It had been a week since the Lupins were forced to wear gorgeous gala clothes. This week had passed quite calmly. The biggest events of that time were Teddy's dirty diapers and three magazine articles with big and eye-catching headlines aimed at Lupins. "Lovers of the war: Marriage of The Werewolf and the Metamorphmagus" was the first article discovered by Tonks and Remus, it was written in one of Andromeda's favorite magazines. The whole article was dedicated to discussing the relationship between Tonks and Remus, highlighting the facts and other people's opinions. The great consolation for both of them was that the article was with a positive message. And after reading this article, Tonks kept teasing Remus for several hours, saying, "See? People aren't as wolf-hostile as you thought! They don't care, they don't care about our marriage. They are all cool with it!"
The second article was of the day of the prophet. This article had a slightly sharper content, but not in the worst sense. It was mostly Umbrige's words. And the most eye-catching part of this article was the photo of the Lupins when they all smiled, even Teddy.
"A Wife stepped out for her Werewolf husband" was the grand title of the article, "Former Auror Nymphadora Tonks openly stated that she loves her Werewolf husband and that her husband, Remus Lupin, is more than just a werewolf. "He was always a real gentleman, with a good sense of humor." she said." was one paragraph of the article, and it was also Tonks' favorite part, "They never let go each other's hands during the whole interview."
Unfortunately, this wave of positivity did not last longer, than the publication of the third article, "A couple of monsters are raising a freak child," they did not even read the entire article until Tonks tore the newspaper from Remus's hands and threw it in the fireplace.
,,I tolerate being insulted, "Tonks said harshly, so seriously that even Remus had the goose-flesh on his skin," But if anyone insults my son, he'll pay for it! "
Remus spent half a day convincing Tonks that it would be foolish to go and attack the journalist who had written this article. After that, Tonks was in a bad mood for several days. The young mother could not understand how bad things could be said against a tiny four-month-old child. Remus tried to tell her it was all his fault, but as soon as he said that, Tonks stopped him quickly, saying that the only thing Remus was guilty of was that he was the best man in the world. Within a few days, they had forgotten it all, and they moved smoothly back to their routine, raising their son with love and care. Tonks was fully focused on her work of being a mother. Besides dealing with the child, she didn't even notice Andromeda and Remus whispering and discussing something. Tonks thoughts were completely wiped out of her head, she had completely forgotten that her birthday was coming soon. Andromeda and Remus wanted to give her something special, but they couldn't figure out what to give her. Neither of them had any idea. Every idea that came to their minds seemed somewhat vulgar and not worthy. Remus wanted to give her something big. At first, he had a week to come up with something. But without even noticing, he had run out all this time. And so he fell asleep the night before his beloved wife's birthday so that he had no gift for her.
The next morning, Remus woke up early. He decided that although he didn't have a gift for Tonks, at least he would make her birthday memorable. He carefully climbed out from the bed, took Teddy from his cradle, and headed downstairs with him. He fed Teddy and then put Teddy on the baby swing that Sirius had given to them. After making sure Teddy was all right, Remus kissed his blue hair and went to the kitchen to prepare a royal breakfast for Tonks.
He started making pancakes. He had become a very skilled pancake maker during the year. Never before had Remus made as many pancakes as he had after he met Tonks. Chocolate pancakes with whipped cream, honey, and berries had always been her favorites, and Remus made them quite often for her. And now this tiny sweet tradition was a problem. How can he make her the same breakfast on her birthday morning that he makes her anyway at least once a week? He sighed hard, and continued to make pancakes. Better them than nothing, he thought. As Remus made pancakes, he listened intently. First, he wanted to make sure Tonks was still asleep, and second, he was very worried about Teddy, who was in his swing. Every few minutes, Remus peered out the kitchen door, glancing at the living room. Teddy was calm in his swing, playing with hanging fairy-like toys. Moon, a little black puppy, sat faithfully next to Teddy, watching the boy's every awkward movement.
