only just met. It's rude,"

"Nonsense, he knew you when you were a kid. Verbal initial impressions thought, now,"

"What's he on about?" asks Sirius.

Tonks grimaces. "It's part of Auror reports. When you first see someone you have to mentally note all your initial impressions of them: what they look like, how old they are, how dangerous an opponent they look,"

Sirius beams wickedly. "And how dangerous an opponent does Mr Moony here look?"

The three men are looking at her expectantly, although Sirius's expression is tinged with mischief and Lupin's with discomfort. He's still holding his crockery.

"Well, I'd say he's probably experienced-"

"No!" barks Mad-Eye, "Start from the top,"

Tonks rolls her eyes, mutters, "Sorry about this," to Lupin, and begins, "Wizard is white male, mid-thirties, approximately five foot ten, slim build. Wearing nightwear of a dark colour. Slight accent, possibly Liverpool. Judging from age, wand callouses on palm, presumed membership of Order of the Phoenix and clear affiliation with Sirius Black, probably an experienced duellist. Possibly out of practice due to decade-plus of peacetime,"

Initial impressions aren't as difficult as people think they are, if you're paying attention. Some is estimation but plenty of information about somebody is clear from spending a minute in their company. Tonks is attempting not to draw attention to the fact that Lupin's been asleep and how peaky he looks, but Mad-Eye's prompt of, "Possible weaknesses," leaves her no choice.

"Wizard looks tired, possibly sickly, suggesting a chance of tiring quickly during combat. If it is safe to do so and Auror has back-up, physically disarming wizard may be an appropriate course of action. Happy?" Tonks snarls at Mad-Eye.

"Good," he observes, which coming from him is pretty high praise.

"Physical disarmament? Does that mean having a punch-up?" Sirius asks eagerly.

"No," says Tonks, at the same time Mad-Eye says, "Yes,"

"I'd rather not," says Lupin, smiling slightly, "I don't fancy my chances against any of you at present,"

"I'm sorry about all that, it's nothing personal," Tonks insists. Lupin doesn't seem to mind though, she reckons, he looks more amused than insulted.

"It's fine. Sirius's mother's portrait is upstairs and she says far worse things to me," he tells them. Tonks has no idea what that's supposed to mean.

"She'll have a field day with you, Nymphadora," notes Sirius. His tone is simultaneously mocking, humorous and grim, which only perplexes her more.

Tonks isn't sure what to say so mutters, "Don't call me Nymphadora,"

"Well, you'd better be getting back to the Ministry," Mad-Eye orders abruptly, "Only brought you here to meet your cousin,"

"It's really good to see you," Sirius tells her again, earnestly, "How's your Mum?"

"She's fine, Dad as well, they're both great. Think they're enjoying having the house back to themselves since I've moved out. Anyway, I need to hear everything about you. Breaking out of Azkaban, you lunatic," she grins, cuffing him around the head. Fourteen years he's been away. She can barely believe that she's got him back, standing in front of her with his high cheekbones and his long eyelashes and his deliberate slouch. She'd forgotten that's how he stands.

Sirius attempts to look sheepish for half a second, then grins. "I had to. It-"

"Tonks, get a move on, you need to be back at work," Moody commands.

"Right, sorry. I'll come again soon, Sirius, I'll need to meet everybody else,"

Tonks hugs him again and hurries out of the kitchen after Mad-Eye. Lupin, whose been standing in the doorway the whole time, tries to move out of her way at the same time as she dodges around him, so they end up stepping in the same direction and she crashes into him, making him drop the crockery he was holding. The glass shatters on the kitchen floor.

"Merlin, I'm sorry. I'm always doing that. Sorry, I-

"Don't worry," Lupin mutters quietly.

"I'll help you,"

"Nymphadora Tonks, if you keep me waiting one more minute I'll make you finish that paperwork you fobbed off on Castley last week!" Moody shouts. Tonks grimaces. For a man who is allegedly retired, Mad-Eye seems to know everything that goes on in their department.

"Sorry, I've got to go,"

"Yes. Alright," says Lupin, flicking his wand at the shards on the floor.

Tonks blows a kiss to Sirius, runs into the hall, dodges the umbrella stand, catches up with Moody by the front door and immediately starts grumbling at him. "Thank you, Mad-Eye, thanks. Just what I needed, for you to make me look an idiot in front of my long-lost cousin,"

"Just making you do your job properly," he grunts. He shoves open the front door and they head out onto the porch and down the steps onto the Grimmauld Place pavement.

"How much about that Lupin bloke did I get right, anyway?" she asks, "He looks older than mid-thirties but he's can't be if he was at school with Sirius, right? I got Liverpool wrong, didn't I, that was a total guess,"

"Yes, he's Sirius's age. No, he's not from Liverpool. Why d'you think he looks ill?"

"Cos he's tired? He's hungover? There's a surprise dragon-pox epidemic?"

Mad-Eye turns to her. "Bright witch like you should be able to work it out if you give it a bit of thought. I'll give you until the end of the day,"

"You're giving me four hours to come up with a diagnosis from the world's most non-specific symptoms?" Tonks clarifies with an eye-roll. Being Mad-Eye Moody's protegee isn't much fun when he gives her unhelpful, un-interesting and probably un-solve-able challenges like this. Mad-Eye can be a right pain at times.

"Yes. Now go and get yourself some food before you go back to the Ministry, that's not the only work you've got this afternoon," Moody tells her. He gives her his 'well, get on with it' nod, which is the Moody equivalent of a goodbye, then turns and stalks away, his peg-leg clacking on the pavement.

Tonks flicks two fingers up at his back.