Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I was trying to reply to you all and then I had to go back to work. Special thanks to kk11819 who suggested I should add more chapters originally. This is the last one though because I thought I'd end on a happy note (ish), although it does run on a bit.

Please let me know what you think

It did seem just too bizarre to be sitting in the same room as Sirius Black. Dora hadn't heard a single word of the meeting beyond introductions because she had been watching the way he was tilting his chair back at a dangerous angle, and inspecting his finger nails as though being a wanted criminal on the run was just normal.

Which, Dora supposed, for him it was.

All this time she had been carrying around a picture of what he looked like in her head, although she did have to modify it slightly when the wanted posters came out. Even so he still looked thinner, harder, more worn around the edges.

Dora wished she'd brought one of those stupid posters with her and then she could have got him to sign it; that is provided of course Azkaban didn't leave you completely devoid of a sense of humour.

She knew she should talk to him, but she was still trying to think of something to say that wouldn't make her sound like she was seven years old when a plump little witch sat in the chair next to her.

"Hi, Nymphadora right?"

"Just Tonks."

"Don't be silly, Nymphadora's such a pretty name, and it's so nice to have another girl round here."

Dora felt her teeth grate and was about to excuse herself when the witch let out a laugh like breaking glass, "it's such a boys club at the moment," her eyes flicked to Sirius who was still talking to a wizard in faded looking robes. "You're his baby cousin aren't you?"

"Well hardly baby…."

"Sirius is a hoot though," she said almost without taking a breath, "and still quite handsome really. You know I wonder if…Sirius!"

And there he was, sitting opposite to her, suddenly seeming much more solid than he had a moment before.

"Hestia," that smile was familiar, it was the one that used to make her mum give him anything he wanted. Well almost. "New robes?"

Dora noticed how the other woman seemed to visibly melt now that she was the focus of those grey eyes. Unfortunately they didn't shut her up.

"Well, yes actually, you see I thought…."

"Amazing. I just need to borrow Tonks here, family business you understand," and with that he moved back down the table beckoning her to follow. Dora felt herself hesitate, but only for a moment and then got up praying desperately that she wouldn't trip.

"Rule one," Sirius hissed as she arrived safely at his end of the table, "never allow yourself to be drawn into a conversation with Hestia Jones unless you have a very good reason to get out again." His voice sounded huskier than she remembered, and he looked smaller, or maybe that was just because she was bigger. Dora was still trying to work it out while her brain screamed at her to say something intelligible. "She seems very taken with you," she said rather too quickly.

"Well she's only human," Sirius gave her that grin again and poked the wizard next to him in the arm.

"Nymphadora Tonks," he said proudly, "my cousin."

"Yes," the wizard looked up from the parchment he'd been shuffling and smiled vaguely, "I was at the meeting too you know?"

"Rule two," Sirius rolled his eyes in Dora's direction, "Remus Lupin is a sarcastic sod and should be avoided at all costs."

"Pleased to meet you," said Remus Lupin offering a hand, "I must apologise for Sirius, he isn't house trained."

Sirius gasped in mock horror, and seemed about to defend himself when Remus continued swiftly: "although he has been looking forward to meeting you."

She found herself laughing at the way the strange double act seemed to work, and rather taken with the way it made Sirius seem much more human, much more like she could talk to him without worrying about putting her foot in it.

"Oh I think we can forgive him then," she said still smiling.

"Maybe," Remus looked thoughtful for a moment, "but I should draw your attention to rule three. Sirius Black is prone to exaggeration. Especially regarding his own heroics so take anything he says with a pinch of salt."

"That's enough," Sirius snapped in a voice that sounded uncannily like her mother's, "she is my cousin. Go and find your own."

Remus smiled and went back to his parchment. Dora looked back at Sirius and found him staring at her rather too intensely and she suddenly found herself sympathising with Hestia's desire to hold the focus of those eyes.

"You look different," he accused now that he had her full attention.

"Of course I do," Dora retorted, "I'm a Metamorphmagus, aren't I?"

