Summary: Tonks takes on a long-term undercover mission for the first time since she became a wife and mother. She was excited, she was scared, and her family was too.

Rated: K

Genre: Family

Warning Tag: Risk Undercover Factors

Competition/Challenge Block:
Written for/Stacked with: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Term 14); Monthly Challenges for All (Year 4)
Hogwarts: Ravenclaw; A10 - A Study of Magical Objects #1: Write about someone showing chivalry (restriction: the character can't be a Gryffindor)

MC4A: Short Jog (Y); Bucket Listing (Y); Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Rian-Russo Inversion; Tiny Terror; Ship Sails; Zed Era (Y); Artist MC; LEO MC; Professor MC; Gryffindor MC; Hufflepuff MC; Old Shoes (Y)

Word Count: 1,106

We Will Be Here

Tonks had been prepping for this mission for a fortnight, drafting an alias, getting the details just right in her cover disguise she'd be morphed into for six straight weeks. It was also her first mission that required her to be out on the field for a lengthy period of time. She stopped taking them after the war ended and she had Teddy and Remus to come home to, wanting to balance her work and home life (though, she'll admit her home life won out a lot of the time).

Remus wasn't looking forward to it, six weeks with zero contact was going to be rough, but Teddy was almost seven years old now, and it was the summer so Remus wasn't required at Hogwarts. Tonks knew she was really the only person fit for the job, and rather than making the entire department take the long way around to crack the case, she volunteered her skills to jump into the fray of things in order for them to dig up some intel for a better understanding of what they were in for.

"Are you going to be good for Daddy while I'm gone?" Tonks asked her son over their last dinner together for a while.

Teddy nodded slowly. "I'll do my best."

"Good." She ruffled his aquamarine hair and turned toward Remus. "And will you be okay?"

Remus gave her a half-smile, hiding behind his teacup, and averting his gaze when their eyes met. He was sad, they both were, but it wasn't like they weren't prepared for this day. Tonks spoke diligently with Remus about it before accepting the case, and Remus fully supported her decision each time she checked in with him on it. Despite the setback of not being able to have contact with her family for so long, she assured him she would be safe. Infiltration and intel gathering was one of her specialities, and she was confident in her abilities to get in and get out without a scratch or need for worry.

But it was normal human nature to worry, especially when it was for someone one loved dearly. Tonks was feeling nervous herself about going out into the field for such an extended period of time, but she was also a little bit excited for it as well.

Morning came all too quickly, but the early hour didn't stop Remus or Teddy from seeing her off at the Ministry. She brought a yogurt and bottled water for breakfast, something quick and light to eat on the go and they were tucked in her pockets. Coffee would have to come later since her favourite to-go cup was somehow misplaced. She knelt down and gave Teddy a long, warm hug, kissing his temple.

"I promise the time will all go by in a flash. You both will have loads of time together that I'll be back home before you know it," she declared before standing at her full height to pull Remus in for a hug and a reassuring kiss, still keeping an arm around Teddy. "I love you both so, so much."

"Be careful, mamma."

"I absolutely will, sweetheart."

The six weeks didn't flash by as fast as Remus had hoped, even with the regular visits of the Potter-Granger-Weasley clan and Gramma Andy cycling through their small cottage to offer company, entertainment, three days rest for moon cycle recovery, and more packed lunches and dinners than Remus would ever need. He was really starting to miss Dora, and not having any idea of how she was doing or where she even was really got to him.

He didn't even really know what the mission was, even.

It was the life of an auror he knew and gladly accepted. He liked his simple teaching job, he was good at it, just like how Dora was amazing at her own job.

But the empty bed was starting to make him feel lonely, and the scent of her shampoo and soap was starting to fade from her closet. He didn't object to when Teddy came sneaking in to occupy her space and cuddle with him the last couple of weeks; it was nice. Teddy was really starting to miss her, too.

Then, one rainy morning came and an owl was perched outside their kitchen window when Remus entered to grab his morning coffee and fix breakfast. The bird was growing agitated by the rain, immediately hopping inside the second the window was open enough for it to do so. The waterproof letter attached to its leg had the Ministry seal on it, and Remus immediately retrieved it to read its contents. Fear, excitement, dread, and hope all twisted his stomach because a letter could mean anything from the auror department.

Teddy wandered in shortly after, hair amis and rubbing at droopy eyes as he sat at the breakfast table. Remus joined him, offering the letter to him.

"Mama is coming home!"

The smiles that broke out over his face was enough for Remus to mirror it as the color of his changed to the bubblegum pink Dora always favoured. They ate quickly and got ready to meet her at the Ministry, making a detour to the flower shop to grab some of her favourite flowers as a gift.

They waited patiently in the main area of the auror department. Teddy brought his favourite crayons and the receptionist was kind enough to provide him with some parchment and a portable desk to use. He was making Dora a card, and right now he was carefully drawing all three of them inside a giant heart. Remus smiled at the image that slowly came to life under Teddy's hand.

The sunflowers he picked were miniature versions of the real thing, but were just as lovely. Teddy had picked the dusty pink bow that was carefully wrapped around them, and the anti-wilting charm kept them perky and bright until they were able to get into a vase and water.

A commotion was made, and everything else happened so fast. Teddy squealed, abandoning the desk on the chair to practically leap into Dora's arms. She caught him easily, pulling him into a twirling hug. Remus got to his feet and waited his turn, though he wasn't expecting for Dora to grab him by the arm and pull him into a loving kiss in front of all of her colleagues that now milled about. He felt his cheeks flush a few shades at the gesture, but couldn't help but melt into it and wrap his arms around her and their son.

He was glad she was finally home.