Two White Sheep
Chapter One: Reunited
Mad-Eye Moody handed Tonks a slip of parchment as they stood in the middle of a quiet muggle street in London. She read it, then pulled a cigarette lighter from her patched jeans and set it alight. It erupted in flame between her fingertips, smouldering as she let it fall to the ground. As the last of the writing disappeared, she stubbed out the flames with her boot. Number twelve Grimmauld Place appeared in front of them. Moody placed a reassuring hand on Tonks' shoulder and led her to the front door. She took a deep breath and entered the house of her ancestors, the family she had tried so hard to forget, the family who had robbed her of a normal life. Tonks had lived with the Black shadow for so long, it had followed her through Hogwarts, her Auror training, her social life. Now she was finally going to achieve the one goal that kept her going, it seemed awfully ironic that it would happen here.
Moody led her through the long hall in silence, then down the few steps to the kitchen where the rest of the Order had congregated. As they approached the open door, Tonks saw several faces she knew; Kingsley Shacklebolt, her EA(1) at the ministry and the one who recruited her for the Order in the first place, Arthur Weasley with whom she had spoken to at work, a few other ministry workers and two men she had not seen for over fourteen years. Tonks had to remind herself to breath as she laid eyes on the two Marauders. Remus and Sirius had changed a great deal since she had last seen them. Remus looked taller, much thinner and more drawn than the 21 year old man Tonks had first met all those years ago, yet somehow he looked noble, purposeful. Perhaps Tonks had simply not seen it the first time they met.
Sirius, who had his back to the door, turned to see what Remus was looking at and his jaw dropped. He was just as handsome as Tonks remembered, even if he did have a slight crazed glint in his gray eyes.
"Littlen?" he whispered in disbelief, stepping towards her. Tonks nodded, struggling to hold back fourteen years worth of uncried tears. Sirius' eyes filled with water and his lip quivered just a little as he stepped up to his little cousin and embraced her. Tonks held him tight, dampening his shirt with her tears before letting go.
"So you're the metamorphmagus everyone's talking about," he choked.
"I hope not," Tonks laughed.
"You're all grown up," he said, wiping a tear from her cheek.
"Better believe it," Tonks smiled. Sirius laughed and took her by the hand. He led her round the kitchen, introducing her to the rest of the Order.
"You remember Remus don't you Littlen?" Sirius asked, as they approached the shabby werewolf.
"How could I forget," she smiled, extending her free hand.
"It's a pleasure to see you again Miss Tonks," Remus said, taking Tonks' hand and kissing it gently.
"It's just Tonks," she pulled her hand back, blushing under her purple hair.
&&&
After the meeting, the Order moved into the living room for afternoon tea. Tonks seated herself in the corner with Sirius and Remus, absorbing as much of the room's many conversations as she could.
"Are you alright Littlen?" Sirius asked.
"Hmm? Yea, it's just a bit overwhelming that's all," she said.
"It is rather, isn't it?" Sirius laughed. "So you're an Auror now?"
Tonks nodded, slurping her mug of tea.
"What made you choose such a dangerous career?"
"This," she said distantly, nodding at the Order members. "The war, you."
"Me?" Sirius asked, surprised. "I only met you four times before I got locked up."
"I know that," she said, gazing sadly at the floor. "It's not so much who you are, more what you represent."
"And what is that exactly?" he asked, intrigued.
"Family, betrayal, the dark arts, mistrust, and the childhood that was stolen from me." Sirius' face fell.
"Well that's what you represented to a desperately lonely nine year old anyway," she laughed. "My cousin, the freedom fighter on the run from the authorities, that's as good a reason as any isn't it?"
"I s'pose it is," he laughed. Tonks pointed her wand at her plain blue t-shirt. On it appeared the words 'Free Sirius Black, the white sheep is innocent!', along with a picture of Sirius' head attached to the body of a cute fluffy lamb. Sirius and Remus burst out laughing, as did a few others who had spotted it.
"How's Harry coping?" she asked once the laughter had died down. "I've read some stuff in the papers but I don't believe a word of it."
"He's doing pretty damn well under the circumstances, wouldn't you say Remus?"
