Prompt Fourteen: Throwing In the Towel
Title: Throwing In the Towel
Author:
gijane7702
Format & Word Count: Fic//1225
Rating: PG
Prompt: #14- “Lovely To Me” ~Lucky Jim
Summary: “But I don’t care either, I don’t care!” said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin’s robes and shaking them. “I’ve told you a million times…” (Half-Blood Prince, p 624-American edition)
Author’s Notes: Another song lyric…loverly. *sigh* Set OotP
By October I’m ready to admit defeat.
Sure there was the flirtatious banter. His insistence on calling me by my horrid given name on purpose (I see the glitter of glee in his eyes when I automatically retort back). Nights spent chatting alone together by the drawing room fire after Sirius had passed out.
If you’d look at me you wouldn’t think I’m old-fashioned kind of girl. But, deep down, I am. Despite the pink spiky hair, the Muggle clothes, my male-dominated profession, I believed that a man should always make the first move.
My cousin keeps insisting that Remus fancies me as much as I fancy him. But the daft man just does not get my hints that I wanted more than friendship from him.
And trust me, they’re not subtle.
Deep in my thoughts as I storm into the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, it takes me a minute to realise that Remus and I are alone. It’s Halloween and I had pulled a double shift despite the Ministry’s insistence that You-Know-Who hadn’t returned from the dead (or wherever he had been).
“Good evening, Nymphadora,” he greets me, looking up from his Daily Prophet.
“Wotcher. And don’t call me-” I begin. But I catch his amusement and I switch tactics. “Good evening, Remus. How are you tonight?”
I know I’ve thrown him when I see his brow crease. He’s thinking hard and fast on how to respond.
“I’m very well tonight…Nymphadora. How are you?”
It takes all of my willpower not to grit my teeth. He purposely called me that again!
Smiling dazzlingly at him (he looks awestruck, I note with triumph), I potter around making us tea, then I respond, “I’m totally knackered; it was such a long day at work.” I sigh dramatically. “Its nights like this I wish I had a boyfriend.” I nearly snort as he quickly wipes away a dismayed look. “I could so use a massage. Mmmmm…I’m so sore.”
I watch him stare at my hand as it self-massages my sides. My t-shirt has ridden up, exposing my stomach, complete with its navel piercing.
“I…I…could,” he stutters out. “No, no, no I couldn’t. Never mind.” He pushes back his chair and stands. “Good night.”
He is at the door as I hear my voice call out, “Are you that thick, Lupin? Or is it just that you’re not interested in me?”
Remus freezes and I bite my lip. I had just done the one thing that Sirius insisted that I did not do: I point-blank confronted him.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “Forget I even said it. I won’t bother you ever again, okay?” I spin back around. My hands are shaking as I measure out sugar for my tea.
“Stupid, stupid, Tonks,” I keep repeating aloud to myself. I feel a tear trickle down my cheek and I reach up to brush it away angrily, but more fall in its place. “Stupid Tonks!”
As I turn around to sit, I’m shocked to find Remus still standing at the door. I figured he had gone…run away from the crazy flirting witch again. I let out a gasp of surprise and my teacup goes crashing to the floor.
“Remus!” I cry out, wiping away my tears. “Er…”
“You’re not stupid, Nymphadora,” he says quietly.
I glare at him, and then say, “Well obliviously I am, because I keep niggling away at man who’s clearly not interested. Everyone else seems to get it, but apparently not me. So, excuse me, Remus, but yes, I think I am stupid…at least when it comes to you.”
Pointing my wand at the shattered teacup, I mutter, “Reparo.” Then, I Vanish the mess. I glance up at the doorframe to see Remus still standing there.
“Nymphadora-” he begins, but I cut him off.
“Don’t give your pity, Lupin. I thought perhaps…but apparently not. All I am to you is an Order colleague…and Sirius’ stupid little cousin that amused you with her crush. Just…go.”
I turn back around to make up the cup of tea that I had intended for him. My hands are trembling again and the tears are falling harder. “Stupid Tonks,” I mutter again.
Suddenly, his voice is in my ear. Hoarsely, it says, “I told you that you’re not stupid, Nymphadora.” Remus’ hands cover my quivering ones and I know he’s standing directly behind me. “I just don’t understand what you see in me.”
His breath is ticking the hairs at the nape of my neck, making them stand on end. “You're lovely to me,” I whisper. “Just perfect.”
