One of the best things about being a known werewolf as the full moon approached - the only good thing about it, in fact - was that if you were moody and withdrawn, everyone assumed it was to do with that. Remus knew he was being more than usually quiet, and as close as he got to being snappy, and that the effect was simply to make everyone in the Order more sympathetic.

This added an extra level of guilt on top of all that he was feeling already. He could only imagine that they'd feel very differently if they knew that his moodiness was caused completely by his feelings for his much younger (and very much not a cursed creature) colleague. He sat across the table from her as the meeting of the Order wore on, gazing and gazing, but with his expression carefully funnelled into one of mild remoteness, as though his eyes happened to have landed on her face but his thoughts were a million miles away. He was generally diligent and attentive in meetings, as in all other things, but Snape was talking and Remus thought that all things considered he could allow himself to zone out for a bit.

Tonks was sitting next to Bill Weasley, and as Snape paused for breath, or perhaps merely to give himself the pleasure of looking nastily around at everyone in the room, she leaned across to Bill and mumbled something that made him spurt with hastily repressed laughter. Snape whipped his glare towards them, and Bill made a half apologetic gesture and assumed an expression of polite attention. Tonks, however, merely smiled cheerfully back at Snape, who in the end slid his glance away with an expression of utter contempt and resumed his report.

See? Remus told himself, watching the easy, friendly interactions between Tonks and Bill. She's like that with everyone. This had been a bit of a mantra for him over recent weeks. When his heart stopped at the sight of her friendly grin as they met, when she made his blood run hot by touching him unnecessarily- a friendly arm squeeze here, a hug goodbye there - and when, on a long evening performing surveillance missions for the Order together under an invisibilty cloak, she had scooted so close to him that she was practically (although mercifully not quite, given what she would not have been able to help noticing) in his lap. She's a warm and friendly person. It's only you making this into something more.

Snape continued his report, and Remus forced himself to listen again, but he didn't remove his gaze.

"The emissaries of the Dark Lord moving in the open now amongst these circles... Taking every opportunity to recruit new followers... potentially using a house in Belgrave Square for certain operations...". What Snape was saying was chilling, and important. And then, out of nowhere, Tonks looked straight at Remus, grinned and winked. He was flustered and embarrassed but also, despite himself, pleased, and he felt a slow smile spread over his face. He looked down at his hands, then back up at her. She was still looking at him, with one eyebrow raised and a smile on her lips.

She's like that with everyone, he told himself, sternly.

Was she, though? The smile and the wink was one thing, but the eyebrow?

Get a grip, Lupin. He glanced at Sirius, to ground himself. What would his best friend think if he knew that he was entertaining these kinds of notions about the cousin Sirius had only recently met but who, with her irreverent ways and irrepressible spirit, had clearly quickly become one of his favourite people? It was a chastening thought.

Sirius met his eye with a slightly sardonic smile. There was a gleam in his eye and he half raised an eyebrow. It had a very different effect from when Tonks did it, but Remus wasn't sure what he should infer from it. It looked almost like - but it couldn't possibly be - knowing amusement.

The sound of his own name snapped Remus back into focus.

"Remus, can you take that one? It's in three days, so you should be all right for it, and we need someone who can duel their way out of trouble if necessary ."

"Of course," Remus replied, nodding at Moody with his usual politeness and wondering what he'd just agreed to. In three days the moon would only just be over, and he'd hardly be in his best form, but he made allowances for Moody's usual paranoia and wasn't overly worried.

"Right," barked Moody, "let's see who can go with him. Bill, what about you?"

Bill was nodding and opened his mouth to speak, but Tonks interrupted. "I'll take this one, Mad-Eye. I've got time off I need to take and I might as well be useful." Remus couldn't really be sure, but it looked as though she might have kicked Bill under the table. In any event, Moody could hardly argue. Bill was brave, and tough, and clever, but Tonks was a trained auror.

"Fine," Moody said, "Bill, you're up the next time we need some surveillance. Moving on. What have you got to report, Hestia?"

Tonks grinned happily at Remus, who couldn't help smiling back.

After the meeting, most of the Order hung around Grimmauld place for a chat, although of course Snape swept off immediately in a whirl of black cloaks and malevolent stares. Remus had planned to go to bed early- the few days before the full moon made him tired and he preferred to be on his own, or at least alone with Sirius, with whom he never had to pretend for the sake of niceties. But he found himself hanging around making small talk with Dedalus and helping Molly make everyone cups of tea, telling himself firmly that he simply wanted to be helpful and that it was nothing to do with the fact that Tonks was still talking animatedly to Kingsley. Finally, he stood talking quietly with Sirius about the best ways to infiltrate the Death Eaters' communication network when the gleam he had noticed in Sirius's eyes during the meeting returned to his face. Instinctively, Remus turned and saw Tonks coming up behind him, knocking over a pile of old newspapers as she went.

"Wotcher, Remus, Sirius," she said, cheerfully picking up the newspapers and placing them in a haphazard pile on the sideboard.

"I look forward to working with you on Tuesday," he said, politely.

"Me, too. You're my favourite person to hide in bushes with," she replied. Sirius spluttered and spilt some of his firewhisky, but before Remus's brain could possibly begin to process this, Tonks jabbed her cousin good-naturedly in the ribs. "Oi! Get your mind out of the gutter. He always brings chocolate, for one thing. Plus Bill would never say anything but I know Tuesdays are one of the evenings he spends with his girlfriend, so I wanted to cover for him."

Remus considered this. It made it less significant that Tonks had been so keen to volunteer to take the shift with him, if it was partly to help out a friend. On the other hand, he liked hearing about Bill, with whom Tonks was extremely friendly, having a girlfriend.

"That was very nice of you. I'll try to make it worth your while." Good Godric, had he actually said that out loud? Sirius's laughter confirmed that he had. He prickled all over with embarrassment.

"Bet you will," grinned Tonks, unabashed. "I've got to go, I've got a night time reccee mission with work."

"All night? You'll be shattered."

"Nah, you know me. I'll live when I'm alive, I'll sleep when I'm dead. See you Sirius. Hope the next couple of days are okay, Remus. See you Tuesday." And, with a gentle touch of his arm, she was out of the door.

Sirius was staring after her, enviously. If ever anyone had been made for the "sleep when I'm dead" life, it was him. But he laughed as he turned to Remus.

"Well, that was one of the worst fucking flirtations I've ever had the misfortune to witness."

Remus didn't meet his eye. "Sirius, that wasn't- obviously I'm not... I mean, there's nothing happening between us."

"No; nor is there likely to be with lines like that. 'I'll try to make it worth your while'", he quoted, chuckling, shaking his head.

"Sirius, is there any chance we can stop talking about this? Honestly, I assure you, she's just really friendly - well, you know how she is. There's nothing in it."

Sirius looked at him, oddly, and then clapped him on the shoulder. "I'll let you off until after the moon," he said. "Can't say fairer than that."

It was as good as Remus was going to get. He went to bed, took his potion and braced himself for a bad night as the pains started ratcheting up ahead of the full moon tomorrow. And yet, somehow, he was still smiling. After all, she hadn't said it was only because he brought chocolate.