So sorry for the long wait...my computer died, a horrible horrible death...i lost this chapter and had to wait for my computer to be fixed and had to rewrite this chapter. Everything is good now though...so here is the new chapter! :D enjoy.
"With what price we'd pay for the glory of a mothers love."
"Sit down."
Tonks sat in the chair in front of Moody's desk and resisted the urge to stare at him.
She was slowly getting used to his new appearance, but there were times when it still caught her off guard. Almost mesmerized, she watched the electric blue eye whirl and she had a suspicion that it could see through the walls of the cubicle.
Moody's eye finally settled on her and the effect was still as intimidating, if not more so, than before.
"I asked you in here," he started to say gruffly, but was cut off by her derisive snort.
"You didn't ask me in here. You grabbed me while I was walking by and caused me to not only trip but to drop all the files I was carrying."
The look her gave her could have caused paint to peel. "Would you shut your gob for one minute Nymphadora."
Tonks raised a brow but wisely refrained from saying anything. She knew Moody wasn't angry with her; Remus had been right, he did come back even more paranoid and it didn't help that the whole office would stare at him. He had only been back for a week; it was enough to make even the most even tempered of men annoyed.
He eyed her for another moment and then continued, apparently satisfied.
"You know Imelda Crowle?"
She thought for a moment, "In werewolf support services?"
Moody nodded. "Her son disappeared two days ago."
"And she's just reporting it now?" she asked in disbelief. How could any mother wait that long to tell someone that their child was missing?
Moody reached over to his desk and handed her a file. She opened it and peered at it curiously as he continued speaking.
"This is Andrew Crowle. He's Imelda's ex husband."
Tonks looked up at him and raised a brow disbelievingly. "He got five months in Azkaban for selling potions to Muggles? This is worth five years at least!"
The contemptuous look on his face said he agreed with her. "He rolled on his partners, for a lesser stay. Imelda thought he might have taken the kid; she wouldn't let him see him when he got out and he wasn't too happy about it."
She was about to comment when his eye abruptly whirled around and he called, "Hawksley, get in here!"
Oh merlin no, Tonks silently begged even as she saw the blond head appear around the side of the cubicle. She knew that if Moody was showing her the file and telling her about the case then he wanted her in on it. But there was no way she would really get to do anything if...
"You called?" Mark asked.
"Get your arse in here."
Mark entered the cubicle, looking not too pleased to see Tonks, and leaned against the wall expectantly.
Moody reiterated what he had already told Tonks.
"So she thinks he took the kid?" Mark surmised.
"But he doesn't have him," Tonks interjected as she handed Mark Crowle's file to read.
Moody nodded. "It doesn't appear so. Officers from the MLE questioned him yesterday night but came up dryer than an empty bottle of Ogdens. You two are going to go question him and Mrs. Crowle. See if you can jog their memories."
He glared at them both, gaze unnerving, and added,"I don't have to tell you what it could mean if we don't find this kid. Get going."
They exited the cubicle and once in the narrow hall formed between offices eyed each other.
"Do you want to question them separately? It would be quicker." Tonks finally ventured.
The look he gave her was unreadable, but she was sure he was questioning her sanity at least, if not silently cursing as she was that they were stuck together. "No. You're not a fully qualified Auror yet," He said bitingly. "We'll go together. Moody may let you get away with not following the rules, but while you're working with me…"
"Can we postpone the pissing match for later?" she cut him off, pushing past him to make her way through the office. "I'd like to actually get this started today and you monologuing isn't going to help us find out where this kid is, yeah?"
He made no reply, but she could feel the heat of his gaze as they made their way to the lifts.
Imelda Crowle lived in a small flat in Chelsea. Unfourtainitaly for the two Aurors, it was one of those buildings where everyone knew everybody and their business.
"You look too young to be an investigator," the middle aged supper intendant said eyeing Tonks and Mark suspiciously.
