A/N: I had such a blast writing this chapter. I love Ron in it, he's so daft. Hope you guys enjoy it, it's just a lil light hearted comic relief in between darker chapters. Enjoy :)
It was a warm Saturday afternoon in June. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville had taken the opportunity to sit in the shade of the tree to start revision for their mock NEWTs. The three boys chatted lively to each other. Hermione, on the other hand, had not lifted her nose from a book since they had arrived at the spot, not even when Tonks had come to join them, bringing a pile of marking with her. Tonks soon involved herself in the boys' conversation, ignoring Hermione's huffs along with them. Due to her time off from school, Hermione had become even more stressed out about the exams than usual (Ron hadn't thought it possible), and although Lupin had given her tuition at Grimmauld Place, she was still irritable with everyone.
Tonks abandoned her marking and stared hypnotically out towards the lake, watching the giant squid spit water high into the air. A voice distracted her, breaking her gaze.
"Hello there!"
"Rem–"
"Ice cream!" Harry interrupted, jumping to his feet and racing towards his guardian, who gave a laugh.
"Hello to you too, Harry," the man said as he passed over a chocolate ice cream in a cone. Harry grinned. Lupin reached the others under the tree and passed out the remaining cones. He had placed a cooling charm on them for the journey and they were just beginning to melt. Coming to Neville he stopped.
"Ah…"
"It's ok," Hermione said curtly. "He can have mine, I don't have time to eat!" Remus raised his eyebrows in an "I've-been-told" expression and handed the final cone to Neville.
"You don't have time to eat, sleep, blink or breathe but you have time to shout at me for saying Transfiguration is boring," Ron mumbled.
"I heard that, Ronald!" came the voice from behind the book. Remus smiled at Ron and he returned it. He had almost forgiven his former teacher for what he had put Charlie through…and besides, anybody who gave Ron Weasley ice cream was bound to be a decent person!
Remus turned to find Tonks handing him a pile of parchment.
"What's this?"
"Marking," she sang, smiling sweetly. Remus pushed it back, indignantly.
"No way. I'm not doing your work for you. You're getting paid to do it, so do it!" Tonks stuck her bottom lip out.
"I'll pay you," she reasoned.
"Nymphadora, I don't want your money."
"Then I'll pay you with something else." All heads turned to her, even Hermione looked up from her book. Her students blinked at her.
"What? … Ooh not like that, you perverted people!" she laughed. Remus felt his cheeks go red. The group sat lazily, eating their ice creams and ignoring their work (save for Hermione.) Ron was frantically licking at his cone; it was a race against time in the heat. His fingers were all sticky and he frowned as he ate. Harry sat beside Ron, laughing at him silently as his own ice cream was still solid. Ron leaned over Hermione's shoulder, to nosey at what she was reading, and managed to drip a large splodge of vanilla over the paragraph she was reading. She let out a shriek, causing Harry to wince and Neville to wiggle a finger in one ear. Ron went red and attempted to clean up his mess, smudging the ink further with his sticky hands.
"Stop it! Stop it!" Hermione hissed, batting him away with a hand. Ron decided to move the other side of Lupin and Tonks, where he considered it to be 'safer.' Tonks gave a laugh.
"It's ok Minnie, it's just a book." Harry turned to his teacher, shaking his head frantically. Hermione opened her eyes wide at this.
"Only a book? Only a book!" she squealed. Tonks cowered in what could only be described as unadulterated fear. Hermione turned from the group with an angry sigh. Neville looked nervous, Ron and Harry just snickered. Hermione's shoulders tensed icily upon hearing them.
"Ronald," she called heatedly, not bothering to face him. "What is a Homorphus Charm?" Thrown off-guard, Ron could only gape like a goldfish and mumble incoherently. Hermione gave a satisfied chuckle. "I didn't think you would know. A Homorphus Charm allows a person to change the shape of others, hence…" she took a rather loud, dramatic breath, "…it is often used against werewolves, in their human form as a prevention of turning or wolf form as a means of turning back to human state." There was a stunned silence. Perhaps Hermione had only just remembered that Lupin was there, for she added: "This is merely an example to show Ron's ignorance, and no offence is meant to anybody present, namely Lupin." Remus just stared at the back of the girl's head.
"Glad she said it and not me," Ron muttered and Harry sniggered.
"Harry," Hermione called and he froze, shooting a look a glance at Tonks and Lupin who were grinning at him. "What is the most commonly used spell when reviving someone who has been stunned?"
Stunning charms…he knew this…didn't he? Where were words when he needed them?
"Help!" he mouthed to his guardians, who shook their heads innocently.
"Err…"
"Wakey Wakey?" Ron supplied randomly, causing Harry and Neville to burst into fits of giggles.
"No! Ennervate!" Hermione shot hotly over her shoulder.
"Oh," Harry tried to sound as serious as possible. "Oh yes of course." Hermione spun around angrily.
