Falling Slowly Chapter Six: How Deep Is Your Love?, a harry potter fanfic

A/N: Again, one of the chapters I've enjoyed making! Thank you, Bee Gees, for keeping one of your hit songs stuck in my head. Enjoy reading and please do leave your reviews!

Over the next couple of days, Tonks and Remus would fall into a routine. While they are still free from Order duties, Tonks would still go to work as an Auror in the Ministry by day and would visit Twelve Grimmauld Place by night. Remus, on the other hand, would spend the whole day in the library, occasionally doing freelance work in the library. At night, Tonks would apparate in Grimmauld Place and would spend the night working on Ministry papers while Remus reads a book. Some nights would be spent drinking with Sirius as the two Marauders would reminisce their days in Hogwarts.

"I'm turning in for tonight." Sirius yawns, as he stands up to walk over the kitchen door, looking at Tonks who is leaning on Remus' shoulder. Remus' arm is wrapped around Tonks who is eating one of the chocolate frogs Sirius had brought over from his Diagon Alley trip earlier in the day. "Please don't shag on the kitchen table, people eat there."

Tonks throws one chocolate frog at Sirius, who catches it with his mouth. He grins as Tonks rolls her eyes at him. Remus snickers and nods at his best friend. "G'night, Sirius. Don't forget Buckbeak." Remus says.

Sirius hums, and Tonks mumbles incoherently, which Remus assumes must be a goodnight for her dear cousin. Sirius exits the kitchen and Remus looks down to look at Tonks. "What about you, love? I can bring you back to your flat." he tells her. Tonks raises her head to look at Remus.

"Do you wanna walk around Muggle London?" she asks, her voice light and excited. Remus smirks and removes fringes of her pink hair from her eyes.

"Are you sure? You have work tomorrow." he tells her. Tonks nods her head. "Why, is there something...you know?" Remus furrows her brows, forming a crease in between his eyebrows.

"Nothing, nothing." Tonks replies, reaching up to stroke Remus' stubble on his chin. "I just...you know, I wanna walk around with you in a normal place. You know, where there are no wizards, witches, Death Eaters lurking."

Remus seems to consider it, but he eventually nods. "I'll get you home by midnight so Scrimgeour won't have to scold you for tardiness."

Tonks scrunches up her nose. "You sound like a professor." she tells him. Remus chuckles. "But I'll take it."

Remus and Tonks walk hand-in-hand along the streets, as they talk about Remus' freelance research with Emmeline Vance. It was the morning of two days ago when Emmeline flooed in Grimmauld Place asking Remus if he would be interested in a becoming her research assistant, as she works in the Office of Misinformation in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She is currently working on a case that requires extra help in research, and she could use an extra help, thus offering Remus the position of his assistant researcher for this case.

"Emmeline has offered to pay me five hundred galleons for this one," Remus tells her. "Quite a big price for a freelance job, if I were to be honest."

Tonks frowns at him as she continues to walk. "You're overqualified for just a freelance researcher." she mutters. Remus looks at her, and he sighs.

"I...I know," he answers. "But it's definitely better than nothing. If the legislation were to be lifted, I would most probably apply back in Hogwarts. However, legislation is one thing. There is also the prejudice of the people against my kind."

"Your kind?" Tonks repeats, raising an eyebrow. "You are more than—"

"Dora." Remus sighs, stopping and looking at her in the eyes. Tonks huffs and Remus' grip in her hand became tighter. Tonks sighs and nods. There is nothing much I can do, she tells herself. As much as I want to do something.

"I just hate it...you can do so much more!" Tonks tells him. "But I suppose...like what you said, this will do for now." She looks down and Remus gently lifts her chin up, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

"For now," he says. "That's why I have to do my best in this research so maybe I can get more freelance works if she finds my work impressive." Tonks nods. Remus smiles at her, as he nods. Tonks sighs, reaching up to plant a firm kiss on his lips.

Remus smiles and they begin to walk in silence. Remus sees a familiar-looking building at the end of the street, and he tugs Tonks gently who looks up from him with raised eyebrows.

"Let's go to The Beech." Remus tells her with a smile. Tonks raises an eyebrow, a smile forming in her lips.

