A/N: There's some smut in this chapter, near the end, fyi.
"Moldy," Tonks muttered, turning over a barrel of flobberworm mucus. She opened a jar of rose oil and took a whiff, nearly retching from the rancidness.
"Need the bucket?" asked Flan, offering it to her.
Tonks shook her head and proceeded to the next shelf of ingredients. They'd been at the apothecary for two hours and found nothing but expired or rotten products. It was the largest apothecary in Diagon Alley, providing ingredients for dozens of potions makers in Britain. It was this apothecary that sourced the ingredients for the Wolfsbane Potion the lycanthropic Hogwarts students consumed for September's full moon.
It was clear why the potion had failed them. The apothecary's store of aconite flowers, the most important ingredient in the Wolfsbane Potion, had been cut with violet and lavender, thus weakening its efficacy. The only reason why Remus's potion had been successful was due to Horace Slughorn's use of personally sourced ingredients. He "took" from the Hogwarts greenhouses or his own connections, ensuring the highest quality brews.
The Lupins paid him a premium to brew the potion after the incident in Remus's first year of teaching after the war, in which a criminal tried to kill Tonks through Remus. Since then, Remus and Tonks hadn't taken any chances and paid Horace a handsome sum to brew Wolfsbane Potion, with the not-so-veiled request to mention Slughorn's name whenever Remus's lycanthropy came up in conversation.
The Hogwarts students' potion came from a potions master in London, who sourced his ingredients from the Diagon Alley apothecary. The potions master admitted his batch of Wolfsbane Potion for September hadn't smoked or turned the textbook-perfect shade of pale blue, but the apothecary had warned him they'd switched suppliers for some of their key ingredients. Assuming it was a difference in sources, the potions master delivered the potion to Hogwarts for the students' consumption.
Tonks thought it was lucky that none of the students died or got sick from the poor ingredients. The DMLE took charge of the situation at once and fined the potions master heavily for the lack of oversight. The apothecary was next. Given the pervasiveness of the problem, Tonks was certain the apothecary would have to shut its doors. Not a single ingredient thus far was good enough to be used in any potion; recall notices would have to be printed in The Daily Prophet.
"I just finished interviewing the shopkeeper," Cai announced, swinging the backdoor open. "She's been cutting corners for weeks, if not a few months. Says she's not making enough money."
"This is the biggest apothecary in London," Flan countered. "Everyone knows that. This is where Hogwarts students go at the start of term—"
"Not anymore," Tonks cut off abruptly, scribbling notes on her suspended parchment. "And not for a couple years, actually. Professor Sprout and her assistant, Neville Longbottom, have been expanding the greenhouse plants for years. They're trying to make Hogwarts self-sufficient."
"Do you think that's why the shopkeeper hasn't been making as much money?" asked Cai. "I never spent that much here when I was in school."
"Neither did I," Flan said, frowning. "There's got to be more to this."
Tonks winced as she opened another large jar of spoilt ingredients. She dropped it, but Cai caught it before the foul contents smashed onto the floor.
"I've just realized," said Tonks, "if the apothecary's ingredients have been bad for months…why hasn't St. Mungo's said anything? Don't they source their ingredients from here, too?"
The three Aurors met each other's eyes with worry. The story didn't stop at the apothecary.
…
"I went to the support group," Andromeda said nonchalantly, as she served Tonks a cup of tea.
Tonks almost spat out her biscuit. "You did?"
"Lottie convinced me to try it. She's been attending one for a few years, since her husband's death."
"And?"
"It was…quite sad."
Tonks closed her eyes and sighed. To her surprise, her mother continued speaking.
The support group was held at a Muggle church a few miles away. There, Andromeda met Mr Johnson, Angelina's father, and sat through two hours of a grief support meeting for widows and widowers.
Having grown up without expressing many of her emotions, Andromeda was unprepared for the onslaught of others' tears and tragic losses. She wasn't sure what all the diseases or ailments referred to – she was somewhat familiar with something called cancer, that had taken her Muggle mother-in-law's life, but wasn't sure what a heart attack or stroke was. Nevertheless, seeing others in similar positions, whose lives hadn't gotten back to normal after the loss of their spouse, had given her some solace in the midst of her own grief.
