In a cabin in the woods, a lone wizard laid on a tattered blanket. It was ripped apart, barely able to be called a blanket at all, held together by threads – but still the wizard laid on it, staring at the wall he faced. It was wooden, but not rotten or cracking – no board in the cabin did. It was boarded three times over, with the only exist being a heavily barred trap-door in the ceiling. In it was a nook where the wizard's wand was stuck in, safe from the beast he became at night – from the wolf that came out to play when the moon was full.

However, the wizard was too weak to retrieve his wand. He was hungry, starving even – he should have already been back at his apartment in Manchester. Then came the beeping. The wizard breathed in a rattling breath, trying not to aggravate his injuries, before sitting up with a pained groan. The beeping persisted, and he knew it wouldn't stop. He needed to get up if the beeper was beeping…

Standing was harder.

But he got it done.

Because he needed to stop the beeping.

Why did he need to stop the beeping?

-beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep-

Oh yes. Because it wouldn't stop beeping otherwise.

The wizard reached his arm up, human fingers slipping where werewolf claws couldn't, taking out his wand. Then, he tapped the trap-door. "Alohomora." It opened without protest, baring him to the early afternoon sun. The wizard winced, before reaching up and through the square, thankful for his height as he fumbled around, grabbing the ladder after a few seconds and pulling it down, bracing it in the cut-out squares within the flooring and climbing up and out. The wizard took a few minutes to recover after that, then pulled up the ladder and shut and locked the trap-door, pushing himself over to the handy slide he'd installed for days like these. Upon hitting the bottom, he smiled a bit. "Childish…"

Standing, the wizard made his way around to the origin of the beeping, and switched off the battery-powered alarm with just a press of a button. Then he read the time. 16:42. The man rubbed his aching jaw, sighing. "I'm late for my shift." He'd tried to tell his boss at the petrol station that he'd never make it – he was too ill. It would have been his last shift yesterday, but another colleague had just been fired for slacking, so he had to cover their shift. So much for extra pay. He was late on his rent, too.

Taking out the batteries of the clock, placing them in the plastic tub beside it to await next month, Remus Lupin apparated home to his flat, appearing in the bathroom and immediately staggering into the shower, turning on the water – which was cold as ever. He couldn't afford electricity or heating. To think that in less than three years' time, he would be riding the Hogwarts Express again, towards what would become home once more, to take up a teaching position Dumbledore had given him that he would have no right to if the same man had not invited him to attend Hogwarts twenty seven- nineteen and a half-

Remus sighed.

Time travel was quite confusing, after all.

After the water had stopped running completely red, Remus started to actually wash, getting grime and wood dust, and stray bits of dried-on blood off himself. Then, he dried off with his red towel, which he used every full moon to disguise the blood should the landlord ever come calling. It wasn't as if Sirius could pop out of Azkaban to say hello – if he could, the news would be overtaken by Wanted posters, calling for Sirius Black to hand himself over, and for witches and wizards and muggles too, to be wary of the so-called mass-murderer, Sirius Black.

Remus sighed again, before forcing himself to exit the bathroom, aiming to get some clothes on again – only to be distracted by the glowing white wolf on his sofa-bed, sitting there without a care in the world. Then it opened its mouth.

"Remus Lupin, I'm unaware if I am dreaming, or if this is reality, but if it is reality, if you've got some memories that cause you grief when thinking of the colour turquoise, turn them into happy thoughts and reply."

Remus stared, before watching the wolf fade. "No, no, don't go," he murmured, before reaching back into the bathroom for his wand, frantic as he tried to summon a patronus. "Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum." He didn't even produce mist. The werewolf growled. "Stupid Lupin, happy memories, happy memories…what did she about happy thoughts?" He grabbed at his head, grasping at the short blonde strands there. "'If you've got some memories that cause you grief when thinking of the colour turquoise-'" his stomach lurched, before he let go of his own head, hands shaking as they lowered. "Teddy, she wants me to think of Teddy." Tears swelled in his eyes. My son, I can't think of my son for a patronus…

But unwillingly, he thought of him, of his Teddy, just a week old when he had died, when he had come back to this terrible existence, before all the pain and hardship had been washed away by war and by Dora. God, Dora, he started to cry just thinking of her, lips curling up at the sides of his mouth, because she was here, she knew – she remembered. Remus stumbled over to his bed, grabbing random clothes and tugging them on shakily, paying no minds to his wounds as he thought of his wife and child. Remember, remember them – oh, her smile, and his face. Teddy had been so small, so fragile, so delicate – he'd held him, and taken his fingers as softly as he could, and Teddy had squeezed, and Merlin, what a tight grip! Dora had been so proud, and later, when his hair had started changing colour-

Remus raised his wand.

