DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter
Enjoy!
Wife, Mother, Daughter
To Tonks it barely felt like she'd begun to believe her luck at finding the perfect man and having a child with him, before her husband was called away. The war was starting and though she'd promised Remus to stay with her mother and Teddy, she feared for Remus' life more than anything. If he was to die, their family would be torn apart, incomplete.
And though she was sure she could love Teddy for both of them,Tonks knew she couldn't provide the same father's love that Remus could. They would do father/son activities, teach Teddy all the important things in life. They would be a family.
But Remus was not here now, and what if he never returned? She would blame herself for not keeping him home, but neither could she have kept him home without regret. he was fighting for a better future, for himself, for Tonks, Teddy and everyone who needed it. Neither she nor Remus wanted their only son shunned from society because of who his parents were. Even more likely was that if the Dark Lord won, they would all be killed anyway. She could not let that happen and so it was with great pain and regret that Tonks made her decision.
She would have to go to Hogwarts herself and see to it that Remus came home safely. That way, their family would be complete. She knew there was a risk of her dying too, but she was willing to take it, though she hated that Teddy might not know either of his parents. But she knew her mother and their friends would never let them be forgotten.
Andromeda might not have fully agreed on her choice of husband, but as soon as she realised how happy he made Tonks, she came to accept that he was there to stay. She accepted him even more now that she had a grandson and she could no longer begrudge him her hospitality.
As soon as Tonks made her decision, she rushed down the stairs of her childhood home and came face-to-face with Andromeda. Her mother hadn't been quite the same since her husbands death and as she saw the determined look on her daughters face, tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.
"Nymphadora," she said. "What are you doing?"
Tonks itched to tell her mother not to call her by that name, but she didn't have it in her to break her heart any more than she already was. "Mum, I have to go," she said. "If Remus doesn't come home, I don't know what I will do. Teddy might not have a father and -"
"And if you go, he might not have a mother, either! If he cannot have both his parents, he must have at least one. My family disowned me many years agao and I resigned myself to never hearing from them again. But then they murdered your father! All I have left is you, Remus and Teddy. Do not leave me with only one of you!"
"If I don't go, then how do you suppse he will have a better future? I may be only one person, but that could mean the difference between winning or losing. If there is the slightest chance that I can help, then I'm going to take it." She paused, wondering if she dare voice the next thing on her mind. Tonks took a deep breath and, trying to keep her voice steady, said, "If Remus and I do -"
"You don't need to ask me, Nymphadora," interrupted Andromeda. Tears flowed freely from both their eyes, neither wanting to admit the possibility aloud. "If neither of you come home, I'll look after Teddy and bring him up to be the man you would want him to be. I'll tell him all about his parents, what you were fighting for and how much everyone loves you."
"Mum, if Harry survives, make sure he gets to see Teddy as often as possible. And we never chose a godmother, but Remus and I would like it to be Ginny Weasley. We would have chosen Hermione, but if anything happened to her... Well, Molly will refuse to let Ginny anywhere near the fight, so she's a safe choice. I'm sure of it."
Tonks was beginning to get anxious now and if she didn't go soon, she might be too late. "I have to go," she repeated. "Remus might be angry with me when he finds out, but if it means he stays alive, I'd welcome all the anger in the world from him. I love you, Mum."
With a heavy heart, Andromeda watched her only daughter walk out of the front door, rolling up her sleeves and taking out her wand as she did so, and Apparated just outside the garden boundaries.
Andromeda gave a great sob as she heard a cry coming from within the house. She knew her daughter was never coming back home: it was a maternal instinct. Remus wasn't coming back either and she was surprised to feel pride at him being her son-in-law. She would make it her lifes mission to never let their memories fade away. It would not be the same without them, but she would give Teddy the next best thing, just as she knew Harry, Ginny and everyone else would too.
A/N: A tiny review for a sad story? Thank you all for reading!
F.W.P :)