"So it wasn't that bad?"
"It was mildly uncomfortable."
Tonks gave her mother a withering stare. "You hated it."
"I didn't hate it." Andromeda circled the rim of her mug with her finger. "I'm going back tonight, after you and the children go home."
Tonks glanced in the living room, where Moira was reading a story to Aven and Hope while Teddy "acted" out the animals with his morphing. Teddy had taken to Moira quickly, proud that he finally had a "big kid" for a friend. Moira, having never had other children to play with, happily stepped into the role of playmate and friend for Teddy.
"If you're going back, it sounds less like you didn't hate it," Tonks said, amused. "You can admit I was right…that you need to talk to other people."
Andromeda pursed her lips and nodded.
"I also reached out to my sister."
Tonks did a double-take and choked on air. "You what?"
"I sent a letter to my little sister, Narcissa. Your aunt."
"The aunt who's married to Lucius-bloody-Malfoy?"
"I prefer to think of her as little Cissy Black," Andromeda said primly.
"Have you lost your mind?" Tonks demanded. "The Malfoys are total scum! They're one of the reasons St. Mungo's is running out of money!"
"I know."
"You know?"
Andromeda shrugged and poured herself another cup of tea. Tonks furrowed her brow, going over the news she'd received from St. Mungo's that week. The hospital, due to budget shortages, had stopped purchasing potions ingredients from apothecaries. It had its own greenhouses, built and staffed out of sheer necessity.
Further digging had revealed that all the apothecaries were struggling with St. Mungo's now growing its own potions ingredients. Tonks had never given any thought to St. Mungo's financial resources, but it resulted that in the aftermath of the war, many of Britain's wealthiest families stopped donating to it.
It happened that the wealthiest, magical British families were often purebloods; these purebloods made up most of the criminals from the First and Second Wizarding Wars. Tonks, having helped arrest or indict so many of them, knew they were fined or imprisoned for their crimes. What she hadn't known, at least until the last few days, was that the fines from the wealthiest families had been steep because they were badly needed for reconstruction after the war.
The goblins at Gringotts demanded thousands of Galleons in compensation for the damage that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had inflicted on the building. They were given an undisclosed, but hefty sum from the Lestrange vault.
Rebuilding Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and Hogsmeade had taken thousands of Galleons. Rehiring and retraining new worker, rebuilding the Ministry of Magic, and re-configuring Azkaban had taken thousands of Galleons. Even the Muggles received wizarding funds; the Prime Minister, irate that wizards had inflicted so much damage on Muggle structures, had received another undisclosed sum to help his public image.
Nearly every part of wizarding Britain had required piles of gold and silver. Funds were seized from criminals' vaults as part of reparations for their crimes. Consequently, many of the wealthiest families no longer had "spare" gold to donate to St. Mungo's.
Nor were they interested in donating to a hospital without political gain, as the Ministry had undergone such drastic changes in recent years that making large donations no longer carried the same political power with the Minister of Magic. Kingsley Shacklebolt wasn't easily bought or persuaded by showers of gold and silver, especially from families who were outwardly using their funds to buy themselves pardons. Some Wizengamot members were, which meant that some war criminals earned reduced sentences for their crimes.
Among those criminals were the Malfoys, who decided not to give any more money to St. Mungo's until Lucius Malfoy was released from his house arrest. They'd already paid an exorbitant amount in bribes to Wizengamot members to ensure he wouldn't be sent off to Azkaban. Draco and Narcissa were pardoned of all their crimes, thanks to Harry, but Lucius wasn't spared from being on house arrest for the next three decades.
In the midst of all these revelations, Tonks learned that the wealthiest, pureblood families had kept Hogwarts, St. Mungo's, and the Ministry afloat for centuries. Hogwarts had its own funds; it was an unspoken tradition that previous Headmasters and Headmistresses left their personal fortunes to the school, as did scores of professors. For generations, professors had bequeathed whatever they had for future students and faculty.
