Together - Remus and Tonks Missing Moment
Title: Together
Author: OHGinnyfan
Pairing: Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks
Word Count: Approx. 1,071
Rating: Everyone (G)
Warnings: None
Summary: A missing moment from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince where Remus and Tonks have a talk.
Together
Remus and Tonks said their goodbyes to the Weasleys and Fleur and left the hospital wing. They had been there visiting Bill, who was a patient of Madam Pomfrey’s and recovering from his injuries that he had suffered from Greyback’s attack. No one knew what the long-term affects would be for Bill, but Remus was able to offer a bit of insight into what he thought might happen. As the door of the wing closed behind them, Tonks reached out and grabbed Remus’s sleeve.
“Wait, Remus. We need to talk.”
Remus reluctantly stopped and turned to look at the young woman holding on to his sleeve. She was a couple of inches shorter than him and was wearing her hair in a pixie cut that - despite being a mousy-brown colour - somehow managed to reflect the light from the torches. Remus pushed all thoughts of how lovely this girl before him was as he answered, “Nymphadora, as I said inside, this is not the time to discuss this. Dumbledore’s dead; Bill’s been bitten-”
“And you won’t let yourself be loved,” Tonks stated defiantly.
Remus sighed. “It’s not that. It’s that I’m far too old for you. I’m not that much younger than your parents -”
“Remus, you’re only thirteen years older than me. That’s hardly close to my parents’ age.”
“And your parents are only six years older than me,” Remus added patiently. “But all the same, Nymphadora, I’m too old for you. I’m also too poor, and most certainly-”
“-Yes, I know,” Tonks interrupted. “Too dangerous. We’ve gone through this before, haven’t we, Remus. In there? With the Weasleys?” She gestured angrily toward the hospital door.
“Then why won’t you just let it go?”
“Because, I want you, Remus. I want you,” Tonks said as she grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him toward her. “I don’t care that you’re a werewolf, and I certainly don’t care that you’re poor. As for age, it doesn’t matter to me that you’re thirteen bloody years older than me. Haven’t we seen enough in our lifetimes to age us all? I’ve seen just as much as you have, Remus, possibly more. I may not have been very old during the first war, but I’m an Auror, and I’ve seen my share of bloodshed this time around.”
“That’s not the point-”
“Then what is the point, Remus?” Tonks asked, exasperated. “Are you afraid of me?”
Remus laughed bitterly. “Afraid of you? Why would I be afraid of you, Tonks? You may be an Auror, but you’re one of the kindest people I know. It’s you who should be afraid of me.”
“But I’m not, Remus, I’m not,” she said as she grabbed his hand. He tried to pull away, but she wouldn’t let go. “Listen to me,” she said emphatically. “I’m not afraid of you. I want to spend time with you. You, Remus,” she whispered, as she forced him to look her in the eyes. “You’re a good friend, and I want to see if we can be more than that.”
“We can’t be more than that. Full stop,” Remus said firmly, pulling away from her grasp and gaze. “I'm a werewolf. For Merlin's sake, Nymphadora, don't you get that?” Remus’s eyes were now blazing. “I’m considered a dangerous creature.”
“You’re considered a dangerous creature by a Ministry who doesn’t know their head from a hole in the ground!” Tonks spat back. “You’re not dangerous in your human form. And I’ll agree, you’re a dangerous creature when you transform-”
Remus shuddered.
“-But you’re only dangerous about once a month; I want to be with you, Remus, the you you are the rest of the time.”
“Tonks, I don’t-”
Tonks grabbed the man by the front of the robes and pulled his head down with her free hand. She placed her lips upon his, stifling any protests Remus was trying to make, and kissed him with all her might. The kiss exploded in his mind. It was soft and tender, yet powerful and demanding, all at once. Remus could feel the caring love that this girl - this woman - had for him. He slowly gave in to the kiss and to her, wrapping his arms around her while responding to her just as passionately. What seemed like hours later, or maybe it was days, they pulled apart.
Resting his forehead against hers, he whispered, “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
“All I’m asking for is the chance to love you, Remus. And to be loved by you,” she whispered back.
“Yes, but you’re getting more than you bargained for, I’m afraid.”
“What, the wolf-thing again?” Tonks asked, raising an eyebrow and grinning impishly, her hair now a vivid shade of pink. “Well, you know, together we can figure out a way to get Wolfsbane Potion for you each month, so the transformations won’t be so bad. And we’ll find you a safe place to transform in.”
“And you won’t be around when I transform,” Remus said, eyeing the woman seriously. “Do you understand me on that? That’s one thing I won’t give in on.”
Tonks, still wrapped in Remus’s arms, raised her hands in front of his chest. “Okay, okay…if you agree to see where things go with us, then I can give in on not being around when you transform.” She smirked as she wrapped her arms around him.
“Good. We’ve come to an agreement, then?” Remus asked, relaxing a bit in the woman’s embrace.
“Yes, I think we have.”
“Good, because I want to get back to doing this,” Remus said, pulling her closer and kissing her again. All too soon he broke the kiss and, wrapping his arm around her, and they walked down the corridor and into their life together.
*~*~*
A/N: I’d like to thank my beta team - Jen, Tim, Michele and Julie - for taking their time to go through this little ditty that came to me one day. Remus is one of my favorite characters, and it’s so nice to see Remus get some lovin’. This is also currently posted at PhoenixSong.net