HP: Overheard (2/5)
Title: Overheard, Part Two: Progress
Author: MrsTater
Format/Word Count: Fic, 1038
Rating: PG
Summary: Sirius plays matchmaker for a reluctant Remus and an awkward Tonks, but they make his job even more difficult by overhearing each other and drawing the wrong conclusions.
Author's Note: Written for the April 2006 rt_challenge, for the prompt chance.
Progress
"I don't think she's angry at me anymore."
Angry? Tonks stops midway down the basement stairs. Remus thinks she's been angry at him? Can he recognise any emotions at all?
"She's not." Sirius' voice echoes in the kitchen. "But then, I never thought she was to begin with."
He's so smug, Tonks can just picture his smirk - and she realises she's eavesdropping on her cousin and friend-she-fancies. They think she's left twelve Grimmauld, but halfway out the door she remembered she needs to ask Remus about the guard duty schedule, so she's back. She should give them privacy, and owl him from her flat - but Remus' voice transfixes her.
"You also think she fancies me," he says in a measured tone.
"Know," Sirius corrects. "I know she fancies you."
She feels her cheeks grow red, even though she's been contemplating coming right out and telling Remus she fancies him. She knows he fancies her - she's seen it in his eyes, felt it in his inadvertent flirtation.
"Uncomfortable then," says Remus. "She knew I eavesdropped and heard things I shouldn't, and she wasn't certain how to act around me."
Tonks bits her lip to keep from saying, Bollocks. Well - it's not entirely. He's got the right emotion, at least, even if it did take him two guesses.
"Put yourself in her place, Remus," says Sirius. "If you heard her say there was no chance you'd ever fancy her, would you be uncomfortable?"
That was exactly the case. She'd done some eavesdropping of her own that night, and Remus' poor opinion of himself had surprised and deflated her.
Sirius' question is a good one. Why hasn't Remus answered? She leans forward to hear better, but one foot slides off the step. Thank Merlin for sharp reflexes; she shoots out a hand and catches herself on the handrail. The stair below creaks when she plants a foot on it, and her breath hitches as she anticipates getting caught. But the silence persists, and Tonks continues to hold her breath. Does Remus' lack of answer mean he lacks an argument? Has Sirius finally got through to the daft prat?
"Yes," says Remus at last. "I would."
Tonks' heart leaps, but only to be pushed down again when Remus adds, "But it's not the same."
"Dare I ask how?" Sirius asks in a tone that makes Tonks picture his head falling back as he rubs his hands over his face.
"She's young and beautiful and intelligent-"
Her internal organs do Wronksky Feints to hear Remus say those things about her, and she nods as Sirius interjects, "You're intelligent, and you're my age, which is not old."
"Tonks is a lovely girl," Remus continues, ignoring Sirius. He's very good at that, and most of the time Tonks can't blame him, but she wishes he wouldn't now. "What bloke wouldn't fancy her?"
Again, Tonks stifles an interjection that she appreciates him thinking her such a catch, but she doesn't want any blokes but him to fancy her, and he's certainly the only one she wants to take her for a date.
"Where does this self-deprecating thing come from?" Sirius asks. "You've gone out with loads of girls."
This actually comes to Tonks as quite a surprise; she's assumed inexperience lies behind Remus' failure to act.
"Because you and James made me," says Remus.
Tonks stifles a giggle - now this is in character. Her heart does little flip-flops at the image of shy, teenaged Remus being dragged up to a girl by Sirius and James Potter and prodded to ask her out. Maybe if Remus won't be talked around, she'll tell Sirius to revert to adolescent tactics.
"Girls always liked you," Sirius insists. "You were the charming, kind, smart prefect who sometimes got detentions with his cool friends and whom everyone thought skived class at least once a month. You were mysterious."
Remus snorts. "The mystery was the problem. Have you forgotten every relationship ended because I couldn't work up the nerve to tell a girl I was a werewolf?"
