Talbott shuffles through the parchment, eyes pouring through the mission brief. Nothing extremely troublesome today– another investigation in Knockturn Alley, suspicious activity in Borgin and Burkes, undercover work to try and obtain more information. If the mission is for undercover work, he’ll most likely need to use animagus form, and his partner will need to be a master of disguise, which means today he’ll be paired with–
“Wotcher, Talbott! Looks like we’re working together today!”
Talbott turns around and smiles at his friend from Hogwarts.
“Good to see you, Tonks,” he smiles.
Tonks hovers over his shoulder and scans the mission details. “Borgin and Burkes today, eh?”
Talbott nods and folds up the papers. He stuffs the mission brief into his coat pocket. “We’d better visit Andre in Wardrobe before going.”
“Can’t wait to see what disguise he’ll recommend for me this time,” Tonks snorts. Together they make their way through the Ministry hallways to Andre’s office. “Did you hear about the time he told me I should shift into [Y/N] for a mission?”
Talbott laughs. “No! What happened?”
Tonks rolls her eyes. “He told me I needed to hone my inner ‘curse-breaker,’” she chortles. “How is that wife of yours, by the way?”
Even after all the years of being together, the thought that he was able to call someone so incredible, so smart and capable and marvelous, his wife made him blush. He already can't wait to get home to you. Especially since--
“She actually hasn't been doing well,” he sighs. “She’s been sick the past week. Very nauseous, and vomiting.”
Tonks quirks her eyebrow. “Hm,” she hums. “I’m sorry to hear that. Give her my best.”
Talbott smiles, butterflies in his stomach as he imagines coming home to your radiant smile.
Together they reach Andre’s office, where the style wizard himself is already expecting them.
“My two favorite aurors!” He greets, holding up a set of hangars with Knockturn-Alley-appropriate black cloaks on both.
Andre hands one set of clothes to Talbott. “I know you’ll probably use your animagus form this mission, but I coordinated an outfit for you, just in case.”
“Thank you, Andre,” he says, shuffling off his coat. He trades it with the clothes on the hangar. “I’ll go try this on.”
Talbott enters the adjacent fitting room, and Andre begins neatly setting Talbott’s coat on another rack.
“Andre, somehow you're always more prepared for these missions than I am!” Tonks exclaims.
Andre laughs. “You can never be too prepared when it comes to style.”
“I really should read the brief, though,” Tonks sighs, and begins patting down Talbott’s coat. “I only really skimmed it. I think it’s in his pocket… ah! Here.”
Andre begins pulling out a scrapbook of various photographs “So, Tonks. I was thinking that, for this mission, you should try for a generic-looking face. You know, something to fit in without standing out–”
“Blimey!”
Andre looks up, confused. “What, you think that’s a bad idea?”
Tonks blinks up at him the parchment she’s reading. “What? No! I mean–” she shakes her head. She’s beaming. “Get over here and read this!”
Andre squints, but does as he’s told. And then he gasps and covers his mouth.
“I think this is perfect, Andre, as usual.” Talbott emerges from the fitting room. “How did you… Wait. What’s going on?”
Tonks and Andre stare at him, their giddy expressions making Talbott stop in his tracks.
“Talbott, you dope!” Tonks exclaims. “How did you not notice this?”
She holds up a paper. Talbott tilts his head. “Notice what?”
Andre slaps his palm to his forehead.
“You’re hopeless,” he sighs. “I’ll start knitting baby clothes.”
Talbott furrows his brow. “Baby clothes…?”
Tonks clears her throat. In her best [Y/N] impression, she reads from the paper in front of her:
Dear Tally,
I couldn’t think of a better way to tell you, so I hope you’ll forgive me for finding out this way.
Do you remember when we talked about starting a family? About how, if we have a baby girl, I’d love to name her Suna, after your mother? Or Rowan, for a boy?
Well… soon enough, we’ll know which one to choose.
Talbott’s eyes widen with understanding.
Tonks continues, beaming.
I confirmed it with Chiara yesterday while you were working. She says I’m about a month in. Soon we’ll–
“Tonks,” Talbott interrupts, his heart racing. “Can you please submit an absence request on my behalf?”
“We got you, man!” Andre claps Talbott on the back. "Get going! Go!"
Not a second later, Talbott apparates home.
He practically bursts through the front door.
You look up from the stove, startled. You’re baking, and the sweet smell of pastries wafts through your quaint little house.
“Tally!” You smile as he rushes in. “You’re home earl–”
He interrupts you with a kiss, wrapping you tightly in his arms.
“Starlight,” he says. His eyes are twinkling. “You could have told me in person.”
Your heart races, but you can’t help the grin plastered on your face. “I didn’t want to distract you from work, so I figured–”
He kisses you again. “Nothing is more important than you,” he breathes into your lips.
Then, he beams.
“We’re having a baby.”
You nod and giggle, and he scoops you up and twirls you around the room. The sunlight streams through the house, illuminating the dust that spins around around you and your husband’s embrace.
You collapse together on the sofa in a heap of giggles.
“I love you so much,” you say, catching your breath from laughter, cupping your hands on his face.
His whole face is soft, and his eyes are glossy. His expression is starstruck, sinking you in-- the most important thing in the world to him.
His family.
He kisses you again, and you feel his mother’s swan feather from his necklace brush against your neck.
“I love you forever,” he whispers, and gently places a hand on your stomach. “My beautiful wife, and my precious child.”