Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived (Collected Original Works)

Conjure That Horse, Please (Remus and Tonks)

Tonks was crumpled on the sofa in the sitting room of Remus’ flat. The dingy surroundings were as miserable looking as she felt. She was sobbing, her breath catching in her throat as she brushed at the tears streaming down her face. “Why can’t you just love me?” “How can he be so blind?” she wailed, pressing her face into the crook of her arm. “Why can’t you see me? Why can’t you see that all my toughness is just an act? I can’t be weak around you. How could I be weak when you are so strong? I need to prove to you that I am capable of handling a relationship with you. I’m obviously doing a bang up job, since I can’t even get you to stay in the same room as me for more than five minutes.”

She lifted her head and viciously swiped her nose with an embroidered handkerchief. It had been a gift from her father. Her mother had made it for him many years before. It was faded, but still reminded her of her mother’s love. Her father had given it to her when she made it into the Auror program. “He was so proud that day. What would he think of me now? Sitting here, bawling my eyes out, waiting for Remus to return.”

“Oh, Merlin! What have I done?” she blubbered, remembering that she had stood before him nude. She pressed her forehead against the heel of her palm. She was slowly shutting off the tears and calming down when a familiar voice startled her into more tears.

“I would say that you morphed into Lady Godiva. I would also say that you gave Harry an eyeful he’ll not soon forget. As for me, I am quite sure that I am not blind. I like to think of myself as merely temporarily blinded. By your beauty, of course.” Remus managed a weak chuckle, sensing that he was not on stable ground. “Maybe now is not the best time to be joking. She really is beautiful. ”

Tonks rose from the sofa and squared off with Remus. “What?” she growled. “He’s blinded by my beauty. Ha!”

Remus stood his ground. “I said that I was blinded by your beauty,” he said calmly.

“You…you puffed up peacock!” Tonks was shouting at him even though her body less than two feet from his. “You can’t just walk in here and…”

“And…Why not?” Remus objected. “I do believe this is my flat.” “I wish this were our flat.”

Tonks’ hair, which had started as a pale pastel green color had suddenly turned a radiant shade of emerald. “I’ll leave then, since I’m not welcome here.” “I don’t want to go.”

She had almost made it to the door when she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. “Do you want to leave,” he whispered. “Don’t go”

“No,” she gasped. “I want to stay here. I want you to hold me. I want you to tell me how you feel about me. I want it to begin with ‘I am madly in love with you’. Of course, I would settle for ‘you rock my world’ or ‘I can’t go on living with out you’.”

She felt Remus staring at her, willing her to turn around and face him. His fingers trailed lightly over her shoulder and down her arm. “Do you even know what you want?”

“I want you. I want you to be in love with me. I’d be happy with you telling me that you want to spend the rest of your life with me. I’d settle for you saying that you were on the brink of falling into the chasm that is my love.” “Yes,” she breathed. She turned, just slightly enough so that she could see into his eyes.

“Tell me what you want,” he demanded, his fingers sliding up to her neck. She turned to face him fully, standing within arms reach.

“I can’t think while you are doing that.” “I’ve already told you what I want,” she complained. “You’ve pushed me aside and ignored me.”