"You know what one of my favorite memories is?" Remus asked as he ran his hands up and down her arms.
Tonks leaned her head back against his shoulder, closing her eyes, feeling her body relax in the warm bubbles of the bathtub. "The first time you saw me naked?"
He laughed. "Well, that is a particular favorite, but not the one I'm thinking of. It was a rainy afternoon, you and your mother went shopping so I was home with the kids. Andi was two, no she was three it was right after we found out she was a metamorphmagus."
Tonks laughed. "She sneezed and her hair turned purple."
"Andi was three and Sirius was five, he was really jealous that he couldn't do that."
"So he tried to paint his hair."
"Little monster," he muttered indulgingly. "I remember spending the day mentally cursing you while I dealt with the two little demons, thinking I was too old and you were some kind of saint to have not left the two of them on the side of the road somewhere."
"I was tempted a couple of times."
"And you wanted more."
"I wanted a dozen more."
Remus nuzzled her damp hair. "I got you a dog instead."
"So what happened on this rainy day that has stuck in your memory?"
"Well, you and your mother went shopping, Sirius had the sniffles and he was whiny and miserable, Andi kept tormenting him by changing her hair and laughing when he got angry."
Tonks laughed. "Little brat."
"Andromeda Theodora! Leave your brother alone!" Remus called from the kitchen.
"I was leavin' 'im alone," Andi said as she skipped into the room.
He turned to look at his daughter as she stood beside him, hopping from one foot to the other. She was tall for her three years and solidly built. Her chin length hair, which was normally a lighter shade of his own sandy color, was dark purple. Her eyes were the same dark color as her mother's, but the shape of her face, her nose, her chin, and her tall build were from Remus.
They had just learned earlier that week that she appeared to be a metamorphmagus, but since she was so young and still needed to learn how to use her ability, she could only turn her hair purple and then back again.
"Then why was he yelling at you?" He asked.
"'Cause he…'cause he…I don't know."
"You don't know?"
She shook her head.
He picked her up and sat her on the counter in front of him. "You weren't doing anything to him?"
She shook her head again.
"You weren't annoying him?"
She shook her head again, toying with a button of his shirt.
"Are you telling me the truth?"
She nodded.
He couldn't pretend to be mad at her. She was a Daddy's Little Girl in every sense of the expression. "Well then what were you doing just now in the parlor?"
"Drawin'."
"You were drawing a picture?"
Andi nodded enthusiastically. "For Mummy."
"That's very nice of you."
A loud clap of thunder shook their cottage and Andi looked up at him with wide, dark eyes. "Dat was loud."
"Yes it was."
"I don't like dat."
"It won't last long, love."
"Then we can go outside?"
"No, I think it's going to keep raining, we'll have to find something to do inside."
"Can I 'ave some teamilk?" She asked when the kettle whistled on the stove.
"Yes you may. Go ask Sirius if he wants some too, please." Remus set her back on the floor.
"Daddy." Sirius shuffled in, his head down.
"What's up, Siri?"
"My nose is running."
"Go get some tissue."
"I don't know where it is."
"It's in the loo."
The little boy sat at the kitchen table and sighed as though the weight of the world was pushing heavily down on him. "Can you get it for me?"
Remus bit his lip to keep from laughing at his son's dramatics. "You can do it, son."
He sighed again.
"Look, Daddy." Andi ran in, carrying a piece of parchment. "My pic-chur!"
"Your picture? Let me have a look." He took the paper and carefully studied the various colored squiggles, blobs, and shapes move around. "It's lovely, your Mum is going to love it."
"Daaadddy," Sirius whined.
"Andi, would you please go get the tissues for your brother."
"'Kay!" She skipped from the room.
"Did you want some teamilk, Sirius?"
The little boy held his head in his hands. "Can I have some cake too?"
"Well, maybe a little bit."
"I want cake too!" Andi announced as she skipped back in, a tissue in each hand.
