Tonks knocked on the door to Remus's flat and leaned against the door frame. He opened the door and was a bit shocked to see her.
"This is a surprise," he said.
"Yes. I'm sorry to intrude upon you at home," she said. "Can I come in?"
"Of course," he said, stepping aside. She walked in and surveyed her surroundings.
"This is a nice place," she said.
"Thankfully, I made enough during my time at Hogwarts to at least have a place to live with more than one bedroom after I ended my tenure there," Remus said. "Not to mention Sirius insists on helping."
"Probably wants to make up for lost time. And thank you for raising Aurora," Tonks said.
"That's what he told me when I tried to argue with him about it," Remus said. "If you're wondering why Aurora is impossible to argue with, it's because of him."
Tonks chuckled. "If you told that to Sirius, I'm sure he'd argue with you about it."
"Indeed," Remus said. He motioned for her to sit at the small dining table in the kitchen, and she did. "Would you like a drink?"
"I would love one actually. And pour a glass for yourself. I have news," Tonks said.
"Bad news?" Remus asked.
"Just news," she said.
Remus retrieved a bottle of wine and two glasses. He had to rinse the glasses since they were both covered in a layer of dust.
"Don't have much company if you can tell," Remus said.
"It's fine," she said as Remus filled her glass. "Sit."
She reached into her robes and pulled out the letter for Aurora and sat it on the table between them.
"For Aurora?" he asked.
"It's not from me," Tonks said. "Rufus Scrimgeour got a letter this morning. This one with it."
"From who?" Remus asked.
"Levi Goldfinch," Tonks said.
Remus nodded. "Well, you were looking into him. It makes sense that he would reappear now when you were on the heels of tracking him down."
"He was in the states as I suspected… He says Theodosia is, in fact, alive," Tonks said. "She left of her own free will. Levi can provide evidence that she's alive, but she refuses to come back because she wants nothing to do with Aurora."
"Why?" Remus asked.
"Goldfinch didn't say," Tonks replied. "But he wants to establish contact with Aurora."
"After all this time? I reached out to him after Sirius went to prison before I even thought to take Aurora to the Blacks," Remus said.
"I know. He said as much," Tonks said. "He's coming back to England before the end of the year. He's going to talk to the Ministry about why Theodosia is in hiding. I briefly tried to say that in light of this evidence perhaps we should reexamine Sirius' entire case, but naturally, they shot that down immediately."
"Typical," Remus agreed. Tonks nodded. "Luckily, it sounds like it's nothing Aurora can't handle."
Tonks took a drink of her wine. "Sorry to show up and completely upend your daughter's entire life."
"Won't be the first time, unfortunately. Part of me hopes she sees it coming," Remus said. "I don't understand why Theo would leave."
"Sirius said she wasn't very maternal to begin with," Tonks said.
"But if she'd given up on it… She'd have said something," Remus said. "Or maybe I just didn't know Theo as well as I thought I did."
"I'm sure you'd want to tell Aurora this yourself, but as soon as the papers get wind of this, it's going to be everywhere. Fudge wants me to go to Hogwarts tomorrow and talk to Umbridge. And he wants me to give this letter to Aurora. It's sealed with magic so only she can open it," Tonks said. "I can talk to her. And if she wants to write to you I can make sure she can without her letter being intercepted."
"I'd appreciate that," Remus said. He took another drink of his wine. "But in the meantime, there's still the matter of Sirius."
"Yeah. I've been thinking about that too," Tonks said. "Have any more wine?"
"Not sure that will be enough for finding out the woman you were in love with abandoned your child without explanation while you sat in prison for 12 years," Remus said.
"So whiskey then?" she asked.
Remus chuckled then shook his head. "I treasure every moment I've had with Aurora. I would not trade a second of it. But seeing her life and Sirius's life thrown into chaos because of this… I wish things could have been different for them."
"I'm sure," she replied. "Life is messy and complicated and people… People suck."
"How eloquent of you," Remus teased.
"I'm trying to be encouraging. This might not affect me directly, but I care about you and your daughter and Sirius. I've spent the last hour thinking over how to tell you this," Tonks said.
"And it affects me greatly?" Remus asked.
