“Where is he, Mum? Where’s my cousin?” she asked as she hopped from one foot to the other in the fire grate.
“Probably still asleep,” replied Andromeda. “If he’s anything like I remember!”
“I’ve been up for hours!” protested a voice that came from across the room.
Andromeda looked across at the black haired young man lounging in an armchair. The room was stark looking, a far cry from his bedroom at Grimmauld Place that he’d festooned with Gryffindor hangings of red and gold. She supposed that with no parents to annoy, Sirius had altered his taste to suit himself. In this room the walls were white and the furniture black. He had hung no pictures on the wall, save for a large photo of himself and his friends that he'd fixed on the wall above the sofa. She recognised James Potter in his Quidditch robes, because Sirius had brought him to visit once, but the other two were unfamiliar.
Sirius got up from the chair and helped them out of the fireplace.
“Meda,” he greeted her with a kiss which she returned warmly. “It’s been too long.” He turned to the little girl. “And you must be Nymphadora?” he said formally. He wasn’t used to children.
“Must I?” she said quickly. He laughed in surprise - this kid had spirit.
“She hates her name,” said Andromeda sighing, “but then every child hates their name.”
“Actually, I always quite liked mine,” replied Sirius, “but I never let on or my old ma would have changed it to Ursa Major or something! Sit down while I get some drinks and biscuits.”
Andromeda looked at her watch. “I’m sorry, Sirius, I can’t stay. I need to catch Cissy before Lucius returns.”
“I still don’t understand why you’re going to see her- after all she’s done.”
“I don’t really know either. I just know that she’s asked to see me and after all these years it’s still Cissy I miss the most,” replied Andromeda. She looked down at her daughter who was staring at them both. “Nymphadora, why don’t you go and find some biscuits? I’m sure Sirius has some in the kitchen over there.”
Mulishly, the little girl pushed out her lower lip but she walked off in the direction of the kitchen. Andromeda watched her go. “I can’t take her with me, you understand...”
“You suspect a trap?” cut in Sirius sharply.
“No,” she replied. “Not a trap. But the Family didn’t take well to my marriage or my daughter so I don’t want to expose her to that. I need someone I can trust to take care of her.”
Sirius looked at her intently. Through the open door he could see Nymphadora skipping back with a handful of biscuits. Her hair was a shock of gold. She caught him looking at her, screwed up her face and instantly it changed to black, like his. He laughed, delighting in his cousin.
“Come here, Nymphadora. Let’s see if we can think of something fun to do together till your Mum gets back.”
She put her head on one side and considered. “Only if you stop calling me Nymphadora,” she said after a while.
“Deal!” Sirius agreed then he turned to Andromeda.
“Go, Meda, she’ll be fine with me.”
Andromeda gave him a quick kiss then bent down to hug her daughter close to her. “Be good, Nymphadora,” she whispered. Then she stepped into the fire and vanished.
"So,” said Sirius as they watched her Floo away, “what do I call you? Nymph?”
“No!” She sounded disgusted.
“Dora?” he suggested.
“Yuck, that’s what Daddy calls me. I hate that too.”
“What’s wrong with Dora?” asked Sirius who was anxious to get it right.
“I adore ya, Dora- that’s what he says. It’s yucky, kissy, girly stuff,” she retorted.
“Too young for all that, eh?” asked Sirius.
“I’m six and eight months,” she said, drawing herself up to her full height. “Of course I don’t like kissing boys- they’re silly.”
Sirius snorted; he was pleased little girls grew up.
“Sirius, can I ask you something?”
“Sure, squirt, what is it?”
“What do you call your friends?”
“Err...James, Remus and Peter although...” he paused, “I don’t often call them by their first names- unless I’m angry- we have nicknames.”
“What are they?” she enquired.
“James is Prongs, Remus is Moony and Peter is Wormtail,” he replied.
“What silly names. I’d rather be something cool. What do they call you?” she asked.
