Disclaimer: not mine.

Just wanted to say Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! They make my day and give me more than enough encouragement to keep this going; I never thought people would like this fic so much when I finally decided to write it. Enjoy the chap. I'm going to try to update once more before Friday, as that is when the evil IT people are taking my computer and will be doing funny things to it. I probably won't get it back for a month, hence why they are evil. So updates will be few. Sadly.

The first thing that struck Nymphadora Tonks as she stepped off the lift into the offices of Magical Law enforcement was how much more chaotic it seemed. Of course it was always loud, but that day it seemed an odd chaos. People were grouped together talking in mutters, some looking disbelieving and others slightly joyful.

Entering the Auror offices with Moody just behind her she found another kind of chaos. Seeing the red clad Aurors running around, shouting to each other and others pushing roughly past her wands in hand she knew something big had happened.

Death Eaters or someone dying? She wondered somewhat idly. The office was like this regularly, attacks were happening everyday, so it was not surprising for the Aurors to be in a rush.

It was now just after 8 am and the thought of going home and begging Remus to make her tea before she climbed into bed and caught a bit of sleep was at the forefront of her mind overshadowing her curiosity as to what could have occurred.

As she made her way to Moody's desk, tripping over someone's foot as they passed and quickly righting her self, she passed a clump of Aurors and was able to catch a snatch of what they were saying.

"Harry Potter? Are you sure?"

She stopped suddenly then causing Moody to run into her. "What're you doing girl?" he demanded gruffly as he stepped back to a safer distance.

Ignoring him she turned to the Aurors. "What about Harry Potter?" she demanded, her heart beginning to speed up and now feeling very much awake. "What about him?" she asked again almost desperately.

One of the Aurors, Mark she thought his name was, raised a brow. "Where've you been? It's all anyone is talking about." He leaned toward her and a sick feeling started to twist in her stomach.

"Last night, You Know Who showed up at the Potters. Killed Lily and James Potter and tried to kill their kid. Only he couldn't. Somehow the kid ended up doing him in instead. Or so that's what people are saying. We're all waiting for orders now. Seems something fishy is up."

Tonks stared at him, her eyes wide. She knew her mouth was probably hanging open, but couldn't find it in her to care if she was doing an impression of a fish. Lily and James dead? And Voldemort gone because of Harry…it was too much.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and found she was being led away back in the direction of the lifts.

Her reeling mind snatched onto something else then. If the Potters were dead, if Voldemort had found them, that meant-

The sick feeling in her stomach increased and she found that whoever had been leading her to the lift was now largely supporting her. It was a good thing because she was sure her legs were about to give out.

"Breath lass," Moody said in a surprisingly soft voice as they reached the lift area. She was not surprised that it was he who had been pushing her forward.

She met his black eyes with her own stunned, horrified ones. "It can't be true…" she found herself saying. "That would mean that…oh Merlin!"

"We don't know what it means," Moody said still in a gentler tone than usual. "I need to speak with Dumbledore," he said almost to himself as the lift opened and he half carried her inside. "If anyone'll know what's going on it's him. You go home, find Lupin, make sure he doesn't do anything crazy."

The lift opened again and they moved out toward the apperation point. Moody nodded to her, a grim look on his scarred face and disapperated. She knew he was coming to the same conclusions she had. There was only one way Voldemort would have known where Lily and James were. Either they had been betrayed or…

Neither was a possibility that she wanted to consider.

It felt as if he had gone deaf. Certainly he could no longer hear Dumbledore as he continued to talk, watching Remus with eyes devoid of their usual twinkle. Although the man was sat right across from where he stood it felt like he was light years away. Dumbledore had only been speaking for about a minute but in that minute Remus felt as if his whole life had come unraveled. Lily and James…

He closed his eyes against the rush of anguish, so acute and familiar. "What of Harry?" he found himself asking in a voice that did not sound like his own. "What will happen to him?"

Dumbledore sighed in a sad manner. "He will go live with his Aunt and Uncle. After last nights events I think it best."

