RE-EDITED! I realized just how many mistakes I made on this one and changed them all to make it easier to read and all in all a better fiction.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. Those are all the lovely JKR's.
In memory of Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. Their son and Tonks' mother reflecting on their life. One-shot.
Memory
CossetteLune
"Grandma, what's this one?" Teddy Lupin asked his grandmother stretching out his arm to show her a picture. They had been going through Andromeda Tonks' old photo albums all day.
"I don't know, let me see it." She took it and examined it for a second before her eyes glistened and a single tear ran down her cheek. "Where did you get this one dear?"
"This album," he flipped the cover I didn't realize it before, but it says 'Nymphadora Lupin' on the front of it.
"That's the album she put together while she stayed here. Dora was bored out of her mind missing out on all the action while your father was gone. He eventually came back though, and stayed for quite some time. He told me that Harry set him straight. Anyway, he stayed here with your mother until that one last battle at Hogwarts." She wiped a few tears from her eyes. "The picture," Dromeda moved on, "is of the organization your patents were part of to get rid of once and for all. It was the second time the Order was formed, although most of these people were also around for the first war, such as your father. During the first war, Dora was still only a child. But she was happy to help once she was of age." She moved closer to him and pointed to her daughter. "There's your mom, always with her bubble gum pink hair." She chuckled a bit to herself, "And here," she pointed to Remus. "there's your father."
"Mothers always looking at dad smiling, in every picture in every picture I've ever seen."
"Well, for a long time he wouldn't go out with her. Claiming he was too old, too poor, and too dangerous. He was looking out for her but she loved him very much and he eventually gave in. Your mother was the most persistent and convincing person I ever knew." She smiled down at her grandson.
"Did he love her too?"
"With all his heart."
"Okay, who are all the other people then?"
"This is Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody, Molly and Arthur Weasley, Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Minerva McGonagall, Rubeus Hagrid, Albus Dumbledore, Mundungus Fletcher. And that's all I know, sorry. You mother only ever talked about Remus." She smiled thinking about how happy her daughter was whenever Remus' name was mentioned.
"It's okay, what were they called again? It was something like Phoenix Order, right?"
"The Order of the Phoenix, yes."
"And they were against you-know-who?"
"Yes, their goal was to get rid of him and his death eaters and make the world safe for everyone else."
After a moment of silence Teddy looked up at his grandmother. "Grandma?"
"Yes?" She struggled to maintain a smile, the tears rolling down her cheek increasing slowly.
"Um, never mind, I forget."
"Okay, tell me if you remember."
"Of course." The boy beamed.
"Look here, she pointed a picture in her daughters album, which she had been flipping through since she saw the photo of the Order, stopping and sobbing ever so often. "This is you and your mother after you were born, your father went off to tell every one they were blessed with a gorgeous baby boy. He was beside himself with excitement, Dora looked beautiful as ever grinning from ear to ear." Dromeda smiled happily at the memory, "Here's a picture of you and Remus once he got back."
"Are there any of all three of us?"
"Tonnes, here's a nice one." She passed him a picture and he saw his mother, her hair it's vividest pink, his father looking years younger then he was and himself, as an infant, his hair seemed to be half blonde and the other half almost greenish.
"My hair's different colors in every picture, even when I was a baby." he pointed out.
"Yeah, just like you mothers when she was born." The tears ran down her neck now and more welled up in her eyes when she saw another picture. "There's your grandfather - Ted, Dora and me. Standing in front of the fire place, Dora was about to go to Hogwarts for the first time. You know," She looked at her grandson fondly, "your in the same house she was in, Hufflepuff."
"Really? What was dad in?"
"Gryffindor."
"The sorting hat almost put me in there. It said something about having extremely brave parents..." He started talking more softly and gently then before, "Also a lot of the teachers there tell me about how strong and brave they both were. And then they tell me about the battle at Hogwarts, and how it came to an unfortunate end for them both."
"Yes, yes. Well, I wasn't there, I saw here watching you, but from what I heard it was a grand battle. And they both did extremely well, for as long as they could keep up." She was now also talking in a voice merely above a whisper.
"What, exactly happened?"
"This is what you wanted to ask earlier, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, it was." He seemed ashamed."
"Well you can always ask me anything you wish about your parents, I'm happy to tell you."
"Okay, thanks." He smiled, the same smile her daughter often wore.
"So." She sighed heavily and wiped her eyes before continuing. "You see, the entire Order was there, the ministry, students, staff, death eaters, creatures from the forbidden forest, people who had been on the run, everyone really. As soon as your father heard what was happening he went to leave. He took off before your mother got a chance to say good-bye. She knew that it would be expected of her to stay here and watch after her new born son, but after about twenty minutes of pacing she couldn't take it anymore. She told me to watch you and gave you a tearful kiss good-bye and left." A large lump formed in Andromeda's throat, "And, that was the last time I ever saw either of them alive." The tears were now pouring out her eyes, she looked as if she just drenched her face with water. "Of course, from what I heard, once Dora got there she ran off looking for Remus the whole time until she caught up with him. She died by his side and no one knows who, when or how they died, but they were lying next to each other when they were found. Most believe that it was Bellatrix Lestrange that killed her though, in which case it was probably the killing curse, Bellatrix's favorite." Her face turned cold and bitter at the mention of Bellatrix's name.
"Some one told me that she, Bellatrix, was your sister."
"She is no sister of mine, and I'm sure you'll find that she agrees." She said flatly, her hands tightly clenched in her lap thinking of her daughters likely murderer. "She also killed Sirius Black, her cousin. I am in no way related to her."
"Isn't' Sirius mom's cousin too?"
"Yes he is. He was a great man, and I am grateful to Harry for clearing his name." The hatred towards Bellatrix and the fond memories of Sirius seemed to push away Andromeda's grief.
"Oh." He said quietly, not sure of what else to say.
"Despite both their deaths though, Teddy, your parents died simply wanting a better, more peaceful world for there son to grow up in. And they succeeded. They wish for you to forgive them and know that they love you with all there heart, and would obviously fight until death for you. I'm sure they both regret not being able to see you grow up. And where ever they are they will always be watching over you." She pulled Teddy towards her and gave him a warm hug.
"Of course I'm grateful to them, and I love them too, they're my parents." His eyes twinkled the same as Remus' had when he saw his son for the first time. "But I do wish that they were still here. Even though I know it's not their fault." The side of his mouth tugged into a frown.
"I would expect that from you. No one wants their parents to be gone. But they will always be with you, remember that."
"I know." He managed another smile. His parents were still alive in his heart and soul. Never to leave their one and only son.
I hope that was better for you all. Please READ AND REVIEW!
xx
CossetteLune