Speak to Me (Ted)

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The sound of chatting voices filled the walls of the Burrow that evening. Tonight had been another gathering of the Order, just like every week. And just like every week, Remus had arrived just a little before the meeting had started. After having spent the last hour or so exchanging news, the meeting had come to an end only moments ago. However, Remus had found himself unable to concentrate today. Why? Well, that came down to a various number of things currently. But one particular matter stuck out in his mind like someone had coloured in an image. Tonks. The young witch seemed to be on his mind a lot as of lately. If Remus was honest with himself, he had been worrying about her. When he had broke in to her home those days ago, the werewolf hadn’t been quite expecting the scene before him or the news to reach his ears. Ever since the whole incident had been playing in his mind, over and over again like a silent film. So much in fact, that Remus had found his mind wondering else where during the meeting.

Currently he was still sat at the table, staring at the wall across the room. His eyes were glued to the wall, barely moving away. Mind buzzing away like mad, attention turned away from the current situation he found himself in. The werewolf had realised the meeting had just finished, that was until a voice broke his thoughts. Blinking and looking away quickly, he turned to see Arthur looking over at him with a concerned look. Lupin shot the man a brief smile, before looking around the room and realising that everyone had left the table. Clearing his throat lightly, Remus tried to ignore the ever-growing warmth in his cheek as he stood. Had it been that obvious that he wasn’t all with it today? He hoped not. Checking his watch briefly, Remus soon sighed softly at the time. Maybe he needed to go and get some fresh air? Yes, that sounded like a good idea. Moving gently through the small crowd in the room, Lupin soon approached the backdoor and moved outside in to the front garden.

Fresh air filled his lungs as he stepped outside. A welcoming relief and one he hoped would help clear his foggy mind. After checking over his shoulder, Remus moved to lean against the side of the house. The evening was cool with a few puddles covering the ground to show it had recently rained. But right now, Lupin welcomed that little time alone and the fresh air along with it. Closing his eyes, he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose lightly. Despite all this, his mood was a little better than usual today. Which was a little unusual by Remus standards. Instantly his mind snapped back to Tonks, which caused him to frown a little. No, it wasn’t his place to mention any of this to anyone. However, that didn’t stop him from fearing her safety none the less. Ignoring the slowly developing headache, Remus instead simply stood there and took in all the sounds around him. The soft sound of crickets chirping and the subtle sound of the wind hitting the trees. Just clam down Remus, everything will be okay in the end. But would it?

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It had been a while since Ted Tonks had been to an Order meeting - while he was a true member of the organization, he wasn’t exactly the most active of participants. While more often than not, his shifts at St. Mungo’s often conflicted with the meeting times and places (he got the distinct feeling that for convenience purposes and a constantly anxious Andromeda that Albus planned it that way), there were often times when he stayed home during the meetings just to appease his wife. Ted wasn’t a warrior, but he liked to help with tactical planning, but even that sometimes warranted sometimes vehement scolding and concern from his worrisome ‘Dromeda. She preferred if their family kept out of the entire conflict completely, but that had all flown out the window the second that their daughter Dora had opted to join the fight.

It was Andromeda’s pleading and grumbling that had kept him, and he was, admittedly, a few minutes late to the Burrow. Due to his tardiness, Ted had been forced to silently slide into a seat at the table, and realized with a mixture of joy and disappointment that his daughter was sitting several seats down. Perhaps, if ‘Dromeda hadn’t thrown a fuss, he might have been here in time to have a little bit of a talk with her, see how she was doing. While he wanted to give his little Dora some space, well, she was still his little girl. He did his best to flash a reassuring smile at some point during the meeting, but it immediately came to his notice that her attention wasn’t on him in the slightest. He couldn’t even be sure she actually saw him come in.

Because, it would seem, his daughter had eyes for only one other bloke in the room, even though she seemed to be mentally present at the meeting and listening, her gaze would ever so constantly flick in a certain direction. Towards Remus Lupin. The second Ted had realized this, his eyes zeroed in on the werewolf and realized with a mixture of horror and irritation that the slightly younger man was also having trouble keeping his eyes off Dora. Drumming his fingers in impatience, he grumbled to himself and knew that there was absolutely nothing to be done until after the meeting had finished.

