Sorting Out (Harry Potter; Remus/Tonks; G)
Title: Sorting Out
Rating: G
Prompts: Ice Skates
Word Count: 499
Summary: While going through some boxes, Remus discovers something he didn't know about his wife.
Author’s Notes: My first fic with married Remus&Tonks! Yay! Written for the Christmas Cracker Advent Challenge at metamorfic_moon.
Frost had covered the garden path that morning. The grass and bushes had a diamond edge and everything looked sharper against the soft grey sky. Andromeda had gone into town to buy bread and milk and eggs. Dora had said she was going to knit but the last time Remus had looked in on her, she wasn’t knitting. He could see her reflection in the window wore that pained, distant expression which meant she was missing her dad. Remus had already said that he wanted to name the baby ‘Edward’ after Ted if it was a boy, though they’d call their son ‘Teddy’ for short. Dora had nodded without replying; Andromeda had cried and said that it was a wonderful thought. Remus hadn’t known which reaction was worse.
He went into the dining room and saw the boxes he’d brought down from the attic yesterday. He knelt down, hearing his knees snap, and opened the first box. They were all dusty and most of them were full of junk, just as Andromeda had said, but at the bottom of one, he discovered a pair of ice skates. The skates looked old and rusty, but they were small and perfectly made. Remus carefully picked one out. There was a small design stamped on the leather but it was too worn and dark for him to make out what it was.
“Dora,” he called out. “Could you come here for a moment?”
He heard her rise slowly, with that familiar intake of breath. The floorboards creaked as she made her way into the room, and as she bent over him, her hair tickled his cheek. “That’s mine,” she said, reaching out and taking the skate from him.
“Yours?” He looked up at her, surprised. She’d never mentioned anything about skating.
“We always went to Suffolk for New Year to stay with Grandpa and Nan. Dad taught me to skate on their pond.” Her voice was sad, but then it lifted for the first time in weeks. “It was the one physical activity that made me feel graceful.”
“I thought you were good at Quidditch?” Remus objected, remembering the Hufflepuff team photo on the stairs.
“Yes, but you don’t have to be graceful to be good at Quidditch,” she answered, amused, and kissed his temple. “That was why I loved it.”
It was the first time she’d kissed him for a while. Remus closed his eyes for a moment. “I was never good at skating,” he remarked, taking the skate from her. “I was always afraid that I’d fall over... and I was usually correct.”
Dora laughed and hugged him around the neck. Remus froze for a moment, then he held onto her arms and tried to give her a hug back. “Next winter,” she whispered in his ear, “when I’m a bit more mobile, I’ll teach you how.”
He nuzzled her neck. “I’m might not be very good.”
She drew back and winked at him. “Don’t worry. I’m a good teacher.”
Rating: G
Prompts: Ice Skates
Word Count: 499
Summary: While going through some boxes, Remus discovers something he didn't know about his wife.
Author’s Notes: My first fic with married Remus&Tonks! Yay! Written for the Christmas Cracker Advent Challenge at metamorfic_moon.
Frost had covered the garden path that morning. The grass and bushes had a diamond edge and everything looked sharper against the soft grey sky. Andromeda had gone into town to buy bread and milk and eggs. Dora had said she was going to knit but the last time Remus had looked in on her, she wasn’t knitting. He could see her reflection in the window wore that pained, distant expression which meant she was missing her dad. Remus had already said that he wanted to name the baby ‘Edward’ after Ted if it was a boy, though they’d call their son ‘Teddy’ for short. Dora had nodded without replying; Andromeda had cried and said that it was a wonderful thought. Remus hadn’t known which reaction was worse.
He went into the dining room and saw the boxes he’d brought down from the attic yesterday. He knelt down, hearing his knees snap, and opened the first box. They were all dusty and most of them were full of junk, just as Andromeda had said, but at the bottom of one, he discovered a pair of ice skates. The skates looked old and rusty, but they were small and perfectly made. Remus carefully picked one out. There was a small design stamped on the leather but it was too worn and dark for him to make out what it was.
“Dora,” he called out. “Could you come here for a moment?”
He heard her rise slowly, with that familiar intake of breath. The floorboards creaked as she made her way into the room, and as she bent over him, her hair tickled his cheek. “That’s mine,” she said, reaching out and taking the skate from him.
“Yours?” He looked up at her, surprised. She’d never mentioned anything about skating.
“We always went to Suffolk for New Year to stay with Grandpa and Nan. Dad taught me to skate on their pond.” Her voice was sad, but then it lifted for the first time in weeks. “It was the one physical activity that made me feel graceful.”
“I thought you were good at Quidditch?” Remus objected, remembering the Hufflepuff team photo on the stairs.
“Yes, but you don’t have to be graceful to be good at Quidditch,” she answered, amused, and kissed his temple. “That was why I loved it.”
It was the first time she’d kissed him for a while. Remus closed his eyes for a moment. “I was never good at skating,” he remarked, taking the skate from her. “I was always afraid that I’d fall over... and I was usually correct.”
Dora laughed and hugged him around the neck. Remus froze for a moment, then he held onto her arms and tried to give her a hug back. “Next winter,” she whispered in his ear, “when I’m a bit more mobile, I’ll teach you how.”
He nuzzled her neck. “I’m might not be very good.”
She drew back and winked at him. “Don’t worry. I’m a good teacher.”