House of Black

Chapter 3

After the initial shock of hearing her father had a godson in one certain Mr. Potter; the crush she had never been able to give up since she saw a picture of him in one of witch weekly\'s articles her friend Tiphany had and followed his life adventures as closely as if she went to Hogwarts with him, Adhara explained her own life adventures to the awaiting Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks in the small muggle cafe they had come across. (They were dressed appropriately enough not to get noticed too horribly in the place. Though Tonk\'s hair attracted much attention anyway).

Adhara took a sip of the tea she had bought and started. \"I grew up in Canada.\"

Remus nodded, suddenly realizing how much sense that made. Her mother, Lanai, had family in Canada. It was only natural she go there if she wanted to escape.

He nodded for her to continue, as she had been hesitating, peering into her tea with a pained sort of expression. She continued.

\"I was home schooled... because my mother felt she needed to shelter me from the wizarding world.\" She shrugged, though the werewolf watched as her hands tightened around the mug of tea. \"I went in for my exams at the small school near us though. Brymis Academy. So I met people like me at those times and made friends, so it wasn\'t that bad.\"

\"I\'ve heard of that school.\" Tonks cut in, and Remus looked at her in slight surprise. \"They specialize in turning out Aurors for the ministry in Canada, don\'t they?\"

Adhara nodded, than smiled wryly. \"My mum didn\'t want me to be an Auror, though.\" She took a deep breath and continued. \"My mom only told me why she left England. But nothing about my father.\"

This surprised Remus. He had known Lanai fairly well. Sirius and her were quite close for sometime (though he hadn\'t realized just how close until now). She was a pureblood witch who\'s family on her mother\'s side came from Canada and her father was an old wizard who worked for the ministry in London. \"Why did she leave?\"

Adhara sighed now, \"She was worried about what my father would say... and she was worried about...\" She hesitated, eyeing Remus carefully. Would they be like the others? The one\'s she had grown up with in Canada? \"She was worried about Voldemort.\"

To her relief they did not react badly to the name, though both frowned deeply.

\"So was everyone at that time.\" Remus told her darkly.

\"I\'m not saying it was justified.\" She added quickly. \"She shouldn\'t have left.\"

Remus sounded sad at his next words. \"And Sirius would have loved to meet you.\"

Adhara gulped down her tea thickly and turned to look out the window into the street. It had started snowing. Huge white chunks were falling from the sky onto the cars and streets as muggles trudged down the sidewalks with shopping bags and cell phones. \"I would have liked to meet him.\" She turned back to the pair with a small smile. \"Mum said I look and act a bit like him.\"

\"You certainly look a lot like him.\" Tonks told her with a bright smile. \"It\'s to be seen that you act like him.\"

\"We\'d like to get to know you better.\" Remus told her sincerely. \"You don\'t have a place to stay?\"

She shook her head. \"No... I thought there might be someone living at the Black house so I didn\'t bother making reservations.\" She grinned. \"As it turns out, even if there were, I probably would have been blasted off the doorstep.\"

Tonks laughed. \"Wouldn\'t be at all surprised.\"

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Harry turned from his spot near the window when a knock sounded at his door.

He felt irritation seep in instantly when he found Hermione standing in the doorway. She was hastily pulling an arm through her sweater, then, with that done, attempted to comb her hand through her rebellious curls.

\"Harry, are you coming? Molly will be disappointed if you don\'t come.\" She smiled in what was clearly her way to ease the situation. \"She\'ll insist you need more meat on your bones.\"

He shook his head, feeling a little awkward as he did so. \"I\'m not hungry.\"

Her face fell slightly, but instead of arguing the matter, she turned from the doorway with a quick \"See you later than\" and he heard her heels click down his wood floors to the door. He knew it must have took a lot of her restraint not to lecture him.

Sighing, he turned and watched as both Ron and her treaded across the snow-covered pavement into the street below, turned on the spot, and disappeared from site.

He felt guilty not going. Mrs. Weasley had been giving them endless invitations to her house, trying to get him out of the visible slump he was in. But being at the Burrow only made things worse. More uncomfortable. It reminded him too much of Ginny... and he felt that him being there would remind them too much of their lost daughter as well.

He didn\'t want to hurt them more then he felt he already had.

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\"Now, just wait outside for a moment.\" Remus turned to the two women treading through the snow behind him, halting them in their tracks a few meters from the Weasley\'s front door.

\"It\'s bloody cold out here.\" Tonks interjected, giving him a look of irritation, which he ignored completely.

