A/N - Another cheerful, happy fic to balance out all the angst I've been doing lately. The idea for this one has been bouncing around for awhile, and I finally got the free time to write it. So yay for that. Set in the spring of 3rd year, Marauder's Era. I don't own a thing - if I did, there would be a lot more happy endings. Read, review, enjoy, all that other awesomely good stuff.
"They call it chance, or luck, or Fate." - Neil Gaiman
The house occupied a wide expanse of well-gardened yard, kept safe from the road by a sturdy white picket fence. Several wind chimes hung from the rafters of the porch, brightly colored and singing in the sunlight. An old muggle car had taken up residence in the driveway, but a thick layer of dirt suggested no one had bothered to drive the thing for quite some time. Overall, the place reminded Remus of his muggle grandparents' house, and he was beginning to be glad he had agreed to come along.
He had known Ted Tonks at school, in the way that younger students know of popular seventh years. Ted had been the toast of Hufflepuff, a laughing, fair haired boy who took everything with an easy grin. Andromeda Black enjoyed a bit more familiarity with Remus, as the Ravenclaw prefect had spent quite a lot of time keeping her dear Gryffindor cousin Sirius out of trouble. Of course, Andromeda Black was now Andromeda Tonks, and Remus really ought to remember that since he had accidentally present at the impromptu wedding. The wedding, however, had been close to three years ago, and Remus had seen neither of the Tonks since. He had actually been planning to write, just to check up on them and see how things were fairing with Andromeda's family, but Remus was unsure if accidental wedding guests exactly had that sort of privilege.
Fortunately, an ecstatic Sirius Black had saved him the trouble, tumbling into the dormitory one spring evening and waving a letter frantically. He informed his captive audience, at great volume, that Ted and Andromeda had just had a baby. To a group of fourteen year old boys, this news seemed halfway between intriguing and vaguely disturbing. Remus himself was an only child, as were James and Peter, and the concept of a baby seemed oddly foreign to them. Especially the baby of two people they had known at school. Sirius however had already decided, somewhere between the owlrey and Gryffindor Tower, that the four of them would be going to visit.
Which was precisely how Remus found himself in southern England on his last Hogsmeade weekend of third year, quite convinced that McGonagall might actually kill them for this particular stunt. He shifted anxiously, tugging at his faded jacket and waiting for someone to open the gate.
"Sirius, should we um...should we go inside?"
"Well...yes," Sirius frowned toward the gate, breaking away from his study of the small white house. "I've never been here before. It's quite nice."
"My mum always wanted a house like this," James said. "Said she doesn't like the great big place we've got now. Too easy to get lost in."
Remus, who had never actually been to the Potter house, suddenly found himself imagining a very large castle in the middle of London.
"Least your house isn't likely to try and kill you," Sirius sighed, finally tapping his wand against the gate, which swung open, inviting them inwards. With a small smile and a shrug, Sirius led them onwards, brushing his too-long hair out of his eyes for the millionth time that day. James followed next down the stepping-stone path, grinning cheerily and mussing his hair in preparation for meeting the baby. Peter seemed quite taken with the house, eyes wide and nearly stumbling over the first step stone, his eyes on the brightly colored garden.
"You suppose they'll let us visit here again?"
"As long as James and Sirius don't get us into trouble," Remus smiled and shut the gate, prodding Peter forward toward the door. Sirius had already taken the liberty of pounding quite loudly, and Remus sincerely hoped the baby had not been asleep. The only thing Remus knew about babies at all was that when they were sleeping, they ought not to be disturbed. He thought this seemed like rather straightforward practice, but apparently some people tended to forget. People like Sirius, he imagined, who could never be quiet for more than a few seconds at a time.
The door swung open, and Ted Tonks appeared, smiling his same big smile and ushering them inside with a cheery hello. Ted's hair was shorter than he had worn it at school, and he looked awfully tired, but he was still definitely Ted.
"Dare I ask how you've come to be here when I know that Hogwarts is still very much in session?" Ted's eyes sparkled playfully.
"It's a Hogsmeade weekend," James shrugged, grinning and pushing his glasses back into place. Ted laughed at this and shook his head.
"Nice to know some things haven't changed then. You're here to see the baby I expect?"
Sirius nodded eagerly at this, accompanied by far more gentle agreements from James, Remus, and Peter. Ted laughed again, pointing towards the stairs on one side of the hall.
"You're in luck then. Andromeda's just gone up to put her down for her nap. If you hurry you'll catch her."
With a flurry of movement and noise, Sirius was away up the stairs, feet pounding and eyes bright. James was laughing and trying desperately to keep up, while Remus could not help but feel that the fact that the baby was a girl really ought to have been mentioned. Somehow this distinction was of huge importance. A door was open at the end of the hall, allowing a glimpse of pink walls and soft light, and then there was a shout of "Sirius Black!" that Remus would have recognized anywhere.
He stopped in the doorway, watching as Andromeda Tonks' scowl melted into a soft smile as she hugged her favorite cousin. James had taken up a position against the wall, eyes wide and face uncertain at the sudden onslaught of so much pink. Peter seemed rather intrigued by the glowing lights charmed on the walls and the softly sketched unicorns that pranced around the room. Remus, however, found his attention drawn to the white wicker crib on the far side of the nursery, some sort of muggle baby toy spinning slowly in the air above. An odd, excited feeling passed over him, and the air went suddenly still. The moment passed, the silence broken by Andromeda's greeting
"Hello again boys."
Three years had passed but Andromeda still held the same youthful beauty she had possessed at seventeen. She had the same tired edges around her eyes as Ted, but Remus had begun to suspect that the baby was responsible for that.
