Believe It or Not

By Penelope Jones

Chapter One: Trip

I'm no stranger to making an idiot of myself. I'm dead clumsy so I often fall over ungracefully, or drop important things. It's just me. But most guys find it rather cute so I'm thankful it works in my favour. I usually use it as an excuse to talk to someone, spill a drink on them; you know that kind of stuff. I don't usually gape at the guy and expect him to go out with me. I've only ever gaped at Myron Wagtail when I met him after a Weird Sisters gig where he gave me a t-shirt and signed my album. I'd gaped then screamed and hugged the startled singer but it was so awesome. So yes it's rare that I gape at people, unless they're the famous lead singer of my favourite band, and now apparently scruffy bartenders.

I'm Nymphadora Tonks, no I'm serious that's my name. I'm a clumsy twenty-two year old Metamorphmagus, which means I can change my appearance at will. It's quite awesome.

I'm also an Auror, though I always nearly blow a mission by tripping up or something. At that moment I tripped as I thought about tripping and knew I'd deserved that.

Right now I was moving back into my parent's house after being cruelly dumped by a two-timing jerk. At twenty-two I thought I'd had it all worked out. I'd finished my training last year and was now officially an Auror and straight after graduation I'd moved out with The Jerk. He doesn't deserve to be mentioned by name and he won't be. Everything had seemed so perfect. I was finally doing things on my own, supporting myself… living life. Then it went down hill and I found him on the couch with some ditz. I threw his stuff out the window and then he kicked me out. It just wasn't fair. I can look like anyone! Who doesn't like that? Jerks that's who – once again pointing out how I make a fool of myself by falling for jerks.

I headed up the garden path and over to my mother. She stood in the door trying to look sympathetic but I knew she was just far too happy to have me home. She was a petite five two with a cute elfin face and long dark hair. At the moment it was spilling freely around her shoulders as she watched my father and I carry the boxes in from the car. As a witch it would have been easier to just transport it all by magic but The Jerk had refused as he was dating a Muggle girl. I'd been dumped for a non-magic non-morphing blonde hussy. So I had to move everything out without magic while she watched on like a smug little bitch and The Jerk glared.

I'd loaded the boxes of my things into my dad's DeLorean which The Jerk had eyed slightly enviously. My father was a Muggle born wizard so I didn't mind the non-magical folk, being related to a fair few of them, so long as they weren't stealing my boyfriend that is.

After packing it all up I'd left him with some not so nice words and covered his little blonde with boils and then flounced out the door. I had then driven home and enlisted my fathers help to unload the small amount of possessions I owned and place them in my old room.

"It's really good to have you home again" mum said hugging me. She was once again trying to hide her smile but she was the optimistic kind of woman so she'd soon spiel something about the bright side.

With basically no family after being kicked out when she refused to stop seeing my father based on the pretence of his non-magical heritage she had turned out wonderfully. Wonderfully… cheerful

I didn't really want to talk to her right now, being so down like I was seeing people happy made me want to cut their throats and hit them repeatedly with a hammer.

"Yeah" I said quietly to mum not trusting myself to say anything else.

"Oh Dora Rickey was a jerk" she said as she pulled away.

"Mickey" I corrected automatically then scolded myself for dignifying his name with a correction.

"Like it matters" mum said and I sniffed. She gave me a sympathetic smile and hugged me again holding me tight. It felt nice to be held by her… I was comforted by this small familiar thing. Everything in my life had changed so rapidly in these past few weeks permitted this one thing seemed to stop everything for just a moment.

I pulled away from her and she smiled running her fingers through my hair comfortingly.

"Any boy would be a fool to let you go love" dad said kissing my forehead.

"Thanks dad" I sighed. He smiled and headed past me carrying a box of things into my room for me.

"I'll get dinner started shall I?" mum asked.

"I'm not hungry… I'll just unpack" I replied and headed to my old room.

My house wasn't at all large but with only three people it was cosy. There were only four rooms, the two bedrooms and the bathroom. The back of the house was just one large open room that comprised the kitchen the dining room and the living room all in one so it was a nice open house.

I walked down the narrow hallway knocking over a vase of flowers as I did so. In my defence the table was a new addition to the hallway.

"Glad you haven't changed that much Dora… you're still breaking things in the house" dad said as he emerged from my room.

