A/N: It's going to take more than one proclamation from Remus to convince Tonks that they're not meant to be. Don't give up on her so easily!

My next update will be by Wednesday, 19 July. After that, I'm going away for the weekend, so don't expect an update until the following week.

Thanks for your patience, and for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own the Harry Potter universe.

Heart to Heart

Tonks Apparated into her office with a crack. "I can't believe him!" she yelled.

Kingsley jumped a foot. "My God, Tonks!" he yelled. "What are you on about? And what are you doing here? You're not scheduled to work today."

"No, I'm not," she said. She took out her wand and sealed the door shut. "I needed to talk to you. Since I knew you would be here, I came here."

"Amazingly, you came in one piece," he said. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that it's not a good idea to Apparate when you're under emotional duress? You could have splinched yourself!"

"I'm too good to do something like that," she said with a hint of a smile. "And do you really think that now is the time to chastise me over my Apparation abilities?"

"Okay, I can see that you need to talk," Kingsley said, pushing his reports aside. "Sit down and tell Uncle King what has your knickers in a twist."

"Remus," she said.

"Ah," Kingsley said, leaning back in his chair. "So, the professor has done something to offend you."

"Can I tell you the whole story?"

"Would you stop if I said no?"

"No."

He grinned. "I thought so. All right, let's hear it."

"Right," she said. "Well, you know that I wanted to see Remus while I was in the hospital."

"Yes," Kingsley said with a bit of a grimace. "You made me go all over the UK looking for him."

"Well, he was in France with his friends," she said. "When he came back, I was waiting for him."

"Okay," Kingsley said slowly. "Did you attack him? You're making yourself sound like a bit of a stalker, if you want the truth."

She waved his comment aside, but couldn't help smiling. "I'm not a stalker."

"If you say so."

"Would you just let me talk?"

"Please, continue."

She sighed, then continued her story. "Well, as you can imagine, he was pretty much a mess over Sirius and everything."

"I'm sure he would be," Kingsley said, his eyes reflecting genuine concern. "Did he talk to you about it? He always seems so closed off to me … I almost can't imagine him letting you see him with his guard down."

"Yeah, it took some time," she agreed. "He did eventually open up to me about Sirius … after he opened up about some other things."

"Such as?"

She grinned. "He told me that he has feelings for me."

"Whoa," he said, his eyes widening. "That, my love, is huge. What did you say?"

"I told him that I've had a crush on him since we first met."

"And?"

"He kissed me."

Kingsley sat forward in surprise. "He kissed you?" he repeated.

"Yup," Tonks grinned, her cheeks flushing slightly. "It was a fantastic snogging session, King. We were all over that couch."

He made a face. "Too much information," he said. "Can you please tell me exactly which couch it was so that I'll know not to sit on it?"

She waved him off again. "Well, it was cut a bit short."

"Do I want to know?" he asked with the same pained expression.

"Remus stopped it," she said.

"Why?"

"He said something about Sirius and it not being right," she shrugged. "I said something to try to make him feel better, and he completely lost it. I mean … God, King, don't ever tell him that I told you this, but he was truly a mess. I think Sirius's death really screwed him up."

"I'm sure it did," Kingsley said, again with concern reflected in his dark eyes. "Sirius has been one of his closest friends for most of his life. Losing him must have been like losing a brother."

She nodded. "Yeah, he said something like that. He also … well, it was a little touchy for awhile."

"But you got him calmed down in the end?"

"Yeah. It took some time, but I think we both felt better by the end of the night."

"Good," Kingsley said. "But there has to be more to this story."

"Oh, yeah," she said. "Well, you know that we all went out for dinner today."

"Right. To the best restaurant in the history of humanity."

She made a face at him. "After you left, Remus came back to my place for dessert."

"You little minx," Kingsley grinned. "What exactly do you mean by 'dessert?'"

"No, no," she laughed. "Nothing like that. I just wanted him to come over for a bit, that's all."

"And you said that he went?"

"Yeah. We had ice cream, then started talking."

"Wait right there. You ate ice cream with him? Did he have any idea what he was getting himself into?"

"No, he didn't. That's actually how this whole mess got started. I told him all about Sirius and I having the eating contest, and my determination to beat him … I guess I mentioned the fact that I was eight and he was twenty-two the first time we did that."

"And?"

"Remus freaked out. He said we can't be together because he's … wait, there were four reasons. I have to remember them all. Right, he's too old, he's a werewolf, he's unemployed and I'm too good for him." She looked at him helplessly. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Right," Kingsley said, leaning his chin on his clasped hands. "I suppose you want a guy's perspective?"

