Chapter 4, Back to School.

When Remus awoke the next morning he was surprised to see his wife messing with her hair in the mirror turning it an array of colors and lengths before giving up and leaving it at a happy in between of pink and blue making it a soft blue toned lavender color as it hung down her back in a slight wave, she was dressed in a black t-shirt, a pair of jeans she had cut in short so they stopped at her knees and her boots though she seemed to be considering taking them off and switching them for her yellow converses, after a moment she kicked off the boots and was pulling on the bright yellow shoes.

"Going somewhere?"

She let out a little yelp as he caught her off guard causing her to stumble back onto the bed her head at his feet, she pouted her hair turning a dark pink, a dust rose color, as she looked at him as he sat up.

"To Ollivander's, can't go back to work without a wand now can I?"

He chuckled kissing her forehead before she sat up, as she got to her feet she shook her head turning her hair shorter and a bright pink, she smiled content with her work before turning to face him.

"Are you going to come with or stay behind? I'm taking the kids by the joke shop after."

He could hear the smirk in her voice as she made her way to the door, if she wasn't his hearts very reason for beating he'd have turned down the offer to go but there was something in the smirk of her tone he never could ignore, he'd heard it many times in school when Sirius would convince James or him to go along with one of his plans and it had made him curious if it was one of the many traits that came from her mother's side of the family.

He got out of bed making her smile pleased with herself as she went down stairs hearing Teddy calling up to her that Lyra was awake and starting to cry, he could hear her in Lyra's room as she picked the little girl up doing something to make her teary whimpers stop and turn to giggles, if anyone had asked Remus what he wanted most in the world when he was leaving Hogwarts he would have merely ignored the question or said nothing but now he knew his answer right away would be that his wife and children were safe and taken care of.

He got dressed before going down stairs in time to see his wife in the kitchen dancing about with Teddy in her arms while Lyra was in her play pen by the table, the radio was playing behind her as she held the laughing boy moving about the floor to the song, she smiled breathless as she set Teddy down on the counter before opening the cabinet handing her son a biscuit which he happily ate watching as she took one herself eating as she leaned agents the counter.

She blushed as her eyes fell on her husband, she hadn't heard him come into the room or seen him as she danced with their son, a normal thing on weekend mornings when they'd be the only ones awake, she heard him chuckle and a few moments later he kissed her temple making her smile.

"Having fun?"

She smiled as Teddy nodded getting down from the counter and going to where his sister was in the play pen.

"Got to keep him awake some how though normally in the mornings I'm trying to stay awake."

She chuckled leaning into Remus' side as they watched Teddy as he gave his sister her pacifier when she began to cry, she glanced up at the man beside her then to their son and she couldn't hide her smile seeing just how alike the two were.

After breakfast and the trip to the leaky caldron the family made their way a long Diagon Alley, the narrow street was crowed with families hurrying to get a head start on their children's school things mostly robes and wands, some an occasional pet, Tonks held Lyra close as a group of kids just old enough to be first years in September ran past her to the broom shop looking at the brooms.

She chuckled shaking her head at the memory of doing the same thing only pulling her father a long, she opened the door to Ollivander's after handing Lyra to Remus as Teddy clutched her hand as they stepped inside his eyes looking around the shop in amazement.

She smiled seeing Ollivander come around the corner a paper in his hand as he looked over the wand boxes, he smiled seeing her over the top of the paper.

"Well now if it isn't Nymphadora Tonks, it has been some time since you've come here, you were 11 if I recall, getting your first wand."

Tonks smiled as she picked Teddy up.

"Hello sir."

She looked at Teddy as did the old wand maker raising an eyebrow.

"He's a bit young yet for a wand don't you think miss Tonks."

Tonks thought for a second and felt rather stupid as she chuckled.

"Yes sir he is and please I'm no longer a Tonks, it's Lupin now."

She let a faint blush tint her cheeks but morphed it away as Teddy placed his hand to her cheek, she kissed his hand with a small smile as she took out her broken wand carefully handing it to Ollivander sheepishly.

He looked over the broken wand shaking his head.

"If I recall your not very steady on your feet, did you happen to land on your wand?"

She nodded shifting Teddy on her side as he looked at his mother's wand.

