Starting a Family and Fighting a War

Life Goes On

            It was all over. There was no more fighting to be done to be done. Harry had defeated Voldemort and they could all start living again.

            Tonks and Remus were making their way down the path away from the school. It had been just over an hour since the end of the battle and they had spent it locating those who hadn't made it and arranging clean up plans with the others.

            "You okay?" Remus asked gently and Tonks shrugged slightly, wiping at her eyes again. They had found Ted's body half an hour before and Tonks was dreading telling her mum.

            They disapperated from Hogwarts and appeared again in front of Tonks's parents house. Tonks looked up at the house and her face drained of colour as she saw the Dark Mark hanging in the sky.

            "No," she whispered and they hurried towards the house. The door had been blown off it's hinges and the house was deathly silent. They crept down the destroyed hallway, Andromeda had obviously fought back.

            She was lying on her back, sprawled in the middle of the room. Remus bent over her while Tonks leaned back against the wall. When Remus stood up again he looked at Tonks sadly.

            "I'm sorry love," he said quietly. Tonks's eyes welled with tears, but she didn't cry. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked up the stairs, Remus hurrying behind her. There was no sound and Tonks hesitated for a moment before finally opening their bedroom door and walking over to the bassinet.

            Ben was lying inside quietly with his eyes open. However, as soon as he saw his parents he smiled and waved his arms in front of him. Tonks sighed in relief and picked him up. When she did, Remus noticed something that had been underneath him. Remus picked it up as Tonks held Ben close, allowing a few tears to escape.

            "What is it?" she asked, looking from Remus to the paper in his hands.

            "Come on," Remus said, leading her over to sit on the bed. He grabbed a bag and began throwing a few things inside it.

            Tonks read the note through and realized what he was doing.

            Remus grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the house, disapperating back to Hogwarts. Ben didn't scream or cry like they had expected him to, instead he just whimpered at the uncomfortable feeling. They were walking back up to the school slowly when they saw Molly and Arthur standing outside talking.

            "Tonks, Remus, what are you doing back here?" Molly asked, smiling down at Ben. Remus handed the note to Arthur and the man read it through before passing it to his wife.

            "Oh Tonks, I'm so sorry," Molly said.

            "Come, we need to tell the others about this," Arthur said and the four of them continued up to the school. They got to the Great Hall and sat down with Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Sirius, the Weasleys, and some of the other kids.

            "Awww," Hermione, Ginny, and Luna sighed when they saw Ben.

            "Can we hold him Tonks?" Hermione asked. Tonks handed the baby gently to the girls and then turned to look at the others who were reading the note. Sirius's face went from horror to shock to sad to angry in about five seconds.

            "'My dear old sister is dead now,'" Sirius read aloud, "'And if I ever get my hands on that boy of yours again you won't be getting him back alive.' This was right next to him?"