"I'm sorry, what?" Tonks asks, containing her giggle. "I never thought of you as someone who loves the sand and ocean." Tonks smirks.

Remus' smile widens as he points to the building at the end of the street, a purple neon sign in front that says 'The Beech'.

"Sirius, James, Peter and I used to go there when we used to hang around Muggle London," Remus tells her as they walk towards it. "It's a calm, dancing bar. Come on, I think they have Bee Gees night tonight."

Tonks can't help but smile. "I never thought calm and bar would actually be used in the same sentence." she jokes, laughing. Remus chuckles as they reach the entrance.

Remus pushes the glass door opens, revealing, indeed, a relatively quiet and relaxed bar. There are Muggles inside, wearing black coats and blazers, obvious that the Muggles just dropped by for a quick drink after work. Tonks looks around, not letting go of Remus' hand in hers. Remus leads her to a booth, where a yellow light is hanging above it. Tonks slides in one side, with Remus sitting across her.

A waiter passes by and drops two menu cards in front of them. Tonks picks it up and reads it, unfamiliar with the drinks and cocktails being served. She frowns. As far as she went with bars and clubs, she had never been in one in a Muggle area. She has heard of Muggle clubs where it was loud, noisy, and where folks around her age or even younger would be dancing and swaying in the middle. She looks up at Remus who is intently looking at the menu.

"So, what's a good drink that can make me fall asleep almost instantly when I get home tonight?" she asks, cracking a smile. Remus chuckles and gestures for a waiter.

"Margarita for the lady, one vodka tonic for me." Remus tells him, and the waiter nods as he immediately walks off. He looks at Tonks and smiles. "It won't make you fall asleep immediately when you get home tonight, but it will do." he tells her. She smiles and reaches for his clasped hands in front of her.

"Remus, why are we here?" she asks. "I mean...not that I'm complaining. I think this place is lovely. It's just very unlike you to be going in a Muggle bar one random night."

Remus smiles. "When we were younger, after we finished seventh year, the four of us found this bar when we were walking around," he starts. "James was with Lily by that time, Sirius had picked up a random woman half-drunk by the counter, and Peter had been picked up by a woman also half-drunk by the counter." Tonks laughs softly. "Safe to say I was the only one who didn't pick up or didn't get picked up. Most nights we go here I would be alone, watching my best mates dance with their respective partners, making sure my they were still in one piece before we head back."

Tonks frowns. "Why? You didn't want to...you know, pick some girls or something?" she asks.

Remus shakes his head. "Of course I'd want to. It's just that...I'm not the most appealing, you know. Nobody ever chooses me." Tonks frowns, and Remus shakes his head. "I just thought I'd revisit this place, bring a woman I fancy and have at least one drink with her." Tonks smiles.

The waiter, then, suddenly brings their respective drinks. Tonks stares at her drink, an orange-colored one with a slice of Muggle fruit and with salt around the rim of the glass. Remus' drink is the same, only his is colorless and there is no salt around the rim.

She takes a sip, feeling the salt on her tongue and the taste of bitterness mixed with a sweet flavor. She also feels the familiar, but lesser, burn of a firewhiskey in her throat when she swallows it. All in all, she loves the drink. Margarita, she thinks to herself, a lovely name for a lovely drink.

Tonks then hears the familiar intro of a song she swore she has heard once in her life. Her eyes light up and a smile covers her face once the band starts singing. She slides away from the booth, and Remus looks up at her, his eyebrows raised. She grabs his arm, making him stand up.

"What are we doing?" Remus asks. Tonks pulls him into the middle of the empty dance floor. She puts a hand on her shoulder and takes his other hand. Remus wraps one of his arms around her waist, and clasps his hand with hers. He smiles as she continues to sway.

And you come to me on a summer breeze
Keep me warm in your love, then you softly leave
And it's me you need to show

Tonks sings softly along with the band and Remus smiles, allowing her to twirl, and eventually catching her. Remus sings along with her, remembering the song as one of the songs played before when he was younger.

