Fic: A Fireside Chat
Title: A Fireside Chat
Author: katyscarlett76
Rating & Warnings: PG for use of alcohol
Prompts: "Hot Toddy" and "...although of course, if I were a Death Eater, I would have been sure to research my own jam preferences before impersonating myself." (HBP)
Format & Word Count: Fic; 1740 words
Summary: A drink and a late night chat leads to friendship and just maybe something more. Set late Autumn OOTP era.
Author’s Notes: This was supposed to be a drabble dammit! Ok I clearly fail at drabbles but I hope you like this ficlet anyway. Un-betaed so any and all errors are purely mine. References a location used in my Midsummer Tales fic What Matters Most. I tagged this romance but it’s more like pre-romance.
A Fireside Chat
It was late night at Grimmauld Place, members of The Order had left for their own homes and the master of the house had long since fallen into his usual drunken stupor. Remus Lupin was the only one left awake, having put his old friend to bed he’d retreated to the musty old Library, lit the fire, pulled up a chair and resumed his reading from earlier in the day. He was accustomed to working at night; throughout his schooldays night provided the most peace for studying when his rambunctious friends were finally asleep. He had found that at night his mind was more relaxed allowing him to think more clearly without the usual daytime distractions. During the run up to the full moon he often had sleepless nights and reading made him feel more productive.
He was engrossed in his reading and making notes on idea he wanted to discuss with Dumbledore when the doorbell rang. He was quite startled and puzzled as to who could be calling so late. Therefore he approached the front door with trepidation whilst acknowledging that Death Eaters on attack were unlikely to ring the doorbell and wait for an answer. He opened the door to find a wet, shivering and tired-looking Nymphadora Tonks standing there.
“Tonks! What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”
“Wotcher Remus! I just come off watch and I got wet and I’m cold and …atchoo…I think I’m getting a cold…and can I come in?”
“Oh yes. Of course. Sorry”, he said as he stood back to let her through.
“Anyway”, she continued as he closed the door, “Mum and Dad are away, my friends are all busy or asleep and I couldn’t tell them what I was doing anyway. And I just wanted some sympathy, so I thought I’d come see Sirius.”
“Ah. I see. Well I’m sorry to tell you but Sirius is…otherwise engaged.”
Tonks appeared to deflate even further. She looked up at him.
“Oh. He passed out again didn’t he?”
“I’m afraid so.”
She nodded her head and looked pensive for a moment.
“Well I guess I should just go home then”, she said as she turned back to the door.
Suddenly Remus didn’t want her to leave.
“Please stay. I admit I’m not much company, especially compared to your cousin, but I make a mean Hot Toddy if I do say so myself. Could be just the thing for your cold. And I have a warm fire going in the Library.”
She looked up and considered him for a moment, then smiled.
“Sounds great. Better than my cold empty flat anyway.”
“Great.”
He smiled back and ushered her upstairs his hand falling naturally to the small of her back. When they reached the Library he opened the door and urged her inside.
“Go in, make yourself comfortable in the chair by the fire and I’ll see to that drink.”
She walked in hesitantly, glanced around the room and then turned back to him.
“I’m sorry, I’ve disturbed you haven’t I?”
“It’s fine. I could do with a break and I appreciate the company. Really, it’s fine.”
“Ok then”, she smiled.
Remus smiled to himself as he headed down to the kitchen to concoct his speciality Hot Toddy. As he made her drink (and one for himself) he found himself considering how Tonks always brightened every room she entered and that he felt a lightening of his mood just by her presence. The days were so dark now and not just from the lack of daylight and Remus felt a heavy load on his shoulders; trying to do his best for The Order, keep Sirius’ head above water and maintaining his own condition, sometimes it felt like too much. But when Tonks turned her gaze on him he suddenly felt invincible, like nothing could be so bad after all. He laughed at himself and shook his head. His thoughts were turning soppy, must be past his bedtime, having romantic thoughts about a bright young woman like Tonks. She wouldn’t be having romantic thoughts about an old man like him.
He arrived back in the room to find Tonks curled up in the chair, gazing intently at the fire. He paused in the doorway and observed her profile in the firelight. The thought crossed his mind that he had never seen anything more beautiful; he then chided himself for thinking of her in that way again. She must have sensed his gaze as she turned to face him.
“Wotcher”, she said softly with a smile.
He felt his heart leap.
“Are you feeling a bit warmer now?” He asked as he walked over to the chair to hand her the drink.
