A few days later, Rodolphus and Nymphadora packed up their things and prepared to go home to the Tonks house. They disapparated home and stepped into the house together. Rabastan met them at the front door, grinning. "Hello, Madam Lestrange," he teased her with a wink. "So Rodolphus, when is her child due?"
Nymphadora gaped at her brother-in-law, and Rodolphus smirked. "That depends on if and when she conceives," he replied. Tonks blushed, partially hiding her face in Rodolphus' sleeve.
Andromeda dashed out of the kitchen and hurried into the room to see her daughter. "Nymphadora," she said, embracing the young woman firmly. "How are you?"
"I'm doing very well, Mum," Tonks replied, still blushing from Rabastan's and Rodolphus' words as she returned her mother's embrace. "Where's Teddy?"
"In the kitchen," Andromeda said. "He's in his playpen. Would you like to come see him?"
Nymphadora nodded and hurried off after her mother. Teddy shouted happily when he saw his mother, shaking the blanket that was in the playpen. "Hey, little one," she said, picking him up and kissing his soft little cheek. "I've missed you." She settled the child on her hip, and Teddy looked around before glancing up at Nymphadora and saying, "Ma! Ma!"
She smiled proudly down at her son and said, "Oh, Mum, he's growing up!"
Rodolphus came over and slipped his arm around his wife, looking down at the child. Teddy looked up at Rodolphus and cooed happily, reaching out for him. "Da!" he proclaimed.
Nymphadora flinched, speechless. She looked helplessly over at her mother. Rodolphus drew back awkwardly and just watched, making Teddy grasp his mother's robe and look around for him.
Andromeda motioned for Rodolphus to come back, and stepped closer to Nymphadora. The black-haired witch gave the child to Rodolphus, and stepped back, watching the two of them and biting her lip. "Nymphadora," said Andromeda quietly, "are you going to raise this child as Rodolphus' son, or Remus' son?"
"Rodolphus will take the title of father right now," Nymphadora said softly, "but when Teddy is old enough to understand, I want him to know about his real father."
Rodolphus, holding Teddy carefully, slipped his arm around Nymphadora. "Of course," he agreed. "I'll do my best to be the father Teddy needs—you know that, Love."
Nymphadora nodded, then headed for the door. "I'm going to go unpack," she told them over her shoulder. "Hey, Rod, am I moving into your room, or are you moving into my room?"
"I don't know!" Rodolphus called back, then gave Teddy to Andromeda and hurried after his wife. Rodolphus went to one of their rooms, Tonks laughing when he came in. She was sprawled out on his bed, grinning up at him upside down. "So," she said, "am I staying over, or are you staying over?"
He sat down beside her and touched his hand to the side of her face. "I thought we could make our rooms into one large room," he told her. "Magically switch around the rooms up here. But I don't know how your house is warded or if it's possibly to move the rooms without destroying the wards."
"Okay," said Nymphadora thoughtfully, slipping her arm across her body. "Um—well, it might be possible. I'd really have to study the wards, though."
"Yes," mused Rodolphus. "I tried to look at the wards before I left prior to rehearsal day, but the wards rejected me."
"Oh." Nymphadora grinned a little as Rodolphus lay down next to her, smiling into her eyes. "Then explain to me what needs to be done in order to change the rooms."
"You have to know if the wards are over the entire house, or if each room has connected wards," Rodolphus replied. "Sometimes, moving warded rooms rips down the entire group of wards over the house."
Nymphadora nodded, gasping as he caressed her gently before leaning over to kiss her. "I—I think that the house is warded as one," she said, finally breaking away from his kiss. "I put special wards on my room, though, and I know you did on yours, too. Almost every room has some special ward on it, but I don't think they're connected. Wouldn't we have to take the wards off of our rooms in order to join them, though?"
"Yes," Rodolphus answered. "And if we do this, we'll have to make sure that the rooms stay inside the space designated by the ward over the entire house. So I'll probably need to see the ward plans."
"Just ask Mum," Tonks replied. "She should know: I think she put up the wards by herself. At least, Dad never seemed to modify them." She lay in Rodolphus' embrace for a few more minutes, then said, "I don't want to go back to work tomorrow."
