Warning: This chapter contains some sexual content.

Chapter 61: The Silver Wolf

"hmm," Tonks hummed, her eyes still closed. "That feels so nice,"

Remus gently kissed and sucked on the sensitive skin of her neck. His arms pulled her towards him, his hips rotating against her side.

"I'm sorry to wake you," he said in a way that suggested that he was not the least bit apologetic.

Tonks laughed lightly, her eyes flickering open. She gave her husband a smug look. "Someone is feeling better," she said.

Remus flashed her a toothy grin, that marauder's smile, before putting his mouth to hers.

Remus caught Tonks's full bottom lip lightly between his and he felt it ripen as he gently kneaded it, feeling vitality circulate from her through his form.

Over the last three days, Remus had been at peace. Being with only Tonks and his father had quieted the constant chatter that ran through his mind, telling him to keep his distance, wondering if others knew what he was, if they were disgusted by him, voices telling him to behave so that he did not reenforce what people thought a werewolf should be.

But now it was miraculously silent.

Without all the noise and the dense wall Remus built up around himself, the world was suddenly more vivid. Food tasted better, colors seemed brighter and his already vibrant wife was utterly irresistible.

Remus slipped his hand under Tonks's pajama top, his fingers circling her nipple, feeling it stiffen at his touch.

Tonks sighed at the feel of Remus's large, warm hands. She liked the slight roughness of his fingertips, dry from parchment.

His hand began to drift lower.

Tonks's body tightened as Remus's fingers slipped into her pants. "This is quite the wakeup call," Tonks gasped.

"It's because I love you," Remus growled in her ear before his tongue teased at her lobe.

Tonks arched her back, her eyes rolling back as Remus's fingers meticulously stroked between her legs. He sunk in deeper, feeling her warm and wet. "Merlin," Tonks choked.

Remus smirked to himself before easing up his wife's top. Her small breasts were firm and round. Remus loved how they fit perfectly into the palm of his hand. How did he get so lucky to have such a beautiful wife?

He leaned in and ran his tongue over the outline of her abdomen muscles, tasting her hot honeyed skin. Remus greedily replaced his hand with his mouth over her breasts, affixing his lips around her right nipple.

"I want you badly," Remus said, coming up for air.

Tonks could tell, as Remus's erection pressed into her side. She stroked through his hair and Remus gazed up at her, his head resting against her bare chest.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Tonks forced herself. "But are you sure you're feeling well enough, Sweetheart?"

It had only been three days since the full moon. Though Remus's mood was brighter than Tonks had ever seen it, he still seemed to be physically uncomfortable. He was moving slower, and he became exhausted quickly.

"Do you really want me to stop?" Remus teased, but a hint of insecurity edged forward, that fear that he was doing something wrong or unwanted.

Tonks read the fleeting look in her husband's eyes. "I absolutely do not want you to stop," she assured him. "But maybe you shouldn't overexert yourself." Her voice was laced with bitterness.

Remus's face fell, his lower lip jutting forward slightly. Tonks barely had time to feel sorry for killing the moment before she burst out laughing.

"Remus Lupin are you pouting?" she exclaimed.

"Yes, I am," Remus said. He propped himself up onto his side by his elbow and gently pulled down Tonks's shirt to cover her.

Tonks's heart swelled as she looked at him. "Well, we can't have that now, can we?" she said, kissing his sulking lips. "I suppose I can be gentle with you."

Remus rolled his eyes at her. "I don't want you to be gentle," he said gruffly.

"Maybe a little gentle," Tonks pressed.

Remus shook his head slowly.

Tonks shrugged. "If you insist."

"I absolutely insist," Remus said, caressing her face and drawing her towards him again.

There was a knock on the door.

Remus groaned. "Bugger off!" he called teasingly at the door.

"Remus!" Tonks said, burying her face in his chest to muffle her laughter.

"There's an owl from Tonks's parents," Lyall called back. A piece of parchment then slipped underneath the closed door.

Tonks climbed over Remus and picked it up. Her eyes scanned the short note. "They are asking us to come back to their place. Doesn't say why."

When Tonks and Remus were alone, wrapped in each other's arms, it was somehow easy to forget that there was a war raging outside. But sooner or later, reality would catch up with them.

"Seven, three, six, eight, seven," Tonks said into the crack in the door.

"Three, six, seven, two, eight," Andromeda replied before swinging the door open to let her daughter and son-in-law across the threshold.

The closed door momentarily glowed blue as Andromeda sealed it by magic

Ted stood in the entryway as well.

