Chapter 2: Lovely way to spend an evening
The moon hung in the tapestry of the midnight sky, its light illuminating the garden below almost to the point that no lanterns were needed. But it was cloudy that night, the wisps drifting over the crescent, obscuring it before allowing it to shine again. The air was muggy, warm but damp though no breeze rustled the leaves and the night blooming flowers.
At the lantern and moonlight lit table sat a young woman, her hair short and pink, amethyst eyes looking out into the darkness. She could have been daydreaming about somewhere else or replaying the events of a hard day, it was impossible to tell, her young eyes betraying nothing. One thing was clear though; she was expecting someone.
Beside her on the table sat a bottle of white wine, already open, with two shining glasses waiting patiently beside it. The old grammar phone that she had taken from the sitting room released a calm tune, allowing the notes to drift along the still night air.
This is a lovely way to spend an evening, can't think of anything I'd rather do
A shadow falling across her face knocked her out of her reverie, the start making her almost fall out her chair. Warm, strong hands gripped her arms steadying her clumsy form. Looking up her cool eyes met warm ones and the confident steady, dependable face of Remus Lupin. But in those few seconds, with the dim lantern light at his back, she saw something she never expected to see. The golden glow picked up on the older mans straight, fine nose, brushed over his features and accentuated his strong jaw and brow. In that instant all else faded into the background. In that instant Remus Lupin looked dashing, debonair and all together gorgeous, his rich hair, even with the grey, and tanned face reminding her of an awe inspiring autumn sunset, leaving her completely speechless.
This is a lovely way to spend an evening, can't think of anyone as lovely as you
And then the moment ended, returning his features to their normal exhausted look and knocking Tonks out of her silent stupour.
"Wotcher Remus," she managed, her voice a little breathy. The shock, she told herself feverishly.
He smiled lazily, his fatigued expression lifting. Her insides gave a little bit of a wobble. She liked to lighten his load with smiles here and there.
A casual stroll through a garden, a kiss by a lazy lagoon
"Good evening Nymphadora," he replied, sitting down in the chair opposite with a heavy sigh. Unbidden Tonks poured him a glass of the sweet white she had bought, ignoring the use of her name, but knowing that what he needed was a good drink. He accepted the glass she offered without a word and took a long sip as she filled her own. With a content gasp he sat back and closed his eyes. She took this opportunity to leer over at him and get a good eyeball of what he was wearing. As usual he had on the shabbiest robes she had ever seen (even worse than last weeks pair), and his hair seemed to have increased in the amount of grey smattered through it. Immediately she corrected herself with a shake. She was not leering like some drunk old man but merely taking a casual interest in his attire. A very casual interest. Instead she switched her attention away from her victim to look out into the evening just as she had done before. But now, somehow, she felt more alive than she had just moments before, as though she were in the presence of something amazing that made her breathing deepen and her heart race. This was of course impossible because the only other person was Remus. How strange, she mused.
Catching a breath of moonlight, humming our favourite tune
It was Remus who broke the silence.
"I'm surprised you have nothing to do," he said, casually making conversation. "I'd have thought you would be out chasing some young man."
"Firstly," Tonks answered with a grin. "I do not do the chasing. I let them come to me after a bit of encouragement of course." Encouragement meaning that she would casually mention that she wasn't doing anything that night and that she wanted to go to this new bar and that they, whoever they are, should come along. See, absolutely no chasing. "And secondly," Nymphadora continued, marking it off on her fingers. With a start she realised that she had Remus' full attention, his brown eyes with their flecks of amber, regarding her over his glass, which he had ceased to drink from. I've always liked his eyes, she thought suddenly, so unusual when he can't even change them. "A girl has to take a rest at some point."
He barked a laugh, his laughter lines crinkling with delight that she somehow found very cute. She had definitely made the right choice of staying in tonight.
This is a lovely way to spend an evening,
I want to save all my nights and spend them with you
"What are you doing in on such a lovely evening?" The metamorphmagi asked, setting the glass down carefully as though she would drop it if she held onto it any longer. "Why are you not out romancing some gorgeous girl half your age?" She was surprised when he gave a start at her words, spilling wine down the front of his robes. "Whoops," Tonks said cheerfully as Lupin brushed and dabbed his front with the handkerchief he had stored away in his pocket. It struck her as a rather old fashioned habit but you never know when you are going to need one, as just proved. "I thought I was the clumsy one." Remus graced her with a weak smile followed by a slight cough. "So answer the question," she demanded but with as innocent smile as her cheeky face would allow.