As Teddy got older, the more he became interested in colorful and rattling toys. Now he was holding the toys in his tiny hands, chewing them and waving them around. He began to understand games more and more, it seemed that his favorite game was when Tonks changed her nose, hair, or eyes for him. Teddy tried to imitate his mother, but he never really could not. The four-month-old boy's nose never became the perfect pig's snout, like his mother's, but rather a pink ball with two small holes. But he still seemed to have fun, even though he couldn't laugh yet. The only sound that came out of him was the high-toned cooing.
Remus heard footsteps on the stairs. He held his breath in fright, hoping it wasn't Dora. To his reassure, he heard his mother-in-law's sleepy voice, "Morning, Teddy-bear. Are you here alone, sweety?"
,,His father is in the kitchen, "Remus replied, not in a too-loud voice.
Andromeda entered the kitchen, and yawning, she said, "Good morning, Remus. You're making pancakes for Dora again," it wasn't a question, it was a fact.
,,Something has to be done for her. She turns twenty-six today," he said, mixing even more chocolate chunks into chocolate filled dough.
,,You have no any gift idea, do you? "Andromeda asked, boiling a tea water, Remus shook his head, after which Andromeda said in a slightly depressed voice," I have an idea. I'm sure she likes it. "
Remus turned his head slightly at Andromeda, anxiously noticed when his mother-in-law's gaze was more unhappy and even paler than usual, "What idea?"
,,Well," Andromeda looked down at the floor and then said in a soft tone, "She said she wanted to move out of here, she wants your little family to have your own home. You...," she took a deep breath and then continued, look still on the floor, "...you can take her home. "
,,What do you mean, Andy? By home? "Remus frowned in confusion.
,,Moody's house, "Andromeda replied, looking at Remus again," You could give her a gift to take her home. "
,,We don't know the condition of Moody's house yet. I don't think it's the safest place for Teddy right now. We should start the repair then, and it will probably take time. "
,,Then you should start right away, don't you think? And don't worry about Teddy, I can watch him until you two get your home ready. "
,,But, Andy, you're left here all alone, "
She smiled a little and replied, "Well, sooner or later it had to happen. Don't worry about me. I'm gona be fine. I'll take one, two or seven cats and I can handle it. But you need your space and I would like to avoid as many situations like the one that happened in the bathroom yesterday."
,,Are you sure? Can you do it alone here? "Remus was worried about his mother-in-law, he knew what it was like to be alone, especially when you were in deep grief.
Andromeda nodded, and after that the decision was final. It was time for Lupins to move into their own home. Remus continued to make pancakes while Andromeda went to play with Teddy. When the pancakes were ready, he covered a tray for Tonks by placing a bunch of pancakes, a fresh mug of steaming coffee, and one beautiful white rose on it. As Remus walked over to his and Dora's bedroom with a tray, Andromeda decided to give them some time alone. She put on warmer clothes for Teddy and went for a walk with him. When she got out, Teddy, who was lying in his cart, began to sigh in cheerful tones and waved his hand. It was warm summer weather outside. The birds sang, nature was in its most beautiful colors. Andromeda smiled as her daughter's son raised his hands to the sky, as if trying to get clouds flying in the sky into his hands. Without Andromeda even noticing, her thoughts wandered to her deceased husband.
Ted had been everything to her. Her joy, soul, warmth and the greatest love of life. He would be so happy. He wanted so badly to see his grandson, he wanted to see how their beloved daughter was happy with her family. Andromeda missed him so much.
Tears appeared in Andromeda's gray eyes. She didn't really want to be left alone in that house. She was fond of heer daughter's family and wanted them to be with her. But deep down, she knew it would be wrong. Tonks wanted to be independent, and as long as she lives in her childhood home, in the tiny bedroom where she had lived since she was born, she never feels independent. For the happiness of her daughter, Andromeda agreed to be alone.
,,But would I still be alone? "Andromeda thought, trying to lift her spirits," I can visit them at any time or invite them over. I could be Teddy's babysitter. In addition, I would have more time to visit my friends."