"Nice to see you ah...Ms. Tonks?" Peter blushed and dropped his eyes to the floor, halfway smiling.
"Andromeda will be fine, Peter, really."
"Nice to see you then, Andromeda," Peter murmured.
"How've you been?" James leaned forward from his place at the wall, summoning up his Potter charm.
"Quite well. Although I think I'd be a bit better if the little one was letting me get any sleep," Andromeda laughed. "I take it you're here to see her?"
Without waiting to see Sirius' broad grin, Andromeda turned and reached into the wicker crib, producing a small pinkish bundle with dark hair. The baby's eyes were squeezed shut, as though she protested the sudden interruption. Motherhood suited Andromeda, Remus decided, watching as she laid the baby gently in Sirius' outstretched arms. Impressively, Sirius managed to be entirely still, stiffening once Andromeda pulled her hands away. The baby kept her eyes closed and had begun to frown spectacularly.
"What's her name?" Peter asked, and Remus nearly kicked himself for not thinking to ask the same thing. Andromeda smiled and never took her eyes away from the baby in Sirius' arms. Of course, if Remus ever had children, he would probably never let Sirius hold them unattended either.
"Nymphadora."
And the world went sort of funny again, all slow breaths and heartbeats and the name echoing in the sudden stillness. Nymphadora. No one else seemed to notice anything, everyone far too occupied watching Sirius, who was holding Nymphadora as though she might combust at any moment.
"H-here," Sirius turned hastily, holding the still-frowning bundle towards Peter. "You take her."
For a moment, Peter looked on the verge of some sort of panic. Then his face set in determination and he reached out, chubby fingers closing around the blanket and pulling Nymphadora away from Sirius with infinite care. He held her for a moment, watching the baby with an amused expression. And then without ever opening her eyes Nymphadora's hair changed to forest green. Peter very nearly dropped the baby in surprise.
"I-I didn't, didn't do anything."
Andromeda laughed as Peter held the baby out, shaking his head.
"No, it's alright. She's a metamorphamagus."
"A what?" James now stepped away from the wall entirely. Remus had heard the term before in books, but had never expected to encounter a real metamorphamagus.
"She can change her appearance," Remus said gently. James mouth formed a small 'o' and he reached out toward Peter and Nymphadora, eager to hold the bundled baby now that she was suddenly far more interesting. Remus had to admit, James looked surprisingly natural for someone who had never held a baby before. Nymphadora, however, refused to change her hair again, and had in fact begun to cry. Poor James seemed utterly shocked, staring at the baby in confusion.
"Here," Remus had no idea why he moved, why he gently slid his hands underneath the bundle and pulled Nymphadora away from James. He certainly had no more experience with crying babies than any of the rest of his friends. But Nymphadora fit just right into his arms, and he held her like Andromeda had, careful and gentle and not too tight. With a sudden series of hiccups, Nymphadora stopped crying and opened first one eye, then the other. Dark eyes in a heart shaped face stared up at him from beneath a sudden shock of vividly pink hair, and Remus felt the world slow once more. He could feel her heartbeat and his, and the only thought his mind seemed capable of producing was Oh.
"I think she likes you Remus," Andromeda's voice broke the moment, bringing Remus back to reality and the sight of four pairs of eyes staring at him. His face colored rapidly and he grudgingly returned Nymphadora to her mother. Andromeda's soft smile and even softer laugh made Remus feel a bit less awkward, until, of course, she turned around to return the baby to the white wicker crib. Then there was Peter watching him with a highly confused expression, and James fighting not to laugh, and Sirius looking quite put out.
"I thought you said you'd never held a baby Remus," Peter said slowly, frowning and tracing the path of one of the unicorns with his fingers.
"I haven't," Remus agreed. James snorted and pulled a face that Remus guessed was meant to be an imitation of his own.
"You went all weird mate. Sort of looked all sappy there for a moment."
Remus would have waved a rude gesture toward James had Andromeda not chosen that moment to turn around, the baby safely deposited in her crib once more. Sirius, however, still stood with his arms crossed, scowling in Remus' direction.
"I'm the one who's her cousin. She ought to like me."
"I'm sure she likes you just fine," Andromeda sighed, "She didn't cry when you held her, did she?"
James frowned at this, hastily pushing his glasses back into place and leaving the room to go in search of Ted, muttering something that sounded halfway like an apology. Sirius, on the other hand, brightened a bit at this statement, leaning over the edge of the crib to waggle his fingers in the the direction of the baby. Peter laughed and shook his head at the sight, brushing past Remus and following James out the door. Remus was still standing in place, watching the crib and the soft pink lights and the prancing unicorns when Andromeda crossed the room to stand beside him.
"Babies are very perceptive, you know."
Remus looked upward at her and frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Well," Andromeda shrugged, a smile creeping at the corners of her mouth, "They know who they can trust. Who the good people are."
"James and Peter are good people too though," Remus returned his attention to where Sirius was still harassing the baby. "Sirius I'm not so sure about."
Andromeda laughed and at this and wrapped an arm around Remus' shoulder, giving him a sort of halfway hug.
"You're welcome to visit any time you know."
Remus smiled up at her, inexplicably happy at the thought.
"I think I'd like that."
And then Remus was moving across the room, gently pushing Sirius out of the way and leaning over the edge of the crib, pressing a light kiss to Nymphadora's forehead. The baby giggled happily, dark eyes sparkling and hair vivid pink once more. The world paused in the moment in between breaths, and Remus felt a sudden sense of belonging, even though he was not quite sure why. He decided he would have to pay a few more visits to Nymphadora Tonks. The pink haired baby was rapidly claiming a place in his heart.