Tonks lowered herself onto the sofa and took a deep, shaky breath. Remus had begun pacing back and forth across the living room the second they'd arrived back home. Tonks closed her eyes to block out the sight, willing her heart rate to calm.

She'd been in more high-stress situations than she could count as an Auror, but nothing had quite measured up to the aftermath of the wedding. The Burrow had been overrun with Ministry employees in minutes, and Tonks' heart had sunk further with every new arrival that she had recognized as a colleague.

emFormer/em colleague, she corrected herself. There was no way she was going back to work. Even if she hadn't stayed and been recognized, her marriage to Remus wasn't something that could stay easily hidden—not that she would have wanted it to—and she would have been forced out.

It made no difference. With Voldemort controlling the Ministry, the Order would need her more than ever, and she'd do everything she could to help.

She heard Remus stop pacing and cracked one eye open. He was standing several feet away, watching her. The shadows across his face in the dim light made him look more tired than she'd ever seen him before.

"Are you okay?" he asked, like he'd been struck with sudden uncertainty at her condition.

Tonks gave him her best smile and held a hand out. He walked over and collapsed beside her. Tonks wrapped him in her arms, pulling him close. She felt just a bit warmer when he came easily, no longer fighting against his feelings.

Suddenly, she couldn't figure out why she hadn't told him that she was pregnant immediately. War was unpredictable, and with the added clarity of the Ministry's fall, she felt the impending danger more clearly than she ever had before. They did have time for keeping things from each other.

"I'm pregnant."

The words were out before she'd properly processed the potential fall out. Remus stiffened in her arms, and Tonks tightened her grip like she could ward off any negativity.

She wasn't a fool. The idea of a baby thrilled her, but she knew where his mind was undoubtedly going. He pulled away slowly, his eyes wide.

"What?" he asked, his voice hardly more than a whisper.

Tonks swallowed. "I'm pregnant," she repeated. The rest of her explanation flowed out before she could stop it. "I took the test a few days ago, but with the wedding so close, I thought it would be best to wait before I said anything. I always planned to tell you after the ceremony. Just…not like this."

Though, to be honest, she wasn't sure what she'd have done differently even if the Ministry hadn't fallen. She hadn't given it any thought, just thinking that she would figure it out later.

"Pregnant," Remus said, he turned to stare at the unused fireplace.

Tonks watched him quietly, giving him the time he needed to process everything.

"I'll never be able to find a job with You-Know-Who in charge," he said, voice dangerously quiet. "People like me will be hunted."

Tonks laughed even though there was nothing funny about the situation. "I can't go back to work either," she said. When Remus' expression became even darker, she scrambled to take his hands. "Not because of you," she stressed. "They'll know I'm part of the Order. It won't even matter if they can prove it or not. There are no other options for me." She squeezed his hands tightly. "We're in this together."

Remus struggled to smile at her, but Tonks could tell that he didn't quite believe her. "Yeah," he said, raising her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Together."

It didn't matter if he didn't entirely believe her yet. They'd get there in the end.