Chapter twenty - 'It's a bit late for foreplay don't ya think!'

"Tonks, what are you doing in here?" Remus asked half terrified to find Tonks standing in his room as he turned in for the night.

"Err, well, I've been thinking and I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Err, is this book important to you?"

"Yes very, it's the last one my dad brought me, why?"

"Good." She picked it up and held it over the fire.

"What the hell are you doing?" He suddenly cried rushing forward but stopped as soon as he saw Tonks's hand move closer to the fire, book firmly between her fingers.

"I needed a bit of, shall we say, collateral to get you attention."

"You don't have to burn my possessions to get my attention Tonks!" Remus snapped back sure Tonks must be on something to have such a dangerous look in her eyes.

"Yes, I do. Now I can't stand it the way things are now between us. You seem absolutely intent in being alone. But you've set me off, you've started something and I can't bare to move on until you've finished it off!"

"Tonks I don't..?" He tried to begin slowly unsure as to exactly how he was going to finish that conversation.

"Don't interrupt me Remus, that's rude! Now trust me, this is for the best. The only way to let me move on is to get you to finish what you started and seen as you are totally useless (but for one thing it seems). I'm just going to have to make you do it. Now take your clothes off and get into bed or the bloody old book gets it!" She snapped firmly.

"What the hell?"

'She really must be on something dodgy!' He decided.

"Take you clothes off Remus. I've already put a charm on the door so Sirius won't be able to hear us and I've magically locked it. You're not going anywhere until I get what for some stupid reason I need!"

"No, you wouldn't dare!" He whispered sure she was going to burn his lovely book sooner or later regardless of what he did.

"Oh really, try me! I'm a shockingly horny women and I aint leaving until you finish me off!" She half bellowed as Remus could only look on in shocked disbelief at the sudden change in the way he viewed Tonks. She'd never been like this before and it must be her, she smelt like Tonks.

"What!"

"You heard! Now get in bed Remus!"

"Ok, Ok! Just put the book down."

'What the hell is she on about, the crazy woman's finally lost it!'

"Take your clothes off!" She snapped again even firmer.

He gave in and started pulling his clothes off as Tonks waited until he was down to his unfortunate old boxers before moving the book away from the fire but keeping it firmly in one hand she ripped her own clothes off to reveal herself to him in only a skimpy pair of black lacy knickers that would definitely fall to pieces with one little tug.

Remus looked at her standing in the fire light and found himself however perverse some how turned on and not just by Tonks's pale skin, but the way she was domineering him like this, he liked it.

"Will you put the book, down? I won't touch you unless you do. That's what you want me to do, isn't it?" He suddenly wondered as she gently started to lower the book well out of his reach. Eventually she dropped it carefully to the floor and Lupin could finally heave a sigh of relief that it was far enough away to be out of hopefully harms way.

He turned his face back to Tonks who was now slowly moving towards him and gently laying her arms around his neck pulling him down to her level for a kiss. He could feel her perk little breasts rubbing against him and the way her soft skin slid gently over his scarred chest.

Remus couldn't help it, he was turning on with every second he let an inch of her skin touch him, all he wanted to do was rip those stupid wet knickers off and have her there and then but he was still capable holding back a bit, so he did. Tonks didn't want this, she wanted to feel what he was really like, she knew he was a good man at heart and she wanted to taste it. Unfortunately, she worked out the only way to get to the man underneath was to have wild passionate sex with the man on the outside, probably for all night long, but she was willing to take one for the team if it meant she got to see the true Remus!

"What's the matter, don't you want me Wolfie?" She asked softly in his ear and twiddling with his hair let her legs open slightly as Remus's bad knee shifted itself up to feel just how wet she was. He soon worked out that she wasn't wet at all she was sodden right through and he really enjoyed the thought of it on his knee.

"I haven't taken any potion." He quickly asked hoarsely but Tonks merely grinned.

"It isn't quiet a full moon yet and don't worry I've taken some.' She kisses back licking the sweat off the side of his face and smacking her lips.

'Hmm, tasty! You know, if I didn't know better I would think you were trying to force yourself not to fancy me!"