Sirius took the tissue and made an exaggerated blowing noise into it. "You just want it 'cause I want it."
"No, I want it 'cause it's choc'late."
"You're your mother's daughter," Remus said as he mixed the milk and tea in Sirius' favorite cup.
"I want the kitty cup!" Andi announced as she climbed onto a chair.
"I know you do," he said, setting the plastic cup covered in snitches and broomsticks in front of his son.
"Daddy, it's hot," Sirius whined.
"Its tea, Sirius, blow on it."
"Daddy, will you blow on mine?" Andi asked
"You can blow on your own," Remus said as he added a little tea to her kitty cup.
"Daddy, I want cake."
"I know, Sirius, I'll get it in a second."
"I want cake too, Daddy."
"I'm getting it, I'm getting it."
"Daddy, my throat hurts."
"Drink the tea, it'll help."
"It's hot."
"Blow on it, Sirius."
"Daddy, Sirius kicked me!"
"I did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Ow! Daddy! Andi kicked me!"
"Only 'cause you kicked me first!"
"Stop right now or no one gets any cake," Remus said.
"He started it," Andi sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
"Andromeda, I mean it."
She pursed her lips and stared at the kitties tumbling around her cup.
"Daddy?"
"What?"
"Can I have the plate with the doggy on it?"
"Won't it fight with your kitty cup?" Remus teased.
"No."
"Yes, you can have the doggy plate. Is there a certain plate you want, Sirius?"
"No, I don't want a baby plate."
"I'm not a baby!" Andi cried.
"Sirius, don't pick on your sister."
"Well…well, she was changing her hair at me!"
Remus opened his mouth to reprimand his son when it dawned on him how odd the little boy's statement was. "She changed her hair at you?"
"Yeah! She…she made it purple!"
Remus set the plates down in front of the kids and sat at the table with them. "Sirius, we're all different and we can all do different things. Your sister just learned that she can change her appearance like Mummy can. There are special things about you too."
"Like what?" Sirius asked, licking chocolate icing off his fork.
"Like maybe you'll be the best seeker to ever play Quidditch."
"Better than Harry?"
Remus smirked. "Maybe."
"I wanna play Quidditch," Andi said, chocolate smeared all over her mouth.
"You only want to play because I want to," Sirius said, sniffing loudly.
"Use the tissue, Siri. Andi, I thought you didn't like Quidditch."
"I do."
"Well, maybe you can play next time we go to the Weasley's."
"She's too little."
"No I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!"
"Nuh uh!"
"Uh huh!"
"Knock it off," Remus sighed, rising to retrieve his own tea.
"Daddy! She did it again!"
Remus turned just in time to see Andi turn her hair from purple to sandy brown and back to purple. He felt a surge of pride at her advancement, but he couldn't show it without upsetting Sirius. "That's enough for now, Andi. Why don't you wait until your Mum gets home and she can help you."
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Siri?"
"My head hurts."
Remus laid his hand on his son's forehead. "No fever. I think you'll survive. Do you want some powders?"
"Yeah."
He knew his son was being dramatic, a trait he had picked up from his mother. Digging in the cupboard, he found sugar. Taking a pinch of it, he sprinkled it Sirius's tea. "Drink that, you'll feel much better."
"Daddy, I'm done." Andi held her plate up.
"Then what do you do?"
She slid off her chair and carried her plate to the sink.
"Go wash your hands and face, Andi."
She skipped out of the room.
"How're you feeling now, Siri?"
The little boy shrugged. "My head doesn't hurt, but nose is still running."
Remus smiled. "So the powders worked?"
"Yeah."
"Daddy?"
He looked over as his daughter entered the room, chocolate still smeared across her face. "Yes Andi?"
"Will you hide?"
Her favorite game was for one of them to hide somewhere in the house and then jump out to startle her. "Come here," he said getting out of his chair. "Let's wash your face. No! Don't wipe your mouth on your sleeve!"
She stopped, her hand in front of her mouth.