“Padfoot. Is that cool?” He widened his eyes imploringly in what he hoped was a cute manner.
She considered. “S’okay I suppose. Better than Moony - that's just silly!”
Sirius chuckled, “Remus will be so pleased to hear that.”
“So, what can I be?” she demanded belligerently.
“Well,” he said carefully. “What’s your second name?”
“Tonks,” she said promptly.
“Don’t you have a middle name?”
“No, Daddy decided Nymphadora was a big enough name,” she recited as though she’d heard her dad’s tale many times.
“Okay,” he pretended to think really hard. “Right then, I’m going to tell you something top secret now.”
Her eyes widened in anticipation.
“I,” he whispered, “often attend meetings with very important people and what we do there is use people’s surnames so... how about I call you Tonks?”
“Yes,” she breathed excitedly. “Tonks is cool.”
“Now then, Tonks,” he said in mock seriousness. “Some of my friends are coming over later but before then shall I take you out?”
“Out where?” she sounded excited.
“London, sweetheart, London.”
Her face lit up then her lip drooped.
“Oh,” she said quietly, “I can’t.”
“Why not?” asked Sirius.
She sat down on a big squashy black beanbag. “I’m not allowed out.”
“Pardon!” said Sirius, his eyes goggling at her.
“I’m not allowed out because of my hair,” she said sadly.
“What’s wrong with your hair?”
“It changes colour when I get too excited- it’s quite naughty.”
“Is that all?” he said. “Listen to me, young Tonks, there are lots of Muggles out there with strange coloured hair “ they won’t even notice you.”
“Sometimes it changes without me doing anything,” she said dolefully.
Sirius thought briefly then sauntered over to the closet next to the front door.
“Catch,” he said. She gasped. It was a motor-cycle helmet.
“C’mon, Tonks, we’re going out in style!”
Down in the basement underneath his flat, Sirius kept his pride and joy- a Harley Davidson. It had been the first thing he’d bought with Uncle Alphard’s money. A broken down wreck of a thing, he’d forced the Marauders to work on it until it looked like new. It rode like a dream. Sirius was never happier than when he was astride his machine.
“Okay, Tonks. I’m going to fix you on the back using a mild sticking charm, but you must hold on to me so it looks as if we’re normal Muggles. Got that?”
“Yep!” she squealed. He looked down at her, watching a red wave ripple through her long hair. He wondered how hard it was for her growing up in fear of being discovered.
“Godric, Tonks! I don’t care what you say, you really are adorable.” He picked her up and twirled her round and round until she was shrieking with delight. Then, placing her on the back of the bike, he got on and they set off.
Sirius rode superbly around the streets of London. Weaving in and out of cars, Tonks could hear him being tooted at by angry drivers, annoyed with his impudence. He wore no helmet so when they slowed down at the traffic lights she could see girls in tight jeans eyeing him up and occasionally whistling approval. He tossed his hair and smiled at one or two of the prettier ones. Finally they arrived at a small park. He stopped and lifted her off the bike.
“What about my hair?” she asked anxiously, as he tried to remove the helmet.
“What’s your favourite colour?” he whispered.
“Pink,” she said.
He raised his eyebrows. “Really, I’d have thought that too girly for you.” He could sense she was frowning at him from beneath the helmet. “Okay, Tonks, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to let you have pink hair while we sit in this park and if your hair dares to change then I’ll stick this helmet back on and we’ll ride around for a bit longer - okay?”
She grinned up at him.
“You’re funny,” she said.
“And cool?” he asked hopefully.
“A little bit,” she agreed.
He walked with her over to a small playground. Muggle children were playing on swings, slides and roundabouts. Tonks walked over and sat on an empty swing. She began to push her legs and back forwards and backwards, forwards and backwards to make the swing move higher and higher. Sirius watched her and thought bitterly of his own childhood. Barely allowed out into the Muggle world unless they were travelling between Wizard destinations he’d always longed for the simplicity of a large open field or park. He remembered a visit to his cousins’ house.