He is silent for a few minutes, and then says, “No…I’m not. I’m a-”
I spin around. His face is centimetres from mine. “I know what you are, Remus. I’m talking about who you are, not what you are. To me, you’re perfect.” He looks sceptical, so I continue, “Loving, kind, intelligent, caring, powerful, but gentle, strong, tender...handsome.” Remus’ brow furrows at that adjective. “Very handsome,” I whisper.
“No…” he begins. But, before I know I’m even doing it, I cut him off with a kiss.
I see the shock in his brilliant blue eyes, but soon they are closed and he is kissing me back. It’s not a kiss that will go down in the history books, but, to me, it is as perfect as he is.
When the kiss ends, Remus licks his lips, and then says, “Coconut?”
I blink at him for a split second, and then burst out laughing. “My lip gloss-” I begin, but it is his turn to silence me with a kiss.
Our second kiss ends and Remus tells me, “I’ve wanted to do that for months now.” He must have read the hurt and confusion in my eyes, because, he hurriedly says, “It was me, never you, Nymphadora. I swear it.” Remus brushes a quick kiss on my lips, and then continues, “I didn’t know what to do. I had this beautiful, young, intelligent, beautiful-”
“You used beautiful already,” I point out.
He throws his head back and laughs. “Let me put it this way. I had no idea what to do. You scared me. For the first time in my life I wanted something that I thought I couldn’t have: you. But…you like me…for me…I…I...”
Remus loses his power of speech then. He's at a complete loss for words.
I smile. “You daft man,” I tell him, brushing his greying fringe out of his eyes. “I like you for you. Simple as that.” He grins lopsidedly at me and I grin back. “We could have had this settled ages ago, but-”
He cuts me off with another kiss, which I wholeheartedly return. “Don’t think I’m letting you off easily,” I whisper into his ear while trailing kisses down his cheek. “All that grief you caused me-”
I glare at Remus as he bursts out laughing.
“What is so funny?” Once again, Remus kisses me. “Don’t think you can shut me up with-” And another. “Stop!” One more. “Remus!” Another. I finally pull back away from him, and then have to say. “And don’t try to use those big blue eyes on me! They won’t work on me!”
Unfortunately, we both know that is a lie.
Remus deliberately smiles at me, and then leans in for another kiss.
I let him get away with it…for now.
Author:
gijane7702
Format & Word Count: Fic//1225
Rating: PG
Prompt: #14- “Lovely To Me” ~Lucky Jim
Summary: “But I don’t care either, I don’t care!” said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin’s robes and shaking them. “I’ve told you a million times…” (Half-Blood Prince, p 624-American edition)
Author’s Notes: Another song lyric…loverly. *sigh* Set OotP
By October I’m ready to admit defeat.
Sure there was the flirtatious banter. His insistence on calling me by my horrid given name on purpose (I see the glitter of glee in his eyes when I automatically retort back). Nights spent chatting alone together by the drawing room fire after Sirius had passed out.
If you’d look at me you wouldn’t think I’m old-fashioned kind of girl. But, deep down, I am. Despite the pink spiky hair, the Muggle clothes, my male-dominated profession, I believed that a man should always make the first move.
My cousin keeps insisting that Remus fancies me as much as I fancy him. But the daft man just does not get my hints that I wanted more than friendship from him.
And trust me, they’re not subtle.
Deep in my thoughts as I storm into the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, it takes me a minute to realise that Remus and I are alone. It’s Halloween and I had pulled a double shift despite the Ministry’s insistence that You-Know-Who hadn’t returned from the dead (or wherever he had been).
“Good evening, Nymphadora,” he greets me, looking up from his Daily Prophet.
“Wotcher. And don’t call me-” I begin. But I catch his amusement and I switch tactics. “Good evening, Remus. How are you tonight?”
I know I’ve thrown him when I see his brow crease. He’s thinking hard and fast on how to respond.
“I’m very well tonight…Nymphadora. How are you?”
It takes all of my willpower not to grit my teeth. He purposely called me that again!
Smiling dazzlingly at him (he looks awestruck, I note with triumph), I potter around making us tea, then I respond, “I’m totally knackered; it was such a long day at work.” I sigh dramatically. “Its nights like this I wish I had a boyfriend.” I nearly snort as he quickly wipes away a dismayed look. “I could so use a massage. Mmmmm…I’m so sore.”
I watch him stare at my hand as it self-massages my sides. My t-shirt has ridden up, exposing my stomach, complete with its navel piercing.
