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Remus/Sirius v. Remus/Tonks in Canon: Contrast and Compare
At the core, the Harry Potter book series is a wonderful mystery. JK Rowling has done an amazing job of weaving a complex story, giving readers plenty of fat to chew, fascinating characters to love and loathe, red herrings to sift through, secrets and motives to uncover, and cryptic clues to decipher.
She gives her readers -- adults and children alike -- loads of detail to ignite our questioning imaginations, but never enough to actually solve the mystery or even spoil the surprise. As we anxiously await the final installment of Harry’s saga, we know that most of the key plot dots are already there, but we still can’t see how to connect them.
It’s brilliant, but maddening. Why? Because the one thing we know for certain is JKR doesn’t lie to us. We know she doesn’t pull any punches, doesn’t deliberately misrepresent facts or the characters in her story to artificially prolong the suspense. Granted, she has engaged in some sleight of hand from time to time. For example she led us to believe Barty Crouch Jr. was Mad-Eye Moody for a year, and distracted us with the possibility that it was Tonks who was under the Imperius curse in HBP when it was actually Rosmerta. However, such intentional misdirections are resolved reasonably quickly and completely.
It’s also important to recognize that she makes it clear we’re supposed to wonder about certain things. There were hints of the shiftiness of “Moody” all throughout Goblet of Fire. And Snape? Red flags have been popping up around him and screaming loudly of his cagey duplicity from the very beginning. That’s the way JKR handles the Big Clues that propel the story.
While readers may be unable to accurately guess the meaning behind the Big Clues, the fact that something is off or hidden or not what it seems is usually hard to miss. Considering children are Rowling’s target audience, it’s a foregone conclusion she isn’t going to play intentionally confusing games with characterization, sexuality, history, or any other static information required to support the more critical aspects of the mystery that by design must remain obscure.
Despite the clarity with which she routinely presents the elements of her story, there seems to be a lot of misinterpretation when it comes to facts and subtext -- particularly as they pertain to characterization and shipping. Reading and writing a ship for the purposes of entertainment or exploring what-if scenarios is one thing, but arguing its foundation in canon is something else entirely.
In such cases, Rowling’s style, consistency, and intentions appear to be cast aside in favor of personalized interpretations of the characters, situations, and events. Then these personalized interpretations are defended as being based on “deeper meaning” and “subtext” that does not bear up under logical scrutiny.
With one notable exception, these misinterpretations are never more obvious than when they are applied to the supposed existence of a romantic Remus/Sirius relationship in canon, and the subsequent vehement denial of Remus/Tonks. This is difficult to comprehend considering one ship -- Remus/Tonks -- is irrefutably rooted in canon while the other -- Remus/Sirius -- depends purely upon subtext for its existence.
Yet arguments persist that there is subtext to support the notion that a romantic relationship existed between Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, and that Remus and Tonks aren’t really a couple at the end of Half-Blood Prince -- or if they are, it is only with resignation on Remus’s part.
So for my own sake I decided to try and determine once and for all if there was any truth to these assertions. After scouring the books and completing a logical review of the details both individually and comprehensively, I have reached the conclusion there is none.
Deconstructing the Myth of Remus/Sirius
First, I think it would be helpful to begin by refreshing our memories as to the actual meaning of a few words commonly used in fandom discussions about characterization, intent, and the interpretation of events.
sub·text : the implicit or metaphorical meaning (as of a literary text)
can·on : 3 b : the authentic works of a writer
in·fer·ence : 1 : the act or process of inferring : as a : the act of passing from one proposition, statement, or judgment considered as true to another whose truth is believed to follow from that of the former
These definitions are important in terms of understanding the distinction between Rowling’s presentation of the relationship between Remus and Sirius, and the relationship between Remus and Tonks.
Under the Microscope
The so-called supporting evidence of Remus/Sirius is well-traveled. The myth of their relationship generally begins with (A) their school days at Hogwarts and subsequent separation either by suspicion and/or Sirius’s incarceration in Azkaban. Then (B), after his miraculous and unexpected escape twelve years later, the two resume their affair until Sirius’s untimely death. It’s worth noting that some R/S proponents don’t buy into the school-era relationship, and instead suggest the men did not engage in a sexual relationship until after Sirius escaped from prison and their friendship was restored.
In an effort to examine the R/S myth, it quickly becomes clear that we don’t have much in the way of detailed information about the past relationship between the Marauders. This by itself is suggestive. However, there are a few things we do know, and when reviewed logically these facts say quite a bit about the characters -- just not what R/S shippers seem keen to believe.
(A) Their school days at Hogwarts and subsequent separation either by suspicion and/or Sirius’s incarceration in Azkaban.
All we currently have to go on regarding this period of their history is Remus’s confessional explanation as to the source of Snape’s grudge against the Marauders, the somewhat explanatory question and answer dialogue between Remus and Sirius in the Shrieking Shack in PoA, what Harry sees of Snape’s ‘worst memory’ in the Pensieve in OotP, and a brief bit of discussion between Harry, Sirius, and Remus about the content of Snape’s memory.
That evidence, from each of those sources, points to Sirius and James as having been the inseparable, devoted friends. James is the one Sirius turned to when he ran away from home. James was the one who held Sirius’s attention, provided his entertainment, matched his wits, approached risk-taking and the sense of adventure in the same way, who named him godfather of his son, and remained his trusted friend up until the catastrophe. Not Remus.
While Remus was certainly preferred and liked above Peter, he was not on equal footing with James in Sirius’s eyes. Remus’s cyclic illness initially provided a puzzle for James and Sirius to solve together, and then having a mysterious and ultimately controversial werewolf as a friend was likely perceived by them as a feather in their little rebellious caps. That, combined with the subsequent temptation of becoming outlaw Animagi, seems to have motivated James and Sirius at least as much as the friendship they felt for Remus.
In OotP, Remus admits to Harry that James and Sirius were “the best in school at whatever they did” and “everyone thought they were the height of cool.” In Snape’s worst memory, Harry notices a girl avidly admiring the handsome Sirius as she hopes to get his attention. The point is, either directly or through subtext, we’re given to understand that all eyes were on James and Sirius.
The dynamic between them is the focus of nearly all the details of the past that we’ve been given so far, and beyond that, Sirius’s interactions with Snape have more significance than his interactions with Remus. Given these details, it is impossible to infer that Sirius had the time, motive, or inclination to pursue Remus romantically, and there is no evidence whatsoever that Sirius and Remus were close in a special way.
Of course diehards will argue that a meaningful, sexual relationship might have existed between Remus and Sirius after the events in Snape’s memory, or after James became involved/preoccupied with Lily Evans, or after the boys left Hogwarts. However, if the relationship has never been implied, and is simply presumed to have occurred off the page or outside the scope of knowledge given to readers, then it categorically fails the definition of subtext. An idea or presumption has no merit as subtext if its source does not actually exist somewhere in the text. Likewise, inferences drawn upon such presumptions cannot be considered valid.
As for Remus’s explanation of his involvement with the Marauders, his own remarks reveal an unqualified equivalency between his fellow Marauders, and Sirius is mentioned with no greater affection or frequency than James and Peter.
“For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black…Peter Pettigrew…and, of course, your father, Harry -- James Potter.” -- PoA, Ch. 18, p. 355 (US)
Sirius getting first mention hardly constitutes sexual subtext. It’s more likely a coincidence, or perhaps the professor was simply listing them alphabetically to his students.
Overall, the most difficult thing to explain is the damning nature of what lies behind Snape’s grudge. It is inconceivable that Sirius could have had sensitive, loving feelings for Remus and yet been willing to make him an unwitting murderer by sending Snape down the tunnel toward a transformed werewolf. Sirius’s hatred of Snape was the compelling emotion. There is indeed subtext in this case: the implication that Sirius was thoughtless, reckless, and arrogant, and that the damaging effect his actions would have on Remus was inconsequential to him. The actions of a lover? Of course not.
As for the three years that passed between leaving Hogwarts and the night of the disaster, there’s even less detail by which a relationship between the men might be supported. During the question and answer dialogue in the Shrieking Shack scene in PoA, comments by both Remus and Sirius corroborate the fact that a schism had apparently occurred in their friendship at some point before James and Lily died. Not only was Remus unaware of the Secret-Keeper switch, when the Potters were killed he believed Sirius to be in league with Voldemort, responsible for the deaths of James, Lily, and Peter, and that Sirius had tried to kill a defenseless child.
We are given no text or subtext through which we can infer that Remus ever questioned these ‘facts’ at the time, or at any point afterward until he saw Pettigrew on the map. Nor has he ever expressed any personal pain or regret that he was kept in the dark, lied to, or that he ultimately misjudged his lover.
“And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using dark arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it…” -- PoA, Ch. 18, p. 356 (US)
And then:
“Remus!” Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. “You don’t believe this…wouldn’t Sirius have told you they’d changed the plan?”
“Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter,” said Lupin. “I assume that’s why you didn’t tell me, Sirius?” he said casually over Pettigrew’s head.
“Forgive me, Remus,” said Black.
“Not at all, Padfoot, old friend,” said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. “And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?” -- PoA, Ch. 18, p. 372-373 (US)
Once again, canon in no way supports the idea that Remus and Sirius were involved in a romantic relationship that was interrupted by Sirius’s incarceration. In fact, it couldn’t be more the opposite. From what is made known to readers, things were tenuous at best between them and had been for a long enough period of time that such suspicion and questioning of character could have developed.
