Life Yet Unwritten
Title: Life Yet Unwritten
Author: phoenixfyre13
Format & Word Count: Ficlet, 750ish
Rating: PG
Prompt: since feeling is first (Prompt 1)
Warning: Err. Birth?
Summary: Remus Lupin has always believed his life was written out for him. But Nymphadora Tonks has given him hope that there may be more.
Author's Note: A little different than I started out with, but I really do love the end result more than anything I've written in a while. Maybe it's not so bad writing a little more angst-free. :)
Remus Lupin had always believed his life was already written out for him.
Chapter One: Childhood.
Chapter Two: Werewolf.
The End.
But then that girl with the pink hair, twinkling eyes and infectious laugh stumbled into his life, and he realized his life so far had been but a paragraph.
Chapter Three: Love.
The story was not all fairy tale and romance. When he thought of those words he had scribbled carelessly across both of their hearts, the pages he had torn and crumpled on the ground that now had to be rewritten, he could hardly stand to look at himself in the mirror.
But all those sentences, all those conflicts and climaxes and denouements, paled in comparison to the moment that was being written right now.
Chapter Four: Parenthood.
They hadn’t wanted to know what it was, had satisfied themselves with the knowledge they were going to be parents, that they would bring a life into the world to cherish and nurture even in these unsure times. But now, as Remus sat behind his wife, arms interlaced and hands clenched around hers, the only thought that could formulate was terror at the thought they had not prepared.
There was no paint on the nursery walls, no clothes in the closet. The items that existed were practical - a high chair, a crib, the occasional teddy bear. There were thoughts on names, but the only thing they had both agreed upon was that the baby’s name wouldn’t have more than three syllables. The baby would name itself, Tonks had argued when Remus would even approach the subject. We’ll know when the time comes.
But now the time was here, and there were no names, no clothes, no pink or blue blankets. Only pain and terror and the knowledge that they were nowhere near ready to bringing this life into the world. They had not written a single word of this child’s story, and here was this baby to live it.
Tonks’ scream of agony was almost too much for Remus to bear as she bared down and pushed, sweat and tears streaming from her face. She leaned back against her husband, eyes fluttering closed in exhaustion. “I can’t do this, Remus,” she gasped, her head thrown back against Remus’ shoulder. “I just can’t.”
The words pierced through Remus’ clouded brain, bringing tears to his eyes and intense love and pride blossoming in his heart as he leaned his forehead against the top of her hair, currently in its natural mousy brown state. And he somehow knew precisely the words that had to be penned in this moment to make the next occur. “Yes, you can,” he whispered fervently, kissing her hair and squeezing her hands. “You are the strongest woman I have ever known, and you can.”
Andromeda looked up at her daughter, her face a mixture of excitement and determination. “Just one more good push, darling. You’re so close!”
Tonks and Remus took a breath together, holding on to one another for dear life as they prepared to meet their child for the first time. And this time, as Tonks cried out and gave one final push, as a tiny shocked cry filled the room, Remus blocked out the terror and held on to his wife as a new life began.
After performing a gentle cleansing charm, Andromeda sobbed once as she brought the baby up to lie on Tonks’ chest. “Meet your son,” she whispered, voice tight with emotion.
“Oh, Merlin, Remus, he’s so beautiful,” Tonks gasped, leaning back and laughing against her husband’s chest.
Remus could not answer her as he ran his trembling fingers tenderly across his son’s hair and laid a kiss on his wife’s head. My son. “Ted,” he whispered against Tonks’ cheek. “Teddy Lupin.”
Tonks looked up at Remus, tears flowing unabashedly down her face. “Are you sure?” she asked, voice trembling.
“You said we would know,” he replied, smiling down at her. “You were right, my love. I know it.”
Tonks beamed up at him. “I love you so much,” she murmured, bringing her lips up to his. She motioned towards a bawling Teddy. “Do you want to hold your son?”
He took the baby carefully into his arms, reveling in the softness of his skin beneath his hands. As Teddy’s hand wrapped around his finger tightly, Remus knew without a doubt that no matter what happened, this story would continue to be written in the words of his son.
For as long as Teddy Lupin was in this world, life would not be merely a paragraph.
