Summary: Seven colors of the rainbow. Seven events that brought color to the lives of Remus and Tonks. Stories range from OotP to HBP. First color: 'The first time Nymphadora Tonks spotted Remus Lupin, she saw red.'
Disclaimer: Anything that is recognizable belongs to J.K. Rowling. If I were her, Remus and Tonks would still be alive. ;)
A/N: Hi! This is my first attempt at putting together one-shots (I'm calling them that, 'cause they're too long to be vignettes) that follow a certain theme. I've got quite a liking for rainbows, as you can see, which is why they're the theme. :D Basically, there will be seven stories, each revolving around a specific instance in Remus and Tonks's lives. One color of the rainbow will be the dominant theme in each segment, taking on different meanings in accordance with the event. So yeah, I'm still in the middle of interpreting the colors, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy my take on these colorful characters that will sorely be missed in the HP world!
Thanks to ishandtwofourths and artificial-sprite (who I hope enjoys wet!Ted Tonks ;)), my two wonderful betas!
Spectrum by melancholic
I. Red
The first time Nymphadora Tonks spotted Remus Lupin, she saw red.
From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a man hunched over a long table as she descended the stairs, seemingly absorbed by what was written on a piece of parchment. She cocked her head to the side so she could see him better in the bleak afternoon light. His jumper reminded her of red wine, and she took no shame in drinking him in. Her gaze traveled down the fabric that loosely hugged his lanky frame, its sleeves frayed at the edges and some bits of wool sticking out. A crisp, white collar peeked from underneath the neck of the jumper.
The tips of his sandy brown hair, peppered with gray strands, softly brushed his collar, and his fringe fell stubbornly over his eyes as he leaned closer to the table. Tonks immediately knew that there was something wrong with her when she realized that she was jealous of a table. It was unfair that an object unable to give any reaction whatsoever to his touch was pinned under his fingers, while she, on the other hand, could think of a thousand different responses to what his fingers might feel like, skimming over her skin…
It was only when she felt a hand lightly tap her shoulder and heard the sound of someone impatiently clearing her throat that Tonks turned around and was face-to-face with a plump, black-haired woman, whose pink cheeks were glowing with irritation. When her lips set in a straight line and an eyebrow arched questioningly at her, Tonks realized that she must've been staring at this man for quite some time. She shuffled to one side of the stairs to allow the newcomer to pass through, but the latter stood still and kept glaring at her. She found it strange (and quite relieving, really) that the man hadn't noticed her staring. She was pretty sure there was drool trickling down her chin, and unconsciously raised a hand to feel it. Dry.
Tonks released a little sigh of relief and returned her gaze to the witch, who still hadn't left her side and continued menacingly watching her. She returned the woman's glare with unflinching eyes. She was about to throw to the wind her Mum's words about politeness and the importance of good manners in front of people she didn't know, feeling the words "What is your problem?" about to escape her lips, when the other woman beat her to it.
"And you are?"
Her icy tone sliced through the air, making the temperature in the room drop a few more degrees. The man straightened up in surprise, pushed his hair out of his eyes, and gave a startled look at both of the witches. Behind his glasses, his eyes darted back and forth between them as though he had only acknowledged their presence now. He stopped for a moment longer on the newcomer. Tonks saw a quick exchange pass between the two other people in the kitchen as their eyes met. Suddenly, she decided she didn't like looking stupid and being left out of whatever secret message they were relaying.
"I'm Tonks," she said matter-of-factly. "Junior Auror, Mad-Eye Moody's supposedly best pupil, and kick-ass new recruit to the Order of the Phoenix." Tonks couldn't help but grin at the flash of annoyance in the other woman's eyes, and as she turned to the man, she saw curiosity replace the confusion on his face. She burned under his gaze as he searched her eyes, as though looking for a way to place her.
