Author's note: I need to stop pining away after a fictional werewolf…this is really quite unhealthy.

Right, here's chapter fifteen- Fleur makes me laugh. I'm putting on chapter sixteen tonight or tomorrow cuz I know I ended the last chapter so meanly.

Chapter Fifteen- Meeting Fanny

Tonks glanced at her watch again. Two more minutes perhaps...

She was going to try and get out early today. She had to actually. Bill had invited her out for a drink to finally meet his fiancé, Fleur. He had invited an old mutual friend of theirs along too so that there would be an even number. She was looking forward to see them. Especially Bill who despite the fact that they were still in the Order, she hadn't seen in awhile.

"I can tell from the way you have your legs up on the desk that you're all but asking for it."

She stiffened. She knew that annoying voice anywhere.

"Hain…" she growled, looking up from her papers.

Sure enough the blonde haired wizard was standing in front of her cubicle, beaming. "Things that bad baby?"

"Don't call me baby." She said. She didn't want to deal with Hain today. She really wasn't in the mood at all these days.

He put on an amused frown. "Now cupcake, I can't call you 'Nymphadora' and I can't call you-"

"I've told you to call me Tonks." She said.

"It's hardly an attractive name." Hain smiled.

She raised an eyebrow. Why was it so different when Hain talked to her about her name like this than it was with Remus? "Who said it had to be attractive? I like it."

"What's with the hair these days? Having problems outside the office?"

She glared. "My social life is really none of your business." Oh bugger, I hope he dosen't start to get nosy…I mean the Order would probably-

"You need a man in your life I think."

At least he wasn't thinking it was something else. She wrinkled her nose. "Hain, THAT is none of your business."

"How about leaving with me to go get a drink?"

"Sorry. Too busy." She said, shoving a few things into her bag as she prepared to leave.

"Why not?"

"Because you're a pompous ass and the thought of spending more time with you than I have to makes me physically sick." She retorted.

He came over, standing far too close to her for personal space.

"Get away from me Hain." Tonks said, pushing away from him.

"Not so fast." He said leaning over her. "I have a question."

"I don't feel like hearing it." She said angrily shoving the last of her papers into her briefcase.

"Does this recent attitude of yours have anything to do with that werewolf?"

She froze. The seconds lengthened-

"Piss off Hain." She said, standing up and throwing her briefcase over her shoulder.

"Just a minute-" Hain snarled. "I'm not done with you yet."

"Well I am!" Tonks spat. She pushed past him and began walking quickly from her cubicle- blood thumping in her ears as her anger burned.

"HEY!" Hain bellowed- the entire office was watching them now.

She ignored him and kept walking.

"TONKS!"

Keep walking- keep walking-

She heard heavy footsteps behind her and suddenly felt his hand grab her shoulder roughly, "Listen up here cupcake-"

But Tonks's instinctive reaction had kicked in. Months of practicing self-defense with Moody had taught her well-She grabbed the hand on her shoulder and in one lightening fast move- had twisted Hain's arm behind his back and brought him to the floor. There was a collective gasp from the entire office and then utter silence-

Hain had let out a yell of surprise- his arm still held in a painful position by Tonks that rendered him useless- his head was on the floor under her foot.

"Listen up once and for all Hain-" Tonks said loudly. "I am NOT and will never EVER be your 'cupcake'. Do not touch me- do not talk to me, and whatever is going on in my social life- they will NEVER be a concern of yours again." She released him and looked down at him contemptuously.

"Next time-" she decided, "I'm hexing off your balls…if you have any."

And on that note she turned on her heel and strode gracefully away from the groaning, crumpled form of Apollo Hain. For a moment there was absolute silence and then, just as she had reached the door- an explosion of cheering.

She turned. Every single person in there was cheering, applauding or whistling. Tonks couldn't help but grin at them as she raised an arm in acknowledgment and a waving goodbye sort of way. The cheering redoubled and when Tonks walked out the door- she could still hear it as she walked down the hall, a grin on her face a mile wide.

