“I tried to paint you a picture
The colors were all wrong;
Black and white didn’t fit you
And all along,
You were shaded with patience,
Your strokes of everything
That I need just to make it.”
-OneRepublic

July 1997

The past weeks with Remus were a dream come true. Of course, there was a ground rule I still had to follow: stay inside when the full moon is up. One night, he finally consented to let me watch from my home as he howled, thrashed around, and hunted for prey in my backyard. The sight of him was unbelievably frightening. He had worried that I would try to get closer. That’s one promise I’d never break. As a human, though, Remus would always have my heart.

We were lying on a couch when he did it. My head was buried in his shoulder, like so many times before. I was so comfortable resting on him.

“Tonks,” he began, “Do you realize that it’s been two years since we met?”

I beamed at him for remembering. “How could I forget?” That first tender moment we had as strangers was something out of a fairytale.

Remus continued: “Even then, I knew you were going to be different from the other people in my life. All the time we spent getting to know each other proved it. Despite keeping my distance, I still loved you. And look at where we are now. ” He pushed away a strand of my hair. “I’m getting into my middle-age years. And let’s face it; I may be killed soon.”

“Oh, please don’t talk like that!” Before I knew it, I was crying. Just the thought of losing Remus already was too horrible. He wiped the tears off my face.

“I didn’t mean to upset you. But there’s a war being fought as we speak. What do you say we make up for lost time?”

I sat up immediately. “Remus… what are you asking?”

“Marry me, Nymphadora Tonks.”

I couldn’t say yes quickly enough.

***

The wedding was planned out in three days. Only our closest relatives attended because we wanted it to be small. Definitely not a full extravaganza like Bill and Fleur’s wedding turned out to be. With my family, there was just my mother and father left (Remember, we’re talking about one of the darkest Wizarding families in existence. Most of them want me dead!).

Wizard weddings are similar to Muggle weddings. Then again, most weddings don’t involve a bride who can change her appearance at will. The perks of being a Metamorphagus. In my room, I kept trying hair colors until I decided on a light red color. Why not be a Weasley for a day? Next, I put on my mother’s wedding gown, covered in pearls and rhinestones.

“When you asked me to borrow the dress, I worried that it wouldn’t fit you. But it does,” my mother gushed behind me. “Dora, you are positively beautiful.”

“Thank you, mum.”

She placed a lacy veil on my head to complete the picture. “I’m so thrilled for you. Remus deserves a wife with your kindness and acceptance. You don’t seem nervous at all.”

Really, I was astonished at how calm I was, too. Just as I thought so, the nerves came. No, I can't trip on my wedding day! There was no chance of that once I took my father’s arm and we walked outside. Seated in lawn chairs were a few relatives of Remus, including his parents. To the front of the aisle stood Remus himself. He wore a tear-free suit (you don’t know how rare that was for him!), and the scars on his face were covered. I could understand why, but those scars were proof of his never-ending courage. Besides, I thought they were pretty manly. Wow, is he handsome, though. Dad marched with me in the direction of my future husband, and the wedding started. I was like any other bride on her wedding day, anxious, joyful. The vows were said. We shared our first kiss as husband and wife. I bet you’d never guess that I’d just married a werewolf if I hadn’t told you that earlier!