The morning air was chilly against Ted's face, despite both fireplaces roaring with flames. Ted Tonks was usually very fond of winter and all that it entailed; hot chocolate abounded, quilts upon quilts were readily available to snuggle in, and it gave him an excuse to cuddle his wife as frequently as he wished. This morning, however, he couldn't get warm at all, no matter how many layers he piled on or how many fires he built up.

Ted had just returned from dropping Nymphadora off with his father, and it had taken forever for his truck's heater to kick in. The frosty air had lingered, refusing to heat up. It had taken the entire trip to his parents' home and halfway back to theirs before the interior of the vehicle was even relatively warm. Dora didn't seem to mind in the slightest, but he imagined that she had somehow extended her magic to keep the cold at bay.

At nearly six and a half years of age, Dora was already smart as a whip and had been exhibiting an alarming amount of raw magic. He and Andromeda did their best to keep it under control, but neither of them had any clue how to teach her to control her metamorphmagus abilities. Even with their spellwork to keep her looking normal to muggles, primary school was out of the question. Her magic was just too explosive; As clumsy as she was, it leaked out of her like a burst pipe. Luckily for them, Andrew Tonks was a retired school teacher and had been absolutely thrilled to homeschool his one and only grandchild. It helped that she had had him wrapped around her little finger from the moment he'd laid eyes upon her, and he tended to spoil her more than he ever had Ted. Her parents and grandparents had been smitten from day one and, unluckily for them, Dora had learned to exploit that fact very early on.

Ted was glad to back home and out of the frosty weather. If he were lucky, he'd find warm food in the kitchen and a willing wife to cuddle. They didn't have plans that day and Ted desired nothing more than to spend it with her, wrapped up in as many blankets as possible. He kicked off his boots and slipped into his house shoes, shuffling into the kitchen to find Andromeda scrambling eggs. A smile broke across his face, the lines on his face crinkling upwards as he did so; It was if she had read his mind.

"Toast's almost done, check it for me?" Andromeda requested in way of a greeting.

Ted did as he was asked, popping up four pieces of crispy brown bread and nearly burning his fingers as he transferred them to a plate.

"Burnt fingers weren't exactly on the menu," Andromeda laughed, a sparkle in her eye.

"Mm," Ted hummed in agreement. "I should hope not. Is that bacon I smell?"

His wife laughed again, pointing to the oven where it was being kept warm.

Their breakfast was a simple affair, nothing the likes they would have received at Hogwarts. It had been over a decade since he'd had a meal from Hogwarts and he still missed the House Elves' cooking. He wasn't sure he had ever eaten so much in his entire life as he did while he attended Hogwarts. His mother used to joke that it was a good thing she didn't have to feed him year round, as she was sure he'd eat them out of house and home.

Ted was scraping his plate of the last pieces of egg when a familiar owl pecked at the window above the sink. Upon seeing the owl, Andromeda jumped up and ran to the window before Ted could even scoot his chair back. She patted the owl and produced a treat from a jar, stroking it once more before sending it on its way. She hastily tore at the letter and began to read it silently. Ted finished his eggs, a small smile playing at his lips.

Andromeda had been in contact with her younger sister for years, all in secret. Normally they corresponded by owl, once, maybe twice a month. In the past year Narcissa had begun to write more frequently; she had even taken to seeing her older sister for coffee or tea in obscure Muggle cafés around Bath, Bristol, and even into Wales when they fancied it. They were growing bold, hungering for one another's company as if to make up for lost time. It was late Spring when Narcissa had shown up on their doorstep, shocking Ted first with her appearance and then with her civility. One could have even described her as plain out pleasant. The wards they had in place around their small home had never went off, which proved that Andromeda's younger sister didn't mean them any harm. Ted was still uneasy about letting her into their home, but that uneasiness dissipated when he saw how happy the two sisters were to see one another.

