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Tonks finds him with Teddy, dropping tears on the little baby's face. For some reason, the baby's still sleeping deeply, undisturbed. It is Tonks who is disturbed by the scene. She had assumed, through their long conversations, that Remus had wanted this, a baby, a family, and a settling-down. But here he is, crying over their son.

"Remus?"

He looks up so defensively that she puts her hands out in front of her, a surrender. He tries not to sniffle and ignore the fact tears are coating his eyelashes. Tonks stares at her stronger-than-oak husband faltering under the baby breeze. It is touchingly pathetic.

"Remus, what's the matter?" She can hardly speak above a whisper. "Remus?"

It takes a while to coax out a response. He shakes his head for a while and evades the question. At one time, he tries to pretend he's not crying, but even he realizes the futility. Remus cries bitterly and he won't say why. It's only when Tonks demands an answer with a frown that a feeble reply can be heard under the choking tears.

"He never had the choice..."

"Who, Remus? Who are you talking about?"

Remus stares down at little Teddy. His hair changes from a magenta to a pale orange. Tonks pats the wisps of color-changing hair. Tonks again demands a clarification. But Remus only has nervous mutters for himself.

"I should've never started crying like that... Wasn't very manly of me..." He looks at Tonks. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for scaring you. I won't do it again. I don't know what came over me, but I won't do it again–"

"Remus." The voice is firm. "What's going on?"

It is the moan of a wounded animal that escapes between Remus' lips. He clutches his head in parody of an anguished poet. "He never had the choice..."

"About what?"

Remus looks up and despite his promises, his eyes are glistening again. "About being the son of a werewolf." He has been suffering. "At least you had the choice to be married to me... Nobody let Teddy decide if he wanted to be my son or not..."

"Remus, what are you talking about?" Tonks' frown is deep. It is concern. She picks up Teddy and holds him to her.

"What are the kids going to say when he goes to Hogwarts?" Remus says. "They'll know his father's a werewolf. Everyone knows!" A wild cry. "Kids are cruel, Tonks. You remember, don't you? Impossibly cruel. Callous. And you were allowed to decide to be near me. Ted doesn't get to. What's he going to do?"

Remus personally told Tonks when she married him, she would be marrying his baggage as well. All this emotional baggage from years of snobby sniffs and "Please leave now"'s. She still said yes. And she has never yet cursed her decision.

Tonks stares at the miserable ball that is Remus and wraps her arms around him. She enjoys the bitter irony of being the one to be wrapping arms around and protecting while Remus cowers and weeps. Teddy is in the middle of their embrace, dozing. Tonks kisses Remus.

"Remus," Tonks says. "If Teddy's anything like me– which I think he will be, considering the state of his changing hair color already– then he'll think you're absolutely wonderful."

Remus looks up at his wife. "What if he's like me instead and decides he hates me?"

"Then I'll accidentally-on-purpose trip over an umbrella stand and drop piles of dishes on his head and that bump on his head will make him love you."

"Do you know you're not very good at comforting people? Or rational?"

"Sirius says that a lot. Did he tell you to say that to me?" Remus smiles.

"No. I guess it's a truth all people eventually come to."

"Oi, that wasn't a very nice thing to say to your amazing wife who just comforted you in your time of suffering."

"Oh no." Remus angles his mouth towards Tonks'. "Will you ever forgive me?"

"I'll try to," she smiles.

Between Remus and Tonks is Teddy. The first time they kiss, the baby flails, but falls back asleep. The second time, the tears on Remus' cheeks have dried. The third time, they're both smiling stupidly.

And the fourth time, the fifth time, and the sixth time–never been happier.

Didn't mean to make him so weepy. But that's what happened.