Fate

Uncomfortable was the word to describe what Nymphadora Tonks was feeling right now. She couldn't help but feel that she really didn't belong as she looked nervously around at everyone else in the room. She took a shaky breath in and felt a hand rest on her back and move up and down in an attempt to comfort her. Tonks looked to her right as Sirius gave her a tiny smile and then rested his arm by his side again. She couldn't wait to get back to school and try and forget about all this and move on with her life. Tonks took another deep breath and together her and Sirius looked at the casket in front of them and slowly approached it.

Sirius had been in the common room when Tonks gave him the news. He had been flicking through the channels on the TV, trying to block out the irritating commotion some first years were making across the room. Remus was to one side of him, focused on the TV, being his usual quiet self. James was to the other side of him, flicking casually though a magazine. Lily was at one of the many tables in the room, doing her Charms essay. Sirius heard the portrait hole open and heard someone slowly approach him.

"Sirius," said a solemn voice. Sirius turned around, expecting anyone else but his usually overly-cheerful cousin. He looked at her questioningly. "It's Grandma Black," she said. "She's…well she's…not…good," Tonks finished nervously.

By now, Tonks had the attention of not only Sirius, but Remus, James, and Lily as well. Sirius continued to look at her questioningly. Why was she suddenly so concerned about Grandma Black's welfare? The old woman hated the two of them and they gladly returned the favor.

"My mom just owled me," Tonks said, holding up a letter Sirius noticed for the first time. "She wants us to see her before…" she trailed off.

So that's why she was so nervous. Andromeda requested that her daughter and nephew see their evil grandmother one last time before she died. What a great way to experience your last moments on earth; seeing the grandchildren you disowned.

The next day Tonks followed a Healer down the pristine hallway of St. Mungos, Sirius at her side. They walked in heavy silence as the Healer showed them down a narrow hallway where Andromeda stood with a young girl at her side outside a closed door. Andromeda looked at Tonks and Sirius and was flooded with relief. "Oh thank goodness," she whispered, looking toward the ceiling.

Tonks walked over to her mother and younger sister Lyra, giving each of them a large hug. "How is she?" Tonks asked quietly.

Andromeda took a deep breath and said, "It's not going to be much longer…right now she's somewhat delirious, keeps thinking it's twenty something years ago." Andromeda looked very tired. There were bags under her dark eyes and she looked thinner than normal.

Just then, the door they were gathered around opened and Tonks and Sirius found themselves face to face with their younger cousin, Draco Malfoy. He gave them a dirty look and moved down the hallway as more people poured out of the room. Draco was followed by Lucius, who barely glanced Tonks and Sirius but joined his son at the far end of the hallway. Narcissia was the next out, and she gave her sister a look that could pass for comforting, or gratitude, but it was hard to tell. She merely nodded at Sirius, Tonks and Lyra and then joined her husband and son. Sirius' parents and Regulus were the last ones out of the room. His father nodded graciously at Andromeda before addressing his eldest son, "Sirius, I'm glad you made it." He then joined his other sister and her family at the end of the hallway. Sirius' mother gave Andromeda and Sirius and curt nod as she ushered her younger son down the hallway to join the rest of the family as they talked in hushed tones.

"I would have brought Ted, but that could have turned out badly," Andromeda told her daughters and nephew. "He understood," she finished. She then walked into the room and gestured that they should follow her.

The hospital room was dimly lit and the smell reminded Tonks of cleaning products. Grandma Black lay on the crisp St. Mungos' sheets, looking quite frail. Her breathing was shallow as Andromeda approached her saying, "Mom? I brought some people to see you."

The old woman took a deep breath before saying in a barely audible voice, "Andromeda? Is that you? Did you bring Bellatrix? I want to see my baby Bella."

Andromeda looked nervously at Tonks, not wanting to tell her dying mother her favorite and youngest daughter was locked in Azkaban.

