Love, if Not Understood

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Love, if not Understood

By PhoenixbyaRose

The silence was deafening. It went on and on.......

Just when Remus Lupin thought he couldn't take it any longer, she spoke.

"I know."

Remus looked at her for a moment before hearing what Tonks was saying to him. He had only one question.

"But why then?"

"Because it doesn't matter to me Remus, please, I don't care that you're a werewolf." Tonks' eyes were watery now and she fought back the tears and the lump in her throat. Why doesn't he understand?

Remus said nothing and Tonks was getting tired of trying to convince him.

"I'm leaving, Remus. I'm tired of this. You know where to find me if you change your mind." And with that she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Remus with nothing but his confused thoughts. He needed to sit down.

Collapsing into the nearest chair, Remus put his head in his hands and rubbed his temples. He didn't understand. She was beautiful, and so much younger than him. Why would she want to be with an old werewolf? What if he hurt her? What if he didn't get the potion in time and couldn't control the wolf? As far as he could see, any future with him was no future at all.

But then again.....what if she really didn't care? Sure, she said she didn't but maybe she hadn't really thought it all the way through. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with Tonks. No, not at all. He loved her and he knew that. Tonks' watery-eyed face flashed through his mind again. But what if she didn't know that he loved her? She deserved to know that. He got up and headed to his bed, exhausted from the long day and confrontation with Tonks. As he fell asleep though, he thought again she deserves to know.

The next morning found Remus outside Tonks' door. He hesitated before knocking lightly. He heard her soft voice reply.

"Come in."

Remus entered the room, looking around until he saw Tonks sitting on the window ledge, the morning light on her face seeming to make her skin glow and his mind went blank with the image. He forgot why he had come, what it was he had wanted to tell her. He gulped and closed the door behind himself. Looking at her sad face, Remus could not find it in him to say no to her again, and he didn't have the strength to say no to himself any longer. Perhaps it could work out. Maybe the bad times would be worth just being together.

Tonks turned to see who it was that wished to intrude upon her brooding this early in the morning and gasped almost inaudibly when she saw Remus standing there. She watched as he came closer, wondering what it was he had come to say to her. Most likely that she was too young, or he too old, or that he was a werewolf and she didn't deserve the burden. She did deserve him, she knew that and he was what she wanted. She only wished he could see it.

Suddenly he was there by her side; she could feel his warm breath on the side of her face. She had only moments to register what he was doing and what it meant before it was happening. His arms were wrapped around her waist, his lips brushed softly against hers before coming back for a much longer, sweeter kiss. Her hands trailed slowly up his chest, around his neck and into his hair.

Remus' thoughts came back to him when he felt the light tug of her hands in his hair. It was too late now though. He had made his choice and there was no going back. He couldn't give this up. What had he been thinking before? He had no idea.

The End