Remus found himself nodding, although he did not agree. But he couldn't find it within himself to argue with his old Headmaster. What would be the point? He knew that he would not be allowed to take Harry; no one in their right mind would give a baby to a werewolf. And Sirius…

"Sirius betrayed them." He didn't want to believe it yet he found himself saying the words.

"It would appear that way, yes." Dumbledore replied.

Remus swallowed convulsively, his hands going to his face, as if to shut out the world and it's cruelness.

The front door burst open then and Dora stumbled in, looking every bit as horrified as he felt.

"Remus," she sputtered staring at him, her chest heaving as if she had to catch her breath. Her eyes the rested on Dumbledore. "Is it true?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Alas Nymphadora I am afraid that it is true. Lily and James are gone and Harry seems to have inexplicably survived."

She gave a shuddering sob, before covering her mouth with her hands as if to hold herself together, although the tears continued to come. "And Voldemort?"

"Yes that is true as well." Dumbledore rose to his feet looking tired and very much his age. "As to how, I shall do my best to find out. I must take my leave now though, there is much to be done." He placed a comforting hand on Remus's shoulder briefly.

"I must ask that you do not confront Sirius, Remus. I am sure you understand why?"

Remus nodded mutely, then seemed to draw himself together. "Does Peter know?"

"Yes. He wished to grieve alone."

Again Remus nodded.

Dumbledore moved to the door where Tonks still stood.

"Moody is looking for you sir." She managed to choke out. He nodded and touched her shoulder briefly as well. "Take care of each other," he said to her. "Love is needed now more than ever I think."

He then left, leaving them alone to deal with their anguish and grief.

Immediately Tonks rushed across the room and into Remus's arms sobbing against his chest. He held her tightly, his breath coming in shuddering gasps. It was a while before the anguish gave way to weary sadness and they sat on the sofa still resting against each other. They did not speak, although both were having similar thoughts, wondering how it had come to the point of this happening.

Although there would be celebration all over the country that night, and the name of Harry Potter would be continually toasted in reverence, for them there was nothing to celebrate, only sadness and heartache for a boy orphaned and loved ones lost.

If Remus and Tonks thought that things could not get any worse they were to find themselves sorely mistaken. Again being at the ministry it was Tonks who heard the news first. She was told by Moody, whom had himself just returned from the scene having left her in Franks charge for the day.

Again she felt as if her legs were going to give out and was very greatful that there was a chair behind her as she sunk into it.

"Nymphadora?"

She shook her head before leaning forward to put it between her knees, trying to settle her breathing. She would not break down she was determined of that.

"13 people," she found herself saying disbelievingly. She knew he was capable of a curse like that, despite his apparent lack of caring Sirius was very adept. The man knew spells she had only ever read of.

"Why?"

Moody eyed her critically as if assessing her mental health. "He was cornered, suppose he saw it as his last effort. Knew he would be taken in." he paused then said, his gruff voice hard, "It was Pettigrew that cornered him."

She glanced up sharply, disbelievingly. Peter? Out of all the Marauders he was the one she knew the least; he always seemed to keep his distance from her. She didn't know if he simply didn't like her or if it was something more, but she did know him enough to find the idea that he would go after Sirius ludicrous.

"Is he-" she found herself starting to ask before she took a breath and pushed forward. She knew that it was going to fall to her to tell Remus. She wanted all the information she could get so he could have the full story. "What happened to him?"

"Black was too much for him of course. Stupid boy, I always thought he was a cowering sod but I guess I was wrong. I would've thought if anyone would confront Black it'd be Lupin." He told her, somewhat coldly she thought, but she paid no mind to his tone. She knew he was not unaffected by the situation, he just didn't show emotion very well.

"Remus wouldn't do that," she told him softly. "Dumbledore made him promise, and to him Dumbledore's word is law. He wouldn't go against what he wanted him to do."

She stood squaring her shoulder's trying to effect a strongness that she didn't' feel.

"So Peter's dead too. Sirius killed him." It was not a question.

But still Moody nodded. She closed her eyes briefly and then nodded herself. "I should tell Remus, he'll want to know. And my mum…" she felt a wave of emotion go through her. "She'll need to hear about Sirius before it's all over the Daily Prophet or some uncaring prat says something to her. He was family after all."

