All These Years
Chapter One
"Amidora Grace! Shoes off before you run around on the carpet!"
Nymphadora Tonks closed the front door behind her, sighing wearily as she charmed the groceries to head into the kitchen. A moment later, two pink trainers came flying towards her, and she was just able to move out of their way before they hit the door.
"Amidora…" she said, her voice rising in warning. A high-pitched giggle came from the living room, and she heard the patter of feet running into the back of the house. Sighing again, Tonks started down the hall, reaching the kitchen just in time to watch the last grocery bag set itself down on a hot stove and light on fire.
"Bugger!" Pulling out her wand in record time, she tried to control the flames, but was losing the battle rather horridly. The orange flames rose higher and higher as she struggled to put them out, and finally, letting out a rather desperate wail, she grabbed the nearest soup pot and hoped that perhaps suffocating them might work.
"Tonks, don't," another voice said quickly, and before Tonks could react, the flames were out. Turning to face her rescuer, she let out a sigh of relief and made the three steps it took to attach herself to him.
"You should be more careful," he chastised as he returned her embrace, kissing the top of her head as he did so. "One of these days you're going to burn the house down, and then I'm going to say I told you so."
Pulling away just enough to be able to look up at him, Tonks shot her husband a sheepish look, not quite knowing what to say to that. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little out of it today, that's all."
He nodded, running his fingers through her hair – long and dark and natural, the way she'd worn it ever since her daughter was born. There was no point in confusing her, after all, and if her mother looked different every time she approached her crib…
"Understandable," he said, brushing his fire-red hair back from his eyes. "We're out of potion, by the way. Used up the last of it this morning."
Her shoulders slumped, dismayed. "Out completely? Not even enough to get through tonight? Charlie…"
"I'm sorry," he said defensively, holding up both hands. "I would've gotten it myself, but Merlin knows where you get the stuff."
She sighed again, this time leaning up against the counter as she did so. Rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands, she tried to mentally pull herself together. It'd been a long day of work, and the last thing she wanted was to have to go out again.
"I'll tell you what," Charlie said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You go out and get it, and I'll clean up this mess and cook dinner. How does that sound?"
There wasn't much choice in the matter, but at least he was being nice about it. Nodding, Tonks then gave him a quick kiss. "I'll be back in about half an hour. Keep her occupied in the meantime, would you please? She's been a holy terror ever since I've picked her up."
She didn't wait for Charlie's reply; she already knew that he'd agree, so there was no point in sticking around to hear it. Disapparating with a pop, she arrived in Diagon Alley looking not at all herself. Dark hair was replaced with blonde, and her figure was now tall and full instead of petite and slim. If she were to be seen at her destination, there'd be hell to pay, and Tonks wasn't about to risk it.
Turning down Knockturn Alley, she bowed her head and walked quickly, avoiding eye contact with all she passed. She had one thing in mind, and conversation wasn't it. Brushing past the hags and warlocks trying to sell her ugly and worthless products, she ducked into the dark apothecary, wincing at the sound of the bell on the door. This was the only place she knew of to get what she and Charlie needed, and even if she had to sell her soul in order to get it, then so be it.
"Back again?" the wheezy old shopkeeper behind the counter said, his gnarled fingers twirling a gold coin methodically.
"We ran out," Tonks said shortly, reaching into her purse to pluck out the standard fee. "I'll need next month's worth, too."
"I assume you aren't talking about the contraceptive potion," the shopkeeper said with a twisted grin.
"You're right, I'm not," she snapped. "Wolfsbane. I need the rest of this month's dose and the next, and if you wouldn't mind, I'm in a hurry."
"Always in a hurry," he mumbled, setting down the coin with a shake of his head. "I've got none."
Tonks blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Wolfsbane," he repeated. "I've got none left. Last of my stores taken early last yesterday – takes too long to brew more for me to have a new batch yet."
Her heart was beating so fast inside her chest that it was actually painful. Sucking in a breath, she tried to keep herself from losing control as she slowly backwards from ten.
"You have to have more," she insisted with a growl at three, unable to make it to one. "Where else am I supposed to get it?"
The shopkeeper shrugged helplessly. "I haven't got anymore, I'm sorry."
Letting out a soft cry of despair, Tonks covered her eyes with her hand, willing herself to calm down. There had to be a way around this – there always was. If she didn't have the rest of the dose…
"Although," the shopkeeper said in an oily voice, "for a fee, I can tell you where you can get more."
Tonks uncovered her eyes to give him a suspicious look, a tiny bubble of hope rising up inside of her. "I'll double your fee if you tell me and wait until after I'm positive it's the real deal before I pay you."
"Done," he said brightly, picking up his coin again. "The fee's twenty Galleons, and this…" He opened a drawer behind the desk and procured an aging piece of parchment with a barely-legible address scribbled on it. "This is where you'll find your Wolfsbane."
Taking the address, she scanned it, her heart pounding in her chest. If this was some kind of scam, the shopkeep would pay, that was for certain.
"You're absolutely sure about this?" she said, glancing up at him long enough to gauge his reaction. He was genuine.
"I'm sure."
The only choice she had was to trust him.
Ten minutes later, she matched the address to the street and number hanging over a doorway that was all but falling apart. The shop was down a tiny, cramped alleyway that Tonks had never explored before. There was no sign at the door, leading her to believe it was a residence, and the way the hinges squeezed as she opened the door told her the owner didn't care much for company. Still, the shopkeeper had insisted she go right in and not bother with knocking, but she still held her wand at the ready just in case.
The door opened up into a dark and narrow hallway, much like the alleyway outside. Picking her way through it to make sure she didn't trip, Tonks cautiously entered the room at the end, surprised to see what looked like a small laboratory set up, with row after row of Wolfsbane bottled up by what looked to be dosages. The shopkeeper hadn't been kidding when he'd said he'd be able to find all she needed here, but the low lighting of the room made it impossible for her to know for certain if the ingredients were legitimate. The bottles were different from the ones she was used to, which led her to believe her usual supplier didn't get them from here – although, admittedly, he could have always rebottled them. Either way though, she was wary of the place, and didn't move from her stance a few feet into the room.
Jumping when she heard footsteps behind her, she whirled around and pointed her wand at the man now standing in the doorway. His robes were worn and his hair almost completely gray, but she recognized him instantly. Her breath hitched in her throat and she felt herself losing control of her morph, and she shakily lowered her wand, hardly able to believe her eyes.
"Remus?"
