Tonks felt the wetness at the tip of her nose and hurriedly raised a hand, wiping at it in a fluster.
When she heard Lupin call her name, she seemed to have been scalded by something. Instinctively, she turned her head to the side and buried her cheek into the hollow of her shoulder, wishing she could hide her entire head away.
Lupin's hand came closer, gently pressing against Tonks's cheek, his palm cupping the curve of her jaw.
Under Lupin's touch, Tonks unconsciously sought warmth, leaning into his warm, rough palm.
Lupin lightly stroked Tonks's skin with the pad of his finger and called softly, "Tonks!"
"Don't look!" Tonks answered Lupin, but her voice was muffled in her throat, sounding very low.
"But I want to look!" Lupin's tone was very firm.
That firm voice made Tonks's heart stir. She wondered what expression Lupin had right now... what it could possibly be like.
At last, she stopped lowering her head so stubbornly, though she still kept her face turned away, her gaze dodging into empty space, not daring to meet Lupin's eyes.
"I must look... really awful right now, don't I?" Her voice was thick with a nasal tremor.
"How could you?" Lupin's tone remained firm. "You're wonderful! You're wonderful, and you always have been!"
His thumb stopped stroking her and instead carefully wiped the tear tracks from Tonks's face. "I'm the one who wasn't good enough!"
"Tonks..." he called again softly.
"Mm?" Tonks felt the emotion in Lupin's words and finally mustered her courage, lifting her eyes to look at him, only to find Lupin's face drawing closer.
Those eyes reflected her own tear-blurred gaze and reddened nose, coming closer and closer, his warm breath brushing over her lips...
Lupin held Tonks's face without making any tentative move.