Tonks only smiled, glad that she had changed her hair from the vibrant blue she had been sporting to a shade of strawberry blonde.
"She's still in training." Mark told the man, who nodded as if it all was clear to him now. They had told him they were private investigators hired by Imelda , as neither one thought they could pull off being muggle police.
"Oh yes, I'm just learning loads," she said with a look of mock admiration, knowing that it would fluster mark, and biting her lip so she wouldn't laugh when he glared at her.
"So is Mrs. Crowle in?" Tonks inquired as the man threw a shovel full of snow into a pile behind him.
He shrugged. "Haven't seen her all day, have I?I expect though that she's in her flat, crying. She's a great one for crying;but with her situation I guess there isn't much else you can do," he shook his head and directed them to the right flat.
Mark knocked three times before the door of the flat was jerked open. The Woman who stood in the door way was small and had the appearance of someone who was normally well held together but was now slowly coming apart at the seams. Her large blue eyes were red rimmed and her long blond hair stuck up in a disarray as if she had tried to smooth it down but had given up half way.
"Yes?" she sounded utterly defeated.
"Mrs. Crowle. I'm Auror Hawksley and this is Auror Tonks. We'd like to ask you a few questions about the disappearance of your son."
Imelda let out a sob and lurched back into the flat, clutching the door for support.
Ignoring Mark who looked impatient at the woman's antics, Tonks pushed past him and looped an arm around her. "Come on," she said as Imelda collapsed against her still sobbing. She helped the older woman to the sofa and then made her way into the kitchen,again ignoring Mark who's gaze followed her in the small kitchen area she proceeded to find and make some tea, adding a shot of ogdens from a half empty bottle she found.
Imelda gave her a watery smile when she returned. "Thank you. I'm sorry I didn't mean to break down, it's just…"
"It's understandable." Tonks assured her as she glanced around the flat. There was a toy broom stick laying in the middle of the rug, looking as if it was just waiting for its owner to return and pick it up. Looking away from it she spotted more child's toys and over on the mantle pictures of a grinning three year old with his mothers blue eyes.
"Is this Wallace?"Tonks held up one photo of the boy and her heart clenched as he smiled and gave a little wave.
"Yes, that was on his last birthday." Imelda gulped her tea. "Why would anyone take him?"
"You said in your original statement that you suspected your husband of taking your son? Why would he want to do that? You said he had always been a good father." Mark asked, trying to get down to the hard questions. Clearly, Tonks mused as she sat in the chair beside his, his mother never taught him subtly.
"He was!" Imelda spluttered her hand shaking. "Andrew was a great father, but since he went to Azkaban…I didn't want Wallace around that life style anymore. Andrew didn't like that, he threatened that he would see his son any way he could. When I went to fetch Wallace from the park where he was with my friend and her son…" she started crying again. "I thought Andrew might have taken him to spite me, but I wouldn't let him alone for two days and he finally told me that he didn't have him," she peered at them with doleful eyes. "Why are you asking me this again? Why aren't you out there trying to find my son! I told the MLE all this already!"
Mark seemed about to say something, probably that it was procedure but stopped when Tonks leaned forward and took Imelda's hand. "This is the first step to finding him Imelda. We just need to make sure that we know more about Wallace so we can do the best job possible. Is there anywhere he likes to hide or to go?"
Imelda steadied herself and gripped Tonks' hand tightly. "No. At least not outside of the flat ."
"Can you think of anyone, besides your ex husband, who would want to hurt you by taking your son?" Mark asked, already standing.
She shook her head. "I've never done anything to anyone. I didn't even have enemies at school."
Tonks squeezed her hand reassuringly and went to stand, but Imelda gripped her hand more tightly. "Please Auror Tonks. Find my little boy. He's the only good thing I have in my life."
She gazed at her earnestly and Tonks found herself saying, "We'll find him. I promise."
Imelda let go of her then and Tonks followed Mark out of the flat. As soon as the door closed he whirled on her.
