'Dromeda, what's got in to that girl?'

Ted Tonks didn't like mysteries, and the way his daughter had been acting this morning was definitely…mysterious.

Firstly she had come downstairs at what was, for her, a ridiculously early hour; and wearing a dress. Then she hadn't been able to sit still for more than five seconds at a time. She seemed nervous about something; and that was never good news. It meant you always knew where she was in the house just by following the bangs and crashes as she walked in to things, or tripped over things or dropped things.

By eleven o'clock, she had already been upstairs to change, having decided that the dress she had on 'isn't really my colour'. The second one had lasted less than an hour, before being declared 'too tarty'.

Andromeda smiled at her husband. 'I have a feeling we're going to meet her new boyfriend.'

'Oh, Gawd help us' was Ted's response.

'Now, Ted, don't be like that.'

'Well I hope he's better than the last one; hair half way down his back and a bloody ring through his nose...'

'It wasn't a "ring through his nose", it was a stud. Lots of young men have them these days. It's fashionable.'

Ted rolled his eyes, and made a noise that sounded very like 'Tchah'. 'Well, I hope this one can talk. The moron with the "stud" couldn't string two words together to make a sentence. I've seen more intelligent Flobberworms.'

'Oh Ted, he wouldn't talk because you frightened the life out of him…'

'I didn't!'

'Yes, you did. Asking him if he had "barberphobia" before he'd even sat down wasn't funny; just give this poor lad a chance. She's old enough to know her own mind by now.'

At about half past one, Tonks had headed upstairs to change again, declaring that 'I look like my granny.'

Shortly before two, there was a knock on the door, which Ted answered.

'Remus? What brings you here?'

Tonks came flying down the stairs – literally. She tripped and landed sprawled on the floor between them, jumping up quickly and pretending that nothing had happened.

'Remus! Come on through to the lounge!'

Ted followed slowly behind them; he was trying to put two and two together in a way that gave him an answer he liked. Andromeda went to make tea, and the other three made small talk until she returned. Setting down a tray, she started handing out cups and pouring.

'So, Remus, what a nice surprise! If it's to do with the Order we' she indicated herself and her husband 'can leave you in peace.'

'No, mum, he's come here to ask dad something. Haven't you, Remus?'

Lupin looked like a rabbit caught in car headlights; he couldn't believe what she'd just done to him. She'd proposed to him, now she was expecting him to ask permission to marry. He felt suddenly trapped.

'Have I?…yes...yes, I suppose… The thing is…Mr Tonks that…umm…DoraandIwanttogetmarried.'

'Pardon?'

'I would like to …to marry your daughter.'

The silence was awful. Andromeda sat poker straight in her chair, her hands in her lap, her face expressionless. At this moment, her Black ancestry was very, very obvious. Ted got up and walked around the room, rubbing the back of his neck. Remus and Dora sat holding hands and looking at each other, slightly frightened. They felt like a couple of teenagers, not grown adults.

'Dad?'

He turned to face them. 'At, umm…' Ted was rubbing his hand across his forehead 'at this stage, I'm supposed to ask you what your prospects are …but I don't have to, do I? How do you intend providing for my Dora?'

'We've worked it out, dad; I'm going to carry on working. I'm on a good salary.'

'So he's going to live off you, is that it?'

'No, that isn't it. It's just like you and mum, she's never worked; she runs the house.'

Ted looked up at the ceiling. 'Oh, now I've heard everything. YOUR MUM'S A WOMAN! That's how it works; men get a job, the woman stays at home looking after the house. That's the way it's always been.'

'THEN PERHAPS IT'S ABOUT TIME IT CHANGED!' Tonks was on her feet, facing him. 'Because, lets be honest, men have made a bloody mess of it!'

'DON'T YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT, MY GIRL!'

'WELL WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE YOUR WAY? Why can't I be the breadwinner? I'm no good doing the washing things.'

'Ted! Nymphadora! Sit down, both of you! This isn't the public bar of the Hog's Head. Sit!' Andromeda Tonks could be forceful when she needed to, and they both knew it. 'Thank you! I will not have shouting and language in this house, not in front of a visitor. Right, now we've all calmed down; Remus, where will you live?'

'I've got rooms; it's not much, but it will get us started.'

'And what about…when you change? What then? How do you intend keeping Dora safe?' Ted was obviously going to play the bad cop in this process.

'It has a secure place. I lock myself in.'

'And no prospect of work, I suppose?'

'No. I want to but I'll be straight with you, there's very little chance I ever will.'

'So you'll stay at home and look after the kids?'

'We won't have children.'

