Young Girl

4- Full Moon

Tonks's POV-

"Full moon tonight Moony." I heard my cousin say to Remus in hushed voice. I wasn't eavesdropping exactly, just listening in to a private conversation that I wasn't meant to be hearing, "Have you taken your potion?"

"Yeah." I heard Remus whisper back and, judging by the creak and sigh, he sunk into a chair, "I wish it would all just go away. I could wake up normal and not live in fear and rejection. I wish I didn't exist."

"No you dont, and I know why..." Sirius said slyly, lowering his voice to something that I couldn't hear and then, "You've got a crush. Moonys got a crush. Moonys got a crush."

"Shut up Padfoot." Remus snapped, making me bite my lip so that I didn't burst out laughing.

"Or what?" My cousin said and I had the slight impression that he had raised one eyebrow.

"Look we need to go." Remus sighed after a couple of seconds, "Moon rises at nine, less than half an hour."

I heard the chair creak again and quickly scurried away, assuming that they were getting up. I peeped around the corner as they left the study, starting to make their way towards the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked, stepping forwards and leaning on the doorframe between the hall and kitchen. Both of them snapped their heads round to face me, like someone had flicked a switch.

"Its a full moon Tonks." Remus said impatiently, turning again so that he faced away from me.

"I'll come." I said calmly, pushing myself away from the wooden frame and walking towards them.

"You can't." Remus said angrily, flinching away as I went to put a hand on his shoulder, "What if I hurt you?"

"He's coming!" I pointed at Sirius, frowning angrily, "Why can't I?"

"This isn't a game Tonks." He spun around and grabbed my shoulders, looking me right in the eye. Small ripples of heat emanated from where his hands touched my uncovered skin, a sensation that was both new to me and scary.

"You can let me go now." I said as calmly as I could, pulling away from his grasp and yanking my top up over my bare shoulder.

"We need to leave Remus." Sirius pressed, pulling him away. I followed them outside, watching as they got ready to apparate. Just as they started to turn on the spot, I darted forwards, grabbing Remus's arm.

I followed them through the air, landing with a hard thump a few seconds later. Grass filled my hands as I got pushed backwards, landing on the floor. We were in a large field with a single tree in the centre and grass as far as possible to see in the dark.

"Nymphadora! You stupid girl, you'll get yourself killed!" I heard Remus shout and looked up at him, my hair bright red as I started to yell back.

"WELL THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULD STOP FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF AND NOTICE THAT YOU DO HAVE FRIENDS! I CARE FOR YOU REMUS BUT YOU'RE JUST TO BLOODY BUSY BEING AN IDIOT TO REALISE!" He looked as though I had hit him, even taking a step back in shock. I was still glaring at him as Sirius helped me up, looking like he didn't know to laugh or yell, "I do care Remus." I said softly, looking him straight in the eye. In a way, I suppose it was a confession of the feelings that I had kept hidden for so long, just not in a conventional style.

I blushed a bright red, thankful that the dark would hide most of it. His eyes stayed fixed on me, mouth forming a perfect 'o' in shock. Before I could even register what was happening, he was right in front of me and crashing his lips onto mine.

"Bloody hell!" I only vaguely registered the cry from my cousin, still frozen to the spot. After a couple of seconds, I relaxed into the kiss, moving my body closer to his and running a hand into his hair. One hand wrapped around my back, holding me close to his pounding heart as the other tucked a strip of bright pink behind my ear. My hand rested on his chest, feeling the muscles beneath. Our lips fit together perfectly, like they were made for each other. I vaguely heard the pop of Sirius disapparating but still didn't pull away. The moment was too incredible to break.

We stood joined together at the lips for what felt like ages, taking the moment as it was. At last Remus pulled away, blushing an almost glowing red. He pressed our foreheads together, moving one hand to the base of my neck as we laughed slightly and I gently bit my lip.

"Thank you." He said softly, leaning in again and gently kissing my flushed cheek, "Now you need to leave, before I hurt you."

I pulled back as the moon started to illuminate the field, casting streaks of light over us. His neck started to crack and he screamed in pain, falling to his knees. The change was over in seconds, quicker than I had anticipated so I still stood there. The wolf turned on me, howling loudly as its- no, his- paw rose in the air. Claws scraped across my cheeks and the hot, thick blood began to trickle down into my mouth. I disapparated before I could see anymore, listening to his crys.

"He won't remember that." Sirius pounced on me the moment I closed the door, "He won't remember a thing." He stopped the moment he saw me properly, yelling, "What the hell happened to you!"

"I'm fine." I assured him calmly, leaning against the wall and gently tracing the marks his claws had left. I pulled my fingers away and looked nervously, they were covered in the dark red liquid that still flowed freely down my face, "Shall we tell him about the... umm?"

"No." Sirius said slowly and thoughtfully, "I think we'll keep it to ourselves. Just us. Look, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah. And I suppose it would be better if he didn't know." I shrugged, slightly disappointed that I couldn't share what had happened, "What if he asks?"

"Deny everything." Sirius said seriously, "It never happened, understand?"

I nodded silently, still trying to stop the smile that tugged at my lips, despite the small amount of sadness within me. I had had a crush on him since we first met, when he peeled me off of the kitchen floor, and the only time we had ever kissed, he wouldn't remember.

I thought of Remus as my cousin continued to talk, not like I was listening anyway. Everything about him was so perfect; from his scruffy, sandy hair to his flowing muscles and perfectly shaped face. Perhaps most amazing was his eyes, the chocolate brown swirls that were so easy to get lost in.

What the hell was happening to me? This wasn't just a crush and I could tell. None of my ex-boyfriends could ever provoke the same reaction from me as Remus did, he could make me happy, sad and so full of need for him to be near me in the blink of an eye. He was perfect, too perfect. What if I had fallen in love with him? What if, possibly, he liked me back?