“I am. Thank you”, she answered as she accepted the glass from his hand and settled back into the chair, taking a sip from the glass.
“Mmm this is yum. Thanks Remus. Just what I needed.”
“You’re welcome”, he replied as he settled himself into a chair on the other side of the fireplace.
As they both took sips from their glasses their eyes met and they shared a smile until Tonks ducked her head and looked back at the fire with a sigh. The air felt thick with tension, of a sort Remus hadn’t felt with a woman for a long time. In the firelight Remus was unsure whether the faint blush on her cheeks was real or a trick of his imagination.
“So how d’you get so good at making Hot Toddies then?” She asked.
“It was my Dad actually. He always made them even when I was quite small. After a long day out on the cliffs or playing on the beach, we’d come home cold and wet and he’d make us both a Hot Toddy. A little less Whisky when I was small obviously. But there was always something quite special about that moment. Something that was just me and Dad.”
“That’s nice”, she commented taking another sip, “did you spend a lot of time outside then? As a kid?”
“Yes. Well there wasn’t much else to do in St Bee’s.”
“St Bee’s? Where’s that?”
“St Bee’s Head in Cumbria, a small quiet village on the coast. It’s where I grew up. There weren’t many other children in the village and I couldn’t really play with them even if there was. They didn’t know as much about Lycanthropy then as they do now. It was thought that Lycanthropes were dangerous all the time and I suppose Mum and Dad didn’t want to take the chance that I’d attack another child. I was never lonely though. I had a vivid imagination and we always had lots of animals around. I’d spend hours exploring and getting up to all sorts of mischief. I didn’t realise what I was missing until I went to Hogwarts.”
“And met Sirius”, she stated with a grin.
“Yes, and met Sirius”, he agreed, “and James and Peter.”
Remus fell silent as his mind drifted through memories of a small boy trying to keep up with his dad’s long legs, later when his dad was the one struggling to keep up and then to Hogwarts, of four boys who thought the world was their playground.
“I’m sorry”, said Tonks softly, “I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“No, it’s fine. It doesn’t hurt to remember the good times. It’s more bittersweet. Anyway I’m sorry. You don’t want to listen to an old man going on about his past.”
“You’re not that old! And anyway I’m interested.”
At his raising of his eyebrow in question she continued.
“I am! Really! I spend all this time researching all about the Death Eaters. I know everything there is to know about dear old Uncle Lucius including what flavour jam he likes on his toast! But it occurs to me I know very little about you, aside from the obvious. You know, Sirius’ school friend, Order member, former professor… and the furry little problem.”
He smiled at her use of the Marauder’s term for his condition.
“You’re bit of an enigma aren’t you Remus?”
He looked at her quizzically.
“Well from the outside you look all stuffy and professor-y”, she said gesturing at him with her hand, “and you always have something thoughtful and intelligent to say at Order meetings. But underneath you’re still just a mischievous little boy aren’t you?”
He raised his glass and bowed his head in acknowledgement. She looked over at him and smiled.
“I like that.”
Their eyes met and Remus felt his pulse racing. He didn’t know how long they sat there, it could have been hours or days but in reality it was probably only a few minutes, until the moment was broken by Tonks dropping her glass. Luckily it bounced rather than smashed but it spilt the rest of her drink over the carpet.
“Bugger!”
She moved to the floor to clear up the mess.
“I’m so clumsy! I’m sorry Remus, I’ve spilt all that lovely drink!”
“It’s alright, don’t worry. I can make you another one if you’d like?”
She stopped clearing up, looked up at him and smiled.
“No, it’s fine. I should be getting off anyway. I have to be at work in a few hours. I should get some sleep. Thank you anyway”.
She rose to her feet and strode over to the door. Remus rose from his chair, his eyes following her across the room.
“Stay”, he half whispered not wanting to lose the moment they had shared.
“What?”
She turned back to look at him from the door.
“You could stay here. The beds are still made up in the room the girls used in the summer. You could stay here rather than going back out into the cold night. I’ll even make you breakfast in the morning.”
She tilted her head as she considered the idea, her eyes never leaving his and then smiled.
“You’re very sweet you know Remus. Thank you.”
She walked over to him, reached up on her toes and kissed his cheek.
“Goodnight then”, she said heading out the door.
Remus stood there, transfixed for a moment by the feel of her lips on his skin and the smell of her perfume, before putting out the fire, returning their glasses to the kitchen and heading off the bed himself. His last thought before sleep took him was that he was developing the most alarming crush for a man his age.
