Heya,

Ok it's official – I'm like the worst updater ever :( AND I'm soooo sorry for it (all the wonderful reviews actually made me feel really guilty when I realised how long it's been) In all honesty this chapter should've been posted more than 2 months ago but unfortunately my laptop got really sick and the computer man had to put it down :( Believe me... I was devastated.

Anyways to make up for it I've written an extra long chapter for you. Ok that's a lie, I really didn't intend on it being this long and ultimately it's not that good to make up for anything. But here it is anyway :D

Thanks to all the people who read the last chapter (oh so long ago) and extra special thanks to all those wonderful reviewers who I missed so much. Sonello0629, PhoenixDreamer55, OTP, Copperboombaby8, ivonne910, ChristinaAngel, .x.BadWolfRose.x., ladyherenya, The Savior of the Broken, Kristal,GreatMouseDetective, kk1189 (BTW can't wait to catch up on your stories), mslupin21, WakeUpThisWorld, Death's-Razor-Blade, ZemISHly, horklump, xDFx, Allie, magically dorky, Rowen James, pet-munchkin and Amy – here's to ya!!

Dedicated to my dear Jord (A.K.A pet-munchkin) who I haven't sent a reply email to in months :D (And to all the reviewers I didn't get around to replying to)

An Act of Betrayal - Part 2

HHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

The loud abhorrent noise shook the still air, sending birds that had settled in nearby tress scattering into the night sky and destroying the eerily calm facade that had settled over the neighbourhood as dusk fell. Bright shining headlights lit up the darkened street, highlighting the lone figure that had ventured onto the road, unknowingly into the path of its destruction. Its sudden appearance forced the wanderer out of the loathsome, distracted mood he'd slipped into, causing him to hastily jump backwards up onto the curb just as the red Lexus sped past him, a certain finger thrown casually out the window as it went, accompanied by a few choice words.

Screeching its tires, the vehicle sped around the corner and out of site, leaving him stunned on the sidewalk in its wake. The street faded back to darkness as the car's lights disappeared into the distance and Remus stood still, momentarily stunned, until the sound of vicarious laughter brought him out of his stupor, helping him to adjust to recent events and refocus on the world around him. He didn't need to focus, however, to know whom the laughter was coming from. It had a very distinct sound to it, one he was sure he'd recognise anywhere, no matter what guise its owner was wearing. But it wasn't just her laughter that had alerted him to her presence. His senses, heightened by the impending moon, had detected her scent on the wind long before she'd made a sound. And it wasn't just the familiar scent of her shampoo or the flowery perfume she'd put on that he could smell, it was her natural scent that he'd detected – cinnamonand cherry blossoms. It's what she always smelt of and for some unknown reason it had the most peculiar effect on him, it made his stomach drop and all of the senses in his body come alive.

After a while the loud laughter died down into barely concealed chuckles, the girly squeaks breaking the silence as Remus kept his eyes firmly trained on the pavement beneath his feet. When the embarrassment that had crept up his neck faded away, he finally gathered enough courage to lift his gaze, immediately confirming what he'd already believed to be true. Across the road from him, standing on the footpath in front of the phoney safe-house they were meant to be watching, was the very woman that had consumed his thoughts all day and the same one that he'd been dreading seeing.

Sirius's words to him that morning had really shaken him, and not just because he was actually being 'serious' for once. His friends' words had been playing over and over in his head all day, repeating themselves like a mantra, and ever since breakfast whenever he so much as even thought about Tonks a pressing weight would push forth in his stomach, settling in the bottom and consuming him with feelings of guilt. So as he stood there on the gloomy street corner, the wind whipping perilously around him, he prepared himself for those feelings to wash over him again, only to be left surprised when they didn't come.

Surprise quickly turned to confusion as he stared across the street at her, wondering why the overpowering feelings weren't there. The clouds parted abovetheir heads, the moon peaking out and bathing them in soft light. It silhouetted her form and gave a pearly sheen to her features, somehow making her seem more ethereal than real and for a moment Remus wondered if maybe she wasn't. He wondered if perhaps this was a dream, it would certainly explain the lack of feelings, but all such thoughts were knocked clear from his head as she took a step forward and stumbled over her robes, causing her shrieks of laughter to grow louder – surely dream Tonks wouldn't be so clumsy.

A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched her try to compose herself, relief flooding him when he realised that in stressing about it all day, he'd built the moment up in his head to be much worse than the reality of it all. He'd been imagining something harder but actually seeing her, smelling her scent on the wind around him, hearing her squeaky giggles fill the air – it somehow reassured him that maybe things weren't so bad. And even though the weight of guilt was still there, it had been suppressed by a familiar swarm of butterflies that always seemed to fill his stomach whenever she was around. In that moment, feeling the way he felt, he honestly couldn't imagine ever not wanting to see her.

The thunder rumbled angrily in the sky above him as he stepped onto the road, making sure to check for rogue on-coming vehicles, before tentatively making his way towards her. The streetlight above her slowly flickered to life and his smile widened when he saw her properly for the first time. She had her hand firmly covering her mouth as she desperately tried to pass her giggles off as a coughing fit only to fail miserably, her face turning red from the effort of suppressing it all.

-/Who'd have thought... the professor can't cross the street by himself/-

"Didn't your parents ever teach you to look both ways before you cross the street Remus."

