"You did that on purpose didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Remus."

"Don't play dumb Dora. You purposely got up before I did and wore the ring downstairs to show it off."

"Well what did you want me to do? Stuff it in my pocket? Something like this has to be worn you know? I still can't believe that you spent so much money on this stupid little thing!"

"….Do you like it?"

"Of course! I absolutely adore it! Just because it's expensive doesn't mean it isn't beautiful! Just you wait Remus. We're gonna get married and I'm gonna show this off to everyone and scream to society that they can go fuck themselves-"

"….I would really rather you didn't…especially at work…."

" And I'll never take this off-"

"….What about showers? I would rather it not go rolling down the drain…."

"Because this is proof that I'm married to the most amazing man in the world and there's nothing anyone can do about it!"

"….are you done?"

"Yes. Quite. Thank you love….were you saying something?"

"…Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

A few months later, thunder clashed in the sky overhead when the doorbell rang at the Tonks residence.

Nymphadora Tonks, daughter of Andromeda and Ted Tonks and wife of Remus Lupin opened the door to find just the man she had been expecting.

"Hey," Remus mumbled somewhat unintelligently as he stared at his shoes, the rain pounding onto his back as he faced his wife.

Tonks glared.

"Hey? Hey? You leave me and your unborn child so I have to bloody move back in with my parents and all you say is hey?" Tonks shouted and Remus seemed to look even more miserable, not looking up to meet her glare.

"No. It's just that...if I were to say I'm sorry...I don't think that'd be good enough," Remus mumbled which only caused Tonks' anger to rise.

"Damn well it's not enough. I thought you loved me Remus. How could you just get up and ditch me like that?" Tonks demanded, "If your damn insecurities make you jump ship then I don't think this marriage is gonna work!"

Remus looked up, shocked. He knew Tonks would yell and probably blame him for everything but he hadn't expected her to just write him off like that.

"She won't forgive me," Remus thought as he felt his heart plummet.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out anyways, "I know I was being selfish but I just thought that the baby wouldn't rather have me around. I was leaving for everyone's best interest," he pleaded he wanted nothing more than to run to her and hold her in his arms but he stood in the pouring rain, just outside shelter as if rooted to the spot.

"I was selfish," he repeated, "I didn't think about your feelings or the baby's I just figured no one would want a werewolf for a father. I thought that'd you be better off without me,"

And then he saw it. He saw Tonks' angry, fierce expression, no tears were leaked on his behalf. But what mattered more was Tonks' hand clutching the doorknob with an iron grip. And the fingers on the hand.

They were empty.

There was no ring on Tonks' hand.

Remus' breathing quickened, bordering on panicked.

The sign of their marriage, the symbol of their eternal love. It wasn't there. She must have taken it off to tell him that she would never forgive him. That their love was now officially void and, panic attack already beginning, Remus stared at the ring less hand before screwing his eyes shut.

Tonks had noticed Remus' eyes widen, tears threatening to spill over and she tilted her head to see what he was obviously distressing him more than his angry wife.

And she saw it too. Her hand bore no ring. With a gasp her head whipped back to her husband who was standing there with his eyes firmly closed as if in concentration.

Instantly she figured out what he was going to do.

"REM-"

But Tonks was cut off as a loud BANG echoed through the house and her husband disapparated before her very eyes.

"REMUS!" Tonks shouted, hand reaching for the man that had been at her step a slip second ago.

"What have I done?"

Tonks continued to stare out the door in horrification before a voice called her back inside.

"Dear? Are what happened? Are you OK?" Andromeda's voice rang out from the living room before careful steps were heard padding towards the door.

"Where's Remus?" her father asked and with those two words Nymphadora Tonks burst into tears.

"He wasn't supposed to leave!" Tonks wept, running up to her father and throwing her arms around him, "I was supposed to yell and rage and scream at him for hours and he was supposed to stand there and look all guilty and miserable and then I'd forgive him and he'd look surprised and say he loved me and then I was supposed to smile and say I loved him too because I do! I still do and I'll love him forever. I love him so much it hurts Dad!" Tonks cried, clutching onto her father and bawling like a baby.

"There there," Ted comforted, totally confused but knowing that his emotional (and a bit hormonal) pregnant daughter would rather he say words of comfort than ask further questions.

"I only took it off for a second! I was going to put it back on I swear!" Tonks continued, "But then the bell rang and I just forgot about it because it was Remus. I knew it was Remus and isn't he more important?" Tonks demanded and Ted dumbly nodded, confused but not wanting to get on the bad side of his daughter just yet.

