Everything in that room was exactly as he remembered it: the creamy-white curtains at the French window, the embroidered cushions on the armchair, the big colourful shell on the mantelpiece, and even a music sheet on the grand piano's music rack.

"You still rent this house..."

"Your mother insists on it," replied Lyall, his gaze studying Remus as if he were trying to decide whether he was there or not. But before he could say anything else, the front door opened.

"Lyall, it's me."

At the sound of her voice, Remus' grip on Tonks' hand tightened so suddenly and so hard that she winced.

Remus hadn't felt so nervous since the day of his sorting ceremony. For more than twenty years, he had kept himself from the temptation of going back home. He had always thought that disappearing and cutting off any relationship with them would give them a chance at a life free of prejudice.

Looking at his father, seeing his grey hair receding, the lines etched into his face, he knew he had made the same mistake he had made with Tonks. He had had no right to choose for them.

"The guys missed you," Hope said, closing the door. "Tracy sent you some..."

The Tupperware slipped from her hands the moment she stepped into the room. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of the man standing in her living room. For a very long moment, she said nothing, her eyes locked on Remus'. The scars on his face were paler than she remembered. He was thinner. And there were streaks of grey in his hair, she noticed, as he bent to pick up the container. But no matter how many years had passed, she would have recognized him anywhere.

"Mum," Remus whispered, his voice unsteady.

"Remus?" Hope's voice trembled as she took a tentative step forward, as if afraid the moment might shatter. "Remus!"

He barely had time to nod before she pulled him into a strong hug. Remus shut his eyes tightly, burying his face in her shoulder as his arms wrapped around her. His chest swelled, and his shoulders shook. A lump formed in his throat, and for a moment, he felt like a child who had been lost and had finally found his way home. He had missed the scent of her hair, the touch of her hand, the sound of her voice for far too long."I'm sorry, Mum. I didn't mean to…"

"It's all right, love," Hope murmured, stroking his hair soothingly. She gently lifted his face, cupping it in her hands, smiling through her tears. "You're here now," she said sweetly. "That's all that matters."

At that sight, hearing Hope's words, Lyall's frown deepened. He clenched his fists at his sides. For years, he had longed to hear Remus' voice, to see him again, but now that he was there, the pain his son had caused by cutting them out of his life felt renewed, almost unbearable.

"More than twenty years, Remus..."Lyall's tone was grave and calm, but his words were heavy with emotion.

"Lyall..." Hope began, her voice pleading softly.

Ignoring his wife, the man went on. "You disappeared. Not a visit, not a letter..."

It took all of Remus' strength to find the courage to look his father in the eyes. "Dad, I..."

"Why?" Lyall asked shortly. His voice did not rise, but his hands were trembling.

"Lyall, please," Hope tried again. "It happened a long time ago. He's here now. That's what matters."

"I want to know." Lyall cut her off. "I want to know why he left us."

Remus shifted uneasily, feeling like a child about to be scolded "They were hunting werewolves…" he said at last. "I didn't want to cause you trouble…"

"Trouble?" the man echoed incredulously. "Werewolf hunting has been happening worldwide for hundreds of years." the man snorted "Now more than ever, the Ministry is in favour of it."

"I wanted you to be safe…"

"Safe?" Lyall's voice was laced with disbelief. "You thought the way to protect us was to leave without a word? Without giving us a reason? To make us believe you wanted nothing to do with us? As if we were strangers? Do you have any idea what you did to us? To your mother?"

The calm in his father's voice hurt more than any slap could have. His father wasn't angry; he was disappointed. So deeply disappointed that even after all these years, the pain was still fresh.

"All I ever wanted was to protect you," Remus said quietly, the guilt pressing down on him like lead.

Lyall studied him for a long, silent moment. Then, finally, he spoke. "That was never your job."

"Dad..." Remus whispered, watching as his father turned and walked through the French window.

Seeing Remus lower his head, exhaling sharply, his shoulders sinking, Tonks took a step forward, but Hope was already at his side.

Tonks looked away, embarrassed, feeling like a stranger peeping into something very intimate.

