In a tiny flat above a busy street in London a woman with unusually colored hair sat down cross-legged on a worn couch with her baby boy. It was almost nap time and Mum had a story to tell.

The baby burbled happily and his mother grinned and ran a finger down his nose.

“Hush now, Teddy Bear. Mummy’s going to tell you a fairy-tale, little wolfling,” cooed the woman with bubble gum pink hair and twinkling dark eyes. She smiled down at the tiny boy who lay in a bundle of blankets on her lap, already nearly a week away from being one month old.

“This fairy-tale is about your mum and dad, you handsome boy. It’s called the Metamorphmagus and the Werewolf.”

“A better title, I think, would be the Beauty and the Beast, Dora,” interjected the tiny boy’s father as he walked in from the kitchen, a bottle of milk in his hand. He was tall and thin with prematurely graying brown hair. Smiling, he settled down on the couch next to his wife and handed her the bottle.

Dora sent her husband a sharp look.

“As I was saying, Teddykins,” she said, addressing her baby but still glaring at her husband, “It’s called the Metamorphmagus and the Werewolf.” Then lowering her voice, she hissed at her husband, “ You are no Beast, Remus, and I am far from a Beauty.”

Remus laughed and held up his hands.

“Alright, you win. But I still disagree. You are the most beautiful, sweet, wonderful-,”

“Ah, shut up, Remus. I’m telling a story here, I don’t want to hear your romantic hogwash,” Dora said in mock annoyance, but the blush on her cheeks said otherwise. Remus grinned and put and arm around her shoulders. Dora leaned back against his side and sighed contentedly. Hoisting her baby into her arms she inserted the feeding end of the bottle into his mouth and continued her interrupted story.

“Once upon a time, Teddy, there was a girl whose crazy mum named her Nymphadora Tonks. It was tradition in her family to name kids something long and old fashioned sounding and a lot of this girl’s cousins were named after stars. But you try explaining that to your classmates when it’s the first day of school and your first name is longer than most of their first names and surnames put together!

“But never mind that now, Teddy, it’s alright. We spared you from that crazy tradition, you won’t have that problem.”

Dora extended a finger to wipe a dribble of milk from her son’s chin with a smile.

“So this girl went by just her last name: Tonks. Or, if someone was really close to her, she’d let them call her Dora. But they had to be really, really close mind you, Ted. For most of her life only her parents were allowed to call her that.

“This girl, Tonks, was really cool. She was a Metamorphmagus- just like you Teddy Bear! She could make herself look like anything. She could have red hair one day and blonde the next. She was brilliant! But, unfortunately, since she was so cool, a lot of her school mates got jealous. Not many people wanted to be friends with the ‘Clumsy Chameleon.’ They didn’t want to be friends with a girl who could look perfect every second of the day.”

Remus squeezed Dora’s shoulder gently as she paused. Dora smiled up at him and then continued.

“So the girl decided she didn’t want to be perfect. She wanted friends, and she wanted to be herself.

“She started wearing her hair in fun colors like pink and blue, and she wore her own face rather than a flawlessly pretty one. She pulled pranks and dodged teachers and by her 5th year she had turned into one of the most popular girls at Hogwarts. She still didn’t have many close friends, but she didn’t mind anymore- she didn’t need friends to keep feeling good about herself. But she knew she wanted to do something with her gift, she didn’t want to just use it to keep the lunch crowds entertained the rest of her life.

“Tonks decided to become an Auror, so she could catch the nasty baduns out there and make the world a better place. With her Metamorphosing ability, she could blend into any crowd and no one would realize she was there. Tonks worked hard to get top grades all through her last three years of school, and finally when the owl came and gave her the report with what NEWTs she had gotten, she couldn’t help growing eight feet tall with pride. Her NEWTs were good enough, so Tonks went off to train at the Auror office with a funny old codger named Mad-Eye Moody.”

Dora’s breathing caught for a moment, and she had to stop to take a swipe at the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Remus squeezed her shoulders again and rested his cheek against the top of her head.

