All The Pieces

Chapter Three

REMUS

Remus was curled up on the sofa in the game room, reading, when Sirius and Tonks came in, arguing loudly.

"Just because you're miserable doesn't mean everyone else has to be!" yelled Tonks angrily.

"Oh, yeah, no one cares about my feelings, it's all, 'oh, let's party and have a jolly good time!' It annoys me! Where's the sympathy," snarled Sirius.

"No, that's not what it is. I care, but sometimes, it's really  hard to!" Tonks's hair was red, and so was Sirius's face.

"Yeah, right. You're a jerk! A self-centered jerk!" 

"Maybe I don't care what you think, Sirius Black!"

Goodbye, peace and quiet, thought Remus. 

"Guys, if you're going to argue, tone it down!" pleaded the werewolf. "I'm trying to read a book right now!"

"I'm trying to prove a point!" Sirius was not willing to give up the fight.

"Right. All you're doing is yelling at me that I'm a jerk." Tonks rolled her eyes.

Remus could tell that Sirius was thinking of how he could really hurt Tonks, and by the spark that went off in Sirius's eyes, he knew that his friend had found it. Remus could practically see the lightbulb going off in Sirius's brain.

"Hey, everything your friend said about you, from when you were seven, remember that? You deserved it."

Tonks just shook her head and walked away, but Remus could see tears glittering in her eyes, and he wondered how bad it really was.

Sirius sat down on the other sofa and stared at Remus with angry eyes.

"What?" asked Remus. "Got a bone to pick with me, too?"

"No! But why didn't you back me up?" Sirius scowled at his friend. "That's what friends do!"

"I didn't even know what you were arguing about, and remember, Tonks is my friend too." Remus wondered if he would always have to choose between Tonks and Sirius. He was starting to feel a... different kind of affection towards Tonks.

No... I can't. Stop it, Remus. Tonks will never, ever be your girlfriend. Ever. So you can stop thinking about it.

"Riiight. Your girlfriend." Sirius scowled even harder.

"She's not my girlfriend. I don't like her in that way!" Remus's cheeks burned with the lie.

"I've seen how you look at her! She's your world, that much is clear!" Sirius's eyes burned with anger.

"Just tell me what's wrong so I can get back to reading," sighed Remus.

"She didn't even care about my feelings," pouted Sirius. "I tried to talk to her, but she's all, 'wait, I need to finish this!' so I waited, and then tried to talk to her, but she just went to the next thing, and now Andromeda's throwing a party, and she was telling me about it, and I made some comment about how her life was perfect. Then she told me I was invited and I told her that I didn't need her sympathy."

"I think she's just so busy that she didn't mean to be rude. Plus, you're going to a party! Tonks invited me too!"

"Bet you're hoping to dance with her," muttered Sirius.

"No. No, I'm definitely not. Now, If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go talk to Tonks. Work out your feelings while I'm gone. Bye." Remus marched out of the room, and down the hall to Tonks's room. He knocked on Tonks's door.