'Well…I am feeling quite well now. I feel so rude, just barging in, after…after…after so long, after everything…and immediately —' 'Seriously, Remus, shut it. You know what I said and you know it's true: my door has always been and remains open to you. You just never…came through before,' she ended quietly, to her shock, close to sobs again. Seeing the almost bereft look in his own eyes, something she almost never saw in the outwardly serene werewolf, encouraged her to continue, despite herself. 'And besides, I understand. I think we both do. The war was…it was dreadful. I imagine, if it was anything for you as it was for me…it was almost as if…I wanted to protect you, Remus. Merlin knows what from. But I wanted to protect you from my pain. I couldn't bear to bear your burden of carrying my burden…I just…I…we both…faded away from each other…but…for me…never for lack of…never for lack of…of caring…'

She had never seen Remus cry, not even after Sirius's death, but just then his eyes were shining with tears. 'I know, Dora. I know. Yes. It was the same for me.' 'Will we talk later, then?' She whispered, her voice rent with pain she unsuccessfully tried to cover over. 'I promise we will. I don't want to go another day without that.' 'Ok.' And then she added 'Me neither.'

'But, Dora…let's just acknowledge. We need to rebuild trust if we want to…keep talking.' 'I know. I know.' 'You don't quite know, Nymphadora, because you let me in here without a security question. So not only do you implicitly trust this Remus Lupin you think is before you, you also trust the world enough to accept that, after 10 years, he is indeed truly at your doorstep.' 'That's just cruel, Lupin. I know it's you. I didn't have to ask.' 'Oh, indeed? How?' 'I have installed a very sophisticated identification charm that they only teach us Aurors and not Remus Lupin, and it would've given a false contender away even before reaching my doorstep.' She stuck out her tongue at him, again forgetting that she wasn't 24 any longer. Or 15 for that matter. 'I see.'

'Also, I could just tell.' 'You can't just tell. There is no 'just telling.'' 'Did you come back from the underworld, or wherever you've been, just to scold me for not keeping Constant Vigilance?' 'I am sure you have Moody for that. No. I came back from the underworld, in fact, well…I will tell you tomorrow…' 'Alright, agreed. Good night.' She started walking to the other side of the apartment, pulling out her own futon, settling in, feeling rather awkward. She paused.

'Also, your tattoo.' 'Pardon?' 'Your tattoo.' She approached the couch, and sat down next to him. Trembling slightly, she tenderly unbuttoned the bottom part of his shirt again, and pointed with an exaggeratedly professional air, and raised eyebrows, to a dark inscription in his skin, right above his pelvic bone. It was a small black and red mark, two triangles for ears, and an angry red dot for a mouth. Right below, an identification code: 3958C. They looked at one another, both remembering the first time Tonks had seen the ugly mark, and the conversation that had ensued. Remus said softly, 'It could be polyjuiced.' 'No. Polyjuice cannot replicate werewolf brandings. No magic can. It's indelible and exclusive to the individual.' 'You know your stuff, Auror Tonks.' 'I try. Now get some sleep. And right. Let me get you some bedding…of course you didn't ask' she muttered under her breath, as she walked away. There was part of Tonks that craved his company elsewhere that night, but she knew that not only would that be for all intents and purposes, for now, impossible; it would furthermore be, even if possible, most unwise.

Tonks re-emerged from her bedroom with a cheery variety of sheets, pillows and covers, children's things she had charmed to adult size: Strawberry Shortcake pillows, dinosaur sheets, Care Bear comforters, everything in pastel rainbow and forest green. Remus chuckled. 'Oh, I missed this.' Again, they looked at each other, and this time the look they exchanged was shy. 'I meant…I meant…your most unusual accessories.' 'I know. Well. I'm glad you're here because to be honest I don't use my merry accessories much anymore.' 'Ah.' 'Now let's get you settled…' 'I'll do that, Nymphadora, please…' But Tonks had already conjured up a beautiful bed, already made, for Remus, folding out from the couch. 'In the meantime, you really should ask that security question.' 'I should?' 'Yes, Dora. To set me at ease.' He had been similarly protective of her during the war, never allowing her to let him in until she verified his identity. Tonks thought it absurd and somewhat offensive that he should think, after all that had happened to her, there was even a point in trying to protect herself. To protect whatever remained of herself, more accurately.

Suddenly, Tonks began to feel depressed and angry all over again. When her demons overcame her like that, what she usually did was binge watch some show or other or numb herself with similarly brainless activity, until she was up so late, so tired, she could no longer feel, with nothing left to do but sleep and then sleep most of the next day away. Except this time she was around someone else as the darkness started to descend, and her usual ways of 'coping' weren't going to cut it. Unless she wanted Remus to observe her strange behavior. Which she didn't.

'Nymphadora?' Remus's voice roused her from her inward turn. She thought she heard a vague note of concern in his query. It didn't matter, though. She was not sure why, or how, but Remus Lupin had succeeded in greatly, greatly upsetting her. He had crossed some invisible line in the last 2 minutes. Exactly when, she wasn't sure.

'A security question' she stated. Remus didn't respond. 'A security question. Hm. Ok. Ok, Remus. Where were we when we said goodbye to one another after the war?' 'Dora…' Remus winced. He was, again most uncharacteristically, almost whimpering. 'Well, what's the answer?' 'We didn't say goodbye after the war,' he said quietly, simply. 'So there really is no answer.' The former friends regarded each other with caution and a new perception of distance. Estrangement. 'Congratulations. You pass muster. Good night, Remus.' Remus sighed. 'Good night, Dora.' She took her own bedding to the other side of the studio apartment (her cats were in the corridor, sleeping, in between the one room and the bathroom) and she lay down, turning her back — and her mind and heart — from the opposite side of the room. Neither she nor Remus got much sleep that night.

Author's note: So ends the prologue, dear readers. This fic is going to be pretty epic, meaning it is going to contain all manner of things: drama, action, adventure, politics, friendship, and of course romance for all us saps. I have a good outline of where I am going, but I am writing for you! So do give me special requests and I will mull them over with glee. ;-) Also, I am a new writer, so if you can share my work and help get word out or have any suggestions for that, let me know. In all cases, read and review. *hearts*