A quite meal [OPEN!]

[Remus Lupin]

Remus knew he should have gone home to eat but the honest truth of it all was that he was tired of his own cooking. He was something of a wreck many times in the kitchen. He could make an excellent cup of tea and there were a few certain meals that he felt that he had gotten quite decent at making but his own food just got tiresome after a while. Not always being able to cook for himself he wasn't the most well practiced. It didn't mean he starved he'd just grown accustomed to not so palatable food.

Tonight though he wanted something better and though he knew he shouldn't ever once in a while it seemed forgivable to spend the little money he got to afford something nice for himself. This was why he was sitting at a table alone in the Leaky Cauldron. The Shepard's Pie sounded fantastic and that was what he was going to order once he was able to make his order. Hopefully he wouldn't draw too much attention with his haggard appearance. The last moon had been a bit difficult and he was still looking worse for wear. He couldn't exactly get medical attention as readily as he had in the past so he was self medicating. He had gotten pretty good at various healing charms. Maybe he would actually be able to sleep properly that night rather than having insomnia like he usually did.

Remus let out a low sigh as he flipped studied the pattern of the wood on the table as he waited to be served. Maybe he should have brought a book with him to occupy his time rather than just sitting and waiting.

[Nymphadora Tonks]

"I'll catch ya tomorrow, Proudfoot! I'm off to the Leaky!"

"Scared you'll blow up your kitchen again, Tonks?" The sound of the other female Auror laughing uproariously could be heard, a warning in itself that all manner of coloured chaos was on it's way, if the raised voices hadn't already. And if that had failed, the reason for the uproarious laughter became quickly evident; it had tripped, or rather she had tripped, in all her clumsy, indigo-haired glory, in the door jamb of the wizarding pub. Not paying attention to her surroundings, no doubt, considering she was quite energetically showing Proudfoot a hand sign that would get her fingers jinxed together by her mother for teasing her about her cooking.

"I set it on fire. That's not the same, Proudfoot!" Tonks sounded rather irritated, and certainly winded as she clung to the doorjamb. But it was all completely belied by the laughter in her tone, the tell-tale twinkle of play in large, dark eyes as she turned, righting her legs underneath her - it was going to leave a whopper bruise on her shin later on, though - before making her way into the pub. She greeted Tom the barman with her usual cheerful frankness, ordering a much needed Butterbeer and agreeing with a good-natured tone that yes, work was something designed by the gods to break humankind, before glancing around.

Immediately and predictably - like a homing radar, or a Remus radar? - Tonks's eyes found her cousin's best friend - and her friend, of course -, her smile noticeably brightening for a moment at the sight, regardless of how shabby the werewolf himself thought said sight might be. The tingle in her hair - the kind that told her it was trying to change without her consent - was familiar and just as predictable, and she crinkled her nose slightly, fighting and hoping upon hope that she'd scare most of the pink tips off, if enough for it not to be noticed. It was a gut reaction, really, and her magic responded to feeling...much to her embarrassment and chagrin.

Her irritation at it was forgotten considerably, though, her attempts to quash the colour change put on the wayside, when she noticed how very tired he looked. See, people seemed to think Dora was rather goofy at times, and she admitted that yes, she was. But she wasn't just goofy, and she was an Auror for a reason, and she certainly noticed when people she cared for fancied were unwell. In the case of Remus, it was also something you looked for, even if you didn't harp on him about it.

"I'll have whatever he's having for dinner," Tonks said quietly to Tom, before making her way over - as non-clumsily as possible - to Remus's corner. He looked so thoroughly tired - not to mention dejected - that she couldn't help but break her usual imposed rule about making him uncomfortable with too much affection - despite how natural it was whether she was Tonks the friend or no - and she took a moment to wrap her arms snugly around his slumped shoulders, squeezing him with a sort of bracing affection.

"Wotcher, you," she said softly before letting him go, stumbling only a little as her foot found the smallest bump possible in the wooden floor before plopping gracelessly into the seat across from him. Propping her chin on her crossed arms, she gave him a fond smile - concerned but not pitying, never pitying, and just genuinely glad to see him after her own day - indicating the table and the way he was picking at it with good-natured teasing.

"Not thinking of taking up a career in wood husbandry, are you?" Tonks grinned a little, mischief dancing faintly in tired eyes, nodding half-heartedly at his slender frame. "I don't think you've quite got the build to pull off a woodcutter. I know, truth hurts."

