So, this chapter suffered through something I rarely actually have had to deal with, and that is a complete rewrite. The first iteration was godawful, written at four in the morning half asleep it was 2k words of nonsense that even Lily couldn't make heads or tails of, so had to go back to the lab again and it kinda languished for awhile.
This is the second to last chapter before Hogwarts, next chapter is Harry meeting his Godparents and then we're blitzing through the first three years because Draco doesn't give a damn about continuity, if he can hamstring the plot for a quiet school year that is exactly what she is going to do.
Anywho, sorry it's so short but with the rewrite and all, ugh, I'm just done and wanna move on, please enjoy and review!
The young teenage witch that had been named Nymphadora by her mother, and would insist till her dying breath that she be called anything but that, was doing her best to keep her nerves from showing. She was doing an ok job of it she thought, well, hoped at least...
The first time Dora had met her little cousin Dancia had been two years ago, when the then six year old witch had primly walked up to the Tonks household front stoop and rang the doorbell, thus summoning her mother Andromeda. What had been waiting for the recently reinstated Black witch was a tiny porcelain doll of a girl with startling blue eyes, snow white hair, and clad in finally tailored acromantula silk robes with a parasol resting on her shoulder.
She was absolutely adorable.
Disregarding that tidbit, the first thing that came out of the disturbingly intelligent child's mouth had been of all things, a formal Pure-Blood introduction, quickly followed with an offered hand and permission to simply call her Dany. Unflappable as always Dora's mum had accepted her hand, bestowed her own introduction and gave the child permission to call her Aunt Andi.
It was a rather bizarre scene to walk in on truth be told, but it only grew more so after the fact. While Dora found Dany to be a bit on the ridiculously brilliant side of the line her mum just took said intelligence in stride and 'rolled with it' as it were. So over the next two years they had all begun brainstorming how to recover their wayward cousin legally, the bloody Boy-Who-Lived no less, and well, Dany's ideas were listened to.
The fact one of the plans she'd built up with her parents had actually been implemented nearly blew her mind, but she would keep her cool despite how much restraining herself was making her want to explode with questions and excitement.
Because, really, The-Boy-Who-Lived thing aside, she was getting a little brother! She'd always wanted a younger sibling to look after and to teach how to follow in her footsteps and she was going to finally get it!
"Nymphadora dear you truly must calm yourself, you do not want to scare the poor boy off just as he comes through the door after all." Hair shifting from bubblegum pink to fiery red Dora winced at the use of her truly detested first name.
"Muuuum please don't call me by my full name, you know I hate it!" Yes she was whining, and no she didn't think it would accomplish anything, but a token effort had to be made. You didn't grow up with a Black witch and a solicitor as parents and not learn to take perceived slights without offering a rebuttal after all.
There was unfortunately after all a reason she had lost so many house points to Snape, which was patently unfair in her opinion. She was careful when pranking the prickly professor and left no evidence of her involvement, just because it always happened after he had insulted her or her friends didn't mean anything. Purely circumstantial.
Wait what was she thinking about again? It was-
Her thoughts were interrupted when the fireplace flared green and a small form rolled out of the flames landing in a coughing heap at her feet. A moment later another figure exited the floo sighing in exasperation as she extended a hand to help the boy off the ground as he shook his head in obvious confusion.
"Harry we have got to do something about your coordination, floo travel isn't that difficult you know. It is all in the footwork, see?"
The boy, Harry, shook his head once more before shooting his companion an annoyed look, "Not all of us were raised in the magical world Dany, it's going to take me some time to get adjusted. Thanks for the sympathy by the way, much appreciated."
Dany demurely pulled a lock of white hair behind her ear as she primly stated, "I am simply pleased you noticed my silent support my friend."
Harry just rolled his eyes in reply as the two stood side by side, and a moment later Dora couldn't help comparing them.
Harry, tanned skin, pitch black hair, dark robes, faintly glowing emerald eyes.
Dancia, pale skin, snow white hair, light colored robes, faintly glowing turquoise eyes.
There was only one reaction for their newly appointed older sister figure to follow.
"Oh Morgana you two are adorable together!" As both startled children turned to the source of the ecstatic squeeing they were enveloped in their fourteen year old cousins arms as she began swinging them about the room while she giggled hysterically.
Andromeda Tonks for her part only sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Well...at least Harry is prepped for his Godfather's response to his return... That is...something, I suppose."
After a moment both children managed to squirm free of their assailant, Harry looking positively flustered, Dancia more nonplussed than anything else as she ran a hand through her hair glaring at her still grinning cousin in consternation.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep knots out of hair this long!? I swear if you caused any long term damage I'll-"
Whatever dire threat she had intended for her cousin it was cut off as the floo flared yet again and all three kids had to hop aside as a tall man rolled from the emerald fire landing gracefully to his feet.
"Not fair..." Harry muttered earning a teasing half hug from Dany as the man brushed off the ashes from his expensive looking robes.
"Ladies I'm home! Good news the filing went off without a hitch, and the lads former 'guardians', if you could rudding well call them that, willingly signed over custody. Harry Potter is officially a member of the Tonks family now!"
"Excellent," Andromeda began, "now I believe introductions are now in order?"