He shook his head at her teasing tone, dropping his gaze to the footpath as he walked towards her, a blush creeping up his neck, his feelings caught somewhere between embarrassment and amusement that she seemed to find his moment of weakness so entertaining. A sudden crack of lightning caused him to instinctively look up in shock as it lit up the street around him, illuminating Tonks lithe form barely metres in front of him. Her giggling had stopped and she no longer had her hand covering her mouth but he wasn't greeted with the sweet girlish smile he'd been expecting, the one he adored, the one that made his heart stop. Instead he was greeted with an unexpected smug grin, one that looked all too familiar but at the same time appeared completely out of place on her innocent heart-shaped face – an arrogant, superior smile that was the trademark of her cousin.

Tonks was such an unconventional person with such a bright and bubbly personality that sometimes it was easy to forget that the blood of the ancient and most noble house of Black was running ice-cold through her veins. But as another bolt of lightning shot across the cloud-filled sky, revealing Tonks with the hood of her black cloak pulled up over her head, a self-satisfied smirk hardening her usually soft features, the resemblance was unmistakable. And even without the signature black hair and sullen moods that marked her relatives, the image was enough to leave Remus speechless.

-/Poor guy, maybe you just need someone to hold your hand... oooh I volunteer/-

The wind picked up around them as the image of Tonks in a tight Hogwarts uniform, her hand waving wildly in the air for her professors attention, filtered into his mind. The breeze ruffled his cloak, masking the beginnings of appreciation for the certain image as he fought hard to keep a stupid, lustful grin from claiming his face, unable to look her in the eye but still unable, or perhaps just unwilling, to look away. She moved her head slightly to the side and all his thoughts of her similar Black traits faded completely when her hood slid back, long pink tendrils of her hair escaping their fabric prison and falling down to gently frame her face.

The butterflies in his stomach fluttered to life when her smile widened into the girly grin he'd been waiting for and as her eyes lit up, her 'Tonks' side shining through – an amusing impish look softening her features and masking her haughty 'Black' reflection. And even though she was clearly enjoying teasing him, he couldn't help it when his smile widened as well.

"Good evening Nymphadora"

He fought back an amused chuckle when she visibly flinched at the sound of her given name, the smile flickering off her face for the briefest moment as she narrowed her eyes at him. He waited for her usual reprimand to begin, her short but often repeated tirade about his use of the 'N' word, but to his surprise she didn't protest his use of it, at least not vocally.

-/Damn you and that stupid name... it's Tonks, just Tonks/-

"Wotcher Lupin"

She spoke her customary greeting with an added enthusiasm, a smirk lighting her face, as though calling him by his last name was bound to offend him as much as her first name offended her. But he didn't notice, his eyes were drawn to her mouth when she sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth, biting it enticingly as her eyes trailed over his body, an appreciative smile showing at the corners of her mouth. Not used to the attention of the opposite sex, he struggled to stand still under her roaming eyes but when she finally reached his face, he caught her gaze for the briefest of moments before she looked away coyly.

-/Oh Merlin, he has the most gorgeous smile. I'm so lucky he asked me to come tonight/-

Involuntarily, the very same smile she was referring to slipped off his face as he listened in on her thoughts. The pleasant butterflies in his stomach dyed away and the pressing cold weight of guilt pressed down upon him as he was forced out to the lustful fantasy he'd been concentrating on and back into reality. Fresh waves of shame crashed over him as he forced himself to remember the real reason he was trying to stare into her eyes on a moonlit night, the real reason they were standing in front of an abandoned old house during stormy weather instead of enjoying a hearty meal with Sirius, courtesy of Molly Weasley. A cold shiver ran down his spine when he thought of the real reason he'd asked her to come along tonight because it had nothing to do with what she was thinking – it wasn't luck at all, it was deception plain and simple.

'When she's devastated because no-one trusted her'

Sirius' gruff voice filled his head again, drowning out Tonks more pleasant thoughts and urging on the ever-growing weight in his stomach. And even though he was slightly amused that his dubious old friend seemed to be the voice of his conscience, it wasn't enough to keep him from regressing back to his self-loathing mood. The cold weight in his stomach crept upwards and he felt his chest constrict, compelling him to look away, her innocent smiling face, which only moments earlier had set his heartbeat racing, ultimately becoming too much to bear. With a look of pain etched across his torn features, he brushed passed her without a word and walked silently along the path towards the garden gate.

-/Ok what's that all about... where's he going?/-

Her footsteps sounded heavily against the pavement behind him, causing him to stop when he reached the gate, leaning heavily against the chain-link fence whilst he waited for her to catch up. He closed his eyes and brought a hand up to his head, roughly running it through his greying hair, causing strands of it to stand on end for a moment before they fell back flat. When he opened his eyes, Tonks was standing directly in front of him but the bright smiling face he'd walked away from was marred with concern and he immediately felt all the worse for it.

"Are you ok Remus? You seem a little distracted."

He had leaned down to undo the latch of the garden gate but he stopped and turned back around at the sound of her voice. Her eyes were trailing over him again but this time it had nothing to do with appreciation, it was as though she was trying to pinpoint the exact location of his unease – concern rather than delight shining out through her eyes. He wanted to tell her what was wrong, explain about the task and how it was forced upon him, he wanted to tell her that he'd only taken it because the thought of Snape keeping that closer eye on her turned his stomach sick and that he in no way believed her capable of betrayal. But then he'd never believed himself capable of betrayal and yet here he was. He wanted to tell her the truth but he knew that even though he would gain absolution from his admission, she'd only be hurt – so he faked a smile and lied.