Already with better mood, she walked along the forest paths, pushing Teddy's cart. Moon ran after them, refusing to stay more than a few feet away from Teddy. It didn't take long for Teddy to fall asleep in the cart. They walked in the woods for at least an hour when suddenly something unexpected happened. On the way back to the house, Andromeda noticed sparkling spells near the house. Red, yellow and blue spells flew in the yard of the cottage. Andromeda's heart missed several important strokes. Without thinking, she started to run towards the house at full her speed, pushing Teddy's cart as hard as a slender woman like her could. The cart shook due to the speed, and Teddy woke up in great fright, filling the air with a painful note of his crying. Anxiety and fear filled Andromeda's whole body and her head filled with horrofying thoughts and memories. She had no idea what was going on at the house, but her head could only think of the worst possible shadow. When sreached the house, however, she stopped abruptly. Her eyes widened as she saw her pink-haired daughter and her daughter's husband stand a few feet apart in the middle of the garden. The wands of both of them were pointed at each other and spells flew between them.
,,What are you doing?" Andromeda asked in a shocked tone.
Tonks and Remus lowered their wands and looked at Andromeda with innocent glances, kinda angry Andromeda looked like she was upset with her two three-year-olds.
,,We practice, "Remus replied softly," Dora wanted to check if she was still able to duel with her injured hand. "
,,The skills need to be kept sharp, "Tonks added, shrugging.
Andromeda shook her hands on her hip and said in an angry tone, "Can you imagine what your weird foreplay just did to my old heart? I thought someone had attacked the house and you were both dead! Next time you're bored stay in your room, do not strike me with a heart attack."
,,Sorry mom," Tonks said apologetically to her mother, as she walked toward Teddy's cart to embrace her crying son, "We didn't mean to scare you,"
,,That's okay, honey, "Andromeda replied more calmly now," I'll take Teddy to sleep and you can continue your practise if you want. "
,,Thank you, Mom, "Tonks handed the child back to Andromeda and then she went to the house with Teddy, Moon ran faithfully after them, her black hairy tail fluttering.
Tonks returned to her position in front of Remus, both of them raising their wands, smiling at each other.
,,You start, honey, "said Tonks.
,,Okay, sweety, "Remus replied before shouting," Flagrante! "
Tonks paused the spell and then sent a spell against him, for which her husband stepped aside.
,,You know what, Remus? I think Mom really loves the stupidities of the two of us." she paused the spell Remus sent her and then continued," She doesn't want us to move, but ... "
,,But we should still go, "Remus said, reading from Tonks' eyes on what she wanted to say.
,,Yes, "Tonks nodded.
They continued their duel for the next half hour until they returned house to their son. And the very next day, they went to Moody's house to begin repair plans. They left Teddy with Magdalena because Andromeda had to go to work and then Remus and Tonks went to the old cottage with Sirius and Bill. No one had been in this house for months and no one had lived here for almost a year. Tonks' heart sank into the leg of her boot as she watched as the sad state of this house seemed without its paranoid but caring owner. Most of the plants had dried up over time, the ground was full of fallen leaves and tree branches. The house itself looked gloomy and by no means inviting.
,,Home sweet home, huh?" Sirius asked over his shoulder, looking at his cousin and best friend, who were holding hands.
,,This place is scary. Like the owner of the house. "Bill laughed," Well, Tonks, will we paint it pink? Then it will fit you better. "
,,And would let Moody haunt me for the rest of my life?" she asked with a small smile," No thank you. I'll miss him, but his ghost will be too much." she looked at Remus, who was looking at the house with a very thoughtful look, "Well, Wolfy, what do you think of that?"
,,I think we should get rid of these rubbish bins, "Remus replied, pointing to the chained, growling rubbish bins in the corner of the yard," They'll eat Moon and Teddy if we leave them here. The yard should be tidied up and the roof replaced. Otherwise, everything looks fine. This is a really beautiful house, it only needs a little bit of love and care."
,,I agree. And I really like the color of the house, "Tonks added, nodding enthusiastically.
The house was made of dark gray and reddish brown stones, the walls of the house, the windows, and the white window frames seemed to be in perfect condition, only a few stones were missing on the roof. Behind the house, there seemed to be a large dark wood and glass greenhouse that seemed to be overgrown with weeds. In the right corner of the garden was a small work shed that was in the same style as the house.
,,You know, I love that style," said Sirius," Much more beautiful than the house that was bequeathed to me. I like Tudor Style, I'm gonna buy such a house for my family too."
