AN: Hey Guys thanks for all the reviews! This chapter is a bit of a longer seeing as the last few have been a little short.

I must say to those who are better spellers then me, sorry for the mistakes. My Mum is my usual editor, but alas, I'm over the other side of the world from her at the moment. I will see her soon and all edits will be made. Future chapter will be cheeked before posted, but for now, bear with me. I'm dyslexic, so I can read a mistake 10 times and my mind still tells me that it is, what it should be.

Oh and Häagen-Düs, for those Aussies and others who don't know, is a brand of ice-cream. They even have whole restaurant where all they serve is ice-cream.

Enjoy. Esther.

Inclinations, Inquisitions, and Ice-creams.

In the distance the smallest sliver of sun still starched out along the horizon, smudges of pink and purple streaked the sky and danced off the windows of the surrounding city. In the opposite direction the dark blue of night pushed forward hungrily consuming what remained of the days light. The air was still warm. It instilled a lazy feeling even in the heart of London, the crowd of people walked slower and without purpose. Behind a large pile of rotting garage two people appeared out of thin air, on such a lazy night their appearance went unnoticed.

"Merlin, I love London on nights like this." Tonks spread her arms out, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She coughed slightly after breathing in nothing but the smell of garbage.

"I can't really say I've ever spent much time in London." said Remus, " I did spend a fair amount of time in St Mungo's when I was a child but you can't really count that."

"Really? London's been my home for the past four years. At first you hate it, but then one day you wake up and realise that you have come to love every facet of this place."

Tonks was telling the truth, she really could not imagine living life anywhere else. London had charmed her, somewhere between the many trips back to her parents, and the teary floo calls to her mum, that had made up her first few months. It was now up to her mother to call her and the house she grown up in became less and less like home. And yet as much as she loved London, he had never really found somewhere to call home there. She wondered if anyone ever found somewhere that felt as much like home as the place they grow up in? Or was it just Tonks? Would she be forever chasing the idea of home?

Tripping on a bump in the pavement, Tonks was stopped from falling flat on her face when Remus caught her arm and pulled her to her feet. Once again Tonks felt the tension pass between them when they touched. Tonks wasn't even sure what had made her invite him out for ice-cream. She was drawn to him and she didn't seem to be able to stop herself from going with that instinct.

"So," said Tonks slowly, "If you spent time at St Mungo's when you where a child, does that mean that you got bitten back then?"

Remus nodded slowly, "Yes. When I was quite young."

"So you've had to live with it your whole life?"

They where now at the front of Häagen-Daz, both of them joined the take out queue without even thinking about it. "Yes. When I went to Hogwarts, my parents spoke to Dumbledore, and he worked out a place for me be contained during the full moon. Of course my friends worked it out by the third year and by the fifth they had all become animagi, so then they could come and be contained with me."

Tonks listen intently. She found the whole thing fascinating, rather than alarming. The latter being the more common feeling about werewolves. But then Tonks had never been one to have common anything.

They placed their order with the tired looking girl behind the counter, who seemed to have only a basic grasp on the English language. Both of them went for rich chocolate mixes.

"So that's how Sirius came to be able to change into a dog. Ah. … So what then? What did you do after Hogwarts?"

They picked up their ice-creams and started to walk towards Trafalgar square. Tonks was uncommonly quite as she listened to Remus. He told her of the many short lived jobs he had since Hogwarts. He told her no matter where he travelled up and down the country, when people found out he was a werewolf, they wanted nothing to do with him and often hurled abuse at him. One of his longest jobs was at Hogwarts, where once again it was Dumbledore who was able to hide his condition. "…But it was a mistake. It was always too much of a risk."

Tonks now understood just how bad the public hatred for werewolves was. Sure a better understanding was starting to come about, but all too slowly. Tonks had learnt extensively about werewolves in her Auror training. They had always been told to capture or ward them away from populated areas, and never to attack a werewolf. The teaching was based on the fact that werewolves were people too, and it was not there fault, nor could they be legally held responsible for their actions on a full moon.