It had taken just over four years from the Battle of Hogwarts for pureblood families to run out of "spare" gold (or decide it wasn't useful anymore to advance their own interests). St. Mungo's relied on funds it received from the Ministry and the Ministry was relying on limited funds, having spent so much on rebuilding the wizarding world.
In other words, it was only a matter of time before the Ministry ran out of money or had to return to its old ways of offering political favors for wealthy families.
All this ran through Tonks's mind as she contemplated the revelation that her mother had decided to strike up conversation with Narcissa Malfoy, who she'd only known as the wife of one of Britain's most cowardly, morally bankrupt, self-seeking wizards.
"Cissy was…open to conversation," Andromeda said, carefully measuring out loose leaves for the next pot of tea. "We may meet some day, but for now we're writing to each other."
"What, so we can have a grand pureblood family reunion?" Tonks asked sarcastically. "Oh wait – only you can go."
Andromeda raised a brow at her. "She is the only family I have left. I never imagined trying to repair my relationship with her. I don't believe her husband or son are aware that we're communicating."
"You still think of her as family? Really? After all they did—"
"Harry stood up for her. She is the reason he lived to take down You-Know-Who," Andromeda replied tersely. "If Harry Potter can speak in her defense, I thought you might understand."
Tonks seethed silently in her chair. She didn't feel she could refute her mother's claims, but she also thought Harry had been too generous with the Malfoys.
The grandfather clock in the parlor chimed six o'clock. Gwendolyn would be arriving any minute to collect Moira and Aven and Tonks knew Remus would be home soon.
"My sister will never change her views," Andromeda murmured, seeing the Floo light up green, indicating Gwendolyn was on her way. "I'm not asking that you or your family have a relationship with her."
"Good, because it's never going to happen." Tonks finished off her tea and dumped the leaves in the sink. She went to the living room to greet Gwendolyn and to prepare Teddy and Hope to go home for supper. She let all other thoughts drift away.
…
Tonks padded into the Beast Division offices hours after the workday had ended. She was morphed as one of the custodians, clad in their drab navy robes, intent on nicking the full evaluation reports for the children of werewolves. After September's full moon, Tonks hadn't had the time to learn much past her own children's evaluations, except for a passing remark that they'd performed "as expected."
She hastily duplicated the reports with a charm, tucked them in her robes, and rushed back up to her office to examine them.
The Fields' reports showed significant improvement for Moira. Tonks felt relief coursing through her anxiety-ridden body, seeing that Moira was meeting or exceeding all her expected educational or behavioral goals. Aven's report showed similar progress; St. Mungo's Healers realized she'd had one too many ear infections, which had damaged her eardrums. The damage wasn't extensive, but it meant her left ear didn't perform as well as her right ear. With the right treatment and education, she'd easily regain most of what she'd lost.
The Lupins' reports were no better than the previous month's evaluations. Teddy outperformed expectations in all categories. He was reading and writing ahead of his age. His speech was advanced, too, and Tonks felt pride rushing up at seeing that at four years old, he was performing at the level of an average six-year-old, save for his behavior, which was "thoroughly average" for his age.
Hope's evaluation from St. Mungo's didn't provide any new insights. Healer Wallace confirmed that Hope had inherited lycanthropic qualities from Remus – a glaring failure in the eyes of the Ministry. She hadn't been in a sleepy daze after the full moon, however, as Dreamless Sleep Potion had been withheld from her. Her evaluation painted the picture of a grumpy, ill-tempered toddler. It wasn't unusual for a child her age to be irate when tired, and Hermione had managed to reschedule the next evaluation for a week after October's full moon.
The other children of werewolves were a mixed bag. From the locations listed on their files, it appeared that some lived in clusters, which Tonks assumed were packs raising their children together. Most of the children were born before either or both parents were infected with lycanthropy; few werewolves did indeed reproduce.