"I'm fine."

-/Yeah right... and I use polyjuice potion on a regular basis/-

He straightened up, his eyes widening as he tried to look as innocent as possible under her scrutinising gaze, but instead of easing her mind it had the opposite effect. She folded her arms across her chest as her concerned face morphed into a stern one, her eyebrows raising in scepticism.

"Your fine, coz fine people don't usually step out in front of cars.."

-/and almost become roadkill. Do you have a death wish or something? I really hope not, I can't deal with two of you/-

His blank faux-innocent look turned into one of confusion, his brows furrowing as he muddled his way through her rambling thoughts, desperately wondering who else she knew that had a death wish. He waited on tenterhooks for her to continue, but she must've misinterpreted the look on his face because her thoughts suddenly changed direction.

-/Oh, ok... how do I explain this one/-

"Uh car, you know... giant piece of metal with wheels."

She began flailing her arms around in front of her, desperately trying to explain what he already knew. A smile broke across his face at the ridiculousness of her actions, she was impossibly cute sometimes, and he let a small chuckle escape as he reached forwards and gently grabbed her wrists, willing her to stop her attempts at education.

"Please stop, I uh, I know what a car is," he paused for a moment, trying to think of a logical reason for the clueless expression on his face earlier that had prompted her 'interpretation', "I just, I didn't step out in front of it – it came screeching round the corner out of nowhere."

He let go of her wrists, moving his hands back to his sides, immediately missing the warmth of her soft skin beneath his. She looked at him oddly.

"The car came from straight down the road."

-/A blind person could have seen it/-

An affronted, frustrated look slid across her features and although she looked awfully cute with her lips almost pouting, the smile faded from his face, there was a seriousness about her that didn't seem right on her features either. He knew she was worried about him but in all honesty he couldn't tell her the real reason he hadn't seen the car, couldn't tell her that he was so caught up in his horrible reasons for being there that he'd almost been hit by the 'great piece of metal with wheels'.

"Oh, well I uh, guess I didn't see it. Must've been..."

"Distracted?"

She offered the word with a small smile, concern still clearly evident in her eyes, but an i-told-you-so attitude shining through as well. He exhaled in a huff, grudgingly nodding his assent.

"And then before we were talking and you just walked away,"

He looked away from her, staring blankly across the road, he knew this one wouldn't be so easy to explain away and the truth wasn't an option. He ran his hand through his hair, tilting his head back and looking up to the stars for inspiration. He didn't want to lie to her but he honestly couldn't see another way out of it. The dark grey clouds were moving fast across the black sky, covering most of the stars, but light was still emitting from the large golden orb above his head, a visible shiver racking his body as he stared at the part of the sky he loathed.

-/Why didn't I see it before/-

"It's the moon isn't it, that's what's distracting you."

Her voice came out meek as she broke the silence, breaking his trance, and he heard her shuffling her feet as though she was scared to offend him if she'd assumed wrong. He tilted his head back towards her and seeing an easy out, he nodded his head in resignation, reasoning with himself that it wasn't a complete lie, just an omission of truth.

-/Oh god it's almost full/-

Her meaningful, compassionate eyes which had been boring into his own suddenly darted away with a sharp flick of her head but before they left his, he saw them fill with a emotion he hadn't seen there before when she looked at him – pity. It was a reaction that was all too familiar but it awoke a fear within him. Not the look itself, he was used to that look, and the feelings of rejection weren't new either – he was always expecting that reaction, only not from her.

-/Merlin I'm such an idiot... he's a werewolf/-

He also wasn't prepared for the reaction it caused within himself. It felt as though ice cold fingers had wrapped tightly around his heart and the fact that she could no longer bear to look at him reflected with each painstaking beat.

-/Of course he's bothered by the moon.. and here I am swanning around thinking its romantic/-

"I'm sorry."

Her head was bowed towards the ground, her eyes firmly trained on the scuff marks on her dirty black combat boots, as she mumbled her apology and although the ice-cold feelings of rejection slipped away when he realised she wasn't fazed by his 'condition', a much stronger feeling struck sharp in his chest as she uttered the 's' word. Before him stood a truly beautiful young woman, apologising for something she had no control over, when he was the one who should be apologising to her, a million times over, and even then it would never be enough to excuse what he was doing to her tonight.

Suddenly he was filled with an overwhelming, subconscious desire to let her know that it wasn't her fault, none of it was, and so he reached out towards her, his strong fingers lightly brushing along the soft skin on the underside of her jaw as his thumb stroked along her chin. He gently tilted her head upwards, his dark eyes meeting her soft blue hues in a moment of heartfelt honesty – he wanted her to know that his words were sincere, even if his actions were not.

"You have nothing to apologise for Nymphadora. It's not your fault, none of it."

-/I might have something to apologise for if you keep calling me that/-

She gave him a small smile, rolling her eyes at him for his excessive use of the 'N' word and when he was sure she wouldn't drop her head again, he reluctantly pulled his hand away before he acted on his urge to trace her pouting lips with his thumb.

-/Oh merlin/-

"I guess I'm just not great company tonight."

She seemed to brighten at this and the impish look returned to her face, her playful smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

"That's alright. I'll be great enough for the both of us."

-/Ok that sounded dirtier than I wanted it to/-

Her breathy voice, combined with a suggestive wink and her lucrative thoughts caused Remus' eyes to widen in mock-surprise, a smile crinkling his serious face when he saw the light pink tinge creep into her cheeks. The mood between them relaxed once again and although he didn't feel entirely at ease with the situation, he tried not to let it show, she didn't need to know. She shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans and shrugged at him, her eyes lighting up as she did so.