,,Shall we go in? "Tonks asked, looking at her three companions.
They nodded and walked towards the house. Only now did they notice that the tiny staircase that led to the front door was in a rather bad condition, there were a lot of cracks in it, but luckily it wasn't something that couldn't be fixed with a cost of few Galleons. The outer door was made of dark brown oak, the door handle was decorated with lion engravings. Bill raised his hand to open the door, but Tonks stopped him immediately, grabbing his hand and pulling it away quickly.
,,Don't touch it!" she shouted," Only the house owner can touch this handle without getting a very strong electric shock. "
,,What? "Bill asked, startled, jumping away from the door immediately.
,,I once made that mistake. After my auror training, I came here to give Moody a gift of chocolate, but that damn door attacked me. The best joke was that Moody refused to accept my chocolate even after that, because he thought someone poisoned it when I left it unattended in my office. Anyway, only Remus and I can touch that door. "
,,Why me?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.
,,If you haven't noticed, we're married, "Tonks rolled her big brown eyes," So you're the owner of this house, too. We are a family. How else do you think you got in here without being attacked by anything when you came here for me, after you left me when I was pregnant?"
Remus smiled weakly, squeezing Tonks' hand a little harder, "The dumbest decision of my life."
,,Yes, that was a pretty stupid thing to do, Moony, but could we please go in already! I want to see what cool stuff Moody kept in his house!" said Sirius impatiently.
They entered the house, a small hallway opened to them, with a staircase leading to the second floor and three doors, the door in right leading to a cozy-looking living room, from where the door went to a small library and office. The shelves of the library were full of many books that were of great interest to Remus. At first glance, the furniture in the whole house seemed to be antiques in good condition. Turning to the left of the hall, they wind themselves in a spacious dining room with a large antique wooden table and a number of dark blue upholstered chairs. The dining room looked like it was for a large family, and no one had used the room in years, maybe just to walk along its black wooden floor to the kitchen. There was a vase of withered flowers on the windowsill and a number of old photographs on the walls that appeared to be images of Mad-Eye's ancestors. The kitchen was large and spacious, and it seemed to be used quite a lot. Like everything else in the house, the furniture in this room was made of dark wood, but the kitchen was still the first room that Tonks didn't like.
,,It seems so impractical, "she told Remus as they examined the kitchen cabinets and the old stove." I'll set it on fire in the first five minutes. We should at least replace the stove and the withered plants that are hanging here should be discarded, "
They walked back to the hall to see where the last door leads. It was a door to a small bathroom. The bathroom was the first room in the whole house that seemed to be rather light in color, its walls were made of light greenwood, the bath and the sink looked quite old, but in good condition and unused. A couple of cleaning spells and it should look like new. They walked up the stairs, and just as Sirius became disappointed in the house, they opened the door to a room that seemed to be Moody's bedroom.
,,Wow, now I believe this house belonged to our dear, old, paranoid friend! "Sirius proudly folded his hands and stepped into the room.
,,Be more careful, pal, it seems dangerous, "said Bill.
This whole bedroom was very dark, the dark green curtains were in front of the windows. In the middle of the room was an old wooden bed that seemed to need to be changed. Tonks was attracted by a large brown antique cabinet, which stood proudly against the wall next to the giant mirror.
She had never believed that she could like antiques, she had always considered herself a more modern and color-loving person. And if she ever had to think about what a home would look like where she would like to raise her family, she always thought of Burrow's style. She wanted to have a house like the Weasleys. But the more she spent in that very house, the more she began to feel at home in it, and the more she had respect for antiquity.
She opened the closet door and to her surprise, it was completely empty. She thought she would find Moody's stuff in it, but nothing. The only thing that confirmed that it was definitely a Moody's room were the photos on the closet and on the walls. There were pictures of young Moody in his Griffindor uniforms, pictures where he proudly stood to receive his Auror training certificate, and to Tonks' surprise, there was a picture of herself next to his picture, in this photo she was in the same situation as her mentor.
,,Aww, "Tonks sighed as she moved her finger over the picture frame," There's a picture of me on his wall. "
,,Don't consider yourself special now, here is also a photo of the order, "said Sirius on the other side of the room, pointing to a three-year-old photo of the order.