"Of course it does. Blood or not, Aurora is your daughter. You're her Dad without prefix or suffix or explanation," Tonks said. "I obviously don't have children, but I suspect that you feel things when your child feels things. You don't love her in a vacuum. Her feelings… Give you feelings."
Remus chuckled. "Well said."
"Stop making fun of me while I'm trying to be supportive," Tonks said. She reached across the table and gently whacked him on the shoulder.
"I appreciate you being here to be made fun of," Remus said.
Tonks nodded. "Anything for you, Remus." She'd said it as a joke, a fun quip, the way she always spoke, but she realized after the words left her mouth that she actually meant it.
That thought immediately terrified her, so she took a drink of her wine instead.
"I suppose we'll have to see what happens," Remus said.
"Indeed," Tonks said. She finished her wine. Remus refilled her glass and then refilled his own. "Walking to Grimmauld then, are we?"
"Never split a bottle of wine between two people?" Remus asked.
"I've finished many a bottle of wine alone. I was more concerned about you. As you repeatedly tell me, you're quite a bit older than I am. Probably can't hold your drink like you used to," Tonks said.
Remus laughed and raised his glass to her. "Touché."
Tonks clinked it with her own and took a drink of her wine. "It's fine. I'll need half a bottle of wine to tell Sirius all this."
When Tonks and Remus arrived at Grimmauld, she was more anxious than she had been all day. They walked into the house and found Sirius in the lounge, in front of the fire reading a book with the radio playing. His foot was tapping along with the music.
"Is this Ed Sheeran?" Tonks asked.
Sirius looked up, acknowledging them.
"Oh, hello," he said. He closed his book. He listened to the music for a moment and then nodded. "Yes. Ed Sheeran. Talented isn't he? Aurora says he's one of her favorites." He got to his feet and turned off the radio. "Wasn't expecting to see you lot until tomorrow."
"Work got interesting," Tonks said. Remus held up two bottles of wine. "You'll want to be sitting for this."
They poured Sirius and themselves drinks. Then Tonks started in on her story. Sirius had polished off two glasses of wine by the time she finished.
"Merlin… I don't… I can't believe Theo would…" He refilled his glass. "So she leaves because of Aurora and just disappears? People have thought I killed her."
"I know," Remus said.
"And she's just been in hiding all this time?" Sirius asked. "For what? Because of Aurora? Because she's scared of motherhood or something?"
"I'll be there when Levi speaks to Fudge and Scrimgeour. I'll give you all your answers. You can't let this eat you up though," Tonks said.
"I understand what you're trying to do here, Tonks, but you didn't sit in Azkaban for 12 years for something you were innocent of," Sirius said.
"You're right," Tonks said. "But I'm going to get answers for you. Don't worry."
"I need to write to Aurora. You're going to Hogwarts tomorrow?" Sirius asked.
Tonks nodded.
"I'll get you some paper," Remus said. He rose from the couch and left the room.
"Remus and I were speculating on-."
"You like him," Sirius said.
Tonks froze. "What?"
"He likes you too," Sirius said. "You should go out."
"What are you talking about?" Tonks asked.
Sirius rolled his eyes and took a drink from his glass. "Tonks, you do realize that everyone can see the pair of you when you're teasing and flirting with each other all of the time? We all have eyes. I'll admit, I thought maybe it was one-sided on Remus' part because I've known him since we were children, but you're just as guilty."
"Guilty of—"
"You like him. He likes you. Just… Go for it," Sirius said.
"I think you've had too much wine and you've lost it," Tonks said.
"I'm quite in control of my senses, thank you. It's been a long day. I just found out my ex-girlfriend intentionally left me to rot in prison and abandoned our daughter. And aside from this wine, the pair of you being obsessed with each other is all I have to lean on," Sirius said.
"We're not obsessed with each other," Tonks said. "We're friends."
"Very good friends," Sirius said.
"Stop it," Tonks said, all the while she could feel her face reddening.
"But if he asked you out would you say yes?" Sirius asked.
Tonks groaned. "Stop worrying over me and worry over your child, please."
"I'm going to talk to Remus when you leave."