"Mad-Eye told me that there would be a meeting today and Dumbledore gave him the go-signal to show me the location. Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London. I didn't get it wrong, did I?" she asked, looking around the dreary kitchen. "I do have a tendency to end up in places where I shouldn't." Her presently blue eyes widened in horror at what she said, and Tonks hurriedly added, "Er, you know what I mean." She decided that the floor was a wonderful place to look at, her confidence momentarily slipping as she felt her insecurities, Mad-Eye Moody's and Kingsley Shacklebolt's expectations, her annoyance at the bitchy witch, and her inexplicable attraction to the man simultaneously creep through her veins.
"No, don't worry. You've come to the right place." He spoke after a few long seconds, his hoarse voice reassuring her. Tonks felt her cheeks betray her as she colored under his scrutinizing gaze. He moved from his place on the other side of the table and took a step closer to her. "Hello, I'm Remus Lupin." Gesturing to the other woman, who was speedily rising up the ranks of Tonks's 'To Hex' list, he added, "And this is--"
"Hestia Jones, his girlfriend," she cut in, almost knocking Tonks aside as she scrambled towards Remus and grabbed that hand that he had used to introduce her. Tonks was too dumbfounded to see the exasperated look on his face and the slight shake of his head.
The first time Nymphadora Tonks spotted Remus Lupin, she felt red.
Tonks felt her heart sinking as the word girlfriend echoed in her mind, her eyes fixated on their enjoined hands. She told herself that this was stupid, that this man was not allowed to push her on a roller coaster of emotions after what seemed like only ten minutes in his company, and that what she felt or thought didn't matter anyway – she was the newbie in the Order, and she was not going to turn her back on her duties. Making the wizarding world a safer place was definitely higher on her list of priorities, way before losing her mind over a colleague. She was being irrational, and there was no point in feeling the urge to kill Hestia rising with each millisecond that passed. Her silence seemed to satisfy Hestia, who was regarding her with a haughty, triumphant sneer.
"Right. Like I said, I'm Tonks. Just Tonks. It really is a pleasure to meet you…" she trailed off. She took a step back and missed; her foot didn't land where she intended, and her arms flailed wildly in the air before she regained her balance. Her face flushed with embarrassment at the spectacular display she was giving them with her klutziness, and she hoped to dear Merlin that her hair hadn't changed colors to reflect her mortification. She glanced over her shoulder in the vain hope that another Order member would come bounding down the stairs. A brief change of scenery would also be good, because Tonks didn't think she could stand to spend another second staring at the sickening sight before her.
…Sickening? Since when did she draw such quick conclusions about anybody?
"Tonks… by any chance, are you related to a Ted Tonks?" Remus inquired, absently rubbing his chin while pondering her identity. Hestia's arm clamped tighter around his, and Tonks felt a little thrill course through her at the effort he was putting in order to remember who she was. And the fact that Hestia seemed to be threatened made Tonks smile a bit wider.
"Yeah, he's my father," Tonks heard herself answering. A dazed expression flit across her face; it dawned on her that one reason why she noticed Remus – and fawned over him - the moment she entered the kitchen was because she suddenly recalled he was one of the people who went with Sirius Black, the few times they dropped by the Tonkses' residence. Memories that she didn't even realize she had leapt into her mind out of the blue. She remembered there was something behind his tired eyes and bright smile that struck her the moment she saw him. He stood out to her even beside Sirius - an amazing feat, considering Sirius shone like the star he was named after wherever he went.
Her Mum had told her to stay in her room and sleep early, so as not to disturb Sirius and his friends while they visited. Dora, her level of stubbornness incredibly high for a four year-old, had snuck out of her room while her Mum and her guests were sharing stories over a cup of tea. She struggled to keep her footsteps quiet, considering her Daddy was getting ready to take a bath and the loo was near the staircase, and padded over to the banister. Dora fought to keep her balance as she clambered on top of it (which was a hard thing to do if you were a toddler whose remarkable talent, other than morphing, was decorating your skin with bruises after stumbling on your feet every other step).
