A note about timelines: I realize the age difference between Remus and Tonks is somewhere around 15 years. So for Andromeda to be the same age as Remus, she would have to have been pregnant at Hogwarts, which, despite the popularity of Ginny and Hermione teen pregnancy fics, I don't see. In my other story I made them the same age as Sirius because I wanted to play the Black cousins off of each other, but for the purposes of this fic, let's assume Ted and Andromeda are a bit older, but were still at school some of the same time.

I know these chapters are short. It's not meant to be an epic.

Chapter 2- Surprise Guest

Looking through moldy old documents taken from the vaults of old families might not be most people's idea of a romantic evening, but such was the life Nymphadora Tonks led. She actually liked it that way; she'd never been one for flowers and candlelight dinners. Although tonight she was having trouble concentrating on her search for any mention of horcruxes. The source of her distraction was sitting only inches away on the couch. He didn't appear to be having any trouble focusing, but that was probably because she hadn't told him yet. She wondered how best to bring it up delicately.

"We'rehavingdinnerwithmymumanddadfriday."

Or she could skip the delicate part and just blurt it out. He looked up and blinked at her, and so she repeated it again, with spaces between the words. He still didn't look entirely convinced.

"When was this planned?"

"I had lunch with my Mum today. Which is to say, she showed up at my office unannounced, and she couldn't even come up with a decent excuse…"

He cut off what might have become a full-blown rant about mothers with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"And you told her?"

"Well, it's not like they plan dinner if it's just me…" she said slowly, pretending to not understand what he meant and stalling for time.

"Let me rephrase…you told your mother you were bringing someone for dinner. Did you tell her it was me?"

She bit her lip. "I'm not sure that your name came up exactly…"

He groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Dora!"

"Well, she cornered me! I had it all planned the best way to explain it but she took me off-guard! It won't matter," she added quickly. "They'll like you!"

"I know they will," he said through his hands. "And do you know how I know? Because I know your parents. We were at school the same time."

"Really?" She looked as though that had never occurred to her. "Did you know them well?"

"Well, they were in different houses, and a little older, but everyone knew the Black girls, and everyone knew Ted fancied her. Besides, Sirius was over all the time after he graduated, even when you were little, and sometimes, I was with him. Believe me Dora, they know me."

"Well good," she said with false brightness. "You already know you get on." She squeezed his arm. It's Mum and Dad, they'll be fine. Mum can't be rude, it's genetically programmed by Granny Black's course in learning etiquette through negative reinforcement. And when it really comes down to it she can keep Dad in line."

"Wait! Andromeda!"

I heard someone call my name as I was leaving Flourish and Blotts and turned to find Molly Weasley hurrying after me from the direction of the shop her twin boys had started. They were making a killing in Diagon Alley. I paused and waited for her to catch up.

"I'll walk with you back to The Leaky Cauldron. It's hardly safe to walk alone anymore," she said.

"How's the wedding planning going?" I asked her, she sighed and shook her head, looking flustered at the very mention of it.

"It's a job, I tell you. Of course I couldn't be more pleased, Fleur is a sweet girl…once you get to know her. But with all her family coming in, trying to get it all organized…invitations, and centerpieces, and napkins…"

She didn't fool me, I knew she was loving it. The first of her children to get married. I remembered when Bill Weasley was born…it was enough to make a person feel old.

"Well, you never know, you might be planning a wedding before long as well…"

I stopped dead, for a moment speechless with shock.

"Oh, there's Ron and Ginny! I told them to wait inside, honestly! Oh, do call me soon Andromeda, we don't see nearly enough of you and Ted." She embraced me quickly, and then hurried off to reprimand her two youngest children. I was still standing there, trying to process her offhand comment. Planning a wedding? Dora's relationship was that serious? And why did Molly Weasley know when I didn't?

"Andy, the house is perfectly clean," he said patiently.

Ted still had a fancy for muggle sports, and was reading the sport section of the muggle newspaper. It was just one of the odd things one learned to accept in marrying a man who had spent part of his childhood in the muggle world. I couldn't understand the attraction of a sport where no one flew and the ball didn't move on its own, but he still followed muggle football.

