"Hey, handsome." Tonks smiled as she walked into the kitchen, pecking her husband on his cheek as she walked by. He had papers and books spread out over half the kitchen table, scribbling down sheets of notes with a quill. "What've you got your nose in now?"
"Textbook work. The last teacher didn't have a plan made yet for this year, so I'm throwing something together last minute." Remus sighed, rereading his notes. His wife rested her chin in her head, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You?"
"Just got Teddy to lay down for a nap... finally." She replied and shook her head.
He gave an amused chuckle, leaning back in his chair and stretching. "And how did that go?"
" 'Oh, what a happy baby', my ass." Tonks rolled her eyes, walking around to sit on his lap. Remus wrapped his arm around her waist, but she squirmed away, trying to get her hands on his lesson plans. "Got anything in here about small demons? I think our kid may've been replaced with one..." Remus leaned foreward and kissed her forehead before she nudged him away. "Oh stop, I'm trying to read..."
He watched her carefully, leaning over her shoulder as she sifted through papers. "What are your thoughts?"
Her eyes scanned over the page. "I like it. Most of it... I am a bit, er... curious though, about some of it." She said.
"Curious?" Remus asked.
"Well, let's think. Three years have graduated since the war, haven't they?" Tonks shook the paper, setting it down with a frown. "That leaves four years of upperclassmen. Four years of students that were there during the war. I'm not saying you ought to censor the content, but I'm looking over the lesson for the seventh years... You might want to just double check these. The hexes, the jinxes... These were the kids that were there that night of the war. Even if they were too young, they had the Carrows teaching them that year."
"You have a point." He pursed his lips, crossing his arms in thought. "Okay, I'll look over it again. Make sure there's nothing too hands on with the jinxes."
She swayed her head. "Just don't... cross the fine line between the fact that these kids may have used these hexes and have them used against them and... the fact that they may be eager to learn this stuff-out of fear of being unable to defend themselves."
"They may want to over protect themselves because they are afraid they'll be covered up to the point they won't be able to do anything." Remus nodded. "They remember what happened to Cedric."
"Right." Tonks nodded.
He sat quietly in thought for a moment. "Okay. I'll go back and revise it."
She smiled and turned to him, kissing the end of his nose as she slid off his lap. "Just be careful with them. They're just kids. Remember that."
"Maybe I could open my doors for students that need to talk." Remus said lightly. "I could do that for a start, couldn't I?"
"I think that's a wonderful idea." Tonks encouraged. He returned to his lessons, but was quickly interrupted again. "Teddy!"
"Mummy!" The little boy exclaimed happily.
"How did you-" She let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples.
Remus tried to hide his smile as he jumped up, walking over to see his son, free from the entrapment of his crib and the spells they thought they had put up to prevent his escapes. "Young man, what are you doing up?" He asked, kneeling down in front of the boy.
Teddy gave him a tired, goofy smile, his light brown hair still ruffled from his mother trying to get him to lay still long enough to fall asleep. "Coo'dn't sleep!" He exclaimed, giving a small jump.
Remus shook his head in disappointment as he got to his feet. "Come on. It's nap time."
"But I don't wanna..." Teddy whined and tossed his head back.
"Well that's just too bad." Remus replied, picking the boy up. He became a dead weight in his arms, trying to lean back away from him.
"I don't want to..." Teddy continued to complain.
Remus briefly rolled his eyes over at his wife as he carried the child back to the nursery. "You have to learn to behave, Teddy. Especially for your mother."
"Why?" The boy asked as he laid down on the bed.
"Because... Well, I'm going away for a little while." His father told him.
"Why?" The boy wondered.
"Because I have a job now."
"Why?"
"I was asked to go work. And I said yes." Remus explained, tucking him in.
"Are you going to fight the bad guys?" Teddy asked excitedly.
He chuckled. "No, Mummy fights bad guys. Daddy is going to be a teacher."
"Te'sher?" Teddy yawned.
"Mmhm. I get to help kids-bigger kids-learn how to do new things. You'll get to go to school someday when you're big enough." Remus planted a kiss on Teddy's forehead. "I won't be gone long though."
"How long?"
"Just a few months. And I'll come visit you and Mummy all the time."
"Really?" Teddy's face lit up.
"Of course I will!" Remus told him. "Now, you need to go to sleep for a bit."
"I can't." He said adamantly.
"Just try closing your eyes and being very quiet and still." His father explained softly.
"Why?"
"It'll help you fall asleep."
"No..." Teddy did as he was told, but persistently fought off sleep.
"Yes..."
"I don't wanna..."
"I know," Remus assured. "But you have to take a nap."
"Why?"
"Because you need your energy." Remus was already making his way to the door and the boy was dozing off.
"Why?"
"So you can play later."
"But I wanna play now..." Teddy whined as he began to doze off.
His father smiled, shutting the door. "Goodnight, Teddy Bear."
