The pungent scent of animal droppings invaded Remus's nostrils. He felt cold and shivered against the musty mattress in the cellar. As he opened his eyes post-transformation, he found he'd landed in a heap of his own excrement. The pile was joined by the measly contents of his stomach.
Despite the Wolfsbane Potion he'd taken for March's full moon, his body decided to writhe during his transformation back to a human and he was now covered in all manner of bodily fluids. Luckily, he didn't smell blood.
"S . . . irius?" he rasped, his lips dry and chapped from retching.
Sirius wasn't in the cellar, which was unusual. Remus couldn't hear anything from upstairs; for the past few full moons, he'd grown accustomed to seeing Sirius in the cellar, with the worst of the post-transformation messes gone, and Tonks would be upstairs, joking around with Kingsley before their morning shift at the Ministry.
There was only the sound of dripping water from a leaky corner of the cellar.
Harrumphing, Remus sat up and grimaced, finding his face half-covered in his mess. His joints creaked as he stood, and after he found his wand stowed away in its usual, safe spot, he vanished what he could, scrubbed his face clean, and put his clothes on. He'd need a thorough shower and a meal, but he wanted to know where the others were.
The kitchen was dark and cold when he came up to it. He flicked his wand at the lights, turning them on, and got a fire going in the hearth. With another swish of his wand he got the kettle going for tea.
Just as the kettle whistled, the fire roared green and his mother-in-law stepped through with a disapproving expression.
"Good morning," Remus croaked, "tea?"
"No, thank you," she said curtly. "Sirius is upstairs with Kingsley?"
"I don't know . . . he wasn't with me downstairs."
Andromeda tsked and went up the kitchen stairs. Remus didn't know what to make of her appearance, or Tonks's absence, or why Sirius would still be in bed with Kingsley—or why Andromeda was going up to see them.
Shaking his head, he fixed a cup of tea and sat down to eat porridge and get the taste of vomit off his tongue. Gradually, he began to feel better as he ate, and it was when he'd finished his first cup of tea that Sirius stomped downstairs with a scowl and bloodied robes.
"Moony," he said, yawning widely. He looked relieved when the kettle was on and poured himself a cup of tea, saying, "Sorry about this morning . . . Andy told you what happened?"
Remus cleared his throat. "No, she went upstairs after asking where you were. What's going on?"
Sirius brushed his hair back with his hand. "Everyone's going to be fine, before you ask. Ted was attacked on his way home from work, Kingsley got injured in a skirmish, and Tonks is with her dad at St. Mungo's. Andromeda was there but she brought some potions for Kings."
In his post-transformation stupor, Remus struggled to follow. "Ted . . . was poisoned? Kingsley . . . hurt?"
"Aurors dropped by Malfoy Manor last night for a surprise raid," said Sirius, as he pulled down a set of plates from the cupboard. "If any Death Eaters were there before, they fled, because the DMLE didn't find a damn thing. Kingsley was off-duty and on a mission, thought he spotted Avery or Rookwood, and he got a nasty curse from one of them. Bill was with him—saved his life and brought him here."
Remus nodded gratefully when Sirius brought a plate of cold meats, fruit, and cheeses to him. He sat down on the other side of the table and took a sip of tea.
"Ted was ambushed outside St. Mungo's last night," Sirius continued. "He hadn't gone far, thankfully. A few trainees heard a scuffle and rushed out from a local pub. They didn't see any faces, only masks, and Ted was beaten, maybe tortured, but we don't know. Andy said he's conscious but doesn't remember what happened."
The bitterness returned to Remus's mouth. "Fuck."
"I know." Sirius wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, smearing dried blood across his brow. "It was right after moonrise when it happened. The trainees didn't get a good look at the attackers, said there were at least three of them."
Remus swallowed a bite of cheese with difficulty. "Should I go to St.—"
"You smell like shit, so no," Sirius cut him off, crumpling his nose upwards. "Take a shower and rest. Tonks won't want you exerting yourself."
Steady, careful steps came from the stairs. Andromeda had returned, the look of haughty disapproval still on her face.
"He's sleeping soundly," she said, looking only at Sirius. "He'll continue to need rest. No physical exertion of any kind for at least two weeks." Sirius's jaw and lips twitched. Remus suppressed a snort and turned to his mother-in-law.
"When is Dora coming home?"
"Soon," Andromeda replied, taking long strides to the fireplace. Still looking away from Remus, she said to Sirius, "I need to have a word with Albus." Without so much as a goodbye, she went back through the Floo and disappeared in the flames.
"Did you offend her?" asked Sirius, arching a brow at Remus.
He sighed into his empty bowl of porridge. The weeks following Remus's arrest, and the attempt on Tonks's life, had passed by without another incident.
Until now.
"It's a long story," he said, rubbing his tired eyes with his dirtied palms.
"Kings is asleep and your wife isn't home yet." Sirius leaned back in his chair and sniffed at the air disdainfully. "As you're clearly not going up to shower, care to share?"
Remus tried his best at another cleaning charm and thought back to the last few weeks.
