Chapter 29
December 2019
"Victoire hurry! Put thiz on!" Fleur's voice could be heard echoing down the stairs.
"Mum! This is fine-" Victoire's complain was cut short as the door closed.
Dora exchanged an amused look with Hope. The twins were in their sixth year this year and they were both enjoying school. Beside Hope, Dany had her nose buried in the book her father recently bought for her 15th birthday.
"Dany, do mum a favour and put down the book for a day?" Dora stood and sat on the arm of the armchair Dany was rooted in. Dany removed her face from the book and looked up at her mum sheepishly. She marked the book with a bookmark she got from her dad the year before and closed it, "it's your brother's wedding after all you know," Dora smiled at her daughter's sheepish look, her grey eyes twinkling.
"Yes, mum," Dany placed the book on the coffee table. In the family, Dany was the youngest child. With all the spoiling going on, Dora was admittedly surprised that Dany turned out so well, lovable and obedient. With her aristocratic vibe she naturally exuded and her attractive features from the house of Black, Dora thought going to school and receiving attention from her fellow students would draw that haughtiness and Black arrogance out of Dany but the Gryffindor proved to be more Remus than Black in character.
"I don't know if your dad is a good or bad influence on you," Dora commented airily, "your reading habits is bordering on addictive,"
Dany rolled her eyes, "where's Tory?" She turned to Hope.
Hope rolled her eyes, "wait, let me use my twin telepathy to find my brother," she closed her eyes mockingly and Dany scowled, kicking her sister in the shin. Hope howled. Dany stuck out her tongue at sister.
"Merlin, sometimes I wonder if my children would ever grow up," Dora sighed. With her relatively tamed disposition, Dany seemed to develop a bond with Alastor, the quietest of her older brothers, and Teddy, the oldest and most doting brother. Hope and Alastor shared a unique bond but on the surface, they never seemed close, in fact, it looked like the animosity between them ran deep, "the boys are probably with your dad at home,"
Dany nodded thoughtfully before she stood and mumbled that she's going up to see if Victoire needs any help with her makeup and dress. Dora smiled after her considerate daughter. Dany was different from her mother and her sister in that way, thoughtful, kind, caring, very much like Remus. Hope, on the other hand was like Dora herself. Both of them had minimal interest in girly things like make-up, too loud to be part of a group of dainty girls but could be very feminine when they wanted to be.
"So…" Dora slid into Dany's recently vacated seat, "James?"
Hope chewed on her lower lip, a sure sign of feign nonchalance, "what about him?"
Dora smiled, reminded that this was how she acted around when Andromeda questioned her about boys. Dora rose and sat down beside Hope on the couch, "you know what your mum is asking," She placed a hand on Hope's restless leg, "Louis?"
Hope looked up to meet her mother's eye, "I don't know mum," she sighed. It was been 2 years since the two boys relentlessly wooed her, asking her out at every chance they got, trying to impress her and win her over, "we're best mates, I don't know where that came from mum," Her brows were knotted together and for a moment, Dora was reminded of Charlie.
"I know how you feel, my dear," Dora sighed, sinking back into her seat.
"You do?" Hope sat up, her eyes widened. She had always thought her parents were meant to be together and have always been together. The way they looked at each other at home, it was like they have always and will always love each other. The way they moved, shifting when the other shifted. Hope just couldn't imagine one of her parents without the other. It has never occurred to her that her mum has had someone, "who is it?"
"Your uncle Charlie," Dora muttered but Hope was sharp and caught on. The girl practically jumped out of her seat, stopped only by Dora's hand on her thigh. Nonetheless, Hope turned to Dora and her jaw dropped.
"I always thought he looked at you funny!" Hope said loudly and it made Dora cringed, glancing up the stairs. Charlie was just upstairs. He had returned from Romania for Teddy and Victoire's wedding, or so he says. Dora had often caught him staring at her in a daze from across the room during family gatherings but she dismissed it as her imagination. It has been over 20 years since she married Remus, surely Charlie wouldn't still be- "Mum!" Hope's whine broke her train of thoughts.
"What?" Dora blinked.
