Previously, in Transformations: Remus visits some old friends in Switzerland, and receives a mysterious Christmas package from them. Andromeda plans her annual New Years Eve party. Tonks befriends a newly bitten werewolf, Ethan Bulstrode. She discusses him with her father, who prepares Wolfsbane Potion for several werewolves every month. Later, Remus visits Ethan and agrees to help him with his first transformation. Tonks visits Ethan's family and his fiancée on Christmas in an attempt to end their estrangement with him. The visits don't go well.

Chapter 10: Holiday Surprises

Remus knocked at Nymphadora's door for the third time. He was beginning to worry that she might not be home at all, when he heard a thud, followed by a muted, "Damn coffee table!"

He smiled. She was home after all.

A moment later the door swung open. He barely had time to register the mussed black hair before she stepped forward and flung her arms around his neck, nearly knocking the packages out of his arms.

"Oh Lord, am I glad to see you," she said. "I've had the most miserable day."

"Miserable? At Christmas?"

She nodded, wearing a little pout on her face. "Miserable," she repeated.

"Well, let's see if we can do something to make it better, shall we?"

"Oh, yes!" she said, pulling him inside, and then managing to shut the door and kiss him at the same time.

He pulled away with a chuckle. "It's not that I don't appreciate your enthusiasm, but perhaps I should put these down first?" He indicated the packages in his arms.

"Sorry! I didn't even notice them," she said. The smile on her face seemed like a good sign that she was already feeling better. He was glad he had that effect on her. "What have you got there?"

He headed over to the coffee table he had heard her cursing a few minutes ago, and set his items down one by one.

"These," he said indicating a thermos and a tin, "are mulled wine and ginger biscuits, courtesy of Molly."

"Yum," she said, flopping down on the sofa, pulling open the tin, and popping a biscuit in her mouth. "I love Molly's biscuits. She's the only one I know who makes them better than Granny Tonks."

"And this," said Remus, sitting down beside her and handing her a wrapped package, "is for you. Happy Christmas."

With a giddy smile, she took the heavy package out of his hands, and ran her hands over its smooth surface. "I'm getting a book vibe," she said.

"Open it," he prodded, the corners of his mouth turning up. "I hate waiting."

"I never took you for an instant-gratification sort of bloke," she said.

"Only with you," he replied. "Open it. Please?"

"Oh, all right—but only because you said the magic word." She slipped her fingers under the edge of the paper, and gave it a good rip. Soon, all the paper had been tossed to the ground, and in her lap sat a large volume—Shakespeare's Complete Works, bound in a vivid scarlet leather cover, embossed with gold lettering.

"I thought you should finally have your own copy," he said, watching her carefully, "and as soon as I saw this one, I knew it was the one for you."

Her smile was radiant as she caressed the soft cover, and flipped through the pages. She looked back up at him, her eyes shining. "It's wonderful, Remus. I love it." She hugged the book tightly to her chest. He felt his pulse starting to speed. She was such a dazzling picture of disheveled, carefree beauty. And for some extraordinary reason, she wanted to be with him. It was something that continued to amaze him on a daily basis.

She laid the tome down on the coffee table, and sprang lightly to her feet. "I have something for you too!" she said as she skipped over to her desk.

She retrieved a present wrapped in rather garish purple paper bedecked with ice-skating penguins, and skipped back, handing it to him and sitting back down beside him, biting her lower lip with a look of excited expectation.

Remus began to carefully unfasten the flaps of paper, neatly and slowly unfolding them.

"Oh, come on!" she said, bouncing up and down in her seat. "It's a present—you're supposed to rip!"

"Not all of us are rippers, Nymphadora. Sometimes, taking things slowly and carefully can lead to very pleasing results."

She grinned. "Very funny. Now open the bloody present."

With a grin, he pulled the paper off of his present with one quick tug. They must have been thinking alike when they were shopping, because she had also gotten him a book. This one was the complete novels of Jane Austen. He smiled up at her, with an eyebrow raised in question.

"I've always thought it a travesty that you've never read Austen. So now that you own her complete works, you have no more excuses. You've simply got to read them."

"And I shall—with the greatest pleasure. They can't be that bad, if you like them so much."

