Chapter Text
“I look like shit.”
Nymphadora Tonks had just returned from work that night when she stared into the mirror in her bathroom, taken aback by her own reflection.
The colour on her shocking pink hair had recently been retouched, and her earrings were mostly new, so there was really no problem in those sectors. But her skin -- damn. If only she could exchange those eye bags with money bags.
“Sorry?” A gentleman’s voice responded from outside the bathroom.
“Nothing. Just … I look really tired! Guess I’m just going to sleep in tomorrow,” she replied, continuing to wipe her makeup clean.
The woman then picked up her toothbrush which, at this point, had looked more like a furry animal than a dental hygiene tool. Laughing to herself, she carried the thing out of the bathroom to show to her man.
Her bedroom was an unbelievable combination of clean clothes that no longer fit in her cupboard, a drumset in the corner, fairy lights by the window, and plastic jars of stale biscuits on the floor. In the middle of this chaos was a mattress, placed directly on the floor just like that.
Sitting on it with a book in his hand was a middle-aged man in a deep red T-shirt that bore the crest of his former house in secondary school, half of his body hidden beneath the duvet. He had scars on his face and his soft brown hair --which was flecked with grey on some parts-- were slicked back, looking like it had just being washed.
It was Friday night, school was out, and Remus Lupin decided to stop in at his girl's flat to spend the night together.
“Remus, check this out.” Tonks waved the toothbrush around. “I have an idea.”
“Yes?” He put down the book.
“See this thing? I think we can figure out some ways to cut its head off. Then paint the bristles green,” she explained, pointing at some parts of the toothbrush. “After that, we put it on someone’s desk and see their reaction.”
He laughed. “So … They’d thought the desks are infested with ... Some weird-looking caterpillar?”
“Exactly.”
He nodded approvingly. “That’s a good one.”
Feeling pleased with herself, Tonks then returned to the bathroom to actually brush her teeth. Trying to multitask, she took off her black T-shirt with the toothbrush still in her mouth, close to knocking her teeth out.
When she bent over to gargle over the sink, the palm-sized tattoo of a wolf’s head on her upper back glinted under the bathroom light.
Unlike the white rabbit on her left thigh, which was made solely for the fun and aesthetic of it, the wolf was a tribute to the creature that kept on showing up in her dreams as a child, accompanying her as she walked through a forest in the moonlight. The dream appeared less often as she got older, so when she turned 18, she immortalised the wolf on her skin with the hope that it will continue to watch over her.
Of course her mother did not approve of this decision.
Lupin himself thought the wolf liked to judge him, though he generally loved seeing it on her.
The woman then took off her jeans, feeling relieved by the breezy feeling on her naked skin. But when she slid off her underwear, Tonks groaned at the sight of dark red stains that had successfully ruined yet another cute set of panties.
She hurried toward the cabinet on top of the sink for a box of tampons, which was disappointingly light when she took it out. She turned the box upside down to find only one stick falling out of it.
Sighing, the woman then stepped into the bathtub for a quick shower. Once done, she dried herself, popped in the remaining stick, and sneaked into her room to get fresh clothes.
“I like what I’m seeing,” Lupin muttered, watching her jump around on one leg to put on a black, torn jeans. Seemed like he decided not to continue reading after all.
“I need to go the store,” Tonks announced, popping her head out of a yellow hoodie.
She then walked around the bed towards the desk near it. “First day and running out of tampons.”
“Oh, are you alright?”
“It’s okay. The cramps haven't kicked in,” Tonks answered, searching for her phone charger amidst a clutter of nail polish bottles, stationeries, and a flat promotional balloon from an electronics store.
“I’ll get it for you. Do you need painkillers as well?” Lupin reached for his jeans, folded neatly at the end of the bed.
“Nah. It’s just across the street. Walking will help me feel better.” Her phone made a loud ping as she plugged the charger on. The woman then grabbed a rabbit-shaped wallet from the desk.
“Okay. You sure you don’t want me to come with you?”
The woman then sat on the bedside, turning to face her man. “Thanks, love, but it’s fine. Anything you need?”
He gave away an understanding smile.
“Just for you to come back soon,” he replied, pinching her chin. “I’ll massage your back before you sleep.”
“Yay!” Tonks leaned in to kiss his cheek.
She added in a whisper, “Looking forward to that, Daddy.”
Lupin had to hold his breath when she walked away with a wink.
--
Spring was at its peak and the weather was what most people would describe as perfect: Just the right temperature to wear your favourite jumper but without the need for anything heavier.
Tonks strolled down the streets with her hands inside her pockets. There was a funny sensation growing on her lower back, but she was beaming from ear to ear at the thought of having someone waiting for her back home.
Ah, her man. She felt giddy every time these words came into mind.
She preferred to refer to him that way. Somehow “boyfriend” just did not cut it for someone of his level --a person of such maturity and depth.
Yes, she had been drawn to the allure of dating someone who was more than 10 years older. At this rate, being with people of her age --either men or women-- had become such an exhausting feat, a useless effort.
But still she was surprised to find how easy things were. Lupin was that perfect balance between a mentor who listened to her views and made it sharper by playing devil's advocate, and a joker whose prank ideas were often wilder than hers. A school teacher whose rockstar days were behind him already, being matched with a young musician with odd jobs like her.
Who would have thought they made a good match; their time together were spent either fucking or pranking people or checking out gigs and records.
His chronic illness meant that there would be times when Tonks need to play the role of a caretaker, but difficulties never scared her. She saw the big picture and was patient enough to strive for it. Especially since he was more than just the person she needed in her life. He was, most importantly, the person she wanted .
She spent her teenage days listening to music that his former band produced, and they had helped sharpen her skills as a budding musician. Seven months ago an opportunity came from her to fill in the position of drummer for the band’s reunion show; when she seized it, she did not realise how much it might change her life.
“You’re a lucky bastard, Tonks,” she declared as she crossed the street, ignoring suspicious stares from passersby. “Life has been so kind.”
Within seconds, she arrived at this little store in the corner of the street, where she would usually stop to get her groceries. Once she pushed the glass door open, the first person that she saw was the kindly old lady behind the checkout counter.
There was no one else in that the store at that hour.
“Hello!”
“Good evening, my dear,” the lady greeted. “Looking for anything?”
“Just some small things,” she replied, picking up a shopping basket near the door. “Don’t worry, I can find it myself.”
Tonks went straight to the toiletries shelf to find the toothbrush. She mindlessly picked for the cheapest one available, but took care to make sure that it was green. Just in case she decided to give the Caterpillar Project a go.
She then moved on to the feminine hygiene shelf. At first she aimed for two small boxes, but then she opted for a large one instead. “Alright, I think that’s ...”
Her voice was drowned by the sound of the door being opened, followed by a thud and a gasp.
Instinctively, Tonks turned to the direction of the sounds.
She immediately ducked to hide behind a shelf when she noticed a man standing in front of the check out counter --pointing a knife towards the kindly old lady.