Chapter Seventeen

A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and Thou

Remus and Tonks broke apart and made attempts to compose themselves before Andromeda entered the kitchen.

"In here, Mum," Tonks called out, and a few moments later Andromeda entered the kitchen door.

She strode over to Remus, looked him up and down once with her hands on his shoulders, and then pulled him close for a smothering embrace. "I'm so relieved that you're safe. Every day, I open the paper with dread that I will discover something has happened to you."

Remus swallowed a lump in his throat. His voice was hoarser than normal when he finally spoke. "Thank you, Andromeda. It was good of you to come."

"Well, she did try to stop me, but I confess that I am a bit of a bully. Now, Remus; I understand you have an injured person here?"

"Yes, a friend of mine has been attacked. I put her in the library, actually. I am afraid that it took almost all my strength to get her this far, so I thought I'd better leave her downstairs and close at hand. Plus, that room has a really large fireplace, and she was…well, both of us were chilled to the bone." Remus led the Tonks women out of the kitchen, trying not to limp and noted absently that Tonks seemed to be lagging behind. He wondered if it was a sort of a submission to her mother's strong personality, or whether she was anxious about meeting Julie for the first time. Surely she could not have lingering doubts about his involvement with Julie after those kisses in the kitchen?

At the door to the library, Remus stopped Andromeda. "Before you take a look at her, though, I feel I should warn you. She is a Muggle, so diagnosis may be much more difficult than normal. And, she is a …well, a werewolf, so her body may react differently to treatment than a normal person. Also, her injuries were, for the most part, caused by other werewolves, so they have to be treated accordingly. You may also feel that you want to, er… take precautions against exposure to her blood."

"Precautions?" Her eyes widened in confusion and then flashed in indignation. "Oh, Remus, that's a load of rubbish! Nobody has ever been infected by contact with werewolf blood. It's a myth; an old wives tale."

"Still, you needed to know. And for the record, Andromeda, I might as well tell you that…" He met her eyes deliberately. "I am a werewolf, too."

The corners of her mouth twitched. "Of course you are, Remus, dear. Now let's take a look at your friend."

At the first sight of Julie's battered body, Andromeda cried out and rushed forward, kneeling beside the conjured mattress. Her wand was out and waving over the young woman in an instant. Neither Remus nor Tonks, who hesitated near the doorway, said a word as Andromeda worked.

Finally, Andromeda turned back to Remus. "The internal damage is minimal, I think, but there is a serious infection, and she has a dangerously high fever. Nymphadora, darling, send a message to your father to bring a potion for the fever."

"No need, Andie, love; I've got it," said a cheerful voice as Ted Tonks walked into the room, carrying a large purple leather case. He met Remus' eyes briefly and gave him a small smile and a nod of acknowledgement. He then strode over to his wife, opening the case and taking out an array of bottles in his search for the one she requested. After handing it to her, he turned around and walked to back Remus, his hand outstretched. "Don't believe we've been introduced. Ted Tonks, how d'you do?"

His handshake was firm to the point of discomfort but Remus determinedly met it with equal strength. "Remus Lupin; I'm glad to finally meet you. I've heard so many good things about you. Thank you very much for coming."

Remus wished fervently that he had taken the time for a shower before Nymphadora had arrived. He was certainly making a dreadful first impression. It's not as if he'll ever be your father-in-law, will he? This will probably be the first and last time you meet, anyway. "I also appreciate you and your family letting me use this house for the night. I would never have presumed, but it was an emergency…"

Ted interrupted him with a wave of his hand. "No need for gratitude, mate. It's Dora's house to do with as she pleases. Now… my wife looks like she has things well in hand. Why don't we get some hot food in you, and Dora can find you something more comfortable to wear, and then we can take a look at the scratches on your face."

Momentarily speechless, Remus stared at Ted, perilously close to tears.

Tonks rescued him. "I think he wants a hot bath more than anything else in the world right now, Dad. I'm going to show him where it is."

Remus protested, "I think I can find it on my own…"

"Show him to Dad's whirlpool bath, Dora. And we never did give away all of Dad's pajamas, did we? They should still be in his closet. Why don't you get some for the young lady, too? They'll both swim in them, but at least they'll be warm."

Tonks, after a kiss on her father's cheek, led Remus by the elbow out of the room and down a long hallway. She explained, "Granddad lived downstairs. I'll wager you never got this far in your explorations. He couldn't manage all those stairs, so he never even set foot into the rest of the house for years."

Remus felt as if he was being guided on a tour. "Good lord, Nymphadora, when you said you had a 'place I could use,' I never expected this. Why didn't you ever tell me you had a place like this?"

She grinned. "Well, I didn't until recently."

"You know what I mean."

"I told you my grandfather had a bit of money."

"A bit, yeah." He looked at her pointedly.

"Well, this place isn't that big. We're not talking Pemberley, are we?"

"It's big enough! So, why don't you live here, if it's yours?"

"I like my flat better. Living here would be lonely. Besides, the flat is more…mine, because I pay for it with money I've earned, and I decorated it myself, and I chose the location. This place," she waved her hands in a grand gesture. "… is all about my grandmother's choices, not mine, and besides, Granddad died here. It's depressing."

They finally reached the door to her grandfather's suite of rooms. Remus stepped back in shock. Though the rooms themselves were large and beautifully built, the décor would not have been out of place in Moody's house. It screamed 1955, and not in a good way.

Tonks giggled. "Tacky, isn't it? I do love this room. It's Archie in a nutshell. The bathroom is gorgeous, though.

She led him to an enormous, pale green marble bathroom with a large sunken tub. "Room enough for two in there, eh Remus?" she said with a lecherous grin.