"I can't believe people are so ignorant of the facts in this day and age. If it's any consolation I think it just makes you all the more interesting. Not scary at all."

They had walked as far as the north bank of the Thames now and were leaning against the railing, empty ice-cream cups in hands. Night had taken full control of the skies now and darkness hang just above the many lights of the city. The river Themes could be hared light lapping the bank, the water only visible as the lights reflection bounced off the small waves. Tonks let the wind whip at her hair and cheeks, chilled from the near by water. She looked over at Remus to find his gaze on her. He quickly looked away.

Before Tonks register what had happened, Remus half asked Tonks half asked the railing in front of him, "So when's your next shift?"

Still a little throw at catching Remus staring at her she stammered, "Err….it's tonight. I take over from Emmelie in an hour or so."

"I'm on tomorrow. Sirius was trying to convince me to let him go instead."

"Yeah that would be good if a ministry worker found him guarding the door of the ministry of mystery."

"Exactly," said Remus, "He's even more annoyed, that he's not going to be part of the group who go to pick up Harry."

"Yeah I noticed he was a bit moody at the last order meeting when we were talking about it."

"Are you coming?" Remus asked even thought he had see half the order volunteer, but watched with a bit of disappointment when Tonks hand had not gone up.

"Nah…. I just get in the way, I'm not really known for my stealth. I don't even know Harry."

"You should come, everyone else is, and I'm the only one who actually knows Harry."

"Really."

"Yeah, and Mad Eye was saying to me just the other day that with one more person we could have a much stronger flying formation."

"Yeah, then count me in. I've always wanted to meet the 'boy who lived'." Tonks smiled at Remus. For a moment as their eyes meet neither could look away. The world around them continued in its slow lazy pace, but two figures stood in the night stuck in time, as if they had fallen into some other world, but left their bodies behind.

Finally Remus looked away shaking his head and mumbling to himself. Tonks barely noticed this, she was so caught up in her own thoughts. She was now past denial, and was sure that any tightness in her stomach was not from Remus saving her from embarrassing situations, but more likely from his gentle and kind sprit. Maybe it was the calmness that he seemed to radiate. He had a totally relaxed attitude to not knowing what would happen to him from one day to the next, but caring deeply for what happened to the people around him. His own burden gave him a dark mysterious depth that hardly fitted with the rest of his personality. All this drew Tonks to him.

She looked at her watch, more for something to do than a need to know the time. "Crap!," she gasped, "I didn't realise that it was so late. I've got to go. Emmelina is going to kill me."

"That's all right, you go. I might go back and see if everything has calmed down at the Headquarters. Thank you for the ice-cream. I'll pay you back the muggle money soon."

"Don't worry about it. I am the one who smashed the pies, and then you did save me. Thanks again for that. I'll see you soon."

Then Tonks disapparated, the last thing she saw was Remus smiling face.

Now back at the Headquarters, the dust had settled. The kitchen was back to its usual sate, Molly and Authur sat with mugs in front of them talking to their eldest two boys. They all looked up when Remus walked in. Molly gave a glace to the door as if expecting someone else to walk in as well.

"Remus," said Author, "Where did you go off to?"

"And what's happen to your friend that you took with you?" asked Molly.

Remus was caught off guard and felt his cheeks begin to burn. He was sure no one had noticed that he left with Tonks, especially Molly. No matter how innocent Remus told himself, ice-cream with Tonks was, he was sure that others might see it differently.

"Ah…. Yes… we… that is to say I, went for ice-cream." The four faces at the end of the kitchen table all look at him with quizzical looks. Remus showed them the empty ice-cream cup, and kept talking trying to pull himself together. "Tonks…. Well we went our separate ways at the front door. Ah.. Well… Sirius around? I just came back for a quick word with him?"

Charlie whispered something to Bill and they both broke out in fits of laughter. Molly shot daggers at them.

