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shimotsukiFor the Remus/Tonks holiday drabble meme! Happy holidays to everyone.
And to All a Good Night (700 words | PG | AU)
Teddy starts asking questions about Father Christmas. The answer he gets is completely unexpected. (Brief reference to incidents in my OotP Christmas fic, The Things We Remember.) AU, in the Warp and Weft ficverse.
And to All a Good Night
December, 2000
“Daddy!” Teddy, wearing footed pyjamas and smelling faintly of bath soap, launched himself into Remus’s lap.
Remus closed Magillicuddy’s Compleat History of Goblin Rights Legislation and set it on the table next to his armchair, feigning surprise. “What’s this? Do you suppose it’s time for—a bedtime story?”
Teddy giggled. Dora, who had been on bath duty that night, winked at them and headed into the front hall with her dragonhide Auror boots in one hand and a bottle of KleerShine Magical Shoe Polish in the other. Andromeda glanced up from the accounts ledger she had brought home from work with an indulgent smile.
Remus loved these winter evenings, when they were all at home in their little house by the pond, and the low dark sky outside only made the fire on the hearth burn all the brighter.
“Here’s a book we haven’t read before.” Remus had, in fact, made a special trip to Muggle London to find a copy. “It’s one that my mother used to read to me, when I was a small boy and Christmas was coming.”
Teddy gazed curiously at the cover of the book, which showed Father Christmas in his sleigh silhouetted against a starry sky.
“A Visit,” read Remus, “from St. Nicholas. That’s another name for Father Christmas.”
Teddy nodded gravely.
Remus, hiding a smile, turned to the first page and began.
“‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house...”
~ * ~
“And I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
‘Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.’”
Remus closed the book. “Did you like the story?”
Teddy nodded vigorously, opening the book again to look at the pictures.
But then the small brow wrinkled, just like Dora’s did when she was trying to work something out. “Daddy? Is Father Christmas real?”
There was a sound from the front hall, as though a dragonhide boot had toppled over.
Remus looked up and found his mother-in-law watching him steadily.
Inscrutably.
No matter; he knew perfectly well what Andromeda thought about Father Christmas. He would never forget the first Christmas after he had come to know Dora, that year when he’d been living at Grimmauld Place with Sirius. He could still see the half-sheepish echo of disappointment in her eyes when she’d explained that her mother hadn’t let her believe in Father Christmas as a child.
“You see, Teddy,” he began, “Father Christmas is a lovely Muggle story—”
“What do you think, Teddy?” asked Andromeda, suddenly. “Do you think Father Christmas is real?”
Teddy pondered, briefly. “Yeah. If he comes down the chimney, that’s like the Floo.”
“Well, then,” said Andromeda calmly. “There you are.” She settled her ledger more comfortably on her lap. “I suppose you’d better get to bed, if you want Father Christmas to fill your stocking tonight.”
Remus stared.
Dora, poking her head in from the front hall, stared.
Andromeda looked from one to the other, and gave a small elegant shrug. “Teddy has Muggle heritage on both sides,” she said, quietly. “It is right for him to have some Muggle traditions, too.”
“Thanks, Mum.” Dora’s voice was a little thick.
“Time for bed, Teddy,” said Remus. “Give your Gran a kiss goodnight.”
Teddy slid obediently off his lap and crossed the room to give Andromeda a kiss on the cheek.
Before he followed his son upstairs, Remus did the same.
~ * ~
A few hours later, on his way to bed, Remus peered into Teddy’s room.
It was empty.
Remus turned around to find Dora grinning at him. “Come and see,” she said. “Shh.”
She led him down the stairs, on tiptoe, and into the living room.
There, on the floor in front of the fireplace, was Teddy, sound asleep.
“Look at our little Marauder,” Dora whispered, sounding proud enough to burst. “Trying to catch Father Christmas out!”
“Father Christmas hasn’t been yet, I see,” Remus murmured, pointing. “Look what your mother’s done.”
Dora saw it, then, and drew a sharp breath.
Hanging from the mantelpiece was a single stocking, frayed and faded with age. It hung limply, still empty—
But there was a name embroidered, slightly unevenly, across the top.
Ted.
~ fin ~
.
And to All a Good Night (700 words | PG | AU)
Teddy starts asking questions about Father Christmas. The answer he gets is completely unexpected. (Brief reference to incidents in my OotP Christmas fic, The Things We Remember.) AU, in the Warp and Weft ficverse.
December, 2000
“Daddy!” Teddy, wearing footed pyjamas and smelling faintly of bath soap, launched himself into Remus’s lap.
Remus closed Magillicuddy’s Compleat History of Goblin Rights Legislation and set it on the table next to his armchair, feigning surprise. “What’s this? Do you suppose it’s time for—a bedtime story?”
Teddy giggled. Dora, who had been on bath duty that night, winked at them and headed into the front hall with her dragonhide Auror boots in one hand and a bottle of KleerShine Magical Shoe Polish in the other. Andromeda glanced up from the accounts ledger she had brought home from work with an indulgent smile.
Remus loved these winter evenings, when they were all at home in their little house by the pond, and the low dark sky outside only made the fire on the hearth burn all the brighter.
