After three tries (her head still spinning from what had just happened), Nymphadora Tonks finally managed to Apparate to her flat. Sinking down to the floor, she dissolved into tears and let herself sob, glad that she had escaped just in time. She wanted to murder Sirius for humiliating her like that in front of Remus, the man she's been mad about since the day she met him a few months ago. Most of all, she felt pain, the searing pain from Remus flat-out refusing to kiss her. Tonks had been prepared for the possibility that Remus didn't fancy her in the way that she fancied him, but to be too repulsed to give her a peck on the lips was too awful for her to bear. He probably just saw her as a clumsy fool, a nuisance who was too stupid to be in the Order of the Phoenix. Finally, exhausted from her sobbing, Tonks dragged herself to her bed and fell asleep right there, without even washing her face first.

Over the next few days, Tonks was relieved that there were no Order meetings or guard duty, so there was no running into Remus. She wasn't sure how she should act around him anymore. Of course she couldn't be mad at him for not fancying her; she was just afraid that seeing him, how smart and kind and witty he was, would be a slap in the face, too upsetting for her, and would reopen that wound.

Friday night, after a grueling day at work, and a tedious guard duty shift, where she felt numb from sitting under the Invisibility cloak for five hours, Tonks made her way to Grimmauld Place to check in with Sirius. Although work has been tough, Tonks was grateful for the distraction it provided. The guard duty, however, was another story. There was nothing to do for five hours but sit there, and naturally her mind would wander to Remus.

Tonks tried to quietly slip in the door, but of course that bloody umbrella stand was in the way again. She swore loudly as Mrs. Black's portrait began to yell her usual obscenities about Mudbloods besmirching the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, and other such drivel. She saw Sirius run up and struggle to close the curtain over the portrait, but for some reason, he wasn't yelling back at his mother, the way he normally did. Until Tonks realized that it was actually Remus there, not Sirius.

"Nymphadora, how are you?" he asked, walking up to Tonks.

"I'm fine," Tonks replied curtly, not looking at him. "Where's Sirius?" She felt so tired, so deflated, that she didn't even snap at Remus for using her horrible first name.

"He's asleep," said Remus. "Why don't you come in for a bit? You look exhausted."

Tonks suddenly felt that lump in her throat again and shook her head. "It's OK, just tell him guard duty went well." Her voice cracked and Remus put a hand on her shoulder.

"Nymphadora, are you sure you're OK?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Remus? It's Tonks!" She found it easier to snap at him than to cry and be vulnerable after what happened a few days ago. "And I told you I was fine, didn't I? I had a rough day, so just leave me alone and let me go home!"

"I won't leave you alone until you tell me what's bothering you." Remus tilted her head up to face him. "I've never seen you this upset."

Tonks marched past him into the living room, so she wouldn't wake Walburga Black again, and Remus followed her. "You really want to know what's wrong?" she yelled, tears now springing to her eyes. "What's bothering me is that you're a phony two-faced git! You act like this perfect gentleman, all sweet and chivalrous, but when you get the chance to kiss me, you act like it's a fate worse than death. Like it's scarier than spiking McGonagall's coffee." Tears were now streaming down Tonks's face. "Do you realize how hurt I was when you showed me how kissing me would repulse you?"

She glanced at Remus and saw that he looked confused, like he was trying to work out the answer to some mystery.

"Wait a second…you wanted me to kiss you? And you thought I was repulsed by you?"

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Well spotted, Remus! Of course I wanted you to kiss me. I've only fancied you for four months already!" She blushed, suddenly realizing that she had said too much.

"Tonks…" Remus said slowly. "Oh, Merlin, Tonks, I'm so sorry. I need to explain…you misunderstood everything. Come on, sit down." He said, gesturing to the couch. Tonks sat, bringing her knees up to her chest, not daring to look at Remus.

Remus cleared his throat. "Tonks, here's the thing. I'm a poor, old werewolf, hardly a catch. So it never occurred to me that a young and beautiful woman, such as yourself, would ever think of me as anything other than a platonic friend. And that's the best-case scenario. I've had girlfriends who told me they wanted nothing to do with me after I told them the truth about who I am. I've been fired from jobs for my condition; I haven't had steady employment since I worked at Hogwarts."

Tonks's expression softened as she moved closer to Remus, not believing what she was hearing.

"When I first met you, Tonks, I was enchanted by you. You're not only beautiful, but you're also a brilliant Auror. And I could see that you didn't care that I was a werewolf, that you were able to look past appearances, and still treat me as an equal. I felt myself unworthy of you, but I still thought that if we were to kiss, I would want our first kiss to be special. I wouldn't want it to happen because Sirius dared me to do it and if you didn't want me to kiss you."

"Oh, Remus," Tonks sighed. "You shouldn't think that way about yourself. I know there are lots of bigots out there, but they're all idiots. It's their loss for not appreciating the man you really are." She put her arms around him and hugged him closely. Remus returned the hug, rubbing her back and placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. They sat like that for a little while, until Tonks spoke up.

"So, how did you imagine our first kiss?" she asked with a grin.

"Well," said Remus. "I would have liked for it to happen when we were alone, after sharing an intimate moment together. Preferably around some beautiful scenery, like a lake, maybe a sunset—"He was cut off by Tonks's lips on his, and for the next few seconds it didn't matter that they were on an old couch at Grimmauld Place, not on a beach with stars sparkling in the sky. As Tonks ran her fingers through his hair, Remus held her waist, pulling her close, never wanting the moment to end. But then—

"Bloody hell, Moony! You decided to take the dare after all." Remus and Tonks broke away, to see Sirius standing in the doorway in a white T-shirt and checkered pajama bottoms. Remus threw a pillow at him, saying "Shouldn't you be asleep, Padfoot?"

"Right, don't want to interrupt you lovebirds! But you'll tell me how it all happened, right?"

"Believe it or not, Sirius, you were the culprit," said Tonks. "So I suppose we should thank you for this, as twisted as your method was."

Sirius beamed. "Looks like I finally did something right! Good night, you two."

"Night, Sirius!"

Back in his bedroom, Sirius turned to Buckbeak. "I just love happy endings, don't you, Beaky?"