"Oh yes, he has his parents' spirit." Tonks nodded.
"How's Andromeda?" Sirius asked.
"Still Andromeda, unfortunately," she laughed.
"You don't get on anymore?"
"We never did, not really," Tonks said, leaving it at that since she had no desire to make Sirius feel even more guilty. He nodded.
"What about Ted?"
"Dunno, dad got promoted about a month ago, haven't really seen them since."
"So you've, what, got your own place?"
"Yea, little flat about a mile from here," she said. "It's not much, but I'm used to that."
Sirius and Remus both nodded, knowing all too well what it was like to have little to call their own.
"You'll have to pop round more often then," Sirius said, trying not to sound desperate for visitors. "As you're so close."
"You can count on that," she said.
"You could have a room if you like," suggested Sirius, getting a little carried away. "There's plenty of them."
"Might take you up on that," Tonks laughed. "Even this floor looks more comfy than my old bed."
Tonks sighed and finished her tea.
"I s'pose I owe you an apology," she said looking up at Remus.
"Whatever for?" he asked, looking rather confused.
"Last time we met I stamped on your foot and I didn't say sorry." Remus laughed.
"Don't laugh," she said, slapping him playfully on the arm. "That's been eating at my conscience for fourteen years that has."
"In that case I accept your apology," said Remus with a chuckle.
"So," Sirius said, glancing between his oldest friend and his cousin and grinning. "Is there anyone special in your life right now?"
"Well there was someone, but it didn't work out," Tonks told him, sending a fleeting look across the room. "Office romances never do, do they?"
"More tea Tonks?" Remus asked, jumping to his feet.
"Ta Remus."
"Sirius?"
"No, I'm good," he chuckled.
"Don't you dare get any ideas," Remus whispered to him as he walked off towards the little buffet table. Sirius mouthed 'who me?' after him innocently.
"Well this is surreal," Tonks laughed, poking her crumpet so the butter oozed out onto the plate. "Did I hear right that Professor Snape was meant to come today?"
"He was held up apparently," Sirius said.
"Lucky for us eh?" Tonks laughed. "Merlin, haven't seen him since he gave me detention my last day at Hogwarts."
"The slimy git did that? What for?"
"I uh, pretended to be him for the afternoon and tried to seduce Professor Sprout." Sirius spurted tea through his nose. "In front of the entire school."
"Now that I would have paid to see," he spluttered through a fit of laughter.
"Yea, he didn't deserve it though."
"Course he did," Sirius said, calming down again.
"Nah, he put up with a lot when it came to yours truly." Remus came back with Tonks' mug and a plate of chocolate biscuits.
"How you keeping Remus? Heard you were teaching at Hogwarts last year," Tonks said, leaning over Sirius and grabbing a chocolate hobnob.
"Yes indeed," Remus replied.
"The kids loved you from what I heard," she said. "I've got a mate over in WSS(2), says you taught his cousin Luna, best defence teacher they've had in fifteen years they're saying."
"It's just a shame I had to leave," he replied, shaking off the complement.
"Yea, well that job always was jinxed," she said, dipping the hobnob in the splodges of butter and marmite on the side of her plate.
"Littlen that's fowl," Sirius said.
"Actually it's very nice," she poked a biscuit covered tongue at him and turned back to Remus. "So what you up to now?"
"Oh, bits and pieces," he said vaguely. "It's rather difficult to find full-time employment thanks to that retched legislation."
"Which legislation?" Tonks asked. Sirius and Remus looked at each other.
"She doesn't know does she Padfoot."
"What don't I know?" Remus swallowed.
"Tonks, I'm a werewolf," Remus said quietly, and prepared for instant rejection.
"Oh that legislation," she said, nibbling her biscuit. "Sorry, not the sharpest tool in the box today."
"It doesn't bother you?" Remus asked.
"Don't be daft," Sirius leapt in. "She's one of us, you should hear what she did to Snape."
Remus breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Tonks. She winked knowingly at him and popped the last chunk of hobnob into her mouth.
&&&
Points of reference
(1) EA Excellent Auror, second grade, ie. In charge of around five people. (for those not familiar with my ministry gradings)
(2)Werewolf Support Services