No one can whistle a symphony...
Mira hadn't looked at her oddly when she'd requested time right after Harry's lunch to meet with him. Tonks gave her points for that, as she was well aware, as was the rest of the MLE, about what Tonks was meeting with Harry.
What Mira didn't know was that Tonks was ambushing Harry with Romy, too.
Part of her, the part she attributed to her Black heritage, was a little gleeful.
Which is why she was carrying the large vase of flowers.
"For you, Miss Montgomery. In reparation," Tonks said, eyes twinkling with mischief.
Romy stood a half pace behind her former mentor, trying very hard not to look overly concerned or close to tears or any other way that might give away her situation. Everyone knew about Tonks' pregnancy - except Harry - but Romy still wasn't sure how widely she wanted her own news spread just yet.
Mira blinked at the wide array of flowers, and as she relieved them from Tonks, her blue gaze shifted from the mischief filled eyes of the elder Auror to the one trying to look unobtrusive behind her.
Something was amiss.
She could tell by the look on Auror Tonks' face that it wouldn't be anything terrible - depending on one's definition, she supposed, but she couldn't very well rearrange the appointment because of the devilish gleam in Tonks' eye.
And besides, she'd brought flowers and they were very nice.
Nodding, a tiny smile curling Mira's lips, she set the flowers down and went to announce their presence.
Peeking into the door, her gaze was drawn to the focus of the room, the slightly rumpled head of hair bent over his desk, and her lips twitched. "Harry?"
"Hm?" Harry blinked up at Mira, his eyes straining from having to read the tiny scrawled letters from the goblins at Gringotts.
"You're two o'clock is here. Auror Tonks? She's brought Auror Vane with her and a rather large vase of flowers for myself. Do be careful, hmm?" Her eyes twinkled. "Shall I send them in?"
Harry frowned. It was never good when a meeting was prefaced by bribing his secretary. Possibly due to the screams about to happen. "Okay," he said, not sure at all with his answer.
A grin appeared at his wariness. "If you need anything, just call, alright?"
"If I need anything, I'll probably already be gagged," he answered, sitting straighter in his chair.
She only smiled, blue eyes bright before ducking back out and nodding at Tonks and Romy. "He's ready to see you both."
"Thanks Miss Montgomery. Could you owl me your shoe size and preferred heel height? It'd be greatly appreciated," Tonks said, pulling Romy along with her. "Moral support, every girl needs some."
"Thank you, Mira," Romy offered as she followed Tonks into Harry's office, butterflies dancing in her stomach. The stomach that didn't want to fit properly in her denims anymore.
As they crossed the threshold, she caught Harry's eyes. He looked suspicious and a short bark of laughter escaped Romy's lips. Nerves. "'Lo, Boss."
"Tonks. Romy," he said in greeting, concerned with the look in Tonks' eyes and the resigned mein Romy currently had. "All right?"
"Right as rain, all four of us. Yourself?" Tonks replied, winking at Romy.
Green eyes flicked behind his glasses from Tonks, to Romy, and back again. "What?"
"I am incubating Tree Trunk Junior Number Two," Tonks replied.
"And I'm..." Romy started, but her mind blanked of any wittiness she might have offered, "pregnant, too."
Harry continued to look back and forth between the two women. "Both of you? At the same time?"
"But not by the same man," Romy clarified unnecessarily. Gods she was high strung these days. "Obviously."
"Thursday night Family Orgy. Didn't you know?" Tonks said, grinning. The grin fell off her face as she ran towards Harry's rubbish bin.
He knew she was lying, but he still grimaced. "I didn't mean it like that," he said, standing. "Will you be... how long do..."
"I'm due in late July, and I've my request for inactive duty papers, or resignation papers, here for you. I'm too ill to work," Tonks said, sitting finally. She swallowed, grimacing at the look on Harry's face. "I'll have two littles under two. I need to take care of my babies."