Tonks feels a pang of sadness for him - but only for a moment because she's inwardly screaming through clenched teeth, I already know!
"Tonks already knows!" cries Sirius.
A crackly voice belonging to neither wizard mutters, "Knows he's a filthy, half-bred Dark Creature besmirching Mistress' noble house."
"KREACHER!" Sirius roars, followed by a clatter Tonks can only assume is his chair falling over as he springs from it. "OUT! GO CLEAN MISTRESS' VILE HOUSE!"
The house elf slinks out of the kitchen, and Tonks contemplates Disapparating because she's surely revealed now. But Sirius doesn't come out, and apparently neither he nor Remus hears or suspects Kreacher refers to her when he grumbles, "Blood traitor shames Mistress by fancying the filthy werewolf."
It's all Tonks can do not to stick out her foot and trip the little beast.
"Y'know, Moony," Sirius drawls, "you're s'posed to be saying, 'Godric Gryffindor, Padfoot, this is the perfect arrangement for me, fancying a girl who already knows I'm a werewolf and fancies me back.'"
Remus, of course, says nothing of the sort. He says nothing at all.
Her cousin says in a resigned voice "At least you've stopped insisting you're not the bloke she fancies. That's progress."
"All those times you pushed me to ask a girl for a date," says Remus, "you were never wrong about her fancying me."
"Merlin, you took a long time to remember that," says Sirius. "So, will you give it a chance? She only wants a date, not a proposal."
Tonks can't help but flush as she automatically envisions Remus down on one knee nervously making a very careful, formal, touching offer of marriage. She banishes the image by picturing them on a picnic instead, laughing…kissing…
"And that brings us to my problem no amount of talking will resolve," says Remus gloomily. "My very empty vault at Gring-Ow! Padfoot!"
Tonks blinks. The sound proceeding the "ow" sounded very much like a slap on the back of the head. She turns and ascends the stairs, deciding to owl Remus her question.
There's a chance the blow to his head knocked some sense into him, and he'll reply asking her for a date.
Author: MrsTater
Format/Word Count: Fic, 1038
Rating: PG
Summary: Sirius plays matchmaker for a reluctant Remus and an awkward Tonks, but they make his job even more difficult by overhearing each other and drawing the wrong conclusions.
Author's Note: Written for the April 2006 rt_challenge, for the prompt chance.
Progress
"I don't think she's angry at me anymore."
Angry? Tonks stops midway down the basement stairs. Remus thinks she's been angry at him? Can he recognise any emotions at all?
"She's not." Sirius' voice echoes in the kitchen. "But then, I never thought she was to begin with."
He's so smug, Tonks can just picture his smirk - and she realises she's eavesdropping on her cousin and friend-she-fancies. They think she's left twelve Grimmauld, but halfway out the door she remembered she needs to ask Remus about the guard duty schedule, so she's back. She should give them privacy, and owl him from her flat - but Remus' voice transfixes her.
"You also think she fancies me," he says in a measured tone.
"Know," Sirius corrects. "I know she fancies you."
She feels her cheeks grow red, even though she's been contemplating coming right out and telling Remus she fancies him. She knows he fancies her - she's seen it in his eyes, felt it in his inadvertent flirtation.
"Uncomfortable then," says Remus. "She knew I eavesdropped and heard things I shouldn't, and she wasn't certain how to act around me."
Tonks bits her lip to keep from saying, Bollocks. Well - it's not entirely. He's got the right emotion, at least, even if it did take him two guesses.
"Put yourself in her place, Remus," says Sirius. "If you heard her say there was no chance you'd ever fancy her, would you be uncomfortable?"
That was exactly the case. She'd done some eavesdropping of her own that night, and Remus' poor opinion of himself had surprised and deflated her.
