Fic: Trust No Agent
Title: Trust No Agent
Author: bookish_brownie
Rating and Warnings: G
Prompts: "Let every negotiate for itself/ And trust no agent..."- Much Ado About Nothing; whisper
Word Count: 1559
Summary: Remus labors under a misunderstanding. Set during OOTP.
Author's Notes: I hope you enjoy! Cmments are greatly appreciated.
Remus Lupin entered the kitchen of Grimmauld Place and was met with the sight of Molly Weasley beaming and practically dancing. "Evening, Molly," he said, hiding his bemusement.
She jumped. "Oh, hello, Remus. How are you, dear?" Her smile was immediately replaced by a look of concern.
"I’m fine, thank you." The truth was that he ached as badly as he ever did after a transformation, but giving into Molly’s pity would only emphasize his condition and his difference from the rest of the Order.
"It’s a marvelous day, don’t you think?" Immediately recognizing her mistake, she blushed to the roots of her hair.
"Well, when I looked out my window, I thought the day did seem particularly lovely." She seemed relieved by his response.
"And I think my Bill has a new girlfriend." Ah, so that’s the reason for her excitement.
"Anyone I would know?"
"Why, Tonks, of course!" She started humming a Celestina Warbeck song and stirring pots on the stove. "I thought they were growing close, but today their affection was blindingly obvious."
He felt somewhat choked. Tonks would be last on the list of the women both he and Bill knew that he thought would be a romantic match for the cursebreaker. He had never noticed any special attachment between them other than friendly small talk and the occasional quidditch discussion.
He supposed that it was possible that he missed such signs because he did not want to see them, but he knew Tonks better than that. He didn’t think he had completely misread her, that she seemed to be flirting with him and looking for excuses to spend time with him lately.
Meanwhile, Molly had continued discussing all the signals that Bill and Tonks were a couple. Mercifully, she did not pause for any contribution from him. "…And when she came in today, she tripped over that umbrella stand as usual, waking up that horrible portrait." She shook her head ruefully. "Then, Bill came and closed the curtains and helped her off the floor so gently."
At her words Remus felt some strange emotion surge in his chest. It was so unfamiliar to him that he almost didn’t recognize it. Jealousy. The green-eyed monster. It was his job to silence Mrs. Black’s portrait and his job to pick Tonks off the floor without making a crack about her clumsiness (because he knew it really did bother her sometimes).
He tried to dismiss the notion. Tonks owed him nothing. Much as they were close friends and confidants, neither of them had made any real indication that something more than friendship was in the cards. But he could not erase the feeling.
He suddenly found that Molly was looking at him expectantly. He hoped his ghost of a smile passed muster. "That’s very nice. Do you need any help with supper?"
"No, dear, you rest. It should be ready in about half an hour" She patted his arm and nudged him to the door through which he had come. He made his way toward the library, his usual haunt, to see if Tonks was there as she had been more and more often. He stopped when he heard two soft voices, one masculine and one feminine.
He should have left or just gone in, but he didn’t. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he recognized the voices’ owners as Bill and Tonks. Their heads were leant close together and they whispered giddily to each other. Tonks’ cheeks were as pink as her hair and Bill grinned triumphantly (which Remus thought was a little odd).
He had no desire to see more. It was only fitting that the young woman with the vibrant personality, exciting job, and the whole world ahead of her should find happiness with a handsome man with similar prospects. He repeated that thought like a mantra. But it didn’t lessen the ache in his core that she couldn’t find it with him.
However, despite the temptation, exploration of his myriad unsuitabilities was halted by the consideration that he and Tonks always enjoyed each other’s company. He didn’t believe that she was capable of such artifice as only spending time with him out of pity. Whatever he had wrong about their relationship, they were friends. He took some comfort from that thought as he went down to supper.
