We Love You, Teddy
A tribute to Remus and Nymphadora, who never knew their only son.
Darn it... I typed up the whole thing, then the dang website had a glitch and it all went bye-bye!! :( Grr... Ok, here I go again.....
Remus Lupin, new father, leaned over the back of Tonks's hospital bed at St. Mungo's, his face looking younger and brighter than it had in years. He gently rubbed his wife's tired shoulders. They gazed down at newborn Teddy Lupin.
"He's beautiful," Remus murmured. Tonks's hair grew pinker.
"I know," she said, holding the little boy close. His hair was, at the moment, bright fiery red, which reminded Remus of Tonks when she was feeling adventerous. He chuckled softly.
Teddy Lupin stared up at his parents with bright, inquisitive brown eyes.
"I've seen that look before," Remus said, squeezing Tonks's shoulders. "Those are your eyes he's got."
Tonks smirked. "Well, those are your ears he's got," she teased, nudging his arm playfully. She couldn't seem to stop smiling. He laughed, feeling elated and slightly giddy.
"I have handsome ears," he teased back. Teddy let out a small baby sound, squirming in his blankets. Remus extended a comforting hand, which he laid on the baby's head. Teddy's hair was soft and wispy. "He's warm," Lupin remarked. Tonks nodded, head bent over her son. She had grown very quiet. Remus slowly rubbed her shoulders. "You should get some sleep," he said after a while.
"Do you want to hold him?" Tonks said, but something about her voice sounded clogged and watery. Remus ignored her question and reached down to take her chin in his fingers. He tilted her head back; her eyes were red and wet. Remus felt suddenly protective over her.
He leaned down and kissed her, the heat of her skin and her breath warming his cheek. "He's beautiful," Remus whispered, trying to ease her doubts. "You'll be a great mother. I'm here." He stroked her hair. "I love you, Nymphadora."
Tonks reached up and pulled him down by the back of his neck. She kissed him, tears flowing quickly and silently. When they broke apart, they were both smiling. Tonks sighed and leaned against his arm, gazing at Teddy once again.
"I love you, you overgrown wolf," she muttered affectionatly. Remus stroked her bright pink hair as she fell asleep. A peaceful hush fell over the little hospital room... possibly the whole world, Remus thought. Right now, with Tonks sleeping beneath him and Teddy squirming in her arms, Remus could not imagine any of the bad in the world. Everything was perfect.
He knew that he was being foolish, and that his trance would break before the day was over, but for now he was willing to bask in temporary ignorance... The only thing he found strange was the utter lack of snoring; Tonks usually snored like a bear. Remus chuckled to himself and reached down to take the squirmy baby from her.
Teddy let out a cry and snuggled into Lupin's arms. His brown eyes searched his father's face.
The gentle weight and warmth of the baby sent a rush of protectiveness through Remus. He held the baby a bit tighter and walked over to a nearby chair, sat down. Didn't newborn babies usually sleep? he wondered, then pushed the thought away. Teddy Lupin was clearly a fighter, full of energy... which would bite his parents in the butt when he was old enough to walk and run... and fly a broom...
Tonks woke up, feeling a chill where Teddy's warmth had been. Remus's hands were also gone. She rubbed the sleep and wetness out of her eyes, looked around for them. Remus and Teddy were asleep in a chair. Teddy had turned over in his blankets, small hands gripping the front of his father's robes. Tonks smiled and threw off her own blankets, crossing the room to Remus's side.
"Hey," she whispered, running a hand through his shaggy, greying hair. Remus awoke with a start and looked up at her.
"Why are you out of bed?" he asked sternly. Tonks rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.
"I'm not sick, you moron," she laughed. Remus relaxed and smiled.
"Oh, yeah. Right."
Tonks took Teddy from Remus's arms. Remus got up out of the chair. He wrapped his arms around her. They watched Teddy Lupin sleep. Remus was still unable to believe that a child so perfect, so whole, was his son. "He'll be a great wizard. Maybe an Auror, like you," he said.
"I'm not in any hurry to have him grow up and leave me," Tonks said.
"You always have me," Remus reminded her. "I'm not going anywhere."
Tonks craned her neck to look up at him, eyes full of love. Lupin gently fingered her bright pink hair, gazing back at her with a tenderness he'd never known before. Here in his arms, Tonks was so vulnerable, so small. Teddy was defenseless, and even smaller. Lupin made a silent vow to protect them... for as long as he lived...
Yay that was better than the original :). Did you like it? I was going to skip ahead to the battle and finish it up, but I'm not in the mood for a death scene right now. Scale of 1 to 10, please. No flames, because no writer needs that kind of discouragement. Did I stay true to the characters? I haven't read the books for like a long time, but the sixth movie reawakened my interest/obsessions. Ok, now it's time for you to review!! :D --Effie