A/N: Orrignally written for metamorphicmoon Christmas challange on Live Journal, but I thought it was about time I started using this account again so...I am presenting it to you. Enjoy.

P.S. Those of you still waiting for the update for my other story The Night Vigil, Chapter 11 is nearly complete and will be up within the week. I'm really very very sorry to keep you waiting so long.

The Muggle Manner: Prolouge

It was, once again December, the week before Christmas and Diagon Alley had been decorated for the annual St. Mungo's Charity Christmas fair.

Lights from live fairies, charmed to blink cheery red and green were strung between shinning street lamps which illuminated what looked like thousands upon thousands of vendor's stands, Musicians and performance stages lining the cobble stoned streets.

She heard the shrieks of laughter emerging from a far corner where a large swing in the shape of a snow covered carriage was packed to the brim with awe struck Children. Tonks smiled, wishing that she could, once again, be as care free as they were.

It had been a tradition for as long as Tonks could remember. Every year she came to the fair with her mother Andromeda, and, as she became older, each year became more and more difficult to bear.

"Don't slouch your shoulder's Nymphadora, we are not a baboon."

"Yes Mum," Tonks answered with a weary eye roll.

"And don't you dare roll those eyes at me! I've put up well enough with those loud clothes and ridiculous hair colors of yours, but I will not be disrespected."

"All right mum! I'm sorry."

Andromeda's only answer was a simple, resigned nod of her head accompanied by a long suffering sigh.

Tonks' Mother had always been a bit…overbearing (if not a complete megalomaniac, Tonks often thought bitterly), and Christmas shopping always seemed to bring out the worst of these tendencies.

But this year, Tonks had no time to brood. This year Tonks was on a mission. True, it was a strange and completely unnecessary mission. But it was hers none the less.

She needed a gift; and not just any gift. She needed a gift for Remus Lupin. She had been searching for weeks, but, despite her best efforts, the man seemed intent on being incredibly difficult to shop for.

And she told herself that the, (for lack of a better word), crush she had developed on him had nothing to do with it. Even if she didn't think the way he smiled at her was brilliant and liked the way his voice sounded when he said certain things (like her first name…though she would never admit it), that did not mean that she could not be perfectly reasonable about picking out a simple present.

Still, it did add an extra layer of complications to the gift finding issue.

After all, the gift you gave some one you fancied said quite a bit about the relationship as a whole.

"…Why Millicent dear, how in the world are you?"

...this gift had to be personal, yet not too personal.

"Oh, I know darling terrible weather for this time of year isn't it?"

….She didn't want to drive him away after all. It had to be subtle, but not something that she would give to just anyone.

"...Allow me to introduce my daughter Nymphadora."

…It had to be special.

i "Nymphadora?" /i

"What? Sorry about that phased out for a second."

Tonks shook herself from her reverie to look at her mother who frowned at her briefly before putting on, what Tonks liked to call her "Charmed" smile, the one she only used when she truly wanted to impress someone, and turned to a very tall, rigid woman whose expression mirrored that of someone who had just tasted an incredibly sour lemon.

"Nymphadora dear, this is Millicent Stranghold. She's on the St. Mungo's charity board."

"Oh, Wot-"

Tonks began her normal greeting before turning to glance at her mother, who was giving her a meaningful glare.

"I mean, nice to meet you," She held out her hand to the woman who was looking her up and down. The sourness in her expression seemed to increase as she took Tonks' hand, all the while glaring disapprovingly at the bright red and green hair atop her head and the small, Weird Sister's t-shirt which left her mid-drift exposed.

"That's my Nymphadora," Andromeda told the woman with a light, tinkering, entirely fake laugh.

"Of course you know, i aurors /i always seem to be preoccupied with some thing don't they? Now what was it you told me i your /i son did…?"

Tonks let her mind wander, once again from the conversation and returned to her quest.

Of course, she could always buy him a book…no. Too obvious. She was certain he got hundreds of books from various friends and relations every Christmas; there was nothing quite i unique /i in that.

"…Oh, but I've always thought curse breaking was so dangerous! Though I suppose I'm one to talk, what with the need for aurors these days."

Though, she supposed it did depend on the type of book. She searched her memory of late night Grimmauld Place conversations in order to find something concrete. Some personal preference he had mentioned, a childhood memory he had recalled in her presence.

"…Well of course dear; we do need to be getting along with our shopping as well."

Her eyes roamed the vendor's carts for novelty items. It could not be so expensive as to make him feel inadequate, but not so cheap it could be easily tossed aside…

"Yes, goodbye. Hope to see you soon."

Tonks' thoughts were broken once again when her mother softly jabbed her stomach and nodded in the direction of Millicent Stragnold who looked quite in a hurry to move along.

"Oh, yes. Goodbye."

Millicent Stragnold gave, what Tonks assumed to be, a small smile and a brisk nod to them as she hurried across the street.

"I have never been so embarrassed in my life. Honestly Nymphadora, I thought I raised you better than that!"

"Better than what Mum?"

