(no subject)
A Remus-Tonks-Milliways drabble I wrote. Cross-posted to my journal, but it's friends-locked, so I thought I'd post here, as well.
Rating: G
Words: 509
Pairings: Um. I leave that to you. :D
“Why don’t you come with me, some night?”
Remus Lupin slowly turned back towards the doorway. He covered his look of surprise by examining the letter from Dumbledore that he held in his hand.
“To that pub, you mean?” he replied evenly.
Tonks nodded, leaning her hip against the doorframe and crossing her arms. “Yeah. It’s nice. I’ve some very good friends there, now. I’d like for you to meet them.” She watched him, carefully, nearly holding her breath.
His eyes flickered up to hers for the briefest of moments. “I know you do. That Bernard bloke who wrote when you were hurt, and the mysterious Crowley that helped you bring down Fudge - which is a story I know I’ve not heard the whole of - and that fellow who owns the bookshop over in Soho. Miss Delacour. I’m sure there are…others.” The parchment crackled slightly as Remus’ fingers clenched around it.
“It’s a grand place, Remus. It’d do you good.” Her voice was quiet, and she took a step closer.
Remus turned away from her. “I don’t want to see him, Tonks.” He sounded distant, detached. “Harry told me he was there. He’ll have moved on with his…existence.”
Shocked, Tonks started to reach out a hand towards him and abruptly let it fall, useless, at her side. “You-you knew? All this time?” He nodded, and she swore softly under her breath.
“You could’ve told me, Tonks,” he said in a low voice, still not meeting her eyes. “I won’t break.”
“No,” she said faintly, watching as he folded the letter and placed it, carefully, on the desk. “No, I know you won’t.”
She stood silently for a moment before speaking again. “He’s…he’s not there, now. Not anymore.”
As soon as she said it, Tonks wished for all the world that she could take it back. Remus turned back to her, eyes for once nakedly raw and pained. “Gone?” he rasped. “Where?”
She flinched at his tone. “You know where, Remus. For good.”
Remus gripped the edge of the desk, white-knuckled, and for a moment she thought he would collapse.
But he did not. Instead, he pushed himself away from the desk and caught her by the shoulders. “Was he happy, Dora?” His voice was soft, almost pleading; his eyes roved over her face, already looking for an answer. She had never seen him so unguarded in all her years of knowing him.
Tonks smiled, slightly. “Yeah. He really was.”
The lines of tension in his face relaxed slightly, and his hands slid down her arms to grasp her fingers briefly. “Good. That’s…good.”
He started to walk away, and she put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think you were ever far from his thoughts, Remus.” It seemed a pithy and ineffectual thing to say, but she couldn’t say nothing.
The corner of his mouth quirked briefly, sadly. “And he will never be far from mine.”
He gathered up a pile of papers from the desk and quietly walked from the room.
There was nothing more to say.
Rating: G
Words: 509
Pairings: Um. I leave that to you. :D
“Why don’t you come with me, some night?”
Remus Lupin slowly turned back towards the doorway. He covered his look of surprise by examining the letter from Dumbledore that he held in his hand.
“To that pub, you mean?” he replied evenly.
Tonks nodded, leaning her hip against the doorframe and crossing her arms. “Yeah. It’s nice. I’ve some very good friends there, now. I’d like for you to meet them.” She watched him, carefully, nearly holding her breath.
His eyes flickered up to hers for the briefest of moments. “I know you do. That Bernard bloke who wrote when you were hurt, and the mysterious Crowley that helped you bring down Fudge - which is a story I know I’ve not heard the whole of - and that fellow who owns the bookshop over in Soho. Miss Delacour. I’m sure there are…others.” The parchment crackled slightly as Remus’ fingers clenched around it.
“It’s a grand place, Remus. It’d do you good.” Her voice was quiet, and she took a step closer.
Remus turned away from her. “I don’t want to see him, Tonks.” He sounded distant, detached. “Harry told me he was there. He’ll have moved on with his…existence.”
Shocked, Tonks started to reach out a hand towards him and abruptly let it fall, useless, at her side. “You-you knew? All this time?” He nodded, and she swore softly under her breath.
“You could’ve told me, Tonks,” he said in a low voice, still not meeting her eyes. “I won’t break.”
“No,” she said faintly, watching as he folded the letter and placed it, carefully, on the desk. “No, I know you won’t.”
She stood silently for a moment before speaking again. “He’s…he’s not there, now. Not anymore.”
As soon as she said it, Tonks wished for all the world that she could take it back. Remus turned back to her, eyes for once nakedly raw and pained. “Gone?” he rasped. “Where?”
She flinched at his tone. “You know where, Remus. For good.”
Remus gripped the edge of the desk, white-knuckled, and for a moment she thought he would collapse.
But he did not. Instead, he pushed himself away from the desk and caught her by the shoulders. “Was he happy, Dora?” His voice was soft, almost pleading; his eyes roved over her face, already looking for an answer. She had never seen him so unguarded in all her years of knowing him.
Tonks smiled, slightly. “Yeah. He really was.”
The lines of tension in his face relaxed slightly, and his hands slid down her arms to grasp her fingers briefly. “Good. That’s…good.”
He started to walk away, and she put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think you were ever far from his thoughts, Remus.” It seemed a pithy and ineffectual thing to say, but she couldn’t say nothing.
The corner of his mouth quirked briefly, sadly. “And he will never be far from mine.”
He gathered up a pile of papers from the desk and quietly walked from the room.
There was nothing more to say.