When she thought back over her morning, Tonks felt that her new approach was off to a good start. When Remus had entered her flat and immediately touched his lips to hers, Tonks had unabashedly taken advantage of the uninterrupted time to let him kiss her slowly and thoroughly, keeping her touch to his body light: running her hand over his stubble, pushing her fingers through the shaggy strands of his hair. She'd had a hard time keeping her head when Remus had pressed her against her door, stroking his tongue along hers as he ran his hands around her body, settling on her bottom as he pulled her closer. Her hands had itched to explore him, to slide down his chest and shove them under his jumper to feel his skin under her fingers—but she didn't. Reveling in the feel of his body pressing her against the unyielding surface of her door and his fingers brushing over the small bit of exposed skin at her abdomen, Tonks had forced herself to keep one hand buried in Remus' hair while the other stroked the smooth—and, she happily found out, sensitive—skin just below his ear.
When the need for breath had taken over, they'd pulled apart, smiling breathlessly at one another. And she'd left it at that. Even though she would have rather pushed him to the couch and straddled his lap to snog him the way her traitorous mind imagined daily. Instead, she'd given him one final swift kiss before sauntering over to the couch and plopping down to resume her paperwork, leaving Remus with a bemused expression on his face.
For the rest of the afternoon, Tonks let him dote on her as they both worked. He brought her tea to go with her croissant, let her nap while he made sandwiches from the leftover pork roast her mother had sent with her after dinner one night, massaged her feet while she read aloud the more annoying of the interdepartmental memos she'd brought home along with her paperwork. She didn't move from the couch except to use the loo until Hestia arrived after three o'clock for her checkup—she assured Tonks that as long as her injuries looked well-healed, it would be the last one.
"I'm letting Remus take me to dinner tonight," Tonks announced as she pulled her t-shirt back over her head, hoping her tone told the older witch that she didn't want to argue over it.
With a shrug, Hestia gave Tonks a smile and said, "I don't blame you, really. You should take advantage of every opportunity your terrible schedules allow."
Tonks crinkled her eyebrows in confusion. Not that she wanted an argument, but she was surprised Hestia was letting her off so easily. "Really?"
"Yes, really," Hestia replied with a giggle as she stood from her spot perched on the edge of Tonks' bed. "It's not always easy to fit your life around Order duties. If you're both free for dinner, you should go."
The wistful tone in her voice prompted Tonks to wonder about the self-imposed singledom Hestia had mentioned that morning. She was suddenly curious, but still wasn't sure she should ask. The Order had lost a large number of their ranks during the first War, and she knew that Hestia was young enough that she'd only served a short time the first go, but certainly long enough to have loved and lost. Tonks opened her mouth, the question on the tip of her tongue, but Hestia was too quick.
"That doesn't mean it has to be a late dinner," she said, her commanding Healer tone back as she pointed an authoritative finger at Tonks. "Early to dinner, early home. You'll likely still be tired later."
After Tonks reported that her Healer had released her for dinner so long as their night ended early, Remus told her she should take her time and ready herself while he turned over the report he'd been working on to Dumbledore and sent some other work away by owl. Her mood vastly improved from earlier in the day, she turned on some music and went to sift through her clothes. In the end, she chose a short denim skirt with black tights underneath and a top with narrow black and white stripes that was cropped to show a hint of skin at her waist—long-sleeved for when the evening became chilly. Examining her hair critically in the bathroom mirror, Tonks decided to take pity on the Muggles they'd no doubt see as the chip shop wasn't wizard-owned and morphed her hair to a black layered style that came to her chin and had a wide pink streak through one of the layers near her face.
When Remus arrived—looking quite scrummy in a dark blue half-zip jumper and denims, something Tonks delighted in since she'd never seen him in blue jeans—Tonks Apparated them to the chip shop she'd promised him for dinner.
The place was a small family-owned restaurant in Muswell Hill, just north of London, that her father would take her to when they visited his sister—or when Ted treated her to one of his "dad's night out" adventures when Andromeda had Ministry Guild or book club or ladies' cards night. It had only a dozen or so tables and a counter with a number of stools; the light wood floor and darker wood-paneled walls gave it a homey feel. Since it was early for a Saturday night crowd, they were able to pick a table in the back corner—perfect for a cozy dinner just the two of them. They ordered two beers and chatted happily over the virtues of mushy peas versus malt vinegar as a companion to chips and whether chips was a meal itself or if something needed to go along with them to make it a full meal.