An analysis of this part of the relationship timeline easily disproves any claim that Sirius and Remus were romantically involved while at Hogwarts, or at any point before Sirius went to prison. There is nothing in the text to support it, and as previously mentioned, a presumption that it occurred off the page without being implied or within the scope of reader knowledge doesn’t meet the definition of subtext.
(B) After his miraculous and unexpected escape twelve years later, the two resume their affair until Sirius’s untimely death.
Let’s say we can suspend our disbelief enough to ignore that Remus embraced Black like a brother. And that we can ignore that in every revelation, the past interactions between Remus and Sirius demonstrate at best nothing out of the ordinary for boyhood friends, and at worst that Sirius played favorites with James and had been known to treat Remus disrespectfully. Let’s set all that aside for the moment.
Despite the lack of R/S evidence in part (A), part (B) goes on to make the myth even more troublesome. We are asked to believe that after twelve years of separation, doubt, judgment, mistrust, suffering, exposure to madness, and no communication whatsoever, these two continued a previously unsubstantiated relationship by picking up wherever it was they had left off.
It’s true that when Harry sees Sirius in the fire after becoming a tournament champion in GoF, Sirius looks much better; he’s clean, has a haircut, and looks as if he’s had a few regular meals. However, we’re not told how he came by this good fortune. We know he had his own house before he was sent to prison, but it seems unlikely he would have returned to it after his escape for fear of being recaptured there.
The bout of good fortune is puzzling in that it was either of brief duration or deliberately abandoned, since later Sirius is hanging out in a cave above Hogsmeade. He’s back in his filthy prison rags, his appearance has deteriorated again, Buckbeak is with him, and he’s living off rats and scraps. This scene takes place in the last quarter of Goblet of Fire:
“I’ve been living off rats mostly. Can’t steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I’d draw attention to myself.”
He grinned up at Harry, but Harry returned the grin only reluctantly.
“What’re you doing here, Sirius?” he said.
“Fulfilling my duty as godfather,” said Sirius, gnawing on the chicken bone in a very doglike way. “Don’t worry about it, I’m pretending to be a loveable stray.” -- GoF, Ch. 27, p. 521-522 (US)
Why would he choose to live this way if he had another option, for instance staying with his lover?
Let’s say for the sake of argument that Sirius can’t use Apparition because that form of travel is monitored by the Ministry of Magic. We know he didn’t use it after escaping from Azkaban; he swam to freedom instead. In fact, there’s no recorded instance of Sirius using Apparition in any of the books. We know the ability to Apparate is tested and licensed, so although readers have never been told it’s monitored, let’s assume it is.
That would explain why Sirius couldn’t easily travel between Remus’s place and the cave where he could be near Harry, but it doesn’t explain why Remus couldn’t have done the traveling. If they had resumed their relationship after their reunion in PoA, why wasn’t Remus helping Sirius? Couldn't he have taken him a loaf of bread and some clean clothes?
Considering Sirius’s circumstances and the lack of support in the text, it is once again impossible to draw the inference that the two were even in contact, much less in a romantic relationship.
And given the details at the end of GoF it’s even more unlikely. From what readers witness in the hospital wing scene after Voldemort has returned, the Order had not yet been reformed. Snape and Sirius had clearly not seen each other since the end of PoA, and Dumbledore’s orders to Sirius indicate that was probably the case with Remus too:
“Now I have work for each of you. Fudge’s attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher -- the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin’s for a while; I will contact you there.” -- GoF, Ch. 36, p. 713 (US)
Remus is listed here with other characters we had rarely, if ever, heard of before that moment, and doesn’t appear to garner any particular distinction. Why would Dumbledore need to order Sirius to contact his own lover and then stay at his place?
Granted, Dumbledore being unaware of a relationship between Sirius and Remus could account for it, but we can only go by the text or any subtext. The text shows that Sirius had to be told to contact Remus, and the implication of Dumbledore’s order to ‘lie low at Lupin’s for a while’ is that he wanted to know where Sirius was going to be so he could reach him if necessary.
Although OotP is considered by many to contain conclusive proof of R/S, I don’t see how it does when it brings readers detailed and compelling evidence to the contrary. Some of this evidence has been covered previously, but also needs to be reviewed in the context of how the Remus and Sirius relationship supposedly progressed until Sirius’s death.
Back to Snape’s worst memory again, it gives us an in situ snapshot of all four of the Marauder boys’ true behavior. We saw James and Sirius as the closest friends, saw Remus hanging back in a more secondary role, and saw Peter as the quintessential hanger-on. Consider this passage from OotP:
“Put that away, will you,” said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer, “before Wormtail wets himself with excitement.”
Wormtail turned slightly pink, but James grinned.
“If it bothers you,” he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket. Harry had the distinct impression that Sirius was the only one for whom James would have stopped showing off.
“I'm bored,” said Sirius. “Wish it was full moon.”
“You might,” said Lupin darkly from behind his book. “We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me. Here…” and he held out his book.
But Sirius snorted. “I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all.” -- OotP, Ch. 28, p. 645 (US)
Again, rather than supporting the notion that Remus and Sirius were close or involved as lovers, the subtext of this passage suggests the opposite. Harry’s observation reiterates the closer bond to be between James and Sirius. Additionally, Sirius’s crass and insensitive suggestion that his boredom would be alleviated by a full moon -- an experience that was horribly painful for Remus -- proves once again he had no particular consideration for Remus’s feelings.
Furthermore, even those desperate for the slightest signs and symbols must acknowledge that Sirius had no interest in Remus in this scene, since he not only turned down an offer to study with him under the tree, but responded with derision and more arrogance.
If anything, Rowling has consistently given readers the impression that Remus and Sirius had somewhat conflicting personalities, and that Remus was cast more in the role of moderator -- the voice of reason and conscience -- than as an equal of James and Sirius. This is substantiated several times in several different ways:
“I think Dumbledore might have hoped I would be able to exercise some control over my best friends,” said Lupin. “I need scarcely say that I failed dismally.” [emphasis mine] -- OotP, Ch. 9, p. 170 (US)
Again, Remus does not make a distinction between the degree of affection he feels for James and Sirius, and the statement itself shows that even Dumbledore realized Remus’s role in the group was different, and that he was perhaps not as close to either of the other boys as they were to each other.
And what about this excerpt from the through-the-fire conversation between Harry, Remus, and Sirius after Harry had seen Snape’s memory:
“Yeah,” said Harry, watching uncomprehendingly as Sirius and Lupin beamed reminiscently. “Well…I thought he was a bit of an idiot.”
“Of course he was a bit of an idiot!” said Sirius bracingly, “we were all idiots! Well -- not Moony so much,” he said fairly, looking at Lupin.
But Lupin shook his head. “Did I ever tell you to lay off Snape?” he said. “Did I ever have the guts to tell you I thought you were out of order?”
“Yeah, well,” said Sirius, “you made us feel ashamed of ourselves sometimes…that was something…” -- OotP, Ch. 29, p. 670-671 (US)
Remus didn’t have the nerve to communicate his thoughts or feelings to Sirius about something he was empowered to do for the school? Or what about this from the same conversation:
Sirius frowned at Harry, who was still looking unconvinced.
“Look,” he said, “your father was the best friend I ever had and he was a good person. A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it.” [emphasis mine] -- OotP, Ch. 29, p. 671 (US)
Would Sirius have said this in front of Remus if they had been closest? If they had been or were currently lovers? Of course not.
There are additional claims of R/S subtext in OotP. The old standby bits of relationship evidence: (1) Remus moved into Grimmauld Place, (2) Sirius and Remus went in together on a Christmas present for Harry, (3) there were numerous soulful glances and gentle touches throughout the book, and (4) Remus’s reaction to Sirius’s death. However, I was unable to find text or subtext in support of a romantic/sexual relationship between Sirius and Remus for any of these examples either.
(1) Remus moved into Grimmauld Place.
Once again I agree there is indeed subtext to Remus’s change of address in OotP, it’s just not about a sexual relationship with Sirius.
A quick recap of the facts at this point in the story reminds us that Peter, who knows Sirius is alive, escaped at the end of PoA. With the return of his high-powered friend, it was assumed that Peter would have scurried back to Voldemort’s camp and told his master everything he knew -- including the information about Black. Likewise, with Voldemort back, Dumbledore realized it was time to reform the Order and start preparing for war, accepting Sirius’s offer to use Grimmauld Place as headquarters.
But there was a problem with this. Sirius hated his old family home and was to essentially be reimprisoned there. Dumbledore knew that the affectionate, father/friend bond between Sirius and Harry could end up being very dangerous for both if Sirius was uncontrolled or otherwise left to his own reckless devices. Consider this:
“You made him stay shut up in that house and he hated it, that’s why he wanted to get out last night--”
“I was trying to keep Sirius alive,” said Dumbledore quietly. -- OotP, Ch. 37, p. 834 (US)
And this:
“Sirius was a brave, clever and energetic man, and such men are not usually content to sit at home in hiding while they believe others to be in danger.” -- OotP, Ch. 37, p. 825 (US)
Subtextually speaking, Remus’s presence at Grimmauld Place was a reflection of this specific concern of Dumbledore’s. Remus was back in the same old role Dumbledore had given him during his school days, expecting him to “exercise some control” over his “best friend.” Even with this concern, we know that Remus was absent from Grimmauld Place for long periods of time, performing mysterious work for the Order.
