It had been months since the war had started in full. Remus had been making sure the protective charms around their house were holding up almost every hour. He'd cast charms around the house to ensure baby safety as well. Ever since he had left and come back to Tonks he'd tried to be the model husband and father. He had made sure the nursery had everything a baby may need. He was also taking extra care of his wife making sure she didn't fall or injure herself. As her stomach grew so did her clumsiness.
Tonks was now waddling around the house. Her belly was sticking out far past being able to see her toes. She was very ready to not be pregnant anymore. She was very ready to meet her new little witch or wizard. She was not longer sleeping, but she was sure that was mainly because she had learned a while back that her father was living his life on the run. She was constantly worried about his whereabouts. She had heard nothing of his movements. Andromeda had been over to the Lupin house at least three times a week to ease her mind.
Luckily before Ted had to go into hiding the Tonks family had reconciled their differences and were getting along very well. Remus would always cook dinner when Andromeda was over to their house. They all felt themselves becoming a very close family. Andromeda would laugh with her daughter and son-in-law. They would have a pleasant time and briefly forget what they had come together to forget. But once they would turn on their muggle radios and heard Lee Jordan's voice speaking of who had been lost that day. Tonks would grip at Remus' robes and Andromeda preferred to sit in the arm chair alone holding her breath as the list went on. Every night they all would let out a breath of relief when Ted's name didn't come up.
"Dora," Tonks heard Remus calling from upstairs. She hurried up, or she tried to hurry up the stairs, to her husband.
"Remus," she shouted from the top of the stairs. He came racing out of their bedroom.
"Are you alright," he asked running over to her and helping her walk back into their bedroom.
"Yes, why did you make me walk up the stairs," Tonks asked him. "What do you need me for?"
"You could have stayed downstairs," he chuckled. "I was just going to ask if you wanted your nightly tea?"
Tonks looked at her husband with a look that would make anyone terrified to be in the room with her. "Remus Lupin, I am eight months pregnant. If you're going to ask if I want tea you come to me. Do you understand?"
"Understood, dear," he said kissing her cheek. "Would you like your tea?"
"Yes," she said curtly. "Also I would love some Bertie Bott's." Tonks has a dreamlike look on her face as she thought about the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.
"You're lucky I keep so many sweets here," Remus said kissing her once more.
"No, you're lucky," Tonks said quietly as Remus walked out. He laughed as he went to retrieve his wife's request. He, also, was fairly excited for her not to be pregnant any longer.
The next day Andromeda had Apparated over for dinner. Remus decided to make Molly Weasley's meat pies. They were Tonks' favorite and he hoped they would keep her mind off of her father. She was so close to Ted and it was killing her not knowing where he was. If he was doing alright. If he was with anyone. It was far harder than anything Remus could imagine. He knew Sirius could take care of himself when he was on the run, but Ted wasn't nearly as rugged as Sirius. Remus believed that Ted would have a difficult time running. He also believed that it would be better if he were to perish of natural causes while running through the forest then being found by a Snatcher.
The three of them laughed through dinner again. Tonks complained of pregnancy again wishing that the baby would come early. She was tired of not being able to walk normally and it taking twice as long to walk up the stairs. She hated drinking that potion twice a day. And she hated having to rely so much on Remus. She wanted to be able to do things on her own again.
After dinner Tonks went to turn on the radio as they did at night. After she heard Lee Jordan's voice speaking through the speakers. They heard nothing of Ted. However, there was a loud crack of Apparation revealing Arthur Weasley. Arthur gestured for Remus to come speak with him privately. He got up quietly rubbing his wife's back as he did so.
The two men walked into the study to have their conversation. "What's happened, Arthur," Remus asked as he closed the door.
"Remus, we've gotten word on Tonks' father," Arthur said to him. Remus knew exactly what had happened. "He was running with Dirk Creswell, Dean Thomas, and a couple of goblins. Snatchers captured Ted and Creswell. They didn't make it through."
Remus' heart sank. He hadn't become very close with Ted before he was forced to run from the Death Eaters, but he knew bringing this news to his wife was the worst thing he was ever going to do. Arthur hugged Remus hoping that would calm him slightly.
"We thought we'd let you inform Tonks and Andromeda. Please tell her Molly and I are here if you need anything. Also, Lee Jordan needs someone to come talk on Potterwatch tomorrow. The rest of The Order is on duty." Remus nodded agreeing with him. Arthur gave him one last hug and Disapparated from the home.
Remus took a few breaths before walking back out into the sitting room. He saw the look on his wife's face as he walked back out. She knew. He walked over and held her as tightly as he possible could. Andromeda had been upstairs looking at the nursery. She thought it was cute emulating the night sky.
"Mum," Tonks said through her tears.
