Chapter 18: Number 12 Grimmauld Place

For the second time in her life Viktoria toward Number 12 Grimmauld place. She'd been there once before, she'd gone to visit Sirius on a day that he was completely alone. She'd merely gone over to chat and so that Sirius could be with his baby for a little while. It was easier for her to go to him then it was for him to go to her. She was coming back with Harry and Remus, who was carrying Amadeo while Viktoria talked to Harry, she was very curious to hear all about his life.

'Oh my, it sounds as though you've been through hell and back,' she said with a smile as she looked at Harry. 'If Lily were alive she would have had a heart attack. You know, she used to be scared every time you so much as got the slightest bump or scratch on you. She'd be very worried if she knew you were taking the weight of the world on your shoulder.'

Harry looked down and scratched his neck. It made him feel slightly guilty, like when Remus had told him that he was gambling away his parents sacrifice that night in his third year. "I know, but someone has to rid the world of Voldemort," Harry said as he looked down at his feet as they walked up to the door of Grimmauld.

Viktoria ran her hand through Harry's hair. 'Your mother would be so proud of you Harry. You've grown into a very fine young man,' Viktoria's letters glowed green as she wrapped an arm around her godson's shoulders. He smiled at her and looked down at his feet once more. It seemed that though Sirius was gone, someone had sent him a gift to make his heart seem lighter.

"Well, here we are," Remus said as he looked at the door. Viktoria nodded as the door slowly opened and they walked inside. They all slowly made their way to the door opposite and made their way down the stairs into the kitchen. As they neared the bottom of the staircase they could hear the sound of a couple people beyond the door.

Harry was the first one to walk in and was very happy to see that the Weasley's had arrived. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were both standing around as Ron and Ginny sat at the table with Hermione Granger. But they weren't the only ones down there. Tonks was also there and by the looks of it she was very happy to see Remus, though the sight of him holding a child slightly threw her back, just as the appearance of a complete stranger set everyone else in the room into immobile silence.

"Remus, I'm so glad that your back," Tonks said as she got up and walked over to Remus and placed a kiss on his cheek. Viktoria stared at her brother and the young woman with a raised brow as she turned to look at Harry who merely smiled at her as he walked over to the table with his friends, who immediately started asking whispered questions. "Who's this little fellow?" Tonks asked with a smile as she looked at Remus and played with his little hand.

"My nephew," he responded as he looked over at Viktoria who was merely standing there silently, scrutinizing Tonks and summing her up. She had a tendency to dislike her brother's girlfriends. Not out of sisterly jealousy, but out of concern for her brother. None of his past girlfriends were ever worthy of Remus and in the end they all left him with a large pain in his heart. "Everyone, I'd like you all to meet my sister, Viktoria. She doesn't talk. Viktoria this is Molly and Arthur Weasley. Over there are his children, Ginny and Ron and the blonde one is Hermione Granger. Harry has of course told you of them and this is Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be called by her surname."

Immediately everyone in the room smiled at her and offered her the warmest of greetings as they walked over and shook her hands. "Remus never told us that he had a sister," Molly Weasley said as she shook hands with Viktoria. Viktoria merely smiled amiably as she shook her hand.

"Neither did he tell us that you were so beautiful," Mr. Weasley said as he shook her hand. Viktoria smiled and nodded in a way of thanks for the complement. She then turned her attention to Hermione, Ginny and Ron who were walking up to say hello. Harry had told her a great deal of his friends and the girl that he was in love with. She merely smiled at them as they all said hello in a polite as fashion possible.

"Viktoria doesn't speak, she's mute and she communicates through writing," Remus then said in explanation to the glowing letters that appeared before them all telling them how pleased that she was to meet them all. Everyone suddenly seemed somewhat uncomfortable about that, but they all tried their best to smile and treat her as best that they could. Viktoria didn't much mind. She was pretty used to it.

"May I hold the child? He's so very adorable and I have not held a baby in so many years and I am so fond of them," Molly said as she looked over at Viktoria. Viktoria smiled with a mothers pride and merely nodded in response as Molly took the child from Remus' hands and held him in her arms. She looked at the child and smiled. "He's a very fine looking boy. The father must be very proud."