Author: katyscarlett76
Rating & Warnings: PG for use of alcohol
Prompts: "Hot Toddy" and "...although of course, if I were a Death Eater, I would have been sure to research my own jam preferences before impersonating myself." (HBP)
Format & Word Count: Fic; 1740 words
Summary: A drink and a late night chat leads to friendship and just maybe something more. Set late Autumn OOTP era.
Author’s Notes: This was supposed to be a drabble dammit! Ok I clearly fail at drabbles but I hope you like this ficlet anyway. Un-betaed so any and all errors are purely mine. References a location used in my Midsummer Tales fic What Matters Most. I tagged this romance but it’s more like pre-romance.
A Fireside Chat
It was late night at Grimmauld Place, members of The Order had left for their own homes and the master of the house had long since fallen into his usual drunken stupor. Remus Lupin was the only one left awake, having put his old friend to bed he’d retreated to the musty old Library, lit the fire, pulled up a chair and resumed his reading from earlier in the day. He was accustomed to working at night; throughout his schooldays night provided the most peace for studying when his rambunctious friends were finally asleep. He had found that at night his mind was more relaxed allowing him to think more clearly without the usual daytime distractions. During the run up to the full moon he often had sleepless nights and reading made him feel more productive.
He was engrossed in his reading and making notes on idea he wanted to discuss with Dumbledore when the doorbell rang. He was quite startled and puzzled as to who could be calling so late. Therefore he approached the front door with trepidation whilst acknowledging that Death Eaters on attack were unlikely to ring the doorbell and wait for an answer. He opened the door to find a wet, shivering and tired-looking Nymphadora Tonks standing there.
“Tonks! What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”
“Wotcher Remus! I just come off watch and I got wet and I’m cold and …atchoo…I think I’m getting a cold…and can I come in?”
“Oh yes. Of course. Sorry”, he said as he stood back to let her through.
“Anyway”, she continued as he closed the door, “Mum and Dad are away, my friends are all busy or asleep and I couldn’t tell them what I was doing anyway. And I just wanted some sympathy, so I thought I’d come see Sirius.”
“Ah. I see. Well I’m sorry to tell you but Sirius is…otherwise engaged.”
Tonks appeared to deflate even further. She looked up at him.
“Oh. He passed out again didn’t he?”
“I’m afraid so.”
She nodded her head and looked pensive for a moment.
“Well I guess I should just go home then”, she said as she turned back to the door.
Suddenly Remus didn’t want her to leave.
“Please stay. I admit I’m not much company, especially compared to your cousin, but I make a mean Hot Toddy if I do say so myself. Could be just the thing for your cold. And I have a warm fire going in the Library.”
She looked up and considered him for a moment, then smiled.
“Sounds great. Better than my cold empty flat anyway.”
“Great.”
He smiled back and ushered her upstairs his hand falling naturally to the small of her back. When they reached the Library he opened the door and urged her inside.
“Go in, make yourself comfortable in the chair by the fire and I’ll see to that drink.”
She walked in hesitantly, glanced around the room and then turned back to him.
“I’m sorry, I’ve disturbed you haven’t I?”
“It’s fine. I could do with a break and I appreciate the company. Really, it’s fine.”
“Ok then”, she smiled.
Remus smiled to himself as he headed down to the kitchen to concoct his speciality Hot Toddy. As he made her drink (and one for himself) he found himself considering how Tonks always brightened every room she entered and that he felt a lightening of his mood just by her presence. The days were so dark now and not just from the lack of daylight and Remus felt a heavy load on his shoulders; trying to do his best for The Order, keep Sirius’ head above water and maintaining his own condition, sometimes it felt like too much. But when Tonks turned her gaze on him he suddenly felt invincible, like nothing could be so bad after all. He laughed at himself and shook his head. His thoughts were turning soppy, must be past his bedtime, having romantic thoughts about a bright young woman like Tonks. She wouldn’t be having romantic thoughts about an old man like him.
He arrived back in the room to find Tonks curled up in the chair, gazing intently at the fire. He paused in the doorway and observed her profile in the firelight. The thought crossed his mind that he had never seen anything more beautiful; he then chided himself for thinking of her in that way again. She must have sensed his gaze as she turned to face him.
“Wotcher”, she said softly with a smile.
He felt his heart leap.
“Are you feeling a bit warmer now?” He asked as he walked over to the chair to hand her the drink.
