"Stupefy!" cast Tonks, sending her opponent flying backwards into a brick wall. It was another raid in Knockturn Alley, and the wizard resisting arrest was cleverer than most; the Aurors had descended upon the apothecary under evidence that it was being used as a front for illegal potions manufacturing; one suspect had fled the scene, and Tonks had followed him out of the apothecary and down the Alley, despite the protests of her fellow Aurors.

"Of all the Aurors, they send a little girl?" the wizard taunted. Tonks' hair morphed red in fury and pursued him more fiercely.

The opposing wizard retaliated by casting a nonverbal curse to stick her knees together, preventing her from moving. She quickly undid the jinx, but not before she fell back into a barrel of a poisoned substance. The poison caused her backside to feel as if it were on fire.

Tonks stood up quickly, wincing, and shouted "Titillando!" in the wizard's direction. He missed the jinx by inches and cast "Confringo!" against the glass storefront behind Tonks. The impact sent shards of sharp glass through the air, cutting Tonks' face and hands. "Fuck, that hurts," she groaned, as she felt beads of blood spilling from her forehead into her eyes, blurring her vision slightly.

Tonks worked through the pain and poor sight. She levitated the glass shards, sending them back in the direction of the fugitive. He deftly deflected the shards, shouting, "Little witches can't fight!"

"Oh yes we can!" roared Tonks. She had almost cornered the suspect, but he got in her way by tossing wastebins in her path. She quickly cast them against the alley walls, and seizing a chance, cast a Bat-Bogey Hex at the wizard. The impact was successful and the bats came flying out of his nostrils. He attempted to run, but the bats were too much. He ran into a brick wall and came toppling back into the discarded wastebins. He landed in a heap at Tonks' now-wobbly feet. Whatever was in that poison is doing a lot of damage, she thought.

Feeling triumphant at last and trying to ignore the stinging sensations now burning up and down her legs, she bound the man with a quick "Incarcerous!" and took his wand away for good measure. She winced as she bent over to get his wand; her lower back and shoulders were now throbbing with pain.

"HA!" Tonks shouted, despite the pain. "I've got you!" She took out her Ministry-issued handcuffs, which severely restricted the wearer's magic, rendering them hardly more than a Squib. "Who's the little girl now?!" she derided.

The bound wizard was moaning, but Tonks didn't care. He had been especially nasty to catch, which was surprising. Most raids in Knockturn Alley were with relatively low-level wizards; this one had better skills than most.

"Tell me your name," Tonks ordered. "And what are you hiding?" She wiped the blood away from her face with the hem of her ripped robe sleeves. The poison must have spread upwards to her shoulder blades, because her arms were harder to move as well.

"None of your business," the man replied tersely.

"It absolutely is my business," Tonks said coldly. "Answer me."

"Didn't your mother tell you not to speak to strange men, little girl?" the wizard jeered.

"I'm not a little girl," Tonks spat. "If you don't tell me what I need to know, you'll be going to the Ministry for questioning."

"Aw, sweetheart, you wouldn't do that to me, would you?" the wizard suggested.

"You're disgusting," Tonks replied. "We're going to the Ministry now." The wizard protested loudly, but Tonks was already Apparating them to the Auror office's holding cells.

"You're stuck here now," Tonks told the man. "Get used to it." The wizard spat in Tonks' face, much to her disgust. She quickly cleaned herself and turned on her heel to the main offices, her vision slightly blurred from the blood that was running down her face from the glass shards.

"AUROR TONKS!" Scrimgeour's voice bellowed. "Fuck," Tonks muttered.

"Do you have any idea how much damage you caused just now?" Scrimgeour demanded, looking her up and down. "Do you have any clue of how foolish it was to chase after that suspect on your own?"

"Scrimgeour, I'm sorry," Tonks said, now limping towards Scrimgeour. "I didn't do it on my own; the tosser kept breaking things around me to hurt me. My backside is probably raw by now and if you haven't been able to tell, my face has seen better days. Besides, he knows something. He wouldn't give me his name or anything."