"Remus," Hope called softly, caressing his hair "your father...he...we have never stopped hoping one day you would come back home. But you have to understand ..."

"He's hurt. I know, mum." Remus murmured sadly "You and dad did everything for me."His voice grew heavy."You both cut ties with the people you loved to protect me. And I left without giving you a reason for it." a bitter smile played on his lips "It seems that the only thing I've been good at is disappointing and hurting the people I love. " His gaze flickered briefly to Tonks.

Hope's expression softened. "You're only human, Remus," she said gently. "We all hurt the ones we love, thinking we're doing it for their sake."A knowing smile tugged at her lips as she placed a hand under his chin, lifting his face so he had no choice but to look at her. "Go. Talk to your father."

Mrs Lupin watched as Remus hesitated for only a moment before following Lyall outside. Then, as she turned, her gaze landed on Tonks for the first time.

"I like that one too," she said, stepping closer to where Tonks stood by a small table, looking at a framed photo.

Tonks jumped at the sound of Hope's gentle voice. "I'm sorry," she said, quickly putting the photo down.

"Don't be, darling," Hope reassured her kindly. "It's one of my favourites." She picked up the frame again. "It was almost impossible to keep Remus away from the sea."

"Really?" Tonks asked, surprised.

"Oh, yes." Hope nodded nostalgically. "But… it was before ..."

Understanding, Tonks filled in the silence. "Before Greyback." Her voice was steady. "I know what his scars mean. And it doesn't matter."

The woman stared at Tonks, surprised by her answer. Hope's eyes searched hers as if measuring her words. "Not many people think that way."

"Not many people know Remus," Tonks smiled faintly. "Not that he makes it easy," she added, almost to herself. "He is such a stubborn man. Once he's convinced of something, it's nearly impossible to make him see sense. Sometimes he drives me crazy, and..."

Hope chuckled. "He's always been stubborn. He takes after his father. But don't tell Lyall I said so."

She turned back to the photo, brushing her fingers over it."We took this photo the first time we came here on holiday. Remus was so happy, so proud of himself that day," she said, smiling at the young child chasing the waves on the shore. "He had just learnt to swim."

Despite everything, Tonks couldn't help but catch the hint of pain in Hope's voice. That picture had been taken before Greyback had entered their lives. Before everything had changed. It had been taken when they had been truly happy.

"He was a beautiful child, wasn't he?"

Mrs Lupin was right, Tonks thought, smiling at the young Remus waving from the picture. He was a cute child. Tonks smiled. "He's a gorgeous man," she replied absentmindedly. Then, realizing she had just said that to his mother, she flushed and quickly looked away.

Hope laughed softly, amused by her reaction. "No need to be embarrassed, dear."

At those words, Tonks smiled too, feeling a bit silly. It wasn't like her to be shy, but she hadn't expected to meet Remus' parents that evening.

Although her dark uniform gave her an air of austerity, she was young, far younger than Remus, Hope thought. "What's your name, darling?"

Remus hovered nervously, hesitating, unsure of what to do; an unusual feeling for him. For years, every time he had needed the courage to go on, whenever he had felt alone, nothing more than the monster people saw when they looked at him, he had apparated on that beach. The same beach his father was looking at from the yard.

He had been so close to them and hadn't even known. If Tonks hadn't seen his father at the Ministry and recognized him as the man in the yard, he might never have.

"My old swing. It's still here," Remus said, trying to break the ice.

Lyall opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He nodded, his eyes fixed on the horizon.

Remus sighed. He had missed him, missed talking to him. More than once, after James' death and Sirius' arrest, the need to go home and talk to him had almost overwhelmed him. More than once, he had longed to seek his father's advice. But he had always held himself back.

"Dad..."

"I know, Remus." Lyall cut him short. "I know you convinced yourself that by staying away from us, you were doing us a favour. That people would stop staring at us, stop whispering behind our back..." He took a deep breath and turned to look at him. "But we never cared about that. We didn't mind people pointing at us." he sighed sadly "A month, a week, a couple of days a year... it would have been enough for us. Just knowing you were fine, seeing the man you had become... It would have been enough." he turned to look at him, disappointment and regret clearly showing in his eyes "But you took that away from us."

