Home is Where the Heart Is

~ Disclaimer: I own nothing but what springs from my imagination. Remus Lupin, Hogwarts, and the rest of the Potterverse are the property and the children of JK Rowling. ~

Home is Where the Heart Is
Chapter 6: On the Road

Remus and Tonks apparated to a small crossroads in the middle of nowhere. It was pitch black. He felt and then heard Tonks stumble behind him.

“Lumos,” he said, as his wand lit up the area. Tonks was picking herself up off the ground with a sheepish look.

“Sorry,” she said, “I landed on a tree root.”

“I see,” said Remus.

“You’re different, Remus,” said Tonks, “I mean, you always appeared a little serious before, but now, you’re practically Snape-like in your demeanor. You have to stop hanging out with him.”

“Severus is a good man,” stated Remus, “you know nothing about him.”

“Oh no, Remus, are you and Snape…I mean, are you…you like men?” stammered Tonks.

“What?” asked a shocked Remus, “No, I like women, I’ve just come to know a different side of Severus Snape. And before you ask, by all accounts, he too likes women.”

“I just never thought I’d hear you defend Snape.”

“No one else ever seems to,” said Remus, “and to be honest, he’s been through a lot. Probably more than any of us know. I mean, can you imagwhatwhat it must have been like for him, spying for us, having to give the appearance of a loyal Death Eater when in reality, he was disgusted by the Dark?”

“Well, he wasn’t always.”

“People change, Tonks. People make decisions that they regret. At least he makes no excuses for the decisionss mas made. He just tries to do the best he can. I would imagine that being Severus Snape is hard.”

“Fine, fine,” said Tonks, “so, what have you been up to? Where did you go when you ran away from home? I looked for you, but I couldn’t find you. I must have sent thousands of messages.”

Remus looked at the ground as he walked, “I went to America. I worked in the Muggle world there for a while. Then decided it was time to come home.”

“Do we go right or left here?” asked Tonks.

“Left,” replied Remus.

“And you’re teaching at Hogwarts again, huh?”

“Yes, DADA,” he said.

“Harry said you were the best DADA teacher Hogwarts ever had,” said Tonks, smiling.

“Maybe, but I was careless and could have put the whole school in jeopardy by not taking my potion in time.”

“Plus Snape ratted you out…”

“Yeah, well, that was many years ago and water travels under the bridge most of the time,” said Remus.

“Point taken,” Tonks peered ahead, “are we supposed to stop here for the night or keep traveling?”

“Stop here. This is the Owl and the Toad, correct?”

“Correct, sir.”

“You might want to make your hair a little less…green,” advised Remus.

Tonks screwed up her face as she concentrated and changed her appearance into that of an average looking woman with long dirty brown hair and brown eyes, “Better?”

“Much. We need to be unobtrusive.”

“Well then, good thing the moon is waning.”

They walked into the Inn, Remus making arrangements for a single room. They had to appear as a couple traveling together, although Remus would just as soon have his own space. It was safer if they remained together. Having procured their accommodations for the night, they headed up the stairs to their room. Much to Remus’ satisfaction, there were two beds in the small room and he stretched out on one of them, kicking off his boots. Tonks looked around the room, checking the doors and windows before applying wards. She turned to Remus and smiled at him, again giving that look of intense concentration as she changed her appearance to that of a young woman with long blond hair and sparkling green eyes.

“Like this better?” she asked.

“Doesn’t matter to me, just remember what you looked like when we checked in.”

“How could I forget, it was the mousy look I always use to blend into the woodwork. I just figured this would be more your style,” she said, as she ran her hands over her now nubile body.

Remus watched her display, remembering what Severus had mentioned. It had been a long time for him; it couldn’t hurt to at least see what Tonks had to offer. He sat up against the headboard and put his hands behind his head. Tonks smiled and gyrated her hips a little. She ran her hands over her breasts and slowly unbuttoned the white blouse she was wearing.

“Mmmm, Remus, you like what you see?”

Remus nodded, trying hard not to encourage her but to let her continue on her own. Tonks finished unbuttoning her blouse and let it fall to the floor, kicking it across the room. She stood there in her bra and jeans, smiling at him and looking for encouragement. Finding no encouragement, but nothing in his face telling her to stop, she continued. She unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them down her shapely legs, kicking them off, after stumbling a bit due to the shoes she still had on. She kicked off her sensible walking shoes and glanced over at him. He was watching her through heavily lidded eyes. She couldn’t tell if he aroused or tired. Still she continued with her striptease. Tonks turned her back to Remus and unhooked her bra, she turned back around clutching her bra to her body. With a sexy smile, she tossed the bra onto the bed and caressed her breasts, rubbing the nipples. She looked at Remus and noticed a slight bulge in his jeans. She stalked over to the bed and crawled on top of Remus, nipping his lips as she kissed him.