Scrimgeour sighed, contemplating his next works carefully. "Get to St. Mungo's. We'll discuss this when you're back," he decided.

Tonks huffed but agreed to take herself to St. Mungo's. She took the Floo to the hospital, now feeling woozy enough that Apparating felt unsafe. She was unhappy that she had another delay in her day. She approached the reception desk, and the reception witch looked shocked at Tonks' appearance.

"My dear, what happened to you?" the witch exclaimed.

"I'm an Auror, occupational hazard," Tonks explained, wiping at the mostly dried blood streaks on her face and clutching at her side. "Got hit or stung by something."

"Go on through that door, Healer Shafiq will meet with you," the witch replied.

Tonks walked through the aforementioned door to find a middle-aged Healer in lime green robes. "Ah, yes, Miss…?"

"Tonks, just Tonks, can we get a move on?" Tonks said grumpily.

"We will, as soon as I've assessed your situation. Follow me," Shafiq ordered. "Do you need assistance walking?" Tonks shook her head, which was pounding now. Each step was a little more painful than the last.

The healer led Tonks to a shared hospital room with three other patients. He gestured for her to get on the bed, as he looked at her facial cuts first; these were quickly healed with spells and Dittany.

"How is your sight?" Shafiq asked.

"Just fine, but I need you to look at my backside," Tonks stated.

Healer Shafiq pulled the curtains around the bed as Tonks painfully and gingerly undressed. It was painful to move the clothing off her body, as the poisoned substance outside the apothecary must have done quite a bit of damage.

"What happened here, Miss Tonks?" Shafiq said in a low voice.

"Dunno, fell into poison, I think," she replied. "It feels like a burn, but my whole body isn't feeling great."

"This is quite a bit more than a burn, Miss Tonks," the healer replied. "Lie down on your chest for now. I'll return with some salves and potions."

Tonks grunted in agreement and let her eyes close. She wished Remus were there; she felt her eyes opening and closing in exhaustion. It hadn't been a long day at all; it was only 1 PM, the last time she recalled. Before she knew it, she fell into a peaceful slumber.

Soft bright lights woke Tonks from her nap in the hospital. Small strands of mousy brown hair were in her eyes; she hadn't remembered morphing her hair that color for the mission.

"Excellent, you're awake," Healer Shafiq noted. "You gave us a fright, Miss Tonks."

"Us?" Tonks asked.

"Your family is just outside waiting for you," the healer informed. "I informed them that it would be best to wait until you were awake."

"Why's my family here?" Tonks asked sleepily. "How long have I been asleep? I just took a kip."

"Miss Tonks," Shafiq said sternly. "You were in a coma for two days."

"WHAT?!" Tonks roared. "A coma? From a poison?"

"It was an especially nasty poison, Miss Tonks," described Shafiq. "Auror Scrimgeour let us know that your latest mission regarded illegal potions, which helped us find and control the substance you came into contact with."

"What was in the potion?" Tonks asked.

"It appears to have been a concoction that induced muscle paralysis. If you'd consumed it, you'd have been dead very quickly," he said solemnly. "It would have stopped your heart."

"Bloody hell," Tonks replied, shocked. "What did it do instead since I almost took a bath in it?"

"It began to eat away at your skin, which caused the burning sensation," replied Shafiq. "It was overwhelming your body at an rapid rate, which led you to fall asleep. We put you in a magically induced coma to accelerate your healing."

"Am I going to be alright?" Tonks asked.

"You should make a full recovery, Miss Tonks," Shafiq smiled. "You were very lucky that the poison only touched you. We expect you to be released in the next day."

"Thank Merlin, I hate hospitals," Tonks remarked. "Can I see my family now?"

