FINALLY!!!!! I got this up...it took long enough. I know, shoot me. This chapter is a shorter than usual, but I have the next few planned out, and hopefully they will be up later this week (I have break). I apollogize sooo much for not getting back to you sooner, but I had writer's block (I hate that!), school, youth group, Holidays, and just life in general. I know those are terrible exuses, and I feel so bad, but I hope this will live up t your expectations. The tone is a bit different, but here ya go!

I'd like to express my ever-lasting gratitude to loverofthequill who pulled through for me again by giving me the playground in which to play. Do her a favor and check out her story "Scared to Love", it's pretty amazing. Thanks so much, this chapter is for you!

WARNING! ***this chapter includes some minor language (which I am VERY opposed to, but I couldn't get the intonations across without ressorting to swears). I hope this doesn't offend anyone***

Disclaimer: Though I have been gone long, Harry Potter still does not belong to me. Anyway, On with this story!

How in Merlin's name did Tonks concentrate on her work the next day, she would never know. She was floating on clouds – her first date was a success!! All she could do was stare at the clock in her cubicle and will it to move faster.

"NYMPHADORA!" Moody screeched, causing Tonks to jump a foot in the air.

"What in the name of Merlin's zipper hoodie is your problem Mad-Eye?!" she yelled, once she had regained her equilibrium.

"My problem is that you have one hour left of work and you have not done a scrap of paperwork!" he lowered his tones significantly and continued, "and if you don't finish, you will not be able to come to the meeting tonight, consequently, you will not be seeing your beloved Remus."

"You could have just said so. You didn't need to scream, geez." She responded, spinning back to her desk.

"Geez yourself Ms. Tonks. I expect this all on my desk in one hour."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. It'll be there," Tonks muttered to herself as Moody clomped out of her cubicle. Ahh bugger! How on Earth am I supposed to finish this?!

***

"Remus, I think I got Carpal Tunnel today." Tonks complained to her boyfriend the moment she arrived at headquarters.

"Why is that my dear?" Remus asked, looking amused.

"Because I did two stacks of paperwork in an hour!" she whined.

"A new record. I'll make you a certificate." Remus said with a smile playing at his lips. Tonks sighed dramatically and hit him lightly on the chest. He caught her hand and pulled her close. Suddenly the world was spinning faster and a fog was clouding her brain. "I didn't get my hello kiss."

"All you had to do is ask," she said breathily.

"Well then, I should have asked sooner," he answered with a wink. Remus leaned his head down and rested it on her forehead. "Welcome my dear Nymph." He whispered to her as he lowered his lips to meet hers in a sweet, but passionate kiss.

"Oi Moony, the meeting's about to start. Minnie is going ballistic." Sirius said, emerging from the kitchen.

"We're coming," Remus said, not looking at his best friend.

"Ok, but better make it snappy, because if you don't, I'll come out again, and god only knows what I'll see next time." Sirius retorted, smirking,

"You are so dead Padfoot!" Remus yelled, chasing the other man back into the kitchen.

"What is the meaning of this?!" exclaimed a frazzled McGonagall. "Boys, I thought you two would have matured since leaving school, but apparently I was wrong."

"You don't know just how wrong Minnie," Sirius cheecked.

"Mr. Black! Just because you are long out of school and now on a first name basis with me, does not mean that I have revoked my ability to punish you." Minerva's nostrils flared menacingly.

"Aww, come on McGonagall, what are you going to do, bring us back to school one Saturday and put us to writing lines?" Sirius said, mocking horror.

"I wouldn't put it past her," Remus said, snickering.

"This all concerns you too Mr. Lupin. I would like to see both of you in my office next weekend. Now, are we all mature enough to begin this meeting?" Minerva said, looking around as if to dare anyone to say otherwise.

"Ahh, Nymphadora, I see you made it with these rascals." Moody said, nodding his head in the direction of Sirius and Remus giggling like school girls at their new punishment.

"It's TONKS! And yes, I clearly made it, though I'm sure you have given me a case of Carpal Tunnel, sir."

"Yes, very well then. We have some important business to attend. I have a new mission for two. This mission will require skills, guts, and quick thinking." Moody said gravely.

"Mad-Eye, what mission do you give us that isn't all those things?" Tonks asked realistically.

"Oh shut it girl. This one's different. This time, the two who go will be going into the heart of danger. They will be locating, and planting infiltrating devices around the Death Eater headquarters." The table collectively drew in a breath.

