It Was Always You

-------------------------------

Chapter 1: The Guest

-------------------------------

Two years later....

A loud CRASH shattered the early morning silence and Remus groaned as he was startled awake. What on earth was that? He cracked open one eye and was greeted with the sight of his wife hopping around the bedroom, her foot in one shoe, as she frantically looked for the other underneath the bedside table that she had just clumsily upturned.

She shot an apologetic look in Remus' direction and carefully repositioned the wooden table, trying to make as little noise as possible. Remus chuckled sleepily and rolled onto his stomach once more. After further scuffling, which Remus managed to successfully block out by wrapping the duvet about his head, Tonks finally located her missing footwear beneath a pile of shirts and proceeded to fasten the clasp around her ankle, wobbling as she did so.

Remus stretched lazily and rubbed his eyes. He exhaled loudly and rolled over onto his side, shielding his eyes from the piercing sunlight that filtered through the gap in the curtains. He squinted at the alarm clock as the flashing green digits slowly swam into focus.

7.30am.

Remus groaned and buried his face in the pillow. He hated mornings. Tonks sneaked a sidelong glance at her husband, and once she was satisfied that he had fallen asleep again, sat lightly on the edge of the bed to steady herself while she fastened the buckle of her shoe. At that moment he sneakily darted his arm out from beneath the covers and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her backwards on top of him.

"Remus!" Tonks squealed. "Not now!" But her protests were muffled as he playfully wrestled her to the mattress, pinning her beneath him.

He grinned sexily and lowered his head over hers for a kiss but she swatted at him in annoyance. "I haven't got time for this!"

"Come on," he coaxed, circling his arms around her waist despite her protests.

But still she pushed at him, and although she felt a little stab of guilt as she saw the slightly hurt look that drifted over his features, she quickly justified it. I'm getting ready for work, for goodness sake, she reminded herself. She couldn't just prat around in bed when she should be getting dressed....

That didn't used to bother you, a little niggling voice said, but she ignored it. Ok, so she might have enjoyed fooling around like this with Remus when they were first married, but now they had responsibilities, didn't they? After all, they weren't a newly married couple anymore - they should be able to resist their urges for more than five minutes. With this thought in mind, she struggled out from under Remus and scrambled off the bed, straightening her skirt.

"You know I have to be at work earlier than you," she scolded. "If it was the other way around you wouldn't appreciate me making you late," she said huffily, reaching towards the dressing table for her bracelet before securing it around her wrist.

Remus sighed and lay back down on the covers, not bothering to argue, but Tonks was already too distracted to realise. "Look at my hair!" she suddenly wailed, as she caught sight of it in her mirror. The previously slicked back style now stuck out at various angles, courtesy of Remus' recent display of affection. She rolled her eyes at his heaped form and grabbed some hairclips, focussing on trying to restore some order to the bird's nest that was facing her in the mirror. She had nearly finished when a sudden thought flashed into her mind.

"Oooh, dnfogggebbottennite!"

"What?" Remus grunted in bewilderment.

Tonks removed the hairclip from her mouth. "Don't forget about tonight. What time do you think we should go? I'll probably be back from work around six-ish...."

Go? Go where?

"I think Harry said something like seven thirty, so we should be able to make it if we leave at about...."

Ah yes, Harry and Draco's engagement party.

Remus smiled. He had been over the moon when the pair had announced their engagement. Of course, he had seen it coming - they had been together for nearly five years, and inseparable for longer. Remus' stomach suddenly jolted a little as he remembered something else that had happened five years ago.... But as quickly as the thought came to him, he forced it out of his mind, focussing instead on this evening. Draco had mentioned it to them a fortnight ago. Nothing major, he'd said. Just a few friends, something low-key. Remus suddenly felt himself smile as he thought of the couple. He was so happy that Harry and Draco had finally got their act together and decided to make it official. It may be an overused phrase, but if there were two people who were made for each other, it was definitely them.

The rest of what Tonks said was little more than a blur to Remus as she bent to plant a hurried kiss on his messy hair before rushing through the doorway.

----------------------------------------

----------------------------------------

Remus travelled home by Floo in the early evening and dusted himself off as he stepped through the fireplace into the bedroom. It had been an unusually uneventful day at the Ministry office - he had spent most of it going through paperwork and filing reports.