"They're not bad at all, nitwit."

"We'll see." He smiled. "Thank you. Very much."

"You are very welcome."

They leaned toward each other in a way that was becoming increasingly natural, and kissed. No matter how many times they'd done this in the past few weeks, he still felt a thrill of wonder every time her lips touched his. He wound his fingers through her hair, and pulled her closer, opening his mouth wider, tasting as much of her as he could. He was rewarded by a small moan of pleasure emanating from her throat. He took his time exploring her mouth with his for another minute before ending the kiss, and staring down into her eyes.

"I hope you're not miserable any more," he said.

"Not at all," she replied. "You were just the cure that I needed."

"What had you so upset?" he asked.

She sighed. "I'm just a meddling fool."

"What do you mean?"

"I went to see Ethan's family and his fiancée, to try to convince them to come visit him."

Remus didn't need any details to know how that had gone—the look on her face was enough.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, cradling her against his chest.

"I'm the one who's sorry," she said. "I should've known that catching them by surprise on Christmas day wouldn't be the best tactic. The fiancée was almost convinced, until her mother came along—and that was the end of that. But Ethan's family was horrible. They preferred to think of him as dead than to accept him for what he is now. On top of it all, it made me start thinking of how it must have been for my mother when her parents did the same thing to her. I just couldn't get it out of my head. It was a very depressing way to spend my Christmas evening."

He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "It was wonderful of you to try, though. Most people wouldn't have done that much for a friend, let alone someone they hardly know. You're an amazing person, Nymphadora Tonks."

"You're pretty amazing yourself," she replied, looking up at him, and tracing the shape of his face with her fingers. "When I went to see Ethan, he told me about the talk you had with him. I think it really helped. And the promise you made him is… I know how you feel about the St. Mungo's transformation room. It's… an amazing sacrifice for you to do this for him."

Remus felt slightly embarrassed. He had never planned on telling Nymphadora about his promise to Ethan, but he should have known that Ethan would tell her. "It's the least I can do," he said. "Like you said: if we don't help him, who will?"

She gave him one of the quirky, crooked smiles that fascinated him endlessly. "I'm glad you've finally come around to my way of thinking," she said.

"You can be very persuasive, you know," he said, leaning back in toward her face.

"Oh can I?" she asked.

"Yes. Very," he murmured, his lips once more brushing against hers.

Her response was immediate and enthusiastic. It wasn't long before he was drawn into the most passionate embrace that they had yet shared. Most of the next half hour was spent in a delirious blur of tangled limbs, exploring lips, and caressing hands.

About the time his hand was sliding up under her bra and his lips were planting a line of kisses down her long neck, Remus realized that if he didn't stop this soon he would very likely lose control and do something he would later regret. With a twinge of disappointment he withdrew his hand from its warm haven and pressed his lips against hers one last time before sitting up to look down at the glorious figure now laying on the sofa beneath him.

"God, you're beautiful," he said hoarsely.

She beamed up at him with a look of radiant innocence that entranced him.

"This is the best Christmas ever," she said.

"Then you're exceedingly fickle. And far too easy to please."

"No," she said, scooting up into a sitting position. "I think that would have pleased any woman with a pulse." She leaned forward to place a kiss on his neck, then slid down to snuggle her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and held her tight.

After a few more minutes of relaxed cuddling, he agreed to start reading Jane Austen aloud with her. A few chapters into "Sense and Sensibility" he was forced to admit that it was far better than he had expected—though reading it with Nymphadora curled in his lap might have impaired his judgment.

Finally, after a few more exquisite kisses, he reluctantly bid her good night and headed home to Grimmauld Place. As he walked down the stairs from her flat, it occurred to him that he was in very grave danger of falling very deeply in love with her. The thought sent a shiver of fear down his spine—but also a tingle of excitement.

Nymphadora was like no other woman he had ever known. What if, after all these years, he had finally found in this vivacious young Auror the woman he could truly share his life with? With that extraordinary thought spinning in his mind, he stepped into the nearest alley, and Apparated back to headquarters.

He was grateful to make it up to his room without encountering anyone else—he had no desire to answer questions about what he'd been doing that night.

