The rest of the day passed by quickly for Tonks, and without incident. It was, however, approaching the full moon, so she had her hands full with the children from the Center. As she passed through the Children's Unit on her way to the Werewolf subdivision that morning, she sensed the mounting anxiety in the air before she entered the room. These children were very small when they were bitten, many only infants. Others, like Angela, had their condition passed to them through their parents. All in question were bitten or infected through a deliberate Greyback-ordered bite, during the war.
Right before the moon, the werewolf children — for those were the children whose care she specialized in, for reasons clear to her and clearly stated on her CV, and also for reasons she kept more hidden, both from herself while on her CV unstated — the werewolf children right before the full moon were in heightened emotional, hormonal, and appetitive states. It all manifested itself differently from child to child, of course. Two nights before the full moon (and there were now two such nights more to go) Angela became withdrawn, but intensely creative, drawing her most prescient and poignant work just then. Other children like Samir became sullen and depressed, unable to think or to play or to concentrate, though they didn't quite understand why, or at least they weren't reconciled to the monthly changes in their bodies. Some of the older children like Tammy became amorous and affectionate, cuddling with other children, sometimes experimenting with kissing. Almost all of the children, except Nadine, who was showing early signs of an eating disorder — common amongst female werewolves, for several reasons that Tonks was researching — exhibited monstrous appetites right before the full moon, even in the week leading up to it. The children were voracious, and today Tonks had rallied them all (besides Nadine, with whom she spent some special time talking) with some Chinese takeout (Mr. Lee would scoff at this 'American bad habit' as he called it — he didn't want Angela to get the wrong impression about her native cuisine, but she was already sold on the greasy American version as well as her parents' preferred palate; she was not a picky eater) and some classic NYC pizza with everything on it. It was so tempting even Nadine was persuaded to have a slice and some lo mein, and the other children encouraged her. That was one of the shining moments of Tonks's entire week, when Nadine, laughing, took a huge bite of the pizza as the other children cheered. Nadine had smiled, sheepish, but clearly pleased with herself.
As Tonks trudged home through the biting December air, she felt a lightness in her heart, inexplicably. Certainly there were problems. She had not been able to find anything else out about the story behind Angela's drawing, and she was concerned, though also eager, to hear what Moody might have been able to gather. Moreover, she was as un-morphing and depressed (at least privately) as she had ever been in the last 10 years, and she had all but given up on anything of a personal nature brightening her life.
And yet there was brightness. She had a good friend in Mad Eye. He was not exactly someone you shared giggly secrets with, or had sob fests with, but she really had no giggly secrets anymore and also no sobs left in her, so that part was quite alright. Other than that he was kind to her in his own way, and always unfailingly loyal, honest, and fiercely supportive. The Lees were also a bright spot. They let Tonks into their lives, and trusted her to care for their daughter in ways they were always willing to learn, but couldn't fully provide for themselves — caring for a werewolf child was an education in itself, as Tonks knew now from experience. She found immense satisfaction and, indeed, love in her relationship with the Lees, and, really, with all of the children, many of whom were orphans. She might remain without friends her own age. She might not have had a lover since…for crying out loud, minus a few ill-chosen one night stands, she felt like she might as well be a virgin again, that's how distant she felt from sex…She might still be injured, gravely, in her body and mind from the wartime trauma, but…she had built a life for herself. A meaningful one. It wasn't the most satisfying in terms of her intimate emotional and physical needs. But it was busy and fulfilling and she truly loved helping children. Maybe she wasn't doing too badly. As she opened the door to her apartment, as her beautiful balls of feline fur mewed for their supper, as she generously filled their respective bowls and watched them munch away, she felt…almost alright with the world.
An hour later Tonks was settling down for bed. She lay her futon on the floor and picked up the comic book she read periodically to take her mind off things. She was just dosing off when there was a sudden knock — more like a thud — at her front door. Tonks froze. No one, not even Moody, came to her door, let alone at this time of night. She threw on the old dress she had flung off just moments before and grabbed her wand. The thud sounded again, and for some reason her heart started to pound. She advanced towards the door. 'Who is it?' she said in her best, though rather unpracticed, professional Auror voice. 'Nymphadora. I am so sorry to disturb you like this…' she heard the voice, hoarse and low, followed by a loud chest cough, all of it as incredible as it was unmistakable. Simply, with the honest expression of a child frightened yet ready to receive whatever it was the world was going to give, for good or for ill, to accept it wholeheartedly in whatever ungodly form it might assume, Nymphadora Tonks opened her door and found the man with whom she her heart had been buried.