Drabbles from ficverse

[author_by_night]

So I remembered/found some drabbles I wrote that are sort of backstories to the fic I'm writing, though they work well on their own. Harry Potter, Remus/Tonks with Hestia, Teddy and Andromeda.

Hestia knew that this would happen eventually.

Fleur had once called Tonks a yo-yo, and while Hestia wasn't thrilled with her best friend being compared to a toy, she kind of had a point. Tonks had the habit of acting like everything was fine. She'd done it their latter years at Hogwarts - various circumstances had pushed her towards a certain breaking point, so Tonks had morphed more, joked constantly, and had been clumsy beyond belief because she was moving too fast. Hestia had even insisted on getting Tonks's food for her on certain occasions, because she didn't feel like having pumpkin juice and porridge spilled all over her lap.  Which it would be, because Hestia almost always sat next to Tonks. That's how they'd been.

Hestia hated to admit it, but they'd drifted in recent years; not terribly, she still spoke to her more than Bill or Charlie, but their lives and goals had changed. It seemed strange that a war of all things should bring them closer again.

At first, Hestia had thought some of Tonks's clumsiness and her constantly bubbly demeanor was excitement about Remus - as well as the fact that it was a secret she kept from most. But Tonks reacted to Sirius's death by holding a party in honor of Fudge's departure from the Ministry, and almost literally flew through the funeral of Emmaline Vance. It was only when Remus told her he was leaving - worse, why he was leaving - that Tonks started to crack.

And now Hestia was getting Floo'd by Molly Weasley.

"She showed up at my house half past midnight," Molly was saying. "I think she needs you. Her parents are just like her about these things..."

"I'm on it," Hestia said.

Hestia disapparated right onto the beginnings of Tonks's driveway. She made her way up the path, up the stairs, and didn't even bother to knock.

A quick search found Tonks curled up on the couch, looking worse than ever. Her hair was flat, and her face was pale. She was absently stirring a cup of tea.

"Tonks," Hestia said quietly, sitting next to her. "Have you slept at all?"

"Of course I have," Tonks said.

Hestia put her arm around her. "No, you haven't. Dora... talk to me."

"I think he blames me. For Sirius's death."

"Oh, don't be an idiot, of course he doesn't. You blame yourself."

"I never said that."

"Did you have to? Since I've known you, all you've ever wanted was to see Sirius again, to know there was more to the story like your Mum always said. You finally got a chance to, but he wasn't himself, and then he died before you ever got to really know him. Of course you hurt and blame yourself a little."

"I should've gone after Bellatrix-"

"Alice and Frank Longbottom were defeated by Bellatrix," Hestia said sharply. "There's nothing you could have done differently. You might have ended up worse."

"I guess," Tonks said. She took a sip of her tea. "I can't believe he's spying on Greyback. The least he could do is not dump me and pretend it's about protecting me. I need to know he's safe. If anything happens..."

"Nobody knows Greyback like Remus does," Hestia said quietly. "He's getting into the belly of the beast with more knowledge than anyone else would, and-"

"I know that. I know he's doing the right thing, and it's not as though I haven't morphed as Death Eaters before. But I left as soon as I had what I needed. He's staying."

"It won't last long either," Hestia said. "Eventually when Greyback realizes he's not... hurting people, he'll have to leave."

Tonks gave her a look. "And what, give his two weeks' notice? It doesn't work like that."

Hestia couldn't argue the point; she knew she was right.

"He thinks I'm better off. How can I be better off? I miss him, Hestia. Everything about him. Now he's gone, and I'm supposed to be grateful for his sacrifice. It's hard to be grateful when you're the one being sacrificed!"

Tonks began to cry, and Hestia wrapped her arms around her friend. She had so many responses, but they were stony and harsh; right now, Tonks needed something a little softer.

A Word With Friends

Hestia was reading on the couch when he came in.

The new headquarters were, oddly, Hestia's sanctuary, and it appeared Remus saw them as such too. He'd even lived here for a while.

"Hello, Hestia," Remus said politely. Hestia didn't respond.

"Hestia?"

Hestia rolled her eyes, turned around, and smiled so sweetly it hurt. "Remus, old chum! What's happening?"

"Oh boy," Remus said with a sigh. "Dora told you?"

"Wow, you still call her Dora," Hestia said. "I'm surprised she hasn't revoked privileges."