Andromeda's knees gave out and she fell to the floor. Remus rushed over to assist her to the sofa. He let Tonks and her mother cry into each other while he sat rubbing Tonks' back. Hoping it was giving her even a little comfort. He felt her hand come back and grip his thigh. Like she needed something to anchor herself there. The women stayed like that for over an hour. Remus brewed some tea and retrieved anything either of them needed.
It was well after midnight when Andromeda insisted she leave for the night. Remus wouldn't hear of such a thing. He brought her upstairs and had her set up in the third bedroom. They had turned it into a guest room after Remus won the argument of putting a transformation shed on the back lawn.
Remus then went back and helped his wife to their bedroom. He knew no one in the house was going to get any sleep that night. Tonks curled, as much as she could, into Remus' side and cried.
Remus was running his hand through her soft brown hair. "Do you need anything," he asked in a soft voice. Tonks said nothing, but shook her head telling him she didn't. "Dora, I've been asked to head to Potterwatch tomorrow. Just briefly. Won't be but an hour," he told her.
"Why you," Tonks asked through her tears.
"The rest of The Order is on duty. Arthur asked when he was here," he told her. "I will send a Patronas telling him I can't if you don't want me to go. You're my priority."
"No, no," Tonks said wiping her face. "Go. I know it will mean something to you to help out. You've been cooped up here with your pregnant wife for eight months. Get out," she said forcing herself to laugh.
"Only if you're sure," he said and she just nodded. "I know we haven't settled on a name for this little one," he said placing his hand on her stomach. "I also know you want to honor someone important to us." She nodded again. "I really would love to name him Edward."
These words made Tonks start crying again. She gripped Remus' pajamas and buried her face in his chest. He didn't try to further the conversation. There was no point. He knew she wasn't going to argue with him on this. Remus had done so much for her in the past eight months and this was one more thing he was doing for her.
Somehow Remus making this suggestion eased Tonks and she was able to fall asleep resting on his chest. The next several weeks were going to be so hard for them. He didn't know what was going to happen to them. But he knew he was going to help his wife through it. His mother-in-law through it.
Three weeks had past. Andromeda was spending more time at the Lupin house. Tonks was happy that she was spending so much time with her mother. Andromeda kept giving her daughter mothering advice and Tonks had to keep reminding her that the baby hadn't been born yet. As made obvious by her large stomach. They spent much time talking about Ted and what a good father he had been.
Late one night Tonks was having a very hard time sleeping. She hadn't been sleeping much in the last months and since he father passed it had gotten worse, but that night she was feeling sick. Remus woke up concerned for her well-being. She was moaning as though she were in pain.
"Dora," he said placing his hand gently on her stomach. "What's wrong dear?"
Tonks didn't say anything. After feeling Remus' touch she knew. This was it. "Remus," she said clutching his wrist. "Get my mother." With that Remus knew and jumped to retrieve Andromeda from the guest room.
Andromeda got her daughter downstairs to where they had prepared for Tonks to have the baby. Remus had sent a patronas to Molly and she Apparated over as quickly as she could. Tonks still wasn't in much pain, but Andromeda assured her daughter that would come to an end quickly.
And she was right. Her labor was coming along very quickly. Before she knew it she was screaming and blaming Remus for everything. She was digging her fingernails into his forearm.
"Why did you do this to me," she shouted at Remus pulling him by his arm so he was standing directly over her. Remus gave Andromeda a look hoping that she would have something to make this easier on Tonks and his mother-in-law simply shook her head. There was no magical way to get her through the delivery faster or in less pain.
Molly was bringing what was needed every few minutes to Andromeda who was ready for the baby to arrive.
"Dora, dear," Andromeda told her. "You're coming up to the worst of it, but it will be over soon. You can do this."
Tonks start shaking her head. She had faced Death Eaters and crazy wizards, but she was sure she wasn't going to make it through child birth. She had been waiting for weeks to not be pregnant any longer, but now she would willing be pregnant for the rest of her life if she didn't have to go through this pain.
Remus looked at his wife lying there in unbelievable pain. She was sweating and crying. Her pink hair was turning different colors by the second. Even her facial features were going a little haywire as she got closer to giving birth.
Tonks pulled Remus down to her level. "Remus, I can't do this," she told him. "I can't."
Remus chuckled. "Sweetheart, you've endured so much. You are the strongest woman I have ever known. You're so close and it'll be over. And we'll have him."
Tonks kept repeating 'no' to him as he talked to her.
"Dora," she heard her mother say. "It's time."
Tonks cried 'no' as her mother and Molly readied themselves for the birth.
"Tonks," Molly said, "just a little bit more. You can do this."
Andromeda coached her daughter through the delivery and a mere ten minutes later Tonks was holding her baby boy. She was still crying, but this time was happy tears.
"He looks so like his father," Tonks said mooning over her son. Remus had gotten on the table with her and was holding her tightly around the shoulders.