They’d lived near a Muggle village and he’d seen children playing cricket on the Village Green at its centre. He’d asked Walburga if he could join them but she’d shot him a look of such coldness that he’d known not to press it. Andromeda had watched as his eyes had fallen to the floor. She’d been sixteen at the time and the resemblance to her beautiful sister, Bellatrix, was striking. But Bellatrix had always had a darker side - darker even than black - lurking in her eyes, a darkness that repelled Sirius. Andromeda had held out her hand to him and told her Aunt she’d take him into the garden and would watch him carefully. Once in the garden she’d run with him to a gap in the fence and urged him to squeeze through.
“Along that path is the Village Green,” she’d said. “I’ll take you.”
“But what about Aunt Druella?” he’d asked fearfully. “Won’t she be awfully angry?”
She winked at him. “I said I’d take you into the garden and I said I’d watch you, but I deliberately didn’t say where I’d be watching you, Sirius.”
He remembered the fun he’d had playing with boys his own age, who’d been more than happy to let a stranger in to share their game and he’d discovered that Andromeda had her own reason for coming down to the Green.
She’d been joined by a tall, fair-haired boy who’d sat beside her on the grass, holding her hand and gently stroking her chestnut brown hair.
“Sirius,” she’d called when she saw him looking. “This is Ted, a friend from school.” She’d got up and brushed the grass from her skirt.
“We must get back,” she had said. Ted had leapt up and kissed her gently on the lips then held her close.
“Come on, Sirius,” she’d said and there was regret in her voice.
“Is Ted coming too?” he’d asked.
She’d laughed bitterly. “No, he can’t. My darling mother would Crucio me. You mustn’t tell, Sirius. You mustn’t say you’ve seen him. I trust you.”
His grey eyes had looked into her dark brown ones that were beseeching him.
“You can trust me, Meda, always.”
“What are you thinking about, Sirius?” said a voice, dragging him back to the present day. Tonks had evidently finished on the swing and was standing next to him.
“Your mum and dad,” he said, smiling down at her. He led her to an empty bench. “Did you know they were at school together?”
“Mmm, I know. Daddy said he met Mummy in detention.”
Sirius laughed. “That doesn’t sound like your mum.”
“Daddy said that after that they used to be naughty so they could get detention together,” she said chirpily.
“The sneaky pair- that’s very clever.”
“Mummy tells me I mustn’t do anything so silly,” said Tonks wisely.
Sirius shrugged. “She’s probably right. What House was your dad in?”
“Hufflepuff,” she replied immediately. “My mum was in Slytherin.” She looked up at him. “And you were in Gryffindor.”
“Yep, ‘where dwell the brave at heart!’“ he quoted.
“Is it fun, Hogwarts? I can’t wait to go.”
“It’s the best, young Tonks,” he said as he took her small hand in his and sighed regretfully. “Come on, we need to get back or your mum will Crucio me!”
However when they got back to his flat it was not Andromeda that met them but an owl. Quickly Sirius took its letter and read through the contents. He frowned slightly as he folded up the letter.
“Okay, Tonks, your Mum’s been delayed and has asked if you can stay the night.” He looked down into her face, the merry smile had gone and she looked suddenly vulnerable. He crouched down beside her.
“Hey, there’s nothing to worry about, squirt. Your mum’s fine. She’s just got held up talking with your Aunt Narcissa and your dad’s away. So what do you say? Do you want to spend the night here?”
She didn’t say anything; just bit her lip in an attempt to stop it trembling. He reached over and hugged her.
“I’m not that bad, am I?” he whispered.
“No,” she sniffed. “I guess you’re cool.”
He got up, pulled her to standing and gently ruffled her still pink hair.
“That colour is great on you, Nymphadora. Not at all girly!”
She smiled a wide smile that split her face in two, reached inside him and wrung out his heart.
“Sirius, you promised not to call me Nymphadora. It’s Tonks, remember.”
He chuckled, “C’mon Tonks, let’s find you some tea.”
