HP: Between Friends (2/3)
Title: Between Friends, Part Two: The New Path
Author: MrsTater
Format/Word Count: fic, 1172
Rating: PG
Summary: A relationship changes, and hangs between friends and something more.
Author's Note: Written for the April 2006 rt_challenge, for the prompt walk.
The New Path
If Remus' scruffy hair, stubbly face, haphazard clothes, and bare feet indicate his ongoing recovery from last night's full moon, his carefulness in preparing hot chocolate for Tonks does not.
He selects a mug from the cupboard, but does not immediately fill it. First he pauses to check for chips or cracks or dust or any number of things that might lurk in the cupboards of twelve Grimmauld. Finding nothing, he wipes it out with a dishtowel anyway, then places the cup carefully on the counter. His hand shakes as he lifts the carafe, yet he pours a steady stream of cocoa.
How can he be so calm after what's passed between them? Tonks' pulse hasn't slowed yet, and her mind races like a Firebolt as she regards Remus in light of her new - or newly realised - feelings. Are Remus' deliberate, methodical actions his way of coming to terms with the change? Did things change at all on his end? Tonks thinks she read her feelings in his eyes, but she might be wrong. Or Remus might have felt something but not liked it.
Drawing his wand from his pocket, Remus flicks it airily toward a counter to his left. "Accio cinnamon." Just as he replaces it, he reaches out to catch the spice, simultaneously opening the silver drawer with his right hand to retrieve a spoon.
"You take your cocoa with cinnamon, too?" Tonks asks, wondering how her first words to him can be about something as mundane as cinnamon. "That's how I like it."
His back to her, Remus tilts his head as he stirs. "I believe Sirius introduced me to cinnamon in cocoa. Black family recipe?"
"I reckon so."
Silence settles heavily on them, and Tonks feels weighed down by the uncertainty of what in Merlin's name will happen next.
"The sky is clear tonight," Remus' husky voice gently breaks into her musing.
Tonks follows his gaze up to the small, high window, through which the waning moon is visible against a blue-black, star-flecked sky. Deciding the only thing to do is to proceed as usual and let the new path, if there is one, reveal itself, Tonks says, "It's lovely out. I would've walked from the Ministry if I hadn't been afraid of missing you."
Remus' smile falters as he lowers himself into the chair across from her and slides her mug to her. As he sips his own cocoa, his eyes drift upward again to the window. Tonks curses her unfortunate choice of words; obviously he thinks she's criticising his physical state when she isn't, and that she blames him for standing in the way of something she never even really wanted to do. Why is she a failure at small talk? Whatever new feelings Remus might have had for her a moment ago must be gone now.
When Remus settles is gaze on her again, his pleasant smile is laced with an apology. "I would suggest we go for a walk, but it could only go as far as the front door."
Heart quickening again with this glimmer of hope, Tonks is determined to put Remus at ease as he's done for her so many times since they met.
"Hard to walk and drink cocoa at the same time," she says. "If you're me. Anyway, I think you've got the right idea."
Remus arches his brows, which accentuates the weary lines around his eyes. "I am sure whatever you are talking about would be perfectly clear to someone who did not spend last night in the body of a wolf, but my brain is as sluggish as the rest of me."
Feet still propped in the chair at the head of the table, Tonks slips off her shoes without unlacing them, then pulls off her socks with her toes. "On my feet all day," she explains. "This feels lovely."
Remus grins - at her feet. "They're cute."
Tonks tries not to grin too hugely that Remus has complimented her and used the word cute, which for some reason strikes her as amusing. She likes the way it sounds coming from his mouth, spoken in that soft, hoarse voice.
"I don't think feet can be cute," she says.
"Of course they can."
"I don't like feet." Immediately Tonks wishes the words unsaid. He'll think she's insulting his feet.
But Remus laughs - a low, raspy chuckle that suits the way his hair falls over his forehead and makes his eyes light up brilliantly.
