Hi all, sorry it's taken me a million years to update. I was suddenly gripped with self-doubt and thought that this story was rubbish, especially after reading another fic which contained a few similar events. But it's worth seeing what people think I suppose. Enjoy, I hope.

Also changed my pen name after rediscovering Nick Cave. What a god.


Chapter 3

It was around ten thirty that morning when Tonks arrived back at the headquarters of the Order. Stepping through the door at number 12 Grimmauld Place, she was harshly pushed into a large plant pot by a seemingly enraged Severus Snape, who swept out into the street and slammed the door behind him.

"AND STAY OUT!" she heard a familiar voice shout.

She looked up just in time to see an equally angry Sirius Black storm up the stairs and lock himself in one of the spare rooms at the end of the hall. Struggling to extract herself from the foliage, which had wrapped four or five of its stems gently but firmly around her and was stroking her face with its leaves, she saw Ron, Harry and Hermione peering cautiously over the banister at her.

"Has Snape gone?" Asked Ron.

"Yes." Answered Tonks. "He left in style."

"Wow that was a fight and half they just had." Said Harry, pushing his untidy hair out of his face as he and his friends came down the stairs. "Any idea what it was about, Tonks?"

"No, I've just come in. Erm, do you think you could help me out of this?"

The two boys looked at her hesitantly, clearly without what to do. Hermione stepped forward impatiently and drew out her wand.

"Let me do it, Harry." She sighed and flicked her wrist. "Diffindo!"

The stems were severed and Tonks managed to quickly pull herself out of the pot.

"Thanks Hermione." She grinned, brushing the soil off her clothes. "Let's go down to the kitchen, I'm starving."

-----------------------

'So how did the stalking go, Tonks?" asked Ron between mouthfuls of food. "Find anything out about the mystery girl?"

"Ronald Weasley!" came the voice of his mother. "How do you know about that?"

Mrs. Weasley looked suspiciously at Fred and George.Tonks had the feeling that their latest stash of extendable ears would soon be going in the bin.

"It's ok Molly." Said Lupin. "There's no harm in them knowing about this, although I'm sure they don't know all the details, technology being what it is"

Fred and George shifted uncomfortably.

"Go on then Tonks." Sighed Mrs. Weasley, defeated, "Fill them in."

"Well..." said Tonks, pausing dramatically as everyone leaned in. "She caught me. I was busted. I was in an alleyway and I tripped over a bin. I thought I'd gotten away with it see, she came right up to where I was hiding and then she got distracted by vampires..."

"Vampires?" Exclaimed Ron and Harry at the same time.

"Yes, turns out she's the Slayer."

"The Slayer, wow, I thought that was just a myth." mused Hermione.

"So did all of us, until now." Said Lupin.

"But it's not. I saw her." Said Tonks. "She's not much taller than you Hermione, but she killed three vampires without breaking a sweat, and she was stronger than all of them combined. She used a pointy wooden thing."

"A stake." Hermione added.

"Hold on, hold on." Interrupted Ron. "What have vampires got to do with steak? Is that what they eat when they can't get blood? What's a slayer?"

"Ron, don't you remember any of our lessons?" asked Hermione. "We learned about vampires in 3rd year, I believe it was Professor Lupin himself who taught us."

Lupin smiled as Hermione continued

"One of the ways to kill a Vampire with a wooden stake through its heart. It turns them into dust. And the story is that in every generation there's a Slayer to fight the vampires. It's always a girl and they have superhuman strength, but they don't use magic, they come from the muggle world. But I always thought that was just a story spread about by the Ministry to keep vampires under control."

"I don't know whether the Ministry knew the story was true or whether they just used the rumours to their own advantage, but the Slayer definately doesn't have anything to do with them." said Lupin. "We don't know who she works for or whether she's acting independently."

"So what is this Slayer doing here?" Asked Ron. "And how did she catch you, Tonks?"

"We're not sure what her plan is, that's why we've been following her, just in case she's working for You-Know-Who, or in case he tries to get her on his side. But she's got some skill. I followed her into a cafe this morning and she came over to my table and threatened me. She said she knew we'd been watching her and that she'd 'kick my ass big style' or something if we didn't leave her alone."

Hermione snorted with laughter. "She actually said that?"

"Well, yes." said Tonks indignantly. "And I have to say, I was quite scared. The way she killed those vampires, I wouldn't have stood a chance. But I did manage to take a photograph of her because up close I noticed something remarkable about her. I need to show it to Sirius, do you think he'll be down anytime soon?"

"No, he's sulking now." Said Mrs Weasley disapprovingly. "Sometimes I wish that he and Severus would just grow up."

"Ginny, would you go and find him and tell him there's something we want him to see." asked Tonks, turning to the red-haired girl.

As Ginny headed up the stairs, Tonks produced the photograph that she had taken earlier. Everyone in the room gathered around it and stared at the angry girl in the picturewho was shaking her fist in Tonks' direction. It didn't take long before everyone realised what Tonks had noticed about her.

"My goodness." Exclaimed Lupin. "That's... Sirius... it's got to be..."

