Finally ... sorry that took so long school has kept me really busy... but its up now and i hope you like it. please please please review so i know that there is some one out ther who is still reading this.
Disclaimer: i own nothing
The meeting ended with not much new news. Dumbledore reminded Tonks and Remus that they were the ones on guard duty (as if she wasn't already freaking out about it) and hurried off with Minerva back to Hogwarts. Many people stayed for dinner and conversation. Tonight was her first real order mission, and sure people said it was dull and a nuisance, but she couldn't wait. The idea that what she was doing could lead to the down fall of the dark lord was exhilarating. Tonks didn't have to be there till half an hour from now, but thought she would stop by her flat and grab a warm coat or jacket, knowing how cold it gets down in the department of mysteries. But her path was stopped by a flare of red.
"Hey Tonks." Charlie Weasley engulfed her in a bear hug, which she returned wholeheartedly. She could have sworn she'd seen Remus looking at her intently, but when she glanced over he was in conversation with Bill. Charlie was one of her best friends in school and was like a brother to her.
"Sorry I couldn't chat too much the other night I had to run."
"That's fine Weasley, but I thought you were in Romania playing with dragons." He chuckled.
"It's hardly play, but I love it. I'm back for a few weeks until I get my official orders from Dumbledore. He doesn't know if he wants me to transfer here and help at main base or recruit in Romania." Tonks smiled at him. She really did miss him. He was like her protective brother who set her up with his friends and pulled legendary pranks with her. People always thought that they were an item, and they did try once in school. But it was far too awkward and weird to continue on, it felt like she was dating her brother. But she did care for him and they agreed to stay friends.
"You look great Charlie."
"Ditto Tonks. So what's new with you? Heard you made aurors. Congrats" they chatted about their lives and current events for sometime. She glanced at the clock and saw that she had ten minutes to get to guard duty.
She reluctantly said goodbye to Charlie and looked through the people to find Remus. She found him at the far end of the table talking with Hestia Jones. Tonks swallowed hard when she noticed Hestia's hand on Remus' arm. She was looking very intently at Remus, and twirling her hair flirtatiously. Remus just smiled politely at her with no signs of the retaliated interest. She laughed almost a little too loudly at Remus and leaned a fraction of an inch closer to him. Tonks cleared her voice to gain his attention.
"We should get going Remus."
"Oh, of course. It was nice chatting with you Hestia." She looked disappointed at the lost entertainment
"Good bye Remus." Remus followed Tonks out of the kitchen and out the front door. Tonks didn't really understand why but she was angry with Remus. She knew rationally she had no reason to be. He was able to talk, and flirt with women all he wanted. Hell for all she cared he could marry Hestia if he wanted to. But she couldn't help but give him the cold shoulder when she led him out of the house.
They placed disillusionment charms on themselves and disapperated. She turned on her heal to apperate into the ministry. She felt her feet hit the floor and felt the familiar rush of the ground coming to meet her. Before she could crash to the floor strong arms wrapped around hers and stopped the downward motion. Remus whispered in her ear,
"Shhh, Nymphadora you know I love your loud personality, but we don't want people to know we are here." Tonks could have been offended that he said her full name, or that he called her loud, but she couldn't get over the fact that his warm breath was lightly blowing on her ear. She huffed with quiet laughter.
"Gravity never really did want me to stand I guess." He set her right on her feet when he noticed that it probably wasn't appropriate to keep holding her.
They snuck down to the department of mysteries with out another sound. Tonks realized all too late that disillusionment charms don't work in the department of mysteries. She slowly saw her self come back into sight, first her hands and feet and then her mid-drift. All sorts of alternatives were running through her mind, and the situation that they were in. she looked up to see Remus pulling out a silvery and silk like fabric. An invisibility cloak. Remus blushed slightly, "Uh, Mundungus is using the other invisibility cloak of guard duty on harry tonight, so we only have one." He looked down at his feet, he knew they both had to go under the cloak, but he also knew that they would be in extremely close proximity to do so.