When he reached his room, Remus realized that he had one last thing to do before going to bed for the night. The present that Sophie and Laurent gave him before he left Switzerland sat, still wrapped, on his desk. With a smile on his face, he picked it up and began to pull off the ribbon.

Every year for Christmas they gave him a new pair of novelty pajamas. The most daring had been what looked like a pair of plain black pajamas, but when he put them on he discovered that they were charmed to make his flesh appear to vanish, making him look like a skeleton with a normal head on top. He had some good fun scaring Sirius with them this past Halloween.

Most years the pajamas were simpler—just regular fabric printed in silly patterns. Last Christmas they gave him tan pajamas covered with a pattern of anthropomorphic dinosaurs playing Quidditch. He was eager to see what they'd chosen for him this year.

As he pulled the paper away from his new pajamas he began to laugh. They were light orange, covered in vivid green runes spelling out ancient incantations and charms designed to enhance virility and sexual stamina.

Remus sank into his chair, still laughing. There was no way they could have bought the pajamas between when he told them about Nymphadora and the next morning when Sophie gave him the present. It must have been intended as a not-too-subtle hint that he ought to start going out more often. They must have been deeply pleased with themselves when they found out he was already involved in a romance.

He held the pajamas for a few moments, smiling. He couldn't help but wonder if they really would enhance his sex drive. And would that be a very good idea right now? After a moment's hesitation, he stood to shed his clothes and don his new pajamas. He'd take his chances—at least for tonight.

Tonks sank down onto her cushions with a happy sigh. Was it really just one month ago that she was all but convinced that he would never fancy her the way she fancied him? She'd never been happier to be wrong.

She picked up the thermos and emptied the last of the now-cooled mulled wine into her glass. Not bothering with a warming spell, she sipped on the pleasantly spiced beverage, turning the happy thoughts of Remus over and over in her mind.

When her wine was gone, she headed for the bathroom and began to get ready for bed. Just as she finished washing her face, she heard a knock at her door. She had no idea who would be visiting her this time of night. Did Remus come back for more? Her heart quickened at the thought. But how much am I really ready for? What if it is him?

She hurried to the door, and whispered the brief password that made the top half of the door transparent from the inside. She was stunned.

The person standing nervously in front of her was Ethan's fiancée, Beatrice Prewett.

Tonks opened her door. "Beatrice? What in the world brings you here this time of night?"

The shivering and red-faced young woman looked at her with pleading in her eyes. "I've been to see Ethan. You were right about everything. He's still the man I love—I never should have let my parents keep me away from him. He shouldn't have forgiven me for abandoning him like that…but he did." He eyes shone with moisture, and the corners of her lips turned up in a small smile. "He forgave me." The power of that simple statement was palpable.

Beatrice took a deep breath, and curled her fists at her sides. "I'm determined to marry him, and I told my parents. We had a huge row. It was horrible, and I can't live in that house any more. I…I didn't know where else to go. Please…can I stay the night?" The words came pouring out of her mouth in a torrent, and she seemed on the verge of tears.

Tonks blinked in surprise. Then she looked at the three trunks piled awkwardly behind Beatrice. She was serious. She'd left home. Something I said today actually worked?

Tonks nodded. "Yes. Yes! Come in."

Beatrice entered, and Tonks levitated her trunks in after her. As soon as she closed the door she was shocked to find Beatrice throwing her arms around her and pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thank you so much! I don't know if I'd ever have gotten up the courage to go see Ethan if it wasn't for you. And you have no idea how much your visits have meant to him. You're like our own personal angel. Thank you."

Tonks patted her back awkwardly. "I was just doing what needed to be done. It's no big deal."

Beatrice backed up and clasped Tonks' hand in her own, staring earnestly at her. "But it is. I've never known anyone who would do so much to help virtual strangers. I've never met anyone like you before."

Tonks shuffled her feet and looked at the ground. This was getting more than a little uncomfortable for her. She was only doing what any decent human being would do—nothing more, nothing less.

She forced a smile, and said, "I'm sure you've met plenty of people who'd do what I did—they just didn't know what's going on with you and Ethan, or one of them would have stepped in before I did."

