Remus Lupin looked down warmly at the baby nestled in his arm, who was drinking contentedly from a bottle of milk. One of Regulus's tiny hands rested on the bottle, and the other was tugging on Remus's shabby robes. Remus couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart; caring for a child like this felt so right, and Regulus didn't care what Remus was; all that mattered to him was that someone was attending to his needs.

Molly smiled at the scene.

'You're a natural, Remus. You'll make a wonderful father some day.'

'I won't ever have a family, Molly.'

'Nonsense, Remus, you're still a young man. You've got plenty of time.'

'My age has nothing to do with it, Molly. I can't have a family.'

'Remus...'

'It wouldn't be safe. Even if someone was willing to look past the fact that I'm a werewolf.'

'Waywoof?' Little Sirius's eyes lit up. He then took to stomping round the kitchen again, yelling 'waywoof! Waywoof! Waywoof! Woof, woof, woof!' and followed this up with a series of delighted howls. He kept glancing over at Remus, awe evident in his eyes.

'I think you'd make someone very happy, Remus,' said Tonks quietly, 'whoever it was would be very lucky.'

'Are you volunteering, little cousin?' said Sirius with a grin. He then looked on in surprise as Tonks blushed scarlet, and mumbled something incoherent.

Molly, who had been facing away from Tonks attending to a pot of soup on the stove, missed the younger woman's embarrassment.

'So do you have any nice young men lined up, Tonks dear?'

'Molly!' shrieked Tonks. 'You're worse than my gran. She's all "oh, when are you going to settle down with a nice man, Dora. Mrs Jones down the road has a lovely young grandson; he's a doctor, you know; very respectable. He would be quite the catch!"' Tonks mimicked.

'Don't you get on with your grandmother, then?'

'Oh Granny Tonks is brilliant,' Tonks laughed, 'I love her to pieces. Highlight of my week used to be baking the muggle way with Granny and Grandpa on a Saturday morning.'

'When you say "baking", I take it you mean "creating as much mess as possible and eating most of the batter before it makes its way into the oven?'

'Naturally. And smashing Gran's best mixing bowl, several times. Thank Merlin for Mum's competency with "reparo". Gran never minded, but I would have felt so guilty...she's certainly much better than the other one. I know Mum used to send Grandma Black photos, but she never responded; I doubt she'd even recognise me if we passed in the street; and if she did she'd probably treat me like a flobberworm. I can't imagine she's any friendlier than Auntie Narcissa.' There was a hint of bitterness in her voice.

'Don't insult Cissy,' shouted Sirius in mock horror. 'She's only six and she's still scared of spiders!'

Tonks laughed.

'I had no idea it bothered you so much.'

'It doesn't, really. But it bothers Mum, even after so many years, and that bothers me.'

Little Sirius was getting bored with the adults' conversation. No one was paying him any attention, despite his best efforts. He wanted attention, and was determined to get it. He caught Fred and George's eyes and toddled over to them, his face set with scheming mischief.

'Here, Remus, let me see my brother,' said Sirius.

Remus passed Regulus, who had finished his bottle, over to his friend. Sirius held the baby in the crook of his arm.

'Come on, Reggie, let's go upstairs.'

The residents of the kitchen could hear Sirius talking to his brother, though his voice grew fainter as he made his way up the stairs.

'You're going to listen to your big brother, Reggie. You're not going to listen to Mum; as soon as you're old enough to talk, you're going to tell her what a silly old moo she is.'

Regulus gurgled.

'Yes, you are, that's right. You're going to tell her that she doesn't know what she's talking about. And then, when you go to Hogwarts, you're going to join me in Gryffindor. You don't belong in Slytherin, you're too brave and clever for that.'

Regulus grabbed a fistful of Sirius's hair and crammed it in his mouth.

'And then, when you leave Hogwarts, you're not going to join the Death Eaters, you're going to join the Order. Yes, that's right. You're going to join the Order and we're going to be Sirius and Regulus: Scum-fighting brothers extraordinaire!'

Just then, the doorbell rang, and the curtains covering Wahlburga's portrait flew open.

'YOU!' she screamed. 'Blood-traitor, filth, shame of my flesh!'

Sirius turned round to face the portrait, revealing to Wahlburga the baby he was carrying. Mrs Black's portrait was momentarily silenced.

'Regulus?' she choked. 'Is that my Reggie? How did my baby get here? I've missed you, my precious boy; my good boy; my boy who always honoured the House of his Fathers.'

Sirius glared at his mother.

'My brother who died trying to please you,' he snarled. 'My brother who got himself in above his head in something he was too young to understand trying to honour his House.' he spat. 'It was your fault, you know. Perhaps if he hadn't been such a good son, he would still be alive today.'

And for the first time since the Order had set up Headquarters in Grimmauld Place, Mrs Black went quiet without her curtains being drawn.