Nevertheless, there’s plenty of evidence that when Remus was at headquarters, his role was that of babysitter. There’s this from the conversation he, Sirius, and Harry have about Snape’s worst memory:
“I’m coming up there to have a word with Snape!” said Sirius forcefully, and he actually made to stand up, but Lupin wrenched him back down again.
“If anyone’s going to tell Snape it will be me!” he said firmly. -- OotP, Ch. 29, p. 672 (US)
And this from Harry’s first night at Grimmauld Place:
“Molly, you’re not the only person at this table who cares about Harry,” said Lupin sharply. “Sirius, sit down.” -- OotP, Ch. 5, p. 90 (US)
Obviously Remus has matured beyond his boyhood hesitations, and now has the ‘guts’ to speak his mind and feelings in an unambiguous manner when the situation requires it. Finally, there’s this:
“You see, Kreacher was not able to betray us totally. He is not Secret-Keeper for the Order, he could not give the Malfoys our whereabouts, or tell them any of the Order’s confidential plans that he had been forbidden to reveal. He was bound by the enchantments of his kind, which is to say that he could not disobey a direct order from his master, Sirius. But he gave Narcissa information of the sort that is very valuable to Voldemort, yet must have seemed much too trivial for Sirius to think of banning him from repeating it.”
“Like what?” said Harry.
“Like the fact that the person Sirius cared most about in the world was you,” said Dumbledore quietly. -- OotP, Ch. 37, p. 831 (US)
This passage not only further substantiates Dumbledore’s deep concern that Sirius was a wildcard that required supervision, but it delivers another difficult pill for R/S shippers to swallow. Rowling chose to drive home the point that Sirius was tricked away from safety and to his death because the person he cared most about in the world was Harry. Not Remus.
(2) Sirius and Remus went in together on a Christmas present for Harry.
Considering one of the men couldn’t leave the house to shop, and the one who could had no money, it’s absurd to suggest that such a utility gift -- a set of books on Practical Defensive Magic and its Use Against the Dark Arts -- was from two lovers. If they’d given him a gift that in any way suggested their relationship was of a sexual nature, or if the gift itself had been sexual in nature, then perhaps it could have been categorized as subtext. Otherwise no.
(3) There were numerous soulful glances and gentle touches throughout the book.
The handful of references to sideways glances, the exchange of glances, staring at each other, the grasping of an arm in restraint? They’re all perfectly platonic within their actual context, and in fact show no greater affection or involvement with each other than either of them display toward anyone else. In fact, if there was to be a case for affection subtext involving Remus, it would spring from his kindness and sensitivity toward Molly. After all, he held her while she cried on his shoulder…
The truth is, an exhaustive search of the OotP text reveals that overall, Remus and Sirius are not mentioned as being in each other’s company more than Remus is with, say, Tonks for example, and there is certainly no mention of Remus and Sirius spending long periods of time alone together in the house.
Again, in order to satisfy the necessary conditions for subtext, the time Remus did spend in the house would have to specifically imply that a romantic/sexual relationship was ongoing between the two men. As I’ve already pointed out, the subtext actually indicates that Remus’s presence there was to keep an eye on Sirius and prevent him from self-destructing. There would have to be some hint, some clue, some sort of metaphor that suggested romance and there is none. His part-time residence there cannot by itself be considered subtext.
(4) Remus’s reaction to Sirius’s death.
This has to be the biggest head-scratcher of all in terms of proof of R/S. The sum total of Remus’s reaction can be summarized by these two quotes from the scene at the Department of Mysteries:
“He can’t come back, Harry,” said Lupin, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain Harry. “He can’t come back, because he’s d--”
“HE -- IS -- NOT -- DEAD!” roared Harry. “SIRIUS!” -- OotP, Ch. 36, p. 807 (US)
And then:
Lupin’s face was pale. “Let’s -- let’s find the others. Where are they all, Neville?” Lupin turned away from the archway as he spoke. It sounded as though every word was causing him pain. -- OotP, Ch. 36, p. 808 (US)
Where is the implied sexual meaning here? Naturally Remus’s voice broke and he was in pain. His old friend, a very tragic man who many had gone to great lengths to protect, had succumbed to death anyway. In all likelihood, Remus was very moved by Harry’s grief. As mere readers, weren’t we also moved by Harry’s grief? By the depressing, senseless tragedy of it? Would that mean that we were sexually involved with Sirius too?
More than anything though, when you review this scene in retrospect, with the benefit of knowing how Remus reacted to Dumbledore’s death in HBP, by comparison his reaction to Sirius’s death seems unemotional. As if on some level it had been expected. In any case, it’s not the reaction of a heartbroken lover.
In Summary
A careful and objective review of canon proves that a romantic relationship between Sirius and Remus didn’t, doesn’t, and won’t exist in the Harry Potter story. It is in no way supportable through the actual text, and a sexually-themed relationship was not the implied or metaphorical meaning of their interactions, association, or their friendship.
The Reality of Remus/Tonks
Conversely, establishing the existence of Remus/Tonks in canon is very easy. This section of the essay will be significantly shorter because I really don’t have to work at the explanation; JK Rowling has already done it for me.
Before the release of HBP, R/T shippers liked to play the subtext game too. They liked to point to certain moments in OotP as ‘proof’ that something was going on between Remus and Tonks -- apparently more or less from the moment they met.
For some there’s proof of flirtation in the moment Remus introduces Tonks to Harry in the Advance Guard scene at the Dursleys’. There’s proof in the kitchen scene where Harry notices Remus and Tonks are eating breakfast together and the adults are whispering. Proof in the fact that Remus and Tonks seemed to work on so many Order assignments together, that their names are mentioned together frequently in the text, that they’re both shapeshifters.
But the truth is, none of this so-called evidence carries any more weight than the supposed subtext of R/S -- or at least it didn’t when OotP was first read and stood on its own as the definitive canon to date. However, in light of HBP the value of those seemingly meaningless, isolated R/T events in OotP just might raise the needle on the subtext meter a little.
Under the Microscope
Throughout HBP we see little of Tonks and even less of Remus. However, on the occasions when we do encounter either of them in the story, both are unusually glum. Of course the wizarding world is suffering the terror of Voldemort’s return, the dementors are breeding, good people have died or gone missing, personal sacrifices must be made, and everyone’s future appears uncertain. And while these depressing concerns would be keenly felt by all members of the Order, in the case of Remus and Tonks, JK Rowling consistently hints at something more.
If these hints about Remus and Tonks are reviewed in logical order, the last few moments of OotP must be included. Although it was two years between OotP and HBP for readers, it was only two weeks in terms of the actual storyline, and apparently quite a bit happened during that time.
When we’d last seen Remus and Tonks, they were standing together on the train station platform and saying goodbye to Harry.
Tonks stood just behind [Mad-Eye], her bright bubble-gum-pink hair gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the dirty glass of the station ceiling, wearing heavily patched jeans and a bright purple T-shirt bearing the legend The Weird Sisters. Next to Tonks was Lupin, his face pale, his hair greying, a long and threadbare overcoat covering a shabby jumper and trousers. -- OotP, Ch. 38, p. 867 (US)
Then when we see Tonks again two weeks later:
Harry thought [Tonks] looked drawn, even ill, and there was something forced in her smile. Certainly her appearance was less colorful than usual without her customary shade of bubble-gum-pink hair.
“I’d better be off,” she said quickly, standing up and pulling her cloak around her shoulders. “Thanks for the tea and sympathy, Molly.” -- HBP, Ch. 5, p. 82 (US)
The next morning, Harry and his friends discuss Tonks’s mood and appearance:
“Tonks and Sirius barely knew each other!” said Ron. “Sirius was in Azkaban half her life and before that their families never met--”
“That’s not the point,” said Hermione. “She thinks it was her fault he died!”
“How does she work that one out?” asked Harry, in spite of himself.
“Well, she was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, wasn’t she? I think she feels that if only she had finished her off, Bellatrix couldn’t have killed Sirius.”
“That’s stupid,” said Ron.
“It’s survivor’s guilt,” said Hermione. “I know Lupin’s tried to talk her round, but she’s still really down. She’s actually having trouble with her Metamorphosing!”
“With her--?”
“She can’t change her appearance like she used to,” explained Hermione. “I think her powers must have been affected by shock, or something.” -- HBP, Ch. 5, p. 94-95 (US)
Rowling frequently relies upon Hermione as an expository character, and uses her again here in an effort to draw attention to what’s going on with Tonks. Exactly how Hermione comes to know the information she imparts in the scene above is unknown. She’s obviously been at the Burrow for some time, and likely overheard it either from the Weasleys or from Remus and/or Tonks.
Regardless of how Hermione knows, the point of the passage is to make several key details clear to readers. First, we are to understand that Tonks is depressed and blames herself for Sirius’s death. Second, to single out Remus as the one who has been supporting her through her survivor’s guilt. Lastly, that Tonks’s abilities as a Metamorphmagus have been compromised, and that her powers must have been affected by shock, or something.