The subject matter was just what was to be expected, and nothing out of the ordinary was reported, and the meeting ended surprisingly early. ‘Dromeda would probably be pleased with that, Ted noted with a satisfied huff, but he also knew that he had other business to take care of. After all, his noticing the seeming staring and looking match that had gone on during the meeting between his daughter and a bloke, let alone a bloke like Remus Lupin, meant that he couldn’t just ignore it. If something was going on, he needed to know about it, and he needed to make sure that his Dora wasn’t getting mixed up in some business that would only end in heartbreak. While the thought occurred to him that it was possible that the pair had only been looking at each other due to the fact that Remus was possibly the only one in the world now who could understand what she was going through, in her new condition, Ted had dismissed the idea after only a moment of thinking. Because he recognized the look on Lupin’s face. It was all too similar to the gazes he used to fix on Andromeda back in their school days, when they’d been fooling around.

So, once the meeting had finished, Ted had immediately pushed himself up from his chair and had proceeded to have a quick and affectionate conversation with his daughter. Remus appeared preoccupied with thought, so he knew he had a little bit of time. He gave Dora his well-wishes and the well-wishes of her mother, and he was happy to note that (despite what may very well have been an infatuation) she was in a pretty decent state. Andromeda would be happy to hear that, at least. And, so, as he bid his daughter farewell, Ted turned to see that Remus seemed to be slinking around the side of the house. Frowning, the Tonks patriarch followed.

Despite his initial grumpiness at the notion that his daughter was looking at a man who was almost old enough to be her father (quite literally as well, considering as they’d shared at least one year of schooling together), Ted was all around a fairly approachable and friendly fellow. It was just the fact that he was also a father, and a relatively protective one at that, and he needed to take his own necessary precautions. So, approaching the werewolf, doing his best to smile and seem nonthreatening, he called out, ”Fine evening out, isn’t it Remus, lad? Perfect for a little chat, which I’ve been meaning to speak with you about something, so it all works out perfectly, doesn't it? Think you might have time for some friendly conversation?”

[[any statements here that might clash with Jade's post have been discussed beforehand and are thus approved, i pwomise]]

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The headache that had been forming earlier for Remus, has now come to make an appearance. He attempted to ignore the throbbing pain, but it was proving a little difficult. Wow, he was starting to sound like his dad. Apart from the fact, by now his father would no doubt have his favourite pipe in his mouth by now. Well, at least that wasn’t something Remus had inherited. If only they knew what had become of him these days, no doubt they would be curious to know why Remus put himself in the situations he did. So much had been going on lately, that the werewolf didn’t know what to do with himself anymore. A light cut had formed on his cheek, one that remained a constant reminder of what he had promised Lucas. Thinking about the promise alone, made Remus want to vomit. Him a leader? Ha, that was bloody laughable. Pushing away from the wall, slowly Remus reopened his eyes and looked around himself.

This was all too much. So many emotions were bubbling inside of him right now. A part of him felt like screaming in to the night air, but even Remus had more control than that. Yes, he knew full well that he had spent most of the evening keeping his attention on Tonks. Had it really been that obvious during the meeting? He hoped not. The werewolf had been quite aware that Tonk’s father had been present too. Pushing away his own thoughts for now, Remus moved to slide his hands back inside of his jacket pockets out of habit. A look of concentration crossed his features as he scanned the world around him the silence was welcoming. Sure, he could hear people in the background chatting but that was simply background noise for now. Maybe he should just give in to Tonks. Give in to his emotions and how he felt about her. Perhaps it was the best for both of them in the end? Argh, Remus didn’t know what to do anymore. The werewolf was so lost in his thoughts, that he didn’t quite hear a voice meet his ears right away.

However, when it did register he froze a little. Ted? What was Ted doing out here? The werewolf decided not to reply for a moment, but instead take in the other man’s words. Well, a friendly chat wasn’t such a bad thing. Ted had always seemed friendly enough to Remus. Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, Remus turned to face Ted with a small smile coming to his lips. The man didn’t come to meetings often, but he did seem friendly. Okay, why was he worrying suddenly about an innocent chat? Pull yourself together Lupin for goodness sake. Clearing his throat and feeling a blush come to his cheeks he stepped forward towards Ted. Casual, yes, that always seems to work.

“Good evening Ted. Yes, it is a fine evening. And yes, yes certainly. What can I help you with?”