After their orders of chips, fishcakes, and steak and kidney pie arrived, Tonks took the time to fill Remus in on the latest in news with Mad-Eye and Edith, her run-in with Lucy in the Ministry cafeteria and her demand for dinner Friday night-even filling him in on the inopportune arrival of Severus while they were drinking their tea. Remus had chuckled heartily at the last bit, laughingly saying that he was sure Severus had been "thrilled beyond measure" at seeing a former student. Once their meals were nearly finished, Tonks told him about her plan she wanted to put in the works to set Lucy up with Henry Williamson's friend, Hamish.
Remus raised his eyebrows at Tonks. "Hamish from the Magical Games and Sports Department?" he asked before taking a sip of his beer.
Tonks eyed him with a small smile. "How'd you know that?"
"I heard him ask you about it," he said, returning her smile.
"But—" Tonks shook her head slightly and looked levelly at Remus, who was watching her with a grin. "The last time he asked me about it was…" It had been a while since Henry had brought up setting her up with his friend. And she couldn't think of when in the name of Merlin Remus and Henry had been in the same room with her.
"Early July, perhaps?" Remus asked.
"Early July? But how—" Tonks gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth before pointing a finger at Remus, who caught her beer when her enthusiastic pointing tipped her glass precariously. "Thanks, love," she said absently, still focused on the bit of knowledge she'd just learned. "I knew it!" she squealed before taking a drink from the glass now clutched tightly in her hand. "Someone was following me that day! That whole week, come to think of it—was it you the whole time?"
Remus looked sheepishly at his beer clasped in his hands and nodded.
Tonks grinned at him when he peered back up to her face. "Bet you weren't expecting me to pop down into the Tube station, were you?"
"Your cousin and Kingsley were both delighted to hear of your victory when I returned to Headquarters," Remus said with a chuckle. "And Mad-Eye tried to tell me from the start you'd know you were being followed."
Tonks couldn't help but clap her hands gleefully. "I'm glad it was you I outsmarted, Professor. I actually thought for a time that was being followed by someone related to a case I was working that week. Now." Tonks paused to take a sip of beer. "I'm guessing that your following me has something to do with Dung having lost the plot that same week and firing a spell at me at the Quill?"
Remus simply nodded as he dipped the last of their chips into the remnants of mushy peas and popped it in his mouth.
"You know, if I hadn't passed Dumbledore's little tests, we likely wouldn't have met."
"Indeed," Remus replied with an incline of his head. "How very fortunate that you outsmarted me."
"Very lucky," Tonks agreed. "Now, back to the task at hand: I'm to do some investigative work next week on Hamish to bring back to Lucy and then figure out how to set them up if he passes my little tests." She picked up a chip and waved it threateningly at Remus. "He'd better pass my tests or there won't be any set-up. She's had enough prats in the past—she certainly doesn't need set up with another," Tonks said before shoving the chip in her mouth.
Remus smiled his shy smile and reached across the table to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and stroke his thumb across her cheek.
"What?"
"It's nothing," he said with a small shake of his head as he withdrew his hand. "I supposed I'm just relieved to hear you speak of a friend that isn't Charlie Weasley."
Tonks smiled and rolled her eyes. "Only one friend—who happens to live hundreds of miles away these days—would make me the sad, lonely woman with no friends who'd be forced to get a cat. Besides, who would I talk girl-talk with if my only friend was a boy?"
"Fair point. Boys aren't schooled in the art of girl-talk."
"Exactly! Anyway, you should stop worrying about Charlie."
Remus raised his eyebrows. "Should I?"
"Yes," Tonks replied firmly. "What d'you think—he shows up at Headquarters and I immediately throw you over and run into his arms?"
"Add that to my list of nightmares," Remus said wryly. He looked at her levelly. "You truly never fancied one another?"
Tonks decided that absolute honesty was best. "In our seventh year, we both thought about it for maybe a second. Then we both realized that he was headed off to fancy dragons and I was headed to three years of Auror training hell."
"The way Bill tells it, you're still on his mind."
"Gods, here I thought I talked rubbish last night! Did you ever stop to think that Bill's simply trying to wind you up?" Tonks took a fortifying sip of her beer. "Besides, Charlie won't leave Romania."
"You seem to know him well."
