Good Things Come...

[godricgal]

Title: Good Things Come...
Author: godricgal
Word count: 10,076
Rating:: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: Tonks has been looking forward to the Order Christmas party for weeks, hoping that it will be her chance to sort out her relationship with Remus once and for all. An unexpected and futile assignment gets in the way of that, but sometimes, bad things happen for a reason.
Author's Notes: I had a lot of fun writing this fic, and it was quite an adventure, I certainly didn't think it would turn out this long. I've tagged it as romance, but I suspect Tonks would assert that it contains angst, mystery and suspense! I hope you enjoy. Feedback would be very much appreciated. Oh, and my wizardised carol is not a carol but a Christmas song and because there are several versions of the lyrics, I chose to base this on the Jackson 5's version. So very, very many thanks to mrstater for her help, support and guidance. You're the bestest. ;)



Good Things Come...

Tonks crouched low behind a mossy dry stone wall. Her eyes were trained on the run down cottage that stood one hundred yards in front of her, but her mind was focused elsewhere.

For starters, she wasn’t dressed for this mission. Beneath her robes and travelling cloak, she wore a low cut top of flimsy turquoise material that clung to her body like a second skin and didn’t quite reach the band of her jeans, leaving her with a decidedly chilled tummy. She'd chosen her outfit that morning with the belief that right this minute, she would be attending the Order Christmas party, happy in a state of moderate inebriation, and warmed by the kitchen fire.

For the past two weeks, she'd done nothing but look forward to this night: meticulously planning her outfit, her jewellery; spending hours in front of her bathroom mirror, experimenting with her hair, trying to decide which colour best complimented the pastel tone of her top -- finally settling on a deep pink, much darker and richer than her customary shade.

And all for nothing, since here she was: six hours into a mission, swathed in darkness, and pretending to watch a half-rotten door for Sirius sodding Black, who was, undoubtedly, engaging in highly inappropriate drunken behaviour in his mother’s kitchen basement, or passed out in the party food in an alcohol-induced stupor.

For the millionth time that night, she cursed under her breath and clenched her fists in frustration, lifting them as though to hit something, then dropping them in defeat.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

She glanced up at the sky. Incomplete cloud cover rendered a patchwork of rich mid-night blue sky, from which stars twinkled merrily, almost mocking her with their happy view of the night. The moon, which she knew to be a waning Gibbous, remained shy behind the clouds, for which she was grateful. Morose as she was this evening, seeing the moon would probably make her dwell on the nights that beautiful, yet cruel, satellite kept her way from the man she thought she might have fallen in love with.

Remus. He was the real reason she felt so frustrated and angry at this situation. For six months, they’d danced a waltz of their own design, sometimes stepping closer to becoming more than friends, and at others, retreating from potential romance. She was quite certain that after all this time -- and six months was a long to wait for a person when you harboured such a hunger to kiss them, a longing to fall into his arms and shut out the rest of the world -- they might just be on the brink of bringing their steps into a more formal arrangement. One where they both had their roles defined. She could definitely label the role she wanted him to play: boyfriend. And perhaps eventually, quite a lot more.

She’d had such hope for tonight; that finally, finally she would discover how it felt to have his arms wrapped tightly around her; to experience his hands firmly on her body, pulling her closer against him; to have all the time in the world to breathe his scent and absorb his warmth; to kiss him, feel the softness of his lips against hers, to taste him. At the thought of it, her eyes closed and a shudder quivered the length of her body, leaving a dull ache in the pit of her stomach. It was a sensation she'd come to know all too well in the last few months: an all-consuming yearning for something that promised to be so incredibly wonderful that it almost felt impossibly intangible.

All night, she'd harboured a hope that perhaps the assignment would be cancelled, or maybe relief would show up early. She'd even been tempted to abandon her post and return to Grimmauld. But the bells in the church across the valley had chimed their midnight call long ago. The party would surely be coming to an end; it was too late.

The only positive thing about the watch duty was that she'd been able to ditch the idiot of a partner she’d been assigned. Greener than she was, an Auror not long out of training, he’d taken one appraising look at her, his eyes lingering on her spiky pink hair -- no doubt assessing her small stature and slight figure as a sign of weakness -- and asserted his position as the leader of tonight’s surveillance. Or tried to assert. Tonks, being in possession of a commanding tone that did not invite argument, had swiftly set him in his place and taken control. Once they'd arrived at the scene, she'd ordered him to take a position far enough away from her that she could brood in peace.

And brood she had done. To quite a large extent. It all seemed so unfair when she had booked this night off over two weeks ago. If the bloody Ministry would acknowledge Voldemort's return, and she could actually be sent on a worthwhile assignment, the bitterness of missing a party would not be so great. At least then she'd know there might be a positive result from her work. But this was…

A waste of time.

War or not, Dark Lords returning to power aside, being an Auror was a demanding job; minimal social lives came as part of the package. Which was why nights like tonight were something to be treasured, grasped with both hands, savoured and enjoyed. Not spent keeping watch for a figure who would never arrive, and even if he did, would be far more likely to offer you a drink than an introduction to the fiercer capabilities of his wand.

Every now and again, she shifted, flexing her toes in her boots, -- at least she had sturdy footwear, even if it wasn't warm -- to encourage warmth to return to them, but it was a futile exercise. It was one of those truly disgusting winter nights -- cold enough to cause extreme discomfort, but not cold enough to dry out the damp that permeated every exposed surface.

Her thoughts turned to Remus at every moment she wasn't cursing the weather or the bloody Ministry. Was he missing her at the party? Was her absence a disappointment to him, too? Was it possible that he'd thought that tonight might have been an opportunity to sort things out between them once and for all, that perhaps maybe, just maybe, he'd had the same hopes for the night as she'd had?

When the clock struck one, Tonks breathed a sigh of relief. Only one more hour.