"What gives you that impression?" He asked feebly trying not to get too intoxicated by her soft voice.

'Qwar this new Tonks was hot!' He grinned at himself.

"Your body betrays you Wolfie."

"It does?" He asked pretending to have no idea what she was talking about.

"Yep, see, or rather feel." She giggled as seductively as she could and suddenly grasping him through his now rather stretched boxers. They were always a bit small for him but now they were straining as he moved even a little. He wanted her so badly now, that he was willing to do anything to get her, but couldn't, they were locked in a tight erotic embrace and neither one seemed ready to take the plunge into what was going to come next.

"Oh grud!" He moaned as she grasped him again even harder with a very cheeky smile on her face.

"Hmm, see you're body likes it when I touch you, why don't you?" She asked sweetly.

"I know, but we shouldn't. I don't want to hurt you again. That's why I've been keeping away. I just don't want to hurt you!" He tried to beg but a pair of soft plump lips seemed intent of getting in the way of his begging.

"Well I'm sorry it had to come to this but still, you give me no choice." She sighed not really that sorry at all and pushing him down on the bed. Flicking her wand out so magical ropes suddenly bound his hands to the bed posts.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked feeling two cool hands yank his underwear off and take away that annoying restraint.

"Nothing!" She smirked but it certainly wasn't nothing as quickly straddling his shoulders she gave him full view of that wet delight his body wanted before pulling out a silk scarf and blindfolding him.

"Oh yeah you are, what you going to do to me?" He begged secretly hoping to have the answer rather than be told.

"You'll see!' She whispered in his ear tying another scarf around his mouth to gag him.

'Shussh my little Wolfie it'll all be ok soon!'

Tonks straddled his body and let her wet knickers slide all the way down over his throbbing hard on to rest just below his knees then with one quick movement she let her lips surround his tip and lightly flicked him with her tongue, waiting to feel the murmured moan of pleasure issuing from the gagged werewolf. Seeing him like it, she did it again and again until he moaned not out of pleasure but for more, she could see his body go ridged and his wrists strain against the bonds as he groaned to get free.

'Ok I'll help you along a bit.' She laughed and after one last flick of her tongue, took the first long gulp and firmly pulled her lips along the length off him. In response Remus merely groaned louder and let his body stiffen and shake as he felt the hot warmth of Tonks's lips against him. He was sure she was grinning at him in a mocking way.

Didn't she know what she was doing to him, he was a werewolf, you don't tease a werewolf, it's just asking for trouble! He's a raging animal inside and if she didn't stop making him wild with lust, she was going to end up bleeding and hurting again and he really didn't want that. He wanted her to stop so he wouldn't hurt her but part of him wanted more, he wanted to be teased, to be unleashed, his demon had been a contained monster for so long and it seemed to be liking this game as it finally felt the heat of lust again and she knew it.

Tonks paused for a moment lingering her breath on his inner thigh, it was quiet nice really to taste him, he was such a large powerful man when he started to let go of his shyness and give in to what he was. This was what she wanted, she wanted to feel him and love him as he was and if the only way to do that was to make him, force him, to let go and be with her properly as the lustful loving man he was, then she was going to do it. And of course, she wasn't exactly apposed to the wild hot lustful sex that may happen in the processes.

Taking him back in her mouth she began to slide him in and out between her lips and bit and sucked and kissed him as much as she could until she heard the faint mumble of what she knew was 'Harder, please!'. He had thick skin, he knew it and he wanted to feel her teeth gently sink in to him but not to break the skin and give him pain. He wanted to feel her nibble him and be rough and after a few failed attempts she finally got it right and had him moaning away madly as he tried to get free and touch her back.

'You like that don't you!" She asked slowly as Remus neared his first moment of sweet release. She knew he was nearly there, his body was going hard and relaxed at the same time as he tried to fight it but when he'd almost reached the point of no return, she stopped and sat up and to see him panting for more in his hot sweat.

He wanted her and nothing else, that was all he could think about but to be pushed to his limit only to have her stop was too much. He strained against his bonds and pulled and yanked until one of his hands finally broke free. Tonks jumped off him, as he sat up ripping the gag out his mouth and yanking the silk from his face looked out wildly to see Tonks as she jumped backwards away from him.