"Not a bloody chance, Nymphadora. You go and run on back to Mummy and Daddy before they come after me with shotguns and wands blazing." He gave her a pointed look.

"Oh, come on, they like you!"

"They are making an effort to be nice to me, I'll grant you. But your mother is determined, I think, to prove to me that she is open-minded and beneficent, and your father, pleasant as he is, has no idea what I am. That is a far cry from giving me the go ahead to lay my filthy werewolf paws on their precious baby."

She stopped just short of stamping her foot in frustration. "Oh, Remus, when will you stop being sosuspicious of people? For your information, Dad does know what you are, and Mum has always known, so you might want to consider her previous treatment of you before you start judging her."

"But, do they have any idea that we have been…together?" He met her challenging expression with narrowed eyes.

"No, I don't think so."

He let out a breath that he had not been aware of holding, "Good. Let's keep it that way. This is a bad situation, and I don't think this is the time or place to test their patience."

She sighed in resignation. "Well, then, I guess I will leave you to your solitary bath. I'll lay out some clean clothes and towels for you."

"Nymphadora, I hope I don't sound like I'm…Well anyway, you and your parents really are unimaginably kind and generous. Thank you, for everything."

"Remus, stop being so goddamn…obsequious. We all owe you a lot for what you have been doing the last couple of months. The whole bloody country does. You have nothing to apologise for, and you deserve to be pampered a little bit right now. So, you enjoy your bath, and I will go back up to my parents and enjoy the mental image of you, starkers, surrounded by bubbles."

"You're going to be the death of me, Nymphadora."

She grinned over her shoulder at him while she disappeared through the bathroom door. "I love you, Remus."

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Tonks wandered back to the library, entering the door just as her mother appeared to be wrapping things up with the patient. She finally permitted herself to take a good look at phantom woman who had haunted her imagination for the last few months. It was hard to determine what Julie really looked like because she was so swollen and battered, but the golden hair was unmistakable, and the delicate features were easy to imagine in their uninjured state. She just had to be pretty, didn't she?

Andromeda looked over her shoulder. "Oh, hello darling."

"How is she, Mum?"

"Very badly hurt, I'm afraid. We must continue to replenish her blood. And her body has to get the better of this nasty infection. Muggles are harder to treat, because we cannot use their internal magic to aid in healing. But, I am hopeful. Where did Ted and Remus go?"

"Daddy is in the kitchen, and Remus is having a bath."

"Good, I want to take a look at his injuries once he's done. Those cuts on his face looked dreadful, and I imagine that they are not limited to his face. Did you notice how badly he was limping?"

"Well, I understand that he's always weak and sore after the full moon. Usually, he locks himself in a room and sleeps all day. For him to have traveled as far as he apparently did, and carrying someone else…I think he must be knackered."

"So we'll apply some of that…Archie's balm and then, while he's sleeping, heal his injuries. After that, he can rest for the next day or so; and the three of us can watch over the two of them in shifts.

"Actually, I was planning to take the day off tomorrow…"

"Don't be silly, dear, why should you skip work when I don't have a job to go to?"

"But I want to, Mum. He was there for me when I needed help…"

"And you can still be here for him, in a roundabout way, but your work is far too important to skive off."

Tonks took a deep calming breath and said, "Let's just wait and see what their situation is like tomorrow."

"That's fine, darling. I think I'm done here for a while, I am going to join your father in the kitchen. Oh, and Nymphadora…You may want to clean up that jumper a bit before your father takes a really good look at it. In fact, why not do a cleansing spell on your whole person? I hate to mention it, but you smell…well, a little too much like Remus did." She eyed her daughter shrewdly, then kissed the top of her head. "Now, I'm going to go and fix him something hot to eat, and then I could really use a gin and tonic."

After she left, Tonks let out a sigh at her mother's annoying perceptiveness. After grudgingly following her suggestions, she approached Julie's makeshift bed. "He could have made a more comfortable mattress for you, Julie. Let's see if I can't make it a bit better." And with as much gentleness as she could manage, she transfigured Remus' sad little mattress into a feather bed.

"That's the ticket, I think. I brought you some pajamas, too, but I think we'd better clean you up some before I put them on you. You don't want to wake up all smelly and gross on top of feeling scared and disoriented, do you?"

Tonks carefully cleansed the injured woman with a series of spells, taking extra time to thoroughly cleanse her hair, which really was quite lovely, once clean. "Now you may want to watch carefully; this is a tricky little spell that comes in handy at work. You see, Julie, sometimes I have to render someone unconscious, and then, er…'borrow' their identity. This way, I can switch clothes with them without having to lift them up and physically remove their clothing. I'm not going to exchange clothing with you, though; I'm just going to change you into these comfy flannel jammies. They've got pictures of the Queen all over them, I hope you don't mind. They're much more dignified than the ones with pin-up girls I found for Remus. I can't wait to see his face. Looks like you'd never fit into my togs, anyway, even if you wanted to. You've got those lovely long legs that my mother neglected to pass on down to me. Oh, and quite a rack, too. I'll try very hard not to hold it against you."

Once Julie had been properly dressed and her ragged clothes had been thrown into the fire, Tonks did a quick check of her patient's vital signs, then left to join her parents in the kitchen.

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"Ted, my love, I am so very proud of you. You were more than civil, you were positively friendly." Andromeda embraced her husband enthusiastically.

He grumbled, "Yeah, well, after twenty-eight years of marriage you did manage to drill some manners into me after all."

"That wasn't just manners, Ted, that was…well, at any rate, I'm proud of you!"

"Well, I am forced to admit, though he doesn't look like much, there's one good thing I can say for him: He put the life back in my Dora's eyes. She hasn't had that kind of sparkle very long time."

