[Ficlet] Wider Horizons
September 1st, 2009 12:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shimotsukiI've been behind on f-list posts and e-mail and comment replies for the last few days ... but instead of getting caught up tonight, I wrote this instead, heh. I guess my excuse is that I have an odd fascination for "real-time" fic.
So here's a little shameless self-indulgent Remus/Tonks canon-denial fluff, for the first of September, 2009. (Set in the Warp and Weft AU ficverse.)
Wider Horizons ( 950 words | G )
Wider Horizons
1 September, 2009
Tonks grinned at the chaos. Platform Nine and Three Quarters was filled with just as many owls, cats, trolleys, anxious parents, and shouting children as it had ever been. But this time, she wouldn’t be boarding the Hogwarts Express—not as a student, and not even as an Auror. This time, she would be one of the ones waving as the train pulled away.
“I’m not enough of a grown-up to be seeing my son off to Hogwarts,” she muttered.
Remus only laughed and gave her hand a quick squeeze.
She smiled back, happy to note that his grip was steady and his colour was good, even though it was only three days before the full moon.
Teddy, on the other hand, was practically airborne with excitement, bouncing on his toes behind the heavy trolley he’d insisted on pushing himself. His Gran had given him the shiny new trunk, and Harry had given him the little brown owl in its sturdy cage that was peering curiously around at the bustling confusion.
“I’m thinking Gryffindor, this morning,” Teddy announced, picking up the train of thought that had been occupying him for more days than Tonks cared to count. “I feel like a Gryffindor today.” He frowned, stealing a sideways glance at his grandmother. “But Gran tells such good stories about all the plots and schemes in Slytherin—”
“And Hufflepuff has the best parties,” Tonks put in firmly. “Being so close to the kitchens, and all.”
“Besides, the Hat may surprise you,” said Remus with a rather faraway look in his eye. He shook himself a little and grinned down at his son. “I wouldn’t rule out Ravenclaw, either. My mother was a Ravenclaw, you know.”
“Teddy!” called a voice over the noise of the throng. Tonks turned and saw Harry making his way through the crowd, with Al perched on his shoulders and James tugging at his hand. Ginny was right behind them with baby Lily.
“Wotcher, Chief,” said Tonks, because she liked to watch Harry roll his eyes when she called him that. She had turned down her own chance at Head Auror, partly because she could see the political value of putting the Boy Who Lived in charge of the Auror Division—but mostly because the mere thought of spending her days on that much paperwork made her head ache.
“You came!” Teddy bounced again, grinning up at his godfather. “Do you think I’ll be in Gryffindor, like you and Ginny and Ron and Hermione were?”
Harry laughed, giving Teddy a manly clap on the back. “Of course we came—you should have a proper send-off for your first trip to Hogwarts. And I think you’ll end up wherever you belong, and you’ll make friends for life no matter what House you are in.”
The train whistled, then, and Remus went with Teddy to load his trunk and owl cage on board.
“I can’t believe he’s already eleven,” said Ginny, shaking her head. “I swear it was only weeks ago he was Al’s size.”
Tonks looked a little wistfully at Al, still perched on Harry’s shoulders, and James, who was now clinging to Ginny’s hand. “He did grow up awfully fast.” She laughed. “I’m afraid he’s even outgrown a hug for his mum, in public, anyway.”
But then the sound of pounding feet made her look up, and Teddy launched himself at her, after all. “Bye, Mum,” he said, squeezing the breath right out of her. “Bye, Gran.”
He hugged Remus, too, but when he stepped away, the eyes under the mop of violently orange hair were worried. “Dad?” His brows drew together in a way that was so like his father, it made Tonks catch her breath. “Will you send an owl Saturday morning, first thing? Just so I know you’re all right?”
“Not first thing, Teddy,” Tonks temporised. “Let Dad have his nap, and he’ll write you at suppertime. Or I could send you an owl Saturday morning.”
Remus caught her hand and squeezed it again. “It’s all right, Dora—we can’t have Teddy spending his first Hogwarts weekend fretting, instead of having fun with his new friends.” He ruffled Teddy’s hair. “I will write first thing Saturday morning. But it’ll be a short letter, mind you.”
“Thanks.” Teddy looked relieved, but then the whistle blew again, and he glanced over his shoulder at the children streaming onto the train. “I’d better go!”
