Prompt: Remus and Tonks are idiots and don't know they love each other. Sirius Black wants to put them out of their misery, and helps them confess their feelings to one another with a little poking and prodding in the right direction.
OOTP-Era Remadora one-shot
Remus Lupin sat on the edge of his bed, half-listening to the faint laughter echoing in the corridor. She was laughing with others, that infectious, bubbly, delightful sound that Remus wished he were hearing from a closer spot. He wished he were the one making her laugh like that. But he wasn't. He was an ageing werewolf sitting in threadbare robes at the end of an ancient double bed in one of the gloomiest homes in all of London, with nowhere better to be. (He only admitted to himself, in these quiet moments, that there was nowhere else he would rather be, because Nymphadora Tonks was here.)
"Moony," a voice hissed from the threshold. Remus snapped his head up to see Sirius, a half-drunk glass of firewhisky in one hand, and an Extendable Ear in the other hand. "C'mon!"
Remus frowned. A tipsy Sirius and a Weasley joke product could end one of two ways: either total success, or devastating disaster. With so many people at Grimmauld Place due to Arthur's recent injury, Remus guessed it would be a disaster, if Molly Weasley had anything to say.
"No," Remus said firmly. "Let me know when you're done so I can play peacekeeper again."
"It's not that," Sirius said, a bounce in his step. "Just trust me! You want to hear this."
"Am I to be given any more information?"
"No. Now get off your arse and follow me."
Remus sighed and got up from the edge of the bed. It wasn't as if he had anything better to do, he told himself. He had developed feelings for the young Auror, despite his best efforts. He was now seriously smitten by Tonks, and was trying his best not to let his feelings go any further than they had. It was better that way, he thought, clenching his jaw. She would inevitably marry a handsome young Auror and he would be alone. As usual.
Perhaps a prank or joke from Sirius would take his mind off of her.
Sirius paused just a few feet away from the room where the laughter was coming from, stopping dead in his tracks. Remus almost ran over Sirius, who shushed him. Sirius pointed to the Extendable Ear, and levitated one end to the edge of the door, beckoning for Remus to join him in listening.
Remus grew instantly uncomfortable. He wanted to get over his feelings for Tonks, not spy on her. As if he needed any more information that confirmed the miserable fact that she had completely stolen his heart and he was powerless to take it back. Despite his many efforts of trying to convince himself his feelings were nothing more than warm friendship, he was captivated by Tonks with no hope of release.
Remus shook his head, eyes wide, in protest. Sirius' eyes grew wide and he shoved his jaw forward, aggressively pointing back at the room with the laughter. Remus was beginning to turn on his heel when Sirius grabbed his arm and shoved the Extendable Ear between them, making the room's conversation perfectly audible.
Remus would've pulled away, but the sound of her voice kept him rooted to the spot.
"Ginny, who's your type?" Tonks asked. A soft giggle followed, and Remus pulled away from the Extendable Ear.
"What?" Sirius hissed.
"I'm not listening to a teenager's love life," Remus said, through gritted teeth. "I'm 35. This is fucking creepy."
"We're not listening for the girls, we're listening for the women," Sirius insisted. "Stay here and I'll tell you when she talks again."
"When who talks again?" Remus asked, trying to feign innocence. Sirius stared at him with narrowed eyes, his flinty grey eyes obviously unamused.
"Fine," Remus relented. "Only until she talks." Remus stood steady while Sirius kept his ear up to the Extendable Ear, half-smiling as whichever witch within the room was discussing her 'type.' Remus pretended he wasn't interested…or at least attempted to pretend he wasn't interested. His increasing anxiety over knowing Tonks' type kept him glued to the floorboards.
"Now," Sirius said, shoving the Extendable Ear back up between their ears. Remus listened intently as the witches continued their discussion.
"Okay, now for the good stuff," Ginny said, squealing. "It's your turn, Tonks!"
Tonks laughed, the lovely laugh Remus wished he had elicited himself.
"My type?" Tonks said, humming softly. "Tall, but that's not hard, since I can shrink myself if I need to, even if it's uncomfortable. Taller than me, at least."
"Obviously," Ginny said. "Go on."
"Smart, and not just book-smart, you know? Knows his stuff," Tonks continued.
"How do you mean, 'not just book-smart,'?" asked Hermione. "What other kinds of smart are there?"
"Oh, Hermione," Tonks said, clearly amused. "Book-smart is what you do best, and that's a good thing. You know everything. But y'know, emotional intelligence. Street smart, as the Muggles would say. Knows what to do in danger."
