A Werewolf for Christmas

Nothing Much

Charlie came over, precariously balancing his stack of toast as well as Tonks's, and his own bowl of porridge, piled high with even more berries. "What're you doin' leaving me alone at Hufflepuff and coming over here?" he demanded, elbowing over a firstie that had been about to sit at the bench across from the shabby man. The first year took one look at Charlie, squeaked, and moved down the bench hurriedly. Charlie pushed Tonks's toast across the table. "From now on, we start off at Gryffindor, pinkie," he said, "You get distracted too easily, then everybody's looking at me like I'm the mad one, sitting at the wrong house table."

"As if anybody even notices you!" Tonks replied, sticking out her tongue. Then, in an important tone, she added, "Charlie. This is Remus Lupin."

Charlie waved. "Hi."

"Gods you've gotten big," Remus said, eyes widening. "Should've known exactly who you are, with red hair like that, though, I reckon."

Charlie looked confused, but said, "Yeah - Weasley hair. What are you, an old school friend of dad's?"

Remus smiled sadly. Did he really look older enough to be mistaken for Arthur Weasley's age, when Arthur had been old enough to be married and already have the two kids when Remus was just starting at Hogwarts? "More of your Uncle, Bilius's, actually."

Charlie's eyes lit up. "You knew Bilius?"

Remus nodded, "Yeah, he was prefect the year I came to Hogwarts. Good man, Bilius. I miss him dearly."

Charlie nodded, "Yeah, me, too."

Tonks was looking between Remus and Charlie as though there were a fierce Quidditch match happening. But at this, she grabbed Remus's hand in hers and said, "I've really missed you, Remus. You never come over anymore to visit me."

Remus said, "I'm sorry. I thought now that you were grown you wouldn't be needing a babysitter any longer."

"You could come just to hang out," Tonks suggested eagerly.

Remus smiled. 

Charlie looked over at Tonks. "How come I never get to just come over to hang out?" he asked around a mouthful of toast.

"Because your house is more fun," Tonks answered Charlie impatiently. 

Charlie shrugged. "It'd be nice to get away from all the siblings, is all I'm saying." He turned back to focus on his porridge. 

"So what do you say, Remus, will you come hang out with me sometime?" Tonks pressed eagerly.

"We'll see, perhaps one day," Remus said gently, and his mind flitted to Dumbledore using the exact same phrase upstairs about keeping his CV on file and Remus felt rather as though both things had precisely the same odds of coming true. He took a spoonful of the porridge he had magicked back into his bowl, and sipped a cup of black coffee.

Tonks was sitting side-ways on the bench, straddling it, facing him, with abject admiration plain on her face. Charlie raised an eyebrow and smirked at her, then looked down before Remus Lupin could spot him smirking at Tonks. 

"Well... well, we'll eat breaky with you at least," Tonks said, sitting normally beside Remus now, swinging her leg over the bench. She grabbed a bit of toast, chewed quickly on the bite she'd pushed into her mouth, then swallowed and said, "I've missed you so much, though, you know, that's all. It's been ages."

"Three years," Remus corrected her. 

"Three years," Tonks emphasized. "You say it like that's nothing."

"When you're as old as I am, it is," Remus replied.

"You're not old," Tonks said firmly.