More children of werewolves were found in the last month. Remus had tipped off the Ministry to a celibate, all-male werewolf encampment. There, they'd discovered that many werewolves were fathers who had had children before they were bitten. They'd left their families out of shame and hadn't returned. Their children hadn't originally figured in the search for lycanthropes' children, but as some men expressed interest in seeing their children again, the families were located for tentative reunions. At the prospect of having more lycanthropic parents actively raising their children, the Beast Division took it upon themselves to include those children into their monthly evaluations.
From their internal memos – which Tonks had also pocketed – it was clear that Cecil Lee, the Head of the Beast Division, was intent on labelling lycanthropes' children as either feral, savage youngsters, or troubled youth, abandoned by their parents.
"Bastard," Tonks muttered to herself, leafing through his memos and notes. She finished reading through the reports and glanced at the other memo sitting on her desk. That morning, all department heads had received news from the Minister's office that salaries would be locked-in for the foreseeable future. There would be no raises or bonuses offered while the Ministry scrambled to reconfigure their finances.
Tonks had never dealt with budget issues before. She offered her new hires whatever the DMLE had prescribed, which included modest, annual raises and Christmas bonuses. She had yet to break the news to her workers that there would be neither raises nor bonuses before the year's end. Luckily, about half her department was filled with trainees, who were told not to expect bonuses or raises until their training was complete, but her Senior Aurors and fully qualified Aurors would be disappointed.
She hid the reports in a well-charmed file cabinet and vanished the remains of her cold tea. On her way to the Atrium, she saw Kingsley with a woman who was rather plump around the middle, quite unlike how Tonks had remembered Hestia. Aghast that Kingsley would cheat on her, Tonks stomped over, only to realize it was Hestia.
"What the—"
"Hello, Tonks!" Hestia greeted jovially. "What are you doing here so late?"
Tonks gaped at Hestia's swollen abdomen. She was unable to tear her eyes away, unwilling to ask if the Shacklebolts were expecting.
"Due in early January," Kingsley said, his baritone voice betraying his amusement. "We've been keeping the news to ourselves for a while."
"You're already six months along!" Tonks half-screeched. "You didn't think to tell your friends about this?"
"News spreads quickly in our world," Kingsley replied, shrugging. "We were going to tell our friends soon but wait until the baby is born to share the news with the public. We'd appreciate if you kept it to yourself—"
"You know I can't keep a secret like this from Remus."
"On second thought, we may have to tell everyone sooner," Hestia said jokingly, elbowing Kingsley in the side. "Everyone will want to know about our son."
"IT'S A BOY?"
"Louder next time," Kingsley groaned, shaking his head. "There are wizards in Germany who might not have heard you."
"Okay, okay," Tonks said, trying to keep her voice level. "A boy?"
"A healthy little boy, yes," Hestia confirmed, smiling. "He doesn't have a name yet."
Tonks grinned at the two of them, overjoyed that their little family was growing. The Ministry clock rang out, indicating it was nine, and Tonks wished the Shacklebolts another congratulations before rushing off to the Floo.
The house was dark and quiet when Tonks came through the Floo. Considering the hour, Teddy and Hope would be fast asleep in their rooms. Tonks craned her neck, expecting to see Remus in the kitchen with a cup of tea, bent over a set of essays. The table had a plate of food under a Stasis Charm, but no other evidence Remus had been there.
It was too early for Remus to have gone to sleep, but he might be attending to one of the children. Tonks ate dinner in silence, grateful for a few moments of quiet. Her mind was buzzing all the news: Kingsley and Hestia's new baby, possibilities for improving other children's evaluation reports, and the memo that had crossed her desk that morning regarding salary freezes.
She finished eating, not bothering to wash her dish in the sink, and concluded that Remus must be asleep, given how quiet the house was. She took the stairs slowly, casting a Silencing Charm on them, and trying not to make too much noise. Now that she knew Teddy and Hope had better hearing than the average child, she'd have to learn to be quieter to keep them asleep.