"Who will be going?" Tonks ventured to ask.

"Because of your cheek, you will be going." Moody said with a satisfied grin.

"No," came a small voice from the corner of the room. "I will not allow it." Remus said calmly, emerging from the shadows where he was concealed with Sirius.

"What do you mean, you won't allow it?" Moody said incredulously.

"I mean what I mean. I will not allow Nymphadora to do this mission. Especially until I know who her partner is." Remus continued steadily stepping closer to the table.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, you can be her partner." Moody said.

"No Alaster, that does not make me feel better. I cannot let Dora be exposed to that kind of danger."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about Remus?!" Tonks cried, not able to keep her mouth shut any longer. "I am a fully qualified Auror and member of the Order, what do you mean, 'It's too dangerous'? Are you out of your mind?"

"No, I'm not. I don't want you risking your life! You mean too much to me. Please," he said turning to Mad-Eye, "please, let Arthur or Kingsley go. Anyone but Dora."

"Just wait a moment there Remus," she said in an eerily quiet voice. "You don't want me risking my life? Lupin, I risk my life every fucking day! I'm an auror, I'm in the order, and I'm a half-blood!" Tonks said, her voice steadily getting louder with each word. "I'm basically signing my funeral papers, and you are standing here telling me that I can't participate in the exact thing that I am risking and dedicating my life for?!"

"Yes Tonks, that is what I'm saying. I know you are in danger, but I don't want to add to that. You left school 4 years ago. You should be enjoying life, and living like a normal young adult!" Remus practically screamed.

"REMUS JOHN LUPIN! I CAN'T LIVE LIFE AS A 'NORMAL YOUNG ADULT' BECAUSE I AM A FUCKING AUROR!! MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAFE, AND YES, THAT MEANS THAT I AM AT RISK OF DYING. JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE OLDER DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU CAN CONTROL MY LIFE! YOU JUST GOT A FREAKING DETENTION AND YOU'VE BEEN OUT OF SCHOOL FOR YEARS!"

"Fine. Give me one good reason that you shouldn't stay behind. Give me one god reason and I will let you go."

"Remus," Tonks said, almost in tears, "I need to help people. I need to save them. I need to make it so children can run and play in the yard without their parents thinking that they will be murdered. You know what it was like when I was growing up. I couldn't leave the house without my mother or father with me. They were constantly worrying that I would be murdered in front of their eyes. I was young, but that didn't stop me from hearing my mother's screams in the middle of the night. I heard my father comforting her, telling her that I wouldn't die, and that when she came home, there wouldn't be a Dark Mark over the house." Tonks had tears pouring down her face. "It's my duty to this world to make sure that children don't grow up like I did. It's my duty to make sure that all children grow up in a house like the Weasley's," she pointed at Arthur and Molly who were holding on to each other as they watched the scene play out before them. "But I need to make that sense of security permanent. And that's why I'm here, fighting this war, and that's why you cannot stop me."

"I see that I am going to be over ruled here, but please Dora," he pulled her into a close embrace, "please, don't risk your life anymore than you have to. Don't get on the wrong side of people."

She pushed away from him and glared into his chocolate eyes. "I already am on the wrong side of someone. Her name is Dolores Umbridge. And you know how I'm on the wrong side of her?" Tonks said, dangerously.

"Yes, but why don't you enlighten me? I'd like to see how you think of it." Remus said smoothly.

His tone made Tonks even madder. "I am on the wrong side of Umbridge, because I am going out with a fucking werewolf!"

Remus winced, as though her words physically hurt him. "Then you know what? Why don't you change that, and I'll just get out of your life." Remus said turning towards the door.

"No, that's not what I want!" Tonks pleaded.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

Remus groaned. "Why can't you get it through your head? I'm a threat to you! And anyway, it sounds to me like you don't want me anymore; that you can't stand who I am anymore. And if that's the case, this definitely won't work." Remus said, biting his words.

"Well, clearly I'm not the only one who has a thick skull, because I have told you, I don't care what she thinks. Umbridge can think whatever the hell she wants. That doesn't change how I see you, or how much I love you." Tonks said, her voice turning from blazing mad to a heart-wrenching tone.

"Why can't you understand?" Remus began, turning towards her. "I'm too old, too dangerous, and too poor for you. Don't you care about your job and your life?"

"Why can't you understand?! Of course I care about my life, but I don't care about what other people think of me. I don't give a damn to what she thinks. She can shun me all she wants, but she's not going to make me give you up."

