Tonks sighed, "True. Right now he'd be likely to turn you in if it meant a stronger foothold for him but.. But the illusion won't last forever, the optimism. Lucius Malfoy is many, many things, but he's not a fool. One day, he'll see what you see. And maybe then you won't be so alone in that pit of lions." She smiled at him, trying to be reassuring, desperate to give him something, anything to hold on to before he had to go back. Any shred of hope, of security. She could feel her heart tear in her chest when she saw the small smile on his face and she couldn't help herself then, leaning forward and kissing him gently, reassuringly. The last time she'd had him in her arms she'd known she couldn't take away his demons, but even still, she couldn't bear to see him looking so.. Pained.
Tonks watched him laugh and watched him grin and she felt something loosen in her chest, and for the first time she felt like she could breathe again. Hiding the emotion in her voice under a gasp, Tonks sank to their fun and games again, "Did I say that? Oh I am so, sorry!" Tonks smirked at him mischievously, leaning forward and putting her hands on his shoulders in mock reassurance, "I meant to say you were a rich, perverted old uncle that gets drunk all the time. So sorry for the mixup, I don't know what I was thinking." His grin turned evil and Tonks didn't have time to react before she realised what he was about to do. Tonks shrieked in an entirely undignified, entirely girly manner, trying in vain to curl up into a ball when he began mercilessly tickling her, "Never!" She laughed in protest, "Never surrender to those who fight dirty!" By the time he'd stopped his assault she was flushed and breathless, smiling and laughing in his arms and so extremely grateful for it. Tonks looked at him as he settled her on his lap almost as though she were entranced, leaning down slightly to just brush her lips against his even as she still panted for air before she drew away again and smiled.
When he used her real name, Tonks made a show of cringing at the word, wincing as though she'd been hit. "You certainly do, don't you? Well," She sighed with a dramatic flourish, settling against him once again and wrapping her arms around his neck lazily, "I still haven't figured out what to do about that yet. I like the idea that you'd be the only person alive that gets to use my true name and live, but.." She smirked then with a wicked gleam in her eye, one hand toying with his hair absently, "I also like the idea of punishing you for it. Quite the conundrum."