It’s important to note that at the end of OotP -- when she would realistically have already been in the throes of survivor’s guilt -- Tonks remained capable of Metamorphosing in the immediate wake of Sirius’s death, and chose to wear her favored pink hair in front of the Dursleys at the train station. Two weeks later, however, she is apparently incapable of the change -- a fact which suggests that yet another ‘shock, or something’ had been added to what she was already experiencing, and the combination finally overwhelmed her.
We receive a few other subtextual clues about Tonks’s state of mind as the book progresses: the fact that her Patronus has changed to something four-legged that Harry thinks might be the spirit of Padfoot, and that she is wandering the halls of Hogwarts looking for Dumbledore because she’s concerned about news of recent werewolf activity. But these details still aren’t enough to clarify for readers exactly what her other problem is.
Remus does not appear much in the book. He does attend Harry’s birthday party looking gaunt and grim, but it isn’t until Christmas that we come to know he’s been sent underground on a very dangerous mission to spy on the werewolves. When we first see him at the holiday, he appears particularly miserable as a love song plays on the wireless:
Meanwhile, Remus Lupin, who was thinner and more ragged-looking than ever, was sitting beside the fire, staring into its depths as though he could not hear Celestina’s voice. -- HBP, Ch. 16, p. 330 (US)
Perhaps more telling than anything is Remus’s explanation of his assignment to Harry:
“I’ve been living among my fellows, my equals,” said Lupin. “Werewolves,” he added, at Harry’s look of incomprehension. “Nearly all of them are on Voldemort’s side. Dumbledore wanted a spy and here I was…ready made.”
He sounded a little bitter, and perhaps realized it, for he smiled more warmly as he went on, “I am not complaining; it is necessary work and who can do it better than I? However, it has been difficult gaining their trust. I bear the unmistakable signs of having tried to live among wizards, you see, whereas they have shunned normal society and live on the margins, stealing -- and sometimes killing -- to eat.” -- HBP, Ch. 16, p. 334 (US)
Even Harry recognizes the bitterness. Remus appears to be reminding himself as well as Harry what he really is -- that he is equal to the werewolves who live on the margins and steal or kill, that he’s tried to live among wizards and normal society.
At face value alone these remarks reveal he is suffering an unusual degree of self-pity, but when taken within the context of the Christmas holiday with a close-knit family and moody stares into the fire during love songs, the subtext implies that Remus is feeling more conflicted, unfulfilled, unsuitable, and depressed than ever.
After the revelation of his reluctance and concerns at the end of the book, in retrospect it’s evident that Remus’s involvement in the spy mission was the catalyst for the ‘shock, or something’ that occurred after Sirius’s death, and that it had a tremendous emotional impact on both Remus and Tonks. The mission represented the inescapable truth of his position in life, making him feel undeniably unworthy of the feelings that had apparently been growing between them for some time, and his reaction to it held implications for her in terms of his safety, welfare, prolonged absence, and any hope of a future for them.
We receive a few other clues pointing toward the acknowledged existence of feelings between Remus and Tonks as well:
“I invited dear Tonks to come along today,” said Mrs. Weasley, setting down the carrots with unnecessary force and glaring at Fleur. “But she wouldn’t come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?”
“No, I haven’t been in contact with anybody very much,” said Lupin. “But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn’t she?”
“Hmmm,” said Mrs. Weasley. “Maybe. I got the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually.”
She gave Lupin an annoyed look, as though it was all his fault she was getting Fleur for a daughter-in-law instead of Tonks… -- HBP, Ch. 16, p. 340 (US)
Molly’s pointed question to Remus indicates an expectation that if he hadn’t spoken to Tonks he should have, and proves, along with the ‘tea and sympathy’ comment from Tonks earlier, that at least Molly was fully aware that unresolved feelings existed between the couple. Remus’s response is calmly defensive too; he could simply have said he hadn’t spoken to Tonks, but instead attempts to shift the focus from himself by supplying an alternate reason for why she wouldn’t accept Molly’s invitation.
And then when Harry asks Remus about Tonks’s Patronus:
“Tonks’s Patronus has changed its form,” he told him. “Snape said so anyway. I didn’t know that could happen. Why would your Patronus change?”
Lupin took his time chewing his turkey and swallowing before saying slowly, “Sometimes…a great shock…an emotional upheaval…” -- HBP, Ch. 16, p. 340 (US)
If the source of the great shock and emotional upheaval had been limited to Sirius’s death, why did Remus need time to think and make such a careful answer?
The inference here is that Remus knew perfectly he was the significant factor in Tonks’s change in Patronus, and the revelation that her new one -- her new spirit guardian -- was a werewolf seems intended to solidify the idea that a deep emotional connection existed between them. It’s inconceivable that JKR would trouble herself to include these details if they simply pertained to an unrequited crush on Tonks’s part.
It isn’t until the end of the book, however, that readers finally discover the truth during the hospital wing scene after Dumbledore has died and Bill has been attacked by Greyback. The specific context of much of the scene is about love, marriage, and a werewolf’s suitability for both.
Tonks chooses that moment to confront Remus about their relationship, and in true and established Rowling fashion, all the clues that had been left like landmines throughout the preceding pages make sense.
“You see!” said a strained voice. Tonks was glaring at Lupin. “She still wants to marry him, even though he’s been bitten! She doesn’t care!”
“It’s different,” said Lupin, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. “Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely--”
“But I don’t care either, I don’t care!” said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin’s robes and shaking them. “I’ve told you a million times…”
And the meaning of Tonks’s Patronus and her mouse-colored hair, and the reason she had come running to find Dumbledore when she had heard a rumor someone had been attacked by Greyback, all suddenly became clear to Harry; it had not been Sirius that Tonks had fallen in love with after all.
“And I’ve told you a million times,” said Lupin, refusing to meet her eyes, staring at the floor, “that I am too old for you, too poor…too dangerous…” -- HBP, Ch. 29, p. 623-624 (US)
A million times. It is this exchange which casts the clues in OotP in more of a subtextual light. If due to his mission Remus and Tonks had been separated for most of the HBP year, in order for them to have had an opportunity to discuss their relationship and feelings about it that many times, it must have been in progress on some level during OotP. While Sirius was alive.
Another significant aspect of this passage is Remus’s choice of words. There are readers who misinterpret the subtext here, and insinuate that Remus’s hesitation reflects his lack of interest in Tonks and/or in pursuing a relationship with her. But it’s just the opposite. His reluctance, combined with the words he says, actually implies that he cares for her very much -- so much that he has been resisting the relationship for her sake. He’s clearly admitting to having told her a million times that he’s not good enough for her, not that he has no romantic feelings for her.
More evidence of both how long others have known of their relationship, as well as the nature of Remus’s feelings for Tonks, comes in the next few lines of the book:
“I’ve said all along you’re taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus,” said Mrs. Weasley over Fleur’s shoulder as she patted her on the back.
“I am not being ridiculous,” said Lupin steadily. “Tonks deserves somebody young and whole.”
“But she wants you,” said Mr. Weasley, with a small smile. [emphasis mine] -- HBP, Ch. 29, p. 624 (US)
However, it’s McGonagall who gets in the final, telling word:
“Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world,” said Professor McGonagall curtly… [emphasis mine] -- HBP, Ch. 29, p. 624 (US)
The adults in this scene all seem perfectly aware that they are not encouraging a one-sided, girlish infatuation, or a reluctant man to enter into a relationship out of pity or resignation, or a grieving lover to suddenly adjust his orientation. On the contrary; each comment reflects the acknowledgement that love either already existed between Remus and Tonks, or easily would exist if Remus could allow himself to indulge in it.
When we last see Remus and Tonks in HBP, they are holding hands at Dumbledore’s funeral and Tonks’s hair is pink once more, seeming to indicate that at least some measure of her shock and distress have been resolved.
JK Rowling couldn’t have illustrated more clearly what choice Remus made with regard to the nature and direction of his feelings for Tonks. Considering the open discussion and resulting expectation that would have been set amongst their friends and colleagues who were present at Bill’s hospital bedside, the last thing Remus Lupin would have done is confuse and mislead them all with a public display of affection if he didn’t intend it to reflect that he and Tonks were involved in a romantic relationship.
There was no other way to interpret the text or the subtext, once we had reached the hand-holding moment at the funeral, and if there had somehow been room for an alternate interpretation, any remaining question of intent was dismissed by Rowling’s own direct and unsolicited inquiry to her HBP release interviewers:
“Oh, how did you feel about Lupin/Tonks?” --
MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron Interview, July 16, 2005, Edinburgh, Scotland
In Conclusion
The contrast is simple and clear. As far as canon evidence and subtext is concerned, the foundation of the relationship between Sirius and Remus was purely platonic, while the relationship between Remus and Tonks is unmistakably romantic.
Even if it hadn’t been before, this was made patently obvious by the straightforward manner in which the relationship JK Rowling intended readers to acknowledge was finally revealed. There is no need for readers to try and make sexually-themed mountains out of platonic molehills, or erroneous inferences based on non-existent subtext. Remus/Tonks is as plain as print.
For the first time during the four books we have known of his existence, at the end of HBP we have Remus Lupin -- in front of his friends and distinguished members of the wizarding world -- making a public statement by holding hands with a woman known to be in love with him, and with whom he has discussed the possibility of a relationship a million times.
And that’s it.