-/Knew I was forgetting something/-

"Speaking of great company,"

She pulled her hand out of her pocket and opened it up to him, revealing a small black parcel sitting in her palm. He eyed her hand suspiciously, his brows furrowing in confusion as he looked up to find her watching him expectantly.

"I ran into Mad-Eye at the Ministry this morning and he chucked it at me, told me to give it to you tonight."

"What is it?"

She shrugged her shoulders again, her clueless attitude faltering when her eyes swiftly darted away from his own.

"No idea."

His eyebrows rose high on his forehead as he stared at her sceptically, switching his gaze between the guilty-looking woman before him and the shrunken object in her hands.

-/Ok so I do know what it is but I'm not telling you that I peeked/-

"So he didn't tell you what it was, did he tell you anything?"

"Well he may have muttered something about 'Constant Vigilance' but you know Moody."

"And you didn't think to question him about it."

She looked at him indignantly, her hand coming to rest lazily on her hip as she rolled her eyes.

"Who questions Moody?"

He shrugged his shoulders in some semblance of agreement, letting the subject drop for the moment as he reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. Carefully he levitated the small parcel from Tonks outstretched hand and moved it between them. Moving his wrist in an intricate circle, he whispered several words under his breath causing the package between them to expand into its original form - a large black backpack. He stowed his wand back into his robes before reaching out and unzipping the bag, opening it up to find it full of various intruder devices. On top of it all was a crisp white envelope which he snatched out of the satchel before zipping it shut and hoisting it over his shoulder.

'Lupin' was scrawled in the center of the envelope in Moody's unmistakeable excuse for quillmenship but when he flipped it over to open it he found Moody's trademark eye imprint wax seal was missing. In its place were grease marks on the parchment where the wax once sat – apparently somebody wasn't as innocent as they claimed.

Lupin,

This will help you tonight with CONSTANT VIGILANCE, in case you get distracted by something, or someone, else.

Best to be sure Lad

Rolling his eyes at the old man's subtleness, or complete lack thereof, he scrunched the parchment up tightly in his hands before throwing it in the air, watching it incinerate to ash as it drifted along on the cool winds.

"Well now personally I think he's getting a bit paranoid in his old age and all but it can't hurt to put them out. We'll have to do it quickly though, looks like it's going to bucket down soon."

Her voice broke through the still air whilst he was still drifting off about Moody's accurate words and by the time he'd looked up, she'd already passed through the garden gate and had set off across the lawn. The gate clicked shut as he walked through it, quickly passing the dilapidated old white house with his long, smooth strides and catching up with her just as she neared the fence line. Her foot was rooting around in the dirt under a plant, scratching a hole to set the first device up and as he unzipped the backpack to take the offending object out, he noticed the sudden awkward silence that had fallen over them.

It was never like this between them, even the first time they met they'd found something to talk about, mostly because she'd fallen over what she claimed was an 'evil' umbrella stand and given them ammo to tease her mercilessly. And as he listened to the sounds of the street around them, magnified by the silence between them, he couldn't help but wonder if it'd always be like this now, if he'd sacrificed their easygoing friendship for the Order - if this was the price he had to pay.

-/There were three in the bed, then Remus said – roll over, roll... ov..er/-

He couldn't help but smile at the randomness of her thoughts and that was when he realised that things hadn't changed, not really. She didn't know about any of it and the only reason things were awkward between them was because he was allowing it. He shook his head as he pulled the device out of the backpack and handed it to her, his smile increasing due to the relief of it all.

-/Then me and Remus were left in the bed and.../-

"What are smiling at Remus, another amusing note in the bag."

"No uh, just thinking."

Her eyebrows quirked as she took the offering from his outstretched hand as if prompting him for his thoughts. And he obliged, in a doctored fashion, figuring teasing was better than silence.

"Just remembering the first time we met," her face quirked into a smile, "and you fell on your face."

The smile faded into a mock glare and she rolled her eyes as she dropped to her knees and set the device on the ground.

"Really?"

-/You and Sirius have really got to let that go already, as if it wasn't embarrassing enough the first time/-

The voice in her head wasn't joking, it didn't sound humorous, it sounded serious and wounded. She always laughed it off when she fell, always acted as though it was all in good fun when they teased her, he hadn't realised that maybe it was just that – acting. Beneath her tough exterior, a vulnerable girl hid and he was starting to see that maybe picking on her clumsiness wasn't helping.

"No, not really," he smiled, "I was actually admiring the fact that you had this mysterious bag in your possession all day and yet withstood the urge to peek inside."

He smiled smugly as he spoke but she didn't take the bait, she simply shrugged her shoulders, focusing far more than necessary on the intruder device in her hands. But even though her face was the picture of concentration, he could still see the guilty smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"It was nothing."

-/It's not hard that hard to carry an unknown package... oh it's bad, now I'm lying to myself/-

He'd known of her guilt in the matter from the start, there was no way she could've carried it around all day without looking inside, she just wasn't that person. But he was dying for her to admit it.

"No really Tonks, I know you're not exactly known for your patience, it must've been challenging. Curiosity is a Black trait, Sirius would not have fared as well as you did. I'm quite proud of you."

