The Squib and the Werewolf (book 2)

75. Sisters

Since Andromeda had been disowned, she didn't have any Black family heirlooms to give to Tonks. But Raya was more than happy to share some of hers with Tonks on her wedding day.
She liked Tonks, because she found her young, bold, and sassy.
Raya had grown up surrounded by boys, so she was looking forward to having a sister.
When the wedding day arrived, they all headed down to the church, for the service.
"Do I look O.K?" Tonks asked Raya, as she adjusted her veil.
Her white dress was simple, but she still looked beautiful. And despite her mothers protests to have her hair a neutral colour, Tonks's hair was her favourite shade of bright pink.
She also wore a Black silver tiara in her hair, that Raya had given her as a wedding present, making her look like a fairy princess.
"You look beautiful" complimented Raya.

"Thanks... Raya, be honest with me, because I know you don't lie. Do you think I'm making a mistake, getting married so soon?" Quizzed Tonks.
"Only you can answer that, since you're the one getting married, not me. Sure, you haven't been going out with Remus for very long. But remember, even though you haven't been dating long, you have known Remus for 2 years, and spent a lot of time with him during those years. And the heart wants what it wants. If you want to be together, then no one should stand in youe way" reminded Raya.
"I guess that's true... My parents think I should have waited a bit longer, and gotten to know Remus better, before getting engaged" admitted Tonks.

"I expect they're the ones who wanted to know Remus better, before you got married. Not many people want their only child to marry someone like Remus. Being a werewolf comes with a lot of stigma" Raya said sadly.
"His condition doesn't bother me, and it doesn't make me love him any less" insisted Tonks.
"I know that. But the rest of the wizarding world still sees werewolves as monster. Which is why I don't expect your parents are thrilled that you are marrying my brother" replied Raya.
"I don't care if they approve or not. I am an adult, and I can marry who I want".

"Yes, you can. But you're always going to be their baby girl, and they don't want you to grow up too fast. They want you to always stay soft and sweet and safe. My daughter certainly isn't dating before she's 40" grinned Raya.
Tonks smiled, "I don't know how she's going to feel about that".
"She's my youngest child, so the idea of her ever dating is positively baffling" replied Raya.
"Well, she is only three and a half" said Tonks.
"Yes. Dating will be in the far far future for her. In fact the idea of my brother dating anyone was also baffling, until now... But in all seriousness, you are the one getting married, so only you can decide if you are ready. So, do you want to get married?" Asked Raya.
"Yes" answered Tonks.
"And do you love my brother?"
"With all my heart"
"That's all that matters then".

"A part of me wishes the wedding party was bigger. But I know that isn't want me and Remus wanted. There's a war going on, and neither of us thought it was appropriate to have a big extravagant wedding" admitted Tonks.
"Sirius and I thought the same thing when we got married, during the first wizarding war. Regulus had recently passed away, and it was hard to make Sirius smile most days. Which is why we wanted something low key. Only close friends and family came to the wedding. And we had it at the Potter Manor, which was basically home for us" replied Raya.
"Thanks for agreeing to let us use the manor for me and Remus's wedding reception tonight"
"You're welcome. There's only a small number of us for me to cater for afterall".

"It's a shame that neither me nor Remus have anyone else who can attend the wedding. The only people who are going to be there are you and your kids, and my parents. The Black's disowned my mother, so my Aunt Narcissa and my Aunt Bellatrix aren't likely to attend. I've never even met them or their families. And there is no one else in the Lupin or Tonks family who could come. Both of our families are pretty small" sighed Tonks.
"Just because they are small, it doesn't make them any less wonderful. We may not have hundreds of cousins and family members like the Weasleys, but we still have each other, and we have love. That's all that matters" insisted Raya.

"I know that it's not quantity, but quality that matters. But I still wish some more people could be here today, to celebrate our happu day with us" admitted Tonks.
"You could have invited Moody, since he was a mentor to both of us" replied Raya.
"I thought about it. But since he would be the only non family member here, I decided against it... This is going to be a family only occasion and I am going to have to accept that" announced Tonks.
"Sirius would have loved to have been here today, your mother was his favourite cousin afterall. And Sirius loved weddings, if they involved people he cared about. He enjoyed drinking and dancing, and giving embarrassing speeches".

"I wish I could've gotten to know him better" Tonks said quietly.
"I know. He would have doted over you when you were small... He was taken from us too soon" mumbled Raya.
Tonks took hold of Raya's hand and squeezed it tight, "A part of him will always be with us".
"I see him every day, in my son. It's impossible for me to not think of him. Sometimes Jamie or Remus will say something, and I will look to Sirius to see his reaction, before remembering that he isn't there" revealed Raya.
"You've made sure that no one will ever forget him, though. You always mention him in your column in the paper. To make sure that everyone remembers Sirius, and how badly you and him were treated by the Ministry and by the public... The way my mother behaved towards you in the past, won't effect our relationship will it?".

"I try not to judge people for their parents actions" informed Raya.
"Are you sure you can accept me and her back into your family?" Questioned Tonks.
"I have always wanted a sister, and I'm looking forward to finally having one. I grew up with basically two brothers, as James was like my brother, and I had a lot of male friends. So, I can't wait to finally have someone to talk about girl things with" answered Raya.

"Didn't you have Lily Potter? Were you and her not close?" Quizzed Tonks.
"Not for my first few years at school. Lily hated me, because she didn't like the other Marauders. And she couldn't understand why I was friends with them. She didn't become my friend until Snape nearly killed me, and she felt bad that she hadn't realised what an evil person he was before then. And intervened to stop him from hurting me. But me and Lily didn't become close until she started dating James in their final year" replied Raya.

"I can't believe Lily Potter was friends with Severus Snape" admitted Tonks.
"Well, he was the first person in the wizarding world that she ever met, so you can see why she was attached to him. Snape is also a brilliant manipulater and Legilimens, so it was easy for him to worm his way into Lily's head. But enough talk about that traitor. It is time for the best day of your life, one you will never forget, for as long as you live. So, are you ready?" Asked Raya.
Tonks took a deep breath and nodded her head, "I'm ready".