"Tell me about it!" Hope pouted, tugging on her mum's arm.
Dora sighed, "it's nothing. Just high school romance, which wasn't even romance. It was just Charlie… and me," she finished lamely.
"So Uncle Charlie was in love with you?" Hope asked, beyond interested.
"No!" Dora frowned. At Hope's raised brow, she sighed, "yes but… I guess,"
"So he loved you but you didn't love him?"
Dora shrugged, "he just tried to build it up during school and when we left, I wanted to be an auror while your uncle Charlie wanted to be a dragon trainer at Romania. So we separated and by the time he came back to profess his love, I was very in love with your father,"
Hope nodded knowingly as she mulled over what she was told.
"So… James and Louis?" Dora nudged her daughter teasingly, "which do you love?"
Hope sighed, "umm…. Neither,"
Dora wanted to wait it out and know waiting would work on most of her kids but her patience wore thin pretty quickly, she's not Remus after all, "come on, tell mummy what you're thinking,"
Hope hesitated, glancing sideways at her mum before speaking, "I don't know if this is love. How do you know?"
Dora sat back and thought about it, "I don't know, Hope. I just love your father with all my heart," Hope sat back and sighed, "you'll always think of him, for him. You want to be with him for the rest of your life,"
Dora watched as her daughter chew on her lower lip, a nervous habit Dora knew she herself had.
Smiling, Dora patted her daughter's leg, "think on it, Hope." With that, she rose, wanting to go up to see how Victoire's preparations were going. Hope nodded absentmindedly, staring at the carpet. Dora chuckled at the innocence of young love as she walked up the steps. She swallowed a cry of shock as she bumped into someone on the stairs. She felt a hand wrap around her wrist to prevent her from rolling back down the steps.
"Thanks…" Dora's sigh of relief died down as she found herself face to face with familiar warm brown eyes and freckled cheeks.
Lyall whistled from his perch at the head of Teddy's bed.
"Get off my bed," Teddy snapped as he fussed with the cuffs of his shirt, "Dad, Tory, how does it look?" He turned.
Remus was sitting in a chair when Teddy asked. He gingerly stood, feeling a little stiff around the knees. The full moon was approaching and his joints were sore and slightly swollen but Remus was determined to not let the full moon ruin his son's wedding day and he had politely but firmly refused Teddy's offer to delay the wedding for his father.
Alastor rolled his eyes at Lyall who lounged on Teddy's bed, "You look great," Alastor appraised and nodded.
"Dad?" Teddy asked, feeling like a small boy again as Remus stepped up to Teddy, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. Teddy tried to swallow a lump in his throat as Remus patted down his son's suit.
"You look ready," Remus smiled, his eyes shone with pride. Teddy grinned. The last time he had seen his dad so proud, he had earned his licence as a healer. Remus had been a little put out that Teddy wanted to be a healer, knowing that his sweet son had taken up the job so that he can provide much needed care for his dad who Teddy saw get weaker and weaker as the years go by; being a werewolf taking its toll on his body. But when Remus saw Teddy receive the certificate of graduation from the healers trainee course, his pride for his son overrode his ego.
That was 4 years ago and since then, Teddy had worked his way up the ranks of healers and has gotten much better at healers' magic.
Lyall followed in his mother's footsteps and decided to be an Auror at the end of his 6th year. Upon discovering the requirements from his mother, the head auror herself, Lyall spent the last year in Hogwarts working his grades up to that which is considered good even for an Auror candidate. He was accepted into the programme and is still under training. Next year would be his last year in the training programme. Despite his mother being the head auror, Lyall had it tougher than most trainees. Dora might be a soft and loving mother to her kids but when it came to matters at the Auror Office, Lyall realised why his mother was made head auror and still held the post till today.
Lyall cleared his throat and stood from the bed, "I'll be downstairs grabbing some chocolate," He muttered before he dragged Tory up and out of the room. Teddy and Remus chuckled at Lyall's lack of subtlety but was thankful nonetheless for his sensitivity.
"Dad," Teddy mumbled as he slowly and subtlely walked Remus back to sitting down on the chair, "what if I'm not ready…to be a husband?"
