ORDER ONLY: Private Message to Charlie

[alt_nymphadora]

All set for dinner tomorrow, Chuck.

Sirius and Remus have promised to be on their best behaviour as courteous hosts, and will attempt to keep Miss Bea from bursting into the library after dinner so we can have a spot of privacy with your mum. (Although given how things have been going with Miss Bea lately, that might be a small miracle. She's been a handful and a half. And has been off her potty training, which I thought we'd thoroughly managed by now.)

Kreacher is another loose cannon, but he's been rather angelic recently (compared to a certain young person, at least), but we'll keep an eye out just in case he decides to be the bearer of good tidings before their time.

I've been plugging away at my list, by the way. Can't wait to see yours.

Comments

[alt_charlie]

I'm guessing Little Miss is just a bit stressed out by all the changes. I'll be sure to bring her some special little treat.

I'm a lot more nervous than I thought I was going to be. I mean, I don't think Mum is going to take it badly, but ... I don't know. I'm borrowing trouble.

My list is getting increasingly ridiculous. I keep alternating between "something significant! to go with 'Albia'! And we won't even have to come up with a cover story for whatever we name him now!" and "let's name the poor kid something completely normal".

[alt_nymphadora]

Well, given his middle names are going to be 'Arthur Theodore' (or 'Theodore Arthur' depending on what sounds better), I think he'll be able to hold his head up in proper society.

We're not naming him Merle, though. I put my foot down on that one.

[alt_charlie]

The problem I keep having is that sooner or later, everything sounds ridiculous!

I think "simple and normal" is winning, though. (I mean, we could name him Victor, but really, that's just asking for it.) So, the latest additions to the list are all things like Benjamin and Matthew instead of more clever ones.

Actually, hang on, let me get my list ... last five things I put on it were Jacob, David, Stephen, Kevin, and Daniel. I crossed off Kevin right away, though, when I realized I was only thinking of it because Alice and Frank used it for their Kevin. And 'Stephen' runs into the 'named after dead people' problem, with Stephen McGivern.

[alt_nymphadora]

I've got Michael, Roger, Louis, Richard, Edward, and Jonathan,

and in the decidedly less practical side, Killian and Gabriel and Galahad.

And Rudy, because it makes me laugh whenever I see it.

[alt_nymphadora]

How'd Bill take it?

Others I've put down: Nicholas. Oscar. Peter. Jack. Matthias. Shaun.

[alt_charlie]

He said he'd suspected, a bit. From how we were with each other. And he's thrilled and excited and he said Dumbledore's too much to have asked us to do this and that he's bloody proud Dumbledore asked us and that you're a fabulous mum and it's going to be great.

And then he said, you know, this means the twins are going to be uncles, and he hopes that thought doesn't terrify you. (It's suddenly terrifying me.)

I'm so happy Mum took it so well. Although I think she was starting to miss Dad all over again just about when I was leaving to come back up here; she had that look on her face. (I've been missing him a lot lately him too. I wish I could talk to him about fatherhood and all that. But I figure, if I get really stuck I'll just ask myself what Dad would have done, and then go do it.)

I like Matthias. And Gabriel. And you're right that 'Rudy' would be too damn funny. And I added another three today: Christopher, Adam, and Ian.

You know what I thought of last night and forgot to say? You should think about last names. I mean, not just for the Bap, but for you and Little Miss, too. You don't need to stay 'Nymphadora Ponds' now that you're not trying to keep up appearances anymore, not if you don't want. I dunno, you might want to keep it because you and Remus are still technically married and all, but I feel like he'd probably understand if you wanted to go back to 'Tonks', since everyone's calling you that now anyway.

[alt_nymphadora]

Haven't thought about last names. That's a ponder, of course.

I'm the only Tonks left, but Remus is the only Lupin, and if Bea's part Lupin, Bap's part Weasley.

Hyphenate, perhaps?

I'll think on it and see what Remus thinks too.

[alt_charlie]

You know.

This is just an out there thought, but Sirius has never really seemed all that happy to be a Black. And you're the last Tonks, and Remus is the last Lupin, and Bea has the last name of somebody who never existed, and somehow it just wouldn't seem right to call the Bap 'Weasley' even if he is one, and and and.

We're an odd sort of family, but we are a family, really, even if it's in multiple different configurations and connections. I almost wonder if Sirius and Remus would be interested in us all getting together and picking a last name for all of us together -- not instead of, but in addition to.

'Course, that'd mean the Bap would be up to seven or eight different names. But if we're going to be ridiculous, we might as well be thoroughly ridiculous. And it would mean having to come up with a name, but still.

It's silly, I know. But maybe I'll suggest it anyway.

[alt_nymphadora]

You might be on to something there.

It's worth talking about, regardless.