"It wasn't there before" I muttered defensively. I could walk through this house blindfolded but I didn't as it'd be likely to result in my death.

"I've missed that sound" mum said with a nostalgic look on her face.

"Breaking things?" I asked and she just smiled fixing the vase with a flick of her wand and scooping up the flowers arranging them in the vase once more.

My childhood home seemed a lot different then it had a year ago… and it wasn't just the new table. It was like a foreign place even though I'd spent over twenty years here. It just wasn't right and I knew it wouldn't be till I felt that break up pain go away but I'd really trusted The Jerk. He'd given me that first taste of my future, no longer in school… just working and heading toward a family. I shuddered at that thought. A family with The Jerk? Impossible that I even thought of such foolish things.

I headed into my old room. It was small, my single bed leaning against the far wall beneath the wide window. The small wardrobe sitting beside it and my desk adjacent on the opposite wall to that. I looked around the room feeling like I was imposing on a life that wasn't mine.

I took a look around at what I'd deemed not important enough to take with me. Under my bed I found a few old magazines and some of my old diaries making me laugh. My small bookshelf beside my desk had only three shelfs and only one of them had books on it. They were my school books from Hogwarts and a couple of novels mum had tried to get me to read. I preferred music so the other two shelves were filled with records and tapes. I found an old tape with songs I'd written to previous boyfriends and snorted before tossing it away.

In my wardrobe I found my Hogwarts school uniform and smiled seeing the tiny bit of Aaron Thickets blood on my tie from when he'd tried telling everyone I was a man. Punching him in the face and breaking his nose had not been the best way to dispel the rumour but it did shut him up. Beside the uniform sat the bright blue formal dress I'd worn to a dance when I was sixteen.

I grabbed the box sitting on my bed and began to sort through my clothes hanging up my shirts, skirts and robes. I folded my pants at the bottom and put everything else in a set of draws underneath.

I sorted through the other five or so boxes and found mostly kitchen utensils and things I wouldn't really need now that I was back at my parents house. My parents house… I'd called it home for so many years…

Well the good thing is that once I began to call it home again I would be officially over him. Oh no I'm starting to look on the bright side… mums already starting to affect me. I suppose that's good for me at the moment though.

I picked up the box of kitchenware and headed through the house. My parents gave me small smiles as I headed into the garage. It was a fairly large garage as it was set underneath the house. Our house was only one story but it was set above the garage so people often thought it was huge. In all honesty I think that'd be a bit too much space for us. I climbed down the stairs not bothering to flick on the lights – not a smart move – and headed into the corner where we kept everything that didn't fit in the house but we hadn't thrown away. I put down the box and sighed being home again was probably good for me. Ah I said home yes! It was affecting me already; I could slow down, not having to worry about rent or anything like that.

I turned and walked into the piano regretting not turning on the lights. We only had one car in a two car garage and the piano wouldn't fit in the house so we kept it in the garage. I sighed as I rubbed my shin and then climbed the stairs. I walked back into the kitchen and mum held out a plate of shepherd's pie and I took it from her heading into my room with it.

I set it down on my bare desk and then picked up my box of shampoos and soaps carrying them down to the bathroom. I began to pull out my shampoo and conditioner adding it to the rim of the bathtub that was also a shower. I pulled open the mirror cabinet and smiled when I saw my parents had cleared me a shelf. Dad's potions medicines and tablets were on the top then mums things on the second. I pulled out my own headache tablets and stock of hangover potion I always had handy.

I then pulled open the cupboards under the sink and added my own make-up to mums collection before heading back into my room. I ate a bit of my dinner before flopping down on my bed and drifted off to sleep.

I awoke the next morning a little shocked to find myself in my old bedroom but I shrugged it off fairly quickly and drifted through my morning routine.

I had a shower and sat in the kitchen glaring moodily at my plate of pancakes mum had fixed. I let a curtain of electric blue hair cover my face from her as I sat in silence.

"Blues a nice colour on you sweetheart" dad said. I looked up at him and narrowed my eyes.

"Sure didn't miss that" he muttered.

I usually kept my hair a bright purple or pink and rather short so I supposed the blue was a bit of a shock but I liked my hair to demonstrate how I felt.

"Are you sure you want to go to work today? You're not quite yourself" mum said I shot her a look as well.

