To anyone worrying that I somehow made it out to be assuming that Tonks would be the stay at home mum, please, it would drive her mad. As much as I wanted to write Remus as the stay at home dad while Tonks worked, what I'm going for should let them both have what they want, and Teddy is gonna have a fantastic time.

By the end of July, most of their extended family had come to visit. Andromeda had never had so many visitors, and she made an excellent team with Molly Weasley. It was good for her to have much to do; distracting herself with making the house presentable for visitors, and cooking for everyone, stopped her from dwelling too hard on what she still missed. Even if Ted had been the better cook out of the two. Molly, however, was there to pass on her many years of motherly wisdom and house-care. Between the pair of them, Tonks had already bet that there wouldn't be any poultry left come Christmas. Remus had snorted into his tea, which Molly misinterpreted as a sneeze and immediately set him up with a cup of Cure-All.

"We don't want you coming down with a nasty cold, now Remus," Molly had fussed, shuffling away before he could tell her that werewolves couldn't catch colds.

Teddy was greatly enjoying the attention, and had quickly learned that certain hair colours gained a more favourable reaction than others. At the moment it was a fiery red colour, and the twins were stage whispering that Tonks and Remus had better be careful or their mother might accidentally whisk him away with the rest of her young. This comment had been met with a pinch on the ear each by Molly herself.

The current 'play date', as Andromeda had dubbed it, consisted of Mr and Mrs Weasley, the twins, Bill, Fleur, and Harry. Ginny was still at Hogwarts, using her flying skills to help with the recovery team, and Ron and Hermione were helping Kingsley sort out the remaining rumours about the War, and explaining the finer and unknown details of the previous year. It was a long and arduous process, one that they had point blank refused Harry be a part of, and for once he had graciously accepted. So now, Harry was lying belly down on the floor, looking at Teddy, who was also lay on his front looking at Harry.

"Bah," Harry made a noise which was accompanied by opening his mouth wide.

"Bah!" Teddy repeated, copying the action perfectly.

"Blergh," Harry stuck out his tongue

Teddy attempted to copy and then scrunched up his face, hair fading into a silvery grey, which was becoming his recognisable colour of confusion. He ended up making a compromise where he stuck his lips out.

"Guess, he still can't do that yet," Harry chuckled, helping Teddy flip back over onto his back and booping his nose. Teddy's hair returned to his happy ginger, and his Godfather looked up at Bill and Fleur who were looking at them fondly from the sofa. "Probably for the best, I don't want Remus to blame me for bad habits, I honestly doubt Tonks would care though."

"Don't forget Harry, according to Sirius' stories, Remus was as much of a cheeky sod as he was when they were younger. Just more subtle about it," Bill grinned.

"Now, now, Bill," Remus said entering the room and stepping carefully over the boys sprawled on the floor to reach the sitting chair, "didn't your Mother teach you to respect your elders?" he grinned sitting down with his tea.

"Yes, I did!" came Molly's voice from the kitchen, "Bill! What are you doing?"

Remus looked up from his cup at Bill, who was glaring at him. He pulled the cup away from his face to reveal a slightly guilty expression as he mouthed 'I'm so sorry'.

"Nothing Mum! Just messing with Remus, a bit," Bill yelled back, aiming to appease his mother quickly. He missed.

"You leave the poor man alone!" Was Molly's reply.

Remus started sniggering into his tea, as Harry outright laughed, collapsing onto the floor. Fleur just patted Bill on the shoulder commiseratingly, before standing up smoothly and walking off to the Kitchen.

"Boys are so mean to eachozer aren't zey?" came Fleur's voice not a minute later.

Bill grumbled as he shuffled himself deeper into the back of the sofa, while Remus reined in his amusement and sipped his tea. Harry only managed to wind down to muffled chuckles into the carpet, reaching out to tickle Teddy's toes, who was fidgeting under Harry's lack of attention.

It was a short while after the Weasleys and Harry had left that there was a knock on the door.

