Title: By Way of Remembrance, Part One of Twelve: July
Author: goldenwanderer
Rating: PG
Warnings: N/A
Pairings: Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Ted Tonks/Andromeda Tonks
Summary: Remus & Tonks in DH in twelve fics, one for each month. Part one, July: Remus and Dora return home early from Harry's birthday party. A pillow fight and serious discussion ensues.
Author's Note: This is the first part of my entry for the March ficathon at rtchallenge on Livejournal. This part incorporates prompt #7, a picture of a blue notepad. The title of the fic (By Way of Remembrance) comes from a poem by the same title by Christina Rossetti.
By Way of Remembrance: July
"Ted, what's that on the refrigerator?"
"Where?"
"Right there, Ted. The blue note."
Ted Tonks scanned the refrigerator for the blue note that his wife, Andromeda, was talking about. It was stuck between two old Muggle-style photographs, one of Dora as a little girl, and the other of Dora sitting on his lap. There was writing on the note, obviously Dora's. Her script was neater than his, but messier than her mother's.
Andromeda went over to the refrigerator and pulled down the note. She looked it over, then read it out loud.
Mum and Dad,
In case you need us, Remus and I will be at the place we mentioned earlier. Should be back around six or seven, maybe later. Can't wait to see the birthday boy! Hope you both had fun at lunch. You better have been good, Dad.
Love, Dora
Andromeda looked up at Ted, and Ted looked at Andromeda. They weren't used to finding notes left on the refrigerator by their daughter. But after six years of living by themselves, this was to be expected.
"Did you-?" began Andromeda.
"No."
"Where…?"
"The Burrow."
"Oh, yes. Harry's birthday party."
"Right," said Ted.
Andromeda set the note on the kitchen table. Ted went off to the sitting room, wanting to catch up on the latest Quidditch and football scores on the wireless. Meanwhile, Andromeda turned to the sink, which was full of dirty dishes from breakfast that needed cleaning. She grabbed a washcloth and a plate and began to scrub the leftover food off into the sink.
Fifteen minutes hadn't passed when Andromeda heard footsteps coming up the drive outside. Quickly, she scanned the kitchen for any signs of magic. But there wasn't anything magical around. She had given up cleaning the kitchen with magic years ago, after some of their Muggle neighbors had paid them a surprise visit; Andromeda had been using her wand at the time. The neighbors' memories had been modified, but the Ministry had warned Ted and Andromeda to be more careful. They lived in a neighborhood full of Muggles, after all.
But it wasn't any of the neighbors. When the door opened, Nymphadora and Remus entered. Both looked flustered. Remus's face was red, and he was holding tightly onto Dora's arm. She was trying to get him off her.
"Remus, honestly I'm fine," she was saying as they stepped into the kitchen. "Let go, it's all right."
Remus let go as soon as he saw Andromeda standing there, watching them. He stopped, turned around, and shut the door behind them.
"Hello, Mum," said Dora, suddenly sounding cheerful. "Back from lunch, I see."
"Yes," said Andromeda. "We've been back for a quarter of an hour already."
"Oh, well, that's good," said Dora. "How were the Michaels today?"
"Fine, just fine," said Andromeda. She looked from Dora to Remus and back again. "You're home early. Your note said that you would be back around six or seven, maybe later."
"Yes, well…" started Dora, looking at Remus. "Slight change of plans."
"Oh?" asked Andromeda. She turned to Remus. She still wasn't entirely sure she trusted this man yet. What reason would he give for their early departure?
"Arthur Weasley brought the Minister home with him," said Remus. "We – I thought it prudent to leave before he saw that we were there."
"Scrimgeour?" asked Andromeda, looking back at Dora. "You know him well enough, Nymphadora. Why did you feel like you had to leave?"
"I didn't," said Dora. "Remus pulled me away before I had the chance to say anything."
Andromeda shifted her gaze again, staring angrily at Remus. "You didn't give her a chance to speak?"
"I explained to Dora on the way inside," said Remus. "She knows as well as I do how the Ministry feels about werewolves – and those connected with werewolves – right now. If we had stayed, it would have connected Harry to a werewolf. I believe Harry has enough to deal with without having to worry about the Ministry's view of werewolves."
Andromeda looked skeptical, but she said nothing. "Well, welcome back, anyway," she said. "Nymphadora, would you and Remus tidy up your room, please?" she asked, choosing to change the subject. "I don't want to have to do it for you."
Dora laughed. "Mum, you don't have to tidy our room. We're perfectly capable adults."
"As long as the space you live in is under my roof, it is subject to my rules," said Andromeda. "I want that room kept tidy, if you please."
"Yes, Mum," said Dora. She winked in Remus's direction, who chuckled. "Come on, Remus. We'd better get started." She pulled on Remus's arm and began to yank him out of the kitchen.
Remus looked back at Andromeda, who rolled her eyes and went back to her cleaning. Without a word, he let his wife lead him away, up to their room to begin their tidying job.
Five minutes later, however, Remus and Dora were doing anything but tidying. Dora had walked into the room, tripped over her own feet, and fallen flat on her face onto the bed. Remus immediately burst out laughing and fell onto the bed beside her. He had picked up a nearby pillow and hit her while she was still lying down. But it wasn't long before pillows had started flying all around the room.
After several minutes of intense fighting, Dora was kneeling on the bed, assaulting Remus with a pillow over and over while he stood on the floor, cowering from her, pillowless.
"All right, all right!" he cried at last. "You win! You win!"