"Emotional intelligence," Hermione said softly. "That seems like a tall order, doesn't it?"
Ginny snorted loudly. "Impossible to ask from wizards. At least all the wizards I know, and I grew up with six brothers. Weasley men are oblivious."
"You can say that again," Hermione said darkly. "So are Potters, if I understood correctly."
Ginny and Tonks both burst into laughter. Remus felt impatient at the banter. So far, he'd heard tall, book-smart, emotionally intelligent, and street smart. None of these applied to him, he felt.
"What else?" Ginny demanded. "You like the tall, brooding types? Or the sensitive ones?"
"Both," Tonks said. "A little brooding, maybe, but not all the time. Merlin, not all the time. Of course sensitive, knows when I need something or want something and gets it before I ask. We should be good friends first, I think." Tonks sighed as both Ginny and Hermione giggled.
"What?" Tonks said hotly. "What's so funny?"
"It sounds like you know someone like this," Hermione said, chuckling. "Who is it?"
"What if I tell you more about him, and you guess?" Tonks offered. "Three chances?"
"But it could be anyone!" Hermione protested. "We only know those here at the Order!"
"Who said it wasn't someone in the Order?" Tonks said. Remus' heart raced, hoping his name would come up. No, no, he told himself. He shouldn't – he wouldn't get his hopes up. It could never be him.
"Kingsley!" Ginny said first. "Tall, dark, and handsome, yeah?"
"Ew, no, he's like my brother," Tonks said, clearly affronted. "Try again."
"Bill?" Hermione said, as Ginny gasped.
"You could be my sister in law!" Ginny cried. "Oh, please, please marry Bill!"
"No, I think Bill already has someone," Tonks said, the amusement evident in her voice. "Besides, I haven't said anything else and you two have wasted two of your guesses. This is how I know you're both Gryffindors, by the way. Recklessly going in without a second thought."
Hermione scoffed and Ginny laughed. "Fine, tell us more," Ginny said. "For one more guess!"
"Alright, alright, but remember I only said that it could be someone in the Order," Tonks relented. Remus could imagine the smirk on her face, the delightful way her lips curled up in a triumphant smile. "He is older than I am, but that's not hard since I'm the youngest in the Order...and with the Aurors. He's kind, thoughtful, and clever…what else? I think he's gorgeous, but he probably doesn't think he is. Shy like that, but so fit and handsome. He knows I exist but he's completely unreadable. I'd do something about it but we work together. I dunno…" Tonks' voice trailed off as both Ginny and Hermione giggled.
"So it's an Auror then? Because you work together?" Hermione said, in a tone Remus recognized from teaching her. She was working hard to solve the puzzle, as was Remus.
"I do consider the Order part of my work," Tonks said airily. Even Remus was becoming exasperated with Tonks' banter. Why couldn't she just say who she fancied so his heart could be broken already?
"Ugh, that's not helpful at all!" Ginny moaned. "Well, I can't think of anyone at the Order like that, so I think you're messing with us. It has to be an Auror."
"I agree," Hermione said quickly. "But I don't know all that many Aurors except Kingsley and Moody."
"It wouldn't be Moody, would it?" Ginny yelped, as Tonks burst into raucous laughter. Remus could almost see the way her eyes crinkled when she was laughing, a little dimple forming in one of her cheeks, her dark grey eyes brightening with merriment. Good Godric, Remus thought, he was way in over his head.
"No, Merlin, no, never Moody," Tonks choked through laughter. "Not Moody. I'll give you that one for free. One more guess."
"Isn't there an Auror called Dawlish? I think I've heard his name before," Hermione said. "Ginny?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Ginny replied. "Dawlish it is."
Tonks laughed again, now wheezing. "You know, I don't think it's just the Weasley men who are oblivious, Gin."
Ginny made some sound in protest, and Hermione groaned. "You wouldn't have told us anyway, would you, Tonks?"
"Nope, and it's just as well. The bloke I fancy would probably be offended if he knew how crazy I was about him. I'm probably just a kid to him, clumsy and inexperienced." Tonks sighed, a sound that made Remus' heart ache. "What I would do to that wizard, if I could."
"Tonks!" Hermione said uncomfortably, while Ginny burst into more giggles.
"What, I never said I want to shag him sideways," Tonks said, causing even louder giggles to ensue. Remus felt hot, his jaw clenching at the thought of whatever faceless, handsome Auror who had captured Tonks' heart. If only it could be him who she wanted so badly.
"No more guesses, then?" Hermione said glumly. "Not that I want to know now, especially if we know who it is!"
