Old friends who just met

[tt_remus]

Date: 16 March 2002
Characters: Remus Lupin
Setting: Marketplace
Content: G
Status: Public : Open



Remus Lupin was one of those people who could not sleep past a certain time in the morning, despite only getting to bed a short time before. Today was no exception. He had gotten off work at 6:30AM and was up by 8:30. He wasn't too pleased by this but it was how he worked. He had done fixing up around his home and figured it was time he bought food.

He headed into town and was lingering at the fruit stand.

Comments

[tt_tonks]

"But you're from before me, so you don't remember either." Way to state the obvious there. "But you knew who I was?"

A world without looking over their shoulders. That sounded - impossible. Like one giant relief she couldn't articulate. But she'd trained to be an Auror for so long, to be a soldier in the war against dark wizards, that part of her had no idea how to cope with the idea that all of it was for naught. Better that than being needed and having innocent people die, of course, but still. It was another shake-up.

"It sounds lovely," she said. "Just have to get used to it first, I suppose. Do you know more about the war?"

[tt_remus]

"A lot of people clued me in as to what went out after '93. The datapad has a lot of information about the war, if you're interested. It's a portable library." Leave it to Remus to point out that one.

"Take your time and enjoy here. The people here are nice, mostly. There are a few you'd like to hex into next century... or something like that. But those are far and few in between. "

Remus tried to think of what to say about the war. "Voldemort ended up with complete control of the Ministry by 1997. He was on the hunt for Harry. I just can't describe it. I can only tell you what I've read, but you could read it just the same."

[tt_tonks]

"The - oh, that thing. Right." Tonks pulled hers out of her bag. "They explained it to me, but it's so bloody futuristic. I'm decent with Muggle technology and all, but this is maddening."

She nodded. It would take loads of time to get used to it, but once she was, and once she'd had time to mourn the lose of the life she'd had before, it would be better, she thought. Or at least she hoped as much.

"I'll read up on it," she promised. "Any nasty surprises I ought to know about beforehand? I don't suddenly turn into a Death Eater, do I? Or my parents - are they here?" She brightened a bit at the thought. "Is that how you know my mum?"

[tt_remus]

"Erm." Remus hesitated. Should he inform her. "There may be some things in there that will surprise you..." He was referring to the 'martyrs' area. It listed all who died and everything significant about them. "Your dad died during the war. I'm sorry to tell you. I honestly don't know if he's been pulled. I've been trying to find your mum for a little while. No news there either. There are a lot of people here, so they very well could be here but not using their datapad a lot."

Remus bit his lip. "Erm. Another surprise... we ... erm ... were apparently more than friends. Erm..." this was very, very awkward.

[tt_tonks]

Her dad was dead? She stared at him, completely dumbfounded. She was supposed to be the one who died, the half-blood stain on the family tree. The one the Lestranges and Malfoys would have been happy to see in several pieces. Not her father. And why was a stranger looking for her mother? That didn't make any sense, even to her muddled brain, and it took her several seconds to register exactly what he'd said.

"More than..." She stopped and stared openly at him. More than friends. Boyfriend? More? Husband? She couldn't imagine being married three years from now, but then again, she couldn't imagine dying in three years, either. Or losing her father. Though now that she knew it was a possibility he was here, she had every intention of searching every bloody nook and cranny in this place until she found him. Or was certain he wasn't here at all.

"Were we married or just sleeping together?" she blurted.

[tt_remus]

"I really don't know which came first but we ended up married... and eventually had a baby. There was a lot of frowns in our direction for that." Remus didn't know what else to say. Talk about a shock to the poor girl's system.

Remus had to admit, he felt like a git.

[tt_tonks]

Married. A baby. With a man she'd met twenty minutes earlier. For a long moment she said nothing, just staring at him unblinkingly. What was she supposed to say? Was there anything to say, really?

"My dad's dead," she finally managed, her mouth dry. The fact that they'd had a child, her and this man she'd only just met - that was a blow, but she'd always wanted kids. It wasn't the most surprising thing in the world that she'd had one by twenty-five. But her father was dead, and that was going to take a lot more than a few seconds for her to accept.

She swallowed the lump that was quickly forming in her throat. She was not going to cry in front of him. Especially not in public. "You - you're cute," she said tightly. "I can see it. The shagging probably came first. I probably wouldn't... I wouldn't wait until..."

She trailed off, and blinking rapidly, she looked away. Dammit.

[tt_remus]

Remus felt very awkward. "It's not going to be much consolation, but he died a hero. He was a really good man. He and your mum let the Order use their house as a sort of stop-over when trying to get Harry to safe keeping. I have a feeling you'll see him and your mum again. If the Portal can pull Godric Gryffindor, yes, THE Godric Gryffindor, your dad can be here as well."

What else could he say. "Erm. Would you like me to leave?"