Was. Already her mind was making the mental shift. Was. It was like he was dead, although he might as well be for what he had done. "Is their anything else I should know?"

"They brought Black in. He's going straight to Azkaban. There will be no trial. Crouch seems to think it's a waist of time, not worth assembling the Wizengamot for."

She couldn't tell if he agreed or not. "I should go, tell Remus and My mum. I can come back after, I know we still have things to go through."

Moody shook his grizzled head. "Nah, we're done for today. Just be back here tomorrow morning. There's a lot to do now that Voldemorts gone. Got to start rounding up the Death Eaters."

"You want me to go with you?" she asked somewhat surprised. It was after all usually frowned upon until third year of training. Moody had taken her out before but each time he had gotten told off. It didn't stop him though.

"You goanna get practical experience any other way? I can cover my own arse girl, if that's what's worrying you. Been doing it for longer than you've been alive."

Tonks found herself giving a derisive snort and giving him a cheeky smile even though she didn't really feel up to it. A witty retort about maybe that's why it was the only part of him without damage flashed through her mind but she bit her lip and simply said she's be there at an ungodly hour and headed for the apperation point. It was time to tell Remus and shatter what was left of his life. She hated that it was her that would have to do it.

"Are you sure you want to come with me?" she asked for what had to be the fifth or sixth time since they had left their house for her parents.

Remus looked absolutely broken. There were purple circles under his eyes, his complexion was more paled then usual and he kept running a hand through his hair as if he didn't quite know what to do with himself. It was very reminiscent of when his parents had died, although at least he was showing emotion this time.

What worried her most was the look in his eyes or rather the lack of emotion there. When she had told him of what had befallen Peter and Sirius he had looked at her like a lost child who was astonished that the world could really be that cruel. That fate would throw so much at one person at the same time. But now that look was gone replaced by a blankness that was unsettling.

"Yes Nymphadora, I am sure. As I have been since you asked me when we first set out. Please, can we just go in?" he asked tiredly, shoving his twitching hands into the pockets of his trousers.

She couldn't even find it in her to admonish him for using her hated name as she opened the door and they entered the house.

She could here the wireless going, playing one of the daily dramas that were presented on the WWN. As they entered the living room, Andromeda looked up from the laundry she was directing to fold with her wand and seeing her daughter and Remus stood gracefully as always, flicking her wand at the wireless just as the witch in the program, Celesta, declared that she would love Marston for eternity.

Silence filled the room before Andromeda stepped towards them and surprisingly hugged Remus. For a moment his look of apathy was replaced by a floured one as she said quietly, "I' m so sorry. I know how much they meant to you. I tried to contact Sirius…"

At this Remus stiffened slightly and she pulled away looking between him and her daughter who had a pained look on her heart shaped face.

"Dora? What is it? What's wrong? Is it…" she trailed off and her eyes widened in worry. "Sirius isn't dead as well?" she asked in a voice that came out sounding more like a breath.

Tonks glanced at Remus who seemed to studying the wall indifferently and with a sigh full of sadness pushed back her natural mousy hair, she had lacked the energy to want to morph it any different, and faced her mother.

"No Sirius is not dead Mum, but I did come to tell you something about him."

Andromeda sat and looked at her daughter expectantly. It's a good thing she's sat down Tonks thought as she sat beside her mother.

She told her everything, excluding the fact that she was in the Order, and watched as Andromeda's large dark eyes teared up and she began to sob at what had befallen her cousin. A long fingered hand appeared in their sight offering a handkerchief and Andromeda took it with a brief nod of thanks which Remus didn't seem to see as he sat across from them and put his head in his hands breathing deeply.

"I just can't believe that he would do such things," Andromeda sobbed into her daughter's shoulder. Tonks felt her own eyes tearing up but she ignored the moister. She did not want to cry for Sirius Black. She wanted him to be nothing to her, but at the same time she knew that he wouldn't and never would be. So she let the tears fall uninhibited and met the still seemingly unseeing gaze of the man she loved to see that he too had tears in his eyes, although he refused to let them fall.