"It is quite dangerous, you know," Dumbledore spoke cordially, unwrapping a lemon drop, "to send messages using that form of communication. You can never know when the intended recipient is in a muggle area or not."

Dora fidgeted in her seat. "Well, if it's any consolation, I don't think he'll respond – always was a little goody-two-shoes." The smile she offered up was weak, but Dumbledore still returned it.

"I only mean to warn you, my dear, for few know that Patronii can be used as a method of communication at all – I should know. I developed it." Dora flushed at not remembering such a key aspect. "But if it's being used between two lovers, I think I could permit it just this once."

Dora's hair flashed tomato red – but for once it wasn't in anger, the skin over her entire body turning the same shade of red as she coughed, spluttering.

"Sir, it's not like that!"

Dumbledore gave out a hearty chuckle, "I believe you yourself would beg to differ." Dora caught sight of her hands and flushed again, red changing to a more beetroot purple before she started panicking, trying to calm down. "Miss Tonks, it is quite alright, there is no shame in it."

Dora's cheeks were definitely warm a minute later, but she managed to get the colours in control – though her hair remained an embarrassed red. Dumbledore gave a fond smile to her, popping another lemon-drop into his mouth.

"I would assume your partner is not in school, then? Your patronus did not head towards any classes, to my knowledge."

Dora bit her lip, before shaking her head, feeling embarrassed that she felt embarrassed – Remus was her husband, in another time at least. She should feel embarrassed about admitting that. But this wasn't the same as announcing you were married, right in the stages of post-marital bliss. It was awkward, and even more awkward because there was a chance that he didn't even remember-

A patronus flew through the window behind Dumbledore's head, then through his head, a wolf identical to her own stopping in front of her, mouth opening to speak.

"I love you." Then the wolf disappeared, and Dora was left looking at Dumbledore, a crazy grin on her face.

"He told me he loves me through a Patronus," she was bouncing on her seat. He remembered, he remembers! "Did you hear it too? Please say I didn't imagine that!" Then another wolf appeared, and Dumbledore seemed amused that they kept appearing through his head.

"Marry me after you get into Auror Academy."

Her enthusiasm didn't disappear, unlike the patronus, and then Dumbledore was left smiling back at her happily.

"You will be agreeing, I assume?"

She looked at him like he was dumb, "Of course – he even has the decency to wait until I'm into Auror Academy! Merlin, I love that man." She leaned forwards, resting her hands and chin on his desk, sighing contentedly.

"I'll put a good word in for you with Alastair Moody himself if you can pass your NEWT's as you should," Dumbledore promised, "Call it an early wedding gift, so long as I get an invitation."

Dora smiled at the Headmaster. "With who I'm marrying, if you weren't on the guest list, I'd wonder where my fiancé was and what the imposter had done with him."

"I am acquainted with this person, you say?" The bearded man asked, intrigued, twirling his wand in the end of his beard. Dora grinned impishly.

"You know every student who's ever sat under the Sorting Hat during your time as Headmaster – he was Gryffindor. That's all I'm saying until I get a clearer picture of how this is happening." Without her permission, her smile dropped, thoughts going to her parents. They'd never been happy that she'd married a werewolf, if only because they were being rounded up to join Voldemort, on her father's part. But now, with the age difference…how old was she bodily? Seventeen? Eighteen, nineteen when they got married? He'd be thirty-two…what am I kidding, Mum and Dad are going to go ballistic…again…

"Miss Tonks? Is something the matter?"

Dora redirected her attention to Dumbledore. "No, sir, just thinking on a few issues. My mum and dad might have gotten married when they were my age, but I'm their daughter – they aren't going to like the fact that I've got a long engagement, let alone that I've kept my partner from them for…well, basically our entire relationship." She frowned deeply, glancing at him, "We haven't told anyone, like…at all. At all." She slashed her hand through the air. "You're the first to find out…" she then added awkwardly. Dumbledore, however, as he always had been in peacetime, smiled and gave his blessing. Literally.

"You have my blessing, as both an old man and Supreme Mugwump. May your engagement be prosperous, and your life together fruitful."

Dora blushed lightly at his praise, by this time her skin back to normal. "Thank-you, Headmaster. You're surprisingly easy to talk to."

