Author's note: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the canon, world, and characters portrayed below and you can tell I'm not J.K. Rowling because #transrights

Content Warnings: NA

Secondhand Clothes

"Thanks," Tonks said as Fleur held the door open for her as she walked into Shell Cottage. Her arms were a little bit occupied with the boxes she was balancing one on top of the other.

"You told me you had a few things to pass on," Fleur said, stumbling on the 'th' sound that was so unfamiliar to her. "Not boxes."

"Yeah, well, fair disclaimer I don't remember what's in here," Tonks said as she set the boxes down on the kitchen table. "I kept meaning to check, but work's been an absolute zoo because of course it is and frankly, I don't want to do anything other than cuddle with my baby when I get home."

"This is fair," Fleur said. When Tonks's arms were free, Fleur wrapped her in a hug and kissed each of her cheeks. "Thank you for passing these on; that is more than enough."

"Oh, it's nothing," Tonks said. "I mean, you only get to wear maternity clothes for about five minutes before suddenly it doesn't fit anymore. It's worth sharing and borrowing."

"Of course," Fleur nodded. Even so, she was only just starting to show the slightest baby bump. She and Bill had only told the Weasley family last week, which also meant that everyone else in the world had found out last week. Seriously, Tonks had heard it from four different Weasleys—including Charlie all the way out in Romania. Gossips, the whole lot of them.

"Although, full disclaimer, my strategy when shopping for maternity clothes was exactly what I do to shop for regular clothes," Tonks warned.

"Which is?"

"Walking into a thrift store and picking the most obnoxious and colourful thing I could find," Tonks said. "So most of this probably won't be your style."

Fleur shrugged.

"I think that if there was ever a time not to be stylish, it is when you are lounging about your own house and making a baby," Fleur said. "Although I do want to see what you brought; do you have a minute to stay?"

"I… I reckon I do," Tonks said. Truth be told, she wanted to go home to Teddy and Remus—but they'd be fine to have each other for company. Remus knew that she'd be coming home a little later. Besides, it couldn't be good for her to go from work to home and back to work again seven days a week, could it? She should talk to someone that she wasn't related to and that she wasn't paid to talk to every once in a while.

And more importantly, Tonks had been where Fleur had been. She'd been pregnant, and she'd done it alone since the war had forced people away from each other and destroyed any possible community that was to be found. Well, not alone. Remus, once his initial panic had settled down and he'd had some sense knocked into him, had been there—as gentle and attentive and soft as she possibly could have asked for. And she'd had her Mum by her side, not to mention Molly who had become her midwife once Tonks had refused to go to St. Mungo's after they'd banned werewolves from the premise out of fear of Fenrir Greyback. But she hadn't had someone her own age to talk to, someone who was also making a baby for the first time, and scared, and exhausted, and blowing up and grappling with the inexplicable urge to cry because she saw a bird swimming in a puddle or whatever. She wouldn't change anything, since the final product was Teddy, but the solitude had been almost as bad as the fear. She could have used a friend, and she wanted to be one now.

"Wonderful," Fleur said with a smile. "I would offer you tea, but I made Bill throw it out because the smell was repulsive. Hot chocolate?"

"Even better," Tonks said. "Need a hand?"

"I'm alright," Fleur said. "You open those boxes; I want to see these atrocities you warned me about."

"Oh," Tonks said with a grin. "You've been warned, but nothing can truly prepare you for my Rainbow Vomit dress."

"Your what?"

"You'll see," she said with a grin.

WC: 692