When he saw Bill and Tonks enter together, he moved to the opposite end of the table. Remus told himself that he had merely imagined the hurt that had flashed across her face. More Order members were there than most times because of the meeting that would occur immediately afterward. Even Sirius, who was in one of his moods, dragged himself down from Buckbeak’s room and looked askance at Tonks sitting with Bill instead of Remus.
Fortunately, the library was empty when he adjourned there after the meeting. That was not the case for long as Tonks strode in purposefully. "Are you mad at me, Remus?"
"Not at all. Why would you think that?" He was genuinely shocked. Besides not sitting next to her for the meal, he didn’t think he had treated her any differently than the way he normally did.
"Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you’ve barely said two words to me all night, you sat as far away from me as you could at supper, and you’ve been wearing that polite mask of yours when you look at me."
"I…I’m not angry with you. I was just giving you space." The explanation sounded as inadequate to his own ears as it obviously did to hers.
Her annoyance faded to confusion. "Why would I need space?"
"To get acclimated to your new relationship with Bill."
"My what? I don’t understand."
"Aren’t you seeing him?"
Light dawned behind her eyes. "No!" She let out a huff of laughter. "I hardly know Bill, not in any important way at least. Besides, I think his English lessons that he’s mentioned with the Beauxbatons Tri-Wizard Champion don’t involve much talking." He felt quite foolish now; he had known that Molly was probably imagining things. "What gave you that idea, anyway?"
"Molly," he ground out.
Mirth continued to gleam in her eyes. She sat down next to him on the sofa and visibly relaxed. "Molly’s been trying to set me up with Bill for months. You should know better than to listen to her."
Hanging his head in mock-shame, he replied, "I’ve learned my lesson." He knew he didn’t imagine that she scooted closer.
"You should talk to the source before you make assumptions like that." She was no longer laughing; instead her hopeful expression nearly took his breath away. "But were you upset when you thought Bill was my new boyfriend?"
It was useless to lie. He was skilled at it, but she knew him far too well. Any slight coloring or averted eye would surely give him away. "Somewhat."
She beamed. "Good."
"Good?"
"Yeah, I didn’t think I was being subtle about who I wanted to be my boyfriend, but I guess I’ll have to be more overt." She paused, biting her lip nervously, her face only inches from his.
Then, the inevitable happened.
When they parted, she whispered in his ear, "Was that clear enough for you?"
"I think so. I do have one question, though." Her face fell slightly. "What were you talking about with Bill earlier?"
She flushed. "He was trying to make me tell him if I fancied anyone. When I told him it was you, he said he’d known for awhile and went on about how obvious it was to all and sundry."
"Except Molly."
"Except Molly," she mimicked, grinning broadly. She paused and became pensive. "So, what happens now?"
Remus had no idea. Not half an hour ago he had believed that any chance he had with her had been snatched away. And now they had shared a fantastic kiss and she expected him to determine their course. "I suppose I could ask you out to dinner if you’d like that."
"Oh, I don’t know. I’d like to know what this date entails before I accept." Her beaming smile belied her words and lent him confidence.
"Well, I would come to your flat. Then, I would greet you thusly." He kissed her cheek. "Next we would Apparate to a yet-to-be-determined location that I assure will be highly romantic. We would share witty banter and coy smiles all through our meal. Finally, I would escort you home, and we would agree to go out again some time. How does that sound?"
"Brilliant."
"Good. How about Saturday?"
"That works for me. It’s the only day I don’t have Ministry and/or Order duties." She looked at the clock and stood. "Speaking of which I have to go in early tomorrow. But I’m glad I got the opportunity to clear up your misunderstanding."
He moved toward the door, where she was already. "So am I, and I’ll look forward to Saturday."
"I will, too. Good night, Remus."
"Good night, Nymphadora." She began to scowl, but he cut her off with a kiss. "Sorry, good night, Tonks." Appeased, she waved at him and closed the door behind her.
He had learned many things tonight, but he knew the most important one was never to trust Molly Weasley’s opinions on other people’s love lives.
