Tonks concentrated on turning her hairs black, with closed eyes, in her bathroom. She wanted to look normal for once. When she looked in mirror she found a perfect set of straight black hairs. But the problem was she looked too much like a black now; though she knew it was just in her head. No one while looking at her would be able to guess that she was a half black. She thought to turn it to brown but immediately rejected the thought. She'd had enough of brown for a lifetime. She didn't want to turn it blonde either. It would make her look... What? As if she was trying deliberately to impress by turning blonde or wanting to look like Fleur. She couldn't go red as she would look like a Weasley, and any other shades of red, she may as well as turn it pink!

Merlin was there no normal hair color for her?

She finally decided to mix normal and strange colors together. She morphed her hairs blonde with light pink highlights, a bit longer than usual. As normal as she can look on a happy day.

It was Sunday and it wasn't her day off. She hadn't had a day off in what seemed like ages, but she had a late shift today so she wasn't particularly in hurry. Besides, Remus was coming to meet her; she supposed it was sort of a date as they couldn't really go public, hence the desire to look normal. But then again he had probably seen her looking weirder in the past and yet he had loved her anyway. She was happy with whatever they could manage together. Sometimes she got this forbidden sort of feeling as if the world was coming to an end and she wanted to grab all the time they could spend together. Even if nine am was an odd time for a date!

She took a last look at the mirror and as she stepped out of the bathroom, she heard a knock on the door. She jumped with nerves; she had been anticipating it for a long time. She checked from the eye hole, and it was Remus, alright. Just as she opened the door fully and moved forward to greet him, she tripped on her untied shoe lace, effectively losing her balance and landing straight into his arms. But apparently, his stand on the ground wasn't too strong either, as taken by surprise he too fell on the ground, taking her on top, along with him.

Her own fall had been cushioned by his body and had she not been worrying about his crushed bones, she actually felt quite nice.

"I am so so so sorry!" she slowly moved her head from its place in the crook of his neck.

"What are apologizing for? I think it is a perfect way to say hello." he said with amusement and for first time she took a good look at his face which was temptingly close to hers. She thought they might look a strange sight, sprawled on floor in front of her doorway, and it was with this thought that she tried to get up when his arms on her waist halted her progress and he pressed a kiss on her cheek in greeting and then let her go.

She was pleasantly surprised with his forwardness because in the few days they have been together, he had often been hesitant around her though not negatively so. She thought that it was that kind of shyness which... lovers? Partners? people in relationship?... felt in early days of their courtship and apparently he too had been a bit surprised of his forwardness because she saw his ears turning a faint pink. She too impulsively leaned and kissed him on cheek and they both were taken a bit aback.

"Come in." she said hastily to relieve both of them of their embarrassment. Really, now all this shy business was getting irritating. Shouldn't they be blatantly flirting as they used to before... Well anyway.

Her flat wasn't speck clean but it wasn't looking a garbage bin either. As he seated himself on the sofa, she stood awkwardly trying to decide what to do with her hands and legs.

"You can sit you know, you aren't in a detention." he looked at her with a teasing smile and she rolled her eyes in annoyance at herself. What was wrong with her? She seated herself on the sofa next to him, too close to him than she would have sat had it not been Remus only to immediately jump back on her feet again.

She must look like an idiot, as in real idiot.

He raised his one eyebrow in part question and part surprise.

"Have you had breakfast?" she asked breathily.

"I... Had tea in the morning."

"Just wait alright?"

"No need to go in any trouble-"

"No really, just a minute." she said and turned her back to him, making a move towards the kitchen.

On Remus's part, he was enjoying a flustered Tonks and the continuous color of faint pink on her cheeks, a little too much.

Back in her dingy kitchen, Tonks took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. It was the same Remus, she had dreamt of spending couple-y time with, why to get nervous now? It was the Remus she loved and wanted to love, same Remus whom she wanted to kiss, make out, make-

Now, she was letting her thoughts get better of her!

After five minutes she emerged from kitchen with a better hold on herself.

"Wotcher!" she said cheerfully, remembering that she hadn't exactly said hello to him.

"Hello again!" She placed the tray she had bought along with her, on the table. "This was the cake, Molly sent me via floo this morning." she said seating herself next to him, knowing it was chocolate and he couldn't resist it.

"It's like she's a superwoman, she's everywhere at all the time."

"Good for us." they sat there and simply talked and ate. When she went to cut the cake (it was a tiny one) in slices as a proper house woman would do, he told her not to as apparently the enjoyment of cake eating was eating it directly with a spoon, where there was a chance that one person might get more in proportion than the other person. They also talked about her work, order plans but didn't went too much into detail as it would have spoiled the mood. After they finished he did the honors of sending the dirty utensils straight to the kitchen sink, without it actually being in vision, and since she didn't hear any familiar bang she thought that he had indeed done it correctly, which made him smug and her envy at his household-y spells.

Now since the food had disappeared between them, she once again felt that shy-hesitant air coming back. What should she do with her hands? Like hug his arm or should she strangle herself? Should she lean into him, keep her head on his shoulder or will it look too abrupt? Just as she was contemplating she felt his both hands grasping her one hand. She gave him a grin and wondered if any chocolate was stuck to her teeth making her look like a bad case of dental problem. As soon as that thought came, she banished it and instead focused on him, because it looked like he wanted to say something.

