ship_manifesto

Title: Through All Their Changes
Author: Violet
Spoilers: Through Order of the Phoenix, obviously. There are some quotations from fanfics, but nothing spoilerish.
Email: shyviolet@gmail.com
Personal Website: Fics by Violet
Acknowledgments: A huge thanks to

the_portkey and

pandoraculpa for all their help with this piece! Also to the authors whose work I have quoted; there are some things that you say so much better than I ever could.

The changeless beauty that they wear
Through all their changes - all of these
Are mine.
- from "Hertha", by Nora Chesson

A particularly exciting aspect of the release of Order of the Phoenix was the introduction of so many new adult characters, particularly the Black family and members of the Order. One in particular who happens to fall into both of these categories is Nymphadora Tonks, and even though the entirety of her lines in the book could probably be quoted in this essay, her impact on the fandom has been a relatively large one.

Tonks, as she prefers to be called, has been shipped – as is customary with most characters in the fandom – with pretty much everyone, but by far the most popular pairing matches her with Remus Lupin.

Admittedly, this may require a suspension of disbelief on the part of many fanfic readers – the consideration that, quite possibly, Remus likes girls. After all, the majority of shipping involving him are slash pairings – Remus/Sirius, Remus/Severus – but Remus/Tonks is certainly the most popular het pairing (despite the approximately thirteen year age difference). So pushing all notions of sexuality aside for the purpose of this essay, we’ll have a look at why this pairing works, and why it’s a distinct canon possibility.

A MASK - a perpetual natural disguiser of herself,
Concealing her face, concealing her form,
Changes and transformations every hour, every moment,
Falling upon her even when she sleeps.
- Walt Whitman

“You know, I don't think violet’s really my colour. Think it makes me look a bit peaky?” She screwed up her eyes in a strained expression as though she was struggling to remember something. A second later, her hair had turned bubble-gum pink. - OoTP

Tonks makes an appearance in OoTP as a member of the advance guard who retrieve Harry from Privet Drive during the summer. She makes an immediate impression on Harry because of her interesting appearance, and he soon finds out that not only does she generally look different from most people (even in the Wizarding world, violet hair is not very common), but she has the ability to change her appearance at will – she is a Metamorphmagus, a very rare magical capability with which few wizards are born.

Throughout the book, Tonks’s ability is portrayed very lightly – as a form of amusement, or a mechanism for disguise. However, the very nature of the gift suggests that it isn’t always something positive. In fact, it is through Remus’s condition as a werewolf that we see that even in the Wizarding world, people who are different are often ostracized.

Given the instability of Tonks’s appearance, it’s not surprising that she’s generally physically unstable in other ways as well; her clumsiness might suggest that she’s not comfortable in her own body, which makes sense since it’s constantly changing. It serves as another reason for her to have trouble fitting in with her surroundings, or being “normal.” Of course, judging from the colors of her hair, she doesn’t seem to have a problem with this – in fact, her energy and attitude in general suggest that she’s extremely outgoing and has a generally optimistic view of life despite the unpleasant things that are happening around her. Occasionally she seems quite childlike, but her position in the Ministry and the Order remind us of the amount of responsibility that she bears; she simply doesn’t let it weigh her down as some of the other characters do.

There are very few strong adult female characters in the books, and Tonks fills this void nicely – as well as the generation gap between Marauders era and Trio era. She represents versatility and lightheartedness, while demonstrating that someone who is different can function normally, and get past the stigmas placed on her by those who might distrust her abilities. Likewise, Remus Lupin carries a very serious stigma of his own.

"And I'm not a very popular dinner guest with most of the community. It's an occupational hazard of being a werewolf." – OoTP

But now you were even more aware of it, the tears in the robe so carefully patched, only to be torn apart again. And again. You could almost imagine him, sitting there, watching the candle and then the curtain, the sounds of ripping fabric as his body changed its shape, and later, a bright steel needle flashing between callused fingers as he mended the robe. How many times had he pricked himself with that needle, how many times did the moon destroy what he had so carefully put back together? – Patchwork Robe

Introduced in Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin has been one of the major sympathetic characters in the books. As a werewolf, he is forced to carry the burden of a horrible affliction but he does so with uncommon grace. It becomes even clearer in OoTP how many problems he faces not just because of the physical afflictions, but by the way that society views him. Because of prejudice, Lupin cannot hold a job; even his position at Hogwarts was forfeited, although he was better suited for DADA professor than the others we've encountered. As a result, he is quite poor and also accustomed to being judged for his condition rather than for himself. However, nothing about his attitude emphasizes this; he doesn't complain, nor does he seem embarrassed by his poverty or excessively bitter about the sanctions against him.

Coupled with the emotional and physical stress of being a werewolf, Remus also must cope with the pain of having lost every single one of his best friends - once, when Sirius (allegedly) killed Harry's parents and Peter, and then again at the end of OoTP when he lost Sirius for the second time. Even faced with this, he immediately thinks of Harry rather than himself.

