Chapter 1: In which Tonks persuades Lupin to go out.
Once upon a saturday on 12th Grimauld Place, when folks wanted to be curling up comfortably in the sofa enjoying a few moments of day-off bliss,Tonks went about to persuade Lupin to go out to buy pasta ingredients because she doesn't know what to buy but she apparently still wants to cook.
Sirius laughed at this pointing at Lupin and saying that "that person would not get up from a book for his life." and "you, dear cousin, are crazy. How could you cook if you don't even know the ingredients?"
But Tonks had still insisted. Even if Sirius argued that "you first have to recite and incantation and draw some circles on the ground then sacrifice a chicken, to make him go out of the house." She just said she apparently did not like dark magic, and that Sirius ought to let the dark arts of the Black family go, and that she should just ask him instead of putting him on imperious.
Remus did a very good impression of appearing not to be interested. He sighed, closed his book, and said "Alright."
They were walking on the Diagon alley when they saw a bunch of activist protesters.
"Another person died today, eaten by a werewolf." the man was shouting. Beside him, there was a big picture of a gruesome body killed by a werewolf. "It is very dangerous to let them hold positions.
"Some are twisting the minds of the students! Putting ideas in them that werewolves can function in the community as normal human beings and therefore deserve some rights!"
Remus clenched his jaw and looked stern. But Nymphadora knew that he was just trying to keep his face unreadable.
"Hey, It's fine. It's going to be fine, " Tonks smiled and touched his hand reassuringly. "Come on, I wanna grab some butterbeer." she said, dragging Remus with her two hands to a nearby shop.
He needs to be humored. Tonks thought. Forget about those horrid protesters and laugh for a while.
They sat at the outside table of the shop in Hogsmeade. There. thought Tonks. Just make an subtle emphasis on the simple pleasures of laughing with friends over butterbeer. He'll come around sooner.
Then there was a scream.
And people crowding over something.
That's when they saw a tableau of a girl being heaved outside an inn.
"No need to trick me! I saw the marks on your legs. You're a werewolf. You think you could hide it with that jeans girl? Get out!"
"Please." said the girl. "I traveled a long way. I just need to stay for the night."
"You say one night, but I can't let you stay here. You might transform and the next thing we know we are already half of us eaten."
The girl was still insisting. just one night, please, she won't be a bother, it won't be full moon and if she could get a drink of water. She is very thirsty.
Remus' face was beyond livid. But when he looked to his right, there was no Tonks to accompany him this time.
Because Tonks was way ahead of him in the fray.
"Hey! There is no law that werewolves aren't supposed to stay inside the inn," said Tonks, raising her voice so that it was louder than the barman's. Then that was when he heard Tonks voice. She was already at the door of the inn.
"Rules or no, she can't stay." said the barman.
"And how did you come to see the marks? Have you been peeping on the girl? Don't you know that you could get arrested for that?!" said Tonks.
The barman waved his hand to dismiss her accusation rudely, "Both of you, get out of my inn."
"I'm an Auror. " said Tonks menacingly. "And if you know what's good for you, you'd answer my question: How did you come to know her marks given the fact that she's wearing jeans?"
"We understand." Lupin was on Tonks' shoulder taking command of the scene. "We understand the risk that the girl can bring. We will let the girl stay at our place."
"That's no problem for me. You take her. You're of the same breed so it won't be a problem." said the barman dismissively as if he did not think it worth his energy to talk to them, and closed the door to their face.
"That's Professor Lupin you stupid git!"
But Lupin touched her shoulders to hold her down and shook her head.
"You. Why did you let him talk to you like that? And I wasn't finished yet!"
"It wouldn't do anything good. Trust me. A werewolf cannot win a case. You would have to risk your career and power to bring down the barman, but it would cause us a lot. Specially now that we need you to lay low."
"Of course, not planning on it. I was just going to threaten him with something we can't do but he probably doesn't know we can't. you know." the Order of the Phoenix benefits from her position. "But bloody barman, I'd have reported him if not for the bloody Order thing."
Lupin smiled. "Harassment to a werewolf? I doubt it."
Then Lupin turned and smiled warmly to the girl. "I'm sorry about that slight mishap. If you still don't have a place, you can stay for the night, at my place."
The girl was surprised at being softly spoken to. "Are you sure? I.. could stay at the broom cupboard so I won't be a bother."
Lupin laughed. "No need for that. I have a room to spare."
"What is your name?" asked Lupin.
"Esther."
