A/N: At the end.

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I Never Cared Much For Normal

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She looked at him with sad eyes, but nodded.

Greyback put her through hell, but he had put Remus through hell too.

"Dora?"

"Just….hold me a little while longer."

He smiled.

"I think I can do that."

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What on earth….?

Nymphadora went to the sitting room window later that morning to see an owl bouncing off the window ledge, repeatedly trying to land.

"Remus, come quick. There's an owl." She called.

He came in from the kitchen and dropped the wards, opened the window and allowed the owl inside.

The bird flew a lap around the room before landing on the coffee table and allowing Nymphadora to remove its letter before it took off again, flying out the window.

Remus closed the window and reset the wards before turning to her.

"Who's it from?"

"It…it's addressed to you." She said, holding the envelope out to him

He took it and opened it, removing the parchment and scanning it.

Dear Remus,

You're father and I haven't heard from you in quite some time. Are you well? I know the transformations are hard for you. I worry when we don't hear from you. And this morning's paper said that Fenrir Greyback escaped from the Ministry of Magic.

Your father and are coming for a visit tonight. And you don't have a choice in the matter. We want to make sure you are safe and it has been far too long since we last saw you.

We'll see you at six o'clock.

Love,

Mum and Dad

He looked at her and sighed.

"Think you're up for a couple of visitors?"

Her eyebrows furrowed.

"My parents are coming tonight. Whether I like it or not." He said, with a chuckle.

"I guess they saw the paper…." She murmured.

"Mhmm. Yes, and they are worried. I'm surprised that the Prophet reported it. They didn't report anything from the trial…"

"What time are they coming over?"

"Six."

She sighed and nodded, slumping down onto the sofa.

"Sweetheart?"

"They have no idea what's happened the last few months, Remus. They don't know about the two of us, about the baby, the trial…..any of it."

"Yes, I suppose they will be surprised when they come, but…."

"But?"

He smiled.

"We are married now….Mother's been begging me to marry for years. I do believe she will be very happy."

"Not if she thinks her son married a weirdo." She muttered.

"Dora, you are not a weirdo." He told her, sitting down beside her.

"Pink haired klutz, remember? I'm not exactly a mother's dream."

He wrapped his arm around her and nuzzled her neck.

"Remus…?" She murmured.

"You're mine, my dream." He whispered.

"And your mum?"

"I'd be a bit unnerved if you were hers, love."

She swatted his arm and he laughed.

"Be serious for a moment, would you?"

"Shall I be rude or would you rather I turn myself into an oversized black dog?"

"Remus!"

"Okay, calm down…." He said and then sighed. "Both my parents will like you, Dora. You don't have to worry."

"And when they find out everything that's been going on?"

"They'll be shocked, but they adapt very quickly."

"Mmm…."

"Trust me, everything will be alright."

"Yes, well…. I'd feel better if I knew their names…"

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"Remus?"

He sighed heavily when he heard his mother's voice call from the other side of the front door.

"Dora, they're here."

Her head popped out from the bedroom and she nodded.

"Alright, I'll be right out." She told him and she disappeared again.

Without further postponement, he rose and went to answer the door.

"Remus?"

And that was his father's voice.

"Why do you have wards up?" He asked his son.

"We've had a bit of chaos recently and put up the wards as a precaution. I hope you won't mind answering a security question?"

"'We've'? As long as you explain…." Said his mother.

"I promise." Remus assured her.

"Then ask away." His father instructed.

"When I was seven, I fell from my broom and I was gifted with a scar. What is its shape and where is it on my person?"

He heard his mother snort as if she found the answer obvious and quite silly.

"It's a jagged line." She answered.

"On your left knee." He father added.

"Really! We used to talk about that at the dinner table…." His mother muttered as he lowered the wards and opened the door to admit them.

"I thought that made it a very appropriate question." Remus defended.

"It did. You know your mum just likes to have something to mutter about." His father said.

"Don't start." She warned her husband and she regarded her son for a moment before hugging him tightly.

Remus chuckled and returned her hug.

"It's good to see you too, mum."

"You had me scared to death…." She uttered, still not ready to release him.

"That wasn't my intention, I promise."

She relinquished her hold on him and sighed.

"I know, but I always worry, nevertheless."

His father smiled.

"You look much better than the last time we saw you." He said.

"You look like you've gotten a few more gray hairs." Remus returned.

His father laughed.

"Yes, well, old age and all that." He said dismissively.

"Remus, you said 'we've'. Whom else were you talking about?" His mother inquired.

"Me."

Three sets of eyes turned to see Nymphadora enter the room.

Remus blinked in surprise.

Her hair was dark brown, not pink, and drawn into a tasteful plait that rested over her shoulder.

He recovered quickly and met his parents' questioning looks with a smile.

"Mother, father, this is Nymphadora. Nym, these are my parents, Marshal and Rhea." He introduced.