'What do you mean, Remus? Why not?' Tonks was looking at him with confusion; he turned to her.

'We can't have children, Dora. Not ever. What I've got isn't like an illness; it's changed my genetic make-up; there's a chance I could pass it on, and I couldn't do that to my child. I'm sorry, I thought you knew. If that makes a difference' he looked away from her 'I'll understand.'

When she didn't answer immediately, he made to stand up.

'No, Remus, don't. I didn't know that, but it doesn't make any difference. It's you I want.' She looked at her parents. 'So mum, dad? What do you say?'

Ted looked at his wife, then at his daughter. 'You're twenty-five; I can't stop you.' Then he got up and walked out of the room.

'Mum? Please? You know what its like. Am I any different to you?'

'You must live your life the way you see best. I made my choice, with my eyes open, now you have to make yours.'

Tonks turned to Lupin with tears in her eyes. 'Will you wait for me outside please, Remus?'

'Dora, I …'

'I won't be long. Just wait out in the garden.'

He stood out in the garden, feeling the warmth of the sun on his face. It had happened, as he knew it would. It would always be this way. Throughout his life he would be rejected and feared; an outcast from society and now his wife would join him. Perhaps he should just apparate out of her life now, go and leave her with her family. But he couldn't, this was his one chance for happiness; he had found a woman who wanted him for who he was, not what he was.

She came out a few minutes later, carrying a suitcase, and tried to give him a brave smile.

'It might as well be as soon as possible now, mightn't it? I'll tell them; they may come round when they've had a chance to think. If not…' she finished with a sad looking shrug.

Taking his hand, they made their way through the gate to start their lives together. It was not the way she had imagined it when she was a little girl, but it made no odds. Not really.

-o0o-

Remus lived in a couple of rooms in a rather rundown area of London. 'It's not much, but its home' he said to her as they entered.

'Wow! It's all so clean! No things lying all over the place.' She looked at him 'I suppose you'd like it to stay that way, wouldn't you?'

He nodded at her. 'Come on, I'll show you around.' It didn't take long. Apart from the kitchen and bathroom, there were only two rooms. One was a living room with a bed settee, the other his lock away. This had strong bars across the window and locks and bolts across the door – locking from the inside. Its sole furnishing was a quilt lying on the floor.

'You can't get out? But what's to stop you unlocking the door?'

'Keys' he said, and laughed. 'Very difficult to use when you have claws rather than fingers. As long as the doors are locked, I'm safe. I just come in here and wait it out; I don't remember much about it afterwards.'

They went back to the living room and he made them some tea. The warm liquid was soothing after the trauma and journey.

'Dora, I'm so sorry; I thought it might happen like that. If they don't come round, you'll be an outcast, just like me.'

'I won't, Remus. I won't be an outcast, because I'll have you. I'll miss them, of course, but they've made a choice just like I have. We'll survive.'

They spent the day discussing plans for the future, and decided that they might as well get married now as soon as possible. She wanted just a small, very simple ceremony; there seemed little point spending money on a dress, or even an engagement ring. They both knew that finances would be tight, so it seemed silly to spend money if they didn't have to.

As evening approached, Remus realised he would have to say something. It was probably better to get it out of the way early.

'Umm…Dora, if you want, I can go in the other room, and let you have the bed. It isn't a problem, honestly.'

'Why? It doesn't make any difference, does it? We're going to be married soon enough. Unless, of course…you don't…you know…until…'

'You're right, it doesn't make any difference.'

Things were rather awkward between them, though. Remus had never had a regular girlfriend; in fact, he'd hardly ever had a relationship. Dora had, but she realised that things had moved on much quicker between them than with boyfriends in the past. She actually went in to the bathroom to change; remembering to pick everything up, rather than leave it lying around like she normally did. Before she went out, she looked at herself in the mirror and took a few deep calming breaths.

'It's the rest of your life, girl. You wanted him, now go to him.'

They lay next to each other, not touching. Remus was rather tense. Tonks propped herself up on her elbow, and started to trace the angle of his jaw with her finger. He seemed to like that, so she started to run her finger up and down his neck. Suddenly he sat up, putting his face in his hands.

'Remus, I'm sorry! What have I done wrong? Please, tell me.'

'You've done nothing wrong. It's me. I'm sorry, it's just that…I've never…you know…before.'

She managed to stop herself laughing. Actually, it wasn't funny at all. It brought home to her what his life had been up to now. He'd never been close to anybody; his life since leaving school, since the death and imprisonment of his friends, must have been one of unremitting loneliness. Gently, she took his hands away so that she could look at him.

'That's Ok, Remus. Just relax; I'll teach you.'