Remus sank into the chair gratefully before replying, "I don't think I ever felt ready to be a husband much less a father," He sighed.
"But you do so well with mum and all of us," Teddy leant on the table by his hip.
"If there's something your mother taught me, is to love your wife and stay by your wife no matter what happens," Remus smiled fondly as he brought up his lovely wife.
Teddy smiled, "I do love Victoire,"
"But sometimes you wonder if that's enough for her," Remus mumbled. Teddy was more like him than he cared to admit and he's finally seeing it.
Teddy nodded, crossing his arms, a sign that he was nervous.
"Take this from your old dad, Teddy," Remus stood and held his son's face in his hands, tilting his face up so their eyes met, "it is enough. Love your wife with all your heart from this day on and that will bring you through the darkest days,"
"Love will find a way," Teddy mumbled.
"Yes," Remus nodded, "who said that?"
"Mum," Teddy chuckled.
"Tonks," Charlie smiled warmly but Dora was flustered, recalling the conversation she was having with Hope just moments ago. I always thought he looked at you funny.
"Charlie," she hated how her voice cracked and how she refused to meet his eye. His hand over her wrist was burning. For goodness sake, she's 46 years old not 16!
"How have you been? I haven't had the honoured of catching up with Head Auror Tonks since… I don't remember," Charlie chuckled nervously.
Dora forced a smile to her lips, her eyes meeting his, "I've been good,"
"Better than I'd expect after…what 7 kids?" Charlie teased.
Dora scowled, "I've had 5 and childbirth was murder," She punched Charlie's broad muscled shoulder viciously. He exaggerated his pain and his hand was still firm around her wrist.
"So I've heard," Charlie grinned but it quickly faded away when Dora raised a brow. His eyes dropped from hers and he licked his lips, "from mum's letters. I heard the twins were particularly tricky," He sniffed and Dora nodded, planning her subtle interrogation of Molly later at the wedding about the contents of the letters with her second son, "you're still so beautiful," Charlie mumbled, his eyes dropping to the dress she donned for the occasion.
Dora was wearing a blue dress that left little for the imagination. Her back was entirely bare all the way past her lower back and the neckline dropped lower than Remus would've liked to see on his wife in public, "Thank you, the dress matches Remus' eyes," something flashed in Charlie's eyes at the mention of her husband but Dora ignored it, "I'll see you at the wedding, Char. I gotta check on Victoire," She flashed him a quick smile before angling her way past him on the stairs. Thankfully, he let go of her wrist, nodding as he walked down the stairs.
Dany smiled as she bent over to greet her father with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Hope engulfed her dad in a gentler hug than she normally would, conscious of his sore state around this time of the month. Both of them planted themselves in the chairs at the same table beside their two brothers. Remus looked up and smiled as his wife approached and stood between his legs, leaning over to give him a kiss hello. He placed his hands on her hips, his lips lingering on hers.
"How are you surviving the morning without your wife?" Dora smiled against his lips.
"Terribly," Remus chuckled. Around the table, Lyall feign a gag, Hope smacked him soundly upside the head, Dany and Tory smiled at their parents. They were terrible at being inconspicuous in their show of affection for each other for as long as the children could remember. Teddy laughed as he approached a daily scene in the Lupin family.
"Watch and learn, brother," Lyall smirked, "that'll be you soon, lorded over by Victoire,"
"I doubt it's as bad as you make it sound," Teddy shot back.
Dora turned to Remus, cupping his face in her hands, "is it that bad?" she sat gently on his thigh, mindfully keeping most of her weight off his leg.
Remus shook his head quickly but silently, his eyes watching her exaggeratingly docile. Dora laughed, slapping his chest.
"You look dashing," Dora stood and went to her son, proud.
"Thanks mum," Teddy blushed as Dora kissed his cheek soundly.
Dora smoothened the non-existent folds of her son's suit and straightened his bow tie, "Remember this-"
"Love will find a way," Teddy said with her and Dora paused before chuckling, shoving her son gently, "Dad practically said the same thing," he smiled.