With a dash, he was across the platform and on the train. Then he was just one of a multitude of heads and arms waving out the window. The train began to puff slowly out of the station, picking up speed as it went.
Tonks waved as hard as she could until the Hogwarts Express rounded a curve and disappeared from sight.
The mob on the platform was much more subdued, now. Not a few people were dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs. Harry led the way toward the barrier and home, sons in tow. Mum had fallen into step with Ginny.
Tonks reached out for Remus’s hand again. “Home is going to feel awfully odd without Teddy.”
Remus slid his hand out of hers and put his arm around her waist instead, pulling her close. “We’ve given our son a good start.” He smiled down at her. “Now it’s time to let him learn who he wants to be. Besides—”
There was an odd light in his eyes.
“Hmm?” Tonks nudged him with her elbow.
“You and I never had much chance to be two,” he said slowly, “before we were three. We may have a little learning to do, ourselves.”
Tonks smiled, leaning into her husband’s solid, familiar warmth. “I’m game if you are.”
. * fin * .
.
So here's a little shameless self-indulgent Remus/Tonks canon-denial fluff, for the first of September, 2009. (Set in the Warp and Weft AU ficverse.)
Wider Horizons ( 950 words | G )
1 September, 2009
Tonks grinned at the chaos. Platform Nine and Three Quarters was filled with just as many owls, cats, trolleys, anxious parents, and shouting children as it had ever been. But this time, she wouldn’t be boarding the Hogwarts Express—not as a student, and not even as an Auror. This time, she would be one of the ones waving as the train pulled away.
“I’m not enough of a grown-up to be seeing my son off to Hogwarts,” she muttered.
Remus only laughed and gave her hand a quick squeeze.
She smiled back, happy to note that his grip was steady and his colour was good, even though it was only three days before the full moon.
Teddy, on the other hand, was practically airborne with excitement, bouncing on his toes behind the heavy trolley he’d insisted on pushing himself. His Gran had given him the shiny new trunk, and Harry had given him the little brown owl in its sturdy cage that was peering curiously around at the bustling confusion.
“I’m thinking Gryffindor, this morning,” Teddy announced, picking up the train of thought that had been occupying him for more days than Tonks cared to count. “I feel like a Gryffindor today.” He frowned, stealing a sideways glance at his grandmother. “But Gran tells such good stories about all the plots and schemes in Slytherin—”
“And Hufflepuff has the best parties,” Tonks put in firmly. “Being so close to the kitchens, and all.”
“Besides, the Hat may surprise you,” said Remus with a rather faraway look in his eye. He shook himself a little and grinned down at his son. “I wouldn’t rule out Ravenclaw, either. My mother was a Ravenclaw, you know.”
“Teddy!” called a voice over the noise of the throng. Tonks turned and saw Harry making his way through the crowd, with Al perched on his shoulders and James tugging at his hand. Ginny was right behind them with baby Lily.
“Wotcher, Chief,” said Tonks, because she liked to watch Harry roll his eyes when she called him that. She had turned down her own chance at Head Auror, partly because she could see the political value of putting the Boy Who Lived in charge of the Auror Division—but mostly because the mere thought of spending her days on that much paperwork made her head ache.
“You came!” Teddy bounced again, grinning up at his godfather. “Do you think I’ll be in Gryffindor, like you and Ginny and Ron and Hermione were?”
Harry laughed, giving Teddy a manly clap on the back. “Of course we came—you should have a proper send-off for your first trip to Hogwarts. And I think you’ll end up wherever you belong, and you’ll make friends for life no matter what House you are in.”
The train whistled, then, and Remus went with Teddy to load his trunk and owl cage on board.
“I can’t believe he’s already eleven,” said Ginny, shaking her head. “I swear it was only weeks ago he was Al’s size.”
Tonks looked a little wistfully at Al, still perched on Harry’s shoulders, and James, who was now clinging to Ginny’s hand. “He did grow up awfully fast.” She laughed. “I’m afraid he’s even outgrown a hug for his mum, in public, anyway.”
But then the sound of pounding feet made her look up, and Teddy launched himself at her, after all. “Bye, Mum,” he said, squeezing the breath right out of her. “Bye, Gran.”
