Disclaimer: I do not nor ever will own Harry Potter or any characters or elements you recognize. They are owned by the fabulous J.K. Rowling. Now that we all know that…
Regulus knew one thing looking at the now sleeping infant. As long as Voldemort was around, Amira would never be safe. Regulus thought of only Amira's safety and not of his own as he pulled parchment, a quill and an empty locket from his robe pocket. He began to write:
"To the Dark Lord
I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I depart this world in the knowledge that one day, all will be well and everyone will be safe from you especially A. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more.
R.A.B."
After penning those words, Regulus was sure he was going to die. He reviewed what Kreacher had told him upon returning back from his mission with Voldemort. Regulus had one matter to settle before marching bravely off to his death, one small pink bundled matter.
/Imaginary Line here/
Regulus stepped toward his cousin's house. She would surely take care of Amira. Andromeda had been so kind as a little girl. Being two years older, she was closest to Sirius but there was no one else left to trust. His parents and the rest of the Black family would treat Amira like scum because of her muggle born mother. Eliana's family was dead but they wouldn't have taken the girl in anyways; they hated magic.
He took another step. Regulus wanted more than anything to watch his little girl grow up. But she wouldn't be able to do that with Voldemort still on the loose. He was one of the only ones who knew of the Horcrux. It must be destroyed and he had to do it.
He walked past the garden. In the center of the garden was a large pond; Regulus stepped around the edges of it. He continued all the way to the front porch. Regulus lay his daughter down gently. He tucked her blanket tighter around her. Regulus placed a short letter right next to her. He disillusioned himself and then he rang the doorbell.
A round-bellied wizard with fair hair and blue eyes opened the door. "Dromeda!" the wizard yelled looking down at the welcome mat and the little girl on it.
"Ted, please be quiet! Rigel just fell asleep. You know how long it takes for him to settle down." Andromeda Tonks walked to join her husband. "Merlin's Beard! A Baby!" She asked peering at the bundle.
"Where'd it come from?"
"First, she's a girl not an it. Second, there's a note." Andromeda said slapping Ted on the arm.
Ted nodded and grabbed the letter.
Dear Andy,
This is Amira Raina Black. It is my hope that you care for her like your own daughter. Her mother is dead and I'm in no fit state to care for her. Give her the love she deserves. You always were my favorite cousin.
"It's not signed. So the question remains, where'd she come from? Do you think she's a Deatheater in disguise? I mean your family doesn't-"
"Ted, will you shut up! I'm just as confused as you are and I can't bloody well think with you going on and on," Her voice was rising as she talked.
"Bloody hormones," Ted muttered.
"We don't know who she is or where she came from. She could be a Deatheater bent on harming Dora. They could know she's a metamorphmagus. I'm not going to risk it." Her voice was almost a yell now
In the shadows, Regulus was cursing profusely.
"Dromeda, what if she is just a baby? She can't be older than Rigel, only a couple of days."
Andromeda sighed. She looked back down at Amira. The girl was beginning to shiver despite the warming charm set on her. Andromeda's heart was softening. "Bring her inside. I'm going to go check on Rigel."
The two parents and their new baby were barely inside the house when a girl with bright pink hair came tearing down the stairs. "MUM, He's crying again! How am I supposed to get sleep around here? If I don't go to sleep, Father Christmas isn't going to come."
"Nymphadora, Father Christmas makes allowances for girls with baby brothers and sisters," Ted said trying to calm down the distraught seven year old.
"Ugggh, what were you thinking when you gave me that name? It's much too long and too fancy and too hard to say and too just plain ugggh."
Ted laughed. "Now I think it's a wonderful name," Nymphadora made a face. "Now, if you're going to act like that, you're definitely not getting any toys tomorrow."
Ted held onto his eldest and steered her towards her bedroom before she could see Amira. Andromeda laid Amira gently down on the sitting room table and began checking for concealment charms or anything that proved the girl was anything but a 5-day-old girl.
Ted came back down to find Andromeda cradling the infant. "So?" He asked.
"She's fine. Though I'd be surprised if she didn't catch a cold from the weather. How'd it go with Dora?" She replied.
"I read her the Fountain of Fair Fortune. She went to sleep pretty soon after that. Rigel just needed a change. He's also asleep." He glanced at his wife. She was busy feeding Amira a bottle. "Should I go set up another crib?'