[Remus Lupin]

In some ways Remus had gone into his own world lost in thought. He wasn't thinking about anything in particular just allowing his mind to wander and find little places to reside in. Nothing of consequence but nothing of much interest if just kept his mind not focused on the present. Generally speaking Remus was fairly aware of his surroundings but his mind was so far gone that he was surprised by the arms that were suddenly wrapped around him.

It startled him a bit but it was easy to tell quickly that it was a friendly gesture, and a rather welcome one at that. His hands slipped up to rest on the arms that were around him to in a way return the gesture. He turned his head to look at her and almost regretted it as he took in her sent, it was soft it was sweet, it was something more and it was Tonks. He could typically smell when she had been present in a room but in this close proximity. The sort way of saying things was that it relaxed him and made his mind wander a bit to places that it probably shouldn't go. He quickly reminded himself as the fantasy started to kick up that he was much too old, he was not financially stable, not to mention he was a werewolf for crying out loud which made him quite dangerous to be around particularly in the romantic sense.

"Hello Dora," Remus finally managed to say in return as he dropped his hands and she let him go. He was going to ask what brought her to the Leaky when she asked him about his idling hand tracing the patterns in the wood like it had been.

"You'd be surprised at my strength," remarked Remus with a smile, "but I think I'll live without my dreams of wood husbandry." There was just something about Dora that just lifted his spirits and made him feel better. "So what brings you to the Leaky Cauldron tonight?" he spoke finally asking the question that he had meant to ask before they went off on wood husbandry. It was an idea though maybe he could make a bit of money but really wood carpentry wasn't his thing.

[Nymphadora Tonks]

Dora. It was one of a very scant few variations she allowed when it came to calling her by name, and she could count on hand, really, the people she let get away with that. Four fingers exactly, actually, and ultimately and completely reserved to people she held in high affection. Because that was what the name was, really - Dora. Adoring. Endearing. Which to the outside world, probably raised an eyebrow or three when it came to this man, but then they didn't know anything. Not a thing.

"I might be. But I have seen you squabble with Sirius, so I might not be surprised either." She shrugged a shoulder, giving him an affable grin that quickly turned into a snicker at the absolutely deadpan manner in which he lamented away dreams of wood husbandry. Not that she blamed him - despite several occasional daydreams, she rather struggled to get him entirely out of the context of curled up in the library with a book Professor and into another context. Honestly, he was more likely to sit in a tree and read before he cut it down. That, and she couldn't quite picture him in a ripped flannelette shirt; she had better luck imagining herself in one of those, which said something.

"You're probably right, though. I can't get you out of your usual lair in my head." Tonks grinned up at him from she still rested on her arms, though one hand had reached over so her fingers lightly, boredly, playfully, tapped between the spaces his longer digits left. "You know...library...book store...classroom...nerdy places."

She still smiled up at him when he asked about her day, well, actually, her reasons for being here, though it took on a slightly tireder tinge, the blue of her hair darkening just slightly as if in response.

"Just got off work and fancied a proper meal for a change. I was with Proudfoot this afternoon; she's not so bad. I had Dawlish this morning, though. And Robards is apparently under the impression that saddling the rookies with paperwork is the best way for them to learn. Or maybe it's just me."

Tonks made a miming act of hanging herself, though she spared the man across from her any morphing into one of the other Aurors. "I'd talk to Moody about it, but I don't want it to sound like I'm whinging. Which I'm not, but you know how important people take these things. And I still got to go out with Row - sorry, Proudfoot - this afternoon, which wasn't so bad, except for the crazy old lady who thinks her neighbour across the road is practicing Dark Magic on her cat when he's just, well...and...I'm rambling, aren't I?" Tonks gave Remus an abashed grin, this time losing and failing to keep the tips of her hair from turning pink. "Sorry."

[Remus Lupin]

Remus just kept from rolling his eyes at the mention of he and Sirius squabbling. They didn't always see eye to eye and that became rather clear on occasion it caused people to wonder how they were good friends but they were. It was one of those things James was Sirius' brother while he Remus as Sirius' best friend at least that was the way it seemed to work a lot of times. But his mind was distracted from those squables as Dora's fingers started to play between the spaces of his own. Part of him knew he should pull his hand away but he didn't. He liked the closeness and near contact that he had with her. It took a lot of will power and strength to not stop her fingers and hold them with his own.

