A/N: Thank you to everyone who read this so far! I greatly appreciate it. And a special thank you to GreenieMerry who has been helping me along the way.

To Leana3991: Yes, Moody was Tonks' mentor as every auror in training needs someone to train them. The order is a very small group Dumbledore put together with a few people he handpicked to assist with protecting Harry, get information on certain people for certain reasons, and so forth.

Side Note: There's a bit of foreshadowing for future chapters in here, so please bear with me.

Chapter three: I've fallen for your eyes, but they don't know me yet

Maybe taking a month off work to focus on the Order wasn't the best idea, Tonks thought with a sigh as her eyes wandered over the stacks of files that were haphazardly piled on her desk. It made her desk seem a lot more organized as it was normally cluttered with miscellaneous items on a good day.

She scratches the back of her neck as she sighs again, a bit heavier this time and shuffles over to her chair, plopping herself down. She scans the top of the piles for the smallest looking file as her fingers search her desk for a quill or something of the sort to keep her fingers buys as she began her reviews.

Merlin I nearly forgot how boring office work was, Tonks thought flatly as her left hand closes around a stress ball she forgot she even had as she plucks a file that looked bigger than a sliver from one of the monstrous piles that loomed in front of her.

She tosses the file on her lap and leans back in her chair. She puts her right heel on the top of her desk, pushing a pile delicately back, crossing her left ankle over her right after she made sure when it was stable.

As she opens the file, she begins to pump the stress ball in a slow, rhythmic fashion. Her eyes scan lazily over the contents of the file, which seemed to her to be a case of an ill-placed firecracker that went off at the wrong time.

She sighs and tosses the file on the floor in front of her, seeing as there wasn't a place on her desk to make another pile.

As she began to reach for another file, she frowned as she felt a pair of eyes gazing at her. Her hand attached itself to a random file, mentally groaning at the size of it as she turned to face the source of the gaze.

"Mornin' Tonks," the man said.

"Wotcher, Kingsley," Tonks replied with a polite nod of her head.

Kingsley gave her a grin as he offered her a cup of coffee.

"Good to have you back," he said kindly.

"Can't say it's good to be back," Tonks replied with a half-hearted chuckle as she takes the cup from him. "And thank you."

"Anytime," he said with a nod as he took a sip of his own up, eyes scanning the copious amount of files that Tonks barely touched.

"You know, I'm having a pretty unusually slow morning," Kingsley said casually, licking off whatever coffee stayed on his lips. "I can take a stack off your hands. Just so that you don't stress yourself out too much your first day back."

Tonks coughed lightly into her cup, caught off guard by Kingsley's offer. He looks down at the young witch with concern as she recomposes herself, waving her hand to show that she was okay. During the coughing fit she had, her feet fell to the floor with a particularly loud thud.

"Oh you don't have to do that."

"But I insist," Kingsley retorted, giving her a warm and reassuring smile.

Tonks couldn't help but grin as she gestures to the piles on her desk.

"Then by all means, have at it," Tonks practically exclaimed.

Kingsley returns the young witches grin with a soft, highly amused one himself. With a slight flick of his wand, the tallest stack of files floats off of Tonks' desk and hovers towards him.

"I owe you big time, dude," Tonks states with a nod.

"I'm sure I'll think of something soon," Kingsley replied with a wink and a wag of his fingers that were wrapped around his cup. "I'll see you later."

And with that, Kingsley gave Tonks a nod and went back to his cubical with the stack of files floating behind him.

With a huge grin plastered on her face and a renewed energy, Tonks took a sip from the cup of coffee and picked up the file from the floor and placed it on the now empty space on her desk.

With a renewed vigor, Tonks began the tedious work of going through the remaining stacks.

It wasn't until around 3:30 p.m. and enough coffee to supply a small army when Tonks felt a strange tugging at her stomach. She frowned and looked down between her arms.

"What is it?" Tonks growled agitatedly at her stomach, getting a rumbling in response. She blinked back before it registered that she was hungry.

"But I was on such a roll," Tonks murmured as she stood, tossing the file onto her desk as she stood.

Sighing and running her hands through her hair, she stared down at the ground, trying to decide – and where – she would eat; she saw a pair of shoes standing right in front of her. Which just so happened to be connected to a body in which Tonks immediately connected with, a small squeak of surprise escaping past her lips.

She bounced slightly off the figure, which was surprisingly strong and solid with the momentum Tonks had picked up in the small space and she began to apologize.

"I'm so sorry about tha— Remus?" Tonks spoke, eyes and face matching her confusion as she looked up at the body of the figure she ran into.

"What are you doing here?" Tonks questioned as she prodded his chest with her pointer finger. Remus couldn't help but try to be serious, though the twinkle in his eyes would beg otherwise.

Seeing this, Tonks gives a light huff of irritation as she continues to look at him as she crosses her arms.

"I figured you were having a particularly busy day today and wasn't sure if you had lunch or not," Remus explained.

Tonks, unsure if she should be flattered that he thought of her or not, just looked up at him, a flash of confusion in her eyes. She began to chew on the inside of her cheek as she eye him up.

"You're joking, right" Tonks questioned flatly.

"Wouldn't be here if I wasn't," Remus replied, that amused gleam still twinkling in his eyes.