Beatrice shook her head. "I don't think so."

Tonks couldn't take much more of this flattery. "Let's see if you still feel that way about me after you've seen more of my abominable housekeeping. Come on. Let me show you the guest room."

She took the young woman by the arm and led her back to the cluttered spare room, wondering how long it would take to make the place habitable. Maybe it was time to brew some strong tea—they'd need it.

"So," said Nymphadora looking earnestly up at Remus, "do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

Remus swallowed, and looked down at his hands. The right thing? For whom?

Taking in the rebellious fiancée of an impoverished werewolf might be a laudable act of charity that could be seen as "the right thing," under certain circumstances. But was it really the right thing to do for the Order? Nymphadora had succeeded in entangling herself in the lives of two strangers with uncertain political allegiance at a very politically fragile moment. How could she possibly conceal her involvement in the Order from the girl if they were living together? Not to mention the potential implications to Nymphadora's relationship with him. After all, her flat had been one of their last places to find any privacy.

He cleared his voice uncomfortably, still trying to think of a suitable reply. "Well—of course you…it's…this is a wonderful thing that you're doing for them. It's very…humanitarian of you."

The tilt of Nymphadora's raised eyebrows clearly told him that he hadn't done a very good job of hiding his mixed feelings.

Sirius let out a low barking chuckle from where he was sitting nearby. "Humanitarian? You're so full of shite sometimes, Moony."

Remus glared, folding his arms across his chest. "I meant what I said. This is a very compassionate and generous thing for Nymphadora to do, and I respect her very much for doing it."

Sirius snorted.

Nymphadora turned toward him. "If you have a meaningful comment to make, make it. Otherwise, shut up."

Sirius lowered his feet to the floor from the coffee table where they'd been propped, "I'd be happy to interpret Moony's dithering for you, if you like."

"Sirius!" said Remus.

"We may as well let him get it over with, because once he's determined to say something there's no stopping him." Nymphadora sat down on the edge of a console table, looking resigned.

"Smart woman you've got here, Moony," said Sirius. Remus's frown deepened. Sirius looked back at Nymphadora. "What Moony was really thinking when he said you were being humanitarian was that you just gave up the last of your privacy to a virtual stranger, who, for all we know, could be the biggest busy-body gossip known to man, and her prying could lead to the exposure of the entire Order and the ruination of all our work. Not to mention the fact that next time you want to shag you'll have to do it in that dank basement that he calls a flat because I know for a fact that neither of you can cast a proper silencing barrier if your lives depended on it, and Molly would flay you alive if she heard you getting up to something with the kids here." He grinned and glanced up at Remus. "How close did I come?"

An icy silence fell over the room and Sirius, still grinning, glanced back and forth between the Remus and Nymphadora.

Remus took a deep breath. "I think Tonks and I would appreciate some privacy right now, Padfoot. Would you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?"

Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes, but rose to his feet. "I guess I hit a little too close to the mark for his taste," he said to Nymphadora on the way out. "Don't be too hard on him. I happen to agree—letting that girl into your life and into your flat will bring you nothing but trouble. Don't say I didn't warn you." With that he sauntered out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Remus looked back at Nymphadora. "I'm sorry. He was out of line—"

"No. He wasn't." She looked up at him with nervous eyes. "I've compromised the security of the Order, haven't I? He's right. I know next to nothing about Beatrice, and only slightly more about Ethan. And now I'm in over my head." She leaned forward and rubbed her forehead. "Why do I always find myself in situations like these?"

Remus went to sit next to her on the edge of the table. "Because you sometimes act with your heart instead of your head. It's one of your more endearing qualities."

She sighed, and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thanks. But this really is a muddle I don't know how to get out of."

He wrapped his arm around her waist. "We might not need to get out of it. After all, Ethan's werewolf troubles could provide the lead we need to find out exactly how the Moonies are connected to the Death Eaters. We seem to be playing for the same side, at least for now. They might even be interested in joining the Order themselves."

She smiled. "You're right. I should start asking some subtle questions to see if they might have leanings in that direction. They could be good allies for us. After all—they have no reason to remain loyal to the pure-blood agenda."