"Thank you for giving me the chance to meet him," Remus said lightly stroking the boy's forehead. "And you're wrong. He's all you, my dear." Neither said anything they simply looked at each other. "I love you, Dora."
"I love you too, Remus," she said kissing him. "Thank you for coming back and being there through everything."
Andromeda and Molly slowly backed out of the room. "He really is beautiful," Molly said to the other woman.
"He is," Andromeda said. "I simply wish Ted were here to meet him. He spoke so much of his grandchild. He had so many plans to spend so much time with him. He was so looking forward to being a grandfather. Breaks my heart that he won't meet him."
Molly quickly hugged Andromeda. "Tonks and Remus won't let the baby not know everything about his grandfather. Tell him of how Ted fought for the good of the wizarding world. How brave he was and how he died with honor."
"Thank you, Molly," Andromeda said.
Remus walked out into the sitting room. The women quickly noticed him standing there awkwardly. "What is it, Remus? Is everything alright," Molly quickly asked.
"Yes," he said quickly. "Tonks wants to talk to you, Andromeda," he said.
"I'll make a pot of tea," Molly said and raced to the kitchen.
The other two went back to where Tonks was still lying down. "Mum," she said motioning her head asking if she wanted to hold the baby. Andromeda teared up and took the baby in her arms. "Mum, we wanted to talk to you about the baby."
Andromeda nodded her head telling them to go on. "Well," Remus started, "first, we discussed it and we decided, a few weeks ago actually, that we're going to call him Edward in honor of your husband." Andromeda started crying harder.
"Mum, is that okay," Tonks asked only earning a nod from her mother. Andromeda was so very happy that her daughter and son-in-law wanted to honor her late husband in this way. "Remus," Tonks whispered, "I think I need some rest."
"I'll make sure Teddy is well taken care of," Andromeda said and walked out of the room and set Teddy down in his bassinet.
"Dora," Remus said quietly. "Before we go upstairs I want to ask you something." Tonks yawned and nodded her head. "I want to make Harry Teddy's godfather." Tonks smiled and kissed her husband.
"I think that is a brilliant idea," she said. "Do you know where he might be?"
"Molly mentioned something about Bill having contact with him," he said. "Probably there."
"Go," she told him. "Just don't go for long. From what I understand this parenting thing is going to be a two person job."
"I won't be more than an hour," he said kissing her forehead and helping her to her feet. He quickly helped her up the stairs and into their bed. "Are you sure you don't need me here," he asked bringing her several more blankets.
"I'm sure," she said. "Mum and Molly are here. Go."
"Alright," Remus said taking his traveling cloak out of the closet. "I promise I'll be back very soon." He kissed her gently. "I love you."
"I love you too," Tonks said laughing. "Now go before you drive me mad." Remus kissed her and Disapparated from the room. This caused Molly to run up the stairs.
"What was that," she asked rushing into the bedroom.
"Remus," Tonks said. "He's gone to announce the birth," she said with a chuckle. "Thank you for being here. Remus and I, both, greatly appreciate it."
"Of course, dearie," Molly said sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I've always seen you as another one of my own. If you ever need anything you know you can call on Arthur or myself." Tonks reached out pulling Molly into a hug. She loved her mother more than anything, but Andromeda didn't know what she was going through with the war and the Order. Not being able to go out and help her friends fight. To keep people safe. She had to sit back and hear so much second hand. It was killing her knowing that there was nothing she could do. But when she saw Teddy's little face looking up at her she knew her job was to take care of him.
Andromeda then walked into the bedroom holding the sleeping baby with his bassinet floating behind her. "I've cleaned downstairs," she said as she set up the baby in his bassinet. "Dora, he's so beautiful. His hair has been slowly changing all morning. He so takes after you."
"Maybe in morphing, but he looks so like Remus," Tonks said stroking his face with her index finger. "I need some rest. Would you both mind?"
"Sure," both the women responded. "I'll take Teddy—"
"No," Tonks said interrupting her mother. "He's asleep. We'll be fine."
Andromeda kissed her daughter's head and she and Molly left the room closing the door slightly. After the women had left Tonks got up and went over to her new son.
"Hello, Teddy," she said in a quiet soothing tone. "I'm mummy. Let me tell you this, you are the best surprise I've ever gotten. You have been born in a hard time for witches and wizards, but after it's all through you'll be growing up without any worries. I'm so happy for you for that. And you'll have all of these amazing people around you. Grannie, and Auntie Molly and Uncle Arthur. Hopefully you'll soon meet your godfather Harry Potter. Now Harry is a very famous wizard, but for all great reasons. You're sure to love him just as much as mummy and daddy do. But all of these people will love you almost as much as mummy and daddy. Now, you're dad. He can be difficult. And stubborn. And very hard to handle. But you'll learn to love him. I promise. And he loves you very much. Oh and Teddy Remus Lupin, you are named after the two most important men that have ever come through my life. Your dad, who has been through so much in his life and it has all made him a better man. And your granddad. He was so looking forward to meeting you, but he didn't get the chance. When you're a little older I'll tell you all about him. I want you to know who he was. I love you so much, Teddy. I will never leave you." She leaned over the bassinet and kissed his forehead very gently.