"Dad..."

"Your mother didn't deserve that. You broke her heart, Remus. Your choice almost destroyed her. It took her years to recover. She's still recovering." Lyall cut him short again. "What happened to you is my fault, not hers," he added, and before Remus could reply, he continued. "You have the right to hate me, to exclude me from your life..."

His words felt like someone had stabbed him "Dad, no!" Remus exclaimed, horrified at the thought he could believe it. "Please, don't say that. Don't even think it." He went on stepping closer, wishing to hug him. His father looked old and tired, different from the strong, resolute man he remembered. "How could I hate you? How could I hate the man who saved my life?" he asked "How could I hate the man who made me human instead of a monster?"

"Remus..."

"When my best friends doubted me, I started to doubt myself. "Admitted Remus forcing himself to look at him when it would have been easy not to see the pain his words were causing his father "The way people were looking at me made me feel like nothing more than a beast, ashamed of myself." he went on, his chest rising and falling faster at the ragged rhythm of his breath. "I've lived among monsters. I almost believed I was one of them, that that was the life I deserved."He closed his eyes for a brief moment, his heart racing so fast it felt as if it might explode. He forced himself to calm down."I would have believed it if not for a very stubborn girl." Remus took another deep breath, and when he spoke again, his voice was softer. "She forced me to see myself the way she sees me. The way my friends saw me. The way you and mum have always seen me. And it still isn't easy for me to understand that people can love me, that they need me in their lives despite what I am. I'm still afraid my presence will hurt them. But I'm fighting against my fears, just as you taught me. I'm learning to accept it." he swallowed hard, emotion thick in his voice. "So if you could forgive me, dad..." he hesitated, his gaze searching his father's eyes. "I would love to..."

Before he could finish the sentence, Lyall's hands grabbed him and pulled him into his arms.

"Forgive my cool welcoming, but when I realised you were an Auror, I thought…" Lyall said, clearly sorry, preceding his son into the kitchen and interrupting the two women's conversation.

"You have no idea what people say when the Aurors knock at their door." Tonks cut him short, gently.

Hope looked at her husband, confused. It wasn't the first time she had heard the word, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember the meaning of it. "What's an Auror?"

"I think you could consider her a policewoman."

"My mother is a muggle." explained Remus, sitting at Tonks' side.

"Is everything ok?" asked Tonks, noticing his eyes were reddened as well as his father's.

Using her fork to take a piece of chicken from her plate Remus nodded. "That's very good, mum." he changed subject whishing not to talk about it in that moment.

"Are you hungry?" asked Hope "I can cook you something. I offered Tonks too, but she saw the leftover on the counter..."

"And it is delicious. I was starving. " smiled gratefully Tonks "I didn't have time for lunch."

"Do you have much work in the Ministry at the moment?" asked Lyall

His question surprised Tonks as well as Remus, who turned to look at him "Don't you know what's happening?"

"Well" replied Lyall "I know Dumbledore is dead, of course. And by the way he insisted for having my researches, I can tell you that Scrimgeour is under lots of pressure but..."

"How is possible you don't know what's happening?" asked Remus and, ignoring the expression appeared on his father's face, he went on "Even the Prophet, as far as unthrustworthy it become, published it."

"We don't read the Prophet." replied Lyall

"Your father cut any tie he had with the wizard world." explained Hope "He doesn't trust them."

"I could I after what they did?" snorted Lyall "They only one worth my trust was Dumbledore but now..."

"Dad, I understand you may still feel resentment towards the Ministry, but you can't pretend they don't exist. They are part of your world."

"Not anymore," replied Lyall. "I choose to live as a muggle. No magic in my house. "

"But dad..."

"If muggles have lived centuries without using magic, I can live without using it too." Lyall cut him short then, making clear he had nothing more to say about it, he asked "An Auror and a werewolf...how did you meet?"

