A/N: SPOV
The knock stirred him from his cogitation, and he turned his eyes to the pocket watch on his pants. Bugger, I lost track of time, he thought quickly as he vanished the now-ruined contents of his cauldron and paced to his door. His personal lab was attached to his office, which had remained in the dungeons even though he was now teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.
As he reached for the door, he knew it would be Tonks, since he was late for his patrol tonight. She was probably going to say something about it, so he took a deep breath and made his face appear blank. He wiped his eyes clear of the threatening tears to fall, and pulled the door open.
Nymphadora Tonks was standing there, but not prepared with a snarky response that he was expecting for not being at his post on time. He was too long used to the backhanded compliments and sarcastic remarks that he would parry against Lucius. She looked nearly disheveled in her plain brown hair, a bit of it hanging over her eye. It would have been melodramatic if not for the look in her eyes.
Something broke within him. No need to sneer, no cruel retort, no dark sarcasm that he saved for the classroom.
He was in his standard dark robes, but also had on a pair of dragon-hide gloves for the poisonous plant he was cutting earlier. He slipped them off, tossed them aside, and was compelled to help her.
Something is wrong with her, truly wrong with her, and I need to do whatever I can to salvage her true self. He thought to himself as he put his hand upon her arm, just above her elbow, and guided her into his office. Flicking his wand, he banished his gloves back to his lab, closed the door, and raised the lights to something resembling normal. The fair Hufflepuff was probably not used to the dungeon-like lighting, and he summoned his bottle of firewhiskey and two glasses for them, sitting at his desk and shifting the stack of papers that he was supposed to be grading. He was sorely tempted to give them all 'Acceptable' ratings and let the overachieving students whinge over his unfairness.
"Nymphadora, you appear to have something on your mind. Your hair would be that insufferable yet characteristic shade of bubble-gum pink if you didn't. If you wish to have something to drink, please pour for both of us." He considered her, and realized that if anything would loosen her tongue, it would be this. Even if she couldn't speak up about what's on her mind, the amount that she poured would be indicative.
Of course, Severus had an inkling of what was on her mind. Remus was having to 'live among his kind', yet it was obvious that he wanted to live in the cities and hold a respectable job. It would be out of some sort of Gryffindor inanity that would make him tell her that he wasn't worthy of being with this witch that was seated at the other side of his desk. Such men who try to sacrifice their own happiness for the sake of their partner are nothing but foolish, for both will suffer for no good reason. Yet he did that for Lily; he gave up on her when she gave up on him.
As the silence lingered between the two, Severus measured his words carefully before speaking. She was as swamped in her thoughts as he was before. He needed to be kind, yet firm in order to pull her out of her emotional state.
"I will not use Legilimency against you, Nymphadora. But you are in need to relieve yourself of whatever burden that has befallen you. So, what did Remus do?"