Tonks let out another huff as she looks up at him. Her features began to soften as she did. She couldn't be upset with him. Not for long. Besides, she found it rather sweet that he thought about her.

"You could've made me dinner you know," Tonks finally said.

Remus gave a gentle grin and a shrug as he pockets his hands.

"Couldn't wait that long," he replied gently.

Tonks lets herself smile a bit, her stomach growling once again. She knew Remus heard as he lets out the softest of chuckles, his lips curling into the subtlest of smiles.

Tonks felt a gentle heat rise in her cheeks as she cleared her throat and gives Remus the most professional look she could muster.

"There's a place nearby I usually go to when I'm a particular lunch break," Tonks stated with a nod. "Care to join me?"

"I'd be delighted to," Remus replied, offering Tonks his right arm.

Her eyes darted between his offered arm and his eyes, the gesture completely foreign to her. Remus raised a single brow as he waited ever so patiently, something Tonks admired about him.

That eyebrow raise prompted Tonks to move as she took a step closer to him. She cautiously slips her left arm between his elbow and side. Her fingers graced themselves, a bit shakily, against the sleeve of his tweed jacket. Her hand eventually found a comfortable place on his forearm. She noticed how worn and warm the sleeve of his jacket was. How pale and delicate her fingers seemed against the light brown color. As her elbow linked with his, she felt like his arm was made just for her.

He was warm. Just the right amount; comfortably warm. It was the kind of warm where Tonks could relax and slip into a deep slumber she only experienced once or twice before.

She quickly pushes the thoughts rom her mind as she finally settled in his arm, looking up at him in a peculiarly innocent manner.

"Ready?" Remus barely whispered, a gentleness that Tonks never knew any man could ever possess.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Tonks responded, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

And with that, Remus began to guide Tonks towards the guest entrances and exits.

"So where's this particular place you go to when you're having a day like today?" Remus inquired, an eyebrow quirked in amusement as he glances over at the young witch.

"Uhm…" Tonks responded, still quite thrown off by the events that she was tossed into. She shook her head and frowned, swallowing hard as she regained her bearings.

"There's a small diner about two blocks from here," Tonks said in a more professional manner than before. "Right across from a quaint little pub. Usually get fish and chips then knock back a pint or two."

"Sounds like a fantastic place to go," Remus replied, a grin growing on his lips. "Let's get there as quick as possible so your stomach won't have to protest anymore. My treat."

"Oh, Remus, you don't have to," Tonks pleaded gently, feeling bad that he offered.

"I insist," Remus said firmly as he stepped forward, opened a door for her, a smile dancing just below his neatly trimmed mustache. Tonks smiled as her arm slipped from his as she walked past, not enjoying the lack of heat she had grown fond of rather quickly.

She felt her body get sucked up towards the street level of London. She pops out from the streets from a hole in the ground in a dingy side street. She stumbles forward and falls face first into a pile of empty crates in front of her.

Quickly pulling herself up, she hears a whooshing sound and a soft thud behind her. She starts dusting herself off as she turns around, a smile pulling at the corners of her rose colored lips as she makes eye contact with Remus' bright blue irises.

Remus' eyes, which gleamed in such a happy manner, suddenly filled with worry. Noticing this, Tonks stiffened and went in defense mode immediately, her hand darting to her side, fingers dancing against her wand holster.

"Remus, what's wrong?" Tonks hissed.

"You're hurt," Remus mumbled, closing the gap between them in a single stride.

"What?" Tonks questioned, looking down at herself.

Remus took her left arm in his hands in the tenderest of fashions, cradling it against his chest.

Tonks' heart leapt into her chest as he does so, butterflies suddenly having a party in her stomach.

It was then she noticed that her jacket was torn and there were a few lines of blood trickling down her arm. She watched the bright red liquid slowly stream down her crème colored skin as Remus moved his hand over her wound and murmured a wandless healing spell that allowed Tonks' skin to patch itself up.

"How'd you do that?" Tonks whispered in awe as she watches her return to normal.

"Practice and lots of it," Remus responded as his hand moved over her arm again, her jacket repairing itself, a smile on his lips, eyes regaining its gleam, along with a sad and burdened look.

"Well, thanks," Tonks said, as Remus let go of her arm and looks up at him.

The look in his eyes didn't vanish quick enough as Tonks caught that burdened look as the suppressed the emotions.

"Shall we find that diner and pub you mentioned earlier?" Remus inquired before Tonks could say anything, offering his arm to her once again.

"Don't think you'll get off easy about what I saw, mister," Tonks said as she linked her arm with his once again, the still new yet familiar rush of happiness and warmth flooding her body again.

"You saw nothing," Remus said softly as he began to guide the two towards the busy sidewalk, though a muscle in his cheek begged to differ as it began to twitch, eyes avoiding her. "So where to?"

Tonks sighed to herself as she looked around the area, powering up her mental map.

"This way," Tonks said, pointing to the right. "Two and a half blocks and we're there."

"Splendid," Remus said as they began to quietly make their way to the diner.

As they walked, Tonks noted the looks they were receiving but didn't care. She also noticed how balanced she was while she walked with him, their arms linked so perfectly together. Spotting them in the reflection of a window, Tonks couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle and stopped.