February had given way to March, which brought Remus's 36th birthday. He spent the night buried to the hilt inside his wife, beating all their previous records for the number of climaxes he enjoyed. If it wasn't for the knowledge of what he was doing to endanger her, and the added threat to Ted Tonks's life now, he would've described his life as blissful.
It was difficult for him to imagine going back to life before Tonks.
She brought color and joy into his previously drab and melancholy days. He had the privilege of waking up next to her and joining her in sleep. He had the honor of giving her pleasure and receiving what she bestowed on him. He took care of her as best he could and found he enjoyed the simple domesticity of life with a companion.
Whether she was telling him about the little triumphs or setbacks in her day, he listened. He joked with her, went on missions with her, and waited up for her when they weren't together. If there were more dead animals that came to her desk, threats or jeers from coworkers, or further antagonism, she didn't mention it.
Nor did she mention the growing disagreement between her parents regarding their relationship and marriage.
Andromeda's fears that Bellatrix would come after Tonks more aggressively than before were not unfounded; she had hinted multiple times that an 'amicable separation' would be to her liking to prevent another altercation between Bellatrix and Tonks. Remus would've volunteered to abandon his marriage to keep Tonks safe, agreeing with his mother-in-law, but the ever-mystifying Ted Tonks agreed with his daughter that it was better for Remus and Tonks to stay together.
Ted argued that in the werewolf camps, Remus would be too easy to kidnap, torture, and kill; he felt they'd be sending Remus to his death if they forced him and Tonks to separate. Tonks insisted that even if Remus did go his separate way, it wouldn't change anything for Bellatrix, who would take any excuse to murder her niece for merely existing, and then kill Remus for good measure.
Dumbledore agreed with them, too, saying it was better for Remus and Tonks to stay together and safe under the roof of Grimmauld Place. Andromeda wasn't pleased with the Headmaster, or anyone else who agreed it was better for Tonks to stay married.
As one option kept Remus in a comfortable, stable life and the other threw him out to the werewolf camps, he guiltily kept his place as Tonks's husband.
Remus was sure that when Tonks came home, she would tell him that the attempt on her father's life was just another expectation with Bellatrix as her mother's sister. Remus couldn't help but wonder if his presence in the Tonkses' lives made it harder than it needed to be.
He shared all this with Sirius and laid his head on the table, too tired to go on.
Sirius bit into an apple and shrugged.
"If Tonks, her dad, and Dumbledore agree, who cares?"
"I care," Remus muttered. "Andromeda cares."
"What's Andy going to do? Stop Albus Dumbledore?"
Remus felt sick and shaky. He wanted to argue and tell Sirius that his formidable mother-in-law was the type of person to get Dumbledore to change his mind. He wanted to say Andromeda had every right to wish the marriage was over.
Then a pop in the fireplace startled both men in the kitchen.
"Speak of the devil," Sirius said, smirking at Remus. He went around to the hearth, where Dumbledore's head sat in the fire.
"Good to see you both," said Dumbledore, nodding at Remus. "I've news to share with you."
Remus braced himself for the worst.
"I am no longer the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witch—"
"WHAT?" Sirius demanded. Even Remus managed to lift his head off the table.
Albus told them of Umbridge's discovery of Harry's defense club, Dumbledore's Army. He took the blame for everything and was rewarded with the order to leave Hogwarts. Harry and his friends would be punished with detention.
Sirius was the first to speak. "Is Harry going to be safe?"
"He has Minerva, Severus, and Rubeus," Dumbledore replied serenely. "All of our teachers are invested in our students' safety."
Remus looked away and hid his face in the crook of his elbow.
"And you? Where are you going?"
"Away." Dumbledore's tone was calm, as if he were discussing his favorite desserts. "I do have a message for Remus."
"I'm here." Remus lifted his head and dragged himself to the fireplace.
"Ah, yes, last night was the full moon," said Dumbledore. "I heard the news of your father-in-law's attack. I was just speaking with Andromeda. Out of concern for your safety, I've decided that you and Tonks will be taking Ministry shifts only."
Ministry shifts meant only one thing: Remus and Tonks would only guard the Department of Mysteries and have no other missions.
"I understand," mumbled Remus, put out by the news. He was even less useful to the Order than before.
"Please give Kingsley my best," said Dumbledore. "Tonks will be here soon. I needed her to help me at the castle."
Remus furrowed his brow, puzzled, but Dumbledore didn't provide any further details. Instead, he wished Sirius and Remus a good day and vanished.
A warm, woolly blanket lay atop Remus's body. He was freshly showered, had more to eat, and rested in his bed while Tonks regaled him with the events of the last twelve hours.
"I was getting ready for bed, minding my own business, and then everything went to shit," Tonks complained, kicking her boots off. They landed on opposite sides of the room. "You were quiet downstairs and then I get a Patronus from Mum that Dad's at the hospital. I'm the only Auror there because everyone's off at Malfoy Manor doing the raid no one told me about, Kingsley's on a mission, and the two on-call Aurors were summoned to a werewolf attack, but it was a false alarm. Just a big dog and a batty old witch who needs glasses."
Tonks blew scarlet hair away from her face. Her socks were strewn on the floor and her robes flew over her head to land in a messy heap on the back of an armchair.