'He was,' Viktoria merely responded as she looked at the floor sadly. Molly looked over at her and immediately apologized. Viktoria merely looked up and shook her head. 'It's quite all right, I'm not the only one that lost him and I certainly am not the only one that misses him,' Viktoria's letters glowed as she cast a brief glance at Harry, who looked down at his feet. She then turned her glance to see Tonks who was staring at her with a contemplative gaze.

Tonks thought that the child looked rather familiar and wondered whom the child was, as Remus had not yet told her whom his sister had married that was so disagreeable to him. "I've been very anxious to meet you ever since Remus told me of your existence a couple of days ago," Tonks said as she looked at her, pushing away her thoughts and smiling at Viktoria as Harry went over to sit down with his friends once more. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were concerned with the child to pay any real attention to what was going on.

'Remus, you neglected to tell me about the fact that you had a ... what do you call your union to her?' Viktoria's words glowed before him as she turned her cold gaze from Remus to Tonks. Tonks stood close to Remus and gazed at Viktoria with a somewhat hurt look.

"Please Viktoria, Tonks isn't like the others. Please treat her well, for me," he said as he looked at her in as much as a whisper as possible. Viktoria raised a brown at this and turned her gaze to Tonks before turning it back to Remus.

'I'm sorry Remus, but that's what you said about all the other girls that you fell in love with. Besides, isn't she a little too young for you?' the black words appeared on the palm of his hand as she grabbed it. Tonks and Remus looked down at the writing before looking up at Viktoria, whose countenance became cold and very grave.

"Age doesn't matter in love. I seem to remember it was you that told me those very same words," he said through somewhat tight lips in a very low voice.

'I seem to remember that you were opposed to age differences. You opposed to it very strongly, when I was with Severus and the difference was only two years,' Viktoria's letters appeared on his hand and he stared at them in slight irritation at the subject. He didn't think his relationship to be the same at all to the one that she'd had with Severus. And at least Tonks wasn't a Death Eater.

Tonks read his palm and turned to look at the baby, and wondered if it was Severus' whom she'd married. It would make sense if he was her husband, it would certainly explain why Remus wanted nothing to do with her anymore, but the child looked nothing like Snape. And if Snape was the father, what she said about many people missing the child's father was certainly not true, for she thought nobody would miss him. Besides, Snape wasn't dead.

"That was completely different," Remus said as he looked at her.

'I guess it only applies when it conveniences you,' Viktoria said as she looked at her.

"Why are we arguing about this anymore? It doesn't matter he's gone. Don't take out your anger of my past mistakes on Tonks. I love her and I would very much like it if you would not judge and just accept my relationship," Remus said as he looked at his sister. Viktoria merely turned her gaze to Tonks and looked at her up and down. Tonks looked down at her feet in discomfort as the roots of her hair turned as read as her face. Viktoria raised a black brow at this. A metamorphmagus? Well she certainly isn't any ordinary witch, I'll give her that, Viktoria thought.

'You do not need me to approve or disapprove of your relationship to be with her Remus and I do not have to oblige to any request from you to do either,' Viktoria's letters appeared in his hand and he felt his heart turn cold at the response. 'Don't worry Remus, maybe if she is worthy I'll start to like her, but until I see that don't expect much.'

"Why are you being so stubborn?" Remus asked as he looked at her. She narrowed her eyes at him.

'You know perfectly well why. You've never been particularly lucky in love. You've always fallen in love with the wrong person. I don't understand how you can continue to trust your instincts in love. You would think that the wolf within you would know better,' Viktoria's letters appeared in the pal of his hand and they were filled with such anger that he could feel them sting his hand.

"Oh yes, you're one to talk. Need I remind you of your relationship with your husband and your child's father?" Remus said angrily as he stepped closer to his sister, a little louder then he'd intended for everyone turned to look. Tonks thought of what Remus had just said and wondered if in fact that child's father was not her husband. Viktoria took in a sharp breath and looked around to find that everyone was staring at her. She blushed as she turned her attention back to her brother and glared at him.

'Thank you Remus, for reminding me why I haven't spoken to you in such a long time,' Viktoria's letters stung on his hand as she turned away. 'It was very nice to meet you all, excuse me,' the letters glowed green as she walked over to Mrs. Weasley and took her child in her arms, before rushing out of the kitchen.

TBC…