Rodolphus hugged her gently. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I wish I could have gotten a longer time off so that we could have been away together longer."
Nymphadora shrugged slightly. "It's okay," she reassured him. "It's better for me to be busy rather than to lounge all over the place." She smiled, then said, "We should go ask Mum about the wards" and jumped up, heading for the door. Rodolphus shook his head at his energetic bride, then stood and followed.
The next morning, Nymphadora woke up to find Rodolphus standing over her, a proud expression on his face. Rodolphus smiled when he saw that she was awake. "I love you," he murmured, leaning down and kissing her lips. "You remember that I told you I have to leave for work early today?"
"Yes," she replied, leaning up to kiss him again. "I love you, Rodolphus. Have a good day."
"Yeah," Rodolphus snorted. "You too, Auror Tonks."
"Thanks," Nymphadora said, half sarcastically. "I think it'll be okay. Goodbye."
Rodolphus grinned. "Goodbye," he murmured, kissed her cheek, and left the room.
Nymphadora yawned and stretched, then sat up, blinking to try to clear her vision. Finally, she stood and stumbled over to her dresser, trying to find clean clothes so she could go get a shower. Her towel over her shoulder, Nymphadora peeked out of her and Rodolphus' room, then hurried down the hall to the bathroom. "We should have connected the bathroom to our room," Nymphadora muttered as she got into the shower. "Goodness knows Mum won't appreciate people streaking in the halls."
When she was finished with her shower, she hurried back to her room, making sure no one was out in the hall. She slipped on her Auror robes, scowling at herself in the mirror. Performing a Drying Charm on her hair, Nymphadora sighed when she saw that her spell had not only dried her hair, but had frizzed it as well.
"Goodness," she said in annoyance, morphing her hair short and brown. "You'd think I failed my Charms classes." Smoothing out her robe and shoving her wand into the waistband of her robes, Nymphadora hurried out of her room and downstairs to breakfast.
"Good morning finally," Andromeda said to her sleepy-looking daughter. "You didn't even get out of bed until Rodolphus left this morning."
"We said goodbye upstairs," Nymphadora yawned. "He didn't want to disturb me until he had to. Mum, Rodolphus is so sweet!"
Andromeda smiled at the dreamy look in the younger woman's eyes. "I'm sure," she said. "Now eat something, for I'm sure you'll need your strength at the Office today."
Nymphadora pulled her plate toward herself and began to eat. "Thanks," she told her mother. "I'm nervous, but I think I have to eat this time so that I have some energy."
The older woman said nothing, but nodded understandingly. Nymphadora ate in silence, then stood and took her plate to the sink before coming back and hugging her mother goodbye. "Is Teddy awake?" she asked.
"No, thank goodness," sighed Andromeda. "He cried for a long time last night."
"Really?" asked Nymphadora, feeling a little guilty. "I never even heard him."
"Perhaps you should modify the wards on your room," Andromeda responded. "I don't mind taking care of Teddy, but I'm certain he wanted you last night."
"Sorry," said Tonks, tilting her head a little. "I'll make sure to do it tonight. Anyway. I'll see you later." She hugged her mother again, then hurried out of the house, disapparating to the Ministry Atrium.
When Nymphadora arrived at the lifts, she met Arthur Weasley. "Wotcher," she greeted him with a smile.
Arthur smiled at her in surprise. "Hello, Tonks," he said pleasantly. "I see you're none worse for the wear."
"Nope," she said with a grin as they stepped into a lift together. Some other people joined them, frowning over at Tonks and whispering among themselves when they recognized her. "Oh, goodness," she muttered grumpily. Nymphadora stepped back, staying in the corner of the lift.
When the doors opened to their level, Tonks hurried off the lift, Arthur walking with her. "Have a good day," he told her. "And just ignore their prejudice—they don't understand Hufflepuffs."
Laughing, Tonks nodded. "See you later, Arthur," she said, and walked through the doorway into the Office. She quietly headed for her cubicle, but before she got there, someone called her out.
"Hey, everyone, look! Nymphadora survived her Love's Week!" Stirling winked at her suggestively, and she blushed, quickly morphing it away.
"Don't call me Nymphadora," she hissed at him as several people peeked up over their cubicle dividers.