Dora closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. After a moment she opened her eyes again and continued.

“He sure was nuts. But he was the best Auror there ever was, and he came to be something like an insane uncle for Tonks. He taught her everything there was to know about the job and more. Like why you keep your wand out of your back pockets.”

Dora grinned and dimples sprang to life in her cheeks. Teddy, mirroring her, grinned back around his bottle, exposing toothless gums. Dora laughed.

“Finally, three years later, Tonks was a fully qualified Auror, despite almost failing stealth and tracking due to having feet about as graceful as an elephants’.

“Old Mad-Eye retired, and Tonks started her first year on the job. Since she was so new, she got mostly desk work at first. Soon she heard that Mad-Eye was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, and she was sad that she wasn’t able to go to his classes.

“But it turned out the new Defense teacher was really a Death Eater in disguise! He helped You-Know-Who come back! Tonks knew she had to do something, so she joined a group called the Order of the Phoenix. And that’s where she met a tall dark werewolf named Remus Lupin.”

Dora turned to look at her husband.

“Do you want to tell your side of the story now?”

Remus grimaced.

“Teddy doesn’t want to hear it, do you Ted?” He laughed but then his face darkened. “It doesn’t make a good bedtime story.”

Dora made a face like she’d swallowed a lemon and suddenly her twinkling dark eyes were two sizes too big.

With her lower lip stuck out in a pout, Dora blinked a pair of literal big brown puppy eyes up at Remus.

“Please?”

Remus’ lips quivered as he tried to hold back a smile. It was a Herculean effort.

“Teddy does want to hear the Werewolf’s part of the story, don’t you, Teddy!” said Dora, holding up her son. Teddy looked up at his dad with a pair of big brown eyes identical to his mothers and giggled. Drool crawled down his chin. Remus couldn’t hold back his grin any longer. He took the infant into his arms and, laughing, retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his sons face clean.

“Alright, alright, you got me,” he said, his mellow voice highly amused. Dora concentrated again, then winked at Teddy over Remus’ shoulder, her eyes back to their usual shape and color.

When Remus had finished with his handkerchief he set it aside and cleared his throat. Teddy stared intently at him as he hesitated. Finally, in the quiet tone that he had used when talking to Teddy through the wall of his Mother’s womb before he was born, Remus began.

“Once upon a time there was a boy named Remus John Lupin. He was second child born to his parents, but his brother had died a week after he was born. His parents were very careful with Remus because they were so worried that he would go the same way as his brother, but Remus grew to be strong boy. He loved to play outdoors and especially to romp through the woods across the street from his house with his dog, Fiddle.

“One night, when he was almost nine, Remus snuck out of the house- something you must never, never do, Teddy. It was the full moon, and Remus wanted to catch a glimpse of a Mooncalf dancing in the wheat field down the road. He had heard his parents talking about the stamped down wheat it had left after the last full moon. He called Fiddle to come with him and set off towards the wheat field but halfway down the street Fiddle started barking and ran into the woods. Remus… Remus followed him.”

Remus stopped, looking pained. The hand he was using to hold Teddy’s bottle shook slightly. Dora rested a calming hand on his arm and he jumped as if he had forgotten she was there. He gave her a small smile and rested his free hand on hers for a moment. Then, with a sigh, he turned back to his tiny son.

“Remus heard a dog whimpering and thought it was Fiddle, so he walked toward the sound. It… it was not Fiddle.”

Remus shifted uncomfortably. After a moment he spoke again, seemingly skipping over details too harsh for telling.

“When Remus woke up a few weeks later in St. Mungo’s he was the world’s newest Werewolf. His parents tried everything to get rid of his affliction, but nothing worked. And they didn’t have the Wolfsbane potion back then.

“His parents spent nearly all their money trying to relieve little Remus of his monthly torture. They had to move to a smaller house in a part of town that wasn’t very nice. But they never sold their books, not even when they had to live off of stale bread and tap water. They knew an education was important, and they were worried that because of Remus’ lycanthropy, he would be unable to go to Hogwarts. But the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, didn’t think that Remus’ disease should prevent his going to school.

