Not Quite the Slow Lane Chapter 2 - Bottled
Title: Not Quite The Slow Lane (Chapter 2: Bottled )
Summary: Remus Lupin has everything he though he wanted, his beautiful wife and son are safe and the second war is over, but as life at war ends and life in the slow lane begins, things for the werewolf go from tense to terrible.
Pairings: Remus/Tonks
Word Count: 3720
Deathly Hallows AU, Angst / Hints to off screen violence
Chapter 1: Dogged can be found here
Chapter 2 Summary: After the horrible events of the night before, Remus and Amelia head for the Lupin household, not sure what to do next...
***
Sore and tired after her meal, Amelia was ready to go back to bed but her new friend Remus had other ideas, she had begun yawning when he pushed open a door to a flat. She took in this new environment with a bit of a frown. It was a rather small place with a little kitchen and a sofa but no television. Sounds were coming from the room next door but that was all she could make out.
She squeezed her new friend's hand, he had certainly gained her trust after her sausages and chips from the shop near her house but she wasn't sure where she was now and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. “Where are we?” she asked, her little voice concerned. “Can I go home yet?”
“We're at my home, I thought you'd want to meet some other friends...” he avoided her last question but fortunately it seemed to distract her.
Amelia frowned and before she could reply came the noise of tapping feet that got louder and louder and suddenly a woman came into the room, her hair was a fiery red and she stormed to Remus angrily. She wanted to know what she was saying but Remus had let go of her hand and covered her ears and the world had gone muffled.
“Stupid-inconsiderate-worried the life out of me-could of been dead--”
Nymphadora Tonks had been thinking about Remus all day, he had been missing over 24 hours with a full moon in-between. She had imagined her shouting and raging at him ever since he had left and had imagined his comebacks and imagined them making up - but she hadn't foreseen the child that stood at his heel like a stray puppy. It wasn't until she looked straight at her and her words died away that Remus removed his hands from the little girl's ears and gave his wife a stern look.
“Dora, this is Amelia my friend I've made.”
Dora looked to Amelia, then to Remus her face just void of understanding, a small line forming in the middle of her face before taking a breath she knelt down to Amelia's height.
“Hello Amelia, nice to meet you.”
Amelia, though nervous seemed spurred on by the angry lady's new smile, and she waved shyly, tucking herself behind Remus for a moment clutching at his coat.
“Would you like some hot chocolate?” Dora asked, “I was about to make some...”
Amelia nodded sleepily, and Dora invited her to sit down at the breakfast bar whilst Dora finally had a moment to react, in a whisper at Remus's new friend, the little girl's feet swinging on the stool whilst Remus was leaning over the counter on the other side of the kitchen.
“What in Merlin's name is going on?” she hissed and Remus's eyes blossomed with tears and he turned his back from his wife. Dora asked nothing else, making a cooler hot chocolate and ushered Amelia to sit on the sofa across the room. It was falling apart at the seams, a once beautiful pea green couch. Now it was a much loved ruin that was still extremely comfortable. As Remus had hoped Amelia took about four gulps of hot chocolate and after the panic and excitement of the days events she nodded off on the sofa and started to snore softly.
It was only when she was safely asleep that Dora could really talk to him, but as she turned to do so she found Remus had left the room. For a horrible second she had thought he'd left again but she found him sitting on their bed. He had taken off his borrowed coat and was tearing off the blood stained jumper with a cry bobbing in his throat which finally started to come out in droves.
Dora's anger melted away, she sat down by his side as Remus's body shook with tears and she couldn't be angry at him any more, staring at the blood.
“What happened” she said softly, her heart in her throat.
“I was...sorry..I was drunk - I...muggle couple...took me in. I-I tried to leave...b-but”
Remus couldn't say anything else to her, his face had suddenly buried himself into the crook of her neck and Dora digesting the information held her husband tighter to her. She ran a hand through his hair and tried to quieten him whispering comfort and support until finally, the cries started to stop and his whole body slumped tiredly against her into slumber and where he stayed for the rest of the night.
***
“What are we going to do?”
Dora was still awake when Remus had woken, he had been in the fetal position, head pushed into his chest as though he had hoped to shrink. Dora was tending to Teddy, feeding him his first bottle for the day. It was still early in the morning and the yellowy glow of sunrise peeked out from the windows.
Remus said nothing to her question, he couldn't. He took a couple of attempts at opening his mouth but he shut it, looking older and greyer than Dora had ever seen him. She avoided his gaze and looked to their son, who'd finished with his bottle with a flourish.