Tonks rolled her eyes. Remus was exceptional. He was intelligent and funny and so kind. He was always making fun of her but never failed to tell her how brilliant she was. After their Order meetings, she always found herself chatting with Remus, laughing about whatever, or deeply entrenched in a conversation, again, about whatever.
Maybe she did like him, a little. But she was barely seven years older than his daughter. Surely that would give him pause. Remus was always joking about how young she was. He probably looked at her and was constantly seeing his daughter.
Remus returned to the room, writing supplies in hand.
"I suppose I should write to her as well," Remus said, sitting the parchment, quill, and ink in front of Sirius. "I wonder what Aurora will have to say to Levi."
"Encourage him to be sympathetic to Sirius' plight I imagine," Tonks said.
"Well, he knows I didn't kill Theo since she's very much alive," Sirius said. "But Wormtail is another story. And Theo and Lily were best friends. It's hard to say where Levi will stand. Especially since he didn't like me all that much."
"But there's so much to love about you," Tonks teased.
"Having a child out of wedlock did not sit right with Levi," Sirius said. "But Theo hated the idea of marriage. Said it was a social construct invented by—"
"The patriarchy so women could be exchanged like property," Remus said.
"Yes," Sirius said.
"Aurora has also told me her negative perspective on marriage," Remus said.
Sirius sighed. "One day, Aurora had this look on her face where she was so annoyed and I knew, I knew, she was going to lose it, because she had this look on her face and for a moment all I could see was Theo."
"Yes," Remus said. "She favors you, but sometimes… Theo is there."
Tonks nodded. "I have no perspective to offer, but I do understand that this might be a lot for you both."
Sirius looked to Remus and shook his head. "I don't think I'd ever be half the father that you are," Sirius said.
"Now, now," Tonks chimed in. "I write to Aurora every few weeks when she sees fit to reach out. But I've noticed something."
"What?" Remus asked.
"I met her and Remus was 'Dad' and Sirius you were 'Sirius.' She'd say 'my dad and Sirius.' But now she just… She says 'my dads this' and 'my dads that.' And Remus is obviously a wonderful father, otherwise, she wouldn't get detention so often for trying to fight people about him."
"I wish she wouldn't," Remus sighed.
"But she does. And Sirius, she's got dads. You and Remus. 'Please tell my dads to stop dadding me to death' is what she says," Tonks said.
Sirius and Remus both started to protest, but Tonks shushed them.
"If ever there was a time where she was going to need both of you, it's now," Tonks said.
"Is there a time where she doesn't need us both?" Remus asked.
Tonks shrugged. "Sirius, not that she doesn't love and cherish you, you might want to be the one who takes Harry's side over hers. Because she wants you to always be on her side but also gets really angry about the fact that no one is on Harry's side. And also she's always super grateful that you're around for Harry, Sirius."
"I don't understand," Sirius said.
"Me either, but I'm also not adopted and have a very close relationship with my dads and one of them also happens to be the only paternal figure in my boyfriend's life," Tonks said. "And, if we can venture a little further off track here, if I was Aurora I'd have dumped Harry Potter already."
Sirius gasped. "Why? Harry's cool."
Tonks groaned. "Does Aurora tell you nothing?"
"About Harry? No," Remus replied. "She always says 'things are fine' and glosses over it. Are things not fine?"
Tonks didn't want to be a snitch, but she'd also had almost a full bottle of wine now, so her morals were feeling loose.
"What Mundungus said is factual. Aurora and Harry had a fight because this girl was hanging around, flirting and chatting him up and pretending Aurora didn't exist. And she told him that it made her uncomfortable and Harry apparently told her that he didn't think it was a big deal because he didn't like the girl, but he also hasn't told her to, you know, stop hitting on him," Tonks said. "And if he'd said that to me when I was 15 years old on a date I'd have told him to get fucked. And I know, Harry is so sweet and so nice and he's been through a lot, but also that's a bullshit way to treat your girlfriend."
Remus was frowning.
"Don't look like that," Sirius said.
"I'm allowed. You're supposed to take Harry's side remember?" Remus said.
Tonks laughed and Sirius gave her a look that said "I told you so."