Remus was about to reply, but the way his mother looked at him made him understand he would have only wasted his time. "Do you remember my best friends?"

"How could we forget them? Who knows why, when they were around, something unusual always happened." Hope smiled "I'm sure even Mr Hines still remembers you."

"Who is Mr Hines?" Tonks asked, curious.

"He is one of our neighbours in Cardiff." said Hope

"Is he still alive?" asked Remus incredulously. He had not seen the man for more than twenty years, and his memory of him was that of an old man even then.

"Yes." nodded Hope "And he has a good memory. He still blame you of having caused identity confusion to his dog."

Tonks frowned, trying not to laugh. That was the strangest accusation she had ever heard "What did you do to your neighbour's dog?"

"Nothing...It's a boring story." Remuss hurriedly answered, his cheeks slightly reddening. He took the fork again trying to ignore the way his parents had looked at each other at his reaction "Anyway, do you remeber Sirius?"

"Sirius..." murmured Lyall thoughtfully "Wasn't he on every newspaper a couple of years ago?" he asked looking at his wife as if for a confirmation "We almost didn't recognise him..."

"He was such a handsome guy..."

"He spent twelve years in Azkaban." replied Remus, staring at the plate, still feeling guilty for having thought his friend could have been a Death Eater.

"I'm very sorry for what happened to him." Hope said, "I couldn't believe he was a murderer."

"He was innocent." confirmed Remus, his voice revealing the regret for having considered his friend capable of an action so hideous, for not having been able to keep him at home that night. "Dumbledore and I had the proof of his innocence. So when Dumbledore called back the Order of the Phoenix," seeing his father nodding as to say he knew what he was talking about, Remus continued "we managed to hide him."

"But weren't the Aurors chasing him?" asked Lyall, glancing at Tonks

"I was part of the team responsible for catching my cousin." confirmed Tonks "It made it easier for me to help hide Sirius."

"So you are Sirius' cousin."

Remus nodded "Luckily, Moody managed to convince her of Sirius' innocence."

"Moody?" asked Llyal thoughtfully "Alastor Moody?"

"He was my mentor when I entered the Ministry."Tonks nodded "Do you know him?"

Lyall nodded "But it was a long time ago. I'm sure he doesn't remember me."

"My father used to work for the Ministry too," Remus whispered in her ear.

"Oh!" murmured Tonks surprised to hear that after what Mr Lupin had said about the Ministry. But now that she was thinking about it, it explained why Scrimgeour seemed to know him.

"So you met at the Headquarter of the Order, don't you?" asked Lyall, preceding any question Tonks could ask about his past.

"Yes." said Remus "Even if..." he went on grimacing at Tonks "...it was more like she bumped into me."

"Put down that biscuit," Molly ordered Charlie menacingly. "They are for after the meeting."

"But, Mum..." protested the boy.

"Go upstairs and help your brother," Molly cut him off. "What the hell is he doing?" she muttered. Then, hearing the footsteps on the stairs, she added, "It must be him. Bill, what...Sirius!"

"Yes?" asked Sirius, stepping into the room.

"Nothing. I thought you were Bill," explained Molly. "I sent him upstairs to get a couple of chairs more than twenty minutes ago. How long does it take to bring a couple of chairs down here...?"

"Are you sure he knows you're waiting for him?" asked Remus. "'Cause he's with Fleur in the living room."

"Fleur!" Molly muttered through gritted teeth. She still couldn't understand why her son had brought that annoying girl here.

"Go," she said to Charlie. "Tell your brother I need him."

"Are those chocolate chip biscuits?" asked Sirius

"Yes," replied Molly, rummaging through a cupboard, muttering about the poor state of the kitchen. "But I made them for after the meeting."

"Okay," replied Sirius, grabbing three biscuits from the tray while she wasn't looking and passing one to Charlie and one to Remus, who rolled his eyes but took it anyway and sat next to him.

"So," said Sirius, blinking at Charlie and biting the biscuit "are you sure she's coming tonight?"

Remus nodded. "She'll come with Alastor and Kingsley."

"Moody says she's one of the best trainees he's ever had."