“I’ve wanted you for a long time, Remus Lupin,” she purred, “a very long time.”

Remus didn’t respond as she unbuttoned his denim workshirt and ran her tongue over his chest. She straddled his lap, took his hands, and placed them on her breasts. She didn’t realize how much work it would be to seduce Remus. Remus closed his eyes and let his hands roam over her breasts, feeling the nipples harden under his palms. He squeezed a nipple, Tonks moaned.

“Please, Remus,” she said, arching her back, “Please…”

Remus captured a nipple between his lips and sucked.

“Harder, Remus…please…”

He did her bidding, feeling her squirm against the growing bulge in his pants. He reached one hand down and stroked her through the panties. She moaned. It was then that Remus decided to take what was in front of him and damn the consequences. Tonks was a big girl, she could handle it.

* * * *

Remus awoke in the middle of night to find Tonks curled around him. With a sigh he removed himself from her grasp and went to sleep in the other bed. He had a sinking feeling that he’d made a mistake in allowing what had occurred between the two of them to happen. It was good, that was not the issue, but he didn’t feel anything for Tonks and he never would. He only hoped she could understand that come morning, should the subject come up. He curled up on his side and fell asleep.

The morning came and Tonks was sitting on the edge of his bed, shaking his shoulder. She was fully dressed and hurrying him to get ready. She was right, they did have a long day of travel ahead. They grabbed a quick breakfast at the inn, Remus paid their bill, and they departed, neither saying much.

They traveled on through much of the day, stopping to eat lunch by a clear spring. Remus consulted the directions while Tonks took advantage of the spring’s fresh water. He could feel her eyes on him, although she said nothing. Tonks wondered if he was going to say anything about last night. It had upset her when she awoke to find he had moved to the other bed. Tonks sighed. She’d been in love with Remus Lupin for years and finally had gotten him where she wanted him, only to discover that while his body had been into it, his heart didn’t appear to be. Well, she thought, I still have some time to win him over. She watched him carefully. His strong face - lined yet youthful, his well built body, his soulful hazel eyes. She loved his voice, the way it soothed. Remus wasn’t shy, although he tended to be quiet, only speaking when he had something to say. Remus had always been the voice of reason, the strength behind the Order of the Phoenix. That was not to say he didn’t have a temper. She recalled him losing his temper quite a few times, generally with Sirius back before he died. Tonks vowed not to push Remus, taking what she could and not attempting to take more than he was willing to give. If all she could have of him were sex, she would take that. She got up and headed for the road, glancing behind to see if Remus was following her. He grabbed his pack and began walking toward their destination.

Their journey continued on in much the same way for several days. Traveling by day through the countryside and small villages, stopping at Inns for the night, or in dire circumstances, camping out overnight. Tonks used her feminine charms, creating illusions that seduced Remus. She had him fooled into thinking that all she was looking for was the physical aspect of their couplings and in a way; she had herself fooled as well. As long as she could feel Remus inside her, she could convince herself that some part of him loved her. They never discussed their “relationship”, Remus because he didn’t think there was a relationship to speak of, and Tonks because she was afraid to hear the truth.

Finally, after five days of travel, they reached the outskirts of a large estate. The grounds were ill kept and the manor house, visible through the overgrowth, was ramshackle and in disrepair. Remus knew this hid the vast underground labyrinth of cells that he was told about. He sniffed the air and could smell rot and underlying evil. Tonks watched him.

“Do werewolves have a really strong sense of smell, even when they’re human?” she asked.

“I don’t think so, it just smells rotten around here.”

Tonks sniffed the air and could smell the stench of decay as well. She had a strong feeling of foreboding in the pit of her stomach.

“What if none of the prisoners are alive?” she asked.

“They will be. At least some of them,” Remus answered, resolutely, “They have to be.” With a silent show of strength, Remus began casting the spells and charms necessary to replace the dark wards with ones of the light. Ones that were similar enough in nature to temporarily fool the guards of the prison.

“How’s your patronus?” he asked Tonks.

“It’s always been fairly strong.”

“Good, you’re gonna need it,” he said, “there are definitely Dementors around and we’re going to be coming face to face with them in about an hour or two. Now help me with these wards.”

With a sigh and a glance over her shoulder, Tonks began assisting with the wards and planning their next move.