Remus glanced down at her, confusion clearly written on his face as he stopped as well.

"What are you laughing at?" Remus questioned, receiving a gesture at the window.

"Oh I don't think I can pull that off, Tonks," Remus chuckled out as his reflection happened to be in front of a bright red, hourglass, strapless dress.

"No, not that," Tonks laughed as her free hand pats his arm. "I was just laughing at how short I am compared to you. Though I do think you look mighty fine in that dress."

Her 5'6", petite frame looked tiny compared to his thin, 6'2" frame.

A smile grows on his face as he chuckles, finding their height difference rather humorous as well.

"I can see why you stopped," Remus said lightheartedly. Tonks' stomach growled loudly again, causing her cheeks to flush. "And we best continue to get you food, shall we?"

And with that, the two quickly walked to the diner. Tonks sighed in relief as she slipped from Remus' side and half sprinted into the diner as Remus simply chuckled, shaking his head as he followed her in.

By the time he got in, Tonks had already slipped into a booth. Nibbling on her cuticles, she feverishly read and reread the drink options that were offered. Remus slid into the seat across from her and picked up the menu in front of him.

"What do you recommend?" Remus asked, his eyes looking over the menu at her, having no intention of reading what was offered.

"Like I said, their fish and chips are phenomenal," Tonks said, still contemplating her drink option.

"Then I'll get that," Remus said as he put his menu down and crosses his arms on the table top, eyes carefully studying her features.

Tonks' eyes quickly dart up to meet his, catching him staring. Remus looks down at his hands, his cheeks flushing this time.

"Good choice," Tonks said, amusement clearly ringing in her voice. "I think you'll like it."

Tonks leaned back in her seat, still chewing at her fingers.

"You know, there's got to be a reason why you showed up unannounced at my cubical," Tonks said, her voice a bit muffled as she spoke.

"I just wanted to surprise you," Remus stated simply as he looks up at her, having recomposed himself in the brief time he looked away from her. "Plus it was incredibly quiet without you there. And Sirius wouldn't stop rambling about his reminiscing of the past and complaining about being cooped up. So I said I was going to pick up some food for him and me and here I am."

Tonks grinned at him as her hand fell to her lap.

"Certainly sounds like him," Tonks joked. "Though you know Sirius much better than I do."

Tonks' head tilted curiously as she spoke.

"That I do," Remus said with a nod. "Knew him since our first year at Hogwarts."

They gave each other a smile as a waitress came over to them.

"You two ready to order?" she asked.

The waitress was a chipper young woman, around Tonks' age, named Rose.

"That we are," Remus said politely. "I'll have your fish and chips with a tea. One sugar and a splash of cream."

The waitress scrawled down his order and turned to Tonks.

"And for you, ma'am?"

"Same as him," Tonks replied. "But four sugars, please."

The waitress nodded and wrote Tonks' order.

"So that's two fish and chips and two teas, one with one sugar and cream, the other with four sugars and cream?" Rose rattled off.

"Correct," Tonks said with a smile.

"Your things should be ready soon," Rose said with a smile as she took their menus and bounced away.

"Spunky thing isn't she?" Tonks noted as Rose went to put the order in. "Merlin I envy her coordination."

Her eyes trail back to her hands as she chuckles lightly.

"I don't know," Remus says with a chuckle. "I'd prefer someone with spunk and uncoordinated. Makes a person interesting."

Tonks immediately looks up at him, a bit taken aback as she slowly grins. Remus returns her grin with a soft, polite version of his own as Rose returns with their tea. They thanked her as they both took a single sip from their mugs. Tonks managed to spot Rose give Remus a quick wink over the rim of the mug and felt a pang of anger and disbelief as Remus' eyes darted away from the young waitress.

Not wanting to choke on her tea, Tonks swished the warm liquid around in her mouth as she lowered her mug, swallowing when it reached the table.

"Four sugars?" Remus asked, breaking the silence. "You trying to give yourself a sugar crash?"

"Nope," Tonks replied with a chuckle. "It just takes four sugars for me to be my usual, sweet self."

She chuckles, showing him that she was joking. Remus, in return, gave her a hearty chuckle. The corners of his eyes crinkled and the blue in his eyes twinkled a little brighter.

"Well you're incredibly sweet as it is," Remus said. "Though I have been warned to not get on your bad side."

"Oh?" Tonks questioned, her lips twitching in amusement as she raised an eyebrow. "Who warned you and what have they told you?"

"I've heard a few stories from Sirius and Moody," Remus said casually. "Sirius told me a few elaborate stories on a few hexes he received when he ran his mouth or when he overstepped some boundaries. Moody, on the other hand, was a bit more eerie on the subject. He praised you on your quick wand work, powerful hexes and spells, and your 'cast first question later' attitude. He also mentioned to be wary of your temper and to cross you as infrequently as possible."

Tonks nodded as he spoke, rather impressed at what he rattled off to her.

"But the real question is: Would I be stupid or brave to anger such a charming young lady as yourself?" Remus said in such a soothing manner that it took Tonks a few moments to realize he was waiting for an answer.

"I'd have to go with stupid," Tonks quickly states. "It's one thing to piss off a woman, and it's another to piss off a woman with a reputation."