He chuckled lightly as she listed his normal locations, "Nerdy hmm? Maybe I should changed things up in I'm so predictable," he joked lightly he knew he wouldn't change things up. Though really nerdy? He'd never thought about books being nerdy, or that he might be as well. Maybe he was, did it really matter though?

He then listened as Dora went on about her day and he listened contently, glad of the company and not caring a bit if she was rambling. "No, no, you were fine. I like hearing about your day. Save for the paper work it sounds interesting. So what was the neighbor actually up to if not practicing dark magic on a cat? Not that I could entirely blame them if they were. Cats and I never got along though most animals don't take too kindly to me period." He didn't really mean it about practicing dark magic on the cat. It was a horrible idea to actually do but it was just a light bit of humor that he knew Dora would get. Animals sensed the predator in him and had a natural aversion to him. It was why Care of Magical Creatures was a class Remus never took. He had the skill set and patience to care for animals but the animals wanted nothing to do with him and he understood that.

[Nymphadora Tonks]

"Yeah. I guess they wouldn't."

Tonks smiled almost guiltily, as if it was somehow her fault that animals tended not to take to well to the werewolf in front of her. Which it wasn't, really, but she still felt bad - perhaps it was slightly more obvious closer to the full moon, but most times, like now in the waning phase of the lunar cycle, one would hardly guess at all that Remus's body literally harboured a predator. Oh, if you knew, you knew it was there, and she rather enjoyed spotting little things on occasion that gave him away. Just small things - a head tilt here, an intent look there - and sometimes, she admitted, she grew curious and wanted to ask him this question or that, but otherwise, one would never guess there'd be anything close to predatory about the wan, gentle man sitting in front of her.

Perhaps she didn't so much feel bad about it as feel bad for him. She knew better, and she'd learnt off various people she'd leave unnamed that sometimes, Remus did have occasions where he doubted his own humanity. Which was just hurtful to comprehend, really, and she could have hugged him again at the thought. Hug him lots and lots and tightly so he was reminded that blood-hungry predator inside him or not, he was still human and deserved simple human things. Mind, leaping across the table might be construed the wrong way by other patrons in the bar, so Tonks simply settled for tapping his fingers gently with hers, as opposed to avoiding them for the spaces between them. Little fingers with pale pink nails, painted because she could, against larger and scarred through no choice of his own. It was a little, insignificant thing, but it was still something.

"You can try, if you like, but I've still got the monopoly on unpredictable." She grinned playfully at him at that. Tonks liked to think she was unpredictable, and perhaps in appearance, she was. Otherwise, well...liked to think was the key, there. Still, despite the grin, there was a faint look of gratitude in dark eyes at him not finding her rambling annoying, even being nice enough to say that he liked hearing it. Even if he was just being nice, she could humour him with that, if only to keep him from getting self-deprecating. It might even amuse him, her stories.

"He wasn't up to much of anything, really. He's just a kid who likes to get around in leather and plays his instruments and his music a bit too loud. Apparently he's in a band, you see, and he's actually quite good from what I heard. But...you know what they're like. Old grannies. See more than one piercing and automatically think the person is a deviant."

Tonks smirked a little at that, shrugging a shoulder. She herself was surprisingly devoid of more than a couple of ear-piercings, but for some, her hair colours of choice could be a little confronting. "But he did admit that he's been jinxing the cat so it's fur goes strange colours and stuff whenever the old woman complained too much. I let him off with a warning this time, though if it starts up again..."

She trailed off and gave another slight shrug, offering Remus a sheepish smile.

[Remus Lupin]

It was true that Remus' appearance was rather quite deceiving. Most people when they thought of Werwolves thought of people like Fenrir Greyback who as muscled and wild in nature, not a person who was quite and reserved and well put together at least as well as he could manage considering his financial standing. He liked to keep a neat and orderly appearance but generally his clothing and look was ragged and shabby. It got him a fair few sympathetic and pitying looks on occasion but he was used to that, and his friends didn't pity him they wanted to help more than he would let them but that was entirely different. It was then that he noticed Dora tapping his fingers. He took a moment to glace over at the gesture and a smile played on his lips. The gesture was not lost on his lips in any way, and he was almost forced to wonder why she was so loving and understanding of his condition. Most people when they knew avoided him like the plague. His friends were a surprise but they were understanding and found his condition a source of entertainment and Lily, Lily seemed to sympathise but this, this was different.