After flinging his briefcase into the corner of the room, he ran a hand through his hair and walked towards the bed, unbuttoning his shirt as he did so. The scent of Tonks' bubble bath drifted through the corridor to greet him, just as it always did when he arrived home from work. Mmm, musk.... He loved that smell. He shrugged his shirt off, tossing it aside onto the mattress, and walked towards the wardrobe, glancing at the contents. What to wear. He laughingly considered wearing his comfy sweatshirt that Tonks abhorred but decided against it rather than listen to her moan all evening about him showing her up in front of everyone.

He casually flicked through the shirts hanging there, his hands rifling past the cotton garments, when suddenly, right at the very end of the rail, he brushed against the softness of one particular shirt that he had almost forgotten was there. Without warning his heart pounded a little faster and he felt a small lump form in his throat as he fingered the butterfly-soft material and raised it to his face, closing his eyes as he touched the cloth to his cheek. Oh, that felt good. He made to replace the shirt, but suddenly stopped. He smiled a little sadly to himself. It might even fit after all these years.

Remus slipped his arms through the sleeves and felt the material caress his bare arms. The feel of it instantly reminded him of the last time when he had felt the same shirt ripple against his skin as he had been pressed into a desperate embrace.... But he quickly snapped his attention away from the thought as he felt his cheeks flush. He steadied himself against the wardrobe and inhaled a lungful of air. Suddenly it had become very hot in the room.

He turned to gaze at his reflection and felt an uneasy feeling creep up on him all of a sudden. He tugged at the collar, suddenly feeling a little suffocated. He quickly shrugged off the shirt and held it in his hands for a long moment.

"Oh, hi darling."

Tonks' voice startled him from just beyond the doorway. He dropped the shirt instantly as if it burned him and it fell onto the bed. In his reverie, he hadn't noticed her approaching.

She tied her dressing gown around her waist and looked at him standing there, wearing only his trousers, and wolf-whistled cheekily. He chuckled and sat down on the bed. She walked towards him, her eyes raking over his chest appreciatively, and pushed him backwards until he was flat on his back and beneath her. She hovered above him on all fours, her face just inches away from his. She licked her lips slowly, and felt him shift a little. "I'm sorry about this morning," she apologised softly, feeling a little guilty as she remembered how she had pushed him away. She lowered her head to whisper in his ear. "What do you say we just stay here and send Harry and Draco our apologies?" she teased suggestively.

She lightly traced her fingers down his chest, watching it rise and fall, rise and fall.... Her hands snaked around his back, and suddenly she touched something silky that didn't feel like the bedspread. She tugged at it until the whole garment was in her hands.

"Hey - what's this?"

Remus saw the shirt in her hands and quickly snatched it away. He couldn't explain the feeling, but somehow he didn't want her touching it.

Tonks gave him an amused stare.

"Nothing - it's nothing, " he retorted.

"What's the matter?" she grinned.

"Nothing! I'm fine!" he snapped. Her smile somehow exasperated him. "Why would anything be the matter?" he demanded hotly.

"Woah!" Tonks held her hands up defensively, laughing. "I'm only asking. What's got into you?" She let her hand rest on his thigh and she looked at him, a little bewildered.

Remus allowed his face to relax and forced a little laugh. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"Did you have a hard day?" she offered sympathetically.

Remus' eyes flickered a little. "Yes," he lied. Tonks had given him an easy way out. "Yeah, things were pretty hectic today. It's made me a bit snappy, I suppose." He felt a little guilty as he thought of the quiet day he had had, and looked away slightly.

"So, what happened?" She looked at him with concern.

What? He turned back and looked blankly at her.

"At work today," she prompted.

Work? Oh, right.

"Oh, you know," he said vaguely, his mind scanning wildly, "this and that - hey, why don't you wear your new green dress tonight?"

Tonks' face suddenly lit up and she smiled brightly. "Oooh, great idea!" She jumped off the bed and ran to the wardrobe, her mind suddenly captured by an image of the new outfit that she had bought the previous week.

Satisfied that her attention was fully occupied, Remus hurriedly snatched the shirt from behind his back and stuffed it in the drawer of his bedside cabinet, his throat suddenly feeling rather dry.