-/Oh god... please stop/-

Her false innocent look faltered as she stood up, dusting the dirt off her knee's as she went. She closed her eyes as she looked in his face, a polite smile masking the mocking behind his eyes, he knew she going to crack.

"Stop, I wasn't strong, I was completely weak and I peeked," she looked completely regretful for a moment before a vindicated smile took over her face, "But I had a very good reason to."

"Which was?"

Her righteous smile fell as he asked the question she had to be expecting, her eyes widening ever so slightly.

"Well, u... uh –"

-/Damn it Tonks, stop looking at his pretty face and think/-

"Well I had to make sure it wasn't dangerous."

-/Dangerous... yeah that's good, not in the least bit vague/-

He eyed her suspiciously, folding his arms across his chest as he stared down at her.

"And praytell, why would a package given to you by an order member be dangerous?"

She shifted on the spot under his unwavering gaze. Her mouth opening and closing several times like a fish above the water.

"Well... uh... um...well it's not like he hasn't been impersonated before," she smiled when she realised she was onto something, "and it really wouldn't look good for an Auror to be caught carrying around a dark object – don't exactly fancy a stint in Azkaban."

He nodded his head and let out a slight chuckle at her predictable defensiveness, so unlike her cousin who'd simply tell him to bugger off. A satisfied grin had spread across her face and even though she wasn't thinking it, he could clearly tell she was struggling to keep from poking her tongue out at him, her posture clearly showing her impression with herself for having explained it away. Clearly thinking she'd won, but how wrong she was.

"You know there's another way to explain why you peeked Nymphadora."

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly on her forehead as she stared at him, her cute little expression making it harder to suppress the devilish little smile from taking over his face.

"Which is?"

He slung the backpack back over his shoulder, his mouth crinkling at the corners from suppressing the smug smile that was trying to fight it's way forth. He stared at her, catching her eye as he stepped a little closer towards her, catching the familiar smell of his shampoo in her hair as he bent down to speak in her ear. His original intent had been to unnerve her, to make sure that his words would crack her cocky facade but being that close to her unnerved him and he almost lost himself completely as his lips unintentionally brushed lightly against her soft earlobe. It wasn't until he felt her shudder against him, heard her breath hitch in her throat, that he remembered his original plan and instead of taking her luscious pink lobe between his lips like he'd so wanted to do, he spoke softly as if telling her a secret.

"That you can incredibly nosy sometimes."

As he pulled back he watched as her eyes flutter open, shock finally registering on her pretty face as he turned away from her and walked down the side of the house, leaving her there with her jaw slightly ajar and her eyes wide.

-/HUH/-

He couldn't stop the smile that took over his face as he reached the corner of the yard, where they would place the next device, and turned back to see her still standing there with the same dumbfounded expression on her features. He set the backpack on the ground and set about freeing the next device from Moody's tangle of equipment, steeling himself for her retort when he finally heard her footsteps thudding against the hard ground as she made her way towards him.

With the device firmly in his hand, he zipped the backpack up and pushed it to the side as Tonks came to stand behind him, so close that the warmth emanating from her body set the hairs on the back of his neck on end. He could feel her behind him so it was no surprise to see her there when he stood up and turned around, what he didn't expect to see was the look of wild determination in her eyes, her jaw set as she stared up at him indignantly.

-/Prat/-

"I am not nosey."

She punctuated each word deftly and for a moment, without the aid of any thoughts in her head, he couldn't tell whether she was seriously offended at his words, or more likely his actions, or whether she was still messing around. To save himself a confrontation, and to ensure the protection of certain parts of his anatomy that he'd become quite attached to, he simply shrugged his shoulders and turned around to attach the device to the fence.

"Remus I'm not," he smiled in relief when he heard the whining in her voice, "think about this logically – Mad-Eye was my teacher, he's the one that drilled 'Constant Vigilance' into my skull, I heard it about 30 times a day during training. Therefore I was just doing what he himself had trained me to do."

With a final flourish of his wand, he finished setting the sticking charm and turned around to face her, noting that her expression was the picture of innocent seriousness once again.

"You were just being a good student really."

"He would have expected no less."

Her hands made their way to her hips as the self-satisfied smile fought its way forward again. He didn't know whether it was the reflection of the moon, or perhaps streetlights, or whether it was the knowledge that she'd come up with another passable explanation for her 'nosiness' but her eyes seemed to twinkle. His expression softened.

"So that's the official line then?"

-/Yep, and I'm sticking to it/-

She bent down and picked the backpack up of the ground and gave him a coy smile as she walked away from him this time. And even though he hated for her to think she'd gained the upper hand this time, the view of her walking away more than made up for it.

-/Really, fancy him thinking I was nosey... wait who am I kidding/-

"Come on Remus, it's going to rain on us if we're not quick."

She cast a glance at him over her shoulder as she spoke and after shaking his head at her sudden attitude, and his mind from the gutter, he obediently set after her, watching her long black cloak swish in the wind as she walked, her hips swinging just a little more than usual. The thought that perhaps they were swinging more because she knew he was watching crept into his head, immediately banished by the more logical side of him, replaced by the thought of being a lecherous old man.

-/DAMN/-

She'd dropped her intruder device onto the dirt and with a few curses she thrust the last one towards his chest as he came to stand in front of her, vanishing the empty backpack with a lazy flick of her wrist. Her cloaked pooled around her petite ankles as she bent down to retrieve the fallen item and set it up in the soft lawn by her feet. He watched transfixed as she leaned forwards slightly, her bottom lip catching between her teeth as she concentrated, her pink hair falling gently around her face and trailing down over her soft neck towards a sight that almost made Remus groan out loud – her ample cleavage, which was easily seen through the dip in her shirt.