Tonks shot Remus an impatient look. "Yes—as friends. Reckon you know Snuffles fairly well even though you two've never snogged." She gave a cheeky grin. "Unless there's something you'd like to share."
Remus chuckled. "I can honestly say I've never been tempted by his so-called charm."
Though their conversation was light-hearted, Tonks could still see some wariness in Remus' eyes. The last thing she wanted was for him to constantly worry that some younger man—Charlie or anybody else—was going to swoop in and take his place. She decided to take advantage of the chance to catch him off guard. With a quick glance around to make sure no Muggle diners were watching too closely, Tonks drew her wand from the hidden pocket in the seam of her skirt and cast a spell to deter anyone's attention.
"You know," Tonks began with a wicked grin as she replaced her wand and stood, rounding the table. Remus' eyes followed her as she waved a hand to push the table back. "You've something very much in your favor."
"Do I?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrows again as Tonks placed her hands on his shoulders and swung a leg over his thighs to sit astride him.
She leaned in close as if to kiss him, stopping just before her lips touched his. "I never asked Charlie to stir my cauldron."
For the second time that day Tonks was rewarded with Remus' uninhibited laughter. She grinned widely at the sound as he threw his head back and vowed to make him laugh as often as she could. When his laughter subsided and he brought his gaze down to hers, Tonks slid her hands from his shoulders up to run them through the long hair brushing the collar of his jumper.
"I suppose I do have that in my favor," he said with a chuckle. Looking quickly around at the nearby tables, Remus asked, "I'm assuming you cast something to keep the other patrons' attention diverted?"
"Mm hmm." Tonks sighed as Remus slid his hands from her waist down to her bottom, pulling her closer against his body. "It's a handy little charm to use when we have to interview wizards around Muggles. We're not invisible to them right now, but they don't give a fig what we're up to, and they can't hear exactly what we're saying."
"Brilliant," Remus murmured before closing the short distance between them, pressing his lips to hers.
Whether it was the fact that they were in a public place and their snogging could only go so far, or if it was that Tonks had caught him off guard, she didn't much care; she could only bring herself to care about the way his lips moved against hers. It wasn't in the slow sensual way he usually kissed her—it was feverish and hot, his lips demanding that hers part to allow his tongue to sweep boldly against hers. Nothing mattered but the feel of his hands gripping her tightly and the warmth of his mouth on hers. Fueled by the fierceness of his kiss, Tonks ran her hands through the silky strands between her fingers, dragging her fingernails lightly over his scalp as she pulled her hands back through, earning her a low moan of approval.
The sound of a dish shattering as it fell to the floor near their table startled them out of their kiss. They eyed each other, Remus giving Tonks a heated smile as she took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. Keeping their eyes on each other, they both leaned in to touch lips again, their kiss less frenzied but affecting Tonks just as much. As their mouths slowly moved against one another's, Tonks couldn't decide which she liked better: the kiss that felt like they were moving toward a quick shag at the table, or the reverent way Remus was kissing her now—his lips moving slowly with hers, one hand leaving her bottom to rest at her jaw, cupping cheek gently.
She sighed into his mouth as his deep kiss retreated to a softer caressing of her lips, and Remus' other hand left her bottom to rest at her waist. Eventually they parted again. With a satisfied sigh, Tonks blinked at Remus dazedly when she opened her eyes to find his green eyes searching hers. His gaze was intense.
"As impressive as your spell-work is, we can't stay here all night, I'm afraid," he said before taking a deep breath.
Tonks quirked an eyebrow at him and said, "Shame, really," before sliding off his lap in an unprecedented moment of grace—surprising since her knees were wobbly after the time they'd just spent kissing each other senseless.
Her run of gracefulness thankfully held while she navigated around the table back to her seat, waving her hand to push the table back into place. Once she'd sat and carefully drawn her wand once more to cancel the spell she'd cast, Tonks looked to Remus who was still watching her intently, but with a funny half-smile on his face she couldn't quite read. Even though she couldn't easily guess what he was thinking, she realized the look on his face thrilled her. His eyes still spelled out desire, and she thought-or maybe just hoped-she saw confidence in his face. Her moment of whimsy seemed to have payed off.
A short time later—after ordering Sirius' takeaway and paying their bill—they left the restaurant. Tonks loved the way Remus kept his hand on her lower back as they navigated through the now-crowded chip shop. It was such a gentlemanly gesture that had thrilled her since the first time he'd done it when they'd left Headquarters for their first shared mission two months ago.