"Oh… what… Yes! Go do that!" Ted laughed as Andromeda fussed over the baby she had a few minutes ago not wanted.
/Imaginary Line here/
"They'll be twins." Andromeda said as she sat at the kitchen table later that night, (or early the next morning) with a cup of hot tea in her hands. She had finally laid Amira down in her new crib when Rigel had started screeching. When he calmed down, Amira began to get fussy. It was a vicious cycle she had just escaped from.
"They're close enough in age. I'd be surprised if they weren't born the same day."
"I know. It'll be easy too. Your family hasn't met Rigel yet. We were supposed to go over today. I'm not sure we can now though…And Merlin knows my family would never want to associate themselves with 'half-blood filth.'" She said the last two words both mockingly and angrily. They had been her sisters after all.
"Andy, you're forgetting one person though." Ted said as he stirred a lump of sugar into his tea.
"No I think I've got about everyone. We're in hiding after all. We don't have to tell Sirius, I mean the kid is his."
"What about Dora?"
"What about Dora? She'll be perfectly happy with a new sister."
"No, I mean Dora knows Rigel isn't a twin."
"Oh," Andromeda seemed to ponder it for a second before, "Simple Memory Charm."
/Imaginary Line here/
Regulus sighed. His little girl was safe for now. She had a family who loved her, a place to call home. He just hoped it was enough. Regulus disapparated from beside his cousin's window, with one last backward glance at Amira.
On the doorsteps of his childhood home, Regulus popped back into existence. Grimmauld Place was quiet. He checked to make sure his mother was asleep before he unlocked the front door. Regulus tiptoed past his mother's new portrait down towards the kitchen. He knocked upon one of the cupboard doors. "Kreacher? Are you in there?"
"Master Regulus! How may I serve you? Are you well? Kreacher thinks you look slightly ill. Maybe some pepper up potion would work well. Kreacher will get it for Master Regulus."
Regulus unconsciously ran his fingers threw his dark hair. Regulus wondered how bad he looked. He had just lost everything. Regulus figured he must look terrible.
"No Kreacher. I'm fine. I want you to take me to the cave, the one where you went to with the Dark Lord." Regulus tried to console the little elf. Kreacher was rocking back and forth.
"Kreacher will take Master Regulus." The little elf stood up and grabbed Regulus's hand before turning on the spot. The air compressed around them as they apparated to a cave high in the cliffs. Regulus bent double trying to catch his breath. Elf apparition was certainly different from his own. Kreacher took a short knife from his filthy dishtowel and was bringing it down on his wrist.
"Kreacher, don't do that you're going to hurt yourself!"
"It is necessary Master Regulus." He placed his wrist against the cold stonewall. The blood parted the wall.
Regulus followed Kreacher into the cave. Kreacher walked toward a black lake. In the center of the lake was a small island with a stone basin. Kreacher pulled a chain out of the water revealing a boat. The house elf motioned for Regulus to get in. "Thank you, Kreacher." The boat set off pulling both wizard and elf across the lake.
At last, the boat bumped into the island. The two got out on to the island. "The locket is in there, Master Regulus."
Regulus took the fake locket from his pocket and gave it to Kreacher. "Kreacher, I need you to switch the locket when the basin is empty." He conjured a goblet and went over to the basin. Regulus took a deep calming breath before, "Kreacher, I order you to leave without me. I want you to go home and never tell my mother or any of the rest of my family what I have done. "
"But Master Regulus-"
"I need you to destroy the first locket. Can you do that?"
"Yes, Master Regulus."
Regulus raised his goblet to begin drinking but he stopped. "Kreacher I need you to do one more thing."
"Anything Master Regulus."
"I need you to keep an eye on my daughter, Amira. She's at the Tonks house. But you can't tell my mother about her either."
"Yes, Master Regulus."
Regulus began to drink. He screamed as the potion touched his throat. He saw Eliana die before his eyes. Regulus drank another glass. There was Amira being tortured. "NO STOP! SHE HASN"T DONE ANYTHING TO YOU!" Another glass of potion went down Regulus's throat. Eliana and Amira's pictures were running threw Regulus's mind. Every single bad thing that could happen to them was happening and Regulus was powerless to stop it just as he had been when Eliana died. Sirius was next into his mind. Regulus watched, as Sirius was cruciated by his own mother.
