Tonks was starting to get a bit annoyed, as anyone in a blindfold stumbling through the snow would be. She'd been blindfolded since she left her flat with Remus, who had simply said he had a surprise for her, and that he'd done something a bit crazy. He had her dressed warmly, and had done the same. Coats, hats, scarves, the whole winter gear up. She had no idea where they were, only that it was cold, outdoors, had snowed recently, and Remus had disapperated them part of the trip. She tripped a bit again, the ankle deep powder beneath her feet catching her as she trudged along where Remus led, holding her arm.

"How much further? My ass may freeze off at any moment." Tonks complained, trying to be as whiny as possible to make him speed up. She was mostly just anxious and excited about where he was taking her on Christmas eve that was so important they would be late to the annual Family Christmas Party at Sirius and Hermione's house.

"I can promise you I would never allow that to happen. I love it far too much." Remus laughed and gave her bum a pinch, causing her to jump slightly and laugh as well. "We are actually... Here." He positioned her on what she guessed was a sidewalk that had been either cleared of snow, or was covered and had none land on it. He stayed directly behind her. "Take the blindfold off." He instructed.

Tonks looked around before actually looking before here, taking stock of her surroundings. "Hogsmade?" She said, not so much as a question needing confirmation, more of confusion as to why there were there. "This place is nice, looks new?" She looked back at Remus, who shrugged, hands in his pockets and nodded back to the building.

"Read the sign on the door, love." He said, a large smile on his face. "Read it aloud, if you will. I can't see it back here..."

Tonks moved closer to read the small piece of paper tapped to the front window. "It says..." Tonks squinted her eyes into the dim lit window, then took her wand out and illuminated the paper so she could see better, "It says 'FUTURE HOME OF LIVING CANVAS TATTOO AND ARTISTRY STUDIO OF NYMPHADORA L-'" Tonks stopped for a moment, leaned closer and finish the sign, "Nymphadora Lupin?" She turned on her heels to face Remus and immediately understood why he had stayed behind her.

Remus was down on one knee, blinking back tears but smiling brilliantly. He laughed a bit nervously, and held a ring box in one hand. "Dora, my darling. I know this might seem soon to some, but honestly I don't want to waste any more time than I have to without you being mine forever. Would you do me the incredible honor of marrying me?" He clicked the ring box open and the diamond ring inside sparkled in the streetlights.

"Yes! Ah!" Tonks squealed, flinging her arms around his neck and embracing him so suddenly that they both fell back into the snowy street. She kissed him from her place on his chest, then stood and helped him up. "Yes I will marry you!" She squeaked again as he laughed and slid the ring down on her finger and she admired it in the light. "I love it! I love you!"

"I love you so much, and honestly, I don't want another second wasted. It took everything in me to wait until I had this all set up to ask." Remus laughed again, and he let out a long breath of relief. He pulled her close and kissed her again. "I'm so..." He hesitated, searching for the right words.

"I know!" Tonks agreed. "Like, what do I do with all this... hype? Energy?" She questioned. Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Well..."

"We definitely don't have time for that... I wish." She snorted. "We could go tell everyone we know!"

"We should definitely do that." Remus agreed. "But first... Do you want to look at the studio?"

"Oh shit!" Tonks laughed, covering her mouth. "I literally forgot about it as soon as I saw you down on you knee! Um... Yes. I do. But-"

"You'd rather go tell everyone we just got engaged?" Remus chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Is that okay?" She ask, bouncing a bit, biting at her lower lip. Remus kissed her nose.

"Of course. Then we'll have time to look at the flat above it, too." He suggested. "I bought the whole building. Thought we could live there while we build a house..."

"Remus..." Tonks breathed, almost in a swoon. "You're amazing. I love you so much."

"I love you, Dora." He squeezed her closer. "Deep breath." He instructed, then disapperated them back out of Hogsmade with a 'pop'.

As they both suspected they would be, there were the last to arrive at the house. Frank and Alice Longbottom, along with their son were sitting by the fire, talking to Lily and Harry, James and Sirius were plating some more food onto the long table set up over by the window, Hermione was discussing something with Tonks' parents, and there were several others about, and children darting around and giggling. They didn't bother to knock, just opened the door- They had hoped to sneak in a bit unnoticed and take a moment before they were all bombarded with excited family members.