[tt_tonks]

It wasn't much consolation at all, but it was something, at least. She must have gotten them involved in the Order, she realised. But as soon as she thought it, she cut herself off. Her parents would've gotten involved in the war effort anyway. That was just the kind of people they were. And they would have been targeted regardless, just for the simple fact of who her mother's sisters were.

"Thanks," she said, hastily wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "You didn't have to do this, and I - I appreciate it. I appreciate the truth." Her dad had to be here. Remus was right, and she would find him.

Tonks shook her head, pulling herself together as much as she could. She sniffed and took another sip of water to clear her throat. "No, unless you want to." The last thing she wanted to be was alone right now. "Er. Is that why you were looking for my mother? Did she - did she wind up with the baby?"

[tt_remus]

Remus nodded. "Yes. The baby was a boy. Named after your father. Everyone called him Teddy though. He's about 5 now."

Remus would stay where he was needed until she had to be somewhere.

[tt_tonks]

Instead of being comforting, hearing the baby's name made Tonks's chest ache. Of course they would have named him after her father. "If she's here, we'll find her. We'll find them," she said before taking another long sip of water.

She said nothing for a long moment, and then at last she focused on him again. "What do you think about all this?"

[tt_remus]

"It blew my mind when I first heard all this. Apparently then I was a bit of a git about everything. Y'know... you marrying a werewolf. I guess I felt guilty, bringing down your name and any children we would have had. When he was born though, apparently it changed me for the better." Remus bit his lip.

"I honestly never thought I'd get married."

[tt_tonks]

She shifted forward. "A git? But why would you being a werewolf be a problem?" she said, genuinely confused. It wasn't until she remembered what he'd said about this world being a kinder place that it clicked. "Oh. Right. Er. Well, don't much care about any of that, I'm afraid. Comes with the territory of being Bellatrix Lestrange's niece. When it comes to being mocked about my family, trust me, I've heard it all."

She shook her head, eyeing him. "Are you glad you did? At least peripherally? Or has meeting me and seeing me lose it in front of you suddenly made you realise you'd much prefer to be a bachelor? Because really, I wouldn't blame you in the least."

[tt_remus]

"I honestly can't answer that because I didn't live it. Oh I can imagine it to be sunshine and everything, but that's not real. I don't know." Remus often thought that his honest answers weren't the most polite so he often skewed them. He didn't skew this one apparently.

"I'm sorry if that offends you."

[tt_tonks]

"Don't apologise," she said. "I'm not offended. It's the truth, and I rather like the truth." She hesitated. "I can see it happening. Especially in the middle of a war...and if I married you, then I was absolutely sure about it. I wouldn't go into something like that with any doubts."

She swirled her ice around the cup. "Look at it this way. However it turned out, at least you got shagged regularly. That's always a plus."

And now she was cracking dirty jokes. Brilliant. If she hadn't scared him off already, then no doubt all she needed was time.

[tt_remus]

Remus couldn't help but laugh. "That's always a plus, yes. I just don't see how I was finally convinced to get married though." That was definitely the truth. Who would have wanted to marry him?

[tt_tonks]

At least he didn't think she was too crass. Or if he did, he didn't mind. That was something. "I can be very convincing when I want to be. And it's possible the baby came first," she added with a shrug. "I don't think I'd be hell-bent on getting married then, but you never know."

[tt_remus]

"According to what the Weasleys say, we were married first. But it may have been a close call. I don't know. I wasn't there," he said with a chuckle.

"But that aside, I do think you'll enjoy it here."

[tt_tonks]

"Damn, I've always wanted a shotgun wedding," she said wryly. Her eyes were still rimmed with red, and she still felt as if something were caught in her throat, but at least the worst of it had passed.

"I hope so," she said. "It seems like a...er, it seems like one of those places that once you get used to it, you love it. It's the getting used to it part that I'm having trouble with."

[tt_remus]

Remus nodded, "It is hard to adjust, especially when it was so sudden. But think of it like this, if your parents are here - will you have really missed them?"

[tt_tonks]

She smiled slightly. "I miss them now," she admitted. "I'll miss them until I see them again, even if they are here. We'll start looking for my mum and the baby, yeah? Here--let me give you my address."

[tt_remus]

"You may have better luck than I did." Remus pulled out his datapad and sent Tonks his address as well. "If you find something out, just send me a message. I'm sure I'll see you around though."

[tt_tonks]

"I will," she promised, pulling out her datapad and fiddling with it for a few seconds before huffing and slipping it back into her bag. She was never going to figure that bloody thing out.

"We should get lunch sometime," she said. "When I'm not a blubbering mess."

[tt_remus]

"That would be very nice, just let me know when. Towards the end of the month I will be unavailable. But any time other than that should be okay." Remus said. She was a nice girl.

[tt_tonks]

"How about you let me know when then?" she said. She wanted time to look everything up and find out exactly what had happened, and to see if she could find out more about the baby and her parents, but that was all stuff that could be dealt with over time. He was the one with a definitive schedule.

"This was really brilliant of you, by the way," she added. "Thanks for putting up with me and all. And being honest."