Tonks smiled softly, she began to say something, but her husband's voice said before, "Mad-Eye has packed all his things in these boxes. It's weird, as if he knew we were coming here." Remus looked at Tonks," Here is something for you, honey."
Tonks walked over to her husband and glanced at the boxes next to Remus. One box had a message on it for her, "Nymphadora, this first box has some things that might be useful to you. The second box has some things you might care about, and the other boxes have my personal belongings. DON'T OPEN THESE BOXES! THEY MAY BE DANGEROUS AND NOT SOMETHING FOR YOUR CURIOUS EYES! Don't even think about opening them, but destroy them. Moody. "
,,Uh, I miss him," Tonks said, taking a small letter in her hand and pushing it on her chest, "Isn't he sweet? He cleaned this house for us."
,,Did we mention that it proves that he knew he was going to die soon, and he just didn't want you to ruin his reputation by rummage in his clothes and underwear after he dies? "Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.
,,No, we don't mention it. "Tonks replied a little too sharply, but no one resented, they understood her.
Emotions began to play in Tonks like a thunderstorm. She was very happy that she had been left with such a beautiful house to live in with her family. But at the same time, she was suddenly insanely sad, all these things, this whole house, and the evidence that Moody knew he's time was running out, brought to Tonks all the grief she had been carrying with her for almost a year. She missed Mad-Eye, she missed her father, she missed her friends who were dead and she missed her unborn daughter, Hope.
Instead of going to inspect the rest of the rooms, Tonks decided to open the first box which Moody had given him permission for her to open. It contained many different Moody's magical items, such as his cloak of Invisibility, Foe-glass, two Remembralls, a Sneakoscope, an old set of Wizard's Chess, and a whole host of gadgets that none of them were sure of.
,,They can't be anything dangerous, can they? "Remus asked anxiously as he tried to figure out what they were," He wouldn't leave you anything dangerous, right?"
They opened another box that seemed a little more personal. There was a photo album with only a few photos inside. Most of them were from young Moody. But among them were four pictures that Tonks didn't expect. One picture was of a young Moody wearing a dark suit and standing next to a beautiful blonde woman in a white dress. The other was a portrait of the same blonde woman who smiled arrogantly. The third picture was of a tiny girl with blonde curls, in a light blue dress and big white bow tie hair clip in her hair, the girl's brown eyes shone and her smile reached almost to her ears, it was Mad-Eye's three-year-old daughter Emma, who was murdered by dark wizards. And the fourth picture was a photo of Tonks and Remus' wedding. In this box there was also a jewelry box, which probably belonged to Moody's dead wife, a small bag of coins, Moody's favorite spell book which Tonks discovered that it was full of small comments written by Moody, and also had a bracelet made by a child, it was braid from three pieces of yarn, a bracelet had small colorful pearls on it, and also the bracelet had a small label on it, written in Moody's handwriting, "You made it for me when you were four,"
,,It's so sweet," said Sirius and then added," and also creepy!"
,,You're just jealous. I have had two wonderful fathers, my real father and my mentor. And also I have a great mother." Tonks replied, showing Sirius a tongue.
They lifted all things back into the boxes and then went to see the next rooms. In addition to this bedroom, there was another bedroom on the second floor with only an old bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a very dusty carpet on the floor. One slightly smaller empty room was right next to it, it looked like it had been in someone's bedroom about a hundred years ago. At the end of the corridor on the second floor was a large bathroom, which Tonks liked terribly, because there was a large bath and there was plenty of space near the sink where she could put her cosmetics. There was another door that seemed a little different, if all the other doors were dark brown, then that door was snow white and it was locked. Remus opened it with the help of his wand. It was a tiny light-colored girl's room. All the furniture, the floors, and every last thing were covered with a very thick layer of dust. The toys were still on the floor, as if their owner had just stopped playing. Without saying anything, they closed the door of that room again and went to the attic, where Remus, Sirius, and Bill began to check the condition of the old roof with interest. Tonks sighed a little tired and sat on an old chair in the attic, there was also a lot of another ancient piece of furniture and old boxes with stuff.