Andromeda beamed. "You noticed it, too? And I only gave them ten minutes alone together…"

"Andie, my dear, I'd really prefer to be under the impression that she is just happy to see him again. Let's not assume they got up to anything while they were alone."

Her voice dripping with sarcasm, Andromeda said, "Oh, because your little girl would never even consider snogging a boyfriend that she hasn't seen in months…" She broke off her teasing comment as his face reddened in anger, changing tactics. "Well, I must say, I couldn't believe it when you actually suggested that they go off alone together."

Ted muttered, "It was her idea originally, I only interfered when he demurred. And if she hadn't been back in five minutes I would have gone in there with Dad's Winchester."

"You wouldn't hut a fly, my love."

"Ha! You don't know me half as well as you think you do."

She looked at him with a gleefully wicked expression. "What are you going to do when it comes time to apply that balm to him? Are you going to let Nymphadora do it, or will you insist on doing it yourself?"

Ted visibly blanched. "Oh, Christ…I'm going to have to think about that one."

She continued, in a cheerful tone, "Isn't that the one that makes the patient go into sort of a healing trance within minutes? At least then you would know that Remus is incapable of misbehavior. Of course, that would leave our little girl completely free to take advantage of him. Perhaps I ought to do it…" Andromeda tried to stifle a devilish smile.

"Hell no! Weren't you the one, just a few weeks ago, telling me how--what was the word—oh, yeah; 'dishy' you found him?" Ted gave his wife a completely unconvincing glare.

"I merely said that I could understand what our daughter saw in…" But Ted cut her off with a kiss, and then another, and that was how their daughter found them, a few minutes later.

"Oh, for crying out loud, will you two get a room already?" She strode to the counter, where her father, after releasing his wife with a lecherous grin, began to make his daughter an Irish coffee.

Lupin entered the kitchen a few minutes later, clearly exhausted, but with a broad smile on his face.

"Feel better, Remus?" asked Andromeda, walking over to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Much, better thank you. I think I am about ready to get some sleep, but I will confess that a delicious scent drew me back here."

"Well, it's all for you, Remus. I'm afraid it's just leftovers from dinner, but there's plenty to be had." She pulled up a seat for Remus, who sat down and after a slight hesitation, began to eat enthusiastically. The three Tonkses pulled up chairs and surrounded him, not partaking in the food but enjoying their various cocktails.

"How is Julie?" Remus asked in between bites.

Andromeda answered. "Getting a little better, I think."

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate…"

Tonks interrupted him. "Remus, stop…"

With a mock glare at Tonks, he turned back to her mother. "I am actually very impressed, Andromeda. You were so…professional. I could almost have imagined I was watching Poppy Pomfrey at work."

"She meant to become a Healer," said Ted.

"She went to St. Mungos Academy and everything," added Tonks.

Andromeda explained, "I had a notion that I might be able to undo some of the damage that my eldest sister and her friends were doing. I was only a year away from finishing when I quit."

"Why didn't you finish?" asked Remus.

"That would be my fault," interrupted Tonks. She continued, in an sheepish tone, "You know me; always stumbling in at the worst possible time."

"Now that is not true, Nymphadora! I always planned to have children, so I did not quit purely because you were born." Andromeda turned to Remus. "Not only was her conception a bit of a surprise, but she decided to arrive well over two months early. Both of us spent some time in the neo-natal ward; she was stuck there for nearly three months. Of course, I had always planned to go back to the Academy, but I just kept getting distracted. And then, I ended up helping Ted to get his business started, so that pushed it off even longer. Finally it just seemed pointless to go back."

Ted reached out to pat her hand, and she glanced over at him, squeezing his hand in return. She continued, "But in the end, I've come to the realization that the potions that our company has manufactured will actually help more people than I ever could have as a Healer. Besides, there were a couple of horrible instances where my patients were actually victims of my sister. Let's just say they did not react well to seeing this face hovering over them while they recovered. And to be quite honest, some of the other Healers were more than a little suspicious of me for a similar reason."

Ted interrupted, "No, Andie, love. I keep telling you; they were peevish because they could see quite clearly how brilliant and ambitious you were. You, my beautiful Slytherin, would have been Healer-In-Charge of the whole ruddy hospital by the time you were thirty, mark my words." He gave his wife a besotted smile, then turned back to Remus. "Her knowledge and skills were more than a blessing for me, anyway. I don't think Dad would have lasted as long as he did without her help."

Remus beamed at both of them. "Well, you've certainly made me glad that I chose to call on Nymphadora rather than Molly for help. I've seen your daughter perform some pretty amazing healing while in the midst of a fight, but we've all gotten into the habit of going to Molly for our injuries, if Poppy is not available."

"More potatoes, Remus?" Andromeda asked.

"Yes, please."

Ted, after draining his glass, said, "I'll bet you're about ready for a stiff drink, eh, Remus?"

"To be honest, sir, something like that Irish coffee you made for your daughter would be like nectar of the gods to me right about now."

As Ted arose to fix Remus his drink, Andromeda warned, "Not too much coffee, Remus; you need to sleep."

"I doubt if all the coffee in the world would keep me from dropping off tonight." Anxious to distract himself from contemplation of sleeping arrangements, he purposely avoided Nymphadora's eyes. Therefore, he was startled by her ensuing outburst.

"Oi! Remus, those aren't the pajamas I set out for you!" Tonks' voice had an accusatory note in it.

With a grin, he replied, "Indeed they are not. You are very observant, Nymphadora. I took one look at the ones you chose for me and set out immediately to find something to cover them up with. Fortunately, I stumbled across other pajamas. I know that beggars can't be choosers, but, really!"

"You picked out the only boring pajamas he owned!" she grumbled.

"These are very nice pajamas, Nymphadora."

"They're dull as dirt!"