Reanne stepped out of a nearby cubicle and said, "Yes, Stirling, remember that she wishes to be called Auror Lestrange from now on—"
Nymphadora tilted her head and sighed at the two. "I do not," she said. "Just call me Tonks." And she walked away from them all, seeing Neville scoot back into his cubicle when he saw her coming. She sat down at her desk, a tiny part of her amused that everyone wanted to see her upon her return.
After a few minutes, she was made aware of someone else's presence when he cleared his throat behind her. "Neville," she said softly, motioning him to come sit by her. "How are you?"
"Fine," he replied, sitting down. "Are you all right, Nymphadora?"
"Yes," she answered. "Were you worried about me this week?"
Neville didn't answer for a moment, then nodded finally. "We want you to remain alive and in one piece," he told her, smiling weakly.
She sat back in her chair and looked over at him. "Neville, after everything you said—"
"Tonks," Neville interrupted, "I know. It's just—well, you know." He looked down at his hands.
"I understand," Nymphadora said quietly, knowing that Neville was deeply concerned that she would end up like his mother. "Neville, I'll be okay. Rodolphus loves me."
"But I'll wager he doesn't love unconditionally like you do," Neville said, a little sharply.
Nymphadora bit her lip, her eyes narrowing. "Neville, please, let's not discuss this. I don't want to be angry about it."
Neville glanced over at her, about to say something else, but stopped. Looking down again, he asked, "Tonks, will you go with me to see my parents after our shift?"
She raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Do you really want me to?" she asked.
"If you would," Neville replied without looking up.
"Yes," she answered after a moment. "I'll go."
"Thanks," Neville said softly, then frowned as he rose to leave. "Will Rodolphus be upset if you go with me?"
Nymphadora shook her head. "I'll just write him and explain that I'll be late getting home today," she told Neville. "See you in a while." Neville nodded and left the cubicle.
When their shift was over, Nymphadora joined Neville at the apparition point a little way from the Auror Office. "Ready?" she asked him.
"Yes," he responded. "Did you write the letter?"
"Mmm-hmmm," she replied, offering her hand to the boy. "Sent it almost as soon as you left my cubicle." She disapparated with him to St. Mungo's.
When the receptionist saw them, she frowned at Tonks and asked Neville, "Are you sure you want her to come with you now?"
Neville nodded, his expression unchanged, and the woman shook her head. "Why you trust her is beyond me. Terias will be with you shortly." Neville nodded, and the two stepped aside to wait for the healer.
When Terias saw them, he raised an eyebrow at Tonks, then motioned them to follow him. Once they were through the doors, he greeted them. "Hello, Neville," he said. "Hello, Madame Lestrange."
"It's just Tonks," hissed Nymphadora through gritted teeth.
"Aw, she's ashamed of her name," Terias said sweetly.
"Tonks is my name," she hissed at the healer. "And I am not ashamed of it!"
Terias smirked as they walked up several flights of stairs. "You don't want to be called a Lestrange? You're a funny witch, Tonksie."
To his and Neville's surprise, Nymphadora laughed. "I haven't been called Tonksie since Charlie ran off to be a dragon keeper in Romania," she said. "To my knowledge, he was the only one who ever called me Tonksie."
Shaking his head, Terias opened the door to a certain ward, and the two followed him inside. Nymphadora looked around, a bit nervous as she always was when she came with Neville. Terias looked around the ward, frowning, then pointed them toward a white-haired witch who was watching a healer help one of the other patients and asking questions. "Alice, dear, Neville is here and he brought a friend with him," he called to her.
The white-haired woman looked in several directions before seeing Neville and Tonks. She hurried across the room and embraced her son, murmuring, "It's so good of you to come see me, Neville. And to bring a friend, too." She looked over at Tonks, who gave her a slight smile.
"Uh, yeah," said Neville, suddenly not sure what to say at all.
"Is she your special friend?" Alice asked curiously.
Neville stared at Tonks in horror. "No! She's just—just a friend."
Alice looked slightly embarrassed. "Oh. I was thinking that she looks a bit older than you," the woman mused, looking between Tonks and Neville.
Neville's face turned red. "Mum, please," he said in a low voice. "Just don't talk about that."