"Your loss," Tonks said coolly. "All I can say is he's perfect to me, and I spend most of my days itching to see him or wondering what it'd be like to be wrapped around-"
Hermione cleared her throat loudly, coughing over Tonks' last few words, causing Remus to miss whatever she'd said. After a few moments of laughter, Ginny spoke. "Sounds like you're in love."
"Unrequited love," Tonks said sadly. "It's a bitch."
A few more feminine sighs followed Tonks' statement, and the conversation switched to something else, prompting Sirius to remove the Extendable Ear from his and Remus' ears. He stood, grinning wickedly at Remus, who had already turned around in the direction of his lonely bedroom.
"Moony, wait!"
Remus kept walking at a brisk pace towards the end of the corridor. "No, Padfoot, I've heard enough."
"Why aren't you happier, you wanker?"
"Why would I be happy that she likes someone else?"
Sirius had caught up to Remus, and forced his shoulder back, turning to face him. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not her type! I give you tall and maybe book smart, whatever that means, but I'm not anything else," Remus said hotly. "Kind? Handsome? I'm a werewolf. I'm a monster. How could she possibly find that kind or handsome? Just leave me alone."
"Moony, you're an idiot," Sirius deadpanned. "You really think she wasn't talking about you?"
"I am an idiot, for ever thinking she could possibly be interested in me," Remus said, trying to keep the lump in his throat from reaching his eyes. "Now leave me alone." He slammed the door in Sirius' face, and put up every silencing and locking charm he could think of, and fell back against the bed.
I am an idiot. It could never be me. Those were the only thoughts that flitted through Remus' mind as he pondered over the fate of the luckiest wizard in the world for winning over Tonks' heart, wishing with all of his might it could've been him.
…..
Tonks bit her lip, sitting in the girls' room at Grimmauld Place. Ginny and Hermione were now discussing their plans for the D.A., their secret defense group. Tonks had offered pointers and spells they could try once they were back from the holidays, but she was now itching to see Remus after discussing him with the girls. She had made it so painfully obvious – there was no Auror she was interested in. It was Remus, always Remus. He was the handsome, kind, thoughtful wizard who had no idea she was interested in him.
She had tried, for months, to make it obvious she liked him. She went out of her way to touch him – a pat on the arm, a playful squeeze of his shoulder, even lingering hugs, and yet he acted the same around her as he did with everyone else. He was painfully unreadable, and she continued feeling foolish in her many attempts to win him over. She felt she was nothing but a kid to him, so many years younger, and clearly not worthy of his time or affection.
Tonks excused herself from the girls, citing the need for food. She emerged from the girls' room, only to run into a grumbling Sirius.
"What's up your arse?" Tonks asked, eyeing Sirius. "Buckbeak hasn't been giving you attitude, has he?"
"It's not Buckbeak giving me attitude," Sirius said darkly, eyes darting back to the end of the corridor, where Remus' room was. She fought the urge to rush to see him. If he was cross, he would likely not appreciate her overly loud, clumsy personality.
Tonks bit the inside of her cheek, the curiosity burning in her mind. "What's wrong with him? Remus, yeah?"
"He's an idiot," Sirius said flatly. "That's what's wrong with him."
"Not something I could help with, probably." Tonks sighed. She was young and inexperienced next to Remus. He wouldn't need her help or company.
Sirius eyed Tonks curiously. "You might be able to help, actually."
Tonks brightened. "You think? How? I know I'm not his favorite person, but I could try." Sirius only stared, shaking his head and taking a large swig out of the now nearly-empty glass of firewhisky.
"Why do you think you're not Moony's favorite person?"
Tonks felt her face fall. "Err, I'm too young? I'm like his kid sister he only keeps around so I don't whine? I can tell he gets impatient with me when I'm around. Maybe if I were less…cheery?"
"I think he appreciates the cheer." Sirius crossed his arms over his chest, staring straight ahead. "I don't think he thinks of you like a kid sister."
"Kid cousin, then, like you? You're always calling me your baby cousin. I just know he doesn't like me very much, so I doubt I could help." Tonks' heart sank, glancing back at the end of the corridor. "I'm sure you can help him on your own." She didn't bother looking at Sirius as she shuffled towards the stairs, feeling foolish all over again.
"Tonks, wait."
She turned around to see Sirius rubbing the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. "Just go see him, please. I really think he would appreciate it."
"I don't want to make a fool of myself, Sirius," Tonks said, miserably. "If he's cross, I don't want to make him any worse."
"Have you considered telling him how you feel?"