For the first fifteen minutes, she occupied herself by laying out her plans for when relief came. She'd go back to Grimmauld. In anticipation of staying after the party, she'd dropped by early that morning with toiletries and clothes for the following day. She'd make a cup of hot chocolate, and take herself off to bed where, no doubt, she'd do little other than contemplate the man who slept two doors down from her. At least tonight, exhaustion would be on her side. She had, after all, been working for over seventeen hours, and awake for nineteen.

The last three quarters of the hour dragged. In an effort to appease her impatience, Tonks made a point of surveying her surroundings -- ironically, for the first time that night. The house was not entirely without merit, she decided. While it emitted a distinct air of cold neglect, the ivy clung to its walls and framed its windows in a manner that could be considered charming. That was, if the windows had not been cracked and the paint peeling from their frames, and if the junk that lay abandoned at its footings -- casting looming shadows across the whitewashed walls -- were removed.

Her gaze turned once again to the stars, when suddenly the clouds parted and the moon made its first appearance of the night. Its rounded image burned brightly in her eyes. She'd always loved the moon, been fascinated by the impressions of its craters. They almost seemed to be drawn on its surface, like works of art: the Earth's eternal gallery.

And though it looked so small, what power it held…The power to push and pull the tides of the oceans, controlling the behaviour of vast expanses of the earth...And, she thought, darkly, the power to affect the life of a man. To force his body to snap and contort until it became something he wasn't, to warp his mind into the very antithesis of his being.

She didn't want that for Remus. She loathed what it did to him; that it hurt him, marked him, made him work so hard for a normal life. If she allowed it, it could bring tears to her eyes that he faced that monthly torture. And thank goodness for the Wolfsbane Potion, because although he condition would never colour her opinion of him, or influence her desire to be with him, she just couldn't bear to think that one day of every twenty-eight, his beautiful mind was replaced by that of a cold-blooded killer.

Whenever she thought about him, her mind filled with images of sparkling blue eyes shining with kindness, wisdom, and humour. Memories of witty, intelligent conversation - filled with laughter -- sought precedence over all others. He was her man; of that, she had no doubt. Was she his woman?

A single chime tolled the last quarter of the hour, interrupting her thoughts and instilling fresh hope that the night really would come to an end. She wriggled her toes again, in anticipation of having to use them, and even though, technically speaking, she ought not to, she took out her wand and cast a Warming Charm on her shoes, throwing out another spell to block the wand light from her so-called partner.

Finally the church bell struck two; in an instant their relief showed up, startling her slightly as they made their way down the bank: Smethwyk and Knightly. She didn’t know Smethwyk terribly well, but she'd shared many a coffee break with Knightly. He approached her now while his partner hung back, eyeing his surroundings cautiously.

"Hello Tonks," he said in a low voice when he reached her. "Anything happen?"

"Wotcher Daniel. No, not a peep all night, Bloody waste of time if you ask me." The second the words left her mouth, she supposed that she ought not to have said them, but she found the energy to care a little too much to muster.

She was relieved though, when the reply came as, "Yes, I think I agree with you on this one. Still, orders are orders."

Tonks sighed heavily.

"You weren’t supposed to be on duty tonight, were you?" Knightly eyed her carefully.

Tonks looked at her feet, shuffling them slightly as she said softly, "No, no I wasn’t." And then, because she felt the sudden need for at least a smidgeon of sympathy, she added, "Missed a party that I really want to go to. I’d been looking forward to it for weeks."

"Oh Tonks, I’m sorry." Knightly's face registered genuine apology. "If I’d known, I’d have taken the earlier shift for you."

She managed a small smile. "That’s sweet of you, Daniel. It’s silly to be so upset, it’s just-"

"There’s a man, isn’t there?"

"How…?" Tonks couldn't stop herself blushing. She nodded slightly.

"I hope he’s good enough for you," Knightly said half playfully, nudging her shoulder gently with his.

"Maybe too good," Tonks whispered. And then she couldn't keep from adding, "He’s funny and sweet and kind and clever…And I’m quite certain he’d do anything in the world for me, if he could."

"Then I hope he realises what he could have." Knightly gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "Go home, Tonks, you look exhausted."

She smiled at him with as much fortitude as she could manage. "I will, thanks Daniel." She turned to leave, but stopped when she realised she ought to speak to her partner…Not relishing that idea, she turned back to Knightly. "Will Smethwyk send the new boy home without sending him to you first?"

"No," he answered.

"Then would you please tell him that I'm going home…He should too, and I'll catch him at some point tomorrow to write the report?"

"Of course."

"Thanks." She lowered her voice to say, "He's a bit of a pillock, you know. Thought he could squash me into taking orders from him."

Knightly whistled. "I bet that's a mistake he's never going to make again."

Tonks grinned.

"I'll let him know. Go home."

"You don't need to tell me again, I'm off. Thanks, Daniel."

They said their goodbyes and Tonks headed up the slight incline, not concerning herself with casting a disillusionment charm since the threat was baseless anyhow, and any attempt at covering her contempt for the case had rather left her hours ago.

She Apparated to Grimmauld Place and let herself in the front door, listening intently for any signs of activity. The hall was dark and lifeless, no sounds sprung from the basement. Everyone had gone to bed.

Muttering a Lumos charm, she made her way down to the kitchen, mindful of the enemy that existed in the form of the umbrella stand. She made it down the stairs without incident, heading directly for the stove. Finding the kettle already filled with water, she turned on the heat.

Her eyes wandered around the kitchen. Everywhere she looked, reminders of the party lay: plates of abandoned food, glasses half-filled with wine or whisky, paper hats that had seen better days. She'd missed it all.

She turned towards the cupboard in which the mugs were stowed, but stopped dead when she noticed a mug on the counter beside the stove, with a piece of parchment tucked beneath.

Peeking in the mug, she saw it already filled chocolate powder, and what appeared to be, on cursory glance, just the right amount of sugar. Waiting for the kettle to boil, she plucked the note from underneath the mug and read.

I'm sorry I wasn't able to say up to make this for you myself. I hope your night wasn't too tedious.