Chapter Five: Life Yet Unwritten.
Author: phoenixfyre13
Format & Word Count: Ficlet, 750ish
Rating: PG
Prompt: since feeling is first (Prompt 1)
Warning: Err. Birth?
Summary: Remus Lupin has always believed his life was written out for him. But Nymphadora Tonks has given him hope that there may be more.
Author's Note: A little different than I started out with, but I really do love the end result more than anything I've written in a while. Maybe it's not so bad writing a little more angst-free. :)
Remus Lupin had always believed his life was already written out for him.
Chapter One: Childhood.
Chapter Two: Werewolf.
The End.
But then that girl with the pink hair, twinkling eyes and infectious laugh stumbled into his life, and he realized his life so far had been but a paragraph.
Chapter Three: Love.
The story was not all fairy tale and romance. When he thought of those words he had scribbled carelessly across both of their hearts, the pages he had torn and crumpled on the ground that now had to be rewritten, he could hardly stand to look at himself in the mirror.
But all those sentences, all those conflicts and climaxes and denouements, paled in comparison to the moment that was being written right now.
Chapter Four: Parenthood.
They hadn’t wanted to know what it was, had satisfied themselves with the knowledge they were going to be parents, that they would bring a life into the world to cherish and nurture even in these unsure times. But now, as Remus sat behind his wife, arms interlaced and hands clenched around hers, the only thought that could formulate was terror at the thought they had not prepared.
There was no paint on the nursery walls, no clothes in the closet. The items that existed were practical - a high chair, a crib, the occasional teddy bear. There were thoughts on names, but the only thing they had both agreed upon was that the baby’s name wouldn’t have more than three syllables. The baby would name itself, Tonks had argued when Remus would even approach the subject. We’ll know when the time comes.
But now the time was here, and there were no names, no clothes, no pink or blue blankets. Only pain and terror and the knowledge that they were nowhere near ready to bringing this life into the world. They had not written a single word of this child’s story, and here was this baby to live it.
Tonks’ scream of agony was almost too much for Remus to bear as she bared down and pushed, sweat and tears streaming from her face. She leaned back against her husband, eyes fluttering closed in exhaustion. “I can’t do this, Remus,” she gasped, her head thrown back against Remus’ shoulder. “I just can’t.”
The words pierced through Remus’ clouded brain, bringing tears to his eyes and intense love and pride blossoming in his heart as he leaned his forehead against the top of her hair, currently in its natural mousy brown state. And he somehow knew precisely the words that had to be penned in this moment to make the next occur. “Yes, you can,” he whispered fervently, kissing her hair and squeezing her hands. “You are the strongest woman I have ever known, and you can.”
Andromeda looked up at her daughter, her face a mixture of excitement and determination. “Just one more good push, darling. You’re so close!”
Tonks and Remus took a breath together, holding on to one another for dear life as they prepared to meet their child for the first time. And this time, as Tonks cried out and gave one final push, as a tiny shocked cry filled the room, Remus blocked out the terror and held on to his wife as a new life began.
After performing a gentle cleansing charm, Andromeda sobbed once as she brought the baby up to lie on Tonks’ chest. “Meet your son,” she whispered, voice tight with emotion.
“Oh, Merlin, Remus, he’s so beautiful,” Tonks gasped, leaning back and laughing against her husband’s chest.
Remus could not answer her as he ran his trembling fingers tenderly across his son’s hair and laid a kiss on his wife’s head. My son. “Ted,” he whispered against Tonks’ cheek. “Teddy Lupin.”
Tonks looked up at Remus, tears flowing unabashedly down her face. “Are you sure?” she asked, voice trembling.
“You said we would know,” he replied, smiling down at her. “You were right, my love. I know it.”
Tonks beamed up at him. “I love you so much,” she murmured, bringing her lips up to his. She motioned towards a bawling Teddy. “Do you want to hold your son?”
He took the baby carefully into his arms, reveling in the softness of his skin beneath his hands. As Teddy’s hand wrapped around his finger tightly, Remus knew without a doubt that no matter what happened, this story would continue to be written in the words of his son.
For as long as Teddy Lupin was in this world, life would not be merely a paragraph.
Chapter Five: Life Yet Unwritten.