AN: By the very nature of the situation I have placed these characters in, I am forced to at least acknowledge a few possibilities for them that some of you might find rather controversial. It is not my intention to make this fan fic a statement about any person's decisions that they have or haven't made. I knew I would be diving into these areas when I first began writing this fic and it is for these reasons that I gave the fic an R rating. Mature issues and topics are meant for mature audiences. I only make this clear now because the topic will be discussed here and in later chapters, and I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware of the issues at hand.

Chapter 8

22 March 2:47 pm

For the second time that day, Remus Lupin found himself standing at the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. He looked at the phone contemplating just how he wanted to go about this. It was mind boggling to even be considering something like this, really. Usually he could work out the words he would need in a possibly uncomfortable situation, but this was beyond his experience. This was beyond anything even he could have even imagined.

Deciding that he didn't want Tonks to know he was there just yet, he picked up the phone and asked for admittance by way of The Werewolf Registry. He was an employee, after all, even though he was very seldom called in to the office. Most of his work was done in the field, so to speak. The badge dropped out of the chute and Remus pinned it on with a sigh.

Remus J. Lupin

WEREWOLF

UKW 1961-2584

Visiting The Werewolf Registry

With the full moon a little over a week away, the word werewolf glowed a bright red so that no one would mistake his identity. With all the advancements the ministry had made as of late, this was one thing on which they were unwilling to budge.

The booth closed, and a moment later he found himself in the heart of the Ministry of Magic. The wizard who checked his wand eyed him nervously, but Remus didn't give it a second thought. He was far too focused on Tonks and how he was going to broach the topic of her pregnancy to really care what this man thought of him. The wizard placed Remus' wand in a box and stored it under the counter.

Attempting to come up with the best way to start the conversation he needed to have with Tonks, Remus slowly made his way down the hall to the lift and to the second floor.

How does a man tell the woman he loves that he knows she has been unfaithful? How does a man look that woman in the eye and not crumble from losing her?

How can I ever hope to make it through this with my heart intact?

When the door to the lift opened, he took a steadying breath, willing his heart to stop racing and his emotions to remain calm.

Auror headquarters was relatively busy with the normal sort of activity. Remus scanned the area looking for a glimpse of the pink he had come to love so well. He made his way over to her desk only to find it vacant and appearing as though it hadn't been touched all day.

"Remus? What are you doing here?" It was Mad-Eye Moody, giving that smile that always made his face look more gruesome than it really was.

"I'm looking for Tonks. Do you know where she is?"

Moody's magical eye rested directly on Remus' face. "I assumed she was at home. Told me she wasn't feeling well."

Remus frowned. "No, I don't gather she is feeling well." When Moody looked at him questioningly, Remus added, "I left early this morning for an appointment and didn't see her really. I just thought we might catch a late lunch."

A laugh resonating from the other side of the room caught Remus' attention. He looked up and caught site of Anaxagoras Garcia, looking rather cheerful and talking with ease to a pretty female employee that Remus didn't recognize. It nearly made Remus sick with disgust. It was revolting to think that just a few hours earlier, this man had been told he was going to be a father, and now he was flirting with another woman.

The animal inside of Remus growled.

"Excuse me for a moment," Remus said through clenched teeth. "I need a word with Garcia." He slipped away from Moody before he could protest and strode directly over to stand in front of Garcia.

Garcia's smile faded quickly upon seeing Remus. "Mr. Lupin," he said in a tone that only proved his guilt.

"Where's Tonks?" Remus asked, not even offering the other man the courtesy of a salutation.

The younger wizard blinked. "She is not here. She was ill."

"Yes, I know all about her illness," Remus replied dryly.

Garcia looked confused. "She talked with you?"

"No," Remus said, his eyes boring into the other man's worried face. "I overheard your conversation at the Leaky Cauldron today."

"Joder!" Garcia's eyes went wide.

In a voice barley audible Remus added, "I know about the baby."

Garcia wet his lips, looking like an anxious child who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I think that perhaps it is better that we go somewhere more private. It is important that you and I talk."

Remus nodded and followed the younger man out of the department and down the hall to an empty room. The door closed behind them, leaving them alone with only tension between them. "Well?" Remus said impatiently. "Where is Tonks?".

"Mr. Lupin…mire. I don't know...I should not be the one to speak to you."

Remus just stared as Garcia stumbled over his words like a guilty teenager.

"What you need to understand is…" Garcia ran his hand nervously through his thick hair, and then slammed his hand against the wall. "Dios mio! I told her to tell you."

Remus sighed, "Yes, I heard that part as well. Are you expecting me to thank you for being so courteous?"

"You are placing me in a very awkward position."

Remus gave a cold laugh. "I placed you in an awkward position? I think it's the other way around."

Garcia frowned. "In fairness to Dora, I cannot say more. You must speak to her yourself. "

"Seeing as how she isn't here and you won't tell me where she is, I have no choice except to get the information from you."