"Hestia-"

"You know," Hestia said, standing up, "I like you. You're my friend, and I'm a very worried for you at the moment. You're doing what you have to do, and that's all very noble, but I hope you're doing them for the right reasons."

"You think I want to pretend to respect the man who tried to kill me when I was a child?"

"No, I don't. I'm sure it was a hard decision. I also I think it's a way to avoid other things, and that helped fuel your choice."

"Dora doesn't know what she's getting into," Remus said.

Hestia pursed her lips. "So she's stupid."

"No! She's one of the most brilliant witches I know. But I'm worried that she doesn't understand that she deserves someone younger, with money, who -"

"My parents have money," Hestia said. "It doesn't guarantee anything. They're happy, but they're happy for other reasons. If Dad hadn't had a pot to piss in, I know Mum still would have loved him."

Remus made to argue, and Hestia put her hand up. "I don't want to get any more into this than I need to, or I'm going to start saying things that will only make this worse for Tonks. As I said previously, I like you, but I hope you understand why I'm a bit cross with you right now. Tonks is to me what Sirius and James were to you. What if James's wife had done this to him? Would you not have been a little angry with her?"

"Of course I would have," Remus said quietly

"Now that that's over with, Dumbledore told you to take this with you." Hestia handed Remus a map. "Said it's about where the pack should be. Owl one of us as soon as you get a chance."

Remus smiled wryly. "I will. If you speak with-"

"- oh, I'm not passing anything onto Dora. The last thing she needs is for someone else to speak for you."

Remus nodded, and made to leave.

"Remus," Hestia said suddenly.

Remus poked his head back in the room. "Yeah?"

Hestia shook her head. "Never mind."

Fight and Flight

(Note: starfishstar happened to also write about this moment recently; I really recommend it, it's more drawn-out than mine, though the reactions are very different.)

Remus walked back into the house, which was dark. To his surprised, Andromeda and Dora were both at the kitchen table.

"Dad left," Tonks said.

"What?" Remus gasped.

Andromeda wiped her face. "He left to help - help some other muggleborns... after what happened yesterday... he could have been killed."

Remus thought about the decision he'd almost made that same day. Was Ted's as bad as his, or better? He wasn't sure.... he'd felt so guilty for considering leaving Dora, now he wondered if he should have stayed, if only to leave with Ted...

"He could have waited," Andromeda sniffed. "Waited for the papers from Romania to come... or done it the muggle way and taken us to Australia..."

"Dad would never have left the country willingly anyway," Tonks said quietly. "He'd see it as letting them win. But he'll be okay, I know it."

Andromeda buried her head in her arms.

"Can I get you anything?" Remus asked. Andromeda let out a muffled, "no."

"Remus, can I speak to you in our room?" Tonks asked.

"Should we really leave your Mum?" Remus whispered.

"Oh, now you're worried about us," Tonks snapped.

Remus's heart sunk. She knew; there was no doubt she'd found out, somehow. There was anger in her eyes.

"Nympha-"

"Our. Room. Now."

Andromeda looked up for a minute; Tonks smiled at her reassuringly, but as she turned to walk up the stairs, she flashed Remus an angry glare.

As soon as Remus entered the room, Tonks slammed the door shut. She headed to their wardrobe...

Oh no...

"I found this," Tonks said, pointing to the truck he'd packed. "And look! it opens!"

She magically opened the truck to reveal robes and a few other items.

"Why was your trunk packed, Remus?" Tonks asked. "Did you even visit Harry this afternoon?"

"As - as a matter of fact, I did," Remus said.

Tonks folded her arms. "Really."

"I did. And..." Remus hesitated, then realized he had no other choice but to be honest. "I offered to go with him, to help."

"That would have been some honeymoon," Tonks said. "Of course, you never mentioned it to me, which made me wonder - were you going to leave me alone?"

"I panicked," Remus admitted. "I'm sorry, I - after what happened yesterday-"

"After my Mum and Dad were tortured, you thought I would want to be left alone with a baby."

"Your Dad really did leave."

Tonks shrugged. "Yeah, because he has to. This isn't about his insecurities, this isn't about thinking he's going to hurt the baby or damn the baby to ostracism - I know how you think, Remus - this was about him realizing that if he wanted any of us to survive, he'd best leave. And do you really think we're not going into hiding too?"

"We are?"

"I don't know about us," Tonks said. "Mum and I are. The baby is. I've spent the past several hours not being sure whether or not you were coming. It's been lovely, I have to say, thinking I might not only never see my father again, but that I might never see my husband again either."