"You could say that, I tripped and it was in my pocket."

He nodded and disappeared around the corner and came back with a wand the exact same as the one that was in the counter broken, he handed it to and taking aim at a target in the form of the vase she flourished the wand gasping when the spell went wayward the sign of a bad match, she set the wand down as the old wand maker disappeared around the corner again coming back with another wand this one seeming to be made of the same oak wood but it was heavyer than the one before, again she tried it and again a bad match.

She set the wand down shifting Teddy again as her hip began to get tired so she let him down before kneeling down so he could climb on her back which he did happily, Ollivander came back with a wand identical to her broken one handing it to her.

"Everything to the flexibility of this wand is the same as your first wand except the core, this one contains a dragon heart string core."

Tonks nodded and took aim at a target flourishing the wand and smiling when it complied sending the spell quickly at the target.

"It is uncommon for a witch's wand core to change, tell me Nymphadora did your original wand become tricky to use in any way at all?"

Tonks looked at him after thinking for a moment then shook her head.

"No sir, it acted the same as it did the day I received it, it did give me a little trouble during my auror training, it wouldn't fire spells in rapid secessions but I just marked it as a lack of skill on my part."

He nodded as he listened examining her broken wand his fingers tracing over the warn spot in the wood from where she would hold it, Tonks had made it a bad habit of holding her wand not on the base but above it, no matter who tried to break her of the habit no one was able to.

"It could very well be that your magic became to strong for the unicorn tail hair core causing the wand itself to become stressed, there are cracks that suggesting there were stress fractures building up over time and because you hold your wand differently you didn't feel the slight changes."

She looked over the large crack inside her old wand and knew he was right, her wand had been full when she got it when she was 11 but she had began to hold her wand higher than the normal person causing it's wood to wear down where she held it, she nodded agreeing as she payed for the wand.

"I am how ever surprised I didn't see you about a broken wand sooner, I've seen many auror trainees come through needing new wands, and you studied under Alastor Moody he had sent many of his students here with broken wands that needed replacing."

Tonks sighed nodding again as she looked at the wand.

"He was a tough teacher but I wouldn't be standing here without what he taught me."

After everything was settled she went back out to her husband chuckling as a pair of 11 year olds brushed past her in Hogwarts robes, the kids parents apologized to her but she shook it off saying it was nothing to worry about, she felt Teddy move on her back making her secure her hold on his legs.

"Careful back there I don't want to drop you."

He gave a small whine trying to get down, with a sigh she let him down but held his hand as they walked looking for Remus and Lyra in the streets, she looked around worried when she couldn't see him her hair turning a darker brown as she held Teddy close to her so he didn't get lost in the crowd, she picked Teddy up holding him on her side as she went to the broom shop glancing at the broom in the window.

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder making her whirl around but she relaxed seeing it was just her husband who was holding their sleeping daughter in his free arm as he placed his other arm around her shoulders.

"Did you get a new wand?"

She nodded glancing at Teddy who was looking at the brooms over her shoulder, Tonks had taken him flying a few times on her broom but never very far.

"Yes though I had to get one with a different core, I went from unicorn tail hair to dragon heart string, Ollivander thinks that around the time I began auror training my magic became more than the core could handle and because I held my wand differently I couldn't feel the shift as it fractured from the inside out."

He nodded glancing around them as the soon to be students and their parents walked about the streets, she looked back at the brooms as Teddy pointed to the one behind her.

"Hmm they are still in the nimbus'? My brooms just a normal Quidditch broom and it flys just fine."

She shook her head looking over the nimbus 2001 in the window, she fallowed Remus away from the shop switching kids as Lyra became fussy, she took the bottle from the dipper bag and fed the little girl as they walked smiling softly as she calmed down, she looked over the shops chuckling as Teddy all but pulled his father closer to the joke shop.

"You two go on ahead I want to see some of the shops maybe get Lyra back to sleep."

Remus kissed her cheek as she told him she'd meet them at the joke shop soon before he went down the street with Teddy, she sighed looking down at the girl in her arms.

"Where to first hmm?"

She smiled softly as she ducked into Honeydukes sweet shop looking around smiling as she ran into a few kids she'd gone to Hogwarts with, one girl particularly who had been one of her closest friends in the Hufflepuff house named Eliza.