Remus

It was so typical of his foresight and thoughtfulness that a part of her wanted to go charging up into his bedroom, wake him, and sort this out once and for all. But she wouldn't. She wanted him to come to her, wanted him to take the lead so that she could be sure she hadn't pressured him into anything; because in her heart of hearts, she knew any reticence he had was rooted in self-doubt. It wasn't an opinion gained by words he'd spoken but more one obtained by knowing how it felt to be different, to sometimes not be trusted.

When the kettle signalled its readiness with a whistle, she poured hot water onto the granules he had prepared for her. As the water, chocolate and sugar mixed, she bought the concoction to her nose and took a deep breath, savouring its aroma, and her eyes closed briefly against the somersault in her tummy as she thought again how much she liked and appreciated Remus' gesture, before she headed upstairs.

Once safely ensconced in her room, she placed the still steaming mug on her bedside table and removed her clothes. Though still rueful that she hadn't got to wear them for the party, for Remus, she felt liberated to trade the unseasonable garments that had made her so uncomfortable during her watch for loose fitting, comfortable pyjamas and lie in bed sipping the cocoa he'd left for her. When she'd taken her last sip and pulled the duvet above her head, Tonks smiled with the thought that the warmth inside coaxing her into a drowse was not from the cocoa, but from the man who had made it.

==========

The next morning, Tonks woke just after ten, to what appeared to be, from her warm spot in the bed, a cool, crisp morning. The austere drapery that framed the window contrasted sharply with the cheery sight beyond. The pale winter blue of the sky was the backdrop for barren trees that still held the tell tale sign of the overnight frost, and sparkled in pale yellow sunbeams as branches danced in a light breeze.

In light of last night’s unscheduled assignment, Tonks had been told that she wasn’t required to go into the Auror office until lunchtime. She wasn’t quite sure how three hours off was equal to eight hours of undercover work in freezing conditions on what was supposed to have been a night off, but she wasn’t about to refuse the chance of a lie in.

Rolling onto her front, she glimpsed the empty mug on the side table. She brought her hands up to cover her face and closed her eyes as, once again, the full force of last night's disappointment washed through her. The cocoa Remus had left out for her had been thoughtful, but she’d had such high hopes that this morning she’d wake up knowing once and for all how he felt -- that maybe she’d have someone to kiss her good morning at breakfast. And she couldn’t say that she hadn’t imagined there might be someone to kiss her before she got to breakfast.

She positively ached with wanting that; to have his warm body pressed up against hers, his arms wrapped around her waist and pulling her closer, their legs tangled together beneath the sheets. She longed to know the safety and comfort that it would surely bring. She imagined a closeness that surpassed all other, a level of intimacy she’d only ever dreamed of.

In a fit of frustrated energy, she flung the covers aside and leapt out of bed. She buzzed about the room, gathering her clothes for the day -- her discarded jeans from yesterday, a fresh T-shirt from the wardrobe, underwear from the drawer -- and took them back to the bed where she plopped down and began to pull them on. When she bent down to pull her socks on, she caught sight of the top she’d worn yesterday, the one chosen so carefully for the evening occasion. It stung.

She jumped off the bed and grabbed the top, then marched over to the open wardrobe and flung the top inside, slamming the door closed behind it. Turning to stride towards the bedroom door, she reasoned that there was no need to dress up for a party in order to sort things out with Remus. He'd obviously been thinking about her last night, -- why else would he have left hot chocolate for her? But she hesitated at the door, one hand on the knob.

Truth be told, she was nervous about seeing Remus this morning. Nothing had changed between them in actuality, yet in her mind, everything had changed. She was now past the point of waiting patiently, past the point where the excitement of possibility was a thrill.

One half of her - the cowardly half - hoped she’d find the kitchen empty by this hour; as far as she knew, only the three of them had been in residence the night before, there was every chance she could leave for work unspotted and she’d have the day to gather her thoughts and patch up her emotions. But the other half -- which gave her the courage to open the door, step into the hallway, and stride toward the stairs -- wished with all her heart that she’d walk into that kitchen, find him sitting at the table perusing the Daily Prophet, ready to make her breakfast.

Her heart's wish won out; she descended the last basement step just in time to see Remus, seated at the kitchen table, fold away the newspaper and look up at her with a smile that set her heart a-flutter.

"Tonks!" he greeted with genuine warmth, pushing back in his chair to stand and then pulling out the chair beside his. "Take a seat; I’ll put the kettle on."

"Wotcher Remus, thanks," she replied, voice shaking a little, still a tad unsure of herself.

While Remus busied himself with the tea things, Tonks took the chair he'd drawn for her, and hoped that he’d come back to sit in the chair beside hers, and not watch her as he leant against the work surface, as he sometimes did.

"Toast?" Remus asked over his shoulder.

"Just one slice please." Tonks smiled. She'd always considered herself somewhat of an independent sort, but she revelled in it when Remus looked after her. She couldn’t remember exactly when it had started, but whenever she stayed at Grimmauld, he always made her breakfast. If she popped in after work, he’d be the first to jump up and make her tea or offer a bottle of butterbeer. Her daydreams were a place where the arrangement became more permanent, a place where he made her breakfast and looked after her every day.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Remus placing a small plate with a single slice of toast -- the butter melting just as she liked it -- and a mug of steaming tea in front of her.

And then, just as she’d hoped, he reclaimed the seat beside her. She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you," she said softly, her heart rate increasing slightly simply from his close proximity.

"I’m sorry you couldn’t make it to the party last night," he said just as softly as she took her first bite of toast. "I know how much you were looking forward to it." After a brief pause, he added, even more quietly, "We missed you."

Tonks swallowed her bite of toast hard. We missed you. That was the genus of statement she would likely spend hours picking apart, did he really mean, I missed you, or was he really speaking for others?

"It was very disappointing, and such a stupid, waste of a time assignment." A sip of her tea, perfect as always, took the edge off her frustration.