\"I\'ll need to explain to the Weasley\'s what\'s going on...\"

\"Wait.\" Adhara raised her head away from her scarf, glaring slightly at the older man. \"You didn\'t tell them I was coming.\"

He shook his head. \"I told them we would be bringing an extra person. I didn\'t say who.\"

Adhara sighed and turned on the spot, wrapping her arms around herself, burying her body more into the jacket and scarf as she stared around the yard. \"I\'ve never been to a wizard house like this before.\" She looked up towards the towering, almost lopsided building. \"It\'s neat.\"

Remus was already trudging through the snow to the front door, and Tonks was mumbling something under her breath she wasn\'t able to catch.

The door opened after only half a second and a kind, rather lumpy older women opened the door, ushering Remus in and looking back at Tonks and her with obvious curiosity. Probably wondering why Remus was making her guests stand in the chicken yard almost knee deep in snow.

The door closed halfway and they supposed he was telling Mrs. Weasley about the circumstances.

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\"He had a what?\" Mrs. Weasley nearly poked Remus in the chest with her flower splattered wand, eyeing him with a look of pure shock.

\"Sirius had a daughter, and she\'s right outside.\"

Every occupant of the kitchen, including Mr. Weasley, the twins, Hermione and Ron, all turned to stare out the frosted window to the bundled up, black haired girl waiting outside.

\"Your joking right?\" Ron asked, looking slightly interested however when he saw just how pretty the girl was.

Hermione, who seemed to be ignoring her future husband, was the next to speak. \"She must be our age or older right?\"

\"A year younger actually.\" Remus sighed. \"Her mum was pregnant when you two and Harry were already born.\"

Mrs. Weasley seemed to be the first to recover from shock however. She patted her hair as if her appearance were terribly important in this new encounter and turned to the door. \"Don\'t be silly Remus, invite her in.\"

He smiled and followed her to the door, beckoning the two women in who were both giving him looks of relief. Adhara had been shifting around in an effort to keep warm in the freezing cold.

The blast of warm air from the kitchen was such a relief, and Adhara followed Tonks\' lead in removing her coat and scarf. Remus kindly took them from them and hung them on the cluttered coat rack by the door, which, to Adhara\'s surprise, had leaned forward to except the coat like a doorman.

\"Well, Ms. Black, let me get a look at you.\"

She was surprised at first to be acknowledged by that name, but turned with a smile to the plump women she assumed was Mrs. Weasley. She had a very motherly look to her, and she found herself instantly liking this women.

When she turned however, the women took a step back, clutching a hand to her chest in surprise, but than she was grinning. \"Merlin, you look so like you\'re father!\" She turned to the tall, balding man standing beside her. \"Arthur. Doesn\'t she look like Sirius.\"

He was smiling kindly and she found herself blushing from all the sudden attention. On further inspection of the room she found two twins who looked older than her looking her up and down with identical grins, and a young man who looked possibly her age sitting with a girl with curly brown hair. The girl was looking at her with what was clearly kindness like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, well the boy was looking at her with obvious shock, his mouth hanging open.

Tonks\' put an arm around her shoulder and began pointing out people. \"This is Molly and Arthur.\" She pointed to the twins who were already making their way forward.

\"Fred.\" One announced, shaking her hand and was soon replaced by his brother.

\"George. Lovely to meet you.\" He shook her hand too.

\"Hello.\" She answered uncertainly as they stepped back again.

Tonks leaned down to whisper into her ear. \"They\'re the trouble makers. Own a joke shop.\"

She nodded and smiled, grateful for that bit of information.

\"And this is Ron and Hermione.\" Tonks finished the introductions.

The girl, Hermione, smiled. \"Hello. Adhara was it?\"

She nodded and Hermione stepped forward to shake her hand, leaning down to whisper to her just as Tonks had done. \"My fiancé is slightly daft at times... ignore the staring.\"

She laughed, unable to help herself as she looked over the other girl\'s shoulder to the red headed man. \"Understood.\"

Hermione stepped back, grinning, and shot a very fierce look at Ron.

\"These are Harry\'s best friends.\" Remus told Adhara from behind.

At the mention of Harry\'s name she found herself getting that familiar dizzy feeling. \"Oh... really?\"

Hermione nodded. \"He couldn\'t make it though.\" Her smile disappeared slightly when she said this, but a curious look replaced it. \"Have you met Harry already?\"

She shook her head, a piece of black hair falling into her eyes.

\"She\'d like to.\" Tonks interjected.

Yes... she was definitely blushing now. But she didn\'t miss the quick look that Hermione exchanged with her husband. Both were smiling now.

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AN:

Review please!

She meets Harry next chapter!