Tonks smiled hugging her back as she hugged her shoulders glancing down at Lyra who was making little noises as she looked around her.

"Is she yours Dora?"

Eliza smiled at the baby girl as her blue eyes looked over her face before she gave a soft coo.

"Yes my second little one, her older brother is down at the joke shop with his father."

She smiled looking at her old friend.

"Do you want to hold her?"

Eliza smiled softly with a nod.

"If you don't mind it."

She shook her head as she carefully handed Lyra over smiling as the small girl made little noises at Eliza.

"So the wild and crazy Nymphadora Tonks finally settled down and had a family, so who's the lucky man? Charlie Weasley perhaps?"

Tonks rolled her eyes as Eliza chuckled looking her over.

"Can you see my daughter's eyes? Sorry but she has her father's eyes blue as the sky if she were Charlie's they'd be brown."

Eliza chuckled softly shaking her head as Tonks bought some crystallized pineapple, a liquorice wand and a box of every flavor beans.

"So who is the luck man then?"

Tonks looked at her friend as Lyra gave a coo in her arms.

"Remus Lupin."

Tonks watched as her friend's face seemed to shift to worry as they walked out of the shop.

"Your cousin's friend? Isn't he 12 years older than you?"

Tonks shook her head as she took a bite of the crystallized pineapple.

"13, but age is just a number he's the sweetest man I've ever known and he's amazing father to both our children, my son acts just like him but he's a metomorphagus like his sister and I."

Eliza seemed to relax a bit as they got closer to the joke shop, Tonks looked up hearing Teddy's voice and with in a few seconds of hearing him the now pink haired boy jumped at her hugging her waist laughing.

She smiled picking him up and giving him a piece of pineapple chuckling as he ate it happily.

"Speak of the devil, Eliza this is my son Edward Remus Lupin but we all call him Teddy, can you say hi sweetie?"

Teddy looked at the dark haired women holding his sister and gave a small smile waving at her.

"Wotcher!"

Tonks couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up as her son said the word and Eliza laughed to smiling at the boy.

"Hello to you to. Oh Dora he's defiantly your son."

Tonks smiled kissing his cheek making him laugh as she looked around.

"Where's daddy?"

Teddy pointed over his shoulder to where Remus was standing at the doors of the joke shop talking watching them, she smiled looking at Eliza who was smiling at Lyra.

"Here trade off for a second."

Tonks took Lyra carefully and Teddy went to Eliza smiling.

"They should be used to being handed off by now Teddy was handed over to nearly all the Weasley's when he was a few weeks old and anyone at the order that wanted to hold him."

Eliza smiled as Teddy's hair turned to match hers before turning bright pink, as Teddy was kept busy Tonks held her daughter close waving her husband over, he made his way through the street wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her head.

"Your going to be upset with George."

She looked up at him raising her eyebrows as he handed her a bag from the shop.

"What did he get this time? I swear if it's another Pygmy puff I'll strangle him I don't like the one we have now."

She took out the box of every flavor beans from her own bag and handed them to him getting a smile and a kiss in thanks, she handed Lyra over to her father before going through the bag from the joke shop growling as she took out the instant darkness powder, the sweets she recognized that gave the eater animal ears and tails, and the puking pastels shaking her head.

"I keep telling him Teddy doesn't need these things."

She sighed looking at Eliza and gave a small smile.

"Remus this is Eliza, she was one of my best friends when we were at Hogwarts, we were also both in Hufflepuff. Eliza this is Remus my husband."

Eliza smiled setting Teddy on his feet and offered her hand to him.

"Nice to meet you."

Remus shook her hand with a kind smile.

"The pleasure is all mine."

Tonks didn't miss the faint blush in her friends cheeks as Remus let go of her hand to wrap his arm around Tonks' waist, the group talked for awhile before Eliza had to leave, Tonks looked at the clock inside one of the shops and sighed, she had to work the night shift this time and they wanted her in the office before sun down.

She felt her husband place a kiss to her temple leading her back the way they came, once home she set Teddy on his feet and gave him his bag from the joke shop shaking her head when the first thing he took out was a trick wand, she had let that one slide seeing as it would only turn into a random object if he tried to use it, he flicked the wand turned into a wooden toy snake making him laugh.