...
Remus/Sirius v. Remus/Tonks in Canon: Contrast and Compare
At the core, the Harry Potter book series is a wonderful mystery. JK Rowling has done an amazing job of weaving a complex story, giving readers plenty of fat to chew, fascinating characters to love and loathe, red herrings to sift through, secrets and motives to uncover, and cryptic clues to decipher.
She gives her readers -- adults and children alike -- loads of detail to ignite our questioning imaginations, but never enough to actually solve the mystery or even spoil the surprise. As we anxiously await the final installment of Harry’s saga, we know that most of the key plot dots are already there, but we still can’t see how to connect them.
It’s brilliant, but maddening. Why? Because the one thing we know for certain is JKR doesn’t lie to us. We know she doesn’t pull any punches, doesn’t deliberately misrepresent facts or the characters in her story to artificially prolong the suspense. Granted, she has engaged in some sleight of hand from time to time. For example she led us to believe Barty Crouch Jr. was Mad-Eye Moody for a year, and distracted us with the possibility that it was Tonks who was under the Imperius curse in HBP when it was actually Rosmerta. However, such intentional misdirections are resolved reasonably quickly and completely.
It’s also important to recognize that she makes it clear we’re supposed to wonder about certain things. There were hints of the shiftiness of “Moody” all throughout Goblet of Fire. And Snape? Red flags have been popping up around him and screaming loudly of his cagey duplicity from the very beginning. That’s the way JKR handles the Big Clues that propel the story.
While readers may be unable to accurately guess the meaning behind the Big Clues, the fact that something is off or hidden or not what it seems is usually hard to miss. Considering children are Rowling’s target audience, it’s a foregone conclusion she isn’t going to play intentionally confusing games with characterization, sexuality, history, or any other static information required to support the more critical aspects of the mystery that by design must remain obscure.
Despite the clarity with which she routinely presents the elements of her story, there seems to be a lot of misinterpretation when it comes to facts and subtext -- particularly as they pertain to characterization and shipping. Reading and writing a ship for the purposes of entertainment or exploring what-if scenarios is one thing, but arguing its foundation in canon is something else entirely.
In such cases, Rowling’s style, consistency, and intentions appear to be cast aside in favor of personalized interpretations of the characters, situations, and events. Then these personalized interpretations are defended as being based on “deeper meaning” and “subtext” that does not bear up under logical scrutiny.
With one notable exception, these misinterpretations are never more obvious than when they are applied to the supposed existence of a romantic Remus/Sirius relationship in canon, and the subsequent vehement denial of Remus/Tonks. This is difficult to comprehend considering one ship -- Remus/Tonks -- is irrefutably rooted in canon while the other -- Remus/Sirius -- depends purely upon subtext for its existence.
Yet arguments persist that there is subtext to support the notion that a romantic relationship existed between Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, and that Remus and Tonks aren’t really a couple at the end of Half-Blood Prince -- or if they are, it is only with resignation on Remus’s part.
So for my own sake I decided to try and determine once and for all if there was any truth to these assertions. After scouring the books and completing a logical review of the details both individually and comprehensively, I have reached the conclusion there is none.
Deconstructing the Myth of Remus/Sirius
First, I think it would be helpful to begin by refreshing our memories as to the actual meaning of a few words commonly used in fandom discussions about characterization, intent, and the interpretation of events.
sub·text : the implicit or metaphorical meaning (as of a literary text)
can·on : 3 b : the authentic works of a writer
in·fer·ence : 1 : the act or process of inferring : as a : the act of passing from one proposition, statement, or judgment considered as true to another whose truth is believed to follow from that of the former
These definitions are important in terms of understanding the distinction between Rowling’s presentation of the relationship between Remus and Sirius, and the relationship between Remus and Tonks.
Under the Microscope
The so-called supporting evidence of Remus/Sirius is well-traveled. The myth of their relationship generally begins with (A) their school days at Hogwarts and subsequent separation either by suspicion and/or Sirius’s incarceration in Azkaban. Then (B), after his miraculous and unexpected escape twelve years later, the two resume their affair until Sirius’s untimely death. It’s worth noting that some R/S proponents don’t buy into the school-era relationship, and instead suggest the men did not engage in a sexual relationship until after Sirius escaped from prison and their friendship was restored.
In an effort to examine the R/S myth, it quickly becomes clear that we don’t have much in the way of detailed information about the past relationship between the Marauders. This by itself is suggestive. However, there are a few things we do know, and when reviewed logically these facts say quite a bit about the characters -- just not what R/S shippers seem keen to believe.
(A) Their school days at Hogwarts and subsequent separation either by suspicion and/or Sirius’s incarceration in Azkaban.
All we currently have to go on regarding this period of their history is Remus’s confessional explanation as to the source of Snape’s grudge against the Marauders, the somewhat explanatory question and answer dialogue between Remus and Sirius in the Shrieking Shack in PoA, what Harry sees of Snape’s ‘worst memory’ in the Pensieve in OotP, and a brief bit of discussion between Harry, Sirius, and Remus about the content of Snape’s memory.
That evidence, from each of those sources, points to Sirius and James as having been the inseparable, devoted friends. James is the one Sirius turned to when he ran away from home. James was the one who held Sirius’s attention, provided his entertainment, matched his wits, approached risk-taking and the sense of adventure in the same way, who named him godfather of his son, and remained his trusted friend up until the catastrophe. Not Remus.
While Remus was certainly preferred and liked above Peter, he was not on equal footing with James in Sirius’s eyes. Remus’s cyclic illness initially provided a puzzle for James and Sirius to solve together, and then having a mysterious and ultimately controversial werewolf as a friend was likely perceived by them as a feather in their little rebellious caps. That, combined with the subsequent temptation of becoming outlaw Animagi, seems to have motivated James and Sirius at least as much as the friendship they felt for Remus.
In OotP, Remus admits to Harry that James and Sirius were “the best in school at whatever they did” and “everyone thought they were the height of cool.” In Snape’s worst memory, Harry notices a girl avidly admiring the handsome Sirius as she hopes to get his attention. The point is, either directly or through subtext, we’re given to understand that all eyes were on James and Sirius.
The dynamic between them is the focus of nearly all the details of the past that we’ve been given so far, and beyond that, Sirius’s interactions with Snape have more significance than his interactions with Remus. Given these details, it is impossible to infer that Sirius had the time, motive, or inclination to pursue Remus romantically, and there is no evidence whatsoever that Sirius and Remus were close in a special way.
Of course diehards will argue that a meaningful, sexual relationship might have existed between Remus and Sirius after the events in Snape’s memory, or after James became involved/preoccupied with Lily Evans, or after the boys left Hogwarts. However, if the relationship has never been implied, and is simply presumed to have occurred off the page or outside the scope of knowledge given to readers, then it categorically fails the definition of subtext. An idea or presumption has no merit as subtext if its source does not actually exist somewhere in the text. Likewise, inferences drawn upon such presumptions cannot be considered valid.
As for Remus’s explanation of his involvement with the Marauders, his own remarks reveal an unqualified equivalency between his fellow Marauders, and Sirius is mentioned with no greater affection or frequency than James and Peter.
“For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black…Peter Pettigrew…and, of course, your father, Harry -- James Potter.” -- PoA, Ch. 18, p. 355 (US)
Sirius getting first mention hardly constitutes sexual subtext. It’s more likely a coincidence, or perhaps the professor was simply listing them alphabetically to his students.
Overall, the most difficult thing to explain is the damning nature of what lies behind Snape’s grudge. It is inconceivable that Sirius could have had sensitive, loving feelings for Remus and yet been willing to make him an unwitting murderer by sending Snape down the tunnel toward a transformed werewolf. Sirius’s hatred of Snape was the compelling emotion. There is indeed subtext in this case: the implication that Sirius was thoughtless, reckless, and arrogant, and that the damaging effect his actions would have on Remus was inconsequential to him. The actions of a lover? Of course not.
As for the three years that passed between leaving Hogwarts and the night of the disaster, there’s even less detail by which a relationship between the men might be supported. During the question and answer dialogue in the Shrieking Shack scene in PoA, comments by both Remus and Sirius corroborate the fact that a schism had apparently occurred in their friendship at some point before James and Lily died. Not only was Remus unaware of the Secret-Keeper switch, when the Potters were killed he believed Sirius to be in league with Voldemort, responsible for the deaths of James, Lily, and Peter, and that Sirius had tried to kill a defenseless child.
We are given no text or subtext through which we can infer that Remus ever questioned these ‘facts’ at the time, or at any point afterward until he saw Pettigrew on the map. Nor has he ever expressed any personal pain or regret that he was kept in the dark, lied to, or that he ultimately misjudged his lover.
“And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using dark arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it…” -- PoA, Ch. 18, p. 356 (US)
And then:
“Remus!” Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. “You don’t believe this…wouldn’t Sirius have told you they’d changed the plan?”
“Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter,” said Lupin. “I assume that’s why you didn’t tell me, Sirius?” he said casually over Pettigrew’s head.
“Forgive me, Remus,” said Black.
“Not at all, Padfoot, old friend,” said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. “And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?” -- PoA, Ch. 18, p. 372-373 (US)
Once again, canon in no way supports the idea that Remus and Sirius were involved in a romantic relationship that was interrupted by Sirius’s incarceration. In fact, it couldn’t be more the opposite. From what is made known to readers, things were tenuous at best between them and had been for a long enough period of time that such suspicion and questioning of character could have developed.
