Prologue

Trajectory… the path that is followed by a projectile. A rather set or fixed route by the force for an object… now, this route is set for the object has a specific action to carry out. If the trajectory is in alignment, then the purpose would be served but if the trajectory is even a millimeter off the mark, then the object would not only loose the path… it would also create an impact so big, that it could change the shape of the things…

Here… it would change the shape of lives, as the trajectory had been changed by the decision that was taken on that particular day, that particular minute, that particular second… in that very particular moment by a man that was hidden from the world. And he was the one who had decided to share his secret with the world…

As the trajectory changed… the first one to bear the brunt of this was Andromeda Tonks…

…..

"Nymphadora, are you ready sweetheart?" Andromeda Tonks called out to her only child in slight exasperation as her only daughter refused to hurry up.

Andromeda Tonks was a very fortunate woman… she had everything, really. A husband who was the love of her life, a daughter who was the apple of her eyes and a home which she could call her own and do as she please. Sometimes, Andromeda thought that it was all too good to be true… but loving Edward Tonks had given her something that she had always been denied… freedom.

With Ted, Andromeda could laugh, could run, could talk whatever was on her mind… Growing up Andromeda had always been chastised by her mother, Druella Black nee Rosier on how to be a proper lady… with quite and mild mannerisms, with dignified gestures and the small talks… oh, always the small talks!

But one cannot shrug off such deep conditioning that has been imbibed in one's blood since they were in the cradle, and one could definitely point out that despite going against her entire family, and eloping with the Muggle-born Ted Tonks, Andromeda Tonks was bred a lady.

Despite her lack of prejudice and her faultless discernment… Andromeda Tonks was the lady of the house and also, she was the mother of an eleven year old messy, metamorphmagus who was to start at Hogwarts in two months.

"Nymphadora…" Andromeda opened the door of her daughter's room and the sight that greeted her, made her close her eyes in despair.

"Honestly, Nymphadora, you should start learning to clean up after yourself!" she chided as Andromeda took in all sorts of clothes strewn about the room… a small trouser hung from the curtain rail gently swaying as the opened window let in the breeze, the bedcovers still messed up…muggle books lying on the floor.

A bright pink head emerged from the cupboard and dark eyes regarded her innocently…

"Mum… I can't find my yellow jacket!"

Andromeda tried to hide her grimace as the thought of the ugly garment flitted through her mind… honestly, her daughter and her choices… always uncommon…

But Andromeda had learnt her lesson, anything that made her daughter happy she would gladly accept… or the little girl would morph her face like a pig's for a week… anything but that!

It was a tough job being a parent… but Andromeda had winged it so far with only one thing in mind… she always did the opposite of what her parents did… and it has been working marvelously!

Nymphadora might be messy, lazy and a troublemaker but she was kind, helpful and had a good heart… and that was all that mattered…

"How do you expect to find your jacket in such clutter?" Andromeda enquired crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows. In return she got the narrowed eyes of a suspicious child…

"It's not clutter…"

"You could start folding each item and placing it in the cupboard, where it belongs and then maybe you would find your yellow jacket?"

The narrowed eyes were accompanied by a frown and Andromeda bit her lips from smiling… but before either of them could respond, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll go see who that it, and in the meantime young lady, I want you to get ready as quick as you can. Don't you want your own wand?"

Andromeda chuckled and covered her ears as a high pitched squeal assaulted her ears…

"Dromeda… we have a visitor!"

The voice of her husband floated up the stairs and Andromeda shook her head at her clown of a daughter. Bless her husband…

"Coming… now you hurry, or else we'll be late!"

Andromeda Tonks took the stairs serenely, happy and content in her blissful world… and she had no idea at all… that the visitor downstairs is going to change her world… forever.

….

Two days later

The Leaky Cauldron was the entry point from the Muggle world to the Wizarding world that led to the Diagon Alley… It was a gloomy establishment that doubled as a pub as well as a B&B, where Tom had been tending the bar for a while now. Every person that entered or exited the bar was recorded in the old barkeeps' mind. Also helped the fact that Tom was the landlord, hence he knew more people than he should.