“I…I…could,” he stutters out. “No, no, no I couldn’t. Never mind.” He pushes back his chair and stands. “Good night.”
He is at the door as I hear my voice call out, “Are you that thick, Lupin? Or is it just that you’re not interested in me?”
Remus freezes and I bite my lip. I had just done the one thing that Sirius insisted that I did not do: I point-blank confronted him.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “Forget I even said it. I won’t bother you ever again, okay?” I spin back around. My hands are shaking as I measure out sugar for my tea.
“Stupid, stupid, Tonks,” I keep repeating aloud to myself. I feel a tear trickle down my cheek and I reach up to brush it away angrily, but more fall in its place. “Stupid Tonks!”
As I turn around to sit, I’m shocked to find Remus still standing at the door. I figured he had gone…run away from the crazy flirting witch again. I let out a gasp of surprise and my teacup goes crashing to the floor.
“Remus!” I cry out, wiping away my tears. “Er…”
“You’re not stupid, Nymphadora,” he says quietly.
I glare at him, and then say, “Well obliviously I am, because I keep niggling away at man who’s clearly not interested. Everyone else seems to get it, but apparently not me. So, excuse me, Remus, but yes, I think I am stupid…at least when it comes to you.”
Pointing my wand at the shattered teacup, I mutter, “Reparo.” Then, I Vanish the mess. I glance up at the doorframe to see Remus still standing there.
“Nymphadora-” he begins, but I cut him off.
“Don’t give your pity, Lupin. I thought perhaps…but apparently not. All I am to you is an Order colleague…and Sirius’ stupid little cousin that amused you with her crush. Just…go.”
I turn back around to make up the cup of tea that I had intended for him. My hands are trembling again and the tears are falling harder. “Stupid Tonks,” I mutter again.
Suddenly, his voice is in my ear. Hoarsely, it says, “I told you that you’re not stupid, Nymphadora.” Remus’ hands cover my quivering ones and I know he’s standing directly behind me. “I just don’t understand what you see in me.”
His breath is ticking the hairs at the nape of my neck, making them stand on end. “You're lovely to me,” I whisper. “Just perfect.”
He is silent for a few minutes, and then says, “No…I’m not. I’m a-”
I spin around. His face is centimetres from mine. “I know what you are, Remus. I’m talking about who you are, not what you are. To me, you’re perfect.” He looks sceptical, so I continue, “Loving, kind, intelligent, caring, powerful, but gentle, strong, tender...handsome.” Remus’ brow furrows at that adjective. “Very handsome,” I whisper.
“No…” he begins. But, before I know I’m even doing it, I cut him off with a kiss.
I see the shock in his brilliant blue eyes, but soon they are closed and he is kissing me back. It’s not a kiss that will go down in the history books, but, to me, it is as perfect as he is.
When the kiss ends, Remus licks his lips, and then says, “Coconut?”
I blink at him for a split second, and then burst out laughing. “My lip gloss-” I begin, but it is his turn to silence me with a kiss.
Our second kiss ends and Remus tells me, “I’ve wanted to do that for months now.” He must have read the hurt and confusion in my eyes, because, he hurriedly says, “It was me, never you, Nymphadora. I swear it.” Remus brushes a quick kiss on my lips, and then continues, “I didn’t know what to do. I had this beautiful, young, intelligent, beautiful-”
“You used beautiful already,” I point out.
He throws his head back and laughs. “Let me put it this way. I had no idea what to do. You scared me. For the first time in my life I wanted something that I thought I couldn’t have: you. But…you like me…for me…I…I...”
Remus loses his power of speech then. He's at a complete loss for words.
I smile. “You daft man,” I tell him, brushing his greying fringe out of his eyes. “I like you for you. Simple as that.” He grins lopsidedly at me and I grin back. “We could have had this settled ages ago, but-”
He cuts me off with another kiss, which I wholeheartedly return. “Don’t think I’m letting you off easily,” I whisper into his ear while trailing kisses down his cheek. “All that grief you caused me-”
I glare at Remus as he bursts out laughing.
“What is so funny?” Once again, Remus kisses me. “Don’t think you can shut me up with-” And another. “Stop!” One more. “Remus!” Another. I finally pull back away from him, and then have to say. “And don’t try to use those big blue eyes on me! They won’t work on me!”
Unfortunately, we both know that is a lie.
Remus deliberately smiles at me, and then leans in for another kiss.
I let him get away with it…for now.