Those oh-so-very foolish feelings of teenage lust flooded back though him at the glorious sight before him and he tried to rearrange his cloak in front of him, the approaching moon making it harder to hide the fact that his body was quickly responding to her. But still he couldn't tear his eyes away.

"Ahem"

-/Caught twice in one day Professor, how very pervy of you/-

The sound of Tonks clearing her throat caught his attention, drawing him out of his lustful stare and making him look upwards to her face, a deer caught in the headlights expression evident on his own.

-/So glad I chose this shirt... exact reaction I wanted/-

He raised his hand up to cover his mouth, feigning a cough but really just trying to cover the fact that his jaw had fallen open, shocked that she'd deliberately picked a shirt that was missing a crucial button to gain his attention. She was trying to keep a straight face, almost bursting from trying not to laugh and if he hadn't of been able to hear her thoughts he would honestly think she was cross with him. But he could hear her naughty thoughts, and he could see the impish glimmer shining through her eyes, her hair suddenly a more vibrant pink then earlier.

"Is there something on my shirt Remus?"

She looked the picture of innocence as she asked her question but he knew that she was bursting to hear his answer, bursting to hear him admit that he'd been unashamedly staring at her boobs. But there was no way he was going to give her the satisfaction of it, especially when the gold ministry emblem embroided on her breast pocket was offering him an easy out.

"I was just noting that your still wearing the same clothes you were in this morning, did you come here straight from work?"

He asked the question with as straight a face as he could muster, amazed that he could come up with something when only moments before his brain had been turned to primordial mush. She was obviously rattled but she wasn't letting on.

"Oh, um, yeah I did. Spent the day crawling across the country with Kinglsey, chasing down supposed sightings of notorious mass murderer Sirius Black. Amazing that the Ministry never thought to search the house he owns."

"I don't believe they know about it, unplottable for a reason, Sirius' ancestors were crazy about keeping things from the Ministry."

-/DUH... great Auror you make Tonks/-

Tonks looked at him strangely before she nodded her head slowly.

"Yeah, guess so. Anyway we got back late and I didn't have time to change so I just came straight here. I guess I didn't think you'd notice."

She added the last part with a hint of a smirk, as if challenging him as to why he had.

-/and I think I know exactly why you did... it has a lot to do with a sight most men can't resist/-

He smiled back at her, before putting on a coy look, acting almost disinterested.

"I probably wouldn't have, except for the Ministry emblem on the breast pocket of your cloak."

Shooting her a brief smirk, he turned and walked away from her down the side ally towards the front of the house, leaving her to undoubtedly stare down at the offending crest and wonder if that was what he was really staring at. He couldn't quite believe that he was flirting with her, or at least his attempt at flirting, tonight of all nights, but more surprising was the fact that he couldn't seem to wipe the stupid grin off his face

When he reached the front of the house he levitated the last intruder device to the side fence, attaching it with a quick sticking charm and activating it as she wandered up behind him. He turned to face her just as she let out a rather unlady-like yawn.

"You know you didn't have to come if you'd had such a hard day, I would've understood."

Understood was an understatement, he would have been thrilled because he wouldn't have had to do this. But she silenced him with a look.

"Shut up Remus, I wanted to come. If I didn't I wouldn't be here."

-/Believe me, if it was anyone else I would've blown them off in an instant but I've been looking forward to this all day. The thought of being here with you tonight got me through. It wouldn't matter if I was half-dead, I was not going to miss this/-

She smiled at him sweetly and all though he smiled on the outside, on the inside he felt like screaming. She'd said it herself, out loud – If she didn't want to come, she wouldn't be here. He suddenly had strong feeling of hate for Dumbledore, had he known that Tonks would say yes just to spend time with him, was that why he asked him specifically to do it. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't realised that they'd reached the sidewalk already and Tonks was talking.

"So where are we staying?"

He turned to look at her, staring blankly as she continued to talk.

"Staying?"

The clueless lookon his face completely gave him away and for a moment Tonks looked at him reproachfully.

-/I love it when they listen/-

"For the stakeout, we need somewhere to hide so we're not seen."

She said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world because come to think of it, it was. If he'd been paying absolutely any attention to the supposed mission instead of wallowing in self-pity he would've realised it sooner.

"Uh well I'd suggest the invisibility cloak but I lent it to Bill for the night, something about surprising a girl."

-/DAMN... the French get everything.. and I'd already made plans for it too/-

He quickly turned away from her and tried to block her thoughts as they took on a more racy nature, he really didn't need another reason to be hot under the collar, not that it was taking much tonight. Such a miserable night it was too, the wind had picked up and it looked almost certain to rain, so staying inside the run-down house they were meant to be watching would've been easier except for the fact that Tonks' soon realise that Harry was missing and that the mission was fake.

"Uh, what about between those bushes?"

The bushes in question were directly across the street from them, framing a perfectly manicured lawn. The space she was pointing to looked big enough to fit them both and the foliage from the adjacent bushes had grown over the top nicely to afford them a bit of shelter but as he followed her across the street he soon realised that it appeared a lot larger than it really was.

"Won't that be a bit, erm... well squashy?"

-/Thus the point... merlin you're such a guy sometimes/-

She shrugged her shoulders as she stared at him innocently enough.

