Note: I plan on completing this story within about 2 chapters. Yes, that's right...it will be COMPLETED.

It's been pointed out to me that the last time I updated this story was in May...unforgivable of me, I know! I'm terribly sorry for the absurdly long wait!

This (stupidly short...sorry) chapter is dedicated to , TonksSmiles and the frozen cherry, who are responsible for jointly guilt tripping me into updating at long last!

Anyway, at long last, on with the show...

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

29: A Challenging Mix

As she watched Tobias Budden turn and stride off down the corridor, having just been informed by the professor that there was still no sign of her son, nor his fellow missing students, Tonks turned back to where her husband was sat upon a deep window ledge. He had been staring at her, she saw, but hurriedly dropped his gaze to his shoes when she met his gaze, a deep frown creasing his brow. She tried to ignore the fact that his staring made her feel a little uneasy, tried not to wonder what he had been thinking...

Because obviously it had been about Teddy and the others, wondering where they were...

It hadn't a thing to do with her. It hadn't a thing to do with them, their marriage or anything of the sort...

Obviously.

The Auror swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

"I guess we should start looking, then..." she murmured rather uncertainly, and Remus continued a detailed contemplation of the stone floor beneath his feet for a long moment before agreeing:

"Mm." He got heavily to his feet, before deciding: "I'll check his dormitory, see if there's anything missing from his trunk."

As he turned and set off at a brisk pace up the corridor, Tonks hurried after him.

"I'll come with you." she told him...was that sigh aimed at her? No...of course not. "I mean...I packed his trunk with him, you know...so I'll know if something isn't there."

They walked up to Gryffindor Tower in what Tonks couldn't help but feel was a rather awkward silence, and it was not until they had reached Teddy's dormitory and Remus had set about emptying the contents of the trunk out onto the floor, leaving the witch to perch upon the edge of their son's bed, that Tonks finally admitted:

"I have a problem. A...a serious one."

Remus offered her a fleeting glance, eyebrow raised before he reached to extract a stack of textbooks from the trunk.

"Missing child...yes, I'd say that was a bit of a problem too."

"I'm not talking about Teddy." she said, reaching to tug wearily at a strand of hair. "Or I am...but..." she sighed heavily, screwing her eyes shut for a moment before murmuring: "Our son...our little boy...our Teddy has disappeared, he could be anywhere, anything might've happened to him and I ought be worried sick, I ought be frantic at the mere thought..." she trailed off, burying her face in her hands with a heavy sigh. "Except I'm not." she confessed, shaking her head. "I'm not frantic, I'm not panicking, I...I'm barely even thinking about it...I'm much too preoccupied...with us." Her hands dropped dejectedly into her lap as she looked down to gage his reaction to her confession, and he paused, staring into the trunk before getting slowly to his feet. He reached to grasp hold of her by the hands and she allowed him to pull her carefully up from the bed.

"Concentrate on Ted." he insisted, reaching to smooth her hair soothingly as she stared up at him somewhat blankly, and she felt fleeting relief when he leant to press a brief kiss to her lips. Despite herself, she reached to fling her arms around his neck, grip akin to a stranglehold and he stumbled back a little, hands coming to rest upon her hips to steady her.

She kissed him until they were both out of air, until he frowned a little at her sudden enthusiasm and until her lips grew dry, before drawing back from him reluctantly and he instantly released her and turned towards the door.

"The Marauders' Map is missing." he announced, reaching to draw his wand and sending the scattered items all flying back into the trunk with a wide sweeping gesture. "And Ted's school cloak. they probably left the castle, we should check the grounds."

As he led the way back down the tower staircase, Tonks wandered after him. They reached the bottom of the steps just in time to see the portrait hole open to reveal Minerva McGonnogal, and at the sight of them the Headmistress let out a small sigh of relief.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, hurrying forward, expression stern. "For Merlin's sake, Remus! Where have you been all morning? Is this a full-time position I'm paying you for or have you decided to go part-time?"

"Still no sign of the children?" Remus asked, ignoring her question much to her obvious annoyance, but her expression softened a little as she admitted:

"Not yet, I'm afraid. You've not heard anything from Teddy, have you?"

"Not a word." Remus admitted, continuing past her towards the door. "But Teddy's cloak is missing. I expect they ventured outside somewhere, we should probably check the grounds more thoroughly."

"Very well then," the Headmistress agreed, turning on her heel and setting off after him. "Perhaps I shall head for the forest, the centaurs may have seen something."

