This story follows Arrested Development in the Transfigured Hearts series, and is set between Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

We Interrupt This Broadcast

"Remus! You're home!"

Remus startled at Tonks' voice and turned from the wardrobe, where he was putting away clothes, to find her standing in the bedroom doorway. He smiled because she'd said home and meant both their home, and because she was morphing her hair from the respectable blue-black ponytail she wore for work to the vivid pink spikes she wore for him.

"I didn't hear you come in," he said, pulling the wardrobe doors closed meeting her in the middle of the room.

"I thought you were out," Tonks said loudly, though she stood close enough that her robes brushed his legs. She turned her face up to his expectantly. Remus bent to kiss her, but paused when she raised an eyebrow. "You didn't come to the door and ask a security question."

"I suppose the wireless is too loud," said Remus, realising it as he considered her volume and their proximity. As he flicked his wand to cast a quietus, Remus caught Tonks going goggle-eyed in his peripheral. In what he knew was a vain attempt to avoid being teased, he pressed his lips to hers. "Hello, love. Good day?"

"Crap, actually," Tonks said, tugging at the ends of her hair, and on closer inspection Remus noticed shadows under her eyes.

"Are you all right?" Remus' stomach lurched with the thought that she'd not taken long enough sick leave, or had taxed herself on her first day back.

"Just a long day." Tonks' grin was laced with fatigue and not entirely reassuring. "Amelia Bones seems to have played hooky for the first time in her life, and no one in the department knows what to do without her."

Remus thought it slightly troubling that the Head of Magical Law Enforcement could not be found, but decided that Tonks or Kinsley would have alerted him or Dumbledore if was a matter of concern.

Tonks seemed not to read too much into it, either. With a little shake of her head, she brightened and said, "Anyway, that's work, and I'm home now, and you're here…" She slid her hands up his chest. "…and d'you have any idea how funny it is to hear you" she jabbed him playfully with her index finger "admit to playing the wireless too loudly?"

No matter what serious things might distract her for a moment, Tonks never lost an opportunity to tease. Remus rewarded her with an exaggerated eye roll. "You would find that amusing, since you think I'm a fuddy-duddy."

"But what if I'd been a Death Eat—Oy!" Her eyes rounded again as she glanced to the wireless in the windowsill, then back to Remus. "That's the Weird Sisters."

Remus debated confessing that the Weird Sisters had not been playing when he first put on the wireless, and he would have switched stations had Tonks not been home, but his inner Marauder had other ideas. "I thought since I'm living with a Weird Sisters aficionado I ought to cultivate an appreciation."

"Aficionado," Tonks repeated, one side of her smile curving higher than the other in a saucy expression. Clearing her throat, she affected the clear deep tones of a wireless announcer, "We interrupt this WWN broadcast with a special news bulletin: Remus J. Lupin is reported to have blared his girlfriend's wireless. If it had been later than six o'clock in the evening, he might have disturbed the neighbours."

"Aren't we droll today?"

Tonks' grin widened so that her eyes were like slivers of dark moons, and somehow she looked even cheekier. "Y'know, Remus, this is so very out of character, I ought to be exercising my constant vigilance to ensure you're not—"

"I did not cultivate an appreciation for the Weird Sisters, if that assures you I'm not a Polyjuiced impostor."

Her expression changed so drastically that if the mischievous glint had not remained in her eyes, Remus would have thought she'd morphed. "You could've proved it by kissing me," she said.

Remus leant in to do just that, but Tonks swatted him away. In a voice that very disturbingly made him think how Snape would sound if he were female and a wireless announcer, she intoned, "We interrupt this WWN broadcast with an amendment to the previous special news bulletin: Remus J. Lupin remains an old fuddy-duddy."

Tonks crossed her arms and gave a smirk that dared him to be offended.

"All right," said Remus waving his wand airliy. "I'm a fuddy-duddy." He strolled casually to the bed and sat on the edge, fingering his wand. "But you know, Nymphadora, that's the thing about fuddy-duddies. We know lots of little hexes that were out of fashion by the time you were in school."