He hugged Remus, too, but when he stepped away, the eyes under the mop of violently orange hair were worried. “Dad?” His brows drew together in a way that was so like his father, it made Tonks catch her breath. “Will you send an owl Saturday morning, first thing? Just so I know you’re all right?”
“Not first thing, Teddy,” Tonks temporised. “Let Dad have his nap, and he’ll write you at suppertime. Or I could send you an owl Saturday morning.”
Remus caught her hand and squeezed it again. “It’s all right, Dora—we can’t have Teddy spending his first Hogwarts weekend fretting, instead of having fun with his new friends.” He ruffled Teddy’s hair. “I will write first thing Saturday morning. But it’ll be a short letter, mind you.”
“Thanks.” Teddy looked relieved, but then the whistle blew again, and he glanced over his shoulder at the children streaming onto the train. “I’d better go!”
With a dash, he was across the platform and on the train. Then he was just one of a multitude of heads and arms waving out the window. The train began to puff slowly out of the station, picking up speed as it went.
Tonks waved as hard as she could until the Hogwarts Express rounded a curve and disappeared from sight.
The mob on the platform was much more subdued, now. Not a few people were dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs. Harry led the way toward the barrier and home, sons in tow. Mum had fallen into step with Ginny.
Tonks reached out for Remus’s hand again. “Home is going to feel awfully odd without Teddy.”
Remus slid his hand out of hers and put his arm around her waist instead, pulling her close. “We’ve given our son a good start.” He smiled down at her. “Now it’s time to let him learn who he wants to be. Besides—”
There was an odd light in his eyes.
“Hmm?” Tonks nudged him with her elbow.
“You and I never had much chance to be two,” he said slowly, “before we were three. We may have a little learning to do, ourselves.”
Tonks smiled, leaning into her husband’s solid, familiar warmth. “I’m game if you are.”
.
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no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 09:39 am (UTC)Loved the Tonks-Harry interaction, and Teddy being all worried about Remus, bless him. (Oh, and the implication of hot married smut ;).)
Do we get to find out which House? Or are you deliberately sitting on the fence, lol?
no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 01:45 pm (UTC)LOL -- smut for sure, but I think even just everyday life is going to need some adjustment. In this ficverse they went from angst to war to Teddy, without much chance to be a "normal" couple.
I haven't decided on a House for Teddy yet! A rehabilitated Slytherin might be interesting, but of course
no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 11:51 am (UTC)I especially liked Teddy and Remus' interaction about writing the owl, it was perfect.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 01:46 pm (UTC)I see Teddy as a cheery kid, but he does worry about his dad. Which makes Remus feel a little guilty, of course!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 12:47 pm (UTC)I really liked Teddy trying to decide which House suits him best -- especially how you threw in something positive about Slytherin, and how Andromeda supports her House even though it gets such a bad rap. Harry giving Teddy his first owl was perfect, too, and I loved the exchange over Remus writing first thing. It's nice to see how family life is helping him cope with his condition.
Lovely work! Why couldn't this be the epilogue?
no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 01:55 pm (UTC)Harry's words to Al in the Epilogue (and his truce with Draco) left me wanting to know more about whether postwar life would finally manage to integrate Slytherin with the other Houses a little better. And Teddy has two positive Slytherin role models in his life, Andromeda and my OC werewolf Matthias. So who knows! (But I don't want to step on your, or rather little Alba's, feet, either, lol.)
It's nice to see how family life is helping him cope with his condition.
I love writing angsty Remus, but I also love writing postwar contented Remus (nyah, nyah, DH...). He so deserves a chance to build a family and a happy life!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 01:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 02:00 pm (UTC)I'm glad you liked that final bit. This version of Remus and Tonks were parents almost before they'd really worked out the major issues between themselves -- and meanwhile there was the small matter of a war. So they've never really had a chance to be just a couple. I think they'll figure it out, though. ;)
no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 03:06 pm (UTC)Do you have a plan for where you want to go with this verse, like you do for Kaleidoscope? And I'm also really curious about what house Teddy is sorted into. ;)
no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 03:38 pm (UTC)I do have a couple of specific scenes in mind that I want to write, though: one right after the Battle of Hogwarts, when Kingsley comes to offer Remus his unpaid (at first) job, and one where we find out why this Remus and Tonks never have any more kids.