Thank you Mad-Eye…

Tonks made a desperate attempt to make herself look presentable, but had a feeling it just made her look worse in her lousy state. She apparated to the 'The Hag's Haven' feeling slightly apprehensive.

When she walked in the front door, she spied in the corner a familiar red headed man, a blonde haired woman of such breathtaking beauty she seemed to light up the entire dingy bar, and a brown haired man with a dragon skin jacket that she could tell was Aldwin Idle, a friend of her and Bill's.

"TONKS! THE WOMAN OF THE HOUR!" Aldwin cried out so loudly half the bar fell silent and turned to stare at her.

"Aldwin-" she hissed, as she came up to them.

"She totally TOOK OUT Apollo Hain!" Aldwin said gleefully. "Everybody was talking about it, even down in my office."

Tonks's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah…word spreads fast at the Ministry."

"What happened?" Bill asked. "You'll have to tell us."

Tonks leaned over to give Bill a hug who gave her a warm smile in return. "Mum's told me you've been having trouble with your metamorphosing- are you alright?"

Ugh. The last thing she wanted to talk about was that. "I'm fine Bill, thanks. Coming out tonight was probably a good thing, y'know? Clear my head-"

"Ah! Mademoiselle Tonks!" said a throaty voice. Tonks turned to see the blonde-haired woman smiling at her. "It ez wonderful to meet you at last!" Fleur said cheerfully, pulling her into a gentle hug. "Bill does not talk about you zat much- but I was very curious!"

From the look in Fleur's large blue eyes, Tonks knew that the veela descendant had already sized her up and deemed her not a threat to her relationship with Bill. Tonks felt a twinge of anger- on a good day she could look like Fleur anytime. Indeed, many of the many past boyfriends she had had, preferred her to look like the young woman standing in front of her. Fleur's eyes lingered on her lank brown hair and she smiled, displaying very white, straight teeth.

"Bill and I are engaged!" she said happily.

"Yes, I've heard." Tonks said trying to insert a note of cheerfulness in her voice. "Congratulations."

Fleur kissed Bill on the side of his face. "An' I 'ave come 'ere to meet ez family!"

"Ohhh…" Tonks said, watching as Bill put an arm around Fleur looking rather chuffed.

"Tell Bill what happened today-" Aldwin said. "With Hain-"

So Tonks told Bill and Fleur what had happened earlier with Apollo Hain and by the end of it- Bill was grinning broadly.

"I always thought he was a bit of a git. Well done."

"Why does it not surprise me zat aurors always deal with things so violently?" Fleur said rolling her eyes as she flipped back her mane of long hair.

Tonks went to make a face with Aldwin and realized he was staring at Fleur with a rather glazed, dreamy look on his face.

"Yeah—auror's…right."

Tonks resisted the urge to start gagging with disgust.

"Oy…OY! Aldwin! Tell us about Salieri, isn't he on his way over to the centaur liason office any day now?"

Aldwin snapped out of his trance. "Uhhhh…yeah. Yeah."

As Aldwin was telling the story of Salieri who Tonks was only half interested in hearing about- Tonks ended up watching Aldwin who in a short time was rambling rather incoherently because Fleur very conveniently was leaning over in her chair to take an unnecessarily long time in fixing a strand of Bill's hair.

Soon enough, Bill caught the jist of the situation and stood up-

"How bout some drinks? Me and Aldwin can get some. Fleur?"

"An iced gillywater." She said in her throaty voice.

"Tonks?" Bill asked.

"Something strong that'll put me out of my misery."

Bill grinned at her before dragging Aldwin off to the bar.

An awkward silence over the little table and then-

"You and Bill went to school together." Fleur said. It was a statement, not a question.

Tonks let out her breath in a heavy sigh. "Yes, we did. I was in the same year as his younger brother, Charlie."

"Bill's muzzer mentions you a lot." Fleur said in a suspicious voice.

"Oh, Molly's so sweet- isn't she?"

Fleur gave a haughty sniff. "Her cooking I theenk is to be desired."

