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SOUL KITCHENRemus Lupin looked pensive, perhaps even troubled. Or maybe it was just utter boredom, after the first accomplished Order mission, eagerly expecting to be signed up for the next one. Lupin was sitting alone at the long table sipping something in the dark of the kitchen, only the hollow glow of his wand lightening the room. It was the middle of the night and everyone else in 12 Grimmauld Place was fast asleep. Almost everyone else, to be exact . Tonks giggled in her mind as she continued to secretly observe the lonely man in the dim lit kitchen. Although Lupin was in his mid-thirties just like her mother’s cousin, Lupin looked so much older than Sirius. It was something in his presence. Grayish, messy light brown hair that probably some time ago tinted into a shade of gold. Amber, wrinkle-framed eyes that seemed tired but still sparkly and high-spirited. Scarred face, hands and forearms that told the tale of the violent nature of his condition. But in a wicked way it was actually kind of fascinating, at least if you asked from Tonks. Sexy, she even might add.Tonks was lurking in the narrow stairway, unnoticed, peeking in to the kitchen from the doorway. She was holding her breath and stretching out with all the stealthiness and other auror abilities she possessed not to become discovered by Lupin. She was spying...no studying the older man. There were contradictions, like a puzzling dissonance in Lupin that made him interesting and mysterious, although he tried to be the kind and well-behaving ex-professor all knew him to be. But under that surface there was something else. Tonks took him in with her eyes. Even at this nightly hour, dressed in a deep purple dressing gown he looked pretty damn good. That swanky piece of clothing had to be Sirius’, as she was quite sure the violets weren’t on Lupin’s preferred color range. Tonks wondered if he had anything underneath it. His posture was slouching, as he usually was, like he was trying to appear shorter than he actually was. He was a tall and very lean man.Lupin grabbed the bottle on the table and poured himself another drink. Tonks couldn’t tell what the liquid was. She shifted her eyes to his hands. Now that she actually paid attention to them she realized what large strong looking fists he had. Apparently they were very hardened and calloused as Tonks had heard Molly scold Lupin for not using some potion she had gotten for him. Sirius had howled with laughter while joking something ambiguous about Lupin with a jar of hand lotion and Lupin, being seemingly embarrassed by all the fussing, had been trying to assure Molly that he had some spells to attend to his hands. Sure he did, Tonks scoffed mentally.
Men, they never took proper care of themselves, she shook her head.She watched his long fingers curl around the mug and lift it on his lips. She felt her throat dry, she could use a drink too. She shifted her position a bit, impatience growing inside of her. Why was she lurking in the hallway anyway? Why not join the company of this charming man Tonks found so irresistible interesting? It sure was boring, lonely and cold in the corridor even though the view was pleasant.She decided to make a move. She was a Tonks after all, not a coward hiding in the shadows, and the thought of Lupin warming her mind, body and soul over the shared nightcap felt more and more intriguing. She ran her hands quickly through the messy dark cloud of curls she had been keeping on lately. A hint of femme fatale mixed with carefree hippyness was the impression she was after. She was wearing a worn-out grey T-shirt that served as her nightdress. She was tempted to charm something more form-fitting that would have given a proper view of her cleavage, but then again the shirt reached just above her buttocks, which happened to be covered with black lace this night. A hint of femme fatale, carefree hippy , she revised in her head as she settled for the outfit. She smirked to herself, straightened her posture and started to stalk to the kitchen. She let her hips sway, aiming for a sexy, alluring walk in her mismatched woollen socks. Just then, right in the middle of her seducing pacing, she bumped into something that hurt her toes, made an awful rattling noise and nearly made her fall over.“Shit!”
“Good night, Nymphadora,” Lupin said calmly, almost like he had been expecting her.
“It’s Tonks,” she answered dryly while lighting her own wand to see what it had been she had bumped into. Some random cauldron lying on the floor.
“Why in the seven hells is this even here?” She asked frowning, giving the cauldron a kick before continuing her walk towards the table. Now that the sexy stalking was gone, she tried to make her way as quickly and quietly as she could to the seat. Lupin was smiling at her, his amber eyes following as she sat at the table, opposite of him.
“Mundungus tried to give it to Molly but Molly doesn’t want anything from him,” Lupin shrugged,
“And Kreacher declined to touch it as it’s property of a...well you know all the flattering names he keeps on calling us. So it has been sitting there since.”
“I see,” Tonks nodded still a bit agitated. She decided to collect herself and in a second she was able to pull her sweetest smile at Lupin. He was looking somehow extra charming this night. Was it the moonlight? Or rather the moon itself as the kitchen didn’t have any windows? It was nearly full moon, it was bound to have an impact to a werewolf.“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you with all the noise,” she apologised, starting to relax after the disastrous entrance. Lupin’s smile widened into a slightly impish grin.
“Don’t worry about it. I already heard you when you emerged from the guest room.”
Tonks snorted and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms across her chest and looking sour for a second.
“Well, Lupin, you could’ve said something!” She snapped. Lupin grinned even more as he answered:
“You didn’t say anything either.”
She had spied on him, she had to admit that. But only to herself.“I just happened to notice you were having a peaceful nightcap here and didn’t want to disturb...but then I thought I could join in, that’s all,” she felt like she needed to have an explanation for her lurking. Even if it was a thin one.
“S’okay, Tonks. Let’s just hope we’re not waking Molly or Kreacher,” Lupin’s mischievous grin had changed back into the friendly smile.
