Takes place between Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Originally written for the Stages Of Love Challenge at LiveJournal.

Part One: At First Sight

Spiky pink hair. The twenty-something witch must be Bill Weasley's recruit.

"Merlin," says Sirius, approaching her, "you look just like your mum."

Remus observes from the bottom stair, interest piqued. Sirius knows the pink-haired witch?

"Mum would be so insulted," she says, dark eyes glittering. "She hates my hair and clothes."

Definitely Bill Weasley's recruit. Molly never stops nagging him to have a haircut and remove the fang earring.

The young witch's mention of clothing draws Remus' gaze from her pink spikes to her purple Weird Sisters t-shirt, then down to rent and patched jeans – bought that way, judging from the strategically placed holes and scraps of fabric that coordinate with her hair and shirt. Remus steps back into the shadows, conscious of his shabby-but-not-chic attire.

"Andromeda's still enough of a Black to disapprove of the Muggle punk look?" Sirius glances over his shoulder with a smirk. "Moony! You great prat! Get down here and meet my cousin Nymphadora!"

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Her dark eyes glint at Sirius, but sparkle as she steps around her cousin and approaches Remus. He's still rooted to the stairs, astonished to realise the witch is one of Alistor Moody's recruits – an Auror.

"Wotcher!" She grins and thrusts out a hand. Remus notes her lips are the exact shade as her hair. "I'm Tonks."

"Remus Lupin." As he accepts her proffered hand, he notes chipped glittery purple paint on her fingernails. "I haven't any issues with my first name, so you may call me Remus."

Tonks' grin widens, and her eyes dance. "Pleasure to meet you, Remus. I've been looking forward to it since Mad-Eye told me you were in the Order. I always like to know people Dolores Umbridge detests, because they're generally wonderful people."

Her eyes hold his the entire time she speaks, and her smile never falters. Merlin – she knows he's a werewolf who hasn't got more than two knuts to rub together, and she still thinks he could be a wonderful person. He steps onto the floor, into the light, because he's got a feeling that if Nymphadora Tonks notices his darns and patches, she won't care.

"Bit of a rebel, are you?" Remus wonders if her cheeks hurt from smiling so hugely. His do.

"What's your clue?" Sirius snorts. "The hair, or the refusal to use her very pretentious, very Black name?"

As Tonks laughs, her grin stretches all the way across her heart-shaped face.

"Excuse me," she says suddenly, bolting for the loo next to Mrs. Black's portrait. She catches her foot on the doorjamb and sprawls inside. She pokes her head out the door, face pink as her hair, smile sheepish. "Yes, I qualified for Auror even though I'm dead clumsy."

When she disappears and closes the door, Sirius shakes his head. "All Blacks are mad, but that one's got her own brand of daft. Pink hair."

"It suits her," Remus replies. "I like it."

Sirius claps Remus' shoulder. "That's because you're grey before your time, Moony."