Chapter 16

Pints and Pashing

The heavy wooden table, had deep gouges covering it's surface. It wobbled if it was leaned on it at the wrong corner. Despite the fact that it looked over polished, it was still sticky. The crowd talked, laughed and clattered over a blur song playing on the stereo. Tables in booths lined windows that rounded the two sides of the pub. Other heavy wooden tables filled the void between the booths and the bar. It was at one of these tables that Tonks sat watching Remus order their drinks from the barman.

She watched as he made polite conversation, while the barmen pulled a pint of lager. She watched as he slipped the barmen a tip. She watched, with a smile, as he made his way back to their deeply dinted table. Putting the drinks down made the table wobble and lager spilled out on to the table, adding to its stickiness.

"Thank you," Tonks said as she took the pint from Remus. "I didn't know you keep muggle money on you?"

Remus pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped up the spilt beer. "Well I keep a little on me, just in case I want to steal you away for ice-cream or a pint."

"Well that's good to know." Tonks took a sip from her pint. "Tell me what the story between Snape and Sirius and you is?"

"What, besides them hating each other?" Remus through his arms up in surrender. "I don't know. I mean, I don't know if there is any real underlying fact." Remus thought for a bit, and then added, "They knew each other before Hogwarts. Severus was at a few of the parties that the Blacks went to; your mother was probably at them too. I guess Severus was everything that Sirius' family and friends wanted Sirius to be, and that pissed him off. It grew from there."

"So he was a sadist even back then?"

Remus laughed, "I don't think he was a sadist so to speak, at least not then. But he was very keen on knowing everything about the dark arts. I think the others and I probable are a bit to blame for turning him into a sadist."

"You know in his records, some suggest that Snape met You-Know-Who when he was just seven years old. When I read that, I thought, how easy would it be to see a bright seven year old and tell him to study Dark arts because that's what's going to help him in life?" Tonks took a large gulp from her pint.

"Merlin's beard. No wonder he was an oddball at school." Remus looked down into his pint, the frothy head was all but gone. When he was young he had never stopped to think about what Snape's life was like before, or even out of school. He wondered if he had known would he have done more to stop his friends from teasing him. He tried to push the guilt out of his mind.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it. He still had choices like the rest of us." Tonks put her hand on top of Remus.

Remus turned his had around and took hold of Tonks. He smiled at her. "I guess Severus did have Roger."

The both laughed so loudly that the people at the table next to them looked over.

"That had to be the most interesting development I heard all meeting." Tonks looked over at Remus empty Pint glass. "Want another?"

"I better not I'm on duty in another hour." Remus reached across the table for Tonks other hand. "Let's get out of here."

They both stood up and pulled on their jackets. As they made their way out the front door Remus comfortably slipped his arm around Tonks waist. They walked happily down the road together.

When they were out of the glow of the light from the pub, Remus turned to Tonks, "Wait. I've got to do something."

Tonks turned towards him as h lent towards her. He pressed his lips against hers. She entwined her arms around Remus neck, while he slipped his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him.

"Get a room!" a youth yelled as he walked past the couple. The broke apart and smiled contently at each other.

Over the next few weeks the weather got colder, but Remus and Tonks' budding romance kept them warm. In between guard duties, Order meetings, Tonks' work and keeping Sirius company, the pair went for ice-cream, walks through London, and pub meals as much as they could.

One night in late November as rain beat against the windows of Number 12, Remus, Sirius and Tonks sat around the kitchen table. Tonks had her case work spread out across the table, while Remus and Sirius sat creating elaborate, and If Tonks thought about it, probably illegal, ways to catch Death Eater red handed.

"So once you've lured the Death Eaters into the pub, by way of the prostitutes, you set up a loud discussion between two muggle borns about their parentage." Sirius plotted.

"But then what? The Death Eaters aren't going to do anything in a crowed pub when they are about to go out the back with these prostitutes." Remus pointed out.

"Well when the ladies tell them that the deals off, the two muggle born chaps leave the pub. Then you have a group of pissed off Death eaters leaving the pub at the same time at the muggle born chaps. Then you spring out at them as they start to attack the two chaps."