"I have to go after him!" Tonks said finally detaching herself from her father and looking like she had every intention of running off after her husband.

"It's full moon tonight!" Andromeda called and Tonks paused, eyes widening as she had totally let that fact slip her mind.

"Not to mention the weather is atrocious! You shouldn't be apparating in your condition anyways and you haven't the faintest clue where he is!" Andromeda scolded and Tonks let her anger lose on her mother.

"So what do I do? Just sit here and be the damsel in distress? It's not like before mother!" Tonks shouted, tears streaming down her face, "this time," Tonks voice faltered, "...I don't think he's coming back."

And it was true. Before, she had known that Remus would come back. Had expected it and waited for it and vowed that after some words she would forgive him and hug him senseless. It was supposed to be a happy ending. Or at least as happy as it could be with a Dark Creature for a husband and a world at war.

The ring...or rather the lack of ring, had not been part of the plan and Tonks cursed her own stupidity. This was all her fault and she couldn't even do anything to fix it!

"Your mother's right Dora," Ted said a bit sadly, "You can't go after him now. You'd only make it worse if he hurt you while in that...form..." Ted said and Tonks sighed in defeat. She knew she couldn't win, not when her mood swings and emotional state was falling to pieces around her. Not with this weather and certainly not on this night.

"We'll go to his flat first thing in the morning," Ted said giving Dora an encouraging smile which Tonks didn't have the heart to return.

"How do you know he's gonna be there?" Tonks asked and Ted frowned, "I haven't known Remus for very long Dora, but I have faith in him that he won't be anywhere where he could harm others," Ted said, nodding to himself as if congratulating himself for admitting that small simple truth.

"Now come on, let's have some ice cream before bed," Ted went on, wrapping an encouraging arm around his daughter's slumped shoulders.

Tonks sighed in defeat, giving the landing one last look before slowly letting the front door slip closed.

Her mind told her to be thankful to have such accepting parents who would do anything for her when she was down.

But another part of her was telling her that it was supposed to be Remus' arm on her shoulder, Remus' voice saying soothing comforting words to her and Remus' face giving a smile and telling her how much he loved her.

"This is all wrong."

Remus was running, head bent low as the rain pounded him and roared in his ears. The fierce wind cut through his thin cloak but Remus ignored it.

His natural instinct was to flee, to just get out of there and quit making a fool of himself, spouting nonsense Tonks obviously did not want to hear.

It was all his fault. He should have never left. She didn't want him anymore. She'd moved on and accepted the fact that he was not right for her. Who would love a monster like him? Not only were there physical dangers but the social dangers were not something a mother would want for their unborn child.

And what made matters worse was that he'd known that. Known it for years and yet after so many people had told him that being a werewolf didn't matter; that Tonks would love him no matter what; he'd cast aside his insecurities in a moment of weakness only to have received a slap in the face in return.

And upturned tree root had Remus crashing to the ground, his mouth tasted mud and for a moment he just lay there. Maybe if he was lucky he could just fucking die and never have to worry about this shit again.

And then he felt an odd sensation creeping up his bones, a dull ache and shivering that could not be attributed to the cold.

He spat out the mud and laughed humourlessly. He'd quite forgotten about the full moon that was set to rise at any moment now.

"How ironic," he muttered, looking up at the sky and letting the raindrops splatter onto his face.

As much as he'd love to just stay here in the grass and forget about everything Remus heaved himself to his feat anyway. He couldn't stay. Staying would mean not only endangering his own life but lives of other people should they happen to be nearby.

"She doesn't want me anymore," Remus thought to himself and self loathing and bitterness reigned dominant in his mind. He remembered this feeling, almost savoured it. He'd only felt so hopeless and useless once in his life before.

And that had been around sixteen years ago when Dumbledore had so easily stated that all his friends were either dead or in prison and Remus would have to spend the rest of his life alone.

Back then the full moon had been but a distant memory but now it was so close; too close.

The wolf was breaching the surface and it fed on Remus' inner hatred, demanding he let it lose and for once in his life, Remus thought the same thing and allowed it.

Just not here.

Sirius would most likely be waiting for him at his flat but he doubted that the dog and a handful of protective charms would be enough for the rage of his inner demon.

And so, screwing his eyes shut he apparated to the Shrieking Shack.