The door to her bedroom was closed, but a dim light shone from the gap between the floor and the door. Tonks was surprised to see that the light was on; Remus always preferred sleeping in total darkness. She opened the door and—
"Nymphadora," Remus gasped, his eyes widening upon seeing her. He was laying on their bed, naked, with his hand wrapped around his shaft. He scrambled for the covers, his already flushed face going a deeper crimson.
"It's not…" he choked, hastily dragging a blanket over his frame. "…I was just…"
"Would you like some help?"
Remus stammered incoherently. Tonks took her robes off and pulled her jumper over her head. She joined him in their bed, tucking herself under the blanket with him. She reached down and took his hot, throbbing cock in her hand, smiling to herself when he moaned at her touch.
"I've missed you," Tonks murmured, capturing Remus's lips in a kiss. He moaned; a dribble of precum emerged from his tip, and Tonks rubbed her thumb over it, feeling the softness of his skin against her fingertips.
"I love you," Remus said, panting. "I love you so much."
"I know, sweetheart. I love you, too."
Tonks worked her fingers up and down his cock. It had been over a year since she'd touched him like this; in recent weeks, they'd shared a few intense snogging sessions, but they'd never gone much further. Tonks wasn't ready for more just yet, but the sight of Remus pumping himself was too irresistible.
"Do you think of me when you do this?"
"Yes," Remus breathed, his thighs twitching as Tonks sped up her ministrations. "You're beautiful."
"I think of you, too."
She kissed him, relishing in the way his tongue stroked her lip, demanding entry. She tasted him, letting her hand continue working him to the edge.
"I think about what it feels like when you're inside me," Tonks whispered, kissing along his jawline. "I think about your mouth on me, your cock buried deep—"
Remus let out a cry of pleasure as he came in spurts on her hand, the blanket, and his abdomen. His hips had bucked upwards, and he fell back onto the bed, the aftermath of his climax causing him to tremble and twitch with jolts of ecstasy. Tonks stroked him gently, resting her pink head of hair on his chest, listening to the wild, erratic beats of his heart.
"Thank you," Remus said quietly, holding her firmly. "You weren't supposed to have seen…"
"I figured you had to be doing something to, err, let it out." Tonks kept her ear on his chest, listening to his steadying breath and heartbeat. "I don't think I've ever seen you wank before."
"I keep it private," he mumbled. "The shower, mostly."
"Can I ask…did something lead to this, or…?"
There was a low rumble in his chest. "Ever since we've been sleeping in the same bed…but not doing anything…it's been…harder to manage. Oh, you must think…" He stopped speaking and reached for her vest, tugging it upwards, but she stopped him.
"I'm not expecting anything in return." She got up from the bed and undressed quickly, her body cramping from having begun her period that morning. Remus seemed to have realized what she was trying to say, as he turned pink and summoned his boxers to his side. "It didn't seem right to just leave you to it, you know? I'm still your wife and I want you to feel good."
Remus nodded, the crinkles around his eyes softened after his release. She'd put on her sleeping trousers and a faded Weird Sisters t-shirt, eyeing her half-naked husband with desire. She stood between his thighs and held his head to her chest, feeling overwhelming love for him as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I haven't been taking anything for contraception, either," she added quietly. "We haven't been doing anything and it's almost been easier not to have to think about it."
Remus let her go and stared up at her, his face now expressing a mixture of worry and want. "Do you want more children?"
"I don't think so," Tonks replied carefully, "but I also don't want to lose any more. I'm almost 30 and I dunno, maybe I'll change my mind? It's not something I really want to think about yet."
Tonks thought back to Hestia and Kingsley. After Hope's birth, she was sure that she didn't want any more children, but the thought of another baby tug at her heart. Perhaps, she thought, it was merely hormones and the excitement of seeing another child brought into the world by her friends.
Tonks placed her hands on either side of Remus's face and kissed him softly, trying to keep her mind on him.
"There are other things we could do, of course," she added. "In the meantime. Give me time to think about it? You think about it too?"
Remus looked as if he wanted to say something, but it appeared he thought better of it. He pulled her face down for another tender kiss, and though they wouldn't be going much further that evening, she felt a sense of gratitude wash over her for all the progress they'd made.