"I'll have them in momentarily," the healer replied. Shafiq made a few more notes on his parchment and swished out of the room. Moments later, Andromeda, Ted, and Remus entered the room. Andromeda and Ted both appeared level-headed, while Remus looked bewildered, sleepy, and scruffy.

"You're all here!" Tonks grinned. She glanced at Remus' expression and asked, "What's wrong with Remus?"

"Draught of Peace and Calming Draught," explained Ted. "He, erm, didn't take the news of your hospitalization very well. He's been here for two days, with the exception of feeding Ophelia."

"Really, Remus?" Tonks asked, looking in his direction. Remus smiled sheepishly at her. "What did you do to earn all those potions?" she demanded of him.

"Nothing, really," Remus said weakly. "Mr. Padfoot stopped me before I did anything stupid."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tonks asked suspiciously. "Why are we calling him Mr. Padfoot now?"

"Mr. Padfoot to refer to the human," Ted explained. "We'll call him Snuffles to refer to his other side."

"Okay," Tonks accepted. "Remus, what did you do?"

"I may have thought about going to the Ministry myself and attacking the wanker that got you into this mess," Remus said flatly. "Padfoot reminded me that Azkaban is not a pleasant place."

Andromeda snorted. "He had to transform into Snuffles and dragged Remus by the leg until Remus came to his senses."

"Oh, Remus," Tonks said. "I was just fine."

"You most certainly were not just fine, young lady," Andromeda admonished. "You could have died! You could have been paralyzed permanently! Thank Merlin that Scrimgeour had the sense to send you here!"

"I may have also wanted to beat Scrimgeour senseless for sending you on that mission in the first place," Remus admitted quietly. Tonks rolled her eyes.

"Remus, you daft man," Tonks stated. "How much of those draughts have you consumed?"

"Lost count," Remus said. "Werewolf metabolism is just wonderful."

"He sounds delirious," Tonks chuckled. "Was he really that bad, mum and dad?"

"He came to his senses eventually," Ted chortled, patting Remus on the shoulder. "The draughts weren't just for him."

"You too, mum, huh?" Tonks smiled at her mother.

"If you ever have a child and learn that he or she may be dying, ask me if you'll be calm about it," Andromeda retorted.

"Your mother and Remus were both worried about you, Dora," Ted said. "They love you and they show it in their own way."

"Form a club then, why don't you?" Tonks teased her boyfriend and her mother. "Calming Draught can be your official drink."

Remus sighed impatiently. "Dora, your safety is not a laughing matter," he cautioned.

"Sounds like the draughts are wearing off a bit," Tonks noted. Remus scowled.

"How am I, really?" Tonks asked. "Shafiq said I could've died, but how am I looking back there?"

"Andromeda, why don't you take a look?" Remus suggested, blushing lightly. Not like he hasn't seen that before, thought Tonks, but maybe not in front of my dad.

Andromeda gently moved Tonks to her side and undid her hospital gown to look at Tonks' back and legs.

"It's healing nicely," Andromeda noted. "It looks like a burn wound, so it's pink now. Just two days ago it was an angry, fiery, bloody red."

"Your healer was shocked you could even walk when he first looked at it," Ted added. "He said you shouldn't have been able to continue moving at that point."

"I'm tough," Tonks said proudly. "Can you call Shafiq back here? I want to know if I can morph it yet."

"We asked about that," Remus said. "He said you aren't to morph for at least a week. They gave you some potion that dulled your morphing while you were in the coma, to fast-track your healing."

"No morphing for a week?" Tonks lamented. "Ugh, I feel hideous."

"You could never be hideous, Dora," Remus said earnestly. "You're beautiful with or without your morphs."

"You're only saying that because you're my boyfriend," Tonks complained. "Just like when mum and dad say that."

"I'm only saying it because it's true, Dora," Remus said. He scooted his chair closer to Tonks and held her small hand in his own.

"Good lad," Ted noted, a twinkle in his eye.

"You're all biased," Tonks groaned. A rap-rap-rap was heard at the door just as Tonks groaned aloud again.

