The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part One

The Evil Frog King

"REMUS!"

With a soft thump and a flash of hot pink, Nymphadora Tonks slammed into Remus's with the force of a small cannon, nearly toppling him over in the doorway of her family's home. He laughed and patted her shoulders warmly, "Good morning, Dora," he said.

She held up a very worn-out looking stuffed rabbit.

"And good morning also to you, Mr. Bunny," Remus said, smiling at the rabbit and reaching out to shake his worn out paw.

"Nymphadora!" Andromeda Tonks came 'round the corner, "How many times do I have to tell you to control your hair color, please? It's unnatural!"

Nymphadora sighed and crunched up her eyes and her hair turned mousey brown from the roots to the ends. "Remus, Remus, come play with me! We're about to go on a very long adventure and fight the evil Frog King and --"

"Nymphadora, calm down, the poor boy's only just got here!" Andromeda smiled at Remus. "Good morning, Remus, have you eaten?"

"Yes m'am," Remus replied respectfully.

"Well come and have a sausage anyway," Andromeda said and she bustled off to the kitchen.

Remus looked at Nymphadora. "We'll play with Mr. Bunny and the Evil Frog King when your mum and dad leave, alright?"

"Really?"

"Yes, I promise."

"I got a new rat," she declared, following Remus as he walked through the house toward the kitchen, "I named him Nibbler. He tried to eat Mr. Bunny's ear! Look." She held up the end of the bunny's ear where it was, indeed, a bit frayed and a tiny tuft of stuffing was coming out.

"I can fix him," Remus offered.

Nymphadora shook her head, "I love Mr. Buny even if he isn't perfect."

The confidence in her tone as she said the words warmed Remus right to his core and he smiled at her and they had a seat at the Tonks's kitchen table, where Mrs. Tonks loaded a plate full of food and put it down in front of Remus, despite his protests that he'd already eaten and didn't need a second meal. "Nonsense," she said, "You're scrawnier than a bowtruckle." She looked at her daughter and sighed with exasperation. "Nymphadora, your nose!"

Nymphadora had turned her nose into a duck bill and was laughing uproariously.

Remus smiled.

He was very thankful for the Tonkses. Since his teaching program didn't begin until August, he had two full months of free summer time. He'd been baby-sitting for Andromeda and Ted to make some money, hoping to help offset some of the costs of the over the top wedding Sirius was planning

Remus hated the idea of the Potters paying for everything, even though Sirius seemed quite alright with it, it really bothered Remus. He was thankful, of course, but it seemed to him that Charlus, Dora, and James had done far more for him than they ought ever have to, being that he wasn't their actually blood family. Whatever the Potters said to the contrary on the topic, Remus couldn't shake the idea that everything they gave to him was charity. Above all things in his life, Remus did not want to be considered a charity case... even though in his heart of hearts, he knew that he needed every kind act that came his way. He was up against the odds, of course, being a werewolf, and an orphan, and a gay -- the fact that he'd made it as far as he had so far was stunning, and, he knew, because of the charity of others. But damn it he needed some pride. And so he worked.

If you could call it work, that is.

Taking care of Nymphadora Tonks was Remus's favorite thing in the world. There was something about her open and loving personality that made his heart feel so warm, and she just adored him. He was the only person, he realized quickly, that let her be completely herself. Adromeda was forever correcting her, making her keep her hair "natural" colors, when all Tonks was doing was trying to express herself. He completely understood the pressure of not being accepted for who you were or wanted to be, of being held back by a parent who thought they knew better for you than you knew for yourself...