"I got dumped not stabbed I'll be fine thank you for breakfast" I muttered and then left rather abruptly.

I walked along the street for a bit before Apparating and appearing in the Ministry of Magic Atrium. I was glad my parents lived in a nice secluded little place so I could Apparate safely without having to worry about exposing magic to Muggles.

I walked through the atrium along with the masses of other Ministry employees past the gold fountain and over to the lifts.

I waited patiently with a few other people from different departments only receiving one odd look because of my hair. Most people who worked here had heard about me – not by name obviously, I'm not that great – because of how rare Metamorphmagus' are. The lift dinged and I hopped on manoeuvring to stand next to Kingsley Shacklebolt who worked in my department. He was a tall black man, well built and heavily muscled. He had a small gold hoop in one ear which had made me laugh when I first saw it. He informed me his girlfriend had done it and out of charity he kept it but I had a sneaking suspicious that wasn't the case. He was a surprisingly nice guy considering he looked like someone you wouldn't want to mess with, even our boss skirted around him if it was possible.

"Nymphadora" he greeted in that deep voice of his flashing me a grin.

"Shaq" I replied and he narrowed his eyes at me. If he was going to call me by my dreaded first name I was going to annoy him with a nickname he despised.

"Nice hair" he said.

"Thank you" I muttered.

"Not so bubbly today?" he asked. I ignored him and instead watched the light indicating which floors we were passing. The lift dinged and I climbed off with Kingsley following him into the office. Where I worked was basically just a large room with hundred of cubicles crammed into it and people bustling about.

"We're going after Millar today right?" I asked Kingsley as we made our way through the room.

"Yep… once again you get to wear the most degrading piece of cloth someone has the audacity to call a dress" Kingsley informed me pleasantly.

"Yay" I sighed.

Twenty minutes later we were off to the dreary pub where I would meet Parker Millar. He had been smuggling illegal dark arts products into the country, get him and we could get his dealer and his clients. I was supposed to be the potential buyer, I just had to keep him distracted long enough for back up to move in, inconveniently located ten minutes away. We'd all left at the same time but they had all this setting up to do. I was never in the back up team thanks to my talents. It was basically an excuse for the guys in the office test my morphing ability. 'As a distraction' they assured me translation 'for our own personal pleasure'. Today was no exception. I was now some six foot tall goddess one of my co-workers had fainted at the sight of. That had boosted my confidence a lot so I was smiling radiantly.

Kingsley and I walked into the muggle pub. There were four civilians in the bar, Muggles I assumed. Three were at tables scattered around the room the fourth stood behind the bar lazily drying a glass. He looked bored out of his mind.

There was no sign of Millar so I sat down at the bar in front of the bartender. That was when I got my first really good look at him and my mouth fell open.

He was tall, like really tall I guessed about six foot four with thin light brown hair flecked with bits of grey. He was thin and it looked as though he'd been in a bar fight or twelve by the scars on his face and arms. Now usually I don't like older men but this particular man definitely peaked my interest.

I stared at him with my mouth open for a few minutes and then realised that was a very teenage thing to do and also it was completely rude. The bartender was slightly puzzled by my reaction but smiled nervously, obviously not used to having pretty women gape at him. I closed my mouth and ordered a beer. I wasn't one to gape, so why did the bartender get such a reaction? I had no idea.

I glanced down the bar at Kingsley who raised a dark brow at me; like he knew something I didn't.

I looked back at the bartender who put the bottle of beer in front of me and put a clean glass beside it. I poured the beer into the glass but I didn't drink from it, I knew better then to drink while I was working.

The bartender watched me for a few moments before heading down to ask Kingsley if he wanted anything, he didn't, so the bartender walked off to collect dirty glasses from empty tables before carrying them out back. I pushed my long dark hair over my shoulder and stared at a drop of moisture running down the side of the glass. The waiting game, I was wondering if dancing on the bar was a bit too much of a cover blow when the door opened. I purposefully didn't look up till someone sat beside me. I glanced at Parker Millar whose mouth twisted into a smile.

"Harley?" he asked

"Tyler?" I replied he nodded I smiled. He looked me up and down and I rolled my eyes while his gaze was averted slightly lower then my face. Stupid low cut dress.

