A/N: This is getting posted on my phone from the app while on a train, so I massively apologize for any strange formatting. Big thank you again to DarylDixon'sgirl1985, HufflepuffBanana, and noraborealis for beta reading.
Word count: 1,454
When the meeting came to an end, Tonks remained in her seat, eyes glancing around at people as they got up from the table and moved around. Some, such as Snape, fled the kitchen immediately, much to Tonks' relief.
Many of her former professors left quickly as well, which she couldn't complain about. Flitwick had always been a cheerful guy, but Tonks didn't know how to navigate a casual situation where they were supposed to be equals.
Others stayed in the kitchen and began to mingle amongst each other. Tonks' gaze traveled over them and tried to discern who she could talk to.
Bill Weasley was a familiar face, but he seemed absorbed in a conversation with a man Tonks didn't know. If they hadn't been wearing such serious expressions, she would have interrupted them, but she knew it likely had to do with the war.
"Hectic, isn't it?"
At the sound of his voice, Tonks turned back to Sirius, who was leaning back in his chair. There was a small smile on his lips that Tonks had trouble reconciling with the prisoner photo she'd become accustomed to seeing around the Ministry and elsewhere.
"I guess," she said slowly.
"It's not usually like this," Sirius continued. "The rest of the house is dark and dreary. I look forward to these meetings. They're the only time I don't feel bored out of my mind."
"You have plenty of company," Remus said.
Tonks' senses heightened as she turned back to the mysterious man beside her. He had his head tilted to the side, and there was a small grin on his lips as he watched Sirius. Though his gaze didn't leave his friend, his next words were clearly for Tonks.
"The Weasleys are living here as well. He's not as alone as he'll try to convince you he is."
The two men shared a look that made Tonks press her lips together. She refused to believe that what she was feeling was jealousy when she had known Remus Lupin existed for little more than an hour. Of course these two would know each other far better than either of them knew her.
"It's just not the same, Remus," Sirius said, fondness leaking its way into his voice.
He turned away from Remus to look at Tonks instead.
"Are you staying for dinner?" he asked, tossing his head towards the stove where Molly Weasley was stirring something in a large pot. "Molly always tries to get people to stick around. You're fresh blood, so she'll throw a fit if you leave."
"She's a nice woman," Remus said gently. "She'll make sure you eat more than enough before she lets you go."
Tonks smiled at the thought. Molly hadn't spoken much during the meeting, but watching her in the kitchen seemed to be watching her in her zone. She managed everything around her with ease, ordering around those who had volunteered to help with practiced ease.
"I'll stay," she said, giving a slight shrug as if she'd briefly considered otherwise.
The only food awaiting her at home would be some instant Muggle noodles that she'd bought at the supermarket the day before. Her cooking skills weren't the best, and with her busy schedule, she'd made little effort to improve since moving out on her own. The smell of a home cooked meal was already permeating the kitchen, and it made Tonks' mouth water.
"Great," Sirius exclaimed in a booming voice.
"He's been looking forward to seeing you since Moody said he was bringing you," Remus whispered in her ear, making Tonks fight against the urge to squirm.
Despite his low voice, Sirius tossed him a short, annoyed look before he continued speaking.
"It's not everyday that you find out your little cousin has gone and become an Auror. An Auror!" He let out a loud laugh, leaning back in his chair. "I'd have hoped that Andromeda raised you better than to join the Ministry."
Her cheeks warmed. She was used to defending her choice of profession, but the criticisms weren't usually from a place of hating the government.
"I wanted to do something worthwhile. Taking bad guys off the streets seemed like the best way to do that. I know it's not perfect. If I thought otherwise, I wouldn't be here, would I? But I'd like to think we're doing some good in the world."
Sirius shook his head, a faraway look in his eyes.
"Maybe you can help make it better," he said.
Despite his words, Tonks caught the slight quiver of his voice that hinted he believed otherwise. Her stomach twisted with unease.
"How did you get out?" she asked quietly.
Her fists clenched in her lap as she waited for an angry outburst, but Sirius only smirked at her, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe the story himself.
"I'm an Animagus," he admitted, nodding at Tonks' gasp of surprise. "Me, Peter, and James all went through the process in school so we could be with Remus here during the full moon."
Tonks' eyes briefly glanced at Remus, who nodded, before snapping back to Sirius.
"Dementors only feed on humans, see? So, whenever I turned into a dog, they didn't affect me as much. That kept me sane for the twelve years I was there, but they don't exactly give you three square meals a day in Azkaban. I lost so much weight that as a dog I was able to slip through the bars. The Dementors were none the wiser."
"Incredible," Tonks said in a low breath. "And you're innocent?" Her eyes narrowed. "You said that Peter Pettigrew framed you, but I don't understand how he could have done that."
Again, there was laughter when she'd half expected anger. She leaned against the table in her eagerness to better understand. When she'd arrived at the meeting, she hadn't expected to receive answers to one of the biggest mysteries plaguing the Auror department since she'd joined.
"Pettigrew is a Death Eater," Remus said, taking over for his friend. "He was the one who betrayed us during the last war. He told Voldemort where James and Lily were hiding. The four of them—James, Lily, Peter, and Sirius—made Peter secret keeper at the last minute, without telling any of us. So, when Peter framed Sirius, it was so easy for us to accept it as the truth."
"Probably the stupidest idea I've ever had," Sirius muttered, looking at the spot high up on the wall.
"And he's had plenty of those," Remus retorted with a roll of his eyes.
Tonks laughed freely for the first time since she'd entered the house, feeling a weight begin to rise from her shoulders.
"Thank you for sharing my most redeeming qualities, Moony," Sirius said with a smirk. "We all know that you're far too intelligent to hang out with the likes of me."
Remus shook his head but didn't otherwise answer. Molly had chosen that moment to begin transporting dishes to the table, and the men were quickly recruited to help, though Tonks' offers were shooed off with the excuse of her being a guest. Nevermind that most in the room didn't live in the house.
There was more laughter during the meal than Tonks had expected. The Weasley children and Hermione Granger filtered in, leaving all talk of sombre Order business pushed aside. Tonks listened to Remus and Sirius recount stories of their Hogwarts days with a fascination she hadn't known she possessed.
As the meal came to a close, Tonks struggled to keep a frown off her face as she thought about her quiet little apartment.
"You can stay as long as you want," Sirius said as if he sensed her reluctance to leave. "Technically, you're a Black too anyway. If you have any morbid curiosity about the house, feel free to explore. Fair warning though: it may shatter any positive notions you've held onto about our prestigious relatives."
Tonks smirked.
"I don't think I have any of those. Maybe I haven't met them like you have, but I know what the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange are capable of."
Sirius gave her a small smile but didn't say anything further. Tonks tapped her fingers against the wood as she considered her options. She'd have been lying if she didn't admit that she was curious about the house. Exploring had always been fun for her, and a house such as Grimmauld Place, with its dark corners and elaborate decoration, was the ultimate prize. The fact that she was related to the people who had constructed it made little difference in its draw.
"I may stay for a while," she said quietly. "There's nowhere else I need to be."