That day was like an ordinary day. The early morning patrons demanded the usual. And the hordes of parents shuffled through, tugging at the over excited children, trying and failing miserably to reign in the enthusiasm… really… Tom had watched it all…

And the London weather turned worse that particular afternoon as it decided to rain… one could never be sure and should always carry an umbrella, so the crowd dispersed… no one liked shopping and handling kids when it was pouring down outside. Some were stuck and others were waiting impatiently by the floo for their turn…

The next time it turned green, a tall woman exited, followed shortly by a tall fair headed man who, it seems was having some difficulty in handling the kids.

Woman walked towards the exit and Tom noted with some surprise that it was Andromeda Black… no Tonks and she was here with her family. This girl created quite the scandal, Tom thought to himself. It took some guts and then some, to stand up to your family, especially Blacks… especially Bellatrix Black. A shiver ran down the length of his spine and just then Andromeda Tonks looked at him and gave a polite smile.

"Hello Tom. How are you?" her polite enquiry made Tom smile.

"Very well thank you Madam, how do you do?" such similarities yet so different. Tall, with the same uncanny features but Andromeda had a softness about her that lacked in her elder sister…

"I'm good too. Good to see you again Tom" that was Andromeda, polite but to the point. Her husband was still talking to the kid it seems.

"Shopping for Hogwarts?"

"Yes. Nymphadora is starting this year" there was a fond quality in her tone and Tom smothered his laugh at the name. Nymphadora… what kind of a name was that?

"And this one?" Tom mentioned to the little tot who was clutching Andromeda's leg like venomous tantacula… all Tom could see was a dark head amidst the swathes of Andromeda's robes.

An elegant hand gently caressed the top of the shiny head and the kid peeked up and a second surprise stole Tom of his speech…

The kid had the same dark hair like her mother, same features… and her obsidian eyes blinked in an adorable mixture of innocence and curiosity.

"Blimey… looks like you got a mini you" Tom marveled and had he looked more carefully, he would have noted the strain in Andromeda's smile.

Just then the child was lifted up and settled in the arms of Ted Tonks, who genially smiled at Tom.

"'lo Tom. Been a while."

"I'll say"

Looking around Ted shrugged…

"Of course, it's going to be like this from now on. With Dora going next month and then later on Alexis." Ted Tonks turned to look at his youngest in his arms "Say hello to Tom, darling"

"Hello" came the almost inaudible greeting and Tom smile and returned the greeting and watched as the kid still watched him… as if in amazement.

"Looks like it's going to be fun, eh girls. You ready to shop, drippin' wet?!" there was a shout and tug and Ted Tonks was laughing, while Andromeda smiled as they were tugged out towards the brick wall, by their pink haired daughter.

"Was that Andromeda Black?" enquired a patron sitting by the bar. Jonathan Grant worked in the Improper Use of Magic, was still looking at the backs of the family as they went.

"Yeah, now its Tonks" Tom corrected and shook his head. Pink?!

"Went to school with her." A snort and Jonathan shook his mop of curls "never thought she's marry that Tonks, much less have two kids with him"

And then Jonathan Grant went back to his cup and Tom went back to wiping the counter. Nothing else was mentioned… Grant paid and left, and Tom went on fill the floo cup by the grate… Neither noticed the hooded patron sitting in the far corner and noticing every tiny detail…

The hooded figure dropped a few gold coins and exited the pub towards the Muggle London. As soon as he stepped out, the hood disappeared. An aristocratic head that was topped with iron grey hair surveyed the street with his clear and sharp grey eyes.

The first step was done, he thought. The process was seamless… as he knew they would, the Tonks had taken in the child with barely a hitch. And the introduction was as normal as one could hope…

Now all he had to do was watch from afar and make sure that the last of his blood, achieved what he never could…

Wait… all he could do was wait…