"I didn't come here looking for a woman's perspective," Tonks said sarcastically.

"Tone, Miss Tonks," Kingsley said lightly. "Do you want my help or not?"

"Yes, please," she said giving him a face like a contrite child.

He smiled, then considered everything she had told him. "Okay, let's start at the end and work our way up."

"All right."

"Well, he said that you're too good for him."

"Right," she nodded. "I told him right away that he was way off base, and that he's one of the best people I know."

"Good," Kingsley said. "That right there is an excuse, a line, whatever you want to call it. He needed to know that you're not going to take it from him."

"Fair enough. But what about everything else?"

"Slow down. We're doing this step by step," Kingsley said. "So, we've covered the 'not good enough for you' argument. You said he mentioned being unemployed?"

"Yes," she said. "He gave me some rubbish about not being able to support me." She rolled her eyes. "I do live on my own, you know. I can support myself, and he knows it."

"Yes, but he's not going to be okay with that," Kingsley said patiently.

"Why not?" Tonks asked blankly.

"Listen, sweetheart, men aren't good at accepting the idea that women don't need them."

"But I do need him! That's what I kept trying to tell him!"

Kingsley shook his head. "I mean financially."

"Oh-o," she said, her eyes widening.

Kingsley nodded. "It's going to take a lot for him to accept the idea that he doesn't need to provide for you, and, even more, that it's okay that he doesn't."

"How can I convince him of that?"

"That might be the last obstacle we tackle. It's going to be a big one. Let's go for something more manageable – the werewolf thing."

"The werewolf thing is more manageable?"

"Yes."

"How, exactly?"

"That one is all in his head."

"I'm pretty sure that transforming into a werewolf isn't in his head," Tonks said impatiently.

"No, that's very real," Kingsley replied. "But the idea that it should keep you apart is all in his head."

"That's true," she agreed. She frowned. "I don't understand why he thinks it's something that would make me not want to be with him."

"Because, honey, you're not like most people," Kingsley said. "From what I understand, Remus has lived with this for a long time. He's probably not used to people being as accepting of his condition as you are."

She nodded slowly. "I remember the day he told me about it. I had noticed the scars on his face, and asked him how he had gotten them. He was truly terrified to tell me – I remember that he started off by telling me that he wouldn't be upset if I didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore once I knew the truth."

Kingsley nodded. "Exactly. I think it's tough for him to accept that you're okay with it."

She frowned again. "But he was married before. He should know that not all girls are horrified by the idea of being with a werewolf. For that matter, he should know that I'm not, considering the way I kissed him the other day."

"Okay, I was serious about that too much information thing," Kingsley said, holding up his hands to stop her. "I don't want to hear another word about how he kissed you. Save it for your girlfriends."

Tonks giggled. "Fine, be that way. But the least you can do is to advise me."

"Right, here's the way I see it: the werewolf thing and the age thing are tied together. I think that he's thinking that you're so young, you have no idea what it means to be involved with a werewolf. He, on the other hand, is the experienced older man, who knows exactly what it means. Or, he thinks that you just think you're okay with it, but don't realize how much it really bothers you."

She gave him a look of disbelief. "Are guys really that analytical?"

"This one is," he smiled. "Either way, love, he's trying to protect you." He paused. "When you think about it, that goes back to the money thing, too."

Tonks buried her head in her hands. "This is too much."

"Tonks, he's a good guy. We've known that from the start. But, he comes with a lot of baggage. We've known that, too. I asked you once before if you were willing to deal with all his baggage, and you said you were. Now that you're actually seeing it, if it's too much … Remus just handed you an out. You can take what he said at face value, and leave it. Just be his friend, and move on to a new romantic partner."

She shook her head. "No way. I want Remus, King, not some random guy I meet in a bar. I know it's going to be tough, but I want to try to make it work."

"He seems pretty set against it," Kingsley cautioned. "You've got an uphill battle ahead of you."

"But, seriously, how much of it did he really mean?" she asked. "He's pretty messed up over Sirius. It could just be his overblown emotions talking."

"Maybe you're right," Kingsley said dubiously. "We'll see."

"Yes," she said. "We most certainly will."

Remus looked through the extensive bookshelves of Number 12, Grimmauld Place, searching for something to read that wasn't devoted to the dark arts. He sighed, knowing that it was a pointless mission. He eventually gave up, and selected a tome about the origins of the dark arts. It would be far more interesting than the many books that gave advice on the actual use of the dark arts. Even if it wasn't, at the very least, it would accomplish his goal of keeping his mind off Tonks.

