Chapter 13- The Moon and Sirius

In Greek, Sirius is Seirios and means 'burning'. Living up to his name, my cousin's grey eyes smouldered as he demanded, "What the ruddy hell were you doing with my little cousin, mate?"

Remus pushed his hair back, answering reasonably, "It should've been obvious, but if you want further explanation, we'll give you one over breakfast." Stiffly, he levered himself up and assisted me to my feet. Giving me a mischievous look, he said, "Would you like to take care of those functions I'm not supposed to think you have before I take a shower?"

I grinned happily. "Yes, please." Kissing him briefly, I turned and hugged Sirius affectionately, reaching up to give the tall man a smacking kiss on the cheek. "It takes two to snog, Grim. Don't give Remus fits about it, or I'll be giving you a welcome home hex." When his jaw dropped, I sashayed out of the room and dashed for the loo. Opening the door a short while later, my guy was waiting patiently, a small pile of clothing in his hands.

He smiled. "If you help Sirius set the table, I'll join you as soon as possible." Chuckling, he stepped forward. "It'll keep your mind off thoughts of functions your mother disapproves of."

When his body brushed mine as he passed, I teased, "She'd disapprove of me thinking about you in the shower even more."

"Merlin knows I do," Sirius muttered from the doorway to the lounge. Leaning against the frame, he pleaded, "Spare my blushes and let our Remus by, Nymph."

I made a face. "Fine, but spare me the nicknames." I followed Sirius into the lounge and saw that he'd added a folding chair to the combined reading/dining nook. Contentedly rummaging through the cupboards in Remus' tiny kitchen for plates and cutlery, I threw my cousin a challenging look and said, "Laying it on a bit thick back there. Since when do you blush?"

The descendants of the so-called 'Noble and Ancient House of Black' were awfully good at aristocratic hauteur. Sirius was no exception. Lifting a brow imperiously, he said repressively, "You're the one who should blush, caught in that position. What would your mother say?"

"She knows about Remus and she hasn't said anything, because it's none of her, or your, bloody damned business."

My cheeky smile engendered an appreciative look as I set the table. "Another black sheep, eh? Andie and Ted did a fine job with you." Grinning in a way that lent his lean features a raffish charm, Sirius said, "Speaking of black sheep- how's Cousin Morty these days?"

"Rascally as ever." I told him how one of my uncle's dodgy clients led to meeting Remus.

"My lucky night," the wizard I'd been talking about said with a smile, entering the room. Clean and smooth-shaven, wearing an Ireland National Quidditch tee and denims, he looked scrummy.

"Tonks, leave off before you ruin my appetite," Sirius grumped while Remus pulled out my chair.

I looked at him, mystified, offering the plate of bacon. "What?"

Showing no loss of appetite, my cousin helped himself generously before passing the dish to Remus, demanding, "She eat you up with her eyes like that all the time?"

"Yes." Light brown eyes were amused as Remus calmly offered a platter to his friend. "Eggs?"

"I suppose I could force a few bites down." Sirius served himself half the eggs before spooning some onto my plate, unasked. When I sulked over being treated like a child who could neither answer nor serve herself, he snickered. "I remember that look…you gave it when your evil witch of a mother wouldn't let you keep a stray dog."

"She did me a favour. You probably snored and had fleas to go along with the dog-breath."

Remus grinned when Sirius sputtered indignantly, "Dog-breath! I might've snored on occasion or had the odd flea, but…oh…" Recalling something, Sirius chuckled, conceding, "I snitched a chicken leg from the table before trotting out to see you in the back garden once. I might've had dog-breath."

Remus laughed out loud. "Tonks, you should hear about some of the things he used to bring to the Shrieking Shack from Hogsmeade."

I listened to them swap stories, faces alight with boyish glee. When I thought of how life had turned out so differently from the future they must've dreamt about during those long ago days,my eyesbecame misty. I'd had my own personal trials, but they were nothing compared to being a werewolf or spending long years wrongly imprisoned. When the two were through reminiscing, I asked, "Do you know where Pettigrew is hiding, Sirius? Is that why you're here, to clear your name?"

Long black hair shook. "No, that rat's gone down the sewer with the rest of the filth, I'm afraid." The bitterness of his smile lightened when he shook off thoughts of his former friend and said, "I'm here because of Harry."