"No, but I brought you your grandchildren, Mom. You should see them, they're beautiful," Andromeda said, some pride evident in her voice. Grandma Black slowly turned her fragile face to try and see her grandchildren. Tonks watched in uncomfortable silence as her Grandmother's weak eyes searched the air. She felt like the old woman's eyes were reading into her soul, that she could see that she was different than the rest of her family. Andromeda nudged Sirius forward, and he awkwardly approached the bed. "See mom? This is Sirius, Arcturus' son. His middle name is Orion, after dad."

"Oh, Orion, I miss him terribly. He was a great man, you'll be great too someday," Grandma said feebly to Sirius, who looked like he would rather be serving detention than be in this room.

"And this is Lyra, she's my youngest, and she's very smart," Andromeda said, gesturing Lyra to come forward.

"Dear, you must have gotten your smarts from your mother, she was always excellent in school. Andromeda, tell me you stopped seeing that boy, though. You know the Goyle's have a lovely son, you should really meet him sometime," Mrs. Black said to Andromeda. Everyone in the room was well aware that Goyle had since married and had his own son, so that was a slim chance. Andromeda looked at Tonks, not daring to answer her mother's question.

"And this is my oldest daughter, Nymphadora," she said, pushing Tonks toward the bed.

"Nymphadora," Grandma Black said slowly. "What a beautiful name. I bet you're beautiful, just like my Bella." Tonks looked like she was going to murder her mother as she glared over at her. "Andromeda, where is Bellatrix? I want to see her," the frail woman repeated. Andromeda looked unsure at what to do, and she opened her mouth, about to say something when Grandma Black said, "Orion? Oh, it's good to see you, love." She slowly closed her grey eyes, exhaled deeply, and lay on the bed, unmoving.

Hundreds of people came to the funeral, making the environment even more uncomfortable for Tonks and Sirius. Lyra clung to Andromeda's side as she talked in a strained voice to the few family members and friends who still acknowledged her. Tonks and Sirius stood together in a far corner of the room, avoiding everyone who came near them. Tonks could think of about a hundred dreadful places that she would rather be right now. She looked at the other end of the room at the dark casket with hundreds of enchanted flowers surrounding it. Next to the casket was a faded black and white picture of Walburga Black. Tonks swore the woman's cold grey eyes were looking right at her, wearing her down to the bone, exposing her true self to the hundreds of people that had come to pay their respect. Tonks couldn't help but question the old woman's odd kindness when they saw her in St. Mungos. She was no saint when they saw her, but she could have been a lot worse. Tonks couldn't help but wonder, what if Walburga knew about Tonks, Sirius, and Lyra and how different they were from Draco and Regulus. How would she have treated them? What if they were the same as Draco and Regulus? How would she have acted then? Would Tonks have reassured her dying grandmother that Bellatrix wishes she was here and that she loves her dearly? Or would she be up at the casket, comforting Aunt Narcissia who had silent tears running down her pale face? Tonks couldn't imagine any of that happening. Things just fit how they were now and Tonks couldn't see it any other way. It wasn't some horrible family secret that 

her mother married a muggleborn. It was meant to happen; it was fate. Tonks knew that she wasn't mean to live the life of a traditional young Black woman. She was so much better than that, had so much more potential than marrying a rich man and becoming a trophy wife like Narcissia had. Tonks suddenly felt herself fill up with confidence and wasn't scared anymore of these cold people. They weren't a part of her life and she wasn't a part of theirs. She was merely peering through a window at a moment of time, just dropping by for a few hours. She could go back to her cozy dorm room in Gryffindor Tower, and her boyfriend, and her mountain of homework that had accumulated over the past few days and try to forget about the half of her that was still in mourning for a woman whose dying wish was to see her beloved daughter in Azkaban.

Disclaimer

Anything that is recognizable from any of the Harry Potter books is property of J.K. Rowling and I make no profit from it.