"What the bloody hell are you thinking?You can't make a promise like that! And What were you on about in there?"
He had stepped close to her, obviously trying to intimidate her with the significant height difference between them but Tonks only glared up at him. "I was thinking that she is bereaved and needs to have confidence in the people whom she's trusting to find her son! What was I on about? What about you? You practically accused her! You're supposed to be the senior Auror here Mark! I may be only six months from being a full Auror, but even I know that's not how you deal with these kinds of situations!" still glaring at him she pushed him away from her and stalked down the hall and down the stairs and out into the cold January day.
Mark slammed the door behind him, his face red with anger. "Moody may let you get away with being a bitch, but disrespecting your superiors is a quick way to get demoted, Auror trainee Tonks!"
Tonks turned back her eyes blazing, her anger getting the better of her. "You are superior to me?" she laughed without humour. "You're not superior Mark! Maybe in rank but that's about it! I've never done anything to you and yet you've disliked me from day one.I don't bloody care what your reason is, but you better get over it. Now if you can stop being an ass for a minute can we go and question Andrew Crowle, or are you going to have another temper tantrum?"
He looked as if he wanted to hit her or curse her and the look she gave him silently dared him to. Instead he turned on the spot not even looking to see if any Muggles were watching and disapperated.
Tonks took a moment to collect herself and calm down and then she too disapperated.
Andrew Crowle lived in a rundown building in Knockturn alley;the only place he could afford since his release from Azkaban a month ago. Looking around as Mark banged on the door, Tonks wondered if besides there being no Dementors, if the living conditions were really that different.
"What the bloody hell do you want?" the question was snarled and Tonks ceased her assessment of the hall way and looked at the man who stood in the now open door, glowering at her and Mark.
Andrew Crowle was all muscle, his stay in prison not seeming to have affected his body tone. He had shaggy black hair and there was a scar through his left eyebrow. His eyes were hard as he assessed them.
"Auror's Hawksley and Tonks. We need to ask you a few questions about the disappearance of your son."Mark Identified, Unfazed by the other man.
Andrew swore and backed into his closet of an apartment. "Get in here then. I already told them MLE pricks, I don't know nuffin."
Tonks closed the door while Mark advanced on Andrew who now stood by the window lighting a cigarette. As if sensing her gaze on him he looked up. "You want one?"
"No."
A slight sardonic smile touched his lips at the quickness of her answer. "Yeah, i'm trying to quit too."
Tonks ignored him and decided to look around a bit while Mark questioned him. She had started smoking in her seventh year, buying them off a muggle born boy in her year. It had only lasted for a few months, mostly because Cally had threatened bodily harm if she didn't try to stop. How Crowle could tell was beyond her.
"Where were you when your son disappeared?" Mark questioned as Tonks looked at a photo on the small book shelf in the was of Wallace and his father and she thought it was interesting that it looked well worn and creased as if someone had run their fingers over it many times.
"I was trying to get a bloody job, is where I was. No one wants to hire someone who's done time in Azkaban, doesn't matter for how long or what they did."Andrew groused tossing the butt of his cigarette on the floor and grounding it with the heel of his boot. "And yes that can be verified if ya want to talk to the dozen or so people I saw that day."
Mark asked him the same questions they had Imelda, but received no helpful information.
They soon took their leave of the small room and headed out of knockturn and into Diagon.
"Probably has the kid stashed somewhere." Mark muttered as they traversed the busy street.
Tonks shook her head;apparently he wanted to bounce ideas off her now. "I don't think so. He may not have seemed it but he was really may be a criminal but he loves his son." She thought of the picture. "It's probably the only good thing he's ever done."
Mark said nothing and they returned to the office to report in what they had learned which was really nothing more than they had already known Crowle seemed to have simply just disappeared.+++++
"And then dancing hippogriffs did the tango through the shop to the latest Hobgoblin song."
"That's nice."