Narcissa hadn't changed much since their days at school together; She was a little taller, her hair longer. Her clothing was expensive and looked as if it had been tailor made for her, but from their trips to Hogsmeade Ted knew that wasn't anything new. What was new, however, was the very large gemstone that sat on her ring finger, weighing her delicate hand down from its weight. He tried not to think of the man that put it there.

Ted knew it was dangerous, he knew it would bring trouble, but depriving his wife the pleasure of speaking with her sister was something he'd never be able to do. Depriving her of anything that brought such a smile to her face would be a crime, and he'd be damned if he would be the one to commit it. He was well aware of the trouble they were all courting, but even he couldn't bring himself to ask Andromeda to end it.

Over the course of six and a half months, Ted had come to enjoy his sister-in-law's company, had warmed to her quick wit and dry humour, and was thankful for her adoration of her niece. Dora had taken to mimicking Narcissa's long blonde locks and her light blue eyes, a habit everyone in the house had immediately found adorable. Soon after that, Narcissa had taken to bringing Dora small gifts, a new dress and coat the most recent. Ted had mentioned that Narcissa was spoiling her, especially with the expensive clothing, but Narcissa just waved his concern away as if she found his thoughts unnecessary.

"Making her smile makes me happy. That dress belonged to Andromeda, and the coat was mine. Our mother, well." Narcissa tsked. "She never struck me as the sentimental type, but the day after I was married, she sent over many of our favourite clothing from when we were little girls. I suppose Andromeda was to have her belongings," she had glanced over to her sister, a sad smile on her face. She turned back to Ted and continued, her face composed once more. "However, I've got them now. To be quite honest, I'm not sure when I'll have the chance to use them, so gifting them to my niece is the next best thing." And that had been that. The dress and his daughter had been inseparable since, just as his wife was once more with her little sister.

Narcissa brought out a side of his wife that he rarely saw; he couldn't quite name it, but it was peaceful and pleasing to see. She was happy, and her happiness had always been his primary concern.

It had been weeks since Cissa had been to visit the Tonks', and Ted noticed how her absence affected his wife and even little Dora. Narcissa was a little over four and a half months pregnant and had been suffering from horrible morning sickness. Ted suspected the nasty snowstorm they'd had at the beginning of the month didn't help matters. Andromeda had been pregnant over the winter holidays, and Ted cleary remembered how miserable she was.

Ted was broken from his reverie when Andromeda began to strip out of her pajama right there in front of the kitchen sink. He raised a questioning eyebrow and got up to follow her as she sped to their bedroom.

"Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but why are you stripping through the kitchen?"

"Cissa needs me!" Andromeda shouted from their bedroom.

Ted's brow furrowed, and opened his mouth to say something – what, he wasn't quite sure. Before he could figure out what he wanted to say, Andromeda frantically began to explain.

"She's begging me, Ted! Something's wrong; she sounded scared. She can't keep anything down and she needs me. She needs me." He watched with wide eyes as she pulled on a pair of thick, woolen tights, and a long plaid skirt. As she was digging around for a top, Ted finally found the words he needed to say.

"You can't, Dromeda. She knows that! You can't! It's too dangerous. What in Merlin is she thinking, asking you to go to the Manor?"

"She's thinking," Andromeda's tone grew dangerously dark, "that she needs her big sister. She's scared and she needs me! Of course I'm going."

"The hell you are!"

Andromeda whipped around to face him, one of his heavy knitted jumpers crumpled in her hands. Her eyes narrowed and turned stormy, and she drew back her shoulders to stand as straight as possible. Experience had taught him that nothing good ever came from narrowed eyes and a stick straight back. She even jutted her chin out, giving the appearance that she was looking down upon him, despite being nearly a foot shorter than he was.

"I am, Theodore Andrew Tonks," she shoved her arms into her sweater, pulling it quickly over her head, her movements radiating anger. "I willnot abandon my baby sister when she needs me!" She shoved her feet into an old pair of boots, nearly falling in her haste.

Andromeda had never been able to deny her little sister before, and it clear to him that that hadn't changed, even if everything else had.