"In general," he says, "I would not consider myself a fan of feet. But yours are nice."
He bends to look at hers in the chair, and even though it's only her feet, Tonks' insides dance that he's studying part of her as intently as she observed him. She imagines he's the sort of bloke who would give his Auror girlfriend a foot rub at the end of a long day.
But then her heart stops. What if her feet stink? She was on them all day, and it was very warm out. He'll not think them nice if he catches a whiff.
She's about to pull them out of the chair and onto the floor where feet belong, when Remus notes, "They're small." In a hushed, almost awed voice, he adds, "You've a toe ring."
"That I do." Tonks wiggles her toes, and the silver vine design twisted around her third toe glints in the light.
Staring in fascination, Remus asks, "Doesn't it create friction against your shoe when you walk?"
Tonks shrugs. "No. Well, it was rather annoying when I first wore it, but I'm used to it now."
"Why bother accustoming yourself to jewellery that is always hidden in your shoe?"
It's such a male thing to say, Tonks has to laugh, and Remus' slightly baffled expression adds to her mirth.
"Because it's not always hidden in my shoe." Tonks pushes back her chair and lifts her foot to the table, no longer concerned about foot odour. To her delight, Remus' gaze remains on her toe ring.
"Plus you like it," she says impulsively. "At least, I think you do."
Their eyes meet, and the magic passes between them again.
"I do."
Remus' mouth curves in a slow half-grin that makes Tonks' fall open. How can she not have noticed before tonight how sexy his smile is? Almost immediately the realisation dawns on her that she has never seen this look before. Remus has smiled at her, but not for her. She slides down in her chair, feeling as though she's just eaten something rich and satiating that warms and melts her from the inside out.
"But I am afraid," says Remus raspily, "that you don't like my hot chocolate."
"Oh!" Tonks swings her feet to the floor and picks up the untouched mug so quickly she sloshes cocoa on the table. "I forgot."
"Hard to walk and drink cocoa at the same time." Remus takes a sip, and his eyes tease her over the rim of his cup.
Author: MrsTater
Format/Word Count: fic, 1172
Rating: PG
Summary: A relationship changes, and hangs between friends and something more.
Author's Note: Written for the April 2006 rt_challenge, for the prompt walk.
The New Path
If Remus' scruffy hair, stubbly face, haphazard clothes, and bare feet indicate his ongoing recovery from last night's full moon, his carefulness in preparing hot chocolate for Tonks does not.
He selects a mug from the cupboard, but does not immediately fill it. First he pauses to check for chips or cracks or dust or any number of things that might lurk in the cupboards of twelve Grimmauld. Finding nothing, he wipes it out with a dishtowel anyway, then places the cup carefully on the counter. His hand shakes as he lifts the carafe, yet he pours a steady stream of cocoa.
How can he be so calm after what's passed between them? Tonks' pulse hasn't slowed yet, and her mind races like a Firebolt as she regards Remus in light of her new - or newly realised - feelings. Are Remus' deliberate, methodical actions his way of coming to terms with the change? Did things change at all on his end? Tonks thinks she read her feelings in his eyes, but she might be wrong. Or Remus might have felt something but not liked it.
Drawing his wand from his pocket, Remus flicks it airily toward a counter to his left. "Accio cinnamon." Just as he replaces it, he reaches out to catch the spice, simultaneously opening the silver drawer with his right hand to retrieve a spoon.
"You take your cocoa with cinnamon, too?" Tonks asks, wondering how her first words to him can be about something as mundane as cinnamon. "That's how I like it."
His back to her, Remus tilts his head as he stirs. "I believe Sirius introduced me to cinnamon in cocoa. Black family recipe?"
"I reckon so."
Silence settles heavily on them, and Tonks feels weighed down by the uncertainty of what in Merlin's name will happen next.
"The sky is clear tonight," Remus' husky voice gently breaks into her musing.