"Wise words," Remus said as he takes a sip of his tea.

His eyes dart over the rim of his mug and caught hers gazing at him. Tonks quickly broke the eye connection with a cough and a glance out the window.

"Why did you come to my workplace?" Tons inquires again as she slowly returns her gaze to him. Her grey irises filled with still lingering curiosity.

"Aside from what I already told you?" Remus asked, wanting to clarify.

Tonks nodded as her fingers trailed up and down the handle of her mug.

"I've grown rather fond of your company," Remus stated simply. "And I wanted to make sure that you weren't going crazy on your first day back after a month."

Tonks gave him a goofy grin then tilted her head, placing both of her elbows on the table.

"Well I'm flattered" Tonks said. She chuckles gently as her eyes scanned his face for any hint that he was lying but found none. He features were softened, eyes filled with genuine warmth and his words had rung with such sureness that she had no reason to not believe him.

Clearing her throat as she felt the awkwardness begin to fill the air, Tonks looked down at her mug and took a long sip, Remus following suit.

Tonks was never one to feel awkward around anyone, but there was something about Remus that made her feel like she had to be on her best behavior.

Was it because this was the first time she was alone with Remus Aside from that night after the meeting, of course. But could that be it? Sirius was usually there to save them from any dull lag in conversation.

Looks like I gotta step up my game, Tonks thought as she swallowed the semi-warm liquid in her mouth.

It was at that moment that Rose came back, sliding a basket of fish and chips in front of each of them.

"Enjoy!" Rose said with a chipper tone, getting a thank you in return from the two.

"You know, you didn't have to patch me up earlier," Tonks said with a half-smile as she slowly looks up at Remus, popping a chip in her mouth.

Remus, a chip halfway to his opened mouth, freezes. It was apparent by the look in his eyes that he forgotten about the stumble as well as thrown off by her sudden statement.

"It wasn't a problem," Remus said once the gears in his head began to turn again.

He took a neat bite from the chip and smiles at her, a twinkle in his yes. Tonks couldn't help but grin back as she squirted some vinegar onto her fish from a bottle that was on the table.

"It was rather, well, strange though," Tonks said as she placed the bottle between them and picks up her fork and knife. "I haven't met anyone outside my parents who was that gentle and caring about me being hurt."

She chuckles softly as she pops a small piece of the vinegar soaked chip into her mouth.

"Usually Moody scolds me and goes on his 'constant vigilance' lecture," Tonks said with her best Moody impression on the two emphasized words.

Remus had become suddenly shy and reserved as she spoke, eyes taking on an embarrassed look. Tonks saw a light color grow on his cheeks. Was it a blush or was it the change of the sunlight peeking through the clouds? She tilts her head as she swallows her food, putting another piece of fish in her mouth. Chewing it delicately, she tries to catch his eyes, finding her effort unsuccessful for the time being.

"Didn't know how bad your injuries were and I didn't want it to go untreated," he finally said matter-of-factly into his food. He pops the rest of the fry into his mouth, taking the vinegar bottle and pouring the clear liquid onto his fish.

Placing it back between them, his hands fumble for his utensils and cut a rather large piece of the fish, quickly putting it in his mouth. His eyes didn't make any sort of connection with hers as he moves.

"But you did it so tenderly though," Tonks said as she swallowed her food. "It felt nice. Like you genuinely cared about me and my well-being. Like you knew me for ages instead of the month we actually spent forming what we have."

Remus swallowed his food and finally looked up at her.

"That's because I do care about your well-being," he said with a small smile, eyes filled with something Tonks couldn't quite identify.

It almost looked like the sadness she saw for only a brief moment in the alley, but it was mixed with a number of other things that she couldn't make out even if she tried.

The air felt tense all of a sudden for Tonks and she had a hunch that he felt it too. She felt horrible for how lunch was going and she felt like she pushed some sort of boundary.

"I'm sorry if I brought something up that you didn't want to come up," Tonks said apologetically.

"It's fine," Remus said with a reassuring smile. "We're only just getting used to being in each other's company without a mediator."

Tonks nodded, understanding what he meant. It was strange, not having Sirius with them. But if she was going to ultimately work with him, she'll have to get over the initial awkwardness sooner or later. And Tonks was beginning to want them to be comfortable with each other now. Or as close to now as possible.

"Your eyes are a different color," Remus said suddenly, leaning forward to get a better look.

Tonks looks up at him, utterly confused at why he said that, leaning away from him a bit.

"What?" was the only thing Tonks could say at such a statement.

"Your eyes are a different color," Remus reiterates, mistaking her question as her not hearing what he said. "They were a very vibrant shade of grey earlier. Now they're kind of a droopy brown with yellow speckles."

His curious gaze didn't falter as he continues to study her eyes.

"I'm a metamorphmagus, remember?" Tonks says, wondering if Remus had forgotten. "Sometimes, if something really gets to me mentally or emotionally or I'm not paying much attention to my abilities, I change a bit."

With that, Tonks squeezes her eyelids closed, crinkles her nose, and softly grunts. Her eyelids shoot open to reveal her new eye color, which happened to be the same exact color as the man she was sitting across from.

Remus' eyebrows rose, obviously surprised at the change. It was like seeing a child in Zonko's and Tonks couldn't help but laugh as she pops a few chips in her mouth.