Nymphadora smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Indeed, it's wonderful to meet you as well. I had no idea Remus was seeing anyone…." Rhea said.

"I'm afraid it's a bit more serious than that…" Nymphadora said.

"Remus?" Rhea asked.

"You see, Nymphadora and I…well, Nymphadora is my wife." He grinned.

"Well, it certainly is nice to meet the brave soul that would take you on, son." Marshal smirked. "I mean no disrespect, Nymphadora, but he is a petulent man."

"None taken. I know he can be moody, but I'm rather taken with him anyway." She grinned. "But please don't call me Nymphadora. Only Remus seems to insist on that. Call me Tonks."

Marshal nodded.

"I will extend you that favor if you will extend me the same courtesy and call me Mars. Marshal is too formal." He said.

"Deal."

"'Tonks'? Are you Ted and Ann's girl?" Rhea asked.

"Guilty as charged, yes." Nymphadora answered.

"I see my son has taken to cradle robbing…" Murmured Rhea.

"Hardly." Nymphadora said with a snort. "Thirteen years doesn't constitute cradle robbing, especially by wizarding standards. And I pursued him, truth be told."

Rhea stared at her for a moment, taken aback by her forthrightness and audacity. Then she grinned.

"You're definitely your parents' child." She told her. "I'm just surprised…."

"Mother…." Remus warned.

"I would not have thought she would be your type, is all. You're very lovely, dear, but a bit plain. I would have thought Remus would go for someone a bit more….quirky in appearance." Rhea explained.

Nymphadora's eyebrow rose and she gave Remus an inquiring look.

He sighed and gave her a smirk.

"I told you your hair was fine before. Why don't you show them what it usually looks like?" He said.

She nodded and slipped the band out of her hair, closing her eyes.

"Remus, what is she…?" Rhea began to ask.

"Just watch." He answered.

Nymphadora's hair became short and pink in the span of only a few second's time.

Rhea's eyes were wide and Mars was chuckled.

"A very neat trick, Tonks. I wonder where you learned it?" Mars said.

"Not a trick. I'm a metamorphmagus. I like my hair this way, but I thought it would be better if I met you with my hair normal…." Nymphadora explained.

"Well, I take back my former statement. You're exactly his type." Rhea said, after a moment.

Remus cleared his throat.

"I was not aware I had a type…" He muttered.

"Oh, don't be all put out. You keep yourself plain. It only makes sense that you would be attracted to someone who was your opposite. Though, I suppose a fellow Gryffindor is still well matched." Rhea stated.

"I don't think a Slytherin would get on well with him." Nymphadora smiled.

"Mmm…" Rhea hummed. "Remus, I'm very happy for you, but….why didn't you tell us? Your father and I didn't even know you were seeing anyone….and now you're married…."

"I'm afraid that a lot has happened in a very short amount of time, mother." Remus told her.

Rhea's hands went to her hips.

"It's not Remus' fault. If you need to blame someone, blame me." Nymphadora told her.

"Nym…." Remus said.

"How is it your fault, Tonks?" Mars asked.

Nymphadora looked at Remus and he sighed heavily, but nodded.

"Well, you see, everything was quite sudden and….We got on very well before…" She trailed.

"Before?" Rhea inquired.

"Nym is an Auror. She was leading a team on a mission when she was attacked by Greyback." Remus explained.

Both Mars and rhea had horrified expressions on their faces.

"But….why would he attack…?" Mars said.

"Because my mission was to storm what the Minister believed to be a Death Eater stronghold. That alone would have made Greyback attack, but his focused target was me. His heightened senses picked up Remus' scent on me. Greyback went after me to get to Remus." Nymphadora said quietly.

Remus stepped closer to her and wrapped an arm about her shoulders for support and she leaned against him, grateful that he was beside her.

"Then if he attacked you….are you a…?" Rhea asked.

Remus shook his head.

"How can that be?" Mars said.

"Metamorphmagus, for one thing. And….." Nymphadora answered, but she stopped and looked to Remus.

He gave her a gentle smile and kissed her forehead.

"Greyback didn't bite her." He answered.

"But she said he attacked….." Rhea reminded him.

"He raped her, mother." Remus quietly told her.

Rhea's eyes widened again, but Mars' eyes narrowed.

"Then she should have been turned, unless……"

Remus nodded to his father and felt Nymphadora's silent tears seeping into the fabric of his sweater.

"Nym was pregnant."

"Was? So then…. You miscarried?" Rhea asked in the gentlest voice she had yet used.

Nymphadora bit her lip and exhaled before looking at the other woman.

"Several of my colleagues found and rescued me. I woke up in St. Mungo's…They said there was nothing they could do…."

"Greyback was captured and put on trial. Nym and I both testified. He was to be executed last night." Remus told them.

"How far along were you? If it was only a couple of weeks…" Mars started to say.

