The next morning Tonks and Remus came out of their rooms at the same time. They sleepily nodded at each other and continued down to the kitchen. To their surprise, there were already two occupants, Sirius and Molly.
"Wotcher, Sirius, Molly." Remus just nodded at them.
"Good morning, dears. The eggs and sausage should be done in a minute and the toast and tea things are on the table. My, you both look terribly tired. You didn't have guard duty last night, did you?"
Remus and Tonks glanced at each other furtively. He muttered something about not being able to fall asleep. Tonks blushed a little and shook her head. They didn't really know why they didn't want to admit to Molly the truth; it's not as if they were doing anything wrong. Sirius, who knew where they probably were until a very late hour, barely contained a snort. Molly looked a little doubtful but didn't press the issue.
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Later that morning, Tonks sat in her office amidst her mountainous pile of paperwork, working on another pointless report concerning another batch of Mundungus Fletcher's stolen cauldrons. Suddenly, she was face to face with the wizard she always least wanted to see. Barry Pruce was a well-known womanizer who never had a relationship last longer than a month. He had been asking her out at least twice a week since she became a full Auror more than a year ago. She suspected that his advance had much more to with the fact that she was a metamorphmagus, and could consequently transform into his every fantasy woman, than that he actually liked her.
"I don't have time for this, Pruce. I know what you're going to ask. The answer is no; it has always been no, and will always be no," Tonks said bluntly.
Pruce simply smiled his infuriating, too-white smile. "One day you'll change your mind, and, trust me, you'll really regret that you waited so long. My girlfriends have always admired my talents and I know it must be hard for you to find a man who understands your work like I do. I'd know how to appreciate you properly." He leered even wider and did not even attempt to pretend that he was looking at her face.
She was going to try and keep her temper and just let him walk away, but she felt like she was going to be sick. "I need to set you straight on a few points, Pruce." She smiled just a little as Kingsley approached to watch the display. "A. You are an insufferable prat. B. I will never change my mind. I would think you might finally recognize that after more than a year. C. I'm sure your "talents" in no way make up for your appalling lack of personality and lack of respect for women. And D. The man I fancy understands me and my work much better than you could ever dream of." She took a deep breath; she didn't know where that last point came from.
"I love fire in my women. The ones who play hard to get are always the ones who want me the most, Nymphadora." If Kingsley hadn't interrupted to "ask Pruce about a report," Pruce certainly would have found it difficult to sit down for the rest of the afternoon. Kingsley shot her a pointed look across the hall as he walked Pruce toward his office, although he couldn't hide some amusement from his eyes. Tonks knew that she shouldn't let anger get the best of her. She knew that the Order needed her within the Ministry and that she shouldn't draw unnecessary attention to herself. However, she absolutely could not stand people like Pruce, who only wanted to take advantage of her abilities.
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Meanwhile, at Grimmauld Place, Remus was still sitting at the kitchen table perusing some documents for the Order. Sirius gamboled in with his I'm-up-to-no-good face; Remus hated that face.
"So, Moony," he said with feigned casualness, "Why were you really so tired this morning?"
Remus blanched slightly, he was worried that would come up. "I stayed up late reading," he said with as much nonchalance as he could muster, although he really did have no reason to be guilty.
Sirius smirked. "Ah, and do you have any idea why Tonks was similarly knackered?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"She was in the library reading with me," Remus replied, knowing that there was no point in being evasive.
Sirius' smirk broadened. "One night you and Tonks are going to have to do more than read together." Remus knew exactly what he meant.
"Don't be ridiculous. Do you know what book I was reading? Dracula. I like to learn about my fellow Dark Creatures."
"Lay off. You know very well that Tonks doesn't give a damn about your being a werewolf. Besides, you didn't deny that you fancy her," He said with an even bigger satisfied smirk.
Damn, Remus thought. "Your face is going to fall off if you keep smiling like that," he huffed, as he removed the papers and left.
His behavior made Sirius laugh and smile even wider, if that was possible.
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There was dinner after that night's Order meeting, the rare one on consecutive days, and more people stayed than usual, including Kingsley, Mundungus, and Sturgis.