How deep is your love, how deep is your love
How deep is your love?
I really mean to learn
'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down when they all should let us be

"We belong to you and me." Remus and Tonks sing together, their foreheads touching. Tonks smiles as Remus continues to sway, both his arms now wrapped around her small waist, as Tonks' arms are wrapped around his neck.

I believe in you
You know the door to my very soul
You're the light in my deepest, darkest hour
You're my savior when I fall

Both Tonks and Remus are oblivious to the fact that couples have also joined them in the middle of the dance floor. Their eyes are closed, and they are just revelling at the touch and presence of each other, for a moment, not thinking of war, not thinking of prejudices, not thinking of full moons, not thinking of anything else but each other.

And you may not think I care for you
When you know down inside that I really do
And it's me you need to show
How deep is your love?

A couple had bumped to both Tonks and Remus, eventually opening their eyes, and looking at the two people who is now smiling sheepishly at the two before swaying away from them. Tonks looks at Remus and they both laugh, as they resume back to their dancing position earlier.

How deep is your love, how deep is your love
How deep is your love?
I really mean to learn
'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down when they all should let us be
We belong to you and me

Remus allows Tonks to twirl once, twice, thrice, smiling as he listens to her giggle and he eventually catches her before she falls, laughing as Tonks laughs, closing her eyes and shaking her head. She rests her head on his chest, trying to recover and maintain her balance from the twirling.

"I'm not used to being twirled, Remus, I might fall." she giggles against his chest. Remus smiles and buries his hand in her pink hair.

"Don't worry, I'll catch you." he tells her. Tonks blushes and giggles.

And you come to me on a summer breeze
Keep me warm in your love, then you softly leave
And it's me you need to show
How deep is your love?

Tonks smiles as she looks up to find Remus staring down at her with a smile as they sway together with the song. She changes her stormy-grey eyes into Remus' blue ones, one thing she had found herself doing over and over for the past couple of times they have spent together. These are the eyes she was captivated with the moment she laid eyes on him, and these are the eyes that she had eventually learned to fall in love with. Tonks watches as Remus' face lights up at the sight of her changing eyes, and he laughs his beautiful laugh that is sure to melt Tonks every time she hears it.

She had wondered why, in those years before, no one had ever chosen him. If it was up to her, she was sure to choose him at every chance she gets.

Remus laughs when he sees Tonks change her eyes once again to mirror his, and he watches her lips curl into a smile-that smile that never fails to warm his heart. Everything about her is perfect, he had thought once when he was still studying her in her first few days in the Order. Never in his wildest imagination had he thought someone like Nymphadora Tonks would just walk in the door in Twelve Grimmauld Place, trip over an umbrella stand, and immediately capture his heart. Merlin, never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought that a beautiful and intelligent woman like her would fancy him back. He smiles as he gently strokes her smooth pale cheek with his finger.

At that moment, he thinks to himself, I am the luckiest bloke in the entire world, as he looks down at the beautiful woman swaying and singing softly a few inches in front of him.

At exactly half past eleven, the two had left the bar, and they are en route to Tonks' flat. Remus smiles as he listens to Tonks babble about her first time in a Muggle bar. She seems to be happy comparing the drink she had with her usual butterbeer and firewhiskey. Occasionally she would trip, sometimes fall on the ground, but Remus would help her up and she would continue on walking, her hand in his.

When they reach her flat, she turns to face him and she nods inside her apartment. "Do you want to come in?" she asks, a smile forming on her face. He chuckles and tucks her hair behind her ear.

"As much as I want to, Nymphadora, it might prevent you from having a good night's rest. You still have Auror duties, remember?" he asks. Tonks pouts but nods. Remus smiles and leans down to kiss her on her lips. She tastes of oranges and alcohol.

When they pull away, Tonks wraps her arms around his waist. "Thank you. For tonight." she tells him softly. Remus rests his chin on top of hers as he closes his eyes, wrapping his arms around her waist and shoulder.

When they pull away, Tonks smiles and lifts her hand to touch his face gently, tracing the small visible scars with her fingers. "I love you, Remus. Know that in a room full of people, I will still choose you." she tells him, smiling and patting his chest before entering her flat.

Remus is left standing in the hallway, his heart racing and his smile never leaving his lips.