Of all the reactions Remus expected, the very last one was Tonks tilting her head and observing, "You made the bed."

"It's a habit of mine," said Remus, once he'd made the shift in the conversation, amused that she'd only just noticed. Did that mean she hadn't taken in any of the other changes to her flat? He stood and smoothed the bedspread where he'd rumpled it. "A lot of people's."

"You didn't yesterday, or the day before."

"It seemed an insult to my lovely hostess' housekeeping," Remus answered truthfully.

"But not today?"

"I realised I'd a choice between your ego and my sanity. I thought you'd prefer not to share your flat with a lunatic."

"Considerate. 'Course I expect nothing else from you." Tonks eyes were scanning the room, sharp Auror's gaze taking in every detail, especially of the carpet, which she seemed to regard as something she had not seen in so long that she'd forgot it was there. "What have you done with my clothes, then?"

With a swish of his wand, Remus opened the wardrobe. The scent of fresh linen wafted from within as Tonks studied a rack of tidy garments arranged in rainbow order, shoes paired across the bottom.

"You did my wash," she said looking as awed and grateful as if he'd slain a dragon. "And everything's pressed."

Remus opened his mouth to make a cheeky reply, but found he'd no voice. His heart unexpectedly accelerated at the sight of his own small collection of drab, tatty clothes hanging beside her bright ones. Tonks had invited him to stay with her and treat her flat as home, but it seemed strangely intimate for their clothes to be kept together; he had a drawer in her bureau, too. Did she think it representative of their closeness? Did she like it as much as he? Of course he was being ridiculous. No one else made so much of such unimportant things. Hopefully she did not see it as an invasion of personal space.

"Just earning my keep," he rasped with a shrug.

As Tonks shrugged off her scarlet Auror robes to reveal a white v-necked shirt and dark trousers, her eyebrows formed a straight line over a tolerant gaze. "Remus, you don't have—"

"Joking." Remus moved take her uniform, but Tonks was already hanging it – with great care, he noticed, to settle it as neatly on the hanger as he had done her other clothes. Though he again chided himself for making so much of so little, he could not deny the way his heart throbbed warmly at her consideration. She was never careless with him.

"Actually," he said, "I was appalled this morning when I saw you pick up shirts and robes from the floor and sniff them to see if they smelled too dirty to wear to work."

Tonks whipped to face him, and though pink tinged her cheeks, she jutted her chin defiantly "Don't tell me you've never done that." She kicked off her boots without unlacing them and set them in the empty space Remus had left at the bottom of the wardrobe.

"Absolutely I have." At the sight of her acid green socks with an aqua hippogriff pattern, Remus briefly ceded the battle against his twitching lips. Valiantly resuming his stolid mask, he added, "My first year or two at Hogwarts."

"Git." Tonks poked out her tongue.

"I called Mad-Eye over after I found doxies living in your dirty laundry." Shutting the wardrobe by leaning casually against the doors, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "You'd a boggart in here, too."

Tonks hummed disinterestedly and examined her fingernails. "Can't you handle doxies and boggarts alone, Professor Defence Against Dark Arts?"

"Fine," Remus said, channelling his laughter into a heavy sigh of feigned resignation, "I can handle doxies and boggarts alone, and I did not, in fact, encounter anything of the sort." He added sulkily, "But you've had an exciting day of chasing dark wizards, Auror Tonks. Can you blame me for trying to make a mundane day of housekeeping a little more interesting?"

Tonks raked her nails along his scalp as she tilted her face up to his. "Show me how exciting you can be."

Remus rose to the challenge, and given the way she seemed to be shifting them toward the bed as they kissed, he'd shown her what she wanted to see – which Remus, in turn, found rather exciting. But in what had to be one of the worst cases of bad timing in his life, an excessively chipper pumpkin juice jingle crackled over the wireless, jarring them back to consciousness. Tonks broke the kiss.