"I didn't say I didn't like it," Remus said. "It was just interesting seeing that little change. Both colors fit you very well."

Tonks grinned as she chewed and swallowed, draining the rest of her tea. Placing the mug back on the saucer, she wipes a single drop that begins to roll down the side with her pointer finger.

"I've heard that eyes are the gateway to how a person feels," Tonks said. "Or their soul, even."

Her eyes dart up to Remus.

"That's one way to think about it," Remus says as he takes another large piece of fish into his mouth.

"So what does mine say for you about me?" Tonks asks as she leans fully back into the cushions of the booth, nibbling on a chip, most of her fish forgotten about at the moment.

Remus clears his throat as he swallows, wiping his mouth with his napkin as he looks at her. He then laces his fingers together, putting his forearms on the table top. Remus then narrows his eyes as he looks directly into the bright blue irises of the pink-haired witch.

"Your eyes tell me that you're an analyzer," Remus states. "You're a doer and very feisty. You try your hardest to do your best at every single thing you do and even if you did everything perfectly, you feel like you could have done it better.

"You have a mischievous side to you," Remus continues. "Something I would very much like to pull out of you soon. And a few things I haven't quite figured out yet."

The grin on Tonks' lips continues to grow as he rattles off what he saw. She absentmindedly began to chew on the cuticle of her left thumb as he talked, though the smile in her eyes could still be seen.

"Very good," Tonks said, impressed. "Though some of that I'm sure you knew beforehand. Or from Moody, like my work ethic. But the mischief maker part; I'm impressed."

"Moody and I Have interacted very minimally over the past month and if we did, it was mainly professional," Remus replied with a nod.

"Well it was very good, regardless," Tonks responded as she leans forward, propping her elbow on the table, her other arm on her lap. "But now, shall we go over to that pub? Knock back a pint before I go back to work?"

"I'd be delighted to," Remus says. "But I'd like you to analyze me first."

Tonks gives him a curious gaze as she leans forward, her eyes narrowing to look into his.

"You are a very kind and careful man," Tonks begins. "You have a tender soul and you care deeply about others. Certain others. Like Sirius. You're a wonderful listener and you care about what they have to say. But you're reserved at the same time. You don't open up easily to people. There's something about you that I haven't figured out yet. Something about your past that still troubles you now. Something that still haunts you."

Her voice trails off as her eyes dance a bit, still gazing at him. Remus gave her a nod and an almost sad smile as he straightens up.

"Very good," he says softly.

"Well I am an auror," Tonks replies as he waves down the waitress. "I'm trained to pick up on things about people."

"Everything okay over here?" Rose asks with a smile, giving Remus a slightly bigger smile.

He nods as he returns the smile with a small, polite one of his own.

"Everything's exceptional," Remus said. "But we'll take the check, please."

"Right away," Rose said with a semi-flirty shrug of her shoulders.

Tonks shot daggers into the back of the blonde's head.

"Easy, tiger," Remus said with a soft chuckle as he rummages in his pockets for his wallet.

Tonks whips her head to look at him, daggers still shooting from her eyes.

"I will not 'take it easy', Remus," Tonks hisses, leaning closer to him. "Did you not see her? She's becoming more and more of a flirt with you. That's just rude, especially with another woman sitting right in front of her."

"Well the last time I checked, you and I are just friends so I don't see what you're getting worked up about," Remus said as he manages to work his wallet out from his pocket, Tonks' point going completely over his head.

"What I'm saying is–" Tonks begins, unable to finish her sentence as Rose returned.

Remus quickly grabbed the check and looked at the price.

"What I'm saying is that I think it's unprofessional, what she's doing," Tonks finished. "For all she knows, I could mean something to you and she's trying to get your attention from the pink headed freak."

Remus looked up at her with a deep frown etched on his lips and face.

"First off, you're not a freak, Tonks," Remus says firmly. "You're a brilliant young woman who goes against the norm because she dresses and looks the way she does because it makes her happy."

Tonks' muscle in her right jaw twitched.

"Secondly," Remus continued as he begins to get the exact change for the bill. "You do mean something to me. You're my friend. She isn't."

Remus allowed the coins to roll from his fingers onto the table.

"Besides, she's not my type," Remus whispered as he slid from the booth.

Tonks felt a triumphed and flattered feeling swell in her chest as she followed suit.

They both gave Rose a wave as they left. Once outside, Remus offered his arm to Tonks again. Without hesitation, Tonks slipped her arms into his as they began to make their way to the pub.

Tonks snuck a peek back at their waitress and saw the blonde's eyes widen. Tonks smirks subtly as she tosses her hair, not looking back.

The two walked in silence, allowing the sights and smells to consume them during their short trip across the street and into the pub.

Remus went to open the door and Tonks bounced into the dimly lit area.

"Well isn't this a sight for sore eyes," boomed a voice from the depths of the pub.

"Jack!" Tonks responded heartily back to the beer bellied, light brown haired man whose hairline looked as if it were receding as Remus slipped in after her.

"Long time no see, my dear," Jack said as he placed the mug he was drying on the shelf and began to waddle out from behind the bar towards her.

They shared an embrace as Remus looked around at the décor.

