Title – The Trouble with Masks.

Chapter – 1 - Cries in the Darkness.

Pairing – Tonks/Remus, Tonks/Oc,

Rating – M – Just to be safe.

Warnings – Romance and angst.

Quick Intro – Tonks was a metamorph, an Auror, this is the tale of her past, her fight for her innocent cousin locked up in Azkaban and her tale of love, loss and possible acceptance.

Disclaimer – I don't own any of the character from Harry Potter alas they belong to JK Rowling, there is no financial gain here just a love of fanfiction.

Chapter 1

Tonks looked up and around the table, everyone sat in their little groups chatting and trying to forget the danger they were all in, only a few knew her secret and only one had seen it with his own eyes, one was helping her or trying to and another was trying to get her to forget it. Still she knew one day she would have to allow the others in, Harry Potter would have to know at some point and she was damned sure she was going to be the one to tell him, she was just unsure when and how that was going to happen.

Tonks let her eyes wonder over the group that had for the most part become her family, she knew some of them didn't trust her and she knew some didn't know the real her but still they would protect her just like she would protect any of them, that's what family meant.

Realising she was being watched Tonks looked over to the corner where Professor Severus Snape sat, he didn't smile or sneer he just looked at her in the depressive way he looked at everyone, she knew he would want to talk to her when everyone was leaving, he always did.

Tonks tale started on the fateful night that Lily and James were killed, she knew she was a metamorph and would entertain Harry and others with her ability, so far Tonks life was pretty normal, yes she had a morphing ability but nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Tonks knew her family had a bad people in it but it also had good people like her cousin Sirius whom she adored. When Voldemort killed Lily and James and Sirius was thrown in Azkaban Nymphadora's world collapsed for more then one reason, not only had one member of her family who she trusted and loved above all others been imprisoned in a hell like place but he was innocent and she knew it.

Tonks remembered that night vividly, not that she could forget it, not many people knew this and that was fine by Tonks but on the night of the Potter's death and the miracle of the boy who lived Tonks was also there, its true that the Potter's had a secret keeper but Tonks was allowed to visit Harry and play with him, being stuck in the house all day and night was not exactly entertaining even if your parents were apart of the magic community.

Tonks was young only about six but she loved playing with Harry and on the day of the attack she was playing with him in his room, she watched as Voldemort killed Lily and tried to kill Harry. Tonks had tried to stop Voldemort but was of course no match for him, he however did not kill her but cursed her while laughing, no one knew the curse he had used and no one knew how to counter it, since that day forward Tonks was cursed though not many could tell, the curse created a clumsy effect, she would trip, knock in to things and generally be clumsy, it would seem to be a trait of her character but only she and a few others knew differently.

Every time she tripped or spilt something, every time she bumped into or knocked over something she remembered it, him, those eyes and the feeling of pain, the feeling of helplessness and the feeling of truth, she knew there was no way Sirius had been involved but no one would believe a six year old no mater how much she protested.

After the incident they found her cuddling Harry while hiding in the cupboard in his room, she had Lily's wand clutched in her hand and refused to let go of Harry to anyone even Dumbledore. The wizards had found James body downstairs and Lily's in the bedroom, Dumbledore knew not to force her to let go of Harry but after a while she had come out of the cupboard and given Dumbledore the wand but was still refusing to give up Harry. Hagrid arrived and for some reason Tonks seemed to trust the gentle half giant, when he promised not to harm Harry but keep him safe Nymphadora gave up her bundle to him. With the release of protection the weight of what had happened finally took over her and she began to panic, seeing this Dumbledore cast a sleep charm over the child and lifted the girl into his arms flooing to St Mungos hospital.

The next few days were a blur to her, she had woken up screaming and had many potion to drink, her parents had been by her bedside the entire time though her mother she was sure was annoyed with her and her father was confused about everything. Dumbledore had visited her once to make sure she was okay and even Hagrid had come to see her and assure her the boy was safe.

After a few days of being awake the decision to tell her about Sirius's involvement was made after her insistent questioning about his whereabouts, though they broke it to her gently her refusal to believe it wore thin after a while and her mother even refused to visit her until she had accepted the truth about her dear cousin.