"I say we drop your pooch his food and then stop at the bake shop in my neighborhood—they make amazing Banoffee pie," Tonks said as she looped her arm around Remus'.
"No chocolate?"
They rounded the corner to a deserted side street and Tonks turned to grin up at Remus. "Don't worry, Professor. They drizzle it in chocolate sauce after they slice it and put it in the box. And—" She stood on tiptoes to place a kiss on the underside of his jaw—"they have delicious hot cocoa if you need more of a chocolate fix."
When they entered the kitchen at Headquarters, Tonks was glad to see that Sirius was occupied by a card game with Bill and Kingsley; if he had company, she didn't feel bad about dropping his food and leaving. Remus set the bag of takeaway in front of his friend and turned to speak with Kingsley.
"Such a patient pooch you are," Tonks said, leaning down to give his shoulders a squeeze and patting his head. "Are you going to take these men's Galleons tonight?"
Sirius gave a roguish grin. "Of course," he said before diving into the bag of food.
"Hullo, Tonks," Bill said at his spot next to Sirius at the end of the table.
Tonks eyed him warily. The last thing she wanted was his brotherly teasing over discovering her in Remus' room after the last Order meeting.
"William," she replied shortly.
His chuckle in response only made her more wary of whatever it was he seemed to want to say.
"Having a good night?" he asked as he raised his wand and Summoned two bags of crisps from the counter, one landing in his outstretched hand, the other hitting Tonks' shoulder before landing at her feet.
"You missed," she said as she bent down to retrieve the wayward crisps. "Not that you'll want them now that they're smashed to bits."
Bill shrugged. "After another beer, I'm sure we won't care that there's only crumbs left." He opened the bag and set it in the middle of the table before grabbing a handful. "You're a sly one, aren't you?"
"Meaning?"
"You and Lupin, huh?" he asked quietly, his eyebrows raised in question and a cheeky grin on his face. "I'll have to deliver the bad news to my brother. And Mum will be shattered. Or happier than Dad with a new Muggle toy—not sure which."
"Shut-it, or I'll use a Severing Charm on your mane of hair," she hissed, looking toward where Remus was still speaking with Kingsley. "And enough about Charlie, all right? It's not as if there was any real love lost—we were only friends."
"That so?"
She let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes."
Bill shrugged again. "If you say so. He need a good older brother-type talk?" he asked, nodding his head toward Remus as he shoved a few crisps in his mouth.
Tonks groaned. "Gods, you didn't say anything to him the other night, did you?"
Bill grinned devilishly and took a drink from his beer before saying, "Not too much."
With a glare, Tonks pulled her wand and made a grab for Bill's ponytail. Not that she'd really sever the length of fiery red hair, but it was amusing to see him drop the handful of crisps and reach back to tug his hair away from her grasp.
"Oi!"
"Don't mess with Tonks, Weasley," Sirius said around the large bite of chips he'd forked into his mouth. "I've no doubt she'd cut your hair if she really wanted to."
"All right, all right!" Bill said laughingly as he protectively covered his long hair with one of his hands. "I'll not say another word."
"Good," Tonks said as her gaze flitted quickly to Remus, who was watching her as he stood from the chair he'd taken while speaking with Kingsley. "Now, if you'll excuse us, pudding is waiting."
"Thanks for the food," Sirius called after her as Remus reached for her hand pulled her from the kitchen.
After stopping for their chocolate-drizzled pie and hot cocoa, Remus and Tonks settled on her sofa and listened to music as they enjoyed the creamy dessert, Tonks all the while trying to ignore how tired she felt after their little night out.
When she yawned widely for the second time in as many minutes, Remus lifted her feet from their spot resting on his lap and said, "I told Hestia I would let you get some rest tonight, and I mean to keep my promise."
"'S not like we're doing anything over-taxing with our time," Tonks replied, annoyed that she could feel her eyelids becoming heavy even as she argued against ending their night.
"Taxing or not, you're tired"
"Tuck me in?" Tonks asked as she reached a hand out for Remus to help pull her up from the couch.
"The last time you asked me to tuck you in, it ended with my keeping you up longer than I should have."
Tonks smiled at the memory of him lying behind her in bed, his clever hands tending to her long pent-up need. "Mmm, and I liked the result," she replied with a swift kiss.
"I'm tucking you in for sleep only tonight," Remus said as he grabbed Tonks' hand and pulled her through her flat, down the short hall to her bedroom.