"My thoughts exactly," he agreed, hoping that they were right. "But do be careful about how much you say in front of them before you're sure of their loyalties."

"I will. Don't worry."

She threaded her fingers through his, and squeezed. He squeezed back and leaned against her, breathing deeply the sweet scent of her hair. It was impossible to feel pessimistic at times like these. In the past month she'd made him believe that almost anything was possible.

Sirius paced the kitchen restlessly. He was beginning to regret the lengths he'd gone to to push Remus and Tonks together. Now that they were a couple they always wanted to hide away by themselves. A man could only take so many hours of hanging out with bored teenagers. He needed some adult company.

Just a few days ago he'd resolved to talk to Tonks and Dumbledore about letting him reunite with his cousin Dromeda, but in all the hustle and bustle since Harry and the Weasleys arrived he hadn't found the time. Now that Christmas was over, he would have to make the time.

"If you don't vary your course a little you'll start wearing a groove in the floor," came a voice from the doorway.

Sirius halted his pacing to smile at Bill as he entered the kitchen.

"You got anything to drink in here?" asked Bill, striding over to the cupboard where the liquor was kept.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "I thought that I was the only one who was allowed to start drinking before dinner?"

"Normally, yes," said Bill with a wry smile, pulling a bottle of firewhisky out of the cupboard. "But today…today it's my turn." He went to another cupboard for a glass. "Care to join me?"

"I'll never turn down a drink," replied Sirius.

Bill nodded and got a second glass. He set them on the table and poured drinks for them both. They sat down together, and Sirius watched, bemused, as Bill finished his drink in one large gulp and poured himself another. Something wasn't right with the man, today, and Sirius thought he knew what might be going on.

"So," said Sirius after a sip of his own drink, "are you and Fleur having problems?"

Bill huffed and took another drink. "Is it that obvious?"

Sirius cocked his head and shrugged. "I don't know what else would have you drinking at five in the afternoon."

Bill nodded, finishing his second drink. "I was supposed to leave for France this afternoon to meet her family. I wrote her this morning to tell her that I couldn't leave my dad yet—that my mum and the kids still needed me. But…she wasn't too happy about it."

Sirius frowned. "You'd think she'd be more understanding, given the circumstances."

Bill sighed. "That's part of the problem—she didn't exactly know the circumstances."

"You mean…you haven't told her about—"

"The Order. Why my dad was attacked. How we're fighting a secret war. None of it. I hadn't told her one bloody thing." He poured another drink, and shook his head. "We talked over the floo just now, and argued the whole time. She knew I was keeping secrets from her—hiding things. She thought I was cheating on her."

"Why didn't you tell her the truth? If she's really the woman you say she is, she can handle it." He'd never seen Bill so rattled—he was usually as cool as ice. He must really be in love with the girl.

Bill shook his head. "I did tell her the truth. This afternoon I told her everything. I told I'd been trying to protect her. I thought that would fix things, but it only made it worse. She was angry at me for not telling her the truth sooner, and offended that I didn't seem to think she could be a valuable member of the Order."

Sirius whistled, and leaned back in his chair. "You've got yourself into quite a pickle, haven't you, mate?"

"I certainly have. And the ironic part is, the same night my dad was attacked I was in a bar with Tonks trying to recruit an old friend of ours for the Order. And he has a fiancée that he wanted to protect, and I told him that she was probably stronger than he gave her credit for."

Sirius chuckled. "So you're feeling like a bloody big hypocrite about now, aren't you?"

Bill smiled. "The biggest." He raised his glass. "To hypocrisy, in all its glorious forms."

Sirius raised his glass in turn. "To hypocrisy."

The tipped their glasses, and drank.

The next few days went by in a blur of activity for Tonks. She worked every day leading up to New Years, and spent most of her free time helping Beatrice settle into her flat. She barely managed to squeeze in a short visit with her best friend Cory, and a few stolen hours with Remus.

She learned that Beatrice had spent the last two years working part-time at a renowned bakery and pastry shop in Diagon Alley, and urged her to ask for a full-time position. If she was serious about marrying Ethan, they would need the steady income.

