Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or places. I just borrowed them from JKR because it's really funny to play with them.
I'm sorry about grammar mistakes and such. My wonderful brother and beta is currently MIA, so it's just me.
This happens at some point in OotP.
Tonks was looking at Snape with the strongest sensation of déjà vu. Her present situation reminded her of those many other times she had been listening to her old potions master without taking a word of his speech. What she was feeling right now was much alike, just words coming out and no meaning to go with them. What had he been talking about for the past half an hour? Tonks had no idea.
She forced herself to pay attention. She wasn't at school any more and this wasn't a dull potions lesson, even though the atmosphere of Headquarters was as gloomy as she remembered that specific classroom had been. This was important, they were discussing Death Eaters, You-Know-Who's plans, the Order…
"… therefore it is bound to be in the Dark Lord's immediate plans to…" Snape's monotonous explanation went on.
She couldn't. It was absolutely impossible for her to concentrate on his voice when her mind, her body, her heart were all treacherously focusing on the man sitting on her right, only inches from her. So close she could touch him just by moving her hand a bit.
Tonks adventured a glimpse at him.
Remus, of course, seemed to be lost in absolute attention. He was looking intently at Snape, his back rigid, one hand on his chin, the other on his lap, ever so close to Tonks' own. He seemed to be drinking each and every one of the potions master's words and, opposing to her, finding them most interesting.
She focused yet again on putting aside her memories of those very hands holding hers and looked at Snape as if she were to perform Legillimency on him.
"… Travers of course would be counted as an asset but his specific participation won't…"
Tonks wondered if her own participation had been required during that Order meeting without her noticing it. She could not remember anything that had been said to her since she had entered number 12 Grimmauld Place that night. She knew Sirius had been already there because it could not be other way, and she had the vague impression Moody had been in the kitchen as well. And Kingsley too, maybe?
She had snatched a Butterbeer absent-mindedly and she had taken place besides an empty chair hoping it would remain so until Remus came. She remembered a lot of people arriving but could not tell who, she just had the feeling she had jerked her head many times in direction to the kitchen's door hopefully, whenever she had heard steps on the stone stairs, before she had finally seen the person she had been longing to look at since the night before.
Remus had entered with a calm expression as usual and he had greeted everybody in the room. Tonks could have believed everything that had happened the previous night had been just a product of her imagination from the way he behaved ever so naturally.
Then he had spotted her. Has it been the flickering of the firelight or there had been a sparkle in his eyes?
He had approached her and the still empty chair besides her, and had said very quietly, "Nymphadora".
"Wotcher, Remus." She'd replied, looking at him and, for once, forgetting to scold him for using her first name.
And then, as he was taking his sit, he had brushed his hand on her shoulder lightly, sending heat waves to every inch of her body.
Tonks realised now, pretending to be listening to her old potions master, that she had been very close to beam broadly at this very recent memory. What would it look like if she started smiling out of the blue at Snape's dull report? She gave a faint cough forcing herself for what seemed like the millionth time this evening, to concentrate.
Snape was finally ending his speech, there was a distinct tone of conclusion in his voice. About time, Tonks thought, wishing that for once nobody had questions or comments. She could as well had hoped for You-Know-Who to commit suicide. Bill Weasley started to ask something and Tonks had to fight her urge to throw her empty bottle of Butterbeer at him.
Well, if she had no idea what they were talking about whatsoever, she could as well resume her daydreaming. Instinctively she looked up and saw that Moody's magical electric blue eye was staring at her while the normal one was fixed on Bill. Tonks felt her blush and tried her best to hide it. In occasions like this it seemed that Mad-Eye could look into her thoughts as well.
She shrugged. Wasn't an Auror as entitled to distraction as anybody else? She thought rebelliously.
Her mind wandering again she couldn't help wondering what would happen when this wretched meeting would finally be over. She and Remus hadn't made any plans after all. The night before they just… well, they had just kissed.
And then, after what had seemed too short a time, Remus had whispered into Tonks' trembling lips "Good night", then he had given her a quick kiss and he had left her place without so much as a glimpse back. She had been too flabbergasted to do anything and her own "G'night" had came about a minute too late.
What did that mean? Was he going to kiss her again? Or had it just been a "moment thing" he would like to forget? And what wou-
The sound of chairs scratching the dusty stone floor of the kitchen made Tonks startle. She looked around feeling as if she had just woken up from a deep sleep, everybody was getting on their feet and even a couple of people were saying goodbye. The meeting was finally over, Tonks could have laugh out loud. Trying to look as someone who had been paying attention all along she stood up and stretched her arms. What was she supposed to do now? Go home on her own? Wait for Remus to give her a sign? He was talking to Sirius now, absolutely oblivious to her present dilemma, apparently.
Mad-Eye's grabbing her upper arm from behind made her startle again. This time, she knocked over her Butterbeer bottle on the table, but managed to catch it before it hit the floor.
"Bit distracted tonight, aren't we lass?"
She looked at him with as much dignity as she could muster considering she was blushing again.
"Dunno what you're talking about, Mad-Eye."
He chuckled softly. "I daresay you don't know what anybody's talking about lately."
And he went away before she could put together a few cheeky retorts. Tonks sighed loudly.
Looking around, she realised Remus and Sirius were still deep in conversation. Well, she decided squaring her shoulders, she would not be waiting for him, of course. If he was going to pretend nothing had happened, she would do the same. And meanwhile she could just try and keep that silly mind of her from fantasising any further, she thought angrily.
Tonks said "Good night" to the room at large trying to sound as cheerful as usual and avoiding to look at Remus, then she started climbing the stone steps, trying to concentrate on things such as broomsticks, not tripping over anything, the Weird Sisters and especially not him.
"Tonks." There he was. Her heart missed a couple of beats and then it seemed to give an extra dozen to keep up. Trying to hide the enormous smile that had spread on her face she turned around with her hand on the front door and a would-be nonchalant expression. Remus had just emerged from the kitchen.
"Remus." What else could she said that wouldn't sound like "Why don't you pay any attention to me?" or "Would you please kiss the daylights out of me again?"
"You're leaving."
"Yeah. I…" So, now it seemed to be the right time for her to embarrass herself. "I didn't know if… if I should have… waited for you." She finished with a whisper.
He was staring at her with unreadable expression but as Tonks looked more sharply into his features she realised the corners of his lips were twitching with what seemed like an urge to break into a grin.
"As a matter of fact," he said slowly, "I was sort of waiting for you, so we could go together."
"Oh." Had he really?
"Shall we, then?"
Tonks nodded and Remus smiled at her. He opened the door and taking her hand, descended the few steps into the gloomy street.
Her smile couldn't have been broader.