She chuckled shaking her head as she took Lyra to her room laying her in her crib waiting to make sure she was asleep before she went to the kitchen setting the tin of crystallized pineapple on the counter.

"Teddy come here for a second."

She heard her son's foot steps behind her before he was standing on his tip toes to look over the counter, she handed him the liquorice wand and chuckled when he thanked her happily before eating it, she blushed but smiled as Remus wrapped his arms around her waist placing a kiss to the back of her neck making her shudder.

"Are you planing on making him hyper before you leave?"

She giggled leaning into him closing her eyes.

"Maybe, if he's awake when I come home I'll put him to bed then since I gave him the candy."

Her husband chuckled kissing her head before letting her go, she pouted but went to the coat rack taking down her maroon robe scooping Teddy into her arms as he ran past her thing to catch Puffle seeing as it had stole the end of his sweet.

"Bye sweetie, you be good for daddy okay?"

Teddy looked at her feeling the rough coat sleeves as she held him.

"Where you going mummy?"

His voice was small and had a whimper to it as he looked confused, he was used to his mother leaving early in the mornings and coming home late some times but never leaving at night.

"Mummy has to go to work tonight but she'll be home when you wake up tomorrow I promise."

She kissed his head before setting him down, he watched her go from the window waving before she apparated with a soft pop, once she arrived at the office she found herself filling out paperwork at her desk and she had just about finished half the the pile when an envelope was placed on top of it, she looked up to see Luke, the auror she had done patrols with in Azkaban, as he watched her look up.

She glanced at the envelope picking it up and holding it out to him as she looked over the paper she was in the middle of filling out.

"Forget it kid, I don't do paper work for felid jobs that I'm not on."

She looked back at him as he chuckled crossing his arms as he smirked cockily at her.

"I know you don't Mrs. Lupin but it's a job for you."

She grumbled opening the envelope and looking over the papers inside.

"And Luke, don't call me Mrs. Lupin, just because I'm older than you but that makes me feel overly old just call me-"

She was cut off as one of her senior aurors came around the corner standing behind the sandy blonde making Tonks' hair turn deep brown with a small groan.

"Tonks get going on that paper work boss wants it on his desk now."

She rolled her eyes sticking her tongue out as he walked away making Luke laugh and shake his head.

"How'd someone wild as you get into a place like this?"

She glanced at him drawing her wand and pointing it at him faster than he could blink making him straiten up and look at her a bit scared.

"Before a job is not the time to get on my bad side Luke."

She snorted lowering her wand before brushing past him to leave the paper work floating behind her, she tried to make a successful exit but managed to stumble on her own foot but not fall.

Once the paper work was turned in she was sent to do patrols around both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley before she was able to leave, though it was nearly dawn as she walked up the steps of the house quietly opening and closing the door softly and kicking off her boots before sitting on the couch rubbing her feet that were soarer than she thought possible, she sighed as she took off her robe before she forced herself to her feet walking to Lyra's room peeking in seeing the little girl asleep in her crib the breeze from the window gently spinning the mobile, she smiled softly closing the door before going to her son's room and carefully opening the door poking her head in.

"Mummy?"

Teddy sat up in the bed as if he'd been listening for the sound of the door opening, something she had been worried about, she smiled softly as she made her way to the bed sitting on the edge holding him as he crawled into her lap.

"Morning baby, have you been up all night?"

She felt him nod and yawn as he nuzzled into her hold, in the little light that came in from the window she could see him close his eyes as she covered her mouth from a small yawn.

"Mummy told you not to sweetie."

She moved so she was laying on the pillows her feet on the bed as she felt him streach out on top of her before nuzzling into her, she rubbed his back closing her eyes as she heard him fall asleep, she closed her eyes and was out.

When she opened her eyes she was laying on the bed on her side with Teddy nuzzled into her chest sleeping sound as could be, she looked at the window with a small groan seeing it had to be well past noon, she looked down at Teddy and smiled kissing his head before she carefully got up letting him sleep as she went to the kitchen looking at the clock as she passed it, sure enough it was nearly 2 in the afternoon, she made her way up the stairs ignoring Bill as he said something to her.