She strained her eyes and ears to keep tabs on what the adults were up to. Caught up in the adrenaline caused by her excitement that she was staying up late and listening to old people talk, she discerned a little too late that she should've focused on staying still. She felt her grip on the banister slipping, a frightened cry escaping her throat as she pitched forward, sliding down the polished wood. Five heads immediately turned in her direction, but only one person actually moved – a tall, thin boy who looked as though one of the wolves from Daddy's Muggle fairy tales book could huff, puff, and blow him down – and dived toward the stairs, catching her before she hit the floor.
She fell on him with a sharp oomph, and all Dora had to do was stare at his big, brown eyes filled with concern, before she started bawling and wanting her Mummy. Her Mum, shaken by her cries, was instantly by her side, grabbing Dora away from the kind boy's arms and drawing her to her chest. As her Mum cooed soothingly to her and yelled at Sirius to go and fetch the bruise-away paste, Dora felt her tears drying up and her breathing go back to normal as she saw the boy smile at her after he got back to his feet. It was like seeing the sun's rays stream through a desolate sky.
"Dora, be careful next time, okay?" he softly told her, reaching over to lightly ruffle her hair. She felt warmth emanating from his touch, and the strands of her hair grew dark red under his fingers, almost matching the tinge of red that bloomed on her cheeks. She heard her mother gasp and saw his lips curve upward in pleasant surprise.
"It's the first time she's ever turned her hair that shade of red!" Andromeda declared happily, pointing to her hair. By this time, Sirius and his two other friends, one boy with untidy black hair and glasses, and another boy that Dora thought looked like one of her stuffed rat toys, came over and surrounded her. Dora glanced around at faces with awed and amused expressions.
"Andy? Is everything all right?" her father called out, poking his head out of the bathroom door. Drops of water rained on the carpeted floor as her Daddy finally stepped out, clad in a robe pulled tightly around his body. Dora giggled at the sight of her Dad's mussed-up wet hair. When he saw his wife and daughter smiling and laughing, Ted's anxiety vanished and he grinned down at his family.
"So is this what the ruckus is all about? Dora's hair morphed into a color that you haven't seen yet?" Ted teased, causing Andromeda to shush him affectionately. "Excuse my wife, boys. Every time our little Dora discovers a morph Andy hasn't seen, she gets into a flurry of excitement. She likes keeping track of all that Dora changes; it's her favorite hobby. We're quite proud of having a Metamorphmagus in the family, considering…"
Even if Dora was still a child, she knew enough that something had shifted in the air. Sirius's normally smiling face turned into a gloomy frown, and her Mum's face became pale, lips drawn into a thin line. She glanced around at the adults with confusion in her eyes. Was it something she had done? She knew she shouldn't have snuck out of her room… she always hated to see her Mum looking miserable when they brought up her relatives, and Dora didn't think her Mum's side of the family was worth meeting if they made her sad like this.
"…Considering Dora has never morphed her hair wine-red before!" Andromeda continued hurriedly, trying to erase all traces of awkwardness from the conversation. "And after only seeing it once. I must say, Remus, that's a very fetching maroon jumper you have on. Dora usually morphs her hair and eyes into all colors of the spectrum, and I thought I had seen it all, but apparently, I missed maroon. There aren't a lot of maroon-colored things in this house, perhaps that's why. Congratulations on being the inspiration for this new color!" Her Mum beamed at Remus – what a funny name, Dora had thought, he probably doesn't like it the way I don't like my name - who smiled shyly in return.
"Aww, isn't that sweet? Moony's got a little admirer! I always thought your fashion sense was a bit off, mate, but now…" The boy with the glasses joked, wagging his brows while Sirius gave a low whistle and the short boy with the pointed nose sniggered.
"Honestly, James…" Remus replied, rolling his eyes while his cheeks reddened. "There's no need to bring Dora into this." He leaned over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't mind him; he's just jealous that his hair will always stay boring and black." A twinkle lit up his weary eyes, and Dora's heart skipped a beat, feeling her mouth tug upwards into a mischievous smile.