She looked up from the beer she was nursing to see Remus watching her with an amused look. She looked at him quizzically and then thought about what she had just heard. She grinned sheepishly at him.
"Sorry, I guess I zoned out."
He raised a brow, "I'd say, you didn't even react when I said Dana did a striptease on the checkout desk."
"She better not have," she muttered as she took a long pull from her bottle. "My mind was wandering," she gazed at him earnestly. "Tell me, if your kid disappeared, would you wait two days to report it?"
"Of course not. But I suppose it would depend on the circumstances," he too took a drink.
She shook her head and leaned closer so they could talk better over the noise of the pub."If we were separated and you didn't want me to see our kid and you thought I took him would you still wait?"
Remus looked thoughtful. "I would probably want to handle it myself," he said slowly. "Once you involve law enforcement it becomes more messy. I wouldn't want to put a child through that."
She nodded absently and tapped her fingers on the worn wood of the table only realizing what she was doing when she felt his hand on hers stilling them.
"Who's child is missing?"
She sighed, pushing back her hair which was once again blue and falling haphazardly into her eyes. "Imelda Crowle. Says her son disappeared and she thought her slimy ex had him."
"The witch from Werewolf support services," it wasn't a question but she nodded again in ascent.
"You know her?"
He smiled slightly, "Of course Dora. She started there when I was 16. She was the one who explained to me how the registry process would go," he paused and then continued voice thoughtful. "Is someone checking into people she's come in contact with a work lately. The people who have to go to support services aren't usually the most stable Dora. Most are angry at the world and project that onto anyone who is trying to help."
As he said this it was like someone had set off a bag of philibusters in her head. "No. She said that there wasn't anyone who had a grudge against her and Moody said that he coworkers all checked out but I don't think anyone has checked into people who have come in."
She smiled, really smiled, for the first time that day. "I love you like an eight dollar whore."
Remus simply laughed and saluted her with his bottle.++++
Tonks was in Marks cubicle the next day right after her morning stealth practice which had only gone slightly better than usual. At least she hadn't tripped this time.
"What do you want?" Mark didn't even look away from the file he was filling out.
"Good morning to you too Mark. I'm fine, thanks for asking."
He looked up now and she was surprised to see he was trying not to smile. Well, well, he does have a personality after all, she mused.
"Again what do you want? I'm trying to fill out the paper work for yesterday," he gestured to the file on his desk.
"Has anyone checked into people who came into werewolf support services in the days before Wallace disappeared?"
Mark raised a brow. "Do you know how may werewolves there are in Britain? Not to mention their family members?"
"35."
His brow shot higher and she shrugged. When your married to a man whose had lycanthropy since childhood you knew these things. Not that she was going to share that particular information with him.
"Did you already bring this to Moody?"
She shook her head and was rewarded by another eyebrow raise.
"I figured he wouldn't mind if we checked into it. You're the senior Auror on this case. He's working on something with Scrimgreger any way."
Mark stood and threw his quill on the desk. "Lets go then," his tone was a lot less snide then the day before. Tonks followed, glad that he seemed more accepting of her presence.
It took them another day, one filled with interviews and a lot of frustration before they finally hit on something that was useful.
"I was there with my brother, he was bitten a few months ago and…well thats not important." The woman they were talking to smiled uncertainly and took a breath.
"This woman came storming out of a side room; she was really upset. She kept yelling , 'its all your fault,' she was crying. The Woman who came out of the room behind her was Imelda, she was the one who talked to my brother that day."
"Seems Imelda was holding out on us." Mark told Moody when they returned to the Auror office after the interview. "She had a confrontation with an unknown brown haired witch the day before her son disappeared."
Moody swore under his breath and fixed them both with his usual glare. "Find out who this woman is and check her out. I don't care if you have to drag her in here immobilized. Tonks make sure you follow Hawksley's lead on this. Now isn't the time to mess up."