And I'm also really curious about what house Teddy is sorted into. ;)
Me too! I think I'm wavering between Gryffindor like his dad and Harry (except
If he's a Gryffindor, I could write Neville as his Head of House, which is very tempting.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 04:05 pm (UTC)There are only four houses, so there will probably be someone who has written all of them. I like the idea of Neville as Teddy's head of house a lot, though. :) I recently read a fic by
no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 08:59 pm (UTC)Awww, I love this. I've been bummed out today, because I start school again, tomorrow, but this made me feel a lot better.
Thanks and keep writing!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 02:30 am (UTC)Good luck in school this year!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-01 09:15 pm (UTC)Loved the House discussion - obviously, the Hat may have somewhat surprised Remus? ;) - and will be interested to see what you go for.
Lovely way to start September! :)
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 02:43 am (UTC)I'm so glad you mentioned the title -- it was a last-minute inspiration at the point of "I'm ready to post, but I have to call it something." And then the title led to a better ending than what I had originally.
Though I expect Remus will feel a little guilty at making Teddy fret, it must be so nice for him to have that.
I'm glad you mentioned that, too! I think that, despite his (probably inevitable) feelings of guilt about making Teddy worry, it's significant to Remus that what Teddy worries about is his father's health, not his shape. (There's a long-standing plotbunny there; ah, someday.)
obviously, the Hat may have somewhat surprised Remus? ;)
I hate to be predictable and follow common fanon, lol, but I do like the idea that Remus probably would have been Sorted somewhere like Ravenclaw if not for the effects that dealing with lycanthropy had on his character...
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 02:47 am (UTC)Thank you for giving us a little glimpse of life as it "should have been" for the Lupin's if Jo hadn't decided to muck things up for them. If Remus and Tonks thoroughly enjoy themselves as they "learn to be two" again, they might end up as "four" instead of only "three".
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 01:37 pm (UTC)I understand why JKR needed to have characters who didn't make it out of DH, and I even understand and appreciate the contrast between Harry and Teddy as war orphans in different eras. But so much of Lupin's character arc was about redemption that I honestly think it would have been more interesting not to kill him off. (Hence my state of denial, heh.)
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 02:50 am (UTC)This was so sweet, and a bit bittersweet as well. I admit I teared up a little thinking about what could have been with Tonks, Remus and Teddy, but I was smiling and laughing during this, too. Lovely fic.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 01:41 pm (UTC)I never thought I would end up writing AU ...until after DH. There are just so many interesting possibilities for how Lupin's newfound hope, and a slight trend in the series for support for more rights for non-human magical creatures, would play out after Voldemort's defeat -- if Lupin had survived.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 03:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 01:43 pm (UTC)I actually have a reason in mind for why Remus and Tonks don't have any other children. (Because for some psychological reason I don't understand, I can write Remus and Tonks out of being dead, but I can't bring myself to invent non-canon kids for them! Even though I like reading other people's OC kids just fine...)
Otherwise, they would certainly have a few by now, heh.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 01:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 06:51 pm (UTC)Secondly, I enjoyed this so much, I have a big smile on my face. I loved the way you brought everyone in, and the little details like Teddy's brown owl and shiny suitcase (I bet it ends up covered in paint or stickers when he comes back-the suitcase, not the owl). He's such a sweet little boy here, so eager to go and find out what house he's in. I loved that he cared about his dad having to go through a full moon without him, it shows how close their family is. And the last lines were just excellent!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-02 10:02 pm (UTC)the way you brought everyone in
I'm glad that seemed okay. I actually wanted to have a little interaction between Teddy and Harry's kids, too, but I thought the story was getting away from me, heh.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-04 02:57 am (UTC)“I feel like a Gryffindor today...But Gran tells such good stories about all the plots and schemes in Slytherin—"..."And Hufflepuff has the best parties,” Tonks put in firmly. “Being so close to the kitchens, and all.”
Tonks' line was probably my favorite, but I loved how you ran through the whole spectrum of possibilities. Sweet ficlet.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-11 11:42 pm (UTC)Anyway, thanks for the kind words. I'm glad I'm not the only one who enjoys a little denial from time to time, heh.
I loved how you ran through the whole spectrum of possibilities
I still haven't decided what House my version of Teddy should be in. I do hope Hogwarts can do something about the Slytherin image problem in the postwar years, though.
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