Disclaimer: I own nothing from the books that you may recognise.
Andromeda Tonks stood with her husband Ted several feet back from the wall of what remained of the Potters' home in Godric's Hollow as the sunset in the background. A chilly breeze brushed through them. Her eyes raked over the collapsed roof and burnt bricks. The scent of burnt wood still lingered in the air. Ted held her hand gently. Several other people stood away from them, each staring up at the damaged cottage. They stood quietly, respectfully, lost in their thoughts as the enormity of what had happened sunk in. Only a week had passed and people were still adjusting to the new normal.
They moved across to the wooden bench opposite and sat down. Their eyes were still drawn to the cottage. Ted heard the telltale sound of a cigarette being lit.
'I thought you were giving up?' he said.
Andromeda inhaled and blew the smoke out of her mouth. She visibly relaxed, 'I am determined to give up. Next week, perhaps.'
Ted nodded, 'I know. My brandy has been going down a bit more than I'd like. None of this seems real yet. Like I'm in a vivid dream and we're going to wake up and be back to hiding in our house under the Fidelius charm, tense each time there's a loud noise.'
Andromeda gazed over to the cottage, 'It's real, Ted,' she turned to him, a weary smile on her lips.
'It's finally over, darling,' Ted whispered in his slow, mellow drawl. 'The Ministry confirmed his reign of terror is at an end. His followers are desperate. There is no sign of him. He would be back by now if he was able. And Bellatrix is...,' he trailed off at the pointed look Andromeda gave him.
'I still quite can't grasp the realities of what my sister has become. She was always a bully. Even when we were little,' she sighed, 'but, even then I could never have imagined that she would descend to these levels of depravity. I'm not sure I can talk coherently about my family at the moment.'
Ted nodded in understanding. His wife's family had a vast amount of wealth and a vast history of crimes against humanity, of violence and multitudes of sin that were scattered through the centuries. 'The madness of the Blacks,' was a common whisper in many circles, passed down from generation to generation when yet another bloody, harsh incident blotted the history books. None of those people would dare to say that to the face of any of the house of Black's members. In public, they would call them formidable and daring. In private, words less suited to civilised company would be uttered. The mere mention of the name inspired envy and fear among many who knew them.
Running his fingers through her long, thick, black hair in a soothing manner Ted thought it would take his wife a decade of therapy to even begin to unravel her feelings towards her family. Complicated was a very understated description to describe her emotions. Disowned by them because he wasn't deemed pure enough. He always felt guilty no matter how much she assured him she had made the right decision.
Her unsettled state was due to months of hiding away from the reach of the sadistic and homicidal Death Eaters and worry for her husband and daughter's lives. Bellatrix had seemed most determined to purge the family tree of the 'Half-blood filth and Muggleborn scum.'
When all had seemed lost a miracle had happened. Victory had been snatched because of an unprecedented event. A rebounding killing curse on Harry Potter destroyed the instigator of so much misery, much to the jubilance of the masses. The immediate turnaround of fortune had left all of them bewildered and exhibiting varying forms of hysteria.
After so much darkness the light was blinding.
'It will be a welcome change to be able to sleep through the night,' she mused. 'I haven't slept through the night since the Mckinnon's were….' she paused as the unsettling memories permeated her mind. 'The worry has taken quite a toll on my facial lines,' she quipped, fishing for a compliment.
Ted smirked. Even with all the recent stress and loss, Andromeda, vain as she was clever, had barely aged in the five years they had been married. The Black sister's vanity and beauty secrets were passed down from generation to generation and guarded over zealously. Dozens of Witches had tried various strategies to obtain them, many implementing morally grey and sometimes illegal methods in their desperation to obtain this most coveted of treasures. Over the many centuries, each of those Witches had failed to discover even a snippet of the truth and were given a harsh lesson in retribution for their audacious attempts.
'You haven't aged a day,' he assured her, grinning.