"What was is?" Remus watched her for a moment over the rim of his mug before taking a sip himself.

She sighed, and looked towards the kitchen door; as miffed as she was, she really didn’t want Sirius finding out why she’d missed the party. She turned in her chair to face Remus fully, and said in a low voice, "It was a Sirius sighting follow-up."

"Oh, Tonks." Eyes full of understanding, he squeezed her shoulder, sending a small jolt through her. His hand was so warm.

Somehow Tonks found the composure to talk about business. "Scrimgeour got hold of the report since Kingsley had already headed out for the party, and he knew it was a waste of time, but he sent a team out anyway. Fudge is really sitting on him."

"I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been for you," Remus replied, "knowing one hundred percent that you were out there for no reason."

"I love my job, Remus, I really do. Or the idea of my job, anyway. It just there's so little time for things like parties, and I really wanted to..." Her words trailed away, and she looked down as she pulled her hands into her lap.

"I know." Remus took one of her hands in both of his. If she thought his hand on her shoulder had been warm, it was nothing compared to the warmth she felt now, as it spread along her arm and seeped into the rest of her body. She looked up shyly at him.

"How about…?" he began. "What I mean to say is, would you like to do something tonight, to try and make up for it?"

Tonk's heart pounded in her chest. "Here? Or…or…?" She stammered. A night of drinks with Sirius, or did he mean...?

Remus smiled at her softly. It was partly bashful, and partly…Merlin, that was flirtation. "I thought maybe just the two of us, away from here. Something a bit different."

She was unable to keep the grin from spreading across her face as happiness and excitement suffused her, as she watched his mouth curl into a smile that might well be a mirror of hers, she almost gave into the laugh that was welling inside her.

"I’d like that," she said. "What d'you have in mind?" She’d almost forgotten that her hand was still encased within his until he gave it a squeeze before letting go, leaving her hand to cool instantly.

"Well..." He quirked his eyebrow at her. "How would you feel about a bit of a surprise?"

Feeling brave enough give her voice a flirtatious inflection, Tonks said, "I didn’t become an Auror for nothing, y'know. I’m sure I can handle whatever surprise a Marauder might throw at me."

Remus shot her a challenging look. "I might have to test that some day, but I don’t think a Marauder surprise is in order tonight."

"No?"

He looked at her with such intensity that it shocked her, making her blood hum in her veins; if he looked at her like that tonight, she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions.

"No, I don’t think so." His eyes burned into hers as he held her gaze.

Forcing herself into a state capable of speech, she said, "Where d'you want to meet?"

"Perhaps I could meet you from work?" Remus offered. "Or if you would rather, I could pick you up from your flat."

Tonks weighed up her options. On the one hand, if they met at her flat, she’d have the opportunity to change, paying as careful attention to her appearance as she had for the party; on the other hand, him meeting her from work sounded so delightfully wonderful, one of those couple-y things she’d been dreaming about.

"Meet me from work?" she asked with a smile.

They spent the next hour chatting about last night’s party, the idiocies of the Ministry, Sirius’ erratic behaviour. By the time Tonks left for work, she was walking on top of the world. What better way could there be to start the day than an invitation for a night alone with Remus and chatter over tea and toast? Apparating to the Ministry, she wondered how she would possibly make it though the day without revealing that her mind was very much elsewhere.

Luckily, most people were inclined to blame her distraction on fatigue -- at least a seventeen-hour shift was good for something, so any questioning of her atypically introspective and distracted frame of mind was kept to the barest minimum. Although she did have a visit from Knightly, who, from her cheery greeting correctly deduced the source of her mood. He teased her gently before wishing her good luck.

When she thought back to the slightly coy expression on Remus' face, the flirtatious lilt in his voice, her insides clenched with anticipation. She, Nymphadora Tonks, was going to spend the evening with Remus Lupin.

Alone.

A whole evening to talk; listen to his voice, watch his face - study those little lines that crinkled around his eyes when he found something amusing, and which she found so heart-meltingly adorable. And maybe, just maybe, they could do something more than talk.

She frowned slightly when she realised that if something didn’t happen tonight, when they were all alone, then nothing was ever likely to happen between them.

But she was certain he liked her. Whenever they spoke, the air seemed to crackle with energy. She was sure his eyes spoke to her in ways they did not to others.

She’d never felt like this about anyone before. She’d had crushes, fancied boys she wanted to kiss...But the way she felt about Remus was very, very special, something else all together. His presence could calm her, his gaze could set her body on fire like no other man's had.

On that thought, she shifted in her chair to dispel the buzz of nervous energy in the stomach. She was never going to get any work done, not with her mind wandering to thoughts like that. Her reports, as dry as a History of Magic textbook, were never going to be interesting enough to hold her attention. She needed something else to occupy her for the rest of the afternoon.

Impulsively, she grabbed a sheet of memo-sized parchment from a stack in the back corner of her desk. She took her quill and dipped it into the ink well and wrote:

Can I have a hint?

T
X

She folded the parchment and sealed it with her wand, then hopped up from her chair and trotted to the room in the corner where the Auror Office kept its owls. She selected the owl closest to her and attached the note to its leg.

She watched is soar out the room and across the office, hoping a reply would come soon. She didn't have the slightest expectation that Remus would let anything slip, but it would be fun to read his response. Smiling to herself, she made her way back to her desk to wait.

She didn't have to wait long. Not fifteen minutes later, the owl returned and landed gracefully on her desk, holding its leg out to her. With a quick warning to the owl to stay where it was, she eagerly opened the note, and immediately a puff of laughter escaped her as she realised what he'd done.

Nymphadora,

Over the years, I've found many a use for this handy little spell, especially when dealing with persons who irritate you. Waddiwassi, delivered directly, (no movement of the wand required) will cause an object (on which you are focusing your mind) to shoot up the left nostril of the individual on whom your wand is trained.

I hope this little hint is useful to you.

