Title: Harry Potter Advent Challenge: It's the Thought that Counts Pt. 10/24

Author: Deathangelgw

Disclaimer: They aren't mine, but damned if I didn't wish that they were.

Warnings: AU, sap, fluff, silliness

Pairings: Molly and Arthur Weasley, Tonks, and Remus

Rating: PG

Summary: Day Ten of the Advent Challenge-> Tonks tries to learn a new trade for Christmas.

Beta: none since I want to get this posted right away, so any mistakes are all MINE!

A/N: This is for an Advent Challenge that I had posted/taken up. Each day will be a different person/pairing from Harry Potter. I'd like to thank Iniquity for keeping this up and wish everyone a blessed Christmas! Enjoy! Please review!

Molly smiled as she hummed while her knitting needles clinked away, threading the soft yarn together in a pattern that was well known to her family. She rechecked the stitching, then the pattern booklet as she knit. She looked up as she heard a soft throat clearing and smiled at Tonks as the younger woman stood in the doorway. "Nymphadora! What can I do for you?" she asked warmly as she put her needles down and smiled in welcome.

"Tonks, Molly…call me Tonks," Tonks replied as she fidgeted with her hair.

"You are always Nymphadora to me, so pish. Come and sit down and tell me what you are fidgeting about," Molly retorted with a soft chuckle while waving a hand towards a worn chair near her.

Obeying her friend wordlessly, Tonks sat down on the tattered chair and wrung her hands as Molly looked at her expectantly. "Well um…ya see I was um…kinda wondering if you could um…teachmetoknitpleasebecauseIwanttomakesomethingforRemus." She stopped as Molly's brows drew together in slight confusion while staring at her, making her look down. "Um…please?"

"Teach you to knit? Are you…sure on this dear?" Molly asked quietly, knowing that to reject the young woman would be a blow that she herself couldn't withstand. She cared about Tonks dearly and would do anything to bring the girl's self esteem up.

Looking up with wide eyes, Tonks nodded frantically. "Yes! I promise to listen and try not to mess up, but you make such wonderful things and I'd *really* love to learn how to do that and I want to make something for Remus because he was there for me when Sirius died and I-" She stopped as Molly put a hand on her arm. "I'm babbling again, aren't I?" she asked sheepishly, flushing as she looked down.

"Aye, dear, but that's all right. Now let me see. First, you will need to choose some colors. I think we shall start you off with making potholders," Molly declared briskly as she stood up and went over to her box of yarn.

"Potholders?! But…but I wanted to make him…" trailing off, Tonks reluctantly followed Molly to the box as the older woman waved her hand.

"Aye, potholders. If we start on something more difficult, it wouldn't help matters. Now, pick some colors, dear," Molly replied brusquely, grinning at Tonks' wide eyed look as she looked into the bottomless box.

"There's so *much* yarn! And all the colors!" Tonks cried excitedly as she leaned in and looked at all the colors. Molly chuckled quietly as she heard Tonks' exclamations over the selection while perusing. She balanced the younger woman after she popped out, holding several skeins of yarn. She had deep royal blue, dark forest green, a soft burgundy brown, a light tan, and a rich red.

Nodding in approval, Molly led the way back to their chairs and dug out an extra set of needles. She handed them to Tonks with only a twinge of wariness, relaxing as she saw the reverent, yet careful way the younger woman held the needles. "Now first, I shall teach you some simple techniques. Then we can learn a pattern for the potholders." She grinned as Tonks smiled up at her brilliantly, and then began the lesson.

But it was far easier to say something than to do it with Nymphadora Tonks. Time and again, Molly had to untangle the woman's fingers from the yarn, or had to correct a stray stitching or ten, or was forced to wonder how a certain color had gotten in the pattern when it was not in the vicinity. She had just gotten to the end of her rope with patience when Arthur came home with Remus.

Remus smiled at them and bowed his head. "I hope you don't mind my staying here for the night, Molly. I am going on a mission tomorrow and your home was closest to the next drop point," he said apologetically, softly.

"Not at all, Remus! You are always welcome!" Molly crowed congenially as she stood and brushed herself off after placing her own project to the side. "I shall make us some tea and start dinner then. Oh where did the time go…" her voice faded as she went into the kitchen with her husband to start dinner.

Remus smiled at Tonks, who was blushing and looking down. "Hello Nymphadora. How are you?" he asked warmly as he sat down across from her.

"M'fine, Remus. How are you?" Tonks replied shyly as she fidgeted with her project.

"I am well. What are you working on with Molly?" Remus inquired in curiosity, grinning gently as Tonks looked up slowly.

"Um, she's teaching…or rather trying to teach me, how to knit," Tonks replied dejectedly as she looked at her disaster of a potholder. It was lopsided, lumpy in the wrong places, and the colors were weaved in a pattern that defied description. She sighed heavily and covered her face, pouting. "Why can't I do anything right?"

"I think you are doing fine. Here…let's look at this, shall we?" Remus offered as he scooted his seat closer and began to help her with her venture.

Molly came out of the kitchen to ask Tonks something and stopped as she saw Remus and Tonks working together on her piece. She smiled as she leaned against the doorjamb and looked up as she felt her husband's strong presence behind her, wrapping around her comfortably. She grinned at him and he grinned back before they returned to watching the other two. Sometimes, all it took was a little bit of an understanding. But with any gift…it's the thought that counts.

~Fin