He shrugged, "Ah well, if you find me easy to trust in, I will gladly be your confident. I will get an invitation to your wedding, however," his eyes sparkled, and Tonks, for a moment, forgot that this man was dead in her time – the life knocked out of him, his body broken and turning to ash within his coffin, as a wizard did when they died.

All she could do was smile.

"-Horntail, and they think it won't lay a clutch of eggs for another two years yet, but once it does, boy, will it be even more terrifying." Charlie bit into his piece of toast viciously, tearing it apart, obviously still focused on the nesting habit of a temperamental Hungarian Horntail. Dora hummed, still admiring the new ring on her right ring finger – because, she had to face it, being engaged? In Hogwarts? Even if it was only to please everyone else, despite their lack of knowledge, and to have an excuse to have a bigger, more personal ceremony than a magistrate and two random witnesses, wearing a Ring was a recipe for disaster. However, wearing a 'promise ring'? She wore so many accessories during Hogwarts anyway – including two thick rings, one on her thumb and another on her middle finger bearing the moving Weird Sisters logo – that it would hopefully go unnoticed.

Though if she kept staring at it, that wouldn't happen.

So instead of continuing to stare, Dora reached over for her spoon, intending to actually eat her cereal like a good girl, when there was a sudden clomp of feet, mobilised and efficient, with one louder, wooden clunk to go along with it. A familiar wooden clunk. She ignored her spoon, hand dropping to the table as her eyes seeked out the source.

And there he was, leading half a dozen Aurors through the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw tables' gap. "Mad-Eye," she muttered, not blinking as she watched him, knowing his magic eye was rolling around. They're probably here for Pettigrew, she thought, catching sight of Mad-Eye's eye stop somewhere in his peripheral – where Percy was sitting with a frown. Definitely here for Wormtail…

"Alastair," Dumbledore frowned, "What brings you here to Hogwarts?"

"Got a tip from a trusted," he snapped, "Perkins! Shut the damn doors to the hall!" Perkins rushed off back down the hall, stopping halfway, where his wand could reach, shutting them quickly before getting back to Moody. "Too slow."

By this time, students were getting confused – panicked. Shouts started to echo through the hall. Dora started damage control, standing and leaning over to younger students, calming them with a few words, getting out of her seat to some more rowdy boys, telling them to shut their traps if they wanted to find out what was going on. What she did seemed to prompt the prefects from each of the houses to get to work – and also catching the attention of Mad-Eye. Oh shit, shit, shit, shit-

He was looking at her. Right at her. On reflex, Dora grinned, hair flashing what she knew Mad-Eye saw as the most annoying colour in the world – bright silver, with bright streams of neon green and pink. He grimaced and she smirked at the win, before getting back to calming a first-year who seemed to be the calmest eleven year old in the world, but was really having a panic attack at all the fear suddenly gripping everyone.

A glance at Mad-Eye again a minute later saw him talking with all the teachers in a huddle, several looking quit ill – Snape had gone a sickly shade of white, tinged with green, but Dora bet that was from the possibility that Sirius was going to be let out of Azkaban if this went the way it was leading. Then Mad-Eye turned around and banged his staff – all residual noises faded, everyone silenced – quite literally, Dora found a second later, when trying to mutter something to Panic-Attack.

"In this hall, all the people with rats stand up – everyone else get your buttocks on the benches." Dora did as she was told, slipping in beside Panic-Attack, rubbing the top of his back like she had Teddy when he wouldn't settle on his third night. She looked around the hall. Surprisingly, more than just Percy stood – but not surprisingly, 'Scabbers' was currently trying to get to the main doors, Percy running after him as Mad-Eye stalked forwards, wand at the ready.

"Everyone on the benches! Feet up!" One of the Aurors shouted as they started fanning out – a helpful manoeuvre, if they weren't so slow.

Percy didn't pay as much attention as he probably should have. "Scabbers, come back, now is not the time!" Moody shot off a spell, hitting Percy with what Dora recognised as a stunner before sending a different one at 'Scabbers' – but the rat changed course, coming under the Gryffindor table and heading back the ways, causing the Lions to let out shrieks and screams and shouts. Dora cursed: the silencing spell had lifted. It's going to be pandemonium if they don't get that rat. Without thinking of how it might look, Dora got up onto Hufflepuff table, waiting for the moment when Pettigrew would switch-

Now!

"Stupefy!" She cast, red jet of light heading off at lightning speed – and hitting the rat, who went skidding, lifeless. Dora let out a breath, before another Auror summoned the rat, Mad-Eye making it back around, wand jabbing at the rat, which glowed blue before promptly enlarging, the Auror's skittering back, wands at the ready.