Tonks frowned. "Hm. I think it's quite good."

Fleur tossed back her mane of silver hair and sighed in exasperation. "Well it ez all a matter of opinion I suppose, but still…" she looked intently at Tonks. "Were you good friends with Bill at school?"

Ah-ha! That's so that's what she's on about. Tonks grinned inwardly. "Oh well, he was two years ahead of me, but yes- I suppose so…I was good friends with his younger brother Charlie, me and Bill both were in charms club for a short time and oh, I made out with him one time in my 5th year behind the Quidditch stands." She finished airily.

Fleur's eyes widened in shock. "Excusé-moi?!?!?" she exclaimed.

Right on cue Bill and Aldwin returned, carrying the drinks.

"We're back!" Bill said cheerfully. "Did you two find lots to talk about?"

Tonks started laughing at the expression at Fleur's face which looked as if she were quickly rising to hit an exploding point.

"Fleur asked how you and I met eachother, so I told her."

Bill wasn't stupid and looked slightly exasperated as he sighed and set down the drinks. "Come'on Tonks- why did you have to bring that up?"

"Sorry." Tonks laughed- it really was hilarious, and she hadn't had a good laugh like this in weeks.

Fleur sent daggers with her eyes at Tonks before rounding on her husband to be-

"What ez this, Bill? Mademoiselle Tonks 'ere is telling me zat you-you were… together!"

Bill sat down with a sigh before moving closer over to sit by the blonde woman. "When we were younger, yes- me and Tonks dated for a short time but we're just friends now."

"Friends?" she repeated, still looking furious.

"It's true Fleur." Tonks said, still smiling. "We're long since over eachother, but I couldn't resist telling."

Fleur glared at her- still sour. "Faute avouée est à moitié pardonnée. " she muttered angrily under her breath.

Tonks frowned. It was times like these when she wished she had picked up another language when she was younger.

Bill sighed. "We were over each other a long time ago- but I think Mum sometimes forgets that me and Tonks have moved off into different directions since our school days."

"Cheers." Tonks said taking a hold of her rum from Aldwin.

"I remember when I first heard that Tonks and Bill dated back at school. I couldn't believe it either." Aldwin said obviously trying to soothe Fleur. "Then again- maybe I could have- fanged earring…pink hair."

"I don't go for all men who have earrings or something." Tonks said.

"Kingsley?" Aldwin asked.

"Oh yeah…I forgot about that."

Bill kissed Fleur on the cheek, who looked slightly consoled and sat closer to him- still eyeing Tonks suspiciously as if she might suddenly try jump up and kiss Bill on the spot.

Tonks rolled her eyes and started bolting down her drink. When she set it down, she was surprised to see they were all staring at her in shock.

"When did you learn to be such a good drinker?" Aldwin asked in astonishment.

"I had a cousin who taught me well." She said with a grim smile.

Bill caught her eye and gave her a concerned look. She turned away quickly, "So-" she said loudly. "How about those Chudley Cannons, eh?"

"Bah!" Fleur exclaimed. "Quidditch! Quidditch! Quidditch! Who really cares about zat sort of zing these days-?"

"Yeah….yeah. Your absolutely right." Aldwin said, staring at Fleur with a sickening sloppy look. "Who really cares?"

"Well considering you usually support the Chudley Cannons with a zealous passion, Aldwin, I'd say a few people do." Tonks said nastily.

Bill didn't seem to notice what was going on because Fleur was now sipping her gillywater in a way that was making nearly all the men in the dingy pub break out in a cold sweat.

Tonks bolted down the rest of her drink. It was going to be a long night.

Tonks had lost track of time but it seemed to be dragging slower than it did at work which was saying a lot. The conversations were boring, awkward, or both thanks to the glamorous presence of Fleur bloody Delacour.

"Ze French 'ave always been better cooks-I 'ave said zis all along-"

"Yeah their amazing when their not serving up frog legs and snails." Tonks said loudly who lost track of what number of drinks she was on at this point. .

