Author's note: Alright, this chapter was HARD. I had outlined it quite awhile ago, so I thought it would be fun and easy to write.

Damn, was I wrong. In between nursing a sick dog and listening to friggin 'Om Shanti Om' through the wall thanks to my Bollywood obsessed sister these past few days have not lent much to the creativity of this chapter that I've been dying to write. Meh.

Chapter Twenty Seven- Jumping together

If pacing were an art, Remus Lupin would have been a full-blown connoisseur.

He had been pacing for some time. He was in an old, partially underground, war bunker that had been converted into a safe place for a werewolf transformation. There were many different specialized places the Ministry had set up for transformations and this was one of them. Unfortunately it looked as if it hadn't been used in years. There were broken tables and chairs strewn about the dirt covered floor and some broken planks had been abandoned by the door. He had tried to clear up some of the wreckage earlier but was far too distracted to really put his heart into it. Instead of cleaning now, he was pacing, wandering about- looking up at the small barred window in the high corner of the room where the moon would eventually rise.

The only entrance and exit besides the small window, (which was far too high for a man or wolf to reach, and too small to squeeze through-) was a heavy door that he had sealed by magic. The thick door was made from some dark, grey metal. The only gap in it was a small slot where apparently mail used to be passed. It was too small for Remus to stick his hand through, which helped contribute to his relief that a wolf paw would never be able to fit. Beyond that door was a small hallway that lead to another door which was the way to the outside- it lead out onto the slope of a hill. That door was locked as well- the hinges were secure-

Stop it. he told himself sharply. Calm down. There's no way you can get out.

Remus was always nervous before full moons and the possibility of escape. Ever since the incident with Snape in his fifth year, his rational fear of escaping had increased tenfold. In a way he could thank Snape for foolishly listening to Sirius's biggest mistake… not a full moon went by when Remus shuddered at the dangerously close call.

Snape… unconsciously he stiffened as he thought of the old Potions Master running down the stairway through the swirling dust-

"It's over! Time to go!"

Unconsciously his hands curled into fists. He had killed him…killed Dumbledore, killed the man who had been deceived like the rest of them into believing that he was trustworthy…

No.

It wasn't good to dwell on things like that. Dumbledore's death had caused enough frustration and grief for Remus that would only stay with him when he transformed. Such strong emotions would only raise the caged wolf's anger. And those transformations usually became the most violent. The worst had been the moon after James and Lily's death- where Sirius had recently been sent to Azkaban and Peter was supposedly a fallen war hero. The moon had risen- Remus still wallowing in the tumultuous sea of emotions he was in- and when he had finally woken up he found himself in St. Mungos where he was told that he had been unconscious for several days. The numerous injuries had been terribly severe and some of the wounds had been so bad, Remus still carried the scars on him.

For a moment, he thought back on James and Lily. He would always remember that terrible, terrible day. It was so early, he hadn't even read the morning paper yet. His fire grate had nearly exploded as Ministry officials burst into the room by way of Floo powder and all but dragged him to the Ministry itself. They had been trying to find Sirius of course, but no one had told any of this to Remus who had found himself in a room full or arguing officials, terrified that he was there because of his being a werewolf. No one mentioned to him the terrible events of that early morning until several aurors came over to him, looking stern-

"Remus John Lupin?" said the mustached man, reading his name from off a paper file.

"Yes."

"You knew James and Lily Potter, correct?"

"I know them yes." In his state of confusion he had not even picked up on the past tense.

The aurors exchanged looks.

He felt a sense of dread. "What's all this about? What's going on?"

One of the other aurors stepped forward, a woman, looking at him sympathetically. "You're not aware of what happened this morning, are you?"

"What- what are you talking about?" he croaked, his insides quickly turning to ice and his heart start to thump painfully.

They exchanged looks again, obviously hesitant to divulge the information they were about to give.

The woman took a deep breath, "Mr. Lupin, James and Lily Potter are dead."

Dead…

The mustached auror pushed past his startled colleague and said impatiently- "We need to ask you some questions Mr. Lupin about some of your friends, we're in a bit of a rush right now- when was the last time you spoke to Sirius Black?"

