I Do not own Harry Potter

BIRTHDAY PRESENT

"Tonks, where are you taking me, not that I mind but meeting is about to start.."

Remus Lupin, tried to slow down his girlfriend, who had his wrist in a grip and was dragging him upstairs of Grimmauld Place, far from hustle and bustle of meeting.

"I need to give you your birthday present." she said and rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious answer, which was not, because he wasn't aware that she knew of his birth date. In fact, he himself had forgotten that today was his birthday.

"How do you know-?"

"What? Just because you didn't told me, it doesn't mean I couldn't figure it out." she said as she pushed him into an empty room and took out her wand. For a moment he thought that she was going to hex him but then she locked and silenced the door.

He raised his eyebrows at her. Her eyes softened, she swiftly moved forward and engulfed him in a hug. "Happy birthday Remus." she whispered into his neck. For a moment, he just let himself enjoy her warmth and felt content in it. She looked up and gave him a loving kiss right on the lips, it was slow and sensuous and he wondered if that was his birthday present.

He didn't mind.

"I have something to show you." and with that she pushed herself away from him, sat on edge of the bed and invited him to sit by her side. He went willingly and smiled adoringly at her, only for the smile to slip off his face when she started unbuttoning her shirt.

He gulped. When she said 'I have something to show you' surely, she didn't meant...?

Suddenly he felt a little hot under his collar as she flipped open her second button with a smirk on her face which indicated that she had a fair idea of what she was doing to him.

"What-what are you doing...?" he asked huskily before she reached her third button. It wasn't that he didn't wanted her. Merlin knew, she was the most beautiful thing ever happened to him and some days he wanted all of her: body, mind, soul, to himself. Sometimes it got too hard to control. But he had to. Because no matter how much he loved her, or she loved him, he was still unsure about their future, as to what it would hold for them. He wasn't sure, what turn the war would take, or what more appalling werewolf legislation will be formed and how all that will affect their relationship. Sometimes, he shuddered to think that, maybe, maybe he would have to leave her.

Everything seemed fine and perfect when it was in the confines of four walls. They hardly have gone out on date or something as a couple. Even half of the order was unaware of their relationship. But what would happen once the word was out? Maybe order members will support him, but what about the society. Will it not look down upon Tonks for being in a relationship with a werewolf? What her parents will think? How will her ministry colleagues will react? For now she was content to keep everything in the secret but surely she would want to declare it to the world. God knew, she deserved it, and he wanted it too, to tell everyone that Nymphadora Tonks was his girlfriend or his fiance or his wife... She was not his some dirty little secret to be kept hidden in the dark. He loved her, she deserved to be honored. But will she be ever able to declare to the world with pride that Remus Lupin was her partner and yet not receive disapproval from the world?

These thoughts often made him doubt about their future. And it was with this notion that he avoided extreme physical intimacy. Because, he wasn't the type of man to make love to his girlfriend only to leave her. Because if even for a fleeting second, Tonks thought that he had used her, he won't ever be able to forgive himself and will loathe himself more than ever. She probably thought that he didn't want to get too far because he was a gentleman.

"Relax old man." Tonks said mockingly, bringing him back to present, her hand still on her third button. "It's not what you think." she winked at him and opened her third button anyway.

He tried looking away but failed miserably, as she pushed her shirt off her left shoulder, revealing creamy expanse of skin of her shoulder and above her breast.

He swallowed and looked more properly, just as he was pondering what it was that she wanted him to see, when he saw it.

And sucked in a shocked breath.

Just above the outline of her red bra, directly above where her heart would be was written Remus in black ink in an artful design.

She had got a tattoo. Of his name.

He was momentarily stunned and swallowed, took deep breaths and cleared his throat to gain composure. He leaned forward and looked closely at it, his earlier hesitation and timidness forgotten. The skin near the tattoo was red and inflamed which made him wince a little. It must have hurt like hell. The flesh was risen a bit where letters were written.

He looked incredulously at her."What have you done?" his voice came so tight as if someone was strangling his neck.

Her smile faltered a bit. "I wanted to give you something for your birthday. I knew you would cause a fuss if I tried to give you some gift so I instead got myself something. It's permanent."

"I guessed as much." just when he was thinking that there relationship might not be a permanent one, she had gone and inked his name on herself. Something that would never leave her skin, it would always be there even if she morphed it.

"When did you get it done?"

"Today at my lunch break."