"Tonks! Dora, that's ridiculous. I knew this was a bad idea from the start. Maybe I should just go. I'll leave you to risk your life all you want, but I'm not going to be responsible. Good bye Dora, I'll miss you." He kissed her forehead lightly and with a swish of his cloak, he walked out of the meeting and out of her life.

"Well, I think that effectively ends out meeting. Meeting adjourned." McGonagall said tentatively. Chairs scraped and people murmured as they left Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

***

"Did he really leave?" Tonks said, after an hour of crying.

"Yes sweetie. Would you like me to find him?" Molly said comfortingly, rubbing her back.

"No, I don't think I can see him now." Tonks looked up, and saw Molly, Arthur, Minerva, Sirius and Moody all looking at her with deep concern in their faces. "Why did he leave me?"

"He left because he needed time to think. He was hurting because you were treating him like an equal."

"Why in the name of Merlin would that be an insult?!" Tonks said quickly standing, suddenly very angry again.

"He blames himself for all the pain you go through. He's too selfless for his own good sometimes."

"Why is he so chivalrous?" she asked, plopping down on the chair. "Why?" Molly never saw Tonks looking this despaired. It was worse than when Ginny's first pet, a gold fish named Goldie, died.

"Because he's a Gryffindor, and Gryffindor's are big headed and too kind and selfless for their own good. You know what the Sorting Hat says, 'Their daring nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart'. It's not you, it's him."

"Sirius, you're my cousin and his best friend. DO something!"

"Anything for you Tonks. I'll be back. I need to go talk sense into him." He told the people around. They all nodded with approval.

***

"Remus John Lupin, you come out here right now!" Sirius yelled through the bathroom door.

"Padfoot, go away, I don't want you here." Remus called from inside.

"I don't' give a shit, because I am here to talk to you. You are a fucking idiot. You know that?"

"Yes, I did know that. You haven't failed to tell me every other time I fall into a mood like this."

"Good, I'm glad you know that. Now, get out of the bathroom so I can talk to you face to face." The door creaked open to reveal a gaunt looking Remus. "Come one out of there, and go sit on the couch."

Remus had no choice but to do what Sirius told him. "Padfoot, why are you here?"

"To tell you how much of a git you are. Do you know what you did to my cousin?"

"Yes."

"Let me here what you think." Sirius said coolly.

"I left her so she can live a happier life without the shame of being with me." Remus said, with this head in his hands

"Is that what you honestly think?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe you don't deserve her." Sirius spat. "If you knew anything about Tonks, you would know that your lycanthropy means absolutely nothing to her. She loves you for you, the Moony that we see every day, except the day of and day after a full moon. That monster that you become – that's insignificant to the amount of love that she has for you."

"She doesn't deserve my love. My love is tainted Padfoot. It was and always has been."

"Now that is ridiculous. How do you think she fell for you in the first place, eh? Magic?" Sirius smiled, trying to get his best friend to crack at his feeble attempt at a joke. "Moony, the love that runs through your veins is purer than any I have seen lately. Your love is tried and true. You just need to find the courage to accept that on your own."

"But how Padfoot? I don't even know how to think about myself without wanting to rip myself to pieces because of the monster that I am."

"Moony. Look at me," Sirius said. "You are the best friend I ever had. You and James together made my life happy again, even though my house life was dreadful. Now it's just you, man. You are more human than anyone I've ever known."

"How can you think that? All I want to do is be dead."

"There, that! Right there. That's proof enough for me."

"How's that proof Pads?"

"It proves to me that you are human enough to feel this pain. That you have enough human emotions to want out. I know how you feel – I've felt that way many times in my life, but it was you and James who helped me pull through, and now it's my turn to return the favor. I hope this is enough. I don't have anything else to say. Now it's just up to you Moony." Sirius said, getting up from the couch, patting his friend on the shoulder. As he reached to open the door, Remus called out to him.

"Sirius, could you stay here a bit? Just to make sure I don't do anything too drastic?" Remus said, almost pleaded.

"Of course Moony. Anything for you." Sirius reclaimed his spot on the sofa and sent a quick patronus to Molly telling her not to wait for him. The two men sat in silence, both absorbed in their own thoughts.

Who wants to punch Remus right now? I DO!! Oh well, he'll come round...or will he? Thanks for reading and sticking with me! Reviews are greatly appreciated, and I hopefully will get the next chapter up in the next few days. Until then...~mangotango101