"I'm so sorry."

"Are you? How many times are we going to have to do this? How many times are we going to have to have the same conversation? I love you, and I know the baby will love you too. But right now, I'm not so sure you're ready to be a husband or a father."

"Nymphadora-"

"I'll do the talking," Tonks said. Her voice was angrier than Remus had ever heard it. "You have twenty-four hours to make a decision, and you'd better do a lot of thinking. Because I'm not doing this anymore. Either you're a member of this family or you're not. If you don't want to be in our lives anymore, fine. Go. But if you want to be a husband and a father, then get your effing shit together and act like one."

Remus's heart was pounding now; he didn't want to lose her... or his child. In his moment of fear, he'd come close to losing both of them...

"Of course," Tonks continued, "I'm going to have to do a lot of thinking too, Remus. And... I'm not sure where it'll lead me."

She left the room, and when Remus tried to follow, the door slammed in his face.

What if he already had lost them?

And now for something happy!

New HopeA

Andromeda was at the end of the bed with Molly. Remus was on Tonks's right side, Hestia on Tonks's left. Lyall Lupin, Arthur, Charlie and Ginny were waiting outside.

"Oh my GOD," Tonks cried.

"It's okay, I know it hurts," Hestia said, wiping Tonks's face with a cloth.

"No, it's not that. Remus, we never decided who'll be the godparent!"

"We can decide later," Remus said.

"No we can't, we can't not decide on a godparent! It's the Black -" Tonks was panting her way through the rant - "family  - CURSE!"

Remus and Hestia exchanged a look.

"I thought, well, muggleborns and blood traitors were the Black family curse," Remus said delicately.

"It's really a joke I made once, she won't let it go," Andromeda said dryly. "Sirius, Dora and I already had Godparents chosen for us, and we're good. Of course, it's not as though people don't usually have some idea... I always knew Alice would be Dora's, I just happened to tell her beforehand."

"Alice Longbottom?" Hestia asked.

Tonks nodded. "Yeah... and of course Sirius was Harry's."

"A no-brainer, really," Remus said. "Lily and James knew no one else would do more than Sirius would to protect Harry if anything... happened to them."

"Hestia, I think you-" Tonks began, but Remus's eyes had widened.

"Dora - Harry."

"What about - oh! Harry!"

"Harry's only seventeen, that's a lot of responsibility!" Molly protested.

"He's currently on a secret mission to defeat You-Know-Who," Hestia pointed out.

"Well," Andromeda said quietly, "it would be an exceptional way to honor Sirius.


Remus nodded. "And really... if he'd do whatever he's doing, what wouldn't he do to protect your son?"

Tonks was smiling. "Yeah, I think it's perfect. He would do anything to protect our child, and... Mum's right. Hestia, are you okay with this?"

Hestia was a little disappointed, but she knew they'd made the right decision. "I'm more than okay with it, Tonks. Besides, it's not like I won't still do my part."

"I know. Poor baby's going to be terribly - SPOILED!"

There was more screaming than talking for the next several hours; Hestia was almost at her wit's end when the stubborn baby - "a boy!" Andromeda announced - decided to join them.

Andromeda checked the vitals, wiped him up, and gave him to Tonks and Remus. Hestia and the others politely left the room to give them a moment. It was then that she realized she was teary.

After a few minutes, Remus came out. "He's a metamorphmagus!" He announced. His face was filled with excitement; it made him almost unrecognizable.

"I wondered if he'd inherit it," Andromeda said, her face proud. "It's not common for both a parent and child to be metamorphmagi, but I had a feeling he would be."

"I can't believe he's already showing signs, though," Lyall said.

Andromeda laughed. "Oh, Dora was morphing in the womb, I'm sure of it now. At the time I just thought she had a lot of energy."

"We've named him Teddy, by the way," Remus said. "Well, Ted, but - we'd like for Ted to keep his name."

To everyone's surprise, Andromeda threw her arms around Remus and held him tightly.

"He would have been honored," she said.

"I'll be right back, I have to tell Bill and Fleur!" Remus said, and with that, he disapparated.

Hestia blinked. "What just happened?"

"He's a father now," Lyall replied. "That's what happened."

"Oy, new Mummy here!" Tonks's voice called.

Though he wasn't her godson, Hestia still could not have been any more eager to see him.

Comments

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

These drabbles are great :D