She was beginning to doubt her plan of seduction now, maybe she'd gone too far, maybe she'd misjudged the whole situation, she could see him hard and wild as he yanked the second bond from his hand. He didn't even bother to undo it he just yanked at it so the rope snapped and he was free. Standing up and walking powerfully towards her as a man on a mission.

Remus in all his glory was after all, a large, powerful man that usually stooped but when he was wild like this, he didn't even limp. He strode forward towards Tonks with his chest held firmly out and as she stepped back from him he soon found her hot ever so slightly frightened body pushed against the wall by his torso. He looked down his wicked grin and held himself tall and proud before her, she was his and he wanted it but first the old Lupin had one last thing to do before giving in to the hidden Remus. Leaning back he grabbed her wand from the table and thrust it into her hand.

"Stop me if you must but I won't be able to. Not now. I don't always have self control!" He growled, before grabbing her by the waist and lifting her easily up with one hand, while the other roughly pushed everything off the old solid desk. Dropping her down he pushed her back on to her back and lent down to rip her sodden knickers off with his teeth and attack her entrance with his wet lips and tongue lapping it all up hungrily as he rejoiced in her groans.

"Honestly Remus, it's a bit late for foreplay don't ya think?" She cried so glad she's shielded the room from all noise, Sirius would go mental if he heard them now!

"It's my turn! I want to taste you! I want to know you're ready! You teased me unto bursting point! I want to make you moan my name! Moan for me Tonks!" He growled back pushing his tongue in as far as he could and enjoying the groan that issued from Tonks's other end.

After a minuet or two he was happy with his work, as he stood back up to see her withered and lustful beneath him, she wanted him as much as he did her now and that was just perfect for him. He didn't want to force her, he didn't want to control or domineer, he wanted somebody to play lustful games with, that needed his love as much as he needed hers.

"Oh come on, Remus don't make me beg anymore!" She groaned crossly laying her head back and willing him to push his length in between her wide open and rather willing legs.

Remus didn't reply verbally, he pulled her up and yanked her legs around his waist as he walked purposefully towards the wall where he pushed her body up against it and started kissing and biting at her neck and shoulders. Tonks merely pushed her head back against the wall and heaved heavy breaths as she waited for Remus to be ready to give her what she so wantonly craved.

"Moan for me my sweet, moan out for me to take you now!" He howled in her ear as he started biting and sucking at it.

"Oh grud, hurry up Remus!' She moaned back as he started pushing his body up and down against her, he hadn't reached his goal yet, he wasn't ready to, but he was near, very near and quickly grabbing her back around the bottom, half pushed half dragged her to the floor pinning her beneath him. He continued his assault on her neck but quickly moved down to her breasts to suck and nibble each hard nipple in turn before moving even further down to push her legs open and continue to taste her as she groaned with delight.

'Take me now, I'm ready, please Remus you won't hurt me! Go on, I'm really horny!' She moaned as a final attempt to know he was ready, he tried to bite at her inner thigh but ended up sucking and caressing it with his lips. He was ready. He knew he wouldn't hurt her now, he wanted to pleasure her far more than anything else. He couldn't control himself but at least he wouldn't hurt her. Stupid horny werewolf's weren't always known for there ability of self control all day long.

Within seconds of her last gasp he'd pulled his body up and on top of his beautiful women and pushed himself deep, down within her and heard her gasp with pleasure as he did. Usually he would stop to savor this first taste but today he was wild and horny and pushed on to start a quick and wild movement in and out while his heavy body pushed Tonks against the wooden floor.

She laid back and let him kiss her neck and trust back and forth with her wand still firmly clasped in one hand and the other gripping his back with her sharp nails to pull him in further. She wanted to grin and laugh but was far too horny to force her lips into the right position and didn't want them to leave his skin in any case.

'God you're so big!' She moaned finally as she shifted her hips sufficient to swallow him comfortably.

'You were never this big before!" She cried, it wasn't pain though making her cry, she liked it, to feel the way he was filling her. Remus however had his head berried in the rug Tonks's head was resting on and soaked in her sent as he trust on, another minuet and he'd be groaning in his sweet release. Talking was not something his brain was allowing him spare room to do at the moment.