Romy's nose crinkled at the mess Tonks had left in Harry's bin. Maybe Mira should get a few more niceties for having to deal with this sort of thing. "I'm expecting in mid- to late-July. I don't know exactly, it was a pretty big surprise. But I'll be able to work regular duties for awhile longer, I think. I feel fine except for the crying."
"You'll not be the only one crying in this department with two of our best Aurors gone," Harry said, running a hand over his face, ignoring the smell of the sick Tonks had graced his office with. "You can't work regular duties, Romy. I won't have you take the risk."
"Tonks didn't go on desk duty until almost the time she got kidnapped. I don't remember exactly how many months that was, but she was pretty big," Romy argued. A sheepish grin spread on her face as she turned to Tonks. "No offense."
"It was six, and sorry 'bout that," Tonks flicked her wand, emptying the rubbish bin. "She's fine, unless she tries to cry on them as her main method of capture. Which we know she won't do. She was trained by the best. Me."
Harry sighed. The idea that Tonks would no longer be an Auror was baffling. It's who she was when he met her, over a decade before. She was part of the reason he'd wanted to be an auror in the first place. "Obviously we won't force you onto desk duty, but let's hope yours doesn't begin the same way hers did."
That gave her a little over two months in the field. In the meantime, she'd have Abercrombie step up more in situations he could handle and be more conscious of her own exposure. In any case, Harry assigned their work. He'd probably start giving her all the nuisance complaints. Boring, but safe. Joscelin would feel better about that.
"I agree. We've had enough drama in the Auror department. I'm just as happy not to add to it with my own abduction." She gave Harry a grin.
"Good." Well, no, Harry wasn't glad that the department would be permanently down one auror, and missing another for several months, but there was nothing to be done. Tonks had told him that she would be having more than just Jude, and he'd known the time would come eventually. He hadn't seen Romy being pregnant, however, and that was still a bit of a shock, but she was married now. It had only been a matter of time.
He sighed, nodding at Tonks. "The Department will not be the same without you."
"Oh, Harry, such touching words," she responded dryly. She wasn't going to let her lower lip wibble, nor was she going to cry. "It's effective immediately, unfortunately, but I'd like to know I'd be welcomed back, should the opportunity arise, and Verity is almost done training, at the rate she's going. I haven't told anyone else, not even Bishop, about this. I'd like it done quietly if at all possible, without any fuss."
"Of course you'd be welcomed back," Harry said, confusion in his voice as he looked at her. "We don't have a lot of senior Aurors anymore. We might want to keep you on retainer. You know a lot of the older cases, the ones that are still open. You won't be active, but we'll probably still owl. Or Floo."
"Feel free. I'm not going anywhere," Tonks replied. "Someone has to keep you young ones in line."
"Hey!" Romy groused with feigned indignation. "I'm all grown up and mature now. I'm spawning and everything." Her lip curled slightly. "Harry, on the other hand..."
Harry frowned as he look at Romy. Was she saying he needed to have kids? He opened his mouth to ask when Mira knocked on the door, sticking her head in. "Hm?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, nibbling on her lower lip a moment in anxiousness as her blue eyes darted between the occupants of the room, "but the Minister requested your presence in her office and I didn't think something like that should wait."
"No, no, that's fine." Letting his arms drop to his side, he let out a sigh. This was not the conversation he'd expected when Mira had told him Tonks and Romy were here to see him, and he couldn't lie and say he was happy with the reasons behind the need for it. The department was already hurting, and this was them losing two of their best.
"I'll make sure to keep everything quiet," he said to both of them.
Sending an appreciative smile in her boss' direction, Romy rose from her chair. "Thanks, Harry. I'd be grateful for that." She knew it was only a matter of time before it was obvious to everyone that she was expecting, but the longer she could have to get used to it herself before that happened, the better.
Tonks rose with her, nodding in Harry's direction. "Wotcher, Harry," she said with a wave before her face turned suddenly green and she dove for the bin again. When she came up for air, she banished the foul stuff. "Sorry about that. Enjoy your meeting."
