A/N: Tonks' Point-of-View

Tonks returned to her room with a smile on her lips, shaking her head at the rather eventful, but overall pleasant evening. Briefly scanning her room out of habit, she froze. What the… Something was out of place. She instantly drew her wand and brought the lighting up in her room. It's a…plant? She thought cautiously as she quickly made sure it wasn't cursed in any way, shape or form and approached it cautiously.

It was both gorgeous and looked like it could very well strike up a conversation at any moment. The flowers had two large black petals that looked like wings and a bunch of smaller flowers in the center along with many long whiskers. She realized she was still aiming her wand threateningly at the poor plant and lowered it slowly as she approached. She traced her fingers along the soft petals, the whiskers tickling her wrist. She knew instantly who had sent this to her and that knowledge, coupled with the flower's rather expressive nature, had her smiling broadly. Picking up the plant gently she set it on the center of the desk, her eyes trailing down the plant to the bracelet on her wrist. She wasn't typically a fan of surprises, but surprises like these two could grow on her.

Andromeda Tonks sat across from her husband drinking her morning tea when the owl arrived carrying their daily copy of the Prophet.

"Look, Darling! Nymphadora is on the front page. You were right, she does look lovely!" Ted Tonks said warmly, handing the Prophet to his wife.

Andromeda took the paper excitedly. She had been planning to contact her daughter today to see how everything went, but wanted to wait until a little later, knowing the party likely went well into the night. Andromeda found Tonks in the background of the photo. Her eyes narrowed as she realized just who her daughter was on the arm of.

Andromeda had been in her seventh year when Severus Snape was sorted into Slytherin. She hadn't known the quiet boy all that well at the time. However, as Narcissa and Lucius took him into their group and they became friends she became more acquainted with him. She had always admired his talent with potions. Unfortunately, like so many of her other friends and housemates of that time she had lost touch with them the moment she had fallen in love with Ted and many of them joined the Dark Lord.

Ted saw the look on his wife's face, "Is everything alright?"

Andromeda looked up, "hmm? Oh…I am beginning to realize why Nymphadora kept dodging my questions of who she was going with. That's Severus Snape."

Ted frowned slightly, "Wasn't he one of her Professors at Hogwarts?"

"Yes. He was. He is also thirteen years her senior and a Death Eater. Although, Dumbledore seems to trust him." Andromeda replied, her voice tight. She's an auror for Merlin's sake! What is she thinking!? She got up from the table and paced around the kitchen. Not only was she worried about her daughter's current choices, she felt lied to.

She conjured a howler, gave it her message for her daughter and sent it. As she turned she noticed a slight smirk on her husband's face. "What?"

"If I remember correctly someone else didn't listen to her family when it came to who she decided to date." He said gently.

"This is completely different!" Andromeda responded hotly, grabbing her tea and stalking out of the room.

A deep growl escaped Remus' lips as he saw the picture in the Prophet. Not only did she not listen to me, she attended a party with him as his date! His fists clenched, brutally crushing the picture. A small part of his mind was still trying to be reasonable, arguing that he had wanted her to move on, that he had no claim to her. I have claim where Snivellus is concerned. He thought darkly right before apparating to Hogsmeade to speak with her personally.

As he approached her room after getting the number from the barkeep, he heard what sounded like Andromeda's voice.

"…Furthermore, he made his choices and has the mark to prove it! You are an auror. That alone should be enough to make you think twice!"

His lips upturned slightly, glad he wasn't the only one who saw Snape for what he was and how foolish Tonks was being. His fist made contact three sharp times with the sturdy wood of the door to her room

Tonks woke up midmorning, having enjoyed sleeping in. Her fingers traced lightly over the bracelet on her wrist and she smiled at her new plant. As she walked across the floor of her room, still dressed in her pajamas, she noticed the Prophet had been left at her door and that the front page was a picture of last night's party. She quickly spotted herself and Severus in the background, smiling at the sight of her on his arm. She smirked at the contrast, her colorful outfit and persona next to his dark attire and demeanor.