Sirius' question is a good one. Why hasn't Remus answered? She leans forward to hear better, but one foot slides off the step. Thank Merlin for sharp reflexes; she shoots out a hand and catches herself on the handrail. The stair below creaks when she plants a foot on it, and her breath hitches as she anticipates getting caught. But the silence persists, and Tonks continues to hold her breath. Does Remus' lack of answer mean he lacks an argument? Has Sirius finally got through to the daft prat?
"Yes," says Remus at last. "I would."
Tonks' heart leaps, but only to be pushed down again when Remus adds, "But it's not the same."
"Dare I ask how?" Sirius asks in a tone that makes Tonks picture his head falling back as he rubs his hands over his face.
"She's young and beautiful and intelligent-"
Her internal organs do Wronksky Feints to hear Remus say those things about her, and she nods as Sirius interjects, "You're intelligent, and you're my age, which is not old."
"Tonks is a lovely girl," Remus continues, ignoring Sirius. He's very good at that, and most of the time Tonks can't blame him, but she wishes he wouldn't now. "What bloke wouldn't fancy her?"
Again, Tonks stifles an interjection that she appreciates him thinking her such a catch, but she doesn't want any blokes but him to fancy her, and he's certainly the only one she wants to take her for a date.
"Where does this self-deprecating thing come from?" Sirius asks. "You've gone out with loads of girls."
This actually comes to Tonks as quite a surprise; she's assumed inexperience lies behind Remus' failure to act.
"Because you and James made me," says Remus.
Tonks stifles a giggle - now this is in character. Her heart does little flip-flops at the image of shy, teenaged Remus being dragged up to a girl by Sirius and James Potter and prodded to ask her out. Maybe if Remus won't be talked around, she'll tell Sirius to revert to adolescent tactics.
"Girls always liked you," Sirius insists. "You were the charming, kind, smart prefect who sometimes got detentions with his cool friends and whom everyone thought skived class at least once a month. You were mysterious."
Remus snorts. "The mystery was the problem. Have you forgotten every relationship ended because I couldn't work up the nerve to tell a girl I was a werewolf?"
Tonks feels a pang of sadness for him - but only for a moment because she's inwardly screaming through clenched teeth, I already know!
"Tonks already knows!" cries Sirius.
A crackly voice belonging to neither wizard mutters, "Knows he's a filthy, half-bred Dark Creature besmirching Mistress' noble house."
"KREACHER!" Sirius roars, followed by a clatter Tonks can only assume is his chair falling over as he springs from it. "OUT! GO CLEAN MISTRESS' VILE HOUSE!"
The house elf slinks out of the kitchen, and Tonks contemplates Disapparating because she's surely revealed now. But Sirius doesn't come out, and apparently neither he nor Remus hears or suspects Kreacher refers to her when he grumbles, "Blood traitor shames Mistress by fancying the filthy werewolf."
It's all Tonks can do not to stick out her foot and trip the little beast.
"Y'know, Moony," Sirius drawls, "you're s'posed to be saying, 'Godric Gryffindor, Padfoot, this is the perfect arrangement for me, fancying a girl who already knows I'm a werewolf and fancies me back.'"
Remus, of course, says nothing of the sort. He says nothing at all.
Her cousin says in a resigned voice "At least you've stopped insisting you're not the bloke she fancies. That's progress."
"All those times you pushed me to ask a girl for a date," says Remus, "you were never wrong about her fancying me."
"Merlin, you took a long time to remember that," says Sirius. "So, will you give it a chance? She only wants a date, not a proposal."
Tonks can't help but flush as she automatically envisions Remus down on one knee nervously making a very careful, formal, touching offer of marriage. She banishes the image by picturing them on a picnic instead, laughing…kissing…
"And that brings us to my problem no amount of talking will resolve," says Remus gloomily. "My very empty vault at Gring-Ow! Padfoot!"
Tonks blinks. The sound proceeding the "ow" sounded very much like a slap on the back of the head. She turns and ascends the stairs, deciding to owl Remus her question.
There's a chance the blow to his head knocked some sense into him, and he'll reply asking her for a date.