Remus opened his dry mouth but not a sound came from it.

"Mr. Lupin?"

He could feel his heart pounding frantically in his chest, so hard it hurt- this couldn't be happening-it couldn't. He felt as though he'd been petrified. He couldn't move a single muscle.

Dead…

"We need to ask you some questions about your connections with Sirius Black who we feel may have been directly involved with the death of your friend James Potter and his wife Lily, so if you could provide us with any—"

He couldn't breathe properly. His breath was coming in searing, painful gasps and he felt himself swaying.

"Blimey! Look at the kid!" someone cried but their voice seemed to be coming from a great distance.

"Mr. Lupin? Are you alright?"

…concerned faces peering at him, staring…

"He doesn't look good-"

Remus felt someone's hand close around his wrist and a woman's voice rang distantly through the growing blur of sight and sound. "I think his pulse has dropped, he's all cold and clammy…is there a Healer in the room?"

"-We need this kid to answer some questions-"

"-We need a healer over here!-"

"-just going to have to wait till he wakes-"

But Remus heard no more as the blur swiftly focused onto the floor rushing up to meet him and everything finally fell into merciful darkness.

Remus blinked, finding himself staring at a grey, stone wall. He had almost forgotten where he was and what he was doing.

Remus Lupin- that was amazingly stupid. Why need a dementor when you have one Remus John Lupin to suck the happiness out of the air?

With a heavy sigh he peered up at the window. There was still some time. He went over to the locked door and checked it again, he examined some of the crude planks lying against the wall, he started pacing again.

Tonks would kill you for thinking so negatively…

He had been worried that Tonks would try to do something foolish and come to see him tomorrow morning right after his transformation. He was slightly comforted by the fact that she had Ministry work to accomplish and had told him in a rather disappointed way that she would be tracking with several other aurors until tomorrow afternoon sometime. By the time she would be off from work, he would hopefully be back at his small, recently rented apartment and would look relatively well rested and healed. Though she had been the one to nurse him back to health following the incident at the Montgomery's, he had a feeling that this transformation would be brutal. The idea of Tonks seeing him in such a weakened and battered state did not bring him any mental consolidation.

Thinking of Tonks helped his nerves slightly. As he stared up at the small window, making out the passing dark clouds far up in the sky he knew the moment of transformation would be soon and nervously in an attempt to distract himself, he found another, much more cheerful memory-

"You git! I'm not taking your cloak!" she said tossing the threadbare cloak back at him.

"I'm afraid you have to Nymphadora. I've been watching you shiver since we first got on the bus and it would be very un-gentlemanlike of me not to offer you my cloak." he said, putting it back on her.

"I've already got my own tweed today." she retorted, pushing the cloak away.
He looked over at her. "Yes I noticed. But its not genuine tweed."

"And you would know because…?

"Because 'tweed is the equivalent of the muggle dinosaurs…its old fashioned…no, not old fashioned…extinct.'" he quoted. "Your observation of my love for tweed jumpers that day was correct. I happen to prize my extensive knowledge of the ancient fabric since so very few obviously possess it."

Her wrinkled cheeks grew pink. "Well forget what I said then… I'm making it up to you today by dressing to match."

He gently tugged a tightly curled lock of iron-gray hair on her head. "And so mocking my own appearance is necessary as well?"

"People would just assume we're an elderly couple riding the bus. You should've brought birdseed to make it look more convincing."

"Haha." he said bleakly, putting the cloak on her shoulders again.

She pushed it back towards him. "I don't need your cloak. I am a fully capable auror."

"This I am well aware of, but aurors possess bountiful amounts of common sense so I would have thought you would see the sense in borrowing my cloak, after already making the mistake of wearing faux tweed on this chilly winter day."

"However an auror may dress, they also have pride." she said stubbornly.

Slightly irritated now, he put the cloak firmly around her. "I'll be gone for several months, allow me the privilege of letting you borrow you my damn cloak."

She gasped.

"What?" he asked in alarm.

"You swore!"

He smiled. "I am human."

Her eyes widened even more. "No werewolf rubbish either!"