"I didn't want to believe it either Andromeda," He said softly, "But lying to our selves will not help. What's done is done and what was can never be again. He had us all fooled, and I do not even want to consider what would have made him decide that this was the way things had to be." He fell silent again and Tonks held her mother closer resting her own head against her.

Remus was closing off already she could tell, yet there was nothing she could do, when she herself was a wreck. So instead she focused on comforting her mother, knowing that that was all she could do.

The week that followed was one of the darkest periods in their lives. Tonks had thought it was bad when they had been fighting against Voldemort, but now that he was gone it seemed no one quite knew what to do with themselves. Dumbledore disbanded the Order telling them all that it was time that they lived their lives and made the most of them. Tonks wondered just how they were supposed to continue on and she knew that Remus shared her thoughts, although he did not voice them. In fact he had hardly spoken to her.

Even the ministry its self and the wizarding community seemed on uncertain ground. It was time to rebuild the wizarding world, but with the Death Eaters still out there either on the run or still causing trouble it seemed that it would take a long time. No one really knew what to do and this feeling was only intensified when news came that Frank and Alice Longbottom had been tortured into madness by Bellatrix Lestrange and other assorted death eaters. The hunt was now on to find them.

Tonks found herself the target of furtive looks and whispers each day she reported to work and knew that they were all watching her closely. She was after all the niece of a mad Death Eater and hadn't her cousin turned out to be equally as mad? Perhaps there was madness in her as well.

Tonks ignored these speculations and stuck to Moody, listening to his instructions and constant speeches on how she must be vigilant in the field. She did not want to think of her family, or rather those she was related to. To her they were not family, only related by blood. She knew her mother didn't like this attitude when it came to Sirius, she still maintained that it had to be a mistake, but it helped Tonks cope so she simply ignored her.

The day of the Potters funeral was cool and sunny, a slight late fall breeze playing in the air. They were laid to rest in the cemetery in Godric's Hollow, under a stone chosen by Dumbledore. Dumbledore had wondered if perhaps Remus would want to take care of everything, knowing that he knew the Potters best, but Remus had declined saying he was sure whatever Dumbledore did would be fine.

His attitude was maddening to Tonks, but she had refrained from saying anything. He had after all just lost four of the most important people in his life.

They stood at the grave and watched as the caskets were lowered in, their hands entwined. His fingers held hers tightly as if he was afraid without the reassurance of her prescience she would disappear.

Dumbledore had been speaking of Lily and James to the assembled mass, some of which were the few remaining Order members. He now rested his eyes on her and Remus and asked if anyone else wished to say something. Tonks was surprised when Remus squeezed her hand before letting it go and moving to stand beside Dumbledore.

For a moment he didn't speak simply looked into a distance only he seemed able to see. No one made so much as a sound and Tonks wondered if he had forgotten what he wanted to say or realized he couldn't do it, when he finally spoke his hoarse voice low.

"Lily and James were the kind of people, the kind of friends that only come along once. I was very lucky to have them in my life, even for what now seems such a short time. I can't say anything more about them, it doesn't seem there are the words. Just that the world now seems like a much darker place." He took the handful of dirt that Dumbledore offered him and let it fall through his fingers onto the caskets. He then moved away to stand a bit back from everyone as they all moved forward to do the same.

Tonks let her handful fall and surprised that she had not succumbed to tears went to Remus retaking his hand in hers. They were stood in the shadow of a tree some distance away from Lily and James' grave and that was were they stayed until all those who had come to say their last goodbye departed.

"I was surprised you said something," she told him quietly. He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same, taking comfort from the familiarness of his smell and the warmth his body gave.

"So am I. I hadn't planned to. My words were hardly adequate, but I felt I needed to."

"You did know them the best."

He said nothing, instead leading her out of the graveyard. They walked in silence through the village carefully avoiding the direction that the Potters house was in.

"It all feels so surreal." She told him as they prepared to disapperate. "I mean now that it's all over. Where do we go from here?"

He had no answer for her.