Remus
x

Still chuckling, she put the note to one side and selected another sheet of parchment from the pile.

I think, Mr. Lupin, that it's unwise to teach someone a spell for dealing with people who annoy them in the process of annoying them. I think you and your left nostril should be very careful tonight.

T
x

If I offer you my profound apologies and tell you that I'll make it up to you tonight, will that help my case? It must be said though, that a sore left nostril might be a fair price to pay for the pleasure of your company for an evening.

Remus
X

The notes carried on for the majority of the afternoon. Tonks made precious little progress in making head way with her reports, but she couldn't summon the energy to care; her resources were too much focused on trying to curb the flutterings in the tummy when each of his notes arrived, each more flirtatious than the last. Besides, it wasn't every day that a girl spent the day in a state of high anticipation for an evening with Remus Lupin -- extenuating circumstances if ever there were any.

==========

At last, after an afternoon of more flirtatious notes, none of which delivered a hint of a clue about the plans for the night, six o’clock loomed and leaving work became a tangible reality -- even if the clock did seem to slow to new depths of sluggishness for the last fifteen minutes.

In an effort to make the time pass as quickly as possible, Tonks began to clear her desk and prepare to leave for the day. She straightened her files, placed some of the more sensitive ones in her desk drawer and sealed it with her wand.

Surreptitiously, she pulled a compact from its hiding place behind her in tray and checked her face, her hair, teasing new life into the odd spike with her fingers. She smoothed a few wrinkles out of her robes. Finally satisfied, she turned to the clock once more, and had to reign in the urge to whoop and punch her fist into the air in victory.

The clock had struck six.

Hurrying to leave the building, the urge to rush battled with the desire not to do herself a mischief between now and meeting Remus. Once she got to him, she wasn’t sure that she’d care if she tripped; his arms always seemed to be ready to catch her, and she was never one to protest about that.

She headed straight for the back employee entrance that led onto the same street as the visitors’ entrance. She spotted Remus immediately, leaning against a lamp post on the other side of the street and looking deliciously rumpled in his shabby robes that never lessened the effect his appearance had on her.

He smiled broadly the instant he saw her, a smile she returned naturally, if a little shyly. Walking the fifty yards or so towards him, she couldn’t help but feel as though she were on stage. He stood there in that damned relaxed manner of his, while she tromped across the uneven stone pavement.

"Wotcher," she said when she reached him. She turned her head downwards and looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"Hello." His blue eyes twinkled down at her, their sparkling depths doing nothing to arrest the spreading warmth throughout her body. "How was work?"

Insidiously, excruciatingly slow. "Oh, just the usual, you know. Nothing much but paperwork. And writing silly notes." They shared a knowing smile. "How was your day?"

"Well, I had a very pleasant morning, chatting with a charming young woman - shall we walk?" he interrupted himself, offering his arm to her.

Without hesitating, Tonks tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and they set off down the street, even as her insides danced at his description of her.

"Of course then I had to deal with Sulky Sirius, who was decidedly worse for wear after last night, and the day took quite a nose dive…Although I did enjoy writing a number of rather silly notes myself," Remus continued conversationally.

Tonks gave his arm a little squeeze. "Was he completely wretched?" she asked.

"Utterly," Remus confirmed with a grimace. "But luckily for me, I had a pretty good excuse to escape, and by the time I’d plonked a cheese and pickle sandwich in front of him mid-afternoon, I set out to work on my evening plans." He turned his head a shot her a grin.

She smiled back at him and asked, "So what are we doing?"

He looked down at her in mock offence. "You don’t think I’d spend all day fighting to keep it a secret only to cave at the last minute, do you?"

Tonks grinned, as much from his playful tone as from the indication that he'd enjoyed the exchange of notes as much as she. "You got to forgive a girl for trying." Without thinking, she brought her other hand to rest on his arm and leant on Remus more firmly as they walked. She chanced a peek up to his face to gauge his reaction to her new, closer position.

Apparently he didn’t mind; she found him smiling at her softly, in the way he sometimes did that made her heart leap and her hopes soar. Her breath caught in her throat when he brought his free hand up to where hers rested on his arm, and wrapped his fingers around it. She dropped her other hand and, exchanging tentative -- or maybe giddy -- smiles, they continued walking hand in hand.

She was holding hands with Remus Lupin.

She was beginning to think that perhaps last night's mission had been a blessing in disguise, if the alternative to the party was a night alone with Remus, at the beginning of which she had already gained the knowledge of how her hand felt in the warmth of his.

"This way," said Remus suddenly, pulling her in the direction of a very narrow side street.

"Are we close to where we’re going?" Tonks asked.

"No closer than we were when we were outside the Ministry," he replied cryptically. "We’re going to Apparate."

Before she could process everything that this might mean, Remus pulled her close, dropping her hand and winding his arms around her. Automatically, her own arms snaked around his waist as he tightened his grip, holding her firmly against his body. Their eyes locked as he made the move to Apparate them, but she let her eyes fall closed as they were lost to the sensation of Apparition.

When the pulling grip of their journey subsided, Tonks opened her eyes to find Remus looking at her intently. So lost was she in the strength of his gaze and the feel of his arms around her that she entirely forgot to be curious about their destination until he asked, "Well...What do you think?"

She removed her arms from around his waist and allowed him to turn her around with hands that had settled on her hips. Her mouth fell open. "Oh, Remus," she breathed as she surveyed their surroundings.

They were standing in what appeared to be the front room of a small cottage. The room was lit with dozens of candles that were floating just high enough that they could walk about without hitting them, a variety of festive greens, reds, and the occasional sparkling gold. In the small fireplace, coals glowed warm orangey red. In the corner stood a Christmas tree, adorned with traditional baubles, strung with tinsel, topped with the daintiest of fairies. The room phased blue, green and pink hues as the fairy lights blinked a slow rhythm.

The floor was covered in large velvet cushions in rich jewel tones. A low coffee table was laden with a couple of large trays, one with a variety of drinks and suitable glasses; the other was covered by a tea towel that depicted a horse-drawn carriage approaching a steepled church on what appeared to be a frosty morning.