Immediately a frown crossed his face. "I meant that I'm human, not a robot- of course I can swear. I meant that statement figuratively."

"Bollocks Remus!" she said gleefully. "You can swear and you forgot your 'I'm a mopey werewolf routine'!"

"Tonks-"

"I like it." she said immediately. "You should say stuff like that more often."
"It was an accident."

"Don't take it back. It'll depress me."

"Sorry to disappoint. I take it back."

She glared at him and with an angry huff, pushed his cloak to the bus's floor before turning away to stare out the snowy glass window.

Growing irritated at the lack of respect for his worn, patched cloak he was ready to pick it up again, when he stopped.

"Tonks?"

No answer.

"I'm sorry." he said honestly. "Yes I do occasionally swear, and yes- for twenty-nine days of the month, I am human."

She turned slowly. "You're always Remus Lupin."

"Except for the one day." he said stiffly.

She cocked her head, looking at him closely. "Maybe you feel like you lose yourself that one day, but I see it as just another part of you."

"That isn't me. You've never seen it- that monster that comes about-"

She put a finger to his lips, covering his protest. He stared at her startled, frozen. "Say what you will, but aurors have incredible perspective and observation skills. I say what I want to. Plus, if you take it back now- I will refuse to wear your cloak and I am so miserably cold right now."

Tentatively he smiled and Tonks leaned closer towards him wearing a similar grin that was making her eyes sparkle in a truly beautiful way. They both were inches from each other, their breaths each tickling the other's face and an irresistible force was pulling them closer together -

"Choo doin' back 'ere?" came a loud voice right behind them and they both jumped in surprise before turning around to see the spotty bus conductor in his purple uniform, standing right behind them, watching them curiously as he held onto a nearby candle bracket.

"We are always interrupted in moments like these, aren't we?" asked Remus quietly and Tonks let out a small laugh.

"If it's not Sirius, or the kids-" That morning while eating breakfast, there had been another private moment that was hastily interrupted by the trio- "its a random bus conductor."

"That is the story of our lives, Nymphadora."

"I will strangle you with your own cloak if you call me that." she said menacingly.

The bus lurched again and Tonks picked up Remus's fallen cloak and put it around her before resting her grey-haired head on his own tweed shoulder.

Though he tried to focus on reading the paper he had brought along, he could only smile as Tonks wiggled about for a moment before finally getting comfortable and dozing off…

Remus standing there in the dreary bunker, smiled. It really hadn't happened that long ago…not even two years…who would have thought so much would have happened in that short amount of time? He'd spent so much of his life alone and in just a few short recent years (a blink in his long, rather dull lifetime, he thought,) it had been filled with a riot of…well…pink. Something about that short spiky bubblegum-coloured hairstyle would always remain imprinted on his memories when reflecting back on those precious years.

He adjusted the blanket he had brought along. He had wrapped himself up in it because although he was alone- sitting starkers in a cold dungeon-like bunker did not seem practical to him. Perhaps it was silly, but it was also something of a habit. Madam Pomprey had always supplied him with a blanket when he was a boy and waited out in the Shrieking Shack to transform. Wearing his clothes when transforming was ridiculous because they were almost always a torn mess of rags when he awoke the next day. It just made sense to go naked, but he didn't want to catch a cold, hence the blanket.

Or maybe he just had prudish, Victorian ideas about his body. Not that it really mattered. It wasn't really something that really came up in everyday conversation.

There was a small rustling noise near the door and Remus turned sharply, his heart pounding furiously but saw nothing except the looming shadows on the grey, stone walls. He let out his breath in a relieved sigh. Probably a mouse. He hoped it would leave quickly so that it wouldn't get hurt. Werewolves didn't attack animals unless they got in the way of human prey, but there was always a chance a plank could fall on it during his wolf rampage. He felt a wry smile cross his face…I'm worried about a little mouse being hurt when I'm seconds away from turning into a blood-crazed monster.

