Invites and Transformations
It was past nine by the time Tonks arrived home after Christmas dinner at her parents' house. She scanned the front steps of her apartment, no Remus. Briefly she wondered if he had decided not to come, perhaps he had reached his limit for the Tonks family for one day. Heaving the large bag of Christmas gifts up on to her shoulder Tonks began to mount the stairs, hopping that Remus was in fact just late.
Tonks walked down her hallway, her bag brushing the wall, threating to pull her to the ground with its weight. The usual sound omitting from behind the doors of neighbouring apartments where mingled with Christmas carols. Pulling her keys out as she reached her door Tonks noticed that light was flooding out of the crack under the door. Slowly she withdrew her wand.
Tonks gently tapped the door and called out softly, "Remus?"
Tonks listened as she heard movement inside her apartment and footsteps heading towards the door. She raised her wan to chest height, ready to strike. Tonks' heart beat faster as the door knob moved. She took up a steady position and tried to slow her breathing. The door opened.
"Hello. Your …" Remus stood in the doorway, his mouth now dangling open in midsentence. His eyes focusing on Tonks wand tip.
"Mouldy Merlin's beard, it's just you?" Tonks lowered her wand, at the same time the bag on her shoulder slipped unbalancing her.
Remus caught her and the bag before either could hit the ground. "Your friend Kim, with the red bits in her hair, she let me in when she saw me waiting on the steps out front. I lied and told her I had a key for your apartment."
Tonks allowed herself to be ushered into her own apartment.
"Oh, that's nice of Kim, not letting you freeze."
"Yes. It was pretty easy to get in her however. I just used Alohomora. You should think of putting more enchantments n place." Remus told Tonks. "Not that you're not a security to yourself. I was rather scared of you when I opened the door just now."
Tonks looked unbelievingly up at him from the chair she had sat on, "Really?"
"Yes. It was just quite clear to me how you can be an Auror. You looked ready to kill."
"Sorry." Tonks was now looking around the small room that made up the bulk of her apartment. Something was different.
"Tea?" offered Remus as he taped his wand to the kettle, instantly making it steam.
Tonks nodded distractedly. She stood up and peered around into the bedroom, then crossed the room and opened the bathroom door. The bathroom seamed to shine back at her, a pine smell that Tonks had not smelt since standing in Harry Potter's aunt's kitchen, filled her nose. Quickly she shut the door.
Before Tonks could say anything to Remus, he passed her a tea. He sat down at the table with his own tea and began to empty the contents of the heavy bag Tonks had brought back with her.
"Remus?" Tonks began, "did you, sorta, maybe – not that I mind- clean my apartment?"
Looking up from a book Remus mildly answered, "I just put some things away while I waited."
"Err… putting some things away would mean that the dishes got done… or that the cloths pile got stuffed into the closet. Remus the shower looks like it's been bleached, that is not putting things away."
"I couldn't just stuff your cloths in the closet."
Tonks put her mug down on the table and went to looking the closet. "Wow. Not even when I first moved in has this closet looked so tidy." Tonks walked over to Remus and sat down on his lap. "Thank you. This is a great Christmas gift."
"It was rather selfish really. I spend so much time here, and I really do prefer things to be a bit tidier then you have them." Remus said apologetically.
"Well in that case I'll let you keep clean up after me." Tonks got up and moved to her own chair. Settling down to her cup of tea she asked, "How was Arthur?"
Tonks watched as Remus hair fell across his face, he pushed it back before talking. "He's good; starting to mend. One of the Healers is using a muggle alternative, looks like it's doing the job."
"That's really good. Did you get a chance to talk to the guy with the werewolf bite?"
Remus' brows farrowed as he thought of the new werewolf. "He's still quite bitter about it. The Healers will provide him with Wolfsbane for the next few months while he gets used to the transformation. I suspect they will remove him from Arthur's ward tomorrow for the full moon."
"That's tomorrow?" Tonks asked slightly shocked that it had crept up again so soon.
Remus turned very stern, "Dora it is imperative that you remember the lunar cycle. What if you were to turn up to my place while I was transformed?"
"Sorry, it just slipped my mind right now." Tonks reached across the table for Remus hand. "It's been a long day. Can we just go to bed?"
Remus smiled at Tonks. He got out of his seat and walked around to Tonks. Bending down he ran his hand through her bright pink hair before cupping her cheek. He lent down and kissed her deeply. "Merry Christmas", he breathed as he pulled away.
Deep within the forest that stood by Remus' shack the trees where so thick that snow had been unable to coat the undergrowth. Remus paused, leaning against a fallen tree; he had been walking for over an hour. As he caught his breath he listened to the sounds of the forest. Branches creaked and moaned under the weight of snow; small animals were foraging for food even in the dense cold; high above a bird let out a loud call. Each sounded as if it was being made right by the fallen tree, Remus could even smell the animals that foraged for food. Remus knew however that it was his heighted senses that allowed him to pick up such distant sounds and smells. At this time of the afternoon the forest was already dark, soon it would be nightfall and Remus' transformation would take place.
Remus had left Tonks early that morning. He had muttered goodbyes to a half asleep Tonks while she half-heartedly tried to pull him back to bed. He had spent the morning reading one of the new books that Tonks had given him for Christmas; it was about the magical political system and its history. After a brief lunch he had begun to walk. He walked into the forest. He did not stick to paths; however he knew exactly where he was.
Before Remus knew it, small strips of moonlight begun to trickle through the trees. A spasm ran up his left side. Remus thought about Tonks' bug smile and full lips. His heart rate quickened. He thought about the sound of her laugh. His hands began to tremble. He thought about the softness of her skin. His whole body started to shake. He thought about her hair and could almost smell it. His shoulders hunched; his body curling in on its self. He thought of her twinkling black eyes.
A wolf stood on all fours. It breathed in deeply, taking in its surroundings. It thought of noting but the night. Searching for the moon it raised its head and howled.
Tonks had lain in bed all morning. When she had gotten up it had been to be nicely reminded that Remus had cleaned her apartment. Not wanting to destroy the tidiness too quickly she made sure that she made the bed and washed her breakfast dishes.
Even Gaston's cage had been cleaned. The owl, now perched in the cage, had his wing up over his head and was fast asleep. A small stack of mail was sitting on the table, a sign that the bird had been awake earlier. Tonks hastily flicked through them. One was a late Christmas card from a muggle aunt, another was junk mail advertising love potions, last was an invitation to Trish's New Year's Party.
Tonks was happy to see that Trish had addressed the invite to her and Remus. He had not met any of Tonks' friends yet and here was the perfect opportunity. All she had to do was convince him to come. Hopeful, Tonks picked up the second hand Weird Sisters biography that Remus had bought her and spent the afternoon reading.
A/N: So I haven't updated since I started Uni on top of working. Not a good excuse I know. But I've had a few e-mails recently telling me that people have added this story to their alert list, so I figure I should get back on it and finish this story. I have a pretty good idea of how it's all going to happen from now o in so hopefully I can keep updating now every week to two weeks. Please review! It really makes me feel like writing more when I know people are reading. Thanks so much.