An analysis of this part of the relationship timeline easily disproves any claim that Sirius and Remus were romantically involved while at Hogwarts, or at any point before Sirius went to prison. There is nothing in the text to support it, and as previously mentioned, a presumption that it occurred off the page without being implied or within the scope of reader knowledge doesn’t meet the definition of subtext.
(B) After his miraculous and unexpected escape twelve years later, the two resume their affair until Sirius’s untimely death.
Let’s say we can suspend our disbelief enough to ignore that Remus embraced Black like a brother. And that we can ignore that in every revelation, the past interactions between Remus and Sirius demonstrate at best nothing out of the ordinary for boyhood friends, and at worst that Sirius played favorites with James and had been known to treat Remus disrespectfully. Let’s set all that aside for the moment.
Despite the lack of R/S evidence in part (A), part (B) goes on to make the myth even more troublesome. We are asked to believe that after twelve years of separation, doubt, judgment, mistrust, suffering, exposure to madness, and no communication whatsoever, these two continued a previously unsubstantiated relationship by picking up wherever it was they had left off.
It’s true that when Harry sees Sirius in the fire after becoming a tournament champion in GoF, Sirius looks much better; he’s clean, has a haircut, and looks as if he’s had a few regular meals. However, we’re not told how he came by this good fortune. We know he had his own house before he was sent to prison, but it seems unlikely he would have returned to it after his escape for fear of being recaptured there.
The bout of good fortune is puzzling in that it was either of brief duration or deliberately abandoned, since later Sirius is hanging out in a cave above Hogsmeade. He’s back in his filthy prison rags, his appearance has deteriorated again, Buckbeak is with him, and he’s living off rats and scraps. This scene takes place in the last quarter of Goblet of Fire:
“I’ve been living off rats mostly. Can’t steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I’d draw attention to myself.”
He grinned up at Harry, but Harry returned the grin only reluctantly.
“What’re you doing here, Sirius?” he said.
“Fulfilling my duty as godfather,” said Sirius, gnawing on the chicken bone in a very doglike way. “Don’t worry about it, I’m pretending to be a loveable stray.” -- GoF, Ch. 27, p. 521-522 (US)
Why would he choose to live this way if he had another option, for instance staying with his lover?
Let’s say for the sake of argument that Sirius can’t use Apparition because that form of travel is monitored by the Ministry of Magic. We know he didn’t use it after escaping from Azkaban; he swam to freedom instead. In fact, there’s no recorded instance of Sirius using Apparition in any of the books. We know the ability to Apparate is tested and licensed, so although readers have never been told it’s monitored, let’s assume it is.
That would explain why Sirius couldn’t easily travel between Remus’s place and the cave where he could be near Harry, but it doesn’t explain why Remus couldn’t have done the traveling. If they had resumed their relationship after their reunion in PoA, why wasn’t Remus helping Sirius? Couldn't he have taken him a loaf of bread and some clean clothes?
Considering Sirius’s circumstances and the lack of support in the text, it is once again impossible to draw the inference that the two were even in contact, much less in a romantic relationship.
And given the details at the end of GoF it’s even more unlikely. From what readers witness in the hospital wing scene after Voldemort has returned, the Order had not yet been reformed. Snape and Sirius had clearly not seen each other since the end of PoA, and Dumbledore’s orders to Sirius indicate that was probably the case with Remus too:
“Now I have work for each of you. Fudge’s attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher -- the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin’s for a while; I will contact you there.” -- GoF, Ch. 36, p. 713 (US)
Remus is listed here with other characters we had rarely, if ever, heard of before that moment, and doesn’t appear to garner any particular distinction. Why would Dumbledore need to order Sirius to contact his own lover and then stay at his place?
Granted, Dumbledore being unaware of a relationship between Sirius and Remus could account for it, but we can only go by the text or any subtext. The text shows that Sirius had to be told to contact Remus, and the implication of Dumbledore’s order to ‘lie low at Lupin’s for a while’ is that he wanted to know where Sirius was going to be so he could reach him if necessary.
Although OotP is considered by many to contain conclusive proof of R/S, I don’t see how it does when it brings readers detailed and compelling evidence to the contrary. Some of this evidence has been covered previously, but also needs to be reviewed in the context of how the Remus and Sirius relationship supposedly progressed until Sirius’s death.
Back to Snape’s worst memory again, it gives us an in situ snapshot of all four of the Marauder boys’ true behavior. We saw James and Sirius as the closest friends, saw Remus hanging back in a more secondary role, and saw Peter as the quintessential hanger-on. Consider this passage from OotP:
“Put that away, will you,” said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer, “before Wormtail wets himself with excitement.”
Wormtail turned slightly pink, but James grinned.
“If it bothers you,” he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket. Harry had the distinct impression that Sirius was the only one for whom James would have stopped showing off.
“I'm bored,” said Sirius. “Wish it was full moon.”
“You might,” said Lupin darkly from behind his book. “We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me. Here…” and he held out his book.
But Sirius snorted. “I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all.” -- OotP, Ch. 28, p. 645 (US)
Again, rather than supporting the notion that Remus and Sirius were close or involved as lovers, the subtext of this passage suggests the opposite. Harry’s observation reiterates the closer bond to be between James and Sirius. Additionally, Sirius’s crass and insensitive suggestion that his boredom would be alleviated by a full moon -- an experience that was horribly painful for Remus -- proves once again he had no particular consideration for Remus’s feelings.
Furthermore, even those desperate for the slightest signs and symbols must acknowledge that Sirius had no interest in Remus in this scene, since he not only turned down an offer to study with him under the tree, but responded with derision and more arrogance.
If anything, Rowling has consistently given readers the impression that Remus and Sirius had somewhat conflicting personalities, and that Remus was cast more in the role of moderator -- the voice of reason and conscience -- than as an equal of James and Sirius. This is substantiated several times in several different ways:
“I think Dumbledore might have hoped I would be able to exercise some control over my best friends,” said Lupin. “I need scarcely say that I failed dismally.” [emphasis mine] -- OotP, Ch. 9, p. 170 (US)
Again, Remus does not make a distinction between the degree of affection he feels for James and Sirius, and the statement itself shows that even Dumbledore realized Remus’s role in the group was different, and that he was perhaps not as close to either of the other boys as they were to each other.
And what about this excerpt from the through-the-fire conversation between Harry, Remus, and Sirius after Harry had seen Snape’s memory:
“Yeah,” said Harry, watching uncomprehendingly as Sirius and Lupin beamed reminiscently. “Well…I thought he was a bit of an idiot.”
“Of course he was a bit of an idiot!” said Sirius bracingly, “we were all idiots! Well -- not Moony so much,” he said fairly, looking at Lupin.
But Lupin shook his head. “Did I ever tell you to lay off Snape?” he said. “Did I ever have the guts to tell you I thought you were out of order?”
“Yeah, well,” said Sirius, “you made us feel ashamed of ourselves sometimes…that was something…” -- OotP, Ch. 29, p. 670-671 (US)
Remus didn’t have the nerve to communicate his thoughts or feelings to Sirius about something he was empowered to do for the school? Or what about this from the same conversation:
Sirius frowned at Harry, who was still looking unconvinced.
“Look,” he said, “your father was the best friend I ever had and he was a good person. A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it.” [emphasis mine] -- OotP, Ch. 29, p. 671 (US)
Would Sirius have said this in front of Remus if they had been closest? If they had been or were currently lovers? Of course not.
There are additional claims of R/S subtext in OotP. The old standby bits of relationship evidence: (1) Remus moved into Grimmauld Place, (2) Sirius and Remus went in together on a Christmas present for Harry, (3) there were numerous soulful glances and gentle touches throughout the book, and (4) Remus’s reaction to Sirius’s death. However, I was unable to find text or subtext in support of a romantic/sexual relationship between Sirius and Remus for any of these examples either.
(1) Remus moved into Grimmauld Place.
Once again I agree there is indeed subtext to Remus’s change of address in OotP, it’s just not about a sexual relationship with Sirius.
A quick recap of the facts at this point in the story reminds us that Peter, who knows Sirius is alive, escaped at the end of PoA. With the return of his high-powered friend, it was assumed that Peter would have scurried back to Voldemort’s camp and told his master everything he knew -- including the information about Black. Likewise, with Voldemort back, Dumbledore realized it was time to reform the Order and start preparing for war, accepting Sirius’s offer to use Grimmauld Place as headquarters.
But there was a problem with this. Sirius hated his old family home and was to essentially be reimprisoned there. Dumbledore knew that the affectionate, father/friend bond between Sirius and Harry could end up being very dangerous for both if Sirius was uncontrolled or otherwise left to his own reckless devices. Consider this:
“You made him stay shut up in that house and he hated it, that’s why he wanted to get out last night--”
“I was trying to keep Sirius alive,” said Dumbledore quietly. -- OotP, Ch. 37, p. 834 (US)
And this:
“Sirius was a brave, clever and energetic man, and such men are not usually content to sit at home in hiding while they believe others to be in danger.” -- OotP, Ch. 37, p. 825 (US)
Subtextually speaking, Remus’s presence at Grimmauld Place was a reflection of this specific concern of Dumbledore’s. Remus was back in the same old role Dumbledore had given him during his school days, expecting him to “exercise some control” over his “best friend.” Even with this concern, we know that Remus was absent from Grimmauld Place for long periods of time, performing mysterious work for the Order.