"Could you get that, Remus?" Andromeda asked from the bathroom upstairs, where she was giving Teddy a bath, just as Remus had already gotten up to answer the door.

"On my way," he called up.

Opening the door revealed Tonks, who was grinning at him, and Kingsley, who looked triumphant. Remus wasn't sure which expression, on whose face, he should be more worried about.

"Evening, Remus," Kingsley said as he passed the other man, who had stepped aside to let him in.

"Since when do wizards knock? We have a functioning fireplace," he questioned, closing the door after Tonks had skipped over the door frame and nearly tripped herself directly into him.

Kinglsey shrugged, "it's polite, never much liked simply barging in to someone's house, nothing's that urgent that it can't wait a couple of minutes at the door anymore."

"Fair enough," Remus agreed, as they all walked into the living room. Remus settled himself back into his chair, Kinglsey took a place on the sofa, and Tonks insisted on trying to wedge herself into the same chair as Remus. She huffed when he refused to budge, and he addressed Kinglsey, "Tonks, of course, I was expecting, you on the other hand are a bit of a surprise, what can I do for you, Minister?"

"Oh please, I think present company can be exempt from calling me Minister," Kingsley quickly glanced at Tonks cat-ate-the-cream expression and amended, "when not in public."

Tonks responded by poking her husband in the side, making him jump away reflexively and she was able to claim her spot beside him. He had the distinct impression she morphed her hips to be slightly narrower so she could fit smoothly.

"I'm actually here because Tonks invited me back for dinner," Kingsley said, inclining his head in her direction, "and I'm sure she has something she wants to tell you."

"Will this explain the manic happy face?" Remus asked, wrapping an arm around her middle.

"I'm getting my job back! Well not my old job, but I'm an Auror again!" Tonks jiggled her arms up and down in excitement as Remus leaned in to give her a kiss.

"That's great news! When do you start?"

"Well, there was a bit of a fuss getting my name back in the system after the whole Ministry take-over, and I'm now going to be an Instructor as well as an 'in the field' Auror," she said, forming quotation marks with her hands, "but I'm not going back until the New Year since that's when everyone's contracts roll over anyway."

"You're going to have so much fun with the new recruits aren't you?"

"You bet'cha, but there won't be any until the following August as everyone's education kind of got shot to hell last year."

Remus made a considering noise, "that's a point," he turned to Kingsley, "but I thought you'd given some students a free pass to go straight into training?"

"I did, but Neville said he wanted to prove he could actually get the grades, and Harry just wanted a bit more time I think. See it through his final year, now that everything is over; have one normal year there before he can leave it for good. Of course, as soon as Ron heard Harry wasn't taking the free pass he decided to stay too."

"I'm a mixture of proud and slightly despairing for those boys."

Here, Kinglsey and Tonks looked at each other and grinned.

"I'm sure you are, but first," Kingsley reached into his inner robes pocket, and pulled out a letter, addressed to him in green ink. "Minerva asked me to hand this to you when she came to the Ministry this morning. Final business with inducting her as the new Headmistress, the usual waffle, but personally I think she wanted proof that you had actually received it and read it."

Reaching forward Remus took the letter from Kingsley's proffered hand, and recognised McGonagall's handwriting. He opened the letter and skimmed the letter before sighing and looking back up at Kingsley.

"Harry been talking to her recently?"

"What?" Kingsley asked innocently, but Tonks who had read the letter too started to giggle.

To Remus John Lupin,

Firstly, I would like to personally thank you for your efforts during the war, I would also like to extend my gratitude to Nymphadora 'Tonks' Lupin. I am hoping that you are well, and that you have both recovered from the ordeal of the past year.

As it is, I am pleased to announce that I have now been instated as the new Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This requires me to find and secure placements for all future employees of the school. Currently, a few subjects do not have teachers returning from previous years. One such subject is Defence Against the Dark Arts.

