I talked to the first Healer I could find to ask if she’d been bitten.
“We haven’t figured that out yet. Test results haven’t come back.” The Healer looked at me almost with disgust. I might have looked a wreck, or she might’ve known I was the one who did this to Tonks.
I nodded, thanked her, and went back to Tonks.
“Remus,” she said softly, “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry so much.”
I fought the unbelievably large lump in my throat and nodded a little. How could I have mistaken Bellatrix Lestrange for Tonks? Why didn’t I see there was something wrong? She had been acting strange, but I passed it off as pregnancy issues. For weeks, I had been tricked into believing my wife was that wretched woman!
“You’re positively horrible at faking cheerfulness,” she laughed lightly.
The sound of her laugh coming from the mangled body lying on the hospital bed was just wrong.
“I’m sorry...” I told her.
She sighed. “Remus, stop that.”
“What?”
“Stop blaming yourself. It is my fault for worrying you. I could have contacted anyone else.”
I shook my head. “Maybe I should never have-”
“Stop.”
______________________________________________________________________________
Remus has been avoiding me ever since I got out of the hospital two months ago. He seemed afraid of crossing me, even though he hadn’t bitten me. The Order didn’t send him back underground, either, and he didn’t seem happy about that. He wanted to go back. I knew he was only afraid of transforming on me again and he didn’t want to hurt me, but it still felt like a rejection. It still stung. The baby was due soon, Remus tried to act excited, but I knew he was terrified. He was afraid the baby would be like him.
I was helping Molly cook dinner for the Order meeting that night. Mum was there too. She was very excited that she was going to be a grandmother soon. Remus hadn’t been around all day though, so that might’ve had something to do with my mother being so chipper too.
Remus was the last to show up for dinner. Even though he hadn’t bitten me, Remus had been trying to be with me only when there was a large crowd around.
He sat down, kissed me and joined the conversation with the Order about our next move. It was almost as if I wasn’t even there... I knew he was afraid of hurting me, and I understood that, but this was just ridiculous. We were still working together at Hogwarts (McGonagall had switched things around and given Remus the Defense Against the Dark Arts post again), and he avoided me there, too.
“We just got an owl from Harry, Remus,” Kingsley informed him. “He says he thinks he’s figured out where the last horcrux is.”
“Where?” Remus asked.
“Hogwarts.”
“Are we going to meet him there? Voldemort will most likely be guarding it.”
“Yes.”
The rest of the meeting was spent discussing how we would get to Hogwarts, what we would do and how we would protect the students. And, after what seemed like hours, the meeting finally paused.
“Remus, can I talk to you? In the other room?” I asked.
He nodded and followed me out of the kitchen.
“What’s wrong? Are you in labor?” he was suddenly nervous.
“No. You’re acting like I don’t exist!”
“That’s ridiculous, Tonks.”
“No it’s not. Ever since I was brought back from the hospital, you won’t even stay in the same room with me unless the whole flipping Order is there!”
Right then, there was an explosion, and an army of black, hooded figures stormed the Burrow. Order members were lost in the rush. Smoke from the explosion filled the scene and red and green flashes could be seen through the haze, who they were heading for, though, I couldn’t tell. I pulled out my wand to fight, but, at that second, my water broke!
“Oh, my God...” I said, panicking. “Remus.”
Fear filled his eyes. He didn’t know what to do. People were shouting in the background. Two of the Death Eaters had spotted us, and started firing spells.
“Remus... hospital...” I was able to mutter to him as he blocked a few spells heading out way.
He nodded, almost as if he was coming out of a trance and Apparated us to the hospital right as one of the Death Eaters sent the killing curse at us.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Four hours later, four painful hours later, the healer said, “Congratulations, it’s a boy.”
A boy! We have a boy! I’m a father...
Tonks’s grip on my hand slackened, thankfully. I think I may not be able to use my hand properly for a few days. She kept holding my hand, though.
“Remus, we have a boy...” she said breathlessly.
I smiled at her. “I know.”
“What’s his name?” the Healer asked.
“Ted,” I said, looking at Tonks for confirmation.
She nodded. “Teddy Sirius Lupin.”
A few hours later, Tonks was starting to get worried. She hadn’t let go of my hand.
“What do you think happened? At the Burrow,” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I whispered.
We didn’t hear from anyone until later the next day, Molly sent us an owl. The letter was tear stained.
Remus,
I hope everything is alright with you and Tonks. I saw she went into labor. We lost Arthur while he was duelling Malfoy... Everyone else is fine, its safe now. We’ll come visit soon.
Molly
I had to read the letter three times over before it finally sank in. Arthur Weasley was dead. I couldn’t believe it.
“What’s going on?” Tonks asked.
“Arthur was killed...” I said in barely a whisper.
“What?”
“I just got an owl from Molly. Everyone else is fine, but Arthur is dead.”
She gawked at me and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a whole gaggle of people walked in the door. It was the Weasleys and a number of other people we knew.
“Is it a boy or girl?” one voice said.
“What’s my grandchild’s name?” Tonks’s mother asked.
We weren’t quite sure how to react with Molly and her children were there, who were obviously grieving.
“It’s a boy,” Tonks finally said. “And his name is Ted Sirius Lupin.”
Right on cue, the nurse entered carrying Teddy. There were several awws and ooohs from the assembled visitors.
“Oh, let me see, let me see!” Andromeda pushed her way to the front of the crowd. “Oh, Nymphadora, he’s beautiful.”
Even as tired as she was, Tonks still managed to cringe when her mother addressed her by her first name.
______________________________________________________________________________
A few days later, I was let out of the hospital and Remus and I went back to the flat we bought before all this madness had started. The place was covered in dust!
“Wow...” I said.
“Yeah...” Remus replied. He pulled out his wand, though, and within a few seconds, it was all clean again.
“Oh no!” I suddenly remembered. “We never set anything up! No crib, no... nothing! I don’t think we even have diapers!”
“Its okay, Tonks. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. You just relax.”
I sighed. “This is not a great start...”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I go into labor as the Order is being attacked, then we come home and we don’t have anything set up for the baby... Ugh...”
“Tonks, everything will be fine. We will survive.” Remus smiled at me, kissed the top of my head then was off.
We will survive.