"Grud!" He suddenly growled out as his heavy body shock for a brief second on top of Tonks's slender frame. He'd finally reached his climax and was holding himself so deeply inside her, Tonks could feel his juices hot and thick bursting into her body.

After that she could only make out heavy groans and the occasional growl as he pulled out and turned her over to her front. He wanted her from behind now and it only took a moment for him to regain his turgid composure before thrusting back into her and starting again to let another moment of blissful pleasure flow over his starved body.

This time, after he'd quickly reached his growling stage, Tonks wanted her turn at pleasure and pushed him back wand still her hand to grind her hips down against him. He managed it first but she carried on without anything more than a breath of a stop until she reached her goal moaning loudly in his ear as she bit down on his shoulder just like he wanted.

Sex tonight was wild and animalistic. The tension between the two had driven them both in to a wild state of ecstasy. Tonks had never experienced sex like this before, yes she'd had good times with other men but never so wild and lustful as it was with Remus. He really was a sex god under all that insecurities, having only been with two other women, both either ending up dreadfully embarrassing for him or he'd held back so much he had to fake his own pleasure until they challenged him about it.

Remus picked her up and dropped her down like a rag doll, turning her this way, to pleasure her and that. By morning he'd lost count of how many times he'd reached his climax and could barely remember his own name let alone Tonks's. He just called her 'his sweet' or 'his grud' if he ever managed to moan a proper human word.

They tried it every different way he could think of, against the wall, on the desk, on the floor, him on top, her on top neither of them. He knew his knowledge of the karma sutra was really quiet pathetic when it came to interesting positions and after finally getting her on to the bed they'd gone at it like wild dogs until the bed had finally shifted away from the wall and cracked a few of the slats.

By breakfast though they'd finally calmed down enough to lay out on the floor with the blankets and enjoy some slow sensual sex, Tonks was loving this until Remus finally discovered he was so tired he couldn't even finish the job properly.

It was well into the morning when they'd finally dosed off in each others tight arms sprawled out spreg eagle on the floor. The bed had actually broke now and the room was a total mess where they'd thrown things aside to groan and pull each other closer around the room. Tonks was long since late for work but had no idea what time it was. She was happy in her bliss and didn't even wake up with Remus when he heard Sirius banging on the door.

"MONNEY, you can't hide in there forever! I don't care if you're a sodding anal retentive old women, but Tonks never turned up for work two hours ago and since Kingsley came around to look for her! I'm worried about her, so will you stop sulking and come out here!' He bellowed as Lupin's eyes popped open in horror as he saw the wrecked room around him.

If Sirius saw the scene his stupid brotherly love would over power him and Remus would be a dead man for sure. Plus, if he truly thought something dreadful had happened to Tonks, he wouldn't hang around the house waiting for news, he'd be off out and Remus knew his friend wasn't used to the world anymore and would probably get himself caught in no time.

'And if for some stupid reason she's in their with you, tell her, if she doesn't get her bony little arse out and off to work by the time I come back to break the door down, I'm gonna bloody well tell Molly she's knocked up! With twins!" He shouted banging his fist on the door one last time before disappearing back down stairs in search of some-thing heavy-like.

"Holey shit!" Remus cried rolling over and rocking Tonks roughly to get her to wake up.

"Bugger off I'm asleep!" She whined trying to roll back comfortable in his arms to continue sleeping.

"No wake up Tonks!" Remus croaked rocking her more forcefully.

"If you're still bloody horny Remus, shag me in my sleep I don't care!' She grumbled.

'It'll give me nice dreams." She finally sighed trying to pull half a sheet which was in fact Remus's shirt back around her naked shoulders.

"No, you don't understand! You never turned up for work they think something's happened to you and Sirius is going to break down the door!" He added hurriedly.

"He's what?" She suddenly panicked sitting up and looking at the broken clock on the floor next to her. Grabbing her wand she tapped it and so it quickly repaired itself and was shocked to see she was in fact nearly three hours late for work.