You were clearly an incredibly competent teacher when you taught in the School year 1993-1994. I would like to formally invite you to re-take this position when the School re-opens on the 1st September of this year. I do hope you consider this offer and will take the position. Please send reply by the 14th August.

Sincerely,

Headmistress Minerva McGonagall

"I like how I still get 'Tonks' included in my name," she said.

Remus was still staring at the letter in his hands.

"You don't have to give an answer right away, Remus," Kingsley cautioned, "think about it, but I know you'd be my first choice too. You've still got 2 weeks."

Remus sighed, "yeah, and the full moon is right in the middle of that."

He passed the letter to Tonks and put his face in his hands, suddenly very tired. He had loved teaching, but he also couldn't forget that everyone in the wizarding world knew what he was. Regardless of his participation in the war, against the dark forces, he doubted public opinion on a werewolf teaching children would change very much.

"I'm sure you'll find time to write a letter as to why you think this is a terrible idea," Tonks said complacently, patting him on the shoulder.

Remus side-eyed her, unimpressed.

"You probably don't want to hear this," Kinglsey interjected, "but have you considered how you're own reactions to your Lycanthropy re-enforce everyone else's bias opinions?"

"HA!" Tonks whipped round to face Remus while she gestured at Kingsley, "see? It's not just because I'm married to you that I think you're worth anything. You are, you always have been, but if you're going to be a fucking idiot I'll tell you so."

Kingsley snorted into his hand, and quickly turned his head to feign a coughing fit, while Remus' jaw dropped as he stared at his wife, who was looking at him rather smug.

"Come on, where is that Marauder spirit I heard from Sirius all the time. What happened to Moony, the guy who thought it would be a good idea to charm the steps in the Entrance Hall to play like a xylophone?"

Remus grinned. That had been a good idea.

"You ... really think I should go for this don't you?" he asked after a moments consideration.

"YES!" she screeched, throwing her arms up and nearly smacking him upside the head in the process.

He looked from Kingsley, hiding a grin behind his hand, and his wife, who was looking at him eagerly. He turned back to the letter, now crumpled in Tonks' hand.

"Alright, I'll tell McGonagall I'll take it."

Andromeda had to race down the stairs to see why her daughter had suddenly started screaming and why a man was yelling. She burst into the living room, wand drawn, only to find Tonks clinging to Lupin's side, his head trapped in her crushing embrace, while Kingsley was yelling something about Potter owing him 10 Galleons.

Remus apparated after lunch the next day. They had hashed out the finer details such as, where was Teddy going to go? Could Remus pop back every weekend? Was Tonks going to be fine looking after Teddy on her own?

Andromeda had piped up saying - 'I am still here you know' - and Tonks had responded with - 'I caught Dark Wizards for a living, I'm sure a little metamorph will be no problem'. Never the less he still promised to make regular trips back.

"I don't want Teddy to forget who I am," he said, bordering on slight panic, as he gazed down at his son sitting in his lap.

"Oh for God's sake," Tonks breathed, nearly hurling a cushion into his face, "you'll be gone 5 days at a time, his memory isn't that bad."

He appeared in Hogsmeade. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and people were bustling about with amiable chatter. He suddenly felt extremely out of place, realising just how much of a shut-in he had become lately.

Making his way quickly through Hogsmeade, he couldn't help but notice how well this place was thriving once again. He watched, with the same boyish admiration he'd had when he was eleven and seeing the castle for the first time, as Hogwarts became clearer and he could see how well it had been restored. There were still upturned trees on the way up to the front gates, and embedded stone bricks littering the grounds, but he thought it added to the place. Showed how much the Castle had taken, and it was still standing, after all this time, it would keep standing. The safest place in the world, and he was going to be teaching here.

Walking into the Entrance Hall, he nodded at a couple of the portraits lining the walls, and resisted the urge to pretend to play a tune on the stairs.