Remus scooped her up and set her on the counter beside the sink. "Did you get any cake in your mouth?"
"Lots."
"Lots?"
"Uh huh."
He cleaned her face with a wet cloth and dried it with a towel. "All right, sweetheart, go hide and I'll come look for you, okay?"
"'Kay!" She took off out of the room as soon as he set her on the floor.
Remus turned back to his son who was scrapping the last of the chocolate frosting off his plate. "Do you want to help me find your sister?"
"No. Can I have more cake?"
"After supper."
Sirius stood and carried his plate to the sink, sniffling the entire way.
"Use a tissue, Siri."
The next several hours were spent playing 'Hide and Scare' with Andi, playing with Sirius and his Quidditch action figures, playing a matching board game with the two of them, and convincing them to color for a bit so he could get some work done. He was supplementing his income as a proofreader for his editor. With two well received books under his belt and a third in the works, they had a comfortable living, but Remus wanted to save up, make sure the kids had enough for their years at Hogwarts and whatever they choose to do beyond that. There was always that fear that he would not be around to see them grow up and he knew what it was like to have to scrimp and save, not knowing where his next meal would come from. He did not want that for his family.
"Daddy!"
"What?"
Andi skipped into his study. "There's an owl at the window."
He followed her down the hallway, wondering if his daughter ever walked or if she skipped everywhere. When he opened the window, the owl flew in, dripping rainwater from its feathers, and landed on the screen in front of the fireplace.
Remus untied the parchment.
"Who's it from?" Sirius asked.
"It's from your Mum. She won't be home for supper, but she'll be back before you go to bed. She says she hopes you're being good because she bought presents."
"Yea! Presents!" Andi jumped up and down, clapping her hands.
"Is Grandma coming too?" Sirius asked.
"I don't know, she doesn't say."
"Can I have the letter?" Andi asked.
Remus handed it to her before opening the window and shooing the owl out. "Looks like it's just the three of us. What do you guys want to eat?"
"Cake."
"Scrambled eggs."
He turned to look at his children. "Try again."
"Psaghetti."
"Cake."
"We're not having cake for supper, Sirius."
"I don't want spaghetti," he whined.
Andi sat at the coffee table, picked up her purple crayon and began drawing on her mother's letter. "Pancakes."
"What do you think of pancakes?" Remus asked his son.
Sirius shrugged, folding a piece of paper into an airplane and throwing it across the room.
With the subtle wave of his hand, Remus sent the paper airplane into a series of loops before bringing back for a smooth landing in front of his son.
"Do it again, Dad," Sirius pleaded.
Remus sent the paper airplane in flight again, it flew high and low, in wide loops and spins before bringing it down to land on Sirius' head.
Andi clapped her hands and Sirius grinned, taking the plane off his head. "Can you show me how to do that, Daddy?"
"I can't now, Sirius, you're too young, but I will someday. Are you guys hungry now?"
"Yeah!" Andi called out, picking up a green crayon.
"Sirius?"
"Yeah." He sniffled.
"Tissue, Sirius." Remus went to the kitchen to make his special pancakes. He split the batter into two bowls, colored one blue with food coloring. After they were cooked, he cut shapes with cookie cutters out of the center and swapped the middles. He cooked up sausages and served it all with butter, syrup, and pumpkin juice. It wasn't the healthiest meal, but it was a once in a while treat for the kids.
After a meal that led to a bath for Andi to get the syrup out of her hair, Remus settled in the parlor with the children, a bottle of butterbeer and a copy of the manuscript he was proofreading. The rain outside still fell, tapping gently on the window, but it was now joined with loud wind and fast gusts.
Andi crawled up onto the sofa beside him. She was dressed in her green footed pajamas, her hair was damp and smelling of strawberries. "Daddy?"
"Yes, love?"
"Will you read to me?"
He looked down at the manuscript in his hand, it was a detective story solving a horrible crime. He set it on the end table and ran his hand over her hair. "I would love to. Why don't you and your brother each go pick a book and we'll read until Mummy gets home."