"He wants me to go look for you, he's worried. I know he shouted it through the door and he definitely didn't hear me but that's the problem. It's all too quiet he thinks something's the matter with me. He's going to break through the door! Now get dressed and go before he gets in! Padfoot's a nutter when he's worried!"

He added jumping to his feet and pulling his boxers on. Tonks quickly got up but looking in Lupin's mirror, she couldn't turn up to work looking this shagged up. So flicked her wand and quickly removed all the sweat and muck as best she could off her body. It wasn't brilliant but she had a whopper of a black eye and they'd ended up clawing each other in the night for some reason.

She pulled on her clothes as Lupin fished them all out the mess and scrunched up her face to change her shape so anybody else at least couldn't see the cuts or light bruises on her body. She was too tired though to clear her face and when she turned back to Lupin he was shocked to see how bad he'd hurt her.

"No Remus, don't panic! Its ok, it was me! I remember we'd err, sort of climbed half on the desk and I slipped, banged my head! You know how clumsy I get and to be honest, I wasn't, err, thinking about anything to do with balance at the time! It wasn't you Remus honest I'm fine!" She quickly explained seeing his shocked face. But Remus was too tired to argue and merely kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Ok, will you come back to me later?" He whispered gently holding her face and kissing every bit he could reach including under the black eye.

"Hell yeah! But once I've had a nap, you've worn me out.' She whispered half joking as she flicked her wand to open the door. Sirius luckily was still downstairs and she quickly ran across the hall and disappeared back to her mothers through the floo network before heading into work from there like normal.

'Mum I know I look dreadful and there's a perfectly good explanation for it but I really have to get to work, I'll come see you another time I promise." She called as her mother heard her clumsy daughter crashing into the kitchen and then whizzing out again. She made it into the almost empty Aura lobby and up the stairs to the locker rooms to get her spare robes on without coming across anybody who recognised her.

Tonks had just managed to pull her work robes on when she heard the familiar bellow of Kinigsley shouting her from the corridor.

"TONKS if that's you crashing about the place then GET IN THIS BLOODY OFFICE! You're nearly THREE HOURS LATE!' He bellowed as Tonks jumped half out her skin. That was all she needed, another grilling form her boss for being late and she hadn't even thought of any excuse yet. She closed her locker and walked mundanely out into the hall and through the dreaded doorway to come face to face with a raging head aura.

'Where the hell have you been girl! You're three hours late, explain yourself!' He shouted coming around the desk to square up to her.

Tonks however tired and miserable as she felt, wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her upset and looked up firmly with a defiant determination. She may be one of the only female's on the current team but she was as man as the rest of them.

'And where the hell did you get that black eye?" He asked a little less violently, seeing that if she had at least sustained an injury there might be some hope she was doing something important. But then again, knowing Tonks, she could have just of easily fallen in the shower.

"I, I don't really..?" She began but her voice was distant and faint. She was absolutely exhausted and the fear of being late for work had finally left her, making Tonks dizzy and empty as her consciousness simply washed away like a lulling tide. Kingsley never did get to hear the rest of her sentence as Tonks keeled over and pasted out cold there and then in the middle of his new office.

"Gregory, get in here now!" He quickly bellowed through the fireplace.

"What is it? Did you murder her when she finally got into work?" He asked slightly too sarcastically as he came running into the room with his bag.

"She just pasted out cold on me. Look at the state of her, she's a wreck. And why does she look so different all of a sudden?" He asked as he stood up properly while Gregory lent down to inspect the unconscious Tonks.

"She's exhausted sir. She's reached that stage where she can't even keep her own shape. That's her natural form. See, she's got old wounds on her face she's been magically fixing by changing shape." He pointed out rolling Tonks's limp body on to her back to feel her heart beat.

"Are you trying to tell me I've worked her too hard and now her health's paying for it and that's why she's collapsed on the floor!" He grumbled loudly.

"Yes, yes I am!" Gregory grinned down at Tonks so Kingsley couldn't see him.

"Then why didn't you just bloody well say that? Why didn't she tell me she's worn out? I can't have one of my team burning out on me like this!" He grumbled although quietly, he was still clearly well pissed off at the situation Tonks had got herself into.

"Would you have listened to her if she had? Sir!" Gregory asked a little too honestly.

