Challenge

.x.X.x.

~CrazyPlotQueen~

"Of all the times…"

A string of expletives flew from Dora Tonks' mouth as she sat on the toilet seat in her tiny bathroom. She stared at the markings on the pregnancy test, eyes wide in disbelief. So she was pregnant, Tonks thought. Absolutely wonderful.

Well, it was wonderful; she was over the moon with joy, but it really couldn't have come at a worse time. She was in a war, needed on the front lines to fight the Death Eaters. Would fighting be harder with a child? "It'll only be harder if I make it harder…" she tried to assure herself. "Nothing will change. Nothing will change."

But it would in nine months. Would the war be over then? Would it be safe for the baby? What could she do if it wasn't?

Tonks rubbed her eyes as tears began to prick them. Her stomach and feelings were flipping around as she tried to sort everything out. Perhaps she could hide the bump with a bit of glamour? Dora wasn't exactly sure that such magic existed; there weren't any magical pregnancy tests. Her eyes caught on a mirror in the corner of her tiny bathroom and she slowly drifted over to it, lifting her baggy sweatshirt up and examining her stomach. The slightest bump was there; not very prominent, but it was there.

"One month down. Eight more to go."

.x.X.x.

Three sleepless nights had passed before Remus finally decided to ask his wife.

"Are you alright? Something is bothering you, you have that look again."

Tonks paused the slow stir of her coffee, watching the dark liquid lazily swirl around the mug. "I'm fine. Tired is all." She hadn't worked up the courage to explain that she was somehow pregnant. It was what stole her sleep most nights.

"You've been tired a lot this week. Are you worried about the mission?" Remus arched a brow. There was a anxious energy about his wife as they prepared to help Harry escape from his home on his seventeenth birthday. He chalked it up to nerves originally, but now it didn't seem like it fit.

"A little. But it's nothing I can't handle, Remus," Tonks assured him, cracking a weary smile. Deep down, she felt slightly guilty for lying to him. She loved Remus and lying just felt so wrong. What if he was upset with her? Upset that their child might be given his condition? Tonks loved her child, though. And she was sure he would love it too.

"Remus— " she began, then paused. How to go about this? Blunt and honest, Tonks affirmed, so he wouldn't believe she was joking. Babies were a serious matter, after all. "I'm pregnant."

The air thickened so much she could cut it with a knife. The shock was palpable; Tonks could have reached out and grabbed it, if she wanted.

"Are you sure?" he breathed.

"Positive."

"Then we'll get you the first appointment with the doctor. We'll check everything we can; there must be a way to see if it'll have… what I have." Remus cringed, his face turning stony. Almost like he was afraid to call it his child.

Tonks simply stared, eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Aren't you...happy, Remus?"

"Of course, but the timing is all off. We have a battle tomorrow and I can't look after you— "

"You don't need to look after me. I'm still going to the battle," Tonks scoffed, arching her brow like she was challenging him to contradict that statement.

Remus accepted that challenge. "You think you're going? There will be Death Eaters there! We shouldn't even be having this discussion, what with your condition and all!" he snapped, hands tightening around his coffee mug. The tension surrounding the two was suffocating, consuming them at this point.

Tonks had always felt as if her mood could change the atmosphere of a room; if she was happy, everything was sunshine and rainbows. If she wanted a fight, well, she could certainly cook up a storm.

"You're not going. For your sake, and the baby's sake," Remus said finally, standing his ground as Tonks stared him down, eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. In order to escape the tangible anger that radiated from his wife, he swiftly stood up and walked down the hall of their home.

Tonks' eyes never left his figure as she silently made up her mind to disobey everything he just told her. Game on.

.x.X.x.

It hadn't been hard to sneak out. Remus didn't put up any protection, believing that Tonks had just fallen asleep after watching a movie. He had gotten the feeling that if he put up spells to keep her from leaving there would be hell to pay when he returned. A smart choice, considering there would be much hell to pay tonight.

Tonks stormed down the avenue to where her target awaited, standing in line for a cup of coffee. The Ministry had chosen a pretty, young witch with platinum highlights in her hair. She was fresh out of school, top of her class. A good choice to be the seventh protector of Harry while he was being taken to the Weasley's house, but she still wasn't as skilled as Tonks.

The witch received her coffee, giving the barista a small smile before continuing to walk down the street.

"Game time," Tonks breathed to herself, glad for the disguise she had put on beforehand. The witch would no doubt recognize her due to her activity with the Ministry, so it was better that Dora had put something up to mask herself.

"Oh!" The witch gasped as the piping hot coffee spilled down the front of her blouse, dropping the cup onto the ground.

"I am so sorry," Tonks, now a redhead, apologized profusely while she pulled some wrinkled napkins out of a purse. "Here, let me help! There's a pub where I can get some more napkins!"

The witch quickly spotted where Tonks was pointing, almost running to the pub, hoping to save the blouse. Tonks smirked; it was all too easy.

She followed in after the blonde, and once she reached the counter of the bar, Tonks pulled her wand out of her purse. As the witch dabbed at the blouse, Tonks whispered a sleeping curse, and the girl began to stumble.

"You've had way too much to drink tonight," Dora snickered, winking to the barista. They were old friends from Hogwarts, and he had agreed to let her store the witch in their break room for the time. Just long enough for the pair to switch places, and Tonks could fight alongside with Remus as she protected Harry.

Hurrying into the breakroom and lowering her down on a chair, Tonks quickly set to work, changing into her appearance. Before no time, she was just another fresh-eyed girl, who had no idea what forces she was playing with.

.x.X.x.

AN: This is an AU where, before the battle of the Seven Potters, Tonks tells Remus that she's pregant. Thus, the plot thickens.

QFLC:

Keeper, Tutshill Tornados

Write a story where a pregnancy causes trouble for the involved parties.