A/N: This fic is set in 2008 and was originally intended to be published before Christmas, but it barely got finished in time. It was entered in the livejournal community metamorfic_moon's Pink Advent Challenge and has been beta-read by the wonderful kt_tonguetied, merryb87, and ladyofthelight101. Thank you to all of them, and to any readers and reviewers! The second part of this will be posted tomorrow. Remus and Tonks's AU daughter, Olivia, who stars in this fic, was 'born' in Chapter Nineteen of More Diverse Adventures of Remus and Tonks.

Some British facts to prevent confusion: Primary school is the first level of school and goes from ages 5 to 11 (Year One to Year Six). The SATs are exams in English, Maths and Science which children take at the ages of seven, eleven and fourteen. C of E stands for Church of England, though Norwich C of E Primary School is entirely fictional, if Google is to be trusted. "Am I bovvered?" was a popular catchphrase from a comedy sketch show called 'The Catherine Tate Show' (Yep, Doctor Who's Catherine Tate). It's very 2007, but oh well.

'Shankar' comes from the Hindi 'Shankara' meaning 'lucky'

Angels (and their Guardians)

Part One (Summer 2008, prompts not included)

2008 was an uneasy year for the Lupin family. On Sunday the twenty-second of June, Remus and Tonks's daughter Olivia turned seven, and they, along with Teddy (who was ten), spent most of the day having a picnic and playing games in the garden. On Monday the twenty-third, they spent the day in an office at the Ministry of Magic, where, having completed seven years of her life without doing any magic, Olivia was officially declared a Squib.

Though they were by no means prejudiced it was very difficult for Remus, Tonks and Teddy not to be disappointed. All three of them, along with Andromeda and Harry, had done everything they could over the past few years to bring out a burst of magic from her, but now it was medically confirmed that she was not really a meek little witch but an ordinary little Squib. How was she going to cope with being cut off from the world she knew and loved? It was painful for them even to think about it.

But Remus and Tonks were optimistic, and offered hug after hug and shoulder after shoulder for her to cry on as they were told she could get an under-ten's discount for Kwikspell, and when, at home, she couldn't play with the 'Magic Touch Baby' doll she had been given for her birthday. Teddy, uncharacteristically, didn't even whisper the word 'Hogwarts' around her even though he was very excited about going next year. What was worse than all of this, however, was the fact that;

"She will have to go to a Muggle Primary School."

Remus and Tonks had been very glad the children weren't around when the Under-secretary had said this, because it would have made them shriek. It was during one of their regular appointments at the Office of Squib Development, which, while they attempted to be positive, were often more depressing than helpful.

"Does she really have to?" Tonks had asked. "I mean, my husband has been teaching her at home for the past two years along with her brother. It's good, and it's what she's used to. She has a lot to deal with at the moment; it'd be nice if something could stay the same for her."

"Mrs Lupin, how is she supposed to fit in with the Muggle world later in life if she is not educated in it? I am sorry, I know how difficult this must be for you, but Muggle school really is an important step in a Squib's educational progress."

Tonks looked at Remus. He had hardly said a word up to this point. Selfish as it was, he felt he would miss teaching Olivia, and he knew she would miss learning from him. However, she was the one that mattered.

"We understand," he said, letting his hand drift towards Tonks'. "She can go to the one down the road from us."

Norwich Primary School was the most perfectly ordinary school, and so it was quite adorable. When they looked around in July they were enchanted (though perhaps that wasn't the best word to use) by the balanced curriculum of numeracy, literacy, science, humanities, music, art, PE and even modern languages. While Tonks was very impressed with the basic French lessons for Year Two upwards, Remus was delighted with Class Ten's display on Roman mythology. It was decided that Olivia Lupin would join Year Three (specifically the new Class Ten) in September. The school had been slightly concerned about her previous home education, especially since she hadn't done her Key Stage Two SATs. However, she finished them with top-level marks, and they celebrated in a little party at home over Butterbeer and sponge cake with twinkling icing.

"I bet Icould do it too, Gran." Teddy insisted.

"Of course you could, my darling." Andromeda had told him as she offered him more cake. "You've got the very best teacher, after all."

"Which we all already knew," Harry added, and Tonks high-fived him for it whilst giving Remus a loving look. Ron, Hermione and Ginny chinked their Butterbeers together for about the fourth time that afternoon. Little James, Albus and Rose chased each other around the room and got into the chocolate supply. Indeed, the only person who didn't seem to be happy was Olivia herself, who spent nearly all of the party attached to her now former teacher.

