Surprising Meetings

Godric's Hollow was a small place, such a quiet little village. The people lived on the edge of magic and muggle life. The houses were well spaced with yards and gardens, and the whole place had a feel of almost boredom about it, but a lazy boredom that isn't minded by people.

Many people had found themselves living here over the years, nobody ever having any real trouble. The Potters had chosen it because of how safe it had always been, and who would suspect people in hiding to live in such a place, in plain sight?

"I'll put on some tea, and then we can talk." Their hostess said as they entered her house. It was simply furnished with brown cushioned chairs, a soft armchair, and a couch with an assortment of pillows, almost like a collection of comfort. Her whole house seemed to be centered on comfort. A book lay open on the coffee table, along with a cup that had a cinnamon stick swimming in the little bit of brown liquid at the bottom.

"Make yourselves at home." She told them with a smile, walking over to the kitchen to start the water to boiling. "I'm guessing you came to find out more about your parents from the anxious look on your face." She said, her voice kind.

She came into the room a moment later with three cups filled with browning liquid. "No tea leaves…I've never been one for that reminder of how horrid I was in Divinations." She said, smiling slightly. For all Harry's worry, he felt his own mouth turn upwards at the corners.

"Now isn't that the way? You smile just like James too." She laughed. "I saw him enough, always with my cousin. They were like brothers, and so much closer than he was to my sisters."

Harry looked at her. "Andromeda Black?" He questioned, and he could see the truth of it. She looked like Sirius a little, and like Tonks.

"The one and only Andromeda Tonks at your service." She said, a flair for life still evident in her, even in these dark times.

Then Harry looked down at his feet, concentrated on the marks that ran across his sneakers. "Mrs. Tonks…" He said, the name funny on his mouth as he began, though he was interrupted before he got any further.

"Please call me Andromeda."

"Andromeda then, you know that Sirius is…" He couldn't say it.

"Yes, I read about my cousin's great demise, and I know it had something to do with you, but I know better than to think it was your fault, and you should think the same. If my cousin thought going after you was worth it, he'd have done it without a second thought." She explained. Her smile had faded slightly, a bit more forced as she took to sipping her tea.

Harry looked around the room, not sure about what they really were doing here. He figured he could trust her, as she'd been Sirius' favorite cousin and she was Tonks's mom.

"So where is Mr. Tonks?" Hermione asked, making polite conversation.

"He's at work. Loves that job so much, but it makes money a bit funny to deal with, being very different you know." She replied. Hermione laughed at this, understanding perfectly the difference.

Harry thought of the family tree in Sirius' house and the cindered mark that had once been Andromeda. She didn't seem too much out of sorts to be so unlike her sisters.

Andromeda looked at him and winked, as though she were reading his thoughts. "My daughter has a lot of nice things to say about the three of you, but she worries about you too. She told me stories she'd heard about all the trouble you've been in." Her eyes twinkled laughingly. "It's too bad you didn't know James so much. You're so much like him, but I can see your mother in there too, your eyes are so like hers."

"You knew them? What were they like?" He asked, wishing to find out more about the two most important ghosts in his life.

"They were both wonderful people, full of life and happiness." She said, but he'd already known that. "I met your father when he and Sirius were in second year. I was always being told by teachers all the things he and your father did, like fireworks in the corridors, people mysteriously turned into ducks for an hour at a time, sneaking off from classes to go outside on warmer days, and so much more."

Harry listened to her intently, picturing Sirius and his picture of his father do those things, and he could see it almost perfectly in his head.

"I didn't meet Lily until quite a while later. Sirius used to complain about how James never stopped talking about her. I'd heard about how smart she was, and that she was nice to everyone. Bella said once that even Snape liked her, no matter how evil he was to her."

Harry's eyes narrowed at the mention of the two of them. Neither of them deserved breath, let alone knowing both of his parents better than he did.

Andromeda leaned forward and patted his knee softly. "It's ok. I'll tell you as much as I can." She assured him, and began to recount in detail all the things she'd been told by Sirius and Bella, keeping Harry, Hermione, and Ron's attention.

(((Author's Note: I'm so happy I have time to work on this. It's just so fun to write. I hope you're enjoying it so far. I'm going to have longer chapters soon. )))