It was a hard night. The sofa cushions were actually comfortable, but the length of the couch left much to be desired. He tried propping his feet on the arm rest, but that had put too much pressure on his lower back. The back of the sofa kept his back warm, but his sides were still too tender from his recent transformation to put any sort of weight on them. He'd flopped onto his stomach, but couldn't find a way to lay his head without putting a crick in his neck.

Sometime after dawn, he gave up the restless sleep and set about making breakfast. Dora's parents hadn't approved of their marriage before he'd skipped out on their very pregnant and young daughter. He doubted that now he had returned they'd welcome him with open arms. His cooking abilities had been one of the few things to impress the older witch and wizard.

His movements were careful, his right leg still unsure under his weight, but it didn't take long to set toast to browning, eggs to scrambling, and bacon to frying. From upstairs, he heard stirring, and knew the smell of the breakfast had wafted up to the Tonks'.

Displaying a nonchalance that he doesn't particularly feel, Remus pointed his hand at one of the cupboards and the door opened and four plates hovered to the table and set themselves down gently.

Ted came down first, running his hand through his light hair and rubbing sleep from his eyes with the other. "Dora, baby, you didn't have to...," he drew off as he spotted Remus.

The most Remus could produce was a half smile and a quiet, "Ted." When the older man continued to stare at him like he was seeing the bloody ghost of Christmas past, Remus continued, "Breakfast?"

His wry tone, only caused Ted's dark eyes to narrow indignantly. Most of the time, Remus figured that Dora took mostly after the Black's in features, but right then, with his ire mirroring that of his daughter's from the previous night, he realized he had not adequately given Ted his due.

"Come to bribe us with a fry up, Lupin?" Ted asked sharply.

"I couldn't sleep," he explained lamely.

"Does Dora know you're here?"

He was glad he could give an affirmative nod. "I saw her last night. It was late and instead of discussing everything right then, I assured her I would see her in the morning."

"Wonder if she'll believe that," Ted murmured and Remus winced.

Coming around the table, the older wizard plopped himself into the chair. As he heaped a generous amount of eggs upon Ted's plate, he attempted to meet the older man's eyes. There wasn't more then a decade between Ted and Lupin, but Remus found himself feeling very much the chagrined boy.

He sighed as he placed the pan of eggs back on the stove and returned with a platter of bacon. "I don't know what to do. If I stay, I hurt her. If I leave, I hurt her," he explained quietly. "You can't tell me that you're happy about this child."

At Remus' accusation, Ted's jaw tightened like steel. "You don't know me at all, Lupin."

"No, your actions have spoken quite clearly," he said, managing to keep his voice even.

"We weren't pleased with your marriage," Ted admitted in a deliberate tone.

Was his ears playing ticks on him or had that been phrased in past tense? "Weren't?"

The older wizard sighed, scratching a hand over his chest where a stain had marred his pajamas. "We shared your fears, Lupin. If you'll remember, Dromeda only had a problem with your lycanthropy once you started to show an interest in her daughter, not when you were simply her cousin's best friend." Ted used his fork to push around his eggs. "Circumstances can change everything."

Remus had always considered himself quite capable of deducing nuance in any conversation, but Ted had left him rather perplexed. "I'm not quite sure what you're trying to tell me."

"I'm going to be your champion, Lupin."

The joint in his jaw nearly came unhinged as his mouth dropped open in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"It does not, however, come without a price. I need you to promise me something, Lupin. That when I leave that you will not think of me as a total hypocrite."

Reeling at the number of subject changes, Remus blurted, "Leave?"

Ted's dark eyes narrowed on him again, the irritation behind them once again reminding Remus of Dora. "Shush, you prat. I don't want Andromeda or Nymphadora knowing quite yet."

Dropping onto the chair next to Ted, Remus leaned closer as though he was about to plan the next prank with James, Sirius, and Peter. "Why are you leaving?"

"I refused to sign the Muggle-born registration. It will only be a matter of time before the ministry," and he sneered this last as well as Snape on his worst days, "will come for me." He glanced at Remus and the werewolf knew he had not been able to withhold his horror. "If it was just Dromeda and I, it wouldn't matter so much, but we can't be so reckless with a baby on the way."

"Ted, I don't know what to say," Remus sputtered.

"Say, you'll watch out for them while I'm gone. Say that you've put aside all your own qualms and will listen to what Dora needs. Because as much as I hate to admit it, Lupin, she needs you. If anything, your absence has proven this to me."

Remus nodded. "Not the most stellar recommendation I've ever received. But not the worst either. But Ted, if you think you have become a danger, then I am far worse."

To his surprise, Ted shook his head. "Not at the moment. With Voldemort employing Greyback and some of the others, they can't write legislation against you. For now, your safer then I am."

Blinking, Remus' mind had a hard time processing this. "I am sorry, Ted."

"I know, and perhaps we understand each other a little more." From outside of the kitchen, both wizards heard the sound of shuffling feet. "Now that would be Andromeda, just follow my lead."

As Andromeda walked into the kitchen, she stopped dead at the threshold, eyeing Remus as though she could hex him with just the power of her stare. Out of the corner of his eye, Remus saw Ted fight his amusement. Remus knew better. Sirius had brandished a glare just like that when he was his most dangerous.

"Look who's come to eat crow," Ted said, gesturing a fork to Remus before dipping it into his eggs.

Eyeing Ted with surprise, Andromeda said, "And how does it taste?"

"Bittersweet," Remus answered. "Would you care for some eggs?"

"Does Nymphadora know you're here?" Andromeda echoed her husbands earlier question.

There was a guttural growl behind the witch, that sent Andromeda spinning on her heals and showed Dora standing with her hands planted on her hips. "Why can't you at least call me, Dora, like Dad does, Mother?"

"Hours of labor entitles me to call you whatever I want, Nymphadora." A grey eye turned on Remus yet again. "You'll soon learn the truth of that."

Unwavering, Remus did his best to withhold the wince that had accompanied any mention of his future child. Harry had reminded him that he had responsibilities and though he had not quite come to terms with the idea of having a baby, possibly a werewolf baby, he knew he could no longer hurt Dora any longer.

"That isn't for several months yet," he reminded them gently. He couldn't tell by Andromeda's face whether or not he had passed her veiled test, but both witches joined Ted at the table.

Dora held out her plate and said, "Remus, I think I can stomach some of those eggs."