Remus is kind, unpatronizing, and treats everyone equally. This is particularly apparent in contrast to Sirius, who at one point says that he believes no one is purely good or purely evil, and yet treats Snape as if there is no possibility of the man having any redeeming qualities. Remus, however, treats Snape with a great deal of respect despite how he is treated in return – and even calls him by his first name, which few other characters do. In Sirius’ defense, he is a classic case of arrested development – after being in Azkaban for so long, upon his return he still acts as if he’s twenty. Remus, on the other hand, because of his condition was forced to grow up before his time. He is always depicted as the calmer, more mature Marauder, and even as an adult he has an air of wisdom about him, and even prematurely gray hair.

Of course, while Remus generally comes across as relatively peaceful, this is coupled with his being nonconfrontational. In flashbacks to his school days, particularly, we see that he tended to let things happen rather than preventing them. He also resigned his position at Hogwarts without putting up a fight.

Though intolerance and loneliness are such important aspects of Remus Lupin’s life, one of most interesting things about his character is that he does not let these define him; he constantly copes with unpleasant changes, but does so quietly. It could be argued that he does so alone, and that this is as much his own choice as a product of his condition – perhaps a fear of losing more people that he loves.

“And this is Nymphadora – “
“Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus,' said the young witch with a shudder, 'it's Tonks.”
“Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only,” finished Lupin.
“So would you if your fool of a mother had called you Nymphadora,” muttered Tonks. - OoTP

Tonks and Remus are often together in OoTP – generally when the Order is assembled in one place, they are standing beside each other. Their conversation shows a great deal of familiarity, with almost teasing undertones, and Tonks seems more comfortable with him than she does with the other adults. There are other various pieces of subtext that have been examined by shippers, of course. For example, Harry comes downstairs and finds them eating breakfast together, deep in whispered conversation that stops abruptly as soon as he notices them. However, it’s not so much what is actually in canon as what is implied by the nature of their characters that makes their pairing so natural.

Tonks stood just behind him, her bright bubble-gum-pink hair gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the dirty glass of the station ceiling, wearing heavily patched jeans and a bright purple T-shirt bearing the legend The Weird Sisters. Next to Tonks was Lupin, his face pale, his hair greying, a long and threadbare overcoat covering a shabby jumper and trousers. – OoTP

An interesting pair, aren’t they? On the outside they seem so disparate and yet they have things in common on the inside not shared by the other characters. One of the more fascinating things about their dynamic is that it is just as much their differences as their similarities that bring them together. Not only do the things that they share bring them closer through a mutual understanding, but their differences complement each other and provide a completeness that they don’t have individually.

"You spend three nights a month locked away from the world," she whispered. "And I haven't any idea what my real face ought to look like. We both hide. Neither of us got to choose." - Amid My Solitude

Tonks thought, too, that Remus probably didn't want to put too many people to the test of truly acknowledging his condition. It was one thing to know intellectually that your friend was a werewolf; it was quite another to witness the violent and disturbing change that was an aspect of his life. She suspected that more than once he had lost a friend in just such a manner. – Between the Bars

Tonks and Remus are both different in ways that were thrust upon them without the freedom of choice. Whereas Tonks’s abilities do not appear to have the negative consequences that Remus’s do, we only see her through the eyes of the Order and have no way of knowing how she is received by the outside world. It is more likely that she received more ridicule than fear as a child, but even so, she has the opportunity to understand more of what he goes through than the average person.

Both Remus and Tonks live in social isolation and neither is likely to encounter many - if any - of their own kind. However, that which makes each of them unusual is also the foundation for perhaps the strongest bond between them as a pair. Werewolves and Metamorphmagi are both essentially shape shifters. They each possess a form of magic, whether it is considered positive or negative, that transcends the average witch or wizard. It seems entirely plausible that the physical magic that affects them as individuals might draw them together as well.

“Dumbledore’s theory that a peculiar magic existed between her and Remus had to be true. It explained everything. The force of it – that sparkling energy – had been there between them from the moment she’d chosen to kiss him in the hallway that night. It was there every time they made love; it surrounded them and bound them. It was almost like a voice in her mind that encouraged her to be free…” -- Blood on the Moon

Tonks and Remus both hide in some way: Tonks, with her constantly changing appearance, and Remus, the fact that he is a werewolf – first when he is a student at Hogwarts, and then again when he is a teacher.

Tonks’s experiences likely give her a great deal of tolerance, something that is extremely important to Remus. She won’t judge him, or expect that he’ll judge her. She is compassionate enough to want to step in and fill the void of the things that he has lost. She understands what it means to hide, what it means to be different, what it means to change, what it means to be fighting for something that’s more important than yourself. She even understands his pain at the end of OoTP, since she was close to Sirius as well.

It is also likely that Tonks has more understanding than most that who you are is reflected on the inside rather than the outside, since her outward appearance doesn't remain static long enough to be a reflection of her true inner self. Though fanon Remus is often described as extremely attractive, there isn't much in the books to suggest this - rather, we simply know that he looks a bit older than he should, with prematurely graying hair, possibly malnourished, and often visibly sickly or tired close to the full moon. He may also carry an expanse of scars from his transformations prior to Wolfsbane, as he does in the film version of PoA. Not to suggest that Remus is unattractive, simply that it is unlikely that he has the easy appeal that someone like Sirius once did, and that Tonks may be one of the few who looks deeper straight away.