He wished that he had Wolfsbane. It was so unbelievably miraculous, possessing a human mind while in a wolf's body. The relief of being in control, of knowing he would transform back without the horrible panic of wondering if he had hurt somebody was worth the horrible taste. Unfortunately, Wolfsbane was unbelievably difficult to make and the ingredients, expensive. He couldn't get a hold of any of it even if he wanted to.

He sighed, trying to keep his mind blank or at least filled with harmless, inconsequential thoughts…he was failing. Like an internal clock, his heart was ticking away the seconds he had left.

Now…

He stopped short- staring at the floor before him. The long-awaited moonlight suddenly splashed across the floor, an inch from where Remus was standing. He stared at it.

So begins another nightmare.

He took a deep breath and then stepped forward into the silver glow.

Stepping into the moonlight was something that many could never understand or imagine.

A cold pierced him all over felt like sharp, pointed knives- it was so sudden and painful it took his breath away. It was more of a fire than cold- from head to toe he was suddenly engulfed- the icy fire seared through his skin and quickly went deeper, ruthlessly plunging its way to the very marrow of his bones and core of his body.

But Remus knew that that was nothing for what was about to come…what always followed.

His limbs began to shake uncontrollably. His bones felt as if they were splintering now alongside his rapidly burning skin…his insides felt as if they were tossed into a bowl of burning pitch…he writhed in pain as he frantically began his old familiar mental mantra…

My name is Remus John Lupin. My name is Remus John Lupin. My name is-

Every pore and atom of his body was shrieking in agony as if they had simultaneously exploded- every inch of his body was dowsed in blinding, excruciating pain. Then he felt his limbs start to mercilessly snap and crack as they shattered to rearrange themselves for what was to come…

My name is Remus Lupin…

He fought to stay conscious…what felt like an invisible pillow was now pressed over his mouth and nose. He frantically attempted to draw breath but of course, nothing happened. His desperate gasps for air were not filling his lungs which had sealed themselves from the very precious element they were screaming for. His head was spinning…

My name…Remus…

The pain rapidly mounted. Remus let out an involuntary scream and heard a loud, feral snarl emerge from his lips instead. His body was no contorting into a shape that was no longer his own. He fell forward, limbs curling from the torture and he saw his fingers twisting in a way that would have been impossible as a human…twisting and quickly sprouting fur…

My name…

He could feel his shoulders hunching and his human features melting away like an old waxwork tossed carelessly into a burning fire. He was no longer looking at human hands…paws were there…paws bearing terrible curled claws- claws to kill with…

My…

And just when the pain had reached its climax, there was a burst of silver white light from behind his eyes and Remus knew nothing more.

He was aware of pain once again.

He hadn't even opened his eyes yet- he wasn't even fully conscious- but through the hazy fogginess- sharp pain was all he could acknowledge.

And it quickly grew as his struggle to become conscious grew. Every inch of him, every pore of his body was in pain. Every molecule seemed to be throbbing. God he ached…

It was very cold…and he supposed that he was shivering, but it felt more like minor convulsions.

He forced himself to open his eyelids which felt like lead they were so heavy.

At first all he could make out was a dense white fog that seemed to cover his eyes, but it soon started to fade as his consciousness strengthened.

He didn't move. He wanted to scream, to moan from the pain but to do so would hurt even more so he focused on his wild breathing which was coming to him in desperate gasps that pierced his lungs and every atom of his body that moved because of it.

He closed his eyes. He could feel warm blood oozing down his sides and slowly seeping onto the dirt floor under him. He would rest a little while before trying to move- he wondered if he'd even be able to apparate. He doubted it, but if he didn't head back home before Tonks got there, she might worry-

There was a loud thud that sounded as if a plank had fallen over by the door.

"Ow! Bugger!"

His eyes snapped open. It was impossible.

But apparently it wasn't, because through the blurred haze of his own weary eyes- Nymphadora Tonks was striding over towards him, stepping over the wreckage….

He wanted to shout at her but he was so exhausted he couldn't even be properly furious, "Tonks….no."

"You think that I'll be ashamed to see you like this?" she asked briskly, undoing her heavy, traveling cloak

"Please…"

She ignored him.

"Tonks…what are you doing here?"