Again his mind said he should draw his hand away but he didn't he actually allowed his fingers to play along a bit lightly grasping her index finer between his and his thumb for a brief moment before letting it go and his hand returning to it's neutral position. He probably shouldn't have done that as he wanted to continue to play with her fingers now but he schooled himself not to because he couldn't, he shouldn't, there were a million reasons not to. Werwolves didn't get to be in a relationship, having friends was more than he could ask for.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked letting go of his self depercating thoughts. He really wasn't going to rise to the challenge and if he did he knew he would fail miserably but that was okay it was at least fun to tease and joke with Dora and he had a feeling he might get her to smile with a remark like that and there was nothing wrong with wanting to make her smile. He loved her smile.

Remus chuckled at the rest of the story, "I hate to imagine what she thought of you with your hair. Or had you settled for a more common color at the time?" Remus knew that Dora changed her hair fairly often because she could though the purples were the colors she tended to float around. He knew if it weren't for his condition and his friends he might have wound up like the granny in years to come appalled by deviations such as the kid but he wasn't it was every day and he honestly rather liked Dora's hair the way it was, ever changing with the occasional pink curling tips.

"I'm certain he won't cause troubles... the granny on the other hand..." Remus gave a light shrug a smile playing on his lips failing to notice that his finger were playing back with Dora's once more.

[Nymphadora Tonks]

"Might be."

Lifting her head from it's spot on the table, Tonks grinned with the sort of rakish mischief only a Black could pull off with such aplomb, though hers was considerably lacking the more jaunty arrogance her maternal family was capable of. Whether she could actually pull such arrogance off was somewhat of a contentious issue; she could be haughty when she wanted to be, yes but when it came down to it, Nymphadora truly appeared to lack true arrogance even with such a playful half-challenge. And perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing; it made her far warmer than a good majority of her mother's family was. Far more approachable, endearing, enchanting even, in it's own right.

Of course, she had her own reasons for doing so, and much of it had to do with keeping a lid on her genuine reaction to his response. Or reactions, and she rather hoped he couldn't hear her heart beat jumping rapidly - flutter, flutter, fluttering, it was - at him reciprocating in kind and playing with her dancing, wayward fingers. Indeed, dancing; it was rather a sense of deja vu, really - a sort of understated gesture that played mimicry to whatever it was they danced around amidst - and covered by - the veil of close friendship and long-term familiarity. Not that it likely covered her as much as she'd like - for a Metamorphmagus, she was infuriatingly transparent when she didn't want to be, and even the pretense of her own very nature - naturally so warm and affectionate - could only last so long.

He'd let go of her fingers, drawing his own digits into a rather more neutral position, and Tonks did her best not to pay too much heed to the droop of little butterfly wings in her chest, or let the disappointment show. It wasn't as though he was spurning her, telling her to leave him be - had he ever actually done that? - and really, letting her get away with the closeness like she had in public was rather more than most could hope for when it came to Remus Lupin. She was rather fortunate in that respect, really. Using that thought at the absolute forefront of her mind, Tonks let her body relax and her smile regain it's more familiar quirk, the glint of mischief in her eyes despite her best attempts to play at casual and nonchalant. Like nothing was a big deal to her.

"Oh, you know, I just...dazzled her with my natural charm." She scrunched her nose slightly until she felt the familiar tingle in her scalp - indigo hair shifting and softening to a pink that was far softer, rose-coloured, really, as opposed to the bubble gum colour she usually took on when playing around with pink and purple shades. After a moment of examining the colour through her fingers,Tonks grinned abashedly.

"She had quite the rose garden out the front of her place. I think she might have taken it as a compliment, sort of, when I changed my hair into some of her pink roses. Don't usually do roses, but they were kind of pretty. And it's a more 'girl' colour anyway than indigo, so I suppose that made it okay for her too." Tonks shrugged, before snorting in a most ungirly way with laughter at his comment on old folks causing trouble.

"Oh yeah, damn those old folks. Shoulda heard her talking about, er, certain Ministers, while she was serving us tea." Tonks lowered her voice, leaning forward a little conspirationally. It did a little in covering up the fact that she'd literally just stumbled on her words, too, though that was entirely Remus's fault; he was playing with her fingers again, and it was an almost impossible effort to keep her from doing something stupidly flirtatious, like hooking her pinkies through his.

