Chapter 19:

A Safe Place

The room was warm. The fire in the hearth was small, but it did the job. The latest Quidditch match was playing on a radio. The lounge set that was arranged in a crescent around the fireplace looked over plumped, and Remus doubted if, once you sat in them, you would ever be able to pull yourself free. Ted stood at a side table pouring two measured glasses of fire whiskey.

"Sit down." Ted waved over the squishy looking chairs.

Remus sat down on the edge of the couch. Ted came over with their drinks and sat in the arm chair next to Remus; amazingly the chair did not engulf him.

"Don't worry, Dora will calm down, and Dromeda… well, err, she'll come around," Ted said with a smile. "They're just as stubborn as each other, that's the problem."

"Yes, Nymphadora is quite determined," Remus agreed.

"That's my Dora, determined." Ted let out a booming laugh. "Tell me about yourself Remus."

"Well, at the moment I spend a lot of time fixing up small place in Yorkshire. "

"Really! Do you have a dry stone wall?"

"No. Not yet. I've just re-sealed all the windows." Remus replied, happily surprised that Ted seemed so excited to hear about his renovations.

Tonks let the cool night air nip at her face. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. Her warm tears stung as they rolled down her cold face. How could she have expected anything else from her mother? Fear of this reaction had stopped her mentioning who her new boyfriend was.

A fallen tree lay beside the road. Tonks sat down on it and wiped the tears away. After such a bad day at work, her fears about her mother's disapproval were now realized. "How do I fix this?" Tonks thought to her self.

The first step, she realized, was to get back to Remus.

It was while Ted and Remus were talking about how he would re-plumb the bathroom that Tonks tripped noisily into the room. She stole the glass from Remus' hand and crumpled up next to him on the couch.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to leave you here like that," Tonks whispered to Remus.

Remus smiled down at Tonks. "It's alright. You've had a tough day. And I believe it's my job to say what you want to hear. Which is, Benson's a jerk? You have every right to say whatever you want to Malfoy. And you and I have the only important opinions in this relationship, not your mother. Have I forgotten to tell you something that you want to hear?"

"No." Tonks put the fire whisky glass down on the table and threw her arms around Remus. "You're amazing."

Ted laughed his loud laugh, a not so subtle reminder that he was right there. "I'll just go and see whether Dromeda has calmed down."

Tonks and Remus were only alone for a moment before Ted returned to usher them into the dinning room. The round table sat in a nook that the Bay window created. A large roast dinner was set out on the table and Andromeda stood opening a bottle of wine. They all took a seat and Ted took the bottle from his wife and filled everyone's glasses.

"This looks great Mum," Tonks said breaking the ice.

"Well the situation called for something nice, don't you think?" Mrs. Tonks asked.

"Yeah. Thanks Mum."

Peace was made between the two Tonks women, and dinner ran smoothly. Afterwards, Tonks showed Remus around the cottage-style house. They came, in the end to Tonks' old bedroom. The cupboard doors were covered in old band posters. The single bed was neatly made up with a multi coloured quilt. The battered desk had dozens of ink stains.

Remus watched as Tonks ran her hand over the desk, picked up an old teddy bear, and fiddled with the pink curtains. A small smile played at her lips and he tried to imagine the fond memories she had in this room. He had so many questions, but was unwilling to break her reverie. Stretching out, he ran his hand down her arm.

Felling his touch, Tonks turned, and gave him a full smile. "I always feel safe in this room," She explained, "As if nothing could ever hurt me here. Nothing can get to me. Silly isn't it?"

Remus took her hand in both of his. "No, it's not. One day I'll have to take you to my safe place."

"You have a safe place?"

"Of sorts." He sat down on the bed. She followed. "It's nothing like yours. I like yours. It's just like you."

Curling up next to Remus, Tonks rested her head on his chest. "Like me?"

Remus put an arm round her and began to stroke her hair. "Yes, colourful, sweet, cosy, with a little bit of rock music. It even has the same smell as you."

Tonks laughed softly. "Of course it does. It's my room. Who else would it smell of?"

"Good point." He kissed her forehead. "Well then, I like the way that you and your room smell. It's lovely."

Tonks curled her arms around Remus. "I don't know how I would breathe without you." She looked pleading up at him. "Don't ever leave me, Remus."

He stroked her cheek and smiled his sad little smile that she loved so much. Tonks rested her head back down onto his chest and closed her eyes.

It didn't take long for Tonks to drift off to sleep. She had never felt so safe wrapped in the arms of her lover in the bedroom of her childhood. Remus carefully laid her down and pulled the colourful blanket over her. He slipped from the room, pausing by the door just long enough to glance back at her peaceful face.

The house was now quiet, the radio had been turned off a while ago, the only sounds to be heard where the click of dishes being washed. Wanting to avoid a confrontation with Mrs. Tonks, Remus steered clear of the kitchen and headed into the sitting room.

He was surprised then when he found Andromeda sitting in a chair near the fireplace watching the last of the flames die away. He hesitantly stepped closer to her. In the fire glow he was taken back by how much she resembled her sister. The Blacks certainly were beautiful and yet there was a forbidding aloofness there as well.

She glanced back at him. "I'm sorry for earlier, when you arrived. I spoke too passionately. I was out of line."

Remus sank down into one of the impossibly plump armchairs. "I have to admit that I don't disagree with your concerns."

Andromeda continued to gaze into the dying fire. "And yet my Dora has fallen so very much in love with you."

"Yes. She has." Remus answered disheartened.

"And what will happen when you leave her?"

"Who said anything about leaving her?"

Andromeda turned sharply to Remus. "You don't plan on leaving her? How long can you lie to yourself and say that this will have a happy ending? Believe me it wont have one."

Remus felt cold despite the cosy surroundings. "She'll tire of me. She'll realise what I really am. Don't worry Andromeda," Remus spat back bitterly.

"Will she?"

"She has too," Remus answered, his voice devoid of any emotion.

He pulled himself out of the arm chair and slumped off down the hallway. He paused at Tonks room and pushed the door open just wide enough to see her sleeping face. His heart constricted with pain at the thought of leaving her. The thought of staying hurt just as much.

A/N: hey guys...i know this chapter is sort of fluffy... but i thought it was time to show a bit of love between our two mains. let me know what you think.