He was about to start reading when an owl flew through the window. He looked up in surprise. He didn't recognize the bird that landed next to him.

"Thank you," he said, taking the letter that it carried.

The bird flew off again as Remus studied letters that formed his name. The writing looked familiar, but he couldn't place it. He broke the seal and opened it.

"Dear Remus,

"I know we haven't seen each other in ages, but I had to write you after reading the news about Sirius Black. I know you were friends once upon a time, and I wanted to see how you were taking this odd turn of events. If you have time, I'd love to get together to talk.

"There are so many things I want to say to you, but I know this letter isn't the place. I hope that you can meet me. I know that things didn't work out for you and my sister as planned, but I'll always consider you my brother. I would love to be able to help you any way that I can.

"Let me know if you can get together.

"Love, Hannah"

Remus looked up from the letter in surprise. Hannah, his one magical sister-in-law hadn't written him in ages. It wasn't that they had had an argument or a falling out, it was a simple case of their lives going down divergent paths. He and Hannah had always had a good relationship, though, and he was touched by her concern about him.

Smiling slightly, he picked up a quill to write to her. Of course he had time to meet with her. They just had to work out the details.

Remus walked into the Muggle restaurant that Hannah had chosen with a hint of nerves. He hadn't seen her in years; he wondered if they would still have the rapport they had always shared. For that matter, he wondered if he would recognize her.

He shouldn't have worried.

"Remus!"

He turned at the sound of his name to see his very excited sister-in-law rushing forward to greet him. She jumped into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I've missed you," she said. "I can't believe how long it's been!"

"I know," he said, touched by her obvious enthusiasm to see him again. "We should have done this years ago."

"Definitely," she said. "Come on, let's sit down."

Once they were seated, Hannah forced Remus to concentrate on his menu long enough to decide what to order. It wasn't until they had given their orders to their waiter that they truly began to talk.

"So, what have you been doing since last I saw you?" Remus asked.

"I'm still working for St. Mungo's," she said.

Remus grinned. "I remember when you graduated from training. Your parents were so excited to have a 'doctor' in the family."

She grinned. "Yeah, they still are. It can be embarrassing, to tell you the truth."

Remus chuckled. "And how are Keith and the kids?"

"Fine," she replied. "Keith was just asked to help train the new Aurors, so he's pretty excited about that."

"Oh, he'd be good at that," Remus said, thinking of Hannah's Auror husband. He idolized Moody, who he always said had taught him all that he knew. "And the kids?"

Hannah's face lit up with a beaming smile. "Lauren just got her Hogwarts letter yesterday!"

"Did she?" Remus exclaimed. "That's fantastic! I'll have to send her a card to tell her congratulations."

"Do," Hannah grinned. "She'd love to hear from you."

"She must be thrilled."

"She is. She can't wait to go shopping for her school supplies. Christopher and Susan think it's horribly unfair and want their own."

"They can wait," Remus smiled. "It'll only be a few more years."

"That's what we keep telling them, but they're not handling it very well."

"They'll appreciate it more once they get to go and have an older sister there who can teach them the ropes."

"Yeah," she said with a hint of a smile. "I was always glad that I had Laura there to show me around. Of course, I didn't know to expect a letter like my three do."

"You didn't suspect at all?"

She shook her head. "I was so little when Laura left that I didn't really understand what it was all about. By the time I was ten, I started to think that maybe I would get one, too, but I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to go. I didn't know if I wanted to be more like Laura or like the rest of my siblings."

"You didn't have much of a choice."

"No, not really."

Their food arrived, and they both took a moment to try their food in silence. Finally, Hannah looked at Remus with concern.

"How have you been, Remus?"

Remus sighed, knowing all that she put into the simple question. "I'm hanging in there," he said honestly. "It was really tough at first, but things are getting better."

"You know, when I first read the headline that Sirius had died, I was relieved," she said. "After what he had done to James and Lily, I thought that he deserved it. Then I read the story and saw that he was innocent … that must have been so difficult for you to read the news like that."

"No, Hannah, I've known," Remus said.

Hannah's fork stopped, suspended in mid-air. "What?"

He nodded. "I actually got the whole story two years ago," he said. "Sirius and I had become good friends again – rather like we were in school."

"Oh, Remus," she sighed. "I had no idea."

"Well, he was in hiding," Remus said practically. "I couldn't exactly shout it from the rooftops, could I?"

"Of course not," she said. "But this makes it all so much worse."

Remus shook his head. "I think it makes it better."

"How can you say that?" she exclaimed. "You had to lose your friend all over again!"