He’d done all this for her.

She turned again, back towards him, not failing to register the feel of his hands on her hips as she moved. She was grinning from ear to ear, as she threw her arms around his neck and let out a small squeal as she felt his arms return her embrace.

"Remus, it’s wonderful! I can’t believe you went to so much trouble," Tonks said, pressing her cheek to his jumper and then pulling away to meet his eyes, which were wide and bright, mirroring his smile.

"I’m glad you like it." He gave her slight squeeze, before his arms went slack around her and dropped to his side. Her disappointment was appeased a moment later when her turned her round and slipped her cloak from her shoulders, it was a simple gesture, but it seemed so intimate somehow. Once he'd shucked his own cloak, he took her hand, led her towards the cushions and gestured for her to sit with him.

They settled at the same time, Remus on a cushion of deep royal blue, Tonks choosing a rich purple one with thick tassels dangling at each corner. Remus took his shoes off and placed them to one side, and Tonks followed his lead. They both sat with their legs stretched in front of them, their bodies angled slightly towards each other so that their feet almost touched.

She had a million questions. "Where are we? What is this place?" she asked as she took in the rustic stone walls, the old lead patterned window sank deep into the stone.

"We have all night for those questions, Tonks," Remus replied.

All night. She liked the sound of that, almost as much as she liked his confident smile and the slight twinkle of his eyes.

"Although," he said, "you’re going to have to forgive me, because I have a question for you."

She looked at him for a moment, studying his decidedly cheeky -- bordering on flirtatious -- expression, his fringe falling into his eyes, and thought that he could probably do anything and she’d still forgive him if he looked at her like that.

She tried to fix him with a coy smile of her own, but suspected she failed on some level, owing to the Remus-induced befuddlement that constantly afflicted her when in his company -- and quite often, when she wasn’t. She raised her eyebrow in question and said, "Oh?"

"Well, I’m going to open a bottle of wine, and I was wondering if you’d prefer red or white." He peered at her intently.

"What would you prefer?"

"Tonight is for you," he said.

"Oh," was all she managed in her breathless state. How, if he kept this up, she was going to make it through the evening without dissolving into a puddle incapable of coherent thought? "Then white, please."

He inclined his head toward her with the air of man of impeccable manners, which of course, he was - most of the time, anyway. She watched as he plucked a bottle from the tray, performed a cooling charm on it, and then drawing a Muggle corkscrew from his pocket, cut the foil and extracted the cork, with all the flair of a well seasoned sommelier.

She thought, for the thousandth time, how easy it would be for a someone to pass on this man because of his outside appearance. She was so glad she knew him well enough to know that, his shabby robes spoke of pride in supporting himself, and that, while his mild mannered attitude fooled people into thinking that his true character was reflected in his quiet, polite approach, that was all grounded in chivalry and a deep concern for the welfare of others. And beneath it all lay a keen sense of humour and a man who carried himself with understated, comfortable poise.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Remus offered her a glass, droplets of condensation shimmering in the light of the fire, the golden hue of the wine mixing with the red shades of the embers.

"You looked far away just then," Remus said as he reclined on an elbow.

Tonks thought she probably should have felt as though she were trapped in headlights - as her father said but so relaxed and gentle was Remus’ tone that she felt quite comfortable in admitting that she had been.

"I was, a bit"

"Care to share?" he asked. But before she could answer, he’d held his glass up to her and offered a soft ‘cheers’, she raised her glass to his and returned the toast.

"Maybe later," she said, "I think it’s about time you answered mine now?"

Remus took a sip from his glass and inclined his head in amused acquiescence. "Ask away."

"Where are we?"

"Corfe.".

"In Dorset?"

"Mmm-hmm. This is the house I inherited from my parents," he said, answering another of her questions.

"It’s beautiful, Remus."

"It’s not much usually," he said matter of factly, although she knew Remus well enough to know that the house would be a great source of pride to him. All this is conjured -- the fire, the decorations, almost everything but the walls."

"I think," Tonks said, moving to mirror his position, leaning back on her arm and propping her head up with her hand, "that this building would be beautiful without any of the seasonal additions."

He looked at her intently for a few moments, almost as though he was searching for an answer that hadn’t been in her words. "Well thank you for saying so," he said. "I’ve always thought so, but others don’t seem too impressed. Sirius calls it my shed."

She bristled at her cousin’s insensitive nature. "Sirius wouldn’t know beautiful architecture if it jumped up and bit him on the knee. I think it’s lovely. Charming."

"Thank you," he said with quiet feeling that reflected in his smile.

They lightly chatted over their wine, comfortable and content in each others' company, as they always were. After a while, he had uncovered the food and they'd shared cheese and cucumber sandwiches (a personal favourite of both) which, over the course of a few hours' conversation, they munched on, along with bowls of salt and vinegar crisps and peanuts, and Remus' piece de resistance -- of which he was very proud -- fairy cakes, decorated with swirls of multi-coloured icing, which he said he'd made himself.

They covered every imaginable topic, and no matter how trivial, Remus made her feel as though she was the most important person in the world. There was one subject, however, that Tonks wished he wouldn't make quite so much of -- at least not till she'd had more wine.

"Oh come now," said Remus. "You have to sing it for me now."

"But it's silly!" she whined, though she suspected her laughter was somewhat contradictory.

Remus assumed an expression of mock offence. "And when have you known me not to go in for a bit of silly?"

Tonks sighed. Defeated.

They'd been talking about how her father had integrated some of the Muggle aspects of Christmas into the Tonks family tradition. Not able to abide the thought that his daughter would grow up not knowing the story of Father Christmas, he -- much to the chagrin of her mother -- made sure that every Christmas Eve, Tonks was sent to bed with the excitement of believing that a man in a bright red suit would be flooing into her bedroom to leave her a pile of gifts.