Upon arrival he slowly slumped to the ground, he was drenched and severely uncomfortable but his mind was a flame with his thoughts.

"What good am I?" Remus whispered to no one in particular, "Harry and Sirius were wrong. She doesn't want me; Doesn't need me; She'd be better off without a thing like me. So would the rest of this damn world."

The moon had no doubt risen and Remus began his usual convulsions in the seconds before the actual transformation.

"If this is what I want. Why does it hurt so much?" he cried out hatefully before all human sense disappeared and the savage beast from within sprung loose.

And as the great werewolf reared its head back and gave off a howl full of sadness and self loathing, it was unaware of a large black dog watching mournfully from the shadows.

Tonks couldn't sleep.

Or at least, that's what she had firmly told herself as she sat stubbornly on the couch, waiting for moon set and the bloody rain to stop.

But, the days' stress and misfortune had made an impact on her and, try as she might, she'd found herself following into a thick troubled sleep.

She was awoken at around three in the morning by a deafening BANG and she sat bolt upright on the couch as her parents rushed out from their bedroom into their living room.

"Dora?" Ted asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes before freezing at the sight before him.

"What happened Tonks?" Sirius asked, eyes reflecting sadness and pain but Tonks paid him little attention.

Instead, she was transfixed at the sight of the man Sirius was carrying.

In Sirius' arms, Remus Lupin's limp, bleeding body was about as pale as the moon itself. Fresh cuts gleamed on his face and his breathing was harsh and irregular. Bandages took the place of a shirt as they were covered around his torso, no doubt Sirius' work. The bandages extended further to cover Remus' entire arm which Tonks thought was hanging at an odd angle as if it was disconnected from the body. The arm was probably the worst injury for it was already starting to bleed through; blood trickling from the limb down to the fingers before finally falling to the ground and getting soaked up in the rug.

As Sirius and Ted carefully moved the limp werewolf over to the couch Tonks was still preoccupied with her own thoughts and gapping in horror at the sight of her husband.

"A few broken ribs. His shoulder's dislocated. I don't know how to fix it," she heard Sirius mutter bluntly and Ted and Andromeda nodded.

"I'll get the first aid kit," Ted said, rushing out of the room once they'd put the werewolf down and finally, Sirius turned to his favourite cousin.

"What happened Tonks?" he repeated and Tonks looked down at her feet, rapidly blinking back years..

"Did he say anything?" she whispered and Sirius suddenly looked very tired.

"When he didn't show up at the flat I knew something was wrong. In the end I found him in the Shack but by the time I got there he had already started," Sirius went on, gaze slightly averted as if he couldn't bear to see the sight of his best friend half dead on the couch across from him.

"But I heard some things," Sirius continued, "He said..." Sirius' voice faltered before he shook himself, "He said 'She'd be better off without a thing like me. So would the rest of the world," and at last Sirius raised his gaze to meet Tonks'

"He was trying to kill himself Tonks," he said firmly, anger and silent mourning evident in his eyes, "Even I couldn't stop him. He ripped a hole through the wall and hacked himself to pieces. By the time I got back the rain had practically flooded the place and there was blood everywhere…." Sirius trailed off, briefly squeezing his eyes shut as if to block the images from his mind.

Tonks herself felt bile rise to her throat but she forced it down.

"It's all my fault," she whispered as silent tears began to flow, "I was yelling at him and saying all those terrible things and I took off my ring. No wonder he ran off. He thought I didn't love him anymore…." Tonks trailed off as Sirius wrapped his arms around her.

"Do you love him?" Sirius asked suddenly and Tonks looked up at him, expression suddenly fierce.

"Of course I do!" Tonks almost shouted causing Andromeda and Ted to look up at the pair.

Tonks would have continued if Sirius' face hadn't suddenly broke out into a grin.

"That's my girl," he said with a wink as he let go of her to step aside.

"You better make that clear to that idiot over there though," Sirius went on, nodding to Remus on the couch. "And I'd better go. I've stayed too late as it is. Don't want you guys in trouble because someone saw me hanging around here."

And with a quick nod of thanks to Andromeda and Ted, Sirius apparated out of the house with a bang.

It took almost an hour to get Remus patched up enough to be properly moved. Tonks had never felt so useless as her mother dabbed healing salve on the cuts that littered Remus' frame and Ted took to sealing up the larger ones.

