A/N: Thank you to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 and HufflepuffBanana for beta reading this chapter.
Word count: 1,182
The room was abuzz with conversation as Tonks followed Remus inside. Her eyes scanned the people gathered eagerly, looking out for familiar faces. She was struck by how many she found.
Kingsley was the only other member of the Auror Department she could spot, which was a bit of a disappointment. She'd been holding out hope that more than just a few of them had taken notice of the truth. That was what they were meant to do after all.
She hadn't been expecting to see so many of her former Hogwarts professors. Though once she saw them, she wasn't sure why she was surprised. It was Dumbledore who had assembled this group after all, and she'd known that his teachers were loyal to him since she was a student. Seeing McGonagall and Flitwick chatting wasn't a shock to her system.
Tonks ambled behind Remus at an increasing distance, slowing her steps. There was no reason to believe that she should sit beside him. He had friends here, unlike her. But Tonks had no idea where else to go. The sudden shyness she felt was entirely unlike her, but it nearly paralyzed her as she realized that she was one of the youngest in a room of people experienced with magic.
Her eyes were drawn back to Remus as he sat down. Her heart skipped a beat to see an empty chair beside him, but it plummeted a second later when she saw who sat across from him: Sirius Black.
Tonks hadn't seen her cousin in person since she was a toddler, but she was more than familiar with his face. Kingsley's office alone was plastered with his wanted posters. Tonks' gaze flickered back to the other Auror to find him watching her with a grin on his lips, apparently unbothered by the escaped convict's presence.
"Tonks," Sirius said, sounding relieved with the name. He smiled widely and stood, reaching a hand out across the table to shake hers. She took it, too stunned to do anything else and aware of several sets of eyes on her.
"It's nice to see you again," Sirius continued.
There was enough genuineness in his voice that Tonks felt a tug at her heart strings despite the years she'd spent hating the thought of Sirius Black.
"You must be wondering why I'm here," he said with a short laugh.
She could only nod in response. She pressed her jaw tight to avoid gaping at him like an idiot. It hadn't escaped her that she was the only one present who didn't understand why he was there.
"I was framed for murder," Sirius said, tilting his head back with laughter that made Tonks' stomach twist uncomfortably. "It was Peter Pettigrew who was the traitor. He framed me for murder. When I got out, Dumbledore learned the truth, and now here we are, in my family's old house."
The short version of events raised more questions for Tonks than it answered, but so many potential questions ran through her head that she couldn't decide on one before Sirius was leaning across the table and speaking again.
"How is your mother? I haven't spoken to Andromeda in," he swallowed as he counted the years, "nearly fifteen years."
"She's good," Tonks said, voice cracking in wonder.
She tried not to get lost in speculation about how her mother would react to knowing that her cousin wasn't a murderer after all and was even a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
Her own question was on her lips when the door opened and the kitchen instantly quieted. Tonks' eyes tracked Albus Dumbledore as he came to stand at the head of the table. He didn't bother to call them to order before inclining his head and offering a small smile in greeting.
"Good evening," he said. "Thank you all for coming tonight. Unfortunately, I have some business to attend to that will necessitate this meeting being a short one. But first, I want to introduce our newest member: Nymphadora Tonks. Who, if I remember correctly, prefers to go by Tonks only."
Tonks inclined her head in acknowledgment, offering the room a slight wave. She was careful to keep her shoulders straight.
"Tonks is an Auror and comes highly recommended by both Auror Moody and Auror Shacklebolt. No doubt she will be a fine addition to our cause."
Tonks couldn't help but smile back at Dumbledore, though she remained aware of the eyes of everyone else in the room on her.
"Now," Dumbledore continued, clapping his hands together, "Remus has just returned from a visit to the werewolves outside of Truro. What information do you have for us, Remus?"
Tonks held her breath as Remus stood, her eyes narrowed. If he was really a liason of sorts to the werewolves, that could have explained his scars, but such wounds would have meant getting very close and personal with them. It would only make sense if…
Tonks bit down hard on the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from voicing the question in front of the entire room. She was sure she had deduced the truth, and not being able to confirm it itched at her brain as Remus began to speak.
"Just as with every other group I've spoken to, they say that a supporter of Voldemort came before I did. They expressed interest in his offer, which was the same as all of the others we've heard of so far. They, too, are convinced that he could help them in their plight. They're mesmerized by the fact that he sees them as valuable, particularly in ridding the area of Muggles."
Dumbledore hummed in acknowledgement.
"That is what I feared," he said quietly before allowing Remus to continue.
"However, this group lives more isolated from the Ministry than other groups I've visited. They have only the vaguest sense of what the Ministry laws applicable to werewolves are. Mostly, they live without mingling with the witches and wizards of the area. I think that could work to our advantage. They don't have as many ingrained beliefs that all of wizardkind is against them.
"I plan on going back in another week. There's a chance they could be persuaded to stay away from Voldemort if I can explain to them further how he would ultimately harm them."
"Thank you, Remus," Dumbledore said as the man in question sat down. "I have faith in your ability to help them see the truth. All of us here know that Voldemort would only bring them greater pain than what they've already experienced. I look forward to hearing about your return visit at our next meeting."
Tonks kept glancing at Remus from the corner of her eye before snapping her gaze firmly back on Dumbledore at the head of the room. For the rest of the meeting, she found it nearly impossible to focus. In her lap, she kept her hands clutched tightly, fighting against the questions threatening to break free.
There was a time and a place for them, but that time hadn't quite come.