Chapter 5. ASHES, BLOOD AND FLESH

Almost a week had passed since Tonks was at Private Drive, she realized Harry was mad at her, but she also knew he'd forgive her when everything would be done.

She calmly sat next to Lupin at her place. Both were looking at each other edgily, for Remus hated the fact of Severus helping them and Tonks had already lost any hope to make him understand that it was inevitable. She'd actually never seen Lupin so intolerant.

Finally they heard a strange noise and Snape stepped out from fireplace.

'You're late!' said Lupin darkly.

'I'm aware of that,' answered Snape also gloomily.

'Have you brought it?' asked Tonks impatiently.

'I did,' Snape took a small bottle with Incarnation Potion from under his cloak and put it on the table.

'Excellent work, Severus,' Tonks smiled gladly. 'Rem?'

'My part was much messier than his, by the way,' muttered Lupin putting a small box next to the bottle.

'What's that?' Snape's eyes curiously flashed. 'What? Everyone had to bring something for the party?'

'Not funny,' suddenly Lupin was calm again, Tonks frowned as she wasn't sure what was going on with her friend. 'In that box are the ashes of Sirius's father…'

'What? Are you kidding me, Tonks? That's… You failed to tell me about that part of the deal!' roared Severus. 'And it won't work anyway – the ashes must be taken against his father's will!'

'And you think he agreed on it?' beamed Lupin. 'He supported Voldemort with his whole heart! Wasn't Death Eater, but still! He and Sirius's mother even blasted their dear son of the tapestry!'

'All right,' Snape nodded, 'but what about blood and flesh!'

'Kreacher's flesh,' said Lupin. 'I've got an idea about how to convince him…'

'And blood?'

'I'll give my blood,' said Tonks, beginning to hesitate.

'Yeah, right!' Snape clenched his teeth. 'Ready to give up anything, are you, Tonks? IT WOULD HAVE NEVER WORKED BETWEEN YOU AND BLACK ANYWAY! You think – no one had noticed. You're right – no one did, except for me! Gosh, you're so naive! He's like an uncle to you! About 13 years in difference! You're related! Blast! YOU MAKE ME SICK, TONKS, REALLY! More than that, it needs to be blood of an enemy.'

Tonks looked at Snape in surprise, it was probably the first time she witnessed him being so emotional…

'Keep your opinion to yourself, Snape. No one knows and no one will know until time comes,' said Remus coolly. 'And who cares about their age and… Shit! Just stay out of this and keep your mouth shut!'

…and they all were arguing like old friends, 'cause only really good friends were usually absolutely frank when nailing their colors to the mast…

'Stop, will ya?' Tonks finally looked up at them. 'Remus, we're going to the Grimmauld Place… as for you, Severus, let me decide myself what to do with my life… the Potion looks good though…

She smiled and moved to the fireplace, ready to throw a Flying Powder in it.

x-x-x

'Kreacher!' Tonks wasn't surprised the house elf didn't respond to her voice – she was a half-blood… and well, Blacks never excepted her mother's marriage, did they?

'Kreacher!' Lupin looked desperate already after 10 minutes of shouting.

'Perhaps he's sitting now by the portrait of Bellatrix and laughing at you,' said Snape, sitting straight in an armchair and watching them dully.

Lupin gave him a look and ran to the house elf's usual place. They were lucky – the house was absolutely empty for the Weasly family was in the Ministry, negotiating something about Fred and George's troublemaking.

Still, it was odd, acting like Lupin, Nympha and Severus did – Tonks assumed she really felt like a thief or sneak…

'Kreacher,' Lupin finally saw the elf and grabbed his hand.

'Iai! – yielded the house elf, struggling. 'They're trying to hurt little poor Kreacher!'

'Kreacher, sit!' Tonks and Snape watched Lupin gently lifting the elf on a chair. 'Wasn't easy to find you, hehe… Well, I must congratulate you! The last pure-blood Black finally stands on the right path…'

'The road to Hell, that's where he stands!' said Kreacher. 'He hated the Dark Lord, he's no master to me!'

'Oh, no, Kreacher! That's why we're here!' Lupin continued in a low voice. 'We want to…'

Tonks listened in astonishment to what Lupin was saying, it seemed Snape was shocked as well. Lupin must had been a genius.

'…and we need your help to restore the might and wisdom of Black's family and to help the Dark Lord win in that messy game,' finished Lupin with a false pride in his voice.

"Kreacher couldn't have possibly believed that, could he?" thought Tonks, starring in the eyes of the elf. She felt weak now, as if losing her last hopes. Of course – everything went just too smoothly…

However the house elf jumped up, took a kitchen knife and said something… Tonks was too bewildered to hear what exactly… then the knife flashed in the light of a candle, floating by under the ceiling and… Tonks thought she'd be sick – several chopped off fingers were lying on the floor before her…

x-x-x

Graveyard. Darkness. Mystery.

Lupin. Tonks. Snape. Sirius's grave, still all drowning in flowers…

'Tonks, it's gonna strike twelve any second,' warned Severus coldly, handing her out a scalpel.

'Thanks,' Tonks was nervous; if everything they'd been doing through out the week wasn't just a silly dream, she tried to make true… then in a few seconds Sirius would be again with her!

'It's time,' Lupin dropped the ashes of Sirius's father into the potion and it became disgustingly blue. 'Ashes of the father, that were taken against his will, give the kiss of life to your son!'

Tree Kreacher's fingers… the potion turned bloody red.

'Flesh of a servant, given willingly, give a kiss of live to your Master!'

Tonks was ready to cut her arm somewhere close to the elbow, but suddenly grabbed Snape's hand and a thin stream of his blood flew into the bottle… he frowned of pain and gasped in anger. Tonks did remember his words about the enemy…she smiled as if wanted to say "sorry"…

'Blood of an enemy, taken by force, give a kiss of life to your foe!'

It was exactly midnight now… Lupin came closer to the burial place and poured out the potion that was snow white now onto the grave…

Ta da da da…

Nothing. A pause… and nothing again.

'I'm sorry, Tonks,' the witch heard Loony walk away quietly.

'Why did you help me, Snape?' Tonks turned to the former Slytherin, helpless.

'Dunno, may be because sometimes we must help each other?' Snape hugged her by the shoulders… and then let go…

Nothing happened. And actually could it?

Tonks felt tears in her eyes. She could continue to wait forever – nothing would have brought Sirius Black back. NOT EVEN MAGIC…

Author's note: P.S. Actually, I've never thought that this fic will finish like that… came as a surprise even to me, hehe… Pity. You know, sometimes I get somehow depressed after reading kind of… gloomy stories, but you shouldn't, even if you don't like this ending – THERE'S NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE! At least for our imagination…