"How've you been, Miss Tonks?" Jack asked as they pulled away.

"I've been better, but your girl's still got a fight in her," Tonks joked as she patted his shoulder.

Jack grinned as she spoke.

"Glad to hear that, lass," he said with a hearty chuckle, looking over at Remus. "And who's this strapping young man you got with you? Didn't know you got yourself a boyfriend."

Tonks laughed as she took Remus by the arm, pulling him to her side.

"No, this is my friend, Remus," Tonks said. "Remus, this is Jack. Jack helped me out when I was doing my training to be an auror."

Remus and Jack smiled as they shook hands.

"Well a friend of Tonks is a friend of mine," Jack said with such a grin, Remus thought that his face would split in half.

Jack let go of Remus' hand and turned back to Tonks.

"Your first round is on me," Jack said.

"Oh posh, Jack, we couldn't," Tonks said.

"Oh posh yourself," Jack said as he waved his hand in the air. "I haven't seen you in ages and you've done a hell of a job when you were here. Your first round is on the house."

Tonks grinned as she gave her eyes a light roll as his compliment.

"Thanks, Jack," Tonks said. "I owe you."

"I'll have you work it off," Jack joked as he waved at them to grab a seat as he waddle back to the bar.

Tonks gestured with her head at an empty table for two in a corner. Remus nodded as they walk over to it, sitting down.

"Cheerful guy," Remus noted once he was sure they were out of earshot.

"He is," Tonks said. "He gave me a job after I graduated and a spare room just above the pub. He's like a second father figure to me."

"That was nice of him," Remus said softly, feeling some relief he didn't know he needed flood into him.

Tonks glances at the clock hanging on the adjacent wall.

"We've got enough time for this one pint before I have to book it back to work," Tonks murmurs.

Remus nods as Jack waddles over to the two, a pint in each hand.

"Drink up, you two, while it's still cold," Jack said, ruffling Tonks' hair.

Tonks laughed as she swats at his hand.

"Thank you, Jack," Tonks manages to say between laughs.

"Anything for my favorite gal," Jack says innocently as he waddles away.

Tonks raises her glass and holds it up.

"Cheers mate," she says with a smile.

"Cheers," Remus replied, taking his glass and clinks it against hers.

They brought their respective mugs to their lips and drank.

Remus, after two sips, put his glass down and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. Tonks, on the other hand, drank deeply and nearly downed half of her beer in one go.

When she was done, she slammed her half-filled glass on the table with a loud breath in, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

She let out a loud, very unlady like belch, and the bar erupted with an "Aye!" followed by a raise of everyone's glass.

Tonks' cheeks went bright red as she laughed, stood, and ran over to give Jack's beer belly a rub. She ran back to the table, slapping her hip onto a chair and stumbles.

The patron closest to her shot out his arm to steady her as if he had to do it a million times before.

Remus couldn't help but laugh at the scene that unfolded in front of him.

"What was that all about?" he asked Tonks as she sat back down.

"That, my friend, was my initiation when I first began to work here and a tradition that Jack kept for me," Tonks said with a shrug.

"Care to explain?" Remus asked as he took another sip of his beer.

"When I first started working here, Jack said it was tradition for everyone who worked for him to chug as much of their choice of alcohol as they could in one go," Tonks began to explain. "If they burped immediately, and it was a mighty fine one, the entire bar would raise their glass and yell 'Aye' and that person had to show the bartender some form of appreciation for the good alcohol they consumed that allowed said belch to be admitted. So that's what I did. Little did I know that they kept my initiation tradition the moment they saw me run into the same table I just ran into. And I've been doing it ever since."

Remus just chuckled and shook his head, finding all of this quite absurd but very fitting for her and her relationship with Jack, from what he had seen thus far.

"Well I hope you decide to taste the rest of your beer with me," Remus finally said as he finished laughing.

"Course I will," Tonks said with a grin. "This beer's way too good for me to chug in two goes."

"I certainly agree with you," Remus replied.

The two then sat in the comfortable silence of each other's company as they listened to the animated chatter around them.

After a few minutes, Tonks allowed herself to slip into a half-thoughtful state of mind. At one point in time, she came to a sudden realization as she took a drink from her glass.

I feel like Remus knows more of me than I of him, Tonks thought.

Still frowning as she wiped her mouth, she didn't realize that Remus was trying to get her attention until she saw his hand waving in front of her, causing her to snap out of her thoughts.

"Sorry," Tonks quickly apologizes, her eyes wide.

Remus just chuckled as he raised his glass to his lips.

"And she's back," he said, taking a sip of his beer.

Tonks straightened herself up, looking at his glass as he sets it down then hers and noted that she still had drank more than he did.

"How long was I zoned out for?" she asked as she looked back up at him.

"Not that long," Remus said, a small smile on his lips. "But long enough to look like you were going to take a nap."

He chuckles lightly as Tonks gives him a half embarrassed smile as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"I think it's best that I get back to work soon," Tonks murmured as she brought her glass to her mouth to drink.

"So soon?" Remus asked, a tone of mock disappointment echoing in his voice.

Tonks half chocked on her drink, causing Remus to go ridged, eyes making sure that she was okay.

With a wave of her hand as if telling him she was fine, Remus relaxes a bit as her coughs subside.