"Well that's not as much fun."
Remus turned once they reached her bedroom and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I didn't say I wouldn't give you a kiss when I tucked you in," he said before kissing her cheek. "It just won't be lying next to you in your bed while you wear no knickers."
"Didn't you like the result last time?" she asked with a saucy look.
"More than I can say," he murmured. "But you're far too tempting. And if you don't turn up at your parents' for breakfast tomorrow because you sleep until noon, I don't want it to be my fault."
"Bugger, I nearly forgot about breakfast," Tonks said with a huff. "My mother has this annoying way of knowing when I've been injured." She regretfully stepped away from Remus to search for something to sleep in, opening a drawer and smiling widely at the shirt on top of the stack. "I'll be right back," she called over her shoulder as she walked toward her bathroom.
"Don't I get to watch?"
Tonks turned and raised her eyebrows at Remus. "You said you were tucking me in for sleep only, which means you don't get a show," she replied before flouncing off to the bathroom, earning her a chuckle.
After readying herself for bed, Tonks slipped Remus' soft, faded Gryffindor t-shirt over her head; she'd taken advantage and nicked it after sleeping in it a few nights prior. Abandoning her clothes in the corner of her bathroom—vowing to pick them up the next morning—Tonks sauntered into her room where Remus had settled on her bed, lounging back on her pillows.
"You seem to have something that belongs to me," he said, his lips turning up slightly as his eyes roved down her body.
"It told me it wanted to stay with me after our night together," Tonks replied seriously. "I didn't have the heart to tell it no."
"How very kind of you."
"I thought so," Tonks said, pulling back her duvet. "Now, budge-up, Professor, you're in my spot."
"As I recall, you're a bed-hog and were taking up the middle of my bed," he said as he scooted to the opposite side of the bed, settling on his side with his head propped in his hand.
Tonks crawled into the vacant spot in her bed and Remus pulled the covers over her shoulders. "That was because I was hoping you'd have no choice but to cuddle with me regardless of what side of the bed you sleep on."
"A lost opportunity, indeed."
Waiting to see what Remus would do with the situation of the two of them lying in bed together, Tonks arranged her pillow and settled in her spot. Remus seemed to be warring with himself; he kept his free hand resting on the small amount of bed space between them, but his gaze was intense enough that Tonks swore she could actually feel heat from it.
"Are you going to go join the poker game?"
Remus reached out and slid a hand over Tonks' waist. "After I've finished tucking you in. I've no doubt they will play late into the night, so I'm in no hurry—except to make sure you get to sleep soon."
"You know," Tonks said around a wide yawn. "Some might say I'm fairly tucked in at this point."
"True, but I've not kissed you goodnight yet."
Although disappointed that the covers separating them kept their bodies from touching, Tonks delighted in the gentle way Remus' lips covered hers. This kiss was very different from the desperately needy way they had kissed while she'd straddled his lap in the restaurant—leisurely caressing rather than hot and demanding. She decided she like both equally. Although the fervor of their embrace earlier had been a promising glimpse into what was to eventually come, they way he was kissing her now—his lips moving over hers slowly, his tongue teasingly touching hers, one of his hands resting against her cheek—told her that possibly he felt about her they way she felt about him.
Far sooner than she would have liked, Remus pulled back, giving her one final light kiss to the tip of her nose.
"Do you have guard duty tomorrow night?" Tonks asked sleepily.
"Kingsley asked me to switch, actually," Remus said as he stroked her cheek. "He also told me to pass along that…"
Tonks eyed him critically at his hesitation, wondering what it was that Kingsley was to pass along that she wouldn't like.
"Your guard duty is covered for Tuesday," he finished.
Suddenly not as tired as she'd felt just moments before, Tonks yelped, "What!" and tried to sit up.
Remus quickly sat up and placed his hands on either side of her shoulders, pinning her duvet down and effectively trapping her under the covers.
"Is this what the two of you were speaking about so quietly back at Headquarters?"
With a grin, Remus replied, "Kingsley thought that if I paved the way with food, you wouldn't be so angry that someone was taking away your shift."
Although distantly amused at his method of using her covers to pin her to the bed, Tonks struggled against them and kicked her legs to try and free them from the covers below. She scowled up at Remus when he maneuvered over her, using his weight to press her into the mattress as his legs held hers in place.