He laughed wryly. "Well, in case you hadn't noticed, I am dull as dirt. Well…apart from that whole 'snarling beast' thing, that is." He suddenly remembered the other two people in the kitchen and looked at them, a little horrified, but they both seemed to be chuckling with all sincerity. Little did he know that they were thrilled to see their daughter showing signs of her usual spark.

Ted, after placing Remus' drink in front of him, broke the silence "Those ones you are wearing were probably never worn. They look like something my mum would have picked out. To her continual irritation, my dad took great delight in his bizarre clothing choices."

Remus tried to suppress a laugh. "I can readily believe that, based on the ones that Nymphadora set out."

Ted looked at his daughter and winked. "Which ones were they, Dora; Elvis, or Henry VIII?"

Father and daughter beamed at each other. "The pin-ups, Dad."

"Oh, good ones!" Ted said, chuckling.

Remus shook his head. "I'm beginning to see where your daughter gets her appreciation for the absurd."
"I would have thought you would have attributed it to Sirius," said Andromeda.
"Oh, no. Funny as he was, his humor was entirely different; it was more…biting, more sarcastic. But she and Sirius played off of each like a duet; it was a great pleasure to watch. A little terrifying, when they turned it on me, but enjoyable all the same."

"I didn't know my daughter spent very much time with my cousin." She looked at Tonks with narrowed eyes.
"Don't be too hard on her, Andromeda; she was his savior, in a way. He was trapped in that vile house and she came by regularly, in order to cheer him up. It meant the world to him."

"I would have loved the opportunity to cheer him up. I would have been there every day if I could have!"

"Mum, we've been over this already, it wasn't safe…"

"And yet, with all those precautions…" She looked around, blanching visibly at what she saw in Remus' eyes. After turning to meet her daughter's exasperated expression and her husband's reddening face, she seemed to rethink the rest of her sentence. She altered the course of the conversation quickly. "So, in what way would they turn on you, Remus?"

He shook off his sadness and mustered a smile of reminiscence. "They would do anything in their power to make me blush, or spit out my drink, or relive uncomfortable moments, or force me to do something humiliating. However, I was so thrilled to see a glimpse of the old Sirius that I went along with it more often than not. I did feel sort of like a nanny to the two of them, though."

"I really wish I could have seen him again," Andromeda said wistfully.

"I'm really sorry Mum; it was such a delicate situation…"

"I know, darling."

"Perhaps I can locate a photograph or two for you, Andromeda," said Remus.

"That would be lovely, Remus, dear."

Ted cleared his throat. "This poor bloke looks as if he will fall asleep at the table, girls. You can exchange stories about your reprobate cousin tomorrow. For now, though, we need to patch Remus up and let him get some rest. Nymphadora, I did remember to bring that balm you asked for. I thought, perhaps that one of us could apply to him while your mother works on his wounds. Would that be all right with you, Remus?

"Yes, that sounds…that balm was miraculous… if it is the same one she gave me before. However, before I turn in, I feel as if I ought to explain what happened earlier, particularly if you are all going to become as involved with it as you already have." He looked directly into Ted's eyes as he began his story. The two women hung on his words.

"You see, I have been assigned to infiltrate a group of…werewolves who have allied themselves with the Death Eaters. The idea was to try to turn as many of them as possible away from Voldemort's side. The thing that made it really difficult was that there is a firmly entrenched hierarchy in the group. The younger, newer werewolves have absolutely no power or say in what goes on. Therefore, I needed to try to get to those with more of a position of power. I finally got somewhere with one of them, nearly two months ago. The trouble was that another, on the same level, more or less, began to sense the first one's growing unrest, and yesterday, a fight broke out. I was doing my best to protect my newfound ally, Charles Logan was…is his name, but many others got involved in the fray. All of this happened, by the way, while the undisputed leader, Greyback, was away, performing a task given to him by Voldemort. Then the moon rose, and everyone started to transform in the midst of the fight. In the absence of Wolfsbane, all of us lost control of our minds as well as our bodies. The reasons for the fight disappeared from our minds, but the rage and the urge to harm remained. It got rather bloody, I am afraid. I looked for Julie the next morning almost the moment I had regained my senses. As I feared, she was in very bad shape. They, the rest of the pack, I mean; prey on the weak, and many of them carried their prejudice against Muggles into their transformation. So, I found some clothes, grabbed what I could of our things, and escaped with her, with the intention of getting help for her. I did remember to check on Logan before I left, and I am fairly certain that he won the fight and will survive. But it was only a matter of time before Greyback returned and started asking questions. I knew my position there was effectively compromised. I can only hope that my ally had the sense to get out of there, and take as many as he could with him."

Remus looked around the table, prepared, he thought, for any reaction. Both of the women reached out to touch him with tears in their eyes. He noticed that his hands were shaking and moved them quickly under the table, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Ted cleared his throat, and said, "Well, clearly, we need to get word to this…Phoenix lot that my family have never thought to invite me to join, so that they can determine how to proceed. In the meantime, Remus, mate, you've earned a bit of rest and medical attention. Why don't I leave you to the girls' care and I will stop by the Burrow to have a little chat with Arthur. He can take it from there."

Tonks had thought that being in the same room as her mother while they were both being massaged was uncomfortable. However, it was nothing in comparison to the awkwardness of giving Remus a rub down while her mother sat next to her. Fortunately, Andromeda was too busy clucking over Remus' injuries to worry about where her daughter's hands were. After a while, Andromeda left to check on the patient in the library. Tonks, once she finished her task, curled up on her Grandfather's reclining chair, greedily drinking in the sight of her erstwhile lover after so long an absence.

