Author's Note: The last chapter is finally here! Once again, a big thank you to everyone who took the time to read or review. I'm so pleased that so many people have followed it (patiently) along and enjoyed it. It's been fun writing this series and it certainly ended up being a lot longer than I'd originally planned but all the support I received along the way made it worthwhile. You guys are awesome!

Every step was an effort as Lupin descended the stairs, trying not to lean too heavily on the thin walking cane at his side. Full moon nights often left him a little unsteady on his feet, though he disliked to be seen with it since it provided such a visible reminder of his condition.

By the time he'd managed to gather sufficient strength to get up and change into his usual clothes it was late afternoon, and he paused on the stairs to admire the orange sunbeams still leaking through the dusty windows. He was glad not to have missed the daylight.

There wasn't much to do after two o'clock on a Monday so most of the Order members had already gone home. Lupin watched a small group walk past him without a glance, deep in conversation as they headed towards the front door. Each was careful to avoid the troll's leg umbrella stand and cast cursory looks at the portrait behind the black curtain. Lupin's heart sank. The sight of it was enough to remind him of last night, and his good mood instantly vanished. He didn't even know if Tonks was still here, let alone where she might be...

Alastor's wooden leg clunked against the floorboards as he walked. 'In the study, Remus,' he growled as he passed, his magical eye swivelling to look through the back of his head.

'Pardon?' asked Lupin, wondering if it was possible for the grizzled Auror to read minds as well, but he was already off down the hallway after the chattering group. As he passed the threshold, their conversation abruptly ceased.

Lupin sighed and leant on the banister, wondering how far gossip had spread. Since Moody wasn't one for idle chatter, he assumed it had gone further than he'd hoped. Now he supposed he had no excuse but to go and see her, though what he was going to say he still hadn't decided yet.

The house was quiet as he made his way to the study. It seemed a long walk even with his limp, and by the time he reached the closed door he was beginning to have second thoughts. Perhaps it would be better if he left Tonks alone. She probably wouldn't be in the mood for talking.

But Sirius was right, he'd done enough running away. The least he could do was to make amends- or try to. A week of avoiding her had made him realise that he missed her company more than he'd like to admit.

The study appeared deserted when he peered around the door, but then he saw Tonks sitting on the sofa at the other end of the room, notepad balanced on her lap. She was twirling a quill idly through her fingers, staring into space with no visible intention of writing anything. He cleared his throat softly to let her know he was there.

Tonks started, the quill falling from her hand. An inkwell was balanced precariously on the arm of the sofa, and as her elbow jerked it was knocked off and spilled onto the carpet. 'Oh, hello Remus.' Looking flustered, she snatched up the inkwell and pointed her wand at the stain, but only succeeded in turning it orange. 'I thought you were supposed to be resting?' she said with a hint of irritation in her voice.

'Do you mind if I come in?' he asked, feeling equally embarrassed as she self-consciously ran a hand through her hair. Today it was a
strange shade of olive, but the blotches of brown showing through suggested that she hadn't really put her heart into it.

'I-' She let out her breath in a sigh. 'Yeah. Fine. Come in.'

Lupin closed the door behind him, doing his best to hide the awkwardness that came with moving. Her eyes flicked down to the cane at his side and he knew it hadn't been missed. Tonks made no move to clear her things from the seat beside her so he sat down on the sofa opposite. Then he tried to think of something to say.

Tonks turned her attention to the blank notepad and began writing with exaggerated interest. Then her quill ran out, and since the inkwell was now empty she had no way of ignoring him any longer. Slowly, her brown eyes rose to his face. 'You look terrible,' she observed after some seconds had passed.

Lupin resisted the urge to cover the cut on his cheek with his hand. No doubt there would be another scar once it had healed properly. 'Some months are more difficult than others,' he said carefully. He wondered if word about his "episode"had reached her ears.