"Last I saw he was upstairs in the drawing room, mulling over a scotch." said Authur.

Remus dashed out of the room, escaping from Bill and Charlie's continuing laughter, and made his way through the grimy hall and up the stairs. The house was still suffering from years of neglect. Sirius and Remus had cleaned the kitchen out as best they could, in time for the first order meeting. As soon as Molly had seen the sate of the house she had been like a women possessed, her mind set on cleaning every inch of the old house.

Remus did find Sirius in the drawing room. A thick layer of dust covered the floor. Unsettled patches where Sirius had been walking were clearly visible around the room. Obviously a room Molly had not come to yet. Like the rest of the house , the room had a musty smell. The darkly painted walls and the overwhelming aura of gloom, gave the impression that the walls where closing in on the occupants, threatening to swallow them up.

Remus' oldest friend, sat spread out in a armchair, a glass dangled from one of his hands, his face a mask of bored sadness, his stare set on a point outside the room. The embarrassment that had driven him from the kitchen drained out of Remus as he took in the sight of his friend. Sirius was a man of action and to be stuck in a house, unable to be involved in any action further then cleaning, depressed him deeply. The blow that he was to be left out from the plans to move Harry to the headquarters, did nothing but pull Sirius deeper into his sate of melancholy.

A deep sigh came from Remus as he made his way over to the couch opposite his friend, only then did he turn to look at him. Slowly focus came back to his eyes and Sirius flashed Remus a roguish grin, "I thought you took off. What brought you back to this hell hole?"

Remus wondered if perhaps he should address Sirius moody behaviour, but thought better of it. There would come a time when it had degenerated even more and until then Remus was reluctant to get into that conversation. "I needed a word with you."

Sirius sat forward, "Word away."

Remus took a moment to think about how to phrase the question, "When a someone tells you that a something makes you more interesting then what do they mean, per se?"

"Well," Sirius could hardly keep from laughing, but continued, " Firstly, what's her name?"

"It's not like that!," Remus was betrayed by his burning red cheeks.

Sirius put on a show of mock belief, "If you say so. But it really depends on the situation. I mean let's say someone tells you that your brown shirt there makes you more interesting, well, firstly they are lying. Secondly, they could be trying to be diplomatic and side step the fact that the shirt just makes you look like you have no style."

Blackly, Remus look at his shirt, then again at Sirius, "It wasn't my shirt that she was talking about."

Sirius began to chuckle, "Wow, you haven't come to me for advice on girls since 7th year. What was her name then…..Ann…..Ann something…. Plegder? ….Palmer? Yeah Ann Palmer."

Remus let out an exasperated breath. "This is nothing like then. It was my condition."

A puzzled look swapped places with the amused, on Sirius face, "Hang on my friend. Your condition told you that something made you?- Oh wait I see, a girl told you-" Sirius eyebrows shot up as he put all the piece together. "A Girl told you that you condition made you more interesting?"

"In fact she said all the more interesting." added Remus somewhat reluctantly.

A bark of a laugh came from Sirius, followed by his most roguishly knowing grin, "My dear friend, that means that this lucky little lady is even more turned on by the fact that your are a werewolf." Remus said nothing, but sat with his eyes wide, mouth a gape, and face bright red. "Who is she?" Sirius tried again.

Remus stood up, "Well….ok…so that's all I wanted to ask about. I'll be by tomorrow before my shift at the ministry."

"Is it that nice lady from the werewolf registration office? … no she didn't like men….there are no girls in the group from that pub you go to- not unless it's the barmaid….yeah but she's a muggle hardly likely to work out you're a werewolf….. It McGonagall isn't it? Hahaha….. Nah dating a teacher that's too creepy…someone you meet recently- Ohhhhhhh…..I've got it. Oh I'm so right."

Remus who had stood rolling his eyes through all of Sirius' wild guessing, now stood very still. Sirius had know him a long time and was able, even at school, to work out who all his friends had fancied. Granted Remus had always been the biggest challenge. If Sirius said Tonks right now, Remus was sure he would not be able to deny it.