"Oh, sorry—whoa," Alice said, seeing Nymphadora's blush suddenly disappear from her face and ears. "Who are you?"
"I—I'm Nymphadora," she replied. "Nymphadora Tonks."
"Tonks," said Alice slowly. "I think I knew your parents—"
"Yes," Nymphadora answered, "Ted and Andromeda Tonks were minimally involved in the first Order of the Phoenix."
Alice's face lit up. "Yes," she said excitedly. "And I remember you, too! You were the little girl that more often than not had mismatched eyes and highlighted hair. Your mother could not control you—and could not keep you out of our meetings."
"I never sat still," Tonks agreed, grinning slightly. "And I never shut up."
"Exactly," chuckled Alice. "During one of our meetings, you burst into the room, ran up to me, and jumped up on my lap. You touched my badge and told me in a very loud, sure voice that, one day, you were going to be an Auror just like me."
"That was you?" gasped Nymphadora in surprise. "I had no idea! I thought I'd never seen you before Neville asked me to come here with him!"
"You've been here before?" Alice asked curiously.
Neville nodded. "Remember I told you about the woman that came in here and talked to you, helping you?"
Alice frowned. "Yes, but it wasn't her—it was—how could it have been Bellatrix? Isn't she dead?"
"Yes," Neville said, watching Tonks carefully.
Nymphadora realized what he intended, and instantly morphed her hair black and sharpened her facial features. "I came as her," she said. "I was here with you, but I am not she."
Alice seemed to be staring at Nymphadora's neck. "But you have her necklace."
Tonks' hand jumped to the Lestrange crest at her throat. "Yes, well—" She looked over at Neville and wondered if he had brought her to St. Mungo's to be cross-examined by his mother.
"If you did not take the necklace from her when she died, then how did you get it?" Alice asked, frowning.
"Rodolphus gave it to me," Nymphadora said, morphing back to her normal face as she fingered the Lestrange crest. "After—after he asked me to—to marry him."
Alice stared at her, then swore, making both healers in the room look a bit alarmed. "Marry him?" she shrieked, and the healers glanced at each other. "That sweet little girl I knew marry a Lestrange?"
Nymphadora's eyes narrowed. "It is already done," she said flatly. "We were married a week ago Saturday."
"You're a Lestrange now?" whispered Alice, and Neville stepped to her side, putting his arm around her. "Don't you know how wicked he is, girl? What don't you understand about 'Death Eater'?"
"Stop!" Neville said to his mother, noting Tonks' angry, hurt expression. "He's changed, Mum. He turned from his old ways; he really did."
"I know what he helped Bellatrix do to you," Nymphadora said, her voice trembling, her fists clenched, "and you have every right to hate him. But I love him, and that settled it for me."
Alice stared at Nymphadora in surprise. "Love? How can you love someone like him?"
Nymphadora closed her eyes for a moment, then said, "I made up my mind to give him a second chance, and he opened up to me. He's suffered down through his years of being a Death Eater: I'm not even sure he's told me everything that Bellatrix put him through, but she did horrendous things to him. She treated him like dirt."
"I'm sure he deserved—"
"Don't you even!" shrieked Nymphadora in fury, then turned her back on the two as the healers drew their wands. "Yes, he was a Death Eater. Yes, he's done horrible things to people. But no man deserves to be psychologically ripped apart by his own wife." She trembled again, feeling tears coming and being unable to stop them. "He loved her," she wept, still not looking at them. "He loved her, and she broke his heart. He meant nothing to her."
Nymphadora stumbled toward the door, tears running down her cheeks, but someone caught her by the hand. She turned and gave Neville a death glare. "I need to leave," she gasped through her tears. "Please, Neville."
Neville didn't release her. "You need to stay." Tears ran down her cheeks more quickly, and he drew her back toward his mother.
Alice reached out her hand and gave the weeping girl a handkerchief. "You're a very compassionate young woman, Nymphadora," she said softly, taking the girl's other hand in hers. "But sometimes we have to be cautious about how far that takes us."
Nymphadora raised her head, ready to answer angrily, but Alice continued, "I'm not saying that you've made the wrong decision. You may be just what Rodolphus Lestrange needs. Do you trust him?"
"Yes," Nymphadora replied definitely.
"Do you believe that he will never hurt you?" Alice asked.