She threw her cloak around him, like a blanket. From what he could see, his own blanket that he brought along was torn and scattered about the corners of the room. "What am I doing here? Good question. I came here to practice my ballroom dancing… what do you think you stupid prat?! I came here to take care of you, something all good girlfriends should do when their boyfriend is a werewolf."

"What about tracking with the other aurors?"

"I lied." she said cheerfully.

He could feel a muscle jumping in his jaw as he involuntarily clenched his teeth.

"Don't look so angry Remus, I had to have some good excuse up my sleeve so you wouldn't get suspicious."

"How long have you been here?" he asked, his voice as dry and rough as sandpaper.

Tonks was on her knees and propped him up so that he could be reclining against her. "The whole night."

The exhaustion and anger momentarily vanished as a wave of shock hit him. "WHAT?"

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you." she said with a hint of complacency. "I knew you'd never be alright with it."

"Alright with it? Tonks, I could have killed you!" he said furiously.

"I was well protected." said Tonks, pointing behind her shoulder towards the dark door. "If things had gotten out of hand, I'd have apparated away."

"You never should have come here-"

"Well, I'm already here so too bad."

His shivering had ceased somewhat from under the cloak. Tonks leaned over into a satchel she had had on her shoulder and pulled out a tightly sealed, thermal mug. "But look! I brought tea for you! Cast a successful self-heating charm and everything. And I brought you some biscuits. I ate some of them before I came here, but the rest are somewhere in my bag, hold on-"

"Tonks-"

"-there was a bar of chocolate in here! Where the hell did it go? I swear I had it right here next to the-"

"Tonks…"

"-well so much for that. What?"

"What did I do?"

She stopped rummaging, a small cup in her hand to look over at him. "As a wolf? You efficiently tore the place apart and several times you attacked yourself."

Remus shut his eyes in despair. Brilliant. Now she could think of him as a self-abusing, morose, prig on top of everything else.

"But hey, you had no control over it…I don't think you even remember it, do you?"

Despite her gentle voice, Remus was still ashamed. He shut his eyes and wished with all his heart she wasn't there, that it was all just an enormous hallucination-

Tonks swore loudly as the cup slipped from her hand and hot tea spilled on her leg.

Remus opened his eyes and Tonks grinned at him sheepishly. "I didn't think it was going to be screwed on that tightly."

"Tonks…why?"

"Why what?"

"Why all this?"

"Dunno. Further proof that I'm with you to the end?" she grinned. "Evidence that I'm not as bad a caretaker as you might think? Curiosity as to why you are so ashamed of me seeing you as a werewolf? Do you even really need a reason?"

"No." he said slowly. "Not anymore. You don't have to do this though-"

She scooted closer over to him and cradled his head in her arms. "I'm not going anywhere." she whispered fiercely. "Don't even try to make me go, because I'm not leaving."

"I know."

Silence.

Tonks knelt by Remus feeling uncharacteristically like one of those tender-hearted heroines in those nauseating romance novels that were usually stacked in Flourish and Blotts. Kneeling by her love's side, minding his wounds, taking care of him with gentle affection and increasing devotion…

But she didn't mind. With any other bloke, (Hain coming vividly to mind) most defiantly not- but for Remus she didn't mind in the slightest.

She looked down at him. He looked terrible. One of his eyes was already swelling rapidly and a mixture of dirt and blood caked his gray streaked hair. There was also a nasty looking gash on the side of his face, still weeping blood. Tonks pulled up one of her long sleeves from her robes and wiped it gently away. His eyes were shut, his breathing rather ragged.

Last night had been horrible. Nothing could have prepared her for it.

As an auror, Tonks had seen a lot of terrible things. She had also heard of a lot of things that made even the most stout-hearted of aurors race to the toilets with their hands over their mouths. She had seen Remus after his fight with Fenrir at the Montgomerys and had therefore braced herself for the worst. But it still hadn't been enough. It had been the strangest thing to watch the man she loved- whom she was convinced she would love for the rest of her life- to transform so violently into such a terrifying creature.