Tonks follows his gaze up to the small, high window, through which the waning moon is visible against a blue-black, star-flecked sky. Deciding the only thing to do is to proceed as usual and let the new path, if there is one, reveal itself, Tonks says, "It's lovely out. I would've walked from the Ministry if I hadn't been afraid of missing you."
Remus' smile falters as he lowers himself into the chair across from her and slides her mug to her. As he sips his own cocoa, his eyes drift upward again to the window. Tonks curses her unfortunate choice of words; obviously he thinks she's criticising his physical state when she isn't, and that she blames him for standing in the way of something she never even really wanted to do. Why is she a failure at small talk? Whatever new feelings Remus might have had for her a moment ago must be gone now.
When Remus settles is gaze on her again, his pleasant smile is laced with an apology. "I would suggest we go for a walk, but it could only go as far as the front door."
Heart quickening again with this glimmer of hope, Tonks is determined to put Remus at ease as he's done for her so many times since they met.
"Hard to walk and drink cocoa at the same time," she says. "If you're me. Anyway, I think you've got the right idea."
Remus arches his brows, which accentuates the weary lines around his eyes. "I am sure whatever you are talking about would be perfectly clear to someone who did not spend last night in the body of a wolf, but my brain is as sluggish as the rest of me."
Feet still propped in the chair at the head of the table, Tonks slips off her shoes without unlacing them, then pulls off her socks with her toes. "On my feet all day," she explains. "This feels lovely."
Remus grins - at her feet. "They're cute."
Tonks tries not to grin too hugely that Remus has complimented her and used the word cute, which for some reason strikes her as amusing. She likes the way it sounds coming from his mouth, spoken in that soft, hoarse voice.
"I don't think feet can be cute," she says.
"Of course they can."
"I don't like feet." Immediately Tonks wishes the words unsaid. He'll think she's insulting his feet.
But Remus laughs - a low, raspy chuckle that suits the way his hair falls over his forehead and makes his eyes light up brilliantly.
"In general," he says, "I would not consider myself a fan of feet. But yours are nice."
He bends to look at hers in the chair, and even though it's only her feet, Tonks' insides dance that he's studying part of her as intently as she observed him. She imagines he's the sort of bloke who would give his Auror girlfriend a foot rub at the end of a long day.
But then her heart stops. What if her feet stink? She was on them all day, and it was very warm out. He'll not think them nice if he catches a whiff.
She's about to pull them out of the chair and onto the floor where feet belong, when Remus notes, "They're small." In a hushed, almost awed voice, he adds, "You've a toe ring."
"That I do." Tonks wiggles her toes, and the silver vine design twisted around her third toe glints in the light.
Staring in fascination, Remus asks, "Doesn't it create friction against your shoe when you walk?"
Tonks shrugs. "No. Well, it was rather annoying when I first wore it, but I'm used to it now."
"Why bother accustoming yourself to jewellery that is always hidden in your shoe?"
It's such a male thing to say, Tonks has to laugh, and Remus' slightly baffled expression adds to her mirth.
"Because it's not always hidden in my shoe." Tonks pushes back her chair and lifts her foot to the table, no longer concerned about foot odour. To her delight, Remus' gaze remains on her toe ring.
"Plus you like it," she says impulsively. "At least, I think you do."
Their eyes meet, and the magic passes between them again.
"I do."
Remus' mouth curves in a slow half-grin that makes Tonks' fall open. How can she not have noticed before tonight how sexy his smile is? Almost immediately the realisation dawns on her that she has never seen this look before. Remus has smiled at her, but not for her. She slides down in her chair, feeling as though she's just eaten something rich and satiating that warms and melts her from the inside out.
"But I am afraid," says Remus raspily, "that you don't like my hot chocolate."
"Oh!" Tonks swings her feet to the floor and picks up the untouched mug so quickly she sloshes cocoa on the table. "I forgot."
"Hard to walk and drink cocoa at the same time." Remus takes a sip, and his eyes tease her over the rim of his cup.