Not a happy chapter. I don't own it.
Ted and Remus leave their girls for similar reasons...or so they think.
The weeks passed. Remus and Dora visited her childhood home, "Picnic Cottage", for lunch every Sunday. They laughed and talked about everything but the war. For a few hours they could pretend peace reigned outside the walls rather than war. Though Dora wished her mother would warm up to Remus. Andromeda was too stubborn for her own good and it was hurting all of them. At least her father was all right with him. Indeed, he spent a large part of the time after lunch with Remus in the study, talking of things she didn't know about.
Dora used this time to talk with her mother. At first, things seemed to be going well...then the outside world crashed at their feet.
It started with Dora realising she was pregnant. She was ecstatic.
Remus was...difficult. When she first told him, she saw pure joy bloom in his eyes for a few brief seconds, before abruptly dying. "What if it's like me? What if I've passed it on?" he asked.
Dora blinked. "You won't have. The baby will be fine." she said, though she didn't really know. She hadn't even thought of that. Remus needed to know, though. With the lack of evidence, he thought of
the worst-case scenario and became convinced of its 'truth'.
Andromeda was shocked. "A baby? Now?" she gasped. Dora scowled.
"Well, I'm due in April, but yes, now." she replied, "Like you can talk anyway, Mum. I was certainly conceived within a year of your marriage."
Ted laid a warning hand on his wife's arm. "We know, Dora." he said, then stepped forward and cupped her cheek in his hand. "You've made us grandparents, eh? Grandfather Ted... I could get used to that."
When they were alone, Andromeda apologised. "I just worry for you dear...you're already facing enough trouble as it is..." Dora glanced at her sharply. Andromeda continued, "I mean, the Ministry are taking a tough stance on werewolves..." Dora winced. The Ministry were cracking down, all right. Gits. At least they hadn't found the certificate yet... But it was only a matter of time. Dora kept expecting Um-bitch to swoop down and demand an explanation.
"...and with that letter..." Andromeda said. Dora tensed. A week ago, a dazed looking owl had dropped a letter into Picnic Cottage's garden; Bellatrix congratulating her "lovely niece, the shape-shifter, on marrying the werewolf Lupin. I hope you're proud, Andromeda..."
The Death Eaters, at least, knew of the marriage.
And Dora couldn't help but think Remus and Ted were hiding something...
Another week passed. Things became worse. Trixy chased her across the skies as she tried desperately to avoid her. Then she arrived, so glad that Remus was all right. He held her so tightly and she could practically feel his worry and love for her. Then her friend Bill arrived with his fiancée and dropped the bombshell. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody was dead. Her mentor was dead. Dora burst into tears – damn
being strong, her Boggart was coming true...
The following week was the worst. Remus was downright pessimistically miserable, which wasn't helped when Umbitch caught up with Dora at the office.
"My dear, I says on this certificate you've married a...a werewolf," she simpered, looking disgusted.
Dora turned, oh-so-slowly, to face her. Umbitch shoved a slip of parchment under her nose. The marriage certificate. Dora raised her eyebrows. "So?"
Umbitch scowled. "You see nothing wrong with that, Ms Tonks? Nothing wrong with being a...mate for that beast?"
Dora tensed. "Remus is my husband." she snapped, "He has a name. Use it."
Umbitch stepped closer to her. "You defend him? My, my, Ms Tonks, he's certainly worked hard on you. I mean," she gave a silly little laugh, "It's not like you'd marry a half-breed on purpose..."
Dora stood tall. "Actually," she said quietly, "I would." she took a breath, "Remus didn't force me. I wanted to. Understand?"
Dora had worked hard enough since she'd joined for the Auror Force to see her as "respectable". They'd practically forgotten her heritage. Now, however….
Umbitch tsked and scribbled on a clipboard. "Confundus... Possibly Imperius... Refuses to see reason..." she looked up at Dora. "I think, Ms Tonks, you should go home. Visit your parents and spend some time
with them, hmmm? Take some time off work until you're well again. And stay away from that – creature."
Dora smiled. "Oh, so that's how it's going to work, is it? Listen, Madam Umbridge, I'm perfectly fine in the head. But I'll leave anyway, I think. This place is not the place I started work for four years ago. And one more thing... It's Lupin. Mrs Lupin, Madam Umbridge. Not Tonks anymore."