"You fancy my little cousin Dora. Don't you?" Sirius was already praising himself for his genius.

Remus plonked himself back down on the couch, sending clouds of dust about the room. "I'm too old for her. I'm too boring. I'm a bloody werewolf. When I know there can't be any long term commitment then why am I even looking down this road, let alone going down it?"

"Easy, you're a man."

"And a wolf."

"Remus, you need to get over that rubbish! You've been dealing with turning into a monster every full moon since childhood. You handle it well. Tonks strikes me as the type of girl that could handle the fact that her husband-"

"Husband! Husband!," Remus shoot to his feet again, "This is just a fancy."

Sirius looked calmly at his friend. "It's more that that. You like her, and from what little you told me she likes you. She's got to you. More then Ann Palmer or any of the other girls ever did. And you know why? Because she knows your secret, and she likes you all the more."

The only sound in the room was Remus' deep breathing as he absorbed the startling truth of Sirius words. His eyes fixed on the dusty floors until, suddenly, before Remus could muster any response to Sirius, the door creaked open. A small mouldy looking creature shuffled into the room.

"Oh look," muttered the house elf, "there is the werewolf. Dirty filthy creature. Not fit to be in this house."

Sirius looked livid. "For the love of Godric Gryffindor!"

"Kreacher would never love Godr-"

"Kreacher you foul useless dust ball, I order you to crawl back into whatever hidey hole you came out of."

The elf left the room now muttering about what a ungrateful little brat Sirius was.

"Moony look, that useless elf is full of rubbish. Don't listen to it." said Sirius heading into another mood swing.

"Yeah. Look I've got to go, anyway. I wont get any sleep tomorrow night and I've been so busy between fixing up my shack and all the things I've been doing for the order… well I'm pretty beat."

"Yeah, must be tough having to really be part of the order."

"Sirius." said Remus wearily.

"I know. I know. It's for my safety. I got it." Sirius got up and walked his friend to the door.

In another part of London, deep underground, Tonks cursed as the magic ran out of her M.P.W. (mini, portable, wireless.). The thing was so small that it needed a separate charging device. A small metal stand with two mirrors. You simply had to put the small wireless between the two mirrors and aim a recharge spell at it. The spell would bounce between the two mirrors hitting the wireless over and over again. After about an hour the wireless would be fully charged and ready to play any of the songs you charmed into it. Tonks however continual forgot to recharge her M.P.W. and so once again, a deafening silence fell over the hallway to the Ministry of Mystery.

Tonks sat with her back up against the wall, a perfect disillusionment charm helped by the fact that she had turned her skin the same colour as the walls. Her small M.P.W. was now tucked back into her pocket. Grading a prophecy that was critical in the fight against you-know-who, sounded far more exciting then it was. Far, far, more exciting.

A bit like her Job, thought Tonks. Her mentor and Auror who she did her first year placement with, Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, had told her stories that made Tonks believe that being an Auror would be just as action-packed as she had always hoped. On her last day on placement with Mad-Eye's, he turned and said something that removed the rose colour glasses that Tonks saw Aurors with, "Tonks, the thing you'll find out soon enough is that this job is 90 paperwork. Better you know that now, than waste another two years believing it's going to be wall-to-wall action."

He'd been right of course. The longer she was in the job the more she realised that the overflowing papers in her in-tray were a permanent fixture in her Auror cubical. But she would never trade it in for a different job. Sure the bureaucracy was strife, but so was anything to do with the Ministry. The only way to change it was for more people with integrity and faith in justice, to join the Ministry, not walk out, because of it's problems.

At the thought of her overflowing in-tray, Tonks had the brief notions to go and get some of it to do now, but thought better of leaving her post. She wasn't going to let the order down on her first guard shift. So instead she let her mind wonder to other things. The way Remus had looked at her that night sprang to mind.

Please review, and let me know how you think I'm going…..even if you don't like, I'm always wanting to improve my writing.