"And what question would that be Nymphadora?" he asked, trying to dodge the issue Tonks noted.
"Why aren't you out there with a beautiful woman on your arm?" It suddenly occurred to her that the reason he was being so evasive was that he really did have a girlfriend. Swiftly the subject became more than just a passing comment and more of major topic. She desperately needed to know if he was attached. But why did she need to know so urgently?
This is a lovely way to spend an evening, can't think of anything I'd rather do
This is a lovely way to spend an evening, cant think of anyone as lovely as you
Remus looked abashed at this particular line of questioning, determined to look anywhere but at the young woman sitting opposite him.
"I don't exactly have a huge list of women that want to accompany me anywhere," he answered finally, speaking slowly as if he was just working it all out. "And certainly none that are 'half my age'."
"And why the hell not?" Tonks answered passionately using her fingers, yet again, to tick off all his good points. "You are charming, gentlemanly, which women always love, modest, kind, understanding, great to talk to, reliable, intelligent, easy to be around, funny, sophisticated, good looking-"
He cut across her, something that he usually didn't do because unlike many blokes her age he had manners.
"You think I'm good looking?" He asked, his beautiful eyes shining over at her.
"Well yeah," Tonks blurted out a little off hand and before she had a chance to think. The words tumbled out unbidden. "You're a little on the thin side but your face has character, strong jaw line, wonderful eyes that you could simply melt in, and the grey in your hair, well, that's quite sexy in a way." Suddenly she realised what she had just said and knew it was all too late to take it back. Wide eyed she struggled to find something extra to fill the silence growing between them. "In the older man k…kind of way," she stuttered, suddenly fascinated by the wood grain and feeling the heat of a blush creeping up her neck. "Yeah some women may find that attractive. Not me… strictly… but yeah…" she trailed off, glancing up at Remus through her lashes. Was it her or did he look a little disappointed?
What was wrong with her? She cursed herself. Letting her gob run away with itself is just stupid? And those things, who had made her think of those things? Hopefully he hadn't noticed it. Observant had not been one of his listed attributes.
A casual stroll through a garden, a kiss by a lazy lagoon
"So…umm… yeah I would say you were attractive," she finished. "Just like you said I was an attractive young woman last week." Ohhh she had loved that compliment when he had said and he was clearly embarrassed at the memory because his cheeks went a little pink.
"You forgot to list my bad points," he said finally, after clearing his throat, again. "Here, allow me." He raised his hands, and, in imitation of her, began to tick things off as he said them on his fingers. "I am poor-."
Unlike him, she did not mind cutting across people mid sentence.
"That's not necessarily a bad thing," she said quickly, having got over her previous awkwardness. "It nice to have a boyfriend who has money but in today's society it is perfectly acceptable for women to pay for things. I, for instance, always go Dutch with my dates." She raised her hand as he began to protest about it being a man's responsibility to pay for things. "I've even paid the whole hog for things on occasion."
"But I don't even have a job," Remus protested. "How is that attractive?"
"One day Remus," she said like she was telling him a story. "There will be a woman who doesn't care about that. All you need is a bit of money for drinks just to get you started. And some places you could go to are free." She didn't know it but her amethyst eyes glazed over as she lost herself in her own daydream. "You could do romantic things like take a walk in the park, go out on a lake in a row boat, picnics or meeting up with a bottle of wine." She sighed, the lantern light twinkling on the bottle of wine sitting in the middle of the table, in easy reach for both of them.
Catching a breath of moonlight, humming our favourite tune
"I know you are an old romantic," she said finally after a moment of dreaming.
"So are you it would appear," he replied, smiling a wonderful smile. Hang on since when had that tired, watery smile been wonderful?
"What else do you think is bad about you?" she asked quickly.
"I'm old," he began again and was, again, drowned out.
"We've covered that," Tonks protested, waving her hand at him dismissively. "And the conclusion was that you are still nice even though you are," she took a swig of wine as she guessed at his age. He had to be at least forty, what with the greying hair, though his face did appear at times younger.