"Dad, can you see who that is?" Tonks asked. Ted nodded and moved towards the door, only to find Rufus Scrimgeour on the other side.

"Mr. Scrimgeour, sir," Ted held out his hand. "Very nice to meet you at last. I'm Dora's father, Ted."

"Nice to meet you, Ted," Scrimgeour greeted politely. "Might I speak with your daughter alone for a few moments? Merely regarding her mission."

"Dora? Will that be alright?" Ted asked.

"It's fine, dad," Tonks agreed. "You lot can come back in when this is done." Tonks felt suddenly nervous. Scrimgeour had been livid that Tonks had gone against the better judgment of the Aurors raiding the apothecary to seek out the runaway wizard; she had also inadvertently caused galleons of damage to several storefronts in Knockturn Alley, even if it had been to protect herself. Whatever Scrimgeour came to say, it couldn't possibly be good.

"I'll be fine," Tonks muttered to Remus, who also looked nervous at the grizzly Auror in the room. Tonks noticed that Remus hadn't let go of her hand until Scrimgeour laid his eyes on the pair; Remus let go of her hand as if it had burned him, and stood up quickly to follow Ted and Andromeda out of the room.

When the door was safely closed, Scrimgeour sat in the very seat Remus had left unoccupied.

"Tonks—" he began.

"I'm so sorry, Scrimgeour, I am," Tonks blurted. "I know it was stupid to go after that tosser, and I know I broke a lot of property. I'll pay it all back myself, I promise. I know it was stupid, but please don't let me go."

"Let you go?" Scrimgeour asked, head cocked to one side. "Why would I do that?"

"Because I disregarded the senior Aurors' directions and caused unnecessary property damage?" Tonks suggested.

"You did both those things, but your intuition helped the mission considerably," Scrimgeour said. "The wizard you caught was the mastermind of the operation. The ones we were going after were merely his lackeys. The wizard you caught – called Sherrard – had a few operations running like this in Wizarding Britain. All have now been identified and shut down."

"I caught the right one, then!" Tonks cried delightedly. "I knew it! He was too clever to have been a henchman."

"Your Healer, Shafiq, told us about your condition," Scrimgeour said. "It makes your feat that much more impressive. Few others could have sustained similar injuries and turned in the right target."

"So I'm not sacked?" Tonks asked, a smile growing on her face.

"No, quite the opposite, Tonks," said Scrimgeour. "We determined that a promotion is in order."

"Really?!" Tonks was astounded. Rather than being sacked, she was being rewarded.

"You'll be a lead now," Scrimgeour explained. "A bit more planning, a bit less execution," he added. "Your salary will be increased by 10% with this position. Do you accept?"

"Absolutely, I do!" Tonks beamed. "Thank you, sir!"

"You earned it," Scrimgeour said simply. "Few Aurors would have done what you did; even fewer young Aurors would have done so."

"Thank you, sir," Tonks repeated. "I'll be glad to tell my family about this."

"That was your father, mother, and…?" Scrimgeour's voiced trailed off as he glanced at the door.

"A good friend," Tonks provided. Scrimgeour wasn't known to be friendly about werewolves, and now was not the time to introduce her werewolf boyfriend to her Auror boss.

"Ah, I see," Scrimgeour said. "Did your Healer tell you when you'll be released?"

"By tomorrow," Tonks said. "I should be back at work by Friday, then."

"Take the rest of the week to heal," Scrimgeour ordered. "Come back on Monday."

"Are you sure?"

"You earned it. Shafiq's description of the poison you ran into was horrific."

"Thank you again, sir!" Tonks said brightly. "I'll see you Monday, then!"

"I'll leave you now, Tonks," Scrimgeour announced. "I'll see to it that your family and friend come back." Scrimgeour let himself out of the room, and moments later, Andromeda, Ted, and Remus returned to the room.

"What did Scrimgeour have to tell you?" Remus asked, retaking his seat.