Both Andromeda and Ted wore sobering expressions.

"What's up?" Tonks asked.

Ted was staring at Remus, who was white faced and seemed to be leaning on Dora for support. Dora had told them that Remus had been injured during the full moon, but she had not gone into great detail. Apparition appeared to not be sitting well with Remus at the moment. "Why don't we sit down first and then we'll explain," Ted said for Remus's sake.

Remus gave his father-in-law a small but grateful smile.

Ted just nodded before leading the way into the sitting room.

Tonks helped support Remus as he eased himself into a sitting position. She placed her hand on his cheek. "You okay?" she whispered.

Remus turned his head slightly, catching the palm of her hand with his lips and then he nodded.

Tonks sat closely beside him across from her parents.

"We needed a bit of a family meeting," Ted said apologetically. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have called for you to come back so soon."

"What's happened?" Remus asked.

"Nothing yet," Ted said.

"The Ministry has come to the house twice since you've left," Andromeda told them.

"Once asking for me to register as a muggle-born," Ted informed. "The other time, looking for you two."

"For both of us?" Remus asked through dry lips, his gaze flicking to his pregnant wife.

"Yes," Andromeda confirmed. "You are no longer safe to just be out in the streets."

"And my presence here is not doing you any favors," Ted remarked.

Andromeda's face suddenly grew angry. She had the same blazing look in her eyes that Remus recognized in Sirius and his wife.

"Honestly, Ted," Andromeda said fiercely. "Our family consists of the blood-traitor sister of one of You-Know-Who's most loyal Death Eaters, a werewolf, and the daughter of the blood-traitor sister, who also happens to be impregnated by the werewolf! You, being a muggle-born, is the least of our problems!"

"Dromeda," Ted sighed.

Remus pressed his lips together, concerned, also not thrilled about being referred to as the werewolf, but somehow oddly flattered that he was included in Andromeda's misfit family description.

"No Ted," Andromeda said. "I know you're thinking of leaving us, but that's idiotic. We are stronger together. We need to stay together."

"I agree with Mum," Tonks spoke up. "The more of us we have, the safer we'll be. And perhaps with Remus's father…"

Remus sent his wife a fleeting smile, appreciating that she was thinking of his father's safely too.

"I think it's due time that we consider the Fidelius charm," Remus said. "It's difficult. Dumbledore did the charm for Lily and James and for the Order's headquarters, but I know the theory. I believe I could do it successfully." He grabbed Tonks's hand. He would have no choice but to do it successfully. He needed to keep his wife and child safe.

"It's settled then," Andromeda said, standing up. "No one is going anywhere."

Ted still looked unconvinced.

"Really dad," Tonks said. "We have power in numbers." She looked to her husband. "Do you think your father would be willing to stay here?"

Remus looked towards Ted and then at Andromeda.

"Remus, your father is more than welcome to stay with us," Ted said.

Andromeda nodded her consent as well.

"I will ask him," Remus said. He knew that his father, being a private man, would probably not be thrilled with the idea, but given the circumstances, he would probably consent. Using the armrest to push himself up, Remus got into a standing position. "I need to consult some charm books."

The last time they had ventured to their flat, Remus had collected all his warn tomes to bring to Tonks's parents' house.

Tonks got to her feet as well and followed Remus into the bedroom they shared.

"So, all of us trapped together in one house?" Tonks said when they were in private.

"Should be interesting," Remus remarked. He whispered a message to his wand. "Expecto Patronum." A silver wolf burst forward. The patronus circled the room once and then flew out the window. "We'll see how my dad replies." Remus stared at the place where the wolf had exited.

Tonks wrapped her arms around Remus from behind, resting her cheek against his shoulder blade. "After you left and my patronus changed to match yours," Tonks began, feeling Remus's body tense at her words, "I used to just sit in my room and do the charm over and over again."

Remus turned so that he was facing her, and he enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Pathetic," Tonks said, "I know."

"No," Remus said gently. "No, it isn't."

"I used to both wish to see the wolf and hoped that it would turn back to the way it was before," Tonks whispered into Remus's chest. "I know you don't like that it's a wolf, but I think it's beautiful."

Remus kissed the top of her head before releasing his hold on her. "It helps that I share it with you," he said. "Anything that's yours must derive from beauty."

XXX

Dear Readers,

I couldn't kill Ted. His death always seemed super pointless to me. I hope you are enjoying the story.

Sincerely,

Thora Jane