"He would never hurt me on purpose," Nymphadora modified, staring straight ahead of herself.
Alice nodded. "Then you understand you'll have to constantly forgive him for when he hurts you accidentally," she said.
Nymphadora nodded, her eyes dim with unshed tears. "I love him," she wept. "And as a Hufflepuff, I can forgive anything—"
"Even the Unforgivable," Alice joined her in saying softly. "What did your mother say when she found out about you and Rodolphus?"
"She wasn't impressed, but she said she'd let it go on," Nymphadora sniffled, trying to wipe her tears away. "She knew that Rodolphus had changed: the brothers had been living at the Tonks house for some time, then. We saved them from some Death Eater trolls while on a mission a while back."
"Mission?" asked Alice with a frown. "What kind of a mission?"
The brown-haired witch pulled back the edges of her cloak to reveal the Auror Office crest. "Auror mission," she said. "After the Ministry decided to give the brothers a second chance, we had to keep Light extremists from killing them."
Alice looked thrilled. "You did become an Auror!" she said happily. "Oh, your parents should be proud of you!"
"They are," Nymphadora said quietly. "But Dad died last year: he was killed during the War."
"I'm sorry, dear," Alice soothed her softly, putting an arm around her and giving her a gentle hug. "So you survived the war as an Auror. It seems you did very well, then. I guess you're not an Auror just like me."
"No," Nymphadora giggled slightly, sounding funny because she was a little congested.
"That means that Rodolphus married an Auror, Mum," Neville said. "Fancy that."
Alice glanced at her son. "I don't fancy him," said the white-haired witch. "She can have him." They laughed, and she grinned. "It is a miracle, though. Did he hate you at first when he met you?"
Nymphadora shrugged. "He was distant, and really hard to talk to, but he was always harassing me about something stupid I was planning to do, and about how I should train my child."
"Not even married, and you already had a child?" Alice raised an eyebrow. "Whoo, girl!"
"No, no," Nymphadora protested quickly, "Teddy is my first husband's child. Remus died in the War too."
"Wow," Alice said under her breath, then put her arms around the girl and hugged her. "Your last few years have been hard, haven't they? One loss after another. Well, good luck, Mrs. Lestrange. I know you helped me, and I can only imagine how much you can help Rodolphus."
Neville shifted a little, then asked, "Has there been any change in Dad?"
Alice shook her head. "He's still unresponsive. The healers couldn't get him to even look at them when they call his name. I hope he's not getting worse. Do you want to come see him, Neville?"
The boy nodded, and followed his mother back along the row of beds, motioning Tonks to follow. She followed, but kept her distance when they stopped at a bed with a curtain around it. Alice pulled back the curtain to reveal a grey-haired man sleeping in the bed, curled up in a tight ball. She sighed and leaned down to kiss his cheek gently. "Sleep well," she whispered, then drew the curtain back. "He always sleeps as if he's in pain," she sighed, leading them a little way from the bed. "But the healers say the pain is just psychological, like mine was, and they can't help him with that."
"Do they have any idea of how the torturing might have made him think, or was there anything that was said that could have caused a disturbance in his mind?" Tonks asked.
Alice looked at Tonks with a frown. "We've already talked it over," she said. "Hundreds of times. But we've never asked a Crucio expert. Do you think you could get Rodolphus to talk about our torture and ask him if anything one of them said might have caused Frank to act so helpless and despondent?"
Nymphadora looked from Alice, to Neville, to the curtain shrouding Frank from view. "I could try," she said, her throat dry. Rodolphus would not be pleased if she did not ply her questions very carefully. She bit her lip, then turned and left the ward, heavyhearted.
When Nymphadora arrived home, she jumped into Rodolphus' arms and gave him a wonderful welcome home kiss. "I love you," she sighed, laying her head against his shoulder. "So how was your day?"
"Fine, but busy," he replied, grinning at the way she merely jumped on him, then snuggled up against him. "And how did your day go? They must really need you if you have to stay late first day."
"That we can talk about later," Tonks whispered in his ear, seeing Andromeda come to the doorway of the hall.
"Wash up and come to supper, you two," she ordered. "And don't get distracted."