'Molly said it was bad.' She looked down at her paper. 'I was going to come see you but Sirius said you were still sleeping.'

Lupin was touched. For a moment he wondered why Sirius hadn't attempted to wake him up and ask him first, then he remembered the state he'd been in when he'd first awoken. 'That was... kind of you,' he said lamely.

Tonks shrugged, still not looking at him. There was no point in putting it off any longer; this small talk was pointless.

Lupin leaned forward. 'Tonks, I owe you an apology.'

Tonks raised her eyebrows, resting her chin on her hand. 'Yeah, you do.'

'I'm sorry for what happened yesterday,' he told her. 'I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I'm not in my right mind the night before a transformation and I jumped to conclusions.'

'You know I'd never abuse your trust like that,' Tonks burst out. 'You're my friend, my- my best friend.' She lowered her gaze. 'I wouldn't do that to you.'

He nodded wholeheartedly. 'I know you wouldn't.'

She wasn't convinced by this assurance. 'I didn't tamper with any of the bottles apart from when we opened some of them,' she said hotly, pointing her quill at him, 'and you were with me the whole time. And you can ask Fred and George if you won't take my word for it.'

He frowned. 'Fred and George?'

'It's for their joke shop.' She waved a hand dismissively. 'They couldn't have them delivered to the Burrow in case Molly found out, so I had them hidden in the drawing room until they could come and collect them.'

'So then, what happened...' Lupin thought back to last night, wondering how he could have been so sure that he'd consumed Amortentia. He'd smelt the candle burning on the coffee table, the old book he'd been reading and the hot chocolate she'd given him. But more than that, he'd felt... warmth rose to his cheeks. That meant he couldn't blame the potion for what had occurred.

'But they'll verify that not a single bottle was missing or used.' Tonks didn't seem to have noticed his awkwardness. 'If you've got any veritaserum, y'know, truth potion, then I'll prove it. I never intended for you even think-'

'It's alright Tonks,' he said, trying not to grimace as his headache threatened to resurface. 'I believe you. I should never even have doubted you.'

'Yeah, well- well good.' Tonks sank back in her seat, somewhat mollified by this. Her irritated expression softened a little as some of the fight went out of her, and for a while she appeared to be thinking of what to say. The silence stretched out between them, though it wasn't quite as frosty as before. When she spoke again, her voice was hesitant. 'I think I owe you an apology as well.'

'No, you don't,' Lupin said at once. 'I should have been more responsible, more...'

'You really do blame yourself for everything, don't you Remus?' Tonks shook her head in disbelief, putting down her quill. 'It's not like I didn't give you good reason to think that I might put something in your drink. I don't know how you put up with me for so long, to be honest.' She crossed her legs in typical Tonks fashion, putting the notepad to one side. Lupin sensed that she was about to say something personal, so did his best to show her that he was alert and paying attention.

'I don't really know why I did it,' Tonks confessed, picking up her wand and turning it through her hands. 'Messing around with you, I mean. I'm not good at talking to people. Properly talking, like important stuff. I couldn't just come out and say it. I guess it was my roundabout way of telling you...' She trailed off, then sighed. 'When you started avoiding me I thought you might be holding back for my sake. I suppose it just didn't occur to me that it was a polite way of saying you weren't interested. It was selfish of me, really.'

Lupin looked down, careful to school his features into a neutral expression. Tonks nodded sadly and seemed to take this as confirmation. She went on falteringly, 'And I did it because... I liked it. Keeping you on your toes was fun, it broke up the monotony of everything we do here.' She looked down at the floor, and all of a sudden she looked much older, a different person to the jokey young witch who had made him coffee one morning. She lowered her voice. 'When I'm with you, I can forget how much is riding on us. I can forget we're fighting a war, that any day could be our last. It gave me a reason to keep going, a reason to- to be.' She snorted. 'Childish, I know.'

'That's not childish,' said Lupin softly.

'Isn't it?' She looked up at him, searching his face for truth.