Wow, he really was starting to sound like his dad with age. Why did he get the feeling this was going to turn in to a conversation about Dora? Oh come on, the man probably just wants to chat about the meeting. Shut up Remus. Why did he suddenly feel nervous? Biting at his lower lip softly, Remus moved to stand beside Ted. Awkward. What if the man had noticed? Oh dear, busted. This was going to be interesting. Best break the tension. What the hell was wrong with him today?

”How have you been Ted?”

Remus asked casually as he looked to the man briefly, then away again. The area around him seemed suddenly fascinating again.


[Yep, I can confirm everything has been cleared by me. <3]

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Love was the sort of thing that, once you’d experienced it for yourself, it was easier to detect in others, and so this was why Ted himself was so easily able to see the potential romance that had sprouted between his own daughter and a man almost as old as Ted himself. He also knew his daughter, and he knew that look, and he couldn’t help but be a little suspicious. Or at least a little protective - after all, Nymphadora was his only child and only daughter, and at this point in her life, especially after everything that’s happened, she needed protecting. At least, that’s what Ted’s philosophy was. Whether or not Remus saw it the same way, he was rather determined to find out.

”Good. And actually, there’s one or two things you could help me with, believe it or not, I’m glad you asked. In fact, there’s one or two things that you could probably help me understand there, lad, if you don’t mind my prying.” There was something in Ted’s tone that suggested that Remus better damn well accept his prying, because this was a matter that was relatively of life and death. Well, perhaps not that dramatic, but to Ted it was extremely important just the same. The well-being and fate of his daughter’s heart was no laughing matter.

Now, Ted knew that in the end, he had absolutely no right to tell his daughter who to love and who to marry, considering he himself had gone against many expectations and rules falling in love with ‘Dromeda. People had told him that it wasn’t a good idea - the likes of her would never fall for the likes of him, and it was incredibly dangerous for any muggle-born to be seen cavorting around with a pureblood, especially one from the Black family. Love wasn’t exactly something someone could control, and Ted understood that, as much as he wanted to keep his daughter safe. Danger almost always came with it these days, and while originally he might have been a little concerned because Lupin was a werewolf, he now knew that concern was absolutely invalid, especially considering his own baby Dora was one herself. Any arguments he might have as to why the pair couldn’t be together would not only be a waste of time but also a completely hypocritical argument.

But it was still highly important to make sure that his daughter simply wasn’t being messed around with. ”Been doing perfectly fine, but it’s not me we want to talk about, now is it?” he asked, an almost false amiable tone to his voice, had Ted not been so naturally friendly and upbeat about this whole thing. Ted raised his eyebrows in amusement at seeing how determined Remus seemed to not look at him. ”I was more interested in talking about you, lad. You seemed awfully distracted this evening during the reports - any particular reason why, hm?” It was clear what Ted was leading him towards, but he wanted the werewolf to work it out for himself and work up the courage to confess something out loud. Ted might not have been a Gryffindor in his days, but he could value the courage behind a direct confession.

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Remus instantly shot Ted a confused look at those words. He raised an eyebrow at the other man, however simply remained silent. Oh dear, had he noticed? Lupin mentally cursed to himself a little, before looking away from Ted once again. What had he been expecting? The man had every right to know; after all he was a father. The werewolf let out a soft sigh, however tried to cover up his now slowly growing nerves. Bugger. Moving his hands from inside of his pockets, Remus instead moved to cross his arms over his chest. Well, here we go. Perhaps he had been right about this going in to Tonks. Instantly his emotions came at him at once, giving Remus a hard taste of reality. What a fool he must look like right now. Thinking over the other man’s words for a moment, once again Remus cleared his throat. Okay, that was going to give away he was clearly uncomfortable.

“Depends on what it is you would like to know Ted.”

Remus replied casually as he kept his eyes away from the other man, his eyes instead began to dart around the garden. Keep calm Lupin, he isn’t about to come and bite you. Ted did come across as quite a forward man to Remus, however that particular opinion the werewolf kept to himself. He was too tired today to argue, another night had been spent unable to sleep for him. Not like that was unusual these days. Remus decided to remain quiet and allow the other man to speak, give him a little space so to speak. Meanwhile, Remus’s mind as usual went wandering off in to it’s own world. He was preoccupied with his own personal issues, mostly about what Lucas had mentioned a while back to him. Perhaps this was about him being what he hated most? Somehow that wouldn’t surprise Remus. Wow, he really did sound like his father.