Kingsley stayed for purpose. He asked Tonks, "So, whom do you fancy?" She coughed and was choking on her mashed potatoes. She couldn't believe he had asked her among all these Order members. While he was waiting for a response, Kingsley regaled everyone with the tale of her encounter with Pruce, and Sturgis added the details that had already been exaggerated. Remus found his appetite strangely reduced. He knew that he was being stupid and that such a vibrant, intelligent, and accomplished woman as Nymphadora Tonks must have many admirers, and that she must return one's affection, but he still didn't want to hear about it. Also, a small voice inside his head told that he should strangle that presumptuous prick. Molly Weasley gave Tonks a vaguely sympathetic look. Sirius simply resumed his satisfied smirk.
Tonks finally regained her voice. "That's none of your business, King. I was just getting a rise out of Pruce."
"Well, Tonksie, you don't have to hide anymore. I know I'm the one you… fancy," Mundungus slurred. Tonks was torn between amusement at his drunken posturing and annoyance that he called her "Tonksie."
"Don't call me 'Tonksie.' It's almost as bad as 'Nymphadora.' It's just Tonks." She didn't even bother to respond to his claim that she fancied him. The mood was lightened considerably when everyone laughed at the thought.
The rest of the dinner passed inconsequentially. Tonks only knocked over the gravy once, but Remus cleared it up with a flick of his wand.
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That evening Sirius, Remus, and Tonks relaxed in the library. Sirius asked, "So, cuz, it may not be any of Kingsley's business who you fancy, but surely you'll tell your dear, old, excitement-starved cousin?" He pouted at her. "Pretty please."
Tonks forced a laugh. "Don't think that those puppy dog eyes will work on me, Sirius Black. I'm a trained Auror, ruthless."
"Are you sure you don't want to tell me? Or would you rather that my imagination run rampant?" Tonks and Remus both groaned inwardly at that thought. "I could think of any number of interesting candidates. There's Sturgis (he's also an Auror); there's the eldest Weasley boys; hey, maybe Mundungus was right after all." He wasn't really being serious (no pun intended), but he like to watch his cousin squirm. He thought it would be a good starting point for his matchmaking.
"Who said it was someone in the Order? Maybe it's someone from the Ministry or some random bloke in a pub," she snapped.
"Well, your defensiveness suggests otherwise, and you spend all your spare time here or on some mission for the Order. It only makes sense." Sirius had hit too close to home. "Let me continue. There's also Kingsley, or…"
"Leave her alone, Sirius. It really isn't any of our business," Remus said with a little too much irritation in his voice. Sirius felt very pleased with himself.
"Thank you, Remus." Tonks smiled at him gratefully.
Sirius realized that it was time for him to leave. "Well, I can see that I'm not going to find any entertainment here tonight. I'm going to sit with Buckbeak," He said with mock derision. Tonks and Remus mock scowled at him in return.
When he thought Sirius was well out of earshot, Remus' expression softened. "I'm sorry about what happened to you today. That guy Pruce, (you've mentioned him before haven't you?), sounds like an insufferable prat."
Tonks was touched by his concern. "It was no big deal. Like I've said, he practically propositions me a few times a week. The only thing that was particularly bad about this time was that he dared call me the N-word. He only does it occasionally, but the way he says it makes it sound all slimy and contaminated." She shuddered, and Remus felt a bit crestfallen. When he called her "Nymphadora," he only meant to tease her; he hoped it didn't really upset her. "Kingsley saved his ass, literally." They both laughed slightly.
Following a small pause, Remus said, "The stories you tell make it sound as if he would have deserved it, Nym- Tonks." Damn, she thought. When she told him that Pruce's way of saying "Nymphadora" bothered her, she hadn't meant that Remus couldn't use her first name. But she couldn't tell him that she like it when he said it; that was unacceptable.
"Uh…I'm sure that he does deserve it, but I shouldn't be the one to punish him." Remus looked thoughtful and nodded a little. "Oh, and by the way,…I've…given up hope on you." He obviously didn't get her meaning because he looked confused and a bit hurt. "I mean you're so forgetful," she stressed the last word to remind him of their conversation earlier the previous day. "about my name." She hoped that adding that last part wasn't too obvious.
He seemed to understand, though, because he failed miserably at hiding his smile. They spent the next few hours discussing other Ministry gossip, but finally they decided that they should go to bed.
As Tonks was opening her bedroom door, Remus said, "Good night, Nymphadora." He looked like he half expected her to hit him, but Remus had such a genuine smile that Tonks found that she couldn't.
She simply said, "Good night, Remus," as they shuffled into their respective rooms.