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

Conjure That Horse, Please (Remus and Tonks)

“I’m not pushing you aside now,” he coaxed. “Tell me what you want. It must be important to you, for you to have done what you did.”

“You are important to me,” she fumed. “Haven’t I been telling you that?” “After everything we’ve been through together, how can you question my feeling? Or yours?”

“I’m important to you?” he teased. “I thought maybe it was Harry that you were out to impress with your lovely…hair.”

“Don’t play with me. You know that it’s you I want. You’re everything to me.”

“You can’t be serious…” “Don’t say it.”

“I am. I am in love with you.” “There. I said it. There’s no going back now.”

“You don’t know what you are asking of me. Please don’t,” he begged. “Don’t make me admit my feelings for you. Everything will change.”

“I love you,” she repeated. “I don’t want anything to change between us, but I have to tell you how I feel.”

His hand lingered on her neck, but Remus did not move. “I love you too.”

“I love you,” she wailed. “I am lost without you.” “You are the only one who understands me.”

“I can’t.” “I’m lost too. What should I do?”

“Why not?” “I’ve seen how you look at me. I know you want me. You know you want me. Why are you holding back?”

“You deserve someone who can give you everything you want. I am a werewolf with no job and no money. I have nothing to offer you. You will have no future with me.” “All I can think about is being near you.”

“You have nothing to offer me because you refuse to offer me your love. I want nothing else from you.”

“What you want is the only thing I cannot give.” Remus hung his head, avoiding Tonks’ eyes. “Don’t cry. She’s not crying. Merlin! I want to pull her close to me and…Stop! Don’t be stupid. Don’t let her see how close you are to caving in to your desires.”

“You chose not to give it,” Tonks argued. “Don’t make yourself into a victim. You have a choice.” “Choose me.”

“What if I choose you?” Remus asked seriously. “You’re everything I want.” “Then what?”

“Where to start?” she debated. “We continue working together. We train Harry and the others. We hold hands in public. We snog for hours, until we’re short of breath and I move in with you.” “Say you want me.”

“How can you be sure that things won’t change between us? What if it affects our work?” “Move in? Hours of snogging? Sign me up!”

“I can’t be sure things won’t change. Is that really why you’re scared? As for work, I won’t let anything prohibit me from protecting Harry. I would die to protect him and the others. I know you feel the same way. If we have such similar goals, what is it that you think will affect our work?”

Unable to find a chink in her logic, he knew there was no further argument he could make. “I have to face the truth. I have an obligation to be a wizard and own up to my feelings. Most importantly, I have to tell her how I feel. If I don’t tell her, she’ll leave. She deserves to know the truth.”

“I love you.”

His voice was so faint that Tonks unconsciously moved closer, bringing her mouth within a whisper of his. She could feel his breath on her lips and she was overwhelmed by his masculine smell. She was suddenly aware of close she was to his body. She could feel the strength in his upper body, his chest a solid wall against hers. Remus appeared slight, some might even say weak or fragile, but the years of transformations had given his body a lean, sinewy tone.

“I love you,” he repeated, louder this time. “I love everything about you.”

He brushed his lips against hers before crushing her against his chest. He held her tightly, trying to make up for the time they had spent on such a silly argument. “I never want to let go.”

“It’s about time,” she murmured against his lips.

He pulled back, grasped her by the upper arms and propelled her backwards. “I have just one questions for you. It’s important and I need you to answer me seriously.”

She nodded vigorously, her lips tingling from the kiss. “You can ask me anything.” “Oh no.”

“I need you to be completely honest with me.”

“Of course.” “What could possibly be so vital? It must be significant.”

Remus looked at his shoes, unsure of how to proceed now that he had her complete attention. He brought his head up, meeting her eyes. He could see the look of concern there. He took a deep breath and looked at his shoes again.

“Ask me already. I’m dying over here.”

“Can I conjure that horse now?”

With kelly green hair and crimson skin, Tonks pulled him against her and snogged him breathless.