Tonks staggered from her wobbly landing at the Apparition point behind Lyall Lupin's cottage. Remus slid an arm around her waist. Tonks steadied herself and wriggled free from Remus' support. Only moments ago they were enjoying each other's company whilst picking out biscuits to bring to his father, now Tonks couldn't help but remember Remus' momentary lapse in self-control the last time they'd stood in that very spot. The memory of the kiss they'd shared still sent a shiver down her spine. She scowled and marched toward the front of the cottage.

"We'll not have much time for a proper visit," Remus said as the gravel drive leading up to the cottage crunched under their feet. He grasped her hand to guide her through the protection around Lyall's home.

The wind from the nearby coast blew through the dark blue hair Tonks was sporting that day as she heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Professor, I'm aware we've got things to tend to." As they crossed the threshold of the gates of Lyall's property, Tonks shook her hand free of Remus' now that they were beyond the protective wards. "But he's your father and he'll be glad to see you. And he's lovely company, I might add, which is more than I can say for you at the moment."

Remus chuckled and said, "What's wrong with my company?"

Tonks stopped short and turned. "Something funny?"

Remus raised his eyebrows and his hands in defense. "I'm simply remembering my earlier observation about your lovely mood today. Do you perhaps need a biscuit?"

Tonks raised the white bakery sack and shook it. "Bringing your father a treat was only half the reason for our stop." She had high hopes for the restorative powers of the chocolate croissant in the bakery bag. "And you've not been in the best mood either."

Remus' lip curled in distaste as he said, "I didn't care for our hosts this morning."

Taking care not to crush the croissants and biscuits into mere crumbs, Tonks placed her hands on her hips. "Which part has you in a nark—Teague's ridiculous assumption that he could simply ring up Dumbledore for a chat or was it something else?"

"I think Teague McHenry takes too many liberties in all subjects concerned," Remus said as he squared his shoulders.

Tonks huffed. "Keep your mind on Order business, Professor. It's the only thing that should concern you."

"Only moments ago you took it under consideration that we could be friends," Remus said. "I'm only expressing my concern as your friend."

"Bugger that."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Is our friendship over that quickly?"

"Lucy wouldn't give a toss about Teague McHenry wanting to chat me up," Tonks replied.

"That's different and you know it."

Tonks turned on her heel and stumbled as the gravel shifted under her feet. She cursed under her breath and regained her footing before stalking up the remainder of the drive to Lyall's front door, Remus at her heels.

"It's different," Remus repeated, the growl to his voice sending an unwelcome thrill through Tonks' body. The last thing she wanted at that moment was to be reminded how badly she wanted the stubborn man.

"Let's get something straight, Lupin," Tonks said, spinning to face Remus. "You're the one who chucked me over, which means you lost the right to be a jealous arse. And maybe it is different, but until you pull your stubborn head out of your arse your jealousy over other men has no place in our friendship."

Remus and Tonks both turned sharply as the front door opened, Lyall looking between them with a grin tugging at his lips. The tense silence was broken when Lyall said, "She makes a good point," and stepped aside and opened the door wide.

Tonks shrugged out of her jacket and turned to find Lyall with a wide smile. "I was hoping you'd manage to bring him back round."

"He's a stubborn arse sometimes, but I figured you'd want to at least say a quick hello," Tonks said as she held up the bakery bag. "And we brought you some treats."

"This calls for tea," Lyall said, gesturing toward the kitchen.

"We haven't much time," Remus said as he hung their jackets on the hooks next to the door.

"We've got plenty of time for tea, Professor," Tonks said, following Lyall into the kitchen. The McHenry's said come back in an hour."

"You'll find time here in Kenmare to be on a less of a schedule," Lyall said as he pulled mugs from a cabinet to join his own resting on the kitchen counter. "They're likely to talk round whatever they're discussing until you show up to remind them you're part of their discussion."

"Brilliant," Tonks said as she set the bakery bag on the table. She and pulled the treats from the sack and set them on the plate Remus Summoned from the dish drainer resting in the sink. "You can fill us in on why Teague McHenry thinks he's entitled to a meeting with Dumbledore and whether you think the McHenrys really have anything worth the Order's time."

