The hall of Number 12 Grimmauld Place was dim and dark. Tonks looked around rather apprehensively. She wasn't stupid. She knew Voldemort had returned; that wasn't something to lie about. But this seemed an odd place for the resistance to form, with a dark air to it: house-elf heads on the walls, and Slytherin marks everywhere. Mad-eye poked her impatiently n the back.
"C'mon, nothing to be scared of…don't you trust us Dora? And don't store your wand there, I've told you before, wizards lose buttocks," he added sharply, looking down at her back pockets. She rolled her eyes at him. At least she wasn't alone on her way to the first meeting. Then she tripped over a troll's leg that had been standing innocently a few feet into the hall. Mad-eye just smiled and passed on toward the basement. She grimaced.
"Thanks Mad-eye!" She struggled to stand up, and then heard the sound of footsteps coming quickly down the stairs. She looked up.
Remus Lupin barely saw her in time. He lost his balance as he skidded to a stop at the foot of the stairs and fell across Tonks. She smiled. He was as clumsy as she was.
Embarrassed, Remus struggled to get up, and then looked at the woman he'd landed on. She was beautiful! "Oh...I'm s-sorry. I didn't realize; I didn't see you there."
She laughed. "It's all right. I'm used to it." He was very handsome. He finally stood up and held out his hand to her. She took it, feeling as if she was falling again.
He tried to ignore the way she was looking at him. Her dark eyes were overwhelming. "Shall we go down to the meeting together?" He started walking, unnerved. No one had looked at him that way since he was fourteen, and he didn't like to remember the outcome of that. Stupid (?). She watched him open the door to the basement, nodded in answer to his question then followed, still dazed.
*/*/*
Tonks was amazed. She hadn't been sure what signing up for the Order would mean, but the meeting had managed to abate some of her fears. They weren't unprepared, but rather seemed to know more than they should. Tonks had been told to keep watch over Harry Potter during the holidays, in shifts with Mundugus Fletcher, Arabella Figg, and Sturgis Podmore. She was slightly disappointed Remus wouldn't be helping her out. She had hardly listened to some parts of the meeting, being too busy staring at his gorgeous deep green eyes. And interestingly enough, she could see some of the feelings being returned when she felt him staring. Lupin was frustrated with himself for that. He didn't want to be any more involved with Tonks than he would have to be in this kind of situation. It was dangerous. He wasn't fit to be with anyone, it wouldn't be fair to them. But somehow he got the feeling that Tonks wouldn't care. As young as Remus had noticed she was, she was smart, and clever. And as far as he could tell, she had already fallen in love with him past the point of no return.
"Hey Moony," Sirius said, clapping Lupin on the back. "So what did you think?" He came out of his reverie and shook his head.
"It feels wrong, like we're stepping back in time. I just don't want it to happen all over again." He sighed.
Sirius nodded. He knew how Remus felt. "I know, but we just have to hope it'll be different this time. Voldemort doesn't know we know. It's safer. We're far better prepared. And by the way," he winked. "What did you think of my cousin?" Sirius left the kitchen, leaving Remus completely bemused. How could he possibly know?