Remus had informed Tonks her parents, or rather at least father, knew, as he had ask for his blessing. He was unaware if he had shared this with Andromeda, but he had not talked to any of the others about it. He had not wanted the surprise of it to possibly be spoiled by involving anyone other than had to be.

They came in the door, waving greetings to everyone within and Remus took their coats. Tonks came over to where Hermione was with her parents, and Remus followed right behind her. She gave her father a kiss on the cheek, and Remus shook his hand as customary, and Andromeda looked her over suspiciously.

"You look... bubblier than normal." Andromeda said, a dark eyebrow arched toward her hairline. Tonks pretended to be offend.

"Hmm. I don't feel any different..." She hummed, and covered her mouth with her left hand, acting as if she were deep in thought. Andromeda gasped, and grabbed Tonks' wrist, pulling her closer.

"Nymphadora!" She exclaimed, a bit too loudly, and several heads at the party turned. Remus came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and resting a cheek on her tight pink curls.

"Yeah, mum. We're engaged!" She beamed. Ted moved over and pulled his daughter from her fiance's embrace into his own tight hug, before moving on and pulling Remus into one as well.

"Glad to see it all went well, my boy!" Ted boomed, and everyone else in the room started to gather around and chime in congratulations. Sirius and James both giving Remus crippling tight hugs, kissing Tonks' cheeks, the other Marauders and Lily and Hermione all welcoming her into their so called 'pack'.

It was due to this flurry of hugs and happy congratulations that Andromeda pulled back, and was able to escape mostly unnoticed into the kitchen.

Mostly.

Hermione Black was on the older witch's heels, curiosity and worry driving her to check on Andromeda, as she did not look as happy as the moment should have allowed for. Hermione remembered her initial reaction to Tonks being with Remus in the other timeline, but it was so vastly different. That Remus came with stigma, was unemployed, had no savings. Remus now was very well off, extremely respected in the wizarding community. The sort of man any mother would want their daughter to marry.

Well, Hermione reasoned, except for the furry little problem. She stepped softly into her kitchen, where Andromeda was standing, braced on the counter with her back to Hermione, a bottle of Sirius' best firewhiskey open and a half full glass at her left hand. Hermione made sure the door was completely closed before she locked it behind her. "Andy?" She cautiously spoke, not wanting to make whatever was happening worse.

"Hmm." She hummed, and picked up the glass, looked at it for a moment, then swallowed the remaining liquid down in one pull.

"You alright?" She ask, stepping up to prop herself on the counter where Andromeda stood. She did not look toward the younger woman, she simply gazed at the marble countertop before her.

"Nope." She popped, pouring another whiskey nearly full to the brim.

"Do-I mean..." Hermione sighed, "Would you like to talk about it?"

"I can't." She replied, her voice still harsh and cold. She swallowed her second glass down at one time, then flipped the glass upside down and slid it away from herself.

"Shouldn't you be out there telling your daughter how happy you are for her?" Hermione said, honestly a bit defensive of both Tonks and Remus. Andromeda just shrugged.

"That is exactly why I came to get drunk in your kitchen." Andromeda replied.

"You don't seem very drunk to me..." Hermione huffed.

"I didn't expect to be interrupted." She snapped, her eyes meeting Hermione's. They reminded her of Walburga's. Stormy and grey, like Sirius', but rather than cheerful and loving they looked as unwelcoming as a summer storm, fierce and destructive.

"It's my house, Andy. And I don't appreciate you acting like this. Remus and Nymphadora are very, very important to Sirius and I. If you have something against this, work it out on your own. Don't get drunk in my kitchen and go make a fool of yourself lying to your child. This is the happiest day of her life, and no matter what your issue may be, I will not let you ruin it for her." Hermione said in a tone nearly as harsh, Andromeda looking her over through sharp eyes. "Besides, Remus ask Ted for his blessing. Any issue you have- Start there. And do it at home."

Hermione turned on her heels to exit the kitchen, when Andromeda called out to stop her.

"Mione, it really isn't what you think." She said, looking once more to the countertop, her hands gripping at the edge tightly. "I don't have a problem with Remus. I know that his lycanthropy is under control. It's... Something I'll work on." She said, tears in her voice.

"If she asks, I'll tell her you needed a moment because you were emotional." Hermione replied, and went back out the door.