"Let me buy you a drink"

"I've got one" I said

"You haven't drunk it"

"I just wanted something to do while I waited for you" I said "have you got it?"

"Yes" he put a small bag down on the floor in between us. I put an almost identical one down beside it for the trademark dealer switch. What he didn't know of course was that it wasn't filled with money but a lamb. More precisely an Animagus who would resume her human form and then take him down.

Kingsley nodded to me over Millar's shoulder and I knew that our back up had arrived, time to execute the plan.

"Pleasure" I said picking up the bag he'd dropped and heading to the door casually. Millar looked inside his bag and there was a small baa as the lamb inside climbed out. There was a small pop and Tracy McCollum was pointing her wand at Millar.

"What the-?" he said before instantly pointing his wand at her.

"Drop your wand!" Tracy shouted. I pointed my wand at him just as the door burst open and a dozen Aurors rushed in.

"Drop the wand Millar!" I shouted. He gripped his wand tightly while his eyes darted around the room looking for a distraction or an exit. The three Muggle drinkers were all staring at us with wide eyes. I could understand of course, Muggles had no idea witches and wizards existed. The cute bartender walked in from out back and froze staring at us, a second later he cried, "Stupefy!" and Millar went down. I hadn't even seen him draw his wand but now he stood holding it carefully aimed at Millar's unconscious body.

"Drop the wand!" everyone cried so the bartender immediately put his wand down and held his hands up.

Kingsley went over to secure him while I checked on Millar, he was breathing but unconscious. I stood back up as two guys put some handcuffs around his wrists and pulled him up.

"Tracy, I want you to go down with him and question him. I'll be down after the clean up" Kingsley said. Tracy nodded and walked off with half the extra backup team, the rest remained behind to interview the Muggles and modify their memories.

I stood beside Kingsley as he questioned the bartender. Kingsley was leaning against the bar and I rested my hand on a chair leaning on it slightly. The bartender stood opposite us looking very much like he had no clue what was happening, which I supposed he didn't.

I stood gaping at him again, I didn't know why but he was just bringing this affect out on me. Like I couldn't really believe he was there.

"So you're a wizard?" Kingsley asked him as he pushed my jaw shut. The bartender smiled at the gesture and nodded.

"Yeah"

"And your name is…?" Kingsley asked

"You didn't think to ask that first?" I interrupted. He gave me a look and I fell silent.

"Remus Lupin" the bartender said. The chair slid and I fell over with a loud crash.

"Oh my God!" Lupin said staring down to me.

"You right Tonks?" Derek Jenkins asked looking over from the woman he was interviewing.

"She's fine" Kingsley said and I stood up flashing Lupin a grin to emphasise how fine I was, "see"

I checked myself for injuries while Lupin watched me concernedly before turning to Kingsley, "Are you going to charge me with something?"

"No, just want to ask you some questions" Kingsley said

"The guy I hit comes in here a lot. He called himself Tyler, he's usually with someone" Lupin said and I resumed staring at him slightly open mouthed.

"Why haven't you reported them?" Kingsley asked

"Because they come in and drink and leave without tipping. Last I checked that wasn't illegal"

"Can you identify any one he's been with?" Kingsley asked closing my mouth again but it fell open.

"No"

"If we showed you some pictures could you identify any of them?" Kingsley asked

"Probably not" Lupin replied.

"Are you sure?" I asked a little breathlessly.

"Yes"

"Are you free next Saturday?" I asked Kingsley snorted and looked like he was about to burst out laughing while Lupin just frowned at me.

Yes I am used to making an idiot of myself when I trip. It's a lot easier to laugh that off then asking out some bartender I just met. I stared at him in horror for a few seconds. I'd had no control and I'd just blurted it out. I just had this over whelming urge to find out about him. I was actually a little scared he might say yes, I was a little bustier and curvy then I typically am and that usually captures any male's attention.

"No" he said abruptly "sorry" he added as if it were an after thought. My mouth fell open, this time in shock, and I nodded dumbly.

I can't believe he said no…

I'm such an idiot…

"Thank you Mr Lupin, I'm sorry you got caught up in this" Kingsley said and walked off. I stood staring at Lupin who stared back at me looking very much like he wished he was somewhere else or that I was. Kingsley had to come back and pull me away. I stumbled slightly as Kingsley pulled me away unable to walk away from Lupin at least some what dignified. We got into the street and Kingsley began to roar with laughter.

