No Ordinary Love

Chapter 4: Points

Tonks took a deep breath and gave herself the once over, peering at Grimmauld's glass door harder than any normal person should. From what she could see in her reflection, her long brown hair was pulled back pristinely and her dark brown eyes were framed brightly with pink eye shadow.

Tonks's brain flittered with worries: Was she dressed too formally? Was that sweat beading in her cleavage? Did Remus think he was getting a romp? Better yet, did she want one?

Tonks bit her glossed lips and shut her eyes, reached forward and knocked. Remus answered the door a moment later, dressed in navy trousers and a fitted gray sweater.

"Hello," Tonks said, flashing a timid smile.

Remus grinned. "Hi."

They stood there, staring at one another for a full minute. Tonks thought about their back and forth flirtation earlier that week and shuddered slightly. Remus seemed to snap back to the present, mistaking the shiver.

"Sorry. Come in. It's kind of breezy tonight, yeah? Looks like rain." Remus ushered her in.

Again, they stared at one another, this time in the dimly lit foyer. Tonks couldn't muster up the courage to talk, she realized.

"C-can I take your coat?" Remus asked.

"Remus, I'm not wearing a coat."

"Right," he said.

That's enough, Tonks, she thought. Get over yourself.

Tonks took the plunge. "Here," she said, thrusting a paper bag at him.

"What's this?" he asked as she started towards the basement kitchen.

"I stopped by a Muggle bakery, one that my father is really fond of, and for good reason. That there is the best cheesecake you will ever have." Tonks paused at the kitchen door and inhaled deeply. "Mm, that smells good. What did you make? I'm starving."

She started down the small set of stairs, making sure to swing her hips lightly and not trip at the same time.

Remus told her what he'd prepared. "Well, there's Italian Caesar salad and Minestrone soup before the main course of chicken Marsala and fettuccini. I made caramel fondue, but--"

Tonks whirled around. "If you even think of not eating it," she interrupted, "I will go Auror on your arse."

Remus laughed, hands held up in a surrendering sort of way. "All right, all right. I'm glad, though. I like a girl who eats."

"Thank Merlin," she said. "We'd already have problems if you didn't."

~

Tonks couldn't breathe. She was stuffed to capacity.

"Remus," Tonks said, inhaling with difficulty. "I don't think I'll be able to move from here."

From across the table, Remus had an amused look in his eye.

"You won't want the fondue, then, would you?" he smirked.

One point to Remus.

Tonks groaned at the thought of more food. She pushed her plate of cheesecake away, towards him. "No, I wouldn't."

After Remus consumed the half-piece of dessert Tonks had offered him, she made a move to get up and help with the dishes, but Remus gently and easily pushed her back into her seat. The smirk was firmly in place again, and Tonks glared at him, even though she was smiling inwardly.

"Don't worry about this. I've got it--"

"But you cooked everything--!"

"--so you should definitely go upstairs and to the living room and relax." Tonks was about to interrupt when Remus said, "Unless you need help up the stairs?"

Her teeth clicked as she shut her mouth. Remus pressed his lips together, attempting not to laugh, she could tell, at her stunned expression.

Two, Remus. Zero, Tonks.

Tonks stood, scooting her chair back gracefully, and raised her nose in the air. She grasped her glass of Pinot Grigio and turned towards the stairs.

"Fine," she huffed as she heard a chuckle escape from Remus. She looked at him over her shoulder and grinned when she saw where his eyes had lingered a second ago. "I'll be up in the drawing room, by the way. And just so you know," she said casually, "if you're ever going to kiss me, it better be tonight."

The look on his face was priceless. Tonks slowly ascended to the living room, gleefully containing a smirk as there was a clatter of plates hitting sink-bottom.

Two, Remus. A million, Tonks.

~

Tonks had just settled into the plush couch in the drawing room when Remus walked in, slowly, wiping his damp hands against his trouser bottoms. The fireplace was lit, creating a soft glow around the entire room and providing enough warmth to make Tonks' toes thaw; she had taken her flats off during dinner, sometime after her second glass of wine.

"Comfortable?" Remus asked, toeing off his brown leather, slightly worn-out loafers. Tonks noticed that they matched his belt perfectly, and smiled, not at all surprised.

"I'd be more comfortable if you were sitting here with me," she replied, feeling mischievous.

Remus bent over ever so, to align his shoes against the wall just right. It gave Tonks the perfect opportunity to check out his well-toned arse, and that she did, wondering just how it would feel to wrap her legs around it.

Remus' eyes caught hers as he stood and made his way over. Eyes glazed over from her vivid imagination, it took Tonks a moment to realize that Remus had planted his wonderful bum right beside her a few seconds later.

Casually, Remus slung his arm over Tonks' shoulders, his left hand landing gently against her collarbone as he settled deeper into the cushions. Her breathing hitched, and she felt heat ignite and flush down her spine, to pool in her abdomen.

"You're good," Tonks murmured, shaking her head.

Remus' eyes lingered on her lips. "Good at what?"

"Seducing me."

Tonks bit back a laugh when she felt Remus exhale roughly against her hair.

"You never said I couldn't," Remus responded cheekily, his fingers starting up a soft caress on her neck.

Tonks smiled to herself and said, "Mm, that's too true." She placed her head on Remus' shoulder, warm inside. She hadn't felt this way in a long time, and it was startling that she and Remus had gotten this far so quickly.

Tonks wasn't sure who kissed who first, but she was certain it was Remus' lips that were a tad bit more eager. She pressed herself against him, arms wrapping around his neck as his slid down and about her waist. It was a soft kiss at first, teasing and playful, but then Tonks' body flared with heat again, and they embraced harder, her lips tingling when Remus nipped at them roughly.