"She's on the team assigned to arrest you," replied Remus. "Luckily, she believed in your innocence."

"I'm sure her mother told her I couldn't have been a Death Eater," said Sirius. "Andromeda was the only other decent person in my family." He sighed. "I'd like to see her again. Do you think her daughter looks like her?"

"I've never met your cousin," replied Remus. "But, well... she is her daughter."

"She was a beautiful girl," Sirius went on. "I remember my grandmother trying in vain to find a reason to scold her. Andromeda never gave her a reason for it. She was too clever to fall for that. I don't remember ever seeing her lose her temper. That used to drive the old gargoyle mad." he went on, smirking at that memory.

The traffic noise muffled the loud pop that indicated someone had just apparated.

"Tonks," called Kingsley, seeing the girl glancing around, trying to figure out which area of London they had arrived in. "This way."

"Move," barked Moody impatiently, striding toward numbers 11 and 13 of Grimmauld Place. "We're late," he said, pulling a piece of parchment from his pocket and passing it to Tonks.

As soon as Tonks read it, number 12 Grimmauld Place appeared in front of her.

"Fidelius Charm..." she murmured, impressed.

"It was Dumbledore's idea," said Kingsley, gesturing for her to follow Moody.

As soon as she stepped inside, a musty smell hit her. The sound of multiple locks clicking into place followed them as they walked down the dark corridor.

"Watch where you step," Kingsley advised just in time for her to avoid tripping over an ugly old umbrella stand that looked like a troll's leg.

The sound of muffled voices reached them as they began going down a very steep, wooden staircase. When Moody opened the kitchen door, the sudden light almost blinded her.

"Sorry we're late," said Moody, entering and shrugging off his cloak.

"Don't worry. We are still waiting for the others," replied Arthur. "Hi, Tonks," he added, smiling at the young woman.

"Mr. Weasley," smiled Tonks, then noticing the boy sitting at the table. "Charlie!" she exclaimed, surprised. "When did you come back?"

"A week ago," replied Charlie, walking over and hugging her. "I wanted to tell you, but" he shrugged "I couldn't."

"Good evening, Mrs. Weasley," said Tonks, spotting Molly entering from what seemed to be the backyard.

"Hi, Tonks, darling," said Molly warmly. "How are you?"

"Not bad. It's a..."

"If you've finished wasting time, Nymphadora..."

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks snapped, darting at the old Auror.

"You're a Metamorphmagus." said Sirius, surprise shifting to admiration. He watched as her flame-red hair turned deep purple again."Your mother didn't tell me that."

Tonks turned toward the voice. There, standing near the table, was Sirius Black. His hair was shorter and tidier, he had put on some weight, and his clothes were clean, but she would have recognized him anywhere. After all, his face had been plastered over almost every space in the cubicle she was sharing with Savage and Proudfoot.

"Sirius."

Sirius nodded. She wasn't exactly how he had imagined her. He thought as the purple-haired girl walked toward him, an acid-green t-shirt peeking out from under her jacket. She didn't quite fit the image he had in his mind, but she seemed nice.

She had almost reached the table when she stumbled on the uneven stone floor and fell.

"Are you all right?" asked Remus, who was closer to her and reached her first. "Did you get hurt?" he asked, offering her his hand.

"I'm fine," answered Tonks, a little embarrassed, taking his hand. "I didn't see that hole and..."

She gasped as her head hit something hard.

"Remus!" Molly exclaimed, alarmed, as she saw him straighten up, his hands covering his nose, drops of blood slipping through his fingers. "Sit down, let me see it."

"I'm sorry," murmured Tonks, mortified, watching as Molly and Kingsley attended to the man who had tried to help her.

"Oh, Remus is going to be fine, don't worry," said Sirius, putting a hand on her back and guiding her to sit at the other end of the table with him.

It had been a beautiful evening. Tonks had almost forgotten what it felt like to spend the evening without somebody mentioning the war. Although it was quite late, she was feeling more full of energy than she had felt that morning. Her mind was lighter as if someone had taken a heavy burden from her shoulders for a while.