"That's a great plan Sirius. You should be an Auror," Remus said, sarcastically. He turned around to Tonks. "Shouldn't Sirius be an Auror, Nymphadora?"

"Don't call me that! And I think there may be a few things that stand in the way of Sirius becoming an Auror - none of them being his terrible action plans. However, I think you two had something with the plan that had the goblin in it," Tonks said.

"Oi," Sirius asked, "can I call you Nymph-?"

"NO!" yelled Tonks. "It's Tonks. Only people who have ever called me that other name are my mum and dad. Which reminds me."

Remus put a hand down onto Tonks thigh. "About what?"

"I'm going to stay at mum and dad's this weekend, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come along?"

Remus' hand turned into a dead weight on Tonks thigh. "I might have guard duty. I'll check that first."

Tonks shrugged her shoulders and picked up her quill. "Okay, you don't want to come. That's fine."

"Oh, bad Moony." Sirius mocked.

"Shut up Sirius. Tonks, it's fine. I'd love to come and meet your parents."

"Well you don't sound fine." snapped Tonks, "It's a big step meeting my mum and dad. I know. Next time."

"No. I'm fine," Remus said lightly, "Just scared. But I'll come."

"Oh, now he's sweet Moony." Sirius mocked again.

"Shut up Sirius." Tonks threw a ball of scrap parchment at Sirius. "You don't have to worry, I'm sure they'll love you, as much I do."

Remus heart skipped a beat. His mouth dried up. Tonks had just said that she loved him for the first time. His mind buzzed with the sounds of the words. He knew he had to say something back, but he couldn't clear his mind of the words. Somewhere he could hear Sirius making a mocking comment that he couldn't work out, nor did he care about it.

Tonks kept her eyes locked on Remus'. Her hand clasped her quill tightly, trying not to shake. Her words had flown so naturally; words that she knew where true.

Finally, as his mid cleared, Remus said, "I love you too."

"Oh, aren't you two sweet." Molly Weasley's voice cut through the haze that had enveloped Tonks and Remus. "And how are you Sirius dear?"

"Rather happy to see you. I was feeling nauseous from these twos company," replied Sirius.

"I am simply getting you back for all the times I had to sit in the common room with you making out with whatever girlfriend you had at the time next to me," excused Remus. "Hello Molly. Did you just get here?"

"Yes dears," she said. "I don't blame you two for not noticing you were quite lost with each other, I've just come to meet Arthur after his guard duty. Ooh, your little romance is blossoming so wonderfully, it warms the heart."

"And he's going to meet Tonks parents this weekend," Sirius said.

"Oh, now that is news." Molly beamed at the couple.

"Yes, but Remus is rather worried about it all." Sirius added.

"Thank-you Sirius," said Remus, "I think it's time for you to shut up again."

Tonks began to gather up her paperwork. "I think it's about time I was leaving anyway."

"I'll walk you out." Remus said whisking up the last of her paperwork for her.

"Bye Molly. Bye Sirius."

"Goodbye dear."

Sirius crossed his arms. "Sorry I've shut up, can't say goodbye."

Remus suppressed a smile and Tonks rolled her eyes as they left the Kitchen and made their way down the dark hallway. Remus grabbed hold of Tonks waist and safely guided her away from the troll foot umbrella stand. Tonks giggled.

"I meant what I said, I love you," Remus said softly, so as to not disturb the paintings.

"I did too. I've never loved someone the way I love you. It's scary."

"Yes very scary."

"Then we agree being in love is as scary as all hell."

Remus nodded in agreement before leaning into to kiss Tonks tenderly on the lips. As their kiss turned more passionate, the front door opened beside them.

Arthur Weasley cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"Wotcher Arthur" Muttered Tonks.

"Yes. Hello. Tonks. Remus."

"Hello. Molly is waiting in the kitchen for you." Remus said.

"Oh, good. I'll go and join her. You two … err… carry on." It was hard to tell what happened fastest, Arthur rushing to the kitchen door, or Tonks and Remus faces turning a violent shade of red.

"I'll get going then." Tonks said when they were alone again.

"Bye."

There was one last Kiss before Tonks stepped outside and apparated to the alleyway next to her apartment block. A huge grin was plastered on her face.

A/N: Hey guys hope you liked the chapter. Let me know by leaving a review.