She came back down in jeans and a dark blue blouse as she stood by the chair Remus was sitting in as she listened to the topic of joining her auror task at Hogwarts and what order members would go, by the time she left to get Lyra, who was starting to cry as Teddy sat on the floor across from where she had been putting one of his puzzles together, she came back holding the little girl rubbing her back trying to sooth her, she had just calmed her down when the others came to the decision that it would be Bill, Harry, Remus and Arthur that would go with so they could cover more ground than four aurors could alone.

She glanced at Teddy as he walked past her to the kitchen standing at the counter on his tip toes to look over it his eyes on the tin of crystallized pineapple, she went to the counter and moved the tin so he reach it, she tried not to smile as she made it look sneaky chuckling when Teddy smiled taking the tin to the living room, she made a bottle and fed Lyra watching as Teddy sat on the floor now drawing as he ate a few pieces of the pineapple.

She smiled humming to herself as she held Lyra as she walked with Teddy ahead of her down the street to Andromeda's, Lyra was awake and making her normal noises while her brother fallowed a butterfly around outside the house waiting for the two, she opened the door purring as the smell of her mom's cooking wafted in from the kitchen, she fallowed Teddy to the kitchen smiling as she found her mother at the counter rolling out a dough of some sort while at the stove a pot was stirring itself, the room smelt of cherries and sugar a smell Tonks had loved as a child because it meant her mom was making her famous cherry pie, something Tonks could have lived off as a kid if her mom would have let her.

Teddy stood at the counter beside his grandmother watching her while Tonks went to the stove glancing at the cherries as they simmered in the pot, she pouted as the spoon handle smacked her hand as she tried to sneak a taste, she looked back at her mother who was shaking her head while Teddy laughed trying to hide it from her, she went to the table and pulled out a chair and moving it so Teddy could stand at the counter easier as she glanced as her mom dusted the dough with flour before placing it into a pie pan.

While Teddy watched Tonks wondered to the living room looking at the pictures on the mantle giving a small smile as she seen her mother had put a few pictures of her father in frames and put them up, she chuckled seeing the one of when she was about 3 or 4 years old on her dad's feet as he danced around the room her hair as pink as the dress she was in as she giggled smiling up at him.

She looked at the others and seen one of when she was 15 and her mother had insisted on getting her picture done professionally at the old park, she was sitting on the wood swing with the sun behind her lighting up the white dress she was in, she looked at the one next to it, it was of her father and mother standing outside the house as newly weds, her mother looked at the camera and smiled as her father wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head making her smile more.

She was pulled from her thoughts by her son running to her side and hugging her waist, she smiled at him looking up as her mom came into the room wiping her hands off on her apron.

"Your earlier than I was expecting."

She smiled pulling her daughter into a one armed hug careful of Lyra who was now sleeping, Tonks hugged back with a smile.

"I have to go in early and finish some paper work, Remus is over at headquarters with Sirius, Bill, Arthur and Harry getting ready to leave also."

She looked down at Teddy who was still at her side though his attention was on the pictures on the mantle.

"So they are going as well? I thought it was an auror task."

She nodded handing Lyra to her and kneeling down kissing Teddy's head.

"It was but the head mistress has requested the assistance of the order as well, now then you be good Teddy and mummy will see you tomorrow."

Teddy nodded hugging her neck quickly before letting to as the clock on the wall chimed the hour, she gave her mom another hug and kissed Lyra's head before she left, she decided to save the trip and just go to the school rather than wait for her partners at the office.

Once on the grounds of the school she smiled looking at the castle climbing the hill to the gates looking to her left when the three other aurors showed up with a loud crack, she bit her tongue seeing the two dark haired men that were much higher rank than herself, she groaned seeing Luke was with them, he may have made auror rank but he was in dangerous situations he was clumsier than she was and that was saying a lot.

She ignored the men as they walked past her without a word and Luke stopped beside her with his cocky grin.

"Hello auror Tonks."

She was about to snap at him but the crack that ripped through the still air made her look away and smile seeing Remus and the others, forgetting Luke she went to her husband's side kissing his cheek giggling and turning her hair pink when he kissed her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, she walked with him just behind Bill and Arthur to the gates.

