Author's Note: As I say on my profile page, I'm the author of a thousand takes. That can be translated roughly to 'this is not your usual Sirius-Tonks-Lupin triangle/ what-Sirius-and-Remus-were-up-to/ why-Tonks'-hair-color-really-changed/ why-Harry-was-right-about-it/ how-a-get-together-turned-into-a-wild-drinking-party/ angst/ depressing thing' (I don't lie, so you can take my word for it – but if you don't believe me, feel free to check it out). Just give it a chance before rolling your eyes, and closing this window, okay? I doubt you'll hate it. And again, you can take my word for it…
Disclaimer: If J.K. Rowling owns it, it's because it's not mine. Don't sue.
A dog, a nymph and a werewolf.
How it started…
Scowling, Tonks stood up after tripping once more over the umbrella stand, and tried to force the curtains closed. She fumed, wondering when he would get the idea of moving that horrible thing out of the way, while, with a last tug, she finally managed to silence Mrs. Black behind her curtains. Tonks pushed her hair back with the back of her hand and started searching for him inside every room of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. After ten minutes – and tripping on the last step of the staircase – she found him in his room.
Sirius was sitting on the edge of his bed, looking at the floor deep in thought. He didn't move nor recognize her presence in any way. Tonks looked at him for a moment, saddened: he was even more depressed than he had been on her last visit.
"Sirius?" – She said tentatively. He didn't answer.
She sighed and moved to his side, sitting by him in silence. He lifted his eyes to meet hers for a moment, before turning his gaze back to the floor.
"He doesn't want to see me…" – Sirius stated a while later, his voice oddly constricted.
Tonks had no idea of whom or what he was talking about, so she squeezed his shoulder and tried to be comforting.
"No, no, Sirius… I'm sure he wants to see you. It's all probably a misunderstanding."
"No, it isn't. I offered to visit him and he practically screamed at me not to come."
"But that's only because he knows you can't leave the house. I'm sure it's nothing personal…"
"It is to me! I don't care about being caught; I don't care about them finding me! I just want to see Harry again, and he doesn't want to see me! He's rejected me! And why shouldn't he? After all, what kind of godfather am I? Away at Azkaban for thirteen years, with him thinking I handed his parents to Voldemort for who knows how long… Then hiding in caves and finally stuck in this horrible house, unable to assist him any further, to be with him, to be there for him… He's been alone all his life, and even though I know he doesn't like the Dursleys, I can't bring him to stay with me. I can't get him out of there… He's resigned himself because he knows I'll never be around and that's why he doesn't want to see me now. I'm of no use to him…" – He sighed sadly. – "I'm sick of it. I'm sick of this place, of hiding, of everything... I want out, and he won't see me…"
His eyes were shining, and he took a deep breath. Tonks, now getting what was going through his mind, could feel her eyes watering, too.
"Come on, Sirius. You know what he feels for you. And you know Harry'd love you to be cleared so you could go visit him as often as you'd like –"
"– or live with him –"
"– Or so you could live with him permanently, but you've got to be patient –"
"– I've been patient! –"
"– You've got to pull yourself together –"
"– I'm trying to! What do you think I've been doing all this time?! –"
"– And you've got to stop biting my head off!" – Tonks replied irritably. – "We all love you, Sirius, and we'd do anything to make you feel better! We are as upset about you being stuck in this place as you are! So stop thinking we're conspiring to drive you mad by keeping you here, and understand that we just want you safe until Fudge acknowledges your innocence! We are sincerely trying to help you, and your attitude isn't making it any easier!"
He nodded, without taking his eyes off the floor, and was quiet once more. Tonks sighed and rolled her eyes at herself: she had been severely insensitive.
"Look, I'm sorry, Sirius. I shouldn't have yelled at you… I know you're dying to get out and I would be, too, if I were in your position. It was very rude of me and I apologize for it from the bottom of my heart. I'll try to control my temper better, so it doesn't happen again… I'm really sorry."
"No, it's okay. I mean, you're right. I've got to stop playing the victim here and take it like a man."
"Sirius! That's not what I meant! You know it wasn't! And I already said I'm sorry!"
Instead of replying, he changed the subject abruptly.
"Did you know your mom used to be my favorite cousin? She never let anyone fill her head with all that 'Toujours pur' garbage that the Blacks upheld. I always loved being around her, but, after she married your father, no one could even say her name… I thought she would forget us – that she was going to forget me – just as everyone else was trying to forget her. But she didn't. I remember she used to owl me every time she heard Mom and I had a fight. I always wondered how she found out…" – His lips curved in a sad smile. – "She also sent me secret Christmas presents and she never overlooked my birthdays. That's why, when Uncle Alphard left me his fortune, the first thing I thought about was sending her the most incredible gift I could find… In the end, I couldn't find anything special enough, so I sent her five thousand galleons, which still left me with a decent bit of gold. She didn't accept it without a fight, though… We continued owling each other, always making plans to get together, for me to meet you or to come visit, but the Order occupied most of my time… However, the owls never stopped coming, almost ten years of them… Not until after what happened to James and Lily… After that, she never wrote to me again…"
A lump rose in Tonks' throat.
"I could try to convince her, you know? Tell her you are innocent; get her to write or to come visit or something…"
"Did she ever mention me?"
The lump in her throat threatened to choke her, but she didn't lie to him.
"No."
"Then it doesn't matter. I am as dead to her as she is to me."
"Sirius…"
He stood up with a forced smile and took her arm, pulling her to her feet.
"Well, enough for a day, eh? Thanks for stopping by… See you at the next Order meeting."
"Wait, no!"
"I have to go feed Buckbeak now…" – He said, leading Tonks to the bedroom door.
"Don't do this, Sirius! Don't shut me out!"
"I'm not! I'm sure you have a lot of interesting things to do, and you should catch some sleep because your night shifts begin again in two days, so run along…"
"STOP!"
She wrenched her arm out of his grip, and Sirius' fake grin fell instantly.
"Please, Tonks, please…just go…"
She shook her head fiercely, her eyes now positively burning with tears.
"I'm here – I'll always be here for you, Sirius. I won't leave you, I won't stop visiting; I'll even start owling you today if you'd like me to." –A hot, solitary tear ran down Sirius' cheek. She looked at it, totally engrossed, and her fingers slowly grazed his jaw to clear it away. – "Let me in… Let me ease your pain… I know I can, and so do you…"
She felt, rather than saw, him nodding, and he bent down to kiss her forehead.
"Thank you…" – Sirius said softly.
His breath was on her face; she could feel it moving her green bangs. Her eyes locked with his, her hand still on his jaw, and he leaned down again. This time, his lips fell farther down her heart-shaped face…
Author's Note: O.o, my first cliffhanger! Well, I think it is a cliffhanger… What do you think? Anyway, before any of you complain:
TONKS AND SIRIUS DON'T LOVE EACH OTHER ROMANTICALLY!
Think of it as a strange, really weird, slightly creepy expression of cousinly love (hey, I'm not the one that said cousins could marry! – J.K. Rowling was the one that came up with legalizing that in the wizarding world). As of the moment, I don't know how long I'll make this story, but it covers some parts of books five and six. At one point, maybe I'll give another reason why Tonks' hair was normal on Platform 9¾ at the end of OotP and why it wasn't during most of HBP, just for the fun of it. And it's not related to romantically loving anyone. O.o, do I sense another cliffhanger? Lol. Remember to R&R or flame, whichever tickles your fancy.