"I'm parched," she said breathlessly. "Pumpkin juice would hit the spot. Have we got any?"

So much for excitement. "Thanks, Nymphadora. You've no idea what it does to a man's ego to know his kisses can't compete with juice adverts."

"Well," Tonks said over her shoulder as made for the lounge, "if you hadn't stuck your tongue down my throat, maybe I wouldn't have got thirsty."

Remus shoved his hands into his trouser pockets as he followed her to the kitchen. "In the future I shall remember to keep my tongue out of things."

Surprisingly, Tonks didn't turn to him with a stunned expression or zinging retort. She did stop abruptly in the tiled kitchen, but apparently was more taken aback by the spotlessness of it – and the pot bubbling on the cooker – than by Remus' sarcasm.

After she'd summoned the pumpkin juice and two glasses, however, Tonks looked at Remus with an adorable pouting expression. "Please reconsider. I was going to let you snog me again as soon as I'd, um…got un-parched. Y'know, to thank you for cooking supper – what are we having, by the way? – and finding the bedroom floor. I hadn't seen it since—"

"Potato soup," Remus said, lifting the lid to check it, "which won't be ready for a few minutes, and I did find some frightening creatures whilst cleaning the dishes."

"You've stayed here three days," said Tonks, offering him a glass slightly sticky with sloshed juice. "It must've driven you mad to live in such an untidy place—"

"Untidy?" Remus sipped the drink. "Bit of an understatement, don't you think, Nymphadora?"

She scowled at his use of her given name and strode into the lounge. "I've a very busy career, and simply cannot—"

"—be bothered to learn householdy spells," Remus finished for her. He gallantly took her glass before she flopped onto the sofa, handing it back as he seated himself at the opposite end.

"Why would I need to learn them, now you live with me?"

"Why indeed?"

In sharp contrast with her smartarse words, her expression as she regarded him over the rim of her glass was slightly tentative and prepared Remus for a more serious turn in their conversation.

"That is…" she said, sending their empty cups to the kitchen, where the unmistakable sound of shattering glass resounded from the sink.

Tonks cringed, but Remus touched her knee. "That is…?"

"That is unless you've decided we're compatible enough to alert the owl post of your new direction," she said quickly, face flushed, "but I'm sure you'd be happier with a girl who can levitate dishes to the sink without breaking them."

Remus smiled at the obvious effort she was putting into not appearing impatient by asking outright whether he was going to make their past three days' living arrangement permanent. But he felt no pressure from Tonks. He'd already decided he wanted the same.

His eyes never left hers as he slid closer to her, stroking her hair as he slid an arm around her shoulders. "I was thinking of bringing the rest of my belongings over from Grimmauld Place."

She'd never looked more radiant, or moved with greater enthusiasm to kiss him – but he held her back and said, "I may have to go away for a while."

"Away?" Her face fell. "Where?"

"I've no details," he replied, her disappointment and concern making him curse himself for not having phrased the statement more carefully. He'd meant to warn her, not alarm her. Glibly, he said, "Dumbledore simply asked if travel would upset any personal plans."

His inflection did the trick. Fairly glowing, Tonks asked, "Personal plans?"

Remus' heart hammered as they at last stood at the brink of subject they'd been approaching, but not quite touched, since Sirius brought it up before… It was time. Remus was unsure, however, if it was the way his head span or a bit of lingering joking mood that made him say in an incongruously steady voice, "Yes, I thought we might attend the Quidditch World Cup."

For a split second Tonks looked crestfallen, and Remus felt like a prat; she was too smart to believe him and could only think he was using jokes to side-step the subject. But then she snorted and elbowed his ribcage. "If you were a Weasley, you'd work Order business around Quidditch, but you're not, so you'd better think of some Lupinish personal plans."

"Lupinesque. All right then, I heard that the Weird Sisters are playing at—"

"Ooh!" Tonks sat bolt upright. "Would you go to a show with me?"

"At risk of you calling me a fuddy-duddy again, I suggest we find middle ground and attend a Celestina Warbuck concert."