"Shut up" I snapped glaring at him and he laughed harder. He didn't stop until the other Auror's came out and even then he was still sniggering. We headed down into a side alley and Apparated to the Ministry.

"I thought you had a boyfriend" Derek said as we walked along.

"I do… we broke up I had to move back home with my parents" I sighed. Everyone stared at me

"There's some space at my flat" Derek offered.

"I'll stick with the over bearing parents and cramped crappy bedroom with the wall paper I picked out when I was nine. It's a preferable alternative to… your place"

"What's wrong with my place?" Derek asked sounding offended.

"Boy everyone knows the fucked up shit you got at your place" Tracy McCollum said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh one time!" Derek said and Tracy giggled leading the way over to the lifts.

"I'm so sorry your living with your parents again" Kingsley said to me.

"And I'd have believed you if you weren't grinning like a jackass" I said and he began to snigger again.

"You asked out some random bartender" he said as if it was a defence.

"I'm on the rebound" I said and the hands of nearly everyone around me went up.

"I'm great rebound sex" Derek said and I rolled my eyes stepping into the empty lift. They all followed and we rode up in an almost silence. Kingsley's sniggers were the only thing disturbing that silence.

"Stop laughing" I ordered as we all headed toward our department.

"You asked him out" Kingsley sniggered.

"It's not that funny! I ask a lot of people out" I said and Derek raised his hand again.

"Not now!" I said and he sighed heading off to his own desk.

I immediately left Kingsley to get changed changing my hair to a long purple, I needed it long but didn't feel all that blue at the moment. I tied it back into a ponytail and then headed back to my desk.

Kingsley had left a note saying he'd write the report and then gave me some files to update because we'd got Millar. It'd been surprisingly easy but I know Kingsley had been working for months and months to make sure it was easy.

I worked through the files as efficiently as I could, not willing to let my mind wander to anything else.

It was nearing five, home time, when Tracy McCollum came over to my desk, "Hey Tonks"

I looked over at her holding her briefcase and a cloak over one of her arms a small smile on her face. She was a nice pretty girl with tussled white blonde curls and bright blue eyes. She looked rather pale and frail but I knew that was anything but. I'd seen her take down a two hundred pound six foot guy all by herself.

"I'm thinking of going out for a drink. Want to come? You look like you could use a pick me up and maybe pick someone up?" she said with a small grin.

"Oh fuck yes" I said grabbing my things. We both headed quickly out of the department but were stopped by Kingsley near the lifts.

"Nymphadora" he said

"Nymphadora?" Tracy echoed and I shot her a look making her giggle.

"What's up?" I asked turning back to Kingsley.

"I need you to go somewhere with me tonight"

"I was just going to grab a drink with Tracy. Come on Kings I need this… I got dumped I must have my rebound!" I said and Tracy clapped a hand to my shoulder

"That's the spirit" she said cheerfully.

"You can't sorry. Off you go McCollum" Kingsley said and Tracy sighed

"Sorry Tonks" she said and I pouted making my hair go blue which made her laugh, "Maybe Kingsley would be willing for a throwdown"

"Tracy" Kingsley said

"All right I'm gone" she said shaking her head and hopping into the lift. I turned my hair back to purple and looked at Kingsley.

"I'll go grab a team" I sighed but he grabbed my arm.

"No it's not a ministry thing" he said. I raised my eyebrows at this news then frowned.

"You don't need a date again do you? I only went with you that night because it was your sisters wedding. Please tell me you told your mother that we broke up or something" I said

"It's nothing like that. I can't tell you any more till you agree to come"

"All right, fine whatever I'll go with you" I said and he grinned making me slap his arm, "don't get fresh with me mate" he sniggered

"I appreciate this" he said and then leant close to whisper in my ear "in ten minutes, meet me in that café two blocks from here"

He left before I could ask him anything else so I turned and headed back to my cubicle to wait for ten minutes. I stood rearranging my files for a few minutes before I left the office wanting nothing more then to go and stick to my original plan of getting lucky. But I couldn't do that, I had to go meet Kingsley. I took off my robes glad that underneath I was wearing the quintessential Muggle outfit of jeans and a t-shirt beneath it. I usually did because it's awkward to wear robes under robes.