"The change has already been made, so there's no use being angry," he said as he bent down to press a kiss to her lips, missing and only catching the edge of her mouth when Tonks jerked her head to avoid him.
"Did Kingsley tell you to kiss and make it better, too?"
Infuriatingly, Remus chuckled. "He didn't mention it, but now that you bring it up, I think it's a brilliant idea."
Keeping her head turned to avoid his lips, Tonks huffed in annoyance when he lowered his weight to his elbows and captured the skin at the base of her neck between his lips to draw it into his mouth. At any normal moment, she would relish the attention he was giving her, but she already felt as though her mission the night before had let the Order down a little, the last thing she wanted was for anyone to think she was incapable in any way; taking away her guard duty was as good as admitting defeat.
"This won't work, Lupin," she said half-heartedly—she could scarcely focus on her anger when Remus' tongue was soothing the love bit he'd just no doubt left.
Remus halted his attention and raised his head slightly so his mouth was against her ear. "I actually enjoyed it when you called me Lupin last week. Now." He paused to briefly pull her earlobe between his lips, sucking lightly before releasing it and bringing his head up to look down into Tonks' face. "Nobody thinks you are unable to fulfill your duty this week, Dumbledore simply wants to you rest as much as possible after your injury and knowing that you are already obligated to return to your ongoing mission again Friday."
"I don't need to be babied."
"Nobody's babying you," Remus said, looking for the world like he was suppressing a laugh.
Realizing she was fighting a losing argument, Tonks rolled her eyes and blew out a long breath, consoling herself by finally acknowledging the comforting weight of Remus' body lying atop hers.
"Look at it this way: my business will be unlikely to take me out of London for the week, which makes it so we're both free nearly every night this week. Four nights out of the next six is the best run we've had yet."
Slightly cheered by this, Tonks said, "Oh, all right. As long as nothing pops up to interrupt us as is the normal habit." She sighed once more. "Who's doubling up on shifts?"
Tonks didn't much care for the sheepish smile that crossed Remus' face—she was sure she wouldn't like the answer to her question.
"Old Elphias Doge readily agreed to help."
Tonks glared at Remus. "He's what—like a hundred years old? And he's only made to maybe four Order meetings since I've joined."
"A hundred and fourteen, actually, and completely capable of sitting on the floor of the Ministry for a night."
"If he cops it in the middle of the night, it's Dumbledore's fault, not mine."
"I'll be sure to pass that along," Remus said, grinning at her again.
"What's so bloody funny?" Tonks asked, resuming her fruitless struggle to get out from under Remus so she could retaliate in some way.
"Your temper today is very fetching."
"Well I supposed it's bully for you that you get to experience it every month," she bit out.
"Indeed," Remus said before lowering his mouth to hers once more to press his lips firmly against hers. This time she let him, glad that he'd shifted his elbows to allow Tonks to wriggle free from her bedclothes. She placed her hands on his shoulders and shoved him onto his back, not breaking their heated kiss as she crawled over him to settle her body over his.
Remus' hands pushed under the edge of her shirt and grasped her lace-covered bottom and squeezed appreciatively. He broke their kiss and rasped, "Did I mention how much I love that you only sleep in a t-shirt?"
"No, but I guessed as much," she answered with a teasing roll of her hips against him.
With a sharp inhale, Remus pulled her against him tightly for a moment before smoothly rolling to his side and depositing Tonks gently back to the bed.
"It's bedtime," he said hoarsely as he pushed himself back and swung his legs off the bed.
Tonks caught her breath and kept her eyes on him as he ran a hand through his hair before adjusting his clothing. Her heart fluttered wildly as she watched him—she loved knowing he was just as affected by her as she was by him. Content with how their evening had turned out, guard duty reassignments aside, she rolled to her back and stretched before pulling her covers back over herself. Her limbs were starting to feel heavy with exhaustion. After a few moments, he turned back toward Tonks and leaned across the bed to give her a chaste kiss to the forehead.
"Do you want to come have tea with me at Edith's tomorrow afternoon?" Tonks asked sleepily.
Remus stood and smiled down at her. "I expect you ladies would like your time together not to be spoiled by a man's presence. I'll come round when you're done with tea."
Tonks nodded as her eyes drifted closed and turned into her pillow, barely registering the lights being turned off and Remus' footsteps as he exited her flat before she fell into a deep sleep.
.