Tonks looked at him with such a horrified expression that some part of her must have feared he was serious. "But we both think she's horrible."

"At least we'd be of the same mind – which, I daresay, is very important for couples."

Snuggling into the crook of his arm again, Tonks giggled. "Good point, but still not the sort of personal plans Dumbledore would take into consideration when making Order assignments."

"I've got to think of something," said Remus in normal tones. "Dumbledore wants to meet with me tomorrow."

Tonks nodded against his shoulder as she tucked her legs up on the sofa and draped an arm across his waist. "I hope whatever might take you away falls through," she said softly. "Selfish of me, I know…"

He kissed her hair. "I like that you're selfish about me. Or I did, before I realised you only want me around for my householdy spells…"

"Am I so transparent?"

"I see right through you."

"Damn." Tonks laughed, but her smile faltered as she looked up at him with searching eyes. "You do know I'd want you around even if you refused to clean up after me, yeah? Which you really ought to do, y'know."

Remus squeezed her shoulder. "And you know I really mean it when I say I didn't tidy up out of any sense of paying you back?"

A year ago he would have balked – if he'd allowed himself to entertain the thought at all – at living with a serious girlfriend whilst making no financial contribution to the relationship. It had little to do with old-fashioned notions of gender roles and everything to do with pride. But somehow, after so many months' involvement with Tonks, he didn't – at least he had not in the past three days – feel like he was accepting handouts, and it had been oddly pleasant to turn to domestic things after he'd completed his Order-related tasks. Time alone in the flat had passed quickly as he anticipated of the cosy evening he would have with Tonks when she returned from work. Now, holding her at the end of a full day, he felt like the equal partner she asserted him to be.

He allowed himself to see weeks and months and years of such days – and dared to think fleetingly that he might someday be equal in ways more obvious to the outside observer. Tonks, of course, held out hope that anti-werewolf legislation would change and he would be allowed teach again, and Merlin bless her, she wanted it for him because he loved it, not because it would ease their financial burden. Remus was not so comfortable with anticipation that he could let himself dream that, but in any case, he would at least have his own children to teach – his with Nymphadora, he thought wonderingly – before they were old enough for Hogwarts. Maybe friends would let him teach their children, as James and Lily had said they would want him to…

"No Quidditch, no Weird Sisters, certainly no Celestina Warbeck," Remus said hoarsely. As he shifted, Tonks sat up, and he touched her face as he propped his other arm on the back of the settee. "Dumbledore was inquiring about very specific plans. Involving you."

Tonks bit her lip, and her cheeks tinged pink, but she darted hopeful eyes up at him. "Just me."

"Well." Remus' heart stood still, and his voice dropped to an even lower pitch. "I'm sure I'll have eyes just for you, but I was thinking we'd like to invite other people – to a…sort of party."

"A party," she whispered.

"In honour of us."

Sheer joy lit Tonks' face as she flung her arms around Remus' neck and pushed him back on the settee. To his surprise she didn't kiss him, but looked adorably sheepish as she realised she'd all but tackled him. She started to move away, but Remus held her firmly against his chest as he kissed her.

Soon whatever magical musicians playing on the wireless were reduced to indiscernible droning as his ears attuned to her sighs and hums mingling with his low murmurs. Hands wandered as legs tangled, and the more they touched the greater the need for touch became. Remus shifted so that his body covered hers, and Tonks made the most pleased sounds as he trailed kisses along her cheekbone, her jaw, down her neck. She curved around him, back arching as he paused in the hollow of her throat. His lips glided over her collarbone until her fingers pressed against his face, insistently dragging him back to her mouth.

Her touches and responses to his caresses reached a deeper part of him than ever before. At first he thought it was because he'd at last acknowledged that he wanted what she wanted, and Tonks no longer had to conceal the depth of her feelings. But as he noted her reactions to his ministrations, he realised Tonks had always been this free in her responses.

The difference lay in him.

"How long?" he murmured.