Nymphadora shot her mother a salute, then walked away with Rodolphus. "Do you want to tell me what kept you now?" he asked as they washed their hands side-by-side in the bathroom sink.
She began to dry her hands on the towel and answered, "I think it's going to be quite the conversation. It should probably wait. Besides, I'm starving."
"Okay." Rodolphus pressed a kiss to her lips, and she pushed him away, giggling.
"Rod," she protested, smirking as he eyed her, "you heard Mum. She said not to get distracted!"
Rodolphus huffed, then grabbed her by the hand and tugged her down after him. "Then quit distracting me!" he told her.
Laughing, the two hurried downstairs and joined Rabastan and Andromeda at the table. "So how did you two get along while we were gone?" Tonks asked the two of them. Rabastan began to laugh, and Andromeda glared at him. "Oh, I see," Tonks answered. "You didn't."
"He keeps leaving those stupid Wheezes around," Andromeda snapped, "and I don't appreciate it."
"You should have seen her reaction to the fake wand that I left on the kitchen table," Rabastan laughed. "When it turned into a rubber chicken, she screamed and threw it across the room. And then she drew her real wand and tried to curse me, but she missed."
"Oh, but if I had hit you—" and Andromeda looked unutterable things at Rabastan. "You wouldn't be so chipper about it at all."
Rodolphus just shook his head at the two arguing and paid attention to his food. Nymphadora shrugged as Andromeda glared at Rabastan again. "Forget I asked," she said, and began to eat hurriedly.
Andromeda frowned. "Dora, don't eat so fast, you'll give yourself indigestion."
"Would you rather I starved to death?" she asked, and winked, taking a large bite of meat.
"Nymphadora!" said Andromeda, shocked at her daughter's behaviour. "Why can't you just use table manners?"
"I don't have any," Nymphadora replied, scraping her plate clean with her fork. "Thanks for supper, Mum." She carried her plate and silverware to the sink, then turned to her mother and asked, "Is Teddy asleep again?"
"Yes," Andromeda replied. "But he should get up for an hour or two so that he sleeps through the entire night.
Nymphadora nodded and hurried upstairs to the nursery, finding Teddy sleep sweetly in his crib. "Teddy," she sighed, leaning down, picking him up, and holding him close. She walked out of the room and met Rodolphus in the hall. He opened the door to their room, and Nymphadora gave him a nod and a smile, walking on into the room.
The two adults sat down together, watching Teddy in Tonks' arms. The child woke up after several gentle strokes of a finger against his cheek. Teddy cried out as he woke up, beginning to cry harder when Tonks shifted the child in her arms. "It's okay, Love," she told her son softly. "Mummy's here. You're okay."
Tonks held the child up against her shoulder, and the child cried for a little bit before grasping her robe in his fist and quieting. Rodolphus reached over, and touched Teddy's little hand. "It's hard to wake up sometimes, isn't it?" he asked the child softly. "I understand." Teddy looked at the hand touching his, then released his mother's robe and grabbed Rodolphus' finger. "Da!" said Teddy happily.
Nymphadora leaned against her husband's chest, hiding her face from his view. "Dora, I'm sorry," Rodolphus murmured to her, slipping his arm around her and rubbing her arm gently.
"I've just got to get used to it," Nymphadora sighed, slipping her arm around Rodolphus and squeezing him. "I'm being stupid about all this, I know."
"You're not being stupid," Rodolphus told her. "You care, and things like this effect you deeply. That's not stupid."
"I just think it's really rude of me to feel this way about you and Teddy," Nymphadora replied. "After all, you have acted as his father for a while now. I'm just being selfish."
Teddy cried out and reached out for Rodolphus, leaning away from Tonks so that she was barely able to keep her hold on him. Tonks frowned, cuddling Teddy as he began to cry. Rodolphus said nothing, and when Nymphadora looked over at him, she felt terrible. "Would—would you like to hold him?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Rodolphus glanced at her, and replied, "If you want me to."
Nymphadora handed the child to her husband, and sat up, taking a deep breath. Teddy cried for a moment longer, but Rodolphus soothed the child with a few soft words, and Teddy quieted. Nymphadora bit her lip, and Rodolphus reached over, grasping her hand. "I love you, Nymphadora." She looked down, feeling slightly ashamed of her actions.
