Chapter 10

When Remus woke the next morning he could hear excited chatter coming from down stairs and the smell of bacon and eggs grew stronger as he walked sleepily to the kitchen still in his pajama pants and an old t-shirt. He pushed open the door to find Dora sitting at the table with Violet in her lap talking with Sirius her hair a bright and blinding pink as they examined the article in the paper before them a copy of the Quibbler and a muggle paper set to the side both also barring related articles.

At the stove Molly was smiling listening on the conversation as she made breakfast looking up as she heard the door creak shut and flicked her wand making a plate and mug of tea float to his normal stop at the table beside Sirius who looked up at him beaming.

"Look at this Moony she's made the front page!"

He handed Remus the paper as he sat down and Dora grabbed the Quibbler looking over the article inside it laughing as she had to hold it upside down to read it. Remus looked over the front page where Dora was walking stone faced beside Scrimgeour up the steps of the ministry as camera flashes over took the image and it was replaced with Dora smiling a triumphant smile as the heading became bold and large. 'Auror brings light to old case and rights an innocent man!' There was a small page number beside the head line and he turned to it scanning over the story.

'Auror Nymphadora Tonks (22) has proven her worth as an auror in just one night. Tonks graduated from auror training with top scores of concealment and disguise but as of late last night she informed the head of the auror office that she had captured a true death eater and claimed that said death eater was responsible for the murders of James and Lily Potter 16 years ago but when asked if it was Sirius Black she had brought in she shot down all suspicions at once claiming she had brought in the man that framed Black. At 11:30 last night the ministry confirmed that the death eater brought in was indeed responsible for both acts and that Black was wrongly accused.'

Remus looked over the top of the paper at Dora who had tossed Sirius the Quibbler before she opened the muggle paper.

"Look at this one Sirius! Even in here they say you were wrongly accused! Merlin I didn't think it'd get this far!"

She and Sirius laughed as Sirius read the Quibbler article's interview out loud.

"When asked what led her to capture the man responsible for the deaths of James and Lily Potter Tonks simply answered that she felt it was only right. When asked for her opinion of the Ministry's wrong accusation of Black her answer came much quicker than many were expecting. 'Sirius was never rightfully trailed for what he was accused but how could he be when his best mate and wife were dead and the secret keeper had run away to join Voldemort. I'm more than happy to see now that my cousin can be free again and that his godson doesn't need to worry about him any longer.' The announcement of relations to Black shocked many but there were those who knew the relations of family between the two. Old teachers from Hogwarts reminisced of how when confronted by how like Black Tonks was she would always say she was proud of it because her cousin was a good man that was wrongly accused..."

Sirius trailed off closing the magazine rather than flip to the continuation and looked at Dora who was happily eating bits of Violet's toast while looking over the other news in the Profit.

"You didn't really say that did you Nymphie?"

Dora looked up at Sirius and smirked.

"Course I did every time Snape gave me detention and said I was like you I'd have a row at him about how good you were it always got me sent to Dumbledore of course but after the third time he told me not to bother and just return to the common room though he was never annoyed or told me I was wrong. You should have heard me when I told Scrimgeour I had caught a death eater and he wouldn't listen, I called him a bloody prat and all I'm impressed I still have a job."

Sirius barked a laugh shaking his head looking over at Remus.

"Your quite this morning even for you."

Remus set the paper down and smiled at Dora leaning on his arms on the table top.

"Well done Nymphadora, you did the right thing is like to see any one of those old classmates of your's make fun of you now."

Dora blushed and the stone around her neck changed from yellow to a rosy pink making him chuckle before looking at the door as it opened and the teens began to file in one by one Harry grabbing the paper from Tonks who lightly hit his arm but let him take it as they laughed.

As the morning went on the post arrived and after collecting mail from all three of the owls that had arrived Molly handed out the mail to its owners including two for Dora who nearly fell out of her chair as she opened a letter baring the Malfoy crest.

"It's from Cissy I bet."

Sirius' voice was joyless as he took the letter skimming over it and he nodded setting it down on the table. Ginny looked at Dora reaching for the letter as the older women pushed it to her.

"The Malfoys are writing you? That's not normal from what you say."

Dora shook her head as she opened another letter.

"It isn't, but then again she is my aunt and Sirius' cousin so I guess she's slightly happy, probably sent it behind Lucius' back..."

Her voice trailed off as she looked over the letter in her hand written on paper that was burnt on the corners. Before anyone could look over her shoulder she growled and crumpled the paper throwing it across the room aiming for the rubbish bin but missing as it bounced off the side before she got to her feet the stone around her neck black as night.