"Thirty-six," he supplied when she didn't finish. She almost choked on her wine. He was younger than she thought. Thirty-six! That was only… thirteen years older that her, rather than an estimated seventeen. Her arms tingled at the thought, though it wasn't cold, in fact it was balmy. She found herself thinking that thirteen years was nothing, a blink of an eye, a flash of lightning. Hurriedly she suppressed her thoughts.
"Exactly, thirty-six," she managed finally. "Not old at all."
"But now we come to the crux of the matter," Remus began, leaning in closer with such a defeated expression that she wanted to take him in her arms and snog him senseless. Nooo, her mind cried, bad thought, stop drinking! She set her glass down as she too leaned in. He was so near she could see every line of his face. A very nice face. "I am a werewolf."
This is a lovely way to spend an evening
To her immense surprise, and probably his too, she found herself laughing as though he had told the world's best joke. Not just laughing but giggling manically, uncontrollably, hysterically. Through her tears she could see his bemused look, a very sweet looking confused that made his brow crinkle
With great effort she controlled her mirth, wiping away the tears running down her cheeks.
"Oh Remus," she gasped. "You don't think that matters do you?"
"It always matters," he said harshly. "It has been the reason I have been ostracised by the wizarding community, lost every job I have ever had. It the reason why I wear these patched and frayed clothes."
Nymphadora leant across the table and wrapped one of his hands in both of hers. They were much bigger than hers, much stronger but thin and tanned, especially against her naturally pale skin. His skin was also rough but she didn't really care.
"Remus," she said seriously. "There is nothing wrong with you. So what if you turn slightly hairier than normal once a month. Every woman turns into a monster once a month and that is not a pretty sight. It doesn't make you less of a person than me or anyone else, it just makes you different. The wolf inside does not rule you, doesn't make you evil or hurt people. There are people in this world who are real monsters; I should know I catch them. You are gentle man, kind and beautiful."
"But I'm broken," he said simply, his melting eyes locked on hers.
"Who isn't?" she asked and he could not answer.
"But all my life people have judged me on that fact. I'm a werewolf," he looked so sad, so hollow, all he needed was to be put back together again.
"I haven't," she whispered. "I know everything and I really don't care. Its part of you and anyone who doesn't want all of you." Suddenly she found her hand on his face, tracing his cheekbone under her thumb, feeling every line, every bump, every fall. "Doesn't deserve you."
Remus half raised his own hand, perhaps to take hers, but she was never to know because a sudden breeze whipped its way through the garden, disturbing the predicted still night and sending the leaves into a rustling crescendo. So unexpected was this wind that Tonks' hand dropped from Remus' face as the gust threatened to over turn the near empty glasses, clumsy hands seizing anything that was breakable, which of course ensured that they tumbled off the table onto the unforgiving patio.
"I'm sorry," she wailed as she hurriedly tidied up the mess that she had created, the moment disappearing as magically as the wind.
"Don't worry," Remus assured, gallantly taking his wand and wordlessly removing all traces of her 'accident'. Silently she cursed herself over her stupidity.
"I think I better go to bed before I break anything else," she muttered quickly, rising from her chair. Immediately Remus was on his feet.
"I thought tomorrow was your day off?" a touch of desperation lingered in his voice, as though he wanted her to stay. Stupid, Tonks thought, he probably thinks you'll fall up the stairs or something.
"It is," she smiled sadly. "And I'm exhausted." As if to puncture her words she let out a huge yawn offering Remus a wonderful view of her mouth. Embarrassed she threw a hand over her trap but she knew the damage had been done. "But listen it will be Christmas soon," she said, her voice upbeat. "Why don't you come to my parents Christmas party with me? There are lots of people for me to introduce you to," she winked like the conspirator she was at him and was rewarded by a huge, definitely wonderful grin.
"I'll think about it," he chuckled. Nymphadora smiled as broadly as she would if he had said yes.
"It's a date then," she replied again without thinking. He looked just as surprised as she did. "Goodnight Remus," she managed, scuttling off before she could do anything more mortifying.
"Goodnight, Nymphadora," he called to her retreating back. He sat down heavily, his knees suddenly weak. His hand crept to his cheek, where her touch still lingered and he felt that he missed her already. How was he to know that she flexed the hand that she had laid upon that very cheek as she climbed the stairs inside, feeling his skin on her fingertips?
I want to save all my nights and spend them with you.
I started this fic as a one off but I thought it needed more. So here it is. The version of the song I used was the Frank Sinatra version. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review even if you didn't.