"You'll never believe it," Tonks gushed. "I got a promotion and raise!"

"That's wonderful, Nymphadora," Andromeda praised, a warm smile now on her face.

"Excellent work, Dora," Ted remarked. "That's our girl."

"Congratulations, love," beamed Remus. "I'm so proud of you." He took her hand in his and kissed it. "You deserve it."

"He also said I didn't have to get back to work till Monday!" Tonks announced joyfully. "Four days off!"

"Which you should be using to heal," Andromeda said sternly. "It was good of Scrimgeour to give you the extra time off."

"I'll make sure she rests, Andromeda," Remus offered.

"You two aren't any fun," Tonks whined.

"We'll still have Sunday tea at your parents', love," Remus soothed. "Mr. Padfoot will be there too. We're celebrating your mother's birthday a bit early."

"Oh, shit, I almost forgot what with almost dying," Tonks joked. Ted rolled his eyes while both Remus and Andromeda gave Tonks exasperated stares.

"Usual time for tea?" Remus asked Andromeda and Ted.

"Of course, m'boy," Ted agreed.

"Make sure you sleep and shave beforehand though. You look exhausted," Tonks added. "You really haven't slept at home?"

Remus shook his head. "I didn't want you to be alone."

"Go home, shower, sleep, and shave," Tonks ordered him. "You aren't to return until you've done all those things. You need to take care of yourself too."

"Spitting image of her mother, that one," chortled Ted.

"Am not," Tonks protested, as Remus stifled a laugh.

"She runs a tight ship, eh, Remus?" Ted joked, as Remus shook his head in laughter.

"Get out, all of you! I need my rest," Tonks protested. "I'll see you all tomorrow when they let me out of here."

Ted, Andromeda, and Remus each kissed Tonks before they left her room, though Remus lingered longer with his touch.

"I'll see you soon, love," he whispered in her ear. "I promise I'll rest, too."

"You better," Tonks grumbled, as she turned to her side to get some much-needed sleep.

"Did you get my mum anything for her birthday?" Tonks asked Remus, as they lay in her bed on Sunday morning. Tonks had wanted to do more than sleep that weekend, but Remus refused after seeing Tonks' still-healing wounds.

"Of course I did," Remus replied. "I couldn't forget her, could I?"

"What did you get her? I don't want your gift to be better than mine, so my mum won't be disappointed in me," Tonks added.

"She could never be disappointed in you, Dora."

"Says you. Really, what did you get her?"

"It's a surprise."

"Even for me?"

"Especially for you."

"Fine," Tonks said with a huff, "I suppose we'll see this afternoon at tea."

"I suppose we will," Remus smiled.

Together, Remus and Tonks got ready and Apparated first to Grimmauld Place to collect Sirius as Snuffles. Then, the trio Apparated together to the Tonks family home and let themselves in.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!" bellowed Tonks. 'WE'RE HERE!"

"No need to shout, darling," Andromeda scolded.

"Happy birthday, Andromeda," Remus said, giving Andromeda a quick hug.

Snuffles was now Sirius, and he wrapped Andromeda into a tight hug, wishing her many happy returns on her birthday.

"Come, we're in the parlor," Andromeda called, and Sirius, Remus, and Tonks followed her into the cozy parlor.

"Open your presents!" Tonks ordered. "Remus got you something but wouldn't tell me what it was!" Both Remus and Sirius grinned at each other, annoying Tonks; they were clearly up to something and hadn't included her in their plans.

"I can open them at my own pace, Nymphadora. Allow me some tea, darling," Andromeda said.

"How are you, Sirius, m'boy?" asked a jovial Ted.

"Better now that I'm here. I've been worried sick over Harry," Sirius answered.

"What's wrong with Harry?" Andromeda asked.

"He was supposed to have extra lessons with Snape, and the foul git made him quit just this week due to a shitty memory," Sirius explained.

"Extra lessons? Memory?" Ted asked.