“We need to do something, Rem....” Dora muttered putting her son back in his cot after he was burped, using him as a distraction she turned to her husband who had finally sat up.
“I am a murderer,” Remus mumbled, “I am responsible for the deaths of two parents. If it was any normal situation--”
“This isn't a normal situation!” Dora said with a frown, “You could not control your actions.”
“I could control my actions, I was inebriated to the point of foolishness - I've put myself in the company of those who didn't know who I was, muggles no less,and I didn't drink my potion. I am at fault.”
“Then fix it!” Dora said sternly, which silenced him. They knew that going to the ministry was impossible. Kingsley would have to face the facts, no matter what Remus had done, the rules still stand, a werewolf who kills, who bites at full moon would be at minimum put in Azkaban, it would ruin their reputations - ruin the werewolf standing that they had been fighting to bring to fruition for the last three months after the war and ruin Teddy's childhood.
Remus sighed, his eyes turning to the window. “How can I fix something like this...”
“By being there for Amelia, she'll be changing the same as you, maybe...we could have her here?”
The cogs in Dora's head had started to turn and she looked to Remus with a boldness he knew he wouldn't shake. She'd made her mind up and as Remus had learnt over the last two years, if she wanted something, she would put her mind to it to get it.
“Remus, do you trust me?”
The werewolf swallowed and nodded. “Always.” He still had lengths of apologies to make - this wasn't a question of her being wrong but him. He had so many things he wanted to say, wanted to apologise for...
“Then please stay and watch Teddy, I've got to take Amelia home. Do you remember the address?”
Remus with a very nervous nod, told her the address, the street name seemed burned in his memory now. “What are you going to do?”
“The less you know the better, just...take care of Ted and I'll be home soon.”
Remus swallowed, following his wife out to the living room where the little girl was still sleeping on their sofa. She gently picked the sleeping five year old up; it was a bit of a heave and it was hard to do with her sleeping, but she was still out for the count, her face nestled into the gap between Dora's neck and shoulder and comfortably balanced on the auror's hips. She then looked back at Remus and then gently kissed his cheek in reassurance. She searched his eyes and all she saw was a lost man, who didn't know the way.
Remus hovered at her side until Dora disappeared down the floo network with Amelia and he no idea what his wife was going to do next and hoped that whatever her plan was she didn't get herself into trouble she didn't deserve.
***
Chapter 3: Crime can be found here
Summary: Remus Lupin has everything he though he wanted, his beautiful wife and son are safe and the second war is over, but as life at war ends and life in the slow lane begins, things for the werewolf go from tense to terrible.
Pairings: Remus/Tonks
Word Count: 3720
Deathly Hallows AU, Angst / Hints to off screen violence
Chapter 1: Dogged can be found here
Chapter 2 Summary: After the horrible events of the night before, Remus and Amelia head for the Lupin household, not sure what to do next...
***
Sore and tired after her meal, Amelia was ready to go back to bed but her new friend Remus had other ideas, she had begun yawning when he pushed open a door to a flat. She took in this new environment with a bit of a frown. It was a rather small place with a little kitchen and a sofa but no television. Sounds were coming from the room next door but that was all she could make out.
She squeezed her new friend's hand, he had certainly gained her trust after her sausages and chips from the shop near her house but she wasn't sure where she was now and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. “Where are we?” she asked, her little voice concerned. “Can I go home yet?”
“We're at my home, I thought you'd want to meet some other friends...” he avoided her last question but fortunately it seemed to distract her.
Amelia frowned and before she could reply came the noise of tapping feet that got louder and louder and suddenly a woman came into the room, her hair was a fiery red and she stormed to Remus angrily. She wanted to know what she was saying but Remus had let go of her hand and covered her ears and the world had gone muffled.
“Stupid-inconsiderate-worried the life out of me-could of been dead--”
Nymphadora Tonks had been thinking about Remus all day, he had been missing over 24 hours with a full moon in-between. She had imagined her shouting and raging at him ever since he had left and had imagined his comebacks and imagined them making up - but she hadn't foreseen the child that stood at his heel like a stray puppy. It wasn't until she looked straight at her and her words died away that Remus removed his hands from the little girl's ears and gave his wife a stern look.
“Dora, this is Amelia my friend I've made.”
Dora looked to Amelia, then to Remus her face just void of understanding, a small line forming in the middle of her face before taking a breath she knelt down to Amelia's height.
“Hello Amelia, nice to meet you.”
Amelia, though nervous seemed spurred on by the angry lady's new smile, and she waved shyly, tucking herself behind Remus for a moment clutching at his coat.