The End
Author: bookish_brownie
Rating and Warnings: G
Prompts: "Let every negotiate for itself/ And trust no agent..."- Much Ado About Nothing; whisper
Word Count: 1559
Summary: Remus labors under a misunderstanding. Set during OOTP.
Author's Notes: I hope you enjoy! Cmments are greatly appreciated.
Remus Lupin entered the kitchen of Grimmauld Place and was met with the sight of Molly Weasley beaming and practically dancing. "Evening, Molly," he said, hiding his bemusement.
She jumped. "Oh, hello, Remus. How are you, dear?" Her smile was immediately replaced by a look of concern.
"I’m fine, thank you." The truth was that he ached as badly as he ever did after a transformation, but giving into Molly’s pity would only emphasize his condition and his difference from the rest of the Order.
"It’s a marvelous day, don’t you think?" Immediately recognizing her mistake, she blushed to the roots of her hair.
"Well, when I looked out my window, I thought the day did seem particularly lovely." She seemed relieved by his response.
"And I think my Bill has a new girlfriend." Ah, so that’s the reason for her excitement.
"Anyone I would know?"
"Why, Tonks, of course!" She started humming a Celestina Warbeck song and stirring pots on the stove. "I thought they were growing close, but today their affection was blindingly obvious."
He felt somewhat choked. Tonks would be last on the list of the women both he and Bill knew that he thought would be a romantic match for the cursebreaker. He had never noticed any special attachment between them other than friendly small talk and the occasional quidditch discussion.
He supposed that it was possible that he missed such signs because he did not want to see them, but he knew Tonks better than that. He didn’t think he had completely misread her, that she seemed to be flirting with him and looking for excuses to spend time with him lately.
Meanwhile, Molly had continued discussing all the signals that Bill and Tonks were a couple. Mercifully, she did not pause for any contribution from him. "…And when she came in today, she tripped over that umbrella stand as usual, waking up that horrible portrait." She shook her head ruefully. "Then, Bill came and closed the curtains and helped her off the floor so gently."
At her words Remus felt some strange emotion surge in his chest. It was so unfamiliar to him that he almost didn’t recognize it. Jealousy. The green-eyed monster. It was his job to silence Mrs. Black’s portrait and his job to pick Tonks off the floor without making a crack about her clumsiness (because he knew it really did bother her sometimes).
He tried to dismiss the notion. Tonks owed him nothing. Much as they were close friends and confidants, neither of them had made any real indication that something more than friendship was in the cards. But he could not erase the feeling.
He suddenly found that Molly was looking at him expectantly. He hoped his ghost of a smile passed muster. "That’s very nice. Do you need any help with supper?"
"No, dear, you rest. It should be ready in about half an hour" She patted his arm and nudged him to the door through which he had come. He made his way toward the library, his usual haunt, to see if Tonks was there as she had been more and more often. He stopped when he heard two soft voices, one masculine and one feminine.
He should have left or just gone in, but he didn’t. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he recognized the voices’ owners as Bill and Tonks. Their heads were leant close together and they whispered giddily to each other. Tonks’ cheeks were as pink as her hair and Bill grinned triumphantly (which Remus thought was a little odd).
He had no desire to see more. It was only fitting that the young woman with the vibrant personality, exciting job, and the whole world ahead of her should find happiness with a handsome man with similar prospects. He repeated that thought like a mantra. But it didn’t lessen the ache in his core that she couldn’t find it with him.
However, despite the temptation, exploration of his myriad unsuitabilities was halted by the consideration that he and Tonks always enjoyed each other’s company. He didn’t believe that she was capable of such artifice as only spending time with him out of pity. Whatever he had wrong about their relationship, they were friends. He took some comfort from that thought as he went down to supper.
