"Help me out" said the minnow to the trout,

"I was lost and found myself swimming in your mouth.

Help me chief, I've got plans for you and me.

I swear upon this river bed I'll help you feel young again"

- 'The Minnow and The Trout', A Fine Frenzy.

It all started with a tumble down the stairs. In reflection every new meeting that began with falling over or down something ended in some kind of horribly noticeable embarrassment, avoidance and, occasionally, a long-running mutual dislike (just ask Snape)

Not this one, though. In fact, this time falling down the stairs may just have been one of the best things that had ever happened in her life. Fair enough, falling down a flight of stairs onto the man that you may, one day marry is probably not the most romantic way to go about things but this is don't-call-me-Nymphadora Tonks, who always found cliché's and romance pretty boring.

Tonks never would blame herself as much as the house itself, which she was sure, was out to get her and her blood-status. It was the houses' fault that she fell upon Remus Lupin that morning. It was the houses' fault she felt so dreadfully embarrassed and wanted to be swallowed by a black hole. Remus, of course, was as dreadfully polite as always, despite having been bowled over by a woman flying down the stairs.

And thus began the beginning of the rest of Nymphadora's life.

Befriending Remus Lupin occurred naturally. Perhaps it was the amount of time she was spending getting re-acquainted with her cousin or perhaps it was simply that Remus Lupin was an easy man to befriend but she soon found herself conversing with him over meals more than others and staying up into the long hours of the night, keeping an eye on Sirius. It became quickly clear that she was letting her guard down around this man and that was when the warm feelings came rushing in.

It was after only a handful of weeks that Tonks' feeling about Remus Lupin began to change. She began to notice things; small, insignificant things such as how many sugars he took in his tea or the way that if he made a joke or a witty comment, he would raise an eyebrow slightly and a small smile would appear on his lips or how, if he was sitting in a chair that was close to the fire, he would always lean slightly the way that the heat was coming from or even how handsome he was, even if she seemed to be the only person that thought so. It would be foolish to say that Tonks did not know what was slowly happening the more time she spent with him; quite the contrary, in fact. It was not that Tonks did not notice what was happening, it was that she simply did not care and, as far as she was concerned, neither should the rest of the world. Werewolf or not, this was still Remus Lupin and Remus Lupin was a bloody amazing man.

After six months, three days and one hour, Tonks finally admitted the inevitable; she had, in fact, fallen in love with Remus Lupin. In her opinion, though, it was difficult not to.

Remus Lupin was kind. Remus Lupin was caring. Remus Lupin was chivalrous, he had a wicked sense of humour, he was witty and clever and calm and quiet and brave. So, so brave. It was definitely difficult for her to not fall in love with Remus Lupin.

Admitting it, however, was something different entirely.

Tonks did not mean to admit that she was in love with Remus Lupin. Perhaps it was sheer stubbornness, a trait that most definitely ran in the family or perhaps a large amount of insecurity. Either way, it was a complete and utter accident. It was also the best accident that had ever happened in the history of forever, in her opinion.

She had been sitting at the kitchen table when it had happened. He had simply gone to hand her a cup of tea when she had said, completely innocently in her mind "oh, why don't you just kiss me?"

Or, at least she had thought that it was in her mind. After a pregnant pause, however, it seemed that it was not. And then, just as she was wishing that a massive hole would open in the ground and swallow her up, he did exactly as she asked.

Sirius found them in the midst of a kiss and, of course, laughed. He asked them what took so bloody long and honestly, did they really think they were going to get out of this without snogging each other?

That evening, after Sirius had once again fallen asleep in the armchair in front of the fire, was the evening that Remus first gave his excuses. He did not seem to realise, though, that three simple reasons were not going to be enough to keep her at arms length because Tonks loved him and, in all honesty, it didn't matter what he was as far as she was concerned. She's been brought up to believe that prejudice was wrong, that money wasn't everything and that love could withstand everything, age included.

In short, Nymphadora Tonks was in love with Remus Lupin, in all his entirety.

She loved the way his eyes lit up whenever he recalled a story of his Marauder time in Hogwarts; the way he dealt with Sirius in a way only a best friend could; the way he held the door open for everyone, whether it was Ron or Molly or even Mad-Eye; the way he was always there to offer a hand after she fell. She loved the way he, eventually, opened up to her after a full moon and let her care for him. She loved all of his scars and every single piece of silver that stood out among his hair.

In fact, the only thing she could really say that she hated about Remus Lupin was his modesty. How much he feared the moon; how much he feared the wolf would come out. Honestly, did he really not know how good a person he was? How truly amazing he was, to everyone around him? Did he honestly feel that every single person he cared about was going to leave? Why could he not understand that he and the wolf were completely and utterly separate, that she could not think of one time that she had ever seen it come out during a normal day? If Tonks had one wish, it would be to kiss away every insecurity he had, to rid him of this feeling of inadequacy and just let him be, without concern.

The truth was, Tonks had felt lost before Remus Lupin. She had not noticed this before but she could also not stand to go back to a time without him, no matter if he believed this or not.

And if he did doubt that someone could love him ever again, she would climb to the roof of the nearest building and scream from the top of her lungs that she was in love with a werewolf, that she loved him, Remus Lupin,so that everybody could hear her.

Because, in the end, who cared what everybody else though? Who cared what society claimed? Nymphadora Tonks was in love with Remus Lupin, the most amazing man in the world and fuck anyone who tried to tell her differently.