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When she awoke the next morning, with a very stiff neck, she discovered that someone, most likely her mother, had tucked a blanket around her. Remus still slept deeply, snoring softly, almost close enough to touch. She arose and perched herself on the edge of the bed, gazing longingly at the weather-beaten, fine-boned hand that rested on the mattress, uncharacteristically still. Her mind filled with pictures of it, waving in the air as he gestured in the midst of an argument, or running it distractedly through his silver and gold hair, fighting a losing battle with the lock that always fell into his eyes. She visualized the same hand cupping the spine of an open book, or brandishing a wand, gracefully. She could almost feel it on her skin as she imagined him cupping her cheek with love in his eyes, or ruffling her hair with affection, or sliding it over her bare hip, possessively.

She wanted nothing more than to slide under the covers with him, spooned against his side. He was so wary and fiercely independent that to have him in front of her, knowing that he had allowed himself to rely on her, had trusted her to take care of him, had allowed her to witness his vulnerability, well, it was certainly a victory. Although it was inconvenient to have to share this triumph with her parents, in the end, their generosity and acceptance might give her skittish Professor the courage to take their relationship out of the shadows. In the meantime, however, she was not willing to push her parents' tolerance by allowing them to catch her snuggled up in bed with a werewolf. She had to settle for a quick one-sided kiss on the mouth.

"Wotcher, Daddy," she called out cheerfully as she entered the kitchen.

"Morning, Dora. Did you sleep well?"

"Apparently so, though I've got a crick in my neck from sleeping upright."

Ted moved to stand behind his daughter. He grabbed hold of her head and twisted her neck sharply to the side. There was a satisfying cracking noise and, after repeating the process, he began to dig his fingers into her neck.

"You're a king among men, Daddy."

"Well, m'dear, I have a message from your mother. Under no circumstance are you to skive off work today. One of us will be here all day. She went back home for more supplies and to bring back groceries, but she return by the time I have to go to the office. Both of the patients are likely to sleep all day, anyway."

Tonks rolled her eyes, though her father did not see. "Fine; I'll head back home to shower and such. But there is no reason for you two to have to stay here tonight, too. I can handle looking after both of them."

"We'll see if either of them wake up by then, and then we'll talk."

"Ok, Dad…And thanks for everything."

"Love you, Dora."

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Remus awoke that afternoon feeling far better than he ever could have expected to feel, given the circumstances. After a shower, he made his way into the library, where he checked on Julie's condition. He then wandered over to the kitchen, where he found Andromeda sitting at a table, a book open in front of her and a cup of coffee in her hands.

"I believe I would cheerfully sell you my soul for a cup of that coffee, Andromeda."

"Hmm, tempting offer. Make it your body and you may just have yourself a deal." Andromeda glanced over at him with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous grin.

He chuckled. "I seriously doubt if this wreck of a body would be worth the cost of the beans."

"And, sadly, I don't think my husband will permit me to keep a love slave in the house. He's funny that way." With a wink, she handed him a mug. "Here you go, Remus dear, and the perfect temperature if I do say so myself."

Remus sipped, and groaned in gratitude. "Where is everybody else?"
"Julie hasn't woken up yet, but she is doing a little better, I think. My husband and daughter both went to work. What would you say to a bowl of onion soup, Remus?"

"I'd say you've got yourself a love slave."

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Ted returned before his daughter did, just as the moon made its first appearance in the darkening sky. He kissed his wife in greeting, then went into the library to administer another dose of Blood Replenishing Potion and a powerful painkiller to Julie. After pouring himself a generous glass of scotch from the library bar, he decided to make another for Remus, and set out to find him. Eventually he discovered him, sitting on a wrought iron bench in the garden.

"Wotcher, Remus."

"Good evening, Mr. Tonks."

"Ted, please."

Remus nodded, and Ted glanced up at the moon that Remus had been gazing at.

"Nice moon out tonight."

Remus snorted. "If you say so. It's better than it was two days ago."

"Oh, yeah, I reckon it would be. Sorry, didn't mean to be insensitive."

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Remus said, "Don't worry about it."

Ted handed him a glass of the amber liquid, which Remus accepted gratefully. "Thanks, Ted. Has Julie awoken yet?"

"No. I just checked on her, however, and her breathing has improved considerably."

"Good."

They sat in silence for a few moments, both appearing to be mesmerized by the evening sky. Finally, Ted asked, "Do you have any idea what you are going to do with her if she does recover?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is that I need to set her up with Wolfsbane, somehow. With that, it may be possible for her to function in the Muggle world. I don't know, though. Not many employers are willing to overlook a recurring monthly illness like that without some explanation, and no Muggle would believe her if she told the truth. Plus, she has to find a place to live. I suppose I could modify her mother's memory to forget her previous ultimatums, but they would eventually come up again. I had thought of asking Dumbledore if there couldn't be a place found for her at Hogwarts, but we come across the same old problem of danger to the students."

Remus shook his head, ruefully. "I have spent the last thirty years wrestling with these very same issues, even with the use of magic, and now here I am planning to take on her problems, too."

"I can give her a job." Ted pointed out.

Remus smiled, sadly. "I really don't see how a Muggle is going to be useful to you in any way Ted, but it is very kind of you to offer."

"I have controlling interest in the firm my Dad started. They're all Muggles over there. I reckon there are a number of things she could do for us. What was her job before?"

Remus leaned forward, eagerly. "Something to do with computers. I didn't completely understand it."
"Well, that sounds promising. I'll talk to her about it when she wakes up."

"I certainly appreciate it."

"Also, I've been thinking. I can call in a favor for some Wolfsbane for next month, make a trade with someone, and by the month after that, I ought to be able to manage it on my own. Never tried it before, but I reckon I can swing it."

"You really don't need to. I know someone whom I can ask."

With a derisive snort, Ted said, "Yeah, I know him too. Ruddy bastard. He'll put you through hell for it. No, I can manage. I could set both of you up, if you like."