"Yes, and that's the beauty of it," Remus said. He spoke slowly, having a personal revelation as he shared his feelings. "If it weren't for these past two years, I would have gone the rest of my life thinking that Sirius had betrayed James and Lily – and hating him for it. Or, perhaps even worse, I could have discovered the truth after his death. I would never have forgiven myself for doubting him.

"But, as it happened, I had the chance to learn the truth, and to become friends with him again. I had the chance to be forgiven and to forgive." He smiled sadly. "And, I can mourn him as my friend, not as a traitor. Because of the last two years, I will always remember him as the hero who died for his godson, after enduring a living death for two of his best friends. I am so grateful that everything happened the way that it did."

Hannah looked at him with wide eyes. "Remus, you are an amazing person."

A red flush crept across his cheeks. "I don't know about that."

"No, truly. You amaze me with your ability to see the positive in any situation, to overcome any obstacle … Laura always told me that you were special."

He smiled. "Well, she was special, too."

"You know, I always loved you," Hannah smiled. "From the time that Laura first started dating you, I knew that she would marry you. And I was so glad, because I was so excited that you would be my brother."

He grinned. "I loved marrying into your family. You were everything that I never had as an only child."

"The entire family loved you," Hannah said. "We still do, of course."

"I still love all of you, too."

She smiled, then looked down for a moment. When she looked up again, her eyes were full of compassion.

"What?" Remus asked.

"Can I ask you a question? A personal question?"

"Of course."

"Remus, are you ... are you over Laura's death?"

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"It's just ... you've been so devoted to Laura's memory, I wondered …"

"Wondered what?"

"Are you still in love with her?"

Remus paused for a moment, considering his answer. When he spoke again, his voice was gentle. "I'll always love Laura, Hannah. She was my first love, she was my wife, she was the woman I wanted to be the mother of my children. Losing her was the hardest thing I've ever endured – and I think you know all that that means."

"Have you come to terms with what happened?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "It was truly awful, but, Hannah, it was years ago. When Laura died, your children weren't even thought of, and now your oldest daughter is on the verge of starting classes at Hogwarts. So, I do still love her, but I have accepted the fact that she's gone. I have moved on."

"Have you, really?"

"What do you mean?"

Hannah hesitated, then spoke in a rush. "Remus, Laura died fourteen years ago. Although it's been over a decade, I've never seen you so much as consider dating another woman. Do you still … are you planning to remain faithful to her forever?"

Remus smiled. Oh, Hannah, if you only knew. "That's a tough question."

"Why?"

"Dating … isn't the same for me as it is for everyone else. I have far more issues to deal with than other men. I'm not exactly someone that women are queuing up to have a chance to kiss."

She smiled tolerantly. "Honestly, Remus, you're not so terrible, you know."

"I just come with a lot of issues," he said simply. "It's not something that most women can deal with. Not even …" he trailed off.

She looked at him shrewdly. "You have someone in mind, don't you?"

"It doesn't matter."

"I think that it does."

He shook his head. "It wouldn't work out."

"Why not?"

"She's younger, she's … Hannah, she's too special for someone like me."

"Does she think that?"

He smiled sadly. "I've tried to tell her …"

"If she refuses to listen, I think that speaks volumes."

"It wouldn't work," he said again.

"Try," she said. "At worst, you're proven right. At best, you find a new love."

He shook his head. "I never would have expected this from you."

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "I had always assumed that your family wouldn't want me to find someone else. Don't you all still consider Laura my wife?"

Hannah reached across to touch his hand. "Laura was my sister. She always will be, the same way that she will always be my parents' daughter. She was your wife, too, and I would never change that, even if I could. But, Remus, I know that she's gone. I know that no one else can ever replace her, and that you would never try to do so. But, I also know that healing brings strength, and that strength can give the heart a second chance to love. So, I say, take that chance. Let yourself love again."

"I don't want to let your family down. I love all of you like my own family."

"And you will always be family to us," she said in a low, strong voice. "That's why we want to see you happy. If finding someone new to love makes you happy, then we're happy for you."

Remus looked at her for a moment, knowing that she meant every word that she spoke. "Thank you, Hannah," he said sincerely.

She smiled. "If you ever need a sister to talk to, I'm here for you. I want to do everything I can to make sure that this works out for you."

Please come to headquarters at once.

The urgent summons made Tonks's heart skip a beat. Without thinking twice, she Disapparated.

When she opened her eyes, she was shocked to find herself in a room with Remus, Dumbledore and her mother. Could this get any more awkward? She hadn't spoken to Remus since their fight nearly a week ago. Clearly, her mother and Dumbledore knew nothing of what had happened between them; they would have to act as though nothing had gone awry.