SUMMARY: Tonks and Romy bribe Mira with flowers and tell Harry that they're both pregnant.
What Mira didn't know was that Tonks was ambushing Harry with Romy, too.
Part of her, the part she attributed to her Black heritage, was a little gleeful.
Which is why she was carrying the large vase of flowers.
"For you, Miss Montgomery. In reparation," Tonks said, eyes twinkling with mischief.
Romy stood a half pace behind her former mentor, trying very hard not to look overly concerned or close to tears or any other way that might give away her situation. Everyone knew about Tonks' pregnancy - except Harry - but Romy still wasn't sure how widely she wanted her own news spread just yet.
Mira blinked at the wide array of flowers, and as she relieved them from Tonks, her blue gaze shifted from the mischief filled eyes of the elder Auror to the one trying to look unobtrusive behind her.
Something was amiss.
She could tell by the look on Auror Tonks' face that it wouldn't be anything terrible - depending on one's definition, she supposed, but she couldn't very well rearrange the appointment because of the devilish gleam in Tonks' eye.
And besides, she'd brought flowers and they were very nice.
Nodding, a tiny smile curling Mira's lips, she set the flowers down and went to announce their presence.
Peeking into the door, her gaze was drawn to the focus of the room, the slightly rumpled head of hair bent over his desk, and her lips twitched. "Harry?"
"Hm?" Harry blinked up at Mira, his eyes straining from having to read the tiny scrawled letters from the goblins at Gringotts.
"You're two o'clock is here. Auror Tonks? She's brought Auror Vane with her and a rather large vase of flowers for myself. Do be careful, hmm?" Her eyes twinkled. "Shall I send them in?"
Harry frowned. It was never good when a meeting was prefaced by bribing his secretary. Possibly due to the screams about to happen. "Okay," he said, not sure at all with his answer.
A grin appeared at his wariness. "If you need anything, just call, alright?"
"If I need anything, I'll probably already be gagged," he answered, sitting straighter in his chair.
She only smiled, blue eyes bright before ducking back out and nodding at Tonks and Romy. "He's ready to see you both."
"Thanks Miss Montgomery. Could you owl me your shoe size and preferred heel height? It'd be greatly appreciated," Tonks said, pulling Romy along with her. "Moral support, every girl needs some."
"Thank you, Mira," Romy offered as she followed Tonks into Harry's office, butterflies dancing in her stomach. The stomach that didn't want to fit properly in her denims anymore.
As they crossed the threshold, she caught Harry's eyes. He looked suspicious and a short bark of laughter escaped Romy's lips. Nerves. "'Lo, Boss."
"Tonks. Romy," he said in greeting, concerned with the look in Tonks' eyes and the resigned mein Romy currently had. "All right?"
"Right as rain, all four of us. Yourself?" Tonks replied, winking at Romy.
Green eyes flicked behind his glasses from Tonks, to Romy, and back again. "What?"
"I am incubating Tree Trunk Junior Number Two," Tonks replied.
"And I'm..." Romy started, but her mind blanked of any wittiness she might have offered, "pregnant, too."
Harry continued to look back and forth between the two women. "Both of you? At the same time?"
"But not by the same man," Romy clarified unnecessarily. Gods she was high strung these days. "Obviously."
"Thursday night Family Orgy. Didn't you know?" Tonks said, grinning. The grin fell off her face as she ran towards Harry's rubbish bin.
He knew she was lying, but he still grimaced. "I didn't mean it like that," he said, standing. "Will you be... how long do..."
"I'm due in late July, and I've my request for inactive duty papers, or resignation papers, here for you. I'm too ill to work," Tonks said, sitting finally. She swallowed, grimacing at the look on Harry's face. "I'll have two littles under two. I need to take care of my babies."
Romy's nose crinkled at the mess Tonks had left in Harry's bin. Maybe Mira should get a few more niceties for having to deal with this sort of thing. "I'm expecting in mid- to late-July. I don't know exactly, it was a pretty big surprise. But I'll be able to work regular duties for awhile longer, I think. I feel fine except for the crying."
