Moony's Apology
A/N: DH SPOILER ALERT! So what happened after Remus left Grimmwald Place when Harry knocked him back to reality? This is my take on how Remus and Tonks got back together again.
Remus stood outside the door for a very, very long time. His hand was poised, as though to knock, but somehow he couldn't make himself do it. He'd been an idiot. He knew that now. He owed Harry more than he could ever repay for waking him up like that. Guilt and shame flooded him as he remembered the way he'd cursed his student and friend and then just stormed out.
He was a coward.
At long last, he forced himself to knock on the door.
It was a moment before anyone answered. "Who's there?" a fearful voice asked from inside. His insides clenched. It was his Dora.
"Remus Lupin," he answered. "I'm a werewolf, sometimes known as Moony. And…and I am the biggest, most cowardly idiot I have ever known in my entire life."
Silence met his words. Then, slowly, the latch of a lock clicked and the door opened.
"What do you want?" Nymphadora Tonks demanded. Tearstains were on her face. But they were dry.
"Dora…" Remus lost what little composure he had left. He buried his face in his hands as tears poured from his eyes. "I am so, so, so sorry," he sobbed.
"What do you want?" she demanded again, though it was softer than before.
He looked up and looked her in the eyes. "A second chance?" he asked. "I swear, Dora, I will never, never walk out on you again. Please…"
The next moment she was in his arms and her lips were on his. Remus trembled, relief swamping him.
"What made you come to your senses?" she asked when at last they parted. Here eyes were tearful with joy.
Shame made Remus squirm again. "Harry," he muttered.
"What?" her eyes widened. She pulled him inside and shut the door behind them. "You've seen Harry?"
He nodded. "We were right. They were at Grimmwald Place. After…after I left," he avoided her eyes as he said this, though she was still in his arms. "I went there to find him. I thought maybe I could offer my services. Help protect them while they did whatever Dumbledore left for them to do."
"They didn't accept?"
"Ron and Hermione seemed willing to. But…" Tonks raised her eyebrows. "Harry was immediately suspicious. What about you? Were things all right between us? Why were you at your mother's? And my explanations only seemed to arise more questions. And…well."
"Well what?"
"When I told him…when I told him you were pregnant…" he looked her in the eyes again. "I've never seen him so angry. Not even after Bellatrix killed Sirius. He started ranting. Said my kid would be right to be ashamed of me, that I was being a coward." He looked away again. "He was right, of course. But that didn't mean I wanted to hear it."
"And so you came back here?"
"Err, not exactly. This was three weeks ago, see—"
"Three weeks ago!"
Remus's face flushed with shame. "I lost my temper," he admitted. "I…sort of cursed him."
Tonks blinked at him. "Cursed him," she repeated. "Please tell me you're exaggerating."
His flush deepened. "No. Let's just say it ended with Harry slamming into the opposite wall and me storming away to sulk for the next three weeks until I came to my senses."
"Remus John Lupin you go back there this instant and apologize to that boy!" she ordered, pointing out the door to further emphasize.
Remus let out a deep sigh. "I wanted to," he admitted. "I went back there a few days ago and, well…"
"Well what?"
"The place is swarming with Death Eaters. Somehow, they must've found out Harry was hiding there. I don't know how long they've been gone."
Tonks' eyes widened, but then relaxed. Obviously they hadn't been caught.
"Well, you have to understand why Harry was so upset," Tonks said reasonably. Remus looked at her curiously. He had yet to figure this part out. "Well think about it, he never knew his parents. He already barely understands why his parents could leave him to save him. Of course the idea that anyone would willingly leave their kid would infuriate him."
Remus closed his eyes and called himself ten kinds of idiot. "How did I miss that?" he asked himself out loud. Suddenly Harry's reaction made perfect sense. "Dora, I think we should name him Ted," Remus said randomly, smiling a true smile for the first time in months. "After your father. Well, if he's a boy I mean," he added needlessly.
Tonks certainly had no objection, but a brilliant idea struck her. "Tell you what," she said, smiling in return. "We can name him Ted, if Harry can be godfather."
"What?" Remus asked, thoroughly shocked. "Harry Potter?"
She laughed. "Yes Harry Potter. If he can handle you,I think he could handle little Teddy."
Remus laughed. It felt wonderful to laugh again.
"Yes," he said at last. "Harry will make a wonderful godfather."