Tonks asked absently as they passed a vendor selling what looked like gold medallions. Jewelry was right out. Even if it was "Perfect for that special Wizard" as the sign claimed. Remus simply wasn't a male jewelry sort of man, and while undoubtedly expensive, it said nothing about their relationship (if she had any right to call it that).

"Loosing your head, allowing your mind to wander aimlessly, right in the middle of very important conversations…"

Tonks allowed her Mother's voice to wash over her as they passed a stand selling fake wands, false limbs and various other "Pranks for Magical Mischief Makers". Tonks immediately thought of the Marauder's and the stories Remus and Sirius had told her about their youth.

…Perhaps a few practical joke items? She didn't think so somehow. While one could not deny that it was i personal /i , it seemed casual. A Prank Potion for example, would make it difficult to set a truly romantic tone should the opportunity arise.

They walked on. Her mother continued to ramble.

"…And of course she would notice that awful hair you insist on wearing."

Dragon teeth and heart strings for potions, Doxicide and other formulas for house hold pests…

"…I shall be the laughing stock of the entire St. Mungo's board!"

Herbs to put that zest in your holiday cooking, Sneakoscopes, half priced Quidditch gear and miniature brooms…then she saw it!

"You may be an adult now, but you might just try acting like one!"

…A tiny wooden stand, nearly smashed between a children's puppet show and the gigantic Quidditch supply shop, stood virtually unnoticed. A small banner held up by two poles bore the heading: Novelty Muggle Treats.

"Hold that thought mum."

She said quickly before her Mother could make a sound of protest and made a dash through the crowds across the street and stopped dead in front of a display of glittering bags filled with chocolate flavored popcorn."Popped fresh in the Muggle Manner" the sign beneath the display exclaimed.

The memory of a not so distant late night Grimmauld Place discussion came to the fore front of her mind. It was the last night of August and she and Remus had been left to the cleaning up after Molly's party for Ron and Hermione.

Somehow the topic of family celebrations had come up.

"We used to spend Christmas with my Mother's family," Remus had told her as he vanished several bottles of butterbeer.

"We would sit by the fireplace while my Grandmother popped popcorn the Muggle way, over an open fire. I always insisted on melting chocolate to mix with mine. They had to create an entirely separate batch for my concoctions."

It was perfect; Personal, yet not overtly romantic; thoughtful, yet fairly inexpensive.

Tonks grabbed for the first bag on the display cart, and in her haste, immediately knocked over the five lying next to it.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She said, picking up bags along the street where they had fallen, as the very surprised cart vendor moved from behind the stand in order to help her pick up the discarded items.

"Perfectly all right. Happens all the time," the haggard looking man answered as he grabbed two bags and stabled them carefully back onto the display shelf.

"Most action I've seen all day really. It's been a bit slow, what with the charity events and all. Not much interest in the novelty items it seems."

A vaguely sad aura shone through the man's cheery pretense. His salt and pepper hair was thinning and flew haphazardly into his face and the bags under his eyes, as well as the patches on his robes told her that business had not been good for Muggle sweets in general, St. Mungo's charity fair or no.

Once the bags had been put meticulously back into place he turned back to her.

"I don't suppose I could help you with anything in particular?" he asked hopefully.

"Actually, how much would a bag of the popcorn be?"

"You mean it? Oh, I mean er…the flavored bags are one galleon a piece" the man looked both taken aback and extremely excited. "However, the regular salted bags run for…"

"The flavored's fine," Tonks said quickly stealing a glance at her mother, who stood across the street fixing Tonks with a glare while tapping her foot.

"All right then," The little man hurried behind his counter, took out his wand, and tapped it on the wooden shelf where a money box immediately appeared.

"How many will you be purchasing?"

He starred at her with a sort of hopeful grin which Tonks found incredibly endearing. Perhaps she simply had a soft spot for patched robes?

"I'll take ten of the chocolate," She said grabbing as many from the display.

It was more than she had expected to pay for Remus' Christmas gift, however, the expression of pure rapture on the sales Wizard's face was well worth the price.

"Ten galleons it is then!"

As she doled out the gold, she could hear the tell tale click of her Mother's heals along the cobble stoned street behind her.

"Nymphadora, really we've no time to lollygag about at these silly novelty stands…"

"Jesus Mum! It's just a Christmas present."

She shelled out the last of the gold to the Vendor who gazed at the gold and indeed looked as though he might kiss her.

"Thank you for your business Miss. Have a very merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas," Tonks answered him as she picked up two large bags filled with smaller bags of chocolate popcorn while her Mother hurried her away.

"…I can't imagine who you would buy something as ludicrous as Muggle popcorn for and so many…"

Tonks smiled as she allowed her Mother's voice to wash over her. No matter what anyone else thought, she knew Remus would be thrilled with her gift. It was something he loved and something only she knew about.

True, popcorn might not entice him to immediately envelop her in his arms, kiss her desperately and declare his never ending love for her; but it i was /i a start, if nothing else.

Yes, there was no doubt about it. This was going to be a i very /i happy Christmas.