I figured he meant Harry Potter. Mum and Dad had declared he would never have allowed evil near his godson, and I believed it. If Sirius had a fault, it was caring too much, not too little. He shook his head in frustration, looking at Remus. In a serious tone, he explained, "I don't like coincidence. If you read the Prophet, disturbing things are happening that the Ministry is turning a blind eye to. Harry's scar's been hurting. Regardless of what he told me in his last letter, things are not fine. I had to come north."

Remus nodded. "I sent Moody an owl, enquiring subtly about security measures. He wrote backstating he had things well in hand and to stop being an old woman."

Sirius' eyes blazed with fervour. "It's not enough to sit around and wait for something bad to happen. I need to be near Harry, close enough to act if necessary." Remus' advice to be patient for just awhile longer was met with rolling eyes and a muttered, "Yes, Mum."

"You could always send Harry another letter," I suggested.

My cousin smiled and said puckishly, "How about…Nice try, Harry, I am back in the country and well hidden." He looked at Remus and smirked. "Am I well hidden?"

Remus said dryly, "As well as anyone in an abandoned warehouse warded with aversion charms and sensor spells can be." He told me, "There's a building a couple of streets away from the Underground's meeting place that was ideal for Sirius and his Hippogriff, Buckbeak, to stay."

I was relieved that my guy wasn't harbouring a fugitive, much less a Hippogriff, in his home. That was splitting hairs, but right now I didn't care about how Shacklebolt or other Aurors would view the aiding and abetting. My gaze drifted over Remus' pale features. The strain of transformation had lined his face with fatigue. I brushed back a strand of his hair and suggested, "Why don't we clear out of here and let you take a nap?"

"No, no, I'm fine. I promised to thrash Sirius in wizard chess," he demurred half-heartedly.

Using the same look my mother used to give Dad's poker mates, I told my dear cousin, "I'll leave you to your game then, after which Remus can get some rest."

Standing to clear the table, Sirius waved his wand and said while restoring order to the dining area, "You know, there's something I need more than a game of chess, and that's a haircut. If you don't mind, Moony, I'll go along with my little cousin, because if I remember correctly, she's ace at it."

Kissing his cheek in gratitude, I said pertly, "All those Muggle dolls Gran sent were vastly improved weren't they?"

Remus' eyes were heavy while he smiled. "Come back this afternoon, and I'll trounce you then, Padfoot." He blinked sleepily at me when I pulled him up out of the chair and steered him toward the bedroom. "Are you tucking me into bed?" My previously steady blood pressure spiked. His gaze became less sleepy as I nodded, licking suddenly dry lips.

Sirius groaned. "Three minutes, Tonks, you have three minutes to put the big baby to bed before I drag you out forcibly. Remember, our Moony needs his rest."

Dutifully tucking Remus into bed, I kissed his lips softly.

"Am I a big baby for enjoying the way you look after me?" He smiled, eyes almost closed.

"No, but you're my baby." I kissed him again, lingeringly, until I heard a bark. A big black dog was standing in the doorway. He barked again.

Remus chuckled tiredly. "Snuffles wants to go for a walk." His eyes began to close. I watched his peaceful face until my currently four legged cousin tugged on the wide hem of my denims. Standing, I reluctantly went to find something to transfigure into a leash so I could take my new 'pet' home for grooming.

Back at the Blue Moon, it was early enough for me to enter without seeing anyone. My luck ran out on the first floor landing, when Cami wandered out asking, "Back from your morning…" She saw the dog and exclaimed, "Oh my gods, he's gorgeous, part Newfoundland I'd guess- may I pet him?" In the manner of dog fanciers, the woman dropped to her knees and began cooing and praising and stroking the animal who seemed more than willing to stand there all day and be adored. "What's beautiful here's name?" My previously levelheaded friend gushed, "It's got to be something noble, to match his profile and that amazing definition."

"It's Snuffles. I'm watching him for a friend," I answered, smirking as the dog…in every meaning of the word…licked Cami's face. When he licked her lips, I said sternly, "Eeuwww…bad Snuffles, no getting doggie germs on my pal…what would her boyfriend think if he went to kiss her and smelt dog-breath?"