I sighed and headed out of the Ministry using the visitor's entrance so I could head into Muggle London easily. I effortlessly joined the throng of Muggles making their way though their days and walked down to the café Kingsley had indicated.

It wasn't unusual that Kingsley asked me an odd and secretive favour that was how he got me to go with him to his sisters wedding. He knows I don't date colleagues it just makes things awkward especially as Kingsley was my superior.

I stood waiting out front of the café and got hit on twice. This put me in a much better mood and I was grinning by the time Kingsley arrived looking very much like he belonged in the Muggle world with the dress pants he was wearing and simple button down shirt.

"Way to up stage me Shaq" I said feeling slightly underdressed in my jeans and tee.

"Doesn't matter. Now as far as any one is concerned this is date"

"Excuse me?" I asked as he took my hand and led me away from the café.

"Fudge has been getting more and more paranoid since the events in June we may be being followed" he said quietly.

"The Potter thing?" I asked

"Yes"

"Well I've always thought Fudge was nuts, now there's an actual excuse…"

"So you believe Potter"

"Well if I believed everything a fourteen year old boy told me I'd already have two kids but I think it's pretty hard to make up something like that" I said

"Good, you are the right girl"

"For what?" I asked getting annoyingly paranoid.

"You'll see" was all Kingsley said. I sighed and let him lead me through the streets of London.

"Are we going to be walking for a while?" I asked

"Not long" Kingsley said. Not long turned out to be over forty-five minutes. We walked around in circles for a bit, back tracked for a while to make sure we weren't being followed. I don't know why we would be but it never hurts to be cautious I suppose…

We were heading down a small little street in what looked to be a pretty dodgy neighbourhood when he stopped. I stopped beside him and raised my eyebrows.

"Real romantic spot Kings your so getting laid" I said he just gave me a look before ruffling through his pockets. I sighed and glanced around at the houses all looking pretty dodgy then at the empty lot in front of me. I turned back to him as he handed me a piece of paper.

The Order of the Phoenix Headquarters is located at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

"The what?" I asked as he burnt the slip of paper.

"Inside" he said taking my arm and leading me toward an old dilapidated house I knew had been an empty lot four seconds before. We walked up the steps which I of course tripped up because I wasn't paying attention. I was to busy staring at the boarded up windows and trying to brush off that nasty feeling that something awful was on the other side of that door.

Kingsley unlocked the door with his wand and we stepped into a dark hallway. As soon as Kingsley shut the door we were plunged into darkness. He led me along the hallway in darkness and I tripped over something pulling us both down the ground with a loud bang. Several things happened at once, one I landed with Kingsley on top of me, and he's fucking heavy, two the lights flicked on and three an unbelievably loud voice began screeching at us.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry" I cried over the wailing. Kingsley climbed off me and pulled me up. I looked around and saw I'd tripped over a troll leg umbrella stand. I turned and shot Kingsley a glare, "But really it's your own fault; you know I'm a klutz – it's getting to a point where it ain't cute"

"Filth in my house!" a woman screamed. Kingsley and I stared at the portrait bellowing at us, she began to hurl obscenities that made even a foul-mouthed girl like me feel awkward.

The portrait was quickly hit with a stunning charm and then a thin man with long black hair pulled a curtain over her and spun to face us. My mouth fell open; I'd been doing that a lot today, for a few moments all I could do was stare. Then my sense started to settle in, I screamed at him and the portrait started up again. Kingsley grabbed my arm leading me down a staircase into a dark kitchen. He flicked on some lights and sat me down at a table but I stood back up.

"What is Sirius Black doing here? Are you going to kill me?" I asked, Kingsley said nothing and I glared at him. Could Kingsley and Black teamed up for some reason and were now going to kill me? Why me? I frowned in thought… I was a girl, serial killers like those but I would be missed, I was an Auror, when they went missing national searches were conducted. Kingsley knew that, I was obviously worth that risk, but what on earth for…?

A strand of purple hair fell in my face and I frowned, morphing would be a convenient skill for a wanted criminal… but could they get my ability by killing me? I shuddered at that thought having some horrible images flash through my head.

I watch too much TV.

At that moment Black entered the kitchen, "You're early" he said "and loud…"

"Explain" I said to Kingsley.