"Daddy, if I had failed the Muggle test would I get to stay here?" she asked him quietly.

"Oh, you don't really want to stay here," Remus said, quietly. "It's…"

He looked around. Tonks, Teddy, Andromeda, Harry and all of the others on a sunny day with cake and Butterbeer…he could never persuade her.

"…Well, at least we've got our summer together."

*

As was to be expected August was a very difficult month for everyone, even when they took their usual seaside holiday. The Knight Bus was always hot and packed on summer mornings and though Teddy and Olivia were given seats Tonks and Remus had to stand up and be uncomfortably close to strangers and their conversations. Attempting to balance when her T-shirt was sticking to her back and her arms were aching was not Tonks's idea of fun to say the least, and she came dangerously close to snapping when the following was said almost in her ear by someone in a conversation behind her;

"Yeah, I think with Squib kids the best thing would be to let them go in a home. They'd be better off with Muggles and let's face it; no one wants to be saddled with a child like that."

Remus, fortunately, acted extremely quickly on seeing his wife's face contort with anger and elbowed her in the back, pushing her forward but saving the stranger from a potentially severe hexing. This calmed Tonks down, but for the rest of the day they barely spoke together without Teddy or Olivia in the conversation.

That night, once the children were tucked up in bed and they were alone in their bedroom at the bed-and-breakfast, she rounded on him.

"You're too bloody passive sometimes Remus! I know you're a gentleman, and I do love you for it, but I will not be made to stand by quietly while some twat insults my daughter in my goddamn ear!"

Remus looked at her sceptically; "Yes, I'm sure if a Ministry employee…"

"I'm off duty."

"…if a Ministry employee hexed a stranger on a public bus it wouldn't cause even the tiniest of scenes. Oh no."

Tonks placed a hand over her face and sighed. She sat down heavily next to him but made no attempt at physical contact, nor did she start to get ready for bed. Even though it had been a long day and she didn't want to start the holiday by quarrelling with Remus she felt she had to say what she thought;

"I didn't think you were the sort of person who would want to let prejudice slide, Remus."

She watched his reaction out of the corner of her eye. To her surprise, he didn't look affronted, or even slightly annoyed. In fact he sighed in just the same heavy fashion as she did, and said;

"Dora, listen to this for a moment. What happened today was something that happens occasionally. Thirty years ago you could hardly go into public without hearing something like it. When I was seven years old, I saw my dad Muggle duel with a wizard for the first and only time in my life. I think we were at the park. The man had said something like 'Werewolves ought to be put down' – I can't even remember if he was talking to my dad or someone else. The point is, he ended up with a bloody nose and would've gotten more if someone hadn't stepped in. Do you know what I made of that?"

"You probably thought it was awful, because you were a little saint." Tonks muttered.

"Actually, I thought it was brilliant. When we got home I asked my dad to teach me how to box so I could defend myself in the future. You should have seen my mum's face - I don't think my dad ever lost his temper in public again after she'd dealt with him."

"…So I should step back and keep smiling, is that what you're telling me?" she said.

Remus groaned. "No, Dora. I'm trying to remind you that you have a son who idolises you. Teddy even says 'Wotcher' like you, despite the fact he was brought up in Norwich. If you start abusing strangers who insult Squibs, as you were going to do this morning, Teddy is going to think he should do exactly the same thing. And children his age aren't prejudiced, they just do not understand. Would you be proud if he started threatening to punch them?"

Tonks was speechless for a moment. Tears came to her eyes.

"Oh, Merlin…" she said, "I didn't think about him. You're right, he copies me all the time...I just get so caught up thinking about poor Livvy sometimes I forget about what he thinks. Oh my God, I'm a terrible mother."

"You are not," Remus assured her. "You just love them both so much you get a bit carried away once in a while. Besides, you probably weren't the only one who would've hexed that man back to last century if the circumstances were a bit different."

She sniffed. "Thank you. I just want her to have a great life, you know, better than our generation had. And I don't like anyone standing in the way of that when she's got enough to go through as it is…"

"She will have a great life," he told her, wrapping his arms around her. "She's a bright little girl, and I'm sure she's going to amaze us all, even if she doesn't grow up to be a Healer. Anyway…we're on holiday, we should be enjoying ourselves, shouldn't we?"

Tonks placed her hands over his arms and let herself lean back. He was very warm.