"I wanted to tell you something." he spoke softly in a different tone he was using mere minutes ago.

"You did?" she replied matching her tone with his.

"Mmm." he caressed her wrist with his thumb.

"I wanted to tell you, because I think I should- no, that makes it sound like an obligation, it's not an obligation, but you should know... I, in fact need to tell you because I need to tell you." he huffed softly in exasperation. "I am not making much sense am I?" he inquired peering at her.

"A little bit, go on." She urged.

He nodded to himself in determination. "You-you have changed my life even if I have known you for a shorter time- that doesn't mean that you aren't important just because I have known you only for about two years, because you are; you are of utmost important-importance to me-"

"Remus what are you trying to say?" her heart was beating at a pretty high rate both due to his words and his caress on her wrist; she feared he might feel her racing pulse in her wrist.

"You know what I am trying to say." he replied.

She knew; at least she thought she knew, or at least she had a fair idea. She'd always had a fair idea, but that doesn't mean she hadn't been dying to hear it. "I-I know...maybe...but I would still know if you don't say, that is-"

"I love you."

Even though she had been expecting it, her heart still skipped at least two beats in surprise; she felt as if caterpillars were turning into butterflies in her stomach, because even if she almost knew, she had learned in her life to expect the unexpected and not to expect the expected...

She smiled like she had never smiled, like she had never been really happy before, as if this was the moment she had been waiting for. She felt stinging in her eyes, but she didn't want to cry, even if they were happy tears; she had shed enough of tears in the past year.

As for Remus he was watching her gently with a small smile. To his credit, now that he had said the words he wasn't looking nervous, nor was anticipating any negative reactions. It was one of the few moments of his life in which he was fully confident.

"I know." she breathed. "I have always known."

"And I am so thankful for that." he said genuinely. He leant forward and her smile dimmed in anticipatory nerves but not the brightness of her eyes. She too leant forward a little, encouraging him and wanting him to cover the final small distance. He understood and pressed his lips to hers softly.

Her hand was still in his large ones, and they both tightened their hold. She breathed him in wanting to drink all of him as he moved his lips silkily over hers. It wasn't exactly their first kiss, as few days ago she had placed a kiss on his mouth but it was a chaste one. This by no means was chaste; even though it was soft and slow, it didn't lack any passion.

They pulled away and his hand left hers. "I need to show-give you something." his hand went to the inner pocket of his coat and he took out a square cardboard box, which he tapped with his wand and it grew drastically in size.

She couldn't for the life of it, guess what it was. He handed it to her by depositing it in her lap.

"It's well... Open it." he said, suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. He scratched his temple with his index finger in apprehension.

She removed the tape from the box's mouth. In it she found numerous small glass bottles, more like test tubes with cork, which were filled with blue swirling liquid kind of thing. It looked like... memories.

"What's this Remus?" she asked in puzzlement; she had no idea what it was meant to be.

"Memories. My memories."

"Your mem-but... I am sorry, I can't understand, please elaborate." she asked with a frown on her face.

He cleared his throat as if he had been given a daunting task of explaining the specifics of human anatomy. "See, the thing is, in the past year… I-I won't say my reasons were excuses that they weren't- aren't important- That's not what I want to talk about! I guess I am at a loss for words with you." he straightened a little, with irritation and amusement etched on his face.

"Go on." she lightly squeezed his hand to encourage him.

"What I mean is that in past year I have come out as if… I loved you any less. I know you knew that I had feelings for you, but now I don't want you to rely just on your own faith. I want to prove it you that I love you equally, if not more. Hence, the memories. They are from my point of view, taking you as the center; these will tell you how I felt about you in these months, how the feelings gradually grew, they will show you my love for you, what you mean to Me." he took a deep breath after he finished, for once glad that he had exactly spoken what he had wanted to.

"But… Remus it isn't a competition about who loves more-"

"I know, and it is not, but for my peace of mind, I need to tell you. Because there are so many things that I never got around to say to you, that I will regret if I will never be able to say them. I think the best way is for you to see them with your own eyes."

"Remus, these are your memories, these are private to you, and I would be intruding in your private space..." she trailed off helplessly. In reality she was sorely tempted to know all the sides of him, she can, but she knew he was an extremely private man, and difficult it would have been for him to take this decision, to share something like this with her; she knew it would be wrong of her.

"Look, I have practically lived my life as a loner for past countless years. You are the first one with whom I truly want to share It." he sighed and suddenly the energy in his shoulders seemed to sag, as if the burden of world was on his shoulders. "I have kept so many things within me... And sometimes I just want someone to just listen to me, just share it with me and that someone is you... It won't be intruding because I want you to see them. It's difficult for me to share it all with you in words… but I don't want to keep any secrets between us; it's not easy but it's something I truly want." he concluded softly.

She really appreciated the sentiment. She felt as if she was dreaming; that the man she loved considered her important enough to want to share himself with her. It was a privilege.

"Alright." she said with a smile, which he returned.

It was time to dwell in the memories of her beloved.