Tonks' jaw dropped. She knew her behavior was obvious, but if even Sirius knew…she was in deep. "I-I'm not sure what you mean," she squeaked, feeling the blush creeping up on her cheeks. "I feel fine."
"Merlin, you're both idiots," Sirius grumbled. "You deserve each other."
"Sirius? Can you tell me what you mean, please?" Tonks' heart leapt in her chest, wondering what her cousin could've possibly meant.
"Go see him, now, before I bind you two together myself and put you both out of your misery," Sirius said sharply. "Now."
Tonks felt nervous but Sirius was now blocking the stairs, intent on keeping her hostage in the corridor. "Fine," she said, defeated. "If I make a fool of myself and die of embarrassment, you have to tell my mother, and she won't be happy." Sirius only glared and crossed his arms over his chest, his face set into an angry scowl.
Tonks held her breath as she turned around and walked down the corridor, the flickering lights making her trepidation intensify as she approached Remus' door. She finally reached his bedroom door, Sirius still standing at the top of the stairs eyeing her warily. She lifted a weak arm and knocked.
"Go away, Padfoot," Remus hoarse voice called. "Leave me alone."
"Remus?" she said, in a strained voice. "It's me, Tonks…not Sirius." She hopped from one foot to the other, anxious that she would now be attempting to help an already-irritated Remus.
Silence followed, and Tonks looked back to the stairs. Sirius' eyes were set, staring her down. He nodded, and Tonks knocked on the door again.
"Remus? I…can we talk? Please?" Her panic was only increasing as the silence continued from the door. After several moments, the door clicked, and a slightly disheveled, worn Remus stood before her.
"Yes?"
Tonks' heart hammered harder. She had been on many overnight missions with him, but they rarely looked each other in the eye. His gold flecked eyes, set on her own dark grey, made her weak at the knees.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Tonks said, as Remus frowned. "It's nothing bad, I think."
"Come in," Remus said. He poked his head out the door and saw Sirius still standing at the top of the stairs. Remus scowled at Sirius, but let Tonks into his room.
"You can sit here, if you'd like," Remus said briskly, pointing to the desk chair. Tonks took the offered chair, and Remus sat back on his bed. Tonks fought the urge to pin him down on the bed and snog him senseless, choosing instead to sit still on the chair.
"So. What's going on?" Remus' lips were set in a thin line. Tonks was walking on precarious ground. She knew she annoyed him, and Sirius had sent her into the belly of the beast, as he was already upset.
"Could I ask you something, please?"
Remus nodded, and Tonks took a deep breath, thinking of her previous conversation with the girls. "Do you have a type?" she blurted. Remus' eyes widened in surprise. Tonks wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad sign, and kept going. "As in, dating type? Romantic? Love interest?" She felt dumber and dumber as the words slipped out of her mouth.
"Why do you want to know?" Remus' brow furrowed, and his frown grew deeper.
"Uh, just curious?"
"It hardly matters," Remus dismissed, waving his hand. "I don't have a type."
"Everyone has—"
"—no, they don't," Remus said curtly. "It doesn't matter."
"Um, okay," Tonks said quietly. Awkward, tense silence filled the room. "I'm sorry to have upset you, then." She felt a slight prickling in her eyes. Sirius had told her to tell Remus how she felt about him…but Remus would never reciprocate. It was hopeless, really. She stood and made her way to the door in silence.
"Tonks?"
She turned back to see Remus, with a peculiar expression on his face. It wasn't angry, but it wasn't happy, either.
"Please, sit. I've been unforgivably rude. I really don't have a type, as you put it. The question was unexpected, is all. Is that what you came in to tell me?" His eyes were unreadable again, frustrating Tonks beyond reason. She wanted to shake him and somehow force him to understand how she felt about him.
Tonks returned to the seat, comprehension dawning over her. She was sure he did know how she felt. If Sirius knew, so did Remus. They both knew she was hopelessly in love with Remus, and Sirius wanted her to stop her foolish behavior around his best mate. That was all – Sirius wanted to put them both out of her misery by having Remus reject her once and for all, allowing her to move on, if that was even possible.
The expected rejection stung, and Tonks felt a single tear roll down her cheek against her will. It would be easier, she thought, if he put a stop to her pathetic pining.
To her surprise, Remus didn't reject her. Instead, he was at her side in an instant, offering the bed to her. She shook her head, as another tear rolled down her cheek. There he was…kind and thoughtful as ever, ready to reject her in the gentlest way possible, despite his dislike for her.