Tonks muttered something unintelligble. When he pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, she made a slight protesting noise, but smiled dazedly as his fingertips traced patterns on her face. "How long have you wanted…?"

"…to marry you?" Tonks' face went scarlet face before she pulled Remus fully atop her again and buried her face in the curve of his neck. "Say it, Remus." Her hot breath on his skin made him shiver. "You've got to say it so I won't be the only one feeling rather odd."

"How long," he said, turning his head to kiss her ear, "have you wanted to…" He swallowed hard. "…marry me?" Her leg hooked around him, and he went completely slack against her. "God. That's strange."

"Good strange, though." Tonks's voice held the hint of a question.

Remus slid his hands underneath her lower back, cradling her as he propped himself on his arms. "Very good strange."

He kissed her softly, and she squirmed beneath him as she let out a happy sigh. Remus struggled to quell his desire long enough to have the conversation he'd initiated.

"D'you remember," Tonks said, "that time after we'd just started going out, when you said you could never marry?"

"You were appalled." Remus' mouth fell open as realisation dawned. Shifting to lie on his side, he asked, "You…thought about marrying me then? You said you weren't thinking of me that way."

Tonks' gaze flicked away as her lips curved slowly upward. "I lied." Dark eyes locking with his once again, she reached up to brush the fringe back from his face. "Of course I'd thought of what sort of…husband…you'd make. For me. But I couldn't tell you. It would've scared you off."

Remus caught her hand and held it against his chest. "How could you know you wanted to be with me?" he whispered.

"It was ridiculously easy to think seriously about you." She sat up and hugged her to her chest. "You're the most wonderful man I've ever met."

She paused, as though to allow him to refute the statement. Remus thanked her, and rested his hands on her knees as he leant in to kiss her.

"I didn't know it would work out," she said. "But I really wanted it to."

Tonks had said many lovely things to him since before they became romantically involved, but none but "I love you" had touched and delighted Remus more than this. All the effort she'd put into their relationship had been because somehow she'd looked at him and seen not an unemployed, prematurely grey-haired, peaky werewolf, but a man who was husband material. Husband material for her.

Suddenly he averted his gaze. He wished he could tell Tonks he'd thought the same way about her, but the truth was he had not allowed his imagination to wander to that impossible place.

As though reading his thoughts, Tonks said, "I know you haven't thought much of our future. It's okay, y'know. It doesn't hurt my feelings." She placed her hands over his. "You're a one day at a time kind of bloke. You balance me."

Remus grinned as he let his fingers curve around hers. "I might have upset the balance today."

Her forehead dimpled questioningly.

Leaning in to kiss her earlobe, Remus whispered, "I imagined our children."

Tonks inhaled sharply, but said with laughter in her voice, "No, I don't think that upsets the balance at all."

"Somehow," Remus replied, laying back and drawing her to rest against his chest, "I didn't think it would."

Neither spoke for some time as they held one another, soft music drifting from the wireless in the bedroom. Remus stroked Tonks' hair as contentment enveloped him. It was a feeling he thought he'd experienced before, but he realised now contentment wasn't about settling for one's lot in life, but about satisfaction.

"So." Tonks lifted her head, but did not quite meet his eyes. "Now we've said the m-word….Does that mean we're not boyfriend and girlfriend anymore?"

"In light of the fact that we've just discussed marriage and children," said Remus, "I think I may safely assume you're not breaking up with me?"

Tonks laughed. "I mean, do I get to call you my fiancé now? Are we officially engaged?"

"Technically," Remus said, drawing out the word, "but I would like to drop down on one knee when you least expect it and ask the old fashioned way." He frowned slightly as he considered the first snarl in his plans: what would he do about a ring? But he banished the unpleasant thought for now and added, "If that's all right with you, of course."

"Of course it's all right," Tonks said, voice tremulous with delight, "but I doubt you'll be able to catch me off guard."

Remus arched an eyebrow. "Constant vigilance?"