"Yes, sir," she suspected he knew they had been butting heads.
They rode down to werewolf support services in silence. Both were worried and more than a little frustrated. Time was running out.
"Evening," Mark smiled at the witch behind the desk charmingly. "I'm Auror Hawksley. I was wondering if you could tell me about a woman who was in here the other day and left in a particularly upset state."
The witch returned his smile. "A lot of people leave here upset."
"I'm sure they do." Tonks muttered to herself. She had no love lost for this particular branch of the ministry.
"This was a woman with short brown hair, she was with Imelda Crowle."
The woman seemed to be thinking. "I think I remember her…hold on a sec." she summoned a stack of parchment from the back wall behind the desk and then scanned through them. "Hm…how long ago was this?"
"Monday," Tonks supplied, eyeing a poster for a support group for families. The drawing on it didn't look anything like a werewolf.
"Julie sanders is the only person I can think of," the witch held out the parchment blushing a little under Marks grateful smile. "She didn't have an appointment that day but had talked with Imelda before so we made an exception," she glanced around and leaned over the desk conspiratorially. "Her son was bitten and she was here looking for help."
"Thank you," Mark glanced at the woman's name tag. "Karen. We appreciate your help."
Karen winked at him. "Any time."
Tonks snorted and followed him out trying not to laugh at the blatant flirting.
"Not a word." Mark warned her.
"Why didn't you tell us you had a confrontation with Julie Sanders, Imelda?" Tonks asked her as Imelda settled onto her couch.
"I didn't think it was important," a spark of hope entered her eyes as she looked from Tonks to Mark. "Is she the one who took my baby?"
"We don't know yet mam. You need to tell us everything that happened." Mark warned.
"She came in because her son had been bitten, she wanted to know what she could do to get help for him. Of course there isn't anything she could do. I suggested she go to a support group for families of those who have been afflicted. Two days later she was back and screaming at me. She said her son was dead, he had died that morning; the healers couldn't help him I guess. She said it was my fault for not helping her."
Imelda looked at them pleadingly. "Do you think it was her? I didn't think about it before, I was too upset, but she was really distraught."
Tonks and Mark exchanged a look. Julie had a file with the MLE, she had been arrested before for trying to use the crucatus curse on her neighbour. By all accounts she was not the most stable of women.
"We're going to look into it." Mark promised. "We'll let you know if we find anything."
Once back outside in the cool winter air they apparated to Julie Sanders home.
"I'll take the lead," Mark told her as they neared the house. "Cover my back in case she tries anything. We don't want her to think we're too suspicious of her, she may try to bolt."
Tonks nodded and palmed her wand as Mark nocked on the simple door of the small house. They waited a few moments and then he pounded again. Just as they were preparing to unlock the door themselves, it was opened to reveal the woman they had come to see.
"Julie Sanders?"
She nodded, eyeing them warily.
"Aurors Hawksley and Tonks. can we come in for a moment?"
Tonks saw the wand move first.
"Down!" she shouted while casting a quick Protego. Mark had moved when she shouted and the curse missed him. Julie had backed back into the house and was now running for the stairs.
"After her!" Mark ordered as he lurched to his feet. Tonks was already ahead of him and was now thudding up the stairs after Julie.
"We just want to talk to you Mrs. Sanders." Mark called as he too mounted the stairs.
"You're not taking him away from me!" Julie was at the end of the upstairs hall, clutching Wallace Crowle in close to her chest with one arm, her wand pointed threateningly.
"Julie, we understand that your upset. I would be too if I lost my child." Tonks said appeasingly, eyeing the older woman's wand wearily. With Wallace as a shield there wasn't anything either Auror could do except try to disarm her.
"You don't know what its like!" Julie yelled, eyes wild. Wallace gave a small whimper, tears falling from his large blue eyes and she tightened her hold. "It was her fault, she wouldn't help me!She doesn't deserve to have a son! She needs to suffer like I have."
