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October 17, 1998

Kingsley Shacklebolt, minister of magic, had arrived two hours and nine minutes through Teddy Lupins birthday party… He was amused by the party, a celebration of the youngest Lupin turning a full six months old, but he had brought a present and handed it over with a smile, a twinkle in his eyes not going un-noticed by Remus who warned him not to tease Dora about the celebration on risk of death. This celebration was as important to her as his coming of age would be.

The Lupin's cottage was filled with close friends and family. The Weasley's were all there, even Ginny, she and Hermione had managed to sneak away from school to attend the party and the professors that were attending were studiously ignoring their student's presence. Which resulted in professors walking in and students vanishing in a flurry of smothered laughter. Minerva and Poppy were there as well as Hagrid, who was telling a pale looking Remus about the latest pet he was rearing. A kappa, which was making itself at home in the lake that Hagrid had made for it behind his home. Neville and Luna were there along with a few of the Order survivors. People who were closest to the Lupins.

Dora was hurrying around, talking to people, being sent out of the kitchen by her mother and Molly, enjoying peace, enjoying not having to hide. Enjoying the laughter. Molly and Andromeda were both in their element, grief was put aside for a little while as they bustled around Remus' immaculate kitchen making more food than their guests could eat. Talking, chatting easily about mutual friends, little Teddy, and the fact that Hogwarts was open once more. These women who had barely known each other before the war were finding that, despite their upbringing, they had a great deal in common.

Three hours and thirty-eight minutes after Kingsley's arrival he left, but not before he pulled Nymphadora Lupin into the hallway. Away from the room where laughter was exploding and games of impossible length were being played.

Dora glared at Kinsley. "Now is not the time, Kingsley!" She folded her arms tightly across her chest.

The tall, dark man rolled his eyes. "For goodness sakes, Tonks, why is it not the time!"

Dora gestured wildly behind her at the house. "We are having a party! For Teddy's—"

"Teddy is six months old today, Tonks, which is hardly a reason to break out the banners." He had decided to ignore Remus' warning and he regretted it a moment later.

Dora glared at her former co-worker. "Well, forgive me, Minister, for wanting to celebrate something good!" She spat. "because for the last several years there has been nothing good to celebrate and I am terribly sorry that you think it is foolish and inappropriate to celebrate something that makes everyone in that room happy! Which, is no easy fete let me tell you seeing we all lost someone!"

Kingsley sighed. "Tonks, please. You know I didn't mean it that way. We want you back. Savage says that he needs people like you. People who are strong. And frankly, having a friendly face at the ministry would be a relief!"

"They bloody well sacked me!" She exploded. Her hair was crimson. "They sacked me when my marriage became public knowledge! They sacked me because I chose to be with a man I love rather then follow their bloody protocols!"

Kingsley breathed in deeply. "And for the last four months you have been having maternity payments, Tonks, since some of those laws were relaxed. Come on, please, be reasonable."

"Be reasonable!" She hissed at him. She glanced back towards the lounge-room where the remainder of their guests were still situated. Where she wanted to be. "You want me to be reasonable and work for the people who have ensured my husband will never be able to work in the wizarding world."

"Tonks, please. We need you and," Kingsley hesitated. "You need the money. Don't deny it, Remus hasn't had proper work for years and the laws aren't going to change overnight. I will be lucky if I can get the Wizagamont to change them in a year let alone ten!"

Dora ground her teeth together. "It's bloody unfair!"

"And I am the first to agree. But Greyback and the pack did damage and it will take a long time before people can see Remus, the good man and not just a werewolf. The wizarding world is in tatters. We need strong people in the Auror office, Tonks. People like you who fought for what is right. We are still tracking Death Eaters. Hogwarts is almost completely repaired and the students are back there now. You can't use that as an excuse. Please, Tonks, just think about it." He sighed. "I have to go. Tell Remus I said good bye. I will need your answer by the end of the week." The minister of magic stared at the woman he had worked with for so long before he turned and walked out of the Lupin's home.

Dora glared at the door that he closed behind him. She turned on her heel and stormed back into the living room. Most of their party guests had departed. Her excuses for returning to the party had been invalid… and Kingsley had known it. Molly was in the kitchen with Andromeda, both refusing to let her help clean up, they used they excuse that she had done enough, secretly she thought they didn't want her breaking any of her own chine. Ron and Harry were bickering over a chess set, Hermione and Ginny were speaking in soft whispers about… boys, most likely and Remus… The fiery red of her hair died away and returned to its usual pink. Remus was stretched out on the couch, sleeping, with Teddy lying on his chest, held securely by his father's arm. It would be full moon in three days and she knew her husband was growing more and more exhausted as each hour passed drawing closer to his private hell. The fact that he had fallen into a doze only fifteen minutes after she had left the room was testament to that. She crossed to him and gently brushed the hair off his forehead. He and Teddy looked so comfortable. Her stomach tightened. She wanted domestic bliss to last a little longer. She wanted to spend time with her family. She wanted…. She wanted to stay away from the people who had treated her so horribly after she had married Remus.

Reaching for a blanket she covered her husband and son before settling in beside the girls.

"Is Remus all right?" Hermione flickered a worry glance to her former teacher.

"Oh yes! Just tired, can't blame him! I want a kip myself," Dora grinned. "You should take it as a compliment, him being comfortable enough to fall asleep in front of you. Who knew six month old birthday parties could be so tiring!"

Harry snorted but his eyes didn't leave the chess board.

"You hush up, Potter," Dora mumbled lazily. "You were just as excited as any of us about this bloody party. But then," she grinned cheekily. "That could have been because Ginny managed to sneak out of school for the day."