Cami caused me to say 'Eeuwww' again when she deliberately kissed the soulful eyed canine on the mouth and said, "I don't have a boyfriend. Jet and I went out, Tonks, but fireworks didn't exactly light the sky when we kissed." She laughed shortly. "He was more interested in explaining in boring detail how he combines martial arts and magic." Looking down at the dog now laying with his head in her lap, the woman sighed and rubbed his chest. "If only men were like Snuffles here."

"What? Only interested in eating, sleeping, and…playing?" I groused, giving the leash a sharp tug, ignoring my Animagus cousin's reproachful yelp. He turned a mournful dark gaze on Cami before following me upstairs, dragging his paws all the way.

She called, "If you ever need a dog sitter, let me know."

Snuffles' ears perked. I scowled at him and whispered, "Not a chance, so forget about it," before saying back, "thanks, I will." Once on the second floor I added, "…not…" I was glad that I couldn't understand dog language, because the growls and other sounds emanating from the canine's throat sounded highly uncomplimentary. Once inside my flat, I took off the leash and commanded, "Stay."

"Very funny." Sirius curled a lip at me when he'd transformed back. We exchanged grins. His widened, as he commented, "I like your friend. Cami, is it? She reminds me of a Ravenclaw girl I used to meet behind the statue of Gary the Gorgeous…or was it a Hufflepuff?" He waved a hand airily, "Doesn't matter. She's fit, likes dogs, has the sense not to expect too much from a man, and uses brushing/flossing mints regularly." Flopping onto my sofa, he put up his feet and asked, "What colour hair and eyes does she have and d'you think she'd go for dating a fugitive with nothing on offer?"

The mental image was threatening to give me a migraine. "Brown, hazel and no, so don't ask me to set you up." I realised lack of coffee was giving me the headache. Engaging the charm on my enchanted coffee pot, I waited impatiently for it to brew.

Behind me, Sirius whined, "Aw, c'mon, love, throw me a bone."

I rolled my eyes at his cheesiness. When I looked at him, he pleaded, "Can she dog sit then? Overnight?" He smiled charmingly. "I'd behave, wouldn't take a peek whilst she was changing, sniff inappropriately, or anything." His tone became wistful. "Maybe she'd let me sleep on the bed. It'd be nice to wake up next to something feminine and flowery smelling instead of feathery and ferrety."

"Ferrety?" I questioned with a laugh.

"Yeah, ferrets are Buckbeak's favourite snack."

A shudder wiggled down my spine. "That's more information than I wanted to know, Sirius." I poured myself a cup and lifted the pot inquiringly.

"I'd love one. Two sugars, loads of milk." Sirius waggled his eyebrows. "I learnt to drink coffee that way down South."

I brought him a mug and took a seat in the chair. "You look like a different man than the one currently screaming at me from wanted posters."

"Not my most photogenic moment," he agreed wryly. I sipped my coffee and waited for him to choose whether he wanted to speak of the present or the past. With a little smile, he directed, "Tell me about the family."

A half hour later, I was finishing repeating my vow not to be coerced into a frilly pink bridesmaid gown for Lora's spring wedding. Sirius voiced his sympathy and then said, "I read the back editions of the Prophet to catch up on everything I'd missed in prison. Your engagement announcement came as an unpleasant surprise."

My smile was tight. "I'll bet."

"I won't say that I wasn't pleased to see the formal retraction."

I shrugged. "I made an error in judgment."

"Haven't we all," Sirius agreed cynically. "At least yours didn't ruin several lives."

"For a long time I thought it had ruined one," I confessed. "I still have a hard time trusting. Remus, though, he's amazing, isn't he?"

He sat up. "Are you two serious?"

"We're taking our time, but…yeah, I think we're serious…Sirius."

He threw a sofa pillow at me. Good thing I'd finished my coffee. I stood and declared, "Enough talk, time for action." I went into the kitchen and came out brandishing scissors. "Are you sure you want me to cut your hair? It's really fab long."

"Yes, I only grew it because I had to, and now I equate long hair with sadness and loss. I'm happier than I've been in too many years to think of. I want short hair."

"Okay," I agreed, thinking that I wasn't going to make it too short. "Come into the lav."