He led the way into his kitchen. Unlike the lounge, this room was cluttered with pots, pans and recipe books. The sink was piled high with dirty plates and bowls.
“It’s a good job your mum didn’t see this room, she’d never have left you here,” he said. He clattered around the place looking for a clean bowl then went to the fridge.
“My omelettes are legendary, Tonks. They even satisfy the stomach of the mighty James Potter. What I do with eggs and a pan makes the House-Elves of Hogwarts look like amateurs.”
She pursed her lips. “I’m ‘lergic to eggs,” she said.
“You’re what?”
“Allergic to eggs. They make me itchy and blotchy,” she said.
“How strange,” he said frowning. “What colour blotches?”
She smiled mischievously, “Whatever colour I want- but don’t tell Mummy, I hate eggs.”
He grinned. “Okay no eggs. Let me see what else I can scrape together. Do you eat much Muggle food?”
She shook her head.
“Then try this, my little partner-in-crime.”
Juggling three potatoes in his hand he pulled out his wand, peeled them, found a clean saucepan and set them to boil. Then he walked over to his freezer and found a pack of something. He pulled out three long orange rectangles and placed them under his grill. Finally after rummaging in his cupboard he found a small dusty tin right at the back.
Twenty minutes later she was eating fish-fingers, mash and spaghetti hoops.
“Thish ish sho cool!” she said as she piled more food into her mouth.
He flipped her nose. “Don’t speak with your mouth full!” The words were an echo of his mother but the tone and gesture very different.
She swallowed. “I like your home, Sirius. Can I come again?”
“We’ll see. Mummy might decide you’re a bad influence on me.”
She giggled at his silliness. There was a knock at the door. Sirius frowned slightly.
“Stay there and keep quiet,” he said.
“Is it a baddie?” she said, her eyes widening like saucers.
He smiled at her “I don’t think they’d knock, sweetheart. It’s probably just a Muggle trying to convert me.”
“Sirius, open up, I’m freezing,” said a girl’s voice.
He went to the door and opened it.
“You took your time,” she said looking him up and down. “Fully dressed, I see, so it can’t be a woman.” She walked into the hallway. Through a crack in the door, Tonks could see her give Sirius a warm hug and a kiss.
“We’re having tea,” Sirius said. “You’re a bit early. I didn’t expect you until seven and certainly not by the front door.”
“’We’” she said interrupting him. “Sirius, you have got a girl here, where is she?”
He pointed to the kitchen and she walked through stopping as she saw the pink haired girl with spaghetti hoops all over her face.
“Oh aren’t you adorable!” she cried. Instantly Tonks frowned and Sirius laughed. The young woman realised she’d made a faux pas “Not in a cute way, obviously, but in a totally cool way- especially the hair-wow that’s amazing!” she babbled.
“Are you Sirius’ girlfriend?” asked Tonks.
“I wish,” sighed Sirius as he put his arm around the young woman’s waist. “I’m just waiting for her to come to her senses and dump that shiftless husband of hers.”
“Get off, you fool,” she said smiling up at him then she turned back to Tonks. “No, I’m not his girlfriend; I’m married to his friend, his best friend I should say, James Potter. My name’s Lily. Who are you?”
Tonks looked over at Sirius who nodded reassuringly.
“I’m Tonks - Sirius’ cousin.” She wiped her hand on the front of her shirt and held it out. “Pleased to meet you.” Lily accepted the hand and sat down.
“Where’s Prongs?” said Sirius.
“Parking the car,” replied Lily.
“You drove, why?” said Sirius incredulously.
“No reason.” She sounded vague then turned back to Tonks. “So how do you get your hair like that? Did Sirius dye it? He is going to be in so much trouble with your mummy.”
Tonks giggled, “I’m a Metamorphamagus. I can change it myself - look,” she screwed up her face and they both watched as her hair changed to a dark red, the same colour as Lily.
Lily laughed with delight. “That’s ador...” she stopped, “...brilliant!”