To appease Andromeda, Ted had woven the Muggle myth into the Wizarding World, the result of which was his own version of a Muggle Christmas song.

"Okay, okay," Tonks said, laughing openly now. "But if you tell anyone…" She waggled her finger at him menacingly.

"I solemnly swear," said Remus, raising his right hand in oath.

"Yeah, and I know how much that means," she muttered. "Okay, here we go…And no laughing, not til I get to the end at least, or I won't finish."

"Deal." Remus' eyes sparkled with amusement.

Still not convinced that yielding to Remus' request was a particularly wise move, she took a deep breath and began to sing softly.

"Santa Claus is flooin' to town,

You'd better watch out,
You'd better not jinx,
You'd better not curse,
I'm telling you why,"

In her peripheral, she saw him raise a hand to hold back laughter, and she looked down at her own fidgeting hands as she continued.

"Santa Claus is flooin' to town

He's getting his owls
And helping his elves
Gonna find out who's Slytherin and Gryffindor"

At this point, she stopped at to explain. "That last bit doesn't fit in with the original song. It's supposed to go, 'Gonna find out who's naughty and nice' but well…Dad couldn't resist.."

"I can see why," Remus replied with a grin. "Your father sounds like an excellent fellow."

Tonks beamed. "He is. He tried 'snake' and 'lion' for a while, he didn't think it was quite explicit enough. Wicked sense of humour."

"Where you get it from, hm?" He nudged her foot playfully with his, and they grinned at each other for a moment before his expression suddenly became earnest. "I hope I can meet him some day."

A spark of energy passed between them. Tonks didn't understand why Remus expressing an interest to meet her father should cause such a reaction in her; she only knew that it had done.

"Shall I finish?" she asked, trying to regain her composure.

"Please do." Remus grinned.

"Santa claus is flooin' to town,

He floos in while your sleeping,
So he knows when you're awake,
He's a right good old man legimens,
So be good or lose house points.

Oh, you'd better watch out,
You'd better not jinx,
Better not curse,
I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is flooin' to town.

Little fake wands,
And Exploding Snap cards,
Cho-co-late frogs,
That hoppity hop,
Quidditch-pro dolls,
That fly up and feint,
Hippogriffs, brooms, mini Muggle cars too.

Oh! Santa Claus is flooin' to town."

"Well, that's it." She shrugged, feeling completely ridiculous and oddly brimming with laughter, which she gave into the second she met Remus' eyes. A heartbeat later and he had joined in with her, and applauded.

When their laughter died, she looked up at him to find that mirth lingered in his eyes, twinkling. "Thank you for tonight. It’s been wonderful."

"It wasn’t an entirely selfless act, Nymphadora," he replied, a more serious expression ghosting over his face. "I was disappointed, too, last night when you couldn’t make it. I wanted to spend time with you."

Her heart began to beat a rapid tempo in her chest and swelled to a crescendo when she watched as his hand reached out, the tips of his fingers coming to rest over hers.

"Oh," she said softly, not feeling up to saying much more.

There was a note of hesitation in his voice when he spoke again. "I misspoke this morning when I said ‘we missed you’." As he continued, saying "What I really meant was, I missed you."

Wondering if he'd read her thoughts that morning, Tonks raised her finger tips in invitation and he entwined them with his own, his thumb brushing along the side of her index finger. They offered each other a smile as they both acknowledged what was happening between them.

Thinking that she perhaps ought to contribute to the conversation, in the wake his admission -- which had done nothing to slow the pounding of her heart and everything to awaken a few new butterflies in her tummy - so she said, "You're the real reason I was so disappointed about not getting to come."

His fingers started playing with hers, squeezing them gently, pulling back and forth slowly, sending teasing tingles shooting up her arm and warming the rest of her. She shivered.

"Turned out all right in the end though," she said shakily.

"Mmm," Remus replied, leaning his body towards her. "My masterful plan to get you all to myself."

And then he kissed her.

Softly, so very softly. His lips lingered over hers, warm and gently pressing before pulling away slightly. A surge of joyful energy pulsed through her as he kissed her again, his lips moving slowly across hers, gradually more teasing and exploratory; her only thought that wasn't concerned with how incredible it felt, how right, how connected, was that they were finally, finally there. There would be no more wondering. No more sleepless nights pondering over the things he'd said to her or things he'd done. No longer would she lie with aching need to know whether her feelings were returned.

His hand left her fingers and reached up to trace her hairline across her forehead and down her temple, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ears before he pulled away to look at her, cupping the back of her neck. Sitting up, he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. She let her head fall to his shoulder, breathing his unique, warm scent -- of fresh soap and something so insanely Remus-- she snaked her arms under his to return his embrace.

Remus dipped his head down and whispered to her. "We took our time getting round to that, didn't we?"

She lifted her head slightly to meet his eyes and whispered back, "We did. You won't leave it so long before the next one, will you?"

"Never," he replied. Raising a hand and running it through her hair before cupping her neck and easing her face closer to his. "I couldn't resist you if I tried," he mumbled, and then closed the gap between them.

She felt herself melt into his embrace as his kisses soothed her yearning. When his lips grew bolder, she opened her mouth to him and couldn't reign in the sigh that escaped her when the tip of his tongue glided slowly over hers. Gradually, the kiss grew deeper, his hands roamed across her back, pulling her closer until he gently lowered her back to the floor, positioning himself over her slightly.

Soft, gentle caresses to her face, her arms, her back, smoothed away the outside world until all that was left was them. And this was exactly what she'd wanted for so long: knowing nothing but him, his arms wrapped tightly around her, his weight resting comfortably against her, his kisses driving her into a state of heady intoxication.

After a time, deep and hurried kisses gave way to slower, more exploratory ones that spoke of raw honesty, as seconds, minutes, maybe hours for all she knew, slipped past unnoticed, and actions were no longer the result of thought, but an unconscious natural motion.

A sharp pop, echoing about the room brought Tonks back to the precipice of awareness.