Sirius praised his hair cut, and I asked if he…as Snuffles…would like to join me on a run before I had to report to work. I'd really be working for the weekend now. Maybe Remus and I could take our 'dog' to the park. I smiled when he nodded eagerly and then laughed. "Mother said I'd never do a decent day's work in my life…looks like the battleaxe was right."

After changing into running clothes, I led my cousin, who really was a gorgeous dog, down the stairs. Bubbles, entering the building with curlers still in her hair, said brightly, "Hullo, Tonks…that a new client?" Snuffles cocked his head to stare at her.

I was used to this sort of thing, so I said, "No, just a friend."

"Even better…" the blonde said with a smile before drifting toward the reception desk.

Snuffles gave me a workout- mostly in the arms. He kept trying to deviate from the pavement to follow a smell, or check out an interesting sight. My right arm was a bit sore when we returned to my flat. I threw Sirius a litre of water and warned, "If you don't want to find yourself in obedience class, you'd better be a good doggie next run."

His mournful look was only slightly less effective when he was human. I'd almost relented when Sirius gave up the repentant act and laughed. I invited him to make himself at home until his afternoon chess match with Remus.

"Don't worry. I won't wake your baby from his nap," he taunted.

I was still shaking my head over my incorrigible cousin when I headed through the double doors of Auror headquarters. Turning when I heard my name called, I obediently walked over to Kingsley's comparatively palatial cubicle. While he went through his secrecy routine, I looked at poster of Sirius.

"I'll get him one day." The Auror's dark features were determined.

I shrugged. "I don't think he's guilty, so no offence, but I'm not wishing you luck."

"None taken. He's family, I understand." Seated behind his desk, Kingsley looked at me intently. I hoped I wasn't being weighed, measured, and found wanting. His lips curved.

I blurted, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

He blinked. "Are you asking for yourself or for a friend?"

If my hair had been red that day, I would've looked like a human flame, my cheeks felt so hot. "Friend," I croaked. "You know her…Cami."

"Hmmm." Kingsley began straightening the already precisely stacked files on his desk. "This is not the proper venue for such a discussion." I felt like sliding down in my chair until he mentioned a nearby pub. I smiled in relief when he proposed that after work Friday we…along with Remus and Cami…have a drink in a setting more amenable to casual conversation. The idea of Shacklebolt being casual was mind-boggling and really cool. I couldn't wait to see it. Already thinking of ways to convince Cami that this was a great idea, I had to hear the statement he made twice before it sank in.

"You've procured invitations to a Halloween Party…oh, right…" I sat up straight and paid full attention to the details, few as they were at this time. The Costume Ball would be held at Malfoy Manor, in the Wiltshire countryside. "What couple are we going to impersonate this time?"

"You're not going to be a couple," Kingsley negated. "Too risky. Instead you'll be a father and daughter attending together."

That put snogging in the library off limits. I sighed. "Fine, who's our cover?"

Clearing his throat in a nervous gesture that made my stomach clench in anticipatory dread, he said, "Reginald and Priscilla Parkinson."

A/N: I have is to admit that one of the reasons I decided to set the fic during GoF was to have Sirius alive and well and used bits of the book like the letter to Harry, and his haircut, to keep him in character. Also, I would've liked to have had a Halloween chap in October, lol, but the story played out differently. The 'weighed, measured and found wanting' used in this chap was taken from one of my fave films, A Knight's Tale. Thanks to the reviewers of the last chap! ♥ 40/16 ♥ Alaska Steele ♥ Amy ♥ bav ♥ Carnivalgirl ♥ coffeehigh ♥ cupcakeswirl ♥ distempered ♥ DramaQueen04 ♥ eleen ♥ ElspethBates ♥ Embellished ♥ Es ♥ Ethuiliel ♥ FNP ♥ Funnykido ♥ Godricgal ♥ GraceRichie ♥ Gutter and Grace ♥ iamafairy ♥ ishandahalf ♥ kathaania ♥ keta ♥ Loz ♥ Machiavelli Jr. ♥ MamaLisa ♥ NazgulGirl ♥ Quicksilver FOxx ♥ Ruby ♥ Shinigami- Q- ♥ Slipknot- 3113 ♥ Slytherin Love Goddess ♥ sunny9847 ♥ Super Kawaii Lamb ♥ Tanuki jo-chan ♥