And it wasn't just the external injuries. After a night of being pelted with wind and rain that had managed to make their way into the Shack, Remus caught himself a raging fever that left his body sweating but wracked with chills.

Several times his body unconsciously tossed and turned, trying to get more comfortable on the stiff couch only to be pushed back down and forced to settle as Andromeda set cracked ribs.

And the shoulder was a nightmare. Not knowing how to properly treat it, Ted had decided they should just push it back into place.

Which was a lot easier said than done.

In the end Andromeda and Tonks held Remus down as Ted repeatedly struck the shoulder at what they hoped was the right angle.

After what felt like ages they heard the sickening grind of the bones being forced together before the shoulder popped back into is socket.

Tonks was briefly thankful that her husband was already unconscious for the sheer agony of such movement would have made him pass out anyway.

And finally, wounds closed up and blood replenishing potion consumed, Remus' thin frame was wrapped up in fresh bandages before Ted and Andromeda carefully carried the prone werewolf to the bedroom.

"Put him next to me," Tonks had insisted and both parents gave a nod, not arguing or even saying a word at the order.

When Remus was settled and Tonk's parents had left the room to catch a few more hours of sleep, Tonks was finally alone.

Tonks sat on the bed for a while, listening to the sudden stillness in the house. It was silent apart from her husband's troubled breathing as his body still fought to combat the fever within it.

His body had curled up into a vague foetal position with his back turned to her and Tonks wanted nothing more but to flip him over and look into his face, see the love in his eyes and feel his lips on hers.

She wanted Remus to hold her in his arms and feel his breath tickle her ear. To hear his voice speak of his love for her and smile that warm, wonderful smile that he did every morning.

But after a few minutes of just watching her husband breathe, Tonks heaved a heavy sigh before climbing into bed herself.

It wasn't what she wanted. It wasn't perfect.

But it was enough.

And when Remus thrashed around in sleepy delirium in the midst of a nightmare, it was Tonks who held him close, hand running though his hair and gentle soothing voice telling him that it would be alright.

Then Remus' fever clouded eyes opened, eyes not quite seeing the world around him and mind still fresh with images of his inner demons.

He was rambling now, convulsing from fever and pain from his wounds as his body jerked roughly in Tonks' embrace.

"She doesn't want me. She doesn't need me. I'm useless. Pathetic. Harry was wrong. I'm sorry. So sorry. Selfish. That's what I am. This is what I want. Why does it hurt so much?"

And throughout it all Tonks held on firmly, arms wrapped around her husband's torso as her he rambled on, senseless to the world around him.

"Shh. It'll be Ok Remus. I'm here."

Tonks repeated those words over and over again until her husband finally settled, breathing erratic but sleep finally beginning to pull him back down from hysteria.

He moved his head to the side. And Tonks saw the silent mourning, sadness and longing that flashed through the werewolf's eyes.

"This isn't right," Tonks thought as she continued to sooth the man in her arms, "He's supposed to comfort me; to tell me that everything's going to be OK because he's here."

Remus had relaxed under her embrace by now and his eyes had drooped to sleepy slits.

Tonks held on regardless. She was willing to be the anchor tonight and damn, maybe for the rest of her life is she had to. She certainly owed it to him.

"This is all my fault."

It was her fault for taking off the ring after she'd promised to never take it off. It was her fault for yelling at him and frightening him off when his face already showed that he so obviously sorry.

"I'm sorry," Tonks whispered into his ear and Remus gave a soft, unconscious mewling sound like a sleeping child.

And Tonks liked to think that he had heard her and the reply was of forgiveness as she brushed aside sweaty bangs with her fingers.

Remus always forgave; maybe not in his heart but he'd never say it out loud and it used to frustrate Tonks to no end.

But now she clung to that thought. Clung to him because if he didn't forgive her than how was she ever going to forgive herself?

The questions and accusations swam in her head and she closed her eyes briefly to try and silence them, if not just for a moment.

Silently she lay back down on the bed, arms still wrapped around her husband, clutching at his pyjama shirt with an iron grip as if she was afraid that when she let go he'd disappear once more just like before.

"I'm so sorry," Tonks repeated tearfully as she too fell asleep.

"Warm."

As Remus' mind cut through the thick veil of unconsciousness he was dimly aware of a feeling of warmth.

He was lying on something much too soft to be the hard wooden floor of the Shrieking Shack and was that light trying to penetrate his eyelids? Why was there so much light in the Shack?

