They sat around the mangled old couch, on and in it. Alice was planted on the arm of the couch, Remus smoking on the couch next to her, Sirius in between them. The table across from them was somewhat of a coffee table the Blacks had used, that was now burnt, stained, dug into, littered with trash and the occasional coffee mug, preserver of dried blood, and leaking some kind of ooze from a plant, ooze that no one had been able to identify. There was one candle in the center of the table, and a couple smaller ones residing elsewhere in the room, that couldn't exactly be pointed out, but whose warmth and light radiated none the less.

"When is she coming?" Alice asked

"In a minute, in a minute, in your old age you're getting impatient as fuck." Said Sirius sliding further into the couch, hands dug into his jacket.

Remus just smiled behind the smoke. "She was always that way."

"Your sister is getting a right site too annoying for my tastes, you know mate"

"Good, then I can move out of this place and getaway from the filth, vermin, half bloods and blood traitors befouling the house of my forefathers! Plus it's disgusting as all hell and I wouldn't have to clean god knows what else from god knows where." She leaned over Sirius, plucked the cigarette from Remus' lips and leaned back. "I'm getting just the littlest bit sick of you old birds anyway." She looked over at them, gesturing wildly with her hands.

"It's because you love us, me rather, and are the laziest piece of shit and won't bother to move, is what it is." Sirius reached over and stole the cigarette right out of her mouth. He looked over at Remus, "She only kind of likes you."

"I'm her brother, she has to like me." He stole it back and sank down, then rubbed the bridge of his nose and his eyes.

"I have to like both of you, I've known you so long. When is she gonna get here?"

Sirius grabbed her waist and flipped her onto the couch, and stared into her eyes and said quite politely, "Shut the fuck up."

"No I will not." She flicked her head around with indignation and he covered her mouth with his hand.

"That's, I can't stand you, you're going out with the trash." And he picked her up and carried her kicking and screaming death threats and threatening castration.

Remus sat there, covered by another cloud of blue, bowed his head and rubbed his forehead and said somewhat silently though audible enough for all to here, "Why?"

Sirius turned around still holding Alice bridal style, still kicking and trying to break for freedom, and said, "Because you had the misfortune of your mother having this … rag doll here."

The doorbell rang. She twisted outwards and was somehow able to elbow him in the gut, he dropped her like a sack of potatoes and she fell with a thud, and skidded away from him before standing up and saying, "Viva liberté" and sprinted for the door, on the way she screamed, "Sirius you're wanted."

Sirius closed his eyes, "Maybe if I think hard enough, she won't be here."

Remus got up from the couch and neatly exhausted the remains of the cigarette in the ash tray. "Mate, I've tried."

"How'd that work out for you?"

"It didn't"

Tonks stood outside and counted, "One, two, three, four, -"The door was thrown open and a beautiful blue haired witch, in a black skirt, black tights, light blue t-shirt and purple vest answered.

"Tonks?"

"Yep." And Tonks made to walk in the door when the woman put her hand on the door frame. Tonks stopped taken aback and looked questioningly at her. The woman just smiled.

"You were trained by Mad Eye Moody and all you have to say is yep. Constant Vigilance Auror Tonks!"

Tonks burst out laughing and her cheeks turned pink. "Sorry, should have know. Hello, I am Nymphadora Tonks, daughter to Andromeda and Ted Tonks, my hair turns pink when I'm extremely happy or smitten."

"Hello Tonks, I am Alice Lupin, sister to Remus Lupin, my mother had a strange fascination with Roman mythology and although her name wasn't this she choose my middle name to be Artemis, not many people know this so guard it with your life." She took her hand off the door frame and extended it to Tonks, "A pleasure" Tonks shook it, and then Alice motioned for her to come inside. Tonks followed, picked up her feet and entered. The place still had the gloom it did the last time she entered, though last time she wasn't greeted by shrieks.

"Who's that shreaking?"

Alice's face hardened up and answered, "Walburga."

Tonks' eyes widened and she looked over Alice's shoulder and saw two men wrenching together curtains over a portrait. One she immediately recognized as Sirius and the other seemed vaguely familiar. They closed it and turned towards the two witches.

"Tonks!" Sirius wrapped her into a big bear hug and whisked her off the ground. "How've you been?"

"Down right peachy." She said as she was placed back down on the ground.

"And Andromeda?"

"She's great, still on me about everything. When are you going to find someone, get married and have kids? The clock is ticking you know."Alice and Sirius laughed. Remus stood there with a smile on his face.

Tonks turned, walked up to him, and immediately tripped over the umbrella stand. Remus being the gentleman that he was grabbed her around the middle to prevent her from hitting the floor. She looked up at her savior with big eyes. "Hi"

"Hello Nymphadora."

Her hair immediately turned from pink to red as she said, "Tonks."

"I'm sorry?" said Remus, caught off guard.

"Nymphadora Tonks prefers to be called by her surname only." Interjected Sirius

"So would you if your fool of a mother had named you Nymphadora."

Remus nodded then asked, "Are you alright?"

Her hair changed back. "Yeah, I'm kind of used to falling." She jerked her head to the sighed and rolled her eyes, though she finished with a smile on her face.

"So," Alice interrupted, sizing up Tonks, black jacket, colorful skirt, thick socks with big black boots, an a weird sisters t-shirt. Alice's eyes stopped at the t-shirt and widened. "You like the weird sisters?"

Tonks' smile got bigger. "Definetly."

But before they could get started Sirius put an arm around Tonks' shoulder and ushered everyone into the living room. So things could really get started.