Despise Not Thy Mother
Rated K
AN/Disclaimer; I own nothing. If I was J.K.R., Tonks and Lupin would still be alive, and raising little Teddy. And Lupin would get to teach again. Or something sappy like that. If you don't know their fate, go read Deathly Hallows instead of fanfiction!
This is loosely based on my assumption that Andromeda and Tonks weren't that close until Tonks became pregnant and both their husbands left. Common ground anyone?
o0O0o
Light streamed into her eyes, rousing her from her lonely sleep. She opened them enough to see her mother puttering around her room, putting things away, clearing the night table off, and magicking the breakfast tray to it. The curtains were open, which explained the light.
Nymphadora Tonks Lupin rolled over to her side, away from the windows, and winced when she saw the empty pillow next to her. A pillow that was supposed to have Remus' head on it, attached to the rest of him. But it didn't… he had left her at her parents' for safekeeping….
Prat.
"Good morning, Nymphadora," her mother said briskly.
Tonks groaned in response.
"Yes dear, I know you're tired. But you need to eat something."
She sighed, and heaved herself up into a sitting position, doing her best to ignore the empty space to her right. "Morning, Mum."
Andromeda Black Tonks sat on the edge of the bed with a cup of tea and some toast. This had been their routine ever since both their husbands had fled "to protect them." Tonks and Remus had moved in immediately after the ministry fell and Tonks lost her job and found that she was pregnant. It had been hard, but they had been protected by the Fidelius Charm. And then Remus had a 'misplaced chivalry' attack, followed by her father.
"Are you very tired today?"
Tonks shook her head. "No more than usual I guess. Just missing him. Why, is my hair more brown today?"
Andromeda looked her daughter over critically. "No, your ends are still pink. I would have thought since the morning sickness is past you would be a little pinker, but…."
"I know. I'm just tired and lonely."
"You know, your exhaustion makes me wonder if you're not having a metamorphmagus. I remember being so tired…" she trailed off. "I'm getting excited for this child, even if you are depressed."
Tonks knew that the baby was a distraction for her mother, and that it should be for her too. After all, both their husbands were gone. But she hadn't thought about the possibility of a metamorphmagus child… it made sense though, she and Remus were both shape shifters, and lycanthropy is not genetic.
She sighed again. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be depressed. I should be angry- furious! But I can't be. I don't even think I could find it in my heart to yell at him if he walked in right now. I'd probably just trip across the room and fall into his arms, like those silly paper-back novels that Mrs. Weasley reads…" She rubbed her hands over her slightly swollen abdomen.
Andromeda hmmed, and then said, "Well, I could yell at him for you if you like…."
Tonks grinned mischievously, "It'd be nice to have you yelling at someone else for a change.
They chuckled for a moment, and then Andromeda suggested, "Why don't we paint the little alcove between the windows, and put the crib there?"
Tonks looked to where her mother indicated. For some reason, the architect who had designed the house had made a part of the wall jut out, between the two windows. Her bed and night table had been there when she was a small girl. Obviously she now had a double bed on the opposite wall, next to the door. The alcove was now home to a chair. She looked around her room, which was painted Hufflepuff yellow.
"Okay," she replied, brightening. "Can we paint it red?"
Andromeda laughed, "I suppose traditional pink or blue wouldn't do for any child of yours or Remus."
"Of course not. And besides, there's enough yellow in here to convince anyone to be a Hufflepuff. We need to give Gryffindor a chance!"
Her mother laughed again. "Certainly we can paint it red. And I'll dig out the crib you slept in. We'll make a nice cozy nook for the baby. And won't Remus be surprised when he comes home?"
"And Dad- he'll wonder why you didn't insist upon green!"
Andromeda smiled again, though this time it was a forced smile. "Your father would wonder. But I think Remus will appreciate the red. Besides, red and yellow look nice together."
"I'm sure we can incorporate some green and blue pillows somewhere."
"And I'm equally sure that Mrs. Weasley will make you some pink blankets or something, so it's not too Hogwarttian when it comes to the color scheme."
"Yes, we'll need something has to match my hair!" She rested her hands on the baby bulge again.
Chuckling slightly, Andromeda collected the breakfast things and put them back on the tray. She had done her duty and her daughter was cheered. "I'll get some red paint when I go out today, and later we can move the chair out and paint the alcove. But you'd best sleep with me in my room tonight; we can't have you breathing paint fumes. And tomorrow we'll find your old crib and give it a good cleaning."
Tonks was suddenly assaulted by childhood memories- she only slept in her mother's bed when either she was sick or Ted was gone and she missed her father. She made the connection now; she was sick over Remus, heart-sick, anyway, and they were both missing Ted Tonks.
"Sounds good, Mum."
o0O0o
Thank you for reading! I wrote a part two where Remus comes home, but I really hate it, so unless I get about fifty reviews begging and pleading for it, I probably won't post it. And as I've never hit more than twenty reviews in my life, it's a safe bet I never will. Anyway, I hope you liked it!
Xx, Midget