All too soon, Tonks found herself on her back, with her shirt-dress bunched around her waist; Remus was above her, removing her tights, both of them panting with desire.

I'm glad I'm wearing my good knickers, Tonks thought, eyes shut in pleasure as Remus stroked her thighs.

Remus laughed, his quest to remove her tights complete.

"I'm glad you wore your good knickers, too, Tonks," he said.

"Was I thinking aloud?"

Remus nodded, nose pressed against her neck, hands just about everywhere now. He started to kiss her again, and Tonks had just started unbuckling his belt when Remus pulled away abruptly. He started to sniff the air; Tonks looked up at him quizzically.

"What is it, Remus?" she breathed.

"Do you smell that?" he asked.

Tonks felt her face heat up, her hair uncontrollably changing to bright pink.

"I thought you'd done this before," Tonks said, embarrassed.

Remus looked startled. "No- I mean, yes, I have done this, quite a few times, actually- but no, it isn't you- or your scent. It's something else," he whispered. "Burnt cauldron bottoms, dragon's blood, you know?"

Tonks shook her head. "I can't smell that at all."

Tonks remained still, Remus half-splayed atop her.

Creak.

Creak.

Remus flew off of Tonks and had his wand in hand within the second. Tonks rushed to copy his movements, her body pumping adrenaline. She could feel her heart thumping harshly, could hear the blood rushing in her ears.

"What is it?" Tonks hissed. She crouched by her hastily discarded tights, searching in vain for her wand. "Shit!"

"What? Nymphadora, where's your wand?" Remus whispered furiously, scared for her safety. "Just- stay here, okay?"

Before Tonks could protest, about him calling her by her first name, about him scolding her, about him leaving a capable Auror behind when she could take care of herself, Remus launched himself from the room.

"You dolt!" she called after him, finally meeting the hard wood of her wand.

Tonks hurried out of the room, just as Remus shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!" someone sneered back as Tonks silently and swiftly descended the stairs.

Tonks didn't reveal herself just yet; her head rushed with possibilities of catching the intruder by surprise, of saving Remus and showing him just how competent she was in her Auror expertise. Tonks pressed herself against the wall, listening hard at the conversation that was going on a mere meter away.

"What do you want, Snape?"

Snape? Tonks peered around the landing, only to reveal herself.

"Is that... Nymphadora Tonks?" Snape drawled, a smirk creeping on his face.

Tonks walked down the remaining stairs, wand at the ready and aimed right at his face. "And what if it is?"

Snape leered, making Tonks more than aware of her state of undress. She pulled down her dress, trying unsuccessfully to shield her pale thighs from Snape's persistent black eyes.

Remus took two sidesteps and was in front of Tonks, to protect her and cover her.

"My, my, would you look at that?" Snape said, shaking his head. "I thought you could do better, Tonks."

"Remus is a right sight better than you, that's for sure," Tonks responded, anger rushing through her; her hair became a fiery red, waving away from her face.

Snape's sneer became more pronounced. "You've got to be desperate to be with a man 13 years your senior, I'd say. He's pretty dangerous, too, a werewolf."

Tonks felt like throwing a Cruciatus Curse his way, but then realized that Remus hadn't defended her decision to be with him, or himself for that matter.

"You're not welcome here," Remus finally said, face grim and set.

Snape gave a short nod. "I know. I was just leaving, Lupin. I got what I came for." He swung his cloak over his shoulder, and took off into the night.

When the front door clicked shut, Tonks relaxed her wand hand and rested it against Remus' shoulder. He stood stiff, eyes still trained on the door. Frowning, Tonks came to his front and looked up at him.

Remus' lips were still set in a dour line; he stood, rigid. Tonks could tell he was far off in his mind, and suddenly became worried.

"Don't, Remus," Tonks warned. "Don't believe a word Severus Snape said."

Remus slowly shook his head, and finally looked her in the eye. Tonks stepped back, startled by his sudden look of detachment. Tonks pressed her cool fingertips against his warm cheeks, eyes searching his.

"Please, don't do this, Remus, please." She tip-toed up to press her lips against his; he didn't kiss her back.

Tonks' heart beat rapidly against her ribcage, awaiting the inevitable.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Remus finally said. "We shouldn't even be here. I was a fool to think-"

"To think what?" Tonks interrupted, "That this might actually work?" Rage seized her, and she gripped Remus' rumpled grey sweater. "Well, it might've, if you hadn't been such a prick just now!"

"Prick?! I'm trying to do the right thing!"

"For who?!" Tonks shouted, livid.

"For you! I'm too poor, too old and sick and dangerous."

"I don't care about all of that! Damn it, Remus! I care about you, not what anyone would think or about the 'consequences' of being with you, okay?"

Remus shook his head, resolute. "I'm sorry, Tonks, Angel," he said, caressing her face.

Tonks's heart felt like it had dropped into her stomach, then fly back up, to the general area of her throat. She felt sick.

Eyes swimming with angry tears, Tonks pulled away.

"Fine," she said, wiping roughly at her face as tears rushed down her flushed cheeks. She hurried to the door. "Fine," she said again.

"I'll- I'll see you around, yeah?" Remus said.

"Whatever," Tonks said, scurrying out of Grimmauld Place. She didn't know a single place she wanted to be less.

Tonks slammed the front door in Remus' face. With satisfaction, she heard Mrs. Black's portrait screech and howl about half-breeds and half-bloods using her home like a brothel.

Tonks composed herself as best as possible, outside of Grimmauld Place's protection, so that she wouldn't splinch herself. Barefoot, Tonks pivoted and Disapparated on the spot. When she arrived at her little apartment above her parents' garage, she collapsed onto her bed and cried, for herself, and for Remus.

Zero, Remus. Negative a zillion, Tonks.