An owl arrived at her window carrying a red howler. Her brows creased in confusion. Accepting the howler she realized it was from her mom. With a dawning horror she realized the full implications of that photograph being on the front page of the Prophet. Bloody hell. She cursed as she opened the letter.

"Severus Snape! That is who you were going with!? I asked you, Nymphadora, and you said a 'colleague'. I went to school with him! You knew that and you purposefully deceived me! I had to find out by seeing the Prophet like everyone else!" A ping of guilt passed through Tonks. Her mother was right about that at least, if she was going to find out at all she should have been told by her daughter, not the Prophet. "I don't care if you thought I would tell you not to! Which, for the record, I would have! He is too old for you." No older than Remus and you seem to be fine with him! "He was your professor when you were in school for Merlin's sake! Furthermore, he made his choices and has the mark to prove it! You are an auror. That alone should be enough to make you think twice!"

The sharp knock pulled her attention away from the howler just as it burst into flames. She gasped pain, snatching her fingers away as the fire consumed all trace of the howler. Returning her attention to the door she stormed over, not really wanting to deal with anyone right now. Pulling open the door she was greeted by Remus, his eyes dark and his face set in a hard line. I don't need the same lecture from you! She thought as she attempted to slam the door in his face. His arm shot out and stopped it, before pushing it open and walking in without invitation.

"I know what you are here for and you are not welcome. Get. Out." Tonks responded angrily.

"I wouldn't have to be here had you listened to me in the first place! So let's try this again, you want me out and I want you to stay away from Snape. One goes with the other." He said as he stalked forward dangerously. A small flash of fear crossed Tonks face as she backed up a step to get closer to her wand on her desk. Seeing the small retreat, guilt passed over Remus' face as he quickly called off his advance. "I care about you and want you safe. I don't know what you are trying to prove with all of this, but it's not going to end well."

"First off, Remus, we are in a war, there is no chance of anything ending 'well', even if we win…"

"Dances? Dates? What next? His intentions aren't innocent, Dora. In his case they never are." Remus interrupted, trying to plead with her to understand.

If you only knew. Tonks thought, the image of her kneeling at Severus' feet, her wrists bound behind her back flashed through her mind as she tried to keep a knowing smirk off her lips as she continued, "Second, you don't get to barge in whenever you feel like it and tell me what to do and then ignore and dismiss me the rest of the time. That isn't the actions of someone who cares. It's selfish. You are either in or you're out, you want me or you don't."

Remus moved forward again, more cautiously and less predatory than he had before. His hands lightly grabbed each of her arms as he looked down at her. "I want you." He responded, before pulling her forward and kissing her, lightly at first and then more passionately.

Even after everything, there was still something inside Tonks that had lived to hear those words from him. She couldn't help but return the kiss desperately. Remus pulled her closer, his hands moving up and down her arms. His lips moving slowly and gently down to her jaw line, as one of his hands moved to the small of her back, guiding her as he moved her back towards the edge of her desk.

Remus glanced over her shoulder, his lips continuing to trace down the side of her throat, at what obstacles existed on the desk, his eyes settling on the rather intimidating plant. It seemed out of place. His Nymphadora liked colors. He would have chosen something pink and playful, not this black bat-looking flower. Black. Bat. He cursed under his breath as he pulled away from her, wanting to clear the desk of the plant for a whole new reason.

Tonks looked up at him surprised at the abrupt change, confused as to the cause until she glanced over her shoulder. Her new plant stared back at her innocently, its only crime its existence. "That's from him isn't it?" Remus' question rekindled the anger she had felt earlier.

"Yes" She responded firmly. Seeing the dark glare he was giving her plant she stepped in-between the two.

Remus knew if he stood her another moment he was likely to throw the plant out the window, and apparently that meant going through her to get to it. The fact that she cared about it enough to protect it from him made him want to destroy it even more. Unable to trust himself to do anything else, he dissapperated, leaving her alone.