"No need, Ted, I get mine as a sort of payment for my services to the …Well, in return for some work I do."

"Seems like more of a punishment if you have to put up that git." They shared a smile together and Ted continued, cheerfully. "Well, anyhow, you think about it. It would be no more trouble to work up two batches a month than one. But I'll take care of the young lady in there, whatever you decide."

"It's not your responsibility, it's mine…"

"How do you reckon?"

"I brought her back with me, didn't I?"

"You saved her life, from what I can tell. That doesn't mean you're responsible for her. Unless there's something going on between you two…"

"No," Remus said quickly. "Nothing."

"Good." Ted stood up and turned back toward the house. As he opened the door, he said, softly, "I don't think my daughter would be too happy about it if there were."

Remus froze; unable to identify the wave of emotion that washed over him as Ted quietly shut the kitchen door behind him.

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Andromeda had just finished administering another dose of Blood Replenishing Potion when her patient's eyes fluttered open. With a warm smile, Andromeda exclaimed, "Well, hello, dear! How are you feeling?"

Julie blinked a few times, then tried, unsuccessfully, to sit up. "Where am I?"

Andromeda laid a hand on her patient's forehead, pushing her gently back onto the pillow. "You're at a private home in Surrey."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Andromeda, dear. You can consider me your doctor, of sorts." She discreetly waved her wand, attempting to prop Julie up in an incline by changing the shape of the pillows.
Julie's eyes widened. "That's a wand, isn't it? You're one of those…magic folk, like…Oh, shit, Remus! What happened to Remus?" She gripped Andromeda's arm fervently.

"He is the one who brought you here. He is fine, just resting right now. Now please, tell me how you are feeling, dear."

Julie grumbled, "I feel like I've been run over by a lorry. How long have I been out?"

"Well, the full moon was the night before last, does that help?"

Averting her eyes, she said, "Oh, all right, then."

"You were attacked, but we've managed to heal most of the damage. There will be a few scars, I am afraid. The claw marks heal quite a bit easier than the bite marks, which are cursed. But you appear to only have a few bite wounds on your body, and none on your face. At the moment, we are attempting to rebuild your blood supply."

"Well, I appreciate it. Forgive me, what did you say your name was?"

"Andromeda, Andromeda Tonks."

"Hello, Andromeda, my name is Julie…Tonks? Did you say…You're Tonks? Oh, bloody hell, I should have known! Typical man."

"Should have known what?"

"Well, you would have to be a goddess, wouldn't you?"

She raised an eyebrow in amusement. "A goddess?"

"But then again, you choose the way you look, don't you? So naturally you would choose to look, well…beautiful."

"I truly appreciate the compliment, Julie, but I don't…" Her eyes widened as realization dawned. "Oh, my! You are, I think, confusing me with my daughter. She can alter her appearance, but I am afraid that this is the face I was born with."

When Julie rolled her eyes, Andromeda leant down, and said, in a conspiratorial tone, "You would not envy it, however, if you saw the way that most people react upon first glimpsing me. Unfortunately, I am forced to share this face with the most evil woman in Britain."

"Camilla Parker-Bowles?"

Andromeda, after laughing heartily, said, "No; my sister."

"You have an evil twin, do you?

"Twin, no, but evil, certainly. Now, Julie, I want you to drink down this tonic. It tastes foul, but it will help to fortify your strength. After you drink it, you can have some pumpkin juice to wash it down."

A few minutes later, Julie drained down the last of her pumpkin juice greedily. With a sigh, she sank back against the pillows again, and restarted the conversation. "So you mean to tell me that your daughter was not only blessed with enviable genes, but also the ability to change appearance? And she must be fairly young, to have you as her mother. And she's got Remus too! Lucky girl -- I think I am going to have to hate her."

Her eyes widened and she looked at Andromeda in horror. "Oh, crap, I'm sorry! Why not just insult the family of someone who probably saved my life? You know I'm just kidding, don't you?"

Andromeda smiled indulgently and nodded, handing her a mug of broth.

Julie looked around as she sipped. "Am I sleeping in a library?"

"Yes, dear."

"Bloody hell! This house must be huge to have a library this size." She whistled in appreciation. "At any rate, it's wonderful to be indoors, with a fire, and with someone nice taking care of me. I've lived with animals for far too long."

"It is my pleasure. So Julie, am I to understand that Remus had been talking to you about my daughter?"

"Well, he did mention…that is to say…he talked about lots of people…I mean…I think I'd better shut up now, just as soon as I remove the foot that is lodged in my mouth."

"You haven't told me anything I didn't already guess, Julie. I know there is something going on between them. It is just that Remus is so closed off, and I want to make sure that he really cares about my daughter."

"I don't think you need to worry about that."

"Hmm, I hope not. Now, my dear, I think that it would be easiest if I conjured a hot bath for you right here. Technically, I ought to keep the magic I perform in front of you to a minimum, but I am going to trust you not to tell. How does a bath sound to you?"

"Like heaven."

Just as Andromeda was about to lock the door with her wand, Tonks burst in, clumsily.

"Oh, bollocks, I tripped over the door jamb," she said, trying to keep her voice low. "Sorry, Mum, I'm too tired to walk properly. What a crap day! Oh, you're awake! Wotcher, I'm Tonks."

She rushed forward and held out a hand, which Julie took, with a bewildered expression on her face. "Er… hi, Tonks, I'm Julie."

"So I gathered. I must say, you have made a remarkable improvement since this morning. Are you feeling better?"

"I…yes, I think so, I mean I just woke up…"

"I was about to conjure her up a bathtub, Nymphadora, but if you don't mind, I think I will leave that to you, so that I can make dinner. Julie, you are welcome to join us at the table, or to have dinner in your bed, depending on how you feel. Or, if you don't want to be left alone, I can set up dinner in here."