It was dangerous, and foolish. He knew it and he damn well knew she did as well. Over a decade may have passed since they had first gotten together, but it didn't change the fact that many still hated their relationship and their little family. Andromeda was labeled a blood traitor, a target just like her husband. She'd been burnt from her family tree, and had many enemies for it. They both did.

It was one thing for Narcissa to sneak off to the other side of the country to visit her blood traitor of a sister. She wasn't being searched for, and she certainly wasn't being followed. Narcissa was very good at making people think exactly what she wanted them to think about her. She was a better actress than Andromeda had ever been. It was entirely different for Dromeda to visit the home of a suspected Death Eater, even if he was her brother-in-law.

The Dark Lord was becoming more and more powerful, his followers killing off entire families of Half-Bloods, Muggleborns, and Muggles like it was all a game. To Him, it was a game, Ted reminded himself bitterly. The Auror Department could hardly keep up with all of the reported sightings of dark wizards, the missing persons, the deaths. People were scared and for good reason. War was coming; it swept through the air like a miasma, sinister and full of the unknown.

Andromeda knew all that just as well as her husband. And yet… Andromeda couldn't stay hidden away while her baby sister begged for her to come, especially not now that she had come to accept the Tonks for all they were, and even love them for it. Not now that she was pregnant and carrying Andromeda's niece or nephew. The fear that creeped into the daily lives of so many couldn't, wouldn't, deter her from making sure Narcissa was safe. Death Eaters and Dark Lords be damned. Ted read it all in her eyes as she stared at him, daring him to object again. He knew the only way she wouldn't be leaving their house is if Ted physically stopped her.

And so, he let her go. He punched the wall after the crack of her Apparation sounded, leaving a fist sized indent in their bedroom wall and shattered picture frames on the floor.

Ted shoved his feet back into his own boots, pulling on his work jacket once his boots were tied. He spent the next few hours out back by the woodshed, chopping firewood to allow his anger to dispel without any further breaking of their home and belongings. The cold air helped clear his head and the repetitive swinging of the axe and splintering of the logs numbed his mind to all other thoughts. He lost himself in the rhythm of the chore and eventually found that his anger dissipated with each swing of his axe.

Back inside, he used magic to repair the wall and broken glass. Another wave of his wand and the picture frames were back in place, as if nothing had ever disturbed them.

A knot of worry grew in his stomach, his anger replaced completely with concern for his wife, and surprisingly, for Narcissa as well. Women lost babes all the time, and he was reminded of a time when Andromeda told him it wasn't uncommon for first pregnancies to end unexpectedly. Ted felt slightly shamed, and decided that after he showered, he'd pop over to the bakery in town that Narcissa favoured and buy her a box of the sticky buns she was ever so fond of. Danger be damned. Somehow Narcissa has snuck into his heart and he'd be forever shamed if he didn't show up and offer her his support. It didn't hurt that it would probably neutralize the rift he and his wife had created by arguing earlier.

Ted had been in the process of tying his shoes when the telephone rang. He barely made it to the phone in time, the last shrill ring cut off as he sprang for the handset. His chipper greeting died as an unfamiliar voice asked if he was Theodore Tonks. "I am," he replied, dread immediately running through his veins.

The grave voice on the other side of the telephone carefully explained that his brother-in-law requested the staff call him, as there was an emergency concerning his wife.

Confused, Ted asked the woman repeat herself, sure he'd heard incorrectly. There was no way Lucius Malfoy would show him any sort of courtesy, not now, not ever.

"Yes sir, Lucius Malfoy," she confirmed. "He brought your wife in with Mrs. Malfoy. Please come at your earliest convenience, as there has been an accident." Ted nearly lost the contents of his stomach at those words. An accident. The woman wouldn't say what sort, despite Ted's frantic demands.

"Fucking useless bint - Argh!" He shouted, hastily slamming the phone back on its receiver, not caring that it didn't take and fell to the floor.