She excused herself in a low voice walking behind Sirius' chair where Violet fallowed her with her eyes but decided not to fallow. Remus watched as the door closed behind her then at Ginny who got up and grabbed the paper opening it up and turning it over to read it.

"It's from Charlie...he said he's sorry it must be on here a dozen times what was he sorry for?"

She looked up at her oldest brother then her mother.

"They broke up ages ago when they were in school didn't they?"

Bill nodded watching Dora pace in the living room her hair red as the swinging door closed.

"Yes but our brother was a complete ass and lied to her for nearly 4 years now said he found a girl in Romania but he only said it in hope it'd change her mind about moving there with him."

Ginny looked at the letter again before crumpling it back up and dropping it in the rubbish bin.

"I would have skinned him alive or at least hexed him a good few times."

That caused many of the adults in the room to share a look and laugh.

"Honestly I'm surprised all she did was slap him normally if someone lied to her like that she'd have hexed them on the spot."

Bill shook his head but fell quite as Dora returned to the room lifting Violet into her arms and kissing her head. It had become later in the afternoon and Dora needed to stop by the ministry again to collect a few things from her desk before night fell.

"Ready to go to grandma and papa's house?"

Violet nodded resting her head on her shoulder. Door looked at the room as most of the others readied to leave as well but when her eyes fell on Sirius talking with Harry something in the back of her mind screamed that something bad was going to happen and soon. She ignored the feeling shaking her head and leaving the house with Violet held close appariting to her parents home opening the door and setting Violet down and fallowing as she promptly ran to the kitchen. As Dora entered the kitchen she looked around seeing her mother smiling as Violet stood on a chair beside her at the counter helping her make her home made cherry pie, her father was sitting at the table looking through the paper a cup of tea in front of him.

Ted closed the paper to turn the page and caught sight of his daughter and smiled widely.

"Well now to what do we owe the pleasure of a visit from the world's best auror?"

Dora blushed and rolled her eyes sinking into the chair across from him taking one of the tea cakes and nibbling at it.

"I'm not the best auror in the world I just freed Sirius, any way I can't stay long I need to run back by the office for some papers I left behind."

She eats the last of the tea cake she was nibbling and after kissing Violet's cheek and swiping a cherry from the bowl on the counter receiving a light swat on the arm with a spoon and a smile from her mother she left again taking the floo network this time. The minute she stepped out of the sleek black marble fireplace she could tell something was defiantly wrong, it was only 5 o'clock but the normally bustling atrium was nearly empty only a few workers remained including the security wizard who was clocking out for the day nodding once to her before leaving.

She walked across the atrium to the lift entering it as a few workers from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement exited it. She took the lift to level two and as soon as she stepped into the department it was like walking into a ghost town, every light was out and there was no one around. She made her way through the darkness her eyes shifting so she could see without her wand which was gripped tightly in her hand.

She came to a stop at her desk and grabbed the file she had left and miniaturized it so it fit in her pocket before she looked around the office, it was odd to see the place so empty for so early. As she was walking to leave a light caught her eye, she turned to see a single flickering candle light at one of the far desks making her insides squirm, if someone was here why were the lights out?

She slowly made her way to the desk being sure to keep her guard up with each step her eyes darting around for any movement. She reached the desk moments later and found nothing but a little orange whisp hovering jubilantly in a closed jar which was nestled in the corner of the desk.

She sighed more than a little relived as she turned to leave. As the lift rattled to a stop back in the atrium she seen the last of the workers had gone but two, aurors that she had glimpsed around before, one was glancing at her impatiently while the other watched out the door.

She quickened her step and moved past the pair and to the apparition point down the hall. She landed outside her parents house and without pause she entered the house kicking off her boots and walking to the living room peeking in.

As she did she found Violet sitting on the couch the stuffed toy fox, rabbit and dog from upstairs strewn around her as she watched the TV set while Andromeda sat in her strait back chair knitting and Ted was flipping through one of the books from his shop.

She smiled and went to the couch leaning down to kiss Violet on the head making her smile and look away from the show on TV to wrap her arms around her neck. She smiled lifting her up then sitting with her in her lap.

"Well hello to you too baby, we're you good?"

Violet looked down sheepishly her eyes flitting to Andromeda then back at the spot on Dora's robes that her little fingers were messing with. Dora's brows knitted together as she looked at her mother.

"What happened?"