“I am. Thank you”, she answered as she accepted the glass from his hand and settled back into the chair, taking a sip from the glass.
“Mmm this is yum. Thanks Remus. Just what I needed.”
“You’re welcome”, he replied as he settled himself into a chair on the other side of the fireplace.
As they both took sips from their glasses their eyes met and they shared a smile until Tonks ducked her head and looked back at the fire with a sigh. The air felt thick with tension, of a sort Remus hadn’t felt with a woman for a long time. In the firelight Remus was unsure whether the faint blush on her cheeks was real or a trick of his imagination.
“So how d’you get so good at making Hot Toddies then?” She asked.
“It was my Dad actually. He always made them even when I was quite small. After a long day out on the cliffs or playing on the beach, we’d come home cold and wet and he’d make us both a Hot Toddy. A little less Whisky when I was small obviously. But there was always something quite special about that moment. Something that was just me and Dad.”
“That’s nice”, she commented taking another sip, “did you spend a lot of time outside then? As a kid?”
“Yes. Well there wasn’t much else to do in St Bee’s.”
“St Bee’s? Where’s that?”
“St Bee’s Head in Cumbria, a small quiet village on the coast. It’s where I grew up. There weren’t many other children in the village and I couldn’t really play with them even if there was. They didn’t know as much about Lycanthropy then as they do now. It was thought that Lycanthropes were dangerous all the time and I suppose Mum and Dad didn’t want to take the chance that I’d attack another child. I was never lonely though. I had a vivid imagination and we always had lots of animals around. I’d spend hours exploring and getting up to all sorts of mischief. I didn’t realise what I was missing until I went to Hogwarts.”
“And met Sirius”, she stated with a grin.
“Yes, and met Sirius”, he agreed, “and James and Peter.”
Remus fell silent as his mind drifted through memories of a small boy trying to keep up with his dad’s long legs, later when his dad was the one struggling to keep up and then to Hogwarts, of four boys who thought the world was their playground.
“I’m sorry”, said Tonks softly, “I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“No, it’s fine. It doesn’t hurt to remember the good times. It’s more bittersweet. Anyway I’m sorry. You don’t want to listen to an old man going on about his past.”
“You’re not that old! And anyway I’m interested.”
At his raising of his eyebrow in question she continued.
“I am! Really! I spend all this time researching all about the Death Eaters. I know everything there is to know about dear old Uncle Lucius including what flavour jam he likes on his toast! But it occurs to me I know very little about you, aside from the obvious. You know, Sirius’ school friend, Order member, former professor… and the furry little problem.”
He smiled at her use of the Marauder’s term for his condition.
“You’re bit of an enigma aren’t you Remus?”
He looked at her quizzically.
“Well from the outside you look all stuffy and professor-y”, she said gesturing at him with her hand, “and you always have something thoughtful and intelligent to say at Order meetings. But underneath you’re still just a mischievous little boy aren’t you?”
He raised his glass and bowed his head in acknowledgement. She looked over at him and smiled.
“I like that.”
Their eyes met and Remus felt his pulse racing. He didn’t know how long they sat there, it could have been hours or days but in reality it was probably only a few minutes, until the moment was broken by Tonks dropping her glass. Luckily it bounced rather than smashed but it spilt the rest of her drink over the carpet.
“Bugger!”
She moved to the floor to clear up the mess.
“I’m so clumsy! I’m sorry Remus, I’ve spilt all that lovely drink!”
“It’s alright, don’t worry. I can make you another one if you’d like?”
She stopped clearing up, looked up at him and smiled.
“No, it’s fine. I should be getting off anyway. I have to be at work in a few hours. I should get some sleep. Thank you anyway”.
She rose to her feet and strode over to the door. Remus rose from his chair, his eyes following her across the room.
“Stay”, he half whispered not wanting to lose the moment they had shared.
“What?”
She turned back to look at him from the door.
“You could stay here. The beds are still made up in the room the girls used in the summer. You could stay here rather than going back out into the cold night. I’ll even make you breakfast in the morning.”
She tilted her head as she considered the idea, her eyes never leaving his and then smiled.
“You’re very sweet you know Remus. Thank you.”
She walked over to him, reached up on her toes and kissed his cheek.
“Goodnight then”, she said heading out the door.
Remus stood there, transfixed for a moment by the feel of her lips on his skin and the smell of her perfume, before putting out the fire, returning their glasses to the kitchen and heading off the bed himself. His last thought before sleep took him was that he was developing the most alarming crush for a man his age.