"She has suffered." Mark moved slowly toward her. "Don't make this mistake Julie, you're already in a lot of trouble, don't make it worse for yourself."
She laughed bitterly. "How could it get any worse?I think i'll take my chances! Confringo!"
Mark was blasted back and hit the wall with a thud, clearly not having been able to shield himself fast enough.
Julie's attention was now on Tonks. "Get back!" she screeched. "Let me bye and I won't hurt Wallace."
"All right." Tonks said thinking quickly. She hoped Mark hadn't been knocked out; what she had planned wouldn't work if he was.
She stepped back and lowered her wand slightly. Julie eyed her for a long moment then moved slowly forward toward the stairs.
Wallace was crying harder now and Tonks smiled at him reassuringly. "It's alright Wallace," she soothed as she saw Mark moving in behind Julie. "Everything is going to okay."
They struck at the same time, Mark with a quick Expelliarmus, and Tonks making a grab for Wallace. Julie seemed frantic now and before Tonks could wrestle Wallace from her she threw him aside and launched herself at the young Auror.
It was all Tonks could do to try and protect her head as the two women fell down the stairs. Julie was still attached to her and was doing her best to punch and scratch her as they came to an abrupt and bone aching thump on the landing.
"I won't go to Azkaban!" she yelled hoarsely as Tonks tried to push her off of had managed to hold onto her wand through out the struggle but the hand it was in was trapped by Julie who had a surprisingly strong grip.
Doing the only thing she could Tonks grabbed a hank of Julie's hair and pulled hard. The woman screamed in pain and tried to pull away, releasing Tonks wand arm.
"Impedimenta."
Julie froze and Tonks pushed her off of her and rolled onto her side gasping. Something was broken she was sure.
"Tonks!" Mark came down the stairs, Wallace in his arms. "Are you okay?"
She grinned sardonically at him. "Peachy."
Mark smirked and sat Wallace beside her. The little boy immediately grabbed onto her causing her to wince."Watch him for a moment while I deal with this."
He pulled Julie to her feet, somewhat roughly and conjured some restraints. "Can you apparate?" he asked as Tonks tried to sit up.
"Don't have much of a choice do I? I'll be ok until we get him back to his mum."
Mark eyed her sceptically but didn't argue.
She stood somewhat shakily and managed to pick the clinging child up despite the icy pain. Definitely broken, she mused. Probably my ribs, that's a new one.
Mark dissaperated first and she followed, hoping she wouldn't splinch herself and Wallace in the process.
Julie was put into holding, sobbing and screaming the whole time.
Moody met them and ordered Tonks to take Wallace to . "Get yourself checked out too," he said gruffly. "That's a nasty scratch on your cheek."
Mark smirked. "She got into a bit of a cat fight."
She scowled at them as Moody laughed. "You try and fight off a homicidal woman without a wand and see if you can do any better," she was feeling dizzy and it hurt when she breathed.
Wallace patted her cheek as she headed toward the floo. "It'll be okay," he told her in a small voice, repeating her comfort from earlier. He seemed to sense her pain, maybe because he was pressed so close to her and could feel every time she flinched.
She smiled slightly as she threw in the powder. "Thanks kid."
She was met at the hospital by both the Crowles'. Imelda burst into tears when she saw her son and grabbed both him and Tonks into a hug. "Thank you, thank you! Oh my baby!"
Tonks gently extracted herself from the sobbing woman and leaned against the nearest wall to catch her breath. Andrew Crowle nodded to her gratefully and joined his wife in hugging their son.
It was a beautiful sight, she thought dazedly. A vague thought popped into her head as Wallace clung to his father and she found herself wondering what Remus would look like with their child.
Must have hit my head too, was her last thought before she passed out and slid to the floor.+++
Remus entered , silently telling himself to be calm. He had arrived home to find Moody's head in the floo telling him that Tonks was at . He didn't know how injured she was, but he knew that Remus would want to know.