"I think she was all for running him over in her little old granny cart. Can you imagine? Total delinquent."

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[Remus Lupin]

A smile couldn't help but play across his face as Dora stated how her being more unpredictable than he was might be a challenge. A slight laugh even escaped his lips. He loved that playful attitude of hers. He even knew that smirk of hers but at the same time it suited her well and was different than that of most Blacks. Dora had her own smile and smirk.

Maybe that was what had caused him to start to absent minded-ly play with her fingers again. He liked Dora, there was something so - so appealing and tantalizing about her. He felt he could spend endless amounts of time with her. Time with Dora made him happy, many times it made him forget about his problems in life at least until his mind wandered to things beyond just the friendship they shared and then all the reasons not to would play in his mind and he would pull himself away from what could be. It couldn't happen and he hated that Dora deserved someone better than him he was nothing but bad news. It was why he pulled away from her so often he didn't want to spurn her or hurt her it was why he pulled away so as not to hurt her.

His eyes watched carefully as her hair turned the softest of pinks. It was quite lovely on her even if she thought pink wasn't her color. It looked nice though the purple seemed to be more her. It was more - punk which was more her. "Naturally you would put on your charms. How could anyone resist them?" he asked the words slipping from his mouth. He glanced away from Dora at that moment. He probably shouldn't have but the words were out, and they were true.

"Sounds like she's quite the deviant," spoke Remus amused by the story. "I told you she was trouble though her political opinions might be a bit accurate even if a bit extreme." Remus chuckled lightly. He could only imagine the little old granny being the with her opinions stout and sure, and surprising to all. "Now I'm beginning to think the kid might have gotten off easy."

[Nymphadora Tonks]

"Eh. I'm sure some might manage. Or do manage."

She said that offhandedly, the flippancy of it somewhat magnified by the way Tonks rolled her eyes, half playful, half dismissive, as if it bothered her very little if anyone at all took an enchantment towards her and her 'charms'. Which, to most, that would be the case. Little Tonks, clumsy Tonks. Playful, goofy Tonks, with all the colours of the rainbow and more in her hair; she didn't care a whit what the world thought of her, that Nymphadora Tonks. And to a point, it was true. She had always displayed a sense of comfort within herself, something very few her age and younger - or even older - could manage with considerable aplomb.

But it was to a point, and only to a point.

Those people didn't know the half of Nymphadora Tonks, when all was said and done. They didn't take note of the way she sometimes deflated when she was referred to in such terms - "little" and "goofy" - nor the way she did her best to stand taller still, chin up, when she was being appraised or scrutinised in her job. They missed the way she winced when she took a tumble, that brief glint of vulnerability softening and putting an edge to eyes that usually twinkled dark and bright, how she laughed and brushed it off like it was nothing when no one made to help her up, or ask if her scraped knees were hurting later. They didn't see the way she kicked herself for fancying a man ten times herself in every way, from manners to experience, a man she'd known nearly her whole life. They certainly didn't hear the sharp thud of her heart hitting her sternum and richocheting back again at the compliment, or take heed to the way a light flush, almost lost amidst the equally soft pink of her hair, trickled over her cheeks at the light laugh, in much the same way that darker shade of pinkish magenta, barely there amidst the rose-pink, tingled it's way up from the very tips of her hair.

"Mm. Lucky I didn't break any of her pretty china; I might have lost all favour then. And by pretty I mean it was bloody garish. Why do people buy that stuff? Most of them hardly ever use it anyway, and it's not even nice-looking half the time. There's nothing wrong with a good, strong mug, is there? I mean, I thought it was going to break between my hands every time I picked it up." It was easy enough to slip into easy joking again, despite the colour high in her cheeks (and low in her hair), and it was humourous too, as despite her claim not moments ago that she was entirely unpredictable, Tonks had immediately fallen into at least one thing that was usually quite predictable about her - her ability to indulge in a good Dora-ramble for whatever reason or feeling that had provoked it.