“Would you like some hot chocolate?” Dora asked, “I was about to make some...”
Amelia nodded sleepily, and Dora invited her to sit down at the breakfast bar whilst Dora finally had a moment to react, in a whisper at Remus's new friend, the little girl's feet swinging on the stool whilst Remus was leaning over the counter on the other side of the kitchen.
“What in Merlin's name is going on?” she hissed and Remus's eyes blossomed with tears and he turned his back from his wife. Dora asked nothing else, making a cooler hot chocolate and ushered Amelia to sit on the sofa across the room. It was falling apart at the seams, a once beautiful pea green couch. Now it was a much loved ruin that was still extremely comfortable. As Remus had hoped Amelia took about four gulps of hot chocolate and after the panic and excitement of the days events she nodded off on the sofa and started to snore softly.
It was only when she was safely asleep that Dora could really talk to him, but as she turned to do so she found Remus had left the room. For a horrible second she had thought he'd left again but she found him sitting on their bed. He had taken off his borrowed coat and was tearing off the blood stained jumper with a cry bobbing in his throat which finally started to come out in droves.
Dora's anger melted away, she sat down by his side as Remus's body shook with tears and she couldn't be angry at him any more, staring at the blood.
“What happened” she said softly, her heart in her throat.
“I was...sorry..I was drunk - I...muggle couple...took me in. I-I tried to leave...b-but”
Remus couldn't say anything else to her, his face had suddenly buried himself into the crook of her neck and Dora digesting the information held her husband tighter to her. She ran a hand through his hair and tried to quieten him whispering comfort and support until finally, the cries started to stop and his whole body slumped tiredly against her into slumber and where he stayed for the rest of the night.
***
“What are we going to do?”
Dora was still awake when Remus had woken, he had been in the fetal position, head pushed into his chest as though he had hoped to shrink. Dora was tending to Teddy, feeding him his first bottle for the day. It was still early in the morning and the yellowy glow of sunrise peeked out from the windows.
Remus said nothing to her question, he couldn't. He took a couple of attempts at opening his mouth but he shut it, looking older and greyer than Dora had ever seen him. She avoided his gaze and looked to their son, who'd finished with his bottle with a flourish.
“We need to do something, Rem....” Dora muttered putting her son back in his cot after he was burped, using him as a distraction she turned to her husband who had finally sat up.
“I am a murderer,” Remus mumbled, “I am responsible for the deaths of two parents. If it was any normal situation--”
“This isn't a normal situation!” Dora said with a frown, “You could not control your actions.”
“I could control my actions, I was inebriated to the point of foolishness - I've put myself in the company of those who didn't know who I was, muggles no less,and I didn't drink my potion. I am at fault.”
“Then fix it!” Dora said sternly, which silenced him. They knew that going to the ministry was impossible. Kingsley would have to face the facts, no matter what Remus had done, the rules still stand, a werewolf who kills, who bites at full moon would be at minimum put in Azkaban, it would ruin their reputations - ruin the werewolf standing that they had been fighting to bring to fruition for the last three months after the war and ruin Teddy's childhood.
Remus sighed, his eyes turning to the window. “How can I fix something like this...”
“By being there for Amelia, she'll be changing the same as you, maybe...we could have her here?”
The cogs in Dora's head had started to turn and she looked to Remus with a boldness he knew he wouldn't shake. She'd made her mind up and as Remus had learnt over the last two years, if she wanted something, she would put her mind to it to get it.
“Remus, do you trust me?”
The werewolf swallowed and nodded. “Always.” He still had lengths of apologies to make - this wasn't a question of her being wrong but him. He had so many things he wanted to say, wanted to apologise for...
“Then please stay and watch Teddy, I've got to take Amelia home. Do you remember the address?”
Remus with a very nervous nod, told her the address, the street name seemed burned in his memory now. “What are you going to do?”
“The less you know the better, just...take care of Ted and I'll be home soon.”
Remus swallowed, following his wife out to the living room where the little girl was still sleeping on their sofa. She gently picked the sleeping five year old up; it was a bit of a heave and it was hard to do with her sleeping, but she was still out for the count, her face nestled into the gap between Dora's neck and shoulder and comfortably balanced on the auror's hips. She then looked back at Remus and then gently kissed his cheek in reassurance. She searched his eyes and all she saw was a lost man, who didn't know the way.
Remus hovered at her side until Dora disappeared down the floo network with Amelia and he no idea what his wife was going to do next and hoped that whatever her plan was she didn't get herself into trouble she didn't deserve.
***
Chapter 3: Crime can be found here