Bill started laughing and Fleur looked annoyed. Aldwin who had drunk probably more than he could handle was now simply staring dreamily at Fleur.

Bill caught the look on his fiancee's face and made a desperate attempt to change the conversation. "Have you heard from Remus Lupin lately?" he asked Tonks.

Tonks sat up straighter at this. "No. I was actually going to ask you if you had heard anything from him lately because no one seems to-"

"Remus Lupin?" Fleur interrupted suddenly. "Zat tired looking, old man?"

"He's not old!" Tonks snapped losing some control for the first time that entire night.

Bill, Fleur and even Aldwin all looked surprised at her outburst but Fleur recovered quickest-

"Ah-" she said, her eyes twinkling as she looked at Tonks. "Ee has grey hair already-"

"He's only thirty-seven! He turns thirty-eight in March!" Tonks exclaimed angrily.

Fleur was smiling broadly now and Tonks inwardly cursed herself for making a display of herself like this.

"How do you zis Remus Lupin, so well?" she asked her.

"We've both worked together in the past." Tonks said stiffly. "I'm sure you knew that already."

Fleur looked immensely smug from across the table as if she already guessed more about her and Remus than Tonks had let on. Tonks struggled for a moment to stop herself from taking her drink and throwing it right into Fleur's perfect face. Perfect Fleur with her perfect life and perfect, perfectness-

'Tonks listen to me. You are an amazing young witch and you are…perfect, just the way you are.'

Her eyes started to well with tears as she remembered the words that had been said so long ago to her by Remus. She sat there trying to compose herself, barely hearing Aldwin who was talking animatedly about the Chudley Cannons for the fifth time that night-

'I can change my appearance at will, Remus.'

'No, I didn't mean your appearance. I meant your personality.'

She screwed up her face, staring drunkenly into her tankard as the tears started to blur her vision.

"Errrrrrr- Tonks? Are you alright?"

She looked up through the swim of tears to see Bill frowning slightly as he stared at her. Aldwin looked bewildered at being interrupted in mid-ramble and Fleur's face was surprisingly soft as she stared at her.

"Yeah…" she sniffed.

HE never wanted me to look like Fanny over there- he liked me…just the way I was.

Tonks barely chocked back the hysterical howling that was rising within her.

Bill raised an eyebrow at the gurgling noise she made and stood up abruptly. "Maybe we ought to call it a night-"

Tonks shook her head. "Noooo." She said in a shaky voice. "I think I need another drink."

"I think you've had plenty." Bill said firmly. "Come'on lets pay and get out of here."

Minutes later as they headed out the front door, Tonks felt she had managed to recover pretty well and nobody had suspected much from her ridiculous behavior. They were all hugging and saying goodbye (Fleur had to pry herself a bit from Aldwin who didn't seem to want to let go of her) when the worst blow that night came upon her with no warning whatsoever.

She had just finished hugging Bill, avoiding Fleur's narrowed eyes and was saying how she'd see him around when Aldwin exclaimed,

"Look at the moon!"

The clouds parted suddenly to reveal a large silver moon high up in the dark sky- it was only half full but it was so blindingly bright the entire street was illuminated. Fleur and Bill commented on its beauty, their arms entwined around eachother as Aldwin stumbled about unsteadily on the street.

Tonks felt her lower lip wibbling and barely managed to turn on her heel and apparate hastily away before bursting into uncontrollable sobs.

She slammed the door to her flat and began kicking everything that was lying in sight, crying like a baby all the while. She made a spectacular 'sad drunk'…she probably could have put Sirius to shame.

What was wrong with Remus? No one had heard from him. Not even Dumbledore- where was he? How was his mission going- what if he was he already—

Tonks stopped in midkick and let out a nervous hiccup as a terrifying word came flying to mind.

Dead?

Minutes later, for the first time in weeks- she found herself curled up in a ball on the kitchen floor eating all the chocolate she had secretly saved since her purge after Remus's departure.

Don't you dare die you stupid prat…I'm trying like you told me to, but I can't let go. I still love you...don't die….