"Come on boys, this is OWL level stuff. Honestly," she sighed to herself as she resumed her reading.
Tonks raised her eyebrows incredulously and Remus gave an uncomfortable cough. The boys finally decided to open their books, leaving Tonks and Remus to chat casually.
"I've been alright with my marking up until now," she was telling him, knowing that it wasn't strictly true. "And now all of a sudden I'm swamped…plus I've not been feeling so good 'cause of the baby," she drummed her fingers against her slightly raised abdomen, playfully. Remus saw right through her plan.
"If I could help in any way Dora, I would offer. You know I would."
"But you can!" she insisted. "You just don't want to."
"Correct," he replied with a firm nod. She gave a bitter laugh.
"Right…fine…you just wait Mr Lupin. One day you're gonna want something from me and I'm just gonna turn right around and say – Whoa!" she stopped suddenly. All eyes rose from their books in confusion, even Hermione turned around. Tonks' hand moved to her stomach.
"Are you ok?" Lupin asked in concern. Tonks nodded slightly.
"Yeah," she breathed. "That was weird."
"Oooh, did it kick?" Ron asked in excitement, throwing his book aside and crawling to Tonks who nodded once more. And with that, all students were there with their hands on her tummy, revision forgotten.
"Oooh, do it again," Hermione squealed.
"Guys. Guys! Do you mind?" Tonks waved them off. They removed their hands immediately but stayed close by in case Baby Lupin went for a second attempt. Remus was looking rather baffled.
"Is this a good thing?" he asked. Tonks shrugged.
"First-time mothers don't usually feel anything for another couple of weeks. I guess she's just a fast learner." Tonks grinned up at Remus. He blinked at her dubiously.
"She?"
"Yes."
"Nah," Remus and Harry said together. Tonks frowned.
"Excuse me?"
"It's a boy," Harry told her, Remus nodding his agreement. Tonks shook her head.
"I don't think so."
"You can tell by the way she's carrying it's a girl," Hermione intervened. All the males looked at her.
"Hermione, she's barely showing," Harry argued.
"You sound like Molly," Remus added. Hermione just pouted indignantly.
"We will see," she said knowingly.
"I don't think it's going to be human," Ron spoke up from behind Neville. They stared at him. "Well…like Hermione, we'll see won't we."
Lupin placed a hand on Tonks' bump. She didn't bat him off, he was allowed after all.
"Now then Little Man, you going to kick for your daddy?" Nothing happened and he removed his hand in disappointment.
"Obviously mummy's girl," Tonks jested. Neville, who had finally clicked, looked between his teachers; former and present.
"Wait a minute…are you the father?"
"And the Sickle drops," Ron taunted. Neville lowered his head in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, I just didn't know," he mumbled. "Congratulations," he added to Lupin before shuffling off to join Hermione back with the discarded books.
"Thought of any names yet?" Ron asked, all bitterness about the pregnancy forgotten. Tonks and Remus looked at each other.
"Well, we decided…what did we decided?" he asked Tonks. She cleared her throat.
"The baby girl," ("Boy.") "will not be named after: us, our friends, or our family," ("Past or present, living or dead," Remus added.) "The name will not be gaudy but not plain. It will be pretty but not sickly sweet…oh and it will have to sound good with Lupin."
"Which only leaves Alfondso or Delilah," Harry scoffed.
"Lupin? I thought he was being called Tonks," Remus said in confusion.
"No, we decided on Lupin," Tonks said firmly.
"I don't think so."
"We did!" she insisted.
"Uh oh, domestic!" Ron said to Harry and he crawled off, dragging his friend away from the heated debate.
"Do you not want her to be called Lupin?" Tonks asked in irritation.
"I…I don't mind, whatever."
"Whatever! Remus this is our child we are talking about." She stood up with a growl. "I need to pee," she announced to the group, and stormed off. Remus turned to find the kids staring at him.
"She's a bit hormonal at the moment," he tried to explain.
"I think Tonks has been hormonal all her life," Ron corrected and Remus laughed. "Just a suggestion mate, if you value your life, you'll go with Lupin." Remus nodded, knowing that Ron was more than a little right.
Remus knocked tentatively on his old classroom door. On hearing a muffled reply he opened the door slowly and took a step in. Tonks looked up from her desk and grinned.
"Uh, is it safe to come in?" he asked quietly. She nodded and rolled her eyes.
"Relax Remus, I don't bite!" she called playfully. He let her quip hang in the air as he made her way to the front of the class.
"I'm off now," he announced and she nodded, but a flicker of sadness could be seen for a brief moment in her eyes.
"Ok then, I dunno when I'll get to see you again," she murmured. He shrugged then leaned forwards and kissed her forehead.
"Goodbye Dora," he said and then turned to go. Having taken a few steps, he stopped and let out a sigh, which echoed in the cool, empty classroom. Remus turned back around quickly and Tonks looked back up with a frown.
"What is it?" she asked. Remus hesitated.