She had watched him standing before the patch of moonlight like a diver ready to spring from a high board and continued to watch as he stepped into the moonlight, the resignation and grim determination carved into his lined face. It had nearly caused her heart to burst.

She had continued to watch with increasing horror as Remus transformed from man to wolf. Her face still bore tiny crescent shaped dents from when her nails had unconsciously dug into her face as she watched. She was a woman of action, an auror- it had been torture to sit there and stare helplessly through that small mail slot, wishing with all her heart that he wouldn't have to go through the monthly process that he loathed so much.

At one point during the night (in the midst of ripping apart the blanket) the wolf had turned sharply, probably catching just the slightest whiff of her. Had it caught more, it would have attacked that door for the rest of the night, but she had sat there in the shadows, holding her breath as golden eyes peered through the mail slot holding no love, no recognition, nothing of the man she knew. A wolf with a wild, crazed lust for sinking its teeth into human flesh was what was peering into the darkness where she sat. That same vulnerability that she had felt that night at the Montgomery's with the transformed Fenrir, was back…and after what had seemed an eternity, the wolf had finally turned away.

Since she could do nothing for Remus at that point, she forced herself to sit it out and watch every terrible second of it.

In the end, Remus had gotten through another full moon but Tonks had found it harder.

She looked down at Remus whose breathing seemed to be easing up a bit. He looked so miserable, lying there, and she loved him. Utterly and totally loved him.

He was staring up at her, his brown eyes- no more eerie golden wolf ones- meeting her gaze straight on, apparently gathering some sort of internal strength.

Perhaps next time, she could bring some dittany with her. Just to clear up some of the cuts, it would help at least some of the nastier ones.

Remus was reaching for her face with slightly trembling fingers, she helped guide his bloody and bruised hand to the side of her cheek where it rested shakily- his touch surprisingly soft.

Bloody hell, she loved him. And as for secretly watching him transform…he could deny it all he wanted, but she knew he appreciated what she had done deep down. Sitting there, unwilling to move with Remus's hand on the side of her face, she wondered absentmindedly what had became of the chocolate she intended to pack. She had a terrible feeling she had left it sitting on the kitchen counter back home when she raced to toss everything into the satchel. Next time she'd remember. Maybe write a note to herself…

Remus closed his eyes momentarily and drew a few more unsteady breaths before opening them again.

"Tonks….will you marry me?"

Her brain which had been speeding along so smoothly before, came to a screeching stop as if it had collided into an unexpected brick wall. Her thoughts had turned into a useless pile of mush, her heart seemed to have stopped dead as the air left her lungs- she had to have heard him wrong. She had to have. She forced herself to speak, to say something-

"Hhhnnnnnggggghhh?"

"I understand this isn't the most romantic or appropriate of times to ask," he said quietly, a ghost of a smile on his cracked lips. "I didn't even plan on asking you this way at all, but I feel…well…I know this is the right time to ask you. If that makes any sense…"

She could only stare numbly at him, mouth still gaping.

"Tonks?" he whispered.

She drew a deep breath and then screamed so loudly he winced.

"Just one second!" she cried, barely making sure Remus was comfortable before racing to the door, throwing it open and sprinting outside into the early morning dawn-

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

Her scream had sent a flock of small birds nearby to take flight in panic and Tonks momentarily in the midst of her ecstasy, was forced to duck and take cover- but as soon as the danger had passed- she screamed with excitement again before racing back inside the bunker.

Remus was now standing unsteadily using the wall for support, the cloak she had given him wrapped around him like a demented toga.

"Let me make sure I've got this straight- you finally have asked me…to marry you?"

"Yes."

Tonks let out a strange noise that was half a snort, half sob.

"I take it that's a 'yes' then?" Remus said with a tentative smile.

"YES!" she cried throwing herself into his arms.

She had done so a little too enthusiastically and his head bounced off the stone wall with a sickening loud thud.

"Bugger! Are you alright?"

"Mild concussion, that's all." he muttered.

"Here, do you want to sit down again?"

"No, no. I should probably stand for a bit."

