How Molly Knew. --- By NearlyHeadlessNic

Summary: Set during HBP. The move back to Grimmauld Place.

Dumbledore had sent for the Order members to move back to Grimmauld Place, under Harry's will of course, and set it up as Headquarters once more. It seemed most of the senior aurors were placing wards around the house with Mad-Eye over seeing it all. But one auror was inside, in the kitchen, strangely making cups of tea for everyone. Badly.

She was young and petite, but easily noticeable. She had long mousy brown hair and a heart shaped face. Her expression was sad, most likely to be grief, with dark shadows under her eyes. She was fiddling with her mahogany wand with seven mugs in front of her and a whistling kettle annoying her.

"Kingsley wants sugar," she muttered, pointing her wand at one mug. Sugar spat out the tip of her wand uncontrollably and the mug was full to the brim of white crystals. "Oh crap," she said frustratingly, tipping the mug into the sink and then placing it by the kettle again. "Mad-Eye doesn't want milk, and Emmeline does," She murmured to herself and swept back her hair in aggravation.

She heard another person enter the kitchen behind her and close the door quietly. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, to calm herself. The new person who entered came up right behind her and looked around her shoulders to see what she was doing.

"Oh Tonks," said a comforting voice, the voice of Molly Weasley, "Let me do that."

Tonks nodded and moved aside as Molly whipped out her wand and pointed it in every direction and almost instantly, seven cups of tea had been made. Molly cast a spell with the flick of the wand and the mugs disappeared only to appear in the hands of their respective owner.

Molly then turned to Tonks, "Sweetie, sit down." She advised and Tonks sat down at one of the mismatched chairs next to the table and Molly sat down opposite her. "What's wrong?"

Tonks shook her head and placed her head in her hands. Tears formed at the back of her eyes and she didn't want them to proceed to the front. Molly, as quick as her short legs would take her, rushed around the other side of the table and gave a big motherly hug to Tonks.

"Oh sweetie, what on earth is the matter?" Molly asked again.

Tonks removed her heads from her face to reveal a tear stained face, "It's not good Molly," she began, "I don't think I can live without him anymore." Tonks burst out in another set of tears that unwillingly fell from her eyes.

Molly reached inside her robe pocket and removed a handkerchief that she passed it to Tonks. "Darling, I know Sirius' death came as a shock, it did to us all, but he wouldn't want you to sit here like this."

"No Molly," Tonks said, dabbing her eyes with the handkerchief, "It's not Sirius who I can't live without. I miss him, of course I do, and he became a good friend and the only Black I became close to."

Molly retreated back slightly confused, "Then whom can't you live without?"

Tonks closed her eyes and sighed, "Sirius' best friend," She said quietly, "Lupin, I have fallen for Lupin."