"Oh, no, you don't get off that easily, Remus Lupin!" Dora shouted, continuing to hit him with the pillow.
"Get off easily? For what?" Remus called, throwing his hands over his head in an attempt to protect himself.
"I don't know, but whatever it is, you're paying for it!"
Remus tried to pull the pillow away from her, but when that didn't work, he grabbed her instead. She jumped at his touch, losing her grip on the pillow. It fell out of her hands and onto the floor as Remus pinned his wife to the bed.
"Now who's getting off easily?" he asked her, smirking.
Dora's laughs made him smile even more. "I guess you are," she said. He bent down and kissed her, then rolled onto the bed beside her. For a minute or two, they lay looking up at the ceiling, unable to stop laughing.
"We're not getting much done, are we?" asked Remus, looking over at Dora.
"No," she answered. "And whose fault is that, d'you reckon?"
"Mine," he admitted. "Though I wasn't the one brutally assaulting me with a pillow."
"Couldn't help myself," said Dora, smirking. "You're very adorable when you're trying to protect yourself from a pillow, did you know that?"
"No, I didn't," said Remus. "I've never tried it."
Dora shrugged. "Touché."
"Do you think we ought to tidy up now?"
"No, I don't think so," said Dora. "Mum's always been like that, threatening to clean up after me if I don't do my own work. But she gave up trying to clean my room about twenty years ago. Besides, it isn't so bad in here. I've got you, haven't I?"
"And I'm the clean one, am I?"
"You're neater than I am," said Dora. "Mum's got to appreciate having you around, in any case. You're neater than Dad ever has been."
Remus suddenly began to frown slightly. Dora noticed. "What's the matter?" she asked.
"Your mother still doesn't approve of me, does she?"
Dora sat up and looked down at Remus. "That's not true."
"It is," said Remus. He sat up next to her. "Did you see the way she acted toward me downstairs?"
Dora sighed. "She's trying, she really is. But it's hard for her, being raised the way she was. When I talked to her before our wedding, she told me that she's having a hard time adjusting to you. But she trusts me, and she wants to like you too. She'll come 'round eventually."
"I just wish there was something I could do to change her mind about me."
"You'll convince her one of these days," said Dora. "You should have plenty of time; I don't know how long we'll be here."
"Speaking of which, the housing issue hasn't helped the situation much either," said Remus.
"Well, no, I suppose not," said Dora. "Mum wasn't exactly thrilled about that."
"Well, what mother wants their daughter to lose her job and her flat because of her marriage?"
"None that I can think of," said Dora. "But some of that's Umbridge's fault."
"True, but it doesn't change the situation," said Remus. "We're still living at your parents' house because we can't find our own place."
"It's not so bad," said Dora. "I think Dad enjoys the company, most of the time."
"Your father is an admirable man, putting up with us invading his home."
"It was my home once, in case you'd forgotten," said Dora, smirking.
"He was admirable then, putting up with you living in his home," said Remus, smirking even more than Dora.
"Oh, stop it, you," she said, giving him a playing little shove.
They were both quiet for a minute after that. Dora looked suddenly serious, more serious than normal.
"It's not just the werewolf thing or the loss of my job and my flat that bothers Mum, you know," she said quietly. "She didn't like it when you left me all last year. She's worried that you'll hurt me again."
"I understand how she's feeling," said Remus. "I wouldn't want my daughter to marry a man who was so big of a prick that he left her for an entire year, then had to be begged before he came back."
"Well, you're worth it," said Dora, giving him a quick kiss.
"Thank you," said Remus. "And speaking of daughters, have you told your parents about the baby yet?"
Dora's face turned slightly red. "Er- no, I haven't," she admitted. She sighed. "I just don't know how to tell them yet. It's one thing to say, 'Hey, Mum and Dad, can we move in with you?' It's another thing entirely to say, 'Hey, Mum and Dad, guess what? We're having a baby!' I don't have any clue when to bring it up."
"We have to tell them some time," said Remus. "You won't show for at least another couple of months, but since we're living with them, don't you think your parents ought to know?"
"We should tell them together," said Dora. "Tonight, if you like. We'll spit out the news tonight at dinner. They'll have all of tonight and tomorrow to digest it, while we'll be enjoying ourselves at Bill and Fleur's wedding."
Remus looked anxious, but Dora took his hand. "Don't worry," she said. "We're married, aren't we? I mean, we didn't plan on this, but it's allowed, isn't it? Mum and Dad can't get angry at you for impregnating your wife."
"That's comforting," said Remus, somewhat sarcastically.
"Well, like you said, we'd better get it over with," said Dora. "We can tell them after dinner, if you want."
"Yes, it's a very good idea to let your mother finish eating before she has to deal with the news that her daughter is now pregnant by a werewolf."
Dora frowned at him. "I'm pregnant by my husband," she said, lifting up her hand and showing him her ring. "My mother can think anything she likes, but I know how wonderful you are." She kissed him again. "I'm proud to be carrying your child," she said, smiling.
Remus gave her another kiss, stroking her ring hand. "I love you, Dora," he said.
"I love you too, Remus."
"So, what exactly are we going to say to them?"
"How about, 'Hey, Mum and Dad, guess what? I'm up the duff by my werewolf of a husband, so I'll probably be staying with you longer than expected!' How does that sound?"
Remus smiled at her. "I think we need to work on that."
They shared another kiss, followed by a swift whack on Remus's head by an unexpected pillow.