"Yeah I suppose it would but," he smiled as she tried to find a logical reason to use the space anyway, "erm...it'll give us a great vantage point, we won't be seen and when it finally decides to bucket down at least we'll have something we can waterproof."

-/Plus there's the added bonus of sharing body-heat/-

He quirked his eyebrows at her, the thought of her wanting to be near enough to share body heat sending a pleasant warm feeling through him, a feeling not even the cold winds could take away. And although the idea of being that close to her was more than appealing, tonight was most definitely not the night for that. However before he could object she had bent down in front of him and crouched on the ground, her hips swaying ominously as she leaned forward on all fours and started crawling in between the overgrown bushes. The sight was so entrancing that for a moment Remus forgot that he was supposed to be following her, instead of just staring.

-/Ahem/-

"Care to join me Remus, or you just want to stare?"

His face flushed bright red as he stammered, his mouth opening and closing like a fish this time.

"I... no.. I wasn't.. I."

She let out a sweet laugh and he looked away, dropping to his knees before crawling into the bushes behind her

Her idea of a hide-out was cosy to say the least, they were practically on top of each other. It was cramped like he'd imagined, his back was hunched, knees drawn up close to his chest – and the space between them was non-existent. Shivers ran down his spine, tingles coursing through his body, each time she would shift beside him and it had nothing to do with the almost full moon hanging in the sky above their heads. She was sitting to his left, huddled against his side, legs touching, hips joined, shoulders bumping – and each time she moved her silky smooth skin would rub up against his own. And she certainly wasn't kidding about sharing body-head, he could feel her warmth radiating through the fabric of her cloak. His own skin felt like it was on fire from just being this close to her – he felt the way he felt when he was a third year at Hogwarts, sitting beside Matilda James, getting goosebumps whenever Sirius would push him so he would bump into her. It was all so very juvenile but with her scent filling the stuffy air around him, he sometimes had to stop himself from reaching out and brushing the stray lock of hair away that had fallen down to frame her face.

It was these moments that'd he'd pull back, remember why he was there and berate himself for falling too far in to the moment, for even beginning to imagine that this could be anymore than what it was. Especially tonight of all nights, he couldn't believe that he was having lustful thoughts about her as she sat next to him, so innocent so unknowing of what was actually unfolding around her. He did his best to distract himself from what was happening, to detach himself from the situation, but her hold over him was too strong.

"Remus, if Harry and his relatives are in that house, why is it still dark? Muggles have that whole eclectricity thing right."

Her eyes were trained on the dilapidated old house across from them. The white paint on the walls was peeling, several windows were boarded shut, the grass was overgrown and scrap wood littered the broken porch. The once beautiful house looked like a misplaced scrap heap in the middle of the otherwise perfect street, and with a dip in his stomach he noticed that most of all, it looked abandoned.

"Well it's not really dark in there, just a glimmer, Dumbledore magiced it to look dark. The house hasn't been lived in for years, would look strange if suddenly the lights came on."

She nodded her head and seemed to be buying his reason, if it wasn't for the fact that it was Tonks he was lying too, he would have been quite impressed with how fast he'd thought on his feet.

-/Oh... wish I'd suggested we hide alone in that dark house now/-

She'd turned away from him back to the house, keeping a professional constant watch, even whilst her thoughts strayed far from the professional line.

-/mmm wonder what we could get up to in the dark, would he hold my hand if I got scared/-

Her hand which was resting in her lap suddenly twitched, her knee brushing against his as she squirmed, that familiar jolt of energy coursing down his back.

-/maybe he'd hold something else if I asked, maybe he'd me let me hold something too/-

If he'd been listening properly her crude thoughts would have shocked him more, if he was watching her face he would have noticed the heated flush that tinged her cheeks but he didn't. Instead he was completely focused on her lithe body next to him, more importantly he was transfixed by a creamy expanse of skin, exposed as her shirt rode up. She was leaning back, resting on her hands, her cloak had fallen open and was sliding off her shoulders, pooling underneath her but all he could concentrate on was the smooth piece of tummy that he was privy too, a slice of skin that he longed to touch. He became so enamoured in the saucy images in front of him that he completely lost any coherent thoughts, not even noticing when she started talking.

"Your back must be sore."

Her voice broke the silence between them and even though he hadn't been following her train of thoughts closely, he wasn't sure how she'd arrived at that conclusion. He tore his eyes away from her stomach and stared at her with confusion, his brows furrowed.

"Not because I think you're old or anything, you're not, I mean I don't think you're old..."

-/This isn't going well/-

"I just... I just meant that last night you said your back was sore and sitting hunched over like this mustn't be helping. That's all I meant."

If he'd been listening properly again, he would've notice the tremble in her voice, he probably would've been laughing at her awkwardness, but in that moment the only thing in the world that existed where her lips. Her full crimson lips that curved delicately as she spoke, that pouted softly when she finished as though unsure of his reaction. But he wasn't going to react, he wasn't even 

listening to what she was saying – all he could think about was her warm soft lips pressed up against his own the night before. Their kiss had been brief but it'd been permanently burned into his brain, catalogued among his first ride on a broom, graduation and James and Lily's wedding as some of the best moments of his life. He could still remember the way she felt in his arms – so vulnerable, so needy yet completely unwavering – he could still feel her lips on his, he could still remember the feelings of abject pleasure and total terror that flooded through him in that all too brief moment.

