Word count: 685

Andromeda's letter was heavy in Tonks' pocket as she let herself inside Grimmauld Place and tiptoed carefully passed the troublesome umbrella stand. She didn't dare call out anyone's name until she was up one flight of stairs, safely away from Mrs. Black's portrait. But once she did, she was surprised by Remus' head poking out of the sitting room instead of that of Sirius.

"Remus?" Tonks breathed, taking several steps back in surprise.

When she'd left Grimmauld Place last, Sirius had been sure that Remus' work would take at least another week. His sudden reappearance set her off balance and left her suddenly self-conscious of her appearance. Perhaps she had forgotten to comb her hair and didn't know it. Food from her lunch might have been stuck between her teeth. Many possible, though unlikely, circumstances ran through her mind as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"Hello, Tonks," he greeted her with his usual gentle smile.

Her eyes met Sirius' over Remus' shoulder, and her smile dimmed as flashes of the previous night ran through her mind. Remus didn't know Sirius had nightmares. The secret settled over Tonks' shoulders, weighing them down. She straightened her posture and widened her smile as she followed the men back into the sitting room and settled into a chair.

"How were the werewolves?" she asked Remus. "Did you learn anything new?"

Remus sighed, his exhaustion briefly showing. Tonks' heart twisted as she observed the dark circles under his eyes and the way his shoulders drooped as he sat.

"No," he admitted. "Everything is how I expected it to be. Voldemort is still trying to recruit as many werewolves as he can, and he's had some success. Many of them are disillusioned with the Ministry and are willing to accept any alternative. Anyone with a passing familiarity with the Ministry's policies should be unsurprised by it. My kind don't live in the best of conditions. Finding work amongst the Muggles is hardly any easier than finding it amongst witches and wizards. Voldemort promises them stability, if little else, and that's enough for a number of them. They don't have any qualms about fighting against the people who have marginalized them for so long."

Tonks tried to create a picture of the werewolf community in her mind, but she struggled. She'd never seen that sort of sight for herself, and she'd never so much as heard them described. Even Remus was short on the details. In the Auror Office, werewolves rarely fell under their jurisdiction. She was sure that few of her fellow Aurors had ever seen one either.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said in lieu of a better response.

He gave her a slight smile and nodded.

"I'll be fine," he said. "Nothing unexpected happened, and for the moment, at least, I'm not there."

Tonks nodded before looking at Sirius and abruptly freezing. There was a spark of fear in his eyes that Tonks knew she hadn't been meant to see. He quickly controlled his features once he noticed her looking. Tonks bit her lip and tugged Andromeda's letter from her pocket.

"My mum wrote to you," she said, holding the letter out to Sirius.

He stared at the envelope as if it would spontaneously morph into a rubber chicken like one of Fred and George's trick wands. He glanced up at her, and Tonks swallowed against the sting in her throat.

"Take it," she urged, waving it in front of him. "She spent ages writing it, and it weighs as much as a novel. Merlin only knows what she had to say."

Sirius took it with a shaking hand, still staring at it like one would a Howler.

"Thank you," he said with his eyes still on the unopened letter in his hands.

Tonks gave him a smile, her eyes beginning to sting like her throat. She glanced at Remus and noticed him smiling softly at Sirius, tears shining in his own eyes. She took a deep, shaky breath.

"I should go to let you read that in peace," she said, standing and fleeing on shaky legs.