“So the September after he turned eleven, Remus went to Hogwarts like any other young wizard. Dumbledore provided a place for him to transform away from all humans, and everything was as if Remus were just another boy. Remus made wonderful friends, but he didn’t dare tell them what he was for fear they would abandon him.”

Remus paused, staring absently at his son. Dora watched his face carefully, searching for a sign that he was in need of comfort, but after a moment he flashed a grin at Teddy and continued.

“Remus’ friends weren’t stupid. In the second year they guessed his secret. And they didn’t flee his friendship as he had expected. They decided to help him through his transformations by coming along with him as Animagi. By the fifth year they had all three learned how to turn into animals. Suddenly the nights that would have been the worst part of his life became the most exciting.

“They stayed friends after they left Hogwarts. It was a dark time. You-Know-Who was on the warpath for Pureblood rule and wizarding domination over Muggles. Remus knew it was wrong, so he joined the Order of the Phoenix. Soon his friends had joined too. One of Remus’ friends, James, had gotten married, and he and his wife had a little boy. For some reason You-Know-Who wanted to kill him- their son, so they went into hiding.”

Remus looked down at his own son and almost unconsciously tightened his hold and the little tyke. He smiled sadly at the little boy. His mind seemed to be on the other little boy, his friend’s son.

“You-Know-Who went after them. Remus’ friend and his wife died but their son survived. You-Know-Who disappeared. Remus’ friend Sirius was arrested as a spy and for the murder of their only remaining friend, Peter. But it turned out that Peter was the spy, and had faked his own death. But Remus didn’t know that until, after twelve long lonely years, he went to work at Hogwarts as Defense teacher.

“James’ son, Harry, was going to school there, and Remus got to be friends with him. Sirius, who was Harry’s godfather, broke out of prison because he had seen an article in the newspaper showing Peter in his Animagi form on the shoulder of Harry’s best friend. He knew his godson wasn’t safe. Remus, who thought himself the only living and half-sane person left from his old group of friends, did his best to protect Harry from him.

"When Sirius and Peter showed up and the whole story was uncovered, however, Remus was overjoyed to find out he was not the only living and half-way sane one left, Sirius had never betrayed them after all. But, too soon, his old friend had to go back into hiding when Peter, the traitor, escaped. Remus had to quit his job at Hogwarts soon after when an old school enemy revealed his disease to the students.

“The very next year, You-Know-Who returned and Remus rejoined the Order of the Phoenix. And one day a charming little-girl Auror with interesting hair tripped over Remus’ feet, apologized, and introduced herself as ‘just Tonks.’”

Remus reached down and touched Teddy’s cheek. “It was your mum.”

Dora giggled and snuggled closer to her husband. Remus turned to look at her with a grin.

“It is your turn to tell the story, Mrs. Lupin.”

Dora punched him on the arm, and, half teasing, growled, “You know better than to call me that, old man.”

Remus smiled, leaned over and kissed her forehead.

“Whatever you say… Nymphadora, dear,” he said quietly and grinned.

Dora put her hands over her ears and groaned.

“Even worse!”

Lupin chuckled. Teddy shifted uncomfortably.

Straightening up, Dora reached over, plucked her son from her husband’s grasp, stood, and starting bouncing with the tiny towhead.

“See what he does to me, little man? You won’t let your daddy call me funny names will you, Teddy Bear?”

Teddy gurgled. Dora patted his back and he let out a little burp.

“That’s better,” said Dora, smiling. Teddy yawned and pressed a soggy cheek against his mother’s neck, his eyelids heavy.

“Oh dear, I think we’ll have to continue this story tomorrow, Remus. It’s Teddy’s bedtime.”

Remus smiled, swept a hand through his graying hair, and stood.

“Shall I put him down or do you want to?”

“Oh, I’ll do it. I’m teaching Teddy- oh, but I shouldn’t tell you.”

Lupin raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment as he sat down again. Dora hummed a lullaby as she walked away, and little Teddy drifted away into darkness and dreams on the sound.