“Here’s a book we haven’t read before.” Remus had, in fact, made a special trip to Muggle London to find a copy. “It’s one that my mother used to read to me, when I was a small boy and Christmas was coming.”
Teddy gazed curiously at the cover of the book, which showed Father Christmas in his sleigh silhouetted against a starry sky.
“A Visit,” read Remus, “from St. Nicholas. That’s another name for Father Christmas.”
Teddy nodded gravely.
Remus, hiding a smile, turned to the first page and began.
“‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house...”
“And I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
‘Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.’”
Remus closed the book. “Did you like the story?”
Teddy nodded vigorously, opening the book again to look at the pictures.
But then the small brow wrinkled, just like Dora’s did when she was trying to work something out. “Daddy? Is Father Christmas real?”
There was a sound from the front hall, as though a dragonhide boot had toppled over.
Remus looked up and found his mother-in-law watching him steadily.
Inscrutably.
No matter; he knew perfectly well what Andromeda thought about Father Christmas. He would never forget the first Christmas after he had come to know Dora, that year when he’d been living at Grimmauld Place with Sirius. He could still see the half-sheepish echo of disappointment in her eyes when she’d explained that her mother hadn’t let her believe in Father Christmas as a child.
“You see, Teddy,” he began, “Father Christmas is a lovely Muggle story—”
“What do you think, Teddy?” asked Andromeda, suddenly. “Do you think Father Christmas is real?”
Teddy pondered, briefly. “Yeah. If he comes down the chimney, that’s like the Floo.”
“Well, then,” said Andromeda calmly. “There you are.” She settled her ledger more comfortably on her lap. “I suppose you’d better get to bed, if you want Father Christmas to fill your stocking tonight.”
Remus stared.
Dora, poking her head in from the front hall, stared.
Andromeda looked from one to the other, and gave a small elegant shrug. “Teddy has Muggle heritage on both sides,” she said, quietly. “It is right for him to have some Muggle traditions, too.”
“Thanks, Mum.” Dora’s voice was a little thick.
“Time for bed, Teddy,” said Remus. “Give your Gran a kiss goodnight.”
Teddy slid obediently off his lap and crossed the room to give Andromeda a kiss on the cheek.
Before he followed his son upstairs, Remus did the same.
A few hours later, on his way to bed, Remus peered into Teddy’s room.
It was empty.
Remus turned around to find Dora grinning at him. “Come and see,” she said. “Shh.”
She led him down the stairs, on tiptoe, and into the living room.
There, on the floor in front of the fireplace, was Teddy, sound asleep.
“Look at our little Marauder,” Dora whispered, sounding proud enough to burst. “Trying to catch Father Christmas out!”
“Father Christmas hasn’t been yet, I see,” Remus murmured, pointing. “Look what your mother’s done.”
Dora saw it, then, and drew a sharp breath.
Hanging from the mantelpiece was a single stocking, frayed and faded with age. It hung limply, still empty—
But there was a name embroidered, slightly unevenly, across the top.
Ted.
.
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no subject
Date: 2012-12-28 09:16 pm (UTC)Btw, I've gone totally gooey at the mere thought of Remus going specially to get 'Twas the night before Christmas, and then reading it to Teddy. :)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-29 04:59 am (UTC)(Also relieved it's not too implausible for that poem to have featured in a British Christmas scene, heh.)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-28 09:21 pm (UTC)And I love your Warp and Weft ficverse, and the thought of Remus and Tonks enjoying Christmas right now with their son home for the holiday:)
Your Andromeda really grows a lot. Remus seems to be good for her, and I guess that she is good for him too. Everything about this drabble gives me a warm feeling.
I like the mention of Ted in here as well. Hanging up his stocking is such a loving gesture, sad in a way, but mostly loving and very nice.
This really points out the family feelings these people share, and it's just so good to see them all happy and content, even with the sad undertones.
*Squee*
no subject
Date: 2012-12-29 05:03 am (UTC)the thought of Remus and Tonks enjoying Christmas right now with their son home for the holiday:)
Exactly! Because that's exactly what they're doing. ;)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-29 04:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-29 05:06 am (UTC)Glad you liked this! I started with the idea of Teddy sneaking out of bed to look for Santa, and then remembered what I wrote about Tonks's childhood in that old story of mine, and this was what happened...
no subject
Date: 2012-12-31 04:11 pm (UTC)And speaking of dorkiness, Remus could win awards for adorkable fatherhood. (“What’s this? Do you suppose it’s time for—a bedtime story?” )
The boots and bath duty and winking is just the PERFECT picture of mother!Tonks. (I've been thinking quite a bit the past year of Tonks's character if she hadn't, well, had that occurrence that we are still in denial about. I think she gets more and more badass as she has a chance to get older and this was a great hint of that.)
And I think I've rambled enough, but Andromeda was perfect and unexpectedly her few words really stole this piece. Just a lovely read; thanks for it. :)
no subject
Date: 2013-08-08 03:10 am (UTC)would have beenis completely adorkable as a father. And I like what you say about a future badass Tonks; I think you're right on with that -- she is an Auror, after all. Andromeda, now, has become a real favorite of mine, and I'm glad she can collect some of the benefits of denial!fic too (even without poor Ted).Fantastic!
Date: 2015-06-09 06:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-06-09 06:50 am (UTC)