Every Step Will Show
Title: Every Step Will Show
Author: utah_yoda
Rating & Warnings: G
Prompts: Christmas cards
Format & Word Count: fic, 1500 words
Summary: Remus tries to hide his feelings for Tonks, but a surprising romantic situation melts his resistance
Author’s Notes: I promised myself I would get a story in this time. One New Year's resolution accomplished! This takes place in mid-December during OOTP
The future lies before you, like paths of pure white snow. Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show.
-author unknown
Remus tried to ignore the stab of annoyance in his belly. His face, he hoped, was almost neutral, with a dash of friendly curiosity. Nothing inappropriate. It was the correct response when a friend received a card two weeks before Christmas, from someone named Michael, which made her giggle and turn a delightful shade of pink. Any other feelings had no place. They had no place at all, and Remus would stubbornly ignore them.
Molly was at Tonks' side, and picked up the envelope that she had dropped to the table in her rush to read the card. It was bulky.
"This is lovely, dear," said the older woman, removing something from the envelope. She held up a chain with a pendant dangling from it. Remus could not see what it was from his seat at the large table. In the dim light of the kitchen, he could tell it was round, but nothing else.
Tonks looked up from her reading, and appeared to become aware that seven pairs of eyes were focused on her. She looked at the thing Molly was holding, and then looked at Remus. He thought she turned an even deeper shade of pink, which, he noticed immediately, made her eyes stand out in a most enchanting way.
"What is it, Molly?" asked Hestia, who had edged closer, enjoying the potential new gossip emerging in the kitchen at Grimmauld place.
"A bloke is sending you jewelry?" said Kingsley with a smile. "You've never mentioned a boyfriend."
Tonks looked at Remus again, and he hoped that his face was still unreadable. He was aware that hers were not the only eyes watching him. He felt Bill's and Sirius' concerned looks and wished they would stop, already. He was fine. Perfectly fine. There was simply no reason for them to worry about his well-being just because his good friend had gotten a gift from some man. No reason.
Tonks opened her mouth to reply to Kingsley, and reached for the pendant. She pulled it close for a good look, and burst into laughter, making several members of the order jump.
"Oh no," she said. "Oh, no." She grabbed the chain from Molly's hand, holding it up to her nose for a very close inspection. "I have to get this outside. Immediately." She turned on a heel and fled the kitchen.
Remus followed her from the room without really thinking about what he was doing. He didn't want to miss whatever was making her smile like that, though he knew he would probably regret it. She raced up the flight of stairs, and he kept on her heels, wondering why no one else was following. She was headed for the door that led to the tiny, grubby back garden.
"Come on, quickly," Tonks said to Remus, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him through the doorway. She shut the door behind them, and they were alone in the neglected piece of alley that was attached to Grimmauld place, surrounded by the noise of traffic and a loud television from a nearby flat. It was cold, and Remus was glad he was wearing his warmest robes. Tonks didn't seem to notice the cold; a huge smile lit her face, and she was still holding the pendant out in front of her like a lantern. She was breathing heavily after her dash from the kitchen.
Peeling his eyes from the delightful sight of the witch in front of him, pink-haired and pink-cheeked, Remus could see the pendant now that he was closer. It looked like the snow globe he had been given when he was seven; only miniaturized, and now that he looked very closely, he could see two figures inside of it. They were standing near a brick wall, in a tiny, neglected garden. A witch with a microscopic bit of pink hair, and a wizard looking down at her. "Is that us?"
Tonks nodded. She took her wand from a pocket, and smiled at him. "Brace yourself."
Before he could ask what she meant, she tapped the tiny globe with the tip of her wand.
There was an explosion of silence. White filled Remus' vision, and something blanketed his ears and blocked the noise from the street. It wasn't at all frightening, but it was cold... "Snow!"
"A snow-a-gram," Tonks confirmed, and she sounded delighted at the event. He could see her again, as the cascade of flakes began to slow. She stood just in front of him, her arms at her sides and her face tilted up toward the falling snowflakes. Glancing upward, Remus had to laugh. Hovering in the air directly above them was a white cloud, and it dropped the cold flakes only on them. The rest of the garden, the rest of the alley, was clear. As he watched, the cloud grew a little smaller, and the snowfall lost some of the initial intensity.
He looked at Tonks again, and she was looking back at him. "Some mates and I came up with the idea during our sixth year. We used to send them back and forth all the time. It's like a Howler: the longer it takes you to open it, the worse the snowfall gets. We used to send them to each other during class, when we had to wait an hour to open it, and then watch the blizzard. I spent a lot of time in detention that year."
"It's a very good bit of magic," Remus told her. "I don't think even the Weasleys have come up with something like this yet."
"I haven't gotten a snow-a-gram in a couple of years. For a while, we sent them back and forth when one of us got a new job, or a promotion. Michael sent this one to tell me he's getting married."
In the surprise of the moment, Remus had forgotten about the sender of the gift, and the uncomfortable envy he had felt. "Oh, really?" was all he could manage to say, but the relief that flowed through him was undeniable.
