Author's Note:

Disclaimer: The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.

Warnings: Pregnancy, hospital setting

Stacked with: MC4A; Terms of Services

Individual Challenge(s): Cracked Facade; Hufflepuff MC; Gryffindor MC;

Representation(s): Auror Tonks; St. Mungo's

Bonus challenge(s): Nightingale; Spinning Plates; Middle Name; Second Verse (Ladylike); Chorus (Odd Feathers); Demo (Saucy Buns; Pear-Shaped; Wabi Sabi; Creature Feature; Surprise!; Esbat)

Tertiary bonus challenge: NA

Word Count: 513

Shipping Wars

Ship (Team): Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin (Technicolour Moon)

List (Prompt): Spring Micro 2 List (Worst Possible Timing)

Beating the Clock

He thought she'd been acting odd all morning, but he knew for sure when she grabbed the edge of the counter and gasped. The colour drained from her hair for a second, before pulsing back a weaker shade of green than before.

"Dora," he said, reaching for her. Her spare hand moved from where it rested on her belly, at the spot where the baby kicked most often, and then out to him, waving him off.

"I'm okay," she said.

"That's evidently a lie," he said. His heart started beating in his chest as his mind oh-so-helpfully jumped to a thousand simultaneous conclusions. She couldn't be… The baby's due date was still three days away. Then again, Andromeda had been regaling them with tales of her own pregnancy over the last nine months, and Dora herself had been early.

And if she was three days early…

He didn't have to look at the calendar to know where the moon was in its cycle. His own body was giving him oh-so-pleasant reminders.

He couldn't think of that right now. Granted, the dawning first moon would become relevant very soon, but for now nothing could be more important than taking care of her.

"Dora," he said. "Dora, has this been going on since you woke up?"

"Yes, but they're—" She winced again, and all the alarm bells in his head went off.

"Dora, you can't talk through them," Remus said. "You need a Healer."

"No," she said, gritting her teeth. "I am not due today, and even if I was it's a full moon and so I am holding it in."

"It's perhaps not my place to claim authority on this, but I am very, very sure that that is not how this works," he said.

She took a deep breath and looked up at him, eyes just as panicked as he was feeling. Well, probably more, and rightfully so.

"I don't want to do this without you," she said quietly.

"You won't," Remus promised. "You won't. I'm with you. But you also need a Healer, I think. Not seeing a Healer won't make this less true."

She closed her eyes and nodded.

"Send my mum a Patronus," she said.

"I'll get your bag," he said, kissing her forehead.

False contractions.

Remus could have cried when the Healer told them.

"It was good that you came," the Healer said. "We'll want to keep you here under observation, just to keep an eye on you."

"But I'm not having this baby today?" Dora asked again.

"It doesn't look like it, no," she said.

Dora exhaled. Remus exhaled too. She squeezed his hand.

"This child has your sense of timing," Remus said. "It too will be the end of me, apparently."

Dora laughed, noticeably relaxing now that they had given her a course of potions to soothe the false contractions. Her hair had settled back to its usual pop-art brightness.

"If it really is like me, it'll wait for you," she said.

He brought her hand to his lips.

"I'll make sure to be punctual," he promised.