They heard a voice in the hallway. “Door’s open so I’ve come straight through. Don’t tell me you caught him with yet another woman, Lily?”
Tonks saw a man walk in with black messy hair and glasses. He slapped Sirius on the back then stopped to look at his wife sitting next to a little girl with hair the exact same shade.
“Godric! Have we just jumped forwards in time?” Then he smiled. “I think I’ve met you before, a long time ago, when you were a lot smaller - Nymphadora Tonks, right?”
“Just Tonks, she said determinedly then looking him straight in the eye she said, “You’re Prongs, aren’t you?”
“That’s right. Hey Padfoot, are you planning on training her up as a future Marauder?” he said as he walked over to the chill-charmed cupboard and brought out two bottles of beer. He chucked one at his friend.
“Err, there’s wine in there or beer if Lily wants one,” said Sirius frowning. James wasn’t usually this unchivalrous.
"Relax, Padfoot, I’ll get her something, don’t you worry. Lily, there’s only Pumpkin juice here or some rather green looking milk - urgh!”
She grimaced, “Just water, darling.”
Sirius was puzzled. He watched as James found a clean glass added some ice and filled it with water. “Are you making her drive home, or something? Is that why you’re not drinking, Lily? Look there’s plenty of room here. Or you can leave the car here and Apparate home. I still don’t understand why you brought the car?”
James sighed. “Apparition isn’t safe for Lily in her condition.”
Tonks looked at Sirius’ face as it changed expression from puzzlement to comprehension.
“Aw, a new playmate for me, another Potter to corrupt.” He bent down and hugged Lily tightly then jumped back. “Oh Godric! Am I allowed to hug you? It won’t hurt him will it?”
“Of course not,” said Lily as she gently traced her fingers over her tummy.
James opened his beer, clunked it to Sirius’ and took a large swig.
“Sirius,” asked Tonks. “How did the baby get inside Lily’s tummy?”
Both men spat beer onto the floor; Sirius in shock whilst James was crying with laughter.
“Err...I’m not sure I should be telling you this, Tonks. Perhaps we should wait for your mum,” stuttered Sirius.
“But she’s not here, Padfoot,” laughed James, “and she’s asking you.”
“Don’t you know?” said Tonks. She turned to Lily who was trying not to laugh. “Sirius doesn’t know, does he? Will you tell me?”
James was sniggering behind Lily who shot him an exasperated look.
“Well,” she said taking in a deep breath. “It’s like this. When a Mummy and Daddy really love each other, the Daddy,” she pointed to James, “sort of um...plants a seed inside the Mummy’s tummy. She has an egg there and it err...grows into a baby.”
Tonks looked at James. “How do you plant the seed?”
It was Sirius’ turn to laugh.
“Err...very carefully,” said James, turning red.
“And lots of practise, eh Prongs?” snorted Sirius.
“So you didn’t mate, then?” said Tonks loudly.
The three grown-ups looked at her open mouthed.
“Tonks,” said Sirius. “What do you mean?”
She giggled naughtily, “Sirius, I’ve seen animals mating, you know. I do live near a farm!”
“So you know exactly how the baby’s got into Lily’s tummy?” Sirius asked.
“Uh huh, I just thought it would be fun to ask!”
They all laughed, and then Sirius raised his bottle. “To Baby Potter. May he have his mother’s looks and brains, and his father’s luck in friends.”
“It might be a her,” exclaimed Tonks. “You keep saying it’s a boy. How do you know?”
“Well said, Tonks!” replied Lily. “A girl would be a much better idea.”
They all sat round the table whilst she finished her tea. James looked longingly at the fish fingers and kept trying to pinch a bit. Tonks whacked his hand with her fork and he noticed her hair getting redder and redder.
“Whoa! Lily, she’s just like you when you’re getting mad at me.”
Lily started speaking to Sirius. “James believes in sharing the whole pregnancy experience, so whilst I get the morning sickness, he eats for two.”