Tonks looked at him again, holding his eyes with hers. There were snowflakes stuck in her eyelashes, which were edged with pink to match her hair. Remus had known her for months, but he didn't think he'd ever seen her look that beautiful. "Remus?"
She took a step closer to him, and he felt his heartbeat speed up accordingly. "Yes?"
"Were you jealous?"
"Jealous?"
"I saw you when I opened the card Michael sent me. You didn't look happy."
"I didn't?" When had he lost his ability to communicate properly? This was heading to dangerous territory very quickly, but Remus felt entirely powerless to stop it.
"No. You looked sad, and a little angry. So. Were you jealous?"
She was still looking into his eyes, looking for his answer. The setting was ridiculously romantic; a beautiful, light snowfall brushed their shoulders, hiding the ugliness of the alley under a blanket of sparkling white. There was a hush that only comes with a snowfall, and it felt like they were the only two people in the whole world. Despite the chill, his resolve was melting very quickly.
"Yes." he heard himself admit. "I was."
She smiled then, shyly. It was probably his new favorite Tonks smile. "That means, then, that you have feelings for me."
Melting, melting..."Yes. I do. But-"
She cut him off with a firm finger against his lips. Her skin was icy, and a few snowflakes clung to her fingers. They melted, becoming a trail of water between his mouth and her finger. "But what? You're too dangerous? I've been told that's the line you use."
He moved his lips against her finger, "Nymphadora, it's not a line."
"Remus. I'm an auror. I belong to a secret organization that fights death-eaters. Most of my extended family wants me dead. I spend my spare time in the most ancient and noble and deadly house of Black. You can top that?"
He grasped her wrist, gently, moving her finger from his lips, but he didn't drop her hand. He didn't meet her eye, either. "It's different."
"I know. And I don't want you to think I'm not taking you seriously. But I've done a lot of thinking, and I want you to take me seriously. I don't care that you're a werewolf."
Remus could not bring himself to part with her hand. He rubbed his fingers across her knuckles, enjoying the softness, the intimate touch that had to be their last. "It has been my deepest fear since I was a child, that I would hurt someone I care about. I couldn't stand to know I'd hurt you."
"You could hurt me, Remus. You could hurt me more than anyone has ever hurt me." She brushed her hand across his forehead, rested her palm on his cheek, "And you could hurt you, too. I don't want that, either. I want you to think about it for a little while." She turned from him and went back into the house, leaving Remus alone in the garden, cold and wet with melting snow.
Author: utah_yoda
Rating & Warnings: G
Prompts: Christmas cards
Format & Word Count: fic, 1500 words
Summary: Remus tries to hide his feelings for Tonks, but a surprising romantic situation melts his resistance
Author’s Notes: I promised myself I would get a story in this time. One New Year's resolution accomplished! This takes place in mid-December during OOTP
The future lies before you, like paths of pure white snow. Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show.
-author unknown
Remus tried to ignore the stab of annoyance in his belly. His face, he hoped, was almost neutral, with a dash of friendly curiosity. Nothing inappropriate. It was the correct response when a friend received a card two weeks before Christmas, from someone named Michael, which made her giggle and turn a delightful shade of pink. Any other feelings had no place. They had no place at all, and Remus would stubbornly ignore them.
Molly was at Tonks' side, and picked up the envelope that she had dropped to the table in her rush to read the card. It was bulky.
"This is lovely, dear," said the older woman, removing something from the envelope. She held up a chain with a pendant dangling from it. Remus could not see what it was from his seat at the large table. In the dim light of the kitchen, he could tell it was round, but nothing else.
Tonks looked up from her reading, and appeared to become aware that seven pairs of eyes were focused on her. She looked at the thing Molly was holding, and then looked at Remus. He thought she turned an even deeper shade of pink, which, he noticed immediately, made her eyes stand out in a most enchanting way.
"What is it, Molly?" asked Hestia, who had edged closer, enjoying the potential new gossip emerging in the kitchen at Grimmauld place.
"A bloke is sending you jewelry?" said Kingsley with a smile. "You've never mentioned a boyfriend."
Tonks looked at Remus again, and he hoped that his face was still unreadable. He was aware that hers were not the only eyes watching him. He felt Bill's and Sirius' concerned looks and wished they would stop, already. He was fine. Perfectly fine. There was simply no reason for them to worry about his well-being just because his good friend had gotten a gift from some man. No reason.
Tonks opened her mouth to reply to Kingsley, and reached for the pendant. She pulled it close for a good look, and burst into laughter, making several members of the order jump.
"Oh no," she said. "Oh, no." She grabbed the chain from Molly's hand, holding it up to her nose for a very close inspection. "I have to get this outside. Immediately." She turned on a heel and fled the kitchen.
Remus followed her from the room without really thinking about what he was doing. He didn't want to miss whatever was making her smile like that, though he knew he would probably regret it. She raced up the flight of stairs, and he kept on her heels, wondering why no one else was following. She was headed for the door that led to the tiny, grubby back garden.