"So that's where you were?" he asked thinking as usually she comes to meet him in her lunch break.

She nods her assent and he looked back at her tattoo. He touched one shaky finger to it, caressing his name, it felt as if someone had written with too much force on a paper, he makes a face which she noticed.

"Are you.. Are you angry?" she asked tentatively, but he doesn't answered her straight away.

"It must have hurt?"

"A bit. Don't you like it?" He finally looked up from his inspection of the tattoo and into her eyes. "It's not that I don't like it Nymphadora. It's... it's a very moving gesture, but you have gone into too much of trouble for me. I don't like seeing you hurt." he looked back at the inflamed skin. "See, your skin is too much soft here." he said though he avoided the real issue.

"Oh silly, it was nothing." she tried to soothe him.

"But, why? I mean..." he didn't knew how to say it "It's permanent.. What if in future..." he trailed off, avoiding her gaze thinking that he was likely to offend her.

"What if in future I found someone else? What if in future I got bored from you?" she all but spat the last words and he winced. That's not what he had meant. Merlin he messes up with everything. "You don't trust me or my love, you really don't!"

But Remus was already shaking his head vehemently before she had even finished speaking.

"No, no, no, Dora, of course not. God I am sorry, I didn't meant it like that-" he lean forward and placed a chaste yet powerful kiss on her lips. "I didn't meant to sound like an ungrateful git, what you have done for me, this, is more than anyone has ever done for my sake, with exception of marauders of course who learned to be animagus for me. You have shocked me into oblivion, if I gave you a impression that I was being unappreciative then I am so so sorry, love, that's not what I meant."

She looked a little unconvinced and he cursed himself for causing her doubt. Finally after few moments silence she asked quietly. "What did you meant then Remus? Are you planning on leaving me?"

He shook his head, trying not to seem guilty, because he was not planning on leaving her, he was just thinking if the future circumstances turned against them... Right?

"What I meant was that, we don't know what future would hold.. What if... What if I died? It's war after all."

She winced. "Great Remus! Of all the things to talk about on your birthday, you are talking about your death! Well, if you did die, this tattoo will remain as a prized possession to me, my personal memento. I feel honored you know, to have your name engraved upon me." she looked so sincere and innocent that he would have all but 'awwed' over her. She really thought so high of him.

He decided to let it drop. What was done was done, and as he said earlier, he didn't wanted to sound ungrateful. And it wasn't that he didn't liked it. He liked it more than he cared to admit. He felt touched and was deeply moved. Her this action has invoked something much deeper in his soul. He felt so loved that someone like Tonks would want to make him a permanent part in their life. She never ceased to amaze him.

"I don't know what I did to get landed with you." he shook his head in disbelief.

"I suppose you just got lucky." she gave him a wry smile. He shook his head again. A werewolf never gets just lucky in his life.

"Have I told you today that how much I love you and adore you?"

"Even if you didn't, I already know."

"Thank you, Dora, really Thank you." he said trying to show all his sincerity while looking in her eyes and was rewarded with her smile, which was devoid of uncertainty.

He leaned forward, before he could lose his nerve, slightly towards her exposed skin, and hesitantly traced the red inflamed skin near her tattoo with tip of his tongue. He felt rather than heard, her sharp intake of breath. His own breathing was ragged. He then blew cool air over the wet skin which caused her to shiver. He then looked and asked huskily, "Better?"

"Much." she whispered back. Then to avoid all temptation, he righted back her shirt, buttoned all the three button, but not before he kissed hollow of her throat.

"You have upped the ante, now I will have to come up with something equally brave and daring." he said with a teasing glint in his eyes, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"You know that you don't need to do anything for me except just keep loving me unconditionally. That's more than enough and more than I could ask for." she said earnestly, gazing lovingly into his eyes.

"That's something, you never, ever, need to ask, it's come naturally to me.. loving you. I would give myself willingly to you." he replied and pulled her onto his lap, trying to prove it through his actions.

Saraell and remusdora- I started this fic with intention of keeping it short but I didn't realized when it turned so long. Anyways, it was my first multi chaptered fic and I learned many things, I want to finish this as soon as I can so that I can concentrate on other new fic which I will try would be better than this and moreover not many people are reading this one but I promised myself that I will finish every fic I write even if one person was reading it.

remusdora- you requested a birthday chapter for my fic snippets, I never wrote it there because I had planned this one here. So hope you like it.

Also thanks to danadanaBATMAN, Guest, jesstlupin