He didn't want to find out. He preferred this dream-like state over anything else the world had to offer.

He tried going back to sleep but the light was persistent and it wasn't long before he felt something shift beside him. Only then was he aware of a slight weight on his chest and he realized that there was something pressed up against his back…..

Or someone…

Hope sliced through Remus' heart like a dagger and slowly he opened his eyes, wincing slightly as the bright sunshine blinded him. How long had he been asleep?

When his eyes adjusted he found himself lying on a bed, and the breath caught in his throat as Remus realized which bed he was on.

It was her. It had to be her. No one else in the world would be so close.

"Dora," Remus whispered, the simple word slipping past his lips. It sounded so good and Remus' heart constricted painfully when he realized that he would never be allowed to say those words again. She wouldn't want such a name to be said by the likes of him.

Not after what he'd done.

But her arm was wrapped around his body, hand loosely clutching to his the front of his shirt and Remus could feel the other one pressed up against his back.

If she didn't love him anymore then why was she here? Why was she clutching to him like a lifeline? Why had they brought him to her room in the first place?

The questions swam in Remus' find and finally, curiosity got the better of him and, carefully so as not to upset the sleeping person beside him, he slowly turned over in the bed.

His aching body protested at such movement and Remus bit his lip to muffle a cry as raw wounds brushed against their bandages.

But as his eyes landed on the one person he thought he'd never see again he swore he stopped breathing.

He was transfixed at the sight before him. Although her hair was a miserable brown and tear tracks had dried on her cheeks leading up to puffy eyelids, Tonks was the most beautiful person Remus had ever seen.

He knew he was starring and quickly looked away but try as he might he found himself being drawn to her anyways. Her very existence was like a beacon of hope shining out to him and he was paralyzed by her beauty.

"She's so peaceful when she sleeps," Remus thought to himself as he swallowed a lump that was forming in his throat.

He longed to hold her in her arms and whisper sweet nothings in her ear. When her eyes lit up he was spellbound to the sight and when she laughed his whole being filled with warmth and happiness. She was everything he wasn't; she was confident and proud and just so bloody wonderful that Remus couldn't help but be mesmerized by her everything she said and did.

He was filled with absolute need that he didn't know what he was doing until he'd already done it.

Slowly, his good arm reached over to brush a stray strand of hair and it was that gentle flicker of hair that Tonks' eyes snapped opened and her grip on him instantly tightened.

Remus froze, eyes widening to the size of saucers as he realized what he'd just done.

A week ago such an action would have made him smile but now was different. Now she didn't love him. He had no right to be here. Sirius had probably found him in the Shack and taken him here by accident and Tonks, never one to be seen as rude to a friend and cousin, had probably taken him back in out of pity.

It was then that he realized his hand was still hovering over Tonks' face and he quickly pulled it back.

"Sorry" he managed only his voice was rough from disuse and fever and the word came out as nothing more than a croak.

A coughing fit interrupted all further attempts at coherent speech.

"You still have a fever," Tonks said, tenderly placing a hand on Remus' forehead much to his surprise.

"Don't look at me like that," Tonks scolded and Remus flinched. He should leave. They'd patched him off well enough and it would no doubt be best if he got out of here before Tonks went into a rage.

But when he tried to move the grip Tonks had on him only tightened further.

Fleeing didn't seem possible at the moment and Remus braced himself.

"You're an idiot Remus Lupin," Tonks went on, voice getting progressively louder as she continued, "A bloody frickin idiot! You're so damn stupid and clueless it's laughable that we're actually married," Remus felt the grip around him tighten further and he could do nothing but stare helplessly at the face lying mere inches from his own.

He'd been expecting insults and yelling but that didn't make it any easier when it came so hatefully from the woman he loved.

"Just because I said your insecurities are all messed up doesn't mean you have to shoulder the burden all by yourself!" Tonks went on angrily and Remus, now wholly confused, looked hesitantly towards her.

Tonks noticed the flicker of uncertainty flicker in Remus' eyes and she heaved a sigh, desperately trying not to refrain from yelling and scaring him off once more.

"Look. I admit I was angry at you but you running off a second time didn't really help much did it? "Why couldn't you just wait a little bit? I just came out of the bath then you know! I took the ring off because you always said it'd be better if it didn't go rolling down the bloody drain! And when you left-" Tonks bit back a sob as her mind flashed back to that moment only a few hours ago.