"Come on, quickly," Tonks said to Remus, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him through the doorway. She shut the door behind them, and they were alone in the neglected piece of alley that was attached to Grimmauld place, surrounded by the noise of traffic and a loud television from a nearby flat. It was cold, and Remus was glad he was wearing his warmest robes. Tonks didn't seem to notice the cold; a huge smile lit her face, and she was still holding the pendant out in front of her like a lantern. She was breathing heavily after her dash from the kitchen.
Peeling his eyes from the delightful sight of the witch in front of him, pink-haired and pink-cheeked, Remus could see the pendant now that he was closer. It looked like the snow globe he had been given when he was seven; only miniaturized, and now that he looked very closely, he could see two figures inside of it. They were standing near a brick wall, in a tiny, neglected garden. A witch with a microscopic bit of pink hair, and a wizard looking down at her. "Is that us?"
Tonks nodded. She took her wand from a pocket, and smiled at him. "Brace yourself."
Before he could ask what she meant, she tapped the tiny globe with the tip of her wand.
There was an explosion of silence. White filled Remus' vision, and something blanketed his ears and blocked the noise from the street. It wasn't at all frightening, but it was cold... "Snow!"
"A snow-a-gram," Tonks confirmed, and she sounded delighted at the event. He could see her again, as the cascade of flakes began to slow. She stood just in front of him, her arms at her sides and her face tilted up toward the falling snowflakes. Glancing upward, Remus had to laugh. Hovering in the air directly above them was a white cloud, and it dropped the cold flakes only on them. The rest of the garden, the rest of the alley, was clear. As he watched, the cloud grew a little smaller, and the snowfall lost some of the initial intensity.
He looked at Tonks again, and she was looking back at him. "Some mates and I came up with the idea during our sixth year. We used to send them back and forth all the time. It's like a Howler: the longer it takes you to open it, the worse the snowfall gets. We used to send them to each other during class, when we had to wait an hour to open it, and then watch the blizzard. I spent a lot of time in detention that year."
"It's a very good bit of magic," Remus told her. "I don't think even the Weasleys have come up with something like this yet."
"I haven't gotten a snow-a-gram in a couple of years. For a while, we sent them back and forth when one of us got a new job, or a promotion. Michael sent this one to tell me he's getting married."
In the surprise of the moment, Remus had forgotten about the sender of the gift, and the uncomfortable envy he had felt. "Oh, really?" was all he could manage to say, but the relief that flowed through him was undeniable.
Tonks looked at him again, holding his eyes with hers. There were snowflakes stuck in her eyelashes, which were edged with pink to match her hair. Remus had known her for months, but he didn't think he'd ever seen her look that beautiful. "Remus?"
She took a step closer to him, and he felt his heartbeat speed up accordingly. "Yes?"
"Were you jealous?"
"Jealous?"
"I saw you when I opened the card Michael sent me. You didn't look happy."
"I didn't?" When had he lost his ability to communicate properly? This was heading to dangerous territory very quickly, but Remus felt entirely powerless to stop it.
"No. You looked sad, and a little angry. So. Were you jealous?"
She was still looking into his eyes, looking for his answer. The setting was ridiculously romantic; a beautiful, light snowfall brushed their shoulders, hiding the ugliness of the alley under a blanket of sparkling white. There was a hush that only comes with a snowfall, and it felt like they were the only two people in the whole world. Despite the chill, his resolve was melting very quickly.
"Yes." he heard himself admit. "I was."
She smiled then, shyly. It was probably his new favorite Tonks smile. "That means, then, that you have feelings for me."
Melting, melting..."Yes. I do. But-"
She cut him off with a firm finger against his lips. Her skin was icy, and a few snowflakes clung to her fingers. They melted, becoming a trail of water between his mouth and her finger. "But what? You're too dangerous? I've been told that's the line you use."
He moved his lips against her finger, "Nymphadora, it's not a line."
"Remus. I'm an auror. I belong to a secret organization that fights death-eaters. Most of my extended family wants me dead. I spend my spare time in the most ancient and noble and deadly house of Black. You can top that?"
He grasped her wrist, gently, moving her finger from his lips, but he didn't drop her hand. He didn't meet her eye, either. "It's different."
"I know. And I don't want you to think I'm not taking you seriously. But I've done a lot of thinking, and I want you to take me seriously. I don't care that you're a werewolf."
Remus could not bring himself to part with her hand. He rubbed his fingers across her knuckles, enjoying the softness, the intimate touch that had to be their last. "It has been my deepest fear since I was a child, that I would hurt someone I care about. I couldn't stand to know I'd hurt you."
"You could hurt me, Remus. You could hurt me more than anyone has ever hurt me." She brushed her hand across his forehead, rested her palm on his cheek, "And you could hurt you, too. I don't want that, either. I want you to think about it for a little while." She turned from him and went back into the house, leaving Remus alone in the garden, cold and wet with melting snow.