"Aurora says that Harry is just stressed out and needs a constant reminder that people are on his side, but I told her that's no excuse for him being unkind," Tonks said. "She's in love and love makes you stupid when you're 15."
"You think she should break up with him?" Sirius asked.
"I would have," Tonks said. "And I'm a patient, kind, understanding Hufflepuff."
"Aurora is able to make her own decisions and choices," Remus said. "It adds a layer of complication that she's dating Harry, but…" Remus turned to Sirius.
"Oh, you want me to talk to him?" Sirius asked.
"Maybe vaguely mention 'hey, so Aurora thinks you're being kind of a dick sometimes.' He might just need a sounding board who isn't his girlfriend," Tonks said. "So, tell him to straighten up because one thing Aurora seems not prepared to deal with is his drama. Especially when she finds out all of this."
Sirius sighed. "Remus, would I have been more prepared to deal with a teenager if I'd raised her her whole life?"
"No," Remus replied. "Absolutely not."
It happened during Defense Against the Dark Arts. Rory was pretending to read, as she always did in Umbridge's class. She'd read this book cover to cover and she hated it. She'd read plenty of bad books, bad textbooks even, but this one took the cake.
But they didn't do anything else in this class but read and take tests. It was useless.
And then the classroom door opened. Everyone turned their heads to the door and Rory was stunned to see Tonks standing there with Dumbledore.
Harry and Rory exchanged glances.
"And what's this?" Umbridge asked.
"Sorry to interrupt, but the Minister of Magic has sent Auror Tonks here to handle some business on his behalf," Dumbledore said.
"Ah," Umbridge said, a hint of recognition in her voice. "Go on and take her then." And then Umbridge looked to Rory. "Know that you're still responsible for today's reading and subsequent assignment."
Rory raised an eyebrow.
"Aurora Lupin," Tonks said. "Do you mind coming with me for a bit? I promise you'll be back for your next class."
Rory quietly gathered her things and left the classroom.
"What's going on?" Rory asked when the door was closed.
"Nothing to worry about. Go with Tonks," Dumbledore said.
Rory had a thousand questions for Dumbledore, but he started off as soon as the words were out of his mouth.
"What-?"
"Just come with me," Tonks said. She led Rory down the hall and they entered an empty classroom. She surveyed the classroom and waved her wand a few times. "Sorry about that. Wanted to make sure we're not being watched."
"Of course," Rory said. "Is my dad okay?"
"Oh, yes, Rory. He's fine. Sit down. Nothing bad has happened," Tonks said. "Sorry to scare you."
Rory sat down in a chair. "What's going on?"
"Someone reached out to the ministry yesterday. Levi Goldfinch," Tonks said.
Rory raised an eyebrow. "My mother's brother? My uncle?"
Tonks nodded. "When I was looking into your mother's family and trying to see if any of them had backgrounds as seers, I didn't find much, but I did find a lot of strong evidence to suggest that your uncle was alive. And he is. He's been living in America for the last fourteen years."
Rory didn't know how to feel about this. Her dad had told her that he'd reached out to Levi, but never heard anything back from him, not in all these years. It shouldn't have surprised her that he was alive.
"So what did he want?" Rory asked.
Tonks sighed. "This is not going to be easy to hear."
"She's dead, isn't she? My mum?" Rory asked.
Tonks shook her head. "Theodosia Goldfinch is alive." Rory's heart skipped a beat. She didn't even know what question to ask next. "Levi says that… She left of her own free will that night. We don't know why aside from…" Tonks pouted. "Goldfinch says his sister wanted nothing to do with you."
And then Rory felt a crack in her heart. She'd imagined a thousand scenarios about her mother, but hearing that she left because of Rory? It made her feel sick.
"Oh," Rory said.
"Your uncle makes it sound more complicated than all that. I suspect it has something to do with you being a seer, but he didn't say in his letter to the minister," Tonks said. She reached into her robe and pulled out a letter. Rory's name was scrawled across it. "This has been enchanted so only you can open it. Fudge and my boss don't know what it says and neither do I. I'm sure he did it to keep whatever information is inside safe."
Rory took the letter and stared down at it.
"Read that letter. Tell me what it says and then we can talk some more," Tonks said.
Rory followed Tonks' instructions and opened the letter.