"Harry needed additional potions lessons with Severus," interjected Remus. "In one of those lessons, Harry found a Pensieve in Severus' office and came upon an unpleasant memory involving us and Severus when we were in school. We weren't as kind to one another as we should have been."

"Git deserved everything we did to him, and then some, after what he did," Sirius grumbled.

"He really didn't," Remus countered. "It's a finished matter, now, and we're reaping the consequences. We all should have been kinder to one another."

Sirius glared at Remus, but said nothing and sat down on the parlor sofa with a scowl on his face. Tonks beckoned her mother to join him, and they sat on either side of him, with Tonks mimicking Sirius' scowl.

"That's the Black temper I've come to know and love," Ted joked, as Remus chuckled.

"We love them, don't we?" Remus said aloud, looking at the trio on the sofa.

"We certainly do," Ted smiled.

"Can we open presents now?" Tonks asked. "I want to know what these two," she gestured to Remus and Sirius, "are up to." Sirius perked up and looked at Remus, who nodded in agreement.

"Sirius and I worked on the gift together, Andromeda," Remus explained. "Sirius?" Remus beckoned to Sirius, who produced a small velvet box from his robes.

"For a fellow Black," Sirius said simply, as Andromeda opened the box. Tonks looked over her mother's shoulder and saw what lay within: a gold bracelet inlaid with rubies and diamonds.

"Fucking hell," Tonks muttered. "I can't compete with that."

"Language, darling," Andromeda reproved, as she picked up the bracelet in her hands and examined it closely.

"This came from the Black family vault?" Andromeda asked, with a raised brow at Sirius.

"It did indeed," Sirius explained. "As a fellow Black who was ever-so-gracefully removed from the family tree, you're as welcome to the jewels as I am. I think my mother would be rather pleased that precious Black jewels were gifted to a fellow blood traitor, don't you?" Sirius grinned at Andromeda.

"Thank you," murmured Andromeda, as she turned the bracelet over in her hands. "I never thought I'd receive anything from our family." She examined the bracelet more closely; Tonks could tell it was laden with magic, but she was unable to tell what was on it.

"The magic has changed," declared Andromeda. "It's not Black family magic anymore, is it?"

"That's where my gift comes in," Remus said. "I spent the last few weeks reworking the enchantments on this piece. It was enchanted to be handled only by those with Black blood, but I took those enchantments off and placed new protections on it. It's now keyed only to you, Dora, and Ted."

Tonks admired the magic and decided to touch the bracelet to test Remus' magic. She placed a finger on one of the gemstones, and it was warm to the touch; it felt familiar and safe.

"You put protections for my mother on this," Tonks said, looking up at Remus. "To keep her safe." The gesture was so genuine and generous; Tonks worried for her parents, and now the bracelet brought additional protections.

"I did," Remus smiled. "If either of your parents wear it, they'll have extra enchantments to keep them safe. The charms are as powerful as I could make them."

"This is very thoughtful," Andromeda murmured. "Thank you both for such a lovely gift."

"Anytime you want something from the Black vaults, let me know," Sirius said. "Moony here will do the rest."

"My gift is pathetic compared to theirs," Tonks said. "I can't believe I let you go first. I thought it would be a prank!"

"Why in Merlin's name would we prank your mother?" Sirius said. "You? Your father? Not your mother." Ted and Remus both laughed, as Tonks reluctantly pulled out her own poorly-wrapped gift for her mother.

"Here, mum," Tonks mumbled. "Not as fancy as what these two came up with, but I hope you like it all the same."

Andromeda took the package from Tonks and opened it to find a photo album.

"I gathered all the loose pictures I had from the years and wanted to put them together for you," Tonks explained. "I hope you like it." Andromeda leafed through the album, growing misty eyed at the photos of a young Tonks in all her colors, alongside both her parents, and the Tonks family. The last few pictures included were from Remus' 36thbirthday.

"Do you like it?" Tonks asked nervously.