"Maybe you should sit down" Black said

"Maybe you should shut up" I snapped he scoffed in disbelief. I pulled out my wand and Kingsley pulled out his.

"Oh Kingsley I may be a klutz but you know I beat your score on speed shooting in training, do you seriously want to test me?" I asked "now put down your wand, slowly, and kick it to me"

"Tonks" Kingsley said as he slowly put down his wand and kicked it over to me.

"Don't tell me I'm over reacting. This man killed thirteen people in a single blast" I said picking up his wand and pointing it at Black so I had a wand on each of them.

"I'm innocent" Black said

"Everyone says that" I said.

"Tonks he really is. I brought you here to join the Order of the Phoenix it's an organisation bent on brining down Voldemort" Kingsley said I raised my eyebrows at him "they were around the first time Voldemort was in power"

"And Black is here…?" I trailed off waiting for an explanation.

"He was an original member. He was framed by Peter Pettigrew who is now working by Voldemort's side we have confirmed this through a number of sources"

"Pettigrew's dead, he killed him" I said nodding to Black.

"He's not, he helped Voldemort return. Did you read Potters statement?" Kingsley asked

"Scrimgeour wouldn't let me touch it with a ten foot pole. Well he offered but it involved a very crass comment about his personal pole. I've only gotten things from the paper and word of mouth"

"Look its all true, Dumbledore will explain better when he gets here"

"Dumbledore?" I asked sceptically. I could usually trust Kingsley but in this situation I was reluctant to, it might be Black standing right beside him. But Professor Dumbledore, my old headmaster, was a wise and brilliant wizard who knew the right thing to do even when the rest of the world didn't agree.

I tossed Kingsley's wand back to him.

"Fine, but your explaining this at great length to me later" I said and put my wand into the pocket of my jeans. I folded my arms over my chest and glared over at Kingsley and Black.

"Tonks I'm sorry but it had to be this way. This organisation needs to remain as secret as possible"

"Well… yeah but you could have said watch out for the serial killer when we got inside"

"I resent that" Black said

"No one is talking to you please shut up" I said

"Andromeda!" Black said. Kingsley and I turned very slowly to stare at him. I glanced around quickly in search of my mother before frowning.

"What?" I asked rudely.

"I was just trying to figure out who you reminded me of. And you remind me of my foul mouthed cleverly witty beautiful cousin Andy" he said.

"She's my mother" I said turning to Kingsley ready to yell at him some more.

"Really?" Black asked I sighed.

"Yeah… she thought you were innocent" I muttered

"Oh really?" he asked I shook my head and glared at Kingsley. Damn him for doing this to me.

"The meeting should start soon, I'll ask Dumbledore to have a word with you as you don't seem to be keen on believing me right now" Kingsley said.

"Get me some of your sister's apple pie and I might even consider talking to you again" I said.

"So… Scrimgeour hit on you?" Kingsley asked

"Kings every body hit on me. You hit on me" I said

"Once and you liked it" he said with a grin I sighed.

"You think anyone will take a twenty-two year old girl who can look like any one she damn pleases seriously?" I asked him. He walked over to me and pulled me into a hug.

"I do, I think of you as an Auror first and a girl second…" he said and I frowned, "sorry woman second" he pulled away from me and pushed my fringe off my face.

"That was a sweet moment" Black said. I jumped and coughed taking a giant step away from Kingsley making him laugh.

Members began showing up a few minutes later. I was introduced to a few whose names I quickly forgot but would hopefully pick up again as time progressed. Apparently who I was sitting with now was only a small portion of this organisation. It wasn't massive but it was large enough to make an impact. I nearly fell off my chair when my old headmaster Albus Dumbledore walked in, I had been warned of that but it was who followed that startled me.

I glared at Kingsley for not warning me Serverus Snape would be here. Everyone I knew hated the potions teacher as much as I had in school and I had been pleased with graduating knowing I'd never have to see that hooked nose ever again and there it was in front of me. The shocks didn't stop, when Remus Lupin walked in I actually did fall off my chair and kicked Kingsley while I was down for not preparing me for that little fact. He snorted and tried to pass it off as coughing while I climbed back into my seat giving him a very nasty look. There were a few awkward moments while everyone stared at me or Lupin trying to figure out why his entrance had affected me like that. Lupin looked pretty clueless about it so everyone stared at me while the meeting resumed. The meeting itself was not very exciting, just mentioning that one of the absent members would soon be moving her family into Headquarters for convenience. Also that Dumbledore wanted Harry Potter to be brought here; Black perked up at this news but was shot down when Dumbledore said "But not yet".