"You'll not be the only one crying in this department with two of our best Aurors gone," Harry said, running a hand over his face, ignoring the smell of the sick Tonks had graced his office with. "You can't work regular duties, Romy. I won't have you take the risk."
"Tonks didn't go on desk duty until almost the time she got kidnapped. I don't remember exactly how many months that was, but she was pretty big," Romy argued. A sheepish grin spread on her face as she turned to Tonks. "No offense."
"It was six, and sorry 'bout that," Tonks flicked her wand, emptying the rubbish bin. "She's fine, unless she tries to cry on them as her main method of capture. Which we know she won't do. She was trained by the best. Me."
Harry sighed. The idea that Tonks would no longer be an Auror was baffling. It's who she was when he met her, over a decade before. She was part of the reason he'd wanted to be an auror in the first place. "Obviously we won't force you onto desk duty, but let's hope yours doesn't begin the same way hers did."
That gave her a little over two months in the field. In the meantime, she'd have Abercrombie step up more in situations he could handle and be more conscious of her own exposure. In any case, Harry assigned their work. He'd probably start giving her all the nuisance complaints. Boring, but safe. Joscelin would feel better about that.
"I agree. We've had enough drama in the Auror department. I'm just as happy not to add to it with my own abduction." She gave Harry a grin.
"Good." Well, no, Harry wasn't glad that the department would be permanently down one auror, and missing another for several months, but there was nothing to be done. Tonks had told him that she would be having more than just Jude, and he'd known the time would come eventually. He hadn't seen Romy being pregnant, however, and that was still a bit of a shock, but she was married now. It had only been a matter of time.
He sighed, nodding at Tonks. "The Department will not be the same without you."
"Oh, Harry, such touching words," she responded dryly. She wasn't going to let her lower lip wibble, nor was she going to cry. "It's effective immediately, unfortunately, but I'd like to know I'd be welcomed back, should the opportunity arise, and Verity is almost done training, at the rate she's going. I haven't told anyone else, not even Bishop, about this. I'd like it done quietly if at all possible, without any fuss."
"Of course you'd be welcomed back," Harry said, confusion in his voice as he looked at her. "We don't have a lot of senior Aurors anymore. We might want to keep you on retainer. You know a lot of the older cases, the ones that are still open. You won't be active, but we'll probably still owl. Or Floo."
"Feel free. I'm not going anywhere," Tonks replied. "Someone has to keep you young ones in line."
"Hey!" Romy groused with feigned indignation. "I'm all grown up and mature now. I'm spawning and everything." Her lip curled slightly. "Harry, on the other hand..."
Harry frowned as he look at Romy. Was she saying he needed to have kids? He opened his mouth to ask when Mira knocked on the door, sticking her head in. "Hm?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, nibbling on her lower lip a moment in anxiousness as her blue eyes darted between the occupants of the room, "but the Minister requested your presence in her office and I didn't think something like that should wait."
"No, no, that's fine." Letting his arms drop to his side, he let out a sigh. This was not the conversation he'd expected when Mira had told him Tonks and Romy were here to see him, and he couldn't lie and say he was happy with the reasons behind the need for it. The department was already hurting, and this was them losing two of their best.
"I'll make sure to keep everything quiet," he said to both of them.
Sending an appreciative smile in her boss' direction, Romy rose from her chair. "Thanks, Harry. I'd be grateful for that." She knew it was only a matter of time before it was obvious to everyone that she was expecting, but the longer she could have to get used to it herself before that happened, the better.
Tonks rose with her, nodding in Harry's direction. "Wotcher, Harry," she said with a wave before her face turned suddenly green and she dove for the bin again. When she came up for air, she banished the foul stuff. "Sorry about that. Enjoy your meeting."
SUMMARY: Tonks and Romy bribe Mira with flowers and tell Harry that they're both pregnant.