"We don't want Dora's young man to think we're slobs," I said pointedly. Ted does tend to be a bit messy, and I was used to it. Since Nymphadora had moved out as soon as she finished school it was much easier to manage, but I shuddered to think what her apartment looked like. She cleaned it up when she knew I was coming over, but I'd caught her off guard a few times. She was so adorably like him.

"If "Dora's young man" has a problem with it he can sod off," he growled. It was not the first comment like that he had made over the past week, and every time I reminded him of his promise. And I hadn't told him about my conversation with Molly Weasley. I wanted to see what kind of boyfriend we were dealing with before I tried to broach that subject. Secretly, he still thinks she's about ten years old.

"You promised to be nice."

"Mhm," he replied noncommittally.

"Perhaps you'll like him."

He raised a skeptical eyebrow at me over the paper. "When have I ever liked one of Dora's boyfriends?"

"There was that nice boy she was seeing the summer between her sixth and seventh year…"

"The one with the nose ring?"

"No, that was after seventh year. Besides she only went out with that one once…"

"If this one has a nose ring he's not coming in the house."

"I think she's past that phase. Besides, I wonder if that one was just to mess with your head…"

"I'm not wearing a tie."

"Nor did I tell you to. It's meant to be "casual." We don't want to scare the poor boy. I wonder if it's someone from work. Another Auror I mean. There's that nice looking young man with the blond hair."

"Dora doesn't always go for pretty boys…"

The bell sounded, and we looked at each other.

"Remember-" I began, he folded up the paper and then held up a hand like he was taking an oath.

"I'll be nice."

I pulled open the door, Ted nearly falling over my shoulder to get a look at the boy, but we were both surprised. Remus Lupin was on the front step. I hadn't seen him since before Sirius had died, but I had always liked him. He used to come over sometimes with Sirius, they'd been in the same tightly knit group of friends. He was a nice contrast to Sirius's recklessness. I knew, from offhand comments here and there, that he had been working with Dumbledore on something top secret. I hear more than most people would think.

"Remus! Well, this is a surprise! We weren't expecting you."

"You have no idea how true that is Andromeda," he said dryly. Before I could wonder what he meant by that, I noticed Dora standing behind him, looking rather panicked.

"Well, come in, come in. I do hope nothing's wrong. We're just expecting a friend of Dora's for dinner, but since you've stopped by you absolutely must stay. You're practically family, after all."

"Mum…" Dora began.

"Oh come Darling, the more the merrier, right?"

"But Mum…"

"Nymphadora." It doesn't matter how old a child is, the full name said in that tone always works. "Now, while we're waiting for Dora's young man, can I offer you a drink?"

"Mum!" Dora said again, sharply enough that I turned to look at her. "We're not waiting for anyone."

"Ha, cancelled, did he? Well, that fig-Ow!" Ted shut up as I elbowed him in the ribs.

"Is your…er…friend not coming Honey?"

She looked, if possible, even more panicked than she had when she'd come in.

"No, he's coming. But he's already here."

I glanced around the small entrance hall- myself, Ted, Dora, and Remus. I hadn't missed anyone coming in. Had she finally cracked under the stress? Then I noticed Dora. Or rather, I noticed that Dora's hand was resting on Remus's arm in a gesture that was both possessive and restraining, as though she thought he might bolt. Come to notice, he actually looked a little like he might do just that. You don't grow up in the Black family without learning to read body language, and then I got it.

"Oh hell. I think we might all need a drink."

"WHAT!"

"Ted, don't yell!"

With a particular sort of cluelessness particular to fathers of young women, he had continued to not catch on until finally to save everyone some embarrassment I'd asked to have a word with him in the kitchen. That had the added benefit of giving everyone a moment to recover.

"But…but…how…what…I mean…bloody hell Andy, he's our age."

"Nearly."

"But…I…how…what are we going to do?"

"Well, I guess we should see what they have to say for themselves."

"I would have preferred the nose ring."