It had been nice to listen to Mr and Mrs Lupin telling stories about Remus' past and to hear Remus interrupt his parents to add more details or correct them. She had never needed to beg her cousin to talk about his life before Azkaban; Sirius had loved telling her stories about his past. But Remus… it had been hard for her to imagine him as a teenager.

"Are you still up?" Remus asked, stopping behind her.

"You were right." Tonks leaned back against him, breathing in the fruity scent of soap, her eyes still on the sea. "This is a beautiful place. I'm happy you wanted to share it with me."

Remus smiled, pressing his lips against the side of her head as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I like your parents," she murmured, cuddling against him. "You look a lot like them."

"Do I?" Remus raised his eyebrows. He had never paid attention to that.

Tonks nodded. "Did you notice the way your mother arches her eyebrows when she is surprised?" she asked "You do the same thing." she almost burst into a laugh noticing, out the corner of her eyes, he was doing it at that moment. "Your dad slightly bends his head and strokes his beard when he's thinking. You do that too."

"Really?"

Tonks nodded again.

"I didn't notice it" replied Remus trying to remember when his parents had done the gestures she was talking about.

"I'm trained to notice this kind of detail." said Tonks "After all, I'm one of the best Aurors of the Ministry" she joked.

"About that..." Remus replied, his hand stroking his short beard, a mocked thoughtful expression playing on his face "I don't remember ever seeing Kingsley tripping on his own feet or being knocked down by him."

Understanding he was referring to the first time they had met, Tonks bit her lip, trying not to smile at the memory, "It was an accident." she defended herself trying to sound outraged by his insinuation "And it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been on my way."

"So, now it was my fault?" asked Remus, arching his eyebrows "Are you saying that it was my fault if you broke my nose?"

"Correct." nodded Tonks

"Then should I have ignored what had happened and left you on the floor?" he teased her.

"Absolutely." replied the girl

"Well...if you think I should have done that."

"Remus, what..." began Tonks, who had been leaning against him, as he suddenly stepped away from her.

As if it was happening in slow motion, for a split second, Remus watched Tonks trying to straighten herself and keep her balance, in vain.

Then, giggling to himself, he quickly stepped forward, his arms catching her, breaking her fall.

"Remus, you idiot." protested the girl, astounded, hearing him chuckle and turning into his arms. "I could have fallen."

"Have I ever let you fall?" replied Remus, smiling and tightening his arms around her making her attempt to push herself back vain.

She couldn't stay angry at him, she wasn't able to, not when he was looking at her the way he was doing. Despite everything, she couldn't keep herself from smiling back at him. He had always been there, breaking her falls. He had pretended to be annoyed by her, accused her of being too clumsy, to not pay attention to where she was putting her feet, but had always been there to catch her. He had always been there offering her his hand.

"I'll never let you fall, love." Remus swore to her, making her heart accelerate and Tonks wishing she had her powers back, her hair had turned pink, as bright pink as never before. But she knew it had remained brown.

Raising on her tiptoes, she gave him a slow, sweet kiss then, sighing, she brushed the tip of her nose against his and lowered herself on the floor again. "It is a luck Molly was there that night." Tonks said,resting her arms on his shoulders "She very good at healing charms."

"Well...considering Fred and George are her sons," replied Remus, pulling her closer "I'm sure they gave her lots of occasions to practice."

Tonks smiled in agreement "Anyway," she went on, gently caressing his cheek, "I would have never forgiven myself if I had ruined it." seeing him frown surprised and amused at the same time by her words, she went on "I like it."

"Do you?"

Tonks nodded, her gaze following her finger slowly tracing the line of his nose. "It's cute."

"Cute?" repeated Remus, almost laughing "Do you find my nose cute?"

Tonks nodded "You took it from your mother." she said watching him closing his eyes as his fingers lightly brushed against his eyebrow "Your eyes have the same shape as hers. But they are of a different shade of brown." she went on meeting his gaze as he opened his eyes again "I really love the way they shine when you smile." she continued cheerfully, her finger lightly brushing on his lips tracing the contour of his smile "You inherited the gentle smile of your father. " then, suddenly a worried expression crossed her face "Do you think they like me?"