Dora sighed as everyone, including herself, went through the formal Pure-Blood intros, in the end she got Harry to agree to call her 'Sis' Nym, or Dora, which as far as she was concerned was a win.
As for the man of the hour, well...
"Harry," Ted began slowly as he sat beside the boy while running an ink stained hand through his blonde hair as he spoke, "You realize of course that this puts you, and in turn, us on the map for the politically inclined, correct? I'm not saying you're not wanted, but you realize you're a target yes? More than you had been before that is."
Before anything else could be said Dora was beside Harry once again, hair shifting to pitch black and extending past her shoulders in wavy ringlets as Dany stood beside her, parasol over her shoulder, glacier blue eyes glowing lightly.
Ted, a veteran in dealing with Black Ladies and their over protectiveness simply rolled his eyes at the display, "Oh settle down you two there is no one threatening him at the moment." Both girls gave Ted and Harry sheepish smiles as they backed off, though Harry tilted his head to the side as he took in Dora's changed hairstyle before shaking it off and replying to the older mans statement.
"Lord and Lady Malfoy explained the basics to me sir, this...this 'Boy-Who-Lived' thing. I don't like it, and I don't like getting anyone involved with it, but I understand it."
Ted grinned at that, "None of that sir nonsense, like I said before just call me Uncle Ted for now. Now that we're all on the same page why don't we all get to know each other properly?"
With that the Tonks family plus Dancia sat at the large kitchen table, tea and biscuits being replenished as needed as they spoke for hours, most of it puncuated with laughter and more often then not Dora and Harry teasing each other.
As the sun began setting Dany leaned back in her chair and smiled indulgently to herself as she observed Harry asking Dora pointed, actually appreciated questions about her metamorph ability. Draco's previous experience with those who exhibited the truly rare talent told her that they were often very self conscious and usually a bit bitter about people wishing to change their features for their own personal amusement.
Harry's, "Doesn't it get hard? Not losing yourself when you can change anything about you?" had very likely earned the boy a permanent spot in the teen witches heart, that was for certain.
Sipping her lukewarm tea Dany glared down at the cooled beverage a moment when suddenly a wand was aimed at it, "Sanguisious ulcera," Andromeda stated quietly as the blood boiling curse heated the drink back up to proper levels.
The fact Dany didn't even react to a Dark Art being used as a means to properly heat tea rather said something about her heritage.
"Thank you Auntie. They're cute aren't they? Certainly taking this sibling thing to heart at least." Andromeda and Ted glanced over to Harry and Dora who were both smiling widely as they made elaborate gestures with their hands while they excitedly discussed...something.
"Yes, we had always wished to have a larger family but you are aware of how difficult it is to carry to term for Pure-Bloods, Dora was a gift, hence her name. Despite how much she may dislike it."
Dany had to resist rolling her eyes at that fully understanding Dora's issue with her given name. Being surrounded by hormonal teenage boys with the word 'Nymph' being the primary part of your name, along with being able to change anything about your appearance at will had to quite frankly suck on all levels. Though she did keep that thought to herself as Andromeda continued on.
"It was why we were already registered and vetted for adoption, we really just never had the chance to go through with it, now though..." Harry ran past them then giggling as Dora chased him down trying to tickle his sides, her laughter just as infectious as his as they cut around the corner.
"I think this is the first time Harry has ever been allowed to be a child," Dany stated sadly as she sipped her tea. Whatever resentment Draco had for his Harry for dropping him here as a girl had long since been pushed aside, but if it hadn't this turn of events would have certainly put things into perspective. Harry looked, happy. When the hell had Draco actually seen his friend this carefree, this unguarded?
Dancia had no answer to that question.
"I do believe you are correct dear," Andromeda said with a sigh, "You see it often enough in abuse cases unfortunately. While not my field of expertise there is enough overlap where I've had to deal with it at the hospital from time to time... That being said, Ted, should we inform Sirius and Alice of this...turn of events?"
Ted, who had been silent as he read through a stack of documents glanced up and met his wife's gaze with a grimace, "As much as I'd like to keep this under wraps they would never forgive us if we kept this to ourselves."
Glancing through the doorway Andromeda saw Nymphadora holding Harry in her lap as the two sat before the television, her new Nintendo video game system displaying that 'Duck Hunt' game she enjoyed so much. Harry's small hands held the cheap plastic gun while Dora's own hands wrapped around his, guiding him along to shoot the cartoonish looking ducks out of the sky.
"Tomorrow then," she said with a smile, then glanced over to Dancia who seemed lost in her own thoughts, "You did well child. I...thank you..." Andromeda looked a bit embarrassed but Dany understood as she gently patted the older witches hand while smiling lightly.
"We Blacks have to look after each other Auntie, so do not overly worry yourself on it. Although if I could make a request, could I be here tomorrow when Harry meets his Godparents?
Andromeda grinned in turn, "Oh absolutely, and if you'd like to make that dog of a cousin of ours uncomfortable, why not bring my sisters as well?"
Dancia just snickered to herself as she sipped her tea, say what you will about even the nice Blacks, they were all self indulgent sadists in their own right.
Next chapter Harry meets Padfoot and the Longbottom family, hope you enjoyed the yarn I've weaved!