"If I smell bad you know you just tell me." She joked. He was relieved that it wouldn't be awkward, but he could help but pull her leg a bit.
"Now that you mention it I did catch a whiff of something while you were falling to the ground." She laughed. Merlin she had a beautiful laugh.
"Oh did my beauteous, sweaty, masculine fragrance waft your way Lupin?" She batted her eyes in a mock flirtatious manner.
"I smell so disgustingly wonderful that you want to be under an invisibility cloak with me all night?" he shook with silent laughter. As he wrapped the cloak around them he whispered,
"You're so smart Tonks, you've caught on to my evil ploy." They stood in stillness for a few moments not knowing what to do next. They were now within inches of each other and both found it harder than normal to concentrate on the task at hand. Finally Tonks spoke in a hush tone.
"We should find a place to sit and survey. If we keep standing here someone might run into us." Lupin blushed slightly. They found a suitable place against the adjacent wall of the door that they were guarding. By far the most awkward part of the mission was the seating arrangement. They sat down side by side, but the cloak revealed Remus' lower legs. He tried crossing them, but his knees popped out. He pulled his knees to his chest which seemed to do the trick, but it was terribly uncomfortable. He extended his legs again.
"Do you think death eaters will notice a pair of legs on the ground?" Tonks quirked a smile.
"They're evil Remus not stupid."
"Well what do you suggest I do?" They tried a few more positions side by side, but Remus was just so bloody tall.
"It fit us fine when we were standing." Lupin said in frustration.
"Well that's because we were facing each other." A light switched on in both of their minds. Oh Merlin's pants! They just stared at each other with alarm and embarrassment. But before either of them could say anything the lift opened at the end of the corridor. Remus pulled Tonks into his lap and curled their legs, covering both their bodies. A ministry official walked right past them and headed down towards the personal offices. They both let out a breath of relief.
"Well at least your legs are hidden now."
"Yeah… that's good." The silence hung thick in the air. The same ministry official past by again with a stack of papers in hand. Tonks and Remus shifted in to more comfortable positions. Tonks was resting her back on Lupin's chest and was sitting in-between his legs. His arms were resting on his knees on either side of Tonks. They set a silencing charm and waited.
What the hell am I suppose to say? Lupin was having an internal conflict. What does someone say in this situation? One thing was for sure, he couldn't stand the uncomfortable silence any longer. She was so close that he was breathing in her scent. She smelled wonderful; he couldn't really define it, but it suited her perfectly. There was something that his heightened wolf smell could sense wasn't hers, it smelled masculine and almost burnt. Charlie.
"So have you known Charlie for long?" Damn and I almost forgot about that scene! He remembered seeing her in his arms and how he felt a sudden knot in his stomach.
"Uh, yeah he was one of my best mates in school." She replied. "We pulled of some brilliant pranks together. Of course, not as legendary as the marauders. Professor Sprout was a burnet before I was in school; I take credit for every gray hair on her head" Lupin chuckled.
"You would have been a marvelous Marauder if you went to school with us." Tonks felt the awkward air lift from the atmosphere; they were back to the casual conversation and friendly manner. She relaxed a bit more into his chest. Gods he was warm. She smelled some faint fragrance of chocolate along with old books and something that smelled distinctly Lupin. She vaguely remembered the smell of chocolate from her dream the night before, but had no intention to think into it.
"So, Hestia was in the last war as well?" Gods she hoped that sounded casual. He looked quizzically at her.
"Yeah, she was."
"Oh."
Quiet.
"Did you get to know her well during the last war?" she asked.
"Yeah we were friendly. We were paired a few times on missions. She fought admirably, as did everyone else." Tonks nodded.
"Well she seemed nice." Tonks said.
"Oh yeah she is nice. But she can be a bit nosey at times." Tonks' heart lifted slightly, Lupin thought bad of Hestia,
"Oh? How so? If you don't mind me asking."