She followed the actions of three men out of the corner of her eye while making plans in her head what to change at this house and what to leave as they are. She was most disturbed by this little girl's room. She didn't know if she should leave it as it is and never open that door again, as Moody had done, or if she should fix it and make a lovely nursery in there for Teddy.
Later, they made another round outside, looking more closely at the garden. Remus, Sirius, and Bill talked a little about repair plans and things that definitely needed fixing, then Bill went back to his home, and Tonks, Remus, and Sirius went to the old headquarters of the Order at Grimmauld Place number 12.
,,Well, what do you think of your new home? "Sirius asked them as they entered the grim corridor of Grimmould's place," A hundred times better house than this one, huh? "
,,I like our new home, "Remus replied, putting one hand around Tonks small waist," Reminds me of my childhood home, my mother also loved antiquity. "
,,I liked it too, "Tonks said with a slight smirk on her lips," It's very homely, only a little color would be needed. We can change the black curtains of the living room, for example, to soft light green, and also replace this hallway gray carpet with a light blue carpet, some other things, like that kitchen. And these extra bedrooms could be painted a little lighter. This house needs a little color."
They entered the living room where Magdalena and Teddy were. The little boy slept on the couch between the pillows that protected him from rolling off the couch. Magdalena smiled appropriately at them, Remus and Tonks noticing how much her narrow red shirt brought out her four-month-pregnant belly as if she wanted to emphasize it in every way.
,,Hi," Magdalena whispered quietly, not to wake Teddy, "How did you do?"
,,Nicely, "Tonks replied with a smile to her friend," This house is almost wonderful, just needs a little of our love. "
,,Fortunately, there is a lot of love in this family, "smiled Magdalena, her dark eyes bright with enthusiasm," I will help you with the garden work and Siri can help with other work. "
,,That would be so sweet of you, "Tonks replied as she walked to the couch to carefully take her sleeping son in her arms," Hello, honey pie, "she whispered quietly to the sleeping boy with purple hair," Mommy and Daddy are back. "
,,He has slept for a very long time. This reminds me, I'm going to the kitchen now and making some sandwiches for myself, I'm starving, but I didn't want to leave him alone. "Magdalena started walking to the door and then turned suddenly to Sirius," Siri dear, can you get to the store later? We want tomato juice and chocolate pudding. Your daughter demands something good, "when Sirius nodded, a big smile appeared on Magdalena's face and she walked out of the living room.
Sirius turned his head to Tonks and asked curiously, "Did you had such strange appetites too, Nym?"
,,Oh, my appetites were much worse, "Tonks laughed, and Remus nodded in agreement.
---
That same evening, Remus and Tonks lay on their bed in Tonks' childhood home. Their son slept between the two, while his parents enjoyed the closeness of each other in silence. Tonks's head was on Remus' shoulder and one of her hands was surrounded by the two men she loved the most, her husband and her son. Remus 'freehand, which was not under Tonks' head, made tiny soft circles on the soft palm of her hand, which rested on his lap.
They had agreed to go to the construction store tomorrow to buy paints and other things. They wanted to take Teddy with them, in the cart, to see if he had any color preferences. In addition, they needed to buy a little furniture and small furnishings.
,,We have to go do your apartment tomorrow and see what we have left, "Remus said softly after a moment of silence," I'll let Harry know in the morning that we're coming. "
,,Sounds good, "Tonks replied, pushing her face a little more against Remus' neck.
,,Think, Dora, in a few days we will have our own home. "
Tonks laughed and then said with satisfaction, "We have had quite a lot of homes together. Grimmauld Place, our apartment, my parents' cottage and now our own small, cozy, antique cottage,"
,,But we have never lived alone. Sirius or someone else has always been with us. "
,,Yes, and I'm starting to miss it, "Tonks said, frowning sweetly," Those three years of my life when I have been in order, have been the greatest adventure ever, and living under one roof with Sirius was one of the most fun parts of it. "
,,Well, to be honest, I'm tired of it, "Remus laughed, smoothing Tonks' hair with his free hand now," I've had to live with him too much. That's enough now. Now I just want to be with you and Teddy. "
,,And with Moon and Sirius Junior, "
,,Yes, and with them. Help, did I just say I want to live in the same house with this rogue cat? "
,,Hey, "Tonks hit him playfully on the shoulder," Don't insult my first hairy baby!"