'Oh, you sweet talker, Ted,' she smiled, stroking his arm, 'Neither have you,' she murmured in her clipped, well-educated accent, 'Always and still my sexy, handsome husband.'
He puffed up a little at the compliment.
'I just can't quite believe what has happened,' she admitted, 'That Lily and James are dead and oh, poor Harry. I just hope Dumbledore knows what he's doing. I understand Harry needs to be hidden and there are so few places in Britain where he can be kept protected from revenge attacks but I'm not happy about this. Albus said all the evidence is stacked against Sirius, but he didn't seem entirely convinced. I think Sirius has been framed. At the very least he was under the Imperius. Sirius loved James and Lily. I'm not sure how much power Albus actually has though. Even if he believes me, what can he do without evidence? Those titles they gave him after he defeated Grindelwald seem to be more honorary than of any practical use. You know as well as I do Half-bloods are not much better off than the Muggleborn's in this world when it comes to wielding any actual power in the Ministry,' she sighed and leaned into his side.
Andromeda continued, 'Narcissa and I are Harry's closest living blood relatives who can take him and even that is a very big stretch. Sirius is his Godfather by magical law and should be a shoo-in, but he's just landed himself into a whole lot of trouble. Harry simply cannot go to the Malfoy's. To place Harry with Lucius would be ludicrous. I doubt even the Ministry is that idiotic. Lucius would take great delight in brainwashing the poor kid. You just know he's already dripping that Death Eater poison into Draco's ear. Why my sister chose to marry him is beyond me,' she spoke the last part quickly and with some venom.
Ted nodded in agreement as his mouth twitched. He enjoyed seeing flashes of her fiery temper. The nostalgia it brought to him warmed him more than he could say. She had been so quiet and beaten down in recent months that it was a relief to see a glimpse of her aggressive disdain. His wife's dislike and the occasional rant about Narcissa's husband had begun years ago due to his snide remarks at Hogwarts regarding her relationship with a Muggleborn and Ted was more than happy to indulge the hostility. Ted also disliked the blond git as much as his wife, which was unsurprisingly a tremendous amount.
They had heard the numerous rumours of his cruelty. Neither was surprised. They had both seen glimpses of this at school.
Andromeda inhaled deeply on her Marlboro.
'Dumbledore said it wasn't wise for us to take Harry. That we would all be targeted if any of his followers got a hint he was with us. He wouldn't be able to guarantee us the levels of magical protection we need without Sirius. I think he must have had to resort to blood wards. I expect he has had to use Lily's family to do this. Harry has to be hidden. His eyes are so distinctive. Anyone who has ever once just seen a photograph of Lily will know who he is in an instant. People talk and if just one whisper finds itself to the wrong ears..,' Andromeda stared into space. 'Just knowing now what some of those bastards are capable of, what they have done, would do, even to a baby. Look what they did to Frank and Alice. I just,' she trailed off as her bottom lip trembled.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
He spoke to her gently, 'We're all going to be up and down like a rollercoaster for a long time. Time will help. We just have to accept it will never truly go completely away, but I think it's the best way. That pain is a reminder for us. Never to get so complacent again. Our Ministry did the worst thing it could do. They got lazy, greedy and became cowards. They ignored the threat till they were too strong to fight against and they cleared a path for that thing to gain power. But we all know better. Next time we will all stand united.'
Andromeda gazed at him, 'Oh, Ted,' she whispered, her more cynical Slytherin nature rising with a rush that surprised her, 'I love you so much, but you can be such a bloody idealist.'
Ted blinked. He thought he had made a very convincing, inspiring speech.
Andromeda continued, 'Grindelwald, Voldemort, all their thousands of manic followers, all capable of the most destructive magic. Their Pureblood ideologies. It's just another political tool to keep the status quo. To keep their lucrative positions without any competition and keep the real wealth in the same pockets.'