Regulus screamed as Eliana and Amira appeared again in his mind's eye. He was desperately thirsty. Regulus inched toward the lake's edge. Kreacher tried to tug him back but Regulus pushed him aside. "Water! I need Water!" Regulus plunged his goblet into the black lake. A skeletal hand reached up and grabbed him. More hands shot up from the water. It was mere seconds before Regulus was dragged beneath the surface. There was a loud CRACK as a tearful Kreacher disapparated.
Four Years Later
"I don't want you to go!" A crying Amira was holding on to Dora's leg.
Dora tried to take a step forward but nearly fell over. She had a 4 year old on each leg. They had both been there since the family had gotten out of the car. Dora swayed precariously. She was clumsy on a good day and the twins certainly weren't helping.
"Rigel! Amira! Will you get off your sister?" Andromeda began scolding them.
"But I don't want-" began the brown haired boy.
"Her to go!" finished the black haired girl.
The two children grasped their sister tighter. It was Nymphadora's first year at Hogwarts and her siblings were dead set against her leaving. The family of five was trying to make their way to platform 9 ¾. It was happening very slowly. King's Cross Station was extremely crowded with wizards and Muggles alike. Andromeda pushed a heavily laden trolley as Ted tried to pry the twins off of Nymphadora, without any success.
"I'm fine, Dad! But if we don't get moving, I'M GOING TO MISS THE TRAIN!" Nymphadora squealed as she tried to run forward at the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. She nearly made it threw before she tripped. The three children landed in a heap on the other side. Amira and Rigel quickly disentangled themselves.
A short redheaded boy helped Dora up.
"Thanks!"
"No Problem! Name's Charlie Weasly. What's yours?"
"Nymphadora Tonks," she spat out the name like it was a boogy flavored Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean, "but anyone sane calls me Dora or just plain Tonks."
"We call her Nymphy!" Amira announced excitedly.
"Amira!" Dora tried to quiet her.
Charlie laughed. "Well Miss Nymphy who is this lovely lady?"
Nymphadora glared at him.
"I'm Amira. I'm 4. I'll be five soon. My favorite color is blue and my birthday is in December and-"
"You mean our birthday is in December. What type of twin are you?" He stuck his tongue out at his sister before continuing, "I'm Rigel. You have an awful lot of freckles, mister."
Nymphadora now turned to glare at her brother. "I'm sorry about them. They're typically not this bad. I don't think they like that I'm leaving."
As if on cue, the twins dropped to their knees. "NO NYMPHY! DON"T GO!"
"I know what you mean, they're about the same age as my brother Ron. Well I'll save a compartment. Find me when you solve your sibling issue." Charlie turned and left to join a mass of people with fiery red hair.
"What's the problem? I'll be home for Christmas and your birthday of course, I mean I couldn't possibly miss that." She ruffled their hair. Amira immediately started trying to fix it.
"But we're going to miss you," Rigel whined. Amira nodded her head vigorously in agreement.
"Not nearly as much as I'm going to miss you. I'll write you every day. And when I get back I'll show you all the magic I can do."
"But it'll be no fun without you. No one can make us laugh like you can. And it'll be BORING!" Amira said solemnly but yet still strongly emphasized the last word.
"I'm sure you can find something to do. I mean when you two get together you cause nothing but trouble." At this, the two twins exchanged wide grins.
"Well, you better get on that train-"
"So you teach us everything-"
"We need to know-"
"But you still better send us letters-"
"Cause otherwise we'll be mad-"
"And you know we cause more trouble-"
"When we're mad-"
"And then we can do magic-"
"So remember to tell us everything" finished the two together
"I will. I promise," Nymphadora sighed 'why didn't they act like this before'. "I love you!"
"Love you too!" The twins shouted. Several bewildered heads turned in the family's direction. Dora hugged the twins and then her parents. She made her way to get onto the scarlet Hogwarts express, but stopped when two pairs of arms grabbed her again. She sighed. Hopefully her siblings would be ready for her to leave soon. It was a good thing they had come early.
A.N: Sorry this took so long. I was on vacation with limited computer access. I was thinking of switching to Amira's point of view next chapter. It'll be easier to write and I've covered most of the stuff from her very early childhood. What do you think?