"I stayed up all night worrying over you after that and when Sirius brought you back I thought you were dead Remus. You were so pale and lifeless..." Tonks trailed off as a lump formed in her throat and she fought to keep it down.

Remus himself was beating himself up. He'd been an idiot. Again. And Tonks had suffered for his assumptions. Was that all he was good for? Being a burden to people and making others cry?

"I'm sorry," he rasped, "It's all my faul-"

"Shut up!" Tonks interrupted, "I don't want to hear that shit from you! It's not just your fault. It was my fault too. We're both to blame so it cancels each other out now stop blaming yourself. I'm not having an argument over whose fault it was."

"But-" Remus protested but Tonks wasn't finished.

Your insecurities get the better of you. You beat yourself up too much. You think too little of yourself. You're a damn mess Remus!" Tonks argued, she couldn't look at him, couldn't bear to see the guilty image that her husband was no doubt displaying; if not externally then internally.

Instead, Tonks buried her head in her husband's chest, feeling the warmth from the fever but at the same time finding comfort.

"But you know what?" Tonks mumbled into his chest, "If I could do it over again I'd still chose you. You're a mess yes but doesn't mean I don't still love you," Tonks continued as she hugged him even harder, "Idiot werewolf or not you're my husband. I agreed to marry you for a reason you know? I love you. I did back then and I still do now and I'll continue to do so fifty years from now. And you what Remus? You can't do anything about that."

Remus stared at the mop of brown hair clutching him with no intention of ever letting go.

There were no words to describe how he felt at the moment. It was like he'd been repeatedly broken and then miraculously fixed. Like a teetering tower that had crumbled at Tonks' first word and slowly repaired itself through the course of her "speech."

He was neither proud nor humiliated; neither ecstatic nor depressed.

But if he was to describe this wonderful yet terrible experience it would be that for once in his life he felt whole. It was wonderful that his wife forgave him yet terrible that he had caused her so much hurt to get to this point but then the grip around him tightened even more and Remus' attention went back onto his wife.

"Just promise me one thing," Tonks muttered, face still pressed flush against his chest and Remus nodded. Anything. Anything she wanted he would do. He owed her so much that nothing was impossible anymore.

Tonks' voice dropped to a whisper at her husband's nod, "Promise me you won't do that again," she asked. She was terrified of the thought that he wouldn't be able to promise such a thing. That he would have to leave eventually if their child wouldn't accept him. She didn't want to lie awake at night wondering if her husband would be there when she woke up. Her grip around him tightened even further, fears that if she let go he'd leave resurfacing.

"I promise," Remus finally said, coughing slightly to get his voice away from its croakiness, "I'll stay as long as you want me to."

Tonks shook her head harshly against his chest.

"You say that but then it'll just turn out like last night. You stay until I tell you to go. Not when you think you should go."

Remus paused a bit, turning this information into his head before nodding.

"Alright. I'll stay until you tell me otherwise."

Tonks nodded slightly before squeezing harder.

"Good. Because I want this kid Remus and it's going to want you too. Just you wait."

Remus opened his mouth to argue only to be interrupted by a hacking cough.

With a groan he buried his head back into his pillow.

Arguments could wait. Right now he had the most precious person in the world in his arms and that was more than enough.

And deep down he admitted that he did want this kid. Just the thought of it made his head spin.

"It's not going to be like me. I'll try my best to be the best father possible and maybe. Just maybe. It really will love me as much as Dora says it will..."

And with that thought his mind reverted back to his current situation and he nudged his wife slightly with his arm.

"Dora?" he asked a bit nervously.

"Hmmm?"

"...Can't breathe..."

With a laugh Tonks finally released Remus from the iron like death grip her own insecurities had affected on her.

"Sorry," she mumbled with a smile, "What to get food? It's past noon."

"I think that'd be good."

And a few hours later as Andromeda and Ted got back from work, they found Remus curled up on the couch, sleeping off the rest of the fever as Tonks poured over a book of baby names. His head rested on her lap as she absently stroked her fingers through his hair.

But what really made both parents hearts warm were the small unconscious smiles that the two Lupins had on their faces.

And they knew that everything was just the way it should to be.

Ugh. Longest chapter ever. I had to snip out a lot of dialogue so I guess you could say that the scene changes were kinda abrupt...

I've come to a conclusion here: I like to injure the men in my fics o.0 But I also like happy endings so I guess it balances out :P

And if you'd be kind enough to leave me a review you'll get a cookie! :P