Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of Joanne K. Rowling. Any characters, settings, objects, or creatures from the Harry Potter books and movies used in this work are the property of Joanne K. Rowling, and Warner Brothers. Original characters, settings and concepts belong to the author of this work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this website. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available on this website solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.

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oooOooo

After Another Row

“I just don’t get why you married her,” Teddy muttered. “She’s such a bossy cow!”

He had the grace to grimace. “Not that I don’t like her. But…”

Remus followed his son’s gaze to the tattered and dirty photograph of his mother.

Tonks looked dashing; her hair a wild verdant Mohawk, she brandished her wand at the onlooker in a perfect duelling pose, her smile brimming with bravado.

Memories of that summer softened and warmed his heart. “I remember that night. Duelling practice in Grimmauld Place. Right after that picture was taken your mother collided with Molly, effectively crashing the dinner party.”

And afterwards he’d finally agreed to become her husband. One of the happiest days in his life.

Teddy’s hair bristled into a miniature lion’s mane and Remus suppressed a sigh. Teddy’s mother was an Auror, had lived to be a hero, had died a martyr.

The stuff a teenager’s dreams are made of.

…while his stepmother was very much alive,  a very proper and extremely boring employer of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who was continually nagging her stepson and his friends to do their homework, practice for their OWLs, be careful with their brooms, and – horror of horrors! – brush their teeth.

“Your mother,” Remus said at last, “was a wonderful woman. Loving. Kind. Fun. Brave.”

“Then why?” insisted Teddy, jaws set, stubborn. “Just because you couldn’t stand being alone?”

Remus suppressed a sigh. There had been nothing “just” about the experience, tossed adrift by the tides of war, a torn and bloody remnant of battles finally past, and swiftly forgotten. Wounded, lost, alone, with a baby in need of a mother, he had grieved for his wife, while others enjoyed – and justly enjoyed, he reminded himself – the glare of glory, the blaze of fame.

“Don’t tell me it was because of me,” Teddy sneered. “Grandma was there, after all. And the Weasley women.”

Remus clenched his teeth. Merlin preserve him from teenaged pig-headedness.

“You were a factor. Once you have a baby of your own, you will understand what I mean and that it is nothing to be ashamed of. Until then, you’ll just have to accept my word for it.”

“But whyyyy?” Teddy whined. “My mother was a hero!”

“You mean to tell me that you would have expected me to remain chaste like a Muggle monk to honour your mother?”

Thankfully, that shut the boy up, his cheeks flushing brightly.

“To answer your question: Your stepmother was a hero, too, way back when. But for me and for you, she didn’t mind not being one anymore. For me and you, she left the limelight to change your dirty diapers, to prepare my monthly potion every moon without fail and to become such a bossy cow that you would pass your NEWTs tomorrow.”

He pulled a picture of his own out of the pocket of his robes.

Hermione and Tonks, arm in arm. Smiling, waving. Ridiculously young. Happy.

“They were friends?” Teddy asked in disbelief.

oooOooo

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A/N: Written for the LiveJournal community “hpcon_envy” for severely_lupine: an unbetaed quibble (exactly 500 words) for the prompt “How about an AU gen involving Tonks and/or Lupin with an older Teddy, and any other characters you may feel like including.” — it didn’t turn out strictly gen, but I hope you’ll like it all the same!