Andromeda sighed, 'There will be another war in our lifetime. As sure as the sun rises in the east. Maybe Voldemort will rise again. I wouldn't bat an eyelid if that happens.'
Ted shuddered.
Andromeda gazed at the cottage, 'His body hasn't been found and I will tell you this now. If anyone found a way to cheat death, then that creature did. I saw him in person if you can even call him that anymore. He's been twisted and distorted by the foulest Dark magic. Even if the next megalomaniac is a different tyrant it will still follow the same tired, predictable script. The corrupt cheats in the Ministry always find a way to exploit a bad situation. The cowards will do anything to protect their own back. Anyone left in the Ministry who has a shred of human decency is picked off one by one. There will be another. Then another. Our great-Grandchildren will have their own monsters too,'
Ted nodded in resignation.
'Sirius is innocent. There is no way he would have betrayed the Potter's. He wouldn't have killed those Muggles. I know this in my heart,' she stated firmly.
A light breeze went by them as Ted pondered her words.
'I don't know how the bastards did it,' Andromeda said, 'I have no idea how they did it, but I promise you I'll find out the truth. That inept moron Crouch hasn't even announced a trial yet. How he is still in power is inexplicable. His own son, a Death Eater and he didn't even realise,' she scoffed.
'Crouch had better give Sirius his trial soon. Even Bellatrix got one. I suppose Lucius is greasing the right palms as we speak. There is something deeply rotten in the Ministry of Magic,' Ted said bitterly.
Andromeda sighed, 'Sirius and I have always been close. Even as a boy he would do absolutely anything to annoy and defy his parents. He hated their Pureblood snobbery. He would rather run headfirst into a brick wall than give his mother one iota of happiness. I know for certain he would also rather jump off the Astronomy tower than side with Voldemort.'
Ted murmured his agreement.
'When Sirius informed his mother he was marrying Hayley Greengrass, Walburga was so pleased he was marrying another Pureblood. He told me he really resented the happiness that gave her. After losing both Orion and Regulus so close to each other, it was good news for Walburga. She wants to see her Granddaughter but Sirius still refuses all contact.'
'Hasn't Iris met her Grandmother?' Ted asked.
Andromeda shook her head, 'He doesn't want her exposed to his mother's bigotry. Hayley supports him. She thinks this Pureblood nonsense needs to stop. Cousin marrying cousin will only end in tears. Fortunately, the Greengrass family has always been very neutral. Hayley wasn't raised in that type of poisonous environment. Thankfully. I think her mother dying when she was so young made her value all life. She never could stand the way so many Purebloods dehumanised everyone else in the pecking order.'
'It was just her and her father for a long time, wasn't it?' Ted asked.
'Mm, that's right. Gareth has a twin, Greta. She lives overseas. A cold woman by all accounts. She left Britain immediately after graduating at Hogwarts and never looked back. Hayley said she's never once visited them. Gareth married Alfred Bones' daughter, Dawn, a few years ago,' Andromeda smiled, 'I've met her a few times. Hayley and she get on very well. I had heard through the grapevine that she had given birth to a girl, so Hayley will finally get to be a big sister. She only hinted at it, but I think she disliked being an only child very much. At least she had Gareth. He's always been the nicest Slytherin I've ever met. Not that the bar is that high,' she grimaced.
Ted had known and liked Hayley since they had met on their first day at Hogwarts. Both of them had been in the same year and both had been sorted into Ravenclaw. Hayley, like Sirius, had a similar type of haughty arrogance so associated with their upbringing, but this was tempered with a genuine kindness that many other Purebloods seemed to lack.
Hayley had inherited the Greengrass looks. She was quite tall, blonde, with clear blue eyes. She was smart, slightly wild and had been very sought after. Sirius had been adamant that he was not the marrying kind throughout his youth, but the very real threat of war changed many people's priorities and Sirius was not exempt.