I see Tonks as someone who, deep down, wants stability. She came from a family that would have been deeply rocked by the first war, she has ever-changing faces, she has an active, dangerous job... Remus, her opposite, is an anchor, who treats her kindly, doesn't patronize her but rather seems to see her for the core Who of Tonks. And he genuinely likes her, for herself- and to someone who would be something of a novelty (pig snouts?), this would have to be very nice indeed. – pandoraculpa

As much as the pair may have a connection through understanding, their coupling is also a case of opposites attracting. She is loud where he is quiet, she is clumsy where he is careful, she is energetic where he is calm, she is idealistic where he is pragmatic.

They have the opportunity to bring so many things to each other – he needs to laugh, she needs to be grounded, he needs someone he can trust, she needs someone who will listen. They both need someone to fix them when they’re broken. They both need something that feels like home.

To his eye she was possessed of such youth and beauty, regardless of the style she gave it. Tonks represented so many contradictions and she was nothing short of a complete mystery. Still, somehow, Remus felt as if she were the one element of his life that made any sense. - Blood on the Moon

The age difference between Tonks and Remus is unclear, but it seems to be between ten and fifteen years. While this is not cross-generational to the extent of Marauder/Trio pairings, it is a larger gap than one typically sees in romantic pairings. However, with all of the exposition concerning Remus’ maturity earlier, some of these same issues make it likely that he actually a bit undelevoped as far as interpersonal relationships are concerned. Receiving the bite at such a young age would have dramatically altered the nature of his youthful experiences. Then when he left Hogwarts he was immediately embroiled in political issues and also separated from his friends. The combination of these things, as well as his having been shunned by society, suggest that he may not be that experienced with social dynamics where women are concerned.

Enter Tonks, who is younger and also less experienced with relationships, but who has also grown up quickly due to carrying responsibilities at a young age. In addition, he may find initial comfort with her since she is a Black and quite similar to Sirius in personality. She is also outgoing, and that, coupled with their respective uniqueness in the wizarding community, might serve to draw him out. And even aside from the issues concerning her own abilities, Tonks may also be one of the few women brave enough to face the werewolf, given her line of work.

She still makes her eyes the wrong shade of blue once in awhile, and every so often, he'll forget and offer her olives or buy her something to match an eye color she rarely wears anymore, but the important thing is that when Harry Potter watches them kiss… he smiles. - The Taste of Apples

When I first read OoTP, I wasn’t thinking about Remus/Tonks in terms of shipping. It didn’t feel so much like “Oh, I wish these two characters would get together!” as “How lovely, it appears that JKR is setting up a romance.” I love this ship. It is not my favorite to write, or even my favorite to read (which are also different), but with the exception of trio pairings, if there was one pairing in HP that I absolutely believe will be canon, it’s Remus/Tonks.

I don’t want to even try to delve into the way that JKR’s mind works, but there seems to be a positioning of elements in the story that bring these two together. Even their introductions are similar – we first see Remus as providing light for Harry in the form of a patronus against the Dementors on the train, and we see Tonks doing the same with a lumos spell in the house on Privet Drive.

Remus has lost so much at the end of OoTP that there is an obvious void to be filled. There is never any mention of his family, and with Sirius’ death perhaps the closest he has is a somewhat paternal bond with Harry. The Order member that he seems to be friendliest with – judging by banter and spatial closeness – is Tonks. Setting aside canon slash possibilities, she is also the best romantic prospect, as the only strong female character anywhere close to his age. This, combined with the previous exposition as to why they fit well together, makes the pairing seem quite plausible indeed.

There have been many beautiful fanfiction pieces written about this pairing. There are many common devices – Tonks comforting Remus after Sirius’ death (often with the assumption that he and Sirius were lovers), Tonks having a crush on Remus since childhood, Tonks taking care of Remus after the full moon, Remus and Tonks thrown together on Order business, Remus and Tonks coming together because of their shared affection for Harry.

Whether you believe that the pairing is plausible in canon or not, it is certainly a dynamic worth exploring.

*** Recommendations ***

One Shots

The Taste of Apples, by

setissma
Rhapsody in Blue, by

copperbadge
Patchwork Robe, by kikei
What’s In a Name, by

scribbulus_ink
Comfort, by

biggrstaffbunch
togethercoloured instant, by friede

story arc by

pandoraculpa:
Between the Bars
The Hunt
Alexandrite
Dinner at the Wicked Vicar
Ice Follies

Longer Works

Amid My Solitude, by

copperbadge
Blood on the Moon, by

the_portkey
Werewolf and Metamorph, by LavendarBrown
Shifts, by

fernwithy (WIP)
Healing, by

sunshyndaisies (WIP)

The Naughtier Bits:

Strange Bedfellows, by

spankerella
Lunch Break, by

lifeofawoman
Crush, by

violet_quill
Faded Photographs, by