Bizarre Love Triangle

Part 5 (And 6): The Talk and The Sting

Hoping to get in a few chapters of uninterrupted reading before Tonks arrived to carry out her nightly harassment, Remus retired to the solitude of the musty third floor library. The young Auror seemed to take his fondness for reading as a personal affront and so continually went out of her way to prevent him from enjoying his time in this room. An involuntary smile came to his lips at the thought of her.

"Great," Remus thought, "now she is distracting me when she isn't even here!"

Shaking thoughts of Tonks from his head, he picked up his copy of The Evolution of Symbiosis and Parasitism Among Grindylows. He had only just managed to situate himself into what he had adopted as his personal reading chair when he heard a delicate knock on the library door.

The delicate part allowed him to narrow the list of possible perpetrators of the disturbance to just two of the current residents of Phoenix headquarters. And, as he had just left Hermione in the parlor attempting to persuade Ron and Harry to work on their summer Potions assignment, there was only one remaining possibility.

"Come in, Ginny," said Remus, closing his book and placing it on the table in front of him.

"How did you know it was me, Professor?" asked the youngest Weasley, wide-eyed and hovering hesitantly in the doorway.

"By process of elimination," Remus told her simply. "Come in and sit down. And please, call me Remus."

Ginny lingered a few more seconds and then with a deep breath crossed the room, taking the seat closest to her former professor.

He waited almost a minute for her to begin, but when she failed to speak, Remus asked gently, "What can I do for you, Ginny?"

"Um, well," Ginny began, but she seemed to lose steam and instead stared intently at the folded hands in her lap.

"Ginny, you are free to talk to me about anything. I hope you know that," assured Remus in a patient voice.

"Well, it's kind of a delicate situation, you see, and I'm not sure..." she said, trailing off again and still gazing at her hands.

"Oh, I see," said Remus calmly, fighting back the slight panic he felt in his chest.

"Is she coming to ME for advice about her love life?" he thought, horrified.

"Wouldn't she do better asking someone who actually had a love life?" asked a snide little voice in his head.

Unfortunately, he could not bring himself to disagree with it. He didn't have a romantic life. He hadn't for ages.

"Not for lack of thinking about it, you dirty old perv," reminded the snide voice, which sounded a bit too much like Sirius for his liking.

Ignoring "the voice" and its allusions to his recent musings about a certain Auror, Remus pulled his mind back to the present and the young girl sitting in front of him.

"Well," Remus began, trying to approach things diplomatically. "I know that it's difficult. Believe it or not, I was young once, so I can sympathize with how you are feeling."

Ginny looked up at this with a very confused expression.

"Is it that hard to imagine me as a teenager?" Remus asked himself incredulously.

"You were never a teenager. You were a middle-aged boy wonder," answered the voice helpfully.

Again ignoring the inner-Sirius, he turned his attention back to Ginny. When she still refused to speak, Remus decided on a more direct tactic.

"Look, Ginny. He is in a lot of pain right now. He wouldn't notice a monsoon if it took up residence in his bedroom. But, hang in there. When he's thinking straight, Harry will surely see what a lovely girl you are."

"Why does everyone keep bringing up HARRY BLOODY POTTER?" screamed Ginny, with such force that Remus leaned back in his chair in shock.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Remus said calmly, hoping to pacify the seething teen.

"No, I'm sorry, Professor," said Ginny sheepishly, taking another deep breath to calm her ire. "This isn't about Harry. Or me, for that matter."

"Oh," replied Remus, unable to hide his relief. This appeared to elicit a giggle from the girl, but he had to admire her valiant effort to hide it.

"So, this brings us back to the beginning," said Remus when Ginny failed to continue. "Why exactly did you want to talk to me?"

"Well, I have these friends," Ginny began, but she hesitated when Remus' eyebrow shot up. "It is NOT ME," she continued, with a hint of exasperation, "but if you won't let me do this anonymously, let's just say that I'm talking about Ron and Hermione."

This brought a smile to Remus' face. He very much enjoyed watching Ron and Hermione tiptoe around their feelings for one another. It reminded him quite a bit of another couple that he had known too many years before.

"OK," said Ginny, "it's obvious to everyone in this house that 'Ron and Hermione' like each other."

Remus had no argument to offer at this statement, so he simply nodded his head to signal for her to continue.

"The way they bicker, tease each other, spend so much time together, and even comfort each other, it's clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that 'Ron and Hermione' really like each other," said Ginny.

Again, Remus did not object to what she was saying, but he could not help noticing the unusual emphasis that she put on the other teenagers' names.

She seemed to be waiting for him to respond, so Remus simply said, "It would seem so."

"Right," continued Ginny. "The problem is, they are both too stubborn to admit how they feel to one another. In fact, I'm not entirely sure that 'Ron and Hermione' have admitted their feelings to themselves."

He was positive that he had heard it that time. It was almost as if she were using the names euphemistically.

"Is she really trying to talk to me about herself and Harry?" he wondered. "It doesn't really sound like the interactions that they seem to have, though."