They had been married not long after James and Lily had tied the knot. She was about the only woman, except for Lily, that seemed to have any sort of calming presence on Sirius. They had both danced around each other at school, their magic gravitating towards each other with plenty of flirting thrown in for good measure as they grew older. Neither Sirius nor Hayley lacked any attention and neither of them was the jealous type. With her own rather unique sense of humour that found Sirius's wild ways amusing instead of provoking they decided to make a go of it. Deep down Sirius knew that although his good looks warranted a lot of initial interest from women, his volatile personality and sometimes careless ways eventually repelled just as many of them.
When all the other girls stepped away from his motorcycle and Hayley had jumped on the back and demanded a ride he had told Ted he knew then she was the one.
'Have you heard anymore more from Hayley?' Ted inquired.
'Not for two days, but I'm not expecting regular owls. She's got her hands full. She knows where we are if she needs us,' Andromeda answered. 'She let me know that her father is throwing his weight around at the Ministry. At the very least we will get some answers.'
'Have you heard anything from the Ministry?' he asked.
'Not yet. It's only a visitor pass I've requested. I imagine with all the excitement there is a backlog. Unless I hear from his own lips that he did what he has been accused of then I refuse to believe any of it. Once we have established the facts, then we can sort out his legal defence and I think if he volunteers to take Veritaserum that should be sufficient to cause enough doubt to get him a proper, dignified trial. Not one of those farce proceedings that Karkaroff was part of. Merlin, that was a shit show. Sirius does have his rights.…,' she trailed off. Her naturally suspicious mind started to turn over. 'Though, it has been more than a few days. I'll write to them again. If that doesn't result in a response I'll get in touch with Hayley and go to the Ministry in person. Something about this seems off.'
Ted looked at her, 'Why is your brain going in that direction?'
She looked back at him perplexed, 'Because I suspect that the same sick bastards who are going to let Lucius off the hook may try to sacrifice Sirius in order, 'to be seen to be doing,' and I'm starting to think there is something else happening here,' she paused, her mind working quickly.
'No trial date yet,' she said quietly, 'How long do you think they can hold him without a trial? I mean, could they do that?' she asked.
Ted's face paled, 'The Ministry's legal department has a lot of loopholes that are open to abuse if you're nefarious enough,' he whispered. 'If they wanted to keep him in Azkaban indefinitely, they could.'
They could only stare at each other as a coldness washed over them.
'They wouldn't really be so negligent, would they?' he asked.
Andromeda simply stared at him, shocked at his naivety.
Ted looked a little sheepish.
'How much brandy have you been consuming?' she asked simply.
'I know, you're right,' he stuttered honestly, 'It has been an emotional week. I'm not thinking right.'
Andromeda hugged him, 'I know exactly how you're feeling,' she sympathised. The sun had almost disappeared and the dark, cold night began to settle in. They were the only two left at the cottage.
'Shall we go home?' she asked. 'Tilly should be getting Nymphadora ready for bed by now. I want to read her a bedtime story and then I think that you and I need to start making some plans. I have a bad feeling things are going to get even messier. With known Death Eaters claiming the Imperius, who knows what else is happening.'
Ted thought of the diminutive house-elf and her excellent hot chocolate making abilities.
'Good idea, love. Let's go home.'
With a final look at the Potter's cottage, they both turned on the spot and with a crack, disappeared.
The next morning saw Andromeda and Ted sat at their kitchen table sipping a cup of tea each in silence. Tilly and Nymphadora were upstairs, playing a board game. The Daily Prophet had been read and then re-read by them both. Ted was now watching his wife's fingers tap monotonously on the table. A clear warning sign of impending drama.
He cleared his throat, 'So,' he said, 'there isn't anything in here about Sirius. Nothing at all.'
His wife's lip's pursed, 'We need to find out what the hell is going on. It's time to bring out the big wands,' she replied.
