The next morning Tonks was awoken by Crookshanks pouncing on her and fixing his claws into her arm.
"Bloody cat," she muttered, sitting up and rubbing her arm where a small gash had appeared.
"Oh Tonks I'm terribly sorry," Hermione apologized, rushing over to check that she was ok. "I think it's the bright hair, he was attracted to it."
"It's fine Hermione," Tonks forced herself to smile. "Don't worry about it."
She dragged herself off the couch and slowly followed Hermione into the kitchen where the rest of the Weaselys along with Fleur were digging into breakfast.
"Tonks how wonderful to see you," Arthur beamed at her from across the table.
"Hello Arthur," Tonks replied.
"Tonks dear sit down and have something to eat," Mrs Weasely invited.
"Thanks Molly but to be honest I don't feel that hungry."
"Nonsense," Molly brushed her off. "You must be starving."
Tonks obligingly sat down as Mrs Weasely summoned her a plate from a nearby cupboard. As she took a mechanically took a small bite of toast she heard Fleur whisper loudly to Bill.
"Ez zat ze one marrying ze old werewolf creature?"
Bill looked embarrassed and shot Tonks an apologetic glance over the table which she chose to ignore.
"You must be tired Arthur," Tonks said loudly before Fleur could say anything else.
"Yes I suppose I am, I shall go for a nap after this I think," Mr Weasely said through a mouthful of toast.
"Who's turn is it for guard duty tonight?" Tonks asked.
"It was supposed to be Dungs but I swapped with him," Bill told her.
"I'll do it for you," Tonks offered. "It's not as if I have anything else to do," she said miserably.
Bill started to protest but she cut him off.
"I'll do it," she said firmly
"I know why you did that," Mrs Weasely told Tonks as the two and Ginny cleared away all the breakfast things.
Tonks remained silent, focusing her attention on levitating the freshly cleaned cups into the cupboard.
"Avoiding Remus will not solve anything you know. You two need to sit down and talk, that's not going to happen if you're hiding out over here or over in Harry's street," Mrs Weasely advised her.
"I think mums right," Ginny piped up. "And look here's your chance." She pointed out the window to where Lupin was making his way towards the house.
"I can't!" Tonks turned pale. "Please Molly, I need some more time to think things through and then I promise I will go and talk to him but not here, not now," she begged.
Mrs Weasely hesitated for a moment, "fine but I'm not going to send him away so you had better make yourself scarce," she waved Tonks waved away.
"You can sit in my room until he has gone," Ginny offered.
Without another word Tonks slipped out of the room seconds before there was a knock at the door.
"Remus!" Mrs Weasely unlocked the door with her wand and ushered him inside. "Lets go through to the living room shall we? It's a bit more comfortable in there."
She quickly resealed the door before following Lupin into the sitting room.
"She's here isn't she," he said quietly as he sat down on the very same couch Tonks had slept on the previous night.
"Well…" Mrs Weasely replied uncomfortably.
"Molly don't lie, please. She didn't come home last night and she didn't turn up at her parents so this was the only other place she could have come to," Lupin sighed.
"I'm afraid she doesn't want to see you," Mrs Weasely said awkwardly.
"Not surprising after what I said," Lupin said bitterly.
"Do you really not want to get married?" Molly enquired.
"No I do it's just the timing, its all happened at the wrong time."
"If you want my opinion then this is the perfect time to get married. It shows great strength being able to love and celebrate while You Know Who is at large once more," Mrs Weasely told him.
"I just can't help thinking that I'm going to regret it somehow," Lupin said uneasily.
"Don't be ridiculous," Molly brushed him off. "Now you get yourself home while I go and chat with Tonks."
Lupin was about to respond when he stopped himself, "Thank you Molly," he said gratefully.
"Is he gone?" Tonks asked quickly as Mrs Weaseley joined her in Ginny's room.
"Yes, he's gone," Mrs Weasely told her while sitting down on the thin bed. "He feels awful you know."
"He deserves it," Tonks snapped. "I bet he told you to come up here and talk me into going home didn't he?"
"No as a matter of fact I told him I would come and speak to you," Molly informed her. "Now you can either go and speak to him now or wait until your shift at Privet Drive."
"What if I don't want to talk to him," Tonks said stubbornly.
"Don't be so silly. You love him and he loves you and by the end of the week you two will be happily married and then I can get on making plans for Bill's wedding."
Tonks hesitated for a moment, "Fine then," she gave in. "But I'll let him suffer for longer first."