“But my cousin’s beauty sleeps won’t matter?” Tonks laughed, relaxing herself again. Lupin let out a chuckle, though looking worried.
“Yes, I don't think we need to worry about your cousin. Sirius pretty much never sleeps nowadays. Unfortunately.”He grabbed the bottle from the table and offered it towards Tonks, asking would she care for a drink too.
Wine. Tonks now realized.
“Well of course I do care,” she nodded shooting up enthusiastically. She went to the wooden cupboard that had the Black family crest painted on it. The doors opened with a slight creak and she looked at the dust covered wine glasses she knew were sitting on the uppermost self. Although Tonks understood she was too short to get the glass, she rose on her toes and stretched her arm trying to reach to the shelf, grinning inwardly. The gray T-shirt lifted and exposed her buttocks and her black lace knickers. She imagined Lupin’s eyes fixed on her bum, eating up the sexy vision as much as he could.“Too high, damn it,” she finally yielded after an unnecessary long reaching attempt.
“Let me,” Lupin said softly and without a word he accioed a glass for her.
“Oh, clever,” Tonks giggled like the spell hadn’t even crossed in her advanced auror mind at all.
“Sometimes it’s just so hard to let go of these muggleways when you have grown up with one,” she explained as she seated, trying to sound casual while Lupin was filling her glass.
“Oh, I totally see,” he grinned, and Tonks vaguely remembered Lupin too was a half muggle. He offered the glass and Tonks accepted it with gratitude.“So,” Tonks started after she had tasted the wine that proved out to be some full bodied elf-made wine,
“What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” She asked, studying Lupin, noticing he was pouring himself a third glass of wine.
“Nothing,” he answered shortly, sounding evasive. Tonks nodded and sipped more of the wine and waited for him to continue. Lupin was looking at his drink and clearly debating on something in his head. Probably evaluating how much of truth he wanted to give to her.
“I’m learning to forget,” he said mysteriously, taking a sip from his mug. Tonks wanted to ask more but somehow she knew she shouldn’t. It was something in the way he had said it, with a new tone Tonks hadn’t heard before. It sounded like the familiar and safe Lupin she had recently learnt to know but there was a hint of danger as well. Tonks nodded again and leaned subconsciously forward, wanting to somehow suck more Remus Lupin in. To discover the darker side of him. But Lupin then shook the ominous tone and continued his warm smile, asking what was her excuse to be up at this hour. Tonks quickly fabricated a story that was true but didn’t let out that that she had put up an auror spell to alert her when Lupin walked past the room she was staying the night. Yes, she was that obsessed with...no interested in Lupin.“Honestly, I need something to do,” Tonks raged and gulped down the wine,
“All this laying low drives me crazy.”
Lupin grabbed the bottle and offered a refill which Tonks didn’t decline.
“We’ve been in for like five minutes and the sneaky Order life already got you,” Lupin chuckled as he poured,
“But I understand you, of course,” Lupin continued with a serious tone,
“Luckily for us this is temporary and we’ll be heading on to our next missions soon. And you have an important job at the ministry. Poor Sirius though. He needs to live like this with no way out.”
“Oh Merlin, poor Sirius,” Tonks agreed, but she actually didn’t want to talk about her cousin. She was more interested in Remus Lupin in front of her eyes.
“This place is driving him mad, too,” he sighed.
“It’s still better than Azkaban.”
“You are right of course, Tonks. I just hate to see him like this,” Lupin shook his head like he was trying to get rid of his thoughts.
“Hmm-mm,” Tonks concurred absentmindedly, staring at Lupin. His face had a scar that was clearly visible in the wand light. It looked sexy. Tonks imagined herself tracing the scar with her fingers, pressing shallow kisses on it, maybe even giving a lick. She wondered was Lupin into that kind of stuff. In Tonks’ opinion hot sex was always a bit weird.She snapped out of her wandering thoughts by the sound of a mug hitting on the table. Lupin had emptied his drink with a long sip and he took a look at his watch. He sighed and his brows furrowed.
“Well the clock says it’s time to go.” He stood up.
“So soon?” Tonks asked and followed him up. She didn’t want him to leave yet. Lupin let out a soft chuckle.
“It would be really nice to stay here with you, Tonks. All night even. But it’s late.”
“Or early,” she whispered, deciding to try that seducing stalking walk one more time, avoiding the misplaced cauldron with care.
“It’s all depending on how you view it, Lupin.” She walked around the table and was now standing beside Lupin. Lupin watched her and gave her the impish grin he had shown her before. There was something inviting in that smirk. She dared to take a step closer, knowing that she was now standing a little too close to Lupin, closer than it was appropriate. Of course it wasn’t as inappropriate as flashing her lace knickers but inappropriate enough to electrify the atmosphere.“Tonks,” Lupin said coarsely, boldly placing his hand on her hip. Even though there was the worn fabric of the old T-shirt between her willing skin and the palm of Lupin, Tonks felt the burning sensation from the touch radiating throughout her body, culminating into compelling ardor that wet her knickers at that instant. Lupin’s fingers dug deeper as his grip tightened, like he was reading her secret desire through his fingertips.
“This was a pleasure, Tonks. But I really need to go. Good night.”Tonks wanted to say something to prevent his leaving, but somehow the words got stuck in her throat. Lupin flashed that grin of his one more time before letting go of her. He turned away and vanished into the narrow staircase. Tonks was left alone in the stuffy kitchen, savouring the desire his momentary touch had inspired in her.