'Why do you think I made friends with the biggest pair of troublemakers at Hogwarts?' he said with a smile. 'Because I was going through a difficult time, still getting used to the fear of transforming. Being with them helped me to forget, they got me through those times.' He looked at the young woman who had made his days at the Order that much more bearable. 'Never underestimate the value of happiness, Tonks. It's the whole reason we're fighting in the first place.'

Tonks blinked back at him then looked away, embarrassed. 'Yeah.'

She was quiet for a while as if considering this, and once again the silence stretched between them. Lupin watched her out of the corner of his eye. He was glad they'd patched up their argument, though he still sensed a barrier between them. As the minutes slowly passed, he thought back on Tonks' words and everything they'd talked about. It was time he had a good, long think.

So Lupin thought about his condition, and the danger it held for others, how he ought to be responsible. He considered the possibility of someone else sharing this pain and having to endure it. His friends had known what they were getting into when they'd befriended him. And they'd stayed with him through Hogwarts, without him ever asking.

Then Lupin looked up and regarded Tonks, who was staring at the empty fireplace, lost in thought. He considered the years that stood between them, and the duty of the Order that rested on both their shoulders. Then he thought about the war, and what it might mean if things were left unsaid. Never underestimate the value of happiness, he'd told her, but was he taking his own advice?

As he watched her, she seemed to become anew, and he realised he was looking at a possibility he hadn't dared to consider. There were worse things than being a werewolf. This war could kill them at any time. And any opportunity at happiness should be made the most of, before it vanished forever.

'Tonks,' he said in a voice that sounded much calmer than he felt. 'Come over here.'

Tonks looked up at him, puzzled, but she placed her quill and pad on the pile of stuff beside her and rose to her feet. 'Why, are you afraid we'll be overheard? I promise to shout more quietly if you piss me off,' she said jokingly, though she looked slightly apprehensive as she sat down beside him. She put a decent amount of space between them, he noticed. Clearly she was worried she'd offend him again.

It took him a while to find the words he was searching for, but she didn't interrupt. Finally, he turned to her. 'You were right,' he said. 'You always could read me like a book.'

Tonks shook her head. 'You're kidding, right? I never know what you're thinking.' She interlaced her fingers and rested them on her lap. 'What was I right about?'

He took a deep breath. 'I was holding back for your sake.'

She blinked.

'I didn't like to think what the consequences might be,' he continued. 'With so many years between us, and- and with me being a werewolf.'

'I'm not a child any more, Remus,' said Tonks gently.

'No, you're not,' he agreed. 'And you're perfectly capable of making your own decisions. I just worry that I'll put you in danger, that I'm not...'

'Not good enough?' Tonks looked incredulous, then amused, then sad. 'Remus, you can't-'

'I've known for a lot longer than you have,' he interrupted, determined to say his piece before he lost the nerve to. In some ways it was good he was still exhausted; he doubted he'd be nearly as capable of having this conversation whilst awake and alert. 'I just didn't allow myself to properly consider it. What happened yesterday... I should have recognised the feeling for what it was. I suppose I didn't want to admit to myself how much I cared.' He thought again of his angry words, his storming off, and the extra pain that transformation had held. 'I didn't want to believe how little control I had.'

Finally the words were said, but still he couldn't bring himself to look at her. It felt good to say it at last, after so long. He'd never told anyone, not even Sirius. At least he'd tried; from now on there would be no need to lie, to hide how he really felt. Whatever happened now, he'd have no regrets.

Then Tonks' hand found his, and he knew everything was going to be alright.

She laughed quietly as she shook her head, and when she looked at him he saw she had tears in her eyes.

'Are you alright?' he asked, concerned as he squeezed her hand. Had he said something to upset her?

