Remus was getting a bit suspicious about Tonks and Sirius, what with all their stupid questions. What did they want? Were they just out to annoy him? He pondered over the dilemma at the next order meeting.
"So, is Hagrid having any luck with the giants?" Kingsley asked.
"He said that the death eaters had turned up." Remus replied. A loud snigger came from the other end of the table.
"Yeah, like we'll ever believe that!" Sirius said sarcastically.
"Sirius, we've got a report from Hagrid right here." Moody held up a leaf of papers.
"Oh, well then, I suppose they have then." Sirius shrugged.
They talked late into the night, after the meeting had ended, about Hagrid's situation with the giants. Tonks ended the conversation at 2 in the morning.
"Well, this is real interesting and all, but I'm gonna go to bed so I don't look or act like a giant tomorrow." She went upstairs yawning.
Remus stood up. "I'm going to bed as well."
"Yeah, like we'll ever believe that!" Bill said, rolling his eyes, while Sirius fell to the floor laughing.
"Immature." Remus muttered, heading up the stairs.
"I heard that!" Sirius called. "And like we'll ever believe that!"
The next morning Remus was woken by Tonks. She was sitting on his bed with neon yellow hair that hurt to look at so early. And she was in that holey shirt again. Remus gave a yell and fell out of bed, tangled in his sheets. Tonks giggled.
"Bother!" She poked the mess of sheets on the floor, and ran away. Remus disentangled himself.
"What was that for?" He yelled.
"Because it's Bothering Snape!" Tonks yelled. Then- "Arrrrrrrgh!"
Remus leapt down the stairs two at a time, to the next floor. Tonks had, apparently, fallen down the stairs.
"Here, I'll help you up," Remus offered. Tonks started to snigger.
"Yeah, like I'll ever believe that!" She used the banister to pull herself up. Then she poked Remus and apparated down the stairs- probably a much safer option.
When Remus came down the stairs Sirius and Bill were waiting in the doorway.
"Poke!" They yelled, poking Remus and running away.
"Why are you going that?" Remus groaned, rubbing his over-poked stomach.
"Hakuna Matata!" Bill yelled back.
What the hell was Hakuna Matata? They were clearly insane, Remus thought.
Remus had to endure their poking for the whole day. They never gave him a straight answer as to why they were doing it either. Sirius told him it was because of "Global Warming" whatever that was. Bill said it had something to do with " Diddly Dee potatoes" ( in an Irish accent) and Tonks said it was all because "Its business time!" He wasn't sure what any of it had to do with poking.
By the end of the day, Tonks was bored of poking Remus. After the 50th poke, he'd learnt to run when he saw them approaching.
"My poking finger's sore!" She complained loudly.
"Well then, why don't we move on to number 8? Laugh at any and all plans he comes up with." Sirius suggested.
"Does that include, like, dinner plans and stuff like that?" Tonks asked.
"Any and all." Sirius smirked.
The next day…
Tonks was at work, so it was up to Bill and Sirius to annoy Remus. Their chance came at lunch, when Molly asked him if he'd be able to help her clean one of the upstairs closets.
"Sure Molly, I've just planned to meet Kingsley in Diagon alley at two, but ill help after that."
Sirius and Bill burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Remus asked.
"Your "Plan." You're going on a date with Kingsley!" Sirius laughed so hard he cried.
"No I'm not! He's got some information on a pack of feral werewolves that's been giving the aurrors trouble. that's all!" Remus insisted. Bill sniggered.
"But you're using a date as cover! You should have done it with Tonks!"
"No I'm not! We're meeting in a book shop! That's not a date!" Remus cried.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Ahuh. And I'm the Easter bunny." he and Bill left the room sniggering.
The order meeting that week…
"Remus, it is time." Dumbledore said quietly. The table fell silent.
"Time for what?" Tonks asked, confused.
"I've got to go underground." Remus told her. She still looked confused. "With the Feral werewolves." Remus explained.
"You will have to be careful round Fenrir Greyback -"
Dumbledore was interrupted by a loud bout of laughter. Sirius and Bill were sitting next to Tonks, laughing their heads off. Tonks however, had not joined in. Her face was white.
"But Remus, that's stupid! You could get hurt, you could get killed-"
"I'm perfectly aware of that, thank you." Remus said coolly.
"Then why-" Tonks started but Remus cut her off.
"Because it needs to be done! And since I'm already… well, I'm really the only one suitable to go."
The table fell silent as Tonks and Remus rowed. Even Bill and Sirius stopped laughing.
"But its too dangerous Remus!" Tonks insisted.
"We cant afford to turn a blind eye where werewolves are concerned, Tonks! I'm going to be careful, I'm not like them, I can still control-"
"It doesn't matter! What if you die?" Tonks shouted. There was silence as her question hung in the air.
"That's a risk I'm willing to take. it's a risk we all took when we joined the order." Remus replied softly, trying to calm down. Why did Tonks have to do this now?
Tonks bit her lip. "Can it wait till after Christmas?" she asked quietly.
Remus looked at Dumbledore. He seemed faintly amused. "I suppose."
Tonks smiled relieved.
"What was that about?" Sirius asked her after the meeting. Tonks bit her lip. Sirius noticed she did this when she as nervous.
"Well, I was thinking about the list. 29- I found the perfect Chihuahua to give him for Christmas. It would be kind of odd if he got sent it in the middle of a group of hungry werewolves."
"Liar." Sirius smirked. " Tonks and Remus sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g! first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a-" Tonks punched his arm.
"Shut up! I was just thinking though, that's ages down the list…"
"We can do it." Bill assured her. "We have to be up to 12 by next week though. We're at 8."
They nodded, thinking of the full moon.
"Well, in that case, id say its time to move on." Sirius grinned.
He leaned closer to Tonks. "You always were a horrible liar." he whispered
She bit her lip again, her pink hair darkening ever so slightly. "Don't tell him." She whispered back. Sirius grinned. "Too late."
"What?! You little bastard-" Sirius ran from the room, followed closely by Tonks, who's wand was drawn.