AN: This was written for the Bring Your Child to Work Day Competition at HPFC. My pairing was Ted/Nymphadora. Rate, review and enjoy!
"Come on, Dorie, we're going to be late!" shouted Ted Tonks from his kitchen while impatiently drumming with his fingers on the kitchen table. As much as he loved his daughter, if she wouldn't hurry up, he would have to leave for work without her.
An exclamation of "Coming, Daddy!" sounded from upstairs. Ted rolled his eyes. That was the third time she had said that, and didn't come down. Luckily for him, this time he could hear the familiar sound of someone rushing down the stairs.
He stood up, taking his bag and moving into the living room, where the floo was. There he found quite an unpleasant surprise.
"Uh, Dorie? Are you sure you want to wear this?" His baby daughter was in fact wearing her favourite bright yellow robes and combined it with a hot pink scarf, which Ted didn't even know she had. "And where exactly did you get that scarf?"
"It just changed its colour like that! I just wished for it and it happened!" Dora beamed at him and her proud daddy couldn't help but smile back. Well, at least she isn't throwing vegetables at her mum like I used to… he thought as he led Dora to the fireplace so they could floo to the shop he worked at.
"That will be one galleon and twelve sickles, thank you," said Ted to a customer who just bought a whole batch of leeches from him. After she left, he sat on his chair and sighed. Well, that was today's customer. Hopefully another one would come tomorrow. As he pulled a book out of his bag he heard glass breaking in the back room. Ted groaned, got up and went to check it out. He knew taking Nymphadora the Clumsy into a shop full of glass was a bad idea, but Meda could be so persistent if she wanted to… Inside he found Dora looking guilty and a broken vial with its contents pooled at her feet.
"I'm sorry, Daddy, I didn't mean to. It was just so pretty so I wanted to play with it for a bit…" She looked like she was on verge of tears and Ted simply couldn't bring himself to chastise her.
"It's okay, Princess, these things happen. Now let me see what it was in that vial." After further examination, Ted concluded it was water from the river Lethe. Not particularly rare or expensive, but they didn't have more. Luckily, they were restocking this Saturday. Hopefully, no one would want one 'till then.
A bell chimed and Ted hurried to the front, but not before telling Dora not to do anything before he came back. No sooner he emerged from the back he was looking in the face of a surly man with beady eyes. The eyes narrowed and the man grunted out, "Water of Lethe."
Ted's heart stopped for a moment. Just my luck. "I'm sorry sir, but we're out. But if you come back on Monday…"
The customer's face got even more hostile if possible. "But I was told you still have one!"
"I'm really sorry, sir, but I'm afraid my daughter accidentally broke the vial it was in."
Perhaps he shouldn't have said that. The man practically snarled at him. Ted flinched. How could he get so upset about something? An accident, nonetheless.
The man left, but not without a parting shot. "Filthy mudblood can't do anything right. That's why they shouldn't breed."
And he was gone.
Ted felt like something inside him has died. He hadn't heard that insult since his Hogwarts days. But he didn't let that get him down then, he certainly wouldn't start now. Not when had had a daughter to attend to and storage to clean.
Plastering a smile on his face, he walked into the back room.