Unfortunately for Andi, she had also inherited Tonks' sense balance. As she scurried across the floor, she slipped and landed on her hands and knees. Luckily, she also had her mother's sense of humor about it. Instead of crying, she stood up, brushed off her knees and stomped her foot, muttering, "Dumb floor."
With a smile, Remus glanced at the clock. It was nearing the children's bedtime and he was starting to worry about Tonks. He decided that if she wasn't home by eight, he would officially start to worry.
Sirius had changed into his pajamas, a brightly colored set covered in Quidditch balls and broomsticks. He carried an old storybook that Tonks had had as a child, a story about a young girl and a dog who didn't think she loved him anymore because she was busy with the baby ducks that had just hatched on the family farm. So he ran away and got his friend the beaver to build an egg around him so he could surprise the girl by hatching like a duck.
Andi was right behind him carrying her favorite book, a picture book about a bear who tried baking popovers for his woodland friends, but he made them too light and fluffy so that when he took them out of the oven, they floated to the ceiling.
"When's Mummy coming home?" Sirius asked as he sat beside Remus.
"She should be here any minute."
"And then we get presents," Andi said, setting her book on his lap.
"Well, I don't know, Mummy said you'd only get presents if you've been good. Have you been good today?" Remus asked, picking up Sirius' book.
"Yes. I got Siri tissues."
"And I didn't hit Andi."
Remus laughed. "All right then, I guess you've both been good."
When Tonks arrived home nearly thirty minutes later, she found the three of them sitting on the couch. Andi was sitting on Remus' lap, her head resting on his chest, while Sirius sat beside him, his head on his father's shoulder. They were halfway through Andi's book.
"Mummy!" Andi wiggled off Remus' lap and ran over to greet her.
Sirius slid off the couch and raced over to his mother.
Tonks dropped her bags and fell to her knees to accept her hugs and kisses. "How are you? I've missed you both all day! Were you good? Did you listen to Daddy? Did you have fun?"
"Daddy made my paper airplane fly in loops all over the room! It went zoom zoom over there!"
"I had two pieces of cake!"
"My nose is running."
"I…I…Mummy, I hid in…in the closet and I scared Daddy!"
"We had pancakes for dinner!"
"Sounds like you guys had a very busy day," Tonks said, rising to greet Remus with a kiss.
"Is Grandma coming?" Sirius asked.
"Not tonight, sweetie pie, she had to go home. We were shopping a lot later than we had planned on."
Andi started digging in one of the bags. "Did you bring us presents? You said you would."
"Were you good?"
"Yes." They replied in unison.
"Then I did bring you presents. Come on, I want to sit down, I've been on my feet all day." Tonks gathered up her bags again and went to sit on the sofa. "Looks like someone has been busy coloring."
"I made you a pic-chur!" Andi dug through the paper on the coffee table until she found the special picture she had made.
"Oh, sweetpea, that's just lovely!" Tonks made a big show of examining the doodles. "You are quite the artist." She kissed Andi on the top of the head.
"What did you bring me?" Andi asked.
"Let's see, what did I bring for my little girl." Tonks murmured as she dug through her purchases. "Ah ha, here it is." She handed her a bag.
Andi tore into it and pulled out the lavender sweater with a kitten on it. Andi gasped. "A kitty jumper! Can I wear it now?"
"No, but you can wear it tomorrow when we go to the Weasley's."
"What about me?" Sirius asked.
"What about you?" Tonks asked innocently.
"What did you bring me?"
"Just my love." Tonks grabbed his face and kissed him soundly.
"Ew!" Sirius swiped his hand over his cheek. "No, what did you bring me?"
"Oh, I have to buy your love, I see how it is," Tonks teased as she looked through another bag. "Here it is, just for my little guy."