"Hermione!" James called as Hermione came back into the main room.

"You all look like you were waiting on me..." She said, wedging herself onto the couch between James and Sirius.

"Harry wanted to show you all the early Christmas present we got him!" James said, laughing.

"And that had to wait on me?" Hermione questioned.

"Its a really good one, Aunt 'Mione." Harry explained. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. Before he wasted any time explaining, Harry quickly pulled the sweater he had on off, revealing a graphic printed tshirt.

'BEST BIG BROTHER' The shirt read, in red and gold letters.

There was an explosion almost equal to the one that Remus and Tonks had started, excited exclamations, joy, hugs and tears. Sirius even gave James a cartoonish kiss on the lips after kissing Lily's cheek.

"See, now I feel bad. Mione and I didn't plan anything huge to surprise everyone with." Sirius joked.

"We hosted the party!" Hermione pointed out, laughing.

"We could have another baby..." Sirius suggested.

"Are you going to carry it?" she retorted, and everyone burst into fits of laughter.

Tonks took this opportunity to scan the room, and made eye contact with her father. 'Where is mum?' she mouthed, and Ted looked around for his wife then shrugged. They moved at the same time, and met on the side of the room, away from the noise.

"I haven't seen her in quite a bit, come to think of it..." Ted said, scratching at his balding head.

"She left." Sirius said, coming up behind his younger cousin.

"Left?" Ted ask. "We drove here together."

"Must have disapperated. May have caught a knight bus. I didn't ask." Sirius replied, and he took a sip of his cider. He seemed too nonchalant for the father and daughter, who were a bit worried.

"Why would she leave?" Tonks demanded.

"Because I told her it was probably the best that she did." Sirius replied, still speaking very casually. Tonks' hair went from bubbly pink to fiery red, and Ted furrowed his brow and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What?!" They demanded together.

"She was about to show her ass. Believe me, one Black to another, she agreed it was for the good of everyone else here." Sirius explained, trying to calm them. "I didn't kick her out or anything like that."

"Show her ass?" Tonks questioned.

"Andy was drunk, emotional, and just needed to go and have a break. Sober up. Have a think. Ted, might not be a bad idea to check on her, mate. Not that you have to leave, too." Sirius explained again.

"I don't understand." Ted said, and Sirius simply replied with a pointed look, and small glance in Tonks' direction. Ted breathed a small 'fuck' under his breath, kissed the top of his daughter's head and left as well. Sirius noticed the tears welling up in his cousin's eyes, and he pulled her by the wrist into the study Hermione had attached to the sitting room.

"Dora-Bell, please don't cry." He pleaded.

"What did she say?" She said, wrapping her arms over her chest. Sirius blinked back at her and sighed heavily. "Sirius."

"I'm not going to tell you. You are having a great night. Its Christmas Eve for fuck's sake, and you just got engaged to the best bloke around. Lily and James are having a miracle child... There will be no sadness in my house!"

"So you did kick her out." Tonks replied.

"She agreed it was for the best. But yeah, I told her to take her negativity and go sober up." He shrugged. "I will not have it."

"Just- It was about me, wasn't it? I'm not good enough for a man Remus. Not feminine, not as educated. Gonna get left because I'm not wife materiel...?" She guessed, tears sliding down her cheeks. "She's my mom, Sirius. I don't have to hear her to know what she said."

Sirius simply looked down at his boots. Tonks snorted a small, sarcastic laugh and dried her eyes. She stood on her toes and kissed her older cousin's cheek, who had for her entire life been more of a big brother.

"I appreciate you taking care of me, Sirius." She said, fanning at her eyes to dry the tears remaining to keep them from falling.

"Want to go get drunk, too?" Sirius suggested. "You can have Lily's share!" He laughed, and Tonks joined in, and agreed. They walked arm in arm back out, and Tonks pulled Sirius back down to her to whisper into his ear before they split back up.

"Remus doesn't need to know." She said simply. Sirius nodded and gave her a wink before walking her back over to the couch where Remus, James and Lily were sitting.

The two said nothing else, but Sirius mixed Tonks a very stiff drink and brought over and gave it to her with nothing but a knowing smile.

So rather than Christmas Day, I ended up with Christmas Eve, but I hope you all enjoyed it.

We will be back with the basilisk soon, I promise.

Thanks for reading! Please consider a review, they so make my day!