"I love it, Nymphadora, thank you," Andromeda said, hugging Tonks tightly. "This is just as thoughtful and lovely as what Remus and Sirius gifted me."

"Dad, what did you get mum for her birthday?" Tonks asked, facing her father.

"We'll be going on holiday next month to America," Ted announced proudly. "Taking your mother to Salem, Massachusetts."

"You're not taking me?!" Tonks demanded. "I've always wanted to go!"

"It's a gift for your mother," Ted insisted. "I'm sure you'll have a chance to visit Salem one day."

"You did just get a raise at work, Nymphadora," Andromeda reminded. "Save up and you can go on holiday as well."

"Besides, Dora," said Remus, "We've plenty to keep us busy here. We can go on a small holiday sometime when it's safer for us."

"You mean when my deranged aunt isn't on the loose anymore?" Tonks deadpanned. Sirius stifled a laugh at Tonks' brashness.

"Precisely," Remus said firmly. "I don't fancy a run-in with her anywhere on the continent, let alone the world."

"Well, now that all that's settled, how about some cake?" Tonks asked, earning more laughter from her family. Let them laugh all they want, Tonks thought, as long as I get cake.

"We'll come with you, Dora," said Ted, gesturing to Sirius. "We wouldn't want to lose the cake on your way here," he said with a chuckle, as Remus and Andromeda remained in the parlor smiling broadly at Tonks' expense.

Brief Remus Interlude:

Remus cast a quick repelling and muffling charm in the direction of the kitchen, while Andromeda looked at him quizzically. "I'll explain in a moment," he said. Remus cast a few more of his own spells, and sat back down in the armchair, facing Andromeda.

"The gift I gave you, Andromeda, is more than meets the eye, as you may have suspected by now," Remus explained. "Can you feel it?"

"Blood magic," Andromeda murmured. "Nymphadora's. How did you do it?"

"Dora had a run-in back in March and while healing her, I took some of her blood," Remus said. "I know I should have asked for permission, but it wasn't until that episode this week with that paralyzing potion that I knew I had to finish it."

"It's enchanted to her magic and life, just as Dora's pendant is with mine," Remus explained. "I had to modify it so that it would be keyed to both you and Ted only."

"You didn't make one for yourself?" Andromeda asked sharply.

"I don't think Dora would appreciate it," Remus said gently. "I thought it would be better in your hands, especially as I have, erm—"

"—Scheduling conflicts?" Andromeda suggested, eliciting a sigh from Remus.

"Yes, my scheduling conflicts leave me incapacitated once per month, and if anything were to happen to Dora at that time, I would be unable to find her," Remus elaborated. "It should be for you both." Remus looked at Andromeda in confirmation.

"Nymphadora doesn't know you did this?" Andromeda asked.

"No," Remus said. "I know it's not ideal, but she can be far too stubborn for her own good, and I couldn't bear the idea of something happening to her without one of us knowing."

"If Nymphadora finds out, she won't be happy," Andromeda said sternly. "Brilliant as this may be, she won't take to it well. However, my daughter is hardheaded and reckless at the worst of times, even if it does earn her promotions."

"I can remove the enchantments, if you'd like," Remus offered. "I leave it in your hands."

"I'll keep it for now," Andromeda said softly. "After the last week, and now with Bella on the run, I think it will bring me comfort to know she's safe."

"You're not upset with me?" Remus asked. "I know you'd mentioned this before, but for me. I thought you should have it."

"Nymphadora will be upset with you if this leads me to her in a moment of danger for the both of us," Andromeda said slowly. "I'll use it only if the circumstances suggest I should."

"That will be for the best," Remus suggested. "I hope you never need it."

"I hope so, too, Remus," Andromeda said softly. "I hope so, too." She glanced worryingly at the bracelet and then at the kitchen where her daughter was slicing cake with the others; Remus saw the look in her eyes and knew it had been the right thing to do, even if he suffered the consequences later on.