Then she turned and stalked from the Auror Office without looking back. On the day before the wedding she had cleaned her cubicle out in case she had needed to make a quick escape – or grand exit – in the future. The only things in there now were copies and trinkets.
Remus became miserable after he heard her news. "You shouldn't have to face this, Dora... It's my fault, I shouldn't have..."
Dora stopped him. "Don't finish that sentence, Remus. Please. I don't give a damn about that Ministry anymore..." she sighed. "Mad-Eye thought it was about this close from being taken over anyway." She made a small gap with her thumb and forefinger.
Remus still looked wretched. "But...everyone knows, the Death Eaters and the Ministry. I've endangered you..." his brows knitted. "At least they don't know about...the baby...yet. Though whether that'll really help..."
Dora sighed and wrapped her arms around him. "Stop worrying." She ordered, "We'll be fine." she stroked a hand down her still-flat belly. Remus twitched and didn't answer.
By the end of the week, Mad-Eye's last prediction came true. The wedding was in shambles... Dora was tortured and Remus forced to watch, then he was hit with one when he couldn't take it anymore and
broke his silence. Sunday lunch was a grim affair that week. Dora's parents had been tortured as well, but it was the camping bag full of Ted's old hiking gear that caused the tense atmosphere.
"I-I have to leave," Ted explained, "They're rounding up Muggleborns and I won't have my girls put in danger because of me. I'm not getting penned in like cattle! So I have to go."
Andromeda was tearful, but eventually relented.
"Take care of yourselves. You especially, Dora." he hugged her and then placed a hand on her belly. "Hope he's a boy," he said cheekily. Dora smiled and flung her arms around him one last time.
"If he is, I'll name him after you," she whispered in his ear. Ted blushed and smiled, embarrassed.
After that, Dora and Remus moved into Andromeda's home. At first, Dora thought it was to help her mother. But Remus kept making comments about Harry, the danger Dora faced and how she'd be better off without him.
Dora was perplexed, but at the same time, she understood*. Remus always second-guessed the good things in his life. He'd come round eventually.
Then Remus said, "There's someone watching the house."
Dora jumped. "Really?"
Remus nodded. "If I left, they'd follow me. And I don't think they'd return."
Dora stood up. "What, you think it's because of you? Remus, that's -!"
"True." Remus interrupted. "He only tries to follow me when I go out. Not you, nor your mother."
Dora could see where this was going. "Remus -"
Remus continued, "It would be better if I left."
A block of ice settled into Dora's stomach. "No it wouldn't. Remus, you running off isn't going to solve anything!"
Remus turned away from the window. "Would it? How do you know, Dora? I'm dragging you down! People already judge you just because of me – imagine what it will be like when you start showing!" he exclaimed, "It will be like me, Dora, I'm sure of it! I'm the first of my kind to – to allow myself to breed... The baby will be far better off without me, without a father it would be constantly ashamed of and hate! How could I be a father when I can't even protect the child from myself? And you… I've – I've condemned you, too…."
He looked so utterly wretched, yet so utterly convinced that he was right. Dora knew it would be pointless to argue. "Where are you going?" she asked quietly.
Remus blinked. "Ah, to find Harry...after I've shed that watcher."
"Harry?" Dora repeated.
Remus nodded. "I just want to keep you safe... but the least I can do is be useful while I'm at it."
Dora sighed. "Somehow, I doubt Harry will see it that way." She murmured, then was distracted by the wording of the phrase. "You talked to Dad about this, didn't you. That's what you were discussing
in the study."
Remus shifted uncomfortably. "Among other things."
Dora sighed. "I can't stop you, can I?" she sniffled. "Just... Remember this, Remus: you tried locking away your heart once. It didn't work." then she strode up to him and kissed him full on the mouth, passionately, wrapping him in a tight hug. Then she stepped back. "Remember that, Remus."
For a moment, Remus wavered; then he steadied himself and went out the door.
Oooooh. Drat it! Wish I didn't have to write this bit…silly Moony. Second-guessing everything….
The * = a reference to Sweet Daemon's Understanding.