"Then you know it's true," Dora grinned.
"Always one to preach!"
The Lupins turned to see Sirius Black walking to them, a glass of wine already in his hand.
Dora rolled her eyes as Sirius draped an arm around her waist. Remus eyed his hand, knowing Dora's back was all bare down to her lower back, and growled at Sirius, "hands off,"
Sirius raised both brows and raised both hands innocently in the air, "always possessive around that time of the month eh Moony but for Merlin's sake this is my little cousin!"
Remus growled, "I wouldn't put any women pass you,"
Sirius exaggerated his bow, "the famous Sirius Black, I am deeply honoured,"
"Alright, uncle Padfoot, stop teasing my dad," Teddy laughed.
Sirius turned to Teddy, "aren't you looking absolutely neat for the occasion!" He slung his arm over Teddy's shoulder, "did you know your first word was me?" Remus rolled his eyes. Sirius did like that story told.
"What's going on in that brilliant mind?" Dora asked, her hand on Teddy's shoulder and another in his hand. Her son had politely asked to dance with his mother after the first dance with his new wife and Dora was chuffed but she knew he wanted to talk to her as well.
Teddy looked down for a moment, his cheeks were flushed from the drinks during the wedding, "Thank you mum,"
Dora raised her brows, "you're welcome Teddy but whatever for?"
"For everything that you did for us," Dora was sure she heard a sniffle but couldn't be sure as Teddy smiled at her, "I know that at the beginning when you had me, Dad wasn't easy, life in general wasn't. And I came along, right in the middle of the war. So thank you for holding on to everything and now… me, Lyall, Tory, Hope and Dany have an amazing father that we're all proud of. You made us, put us all together and kept us together," Dora made to interrupt but Teddy stopped her with a look and he continued, "I know each one of us has our quirks and times when we are spoilt rotten but you've always been there and been that mother whom we can always share a laugh with, beat us into shape when we stray and at the end of the day, love us so very much no matter what we did. Dad's right, you do have a big, kind and loving heart. It's almost unbelievable," Teddy muttered the last part before continuing, "but at the end of the day, thank you for showing me what love should be like,"
Dora had tears in her eyes, "you're my first born, Teddy," Teddy smiled, pulling her in for a hug as they danced slowly to the music.
"I love you mum," Teddy pressed a kiss to her cheek.
"I will always love you, Teddy," Dora sniffed, "see now you've gone and made your mum cry," she said thickly. Teddy laughed.
Remus watched with a smile from his seat as his wife danced with Teddy, sobbing into his suit for a second before collecting herself. Then she was stolen from Teddy by Lyall while Teddy danced with Dany. Remus felt a flash of bitterness and he looked down at himself, old, tattered and weak, too frail to even ask his wife for a dance. He sighed and looked up to see that Lyall and Dora was approached by Charlie. Charlie was slightly bowed, a hand upturned and offered to her. Remus didn't realise as he gripped the tip of the armrest of his chair so tight his knuckles were white. He watched, surprised as Dora let go of Lyall but declined Charlie, walking his way.
Remus' face automatically brightened into a smile as his beautiful wife approached and took her usual spot between his legs, sitting lightly on his thigh. She smiled at him, taking the hand that was gripping the armrest between both of her, "dance with me?" she asked. Remus felt air rush out of his lungs as he looked into her sincere grey eyes, her love for him overflowing from them.
"Dora, I would love to," He replied softly, "but-" Remus sighed and looked down but before he could, Dora sealed his protests with her lips.
"That's all the reply I need," She whispered as she placed his hand on her waist and her hand on his shoulder. With her forehead resting on his, Dora hummed in tune with the music and Remus smiled, closing his eyes, enjoying this dance with his wife.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for the reviews last chapter! Just in case yall are interested to know, this story is nearing the end!
Lupinfamily4ever: I'm glad you enjoyed my portrayal of Tory! That's exactly how Hope would be portrayed but as you can probably see in this chapter, Dany's character is slightly more mellowed than feisty. I'm glad you liked the ending! It is so easy to write happy moments between Remus and Tonks :) Thank you once again for the kind review!