"I'm not sure…"

"You don't have to decide right away, dear." Andromeda closed and locked the door, and the two women stared at each other curiously for a moment.

Tonks said, in a cheerful voice, "A bath, huh? I think I can manage that, although it could get a bit messy." With a few waves of her wand, a copper claw-footed tub appeared in the middle of the Aubusson, right next to the fire. She filled it from the tip of her wand, then cast a warming spell. "D'you like bubbles?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Any particular scent?"

"Anything but lavender."

Tonks grinned. "I totally agree. How about verbena?" Without waiting for an answer, she created a layer of bubbles on top of the water, then conjured a screen in front of the tub. She then turned to offer a hand to her astonished houseguest.

"Thank you, Tonks."

"Forget about it. I'm just going to sit over here and give you some privacy. Let me know when you're ready to rinse your hair; I can do it with a spell."

Tonks sat cross-legged in a nearby chair, Summoning herself a book, and conjuring a glass of wine.

"You all settled in, Julie?" she called out over the screen.

"Yeah, thanks…this is heaven. I've been dreaming about this since Christmas."

"I'll bet."

There was a long silence after that; neither woman quite sure of how to break it.

"So, is it just your mother and you here, Tonks?"

"No, my dad is here, too. Oh, and Remus, of course. As a patient, I mean…He doesn't live here. But then again, neither do my folks."

"This isn't their house?"

"No, it's my grandfather's. Or, rather, it was. It's mine, now, but I don't live here."

"Where do you live?"

"I've got a flat in Hogs…in Scotland, I mean."

"Wow, you've really come a long way! I appreciate it…oh, wait, I forgot. You lot can travel at the speed of light, can't you?"

"Well, not that fast, but you've got the general idea."

"You know, Tonks, you don't have to sit over there on my account. I've been living in a pack, after all. I lost any trace of modesty I had quite a long time ago."

"Oh, right, then. Are you ready for me to help you wash your hair yet?" She pulled the chair to the other side of the screen.

"No; not yet." She gave Tonks a sidelong glance and half a smile. "I didn't expect you to be so nice, Tonks."

"Didn't you?"

"Well, he did say you were nice. And funny, and beautiful, and powerful, and all sorts of other things. But I resented you so much that I saw you as, well…"

"A bitch? Because that is how I imagined you," interrupted Tonks, with laughter in her voice.

"'Painfully forthright,' was another phase he used." Julie chuckled, and shook her head. "Yeah, I mean, don't take it personally. I just…it would have been so easy to let him take continue to care of me, or rather, it would have made things easy for me. I saw him as my guardian angel, and I wanted to repay him with love. Actually, to be perfectly honest, it wouldn't have been repayment. I wanted him for lots of reasons, not just gratitude, but I don't think I need to explain that to you."

"No, you don't." Tonks said, quietly.

"He never even considered it, Tonks. He loves you."

"Did he tell you that?"

"He didn't need to. It's funny. I had you built up in my mind as this incomparable…bitch goddess, based loosely on all of the male fantasy shape-shifters I've seen or read about in bad science fiction. But I come to find that you're quite human. Normal, even. Whatever he loves about you is within."

"Gee, thanks…" Tonks said, sarcastically.

Julie's eyes widened. "Oh, shit! That's not…that came out badly!"

"Don't worry about it, Julie. I am well aware that I am going through a frumpy stage. Have been for six months at least. You don't need to tell me that I am not much to look at."

"Oh, that's not true! You're adorable. Cute in a way I've never been able to achieve. Like an elf. Oh wait a minute. That's an insult to you lot, isn't it? I meant it as a compliment. Would sprite be a better word?"

"A little better, yes. I got the point, though. I am not completely unfamiliar with the way that Muggles perceive elves. Anyway, like I said, I have not been at my best for the last six months, particularly since Remus left."

"But can't you pretty much look however you want to look?"

"Normally, yes. But, to be perfectly honest, I usually only altered my hair color and sometimes eye color, unless I needed a disguise for work. People have to be able to recognize me, and I reckon that I am insecure enough to hope that people like me for who I am, and not what I choose to look like. That isn't to say that I am above using my abilities to hide a hangover, or blemishes and bloating."

"You see? I knew I had a reason to hate you!"

"Well, I will admit to thinking very unkindly of you, also."

"That baffles me."

"Put it this way: the man I love, the one who has been pushing me away for months, goes off for several months at a time and comes back talking about some girl that he has, for all intents and purposes, been living with for all that time. I was jealous as hell."

"Funny, isn't it?"

"Definitely. I don't imagine that Remus has been in this particular pickle often in his life. Women fighting over him, I mean."

"I can't imagine why not."

"Yeah, well, if you'd seen my cousin, his best friend, you would understand. He looked like a bloody movie star. Remus sort of faded into the background around him. I think it was by choice, a lot of the time. He made himself unobtrusive to avoid uncomfortable questions."

"That makes sense. So, do you think he knows we're in here, talking?"

"Mum would have told him."

"Do you think he's nervous about it?"

Tonks laughed. "Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do."

"It would be kind of fun to stage a catfight for his benefit, wouldn't it?"

"Not until you have done at least a few days' more healing. Damn it, Julie, why'd you have to be so likeable? We're going to end up friends, aren't we?"

"I hope so. But if you and Remus start snogging in front of me, I may change my mind."

"You won't have to worry about that. I am scarred by a childhood filled with uncomfortable public displays of affection performed in front of me. Besides, I really can't see Remus doing that…ever."