"Turn around"

He briefly registered the sound of her voice in the air, words randomly filtering into his lust filled brain as he watched her lips move. And although he barely heard her words, he certainly felt her hands pushing against his shoulders, complying with her wishes unquestionably, shifting around slightly as her hands guided him. His eyes were drawn away from her rosy red lips as he shifted, but the feeling of her hands against his shoulders was warming his entire body, jolts of energy coursing through him at the slightest touch. It wasn't until he'd tuned 90° and felt her shifting around behind him, her knees coming to rest against his lower back, that he wondered why she'd wanted him to move?

"Uh Tonks, why did you ask me to shift around?"

His voice came out croaky and suspicious, groggy and threaded with pent up lust, and she was silent for a moment making him wonder if she'd already told him and he'd just missed it – made him nervous about what he'd silently agreed to.

"I'm going to give you that massage you asked for last night."

It took his foggy brain a minute to comprehend exactly what she was talking about, but the moment she was referring to charged forward to the front of his addled brain. They'd been on guard duty and he'd been listening into her thoughts only to unknowingly respond when he thought she'd spoken them aloud. He was about to object, after all he hadn't really asked for it in the first place, but suddenly her warm soft hands slipped underneath the collar of his worn shirt and lightly skimmed the bare skin at the base of his neck, rendering him incoherent.

He closed his eyes and tried to pretend this wasn't happening, not because it didn't feel amazing, but because he was fighting the urge to turn around and ravage her with every fibre of his being. Getting a massage from her would've been hard enough at the best of times, to have one this close to the full moon – with every sense in his body alive and wanting – was inhumane.

-/Can't believe I'm doing this/-

Her hands snaked around to the front of his chest, her mouth mere inches from him, her breath heating the skin at the nape of his neck as her petite fingers undid the first 3 buttons of his shirt. She pulled her hands back, lightly trailing them around his throat before skimming them out across his broad shoulders. He involuntarily let out a low guttural moan when her fingers dug in, dropping his head to his chest to give her more access, her warm fingertips kneading his bare skin, setting it aflame with her touch.

-/I hate massages/-

Her hands moved down his spine before drawing back up and she couldn't see it but his face had filled with confusion, thoughts of why on earth she was massaging him if she hated it racing through his mind. He opened his eyes and raised his head slightly, that was when he saw it, the dark hedges in front of him. If anything were to happen across the road he wouldn't be able to see it anyway, perhaps that's what Moody meant about distractions.

-/Just stick to the plan... it'll all work out/-

Plan? Suddenly a sickening chill set across his stomach and her soft hands that had been setting his body alight suddenly seemed to freeze against his skin. What if this was her plan, to keep him distracted so he wouldn't notice what was happening right in front of him?

-/Just a little bit longer/-

The nasty thoughts that crossed his mind were banished as quickly as they came, after all Tonks wasn't a spy. She was his best friends' cousin, she was his friend and she deserved better from him. The only reason he'd agreed to this tonight was so that he could clear her name once and for all, not to make her a part of something she wasn't. That horrible feeling of guilt settled in his stomach again and he hated himself for jumping to conclusions so fast, hated himself for even thinking that.

"Why so tense Remus?"

Her breath blew seductively against his ear as she leant forward and whispered in it, her chest pressed lightly against his back. Shivers raced through him again and he lifted his head, turning towards hers. Their eyes locked in a heated glance, her alluring lips pouting again, barely inches from his own. He craned his neck out, leaning forward, he was so close he could feel the heat from her breath burning his lips, almost touching when...

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

The wand in his pocket was swishing around violently as it emitted a high pitch wailing noise. Tonks hands left his skin immediately, her head pulled back as she covered her ears. But he didn't care about the loss of contact or missed chances because illuminated through the hedges he could see red sparks filling the air from behind the house – the intruder alarm had been set off.

-/Are you kidding me, those stupid old things actually work/-

He was on move within moments, in situations like this every second counted. With his wand drawn he scrambled out of the bushes and charged across the road towards the house, his heart beating out of his chest, mind whirling a million miles a minute. He really wished in moments like this that his brain would shut off and he could act of instinct but that didn't happen, instead terrifying thoughts filled his head – nobody knew about this place, why would someone be here?

"REMUS!"

Her screams filled the air, sending shivers up his spine but not in a good way. He'd already reached the garden gate when he heard her footsteps on the road behind him but he didn't stop, so afraid the world would catch up with him if he even slowed down just a little - that this would all become reality.

"REMUS WAIT UP, YOU CAN'T GO IN THERE ALONE!"

There was an edge of desperation in her voice and it made him pause for just a moment, not because of her but because thoughts of ambush were racing clearly through his head – should he call for help? Was it all a trap? Had she planned it all? He looked back at her, eyes wide with fear, face wrought with frustration. He'd turned just in time to see her trip over the lip of the gutter in her frantic rush to catch him. It all happened as if in slow motion – her knee connecting with the pavement then sliding along, the sickening thud that filled the air as bone hit cement, her body falling forward ungracefully, her hands hitting the pavement to save her head having the same fate.

His partner had fallen but it didn't change anything, he turned around and charged down the side of the house. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, his frozen breath fighting its way out of his lungs with every step. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have let this happen?

How could he have fallen for a spy?

OK, Ok... It was really horrible of me to leave it here (especially when I kept you all waiting so long) but c'mon this chapter is huge already... I had to leave it somewhere. SORRY

And I know don't deserve them, but I'd luv some reviews :D

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HUGZ N KISSES

EllaQueenB