"I'll borrow Mummy's wand and turn James's hair pink!" Dora said, trying her hardest to appear angelic. She grinned at her Mum's look of disapproval and the guffaws the other boys gave James, who looked most displeased.
"I am not allowing you anywhere near my wand, young lady! I don't want to have another incident like what you did to Twinkles, our cat. Poor thing never quite recovered after she tried charming its fur into a violent shade of purple," her mother explained, all the while giving Dora her trademark don't even think about it glare.
But Dora didn't even notice her mum's warning glance – her heart caught in her chest as she met Remus' gaze and he grinned impishly at her and gave her a wink.
She knew, at that moment, that his smile was worth accidentally sliding down a million banisters and tumbling down the stairs.
And that smile was what jolted Tonks back to reality, her little jog down memory lane skidding to a stop at the sight of that smile bestowed upon her once more.
"Nymphadora?" Remus' voice lilted with pleasant surprise, and Tonks nodded dumbly, too shocked that he remembered who she was to immediately correct him for the use of her dreaded first name.
"Nymphadora? What kind of a name is that?" Hestia remarked scornfully, but her words were left unnoticed as Remus gently took her hand off of his arm as he walked towards Tonks, moving as though to gather her in a friendly embrace…
…Which she totally buggered up by tipping over backwards, her heel coming into contact with the step when she pushed it too far and too fast, and she fell down. On her bottom. With a loud bang.
Her face burned hotly as she grimaced, silently cursing the spot on her bum where she was sure another huge bruise would pop up. Nothing that her morphing couldn't cover up, of course, but then she wouldn't be able to sit properly for a while and everyone in the Auror office would smile knowingly and sympathetically at her again. Which was more than she could stand, thank you.
Her fringe fell over her eyes, which widened in horror when she saw their wine-red color. Her hair was the same color as his jumper, which she remembered, as an afterthought, was the same one that he had on the night she first fell on him.
Or for him might've been a more accurate description, but deciding that wasn't the most pressing need at the moment.
The first time Nymphadora Tonks spotted Remus Lupin, she was red.
Her fingertips tingled as they brushed his calloused fingers, twining against her own as he helped her up. He smiled reassuringly at her, and held her hand a moment longer before releasing it. Tonks pretended not to hear Hestia's snort of displeasure.
"Ah yes, still hazardous to staircases, aren't you?" Remus teased, and his brown eyes sparkled behind his glasses. "And you look the same as I remember… except more grown-up, of course. How are your parents?" This time, his face took on a warm, nostalgic expression, and Tonks felt her heart thudding against her chest, almost as though she were four years old again.
She was seeing him for the first time behind a twenty-two year-old woman's eyes, if her checking him out earlier was any indication. But Tonks realized that the years had done nothing to diminish the kind spirit that her four year-old self had been quite taken with. He looked more tired and stressed, his jumper was shabbier than she remembered, and she half-expected him to collapse because of how peaky he appeared.
This time, there was no excuse for her staring. To cover up for her mistake, she said, "You're wearing the same jumper." Tonks then thought that wasn't the most intelligent thing to come out from her mouth – the way a faint blush rose to his cheeks and how he glanced down at the jumper in question made her feel guilty, so she quickly commented, "My parents? Yeah, they're fine. The house is as clean as ever, Mum's been volunteering some of her time to charity and at St. Mungo's, and Dad's taken a break from his news show on the WWN."
Remus chuckled at her statements. He then wryly replied, "It's good to hear they're doing well. And yes, I'm wearing the jumper. I'm glad to see that you remember how it looks. I must say that I like the way you're wearing your hair today."
Tonks didn't think it was possible for her to turn any redder than she already was. "I… er. Thank you. I don't really wear this shade often…"
He looked at her thoughtfully. "I think you should."
A/N: There, one color down, six more to go! I've got some ideas floating around my head for the next colors, but I'm open to suggestions and other interpretations. If you have time, please review! Your comments would be greatly appreciated by this first-time R/T writer (who isn't quite sure if she's doing them any justice, really!). Thank you for reading!