When he saw Bill and Tonks enter together, he moved to the opposite end of the table. Remus told himself that he had merely imagined the hurt that had flashed across her face. More Order members were there than most times because of the meeting that would occur immediately afterward. Even Sirius, who was in one of his moods, dragged himself down from Buckbeak’s room and looked askance at Tonks sitting with Bill instead of Remus.
Fortunately, the library was empty when he adjourned there after the meeting. That was not the case for long as Tonks strode in purposefully. "Are you mad at me, Remus?"
"Not at all. Why would you think that?" He was genuinely shocked. Besides not sitting next to her for the meal, he didn’t think he had treated her any differently than the way he normally did.
"Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you’ve barely said two words to me all night, you sat as far away from me as you could at supper, and you’ve been wearing that polite mask of yours when you look at me."
"I…I’m not angry with you. I was just giving you space." The explanation sounded as inadequate to his own ears as it obviously did to hers.
Her annoyance faded to confusion. "Why would I need space?"
"To get acclimated to your new relationship with Bill."
"My what? I don’t understand."
"Aren’t you seeing him?"
Light dawned behind her eyes. "No!" She let out a huff of laughter. "I hardly know Bill, not in any important way at least. Besides, I think his English lessons that he’s mentioned with the Beauxbatons Tri-Wizard Champion don’t involve much talking." He felt quite foolish now; he had known that Molly was probably imagining things. "What gave you that idea, anyway?"
"Molly," he ground out.
Mirth continued to gleam in her eyes. She sat down next to him on the sofa and visibly relaxed. "Molly’s been trying to set me up with Bill for months. You should know better than to listen to her."
Hanging his head in mock-shame, he replied, "I’ve learned my lesson." He knew he didn’t imagine that she scooted closer.
"You should talk to the source before you make assumptions like that." She was no longer laughing; instead her hopeful expression nearly took his breath away. "But were you upset when you thought Bill was my new boyfriend?"
It was useless to lie. He was skilled at it, but she knew him far too well. Any slight coloring or averted eye would surely give him away. "Somewhat."
She beamed. "Good."
"Good?"
"Yeah, I didn’t think I was being subtle about who I wanted to be my boyfriend, but I guess I’ll have to be more overt." She paused, biting her lip nervously, her face only inches from his.
Then, the inevitable happened.
When they parted, she whispered in his ear, "Was that clear enough for you?"
"I think so. I do have one question, though." Her face fell slightly. "What were you talking about with Bill earlier?"
She flushed. "He was trying to make me tell him if I fancied anyone. When I told him it was you, he said he’d known for awhile and went on about how obvious it was to all and sundry."
"Except Molly."
"Except Molly," she mimicked, grinning broadly. She paused and became pensive. "So, what happens now?"
Remus had no idea. Not half an hour ago he had believed that any chance he had with her had been snatched away. And now they had shared a fantastic kiss and she expected him to determine their course. "I suppose I could ask you out to dinner if you’d like that."
"Oh, I don’t know. I’d like to know what this date entails before I accept." Her beaming smile belied her words and lent him confidence.
"Well, I would come to your flat. Then, I would greet you thusly." He kissed her cheek. "Next we would Apparate to a yet-to-be-determined location that I assure will be highly romantic. We would share witty banter and coy smiles all through our meal. Finally, I would escort you home, and we would agree to go out again some time. How does that sound?"
"Brilliant."
"Good. How about Saturday?"
"That works for me. It’s the only day I don’t have Ministry and/or Order duties." She looked at the clock and stood. "Speaking of which I have to go in early tomorrow. But I’m glad I got the opportunity to clear up your misunderstanding."
He moved toward the door, where she was already. "So am I, and I’ll look forward to Saturday."
"I will, too. Good night, Remus."
"Good night, Nymphadora." She began to scowl, but he cut her off with a kiss. "Sorry, good night, Tonks." Appeased, she waved at him and closed the door behind her.
He had learned many things tonight, but he knew the most important one was never to trust Molly Weasley’s opinions on other people’s love lives.
The End