Remus Lupin stood before the stove, waiting for the kettle to boil. He ran a hand through his increasingly grey hair and sighed. It had happened again. He had lost another job. They had found him out; they always did. It always ended the same.

The kettle started to whistle and Remus poured the hot water into a mug. He set the mug down on the kitchen table and slumped in a chair. The sacking was not what was bothering him- he was used to it by now. What was worrying him was how he was going to tell Tonks. She had been so patient; he could not possibly tell her again. He didn't want to see that look in her eye.

Remus sighed and sipped at his tea. She was asleep now. He would have to tell her in the morning before she went to work.

"Daddy!"

Before Remus knew what was going on, a little girl in pigtails jumped into his lap and squeezed her arms around his neck. "Daddy!"

Remus laughed softly. "Shouldn't you be in bed, Rosie?"

"Uh-uh! I was waiting for you Daddy!"

"Waiting for me?" Remus smiled. "Why?"

"'Cause, 'cause, 'cause," Rosie stammered and leaped off her father's lap.

Remus watched her, extremely confused, as she ran into her room and flew back, holding a piece of parchment. She leaped back into Remus's lap and waved the parchment at him. "I drawed it for you Daddy! I drawed it!"

"You drew it," Remus corrected and looked at the drawing. It was a picture of stick figure people, very common among four-year-olds, of him and Rosie holding hands.

"Do ya like it, Daddy?" Rosie asked eagerly.

Remus smiled. "It's beautiful. You should be an artist, Rosebud."

Rosie laughed and clapped her hands. "I knew you would! I knew you would!"

"Rosie."

Both Rosie and Lupin turned to see Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin standing in the doorway in her fluffy pink dressing gown. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"But Daddy's home!"

"You can talk to Daddy tomorrow."

"But he'll go to work!"

Remus looked away. "I'll be able to spend time with you Rosie."

Tonks sensed that something was wrong. "Off to bed with you, Rosie."

"But-"

"No 'buts', Rosie, it's time for bed."

Rosie hung her head and hugged her father good-night. Tonks tried to hide a smile as Rosie marched off to her room, hanging her head. "Do you want me to tuck you in?" she called.

"No. I'll do it myself, mummy," Rosie called back.

Tonks shook her head and sat down next to Remus. "That kid."

Remus half-smiled and swirled his tea around in his mug.

Tonks frowned. "What's wrong, Remus?"

He shook his head. "Nothing pressing. Go back to sleep, Tonks."

Tonks crossed her arms. "Something is wrong and I want to know what."

Remus sighed. There was no getting around it. "I was sacked today."

Tonks unfolded her arms and laid her hand on top of Remus's. "You'll get another job."

"But will I be able to keep it?" Remus looked up and saw that look in Tonks's eyes: the very look he feared. Hope. He almost wanted to sob when he saw that look; that she had so much hope when there really was none. He looked away and downed the rest of his tea.

"Rest for a few days. Spend a few days with Rosie. She'd like that." Tonks picked up his empty mug and put it in the sink. "You'll get another job, Remus. You're qualified-"

"But dangerous," he said softly.

Tonks grabbed Remus's chin and forced him to look at her. "Quit being such a sorry bugger. Rest for a few days, spend some time with Rosie. Chin up!" She kissed him lightly. "Now I'm going back to bed. Don't stay out here all night." She turned and left, almost tripping on her fuzzy pink robe.

Remus smiled. I don't deserve her, her thought. He sat at the table for a few minutes, just staring into space and thinking over Tonks's words. In the end, he decided to take her advice and rest for a few days. Merlin knows he needed it. He heaved a sigh as he got up and went to bed.