And then Peter Pettigrew was lying on the floor, unconscious and in full view of the world.

"It worked," Dora's shoulders sagged, before she watched Mad-Eye bind and levitate the man into the air.

"Thanks for your cooperation, kids," Mad-Eye said gruffly, before barking, "Perkins! Get the Weasley boy to the infirmary – and then all his relatives! Mibbs, you'll stand guard while Perkins retrieves them all – and by all, Perkins, I mean every last Weasley who lives in the Burrow, Ottery St Catchpole!" Then Mad-Eye came past where Dora stood on the table, motionless. "Good shot, kid."

"I'm seventeen," Dora pointed out. Mad-Eye scrutinised her suddenly, stopping, before eyeing her hair, looking back to Dumbledore.

"This the one you recommended? Looks like the Weird Sisters and pink hair-dye had a kid – and they turned out to be Robin Hood."

Dora, unable to help herself, snorted, "Really? I would have called myself more of a punk rebel with questionable taste in piercings considering what career path I want."

Mad-Eye glanced back at her, grunting, "Dumbledore said you want to be an Auror – what you got up your sleeve, kid?"

I have a feeling that 'kid' is the new 'Nymphadora', Dora thought irately, before smiling charmingly and becoming a decrepit grandma, with transfigured clothes to match. "Oh, Mr Auror Sir, Dung stole my teapot and cursed it to bite muggles! Oh, do help me, please?" She even put on a granny voice. Then she became a man in a business suit, coffee stains on her fingers and a briefcase in hand. "Excuse me, I'm late, I really need to get going, so if you'd just shove off out of the way…" She reversed the transfigurations, smirking at the grand awe from the general populace, moving her foot-

-and summarily slipping on the butter-dish and falling face-first into a bowl of Rice Krispies. She spluttered in the bowl, sitting up and hearing Mad-Eye's harsh chuckle.

"Full marks for Disguise and Concealment – zero for Stealth and Tracking."

Dora sat up, fully aware that she was sitting on someone's toast. "Hey! I managed to track Pettigrew all the way under the table and figured out where and when he'd come out from underneath it!"

Mad-Eye shifted, "How'd you know his name is Pettigrew?"

Dora blinked, before trying to think of a cover story. Of all the things to fuck up on, "Sirius Black is my mum's cousin, sir – he has pictures, hasn't he?" She pointed at him, feeling slightly sick as the memory came to mind. "Pettigrew even came up to my house once, to help Sirius. They babysat me when I was five." She made a face as she remembered more. "I don't think it ended well."

Mad-Eye's real eye twitched, and she knew nothing was going to go her way in this. "You're coming with me – got yourself involved, didn't you? Off the table now, sharpish now!" Dora took a single second, before scrambling between students, covered in breakfast food, to stand beside Moody as he levitated Pettigrew's body through the hall. As they walked down the hall, she saw Charlie gaping at her from where he sat at Hufflepuff table, red and gold among a sea of yellow and black, and she offered a cheeky wink that caused him to make a cross face before he stood. Mad-Eye stopped at the mini-blockade.

"Get out of the way," he growled.

"I'm a Weasley – that's my brother you took away," Charlie glared, before Fred and George at Gryffindor popped up.

"Us too!"

Mad-Eye gave the boys a single glance before looking at Perkins, who was still behind him, "Well what are you waiting for? Get them to the hospital wing!"

"Y-yes sir!" Perkins stuttered, before brushing past to take Charlie's shoulder. "C'mon now, you two as well!" He called over to the twins, who made their way down Gryffindor table towards the doors, where Perkins was already hurrying Charlie through – he seemed to have learned his lesson with the doors, which he'd also opened.

"He's a bit…slow, for the Auror Core," Dora broached lightly. Moody grunted.

"The Minister's been assigning me dunderhead trainees, assuring me that they'd be 'perfect' and 'useful', and would be the best. Useless muppets, if you ask me, won't be ready till ninety four at this rate – when are you available to start at the Academy?"

Dora stopped herself from grinning, "I got Dragon Pox in my OWL year, sir, so I'm behind – I won't graduate until the summer of ninety-two."

Moody grunted, "Shame. Maybe I'll ask to be assigned there before I'm permanently retired by our bonehead Minister of Magic – you'd be an interesting recruit, kid, to say the least."

Dora made a face.

Kid is definitely the new Nymphadora.