Though it was ironic, too, how she'd joked with good-natured deprecation at the thought of her clumsy hands breaking delicate china. Purely because in their present position, they looked anything but large and clumsy. Far from it, in fact; they looked downright delicate, thin fingers and dainty palm tap-tap-tapping and half-heartedly playing chase in a familiar manner with Remus's larger hands and longer digits. Barely toeing the line of almost intimate when her pinky found a nick, a scar that looked rather new, and touched it in a manner almost reassuring in an odd way. Then he finally caught one of her fingers between his, and unbidden, a giggle of all embarrassing things bubbled in her throat, stifled only when she pulled that one hand away from their game to chew on her thumbnail. Always chewed, always jagged even when the rest of her nails looked well-off, that nail - yet another of her little quirks, and the poor thumbnail the victim. It stalled the giggle, though, which was what she'd wanted, though the echo of how it might have sounded lingered silently in the air until Tonks chose to speak again. Back to her usual good-humoured, teasing manner.

"You know, I just realised; I should probably ask what you ordered for dinner. Considering I told Tom I'd have 'whatever he's having'. It better not be too rare." She crinkled her nose playfully at Remus as she said that, clearly unbothered with joking about one of the few werewolf habits she knew carried over into the human psyche, but still rather preferring any meat she had to be a little more well-cooked. Then she paused again, apparently considering something before meeting his eye again.

"You don't...think I was too easy, do you? On the kid. I mean, it hardly seemed like something you'd drag a person into the lock-up for..."

Tonks shrugged a shoulder, as if it was no big deal, really. But there it was, ever so briefly, that shadow of vulnerability darkening her eyes even as she still met his, lifted her chin slightly and posed the question casually. She was not one to openly seek reassurance, preferring not to look dependant by any stretch, but sometimes, just sometimes, with people she might trust -utterly and completely, like she did this man- she slipped. Just a little.

[Remus Lupin]

Some have and did manage to resist the charms of Nymphandora Tonks? Remus wondered how that was possible. If it weren't for the fact that he knew it would hurt her he would have been tempted to ask who had managed such an impossible feat to maybe get a few tips or idea from them. He particularly liked Dora but there were times when she was almost too much when her charms completely beguiled him where it was almost impossible to keep his sentiments and emotions in check. Dora was in a class of her own and he knew that he could easily fall in love with her, but he knew he couldn't. As much as she attracted him it was wrong. He was wrong for her in every way that seemed to matter, age, finances, personal safety. No it wouldn't work, people like him didn't get a happily ever after and he sure as hell wasn't going to destroy her trying to get what he could never have.

But Dora continued on about the little old granny allowing Remus to get a respite from his less than pleasant thoughts. He gave a light chuckle at the idea of that tiny little fine china. "I"m sure you executed great care with those garish tea cups. I never understood the concept of them either considering one can't get enough tea in them." Remus gave a slight nod in agreement. He was big on drinking tea, if it wasn't chocolate that cured the ails then it was a good cup of tea. That was the Remus Lupin solution to all ails it seemed, either tea or chocolate, sometimes both (separately of course, for the idea of tea and chocolate mixed together did not sound appealing in the least).

That was when his fingers caught her in the little game they had been playing and he was slightly caught by surprise at the event. He hadn't even given thought to their game till she pulled her hand away. He pulled his hand back as well and gently cleared his throat realizing that he hadn't behaved appropriately. He wanted to admonish himself but Dora asked him what he was having to eat. It took him by surprise as well. "I, uh, ordered the shepherds pie. I didn't think to order it bloody so you should be fine, unless you are adverse to shepherds pie." He gave a small smile despite the fact that his craving for rather rare red meat did occur quite often. He rather liked his meat red but he was okay eating it cooked once in a while, but it usually had to be cooked in something for it to be a little more palatable. Steak by itself cooked was not something Remus was sure he would enjoy.

Remus watched as Dora paused asking him about the situation with the kid. He could almost read the concern on her face that flicker of doubt. It saddened Remus a little when he saw it. He loved the air of confidence that Dora held around herself but he knew there were times that even she just like everyone else had their doubts, and this was one of those times. It was funny how he could sometimes read Dora so easily.

"No," he shook his head. "As I said I think the kid will behave himself. It really wasn't a major offense just a little bit of trouble made bigger by an overly reactive granny. Honestly, Sirius, James and even my self have done worse things than that kid and we turned out alright so I think the kid will be fine."

[Nymphadora Tonks]

"Exactly! That's why they made mugs. You can actually put sugar and milk in your tea with those, and it'll still taste like tea. Can't do that with those weird little china ones."

