Hey, everybody! I hope you like this. This story is part of the Dora Tonks Collection and Sirius Black Moments pages of the Potter Family Album. It works in conjunction with all my Potter Family Album stories. If you like this, you'll like Chapter 6 of Conversations with a Hat, because that chapter is Tonks's Sorting. Enjoy!
This takes place just a few weeks after the Potters' wedding, which you can read about if you go to the story called One Week 'Til Bells Ring. Yes, I know another shameless story plug.
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Tonks Watch"Are you sure you don't mind watching her, Sirius?"
"Not at all, Meda. Glad to do it."
"We would have just called the girl next door, but the last time we left Nymphadora with her…Well, we'd told her not to let her have any ice cream. Nymphadora didn't take kindly to this and the door of the freezer opened of its own accord." She sighed. "The girl was more than a bit upset. I had to modify her memory when we got home."
"I'm here anytime you need me. There's nothing better than spending time with my favorite niece. Not like I've got much of a life anyway."
"I've been meaning to speak to you about that."
"Oh."
"it'd be nice for her to have some good cousins, you know. I shudder to think about the character of anything my sisters spawn."
"Isn't that the truth," muttered Sirius. "I can say the same for Regulus."
"It's high time you settled down, cousin."
"Gulping gargoyles, Meda! Just because you found somebody who loves you and who love and who you want to spend the rest of your life with doesn't mean everybody else is so lucky. You found somebody. I haven't."
"I'm sorry," Meda said. "I shouldn't badger you. I sound like our grandmother." She rubbed her temple.
"It's okay. When I find the right girl, I'll know it."
"So you'll be okay here?"
"I'll be fine, Meda. You worry too much. I'll see you when you get back. Have a great time."
"Thanks again, Sirius. Ted! Are you ready?"
"Almost, dear!" came the shout back. Ted Tonks came down the stairs, just finishing up with his tie and with four-year-old (well, 3 and half year old) Nymphadora Tonks fastened running behind him. "We're so glad you could come on such short notice, Sirius. Nymphadora's been waiting for you all day. Starting jumping up and down on her bed when she heard you were coming." Meanwhile, seeing Sirius, Dora had run out from behind her father and into Sirius's outstretched arms as he knelt down and scooped her up. He spun around in a circle with her and she laughed.
"It's no problem. I have no social life, remember?" Sirius said, putting Dora up on his shoulder.
Ted grinned. "We'll be back around midnight or so."
Meda looked at her cousin, "Don't let her eat too many sweets or too much junk food. I mean it."
"Define too much?" Sirius asked.
She just shook her head and started for the door.
"Bye, Mummy!" squealed Dora. "Bye, Daddy!"
They waved goodbye and went out to the car.
As soon as her parents were gone, Dora shouted, "Ice cream!"
"Just a little scoop, Dora. Can't spoil your dinner."
"What's dinner, Uncle Siir?"
"Hmm, for you, tonight, I think you're going to have a strawberry sundae for dinner."
"Yay!"
"But only if you promise to eat some spaghetti for dessert."
"Okay, Uncle Siir."
Reverse psychology, it worked every time.
Dora squealed in delight when she saw her spaghetti squirming around on the plate. Sirius laughed, remembering the first time he had ever used this charm to make spaghetti squirm like this. It was first year and Lily had screamed…then she threatened to hex him into oblivion. Good times.
After dinner Sirius and Dora played some games. First there was hide-and-seek, followed by Gobstones (which she wasn't too great at yet, being only 4). By the time they were done with Gobstones it just about Dora's bedtime.
"According to your mum, it's your bedtime, little missy."
"Do I have to, Uncle Sirius?" She looked at him with eyes like an innocent little puppy dog.
"Dora, your mother said…"
"Pwease?"
"Well, I'll tell you what. You go upstairs and put your PJ's on. You can stay down here for a while longer and we can eat popcorn and watch TV."
"Yay!" she squealed. She hugged him and ran upstairs.