Remus raised his eyebrows, the concern in her voice almost making him laugh. He had rarely seen Tonks worried about something, but it was clear in her eyes that she was truly afraid of his parents' judgment."I'm sure they do," Remus assured her. "Why shouldn't they?"

"I don't know..." Tonks sighed, slightly shaking her head. "It's just... I don't want them to see me as only a clumsy, silly girl."

Remus frowned, not sure he understood her concern.

"I broke one of your mother's glasses," Tonks confessed before he could ask anything.

Remus smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "That could have happened to anyone. And I'm sure you've already repaired it."

"Yes..." Tonks nodded, then, avoiding his eyes, she added in a low, embarrassed voice, "I told your mother how attractive I think you are before even telling her my name."

Remus' smile widened, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Did you..." he muttered, nibbling at his lower lip, trying not to laugh.

"It was not funny, Remus," Tonks replied, pushing him away and turning to the window again. "I must have sounded like a silly girl..." She sighed. "We were watching an old picture of you, and she had just pointed out how cute you were in it when it slipped out of my mouth and..."

"Love," Remus cut her off, putting his hands on her hips and making her turn to face him again, "I'm sure my mother won't judge you harshly just because you said it. If you had told her the opposite...perhaps..."

Seeing his amused expression, she suddenly realized how silly she must have sounded. Had it happened to someone else, she would have laughed at it too. "It's stupid, I know..." she admitted, "but it was embarrassing, and..."

Still smiling, Remus bent his head forward and pressed his lips against her mouth for a long moment, silencing her.

"So, I'm attractive, aren't I?" he chuckled against her lips.

"Idiot." Tonks muttered, pulling her head back and frowning at him.

His smile widened, reaching his eyes, which shone with mischief. Tonks' gaze lingered on his face for a moment before trailing down the line of his neck, slowly following the shape of his shoulders, moving down to his chest and hips, hidden by the bath towel wrapped around his waist. A smile curled her lips. The room suddenly felt too warm.

Then her gaze met Remus' again. And she saw the smile still playing on his lips and realised that he didn't need to be a Legilimens to know exactly what she had been thinking. She shook her head slightly and, trying to sound serious, said, "You're acceptable."

"Acceptable," Remus repeated with a smirk, walking to the bed. "Well, that's more than I've always thought."

Smiling back at him, Tonks sat on the window seat, pulled up her legs, and wrapped her arms around her knees, turning towards the beach and forcing herself to remember that his parents were just in the bedroom upstairs.

"So, this was your room during the summer," she said, listening to the sound of his footsteps approaching.

Remus nodded, buttoning up his pyjama shirt.

Tonks put one foot down on the floor again, making some space for him. "It's so quiet," she said as he sat down and leaned back against her.

"You can hear the waves crashing on the shore when the sea is rough," Remus replied, resting his head on her shoulder, his forehead against her cheek, and closing his eyes.

She wrapped an arm around him, searching for his hand and intertwining their fingers. It had been quite a day for him, she knew. Seeing Bill in that condition had made him relive the worst part of his youth. And meeting his parents, as happy as he might have been about it, must not have been easy either.

"We can talk about it if you want."

Remus sighed. "Dora, I..."

"It's all right," Tonks interrupted gently, hearing his hesitation. "We can talk when you're ready."

"It's just..." Remus took a deep breath. "I don't know how to explain it." He took another deep breath. "I've missed them. I've wished to come back home so many times... Seeing that they're still alive, that they're fine." He smiled to himself. "I'm happy to be here, love. Happier than I thought possible. But I can't ignore the feeling I have stolen something precious from them."He went on, gently playing with her fingers. "I thought I was the one needing them, but now, watching them, tired, older...I know I wasn't there when they needed me. I wasn't there when they needed help, when they were sad, when they were happy..." Remus sighed "My father has spent all these years thinking it has been his fault. That I ran away to punish him. And I wasn't there to tell him how wrong he was to think that."

