Well, this is my first fanfiction! Reviews are more than welcome, as are comment! Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters! (A girl can dream, though, can't she?)

Chapter One

Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London

"It's true, then?" Hestia Jones stood back as the Order members filed, one by one, into Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. "Sirius is..."

"Yes. Sirius Black is dead." Kingsley Shacklebolt intoned, flicking his wand across the front door; it shut with a sudden, startling bang. "No one comes in or out tonight."

Silence fell across the front hall, every present Order member sensing the undertone in his usually soothing voice: one of their own was dead, and potential enemies lurked everywhere.

"He's right." Mad-Eye thundered. "If anyone opens that door..." He trailed off, false eye spinning at a sickening speed. "It won't end well for that particular individual."

"He's really dead," Hestia said, sounding almost dazed, "Sirius Black is dead." With that she began to weep; Molly Weasley sniffed a few times before herding her into the kitchen, patting her shoulder weakly. The silence that remained was stunned.

"I can't believe this." Tonks muttered, but she could, and with a horrifying clarity. Her cousin, her friend, the man who had triumphed over so much, had perished at the hands of his relative. Of her relative. "I can't believe this."

"It's late." Kingsley said abruptly. "I think we should all try to...sleep. At least get some rest."

"Not me." Mad-Eye countered. "Sirius' death has been a terrible tragedy, but we all need to maintain—"

"Constant vigilance." Several Order members chanted under their breath. Mad-Eye gave the present company a curt nod; Tonks could have sworn that he looked almost proud as he stumped away.

A few people lingered in the musty hallway, perhaps too shocked to follow the others into the kitchen. Tonks was among them, Remus Lupin beside her. She saw great pain in his downcast eyes and took some small comfort in the fact that Sirius had had at least one other close friend on this earth.

"This is awful," Dedalus Diggle murmured, "But whatever is going to happen to the house? He didn't have any family to speak of—"

"He did." Tonks said loudly, her sudden outburst drawing surprised glances from the scant crowd. "Sirius had family. I was his family, dammit!" She stopped herself almost mid-sentence, afraid of what might follow—insulting Dedalus, a man whom she hardly knew, or confronting some other innocent bystander in a blind rage.

"Nymphadora..." Lupin began, sounding almost hesitant; Tonks spun on her heel and snapped, "Don't bloody call me that!" before turning tail and apparating up the stairs. She knew that downstairs, the little crowd in the hall had heard a sharp crack and seen her vanish, leaving Dedalus Diggle highly confused and everyone standing in awkward silence.

Alone in the spartanly-furnished back bedroom—the room in which she always slept while visiting Sirius—Tonks found herself pacing restlessly. She very rarely lost her temper, and when she did it was a quiet anger. A seething anger. Shouting at poor old Dedalus hadn't done anyone any good, and she couldn't help but feel guilty and immature.

She was still pacing several minutes later when the door opened. Remus Lupin stood in the doorway, looking concerned and saddened.

"What do you want?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Tonks realized how rude she sounded. "Sorry, that was..."

"You were close to Sirius." Remus said patiently. "Family."

Tonks felt hot tears welling in her throat and fought them back. "Come in, then." She said roughly.

Remus stepped into the small bedroom with an air of caution; they stood facing each other, barely a foot apart.

"He was one of my best friends."

"He was—" Tonks was rapidly losing the battle against her tears. "He was like a brother to me."

"I know," Remus said softly, "I know." And then suddenly she was hugging him tightly, her cheek pressed against his chest, crying—no, sobbing for everything that ever was and everything that could have been, for a life cut short and for a man who had been damaged in unspeakable ways.

Tonks might have felt weak and ashamed under normal circumstances, but now she felt only overwhelming sadness. She was vaguely aware of someone guiding her toward the bed, of weeping against another person for lengthy amounts of time. A low, hoarse voice whispering "Nox" and the single light flicking off. Someone was embracing her, and she could feel him trembling slightly underneath her. As if he were about to cry but was resisting it.

Remus Lupin was holding her while she cried, and when morning came he had yet to let go.

Author's note: If you've read this far, thanks! Reviews are always welcome! Also, if I made any obvious mistakes feel free to PM me or just leave me a note in a review!