The thumb she'd been chewing on left her mouth so that the hand could thump in light but mock-miffed, playful emphasis on the wooden table, as if there was nothing more important in the world than good, honest tea. Which there was, of course, but it stopped her reacting too overtly to him taking his hands away from hers - though there was no disguising the flicker of disappointment that darkened the glimmer in already dark eyes and shadowed pixie-shaped features, something not even Remus himself could pretend he'd imagined seeing. It actually took her a great deal of self-control not to reach across the table for his hands again, though her fingers actually twitched slightly against the wood, and she ended up clasping them together and tucking them under her chin to hold her head up for lack of anything else.

"Actually, that reminds me; I saw the most amazing thing the other day in one of the shops down the road in Diagon Alley. It was a mug, and I kid you not, it was massive. I'm utterly convinced you could fit ten decent normal mugs of tea in it at least. Remind me to show it to you later...you know, if you want to."

There it was again, the sheepish little shrug, the slight glimmer of vulnerability behind her playful, frank smile. Really, she scolded herself inwardly, you're being quite ridiculous. It's not like you're asking him anything stupid, and you've dragged the poor man out to see things countless times. Ah, but there was the thing - there was a difference between dragging one to places and asking them if they'd like to come. And...bollocks. She was being ridiculous. Certainly the last thing she wanted to be at the moment, especially when he'd just praised her so for how she'd handled a troublesome situation. Not that she hadn't been sure, or needed praise, but...

Oooh. Shepherd's Pie.

"Nah. You know I love bangers and mash. Shepherd's pie just mashes it all together." Tonks sipped her drink thoughtfully before crinkling her nose in that habitual manner of hers. "'Sides, it's like the only thing I can get away with making. Where I don't risk complete and utter annhiliation of the kitchen and all it's contents."

[/blockquote]

[Remus Lupin]

Remus smiled as it seemed the Dora read his thoughts about how one couldn't get the proper amount of milk and sugar into the tea and it still taste right. If one were to properly drink tea from those little china cups one would have to forgo the milk and that was just a shame, at least when it came to proper English tea. There were a few herbal kinds Remus had tried that milk did not suit well but it those were rare for him to drink.

The the smile on Remus' face flickered despite the seemingly amusing thump on the table provided by Dora. He could see the shadow that seemed to pass over her face and he had a feeling it had to do with the little dance of fingers. He knew what it was, but it wasn't right, it wasn't appropriate. He took in a slow slow deep breath and let it out quietly and as equally slowly. This was right, it was what had to be done. He couldn't play with emotions, hers or his.

Then Dora asked about showing him a large mug she had found. And a smile came back to his lips. He knew what answer he should give particularly considering the thoughts he had just had but instead his mouth spoke differently than he wanted them to. "I'll be sure to do that. One can never let the sighting of massive mugs go amiss. Sounds like it might be the perfect mug for Hagrid too." He mused a bit thinking of the friendly half giant, a man he only knew so well during school and got to know better via the order. He was a pleasant but simple man in Remus' opinion. He could only imagine what the half giant would say if such a gift was presented to him. He seemed to enjoy searing tea and those dreaded rock cakes when he had vistors.

"I haven't quite mastered the art of shepards pie, though I'm pretty decent and making an egg as long as the sugar and salt to get mixed up," Remus shuddered slightly at a memory of visiting Sirius at his flat and salt being used instead of sugar in his tea. It was a horrid yet amusing experience to say the least. He hadn't switched the sugar and salt on his own but he could only imagine that sugared eggs wouldn't be too pleasant. "So how is your war with kitchens going? Any more recent fatalities?" he asked with a knowing smile figuring that kitchen fiascos was a safe topic that wouldn't cause too much trouble where feelings were concerned as those seemed to have been a bit problematic as of late.

[Nymphadora Tonks]

It wasn't a lie to say that she was thoroughly disappointed with the end of their little game, even if it had been just that. It had been fun, in it's own way, and thoroughly adorable (on his end, in her opinion, anyway). And frankly, despite the butterfly colony it had unleashed in her stomach, it had been rather...well, soothing. But then, she'd learnt even before they'd picked up where their friendship had left off, that being around Remus, touching him even, had a surprisingly calming effect on herself. Not in the sense of it dulling her, persay; it did quite the opposite, in fact. She just felt more...grounded, if that made sense. And it wasn't to say that she was clingy, either - far from it, for Tonks was a girl - young woman - who very much enjoyed the independance she had. She just...liked to be close to people she grew to love care for, that was all. It was, quite simply, in her nature.