"Ah, Nymphadora," Dumbledore smiled. "Now that we're all here, we can begin."

"Excuse me, sir, but why are we here?" Tonks asked as she sat down next to her mother. "Has something happened?"

Dumbledore smiled again. "We have an important matter to discuss. Today, we discovered Sirius's will."

Tonks's eyes opened wide. She heard her mother gasp.

"His will?" Remus repeated. He smiled slightly. "I had no idea that he thought far enough ahead to have one drawn up."

"Well, it is an old document," Dumbledore said. "Based on the date, I believe that he wrote it shortly after Harry's baptism."

"That would make sense," Andromeda said. "Being a godfather gave him a true sense of responsibility."

"Yes, well, he took his responsibility quite seriously," Dumbledore said. "According to this document, everything has been left to Harry."

"What does 'everything' include?" Remus asked.

"His fortune, his possessions, the house …"

"That's impossible," Andromeda said at once.

"Why?" Tonks asked, frowning.

"Because the house always passes to the oldest male heir," Andromeda explained. "There's no way Sirius could have gotten around that. I know that he was very talented, but this tradition involves very old magic. I don't even know if a way around it exists."

"Who would inherit it, then?" Remus asked. "Sirius didn't have children, nor, to my knowledge, did Regulus."

"It could be Draco," Andromeda mused. "But, generally speaking, the tradition stipulates that the heir be of legal age, which Draco is not."

"Could it pass to a female, then?" Remus asked.

"Yes, that would be right," Andromeda replied, frowning in concentration. "I think that happened once before …"

Horror filled Tonks as she realized the identity of the oldest member of the family. "So it would go to Aunt Bellatrix?" she asked a bit fearfully.

"Yes," Andromeda sighed. "I believe it would."

"You're quite certain there is no way around this?" Dumbledore asked.

"Unless Sirius found a loophole I don't know about," she shrugged. "But it is a very serious, binding tradition. That's why the house was his, even though he had been practically excommunicated from the family. The fortune and probably even his possessions can go to Harry without a problem, but the house … impossible."

"Can't we find a way around it?" Tonks asked a bit desperately. So many Order secrets were stored inside the house. How could they just let it fall into the Death Eaters' hands?

"I wish I knew a way," Andromeda said sadly.

"Should we start looking for a new headquarters?" Remus asked.

"We'll deal with that when we need to," Dumbledore said. "I'll look into the inheritance of the house to be sure that it has passed to Bellatrix. But, for the time being, I think it would be best if the Order were to vacate the house. Better to err on the side of caution."

Remus nodded. "I'll alert the members."

"Excellent. And, Remus …"

He nodded. "I'll move out as soon as possible."

"I am sorry to ask this of you."

Remus waved it aside. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

Dumbledore gathered up the documents before him. "I believe we have covered all my concerns for now. I wanted the three of you to be aware of Sirius's will before I went to Harry with it."

"Will you see Harry soon?" Remus asked.

"I'm going to retrieve him from his aunt's house next week," Dumbledore nodded. "He will spend the rest of the summer with the Weasleys."

"He'll like that," Remus smiled. "Give him my best."

"Of course," Dumbledore nodded as he stood. "Oh, before I leave, Nymphadora, you might be interested to know that Rufus Scrimgeour has been promoted."

"Promoted?" she repeated with a slight frown.

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes. The official announcement of his new position as Minister of Magic will be made tomorrow."

Tonks was sure that she could have been knocked over with a feather. "What?" she whispered.

Dumbledore smiled again. "Your new Head is John Alexander."

"Olivia's brother?" Remus asked.

"Yes."

Remus grinned. "She'll be so excited for him."

"I can't believe it," Tonks said. "I never would have thought that they'd give Scrimmy the job."

"Surprises do abound, don't they?" Dumbledore said with his eyes twinkling. "I'm off to meet with him and Cornelius right now. They said they have a matter of extreme importance to discuss. And so, I bid you all farewell, and thank you for coming tonight."

With a swish of his cloak, he was gone.

Andromeda turned to Remus. "Do you need a place to stay until you find a new residence?"

He shook his head. "I think I'll go to France for a bit. I want to check on Olivia, to make sure she's handling everything all right."

Tonks felt a sudden surge of jealousy.

"Don't stay away too long," she said. "The Order needs you."

Remus gave her a smile. "I know. I'll be back before you have time to miss me."

She smiled, but remained silent.

That's impossible, Remus, she thought. I miss you already.