"Shut your trap you and get her in the healers room." Kingsley snapped moving out the way so Gregory could magic Tonks onto a stretcher and walk her down the long hallway to the healers room. He'd just reached the door when Podmore rounded the corner and spotted them both.

"What the hell happened to her?" He asked striding down to the room as he spotted Kingsley watching from aside as Gregory magiced Tonks into the bed and started preparing a potion.

"Kingsley's grinded her nose too much and she's burnt out. Now get out the way!" He grumbled pouring some hot liquid down Tonks neck and prodding her throat with his wand so she swallowed it.

"What, seriously?" Podmore asked a little amused by the idea but Kingsley turned to him.

"What are you doing back anyway, I sent you out on a job!"

"I came back to do my report, we finished it early, I managed to track one of the goblins down and he gave me everything I needed after a little bit of persuasion."

"Well get to your desk and get it done." He snapped. Podmore knew better than to cross Kingsley in this mood and envied Tonks in her deep sleep. He'd been strung up all week about one thing or another because of the ministry and judging by the general understanding he'll probably be quiet strung up next week as well despite being particularly good at his job.

"So what do we do with her then?" He asking turning back to Tonks and Gregory.

"Leave her to sleep basically, I've given her something to help, but she needs time to rest that's all. Poor thing is half dead with lack of sleep. How many extra shifts have you had her doing recently anyway?" He added leading Kingsley away from Tonks sleeping form.

"Not that many.' He tried to explain but then seeing Gregory's odd look added.

'So she's been taking a few more assignments recently but still, she hasn't topped the limit yet." He grumbled but then suddenly realised that she may well have easily done more than was healthy, with the way the order had such a need for trained aura's recently.

"What you going to do when she wakes up?" He asked cautiously, Kingsley did have a habit of being highly unpredictable at times.

"Discipline her, dock her pay for being late and cover for her. What else can I do? We don't need people finding out one of ours is so tired she collapses at work do we? Podmore can cover her assignment for today seen as he's soon keen to get back early."

"What are you going to tell the rest of the team?" He continued quietly.

"That they should take a leaf out of her book and work so hard they burn out of course." He snapped then left to go about his other business of the day. He was sure he'd wasted too long on Tonks but was just glad he'd given her that extra hour to get in before sending out people to look for her.

"Moony you're up! You look bloody awful!" Sirius suddenly asked coming back on to the hallway with a chunk of wood to find Lupin half dressed and swaying slightly as he leaned on the wall.

"Thanks Padfoot you always know how to give me a confidence boost in the morning." He groaned back with heavy lidded eyes and a growling tone.

"But what happened to you, I haven't heard a peek out you since yesterday afternoon?"

"I put a silencing charm on the door." He mumbled falling forward slightly into Sirius's quick arm as he held his friend up.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me you were ill? I don't like it when you hide away from me, you're as bad as Harry sometimes." Sirius snapped taking Lupin's weight as he let his arm drape around his shoulder. Sirius could see Lupin was in a bad way today and was annoyed he hadn't told him what a mess he was in. However, as he booted the door open he could see why Remus hadn't asked for Sirius's comfort or help last night.

"I'm not ill I'm a bloody monster!" Remus snapped crossly but Sirius merely ignored his old friends stupid ways and carried him into the room.

"You're tired, now get back in bed.' Sirius replied half dragging Remus to bed but suddenly realising the bed had moved the sheets had been ripped all over the place and one of the bed posts had actually snapped so it tilted to one side.

'What the hell have you been doing in here Remus?" He asked sure Tonks couldn't have anything to do with this mess but unable to see it, all Remus had done since he woke up was cover Tonks tracks so the room merely looked like he'd gone mad in it rather than shagged Sirius's second cousin all night long. He'd even made a point of removing Tonks's scent from his body and sheets so Sirius wouldn't be able to guess if he got a particular whiff of her.

"I had a rough night that's all, bloody bed's crap!" Lupin grumbled as Sirius let him down in the chair and started magically fixing things and tidying up. He fixed the bed and changed the sheets, then after making the bed up again dragged Remus to it and shoved him roughly in clothes and all.