"Oh no," said Tonks. "I won't be able to stop thinking about you being all romantic and Marauderish and sexy."

Remus again turned so that he was over her, hands drifting over her hips. "I believe the word's Marauderesque."

"Whatever. Still sexy."

Determined to prove everything she'd just declared him to be, Remus lowered himself to kiss her neck.

He was thwarted by Tonks' stomach growling loudly.

In mock-consternation, Remus glared at her. "I suppose that's your tactless way of asking if supper will be ready soon?"

"Will it?" Her voice held a slightly desperate note, and Remus noticed she was pale and definitely hungrier for food than foreplay. "I worked through lunch."

Remus sat up immediately, concern for her health quashing desire. "Your first day back after sick leave, and they didn't let you off for lunch?"

"I told you, it was chaos. Not only was Bones out, but we were up to our eyeballs with reports of Death Eater sightings and suspicious activities." She accepted his hands, and when he'd pulled her up from the sofa, she hugged him, as though to reassure him. "It's nice to come home to you after a day like that."

"It's nice to be come home to." With her body pressed close to his, Remus again battled a rush of longing. Hoping to sustain thee amorous mood, he released her summoned the wireless. "We can dine by romantic music."

Tonks snorted as it settled on the mantel. "You say that now the Weird Sisters are off."

"Of course," said Remus as he went to check the soup. "The Weird Sisters could hardly be called romantic."

"They've got some lovely ballads."

Tonks stood beside him and stirred a cauldron in which herbs steeped – the Wolfsbane Potion she was learning to brew for him. A birthday gift, made in March. Merlin – she'd taken it upon herself because she anticipated being his wife.

"I'll never understand how you can brew potions," Remus said, slightly choked, nudging her with his shoulder, "but not cook."

"I'll never understand how you can cook," Tonks nudged him back, with her hip, "but not brew potions."

They shared a smile that clearly communicated their unvoiced emotions.

As they set the table, sliced bread, ladled soup into bowls, they talked about how they'd spent their respective days. It was completely normal, as if nothing extraordinary had happened, and Remus began to wonder if he hadn't dreamed that he'd just become as good as engaged to Nymphadora Tonks. But when they seated themselves at the table their gazes locked, and they smiled and laughed half-bashfully. The joy welling up inside him and radiating from her assured Remus it was real. He was going to be married. They were going to be married.

"Can I change both names?" Tonks asked as she sipped her soup. "Mm, this is really good, Remus."

"Thank you," said Remus, sure the grin he wore looked completely daft. How many more pleasant surprise would he get as hitherto unthought of aspects of marriage came up in conversation? She would take his name. "Do you mean…you want to be…Tonks Lupin?"

She nodded eagerly as she tore off a bit of bread and dipped it in her soup. "No one can call me Nymphadora anymore, because it won't be my name."

"But if it's not your name," said Remus, "I shall feel odd using it at romantic moments."

Tonks' brow furrowed as though she had not considered this and was weighing the pros and cons of keeping a name just so he could use it when she preferred others not do so.

Under the table, he rubbed his leg against hers. "Like so, Nymphadora."

"Nymphadora Lupin," Tonks said contemplatively, returning the affectionate gesture. It sent expectant tingles through Remus' body, confirming his thoughts about after dinner activities – but she abruptly swung her leg back, tucking it under her chair. Remus missed the contact but reasoned it was for the best, if he hoped to eat his soup. He was distracted, however, by her sudden turn to seriousness.

"If Dumbledore does need you to go away," Tonks said with quiet confidence, "don't feel conflicted about it. There's a war, and we've work to do. I don't expect us to get married immediately. "Even if you don't have to go, there's no rush."

However ready Remus was to take this step with her, he knew he would never be able say no to a mission Dumbledore deemed important. He appreciated Tonks' patience and perspective, and felt even surer about his decision to take this leap with her knowing she understood him so well.

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "But what if I can't wait to get married?" he asked with a wink. Tonks smiled and rubbed her leg against his, and Remus abandoned all hope of finishing the meal.