Ginny had paused again, so Remus decided to take the opportunity to try and speed things up.

"So, you want advice as to how to get them together?" Remus speculated.

"No," replied Ginny quietly. "I guess I just wanted to run some thoughts by you, if that's OK."

"That is more than OK, Ginny," he added comfortingly, but still confused as to why she had come to him.

"Good," continued Ginny. "Now, there seems to be another little complication."

"What's that?" asked Remus curiously.

Ginny paused to think. "Well, the problem is 'Harry,'" she said.

"I thought this wasn't about Harry," teased Remus gently, earning a exasperated snort from Ginny.

"Anyway," said Ginny, pointedly clearing her throat, "since 'Harry' arrived, 'Ron' has been acting strangely around 'Hermione.'"

"Why is she doing that? Who else could she possibly be talking about if not her brother and Hermione?" Remus asked himself.

"Don't be daft," replied a certain snide little voice.

Continuing with his ignore-the-voice strategy, Remus looked to Ginny and asked, "How has Ron been acting?"

"Well," said Ginny, nervousness seeming to creep back into her voice, "I think 'Ron' is a bit jealous of 'Harry.'"

"But, that is ridiculous," answered Remus immediately. "Ron knows that Harry doesn't have those sorts of feelings about Hermione. They are just friends."

"Right. 'Harry' and 'Hermione' are just friends. Best friends," said Ginny. "Like Tonks and Charlie," she added, not so subtly.

Remus didn't allow himself to respond outwardly to the mention of her elder brother's name, although the words "pompous prat" came unbidden to his mind.

"Let's try to think like 'Ron,'" Ginny continued. "Imagine you had a best friend who always commanded everyone's attention."

"Ron knows that Hermione doesn't care about Harry's fame, doesn't he?" Remus interrupted.

"Errr," answered Ginny, obviously searching for the right words to say what she was thinking. "Well, let's think about a different example," she eventually continued. "Imagine that you are a quiet, reserved boy, but your best friends are loud, outgoing, and oozing with self-confidence."

Remus did not care for the way this conversation was heading, but forced himself to let the girl continue.

"Is it possible," asked Ginny, avoiding Remus' eyes, "that being in such a situation might make the more reserved boy think that girls would favor his friends, or guys who are like those friends, you know, outgoing and confident, rather than himself?"

"Sound like anyone we know?" asked the voice.

"Shut it!" Remus ordered...well...himself.

Remus studied Ginny's face. Her cheeks betrayed an embarrassed blush, but her eyes displayed a stony determination to continue the conversation. As much as he would have liked to, Remus could no longer keep up the pretense that they were talking about Ron and Hermione. Ginny's words struck much too close for comfort and seemed to pry open a door in his mind, or maybe it was his heart. Regardless, it was a door that he had been trying with all his will to keep shut for a very long time.

"Ginny, let me ask you something. Why is it that you care so much about these 'friends' of yours?" Remus asked, indicating to her that he had in fact cracked her not so carefully constructed code.

"I would just hate to see people I respect and care about so much pass up a chance at happiness for the wrong reasons," Ginny replied with such sincerity that Remus couldn't help but forgive her brazen attempt at meddling.

"It is almost time for tea, Ginny. I think your mum could use your help in the kitchen," Remus said quietly, but firmly, signifying the end of their little chat.

Taking the hint, Ginny stood up and headed for the door.

"Ginny," Remus called quietly as she reached out for the doorknob.

"Yes, Professor... I mean, Remus," Ginny answered shyly.

"Don't give up on 'Ron' just yet," said Remus with a small smile.

Ginny flashed him a brilliant grin and practically skipped out of the library.

"Well," said the voice, "a 15 year-old figured it out before you. Well done. Now what exactly are we going to do about it?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Remus said aloud as he sunk back into his chair, rubbing his temples, but wearing an unmistakable grin.

Nymphadora Tonks stood at a crossroads. Before her rested a momentous decision. On one hand, she could follow a course that was comfortable and familiar. On this path she knew what to expect. She knew how it would feel. It would be easy, almost second nature.

The second path was shrouded in the unknown. It would be awkward, unpredictable, and potentially rife with disappointment and heartache. Yet, it also held the promise of something great. Something she had never known before. Something bigger than herself.

"Drama queen," commented a disagreeable little voice inside her head. "Just sit down already. We've been on our feet all bloody day!"

"Killjoy," thought Tonks in response.

Every evening after dinner, the residents of Number 12, Grimmauld Place, had taken to adjourning to the front parlor in the hopes of reproducing some semblance of a normal life amid the chaos that surrounded them.

On this particular evening, the four youngest of the household sat around a table in the back of the room, Ron and Harry playing yet another game of Wizard's chess, while Ginny and Hermione pretended to focus their attention on the books in front of them instead of on the boys at their sides.

Arthur, Molly, and Bill occupied the three reading chairs in the right corner of the room in amiable silence. Bill and Arthur each studied important-looking parchments intently, while Molly attempted to perform miraculous repairs on Ron's ancient Hogwarts robes.

