Falling in Love is hard on My Knees

This story tells 10 stages of Remus and Tonks' relationship, each encounter following one of Tonks' frequent tumbles.

Disclaimer: It all belongs to J.K Rowling, I simply must have a play!

Chapter One: Acquaintances

I stare in amazement as a whole house appears apparently from behind the drainpipe, squeezing its way between number 11 and 13 Grimmauld Place. It is three stories high, at least and terribly gray. The walls need a good scrub, the varnish on the windows is peeling away in whole strips and the small front lawn looks more like a small jungle. So, this is the Black family house, it certainly suits.

"Well are you moving, or standing there staring?" says a gruff voice from my left, Mad-Eye Moody. He then proceeds to jab me in the back with his staff when I still fail to move,

"Fine! I'm moving!" I roll my eyes, earning another jab in the back. I hate that bloody eye of his.

Eventually I make my way to the front door and raise my hand to knock. But before I can, Moody grabs me by the metal studded choker around my neck and drags me away from the door,

"What?" I question, rubbing my neck and wondering why he had told me to move and then dragged me back,

"Watch carefully," he orders. He trails his wand down the door and I hear a series of muffled clicks on the other side. The door then swings open. Moody turns to me,

"When you go inside, don't make a sound. Don't touch anything; go straight into the room at the far end." I nod obediently, the man still treats me like I'm a child, "And please try to watch where you're dragging your feet," he adds. I salute mockingly, smirking when I hear him grumble under his breath, probably cursing the day he took me under his wing. He then leads the way into a ridiculously long hallway. I follow him and the door shuts behind us, locking itself.

Without the light from outside, it was incredibly dark. I could just make out a grey door at the far end. Mad-Eye paced towards it, limping on his wooden leg, I follow. The wallpaper is peeling off the walls around countless rusting picture frames and it smells strongly of damp. The house has obviously only recently been re-occupied. I continue to stare, a pair of curtains, which would be emerald green were they not covered in dust and cobwebs caught my eye. Wonder what's behind them? Mad-Eye has reached the door at the end of the hall and enters what looks like a large sitting room. I shake myself out of my staring trance and hurry to follow.

I catch a brief glance of a group of people sat talking when Mad-Eye moves from the doorway and then...

CRASH!

I find myself flat on the floor, my knees throbbing painfully from my hard landing on the wooden floorboards.

"Ow, bugger!" I manage, turning to find the cause of my tumble. It appears to be a large severed troll's leg, in use as an umbrella stand, considering the numerous umbrellas lying on the floor by the thing. "What? I mean, what a stupid place to put a blo-"

But the rest of my sentence is drowned out by a blood curling screech from behind the emerald curtains. They burst open and I watch, still lying on the floor, too shocked to move as the picture of the ugliest witch I have ever had the displeasure of seeing glares at me.

"You!" it starts maliciously, "You filth, you scum! Half-blood, shame on my family! You and your mother, I curse you both! How dare you! How dare you come here, how dar-"

I cover my ears and shut my eyes, hoping childishly that doing this would solve my predicament, what a great Auror I am, lying here with grazed knees, cowering away from a screaming portrait. I wait a few seconds before I open my eyes again and jump slightly at the sight of a man crouching down beside me. I take my hands away from my ears.

"Are you alright?" he asks, his voice is slightly hoarse, as if it's hardly ever used. He offers his hand and helps me up onto my feet, I smile sheepishly

"I'm fine; I've gotten quite used to it now. I'm dead clumsy see, always tripping over. And breaking things, god my mum won't let me near her ceramics when I visit, you know. And I annoy Mad-Eye constantly, tripping over and that, I'm surprised I managed to pass my Auror training at all actually,"

"You're an Auror?" the man asks surprised, looking at my appearance. O.k., so I know bright pink spiky hair, chokers, and Docs aren't typical of an Auror, but must everyone I meet seem so surprised? Can't a woman be different?

"You can stop staring now, I already know I don't look like a female version of Mad-Eye, but that doesn't mean I'm not an Auror." I tease, despite only just meeting the man. He just seems like the kind that doesn't mind a little teasing.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, uh," I then realise that I hadn't introduced myself,

"Oh! I'm Tonks, sorry."

"Tonks?" Bit of an odd name." Great I'm going to have to tell him.

"Well it's Nymphadora Tonks, but I hate my first name and I don't recommend you ever call me by it!"

"And why is that?" he enquires, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes,

"Because the last time Mad-Eye said it, he ended up with his head glued inside my waste-paper bin for a few hours, until Kingsley forced me to take it off, arse."

The man's eyebrows rose considerably at this tale,

"Your point is well seen," he replies, smirking, "Nymphadora Tonks."

Rolling my eyes, I swing my foot to give him a kick in the shin,

"I wouldn't do that; it may hurt a little,"

"Why is that?" I say crossing my arms, my hair turning flame red,

"Because, your knees are bleeding." He answers, smiling wickedly.

I look down and my knees are indeed bleeding through my now ripped tights,

"Damn! I only bought these tights the other day."

The man shakes his head,

"You appear to be more fussed about your attire than your health," he observes. It is then that I notice the number of patches on his beige suit. I feel stupid. My hair turns pink again.

"Oh, no. I'm just so used to getting bumps and scrapes that I sort of see past it."

He nods and then bends down to my knees taking out his wand,

"Regardless, you need them cleaning up, the floor is covered in dust and goodness knows what, I wouldn't want you to get an infection, not at a time when we need young, clumsy aurors so badly."

"Wow! I don't even know you and already your making fun of me!" I say in a high, dignified voice, "And I thought I was beginning to like you-"

"Remus Lupin," he offers, before returning to healing my cut knees. I recognise that name from somewhere. Ah! He was that professor at Hogwarts, but he left. It was in the Daily Prophet, why was it in there? Then it came to me, he was a werewolf. Whoah? How on earth can this man be a werewolf? He is so nice! Then I realise, perhaps not all werewolves are bloodthirsty weirdos. No, I'm not going to let that get in the way of getting to know this man better.

He finishes healing my knees and stands up smiling,

"Yes, I am the werewolf teacher," he says, somehow aware of my recognition. He sounds so bitter and hurt, perhaps even scared that I'm going to run a mile,

"Ha! What a pair we make! A werewolf and a metamorphmagus." I offer trying to cheer him up. At first he looks shocked at my casual attitude towards his...problem. But then he smiles and nods,

"Indeed. We are rather odd aren't we? Now come on, everyone is waiting to meet you. And do try not to make a fool of yourself again, we don't want this organisation to be ridiculed do we, Nymphadora?"

This time, with my mended knees, I do kick him in the shin for calling me that horrible name. I also slap his arm for teasing me. He shakes his head

"If you're going to stop me from teasing you, you will have to be a little more threatening than that, you know. "

"Well we have only just met, I will think of something more suitable after I have gotten to know you better,"

"Ha! I'll be on my guard then!"

Oh yes you will Remus Lupin, because you don't know what you have just gotten yourself into...