---
The next four days were very busy for them. The three Lupins went around various construction and furniture stores, ordering and buying the necessary things for their new home. They had to replace the entire roof, both in the house itself and in the shed. Some of the glass in the greenhouse had to be replaced and also needed major repairs on most of the rooms on the second floor. They decided to tidy up Moody's old room as their own new room. As Moody had asked, they destroyed all the boxes that Moody had forbidden them to open. They also threw away all the old furniture in Moody's room, leaving only the photos on the walls and its old antique closet. This bedroom got a complete renovation, they painted over the dark green walls, making them Remus' favorite shades, light beige. They also exchanged the floor for a slightly lighter one. It was very difficult for them to choose the furniture for their new room. For Remus, designing a room was a whole new experience he had never experienced before, but with Dora, he felt confident and had a lot of fun. Although Tonks would have preferred something colorful and modern, she agreed with Remus that since the rest of the house was antique, their rooms should remain that style. After considering many different things, they decided to buy furniture that would match the large antique cabinet that remained in the room as a memory of the past. They kept their room simple, as neither of them was interested in a very grand style. They bought themselves a beautiful dark brown bed in an antique shop, decorated with various engravings. They managed to find a couple more new cabinets, chests of drawers, one cloth coffin in which they placed their memorabilia, and a mirror, all that stuff matched their new bed perfectly. Tonks' favorite part of their room was the wall of pictures where she and Magdalena hung different pictures together, almost one wall full of precious memories. Magdalena gave them a number of new flower pots and vases as gifts. Tonks was pretty sure she couldn't keep any of them alive, but Remus was positive. Tonks enjoyed buying curtains and rugs for their new home because it allowed her to add color everywhere. And so Tonks was able to shine the darkest room in the house, the old library. The library was Remus' own personal favorite room, all of these books were like paradise for him, and he couldn't wait to get enough free time to start reading them all. But Tonks' favorite room was Teddy's new nursery. At the last moment, before they started buying things for Teddy, they decided that Teddy would still get little Emma's old room. They thoroughly cleaned the room with many different spells, when they discovered that all this furniture was in very good condition, they decided to donate it to an orphanage, along with all the toys. But they put all Emma's old clothes in the attic with a coffin. They repainted the room, bought new furniture, and changed the door. They hired a young artist, to paint on the wall of the room, a young witch did a wonderful job and painted a beautiful forest, where a large male deer, an energetic black dog, and a silver furry wolf run together. While the rest of the house's furniture was quite dark, Teddy's room remained bright. They bought him a white cupboard, toy coffins, and shelves. The darkest thing in the room was Remus' own made baby crib that hung from the ceiling. They cleaned all the other rooms of dust and dirt. Tonks was very happy that they had one guest room left because she always thought that a home where you can't invite guests and offer them accommodation is not the right home. because of that the most important part of their repair was replacing the front door, so it will not attack their guests.
Molly, Andromeda, and Magdalena worked hard in the garden. They uprooted all the weeds and planted many new plants and colorful flowers. The old withered garden finally got a representative impression. Sirius attached a swing to the backyard of the house on a large apple tree, saying that it was for all future children in the Lupins, Blacks, Weasleys, and Potters families. He also planned to get a sandbox with a bunch of toys there.
And so, after four difficult days, their new home was ready enough to move in. The first thing they did when they arrived at the house with their suitcases, was that Tonks grabbed her son and walked with him through all the rooms of the house, introducing him to everything. Moon and Junior, quickly took over the dark blue armchairs of the living room, where they slept in front of a warm fireplace. The longer the Lupins spent in their new home, the more homely it seemed to them, and after spending the first night there, they woke up in the morning more rested than they had been for a very long time. Tonks and Teddy were still asleep when Remus woke up in the morning. They had decided to let Teddy sleep next to them for a few nights so that he could get used to the new place before his parents took him to his room for the night. Remus kissed both his son's and his wife's hair and then headed downstairs to make breakfast. Although Tonks didn't like their new kitchen much, Remus thought it was perfect and with a new stove, he felt well-armed enough to make food for his family every day for the next fifty years.
