Tonks stepped out onto the cobbled street of Diagon Alley, letting the door close behind her, the little bell tinkling quietly. She turned to her left and began to stride down the lane, passing Madame Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions as she did so. At a glance, she saw that there was a ten or eleven-year-old boy who was being very difficult. He greatly reminded Tonks of her cousin “sadly- Draco Malfoy.
She continued on, passing Eeylop’s Owl Emporium and Quality Quidditch Supplies, finally coming to a small coffee shop. Bending down at the window, she peeked inside and saw Remus sitting by himself at a small table in the back left hand corner of the shop. She opened up the little door and stepped inside carefully; She almost regretted this once she was in the doorway.
Everything was horridly pink. Despite this being her favourite colour, this was going too far. It reminded her of one of the ex-heads of departments in the Ministry of Magic, Dolores Umbridge’s office (minus all the kitten plates). Or, so she thought. There, on the right wall, were several pictures of kittens dressed in bows and other atrocious attire. Tonks was just about to turn towards the seat where Remus was sitting, but then a witch dressed in a pale pink uniform stepped in front of her.
“Hi,” she said jubilantly, smacking on a piece of minty-smelling gum. Tonks attempted a smile, but was sure it came out more as a grimace. “Hi.”
“How may I help you today?” the witch asked, flipping her curly blonde hair over her shoulder. “Would you like a menu or anything?” Smack, smack, smack.
“Erm, no,” Tonks said, the gum chewing and all the pink getting to her. “I was just meeting him over there.” She nodded her head to Remus. “I’ll just, um, let you know if I need anything.” She laughed nervously and hurried away. Just as she was nearing Remus’ table, she tripped over a fold in the carpet, falling flat on her stomach with a groan. This startled Remus, and he looked down, his ears reddening as soon as he saw who he was facing.
“Tonks!” he said, surprised. “What are you doing here?” He reached down a hand to help her to her feet. She grasped it gratefully, a warm feeling shooting up her arm as she did so. “Thanks,” she said, smiling as she took a seat across from him.
After a few moments, Tonks transfigured her hair from its shocking pink to a soft, flowy, pale blue style that rested in layers just above her shoulders. Remus smiled, noticing how pretty she looked with her hair this way. “Nice,” Remus said.
“Thanks,” Tonks answered. She looked around the shop, grimacing. “Do you come here often, or is this just a getaway for right now?”
“I come here about three times a week, four if I can swing it,” Remus answered. Tonks stared at him disbelievingly. “I’m only kidding,” he said, laughing slightly. His voice became quieter. “No, I- this is the first time I’ve ever been here. It looked safe enough on the outside, but inside- well, that’s another story.”
Tonks smiled shyly at this remark, staring down at her lap. Just then, another waiter walked over to them, this one dressed in hot pink robes. (Tonks was beginning to think she may never want to see the color pink again right about now.)
“Hi, what can I get you today?” she asked.
“Erm, nothing,” Tonks said, grimacing. “I’m- I don’t really have an appetite right now. I’m just- talking.”
The witch smiled, though rather unpleasantly. “Well, I’ll be back if you need anything.”
“No, I think I’m fine,” Tonks answered quickly.
As soon as the witch was gone, Tonks turned to Remus to see him suppressing a giggle.
“And what on earth is so funny, might I ask?” she said, her eyes flashing different colors as she transfigured them.
“Nothing,” Remus said, straightening his face out. “I just thought you loved pink- and food.”
“Well, I do,” she answered. “But this… this is overkill. I mean, it is like looking into Dolores Umbridge’s office, only worse. And I never thought I would say that- not ever. And the food… well what if that was pink too? It just- doesn’t mix for me.” She smiled at him, her teeth very white against her pink lips. He smiled back at her, and then wiped it from his face as he remembered their conversation from earlier that day. He couldn’t be doing this with her, it was too much.
They sat in silence for a while, Tonks looking out of the window to get her mind away from all of the pink in the shop, Remus staring into his scarcely touched coffee. Both had their thoughts focused on one thing “each other.
Going through Tonks’ mind were ways that she could easily slide in something about her love again in a conversation “not necessarily today (there’d been enough trauma in that neck of the woods for one day already), but maybe sometime soon. She was hard-headed and determined, and she wasn’t going to let some silly werewolf excuse stop her from getting what she wanted.
Remus, on the other hand, was thinking exactly the opposite. He knew exactly what was going through Tonks’ mind, and was thinking up ways to tell her why they could never be together. He knew she didn’t give a damn about him being a werewolf, or that he was poor, but he couldn’t help himself. He just didn’t want to see her hurt, and no matter what it took, he would have to get her to realize this, one way or another.
“So,” Tonks said, trying to make conversation after their ten minute reverie. “I’ve been getting told off at the Ministry lately because I am changing my hair everyday.”
Remus smiled. “Really? Maybe you should try just keeping it normal for a change. Then maybe you wouldn’t always be in so much trouble all the time, risking your job.”
She smirked at him. “Honestly, I don’t think they would fire me. I am one of the best bloody aurors there are there, despite my constant clumsiness.” She paused, transfiguring her hair to a normal chocolate brown color, shoulder length with waves. She grabbed the napkin holder off the table and examined her reflection in it. “Ew,” she exclaimed, not liking what she saw, quickly changing to black bobbed style with red highlights. “Much better,” she said, looking at Remus. “And this is why I will not keep my hair normal. It doesn’t fit me.”
“I think you look fine with your hair normal,” Remus said, before he could think about it. ‘Damn it,’ he thought inwardly. ‘She can’t know what I really think.’
“Thank you,” Tonks said, smiling. “But honestly, I think my opinion wins over yours when it comes to this.” She reached across the table and slapped his wrist playfully when he tried to protest this. “My hair, my decision,” she laughed. He laughed too. She smiled uncomfortably, then, there was silence again, a very uncomfortable silence.
Remus involuntarily glanced up at her, but she averted her eyes. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t want to be caught under his gaze. She felt as if he could read everything that she was thinking without speaking to her. And, she was right, because he could. He knew as soon as she looked away from him that she was thinking something that was forbidden to him. It wasn’t right for a werewolf to ever fall in love. Laws of humanity just didn’t allow it. Not to mention, laws at the Ministry would get Tonks fired from her job if she was caught loving a werewolf. Yet, here he was, sitting in front of the one woman who did truly love him, and, as much as he wanted to deny it, whom he loved back just as much, if not more.
After a few more minutes, Tonks glanced down at her watch. The time read five forty-five. “Damn,” she said quietly, startling Remus.
“What is it?” he asked concernedly.
“I just remembered,” she said, beginning to stand up, flustered. “We have a bloody Order meeting tonight.”
“Oh my God!” Remus said, jumping from his seat. (And just in time, as Tonks tripped again as she was stepping out of the booth.) He reached out with both hands and caught her around her waist, setting her up straight again after a moment, savoring the few seconds she was in his arms.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, looking into his eyes and blushing a fierce crimson. As he had held her, she had realised how good his hands felt wrapped around her, though now she felt quite awkward.
After yet another moment of silence, Remus cleared his throat and said awkwardly, “Erm, shall we go?”
“Yes,” Tonks answered, laughing nervously. They walked towards the door, and Remus reached his arm over her head, holding it open for her. ‘What a gentleman,’ she thought, as they began to walk down the road before disapparating to Grimmauld Place.
Love Keeps Us Together (Sometimes Apart) by DontCallMeNymphadora
Chapter Notes: I luff this chapie!!! Hope you do too!