Ted's eyebrows raised, 'You don't mean who I think you do, do you?' he looked at her with a helpless expression.
'Yes, Ted. I do mean her,' she spoke sternly. 'Don't try and talk me out of this. Sirius and his freedom are on the line here. We've had no response from the Ministry, nothing from Hayley. They are not letting the public into the Ministry. There is nothing in the papers. Even Dumbledore isn't responding to us.'
'You're right,' he said, 'I just wish we didn't have to resort to such measures.'
Andromeda nodded back, 'I know, so do I. But, I'm out of ideas. I can't even get hold of Gareth. His Manor is closed off completely. I can't get hold of Dawn. I don't want to risk sending Tilly in case anything bad happens to her. There is most definitely something going on here that I am sure is not something I'm going to be happy about. I need answers.'
She stood abruptly and made her way to the fireplace. She took a pinch of floo powder and leaned down. Sticking her head in the flames she uttered the words that made both their skins crawl.
'Rita, Rita Skeeter. This is the Tonks family. We need to talk to you.'
Ted closed his eyes shut and willed the inner strength he would need for the forthcoming conversation. He listened to his wife explain briefly the reason for the call and heard Rita confirm she would be coming through shortly. Digging his nails into his palm he focused slowly on his breathing. Rita. The greatest gossip in the whole kingdom. One without equal. Nothing of any consequence had happened at Hogwarts without Rita somehow finding out about it and informing every single student of every single detail. Ted and his wife had been the subject of several rumours themselves.
As Rita got older the tales got taller, more embellished, more twisted with only a thin veneer of truth in them. She now worked at the Daily Prophet as a Journalist. Ted thought it was the most perfect job for her. She had in only a few short years built herself an enormous fanbase through printing the just accurate enough not to be sued stories and excitable gossip. Her success was something that surprised none of her peers. Ted had to reluctantly admit to himself that Andromeda was right to drag Rita into this. If anyone could find out what the hell was happening in the Ministry, then it was Rita who was the one they could put their faith in.
With surprising elegance, Rita came out of the fireplace. Her blonde curls were springy as she smirked at the two of them. Her quill and pad poised as she took a seat.
'Well, well, well,' she began, 'Ted, Andromeda. What a pickle you're in. Yet another Black family scandal plays out. Your tribe really is the Daily prophets bread and butter. Sirius, in chains! Now, tell me all. How is this making you feel?'
'Cut the crap, Rita. I'm not in the mood. The shit has well and truly hit the fan,' Andromeda snapped.
Rita blinked and took a step back. She wiped her smug expression off her face immediately. Something every Witch and Wizard was told from a very early age was that when a Black dropped the fake face of Pureblood politeness then all bets were off.
'I know Sirius is innocent,' Andromeda continued, 'The Ministry isn't telling us anything. I can't get hold of anyone and they won't let us see him. I need to know the who, where, what, why, when and how.'
'Um,' Rita pretended to deliberate, 'I'm afraid the Ministry is being very uncooperative with the Prophet at the moment. We have been accused of sensationalism when we have always operated with supreme journalistic integrity. They have forbidden us from printing any more stories about the currently incarcerated death eaters and the manhunts for the ones on the run in case we print any inaccurate facts. As if we would do that?' Rita sounded very aggrieved.
'Oh, surely not,' Ted muttered sarcastically, 'Maybe you should sue them for slander.'
Rita nodded, taking his suggestion seriously, 'Perhaps we should. Anyway, it would be very risky at the moment for any journalists to be seen within a hundred feet of the Ministry. We have been ordered to keep away until further notification.'
Andromeda narrowed her eyes. 'If anyone can get behind the scenes at the Ministry then the smart money is on you. I don't know how you do it and I don't want to know either, but I need you to get in there and find out every single last detail you can about what is going on with Sirius.'
Rita pretended to contemplate, 'And why, may I ask, would I do that?' she inquired. Her eyebrow raised as she clicked two of her talons together.