Nevertheless, there’s plenty of evidence that when Remus was at headquarters, his role was that of babysitter. There’s this from the conversation he, Sirius, and Harry have about Snape’s worst memory:
“I’m coming up there to have a word with Snape!” said Sirius forcefully, and he actually made to stand up, but Lupin wrenched him back down again.
“If anyone’s going to tell Snape it will be me!” he said firmly. -- OotP, Ch. 29, p. 672 (US)
And this from Harry’s first night at Grimmauld Place:
“Molly, you’re not the only person at this table who cares about Harry,” said Lupin sharply. “Sirius, sit down.” -- OotP, Ch. 5, p. 90 (US)
Obviously Remus has matured beyond his boyhood hesitations, and now has the ‘guts’ to speak his mind and feelings in an unambiguous manner when the situation requires it. Finally, there’s this:
“You see, Kreacher was not able to betray us totally. He is not Secret-Keeper for the Order, he could not give the Malfoys our whereabouts, or tell them any of the Order’s confidential plans that he had been forbidden to reveal. He was bound by the enchantments of his kind, which is to say that he could not disobey a direct order from his master, Sirius. But he gave Narcissa information of the sort that is very valuable to Voldemort, yet must have seemed much too trivial for Sirius to think of banning him from repeating it.”
“Like what?” said Harry.
“Like the fact that the person Sirius cared most about in the world was you,” said Dumbledore quietly. -- OotP, Ch. 37, p. 831 (US)
This passage not only further substantiates Dumbledore’s deep concern that Sirius was a wildcard that required supervision, but it delivers another difficult pill for R/S shippers to swallow. Rowling chose to drive home the point that Sirius was tricked away from safety and to his death because the person he cared most about in the world was Harry. Not Remus.
(2) Sirius and Remus went in together on a Christmas present for Harry.
Considering one of the men couldn’t leave the house to shop, and the one who could had no money, it’s absurd to suggest that such a utility gift -- a set of books on Practical Defensive Magic and its Use Against the Dark Arts -- was from two lovers. If they’d given him a gift that in any way suggested their relationship was of a sexual nature, or if the gift itself had been sexual in nature, then perhaps it could have been categorized as subtext. Otherwise no.
(3) There were numerous soulful glances and gentle touches throughout the book.
The handful of references to sideways glances, the exchange of glances, staring at each other, the grasping of an arm in restraint? They’re all perfectly platonic within their actual context, and in fact show no greater affection or involvement with each other than either of them display toward anyone else. In fact, if there was to be a case for affection subtext involving Remus, it would spring from his kindness and sensitivity toward Molly. After all, he held her while she cried on his shoulder…
The truth is, an exhaustive search of the OotP text reveals that overall, Remus and Sirius are not mentioned as being in each other’s company more than Remus is with, say, Tonks for example, and there is certainly no mention of Remus and Sirius spending long periods of time alone together in the house.
Again, in order to satisfy the necessary conditions for subtext, the time Remus did spend in the house would have to specifically imply that a romantic/sexual relationship was ongoing between the two men. As I’ve already pointed out, the subtext actually indicates that Remus’s presence there was to keep an eye on Sirius and prevent him from self-destructing. There would have to be some hint, some clue, some sort of metaphor that suggested romance and there is none. His part-time residence there cannot by itself be considered subtext.
(4) Remus’s reaction to Sirius’s death.
This has to be the biggest head-scratcher of all in terms of proof of R/S. The sum total of Remus’s reaction can be summarized by these two quotes from the scene at the Department of Mysteries:
“He can’t come back, Harry,” said Lupin, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain Harry. “He can’t come back, because he’s d--”
“HE -- IS -- NOT -- DEAD!” roared Harry. “SIRIUS!” -- OotP, Ch. 36, p. 807 (US)
And then:
Lupin’s face was pale. “Let’s -- let’s find the others. Where are they all, Neville?” Lupin turned away from the archway as he spoke. It sounded as though every word was causing him pain. -- OotP, Ch. 36, p. 808 (US)
Where is the implied sexual meaning here? Naturally Remus’s voice broke and he was in pain. His old friend, a very tragic man who many had gone to great lengths to protect, had succumbed to death anyway. In all likelihood, Remus was very moved by Harry’s grief. As mere readers, weren’t we also moved by Harry’s grief? By the depressing, senseless tragedy of it? Would that mean that we were sexually involved with Sirius too?
More than anything though, when you review this scene in retrospect, with the benefit of knowing how Remus reacted to Dumbledore’s death in HBP, by comparison his reaction to Sirius’s death seems unemotional. As if on some level it had been expected. In any case, it’s not the reaction of a heartbroken lover.
In Summary
A careful and objective review of canon proves that a romantic relationship between Sirius and Remus didn’t, doesn’t, and won’t exist in the Harry Potter story. It is in no way supportable through the actual text, and a sexually-themed relationship was not the implied or metaphorical meaning of their interactions, association, or their friendship.
The Reality of Remus/Tonks
Conversely, establishing the existence of Remus/Tonks in canon is very easy. This section of the essay will be significantly shorter because I really don’t have to work at the explanation; JK Rowling has already done it for me.
Before the release of HBP, R/T shippers liked to play the subtext game too. They liked to point to certain moments in OotP as ‘proof’ that something was going on between Remus and Tonks -- apparently more or less from the moment they met.
For some there’s proof of flirtation in the moment Remus introduces Tonks to Harry in the Advance Guard scene at the Dursleys’. There’s proof in the kitchen scene where Harry notices Remus and Tonks are eating breakfast together and the adults are whispering. Proof in the fact that Remus and Tonks seemed to work on so many Order assignments together, that their names are mentioned together frequently in the text, that they’re both shapeshifters.
But the truth is, none of this so-called evidence carries any more weight than the supposed subtext of R/S -- or at least it didn’t when OotP was first read and stood on its own as the definitive canon to date. However, in light of HBP the value of those seemingly meaningless, isolated R/T events in OotP just might raise the needle on the subtext meter a little.
Under the Microscope
Throughout HBP we see little of Tonks and even less of Remus. However, on the occasions when we do encounter either of them in the story, both are unusually glum. Of course the wizarding world is suffering the terror of Voldemort’s return, the dementors are breeding, good people have died or gone missing, personal sacrifices must be made, and everyone’s future appears uncertain. And while these depressing concerns would be keenly felt by all members of the Order, in the case of Remus and Tonks, JK Rowling consistently hints at something more.
If these hints about Remus and Tonks are reviewed in logical order, the last few moments of OotP must be included. Although it was two years between OotP and HBP for readers, it was only two weeks in terms of the actual storyline, and apparently quite a bit happened during that time.
When we’d last seen Remus and Tonks, they were standing together on the train station platform and saying goodbye to Harry.
Tonks stood just behind [Mad-Eye], her bright bubble-gum-pink hair gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the dirty glass of the station ceiling, wearing heavily patched jeans and a bright purple T-shirt bearing the legend The Weird Sisters. Next to Tonks was Lupin, his face pale, his hair greying, a long and threadbare overcoat covering a shabby jumper and trousers. -- OotP, Ch. 38, p. 867 (US)
Then when we see Tonks again two weeks later:
Harry thought [Tonks] looked drawn, even ill, and there was something forced in her smile. Certainly her appearance was less colorful than usual without her customary shade of bubble-gum-pink hair.
“I’d better be off,” she said quickly, standing up and pulling her cloak around her shoulders. “Thanks for the tea and sympathy, Molly.” -- HBP, Ch. 5, p. 82 (US)
The next morning, Harry and his friends discuss Tonks’s mood and appearance:
“Tonks and Sirius barely knew each other!” said Ron. “Sirius was in Azkaban half her life and before that their families never met--”
“That’s not the point,” said Hermione. “She thinks it was her fault he died!”
“How does she work that one out?” asked Harry, in spite of himself.
“Well, she was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, wasn’t she? I think she feels that if only she had finished her off, Bellatrix couldn’t have killed Sirius.”
“That’s stupid,” said Ron.
“It’s survivor’s guilt,” said Hermione. “I know Lupin’s tried to talk her round, but she’s still really down. She’s actually having trouble with her Metamorphosing!”
“With her--?”
“She can’t change her appearance like she used to,” explained Hermione. “I think her powers must have been affected by shock, or something.” -- HBP, Ch. 5, p. 94-95 (US)
Rowling frequently relies upon Hermione as an expository character, and uses her again here in an effort to draw attention to what’s going on with Tonks. Exactly how Hermione comes to know the information she imparts in the scene above is unknown. She’s obviously been at the Burrow for some time, and likely overheard it either from the Weasleys or from Remus and/or Tonks.
Regardless of how Hermione knows, the point of the passage is to make several key details clear to readers. First, we are to understand that Tonks is depressed and blames herself for Sirius’s death. Second, to single out Remus as the one who has been supporting her through her survivor’s guilt. Lastly, that Tonks’s abilities as a Metamorphmagus have been compromised, and that her powers must have been affected by shock, or something.