--------------------------------

--------------------------------

About twenty minutes later, Tonks, partially obscured by the wardrobe door, spoke out to Remus. "What are you going to wear, darling?"

"Oh, er - I'll just wear - "

Tonks stuck her head around the door. "Hey - wear that new shirt! It'll look good on you."

"New shirt?" Remus echoed unsteadily.

Tonks' head disappeared once more as she flicked through her clothes. "The one you were holding just now. When did you get that, anyway? I don't think I've seen it before...."

Remus reddened and was thankful that his wife didn't see him blush. "Oh, er - it's - "

He couldn't think how to finish the sentence.

Tonks peered at him again. "Come on, get a move on, don't just sit there." She grabbed her dress off its hanger and slipped it on, then hurried into the bathroom to do her hair.

The moment she was gone Remus pulled the draw of his cabinet open, grabbed the shirt and strode towards the wardrobe, meaning to stuff it in the corner once more.

He had just replaced it on the hanger, when, suddenly feeling defiant, he pulled it off again. What the hell, he thought. Am I frightened of a piece of clothing or something?

In one swift movement he swung the soft garment around his body and buttoned the shirt, leaving the collar open. It hung a little loosely from his frame. The soft, light blue material fell from his broad shoulders, tracing lightly the contours of his arms. He raked his fingers through his sandy hair and checked his reflection. Now that wasn't too hard, was it?

-----------------------------

------------------------------

Half an hour later, Tonks and Remus apparated from their home to the foyer of the venue that Harry and Draco had specified. Tonks looked positively glowing in her green, knee-length dress and hot pink jacket. Her short red hair clashed madly with her outfit but in a strange, quirky way, she looked just right. Only Tonks could pull off an outfit like that. Remus, on the other hand, was dressed in a charcoal trouser suit with his blue shirt just visible through the front. He wore it with a casual effortlessness, as if he had just thrown on the clothes with little thought, but still he exuded that distinctive charm.

Harry appeared at the doorway to welcome them and threw his arms around the pair. "Great! You're here!" He was clearly happy to see them and treated them both to one of his huge grins.

"Here, let me take your coats," Harry offered, smiling brightly at his two dear friends. "Draco's around here somewhere - "

He had just turned to hang up their coats when a tall, stunning blonde man walked up, his hands resting casually in his pockets and a warm smile on his face. Tonks did a double take. "Draco!" Her eyes bulged as she took in the handsome man before her, looking him up and down appreciatively. To say that Draco looked good was an understatement. He was dressed in dark grey trousers and a crisp ice-blue shirt that accentuated his tall frame and matched his pale eyes perfectly. Over this he wore an open-fronted grey waistcoat that made him look every inch the English gentleman.

"Tonks, Remus!" Draco greeted them, giving them each a warm hug.

"You look great!" Tonks winked at him.

Draco winked back. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint you sweetheart, but I'm afraid I'm taken," he replied with mock regret, slinging his arm around Harry's waist. "At least for tonight, anyway," he quipped with a grin as the dark-haired man laughingly kissed him on the cheek.

"Come on through," Harry beckoned to the couple, indicating to them to go through to the main hall.

Tonks and Remus entered the room and their jaws dropped.

Nothing major, Remus snorted, remembering Draco's words when he had given them the invitation. Low-key. Yeah, right! To say that this was low-key would be to say that Buckingham Palace was a one-bedroom cottage. The room was easily the size of the Hogwarts Great Hall and resembled the inside of a cathedral. It was already filled with countless guests - wizards, witches and Muggles, most of whom Tonks and Remus recognised. At the far end of the hall was a dance floor, and there were already a few couples twirling around to the music provided by the orchestra whose soft, bewitching tune beckoned them to enter.

Although it was early autumn the ceiling had been charmed to resemble a snowy winter's sky, with soft flakes falling from the heavens and disappearing just before they reached the ground. The only light in the room was provided by four huge fireplaces, which graced each of the four walls and emitted a warm, amber glow that bathed the surroundings. The flames danced and licked at the air, each spark throwing uneven shadows upon the beautiful stone floor. The walls were adorned with stained glass windows, the colours of which twinkled and sparkled in the firelight. The whole effect was breathtaking.

Draco regarded them with a grin. "Do you like it?"

Tonks realised that she was still gawping and turned to the blonde incredulously. "Like it? Draco, it's beautiful!"