"Two months… It was viable….." Murmured Nymphadora.

Rhea moved forward and offered her arms to Nymphadora. Nymphadora looked at her for a moment, before wrapping her arms around the elder woman.

"Shh…..I know…I've lost a pregnancy myself, dear. Shhh…." Rhea whispered, trying to calm Nymphadora.

Nymphadora pulled back from her, sniffled and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, both of you. I…I don't mean to cry like this. It certainly isn't the impression I wanted to make the first time I met you. Ex-excuse me…." She said quietly and she hurried back into the bedroom, closing the door behind her as she went.

Rhea looked up at her son.

"How long has she been like this?" She asked.

"This is an improvement. She wasn't talking at all for a while…." Remus told her.

"She's young. Everything hurts greater and longer when you're young, especially if it is a new pain." Mars said.

Rhea gave him a sour look.

"She was raped and lost her baby, Mars. Nothing compares to that."

"No, but the pain will fade to a dull ache over time. You know that as well as anyone." Mars told her.

"Don't give me that! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to continue on after I lost our first pregnancy?! I was devastated. And what happened to me was nature, not some monster's vile hand at work. She has more pain than I did and I was older than her and better able to cope." Rhea almost yelled.

"Yes, but you found a reason to keep going, didn't you?" Mars smiled.

"Having another baby won't fix anything, Mars."

Remus shook his head.

"Enough already. Mother, father….I love Nymphadora and I want her to be happy. The pregnancy wasn't planned, but we realized how happy we both were at the thought of having a family together. Greyback hurt her to get to me and she had the courage to openly face him at his trial and testified against him. And she came home with me and she married me, in spite of everything. She's faced her worst demon already. Now she's trying to feel like her old self as much as she can. She doesn't want to cry, she wants to move on. She's set her mind on it. And she is the most stubborn woman I know. Once she's decided to do something, she does it. She became an Auror. She even set her heart on me, foolish as that was, but she has me and I'll do everything I can to help her."

Rhea quirked a smile.

"Definitely your type, she is." She told him.

Mars sighed and nodded.

"Lovely girl. Why don't you check on her and then we can all have a spot of tea? Hmm?" Mars suggested.

Remus nodded and made his way to the bedroom door.

"Nym?" He knocked. "Can I come in?"

He heard muffled footsteps and then the door opened a crack.

Opening the door further, he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Nymphadora was standing about an arms length away, clutching a handkerchief tightly in her hands.

"I'm so sorry, Remus. I didn't mean to start crying like some sobbing idiot and then ruin your parents' visit." She apologized.

He smiled and shook his head.

"You haven't ruined anything, love."

"Aren't you upset?"

"No."

"What about your mum and dad?"

"They'd like you to come out for tea. And so would I."

"But I heard yelling?"

He chuckled.

"Mum and dad having the same old argument that they've had for years."

She gave him a puzzled look.

"My mum got pregnant once, before I was born and she miscarried before the second trimester. From what I know, it was very hard on her. My dad's always said that the reason my mum got over the loss was because she found out she was pregnant again, with me. He said she had something joyful to look forward to again."

"How is that an argument?"

"Mum says she had to figure out how to cope with what had happened and it was just coincidence that when she learned to cope she learned she was also once again expecting."

"So your dad thinks we should try for another baby and your mum doesn't."

It wasn't a question.

"No. They didn't really speak in terms of you and me." He told her.

"Mmm…."

"Nym?"

She sighed and shook her head. He walked over to her and she leaned against him as his arms came around to hold her.

"They may not have used our names, but they were talking about us, Remus. My parents drop hints that way too."

He smiled.

"Then I guess you and I should have a talk later about my parents' suggestions." He whispered.

"I suppose…"

He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Come on. Some tea will make you feel better." He told her.

"Alright….but Remus?"

"Hmm?"

She leaned up and brushed her lips against his lightly.

"Thanks for coming in here after me."

He smiled.

"What kind of husband would I be if I didn't go after my wife?"

She giggled and dabbed her eyes one last time with the handkerchief.

"I suspect a normal one. But I never cared much for normal."

"Me either."

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A/N: Hello again! I'm very sorry about the long wait for this chapter. If you read my other fanfiction, you'll already know, but if you don't the reason it took me so long was because I was busy with finals and graduation stuff. Two new characters...Always fun. Actually, a reviewer requested that we all meet Remus' parents. And as you can see, I listen to my reviewers as much as possible (that, and it was a very good idea). ;) But anyway... I'd like to point out his parents names. I don't know if you'll recognize them, but they are from the ancient myth. According to the myth, the god Mars and the virgin Rhea Silvia had Romulus and Remus. I figured I'd keep the names the same. I hope that you liked this one. A huge thank you to you for reading and to all the very kind wonderful people who have been reviewing. I truly appreciare it. Thanks again and I'll see you in the next chapter!