For once, Tonks didn't know what to say. His regret was so strong that she could almost touch it. She tightened her arm around him, her thumb tracing slow, reassuring circles over the back of his hand.

"And at the same time, love," Remus went on before she could say anything, "tonight, while we were talking, I felt like I'd never left. As if things were just like they were when I was only a boy. We were laughing together, talking about memories we share..." Remus sighed. "More than twenty years, Dora. I've been away for more than twenty years, and I felt as if I had never left." He hesitated, his fingers absently playing with hers. "I know I'm not the fifteen-year-old boy they remember anymore. I know that they, as well as I, have been through a lot. These years have changed us. But," he lifted his gaze to hers, his voice quiet, almost disbelieving, "I feel like they still know me. That they still know who I really am, who I've become."

His voice was filled with a wonder she had never heard in it before. And for a moment, Tonks saw the fifteen-year-old boy Mr and Mrs Lupin had talked about, smiling at her.

"They know you, Remus. Better than anyone could," she said, brushing the hair away from his eyes and thinking he really needed a haircut. "When I look at you, I can see the teenager who shared my cousin's dormitory, exactly as Sirius described him. A little less reckless, perhaps... " She smiled gently, caressing his cheek. "But you're still that boy, Remus. The boy your parents raised: patient, clever, caring... a good man."

He didn't deserve her, Remus thought. He didn't deserve someone who loved him as much as Tonks did. He would never stop telling himself how crazy he had been to run away from her.

"You forgot all my faults," Remus pointed out, arching an eyebrow.

"They're not that important, Remus. But since you insist..."Tonks replied with a grin "You can be annoyingly..."

Before she could finish, his lips were on hers, stealing the rest of her words with a kiss.

"I love you."

Tonks sighed; her fingers slipped into his hair as she pulled him closer. "I love you too." she murmured, kissing him again.

"Is Bill sleeping?"

Fleur's voice made Charlie jump. He turned, surprised, and saw her sitting on the sofa in the dark.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I can't sleep," she replied. "How is he?"

"He's feeling better. Remus' potion worked," Charlie said, sitting next to her. "He's sleeping now."

Fleur nodded, then hesitated before asking the question that had been tormenting her since Remus had told her to stay away from Bill. "Did he ask for me?"

Charlie looked away for a moment before meeting her gaze again. A week ago, he would have been happy to see his brother break up with Fleur, but now, he had changed his mind about her.

"Fleur, he…"

She cut him off before he could find the words. "It doesn't matter," she said quickly, taking a shaky breath. "He loves me. I know that. No bite can change it."

"Give him some time to understand what's happening," Charlie said, feeling sorry for her. "Did you hear what Remus said?"

Fleur nodded, but Charlie could tell she was fighting to keep her composure.

"Come on," he said, standing and offering his hand. "It's been a long day."

Her gaze flickered from his hand to his face, uncertainty lingering in her eyes. But instead of taking it, she frowned.

"I saw something strange today at Gringotts."

Charlie's brow furrowed.

"I had forgotten about it," she admitted. "But it just came back to me now."

"What did you see?" Charlie asked, curious, sitting at her side again.

"The goblins use wagons to reach the vaults, but some can also be accessed on foot, through tunnels. Do you know that, right?"

Charlie nodded. "They're protected by goblin magic. Only those granted access can find them… a sort of Fidelius Charm."

"Oui, something like that." Fleur agreed. She leaned forward slightly. "Well, I was working near the entrance of one of the tunnels when I saw three goblins enter."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "So?" he asked, not seeing why that was unusual.

"Only one of them works at the bank."

Charlie's eyes widened, interest sparking. He shifted closer."Are you sure? You've been off work for a couple of days. Couldn't they be new hires?"

"No." Fleur said firmly, shaking her head. "I'm sure. I kept thinking about it, trying to figure out what felt… wrong." She exhaled slowly, a satisfied glint in her eye. "And now I know."

Charlie leaned in. "What was it?"

"Their uniforms," she said. "They weren't right."