"But Mr. Lupin - "

Remus had had enough. "Where is she?" he bellowed.

Garcia swallowed. "She went to Knockturn Alley."

That hadn't been the answer Remus was expecting. "What?"

"There is a woman…a medimalbruja that can help."

"In English please."

"A how do you say, witch doctor?"

"No!" he said with more force. Remus was nearly at a loss for words at what Garcia was implying. Surely Tonks wouldn't…she couldn't…

"I know what you must think, but I have used her services before. She can do the spell for Tonks."

Remus felt his heart quicken, his breathing became shallow as he took in the full measure of the situation. The more Garcia tried to explain his reasoning, the more rage Remus felt towards the other man.

"I know that there are risks, but she is very discrete and will not betray a confidence. " Garcia added, having the decency to at least look somewhat affected by what Tonks was doing. "We didn't see any other way."

Remus glared at him, anger boiling inside his heart. "What kind of a man are you?"

Looking puzzled, Garcia asked, "What do you mean?"

"How can you stand there and calmly admit that you sent her off to some butcher! Can't you at least take responsibility for your actions? Stand up and face them like a man?"

Garcia shook his head in confusion, "I do not understand. She came to me for help and if there had been any other way - "

"Good God! Do you have any idea what this witch doctor could do to her? I can't even believe that you convinced Tonks to do such a thing! I suppose its evidence of your influence on her. She would never do something like this on her own. I can't believe this whole situation!"

"I only told her once she promised me that she would talk to you. I told her she had to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Remus said angrily, his face very close to Garcia's. "That you were unwilling to face up to your mistake? That you were unwilling to take on the responsibility of your actions? That it would be too difficult – too much of a burden to have a child. So instead of seeing this through, you send her off to some dark arts practitioner to get rid of it!"

"Que horror! Madre de Merlin!"

"What did you say to convince her to do this?"

"I said nothing! She is not going 'to get rid of it!' She's only -"

"Then why did you send her there?"

"To prove the father!"

Remus gave an audible gasp. "You wanted proof? Her word wasn't good enough?"

"She wanted proof. She wanted to know for certain who the father was before she came to you."

It was unbelievable. This man and his audacity were pushing Remus to his limits. "I think it's a bit obvious who the father is." Remus gave him a very pointed look.

Garcia skin paled slightly as he slumped against the wall. "What? You think I…you think that Dora and I - "

"Of course it's you! I heard you admit it!"

"No, Mr. Lupin. You are mistaken."

But Remus didn't hear him. He was too angry, and for the first time in a long time felt the need to strike the man in front of him. Garcia would not get the better of him. If he could keep his anger in check around the likes of Severus Snape, then by God he could control it now. "Just be grateful I don't have my wand! I'm not an imbecile. I've seen the way you look at her. I know you're in love with her!"

Garcia froze. He took a deep breath before saying, "Whatever my feelings are for Dora, I am not the father. I would never do what you are suggesting."

Remus simply glared at him. "And you expect me to believe this?"

"I have never touched Dora in that way. I will admit to being attracted to her. I would hardly be a man if I didn't find her attractive, but there is nothing has passed between us. If she were not married then…perhaps…but"

"That's just it, Garcia. She isn't married." It pained Remus to admit it, but it was the truth. There was nothing legally binding Tonks to him. Just a few spoken promises between two lovers.

"How can you, of all people, say such a thing?" Garcia scowled at Remus. "How can you live with her – love her – and not see how devoted she is to you? I would give all the money in the world to have a woman love me the way Dora loves you."

Remus felt suddenly at war with himself. A battle raged inside his heart telling him that Garcia was right, he was damned convincing in any case. With Garcia swearing that he wasn't having an affair with Tonks, there was only one other possibility, one he hadn't considered. There had to be someone else.

"I'll grant you that Tonks loved me at one time. However, given the fact that she doesn't know who fathered her child only suggests that our relationship isn't everything she had hoped it would be."

"You still think she had an affair?"

Remus gaped at him. "How else could she get pregnant? This isn't some virgin conception, is it? She had to have an affair with somebody!"

"She was raped."

The words hit Remus like ice, sending a chill through his body and making the hair on his neck stand up. It took him a moment to really comprehend what Garcia had said. "What?"

"What did she tell you about Darrius LaMont?"

"The Death Eater?"

"Si."

Remus thought hard, "She didn't say anything about him."

"She never told you that she was attacked?"

He was about to say no when suddenly the memory came to him. "At Valentine's Day…She said her mission didn't go well. That she was hurt, but it just a few bruises. She never mentioned any names, though, and she certainly didn't give the impression that anything that serious had happened." Remus looked at the other man fiercely. "What did he do to her?"