"Dad's barely conscious, Mum's a crying mess, and I've got to be the one in charge. The Healers get him stable, Mum tries to send me home, but then Berrycloth and Dawlish are at St. Mungo's to investigate and I've got to start from scratch."
A pair of denim trousers fell on top of the robes. Her worn, Weird Sisters t-shirt landed on it next. Though exhausted from the full moon, Remus could feel his body responding to his scantily clad wife.
"That takes forever," she continued, shimmying out of her knickers and bra, the sight pleasing to Remus's eyes, but she redressed herself in clean clothes and made her way to the bed. "I'm going to go home but then I get the news that Kingsley's injured—we've all got to sell the story that he decided to go skiing or something—and mum's the only one who can get potions to him fast. She doesn't want Dad alone, so she goes, I stay back at the hospital, and then I get another bloody Patronus that Scrimgeour needs me at Hogwarts."
Tonks tucked herself next to Remus and clung to him. He was cold, and her warm, flushed body was doing wonders for him.
"I reckon Mad-Eye or someone else suggested it, but I go to Hogwarts and I've got to morph to look like Kingsley, because Umbridge won't want to see me, the werewolf lover." She blew the hair out of her face and yawned. Remus noticed the dark circles under her eyes from having stayed up all night.
"Do you know how hard it is to look like him? I had to run to his office, steal his robes, and then fill them out. I think I convinced Umbridge but Dawlish knew it was me because forgot to get a bloody ring for my ear and my voice wasn't right."
Her scarlet hair was softening and morphing to something deeper, a brownish burgundy.
"Then I had to modify this poor girl's memory—Edgecombe, I think it was, her face was covered in nasty boils though—and poor Harry looked like a newborn unicorn, wide eyes and all." She sighed and burrowed deeper under the covers.
"I've got to go along with all of this, say Umbridge can be the new Headmistress—" She shuddered at that and gripped Remus harder. "—then turn back around, check in with mum, be told I only get Department of Mysteries duties for the Order, and now I'm here."
Tonks nuzzled her head into Remus's chest. It spread warmth all throughout his sternum, though before he could wrap an arm around her, she jumped out of bed.
"I almost forgot!"
Remus didn't know what she almost forgot, as she dashed out of the bedroom. He heard her knock into the banister on the stairs, wake up Walburga's portrait, and struggle with Sirius to get it shut. They were downstairs for a few loud minutes, and then Remus heard her shouting.
"HARRY! HARRY JAMES POTTER!"
"It's not going to—"
"You do it!" Remus heard Tonks holler.
"Harry!"
"Louder!"
"HARRY!"
A triumphant whoop came from the corridor downstairs, followed by another bout of Walburga's shouting. More angry screeching reached Remus's ears, alongside the loud thumps of Tonks running into the banister again, but then she was back in their room and jumping into bed, breathless and pink-haired.
"The mirror," Tonks panted. "Sirius was telling me about the two-way mirror he gave Harry, but Harry never uses it, so I thought I could ask him to send it back so I can use it with Mum."
"Will he send it?"
"I dunno." Tonks shrugged and returned to Remus's side. "Mum's crazy worried lately and I thought it'd help keep her off my case. Sirius lit up like a kid on Christmas when Harry answered, so maybe I'll have to find something else. With Dumbledore gone, maybe it'll be good for Harry to have Sirius to talk to."
Remus sighed contently when Tonks curled up around his body.
"Or the other way around, I reckon," she added sleepily. "With Dumbledore gone, I wonder what'll happen . . . how's Kingsley, by the way?"
"I'm not sure," replied Remus. He wrapped his arm around Tonks and pulled her closer. Post-full moon recovery was always better with her at his side. "Your mum said he'd need rest."
"My mum's the reason we're stuck with the Department of Mysteries," Tonks grumbled. "I'm a grown woman, an Auror, and she's panicking over—" She grunted and gripped Remus's side. "—it's not nothing, I get it, but I swear, if I ever get my hands on Bellatrix Lestrange, I'm going to kill her."
Remus was grateful her eyes were closed, as he winced and shook his head. Though Tonks was a powerful witch in her own right, Bellatrix Lestrange was cruel and lethal. If she had been one of Ted Tonks's attackers, he was lucky to be alive.
"If mum gets her way, she'll march up to Scrimgeour and tell him I should be on desk duty . . ." Another yawn followed. Tonks's hair was deepening, a sign she was close to sleep. Remus wanted her to rest.
". . . bloody desk duty. It's paperwork forever . . ."
Thinking it was better to get her attention away from Bellatrix and paperwork, Remus changed the subject.
"Have you got today off, then?"
"Today and tomorrow. If I wasn't knackered and you weren't healing . . . we'd go out to the pub and get shitfaced for St. Patrick's Day, but . . ." Tonks's voice trailed off as she breathed deeply. ". . . maybe we can get a telly in here and watch a film."
Remus stroked her hair as she mumbled about Star Wars, the Muggle space films, and how Kingsley needed a proper film education. She was murmuring about space bears when she finally drifted off to sleep. Equally exhausted, he leaned back against his pillow and joined her in slumber.