Unfortunately, it wasn't in Remus's nature to take well to being pushed or bullied; she knew him well enough to know that. While the man wasn't shy in the literal sense, he was still reticient enough, subtle enough to very likely not enjoy it a great deal should she choose to try and provoke another round of 'finger-wrestling', or whatever it had been. It was too obvious, drew too much attention, and was likely to make him very uncomfortable. And much as she wanted nothing more than to grab for his hands again (in the absolute least), Dora respected him well enough to know better, so she allowed him to retreat a little. For now.

Of course, it was entirely by accident and the way that the cramped little tables at the Leaky were situated in such a way that it left her feet with little room to comfortably move. And Remus was such a rangy-legged git that she really didn't have little choice but to rest her booted toes against his ankle.

Purely. Utterly. Accidental.

Anyway, they were discussing far more important things now. Tea, of course. Of all the random topics. But then again, it wasn't as if they ever didn't veer off into random topics. It was practically one of the base staples of their friendship.

"Nah, this one's smaller than one of Hagrid's mugs. More wizard-with-a-massive-tea-fetish sized, however..." Tonks trailed off, doing her best to hide the teasing grin on her lips (and utterly failing too). There was certainly no disguising the playful twinkle in dark eyes, always present and that much brighter when she teased the man sitting across from her, bright enough again that it almost bordered on flirtatious. The warmth of it certainly came close, if the playful, innocent flick of her chin upwards - bringing rosy-pink bangs away from her eyes - wasn't enough. Mind, it promptly dissipated into an offended look at his crack at her culinary skills - not that she really minded, and it showed in the fact that the aforementioned playful gleam really hadn't left her eyes - and Tonks sniffed, rapping his ankle in light admonition with her toes.

"I'll have you know that I have yet to break a single one of my kitchen utensils since I bought the last new lot. And I've even almost learnt how to make spaghetti bolognaise. Almost."

Still, she rapped the wood of the table with her fists just to be on the safe side, though it didn't stop her from sticking her tongue out in playful reproach at Remus for teasing her cooking abilities. "You know, I was going to ask if you wanted to come find the amazing wonderful giant mug later, seeing as it's late night shopping in Diagon Alley tonight, but I'm not sure if I should now. I think I'll just leave you to your inadequate weener-sized mugs. Make you suffer."

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[Remus Lupin]

Having pulled his hand back he allowed his finger to trace the wood of the table a bit more before stopping and just allowing it to rest idly. It was for the best that they not tread close to anything more than just friends and the finger game was pushing that border. Of course he loved the contact, as reserved as he was, he did enjoy human contact. Dora was particularly enjoyable, he loved the closeness the faint smell that was distinctly hers, if he could have his way he probably despite the age thing have welcomed the contact more freely even possibly asked Dora out because it was no denying that she was an attractive woman but he couldn't. He was a werewolf. He couldn't be in a relationship. He was dangerous and he was already pushing limits by having friends and trying to be part of normal society. He was an outcast and was dangerous to those around him. He couldn't count the times where he had had a close call. No he was damned and he wasn't about to bring someone else down to his level and damn them as well. He couldn't put someone like Dora at risk, he cared for her, in fact he cared a little too much. It was for the best.

Then her foot touched his ankle and it caused him to sit up a bit and pull away from his darker thoughts. He didn't move his feet because accidents happened and it was comfortable having her close even in a small way. Really, they were in close quarters at these tables and he was rather tall which meant that his legs were a bit longer.

When Dora explained the mug better he could see the mischief written all over her face. It was near impossible to mask at least from him as he'd grown quite skilled at recognizing that look over the years. "I'll have you know that I may have a strong appreciation for tea but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a fetish," he protested with a smile. He did find tea useful for almost any situation it was a good way to unwind after a long day, it was something to savor while reading a good book, it was how to soften the blow of bad news and was a great way to have a discussion with another person over a cup of tea. Tea could apply to almost any situation.

Then Remus smiled having his turn to tease Dora even if she did knock his ankle with her foot. "Very impressive!" he answered amused as a mischievous smirk took place on his face. "The question is though how long ago did you buy those utensils?" he asked a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

Then Dora threatened not to take him shopping with her. "Oh?" he asked with a smile forgetting his dark thoughts entirely and enjoying the moment of teasing with Dora. It was hard to resist the joking and teasing. "You know I could easily go looking for the mug on my own?" he asked with a knowing smile. "Though I doubt it would not be as fun and entertaining on my own."