"No prizes for guessing who was in charge of the decoration," Harry remarked teasingly, indicating his fiancé.

Remus smiled to himself. I've got to hand it to him, he thought as he looked around, the boy knows how to throw a party!

"I'm extremely offended," Draco huffed at Harry, doing his best to look insulted.

The dark-haired man rolled his eyes affectionately at Draco and kissed him on the cheek. "You know I love you really."

Draco gave him a suggestive look. "Call that a kiss? I'm sure you can do better than that, Potter." He raised an eyebrow at his fiancé and smirked as Harry blushed. "You're beautiful when you do that," Draco whispered, causing Harry's cheeks to redden even further. Tonks chuckled and tugged Remus further into the room to give the two some time alone.

"They're so cute," she remarked, with a silly smile on her face. "Look at them - they can't keep their hands off each other. Remember when we were like that?"

Tonks suddenly glanced at the string instruments as they struck up a familiar tune, and looked into Remus' eyes. "Does this remind you of anything?" She grinned up at him, thinking of their wedding day and the first dance that they had had as man and wife, to this very same song.

Remus smiled back and kissed the tip of her nose. "Nope, not a thing." He ducked, laughing, as she swiped her handbag playfully at his shoulder.

"Hey! No fighting allowed!" Draco teased, coming over with a tray of glasses. "Wine, Tonks?"

"Oooh, lovely!" she smiled, recognising instantly the deep crimson liquid. She kissed Draco on the cheek and picked up one of the glasses. "If there's one thing I like more than attacking Remus, it's Harry's mulled wine. Yum!" She tapped her glass against the one that her husband had just taken for himself and sipped the fruity drink.

Less than an hour later, the party was in full flow. Glasses clinked and people laughed and chattered. The dance floor filled to the sound of the band playing number after number, and Draco and Harry couldn't have looked happier or more in love. It was obvious from the way that their eyes lingered over each other, and from the little touches and glances, that they were crazy about each other, and it warmed Remus' heart to see it. Tonks and I were like that, he thought wistfully. He quickly corrected himself. I mean, Tonks and I are like that.

A later in the evening, however, Remus noticed Harry's grow a little unsettled. He noticed him look around the room every so often, a slight frown across his features, but thought nothing of it. But when Harry scanned the crowd for the fourth time, he questioned him about it. He made his way towards the dark-haired man and gently squeezed his shoulder. "You seem a bit preoccupied...everything alright, Harry?"

Harry started a little then clapped Remus on his shoulder. "Oh, of course! Why wouldn't it be?" He relaxed into a smile. "More wine?"

"No, thanks. I'm fine," Remus replied, looking at Harry a little more closely. "You sure you're alright?"

Remus could have sworn that he saw a little flicker across Harry's face, but the second it appeared it was gone. "Yeah, I'm great!" Harry said quickly. But there was the slightest trace of disappointment in his eyes as he smiled.

Remus spent the rest of the evening catching up with friends whom he hadn't seen in a long while, as well as being introduced to other acquaintances of Harry's and Draco's that he hadn't known before. As the night wore on, he relaxed and chatted and danced and laughed and had a wonderful time. Really, people should get engaged more often! As the orchestra struck up a new number, he smiled at Tonks as she blew him a kiss from the dance-floor, where she had been lead by Fred Weasley.

Whilst watching the two sway along to the music, Remus was only dimly aware of the squeal that erupted from the doorway as someone stepped into the room. But as more voices joined in the excited chorus he turned slightly to see what the commotion was about. More and more people started to gravitate towards the newcomer and there were enthusiastic cries and greetings extended to the person. Remus squinted a little, rather amused at the reception that this person was getting. He craned his neck a little and could just see the top of a man's head as he was swept into hug after hug, barely having time to draw breath in between. He was very popular, whoever he was.

A few seconds later he was finally released and Remus suddenly felt a weight press against his chest as he saw him. That easy smile, that quirk of the eyebrow, that almost arrogant swagger.... Remus felt the colour drain from his face.

As if the man had somehow felt Remus' eyes on him, he raised his own - those glittering deep brown pools that had lost none of their former beauty. Their eyes found each other - and for a startling second they were the only two people in the room.

Remus' heart skipped a beat.

Sirius.

--------------------------------------

--------------------------------------