He went into the pantry and took out the egg and bacon in the hidden refrigerator. They had decided to hide the refrigerator there so that it would not spoil the old-fashioned look of the kitchen. Breakfast was almost ready when he heard, thanks to his sharp hearing, how the door to the bedroom upstairs opened, and after a little time, his beautiful wife entered, dressed in a light blue bathrobe and holding their son, whose face was full of milk.
,,Good morning, honey, "Tonks shouted happily as she leaned against the wall support.
,,Morning, darling, "Remus replied with a smile," How did you sleep? "
,,Wonderfully, "she replied, walking to a kitchen cabinet and taking a napkin from a little box, wiping Teddy's mouth clean.
The boy's hands immediately tried to get the napkin from his mother, Tonks gave it to him, and the boy began to study it as if it were the most interesting invention in the world.
,,Teddy did not woke up all night, "Tonks said in a slightly puzzled voice," Looks like he likes our new home. "
,,That's good, "Remus looked over his shoulder at them," because he has to live here for the next seventeen years."
Remus lifted a plate of food for himself and Dora, and they went to the dining room to eat their first breakfast in that house. Teddy kept trying to grab his mother's fork while she ate. In order for Tonks to eat without Teddy stealing her fork or in order to avoid Tonks' food being pulled down her throat because she laughed, Remus brought Teddy's baby swing from the living room and Tonks put him in it. After breakfast was eaten, Remus went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, and Tonks took Teddy out of the swing again, lifting him into the air and stroking him. Teddy laughed softly, he liked when he was lifted high and spun.
,,You will one day become an ideal quidditch player, you are not afraid of heights and hopefully, you are not as clumsy as I am, "she said to her son, who waved his hand at her," I love you too, kiddo." she lowered Teddy again and kissed his light pink hair in perfect harmony with her own.
Remus came out of the kitchen and rejoined his family. With a sweet smile, he walked over to his family and put his arms around them.
,,You know, there's another thing I've never done in this house before, "he said with a naughty smile.
,,What is it?" Tonks asked curiously.
,,I've never kissed you here before, "Remus replied, leaning a little closer to Tonks.
,,Yes, you are,"
,,No, I'm not,"
,,Yes, you are!" Tonks repeated playfully.
,,When? "Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.
Tonks made a thoughtful look and then said slyly, "I don't know, maybe when you left me pregnant and later came here for me?"
,,You're never going to forget that, are you? "
,,Of course not, "Tonks replied, leaning closer and pushing her lips against Remus' lips.
They couldn't enjoy it for long when they were stopped by knocking on the door. They pulled away and both looked at the front door.
,,Who could it be?" Tonks asked, a suspicious look on her face.
,,Maybe your mother, or Sirius, "Remus offered, and together they walked to the door, hand in hand.
Remus was ready to pull out his wand and ask who it was, but then he remembered that the war was over and all the known Death Eaters were either in prison or dead. He opened the door, and when he noticed who was standing on the other side of the door, his legs became weak and the world began to rotate slightly around him.
In front of them stood an older woman with sandy hair, gray eyes, and a sharp face. She was dressed in an orange witch robe, brown pants, black corset, and dragon leather boots.
,,Remus, is that really you?" she asked, her high voice sounding like she was fainting in shock at any moment.
,,Aunt Lydia?"
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Wow, this was again really long chapter. I'm really sleepy now. I hope you all liked it. Please leave me some comments, as always. I really want to know what you think of this story.
I hope you like what Lupin's new home will look like. I really like antique-style homes and it seemed to me something that Moody could have been and which is also suitable for our favorite couple and their family. Be sure to give me feedback on this as well, I am always willing to improve.
And if you have any questions about what happened here (I mean at the end of this chapter. This older woman), you'll find the answers in the next chapter, when I'll finish it sometime. And also you can ask and maybe I'll answer them. Believe me, you are going to love and hate her.
Nb! I will add here some illustrative pictures that I used to describe Lupini's new house. Maybe these pictures will help you better understand.
library
Emma's room
Tonks and Remus's new room