She didn't miss the glances the two dark haired aurors were shooting at her as she walked by Remus' side her hand in his happily, what caught her by surprise was the look Luke was giving Remus, it was a look of pain as if he envied the man by her side, she didn't say anything though she felt slightly guilty that she hadn't known Luke looked at her that way only because he was younger than her 26 years, she also felt a bit flattered.

They made their way to the castle and Tonks found herself smiling as she looked around her happy to see nothing much had changed of the castle as they entered the hall, it wasn't till Remus chuckled and squeezed her hand that she realized her brown hair had shortened and turned bright pink, she blushed toning down it's color as the group came to a stop standing before McGonagall and a few of the teachers at the school including professor Sprout who smiled at her having no trouble at all recognizing the young women that had been in Hufflepuff house.

After being told what areas still had to be checked over and where protective charms needed to be re-enforced the group split up, Tonks, Bill and Harry were to patrol near the forbidden forest as well as re-enforce the protective charm around the area, Tonks fallowed by Bill's side with Harry closely behind as she looked up at the sky where the dark grey and black storm clouds rolled in and the thunder crashed off in the distance, with a flash of lightning that made Tonks gasp at how close it seemed the rain came pouring down soaking them with cold drops.

As they stood under the tree cover from the rain Bill and Harry talked about either continuing patrols or waiting out the rain while she began to cast the protecting charm freezing when a figure came into her view just a few feet away, Bill and Harry turned around as they heard her step on a stick causing it to break but before they could raise their wands to the man who walked closer to them she leered over her shoulder at them her eyes a bright amber.

"Go back and find the others tell them to keep clear of the forest! Go!"

Her tone was full of acid and Bill wasn't going to argue with her as he tugged Harry's arm and headed for the castle, she shot a stinging spell at another male that tried to fallow and hearing a yelp she knew she hit her target as she turned back to the man in front of her, he was tall and burly with a mess of black hair and blue eyes that seemed to pierce her soul though her face was cold as ice and emotionless as she looked back at him.

She gasped as he grabbed her by the throat just tight enough it hurt to breath, she growled turning her hair a bloody crimson as she lashed out with her free hand using her nails to claw his face leaving a good sized gash over his eye and cheek which began to bleed then she quickly kicked his stomach making him drop her, she landed on the ground giving a small scream as her wrist snapped as she landed trying to catch herself.

She looked up at the man as he held his eye and gritted his teeth as he leered at her.

"Filthy witch! Deceiving siren! How can you smell like one of us but be one of them?!"

Tonks couldn't say anything as she thought about the question then it struck her like the lightning that flashed over head, she was a werewolf and she was sure that to one older than her she had Remus' scent on her, she got to her feet looking at him her wand raised, she glanced behind her hearing footsteps but what she saw wasn't what she expected, she had expected to see more werewolves surrounding her ready if she were to attack but her body became numb as she seen Remus behind her drawing his wand.

"Stupefy."

The man before her was just as surprised as her husband as he blocked most of the spells power but still stumbled back as she met eyes with the wolf in front of her as he towered over her.

"I see, so that is why you smell like one of us, your the mate of one,"

He barked a laugh moving his hand away from the gash on his face as he looked at Remus.

"And old Lupin's mate none the less, here I thought Greyback was telling stories when he said he'd encountered Lupin with a she-wolf he'd never seen before."

He paused as Remus placed his hand over Tonks' on her wand forcing her to lower it, she was about to object when the man barked another laugh and smirked.

"So old Lupin went and bit you so he could have a mate how sweet, to bad the alpha wants her, not many she-wolves would stand up to an alpha wild or otherwise."

Tonks felt her stomach lurch as she heard those words, without a thought she aimed her wand and used a stunning spell on him sending him back harshly.

"Tell Greyback I'd rather die a million times over than be with him for five seconds."

She spat at the ground where he had been standing watching as the group hurried away, once they were gone she felt herself shaking as she lowered her wand, she hurried her face into Remus' shoulder as he pulled her into his arms holding her close, she closed her eyes scared not for herself but for Teddy, Lyra and Remus she had an idea of what lengths a werewolf would go to just to get something they wanted and anyone who stood in their way was going to meet a very dark fate.