The door opened to reveal Nymphadora Tonks.
For a moment she simply stared.
Then a grin spread across her face.
"Blake? Alastair?"
A flash of confusion immediately appeared on Blake's face.
Unlike me, she had no idea why we were here.
Although she and Tonks had become acquainted through the Study Club, their interactions had remained focused on Hogwarts. Family had never come up in any meaningful way.
Apparently, Dora had neglected to mention a rather important detail.
"Dora?" Blake asked. "What are you doing here?"
Tonks blinked.
"What do you mean what am I doing here? I live here."
That only deepened Blake's confusion.
Fortunately, Tonks seemed entirely oblivious to it.
"Come on in," she said, stepping aside. "Dad's in the living room."
As we entered the house, Blake shot me a questioning look.
I answered before she could ask.
"Tonks' father is a lawyer. I need some legal advice regarding the occupied properties and land disputes.".
Blake nodded slowly, accepting the explanation for now.
The house itself was comfortable rather than extravagant. Unlike the old pureblood manors I had visited recently, everything here felt lived in. Family photographs decorated the walls. Books occupied shelves that had clearly been used rather than displayed. The faint scent of tea and baked goods lingered throughout the house.
It felt warm.
Normal.
Home.
We followed Tonks into the living room.
A middle-aged couple sat waiting.
The man possessed sandy-brown hair, a broad build, and the sort of welcoming smile that immediately put people at ease. Beside him sat a woman with soft brown hair and kind eyes.
Despite the simplicity of her clothing, there was an unmistakable elegance to her.
The kind that could not be taught.
The kind that came from birth.
Andromeda Black.
Or rather, Andromeda Tonks.
The moment her eyes landed on Blake, something shifted.
It lasted less than a second.
Recognition.
Not true recognition.
More like familiarity.
A resemblance noticed instinctively before the mind understood why.
Tonks, completely unaware of what was happening, happily made introductions.
"Mum, Dad, this is Alastair and Blake. He's here for the legal consultation I told you about."
She turned toward us.
"Alastair, Blake, this is my dad, Ted Tonks, and my mum, Andromeda."
I stepped forward and shook hands with both of them.
Blake did the same.
We settled onto the sofa and exchanged the usual pleasantries.
Ted quickly transitioned toward business.
"What exactly seems to be the problem with the properties?" he asked.
I had expected that.
After all, it was the official reason for the visit.
As the discussion began shifting toward legal matters, Andromeda started to rise from her chair.
"I'll put some tea on."
"Madam, please wait."
She paused and looked at me curiously.
The room grew quiet.
Even Tonks looked confused.
I glanced toward Andromeda.
"While I did come here seeking legal advice, that is not the only reason we came today."
Her expression became more puzzled.
Beside her, Ted's eyes narrowed slightly.
He was a lawyer.
He immediately recognized there was more to this conversation.
I continued calmly.
"From your reaction, I assume Dora forgot to mention Blake's family name."
Now everyone was confused.
Including Tonks.
Especially Blake.
"What does my family name have to do with anything?" Blake asked.
I ignored the question for the moment.
Instead, I looked directly at Andromeda.
"She is Blake Lyra Black."
Silence.
The room froze.
"The daughter of Regulus Black."
The color drained from Andromeda's face.
"And the current heir of House Black."
For several long seconds, nobody spoke.
Tonks looked from me to Blake.
Then to her mother.
Then back to Blake again.
As if trying to solve a puzzle she had somehow missed despite all the pieces being in front of her.
Ted's expression had become one of complete shock.
And Andromeda...
Andromeda looked as though the world had stopped turning.
Slowly, almost mechanically, her gaze moved toward Blake.
She studied her face.
Her eyes.
The shape of her features.
Searching.
Remembering.
Finding traces of someone she had once known.
I finally turned toward Blake.
The confusion on her face had only grown.
"Blake."
She looked at me.
"She is your aunt."
The words seemed to hang in the air.
"The cousin of your father and the sister of Narcissa."
The room remained completely silent.
