Second Thoughts (prompt 3)
Title: Second Thoughts
Author: shimotsuki
Format & Word Count: Ficlet, 557 words
Rating: G
Prompt: #3, "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." - Oscar Wilde
Summary: The day after the attack on Hogwarts, Remus goes to have dinner with Tonks.
Second Thoughts
Remus stood outside Tonks's flat holding a bottle of his favourite wine, but he couldn't bring himself to knock on the door. Last night - so much had happened last night. With the shock of Dumbledore's death, the final fragments of his resolve had crumbled. He had held Tonks, and comforted her, and let her comfort him. And he had kissed her. And...
I told her that I loved her.
He swallowed. Last night, telling the truth seemed to be the right thing to do. But was it really?
They had only had a few minutes alone outside the hospital wing to talk, but she had made him promise to come for dinner tonight. If I hadn't promised, would I still have come?
Maybe she knew him too well.
He shook his head hard to clear it, and knocked.
The door opened at once. Warm light spilled out into the corridor. Tonks ushered him inside, smiling in a relieved sort of way. Her hair was short, black, and shaggy now. A sombre look, to be sure, but clearly she was morphing again. On the other hand, he could see traces of tears on her cheeks.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah..." Then, more forcefully, "Yes. Very all right, now that you're here. I was just, you know, thinking about Dumbledore."
"I know." Remus took her in his arms and stroked her hair for a moment, trying not to notice how euphoric it made him feel to hold her. She snuggled closer with a sigh of contentment, but he gently disentangled himself from her embrace.
He set the bottle of wine down on her small kitchen table. "I hope this goes with what you've made."
"You didn't have to-" She saw the label. "Oh, Remus." She bit her lip. "This is an awfully nice wine."
He smiled wryly, noting how worried she looked. "I have a case of that in my Gringotts vault. I kept it when I sold my parents' house, and I bring a bottle out for special occasions."
Tonks went pink. "Is this a special occasion?"
He sighed and looked away. "It should be. Maybe. I don't know." He forced himself to meet her gaze again. "I'm still not completely sure that I should be here at all."
Her expression hardened. She crossed her arms and went to stand right in front of him, her dark eyes fierce. "Are you dangerous? Tonight, right now?"
He frowned at her, puzzled. "Of course not, Tonks, you know that. It's not full moon. If I were dangerous tonight, I wouldn't have come over."
A look of triumph spread across her face. "Then would you please listen to yourself for once? You know perfectly well you're no danger to anyone at the moment. So there is no reason whatsoever why you shouldn't be here tonight. Or any other night that isn't full moon."
Remus stood very still. These were words that he had heard again and again over the past year, but only now, when he had almost completely surrendered to the mad idea of having something with Tonks, did their meaning sink in. All at once, surprising himself, he began to laugh. "You're right," he managed. "You are absolutely right."
He pulled her into his arms again. Only this time, he held her for as long as he wanted to.
Author: shimotsuki
Format & Word Count: Ficlet, 557 words
Rating: G
Prompt: #3, "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." - Oscar Wilde
Summary: The day after the attack on Hogwarts, Remus goes to have dinner with Tonks.
Second Thoughts
Remus stood outside Tonks's flat holding a bottle of his favourite wine, but he couldn't bring himself to knock on the door. Last night - so much had happened last night. With the shock of Dumbledore's death, the final fragments of his resolve had crumbled. He had held Tonks, and comforted her, and let her comfort him. And he had kissed her. And...
I told her that I loved her.
He swallowed. Last night, telling the truth seemed to be the right thing to do. But was it really?
They had only had a few minutes alone outside the hospital wing to talk, but she had made him promise to come for dinner tonight. If I hadn't promised, would I still have come?
Maybe she knew him too well.
He shook his head hard to clear it, and knocked.
The door opened at once. Warm light spilled out into the corridor. Tonks ushered him inside, smiling in a relieved sort of way. Her hair was short, black, and shaggy now. A sombre look, to be sure, but clearly she was morphing again. On the other hand, he could see traces of tears on her cheeks.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah..." Then, more forcefully, "Yes. Very all right, now that you're here. I was just, you know, thinking about Dumbledore."
"I know." Remus took her in his arms and stroked her hair for a moment, trying not to notice how euphoric it made him feel to hold her. She snuggled closer with a sigh of contentment, but he gently disentangled himself from her embrace.
He set the bottle of wine down on her small kitchen table. "I hope this goes with what you've made."
"You didn't have to-" She saw the label. "Oh, Remus." She bit her lip. "This is an awfully nice wine."
He smiled wryly, noting how worried she looked. "I have a case of that in my Gringotts vault. I kept it when I sold my parents' house, and I bring a bottle out for special occasions."
Tonks went pink. "Is this a special occasion?"
He sighed and looked away. "It should be. Maybe. I don't know." He forced himself to meet her gaze again. "I'm still not completely sure that I should be here at all."
Her expression hardened. She crossed her arms and went to stand right in front of him, her dark eyes fierce. "Are you dangerous? Tonight, right now?"
He frowned at her, puzzled. "Of course not, Tonks, you know that. It's not full moon. If I were dangerous tonight, I wouldn't have come over."
A look of triumph spread across her face. "Then would you please listen to yourself for once? You know perfectly well you're no danger to anyone at the moment. So there is no reason whatsoever why you shouldn't be here tonight. Or any other night that isn't full moon."
Remus stood very still. These were words that he had heard again and again over the past year, but only now, when he had almost completely surrendered to the mad idea of having something with Tonks, did their meaning sink in. All at once, surprising himself, he began to laugh. "You're right," he managed. "You are absolutely right."
He pulled her into his arms again. Only this time, he held her for as long as he wanted to.