"Who is he?" asked Tonks as she sat near Charlie.
The red-haired boy looked at the people around the old wooden table and then glanced at her again "Who is who?"
"The man sitting on the right of my cousin." she answered, glancing at the opposite of the room, "I have the impression that I have met him before now, but I can't remember where."
"Remus Lupin?" asked Charlie absently pouring a glass of water. She nodded and the boy continued "I don't' know much about him. This is the second time I've seen him. I know only he was one of Sirius school friend. "
Before Charlie could say more, Dumbledore entered in the room and sat at the head table been ending any debate.
"Nymphadora" called Alastor Moody.
"Don't call me Nymphadora!" she threatened looking at him while her hair became red and then purple again.
"You have to control you character, Tonks, if you want to help the Order. " Mad-eye Moody urged her "What would you do if you were in a fight?"
"I doubt anybody would call me by name during a clash " replied ironically the girl.
"I'm really happy to see you here, Miss Tonks" Dumbledore interjected politically "Alastor told me you were one of his brightest student."
"Yeah" grumbled Mad-Eye " brilliant but with a big temper."
Tonks looked at her old mentor with gratitude and irritation at the same time.
"I think that having a strong character is a good thing, especially at this time." said Dumbledore smiling and looking at her over the half-moon glasses "We are few to counter the threat hanging and, with the Ministry against us, every help is a great conquest. "added seriously "Another member of the Order who work inside the Ministry is more then I could hope. "
"So you are an Auror." said Sirius, approaching her after the reunion was finished.
"Yeah" told Tonks. She felt a little uneasy looking at her cousin, the same man to who the entire Auror's department, and herself, were chasing.
Sirius brought back his head laughing loudly.
The girl's hair darkened. "I said something that makes you laugh?"
"No, no" assured her the man "I'm just thinking what could have said my dear parents about that." he smiled at her and sat down on the table "A half-blood witch, who works like Auror and betrays the same Ministry hiding a dangerous murderess. " put his feet on a chair and rested his elbows on his knees " Oh, if only they could be here in this moment!" exclaimed glancing at her , a touch of madness in his eyes, " The son traitor of their own blood sitting in their kitchen with the living proof of the contamination of the noble Balck's blood" laughed again " this would make them mad!"
While Tonks was looking at her cousin wondering if he was a little crazy the man, who Charlie had called Lupin, reached them "I'm sorry for Sirius" said Remus "I hope he isn't giving you too much discomfort."
"We are just talking" replied Sirius rising, suddenly serious.
"You were speaking. She was looking at you thinking you are really a madman" Lupin contradicted him "This is the best way to change her mind about your innocence "
"If she thought I was crazy or guilty, she would never have come here" said Sirius putting is hands in his pocket "Tonks, what do you think about me?" asked seriously then, staring into her eyes.
She held his gaze for a long instant. "You are innocent, I have no doubt about this. "admitted with conviction.
"I like you!" exclaimed Sirius putting his arm around her shoulders.
"Maybe" she jokingly added, a bit surprised by his gesture, "you're a little crazy."
"Maybe" agreed Sirius.
When Tonks returned home, her parents were already eating dinner.
"You are late!" reproached Ted Tonks, who sat at the kitchen table.
"I know. " said Tonks, throwing her cloak on the back of a chair "I'm sorry."
"I was very worried about you." continued her father, glancing at her, "I have just read about another 'mysterious' accident."
"You don't have to be anxious about me." replied her sitting down at his left "I know what I'm doing. I'm an Auror. Do you remember this?"
"And this should make me calm down?"
"You should have thought about this before you indulge in her choosing to undertake this career." answered his wife taking another plate.
"Mom," called Tonks looking at her while the woman was filling her plate "what do you can say about Sirius Black?"
The spoon fell down from Andromeda's hand.
"Why you are so interested about him?" asked Ted. He put down the cutlery and looked fixedly at her astonished at her unusual request.
"I'm just curious" she answered tasting the roast "I wish to know more about this man. I see his pictures every day. "
"He is just an assassin, a traitor, a Death-Eater" Andromeda told, disgusted, sitting at the opposite side of the table "He's just like any other of his family."
That night Tonks doesn't slept her mind, she relieved the moment when she decided to join the Order, the moment when she decided to betray the Ministry to believe in the innocence of a man who didn't even know. Tonks saw again the strange expression of her mom when she asked about Sirius, she looked like never loved to talk about her family and Tonks could understand her considering that all of her living relatives were in prison except one of her sisters but she had never shown so disappointed.
The next morning Tonks returned to the 12 of Grimmauld Place.
The house was dark and inhospitable as in the previous afternoon, despite the light of the morning sun. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the gloomy silence.
"Tonks" exclaimed surprised Sirius, appearing on the stairs leading to the kitchen "What are you doing here?"
" I don't have to work today and I wish to know you better" answered Tonks .Seeing her cousin in a dressing gown, she thought she should be informed him in advance of her visit "I'm sorry. I hope not to disturb you"
"Do you bother me? "said the man " I'm really happy to see somebody" guided her in the sitting room
"Welcome in the better room of my prison." Sirius said sarcastically "Molly and her sons are helping me to clean the house but, for now, we had finished only the kitchen and this room. "
Tonks looked around curiously. An empty big library occupied almost all the right wall of the room, in front of this there is a massive oval table and in the middle of the room a sofa and two uncomfortable-looking armchairs. "The Weasley are living here?" she asked.
"No" answered the man leaning on the marble mantelpiece "Who can desire to live in this old dark house? "
"This place is not so bad as you say" told Lupin put down a big bag near the library "Hi, Tonks" then he went out of the room again.
"I hated this house when I was I child and I hat this place now." added Sirius as if his friend has not spoken "The only tolerable moments that I spent here, were in the company of your mother."
"Really?" asked astonished Tonks sitting on the windowsill.
"Your mother is my favourite cousin and the only relative who whiling admit to having." confirmed Sirius, sitting near her "Andromeda is the only sane person in the family"
"Except you" corrected him, Lupin putting down another bag.
"Of course" agreed Sirius, looked curiously at the two bags "What are you doing?"
"I'm ordering my stuff." answered Lupin "You don't mind if I use your library ,yes?"
"It's all your." said Sirius "Remus has accepted to live with me. This house is too big and silent for a single person" explained at his cousin "I can't go out but I hope Moony should make me feel not so alone."
"Moony?" asked confused Tonks "What a strange nickname."
The eyes of Sirius met the eyes of Lupin for a long minute.
"It's just a joke, from the school time." said Remus placing his old books.
Tonks thought he was upset with Sirius for had been called in that way but she doesn't ask why. The more she looked at him more she had the feeling of having seen him before "Do you work at the Ministry?"
"Me?" asked stupefied and a bit amused Lupin, turning to her "No."
"We've met before now?"
"No" assured her the man.
"You're making a mistake." Sirius rectified his friend "You've met before yesterday."
Surprise Tonks looked at him and at the other man again.
"Do you forgot?" asked Sirius.
"I remember." told Lupin leaning on the window's frame "But she was only a baby, she can't remember me."