She felt Remus react, but he didn't pull away; instead, he slowly coaxed them back to reality, his lips leaving hers to brush up along her cheek, her temple, to her forehead, where he pressed a lingering kiss.

Feeling drugged and not quite awake, Tonks looked up at him, and he smiled softly at her as he gently stroked her hair. He looked just as she felt; calm, peaceful and full of happiness, and maybe just ever-so-slightly tinged with relief.

"You're amazing, you know?" he whispered, moving his hand down to lightly run the backs of his fingers over her cheek.

"I…I…" At a loss for words, she reached up and pulled him to her, hugging him tightly against her and burying her face in his neck, hoping he could feel in her embrace what she could not say with words. When they pulled away, he placed a single kiss on her lips and then sat up, looking around the room.

"What was that noise, before?" she asked, scrabbling to sit up herself, but finding her body somewhat uncooperative and still very much in a Remus-induced jelly-like state.

"I think..." He looked about the room, and Tonks followed his gaze until his eyes came to rest on the tea towel that lay scrunched up by the side of the abandoned tray of food. "Ah yes. It was one of the transfigured objects returning to its original state." He picked up the towel and held it up to her. The charming winter scene had vanished and in its place was the dark stamp of the Black family crest.

Tonks laughed. "I definitely prefer your creation," she said. "You went to so much effort here tonight, Remus, really, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

"You wouldn't have preferred that for our first date I wined and dined you in a fancy restaurant?"

"Absolutely not," she answered, with as much sincerity as she could muster, which was a fair bit. "It couldn't have been more perfect." And she realised that a date was exactly what it had been and exactly what he had intended it to be when he had proposed the idea this morning. A first date. The first of many, she hoped, happiness fizzing up inside her.

He looked at her intently for a few moments and then said softly, "There is quite a spectacular view of the castle and village below it from the garden, would you like to have a look before we think about heading back?"

"I'd love to. I've only seen pictures of it before."

"Come on, then." Remus stood and then offered his hand to help her up. She took it and he pulled her up. Smoothing her hair back from her face, he placed a kiss on her forehead, before leading her down a narrow corridor to the main entrance of the cottage.

They stepped outside, and the sight took Tonks' breath away. They were stood in a small cottage garden, edged with a dry stone wall, beyond which the ground sloped sharply into the valley below. The village square was lit by old fashion Muggle street lamps, between which were strung small, multi-coloured Christmas lanterns. She could just make out the quaint sandstone buildings that edged the centre of the village. But most striking of all was the tall, elegant ruin that seemed to stand guard over the village.

Lit from within, each window was etched in the surrounding darkness. Every imperfection in the stone cast a ragged shadow in the night. Stars that had witness it's creation, life and destruction twinkled around it, as though soldiers of a protector.

"It's beautiful, isn't it," Remus murmured, stepping up behind her. He threaded his arms around her waist, pulling her back gently to lean against him, and rested his chin on the top of her head.

Tonks murmured her agreement and then they stood in silence, absorbing the magical quality of the vista, and the simple pleasure of standing together. In the silence, she reflected on how perfect the evening had been and how all that had transpired surpassed even her wildest imaginations. How maddeningly exquisite his kisses had been, how electrifying his touch, how gloriously comforting his embrace was; how far she had come towards falling completely and utterly in love with him tonight.

Suddenly, she turned in his arms and broke the silence. "Do we have to go home tonight? The cushions are comfortable enough, couldn't we just curl up and sleep on those?"

"As lovely as that sounds, Nymphadora, by the time we'd wake, all the conjured items will have disappeared" he said matter of factly. "They're already starting to. All the magic of tonight will be gone."

"No it won't," she said softly. "The best magic from tonight was created without wands, and we'll still have that. If we go home now, the night will have to end. Wouldn't it be better to fall asleep and not know that it's ended?"

He bent forward to rest his forehead against hers. "But you'll see and all that will be left is a cold, empty stone room. Wouldn't you rather remember it as it was?"

"No, Remus. I think the cottage is beautiful, I won't think any less of it for seeing it as it is."

He tightened his arms around her and whispered, "You have no idea how much that means to me." He kissed her lips quickly, then straightened up and looked as if he were working out a puzzle. "If we do it together, we can strengthen the charms on the cushions to make them last till morning. And we'll need a Warming Charm for when the fire dies."

At his words, she relaxed against him completely, letting herself fall back into that little Remus-centric world she'd been lost to earlier. She looked up at him, drawn into the shining depths of his eyes, she reached up on her tip toes and pressed her lips whispering a thank you before they were swept away in their kiss.

She found that she rather liked kissing him when they were standing up, even if she was decidedly reliant on him to hold her up. His hands moved slowly up and down her back, gently kneading, eliciting sensations almost as delicious as the ones his lips and tongue were creating as they moved in time with hers.

She'd always known that if anything were ever to happen between them, it would be something very, very special. And there was proof here in the heat of their kisses, in the way that each and every meeting of mouths, hands and bodies sent fiery shockwaves straight through her. How with every passing second she felt more a part of him; closer, stronger, more complete than before.

At length, they parted, their breath mingling as steam in the chilled air between them. It was only when they no longer had the heat of their exchange, that Tonks realised just how cold it was. She shivered.

"Come on," Remus said, pausing slightly to lean in and place a kiss on her nose. "Lets get inside, warmed up, and settled for the night.
."

And so they turned and headed back towards the door, which Remus held open for her as they exchanged private smiles. He placed his hand at the small of her back, guiding her into the hallway of his home, and reached back to close the door behind them.

The End

Author's Notes: Corfe is a real place in Dorset, on the Isle of Purbeck. I chose to use it as the location for Remus' home because it really does possess magical qualities, both the castle and the village itself. A simple Google search will return some pictures, if you're interested, although I highly recommend checking out the website of Mark Gaston, a local astrophotographer who has taken some amazing pictures of Corfe and the surrounding area. Check it out at Celestial Skies.