"Good idea." Remus agreed, reaching to push the portrait hole open again. "Take Tonks with you."

Tonks froze as the Headmistress paused to look round at her, and as the portrait hole swung shut again behind the werewolf, the Auror felt despair strike her like a club to the chest.

"Don't panic, Tonks!" McGonnogal instructed briskly as she too made for the exit. "We'll find them, I'm sure! They're sensible children...well...Teddy and Victoire are at the very least..." she paused at the door to glance round at the younger witch, only to find that Tonks had made no move to follow her. The Auror's gaze had grown glazed, face pale. McGonnogal squinted over at her rather worriedly. "Tonks...are you coming? What is it?"

Tonks managed to offer the Headmistress a strained smile.

"Oh nothing," she murmured, giving herself a little shake. "I was just thinking...Remus hasn't called me Tonks for Merlin knows how many years!" She gave a mechanical little chuckle that she meant to sound fond, only to ruin the effect somewhat as she observed a little too loudly under her breath: "I'm losing him." And with that she strode past McGonnogal and out of the doorway.

The two witches made their way through the castle in silence for some while until Tonks felt compelled to make some form of conversation, for her last muttering had left the atmosphere thick and she was convinced she might very well choke on it.

"I have to admit," the Auror announced as they strode down the grand marble staircase towards the main doors, "I had rather hoped that Teddy might end up more like his dad and less prone to misbehaving like me. It would have been nice, for sanity's sake."

"I'm afraid it's a whole lot more worse than that." the Headmistress said, oddly despairing and amused all at once. "Teddy is a lot like you, but he's a lot like his father too. It makes for a challenging mix: a persistent rule-breaker who cares about being caught! They're the worst kind, they go to great lengths not to be caught and when they are it's like hexing a puppy."

"Merlin..." Tonks chuckled, mood brightening at this unusually damning description of her offspring's nature, "I hadn't really thought of that!"

"He's a bright boy." McGonnogal praised, but Tonks observed:

"I don't suspect that helps matters at all."

As together they pushed one vast door open and stepped outside into the chilly afternoon air, the older witch was forced to admit:

"Indeed it does not."

Despite the sun still hanging in the sky, they were forced to light their wands as they passed into the dense and sprawling mass of trees, and the darkness immediately left Tonks' spirits to plummet further towards her boots. After a long while talk inevitably turned to what the children were up to, what reasons they might have for running away from school, and Tonks felt quite relieved that they did not linger on the fire and what had happened to Artemis.

"If Teddy were missing on his own, perhaps that might make some sort of sense." McGonnogal was just saying as they squinted through the darkness in front of them. "But I can't imagine him inviting the other two along...perhaps they have some sort of misbehavior planned."

"I don't think Ted's much up for that sort of thing just now..." Tonks mumbled, only to trail off at the sight of a familiar, bright silver light streaking through the trees behind them...

And so it was that Remus requested his wife meet him by the Whomping Willow.

Tonks ran full pelt back through the forest, silently cursing the anti-apparation charms.

She found him waiting for her just out of the wild tree's gnarled reach, his cloak drawn tightly around him as he watched her approach. Coming to a breathless halt in front of him, she made to grasp hold of his arms anxiously, only to think better of the movement, settling on asking:

"What is it? What have you seen?"

Remus glanced meaningfully over his shoulder towards the flailing tree, before informing his wife:

"We ought keep a better eye on that little boy of ours. Because he's not very little and his ideas aren't either."

Tonks' eyes merely widened impatiently, only for the werewolf to smile weakly.

"We've been outdone by a trio of school children." he elaborated non-too helpfully, and with that he turned back towards the tree and, with a flick of his wand, sent a flash of light streaking low across the ground, striking the tree's roots and quite suddenly the Whomping Willow was as still as a statue. Beckoning Tonks to follow him with a nod, Remus led the way towards the hidden entrance to the Shrieking Shack.

One damp tunnel, several battered corridors, a rickety staircase and a dim landing later, Tonks followed him through the doorway into the shabby remnants of a large bedroom, where she was relieved to be greeted by four familiar looking figures...

One distinctly sheepish Chester Burton, a fiercely determined Victoire Weasley...

And two identical Elijah Bensons.

Tonks simply stared.

"Sweet Merlin, Remus," the mousy haired witch finally breathed as the werewolf leant back against the wall and folded his arms firmly across his chest. "That's bloody genius..."