Chapter Text
It must be mid-morning now, and a noise has awoken Tonks. She does not want to wake. She is still revelling.
Just a few hours before, after the disastrous scene in the hospital wing, Remus had finally, FINALLY relented. He had come to her door and made love to her like a man possessed.
In the aftermath, they had talked and talked as dawn had broken over Hogsmeade, and they had both cried, and they had promised each other forever.
Now they are curled round one another, their naked bodies warm and relaxed. She does not want the real world to intrude. She has never been so cosy in her bed at the Hog’s Head, and certainly never this happy.
The noise comes again. In an effort to ignore it, Tonks turns towards Remus. Her heart skips a beat as she takes him in.
Remus is soundly asleep beside her, one of his arms wrapped snuggly around her, the other thrown casually behind his head. He looks so carefree, so young when he sleeps. All the lines on his face are relaxed. His hair is delightfully dishevelled, and the sheets are twisted tantalisingly around him.
She almost laughs out loud from the sheer miracle of it. She is happy. So happy. She leans forwards and kisses him.
Some idiot is still knocking at her door. Her kiss has woken Remus and he is now responding enthusiastically.
For a while the noise seems to stop, but they barely notice, lost in one another.
They can’t fail to notice when the noise returns, upgraded to a more persistent banging, accompanied by Proudfoot calling her name.
“TONKS! Are you in there? Are you alright girl?”
Tonks looks to the door, and groans. “Go away.” she whispers softly and Remus chuckles, kissing a blazing trail down her neck.
“Yes, Proudfoot. I’m alright. Was trying to get some shut eye, mate.”
She expects this to be the end of it. It is not.
“Tonks, open the door. I need to make sure you’re ok”.
Tonks frowns, puzzled, and Remus stops his tantalising kisses to quirk an amused eyebrow at her. He then leans in to nibble on her earlobe in a most distracting manner and she shifts away from him, smiling.
“Not now, Proudfoot. I’ll see you later” she calls.
Now that should be the end to it.
It’s not.
“Tonks, look. I’ve heard what happened last night…about Dumbledore. I can’t believe it. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to help. Are you sure you’re ok?” Then, more softly “Please, let me in.”
She’s annoyed now. When has she ever let Proudfoot into her room? Why is he doing this today of all days, when she finally has Remus in her bed as well as in her heart?
“I said no, not now. Please stop shouting at me through my door. I will see you later”.
A silence.
“I heard what happened with Remus up at the hospital wing”
How does Proudfoot hear of these things? Who are his sources?
“Tonks, I’ve told you once if I’ve told you a thousand times. You are much too good for that...beast. If you’re in there, crying your eyes out over some werewolf without a sickle to his name or a hope of a better life...”
But the rest of his diatribe is cut off as Remus shifts out from underneath her, pecks her quickly on the lips, and stands up. He grabs the quilt, which has spent the best part of the morning on the floor, and wraps it round his narrow waist.
She gasps at him in disbelief – he can’t be thinking of…?
He quirks his eyebrow at her in silent request.
What the hell. She nods.
Proudfoot is mid-flow and warming to his subject when Remus opens the door. He blocks the view into the room with his body. Proudfoot gasps audibly in surprise and takes a step back.
“Good morning.” says Remus pleasantly, as if he is in the habit of answering other people’s doors, half-naked, at ungodly hours. “Tonks would rather not come to the door at the moment. Can I help?”
Proudfoot is finally at a loss for words.
“For the record, I entirely agree,” continues Remus. “She is much too good for a down-at-heel, destitute dark creature. But what can one do? The lady has made her choice. And speaking of the lady’s wishes, she has kindly requested for you to leave her alone.”
Remus waits a beat. Proudfoot shakes his head in disbelief and shrugs, turning away.
Remus shuts the door on his retreating back, letting the quilt fall to the floor. Tonks laughs, delighted.