Somehow he did manage it, but Remus again had to wait as Tonks insisted on putting the dirty dishes and utensils to soak. The instant the chore was complete, Remus slipped his arms around Tonks' waist and kissed her neck.

Leaning back against him, she asked breathily, "What's for dessert?"

Remus was about to answer, when a soprano warbled over the wireless:

Oh, come and stir my cauldron,

And if you do it right,

I'll boil you up some hot, strong love

To keep you warm tonight.

They laughed at the irony of Celestina Warbeck, whom they had disparaged, coming on at this moment, but Tonks did not allow it to ruin the mood. Turning in Remus' arms, she said, "Scrummy."

Not entirely sure whether she meant to be as suggestive as she came across, and realising she was still recovering from a serious injury and might be tired from her strenuous work day, Remus made an attempt at not appearing too eager. "Miss Warbeck," he asked, "or hot, strong, love?"

"Definitely the hot, strong love."

Tonks looked at him in a way that made Remus catch his breath. Yes, her body language was definitely different than it had been last night, and the night before. Merlin, she wanted what he wanted.

Letting one hand slide up to take her hand, to dance, he asked hoarsely, "Are you using a Celestina Warbeck song to tell me you want me?"

"Would you rather it was the Weird Sisters?" Tonks swayed slightly with him, somehow managing to put them out of tempo from the music.

Remus stopped moving and held her firmly against him. "I don't care what it is."

"How are you," she asked, "going to tell me…" Her free hand drifted up to finger the buttons of his shirt "…you want me?"

Catching that hand, Remus drew them both to settle on his shoulders. Her arms twined around his neck, pulling her closer against him as he bent to give her a kiss he hoped left her in no doubt.

"Better than Celestina," Tonks murmured as he drew back. "Or even the Weird Sisters."

Remus took her hand and led her to the bedroom pausing just inside the door. His fingers skimmed lightly over her neck to cup her face. He kissed her slowly, tenderly, and felt her catch her breath. He looked into her eyes to be sure this was what she wanted, that she was ready. He needn't have; her dark eyes were warm and welcoming as always.

Just as Remus laid Tonks back on the bed, and she held out her hands to draw him down with her, Celestina hit a startling high note. Their laughter mingled with the prolonged wobbling, and Remus, though his heart was pounding and he barely had breath, asked, "Shall I silencethe hot, strong love?"

"S'perfect," Tonks whispered, and he lowered his head to meet her mouth again.

The chorus of the love song repeated, and though Celestina Warbeck sang with a bit more passion than such silly lyrics merited, Remus agreed with Tonks that it seemed oddly appropriate, lending lightness to their first lovemaking.

Oh, come and stir my cauldron,

And if you do it right,

I'll boil you up some hot, strong love—

They jumped again as a male voice abruptly cut off the diva:

"We interrupt this WWN broadcast with a special news bulletin: the Brockdale Bridge is reduced to rubble, and dozens of Muggles lie dead in an indisputable act of magical terrorism occurring just moments ago…"

"Good God," whispered Remus.

"I've got to go," Tonks said, leaping up and summoning her robes and shoes from the wardrobe.

"This just in…According to Auror Head Rufus Scrimgeour, no one's made contact with Head of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Bones since the incident occurred…"

"Bloody hell!" Tonks cried as she flung her Auror uniform over her shoulders and did up the buttons by wand. "Remus, alert—"

He was already sending his Patronus. "I'm calling an emergency meeting."

Tonks nodded as she laced her shoes. "Kingsley or I'll send information. Don't wait up for me, I'm sure I'll be out all night."

It was likely the Order would also be occupied all night, but Remus could not imagine sleeping knowing Tonks was out searching for Death Eaters. He kissed her as she stood. "Be careful, love."

"You, too. I'll contact you when I can." Her eyes locked with his. "I love you, Remus."

In a blink, she was gone, the crack of Disapparation echoing in the air as the wireless announcer droned on about the new war in which Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks already had much work to do.

The End