It’s important to note that at the end of OotP -- when she would realistically have already been in the throes of survivor’s guilt -- Tonks remained capable of Metamorphosing in the immediate wake of Sirius’s death, and chose to wear her favored pink hair in front of the Dursleys at the train station. Two weeks later, however, she is apparently incapable of the change -- a fact which suggests that yet another ‘shock, or something’ had been added to what she was already experiencing, and the combination finally overwhelmed her.
We receive a few other subtextual clues about Tonks’s state of mind as the book progresses: the fact that her Patronus has changed to something four-legged that Harry thinks might be the spirit of Padfoot, and that she is wandering the halls of Hogwarts looking for Dumbledore because she’s concerned about news of recent werewolf activity. But these details still aren’t enough to clarify for readers exactly what her other problem is.
Remus does not appear much in the book. He does attend Harry’s birthday party looking gaunt and grim, but it isn’t until Christmas that we come to know he’s been sent underground on a very dangerous mission to spy on the werewolves. When we first see him at the holiday, he appears particularly miserable as a love song plays on the wireless:
Meanwhile, Remus Lupin, who was thinner and more ragged-looking than ever, was sitting beside the fire, staring into its depths as though he could not hear Celestina’s voice. -- HBP, Ch. 16, p. 330 (US)
Perhaps more telling than anything is Remus’s explanation of his assignment to Harry:
“I’ve been living among my fellows, my equals,” said Lupin. “Werewolves,” he added, at Harry’s look of incomprehension. “Nearly all of them are on Voldemort’s side. Dumbledore wanted a spy and here I was…ready made.”
He sounded a little bitter, and perhaps realized it, for he smiled more warmly as he went on, “I am not complaining; it is necessary work and who can do it better than I? However, it has been difficult gaining their trust. I bear the unmistakable signs of having tried to live among wizards, you see, whereas they have shunned normal society and live on the margins, stealing -- and sometimes killing -- to eat.” -- HBP, Ch. 16, p. 334 (US)
Even Harry recognizes the bitterness. Remus appears to be reminding himself as well as Harry what he really is -- that he is equal to the werewolves who live on the margins and steal or kill, that he’s tried to live among wizards and normal society.
At face value alone these remarks reveal he is suffering an unusual degree of self-pity, but when taken within the context of the Christmas holiday with a close-knit family and moody stares into the fire during love songs, the subtext implies that Remus is feeling more conflicted, unfulfilled, unsuitable, and depressed than ever.
After the revelation of his reluctance and concerns at the end of the book, in retrospect it’s evident that Remus’s involvement in the spy mission was the catalyst for the ‘shock, or something’ that occurred after Sirius’s death, and that it had a tremendous emotional impact on both Remus and Tonks. The mission represented the inescapable truth of his position in life, making him feel undeniably unworthy of the feelings that had apparently been growing between them for some time, and his reaction to it held implications for her in terms of his safety, welfare, prolonged absence, and any hope of a future for them.
We receive a few other clues pointing toward the acknowledged existence of feelings between Remus and Tonks as well:
“I invited dear Tonks to come along today,” said Mrs. Weasley, setting down the carrots with unnecessary force and glaring at Fleur. “But she wouldn’t come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?”
“No, I haven’t been in contact with anybody very much,” said Lupin. “But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn’t she?”
“Hmmm,” said Mrs. Weasley. “Maybe. I got the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually.”
She gave Lupin an annoyed look, as though it was all his fault she was getting Fleur for a daughter-in-law instead of Tonks… -- HBP, Ch. 16, p. 340 (US)
Molly’s pointed question to Remus indicates an expectation that if he hadn’t spoken to Tonks he should have, and proves, along with the ‘tea and sympathy’ comment from Tonks earlier, that at least Molly was fully aware that unresolved feelings existed between the couple. Remus’s response is calmly defensive too; he could simply have said he hadn’t spoken to Tonks, but instead attempts to shift the focus from himself by supplying an alternate reason for why she wouldn’t accept Molly’s invitation.
And then when Harry asks Remus about Tonks’s Patronus:
“Tonks’s Patronus has changed its form,” he told him. “Snape said so anyway. I didn’t know that could happen. Why would your Patronus change?”
Lupin took his time chewing his turkey and swallowing before saying slowly, “Sometimes…a great shock…an emotional upheaval…” -- HBP, Ch. 16, p. 340 (US)
If the source of the great shock and emotional upheaval had been limited to Sirius’s death, why did Remus need time to think and make such a careful answer?
The inference here is that Remus knew perfectly he was the significant factor in Tonks’s change in Patronus, and the revelation that her new one -- her new spirit guardian -- was a werewolf seems intended to solidify the idea that a deep emotional connection existed between them. It’s inconceivable that JKR would trouble herself to include these details if they simply pertained to an unrequited crush on Tonks’s part.
It isn’t until the end of the book, however, that readers finally discover the truth during the hospital wing scene after Dumbledore has died and Bill has been attacked by Greyback. The specific context of much of the scene is about love, marriage, and a werewolf’s suitability for both.
Tonks chooses that moment to confront Remus about their relationship, and in true and established Rowling fashion, all the clues that had been left like landmines throughout the preceding pages make sense.
“You see!” said a strained voice. Tonks was glaring at Lupin. “She still wants to marry him, even though he’s been bitten! She doesn’t care!”
“It’s different,” said Lupin, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. “Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely--”
“But I don’t care either, I don’t care!” said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin’s robes and shaking them. “I’ve told you a million times…”
And the meaning of Tonks’s Patronus and her mouse-colored hair, and the reason she had come running to find Dumbledore when she had heard a rumor someone had been attacked by Greyback, all suddenly became clear to Harry; it had not been Sirius that Tonks had fallen in love with after all.
“And I’ve told you a million times,” said Lupin, refusing to meet her eyes, staring at the floor, “that I am too old for you, too poor…too dangerous…” -- HBP, Ch. 29, p. 623-624 (US)
A million times. It is this exchange which casts the clues in OotP in more of a subtextual light. If due to his mission Remus and Tonks had been separated for most of the HBP year, in order for them to have had an opportunity to discuss their relationship and feelings about it that many times, it must have been in progress on some level during OotP. While Sirius was alive.
Another significant aspect of this passage is Remus’s choice of words. There are readers who misinterpret the subtext here, and insinuate that Remus’s hesitation reflects his lack of interest in Tonks and/or in pursuing a relationship with her. But it’s just the opposite. His reluctance, combined with the words he says, actually implies that he cares for her very much -- so much that he has been resisting the relationship for her sake. He’s clearly admitting to having told her a million times that he’s not good enough for her, not that he has no romantic feelings for her.
More evidence of both how long others have known of their relationship, as well as the nature of Remus’s feelings for Tonks, comes in the next few lines of the book:
“I’ve said all along you’re taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus,” said Mrs. Weasley over Fleur’s shoulder as she patted her on the back.
“I am not being ridiculous,” said Lupin steadily. “Tonks deserves somebody young and whole.”
“But she wants you,” said Mr. Weasley, with a small smile. [emphasis mine] -- HBP, Ch. 29, p. 624 (US)
However, it’s McGonagall who gets in the final, telling word:
“Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world,” said Professor McGonagall curtly… [emphasis mine] -- HBP, Ch. 29, p. 624 (US)
The adults in this scene all seem perfectly aware that they are not encouraging a one-sided, girlish infatuation, or a reluctant man to enter into a relationship out of pity or resignation, or a grieving lover to suddenly adjust his orientation. On the contrary; each comment reflects the acknowledgement that love either already existed between Remus and Tonks, or easily would exist if Remus could allow himself to indulge in it.
When we last see Remus and Tonks in HBP, they are holding hands at Dumbledore’s funeral and Tonks’s hair is pink once more, seeming to indicate that at least some measure of her shock and distress have been resolved.
JK Rowling couldn’t have illustrated more clearly what choice Remus made with regard to the nature and direction of his feelings for Tonks. Considering the open discussion and resulting expectation that would have been set amongst their friends and colleagues who were present at Bill’s hospital bedside, the last thing Remus Lupin would have done is confuse and mislead them all with a public display of affection if he didn’t intend it to reflect that he and Tonks were involved in a romantic relationship.
There was no other way to interpret the text or the subtext, once we had reached the hand-holding moment at the funeral, and if there had somehow been room for an alternate interpretation, any remaining question of intent was dismissed by Rowling’s own direct and unsolicited inquiry to her HBP release interviewers:
“Oh, how did you feel about Lupin/Tonks?” --
MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron Interview, July 16, 2005, Edinburgh, Scotland
In Conclusion
The contrast is simple and clear. As far as canon evidence and subtext is concerned, the foundation of the relationship between Sirius and Remus was purely platonic, while the relationship between Remus and Tonks is unmistakably romantic.
Even if it hadn’t been before, this was made patently obvious by the straightforward manner in which the relationship JK Rowling intended readers to acknowledge was finally revealed. There is no need for readers to try and make sexually-themed mountains out of platonic molehills, or erroneous inferences based on non-existent subtext. Remus/Tonks is as plain as print.
For the first time during the four books we have known of his existence, at the end of HBP we have Remus Lupin -- in front of his friends and distinguished members of the wizarding world -- making a public statement by holding hands with a woman known to be in love with him, and with whom he has discussed the possibility of a relationship a million times.
And that’s it.
...