There was a whoosh as a cloud of dust came from the next room, then another.
“Padfoot, where are you? It’s me and Peter,” cried a voice.
Tonks saw two dusty figures approach. The taller one was coughing and he looked tired. Lily picked up her wand almost absentmindedly and dusted them both down.
“Thanks, Lily,” he said as he bent down to kiss her cheek. Tonks noticed he had brown hair and a thin, slightly gaunt face.
“How are you, Remus?” said Lily, looking at him closely.
He placed one hand in front of him, palm down, and shook it from side to side. “So-so.” She squeezed his hand sympathetically and he smiled faintly - then he caught Tonks’ eye.
“Hello,” he said almost formally. “You must be Sirius’ wife.”
Tonks frowned at him “Are you Moony or Wormtail?” she demanded.
“M-Moony!” he said in surprise.
“That’s a really uncool nick-name,” she said, looking him straight in the eye. “Why did you choose it?”
He laughed loudly. “You must be a relative of his. Only Sirius is ever that rude to people.” Remus summoned a chair and sat next to her. James took some more beers out of the cupboard and handed him one. He opened it and took a swig.
“You’re right, it’s uncool but I didn’t choose it - Sirius did,” he said to her.
“Well it sort of chose you, Moony,” said Sirius under his breath.
“And that makes you Wormtail,” said Tonks turning her attention for the first time to the small man who’d crept in behind Remus. As she spoke her hair suddenly changed from dark red to an icy blue. Peter and Remus started back violently.
“Whoops!” she said chuckling as Peter sent his beer flying.
Sirius roared with laughter. “Sorry guys, she’s only six and she can’t always control it. This is my cousin’s girl, Nymphadora Tonks.”
“Just Tonks,” she growled. She peeped at them from beneath her spiky, now blue, fringe. Remus was smiling warmly appreciating the joke but Peter...she looked at him more carefully trying to assess him...Peter wasn’t smiling. Aware that she was scrutinising him he slipped on a fatuous smile and resumed drinking his beer.
When she’d finished, they all went into the lounge settling down in front of the fire. James started to sprawl on the sofa then sat up and let Lily lie across him. Peter took an armchair leaving Remus to sit on the floor whilst Sirius sat on a squashy bean bag with Tonks curled up on top of him. She’d changed into an old T shirt of his that sported the Gryffindor Lion. Lily moved her legs, “Remus, come on up here, you can’t be comfortable down there.”
“Lily, after last night I’m so tired I could sleep anywhere. I doubt I’d feel it if I slept on a bed of nails.”
Tonks pulled her mouth up to Sirius’ ear, “What did he do last night?” she asked inquisitively.
Remus turned to her, his hearing was incredibly acute in the days after transformation. Sirius gave him a long look then turned back to Tonks. “Moony, here, was out all night dancing at a club. You wouldn’t think it to look at him but he’s a huge hit on the dance-floor.”
She looked at Remus, “You’ve got lots of cuts on your face. Did you fall over a lot?”
He grimaced, “Something like that.”
“I do that, too. I’m very clumsy but I’m quite good at covering the bruises,” she told him as she yawned. Her eyelids were becoming heavy. She was aware of Remus looking at her and turned to see where Peter was. Again he was watching her with an expression she couldn’t understand.
Peter began to talk about his job. He’d just started at The Ministry and was working with Thorfinn Rowle.
“Urgh, I remember him!” exclaimed Lily. “Couldn’t keep his hands to himself.”
“You never told me that. I’d have stopped him,” blustered James.
“Oh for Godric’s sake, James,” she replied. “I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I had enough practise fending you off, didn’t I?”
James smiled ruefully as Sirius and Remus laughed- only Peter didn’t join in, seemingly lost in his thoughts.
“Thorfinn’s not bad, really,” he said. “He’s helped me anyway. It’s not been easy finding my feet at the Ministry.”
Tonks vaguely heard James mumble something about Slytherin but stopped when he caught Lily’s eye.
