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Summary for this chapter: Talking, plans, and *gasp* more kissing!

Complications

As soon as Tonks woke up she knew something was wrong. She didn't recognize her surroundings and her head hurt like, well, to put it bluntly, hell. She sat up and immediately regretted the action, taking her pounding head in her hands she decided to sit for awhile until the room stopped spinning.

After a few minutes Tonks felt it was all right to open her eyes so she did so and observed her surroundings. Contrary to what she had previously thought she did recognize where she was. It was the room she had stayed in the night before at James and Lily's house. Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. Hadn't she gone back to the land of the mostly living?

She shook her head, trying to clear it, and decided the only clear choice of action was to get up and ask somebody about it. Tonks slowly made her way out of bed and into the hallway to the stairs. Once there she paused, questioning her ability to navigate them. After a moment of calming herself and a deep breath she started her way down.

About-half way to the ground floor she began to hear people's voices. After a couple more steps she could actually understand what was being said.

"But why is she still here?" Tonks heard Sirius' currently pathetic sounding voice question.

"We don't know," that was James, and he sounded weary, as if this was the thousandth time he'd been forced to answer the question.

"Just calm down, we'll try to figure out what's happening as soon as she wakes up." Lily said and looked over to the doorway just in time to see Tonks almost trip down the last step. Her eyebrows came together with an almost audible snap. "What are you doing up, dear? You should still be resting"

Tonks shook Lily's hand off of her shoulder and made her way into the room to flop down on the couch an unusually silent Remus was occupying. He glanced over at her for a moment, but when he saw her watching him he looked away quickly.

Tonks frowned to herself watching him. What was his problem? She thought back, trying to remember what had happened. She knew that she must have done something, but she couldn't quite place it. She also knew there had been a couple minutes after she had come back here and passed out that she couldn't remember. She sighed, wishing she knew what was going on.

The silence was broken by the clock on the mantel of the fireplace ringing eleven o'clock. Everyone looked startled. They hadn't realized that it was getting so late. No one moved for a little while, but eventually Sirius got up and began to say his good-byes.

"Well, I guess we should be going, it's getting late," Sirius said and clapped James on the back. "We'll probably be here sometime tomorrow to talk about this...development," he said as he gestured toward Tonks.

"All right." James replied as Lily went to gather Tonks up and get her upstairs, "Should we expect you before or after lunch?" he asked.

"Probably after lunch," Remus said, chipping into the conversation for the first time since Tonks had reappeared. When James and Sirius looked startled he elaborated, "Severus would want to be here too. He usually stays up late so you shouldn't have a problem contacting him tonight, but I know from when I was teaching at Hogwarts that he likes to sleep in." At the other occupants of the rooms dumbfounded looks Remus just sighed.

"Tomorrow. Expect us for lunch around noon-ish. Good night"

As he walked to the entryway to get his coat James and Sirius shook their heads at each other. "Well, guess we'll have yet more to talk about tomorrow." Sirius sighed and took his leave.

After Lily had gotten Tonks settled back into bed she came back downstairs. James was waiting for her to talk. "Remus said to not expect them until noon or so." James reported.

"So Severus should get here around ten?" Lily asked and James rolled his eyes.

"Are we really going to go sticking our noses in their business?" he asked, and then added lest anyone forget his reputation, "Not that I mind, I'm just more used to pranks than, uh, romance." he shuddered at the word.

Lily gave him a stern look, "It's not just their business, it's ours, and Tonks', most of all. I mean, how do you think I would react if you just went out and found that you were sleeping with your best guy friend?"

James spit out the juice he had just tried to drink and coughed a few times. After he got his air back he exclaimed, "I should hope that you could have a little more tact than that when push comes to pull! That would be a perfect way to dump it on her. 'Hey Tonks, you're husband in life is now gay and sleeping with Sirius.' Yeah, that would go over real well!"

"That's not what I was saying," said Lily after James was done with his mini-rant and had made sure no one, specifically Tonks, had heard his outburst. "I think we should ease it to her."

"Yeah, well I think Sirius and Remus should tell her when they're ready, and as much as it still pains me to think about it, I think Severus would think so as well."

"I guess you're right, but don't get used to it." Lily said and grinned at him. "All right, let's go to bed."

-- -- --

"She doesn't deserve you," Sirius said in bed later that night. He and Remus had gotten home about an hour before and he had managed to get the other man into a better mood by light teasing and coaxing, trying to make it seem like any other night before Tonks had appeared.