"Cute," Tonks said when her coughing fit was finished. "But yes, I should be going soon."

She polishes off her drink and gives him a smile, a bit bummed out.

"I really enjoyed being able to have lunch and a drink with you," Tonks said appreciatively with a nod.

Remus beamed at her as he finished his drink as well.

"It was a pleasure," he replied as he wiped his lips with his thumb and forefinger.

They stood at the same time, Tonks a little unsteadily as usual, and gave Jack a wave.

"Come back soon, you two!" Jack said heartily as he waved.

The duo laughed as the exit the pub, squinting as their eyes adjust to the brightness of the sun's rays.

"Would you like me to walk you back?" Remus asks as they step towards the left of the building.

"Oh, no you don't have to," Tonks said with a shake of her head, though she secretly wished he would. "Besides, you need to get back to my dear cousin. I'm sure he's grown suspicious of your absence."

Remus chuckles as he nods.

"I suppose you're right," he said with a grin. "Though I should bring back some of that food I said I'd get."

"That would probably be for the best," Tonks said with a grin.

She trails her fingers through her hair again as she looks at him, squinting and shielding her eyes from the sun.

Remus, not really thinking about what he was doing, moved to stand in front of her, blocking the sun for her.

Tonks looked up at him in surprise, blinking in curiosity before smiling.

"Thank you, Remus," Tonks said softly. "For everything."

"It was my pleasure, Tonks," Remus said with the warmest of smiles.

She gives his arm a soft squeeze then begins to make her way back to work.

"Will you be coming back to Snuffle's later?" Remus calls out to her.

"I will just to grab some stuff before going back to my flat," Tonks called back over her shoulder.

"See you then!" Remus says loudly.

Tonks raises her arm and waves as she gets swallowed into the crowd of people.

Tonks, on the other hand, was walking on clouds from the surprise lunch break she had with Remus. The smile on her face couldn't be dimmed as she slipped into an elevator to go to her department.

She stumbles a bit as she makes her way back to her desk, tripping once or twice along the way, and plops into her seat. Seeing the still opened file she left on her desk, she picked it up and settled into her chair once again. She kicked her feet up in a much more uncoordinated fashion than that morning onto her desk as her eyes began to reread the file's contents.

Not feeling any of the after lunch slump, though with the rate she had chugged the beer left her mind a bit muggy and slushy, Tonks did her best to power through the rest of her files. Every now and again her mind would slip and start to think about Remus. She would quickly shake her head and reread whatever she had missed from her little day dream.

Finally finishing her work around 9:45 that evening with a yawn, Tonks tosses the last of her files onto a pile, sighing triumphantly.

She stands and stretches, scratching her stomach as she makes her way to the exit, clocking out.

As soon as she stepped out of the elevator shaft and onto the street, Tonks apparated about two blocks away from Grimmauld Place in an alleyway Moody sound proofed for the order.

She yawned as she made her way towards 12 Grimmauld Place, stomach growling gently.

"You'll get a bit of food when I grab my stuff from Sirius' place," Tonks mumbles as she checks around for muggles before slipping into the magical barrier around the house.

She trips up the stairs and makes her way inside, quietly sliding through the door.

She takes two steps in the stops, remembering that the troll's foot umbrella stand was another pace away. She takes a step to her right and quietly continues her way into the house.

Just as she was about to make her way up the stairs, Tonks hears two voices wafting from the dining room. Allowing her curiosity to get the best of her, Tonks slipped towards the dining room, pressing herself against the walk just outside the door frame.

"I don't know why you're so worried," said a voice in an unamused, almost unimpressed tone that could only belong to Sirius. "Nothing particularly fazes her."

"I'm sure," said the second voice with a hint of agitation.

Tonks quirked a brow, recognizing the second voice as Remus.

"I just wish you were there," Remus continued. "Or at least the time we were in the diner."

"Oh posh, Moony, I'm sure it wasn't that bad," Sirius said in such an amused tone that there was no way he wasn't smiling.

"She could tell that there was something more behind the healing than she let on," Remus said irritably, causing Tonks to strain her hearing even more. "It was just so noticeably awkward as it was and I just …"

His voice trailed off with a sigh. Tonks could sense that there was something troubling him as she chewed the inside of her cheek.

"She doesn't know everything yet," Remus finally said. "She barely knows me. And I don't think I can tell her something so risky at any point in time."

"She's bound to find out one way or another," Sirius said softly in a subtle, matter-of-fact tone. "She may be young, but she certainly isn't stupid."

"I never said that," Remus said defensively, causing Tonks to imagine him with a deep frown.

"And I'm reminding you that she's an auror for Merlin's sake," Sirius said with an obvious eye roll.

And with that and her stomach gurgling in a hungry protest, Tonks moved her body away from the wall and began to stride into the dining room. Miscalculating how close she actually was to the doorframe, her left arm slammed into the hard wood, causing Tonks to yelp and cling to the frame for dear life as her hips swung awkwardly in.

Both men jumped in their seats at her sudden entrance. Sirius, having faster reflexes than Remus, quickly stood up to help his cousin regain her balance.

"Didn't hear you come in," Sirius said amused, an eyebrow raised.

"Didn't know if you were still up or not," Tonks replied as she dusts herself off.