"What have you got there, Remus?" Came Sirius' moody voice from the doorway.

They turned to see the dark haired man leaning against the doorframe, an expression of mild interest on his face.

"Erm... Sirius... my old friend." Started Lupin.Tonks had never heard him sound so nervous. "Come in, take a seat, have a coffee."

Sirius looked at him as though he had lost his mind.

"Everything alright, Remus?" He asked with half a grin as he sat down and poured himself a drink.

Lupin took the picture from Tonks' hand and pulled up a chair opposite Sirius.

"I don't really know how to do this Sirius, or what to say."

"Do what? What's wrong with you?" Sirius began to get impatient. "What's the photo for?"

"I think it's best if you just see." sighed Lupin, and passed the picture across the table.

Sirius took it and looked at the girl. As Tonks watched, she saw to her amazement that his eyes were filling with tears and he had begun to visibly shake. He looked up at Lupin, shaking his head.

"It..it can't be, can it?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"She looks so much like you, Sirius." Lupin gently replied. "If she's not a Black then I'm throwing a full moon party."

Tears were now falling fast down Sirius' face and he suddenly seemed to be aware that he was in a room full of people who were all watching him in confusion. He picked up the photograph and marched out of the room, clearly wanting to be alone. Lupin started as if to follow him but Mrs Weasley gently laid her hand on his shoulder.

"Give him some time alone, Remus."

"So, I take it I was right." Said Tonks. "Sirius knows this girl?"

"I think so." Said Lupin. "I think she's his daughter."

"Daughter?" exclaimed Harry. "Sirius never said anything about having a daughter."

"He hasn't seen her since she was three years old." said Lupin gently. "It's a long story."

"So tell it." Harry almost shouted. He seemed to have taken the news as a personal insult and was addressing his former professor in an extremely rude manner.

"Calm down Harry." Said Mrs Weasley quite sternly. "This isn't the time."

"I don't know all the details." Said Lupin. "But I'll tell you as much as I can. When Sirius left school he met an American muggle girl in London and they had what was supposed to be a brief fling. She was only in London for two months, studying dance. I only met her once, she was very beautiful but I always felt like there was something not quite right about her. Anyway, they were just kids, and, well kids being rash and not thinking, she got pregnant. They got married in a hurry and she made him move back to America with her, to Boston I think. We didn't hear from him much for a while after that. He sent the occasional owl, told us they'd had a baby girl, named her Faith. I don't think he ever liked America but the way he wrote about that little girl, she was the light of his life.

Anyway, all that time, Voldemort was growing stronger and stronger. He had supporters all over the world. Voldemort knew how clever a wizard Sirius was; he needed him back in England to try to get to James and Lily. The old saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. He arranged to have Sirius deported from America by the muggles who were probably under the Imperious Curse. One day they just came for him and put him on a plane back to England. His little girl was at nursery school at the time, he didn't even get to say goodbye to her.

He was a broken man when he came back here. He stayed with me for a while, wrote owls and muggle letters every day to his wife and child back in America but he never got any reply. Whether they received them or not we never found out. Maybe Voldemort was intercepting them or maybe his wife just refused to reply. Sirius told me that she'd started drinking heavily not long after the baby was born. She'd had to give up dance and she resented him, blamed him and the child for ruining her life. He wrote to them every day for two years; right up until the day he was sent to Azkaban. And I believe he's been writing every day since he escaped. That's all I know."

A heavy silence filled the room as Lupin finished speaking and the news sunk in. Hermione was the first to speak.

"I suppose...when he was in Azkaban, that must have been another thing that kept him going mustn't it? The thought of maybe seeing her again?"

Lupin nodded.

"Is this girl definitely her though?" Asked Harry. "If he hasn't seen her in that long, how does he know?"

"Come on Harry." Said Ron. "We all saw the picture, she looks just like him. And besides, I'm sure he can recognise his own daughter."

Tonks looked at Harry, who was, in her opinion, behaving like a spoilt brat. Then again, she thought, the boy had started to look upon Sirius as a father figure and was probably feeling threatened at the prospect of what he would look upon as a rival. 'Kids are so mixed up' she sighed to herself.

"So what now?" asked Mrs Weasley.

"We do as Dumbledore ordered." Said Lupin matter-of-factly. "We continue to watch her, and if she discovers us, we try to bring her in. She's been sleeping rough since we've been following her, she could probably do with a hot meal and a comfy bed."

Tonks was apprehensive at this course of action.

"She's a very aggressive girl, Remus."

"I know, I've watched her too remember? Anyway there's no need to worry tonight, Dumbledore is going to be tailing her. He'll be able to handle any trouble."

Tonks was still sceptical but she decided not to press the matter any further for the time being.

"Ok, well..." she stifled a yawn. "In that case I'm going to have a sleep, I'm absolutely exhausted."

She stumbled out of the room and up the stairs to one of the spare rooms. Not even bothering to get changed, she fell onto the bed and within seconds she was snoring loudly.


Well, there it is, hope it isn't too crap. I have another three chapters already written, but I'm not even sure it's worth continuing. We'll see...