Sirius looked inside the bag and grinned. He pulled out a new pair of child-sized Quidditch gloves with a snitch embroidered on the back of them. "Wow, Mum, thanks!"
"Harry and Ginny will there tomorrow, I thought you could use them."
Sirius tugged them on and flexed his fingers. "Wait'll Billy sees these!"
Remus leaned toward his wife and looked down at the bags. "What did you bring me?"
"We'll save that for later," she replied mischievously.
"What did you get Daddy?" Andi yawned.
"Oh, just a new jumper and some socks."
"Can I see?"
Tonks reached into a bag and pulled out a soft green jumper. Andi petted it.
"Pretty."
"Just what I need," Remus sighed. "A pretty jumper."
Sirius sniffled and wiped his nose on his hand.
"I see your nose still is running." Tonks took his chin in her hand and tilted his head back.
"It has been all day."
"Well, then I guess you better get to bed and rest your nose for tomorrow. We can't go to the Weasely's if you're sick."
"I'm not sick, I just have a runny nose," he assured her.
"Yes, well, it's still getting late and I think it's time for bed, my little ones, we have a big day tomorrow."
Remus stood, scooping up Andi and flipping her up onto his shoulders. "Come on guys, Mum is right."
They began their nightly ritual of all four of them climbing into Sirius' bed, Remus and Tonks sat against the headboard with Sirius between them and Andi sitting on one of their laps. Remus would them read a story, Andi and Sirius took turns picking the book. Then, whoever's lap Andi was sitting on would take her to bed, kiss her goodnight and tuck her in, while the other did the same for Sirius. Then they switched rooms. Both children would ask for a glass of water and then get out of bed to use the loo at least once. This particular ritual, barring any whining or fighting, usually took twenty to thirty minutes.
With the children tucked safely in bed, Remus and Tonks returned to the parlor.
"I'm going to take these upstairs and start putting things away," Tonks said, picking up her bags.
"Hey." Remus grabbed her hand before she could leave and pulled her close for a kiss. "Did you have a good day?"
She smiled at him. "Yes I did. Did you?"
He glanced around the room littered with toys, crayons, and tissues. "Yeah, I did. We have some cute kids."
"I like'em."
"Yeah, so do I. But your son is a bit dramatic, especially when it comes to having a runny nose."
She laughed. "Honestly? I don't think he's ill or anything, I think he can make his nose run on command when he wants attention."
Remus laughed with her. "I think you're right. Well, I'm going to clean up in here."
"When you're done, come on upstairs, I have something to show you."
"Another pretty jumper?"
"Maybe."
When she left, Remus took out his wand and flicked his wrist almost lazily. The crayons all returned to their box, the papers on the table piled together neatly, Sirius' Quidditch toys all marched back to the toy box in the corner, the tissues flew into the kitchen toward the rubbish bin, and the stuffed animals all followed the other toys into the toy box. He then went to the kitchen and made sure the dishes were all cleaned and put away.
After extinguishing the fire in the fireplace and turning off all the lights, he picked up the manuscript and his marking quill and made his way up the stairs. Remus paused in the hallway between the children's bedrooms and listened. He couldn't hear anything and knew that Andi was asleep and Sirius was nearly there.
He opened the door to their bedroom and found the bags, still unpacked, sitting in the middle of the floor. Tonks was no where to be seen, but the door to their adjoining bathroom was closed. He sat on the edge of the bed, laying the manuscript on the bedside table, and untied his shoes.
"I thought you were going to put everything away," Remus said when he heard the door open behind him.
"I got distracted," she admitted.
"Why am I not surprised?"
"Remus?"
"Hm?" He set his shoes on the floor beside the bed.
She walked around the bed and stood in front of him, her hands on her hips.
Remus looked up and felt his mouth go dry as his palms dampened. She wore a short nightie of pale blue silk and wisps of lace. It skimmed her thighs and one of the thin straps had slid off her shoulder, exposing more of the swell of her breast. Her eyes sparkled and a small smile touched her lips.
