That night, I lay in bed with her again, this time listening to Seasons in
The Sun.
She always fell asleep before me, and that was good, because it gave me time to think.
On that particular night, I was thinking about Sirius. Sirius had been one of my best friends, Tonks' cousin, and by 1980, the only friend I had. I remember that the first time I met Tonks, she was five and it was through Sirius, who had been trusted to take care of her for the summer. She had liked me, and I remember that she hugged me and said, "My name is Nymphie and I'm five." And I thought she was adorable.
I wondered, then, if she remembered that summer, but I figured otherwise. She was twenty-seven years old, and I figured that not many twenty-seven year olds could remember being five years old.
I turned to kiss her goodnight, and she didn't stir, just cuddled further into me.
I dreamt fitfully of her and Sirius. In the dream, she was a little girl, maybe four or five, the summer I met her I suppose. She had long purple hair, and it spilled all over a body. Sirius's body. She was crying over and over, "Remy, help him. HELP HIM! HELP ME! Make him go away! Make it stop. Reeeeemmmmmmyyy.. Reemmmy.. Help!"
I woke up in a cold sweat. I turned to check on her, she had not awoken. I rolled silently out of bed and went to get a cup of tea.
The clock in the kitchen loomed ominously. 2:40, it read. I sighed, fixed my tea and moved into the living room.
I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I heard was her screaming.
I pounded up the stairs. "Nymphadora. Tonks. Honey. Darling. What's wrong?"
"I had a nightmare," she replied, whimpering into my chest.
"Oh, honey. It's okay, darling." I stroked her back. "What happened?"
"He. HE came. You-know-who. And he-he.. He. He killed you. And then I was all alone."
"You'll never be alone, I'll be here forever."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
And before I could say anything else, she fell asleep.
I must have nodded off with her, because when I awoke, she was nowhere to be found.
I found her in the living room, writing out Christmas cards.
"Good morning, Remy," she said amiably, grinning broadly. I noticed that her hair was a light pink color and smiled.
"Who're you writing to?" I asked, bending down to kiss her.
"Um. My mum, dad, anyone who's listening at Grimmauld Place."
"Did you eat?"
"I was waiting for you." She was humming Jingle Bells. I smiled and went to go make us breakfast.
She finished her Christmas cards just before noon, and we went for a walk.
"Rem," she said conversationally.
"Yeah?"
"Are we ever going to have kids?"
I smiled, grabbing her hand. "Do you want kids?"
"Yes. I want kids, I want a whole houseful of kids, billions of kids."
"Well." I smiled. "Let's start with one and see how it goes."
She grinned, let go of my hand, and skipped ahead, singing Winter Wonderland.
She always fell asleep before me, and that was good, because it gave me time to think.
On that particular night, I was thinking about Sirius. Sirius had been one of my best friends, Tonks' cousin, and by 1980, the only friend I had. I remember that the first time I met Tonks, she was five and it was through Sirius, who had been trusted to take care of her for the summer. She had liked me, and I remember that she hugged me and said, "My name is Nymphie and I'm five." And I thought she was adorable.
I wondered, then, if she remembered that summer, but I figured otherwise. She was twenty-seven years old, and I figured that not many twenty-seven year olds could remember being five years old.
I turned to kiss her goodnight, and she didn't stir, just cuddled further into me.
I dreamt fitfully of her and Sirius. In the dream, she was a little girl, maybe four or five, the summer I met her I suppose. She had long purple hair, and it spilled all over a body. Sirius's body. She was crying over and over, "Remy, help him. HELP HIM! HELP ME! Make him go away! Make it stop. Reeeeemmmmmmyyy.. Reemmmy.. Help!"
I woke up in a cold sweat. I turned to check on her, she had not awoken. I rolled silently out of bed and went to get a cup of tea.
The clock in the kitchen loomed ominously. 2:40, it read. I sighed, fixed my tea and moved into the living room.
I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I heard was her screaming.
I pounded up the stairs. "Nymphadora. Tonks. Honey. Darling. What's wrong?"
"I had a nightmare," she replied, whimpering into my chest.
"Oh, honey. It's okay, darling." I stroked her back. "What happened?"
"He. HE came. You-know-who. And he-he.. He. He killed you. And then I was all alone."
"You'll never be alone, I'll be here forever."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
And before I could say anything else, she fell asleep.
I must have nodded off with her, because when I awoke, she was nowhere to be found.
I found her in the living room, writing out Christmas cards.
"Good morning, Remy," she said amiably, grinning broadly. I noticed that her hair was a light pink color and smiled.
"Who're you writing to?" I asked, bending down to kiss her.
"Um. My mum, dad, anyone who's listening at Grimmauld Place."
"Did you eat?"
"I was waiting for you." She was humming Jingle Bells. I smiled and went to go make us breakfast.
She finished her Christmas cards just before noon, and we went for a walk.
"Rem," she said conversationally.
"Yeah?"
"Are we ever going to have kids?"
I smiled, grabbing her hand. "Do you want kids?"
"Yes. I want kids, I want a whole houseful of kids, billions of kids."
"Well." I smiled. "Let's start with one and see how it goes."
She grinned, let go of my hand, and skipped ahead, singing Winter Wonderland.