"Did I bruise you earlier? I'm sorry," he said gently.

"Mmmm…maybe. You'll have to check," she told him, the corners of her mouth rising slowly. "And if there is one, you'll have to give me a massage to get rid of it."

He lifted her T-shirt and peeked at her back. "No bruise. Do you want a massage anyway?"

She almost purred as she felt his hands go up her back. "Ooh, yeah…let's end all arguments like this."

"Agreed," he said, planting a kiss on her neck. "Now…this T-shirt is going to have to get out of the way…"

*

Teddy's actual opinion on the whole thing was hard for his parents to work out. It seemed he had gone into denial. Part of it was his grandmother's fault ("Surely there must be some magic in her, or she wouldn't respond to potions?" "No, Mother…") though much of it was some serious dedication that was almost certainly genetic. One night the house was unusually quiet, and Tonks went upstairs to look for the children, worried that Olivia was having another cry in her room.

"Olivia? Livvy? Sausage? Sozz? Sozz, it's Mummy, where are you sweetheart..."

Suddenly, she heard voices coming from Teddy's bedroom.

"Think harder! Think about it floating!"

"Teddy, I'm sleepy!"

"Do you want to be a witch or not?"

Tonks opened the door slowly to see Olivia sat on a cushion staring very, very hard at Teddy's stuffed dragon, which she must have been trying to levitate telepathically. Even her mother couldn't do that, but Teddy, who was stood by her looking very mature and authoritative, believed she could.

"Teddy, Livvy, I'm afraid that dragon's not going to move. It's very hard to move things without wands you know."

"Dad can do it."

"Dad's been doing magic for a very long time, and you..." She didn't know how to finish the sentence, "aren't ready for that yet."

"Mum, I think she can do it," Ted insisted, giving her a defiant look, which reminded Tonks uncannily of herself at that age. Perhaps they needed a chat.

"Livvy, go and get into your pyjamas, it's nearly bedtime."

She walked out of the room, and Tonks walked over to Teddy and crouched to his level.

"Teddy, she's not going to do magic, no matter how hard she tries. You have to understand that."

"She is going to! She has to!"

Tonks was about to give him a stern reminder of everything she and Remus had told him about accepting Squibs, but she halted when she saw that his eyes were filled with tears.

"Why can't she do magic, Mum? What's wrong with her? What did you and Dad do?"

"...I don't think anybody really knows why some people are Squibs, Teddy, any more than why some people are wizards or Muggles." Tonks said gently, running her hand through his colourful hair. "I think people are just born with magic and some aren't. Dad and I didn't do anything different when she was born, it just happened by chance. And there isn't a lot we can do to change things, so we have to love her just the same."

"But...she can't be the same any more! Nothing's the same!"

She wrapped her arms around him and let him cry. "I know, I know. It's OK...we'll get used to it, I promise."

After he had let out a few sobs, he asked without lifting his head from her shoulder; "Do you ever wish she wasn't a Squib, Mummy?"

Her heart was touched-he hadn't called her 'Mummy' for two years. The question, however, was more important; yes, she and Remus did, in a way, wish she was a witch, if only so she could fit in with the world she had grown up in. And yet…

"…If she wasn't a Squib, she wouldn't be our Livvy, and I want to love our Livvy, however she is," Tonks told him. "Do you?"

"I love her," he said, a little reluctantly, "and-and I'm not going to stop loving her. But I'm not going to stop teaching her either."

She hugged him a little more tightly; "OK. But be nice to her. Copy Dad."

Teddy did try his best to be nice, and copy his dad, and Remus and Tonks saw no harm in allowing the lessons to continue as long as Olivia was willing to have them. However, the night before she had to start at the school, the lesson ended with a crash and a bang on the floor and two very upset children. It wasn't until they had had some hot chocolate and a bedtime story from Remus that they both settled down for the night.

The next morning the four of them had walked to the heavy iron gates at the front of the school. Though the gates were painted in a lovely shade of blue and the walls had painted faces on, the intimidation on Olivia's face was clear to see. Tonks had gotten a lump in her throat herself when she had tried to tell her on the way that she was really, really ill and couldn't possibly go to school even if she had managed (more) hot chocolate and a full bowl of Golden Honey Snitches at breakfast. It was no good. She walked very slowly and morosely into school, even after her parents had given her the most loving hug they possibly could, and Teddy had placed his favourite baseball cap on her head.