“That’s good to hear.”

He added again this time his tone a little lower, Remus waited for the next words to pass Ted’s lips. When the words hit him, instantly his eyes widened a little. Right, keep yourself together Lupin. Biting lightly at his lower lip, the werewolf shuffled a little on the spot. Now the next question, lie or be honest? Did he honestly come across that distracted today? A mild sense of annoyance came over Remus, as he cursed to himself. Damn it. Oh he had worked it out all right he wasn’t a bloody fool. Once again Remus decided that silence was his friend, as he stepped away from Ted a little. Back now facing Ted, Remus uncrossed his arms and slipped his hands back inside of his pockets. Eyes closed as he took a deep breath, then looked down towards the ground.

“My apologises Ted. My thoughts haven’t been all that clear lately, things have been rather complex. My mind has been off in other places.”

Remus replied simply, as he tried to shut away the small amount of nerves evident in his tone. Why did he feel the urge to run away right now? Coward. He wasn’t a Gryffindor if you saw one. A mental debate began to run across Remus’s mind as he stood there. Just because he was something he couldn’t control, people felt the urge to throw it back in his face. Instantly his mind went back to his recent article, which he had sent to the Daily Prophet, instant regret soon settled in after that. Heart thumping away in his chest, Lupin did his best to try and remain calm. No, no he wasn’t about to talk about Tonks and how he felt about her. Ted could try all he liked, but it wasn’t going to get him anywhere.

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Ted was naturally quite a friendly fellow, and he always had been. Being raised around so many siblings made it virtually impossible to not know how to deal with other people, so when he wanted or needed to, out came the charm. And that was essentially what he was doing right now. He didn’t want to seem threatening in any sense of the word, because he was just curious. If someone was in love with his daughter, then he felt like he had the right to know. Whether or not he’d have the courage to tell Andromeda when he’d get home, well, that was another story entirely. After all, Remus was already having to deal with one parent… dealing with two (and Andromeda, no less) seemed to be a little cruel.

But Remus was clearly getting uncomfortable, and Ted couldn’t help but feel a little amused. ”Ah, well, you know, this and that,” he said, shrugging casually. ”Just wondering how you’ve been lad, with everything going on. How you’re holding up, that sort of thing… if you’ve been seeing anyone, that might be something I’d like to know.” And naturally there was no shortage of hinting in his voice as he stood there, watching Remus with a mixture of scrutiny and curiosity. The other man seemed extremely nervous - Ted wasn’t what intimidating, was he?

Granted, Ted was by no means a small man. He’d played Quidditch in his time at Hogwarts, and while that had been many, many years ago, he still managed to upkeep his physique in a way that at least had him up to a burly build. Could he probably beat someone to a bloody pulp if he wanted to? There was a chance, yes, if Ted wasn’t one of the biggest softies that the world had ever known. Violence frightened him, and while he’d play-wrestled with his brothers and sister as a child, that didn’t mean he actually wanted to legitimately wrestle a man who looked like he might snap in two simply because he was interested in Ted’s precious and only daughter. So no matter how anxious Remus looked, Ted tried to look as relaxed and casual as possible. He knew he didn’t have all the time in the world - if he was too late coming home, Andromeda would more than likely flip a table. And he meant that literally.

So he decided to expedite the process. ”I understand, mate, really I do. Lot of things on my mind too, like keeping my family safe and work’s been piling up like made,” he said, stuffing his own hands in his pockets, even though it wasn’t because he was nervous but rather because he just didn’t want to look threatening. Ted carefully observed Remus and still couldn’t help but be slightly amused by how awkward and uncomfortable the werewolf appeared.

”So, look. I want this quick and painless for the lot of us, so I might as well out with it. When I say you looked a little distracted, lad, couldn’t help but notice you had eyes for my Dora, and I’m not going to lie when I say she had eyes for you too. We haven’t really spoken with her about… well, any suitors, but it crossed my mind that the pair of you might be… er, y’know, involved.” Blimey, this was even getting awkward for Ted, and he had to clear his throat before he could continue and decided to just out with another question. ”Do you love her?” Immediately Ted zeroed in his gaze on the younger man before him, wondering what his answer would be.