"He drugged her, and when she woke up," Garcia paused, steadying his breath. "When she woke up, her clothes were gone and LaMont was…" He didn't finish the thought. "She told me he didn't rape her. She swore to me that he never fully…"

Remus' blood ran cold at the thought of Tonks being treated in such a way. More than that, he felt guilt for how angry he had been. He loved her, and yet he so readily believed the worst of her. Arthur had been right…there was another explanation. One that left Tonks not only innocent of Remus' reckless accusations, but also a victim of a crime so heinous she didn't even have the strength to share the burden of it with him. She had instead turned to Garcia. And that was more painful for Remus to accept than anything else.

"Dear, God. What have I done?" he said to himself. He met Garcia's eye, feeling ashamed for his accusations and assumptions. "I'm sorry. She didn't tell me."

"Es evidente," came the reply.

"If I'd known about the rape…"

"She swears that it didn't happen that way."

Remus felt another cold chill. "If it never happened, then I'm still left to wonder…you said Tonks needed to prove the paternity of her child before she spoke to me."

"Correct."

"If she swears she wasn't raped…then…" Remus ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Then…who is the father?"

"You."

Garcia uttered the word with such honesty that for a split second Remus actually considered it possible. "No. I can't have children."

"Por que no?"

Remus closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice that I'm a werewolf, Garcia."

"And I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice that Dora is a metamorphmagus. A shape-shifter," he said, punctuating the last word.

Remus' heart skipped a beat. "No, it's impossible."

"Los ingleses tan frigidos…sometimes I wish I were back in Espana."

"What?"

"Es possible que los dos nunca hagan el amor?" Garcia muttered, looking up into the heavens. "As I explained to Dora, I think that whatever it is that causes you to transform is similar to what allows her to shape-shift. If that is the case, then it would be possible for you to have a child with her."

"You told her this?"

"Ya entiendes, finally he understands. That is why she wanted to know the truth before she came and told you."

"And she believes this is possible?" It was too wonderful to even consider the prospect.

"She does. At the last full moon, she behaved very strangely. She ate meat – raw meat – like I have never seen her do before. She was tired, nauseous."

"Common signs of pregnancy," Remus said, shaking his head, still not ready to believe.

"And she morphed – or rather she wasn't morphed. She reverted to her natural state without knowing she did it."

It was tempting, but Remus couldn't allow himself to hope it was true. "That doesn't prove the child is mine."

"That is why she went to see Venoma."

"Venoma?"

"Petra Venoma. The witch doctor. She specializes in blood magic."

Remus gave a heavy sigh and leaned back against the wall. "She could get in real trouble for that."

"But is worth the risk, no? Would you rather she wait nine months to see if the baby looks like you?"

Remus thought long and hard about that. If Garcia's theory was correct, it very well could be Remus' baby. However, there was still the chance that the baby could be LaMont's. How would that affect Tonks? What would she do if the test proved she had conceived unwillingly? Would Remus have the courage to accept the child as his own?

A child. Tonks' child. Their child.

A family.

He considered the discussion they had had years ago about the possibility of having a family someday. Tonks had suggested adopting, and what had Remus said? "Dearest, no one in their right mind would give a baby to a werewolf." Maybe this was their chance. Maybe this was fate's way of providing them with the one thing missing in their lives. Remus could accept the baby as his own, and love the child just the same.

If only Tonks could accept it.

"I have to go to her," Remus said more to himself than to Garcia. He headed to the door, eager to find Tonks and set things straight. He was worried what she might do if she discovered that Remus wasn't the father. Even more so, he was desperate to find out for himself if he was the father – if such a dream could come true.

Before he could leave however, Remus needed to make amends with the man he had falsely accused. He turned slowly to Garcia, looking him in the eyes with all sincerity. "I'm sorry, truly I am, for assuming the worst of you. I passed judgment onto you that you didn't deserve, and I know how devastating that can be. My whole life I've lived with people accusing me of doing things and being capable of actions I would never even consider, simply because of the lycanthropy. And now, I have treated you in the same manner. For that, I whole heartedly apologize."

Garcia nodded. "Aceptado. If I had a woman like Dora in my life, I would be suspicious of any man who gave her flowers, no matter how innocent the gesture."

Remus half smiled. "Then shall we call it even?"

Garcia nodded again. "Just promise me that you will tell me whatever the news as soon as possible."

"Certainly. I think I owe you that much. Now, if you'll excuse me, I don't want Tonks to go through this alone."

Once Remus was on the other side of the door, he started down the hall to the lift, his feet picking up speed as he went. It seemed like an eternity, but he managed to ride the lift up to the main hall where his wand was delivered back to him. His heart beat wildly as he traveled back up in the booth to ground level. Desperate to reach Tonks in time, he frantically raced down the street to a location deserted enough for him to Disapparate.

SPANISH WORDS:

Joder! - shit

Que horror! Madre de Merlin! – How terrible! Mother of Merlin!

Es evidente – It's evident.

Por que no? – And why not?

Los ingleses tan frigidos – Frigid English couple

Es possible que los dos nunca hagan el amor? – Is it even remotely possible that these two never make love?

Ya entiendes- Finally

Aceptado - Accepted