Strangeways, Here We Come

Routine…

He was a man of routine – he had been for a long time, and imagined he probably would be for a long time to come. A part of it stemmed from necessity, what with the strict regimen of Wolfsbane potion that had to be administered at certain times for the appropriate effect; however, he found he liked stability during the rest of the month as well.

Sirius poked fun at him endlessly, saying he was dull enough to rival a History of Magic lecture with Professor Binns, but Remus enjoyed the constancy in his day to day activities. Wake up, take toast and tea, read the Daily Prophet, work on the Order duties that needed to be done, have some more tea whilst reading whichever book he happened to be happily ensconced in at the time…

Whenever Padfoot mocked him, he simply retorted that his missions were rife with danger and that was enough for him; surely returning to structure after harrowing and death defying escapades could be appreciated?

Moreover, in a way it also made things easier – it meant there were fewer surprises, fewer unexpected issues to deal with. The worst moments of his meagre existence had occurred when he'd been caught unawares, from being bitten as a boy to that tragic Halloween night so many years ago. He knew it was impossible to change those events, and that wasn't his aim – but at least he could have some comfort and reassurance for the future with the predictability he managed to arrange for himself.

Yet there were only so many things that could be predicted, and Tonks stumbling (quite literally) into his life and turning his well-worn routine on its head apparently hadn't been one of them.

Ever since that first meeting, she had thrown things off – whether it was joining him for tea or engaging him in cheery discussion or dragging him off with no specific purpose or destination in mind, she hadn't let him remain mired in his carefully crafted conduct.

Of course, that wasn't to say that he didn't enjoy it. In fact, it brought about a whole new habit for him, one that had been missing from his life without him even being aware of it: that of smiling freely, laughing unrestrainedly, and unabashedly enjoying himself. It took him much too long to realize it, and even longer to finally admit it to himself, but Remus eventually recognized that having Nymphadora Tonks right there beside him every day was the only routine he needed.

Would anybody like a nice, warm cup of reviews? I know I would! ;)

Toodles,
- ish -