Tonks and Remus took great advantage of the time they had together that week. They spent every evening together—aside from the night of the Order meeting, during which time Remus was sitting under a Disillusionment Charm on the floor of the Department of Mysteries. They spent the week having late dinners, twice dining at Headquarters so Sirius wasn't left to brood alone. Tonks delightedly learned that Remus was a more than adequate cook, taking over the gloomy kitchen of Grimmauld Place to turn out both baked chicken with roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots one night followed by pasta with Bolognese sauce two nights later.
Each evening they spent together ended with varying degrees of snogging on her sofa. Not her bed, Tonks noticed. She assumed that the temptation of very little clothing along with the perfectly available shagging location was too much for Remus, and so didn't suggest a change in venue. And, hard as it was, she kept to her plan of keeping her touch as innocent as possible, forcing her hands to stay busy toying with his hair or stroking his bearded cheek. When her lips weren't occupied by his, she happily kissed a trail across his jaw, stopping to pay special attention to the sensitive skin just under his ears.
Tonks learned quite a lot about Remus while keeping to her plan. For instance, she learned that the more she ran her hands through his shaggy hair, the more he seemed to enjoy it—if the deepening of his kisses and the almost desperate way he clutched her clothes as if forcing his hands not to explore her body were any indication. She learned that he especially liked it when she raked her nails lightly across his scalp, and that if she kissed his neck on the soft skin under his ear where the line of his beard ended, he would make a noise somewhere between a groan and a gasp and pull her away quickly to cover his mouth with hers.
This particular situation is where Tonks found herself late Thursday evening after they'd left Headquarters. Following dinner with her cousin, they'd returned to her flat to lounge on her couch while idly doing paperwork with one of her father's discs playing quietly in the background. She'd put off her parents' dinner invitation to be with Remus, something she'd laughingly explained when their owl had turned up with a guilt-laden message from her mother about how if they'd both been free for the night, the natural—and polite, her mother pointed out—thing to have done was bring Remus round for dinner. He'd responded with some rubbish about how he was fairly certain he didn't want to disappoint her parents by having to explain to them that their only daughter was involved with a werewolf. Tonks had thought it to be a wonderful moment to further her campaign on making him believe that she cared for him regardless of his condition. Rather than chastise him or try to reassure him with words, she'd tossed the note from her mother over her shoulder and marched over to where Remus was sitting on her sofa. Without a word she'd plucked the parchment he'd been reading out of his hands and sat on his lap to kiss the daylights out of him.
With her hands buried deep in his hair as she straddled his lap and nipped lightly at the spot she'd decided was his favorite, Tonks grinned at his response and waited for him to bring her head up to his, to kiss her deeply and passionately for a moment before his kisses turned to sweeter, lighter kisses she'd learned were an indication that their snog-fest was soon coming to a close. When his assumed response didn't come, Tonks suspected that his self-control was as spent as his energy since he'd had Kingsley's guard duty the previous night. Curious as to how far his self-control had slipped, Tonks slid her hand down from where it was fisted in Remus' hair to push the longer strands aside, placing her mouth on a spot at the edge of his hairline so a mark wouldn't be seen. She pulled the soft skin between her lips and sucked it into her mouth—gently at first before increasing the pressure.
Remus let out his gasping groan again, bringing his hands from where they had been resting at her waist up to grasp her shoulders, practically growling, "Nymphadora."
She let her mouth trail a line of whisper-soft kisses across his cheek before lifting her head to look at him. "Yes, Remus?" she asked innocently with an impish grin. His disheveled hair made Tonks' grin turn to a wide smile as he blinked at her.
Remus let out a husky chuckle and squeezed Tonks' shoulders. "I think it's—"
"This is where you say it's time for you to go home, isn't it?" Tonks asked as she leaned in and gave him a swift kiss.
The intensity of Remus' gaze sent a shiver through Tonks as he stared at her.
"I think it's best," he murmured.
Although she wanted to pout, Tonks wanted to stick with the rules she'd set herself as much as possible—even if the torturous build-up was going to drive her absolutely spare. She sighed and swung her leg over Remus' lap, flopping back on the couch with an "oof" that brought Tonks' favorite boyish grin to Remus' face.
"Too bad I have to work tomorrow night, really," Tonks said as she gently set her feet in his lap, hoping that if they were no longer snogging, Remus would stay a while longer.
He gave Tonks a pointed look as he raised his hand to Summon the piece of parchment Tonks had tossed aside and said, "For more than one reason. The least of them being unable to spend our evening together."