Being a metamorph had its advantages and on the day of his trial Nymphadora was able to slip out of St Mungo's by posing as the daughter of a visitor, she changed her hair and was not stopped, she managed to use the same trick to get into the Ministry of Magic, being six also had its advantages as no one questioned her presence assuming she was with her parents.

While in the hospital she had pretended to be asleep and listened to the conversations around her, she found that people spoke more openly when they thought she was asleep, she had learnt the day of Sirius trial and the room number, bravely she decided to go and fight for him, plead his innocence do anything to stop him going to Azkaban. Once in the building she managed to find her way to the right level and the right room, she entered and looked around; it was still early so she knew she had time to find a good hiding spot.

After a while she heard footsteps and held her breath preying that the spot under the rows of benches was hidden enough so no one would notice her but give her a good view, she was sure the people at the hospital would be looking for her but they would never think to look for her here. She recognised some people and knew the faces of others from the papers her mum would buy, Dumbledore walked close to her but she held her breath and although he seemed to stop by her he didn't look at her and seemed to concentrate more on the others around him. It seemed to take ages for everyone to enter and take their seats, she heard whispered conversation about the 'boy who lived' and the downfall of 'you know who' after a while a hush came over the gathering and events seemed to be starting, she glanced over at Dumbledore and recognised the man sat next to him as Alistor Moody or 'Mad-eye' as she had affectionately called him on their first meeting, he seemed to scare other people but she didn't see why, yeah he looked a bit weird but apart from that he amused her.

Nymphadora looked up at him again through the crack in the seats and was shocked to find his 'mad eye' was staring straight at her, he leaned over and whispered to Dumbledore who turned and looked in her direction. Frozen in fear at being found out Nymphadora didn't see a chamber being raised from the floor in the centre of the room, within the chamber shackled and surrounded by spikes was her beloved cousin though she could hardly believe it. He was dishevelled and hollowed he looked like a shell with dead cold eyes, she had never seen him or anyone looking so lost, the trial started and after a few minutes she could tell this wasn't going to be a fair trial, everyone kept shouting accusations at her padfoot and no one was listening to his answers.

After a few more minutes Sirius began to crumble and Nymphadora couldn't take it anymore, just as she ran from her hiding spot Mad Eye Moody also jumped up, she managed to get to the cage before anyone could stop her, it took him a moment to react but suddenly Sirius seemed to see her and she saw his eyes come alive with emotion of happiness and pain.

She had no idea what to say or do so she just clung on to the bars and stared at him, she felt someone come up behind her and try to get her to let go but she wouldn't budge, all seemed to have gone quiet as if everyone wanted to hear what was going to happen. She smiled at him and lent her forehead against his, when she did speak it was barely above a whisper, "I believe in you, I will never stop believing in you Siri." At the mention of his nickname his eyes seemed to go cold again and he let go of the bars and moved back slightly, when he spoke his voice was as cold as his eyes "Take her away, this is no place for a child.".

Nymphadora couldn't believe it; her childish mind had made her believe that just seeing him again would make everything all right, as if her belief in him would put everything back to normal. Tears ran down her face as Moody pulled her away from the cage, she screamed his name one last time and he looked at her, for an instant she saw him again and she knew she would not stop fighting for him.

Moody placed a sleep charm on her and she did not see the screams and insane shouts of Sirius to get her out of the place, he struggled so much he had to be taken away and the trial suspended for a few hours. Once Nymphadora came around she was at the hospital again and had a magical spell so she couldn't leave her room until it had been lifted, her mother became even angrier at her and although she was relieved that her daughter was safe Nymphadora felt that she had lost something in the relationship with her mother but that pain was nothing to the pain she felt about losing Sirius, no one seemed to understand when she tried to explain his innocence. After a few days she was released from the hospital and was told that she would have a visit from a Professor of Hogwarts who specialised in curses and potions, Professor Severus Snape would try and help revert what ever curse had been placed on her.

This story has a fair few chpters written already and I think it is shaping up to be a good story so please hang in their, it does get better.

SoloSea