Part Three: Strip (Tease)

It was just a bit of kissing.

With Remus Lupin.

A colleague. A former professor. A kind man. A wizard she very much respected.

A man whose trousers she'd vanished in retaliation for a prank.

A man who'd vanished her underwear in retaliation for the trousers.

Kissing was the natural progression of things.

Wasn't it?

It gave them both a break from all that retaliation, anyway.

Then again, she hadn't planned on kissing anyone tonight.

Sure, she was interested in Remus. She noticed him. Over time, she'd gone from observing him as she did every other person, to admiring him. Noticing his eyes, his smile, the lines of his face, the way his tatty, stretched sweaters fit across his shoulders…and eventually how his baggy, patched trousers still managed to highlight a great arse… It all had led to this….

…but she'd never really thought about this.

Had she?

Intrigued might be a better word than interested. She was fascinated by the dichotomy of responsible Order member and boyish prankster; of mild-mannered Englishman with werewolf.

Who wouldn't be?

Especially with an arse like that.

It was ridiculous to try and figure it out right now, with that mental image…. She couldn't think straight, and would never get it all sorted.

His lips slid tantalizingly over hers. Skimming one moment in light, careful caresses; then the next pressing a little harder: intent, deliberate, coaxing.

His knees rested against the sides of her legs, opening a little more, then pressing into her again as one of his hands cupped the back of her neck and drew her deeper in to him. The long fingers of the other worked through her hair.

Tonks moaned.

Right then. Interested was the word, after all.

But it was just a bit of kissing…

Only a bit of tingle-inducing kissing…

Oh God….Where had this man learned to kiss? It felt like magic. She wouldn't put it past him to know kissing charms. She'd had more passionate kisses than this, but nothing had ever tugged and pulled at her insides as though she were…

…Apparating?

Something about their surroundings – not that she was particularly aware of much but standing between Remus' knees, and his hands on her neck and face and hair – seemed different. Her eyes snapped open as she broke their kiss.

He'd Apparated them to his bedroom.

The bed wasn't made. That was…interesting. Word of the night.

Her insides continued their feverish dance as she realised Remus was standing very close to her, hands sliding down her back, settling on her hips.

She really needed to keep on top of him.

Wincing at her bad phrasing – glad it was only a thought, hoping he wasn't a Legilimens – she said, "Didn't you hear Molly scolding the twins for Apparating in the house?"

"She does considerably more than scold the twins," said Remus, "and in case you've forgotten, Molly herself Apparated in the house just a moment ago."

Oh. Right. She had forgot. And she'd happily forget again. She didn't really want to think about anybody else's romantic mischief but her own, thank you very much.

"Anyway," Remus continued, "I'd much rather face her wrath for Apparating than being caught by her in a game of Trousers for Trousers, Shirts for Shirts."

He leant into her, and Tonks tilted her face upward to meet his mouth.

But Remus paused a breath away and quirked an eyebrow at her. "I assume you've no wish to surrender our prank war?"

His voice was low and husky. It – or his breath on her mouth – or both – sent shivers and tingles throughout her body. And he seemed aware of the effect it was having on her.

Tonks hadn't known Remus very long when she abandoned the idea that quietness meant he was serious. Still, she'd not pegged him as the adept-at-seduction type.

Blimey, was he seducing her?

Greying hair, smile lines, and a slight build suddenly seemed very sexy. But it wasn't just the fact that he was smooth that boosted his attraction. There wasjust a hint of shyness in those blue eyes peering at her from under the shaggy ends of his hair.

Something more than mere wanting was at work here.

He fancied her.

For how long? And when had he been planning on telling her? Had he planned on it at all? She'd hoped before now that he fancied her, but his brand of flirtation prior to tonight had been hard to read. Maybe he liked witches to make the first move? She wouldn't put it past him to have read the future and known she would de-trouser him. It would be just like Remus for this all to be some great scheme…

Ridiculous. Remus was a powerful wizard, but he wasn't a seer.

She nearly smacked herself on the forehead. That half-shy look meant fear of disappointment. Fear that this was just a game, fear that she didn't fancy him back.

He was being – and had been – cautious.

Remus needn't fear.

Tonks did fancy him.

Very much.

More than she had before this whole prank war started.

And Nymphadora Tonks never surrendered.

Whipping out her wand, she vanished his dark blue jumper.

Tonks folded her arms across her chest and met his gaze with a smirk.

Her challenging pose fell when she saw the expected Marauderish glint was not sparkling in Remus' eyes.

His look wasn't self-conscious, precisely. How could he be, the man who hadn't been embarrassed when she'd bared his arse?

But that had been a prank. She hadn't vanished his trousers out of a conscious desire to get him naked, and he knew it.

Subconscious desire, apparently. But Remus wasn't reading her subconscious at the moment. He was just a man who fancied a woman he hoped found him attractive.

He wasn't the sort of bloke she'd see on the street and give a second glance to. He wasn't broad, he wasn't muscular. He was slender – skinny, even – and pale.

But the little hollows in his throat and collarbones looked kissable.

What reaction would that get out of him?

Tonks had to know.

His stomach dipped inward with a sharp intake of breath as she pressed her mouth between shoulder and neck. His skin was so very warm and smooth against her cheek, and she wanted to touch more of him. She slid her arms around his waist so she could at least feel the bare skin below the sleeves of her t-shirt against his.