Hermione and Ginny both laughed as their respective boyfriends became rather red.

"How is Hogwarts?"

Hermione shrugged. "Odd in a way. It's all been cleared up and there are only minor repairs now it's just… Odd to be back. Especially now Harry and Ron aren't there."

"It's much quieter that's for sure!" Ginny laughed. Her smile faded. "It's awful though… We walk the halls where people died."

Dora squeezed Ginny's hand gently. "You are much braver then I am. I do not think I could have gone back if I were you girls."

Hermione propped her chin on her hand. "I don't know if it's brave," she admitted. "But… people look at us, and I think it's important that we try to be normal. Like you, you and Remus have created a home! I mean we are having parties for half year birthdays! It's so… normal and perfect!"

Dora smiled slightly. Her eyes rested on her sleeping husband and son. Normal. Perfect.

"Why are you angry?" Remus mumbled against his wife's hair.

She sighed and curled into him, her arms wrapping around his chest tightly.

"Kingsely infuriates me."

"Oh dear?" His hand rubbed soothing circles on her back and she found herself relaxing under his touch.

"He wants me to go back to work!"

Remus' hands stilled for a moment before resuming the soothing massage. "Do you want to go back?" He spoke slowly.

"No! I want to stay here! With you and Teddy!"

A soft laugh rumbled through Remus. "That is perfectly acceptable," he murmured.

"He wants me to think about it," she complained.

Remus was quiet for a long time. "I could try to find work, in the muggle world," his voice was low, some of the shame he felt creeping into his tones. "And then you wouldn't have to fret about it."

"No!" Dora hugged him tightly. "Don't start sounding like that! I will go back, eventually. I suppose I want to go back. Just not yet… I want longer with you and Teddy and Harry! I want to enjoy peace."

Remus kissed her forehead. "Then that's what you tell Kingsely."

She sighed before shifting to kiss him. "I suppose so. Let's stop talking about Kingsley. He's not a very nice bed topic!"

Remus laughed and began to kiss her. She had no idea that in less than a week her mind would be changed drastically.

Dora Lupin could not sleep on the night of a full moon. Ever since she had fallen in love with Remus she had become an insomniac for one night every month. Her husband had looked exhausted as she had locked him in the shed that his parents had built and fortified the wards around him. She wished that he would transform in the basement where it would, at least, be warmer but he refused. He insisted that it was too dangerous. He was right. They could not afford Wolfsbane potion and he insisted that he didn't care; that he was so used to the transformations. Teddy would sleep in Harry's room. Something else that Remus had insisted on, he would not risk his family more than necessary. And so, she sat up, she paced, she tried to read, to knit and then, like every other month, Dora would sit at the window and stare at the moon. The cottage was far away from civilisation. Far away from people. It was the perfect place for a werewolf and she felt a sudden surge of gratefulness that the house had not been sold. Mr and Mrs Lupin had bound it in laws, vows and contracts so tightly that Remus could not sell it and it meant that… no matter how bad things were he would always have a roof over his head. Well… almost always. She shivered. She hated the winter full moons. They always lasted too long. He always got too cold and became ill after every full moon. Kingsley had sent another plea this afternoon. She would have thrown it into the fire had not Remus' eyes looked at her in silent reproof. She didn't want to go back to work. Didn't want her illusion that the world was perfect to shatter. She yawned and glanced at the clock. Two more hours… Maybe looking at that paperwork wouldn't hurt?

Dora wanted to scream, to cry, to curl up, and to wake up from a nightmare when she opened the shed door and stared in horror at the carnage that greeted her. "Remus…" her voice broke as she stared at the blood covered walls. "Remus!" She stumbled into the icy cold shed, shivering, and found her naked, broken husband lying, unconscious, bones twisted awkwardly, in the middle of the floor. The floor that had blood stains, old and new, spreading across its floor.

A blanket and a warming charm were placed over him before she carefully levitated and placed a cushioning spell onto her burden. She was not about to risk jostling him against the door. Blood dripped in the snow as she hurried him back to the house. It had snowed overnight. Unusual. Beautiful. Pure white snow with a crimson blood trail marking their tracks. She didn't have time to cry. Remus needed her. He needed her or he would…. No! She couldn't think like that!

"Harry!" She was screaming for him before she was in the door. She guided her wand to the kitchen. "Harry!" An incantation and another cushioning spell were placed on the table where she gently lay her husband. "Harry!"

She could hear the scramble of footsteps as she peeled the blanket off Remus and vanished the blood. As swiftly as she did fresh blood spilled onto him from his wounds.

"Dora, what—" Harry let out a sharp, dismayed cry.

"Get mum! And Molly! And Poppy!" She scanned Remus, looking for the worst of the wounds. Trying desperately to stop the bleeding. Behind her she could hear Harry in the floo, his voice filled with worry. Remus hadn't a moon this bad for a long time… A very long time.

The room was filled with people in a matter of minutes. People working feverishly to heal the werewolf whose blood dripped onto the hardwood floor. People who had risen early, swiftly to help Remus. And upstairs, Edward Remus Lupin slept, oblivious to the fact that below, his father fought for his life.

It was one hour thirty seven minutes later that Dora Lupin decided that she was going to return to work just as soon as her husband was recovered and they would buy that potion. They would buy the potion that meant he didn't tear himself to pieces… Didn't hurt himself every full moon. She didn't care that he would point out that not all moons were this bad. She didn't care what he said about it being too expensive. He had gone through his last full moon without the wolfsbane.