One day at lunch, just as she was finishing a quick visit to Ethan, they were joined by a cheerful older woman who introduced herself as Sarah Browning of Werewolf Support Services. "I'm so pleased to meet you!" Sarah said, shaking Tonks's hand vigorously. "Ethan has told me so much about you, and everything you've done for him. You're an absolute angel—his guardian angel."

Tonks smiled and looked down, slightly embarrassed. "I didn't do that much."

"Oh, but you did! You've been amazing." replied Sarah. "In fact, there's something I'd like to discuss with you, if you have the time?"

"I'm afraid that I was just on my way back to work. But I need to talk to you, too. Maybe we can set an appointment sometime in the beginning of January?"

"That would be wonderful, dear. Just contact my office and we'll set up a time."

Tonks was glad for a chance to meet with Sarah. From what Remus had said, she and her assistant could provide invaluable information about the mysterious Moonies. Plus, she might have some valuable tips for helping to get Ethan and Beatrice on their feet again once Ethan was discharged from the hospital.

In spite of her busyness Tonks made the time to send a note to Dumbledore, asking if she could meet with him about her mother and Sirius. She wasn't going to let her mother down on this one. What had been happening between them lately had been opening her eyes to a whole new side of her mother's character, and Tonks was even starting to think of her a friend. It was an unexpected but highly welcome development, but Tonks couldn't help but wonder how long it could possibly last. She and her mother had been at odds for so many years that this new phase in their relationship seemed almost too good to be true.

Then, on the evening of the thirtieth, Tonks was ready to recover from her long day at work with a warm bath when the floo flared up and her mother's head appeared. "Nymphadora? Are you there?"

Tonks sighed. She wasn't sure she had the energy right now to talk to her mum. Maybe she could keep it short. "I'm here," she said, kneeling in front of the fire. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to remind you to clean those new dress robes so that you can wear them to the party tomorrow."

Tonks frowned. "You honestly think I wouldn't remember to clean my robes?" For some reason her mother's reminder was particularly irritating tonight—largely because Tonks really had forgotten to clean the robes. But she wasn't about to admit it to her mum.

"No, dear. You just looked so lovely in them, I was hoping you would wear them again."

"I'll wear them. And they'll look just as nice as they did for the Christmas party. All right?"

"That's wonderful. We're really looking forward to having you."

"I come to the party every year, mum."

"I know, but there's no reason why I can't look forward to it, is there?"

Tonks rubbed her forehead—it was beginning to ache.

"Tonks? I was about to make myself some dinner. Would you like some?" asked Beatrice, stepping into the room. As soon as she noticed Andromeda's face in the floo her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh! I didn't know you were in the middle of something. Sorry!" She scurried off to the kitchen without another word.

"Who was that?" asked Andromeda. "Do you have company?"

"That was my new flatmate," replied Tonks, frustrated. Now she would have to spend another ten minutes explaining her new situation when all she wanted was to get in her bath.

"Really? I thought that after Serena moved out you swore you'd had enough of trying to share your flat with another woman and declared that you'd never do it again."

Tonks squeezed her eyes shut, trying to quiet the pounding in her head, and took a deep breath. In a flash of inspiration the perfect reply came to her. "This is a special circumstance. She's engaged to a man her parents don't approve of, and they've thrown her out of the house."

Tonks watched as her mother's eyes widened in surprise before softening with sympathy. Tonks couldn't help but think that her mother, of all people, could relate to what Beatrice was going through.

"That's very generous of you, dear," said Andromeda. "How long will she be staying with you?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think they've set a date yet. And they need to find their own place to move into once they marry. I'm certainly not letting out my spare room to newlyweds—I'd never get any sleep."

Andromeda's face wore a thin smile. "Very true." She paused. "What is her name?"

"Beatrice. Beatrice Prewett."

"Ah. I knew her parents—they were two years ahead of me at school. Her father is a first cousin to your friend Molly Weasley. Perhaps Molly would take an interest in helping Beatrice. You should ask her."

Tonks was always amazed at her mother's vast knowledge of the blood ties of the various pure-blood families in England. Tonks wondered why her mother even bothered learning it all, or if she was just genetically predisposed to care about that sort of thing. If that was the case, those particular genes clearly hadn't been passed down. "I didn't know that, Mum. Thanks. I'll talk to Molly about it next time I see her."

