S n a p s h o t s o f P a r a d i s e

A Wedding

(I know you blanket your mind so much that I am blind, but I,
I see you've painted your soul into your guard,
I'm all for believing, I'm all for believing
I need to know just how you feel, to comfort you;
I need to find the key let me in, into your heart, to find your soul.)

---All for Believing, by Missy Higgins

"I now pronounce you husband and wife"

A colossal smile graced Remus' face as he leant in towards his new wife. Thunderous applause echoed as Remus and Tonks shared their first passionate kiss as a married couple. The sun shone down on Andromeda's face, and Tonks could see tears, dripping from her mother's eyes like raindrops. She blinked back a few tears from her own eyes, grinning madly as Remus held out his hand and beckoned her down the aisle.

As they waltzed down the aisle, Tonks' hair, which she had changed to blonde for the occasion, flashed bright pink. It matched the flower that Mrs. Weasley had pinned to her dress. Chuckles erupted from the audience as Remus leaned over and whispered,

"I love you."

They were only three simple words, but they reflected exactly why she was standing in this garden today. As she reflected on this, she stumbled, (Tonks had never been the most coordinated of people, and to her, high heels were a fate worse than the Avada Kedavra) falling. She let out a gasp of surprise, but before she could react any further, she felt a pair of steady hands grab her waist, and looked up to she Remus' twinkling eyes gazing at her, framed by his shaggy brown hair. He swept Tonks up, and into a kiss that left her feeling breathless. The air was punctuated by wolf-whistles from the Weasley twins as she kissed him back, feeling more liberated than ever before.

---

Later that afternoon, Tonks stood by the punch bowl, her petite yellow dress (she had never planned on wearing anything traditional) illuminated by the glowing sun. She was talking to the Weasley twins, who were both hiding from Mrs. Weasley's gushing comments about how beautiful the wedding was.

"…can all just sit around in the garden," Fred was saying, "… and I'll lock Mum away for at least a month beforehand."

Tonks laughed, the twins' point of view on life was refreshing, and that cheered everyone up immensely during the war that was raging on around them.

George nodded towards his brother.

"Bloody oath yeah," he said, "And I'll …"

He trailed off, because, apparently, the Weasley twins could read each other's minds.

Tonks shook her head with more laughter, causing many of those mingling around the food tables to glance happily at her and smile.

"What …" she started to ask, but she was interrupted by a sharp pain in her abdomen. Remus had wrapped his arms around her, his vivid yellow tie dangling over her shoulder, and squeezed her stomach hard with his fingers.

He gestured towards a more secluded part of the garden. She nodded, knowing that there was nothing to say, that all she should do was relish the time alone with him. They padded their way to the pond that lay at the back of the garden, Remus' heavy footsteps the only sound they heard.

In her opinion, Remus was handsome everyday, but today, he looked sexier than ever. Perhaps it was the fact that he was dressed in something a little more stylish than his favourite faded, threadbare jeans and trousers, perhaps it was those little smiles that graced his face every time he looked at her. Whatever it was, Tonks loved it.

They sat together on a rock, overlooking the pond, with was covered with a layer of water lilies and other gorgeous flowers. Tonks was never one for sappiness, but even she had to admit they were beautiful.

Remus and Tonks sat in silence for a while; Tonks fidgeting with her wedding ring and reflecting on how lucky she was to be marrying such a caring man. She felt Remus wrap his arm around her, and she was glad: less sunlight filtered through the thick trees down here and she was kind of chilly. Eventually, he spoke, his voice seeming to haunt the peaceful silence that enveloped them.

"I saw Bill and Fleur going at it over near the present table before," he said.

Tonks nodded, she had caught the pair going at it several times in various parts of her house during the last few days. Although, she did have to admit, secret snog fests did seem a lot more entertaining than listening to Mrs. Weasley, who became irritating after about five minutes in her company these days.

"I know," she said, "I wouldn't be surprised if Fleur doesn't pop out a kid before the war is over."

Remus chuckled in agreement, although some other underlying motion seemed to accompany the sound of amusement.

"It seems strange to think of all this happiness when there are people dying out there, doesn't it?" she added, glancing at him to gauge his reaction.

He nodded, and Tonks could tell from the dreamy look in his eyes that he was thinking of his best friends. She left him to reminisce, knowing how important it was to him.

"They always said I wouldn't get married," Remus said finally, releasing a bitter laugh as he spoke. "They said it was because of the fact that I was a nerdy bookworm, but still, it would have been nice to prove them wrong."

Tonks patted his shoulder reassuringly.

He smiled gently at her, and Tonks noted the lone tear that dripped from his eyelash, even though he quickly wiped it away and refused to meet her eyes.

"I feel like I let them down by living sometimes … they've died, and I'm here getting married, and acting happy."

Tonks nodded although, having never lost anyone close to her, she struggled to truly comprehend what Remus was going through.

"They love you, and they miss you, and one day … one day you'll seem them again."

"I know that … it just feels wrong," he said, placing his head in his hands.

"This war … you're fighting it for them, aren't you?" she asked.

Remus lifted his head and nodded, staring intently at the lilies floating in the pond.

"Trust me," Tonks said, "somehow, they know."

She knew it was the least she could say for her new husband. And with that she gestured back towards the crowded party, from which muffled noises where just reaching her ears.

They scrambled through the bushes, and burst out into the clearing, only to notice that several pairs of eyes, all twinkling mischievously, were focused upon her and Remus.

"Well, well, well," said the twin that Tonks assumed to be Fred, "What 'mischief' have you two been up to?"

---

(a/n: Welcome to my collection of Remus/Tonks oneshots. There's going to be ten in total, covering different aspects of their relationship, and I hope you enjoy them all. Feel free to drop me a review, I'd love to know your thoughts.)

tbc,

- Cuba …x