The shrill call of the teapot was a welcome sound. Tonks didn't mind the interruption of tea to distract her from the conversation with Remus. She tried her best not to glower at him when he pulled out her chair for her.

"Dumbledore is a wizard with an open mind," Lyall said as he added tea bags to the mugs. "What makes you think he doesn't want to meet with the McHenry men?"

"He may want to eventually," Remus said.

"But first he'll send you two out to find out what they know," Lyall said with a nod. He waved his hand and Levitated the filled mugs to the table before he joined Tonks and Remus.

"Between Order business and the political climate with the Ministry and all that's going on at Hogwarts, Dumbledore's time is precious at the moment," Remus said.

Lyall nodded his approval of the shortbread biscuit Remus had picked for him and took a sip of tea before he said, "Do you know why I love living here?"

Tonks raised her eyebrows at the sudden change in topic. "The scenery?"

"I was going to say the beer," Remus said.

"Oh, the country is lovely and the Guiness is certainly a perk," Lyall said with a smile. "But the people are what I really love. Give them an open ear and they'll chat you deaf."

"The McHenrys didn't seem all that ready for a chat the two times we've been in," Tonks said around the large bite of croissant she'd placed in her mouth.

"Go in ready to listen and I guarantee they'll talk," Lyall said. "They want to know someone is on their side. Start by telling them you'll bring their news straight to Dumbledore. Now." Lyall held out his hand and a newspaper sailed into the kitchen from the sitting room. "Help me interpret the prattle from today's issue of the Prophet before you have to head back into town."

A little over an hour later Tonks walked through the gates of Lyall's cottage and across the narrow lane towards the cliff's edge. She'd said her goodbye to Lyall and said she wanted to check out the scenery before they headed back into town. In reality she needed a few moments to herself. The view into the wild Atlantic below, the turbulent waves from the late winter gale, and the sound of the water crashing on the rocks below, were mesmerizing. Tonks stood and breathed in the salty air and felt the wind whipping against her face and she wrapped her arms around herself.

Careful footsteps crunching over the gravel lane behind her told Tonks her solitude was being interrupted. She looked over her shoulder to find Remus standing a few meters behind her, his hands shoved into the pockets of his worn navy blue peacoat and his eyes intense.

"Our conversations over the last twenty four hours have certainly run the gamut of emotions," Remus said.

Tonks couldn't help the upturn of her lips. It was true. They'd gone from playful banter to fighting and back again more than once.

"I don't want Teague McHenry," Tonks said, tucking the ends of her dark blue hair behind her ears. "I don't want him or the wizard from St. Mungo's Hestia insists is perfect for me, or any of the men Lucy points out while we're out together." She stopped and took a shaking breath and turned to peer up at Remus. "You needn't be jealous because I don't want any of them."

"I'm not jealous because I think you want them over me," Remus said. "I'm jealous because they can have you. If you wanted them, they could have you."

"You can have me, too." Remus raked a hand through his shaggy hair and opened his mouth to speak, but by the look on his face Tonks knew his words would be the same as before. She held up her hand to stop him from speaking and looked back towards the sea. "Don't. I can't hear it again."

Remus swallowed and said, "I enjoy it when we're friends. Can we enjoy each other as friends...for now?" He stopped and offered a grin. "Surely we can make our friendship last longer than a few minutes at a time."

Despite his words, a tiny smile and huff of laughter escaped and she nodded. She glanced up at Remus and said, "But your jealousy has no place in our friendship."

The intensity in Remus' gaze made her stomach plummet, but Tonks kept her eyes on his. The war waging in his expression told her that this was an argument that would continue, but she was all right with that.

Remus nodded. "All right." He reached for her hand and tugged her away from the turbulent ocean and towards the lane that would lead them to the back of Lyall's property. "Let's get back to work."

A/N: I'm baaaaaack! It has been far too long, readers...I apologize for my absense. Life has a nasty habit of getting in the way of our pursuits.

I hope you enjoyed this snippet of a chapter. I know it's not nearly long enough for how long you've been waiting— I promise there is more to come:). Feel free to drop a quick review to let me know you're still hanging around.