"You're welcome. If you don't mind my asking—what were her family's objections to her young man?"

This was the question Tonks had been hoping her mother wouldn't ask. As much as she didn't want to answer, it was best to get the truth out now so there wouldn't be a row about it later. But she decided to build up to the crux of the matter slowly. "He…just lost his job. And he had a falling out with his family that left him disowned and penniless."

"Oh, my. That's terrible."

"It's even worse, Mum. You see…the reason he was disowned is because…" she took a deep breath, "…because he was bitten by a werewolf last month."

Andromeda's eyebrows shot up toward her hairline, and even through the green glow of the floo she seemed to grow a little paler. "His family must be old blood to cast him off like that."

Tonks nodded. "They are. The Bulstrodes."

"Ah." That seemed to be enough of an explanation for Andromeda. She was silent for a moment, and then asked, hesitantly, "And Beatrice…she's still certain that she wants to marry him?"

Tonks frowned at the tone of thinly veiled incredulity in her mother's voice. She couldn't possibly be taking Mrs. Prewett's side, could she? "Of course she's certain. She still loves him. He has a disease—it hasn't changed who is as a person."

Andromeda shook her head. "Perhaps not, but it has placed him in a position where he will very likely never be able to provide for a family—not to mention that it puts his loved ones at risk every full moon. Beatrice needs to prepare herself for a difficult life. She's going to have to be the bread-winner of the family, and the nursemaid as well."

"Mother! That's—" Tonks began indignantly.

"That's the plain truth of it, Nymphadora," interrupted Andromeda. "And if you took the time to think about it rationally, you would see that I'm right. Taking on a marriage to someone suffering from an incurable and highly dangerous malady would be a difficult undertaking for anyone, no matter how prepared. The emotional and financial strain will be enormous. And bringing children into such a household is an even more difficult matter. I'm sure you've heard the rumors of difficult pregnancies and children inheriting wolfish tendencies from their werewolf parents."

"Now that's just superstitious nonsense!" Tonks had had about as much of this conversation as she could take.

"Are you so sure?" replied Andromeda. "So few werewolves dare have children that it's hard to know the truth of it. If I were you, I would advise your friend Beatrice to take her time, and have a nice long engagement. That'll give her time to get a better idea of the kind of burden and risk she'll be taking on. By the end she just might change her mind."

That was the last straw. "No! She won't! She loves him. She loves him so much that chose alienation from her family to be with him. He's the most important thing on Earth to her. She will not change her mind."

"We'll see."

Tonks jumped to her feet, her hands clenched in fists at her side. "I'm through with this conversation, Mother. Good night." Without waiting to hear Andromeda's reply, she spun on her heels and stalked toward the bathroom.

Her head was pounding and her mind was spinning. How could her mother be so prejudiced? So close-minded? So infernally frustrating?

She knew the peaceful rapport with her mother had been too good to last. And now it had come to a screeching halt in the worst possible way. Is that the way she'll feel about Remus when she meets him? Or will it be different when it's her own daughter who's in love with a werewolf?

It might be even worse.

Those thoughts continued to percolate in her mind all night long, even after she fell asleep.

Early the next morning, right before work, she stopped by Grimmauld Place. Remus was alone in the kitchen, and rose to his feet with a grin when she walked in.

"This is a pleasant surprise," he said.

She halted in front of him, fidgeting. "Do you have some dress robes?"

He opened his mouth in bewilderment. "Uh…I'm afraid not."

"Do you think you could borrow some from Sirius or Bill, just for tonight?"

His brow furrowed. "For tonight? Why?"

"Remember that New Year's Eve party that my parents are throwing, and how I thought it might be too early to introduce you to my parents?"

"Of course."

"Well, I've changed my mind. I want you to come to the party with me."

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading! I'm going to warn you right now that it will probably be a long time (more than a month) before the next update. I'm really caught up in some original writing projects right now, and those tend to take precedence. But I'm not giving up on this tale of mine, so keep watching for it. It'll be up eventually. :)