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Tonks went to seek out her mother in the kitchen, about fifteen minutes later. "Mum, the bath really knocked Julie out. Would you mind if I ate in there with her?" She turned to look at the other occupant of the kitchen. "Oh, wotcher, Remus! Are you feeling better?" She deliberately strode up to Remus and gave him a friendly hug. He stiffened, perceptibly.

"Oh, and speaking of Julie, Remus, you may want to go in there and fill her in on what happened the other night before she falls asleep again."

"I'll do that. Will you excuse me?" He left, but not before giving Tonks a look that clearly stated, 'What the hell are you playing at, hugging me in public?'

After watching him walk out the door, she turned back to her mother, who asked, "Do you think she's up to having us all in there with her, or would that be too tiring?"

"She seems like a sociable girl. I think she'll get on well with Dad, too, so why don't we keep her company over dinner? Where is Dad, anyway?"

"On the phone in Archie's office. Oh, and he was just telling me, earlier, that he is going to see about getting Julie a job."

Tonks beamed. "That's my Dad! You guys have been really cool about all this. I'm very grateful."

"Does that mean you've forgiven me for eavesdropping, then?"

"Not even close!"

"Oh, well; just another item to add to my list of crimes against you, starting with your name."

"And you can add another thing to your list of things you wish I'd do differently, which I imagine is pretty long by now."

"You; my love, are perfect."

"So are you, Mum."

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Ted, thoughtful as ever, managed to move the television from his father's old office into Julie's temporary hospital room, eliciting squeals of delight from the patient. Therefore, dinner was eaten informally around the television set, a somewhat unique experience for the magical members of the group, but enjoyable nonetheless. Ted discovered a fellow Monty Python fan in Julie, and since he never had quite been able to explain the jokes properly to his wife and daughter, he seemed thrilled to spend time with someone who actually 'got it.'

Remus and Andromeda faced each other across a chessboard for the better part of the evening, each declaring the other to be a challenging and entertaining opponent. Tonks, who felt increasingly like a fifth wheel as the evening progressed, gave up bouncing between the two pairs and decided to choose a book from her grandfather's considerable collection of horror and mystery novels. Bypassing a couple of lurid-looking werewolf novels, she chose Frankenstein, something that was a little less likely to offend anyone in the room. She curled up in blanket on the window seat, occasionally answering queries from her father, and, more often then not, becoming distracted by the look of intense concentration on Remus' face. Several times, he caught her staring at him, and the looks he gave her in return were enough to send shivers down to her toes.

Eventually Andromeda declared that Julie needed to rest, and the other three left the room so that she could make one last examination of her patient. Tonks and her father went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Remus tried to help but they banished him from the kitchen, and he declared his intention to take a walk in the garden. Sometime after that, Tonks went looking for him. She found him sitting in the garden, on a bench which faced a fountain.

"Remus." She crept up behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest. "I finally got you in my evil clutches."

He turned his head slightly to smile up at her. His expression was warm, but his voice held held a note of reprimand as he said, "This is probably not a good idea, Nymphadora. How do you know that they aren't looking out the window at this very moment?"

"Would that be such a problem?" She slid her hands up to his shoulders and began to knead deeply.

He groaned in response. "You're trying to distract me."

"No, this would be trying to distract you," she said as she bent to kiss his neck.

"Nymphadora…" The authoritative tone in his voice was negated by the strangled sound he made in his throat when she took his earlobe in his mouth. He pulled away from her, turning almost completely around to eye her sternly. "I am not going to participate in this while your parents are here. So unless you are overfond of rejection, you need to stop now."

Tonks, who would have given up six months ago if she had been the kind of girl to take rejection seriously, decided to have a little fun with him. "Ooh, Remus, I just love it when you use your 'stern professor' voice on me! We could really have some fun with that, you know." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

He laughed heartily at that. "I would certainly hope that we are not already at the point in our relationship that we need to play the 'naughty detention' game for excitement. Or perhaps I am even duller in bed than I thought."

"You're not dull!" she exclaimed, and then broke off with a smile of delight. "Good lord, Remus, did you just make a joke? And you actually used the word relationship! I think I hear an angelic choir, somewhere out there, singing 'Hallelujah.' Or, maybe it's just Sirius, leading a canine chorus."

He snorted at the image. "Well, in any case, it got you off my neck, didn't it? You really don't play fair, Nymphadora. Are you trying to get me killed by your father?"

"They've gone to bed. And by that I mean, they've, 'gone to bed.' So, why don't we have that bath we talked about yesterday?"

He said, in a voice hinting of strained patience, "I am not going to do this. As far as your father is concerned it would be a matter of repayment of his hospitality by seducing his daughter under his very nose. It is just bad manners."

"First of all, my father is currently enjoying my hospitality by staying at my house. Secondly, I am the one trying to do the seducing here."

"Both of those are technicalities, and you know it. Your parents are really helping me out here, and are going to continue to help me in getting Julie settled, and…"

With narrow eyes and a smug smile, she teased, "And I have helped you too. And I demand repayment in sexual favors. Here I have been, waiting for months, turning down people left and right, saving myself for you, and you are going to make me sleep alone tonight?"

"Yes." Remus said firmly, trying not to laugh at her audacity. "I am."

She leant down and kissed his cheek. "Well, then. Enjoy your cold and lonely bed, Remus; you old stick-in-the-mud!"

As she walked away, she looked at him over her shoulder, smiling slyly. "However, I can't promise that I will be a good girl up there, all by myself. A woman has needs after all…and you've got me really worked up, looking so…delicious tonight."

With a wink, she left Remus staring after her with his mouth open.

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A/N: Worth the wait? Let me know what you think.

Oh...and I am overwhelmed and humbled by the positive response to the last chapter of this story and to Love and Levity. To all who reviewed, thank you from the bottom of my heart, or the heart of my bottom, whichever you prefer.