Tonks quickly fell asleep after moving the bassinet closer to her bed. She didn't want to be far from her son. If anything happened she needed to be right next to her so she could protect him.
Downstairs Molly and Andromeda were sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea and eating biscuits. They heard a pop and Remus stood before them.
"How's she doing," he asked quickly.
"They're both upstairs sleeping," Molly told him.
"And his hair keeps turning," Andromeda said to him.
"Good," he said. "I figure if he's showing signs of metamorphmagus he won't show any of lycanthropy. It had to be one or the other right?"
"We can only hope," Molly told him.
"Thank you both for being here," Remus said picking up a biscuit and taking a couple bites. "We both truly appreciate it. I'll go up and check on them," he said and quickly went upstairs and into his bedroom. He saw Tonks sleeping with one hand in the bassinet and the other clutching her wand. "Already an over protective mum," Remus said quietly to himself chuckling. He walked over and saw his newborn son awake with his mother's hand resting on his tummy. "Well Teddy, I was going to take you on a little tour to your room, but I fear if I tried to remove you from your mother's grasp both of us would go flying across the room struck with a stunning spell."
Remus kneeled down next to the bassinet and reached into it and adjusted his blanket. "I want to talk to you, son," he said quietly not wanting to wake his exhausted wife. "You're going to hear many bad things about your father. And there will be days where you won't see much of me. I want you to know that I'll always come back to you. You and your mum mean everything to me. I'm sure you and mum have already had a nice talk while I was away telling our friends that you had arrived and you and mum were doing great. Everyone wants photos of you. Son, I so love you. I want you to know that whatever you may hear of me or what I am it's not entirely true. It depends on the person. Your mum always tells me that I'm not like the others and I hope that you agree with her. Your mum and I have had a very hard time trying to make our marriage work. I did some very regrettable things to your mother. And you may hear of them and it may affect your opinion of me. Know that I love her more than I ever knew I could love someone. Then you came along. I'm so excited to see you grow." Just as Tonks had Remus leaned over the side of bassinet and kissed his son gently on the forehead.
Tonks had been awake to hear most of what Remus had said. "You know he'll love you no matter what," she said quietly. "You're his dad. As long as you love him, he'll love you."
Remus smiled and walked around to sit on the bed next to her. "Do you need anything," he asked slowly reaching for her wand to put it on the bedside table.
"Yes," she said very seriously. "I need the father of my child to come lie with me. You were only gone for an hour, but I missed you," she said taking his hand and tugging him towards her.
Remus smiled and went to crawl into bed with her. "How are you feeling," he asked her.
"I'm doing well," Tonks told him. "You saw Harry?"
"Yes," he said. "He agreed to be Teddy's godfather. They were all so happy to hear. Dora, thank you so much for Teddy. I was so concerned with fathering a child, but looking at him. I had nothing to worry about. He's absolutely perfect."
"He is, isn't he," she said cuddling into Remus side. "If anyone ever tris to hurt him I won't even pause before I—"
"Careful, Nymphadora," Remus said warningly.
"What," she said. "I shall just protect him with everything I have."
Remus laughed and pulled her closer to him. "We should get some sleep. Your mother and Molly aren't going to stay here forever to let us rest before we're hit fully with parenthood."
"I suppose you're right," Tonks said slowly closing her eyes. "Thank you for staying with me."
Remus sighed. There were still parts of his wife that feared he'd leave her again. "Always," he said to her as they both drifted off to sleep.
The last two months had been very emotional for the Lupins. Tonks had lost her father and had her son. Her emotions didn't know where to land, but she felt completely safe with Remus' arms around her and her son sleeping nearby. This was the first time she'd been able to truly sleep in weeks. She didn't know what lied ahead of them or how long this was to go on. If Harry was at all close to completing Dumbledore's quest. But for now she was happy with her family together under the same roof.
A/N: So I was gonna make this two chapters, but halfway through I decided to just combine the two storylines because they happened so close together. So now all that's left is the Battle of Hogwarts then I will write about their lives after the war is won. I'm excited to write about after the war is over and explore Remadora raising Teddy.
As always be sure to favorite, follow, review, and recommend to all your Remadora loving friends. Also follow me on social media and be sure to ask for a follow back I'd love to meet some new people. Twitter: /QueerAsColiver. Instagram: /fangirl_extraordinaire. Tumblr: queer-as-coliver.
XOXO
Taylor