"What do you mean?" asked Remus, his voice slightly muffled by the fabric of his shirt as he dressed for bed.

Before answering Sirius looked at him appraisingly. When he was done feeling Remus up with his eyes he said, "You're just plain too good for her. I mean, she seems to take advantage of you." he explained to cut off any protest as Remus got into bed.

"If she takes advantage of me, I'd hate to know what you do to me." Remus said teasingly, and then smacked the other man for snickering at the wording. "God, sometimes I don't know why I put up with you"

"Because you love me," Sirius said with a wide grin.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Remus said noncommittally and laughed as the other man pouted.

"Well, if you're going to be like that, come over and prove it to me." Sirius said challengingly. With a grin Remus leaned over and dropped him a kiss. Sirius snorted as Remus lay back down. "Come one, that's nothing compared to last night. That was more like a kiss you would give to Tonks," he paused, "Eww, gross! I did not want those images running together!"

Remus frowned wondering what was so bad that his friend was imagining. Instead of asking that particular question he said instead, "What's so bad about Tonks anyway? Why do you dislike her so much?"

Sirius muttered something and Remus raised an eyebrow. "I may have sensitive hearing, but that doesn't mean I can always hear you."

Sirius glared at him and said "You're a wonderful person. You're kind, caring, generous, and patient. Basically all the things I'm not." he paused, "As a matter of fact, I'm not sure I deserve you."

Remus was sure that this wasn't the whole reason Sirius disliked the younger girl, but he kept this to himself. He was pretty sure this was just the part about why Sirius liked him, and not why he held such an animosity toward Tonks. Instead of trying to over think things more Remus smiled at the dejected look on the other mans face.

"Come on; let's not get into another glum mood. One a day is all I can handle in the depression department." Remus said, trying to cheer up Sirius. He was trying hard to be cheerful when his emotions regarding Nymphandora were trying to eat him whole, but he couldn't make the effort all by himself. He needed Sirius.

Sirius finally seemed to realize this and pulled himself from his mini bout of self-pity. He breathed in slowly and exhaled, a smirk now gracing his features. While Remus was happy the man was in a better mood he wasn't sure he liked the lascivious smirk being sent his way.

"All right, now that we're both awake and in a better mood, what shall we do?" Sirius asked, his grey eyes flashing.

"Uhm, we should go to bed- sleep!" Remus corrected himself quickly, knowing he would have to be specific with the way the other man thought. "Look, you're not going to ambush me this time. I want a say in something beginning, not another sneak attack!" his voice raised a little as his heart rate sped up.

"Well, why don't you start it then?" Sirius asked with one eyebrow raised.

"I-I will when I'm ready," Remus said and took a deep, calming breath. Slowly he pulled Sirius' head down; the other man had been straddling him again, and pressed their lips together in a kiss.

The kiss started off softly, as the other one had, but after a short amount of time it became more heated. This time wasn't about the wild rush of newfound emotions; it was a low, burning passion taking its own sweet time to fully ignite. Their mouths moved against each other, randomly sucking and pulling back. Remus' eyes became half-lidded and Sirius probed his tongue forward and gained entrance to the other mans mouth.

Remus put his tongue into action too and they dueled for dominance. Finally, after several minutes of kissing Remus slowly pulled back, keeping Sirius at a distance as he did. Sirius stopped and looked at him questioningly.

Remus absorbed that look, took a deep breath and said, "I know we've known each other for a long time, but we've just recently gotten into this type of relationship. I think we should take it slow."

Sirius closed his eyes in disappointment. He knew what he was doing. When he was at Hogwarts being a Black wasn't the only thing he was known for. He sighed and said, "All right, we'll go slowly. Your pace, no matter how much it frustrates me. Is that what you want to hear?" Sirius asked and opened his eyes.

"Yes, thank you." Remus said, looking into his eyes he grabbed the back of Sirius's neck and pulled him down for another short kiss. "Well, we should go to sleep. Tomorrow is today already, and we have to be on time for lunch."
Startled, Sirius glanced at the clock which now read one o'clock in the morning. He sighed and shifted uncomfortably. "All right, I guess. Goodnight, Moony."

"G'night, Padfoot," Remus said and snuggled under the covers. He didn't hear the other man move silently out of the room and come back a couple minutes later to cuddle up behind him.

-- -- --
End chapter ten

a/n Uh oh! I think I might've just put a little innuendo at the end there *snickers*