He finally reached the Head of School's Office, and suddenly realised his error. He didn't know the password. With Dumbledore you could stand there and reel off a list of all known sweets, muggle and wizard alike. That is, until the gargoyle got annoyed and started to make a kettle whistle noise.

He stared at the gargoyle and it stared back.

"Bugger," he hissed.

"Who's there?" came McGonagall's voice from the gargoyle.

Remus jumped back slightly in surprise, before he cautiously approached again and addressed the statue.

"Remus Lupin."

The gargoyle jumped aside, revealing the staircase that had started to revolve, allowing him access up to McGonagall's new office. Remus knocked on the door.

"Come in, Lupin."

He opened the door and walked in, taking quick stock of the room he was entering before facing McGonagall, who was writing down disjointed notes on a piece of parchment weighed down by an open book. The office didn't look all that different from Dumbledore's time, only the addition of the man's own portrait in the room gave it away, and there wasn't one of Snape anywhere.

"Do take a seat, Lupin."

He did so, feeling a lot like he was a student again facing reprimand for not reeling in his friends behaviour. McGonagall placed her quill back in the ink pot and raised her head to look at him.

"Please tell me you're here to take the Defence Against the Dark Arts position?"

"Actually, yes, I am."

"Oh thank goodness," she said, relaxing in her chair minutely, "I cannot express how grateful I am for that, because I honestly didn't want anyone else."

"You could have asked Harry," Lupin shrugged.

McGonagall actually snorted, "the DA was a fantastically run club according to it's members, but I think the actual work and planning involved in being a full time teacher would cause him an early breakdown."

"Ah, yes, how could I have forgotten the paperwork?"

"Too late, Lupin, you can't back out now," she said. "Actually I'm glad you came to me in person. I made a slight mistake on that letter I sent you. Would it possible for you to arrive at the Castle a week earlier? Some changes have been made and I'd like to go through them all with everyone at once. It would also give the faculty time to see everyone and the new replacements before the start of term."

"I think I can fit that into my currently non-existent schedule."

McGonagall made a humming noise, "I also wanted to discuss your living arrangements."

"Hmm?"

"Well," she paused, "I had assumed you'd either want to live with your wife, or have her and your son come here-"

"Wait, they could both live here? But where-"

"Good lord, man, this Castle is huge. I'm sure we can find somewhere for you all to stay during Term time. I hear Tonks has got her job back at the Ministry, and about time too. When her shifts start again it would be a simple case of her walking down to Hogsmeade and apparating to the Ministry. As for Teddy, well one, I think Harry might explode when he finds out he is within arms reach of his Godson when at school. Two, Pomprey is very adapt at taking care of children, I've heard but I know she has a soft spot for infants. Flitwick too. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure any teacher in this school wouldn't mind baby sitting him while you are actively teaching."

Remus was staring, he knew he was, but then he started to grin.

"So, I could have them all here, with me, at Hogwarts?"

"That is what I just said, do try to keep up."

He felt like doing a little jig. There was no way he could have this, but at the same time he knew he wanted nothing else.

"Thank you, Minerva."

McGonagall smiled softly, "you're very welcome. However, may I ask, what really tipped you over into taking the job? I thought I wouldn't be hearing from you until the thirteenth, and I was made aware of both Harry's and Tonks numerous attempts to get you to consider asking me yourself."

Lupin chuckled, "it was Kingsley in the end, he was right. If I really want peoples treatment of me to change I need to stop agreeing with the way I'm treated, I need to stop expecting it, fight it. Prove to them that I am capable of doing things a regular wizard can, that I am no different bar that one day in twenty-eight. If people see that I'm perfectly comfortable with what I am, and that I have control over that, there isn't much they can do to me. Then, they'll start to accept it too."

"Hmm," McGonagall nodded, looking pleased, "and it only took you thirty-three years. i'm so proud of you."

"Oh, shush."

I just have one more chapter on this vein before it'll be random ficlets being added in out of chronological order, but it will have time-stamps. Hopefully draw some art for this while I'm in France.