Lily looked across at Tonks. “She needs to be in bed, Sirius. I’ll take her.”
“No you don’t!” declared James, “I’m not having you lift anything heavier than parchment until next July.”
“What’s this?” asked Remus suddenly alert.
“She’s up the duff, mate,” said Sirius crudely.
Remus and Peter gasped, “Is this true?”
“Well not quite how we wanted to announce it, but yeah, Lily’s pregnant. We’re going to be parents.” James got up and walked across to Tonks. “And as I need the practise, I’ll put this one to bed.”
As James left the room, Lily turned to Sirius, “Why is she here? Are her parents okay? You’ve been looking at the fireplace off and on all evening.”
Sirius sighed. He looked around at the three of them. “Her mother’s my cousin, Andromeda Tonks. This morning I received a letter from her, first time in years, asking if I’d look after her daughter because she wants to visit her sister, Narcissa.”
“Narcissa Malfoy,” said Remus in horror.
“Uh-huh. She said she’d be an hour or two so I took Tonks out on the bike.” He ignored Lily’s raised eyebrows. “But when we got back, there’s no Meda, just a letter.” He paused to take another swig from his beer. “Turns out Narcissa’s pregnant and she only wanted to know about Meda’s pregnancy,” he said with disgust in his voice.
“That’s only natural, Sirius,” said Lily. “I’m desperate to talk to another woman. None of my friends are in this condition.” She smiled as she stroked her stomach.
“She didn’t want tips, Lily,” Sirius continued darkly. “She wanted to know what Meda did wrong so she can avoid it.”
“What do you mean,‘wrong’? said Remus strangely.
“My cousin, Narcissa, is a very suspicious witch. She thinks Meda’s daughter is the result of an accident or else is a punishment.”
“Why?” said Lily in bemusement.
Remus shook his head in disgust, finally understanding. He took Lily’s hand. “She’s a Metamorphamagus, Lily. They’re supposed to bring bad luck.”
There was a long pause while they all digested the sordid truth.
“So where’s Andromeda now?” whispered Lily.
“Well she got into a heated argument with Narcissa who drew her wand. Meda wouldn’t use hers on Narcissa because she’s pregnant so she ended up with a cut lip and arm. She didn’t want her daughter seeing that,” he replied.
Later that night when they’d left, Sirius crept into his room to check on his cousin. "Lumos!" he whispered and his wand cast a glimmer of light down on her. In repose her hair was light brown - the perfect blend of Ted and Andromeda.
“Night, night, Tonks,” he whispered gently.
She opened one eye. “I’m not asleep,” she said.
“Well, you should be. Your mum will kill me if you don’t get some rest,” he said as he sat down on the bed next to her.
“Can I come again?” she asked.
“Probably.”
“I’d like to see Lily again,” she murmured.
“Not the others?” he said.
“Well,” she said, turning her head to one side as she considered. “James was funny, but...”
“What is it? Are you scared of something, Tonks?”
She looked up at him, her big dark eyes looked slightly fearful.
“Is it Moony?” he said, wondering how on earth she’d managed to pick up that he was a werewolf and wondering how the hell he was going to explain to her that he wasn’t scary.
“No,” she replied. “It wasn’t Moony - he just seemed sort of sad.” She paused. “It was Peter.”
“Peter,” he said laughing. “He wouldn’t hurt a fly!”
“He didn’t like me,” she said stubbornly.
“Rubbish!” declared Sirius. “Everyone loved you. They all thought you were cool.”
She smiled wanly and lay back on the pillow, his words were reassuring but she remained unconvinced.
Nearly two years later, Sirius was thrown into a cell in Azkaban. She’d been right, he thought, it was Moony, not Wormtail, we should have trusted.
And in a corner of England a girl who was eight years and eight months old curled up on her bed crying. In her hand she clutched a faded Gryffindor T-shirt.
“He didn’t do it,” she sobbed. “He would never have betrayed them.”