Remus' hands splayed flat on her back, drawing her closer against him. Merlin, how she wanted to feel his palms on her skin. His breath was hot on her neck as his chin rested on her shoulder. She was acutely aware, of all ridiculous things, his day's growth of beard scratching against the cotton of her t-shirt. It would prickly deliciously against her bare shoulder…

Wasn't it about time Remus retaliated?

Her own breath hitched, then shuddered out, as she trailed kisses across his soft, taut skin. She liked the feel of him, and she liked making him feel.

She wasn't sure which she liked more.

Remus' chest rumbled against her as he said, "We're playing by those rules, then?"

Tonks couldn't raise her head as she murmured, "D'you have some other rules in mind?"

The long fingers slipped under the hem of her t-shirt. The tips were cold, yet as they sent shivers racing up her spine, they spread warmth that stole into places hidden so deep inside she hadn't even known they were part of her. His face brushed against hers as his lips softly kissed her temple, her cheekbone, her jaw, her ear.

"Do we have to use magic?" Remus rasped into her ear, making her squirm as goose bumps rose on her neck and down her shoulders and arms. "Personally, I think clothing removal is more fun the Muggle way."

"I wouldn't want to spoil your fun."

It was, undoubtedly, more magical to feel his hands on her bare skin, easing her shirt upward than to simply have it all vanished away and be presented in all her glory at once.

Or was it the way his hair fell over his forehead as he bent to watch the slow revelation of her midriff? She wished she could see his eyes…

Long, thin frame dropping to a crouch, his fingers held her waist lightly as he pressed his mouth to her stomach. He rose slightly as he continued an upward trail, inching her shirt higher, hands closing more confidently around her hips.

Tonks was wondering if she'd be able to keep on her feet much longer, when he straightened, soft brown hair tickling her tummy as he rose. He paused, poised to raise her shirt to reveal her breasts. His thumb just grazed the underside, and her heart, already pounding at what seemed like the highest possible rate, accelerated even more.

What would he think of her? She wore her own small-busted body. She was nothing spectacular. There were lots of much sexier witches in the world.

For the first time, she hesitated.

How far would this go?

The moment of insecurity melted away as she realised what his pause implied.

His eyes met hers.

He was sure about his. But he wanted her to be sure, too.

Somehow she'd never had less control over her own facial muscles, but she moved her mouth in what she hoped was a smile. She supposed she was successful; Remus smiled back.

A sexy half-grin. His eyes darkened as his gaze dropped to her chest. Fingers scrabbled awkwardly as he tried to get her shirt over her arms.

Apparently the sight of her breasts rendered him quite useless.

Tonks would have helped him, but the sight of Remus rendered useless rendered her useless. "If you don't get it off, Remus, you surrender."

With a noise of frustration, he muttered something that sounded very much like Bugger the Muggle way and, with another unintelligible phrase, vanished her t-shirt.

Okay, so she didn't mind that so much. Especially not when he pulled her to him, and she felt his skin, so warm, against her own. He was thin and slight, but they fitted together so wonderfully…

…and then she was lying on the unmade bed – his bed – surrounded by the cool sheets he had entangled. (Had he lain here and imagined doing this? He'd said he'd speculated about what sort of bra and knickers she wore.)

The mattress sagged and bedsprings creaked as he stretched himself over her, wiry arms flexed as he rested his weight on his elbows.

God, she loved the way he looked, leaning over her like that…She mussed his hair, in the light rich and silver-streaked, as he kissed her neck, her breast…Lips supple, cheek smooth, chin just the slightest bit rough and inducing her to arch her back and press her stomach against his – soft but firm and another dichotomy – as his tongue found her nipple, and—

Oh God.

She needed to kiss him.

But when she tried to draw his mouth up to hers, he laughed low and continued applying his teasing ministrations to her body, easing himself more on top of her, one leg sliding between hers, foot rubbing her calf...

Well then. Two could play at that game.

Letting her eyelids droop, she yawned hugely.

Remus' eyes flicked upward as his lips hovered over her breast. "Am I boring you, Nymphadora?"

"Don't call me Nymphadora," she said in her best grumpy voice – which, for once, was difficult to feign, because his fingertips were working a magic up and down her sides that bid her insides to dance, and she really did like the way Remus could say her name.

She liked the way it sounded falling from his lips, his lips that lingered so close to her skin, to her breast, under these circumstances.

Even though she shouldn't like him using her name, the great teasing prat.

Tonks yawned again. Impressively. Convincingly.

The lines of Remus' face deepened as his features fell.

It was all Tonks could do not to smile. She touched his cheek. "I'm really sorry, Remus. I thought I was up for this, but I s'pose I was wrong."

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

Oh, she was being terribly mean…

He'd get over it. He was a Marauder.

And he'd got her half-naked.

In his bed.

She pushed his fringe out of his face. "We just had such a long day…What with getting Harry and all…It was pretty stressful to be so secretive and vigilant…"

He nodded with a tight grin. Trying very hard not to look disappointed.

It was very hard to let him be disappointed.

She'd make it up to him.

"And you know I find it rather tiring," she said through another yawn, "coming up with great tricks."

Remus' eyes widened, then glinted – but the way he settled himself on top of her belied his scowl. "You little tease."

"I never thought you'd actually fall for—"

Soft denim rubbed against her thighs – but not her jeans.

No, Tonks' jeans were quite absent.

The sparkle in Remus' darkening eyes was quite present.

But this time, when she pulled him to bring their mouths together, he yielded.

The natural progression was definitely more than just a bit of kissing.