Tonks put her hands on either side of his face, looking into his eyes which seemed to be reflecting her own dazzling happiness despite his obvious exhaustion. "Took you long enough! I mean really, you put me off so many times I thought you'd never get around to it. I considered asking you, but we both would have known that you and your old fashioned ways would never have stood it."

"I wouldn't have minded." said Remus, and she could tell that he was sincere. She beamed.

"AHHHH!! WE'RE FINALLY GOING TO GET MARRIED!"

"I know."

She felt like swatting his shoulder for that comment but settled instead for pressing her lips fiercely to his. The kiss instantly deepened, and Tonks felt herself fall into a dizzying whirlwind of very much anticipated passion. She put her arms around his neck as fireworks seemed to explode inside her head and heart-the Hallelujah chorus had to be loudly playing somewhere-it was one of those glorious moments that seemed to last much longer than it really was.

She pulled back, feeling rather flushed as she tried to catch her breath, beaming up at him.

Remus spoke up first, "I'm afraid I don't have a ring. As I stated earlier, I had no intention of asking you like this."

"I don't need a ring." she snorted. "I'd probably lose it anyways."

"Nonetheless, I'm still going to get you one."

But Tonks couldn't think of anything else except the dazzling thought of being engaged to Remus. Bollocks to a ring or a fancy restaurant or however it was supposed to go. She was going to get married! Married! Finally married to Remus Lupin!

"When are we going to get married?" she asked.

"I'm not sure." he admitted. "When do you think we should?"

"Soon."

"Really?"

"Well I don't want a really big wedding and I'd say we've put this off long enough."

"True." he smiled. "But are you sure about the wedding size?"

She nodded, reaching out and pushing some of the grey hairs that had fallen into his face off to the side. "Yeah…see my Mum eloped with my Dad, so I was never one for the big glorious weddings that everyone seems to fantasize about."

"Well we'll have to think it all over carefully." said Remus, his hand snaking around her waist.

"Mmmm." she said, her mind now focusing on something entirely different- Mrs. Nymphadora Lupin! Ugh. Mrs. Tonks Lupin! Awkward. Mrs. Dora Lupin…hmm…workable.

Remus had been watching her closely. "Why such a serious expression?"

"Oh nothing…I was just thinking for a moment of my name. You know- if I marry you…I'd be a Lupin."

"Well yes, you would be." he said, his voice lilting with amusement.

"And so I was thinking of what name would sound best. Nymphadora does not sound good with any last name you know."

He chuckled at that and Tonks grinned. With one hand still around her waist, he suddenly cupped her chin with his fingers to better look into her eyes for a moment. He seemed to be searching intently for something in her blissful expression. "You said 'yes'."

"Well…yes." Tonks said, slightly confused at the incredulous tone in his voice. "I mean, did you really expect I'd say no?"

But he had already closed the gap with his lips in a warm, tender kiss that made her insides squirm and quickly melt in a way that always occurred whenever Remus kissed her like that…

Remus was the one who broke it that time, gripping the side of the wall suddenly, swaying slightly. Tonks though she was still caught up in the romantic moment, forced herself to focus on the situation with an auror's eye-

"If I'm knackered I can't even imagine how wretched you feel."

"I'm alright." he said hoarsely.

"And the 'Screaming Skulls' are a good band." said Tonks sarcastically. "Come'on- let's go home. You should probably be resting somewhere safe and not in this miserable, dreary bunker."

She held his hand to apparate them both away (she doubted Remus would be able to do it properly himself) and felt him squeeze her hand back gently.

"I'll get us back alright." she reassured him.

"I'm not worried about that." Remus smiled. "I was just practicing for future skydiving with you."

"We'll run and jump holding hands then?"

"Yes…" he said so quietly, Tonks had to lean closer to hear him. "We'll jump together."

Another small author's note: Eh- "lo siento". I'm going to be gone for a short while-three weeks. Obviously, I'm not going to be able to post anything during that time, but I'm gonna have a ton of time on an airplane where I can write and outline future chapters to come. So I just wanted to let you all know that I will have another chapter up, but its going to be a short while. Please don't think I've disappeared or something. Remember that I'm gonna try to have this finished by the end of the summer. Again, I'm sorry for the wait. :(