Sirius glanced at the clock then looked at his cousin, making eye contact with her.

His gaze was stern, as if he knew she was there listening in on the tail end of the conversation and gives the side of his nose a knowing tap.

Tonks gave him a small, guilty smile as Sirius turns to head back to his seat.

"Why are you here?" he asks.

"Came to get some stuff from my room to take back to my flat tonight," she said as she followed him into the room, giving Remus a huge smile.

Remus returned the smile with his own, warm one, seeming to perk up as he got closer to him.

"And get some food," she added as her stomach gurgled in protest again.

"Of course," Sirius said as he sat. "Remus picked up some food earlier on his way back from his lunch date with a splendid young woman by the sound of it."

Sirius shot a teasing glance as Remus' mouth wagged in surprise.

"Oh really?" Tonks said, amusement trickling from her words as she grinned. "Well I'm sure this woman was very lucky to have spent a lunch date with you."

Remus shut his mouth as he blushed something fierce and looked down at his hands.

Tonks chuckled at Remus' flustered state as Sirius shoots Remus a highly amused look.

"Were you able to finish going over those files of yours?" Remus asked, his moment of fluster vanished.

"Yup," Tonks said with a nod as she settled into her chair. "Torture, that was."

"It's what you get for having too much fun with the two of us," Sirius joked with a wink.

Tonks laughed as she swatted at the air. Even Remus let out a soft chuckle as he glanced over at Sirius.

"Why don't you just spend the night here?" Sirius asked after the laughter subsided.

"Because my flat's closer to work and I need to transfer as much of the mess here to where it belongs," Tonks stated with a shrug.

"Good, cause your room looks like a war zone," Sirius said with a grin.

"And what were you doing in my room?" Tonks snapped, a brow rising in suspicion.

"I wasn't in your room," Sirius retorted. "You left the door open when you rushed out of the house this morning."

Tonks blinked and bit her lip as she tried to remember if she did close her door or not that morning. Then again, she did wake up at the ungodly hour of 6:00 a.m.

Her stomach growled again, causing Sirius' ever sharp ears caused him to glance over at her.

"Hungry?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Starving," Tonks mumbled as she gave him a tired grin.

"Go get your things ready then," Sirius said softly. "Remus and I'll get you some food."

Tonks thanked Sirius as she stood as she began to make her way to her room.

She trigged up the stairs with a bit of difficulty as the sleepy haze began to cloud her mind. When she finally makes it to her room, she enters, flicked on her switch and blinks as her eyes quickly adjust to the light.

Sighing as she enters at the mounds of clothes strewn around the room, she pulls out her wand and summons an expandable bag. She fumbles for the zipper, opens it, and summons of the clothes into it.

Tonks had been horrid at preforming household spells for as long as she could remember. Even the most basic ones she couldn't do to save her life. So as her clothes zoomed into the bag pile by pile, they landed in a lumpy heap into the bag.

When she was done, she closes the bag with great difficulty. Mumbling the levitation spell, the bag floats up high enough behind her to not not scrape the ground or stairs as she made her way back to the dining room.

She quietly walked back in to find the men back in their seats, a handsomely made ham sandwich and a glass of milk placed in front of her chair. The smile that grew on her face as she gazed hungrily at the food caused both men to chuckle softly.

"What, never seen a sandwich before?" Sirius joked.

"Not one as wonderfully made as this," Tonks replied as she sat down, having her bag hover a short distance away.

And with that, she hungrily took a humongous, unladylike bite from the sandwich.

She ate in silence as the two men made small talk, not listening to what they were saying.

When she was done eating, she drained her glass of milk and sat back, eyelids suddenly feeling quite heavy.

"Tuckered out?" she ears Sirius say and nods sleepily.

"Yeah," Tonks replied as her head rolled to look at him.

"Best be getting off then," Remus said, a touch of concern in his voice.

"You're right," Tonks said as she stood, the two men following suit.

"Do you need any help getting your stuff packed or going home?" Remus offered.

Tonks gave him a weary smile and a shake of her head.

"I can manage, thanks," she said with a yawn.

She bid the men goodnight as she trips over the umbrella stand and exits the house.

Grabbing the bag and apparating back to her flat, Tonks took the levitation charm off her bag, watching it drop with a loud thud next to the couch. She takes off her ministry robes, tosses it on a chair, and quickly changes into a clean pair of pajamas she manages to find in her exhausted state of mind.

She flops down on to her bed and pulls her covers over her as she curls up underneath it. Though she was in dire need of sleep as she closes her eyes, her mind wasn't quite ready to turn off just yet.

She thought about their interaction from the moment he arrived at her workplace to the moment she left to resume work. She noted how he acted so tenderly when she got hurt and how masked and reserved he became when she began to dig into a wound that seemed like it wasn't completely healed. How comfortable she was alone with him but at the same time how vulnerable she felt.

As she pondered about that, her thoughts morphed into the conversation she overheard when she went to get her things.

Of course she didn't know him yet. They had barely brushed the surface of personal stories. But what he wanted to keep a secret from her only confused her. Could it be related to the two pangs of hurt she saw earlier?

But before she could ponder further, Tonks slipped into her much needed slumber.

=End of Chapter Three=