Andromeda's eyes never left Blake.
A thousand emotions seemed to pass across her face in the span of a few seconds. Shock. Disbelief. Recognition. Regret. Hope.
By the end of it, tears were visibly gathering at the corners of her eyes.
For a moment, she looked as though she wanted nothing more than to cross the room and pull Blake into a hug.
Yet she hesitated.
Years of separation.
Years of exile.
Years of uncertainty.
She had no idea what Blake thought of the Black family. No idea what Arcturus had told her. No idea whether she even wanted a relationship at all.
Blake, meanwhile, looked equally overwhelmed.
There was confusion, certainly.
A great many questions.
But beneath them all was unmistakable happiness.
For as long as I had known her, Blake had quietly yearned for family. Not status. Not inheritance. Family.
And now one was sitting directly across from her.
Neither seemed to know what to say.
Or how to begin.
The silence stretched.
Then shattered.
"WHOA!"
Tonks' voice practically shook the room.
Everyone jumped.
Tonks herself looked as though she'd just solved the greatest mystery in wizarding history.
"We're cousins?!"
Before anyone could react, she launched herself across the room and wrapped Blake in an enthusiastic hug.
Blake made a startled sound as she was nearly squeezed off the sofa.
"We're cousins!" Tonks repeated.
Then she suddenly released Blake, spun around, and marched straight toward me.
Smack.
A punch landed squarely on my upper arm.
Not particularly painful.
More offended than aggressive.
"Why didn't you tell us before?"
I opened my mouth.
Tonks didn't wait for an answer.
She immediately turned back toward Blake.
"When did you find out? Does Mum know your grandfather? Wait, of course she does. That's not what I meant. —"
The questions came so quickly they started overlapping.
The atmosphere in the room transformed instantly.
The suffocating tension disappeared.
Even Andromeda seemed to relax.
A shaky laugh escaped her as she wiped at her eyes.
"Dora."
Tonks ignored her.
"Tonks"
Still ignored.
"Nymphadora Tonks."
That finally got her attention.
"Don't call me Nymphadora"
Andromeda shot an annoyed look.
"Let her breathe."
Tonks blinked.
Looked at Blake.
Then realized she was still bombarding her with questions.
"Oh."
To her credit, she actually stepped back.
Only slightly.
Andromeda rose from her chair and slowly walked over.
Unlike Tonks, she moved carefully.
Giving Blake every opportunity to pull away if she wished.
Blake didn't.
The moment Andromeda wrapped her arms around her, Blake leaned into the embrace.
Years of restraint seemed to crumble all at once.
Tears gathered in her eyes.
Andromeda's own weren't far behind.
"It's nice to meet you, Blake."
Her voice was gentle.
Warm.
The sort of warmth that made it immediately obvious where Tonks had inherited her kindness from.
"Your father was always my favorite."
A faint laugh escaped her.
"You can call me Aunt Andy, if you'd like."
Blake tried to answer.
The words caught in her throat.
In the end, she simply nodded.
"M-Mhm."
Andromeda's smile widened.
Looking at the two of them, I finally allowed myself to relax.
There had always been a chance this could have gone poorly.
A chance that old grievances, family politics, or years of separation would stand between them.
Instead, it seemed I had worried for nothing.
Beside me, Ted Tonks quietly removed his glasses and rubbed at his eyes.
The corners were suspiciously damp.
I pretended not to notice.
He pretended not to notice me noticing.
After a moment, I cleared my throat.
"Mr. Tonks."
He blinked and looked over.
"Ah? Yes?"
"I think we should let them catch up."
His gaze moved toward Blake, Andromeda, and Tonks, who had already resumed asking questions at a speed that defied reason.
A smile spread across his face.
"Yes."
He stood.
"I think that's a very good idea."
I rose as well.
"How about we discuss the legal matters somewhere else?"
Ted nodded immediately.
"The study."
Then, after one final glance toward his wife and daughter, he added quietly,
"They'll probably be here for a while."
Neither of us considered that a problem.