Fred and George sat in the remaining two chairs whispering enthusiastically, most likely regarding their newest round of product testing for WWW.

The only seating options open for Tonks were on the two sofas, both of which currently held one occupant. To her left, Charlie sat reading the day's edition of the Daily Prophet with a scowl. To her right was Remus, who was intently studying yet another long and undoubtedly dull book.

"Which seat do I take?" Tonks asked herself for the hundredth time since arriving seemingly unnoticed in the doorway five minutes before.

Her reverie was shattered by the voice of the man on the couch to her right.

"Nymphadora, do you intend to cross that threshold sometime this evening, or are you awaiting a personal invitation to join us?" inquired Remus dryly, never lifting his gaze from his book, but gaining Tonks the eyes of everyone else in the room.

He had most definitely not seen her standing there. His eyes never left the bloody book. She knew this because she had been watching him for the vast majority of the last five minutes.

It was almost as if he had sensed her presence. The very thought spiked Tonks' body temperature by what she was sure had to be at least 15 degrees.

She knew she had to come up with something witty to say in response, but her mind was a blank. "Please, please, please," she begged, attempting to will her brain into action.

"I was just trying to decide if you lot would be entertaining enough on your own or if I needed to visit the liquor cabinet first," she said eventually in the most flippant voice she could produce, receiving a laugh from most of the room, with the notable exceptions of Molly and Hermione.

She turned her gaze from Remus to Charlie, who she discovered was wearing a very smug smile as he exchanged a significant look with his only sister.

Suddenly, the serendipitous cosmic choice before her was tainted by the foul stench of a set-up. The two seats open for her to choose between, she realized, had not been coincidentally left so. There was a plot afoot and as much as her heart was telling her to take the seat to her right, an overpowering streak of stubbornness propelled her to the left.

Before she could make it four steps towards Charlie, her movement was arrested by a loud shriek.

"Charlie!" screeched Ginny, lunging from her seat with her friends towards her brother's couch and earning a reproachful "Ginny! Lower your voice!" from her mum in the process.

"You promised that you would help me with my Care of Magical Creatures assignment tonight," she continued, gracelessly falling into the seat next to her brother.

"But Hagrid doesn't give summer assignments," Harry reminded her obliviously, garnering a steely glare from Ginny.

"I know that," said Ginny coolly, "but as this will be my OWL year, I wanted to get ahead."

"Good show, Ginny," praised Hermione. "I would love to help you plan out a study schedule. We all found it dead useful," she continued, seemingly oblivious to the derisive snorts produced by her two best friends.

To Tonks' great pleasure, Ginny's face took on a horrified look, indicating instant regret for the lame excuse given to occupy the seat by Charlie on the couch.

"Now we just have to repay dear old Charles," thought Tonks wickedly.

Surmising that Ginny was not going to relinquish her position until after she herself took a seat, Tonks took a calming breath and sat down on the couch with Remus. She gave him a surreptitious glance but, to her intense disappointment, he failed to give any outward notice of her proximity.

"Well, we have our answer," she thought miserably. "I knew he wasn't interested."

Charlie, she noted, did not share this impression of the situation, as he had the distinct look of the kneazle that swallowed the canary.

"What does he know that I don't?" wondered Tonks, bringing a very perplexed expression to her face.

"Don't think so hard, Nymphadora. You might hurt yourself," recommended Remus, taking Tonks by complete surprise. So much so, in fact, that her heart began racing at the sound of his voice.

However, when she turned her attention to him, he was still intently focused on his book.

"What? Does he have eyes on the top of his head?" she asked herself.

"Hey, he's paying attention to us!" reminded a second, more excitable, little voice. "Who cares how he does it?"

"Oh, yes. Smug intimations as to my lack of intelligence. Shall I swoon now or later?" she thought sarcastically.

So, Tonks responded to Remus as she would have if it had been Charlie who made such an obnoxious comment.

"Ow!" exclaimed Remus as her palm made swift contact with the back of his head.

"Oh, Merlin! What have I done?" thought Tonks, slightly panicked. "I think physical violence stopped counting as flirtatious sometime around second year. No wonder he thinks I am a dim-witted child!"

Before she could scold herself further, Tonks felt her heart come to a complete halt.

He was smiling.

At her.

And was that a wink he just gave her?

But, as quickly as it had come, it was gone. His eyes returned to the book in his hands.

"That has to be a good sign, right?" she asked herself, her heart making up for its recent pause by racing furiously.

Only the sound of poorly suppressed giggles brought her consciousness back to her present surroundings. She looked over to the couch occupied by Charlie and Ginny, who both seemed in serious jeopardy of combustion from the pressure of their restrained mirth.

Tonks quickly scanned the room, counting her blessings that everyone else had possessed the decency to return to their previous activities.

Still, she felt her face burn with embarrassment under the scrutiny of the meddlesome siblings across from her.

Her spirits lifted significantly, however, when she chanced a furtive glance to her side and found Remus stone-faced, but sporting a very fetching blush of his own.