"Next," the welcome witch called in a board tone.
"I'm looking for Nymphadora Tonks." he informed her his tone giving away nothing as usual.
"Third floor,exam room two," she said without even looking at him.
He thanked her and quickly strode for the stairs, too impatient to take the lift.
The Mediwitch tutted when he entered the room, but he ignored her as his wife smiled at him from the bed she was lying on."Wotcher. I guess Moody contacted you."
He returned her smile, relief flooding through him. If she was awake then she was okay. "Scared me half to death with that eye of his."
She laughed and then winced. "Oww, don't make me laugh, it hurts too much."
"What happened?" he asked worriedly.
"She has a few broken ribs and a concussion," the Mediwitch told him. "I'll just go get the healer so we can get her fixed up" she left and Tonks gestured for Remus to come sit on the edge of the bed.
"I got thrown down some stairs. Managed to take her with me though."
He reached out and lightly touched the scratch on her cheek. She brought her hand up over his and entwined her fingers with his. "You think this is bad you should see her."
He sighed and lightly kissed the bruise he could see forming just under her hair line. "I should hope so."
"What did I say about making me laugh Lupin?" she mock glared at him then became serious. "I'll be all right Remus. Besides, I can now say I've broken almost every bone in my body. How many people can claim that?"
He raised a brow as the curtain was pulled back. "Every bone?"
She rolled her eyes. "I was a very active child. Ask mum, she'd love to regal you with stories of my inept clumsiness."
The healer had entered at that point and he poked at her for a few minutes before giving her a potion. "Their isn't really anything to do for the concussion," he told them. "It's not serious and this should help ease the head ache." Tonks downed the potion and pulled a disgusted face. "Why do these always taste horrible?"
The man smiled. "More potency ." he held out another potion. "This will repair your ribs. It'll take a bit, but you should be right as rain by midmorning tomorrow. Your lucky you didn't puncture a lung."
Tonks drank the second potion and shook her head as if the action would help dislodge the vile taste.
"No strenuous activity until your healed," the healer warned as he signed the discharge papers the Mediwitch handed him.
Remus helped Tonks off of the bed and into her cloak. They flooed home, despite her repeated assurance that she could apparate and once there he helped her into her Pyjamas and into bed. As he propped a pillow behind her back to make her more comfortable while her bones knit back together, Tonks eyed her husband thoughtfully.
"What's up?" he queried as he returned a few minutes later with a cup of tea for her.
Tonks sipped her tea gratefully then sat it on the night stand. A question was bothering her, one that she had wanted to ask many times, but hadn't out of what she could only assume was fear.
Instead of asking what she wanted, she changed her question slightly. "Do you think I'd be a good mother?"
She didn't miss the fact that he kept his expression neutral and was glad she hadn't asked what she really wanted to.
"I think you would be an excellent mother Dora. Despite the fact that you could never hold Harry without him bursting into tears."
She hit his arm lightly. "That kid was just stubborn," another thought occurred to her. "Do you think he's all right?"
Remus often wondered that himself. "According to Dumbledore he is. Mrs. Figg gives him updates. She says that as far as she can tell he's okay," he handed her, her tea again as she was trying to reach it and grimacing from the movement.
"What brought this on?"
She sipped her tea again and shrugged a shoulder slightly. "Don't know. I guess it was seeing Imelda and Andrew with Wallace when I handed him over to them, it just made me wonder if I'd be good at it."
She smiled slightly. "It was one of those dazed moments, you know?"
He simply nodded, looking slightly relieved.
This is definitely a topic to revisit later, she mused as he went to lock the house for the night. What she had really meant, and she sensed that Remus knew this,but didn't want to admit it, was do you think we'd be good parents?
The image of the Crowles' hugging their son refused to leave her and she knew that she wanted that, wanted to be able to feel how would she convince a man who still clung to a lot of the fears that had been ingrained in him?
Definitely a topic to revisit later.