"Wow."
Her smile grew. "I told you I had something special for you."
"Wow."
She took a step closer and laid her hands on his shoulders. "You know I love you."
He nodded.
She took another step closer and straddled his lap. "But I don't think I ever loved you as much as I did when I walked in and saw you on the couch reading to the little monsters."
Remus smiled, sliding his hands down to her hips, feeling the silk slide beneath his hands.
"You're an amazing father," she said, kissing him gently.
"Why thank you," he murmured, kissing her neck.
She slowly unbuttoned his shirt. "And an incredible husband."
"Tell me something I don't know."
Tonks grinned, pushing his shirt off his shoulders. "And an unbelievable lover."
"It's a burden sometimes." He nudged the strap down her other shoulder.
"And to think you didn't want children."
"I can admit I was wrong."
She took his face in her hands and forced him to look up at her. "I want you to know how much I love you and appreciate you."
"I know you do, Dora."
She took his shoulders and gently pushed him back on the bed. "When I went in to say goodnight to Andi, she told me how you made them your special pancakes for dinner."
"Yes I did."
"And Sirius told me twice about the paper airplane."
"Mm hm." Remus seemed more intent on getting under her nightie than listening to her.
She took his hands and pushed them up above his head. Lowering her head, she kissed him longingly, catching his bottom lip between her teeth and tugging gently. "Consider this your payment for babysitting."
"I'm sorry, I only accept cash."
She raised an eyebrow.
Remus pulled his hands free and rolled her under him. "Darling, you don't have to pay me for babysitting, I enjoy my time with the kids as much as you do."
"All right then, consider this my thanks for you being you."
"What are you going to do?"
"Release me and I'll show you."
He let go of her and laid back across the bed.
Tonks sat up beside him. Starting at his shoulders, she ran her hands down his chest, gently dancing her fingers of the scars.
Remus felt trails of fire along her skin as she caressed him. The power of touch was overwhelming as he felt his excitement growing as her hands slid down his stomach toward the waistband of his slacks. She unhooked them and slid them down his legs before sliding up his body, the silk of her nightie cool against his skin as she slowly undressed him.
"Let me," he whispered huskily as she gripped the hem of her nightie.
Smiling, Tonks dropped her hands.
Remus took the silk in his hands and slowly lifted it up her body, allowing his knuckles to brush against the soft skin beneath. Her breath caught and hitched as he brushed against the hardening peaks of her nipples.
"Wait, wait, where's your wand?" She asked, breathily.
Remus grabbed it off the bedside table and cast the special charm he had come up with. The noises they made would not leave the room, but they could still hear what was going on outside their room.
After he flung his wand aside, Tonks leaned over him and kissed him hard as she slid down him. With a groan, Remus thrust upward as he entered her. They moved together, slowly, lovingly. His hands roamed over her body, familiar with every inch of her. She was his as completely as he was hers and it never failed to amaze him.
"I love you so much," she murmured, running her lips over his face. "I am so thankful to have you in my life, to share my life with you."
"Me too," he moaned, all thoughts wiped clean from his mind, leaving him only with the sensations of her.
When she collapsed on top of him, Remus wrapped his arms tightly around her and they lay quietly, trying to catch their breath.
"I really like my present," he whispered.
"I thought you might," she mumbled into his chest.
Current Day
"I can't believe you remember that day," Tonks sighed.
"How could I forget it? Telling me I'm a good father is the biggest compliment you could give me."
"You are an awesome father."
"And you're a terrific mother," he replied, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her neck.
"You're a wonderful husband as well."
"Yes, well, that I knew."
Smiling, Tonks held her hand out of the tub and called for a towel. "Do you remember our first fight?"
Remus watched as she stood, water running off her body and he felt stirrings inside him. "Not really."
She wrapped the towel around her and carefully stepped out of the tub, steadying herself with the sink. "I do. See, that was one of my favorite memories."
"Do tell," he teased, calling a towel over for himself.