Andromeda didn't look up from her knitting but rather placed a charm for it to knit on its own as she lifted the cup of tea and took a sip.

"She had a small melt down at dinner, not as bad as the ones you used to have but a melt down none the less."

Dora looked at her daughter and brushed her bangs from her face remembering when she was Violet's age and had refused to eat the cooked carrots her mother gave her and when her mother told her she couldn't have dessert until they were gone the result was a full blown temper tantrum including kicking, screaming and using rather colorful language for a four year old.

"What didn't you want to eat Violet?"

Violet didn't answer just picked at a loose thread on her robe making Dora sigh and look at her mother.

"She refused to touch her carrots,"

There was a smirk in Andromeda's voice as she glanced at her daughter who was trying not to smile.

"I told her she wouldn't get dessert if she didn't and asked that she at least try one, that's where it went south she started crying,"

She paused looking at Violet who was still silent her golden curls darkening to a pale brown.

"I gave her time to cool down but in that time she had not only thrown her plate on the floor but also her milk glass."

Her tone was stern now and Dora looked back to Violet who was sniffling.

"Violet that was not okay! You know better than to throw things like that you could have hurt someone or even yourself!"

Violet sniffled again refusing to look up at her mother as tears slid down her cheeks. Dora felt her heart clench and her longing to sooth her trying to over power her knowledge that Violet had done something very wrong and needed a firm punishment.

"When we get home it's strait to bed and no tv for a week. Do you understand?"

Finally Violet looked up at her with watery blue eyes but nodded sniffling.

"Yes mommy."

Dora nodded and missed her head looking to her mother who had gone back to her knitting but have a small nod, Ted on the other hand was trying to act as though the whole incident hadn't drew his attention. After gathering Violet's things the pair returned home and Dora watched the four year old walk to her room down the hall still sniffling making her heart ache but she quickly shook it clear as she clicked on the wireless and listened to the music playing.

After a few moments Violet poked her head into the kitchen her hair a deep and sullen brown as she looked at her mother bent over a file at the table. She walked silently in her purple footy pajamas to her mother's side and waited until the quill she was using was still before tugging her shirt tail. Dora looked down at her daughter and smiled softly seeing the child holding a book in her hand and her eyes were hopeful.

"You're supposed to be in trouble little lady,"

Violet's eyes began to water as she looked at the floor her shoulders shaking making Dora sigh.

"But one story couldn't hurt."

She stood and lifted the girl into her arms carrying her back to her room and tucking her in before sitting on the edge of the bed looking at the book the corners of her mouth turning up into a smile as she seen it was the book Remus had given Violet. She chose one of the stories and began to read watching as Violet fell asleep before she smiled and kissed her daughter's head setting the book on the night stand before silently leaving the room returning to her place at the kitchen table looking at the papers she had spread out there but she found her eyes wondering to the window where the full moon hung high in the sky illuminating the street outside as the snow blew on a gentle breeze.

She wasn't exactly sure when the reports she was filling out about werewolf attacks became vivid dreams but without a doubt they were far more vivid then she would have liked. Suddenly the paper laden table became a soft bed of mossy ground and dried leaves so real she could almost smell them, she pushed herself up and looked around seeing nothing but darkness for a moment before the silvery rays of the full moon broke through the clouds lighting up the woods around her.

She got to her feet looking around confused as to what she was doing here before she heard it, a loud snarl that ripped through the silent night making her whirl around her eyes falling on the large jet black wolf before her, the wolf was nearly four times the size of a normal wolf and its eyes were a glowing honey amber color making her take a step back. As she stepped back the wolf advanced one large step growling at her barring pointed teeth and incisors as long and thick as her little finger making her take two steps back and yelping as she tripped over a fallen branch and collided with the mossy floor once again but to her shock it hurt. That couldn't be right if she was dreaming why did tripping and falling hurt and why was the smell of the dried leaves and dirt under her suddenly all to powerful?

She looked back at the wolf and seen it had advanced so it was close enough that if she straitened her leg she could touch it's muzzle with the tip of her toe but she didn't dare move her body was paralyzed even though her mind screamed to attack and run, but how could she this monster was three times her size when she was standing and she didn't feel her wand anywhere on her.

The wolf took another step closer to her and she could now smell it's rancid breath and feel the saliva dripping from its huge mouth as its eyes looked down at her as if amused to see her trapped as it raised a massive paw above its head ready to lash at her causing her for let out a loud blood curtailing scream as her arms moved to shield her face her eyes squeezed shut.