"Well she asks about my condition quite a lot and is always trying to talk to me about the different phases of lycropathy and such. She would ask if I wanted to talk about my condition over tea. She once even asked for my schedule in correspondence to the phase of the moon or if i was free to talk about it sometime." Tonks gapped. This man was clueless.
"I'm pretty sure she wanted your schedule for alternative reasons Remus."
"What do you mean?" she laughed.
"Oh come off it Remus she wanted to know your schedule so she could ask you on a date."
"Tonks that's absurd."
"Oh come on Remus you must know that women are attracted to you." She felt her cheeks get red as he looked at her quizzically.
"I mean you're intelligent, funny and pretty handsome." He chuckled.
"You flatter me Nymphadora." She turned her eyes to meet his.
"I'm serious Remus you're a great guy, and a pretty damn good catch." Right now Hestia was the furthest thing from his mind. What was Tonks saying? Was she speaking for Hestia or for herself? the moment was cut all too short by the noise of the lift.
Remus and Tonks froze with wands pointed at the lift. Kingsley stepped out of the lift, but neither Tonks nor Remus lowered their wands. Kingsley walked down their corridor and announced,
"I'm Kingsley Shackelbolt; six foot and a half inch, and an inch and three measly quarters shorter than the towering Remus Lupin." Tonks nearly blurted out laughing, but remembered the seriousness of the situation, they were on order duty. She looked up to Remus and saw his wide smile. He noticed her questioning stare.
"It was another part of the bet, and that's how he identifies himself to me. It's embarrassing for him, but a confidence booster for me." They stood and pulled off the cloak, revealing them selves to Kingsley.
"Wotcher Kingsley." He smiled.
"Hello Nymphadora." She glared at him.
"Don't call me Nymphadora." Kingsley chuckled.
"Is our shift already over?" asked Remus.
"Yep" Answered Kingsley as he took the cloak from Lupin.
"Ok well have fun Shacklebolt." Tonks yawned. They started to leave when Kingsley spoke after them.
"Oh, Tonks, Remus," they turned around. "be careful going home. I had the feeling that someone was following me and Sturgis said he could have sworn someone was following him the other night." Remus and Tonks nodded in understanding
"We'll be careful, thank you for the warning shorty." Tonks joked as she entered the lift. Lupin laughed genuinely. Kingsley glared at her.
"One stupid inch and three quarters." He mumbled.
In the lift Lupin and Nymphadora disillusioned themselves. Remus was having an inner turmoil as the lift rose to the atrium. What should he do about Tonks? He didn't want her to walk home alone, due to Kingsley's warnings, but he didn't want to seem like a demeaning man walking her home. He thought of her walking home by herself and possibly getting hurt or captured by death eaters. This image stopped his internal trouble; he couldn't chance her safety. The exited the lift and walked to the apperating area.
"Well, see you later Lupin." Tonks bid him a farewell. She was about to turn on her heal when Lupin stopped her.
"Is everything alight?" she asked
"Let me walk you home." He blurted out not able to keep the worry out of his voice. For a moment Tonks' heart skipped a beat and she believed that Lupin wanted to walk her home for alternative reasons, but she remembered Kingsley's warning and felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"Is this about Kingsley's warning?"
"Yes, these things aren't meant to be taken lightly Nymphadora."
"I should be the one escorting you home. I am technically more qualified to be walking home by my self."
"I have no doubt that your capable Nymphadora, I just want to make sure our newest and most valuable member gets home safe." She glared at him for his crafty persuasion, but she remembered that he couldn't see her
"Fine." She huffed.
"Lucky for you that with me flattery can go a long ways."
They apperated side along a few blocks from her apartment.
"We'll have to walk a bit, the ministry doesn't allow apperating jurisdiction in my area of town." she mumbled
"That's perfectly fine. It's a beautiful night for a walk."