Since Meda had married Ted, Sirius had learned some things about Muggles and Muggle technology. He was quite proud of his ability in operating the microwave and the television. He found a bag of popcorn in the cabinet and put it in the microwave just like Ted had taught him and pressed start. He and Ted had become pretty good friends. He took a can of soda out of the refrigerator, wait, was that what it was called? Yeah, he was pretty sure that was right. He got a glass of water for Dora. The last thing he needed was for to drink a soda and get hyper.
Sirius poured the popcorn into a bowl and took the bowl and the drinks into the living room. Dora was waiting, remote in hand. "Okay, sweetie, what do you want to watch?" he asked picking her up and sitting on the couch.
"Anything where the good guy gets to beat up the bad guy!"
"How about this?" he asked.
"No, I don't wanna watch the show about the talking ponies."
"How about this?"
"No. No, I don't wanna that."
Finally, they settled on watching a show about a girl with superpowers who fought crime at night. Dora just loved it. "That's like you, isn't it?" she asked, happily.
"Well, not quite. I'm still in training. And I don't think I have to wear tights and a cape."
"I wanna be just like you when I grow up."
"That's still a long way away, Dora."
"I don't care. I wanna be like you, Uncle Siir," she mumbled and fell asleep.
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Sirius carried Dora up to her bed. His little cousin breathed the deep calm breaths of sleep.
"You're lucky, Dora Tonks," he said, laying her down gently. "Your mum and I, we didn't grow up in good families. I left mine years ago, I ran away from them when I was 16; right after 5th year. Your mum, my cousin Meda, she's a year older than me. She stuck it out through that summer and her last year at Hogwarts. Then, after she got off the Hogwarts Express for the last time, she didn't go home with her parents and her sisters. She escaped. She fled to Italy. When she was in Rome she met a Muggle named Theodore Tonks. He was British like you and me and your mum, but he was in Rome studying. He was just finishing his last year at some university. They fell in love and married at the end of the summer. Meda had disowned the Black family just like I had and rather than ask her father to give her away at the ceremony, she asked me. She made a beautiful bride. About ten months after that, you were born. You're lucky, Dora. You never have to carry the Black name. Your mother got to lose the name and take a new one, Tonks, but me, I'm stuck as a Black for life. But maybe, just maybe, between you, your mum, and me, we can build up a new image for it, huh? Tell the world what being a Black really means. What it should mean. Regulus, Cissa, and Bella are all wrong. Our parents were wrong. Our grandparents were wrong. For generations beyond count this family's been on the wrong track. But maybe you, and me, and Meda, and my future wife and kids can change all that. I've got one wish for you, Dora Tonks. One wish and one prayer. My one wish and prayer for you, Dora Tonks, angel among devils, is that you grow up to be a good person and a happy person. For you to be content with life and not take joy in harming others. That you lead a good life and know what's truly important. That's my one wish and prayer." He kissed her on her forehead and went downstairs to wait for Andromeda and Theodore Tonks to return home.
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So what did you think? Don't forget to review! The book never said what house Andromeda Black was in, but I figured she was a Ravenclaw. With the rest of her family (except Sirius) in Slytherin, Ravenclaw would be the only other house that wouldn't send the family into a complete uproar. They might be able to at least tolerate Ravenclaw. I mean, I bet you can imagine the reactions of the family when Sirius was made a Gryffindor.
All years in this story were drawn from my own heard, based on what I think. These are not necessarily the dates from Harry Potter Lexicon, though from all I know they may be the same. According to this, Andromeda is one year older than Sirius, Lily, James, Remus, and Peter.
Here's a little of the timeline info I'm working with:
1974
Sirius Year 5----Sirius runs away the summer after fifth year
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1975
Sirius Year 6----Andromeda runs away at King's Cross as soon as the year is over.
Married to Ted Tonks in August.
1976
Sirius Year 7
Tonks born in June. Tonks 1 Yr Old
1977
Sirius & James in Auror Training
Tonks 2 Yrs
1978
Sirius & James in Auror Training
Tonks 3 Yrs
1979
Lily & James married January (Sirius & James in Auror Training until June?)
Tonks 4 Yrs
1980
Harry Born July 31
Tonks 5 Yrs
1981
Lily & James killed October 31
Tonks 6 Yrs