The meeting ended and I headed over to Dumbledore with Kingsley.

"Nymphadora" Dumbledore said. He and my mother were the only people who got away with calling me that, I even hit my father when he does it.

"Professor, how are you?" I asked

"I'm good. It's nice to see some fresh faces in our little crowd. I trust you've been informed"

"Not really actually" I said giving Kingsley a glance.

"I didn't want to tell her much until I was sure I could trust her"

"You brought her though" Dumbledore pointed out.

"Uh… well yes" Kingsley said awkwardly while I smirked.

"Well Nymphadora I'm sure you've enough common sense to know that you probably shouldn't mention this to anyone else. You will occasionally be sent to perform various tasks that may be an inconvenience on your life and sometimes your health. I must know if you're willing. I feel inclined to remind you that this is all for a good cause"

"Well I'm a sucker for a good cause. Of course I'm in and I'll keep your secret"

"Good, Kingsley will inform you of other dates for our meetings and things. Now Sirius come of here and meet your cousin" Dumbledore said. Black, who was sitting picking at a muffin Lupin had brought him, looked up and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Oh we met, psychotic bitch" he said I scoffed in disbelief then slapped his arm. "Ow!"

"Ah, already acting like family, brother and sister even. Like you have always known each other, it's nice to see" Dumbledore said.

"You're insane" Black said to me

"You called me a psychotic bitch" I said

"You don't go slapping people. Especially not serial killers"

"Hah! You did do it" I said

"Professor she tricked me with her stupid Auror logic" Black said.

"This guy is an idiot, I'm inclined to believe his innocence purely on the basis no one that stupid could carry out such a co-ordinated attack like that" I said he slapped my arm glaring at me. "Ow!"

"I'll let you two get acquainted; Kingsley how is that delightful sister of yours?" Dumbledore asked as he left with Kingsley. I let my mouth fall open in disbelief but closed it when I resolved to kick his ass next time I saw him.

I turned to glare at Black but then noticed Lupin standing nearby watching me curiously.

"Can we start again?" Black said startling me to look at him. "I seem to usually fuck up with my family and you seem all right"

"Uh… Tonks" I said offering him my hand.

"Sirius Black" he said shaking it. "This is Remus Lupin"

"Hi" I said shaking Lupin's hand as well. I was kind of glad I looked completely different from when I'd first met him. I was a few inches shorter, a little smaller, my face was different too and my hair was purple. It kind of moved all the awkwardness away which I liked.

"Tonks huh?" Lupin asked. Was he clever enough to figure it out? Nah…

"Yep"

"Got a first name?" Black asked.

"Who doesn't?" I replied and he frowned.

"So you work with Kingsley?" Lupin asked.

"Yes" I said defensively, he can't be that clever, "many people do"

"Right, right"

"Wait… Tonks… wasn't that the name of the girl that hit on you?" Black asked Lupin. Oh come on!

They both looked at me with raised eyebrows and I smiled

"I have to go" I said. Crap. I turned ready to bolt up the stairs

"Wait, wait, wait. We were just teasing come back" Black whined, I slowly turned and walked back over to him, "Look, your mum was my favourite cousin. I always admired her and I loved her far more then I did my own brother" he said and gently took my hands so he wouldn't startle me. He looked kind of dead with the pale face and thin frame but the warmth from his hands and small little smile indicated otherwise. "I didn't get a chance to know her as well as I'd liked to because she was kicked out of the family before I made it to ten but I'd like to make up for it with you, if that's ok?"

"Sure"

"So we could maybe have a longer chat sometime?" he asked I nodded slowly.

"I'd like that" I said he smiled and let me go. I spun on my heel and quickly bolted up the stairs tripping over in the process. I stood up quickly and gave an awkward nod to the two men before I continued on my way out the door.

I always get excited for first chapters. I'm trying to stay on top of this one so you can get updates. I am writing more original stuff these days but this idea just wouldn't leave me alone. It is nice to write about a couple that you know how the wind up – still bitter about it though. Leave me a review; tell me your thoughts and whatever, Penny