He held out his arm for her to slip hers right through. They walked in comfortable silence through the thin crowd of people, going home from a nights worth of partying. Remus and her were laughing at the drunken slurs and actions of the people around them when they felt it. Someone was watching them. Tonks looked at Remus uncertainly of her suspicions. He gave her a small nod and led her on their continuing path. He leaned slightly down to whisper in her ear,
"Act natural and tone down your hair to blend in with the crowd." She smiled and laughed, leaning in to Lupin as if she was drunk herself and he just said a funny joke. Behind a group of people she morphed her hair into shoulder length light brown hair, and shortened her height a few inches. The crowds of people were too thin to loose who ever was following them, but she could make herself unrecognizable. They were still a block away from her flat and she still felt the stalkers behind them, and getting closer. Her guise didn't work, but she still kept her drunken appearance, which Lupin followed in suit. They were now on an empty street and could hear the stalkers quickly catching up to them. Lupin grabbed Tonks' forearm and dragged her down a side alley between a convenient store and a hair saloo.
"Remy! What are you doing?" the 'intoxicated' Tonks asked with giggles in her voice. Out of ideas Lupin spun her around against a wall and whispered intensely in her ear.
"We aren't two order members heading home; we are a couple having a snog in an alley." She could feel the shallow warm breathing from him on her neck.
"Pull out your wand slowly incase they move in on us." The quickened foot falls sounded at the entrance of the alley. They didn't pursue past the street curb though. Lupin had his hands on either side of Tonks on the bricks of the building. His lips were mere centimeters away from the skin of her neck. At first she was rigid and passive, but found that the situation needed to be more convincing. Lupin slowly moved his lips up her neck making sure never to press them to her skin. Her arms snaked up his body, and entangled at his neck. One hand remained on his neck, while the other ran through his hair. He felt the hard butt of her wand lightly press against his neck through her sleeve, reassuring that her wand was at the ready. She caressed his neck in a way that was convincing of their roles. She felt his warm breath and soft lips tantalizing her with their proximity. She wouldn't press him to her, but she had to admit it was tempting. She needed to keep a level head during this serious situation, but it wasn't easy. His warm breath slowly made its way up her neck, and to her ear. He paused there as his fringe tickled her skin and his breathing relaxed her body, and he continued his torturous path to her face.
Remus was having no luck in maintaining a steady heartbeat. He told himself that it was from the adrenaline of the circumstances, and not the fact that he had a gorgeous woman pinned to the side of the building. Well he didn't have her pinned per say, he wasn't even touching her, but he could almost feel her skin. He started low on her neck and slowly moved up. His mouth and throat were dry, but what could he do about it? Her hands entwined in his hair and neck, which nearly made him loose his composure. His path continued, with only a brief pause at her ear to maintain restraint. The stalkers seemed convinced; they didn't attack or interrupt the tryst, so they were obviously watching for their own perverted reasons. Remus had finally reached her lips, which were unconsciously his destination. Her head was tilted so that the only thing the voyeurs could see was the back of Lupin's head. Their lips were so close it was as if they shared a breath. His nose and hair tickled her skin. The sound or a roaring motorcycle startled their audience. Mumbles and the sound of quickened foot fall moving away from the alley. Neither one of them moved. Her currently deep blue eyes found his soulful caramel ones.
"Your flat isn't safe tonight, they might come back." She nodded.
"We'll get your cloths for tomorrow and head back to headquarters, just to be safe." She nodded again.
Remus backed away from the young woman and followed her the final block to her flat. She didn't dare look back into his eyes.
'Get a hold of yourself Tonks' she cursed herself for acting like a nervous armature. Lupin set up intruder wards while Tonks packed for the night and the next day. With a final flourish of his wand he finished the wards and lit the communication fire. It would have been foolish to use the ministry floo to bring Tonks home with the records they keep on their floos. Tonks came out of her room with her old quidditch duffle bag over her shoulder.
"Ready?"
"Yep" she replied. He reached for the floo powder on her mantle, but she halted his hand with hers.
"Remus – I" she paused and looked down at her feet.
"Is everything ok Nymphadora?" she seemed to be fascinated with the hem of her t-shirt.