"Tonks? What's wrong?" Remus now looked worried, kneeling right before her and looking up into her face. He was closer to her than he ever had been, the flecks of gold in his eyes moving before her, as if to join her in her anxiety.
His lips weren't far from hers. She'd been fantasizing about kissing them for weeks. He had a thin upper lip, and a fuller lower lip. A thin mustache lay just above his upper lip, and now that she was so close to his face, she allowed herself a moment of recklessness before he crushed her heart.
Tonks reached towards Remus and placed her hands on the back of his neck, pulling his face towards her. His eyes widened again in surprise, but she didn't care. She pressed her lips against his, kissing him with every bit of affection she'd been holding back for months. Remus' lips were stiff and unmoving, and Tonks' heart sank. It was proof he didn't want anything to do with her.
She began pulling away, but Remus drew her back in, his hands now grazing to her waist, pulling her up from the chair. He held her up against him, and began kissing her with as much passion as she could've ever dreamed of. Whether it was out of pity or loneliness, Tonks didn't care. She was finally, finally kissing Remus, and he was kissing her back.
Several seconds passed and Tonks felt embarrassed when a moan escaped from her mouth. The moan had brought Remus back to reality, and he pulled his face away from hers. His pupils were wide, and his lips were swollen.
"T-Tonks?" he said, hoarsely. "I'm sorry. I…don't know what came over me."
"Why are you sorry?" Tonks asked in disbelief. "I kissed you."
"You wanted to kiss me?" Remus stared at her, a look of adorable bewilderment crossing his features. It hurt that much more to think rejection was imminent.
Tonks decided to throw caution to the wind. "Of course I wanted to kiss you, you numpty! I've been wanting to kiss you – oh, who cares, I've wanted to do so much more to you for months! I'm in love with you, Remus Lupin! I know you don't love me, or even like me, but I needed to tell you myself before you reject me."
Tonks was breathless, both from the kiss and her confession, the weight of it all finally catching up to her. Remus' face was inscrutable. He was staring deeply into her eyes, unnerving her.
"I'll go," Tonks said weakly. "I can see you don't feel the same. It's…it's fine." She turned around, feeling the tears coming back.
A warm, calloused hand grabbed her arm before she could leave. "Tonks, wait. You misunderstand."
"I know, you hate me, it's more than dislike," she said, feeling exquisitely stupid. "I just hope—"
Her speech was cut off when Remus pulled her into his arms and drew her close against him. He held her cheek against his chest as he pressed a kiss on her head.
"No, Tonks, you completely misunderstand," Remus said, in barely more than a whisper. "I could never hate you. I could never dislike you. It's the opposite, really."
Tonks looked up, but Remus' face was buried in her currently crimson waves, matching her extreme embarrassment.
"Tonks, sweetheart, no," Remus said emphatically, her heart fluttering erratically. "I am shocked. I never imagined you could feel this way about me."
"You're not…upset?" Tonks asked, in a small voice. "You don't…you're not angry?"
"How could I be? You're the most beautiful, kind, and wonderful witch I've ever known. How could I be angry to know you feel the same as I do?"
Tonks' heart skipped a beat. The same?
"You feel the same?" she squeaked. "Really?"
Remus pulled her away from him and stared her in the eyes, his own now warm and filled with longing. "I'm in love with you, too, Tonks. I am. How you could possibly love me…" His hands went up into his hair, as he ran fingers through his greying, sandy-brown locks.
Tonks' face split into a wide, giddy grin. He loved her! She couldn't help herself, and she threw herself into his arms, bringing her lips up to his again. She melted into his arms and against his lips, utterly and completely enthralled by the talents of Remus Lupin.
…..
It was sometime later when Remus emerged with Tonks from his room, both disheveled, breathless, and dizzy with feelings for one another. Remus looked down at the now pink-haired witch holding his hand, smiling up at him as if he were a perfectly normal wizard, unafflicted by lycanthropy. Tonks looked up at the former professor, feeling her heart melting yet again under his loving gaze. They went downstairs together, hand in hand, at Tonks' insistence. She was proud to love him, and he was still in shock that she wanted anything to do with him, let alone what they'd just done together on his ancient double bed.
When Tonks and Remus finally reached the basement kitchen, in search of much needed sustenance, Sirius was waiting for them, three full glasses of firewhisky spaced neatly on the table.
He glanced at their intertwined hands, grinned, and winked. "Now, next time you have that kind of chat, cast a better Silencing Charm, for all our sakes."
Remus and Tonks looked at each other, and despite their embarrassment, couldn't help but laugh.