She smiled, her brown eyes shining in the light. He'd always loved her eyes. 'You're such a prat,' she said fondly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

The next kiss was much better than the first from last night, though it was scarcely more than a slight grazing of lips. Then Tonks shuffled closer and wrapped her arms around him to kiss him properly, the warmth of her body vanquishing the chill that had settled within him that dreadful night. He hugged her tightly, never wanting to let her go again. When she pulled away he hid his face in her hair, smiling. It was just like coming home. But then there had never been anyone else. For a long time they remained in silence, each content in the other's company.

'The entire Order is going to be gossiping about us, y'know,' said Tonks a little while later, interlocking her fingers with his.

He shrugged. 'Let them.'

Tonks beamed back at him, her eyes sparkling, and he realised that she hadn't ever answered his question. 'You never explained why you don't change your eye colour,' he reminded her.

'No, I didn't, did I?' Tonks' smile turned to one of slight embarrassment. 'You complimented me on them once,' she said eventually. 'Not long after we first met, I said they were boring and I was thinking of changing them. You told me they reminded you of a forest as the sun was setting.'

Lupin chuckled. 'Oh dear, did I really say that? You must have thought me very pretentious.' Now that he thought back he remembered that day. It had been a full moon the following night and he'd been a little out of sorts, not guarding his words as carefully as he usually did.

'Actually, I thought it was charming.' She shrugged. 'But then, what else would I expect from someone who reads poetry in their spare time?' At his blank look, she wiggled her fingers and said in a spooky voice, 'Twas noontide of summer, and mid-time of night...'

'...And stars, in their orbits, shone pale, thro' the light.' Lupin finished the verse with surprise. 'How did you-?'

She smirked back at him. 'You've listened to my humming often enough to know what Green Day is, and you assume that I haven't read your stodgy Muggle poetry?'

'It isn't stodgy,' said Lupin, affronted, 'It's cultural.'

Tonks' smile grew wider and more genuine. 'Ever the knowledgeable professor,' she said fondly.

Lupin smiled back. 'Perhaps I should have taught Muggle Studies rather than Defence Against the Dark Arts.'

'Perhaps,' she reasoned, 'but then you wouldn't be here.' She prodded him in the chest. 'And that would be a shame.' She snuggled into his side, and for a while they stayed like that. He wondered if anyone would notice if the two of them fell asleep in here.

As he closed his eyes, a thought occurred to Lupin. 'So when you came into my room that night...'

She stiffened slightly. 'Well, I did lose my wand, and get locked in... and Kreacher did wake me up.'

'But...' he prompted.

She smiled ruefully. 'Okay, I knew it was your room. But what was I supposed to do, sleep in the bath?' She wriggled as he poked her in the side, ticklish. 'Hey!'

'Nymphadora Tonks, you will be the death of me,' he told her as she shrank away from him, laughing. 'What am I supposed to do with you?'

'Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something.' She winked at him, then yawned.

Lupin leant back. 'Tired?'

'Didn't sleep well over the weekend,' she explained reluctantly. 'I would've thought you'd be exhausted, too. Are you even supposed to be up yet?'

'I've been asleep for a whole day,' he said, though he suddenly realised just how tired he still felt. It would be easy for him to drift off here, in the warmth of the afternoon light with Tonks beside him. Too easy, in fact.

As Tonks rested her head on his shoulder Lupin gazed out the window, admiring the sunlight. For so long he'd turned away from his own happiness, but no more. He was done with obeying the wills of the moon; it was time to start chasing the sun. The thought brought a smile to his face.

'What are you thinking?' Tonks murmured sleepily in his ear.

Lupin looked down at her, watching the light turn strands of her hair into threads of gold and bronze. 'Nothing at all,' he assured her, kissing the top of her head. Then he closed his eyes and allowed himself to be carried off to sleep.

For once his dreams were free of darkness. Instead he dreamed of hope and laughter and a future not so bleak. And though he slept deeply, Lupin smiled, content in the knowledge that he was sitting beside the person he loved most in the world.

And for once, all was good.