"I just wanted to—um – well—thank you for making sure I wasn't abducted by death eaters." She still held his hand in a gentle hold. He squeezed it reassuringly.
"You're a valuable member of the order and a valuable friend, so you are of top priority." She flushed the deepest red that was natural for skin. He said this in a joking matter but there was no doubt about the level of sincerity in his voice. She looked up into his gaze and returned his smile.
Tonks reluctantly released her hold on Remus' hand, and flooed to headquarters,, but not before Lupin insisted on carrying her bag.
"Now Nymphadora what would happen to my gentlemanly status if I didn't carry your luggage?" They made it in to the kitchen of headquarters without any accident from Tonks. There tired feet carried them upstairs, without realizing where they were going. Without consciously realizing it Tonks picked the room across from Lupins to sleep in until morning. She giggled with pride as she whispered in his ear.
"I didn't wake up the whole house." He laughed.
"I'll make up your bed while you get ready for bed in the loo."
"Sounds good." She took her bag from him and headed to the bathroom. Her room shared this loo with another room. She closed the door and dropped her bag. Taking out her pajamas and toothbrush Tonks readied for bed. Her curiosity got the better of her, as she was brushing her teeth she decided to peek into the other room. The area of the house that they were in was in the east wing on a higher level. It was more of a private corner of the house. The bathroom connected two bedrooms and she was inquiring who lived in the other one. With her toothbrush still in her mouth she ventured off into the opposite room. The musky, chocolaty smell gave her no doubt that this was Remus' room. This meant that the room that she was sleeping in was the same one that she and Remus cleaned together. His room was simple; there was a dim light from the lamp on the desk. Besides the bed there was only a side table, a fireplace and the desk. The desk was littered with papers and books. She padded around the room for a few more seconds to satisfy her curiosity of the werewolf habitat. It strangely felt warm and comfortable in his room for her.
Reentering her room with her bag over her shoulder she saw Lupin folding down the covers for her. He noticed her and rushed to take her bag and her arm. He laughed at her frog slippers and her chocolate brown teddy bear. He hung her bag on the side post of the bed.
"Your such a sweetheart." He chuckled. She looked through her exhausted eyes into his. She felt stupid with her current entire and the slow smile across her face. She was sure that she looked like a tired slob, but he couldn't think of anything more adorable that he had ever seen. She let out a deep yawn. Remus smiled at her. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. At first he was at a loss of what to do, but he returned her embrace.
"Thanks Remus, for everything." He inhaled her scent.
"Of course Nymmphadora. Now get some sleep." She rose to her tip-toes and pressed her lips to his cheek.
"Night, night Remus." He leaned down to hide his blush and to pull back the covers for her. When she was all settled with her teddy bear, he tucked her in and left her room. He could have sworn he heard something about "Always the gentleman."
He readied himself for bed, pulled back the covers and slipped under them. His cheek felt warm and weirdly tingly. It was exactly how his skin reacted the last time she chastely kissed him, he couldn't say that he objected that much. 'In fact' he thought drowsily 'if I had that feeling all the time. Or even if the feeling traveled a bit east to my lips.' A smile traveled across his face as he drifted off to sleep. Her scent lingered as he slept.
Warm skin was under his lips waiting to be tasted. His arms held firm in their place on the wall, but hers strained his discipline. Her hands, inviting his mouth closer to her neck. He couldn't resist much longer, but did he want to? His hand fell away from his faithful spot on the wall and laced his fingers in the bright red hair. The slightest nudge brought her skin to his lips. There were no viewers at the entrance of the alley this time, just them. His other hand fell to temptation also. Resting on her hip, she took this as an invitation to mold her body to his. Her hot mouth mercilessly toying with his ear and his hunger. Abandoning her neck he covered her mouth with his. Sweet, hot lips against his, and her tongue in dance with his. He pressed them against the wall to deepen the kiss. A low escaped from his throat. He sat bolt up in his bed with a cold sweat on his back.
'Oh, Merlin Nymphadora, what are you doing to me?'
A/N: please review and again sorry it took so long.