Wishing she hadn't brought it up, Tonks shrugged. "The mission can't last forever."
Narrowing his eyes, Remus studied her. "I've not been able to piece together what you're up to."
Tonks arched a brow at him. "That's sort of the point of a secret mission."
Remus pushed Tonks' feet off his lap and placed his parchment on the coffee table before he slowly turned and crawled over her. Tonks' heart pounded at the piercing way his green eyes searched hers. Taking a chance, she parted her legs, delighted that he took the opportunity to nestle his body in the cradle of her hips.
"Who roughed you up last week?" he asked in a low voice that might have sounded menacing if she didn't know better.
Tonks tried to control the shiver that ran through her at his words. Her mouth suddenly dry, she swallowed roughly and said in a voice far shakier than she'd like, "It's like I told Mad-Eye—I tripped."
"And I'll say that's a load of bollocks, just as he did."
Tonks shook her head and closed her eyes to avoid Remus'; the way he was looking at her was making it hard not to just tell him the whole story. If nothing else, it would nice to hear some comforting words. Not that Sirius' small bit of advice or Dumbledore's trust in her wasn't welcome, but she had a feeling Remus' words would comfort her more than anybody else's. His presence nearly every evening that week had been a wonderful distraction to the fact that every day that ticked by was one more day closer to Friday night at the Quill. She was dreading finding out that her misstep had lead to all evidence being moved or the Death Eaters finding a new haunt.
She took a deep breath and shook her head again. "It really wasn't much more than that, I promise."
Tonks opened her eyes to look up at Remus, a rush of emotion flowing through her at the look on his face. For one mad moment, she nearly blurted out the thought that burst into her head, but caught herself. What if he thought her completely insane for feeling as strongly as she did after only knowing each other such a short time. She swallowed her words.
Remus gingerly let his weight fully settle on Tonks as he brought a hand up to brush a lock of deep violet hair out of her face. "When will you be done with this?"
"When I'm sure there's nothing else I can learn or it becomes impossible for me to go back to—" Tonks stopped herself, realizing she nearly revealed where it was she was going each Friday night. "To go back."
Tonks tipped her face up, hoping Remus would capture her lips with his and help ease her thoughts. Thankfully, he complied, tenderly parting her lips with his own and kissing her in a way that nearly brought tears to her eyes. Disappointed that she couldn't tell him just how she felt, Tonks tried to pour all of her feelings into the kiss. Gone was the playful teasing she'd employed all week—there was no need for it now. She wrapped her arms around Remus' neck and pulled him closer, holding on tightly as his kiss became urgent.
He slid an arm under Tonks' body and shifted them so they were lying side-by-side with her body pressed against the upholstered back of the sofa. Just as she was enjoying the feel of his hand slipping under her top to slide up her bare back—wondering with delicious anticipation just how far he would take his embrace—Remus pulled away and whispered huskily, "There's someone at your door."
"Huh?" she asked dazedly.
Distantly, Tonks was aware that someone's insistent knocking was interrupting them, but she couldn't bring herself to care who was there. It could have been the Minister for Magic himself, and she wouldn't likely stop what she was doing to open the damn door.
"There's someone at your door," Remus repeated with a chuckle.
"Who cares?" Tonks asked as she grasped the front of Remus' shirt to keep him from moving.
Another round of knocks followed by a determined female voice calling, "Tonks!" had her reluctantly answering, "Be right there, Lucy!"
Remus grinned and Tonks was relieved to see that his expression seemed genuinely amused rather than apprehensive. He leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose and said, "I suppose it's time I met your friend."
A/N: Happy Halloween! I hope everyone has a wonderful day and eats just a little (or a lot, if you'd like:) candy! We will be trick-or-treating (in amazing costumes, of course!) in 40 degree weather—brrr!
I hope everyone enjoyed the snog-fest of this chapter. Just as a fair warning, starting November 1st is National Novel Writer's Month and the beginning of the NaNoWriMo competition. A competition to which I have—likely foolishly—joined and committed to writing 50,000 words of an original fiction novel. Wish me luck and forgive me if JH is updated less frequently than usual during November. I'll reward everyone's patience with a fun one-shot at the beginning of December:).
Also, if anyone is in need of another story that crushes the feels, check out the young Mad-Eye story I posted yesterday titled: "The Price You Have to Pay".