He let out a laugh and the front legs of his chair thumped back on to the floor.

"I meant grown up, although I should have expected that. Have a drink."

He pulled a bottle out from under his chair with a flourish.

"Sirius…"

"Oh pull the wand out of your arse Moony and have one as well."

Dora let out a snort of laughter because the tone of voice was so blunt, and so damn familiar.

"I've had a better offer," Remus said apparently giving up with the parchment and gathering it into a bundle.

"Merlin, not Emmeline?"

"Alastor. Death Eater activity in Somerset."

Sirius pulled a face, "she wants you Moony."

Remus replied with a hand gesture, one that Dora thought was really unexpected for a man who looked like he'd escaped from the local library, and beat a tactful retreat leaving her with Sirius. Alone. Pouring her Firewhiskey.

"Should you be encouraging me to drink?" She challenged before the silence became too deafening.

"Probably not, but then I'm not renowned for behaving myself am I?"

"Neither am I," she folded her arms.

"Well then," he pushed the glass towards her with his finger and Dora found herself wondering where the last fifteen years had gone because they seemed to have fallen back into a pattern. It wasn't the same one they'd had when she was younger, it couldn't be because she was an adult now and could swear, and stay up late, and didn't have to wait behind in the front garden. It was still familiar though, almost comforting, like the smell of her mum baking on a Sunday morning.

"Now then," Sirius leant towards her with a conspiratorial whisper, "we all know what I've been doing the last couple of years. So lets talk about you. Cheers."

It burnt her throat and made her remember exactly why she hated the stuff, but Sirius was already filling up her glass again and she found herself seized by the sudden compulsion to show off shamelessly. She knocked that one back as well, and after that rather lost the thread of the conversation, or any sense of time. She did remember the kitchen emptying quickly around them, although perhaps not as quickly as the bottle. Kingsley made a point of stopping by to tell her that if she owled in sick tomorrow he would know the reason. They both laughed at him and then Sirius went off to find more Firewhiskey.

"I swear Kreacher is hiding them," he said after he had finally located one in the pantry.

"Mum does that with dad's brandy," Dora said because she had no idea who Kreacher was but thought she should really say something. She should really go home to bed, but it seemed like too much effort to move.

"How is your mum?" He got the lid of the bottle and started pouring, letting some of the liquid slosh over the sides of the glass.

"The same: cleaning obsessively, asking me why I'm not married."

"Why aren't you?"

"Oh don't you bloody start," she found herself feeling smug that she could say 'bloody' and not get told off, "I have a career, you know?"

"Oh yes," he tried to look suitably contrite, "the famous auror."

"I thought Remus was the sarcastic one. Anyway it's your fault."

"Me?" He looked up puzzled by her jabbing figure.

Dora fidgeted with her glass suddenly feeling more self-conscious then when she'd barged in late and nearly upset Molly Weasley and the tea tray. "All that growing up to be the best that you can be rubbish", she waved a hand airily, "it made quite an impression on a seven year old. I decided I'd try and be like heroic Uncle Sirius and fight the bad guys." She snorted, hoping to keep things light.

"Even when I turned out to be the bad guy?" He asked rather too sensibly for a man who had drunk so much.

"It was too late. The damage was done." Dora emptied her glass and pushed it back towards him. After all what could Kingsley accuse her of? Getting drunk with a criminal that he was supposed to be catching?

"Well," Sirius sat up straighter in his chair, "I'm glad I had such a positive influence. I must remember to tell Molly."

Dora grinned imagining what her mother would say when she'd found out she'd seen Sirius and that he had got her drunk, on a work night. With hindsight it was probably a good job that she couldn't tell her.

"Thank you."

Dora wasn't sure where the words came from, or what she was saying thank you for. Possibly for being such a positive influence, or fighting in the first place, or being here in this dismal kitchen giving her Firewhiskey.

"Hey," he leant over the table unsteadily to ruffle her hair, "my pleasure squirt."