"I love you too, Rodolphus," she whispered, squeezing his hand. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," he murmured gently. "I understand how you're feeling. Come here." And he shifted so that she was sitting on his lap, Teddy on her lap. Teddy looked up at Rodolphus and cried, "Da!" but Rodolphus said, "Shh, little one. You're okay."
Teddy glanced up at his mother, who said, "I love you, Teddy." The child watched her for a long time, then sleepily leaned against the front of her robes, pushing himself up to rest his head on her shoulder.
Nymphadora held him close, rubbing his back as the child turned his head toward her neck and sighed softly, slipping his arm around her neck. She looked over at Rodolphus, who smiled and kissed her cheek.
"I love you, Mum," Rodolphus told her, grinning.
"Rodolphus," she whispered, "he's so perfect!"
Rodolphus nodded, then asked, "What was it you wanted to tell me about tonight that you couldn't say earlier?"
Nymphadora bit her lip. "Wait until I put Teddy back to bed, and then we can talk," she said, and Rodolphus agreed, sitting there patiently and teasing his wife by kissing her every so often. When she finally got Teddy to sleep, she took him to his crib, then hurried back to her room, approaching Rodolphus. "You," she said, jumping on his lap and knocking him flat on his back on the bed, "are a prat, Rodolphus Lestrange."
Smirking, he pulled her down onto the bed beside him and kissed her heatedly. "Mmm," he sighed, feeling her arms go around his neck and pull him closer to her. "Now tell me?" he asked her.
Tonks' look of playfulness vanished, and she said, "Yes. Oh, Rod—I was told something along the lines of 'get him in a good mood and cross-examine him,' but I don't think that's fair." Rodolphus frowned, but didn't release her from his embrace. "So," she continued, "I only want you to talk if you wish to answer any of my questions. Okay, Rod?"
"Nymphadora, what are you going on about?" he asked warily.
"I'd rather you refuse to talk than to tell me everything without meaning to," Nymphadora muttered, almost to herself. "Rodolphus, I didn't work late today. I went to St. Mungo's with Neville to visit his parents."
Rodolphus sat up, releasing Nymphadora, a dark look in his eyes. "Nymphadora," he began sharply, but she bit her lip and said, "Rod, I know. Please hear me out." He clamped his mouth shut and lay down flat on his back beside her.
Nymphadora stared up at the ceiling before beginning to speak. "Alice is doing tons better, Rod. She knows her son, and she recognized me as the Metamorphagus daughter of my parents from the work she did in the Order years ago."
"Did you tell her about us?" Rodolphus asked in a monotone.
"Yes," Tonks replied, turning toward him and putting her hand over his. "And she scolded me for even thinking of marrying you. But after a few minutes, she just cautioned me and said something about my being a Hufflepuff."
"About your forgiving the Unforgivable," Rodolphus whispered in understanding. "Does she hate me, Dora? I know she has every right to."
Nymphadora frowned a little. "I'm not really sure," she said. "I told that I knew she had every right to hate because of what happened, but I told her that I loved you, and that you'd changed."
Rodolphus snorted. "You told her that?"
"Yes," Nymphadora said firmly. "I yelled at her, and some of the healers were ready to take me on in a duel because I seemed a little out of hand."
"You yelled at her for me?" Rodolphus said incredulously. "Nymphadora, don't get yourself arrested!"
"She deserved it," snapped Tonks, "and I'm not about to get arrested. Neville was there through the whole thing and he understood everything that happened." She scowled and hid her face in Rodolphus' robe, thinking of what Alice had said about Rodolphus' deserving whatever Bellatrix had done to him.
Rodolphus sat up slightly, then turned and caught his wife by the arms, looking down into her surprised face. "What did you want from me about this?" he asked warily.
Tonks did not move in his grip. "Alice is improving, and she's in therapy, but the healers think Frank is getting worse. We were wondering if you knew anything that was said or done during the torture that could have made him so—how did she put that?—helpless and despondent." She looked up into his eyes, and saw a tiny flicker of anger. "You don't have to answer," she told him softly.
He released her and stood up, walking toward the door. "I don't know anything," he said, and disappeared down the hall.
Nymphadora went limp on the bed, defeated.