Andromeda inwardly sighed. She knew Rita wouldn't resist if there was something valuable in it for her. It was time to dangle the big carrot, 'I'll give you an official interview on Bellatrix. I permit you to embellish it as much as you like.'
Rita smiled like a shark. Glory. It would be her biggest scoop. Bellatrix LeStrange. The Dark Lord's most favourite Pureblood princess.
'Now, that would most certainly be worth my time. I'm in,' Rita replied.
Andromeda breathed a sigh of relief. She had no qualms about airing the family's dirty laundry if it meant helping Sirius. Her family had treated her with no respect, least of all Bellatrix. They shouldn't expect any in return. A little petty revenge would also do wonders for her morale. Her ruthless Slytherin side hissed in satisfaction. It was always nice to let her inner snake out to play now and again. Andromeda pondered the next step.
'Right. Now we're both on the same page, let's continue. We think Sirius is being held at the Ministry, or at least we hope he is. He hasn't received a trial so he should not be at Azkaban yet. However, I think you know better than us that the Ministry is not a paragon of virtue. A cesspit of hypocrisy would be a better descriptor.'
Rita nodded in agreement, 'Indeed.'
Rita, not exactly lily-white herself and morally grey, had been a witness to many incidents at the Ministry that were certainly not in the training manual to staff. The, 'Do not under any circumstances do any of the following,' list had been violated by numerous members of staff. She had every indiscretion stored in her notes for future use. Rita had decided that rather than risk revealing the secret to her success, she would gather blackmail for potential use in the future. It certainly helped clear her conscience when exposing yet another married Ministry worker of cheating on their wife with a mistress. Rita saw for herself how corrupt some of the ministers and staff were. They even made Rita, with her loose morals, sick.
She could certainly justify it to herself when she saw the other side of their duplicity. Taking bribes to make policies that discriminated against non-Purebloods was standard. She watched their fake smiles and speeches about hope for a new future as they could barely conceal their own mirth. Watching bully boy Auror's burn the evidence and bounce suspects off the walls were just the tip of the iceberg. Blackmail was a handy weapon to have in her arsenal after all.
She had her beady eyes on the ultimate hypocrite, Lucius Malfoy. She scoffed as he stood posing for yet another photograph, donating generously to . She suspected several of the patients that were staying there for treatment were only there because Lucius put them in there in the first place.
She had tried to get any dirt on him cheating on Narcissa, but unfortunately for Rita, it seemed that for all his flaws Lucius did respect his marriage vows. Although, she suspected his reluctance to do so would be because any cheating husband of a Black woman had ended up killed, maimed or decapitated. One such husband had had his cheating head stuck on a spike in Diagon Alley two hundred years ago. Nothing could be proved, but everyone had known who was responsible. Rita had held a grievance for Lucius since school when he turned her down for a date in Hogsmeade with very bad grace. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, after all. If it took Rita a lifetime, she would one day bring him down with her salacious gossip. On that, she was determined. Spite was a very motivating force.
Ted spoke, 'The most important part is to confirm if he is in the Ministry. Any other information you find out could be relevant so just make sure you get as much as you can. I know you're a professional and shouldn't need this to be said, but please, be careful. Thank you for doing this. I know you're only doing it for your own selfish needs, but still, you're doing it for a decent cause.'
Rita had the good grace to merely smile, nod, and accept the backhanded compliment.
'Ted, Andromeda. My integrity as a journalist compels me to find out the truth. I shall return this evening. Just remember. Don't shoot the messenger. You may not like what the truth is.'
With that unsettling statement, she disappeared back into the fire.
Andromeda found her hand shaking slightly. Reaching for her pack of cigarettes she stood up and made her way into the garden and lit one up. Ted reached for a glass and pulled a fresh bottle of brandy out of the cupboard.
When all this was settled down, they would ease themselves off their crutches. Maybe next week.