"I…I have to tell you something." There was a pause.
"That we did actually decided on Lupin?" she teased with a grin. Remus gave a little laugh; he had to. She was so spirited, even when the world around them was threatening to fall. He sighed once more and took a seat on the edge of a desk.
"Probably," he replied, giving a sad smile. Another pause. "No… something happened recently that I've been putting off telling you because I'm afraid how you'd react." He risked a glance up at his friend to see her mouth open slightly, blinking in bafflement.
"Uh…ok. That doesn't sound good," she ventured and saw him shake his head. Tonks leaned forward firmly on her desk, making Remus even more nervous. He began to fiddle with his hands and continued to stare at them.
"Well?" Tonks asked briskly. Lupin gave an uneasy cough. If anybody had happened to walk in at that moment, it would have been quite a comical sight. Two teachers, past and present, one seemingly being disciplined by the other.
"I spoke to Pettigrew," he announced. His voice sounded loud against the stone walls and he wished it would stop ringing in his ears. Tonks didn't move for quite some time, in fact he wasn't even sure she was breathing. He was about to speak up when she sat back slowly in her chair.
"Right," she whispered. They avoided each other's gaze. Tonks exhaled loudly. "Did you go looking for him?" she enquired. Her voice was clipped, and it irritated Remus though he wasn't sure why exactly.
"No," he protested loudly. "No, he found us."
"Us?" Tonks raised her eyebrows.
"Hermione," Remus muttered quietly, almost hoping she wouldn't hear. Unfortunately for him she did and she was out of her chair in a shot.
"What!" she shrieked. Remus gave a wince. "I don't believe this!" How could Hermione not have mentioned it to her? She felt a small twinge of betrayal, and hated it.
"She was fine. We both were. Nothing happened, he just wanted to talk." Tonks had heard those words too many times; to talk. What did that actually mean? Was it some sort of code for 'something bad will happen soon, you can bet your wand on it!'? Tonks sighed emotionally and took her seat. For once, she wished she could just forget about all her troubles. Sitting outside under the tree eating ice cream, only an hour before, it had felt like another lifetime. A happier lifetime. One that Tonks would actually feel comfortable bringing a child into. Remembering that Remus was there and staring at her, she decided to speak.
"And? What did he say?" Did she really want to know? No not really, but something was clearly bothering Remus.
"Well…not a lot really," the man admitted. "It's more what I said…" This made Tonks frown. Remus was shuffling again. He bit his lip in frustration and avoided her look. Tonks rolled her eyes and gave a nervous giggle.
"For Merlin's sake Remus." He looked up at his name. Her eyes were expectant, not judging or stern. She seemed so innocent, so young. A child caught up in a war that she didn't deserve. Filled with a sudden confidence, he found his voice.
"I told him about the baby…our baby." He resisted the temptation of looking away again. Part of him needed to see her reaction. In all honesty, he was surprised when a small smile crept across her face. She was out of her chair again but this time she circled the desk and crossed to him, taking his hands in hers. They were warm against his cold skin.
"You think he didn't already know?" Tonks asked mildly. Remus shrugged.
"I don't know. He seemed surprised. I didn't want him to know at all, but if I'm the one who's told him then…" he trailed off in guilt. Tonks dropped one of his hands, and brought her own up to stroke his face affectionately before leaning herself against him. Remus rested his chin on her head.
"He probably already knew," she whispered, but her words were firm.
"That's what Hermione said," he mumbled into her hair. Tonks gave a tinkle of a laugh. It warmed his heart to hear it. She pulled away slightly to look at him.
"Then it must be true," she teased.
"If anything happens," Remus began but she silenced him with a finger to his lips.
"Things are going to happen Remus, it's inevitable. We just have to believe that we can get through this together. All three of us," she added, feeling him nod.
"Yes you're right. You, me and the Little Man."
"Little Miss," she corrected, jabbing a finger into his ribs. He gave a laugh.
"Little Lupin," he declared, kissing her softly on the head. She looked up at him quizzically.
"Maybe it was Tonks," she said thoughtfully and he laughed once more.
"Whatever," they said together.
Remus held her for a little longer. Tonks gave a shiver as the classroom went suddenly cool.
"Right, I have to go," the man announced decisively. He let her go quickly, almost as if he was on a timer. Tonks nodded but said nothing. Remus glanced at her, then to her desk. He moved across to it, looking down at her stacks of parchment. Picking up a medium sized pile, he put it under his arm and turned to seea grin spread across her face.
"Ah ha! I win!" she squealed. Remus raised his eyebrows. "Uh...I mean, thank you Remus, you're the best."
"And just you remember it," he replied, heading towards the door. "Stay safe, Nymphadora," he called.
"I plan to," she called back as he opened the door and then disappeared through it. She just hoped she could stick to her plan.
A/N: And then it all went horribly wrong...mwah ha ha! I'm so evil :D Anyhoo review please, thank you.