"Go back to sleep you or do I have to tie you to this thing?" He asked as Remus made lame attempts to sit up again.

"Bugger off you old women!" Remus snapped but in reality he was actually quiet glad of Sirius doing things for him. He felt awful.

"No, summit's the matter with you. Now what do you want for breakfast?" He asked yanking the jumper up over Lupin's head and covering him with the blanket.

"Steak. Rare." He grumbled, he didn't usually crave steak in the morning but last night had been very different and he hadn't quiet gone back to his old nit-wit self yet.

"You sure?" Sirius asked standing up and eyeing him carefully.

"Are you gonna feed me or what?" Remus continued to half growl back at him.

"Fine, sit up then you nit-wit." Sirius sighed and standing up flicked his wand so a plate of rare steak and a glass of water appeared on the desk. He handed it over to Lupin who sat up hungrily devouring the food in such a graceless way Sirius was sure he'd never seen him do before.

"What?" Remus snapped chewing on the last bit of gristle.

"You! I've never seen you chomp your way through steak like that before, except when your howling at the moon and even then, well, you look like you haven't been fed in a week?" Sirius wondered watching Lupin gulp down his water and hand the cup back to his friend.

"I told you I'm not ill, just a bit off that's all." Lupin sighed showing just how worn out he was.

"You didn't change did you last night, I mean, I know it's not a full moon but still, that's what you look like?" He asked carefully looking at his friend.

"Gee thanks.' He grumbled then seeing Sirius's rather concerned look tried to be a bit nicer.

'No not exactly, can't really explain it, I'm bloody tired though." He sighed not sure weather he should tell Sirius the truth or not as he rolled back down into his bed.

"Was Tonks in here last night?" Sirius asked plainly as Lupin tried his best to think of an answer, it was clear though by his silence Tonks had been in the room when Sirius banged on the door but weather she'd been there all night Sirius couldn't tell.

"She came round this morning and well, we sort of argued a bit and came to an understanding and now she's gone off to work." Lupin tried to explain as Sirius eyed him dangerously. Lupin knew that look, he'd seen it before and knew Tonks was, just like Harry, one of the topics you don't push with Sirius unless you're just feeling a bit suicidal.

"Hmm. Why didn't she turn up to work on time?" Sirius asked impatiently but sounded surprisingly calm.

"Because something was bugging her all night and she wanted to come and err, resolve it this morning." Lupin explained half lying down in his bed as he tried to wiggle and get comfortable.

"Hmm. Funny how she never turned up at home last night when she left here? Any idea where she might have been all that time?" Sirius's asked getting up and heading to the door.

"Yeah, but sounded like she just wanted to be by herself." Lupin sighed rolling over so his back was to Sirius, it was easier to lie that way he thought.

"Hmm. Well at least she turned up ok, but I doubt Kingsley is going to forgive her easily.' Sirius sighed heading to the door.

'I'll bring you some more steak later, get some sleep, you look awful." Sirius added as he closed the door behind him and flumped down in the living room to mull things over.

Remus was lying to him, Sirius knew this. But Remus never lied to him, ever, unless it was absolutely necessary. Was it necessary for Remus to lie to him and why had Tonks suddenly go ay-wall and then turned up in his room instead of going to work. There was a reason Sirius didn't want Tonks getting to close to Remus some times, he knew his friend was a good honest man and the prejudices people held against him were unfair, but still.

He was a werewolf and he'd never had much luck with women, he could never keep the balance right in a relationship. Then there was that nagging horrible feeling he got in the pit of his stomach that something was wrong. Sirius hadn't seen it for himself but why had Lupin come rushing out the room for a stiff drink one night late on when everybody was supposedly asleep?

Remus never drank and especially just after full moon when he was most likely to feel his most peevish self. Not long after that Tonks had suddenly started working all the hours she could and Sirius could always tell when they tried to avoid each other because he was the only one left talking in the room.

He trusted his friend with his life nearly everyday when he went out the house. And he loved his Nymphi like a little sister, but when it comes down to it, if he had to choose Sirius had the horrible feeling he would choose his blood relative over his friend which was a feeling he was sure he'd never felt before and it unnerved him immensely.