This was all my idea.

I'm the one that suggested it, I should be able to handle this.

I'm brave. I'm an auror for merlin's sake.

I am Nymphadora Tonks. I can do anything.

Then why am I so scared?

I looked again at the piece of creased up parchment in my gloved hand, reading the address over and over in my mind but not daring to look up.

I finally tore my eyes away from the paper and took a peek at the before blank wall in front of me,

it had stretched out to reveal a large black door identical to the rest on the deserted street, However this door had a brass '12' hanging, somewhat off centre above the old brass knocker.

I took a brave step forward and reached for the knocker.

Come on 'Dora, I told my self confidently, Do it.

I wrapped smartly on the knocker, checking over my shoulder warily and waited. A few seconds later the door opened an inch and a face appeared in the crack.

'Who's there?' a woman's voice sounded warily.

'I'm Tonks?' I said shakily, giving a cough and carrying on, 'Mad eye sent me?'

I must have looked small, lost and innocent standing there on the doorstep because the woman opened the door to me and ushered me in. 'Mind your quiet' she whispered.

She was plump and had curly red hair, tied in a bandana sort of thing, she had flustered red cheeks and kind eyes. Most of my anxiety dissipated as I took a deep breath and walked tentatively across the dark hallway.

'What was your name again, dear?' She asked, removing the pinny self-consciously.

'Tonks' I said, extending my hand for her to shake. Instead she gave me a quick, motherly hug and smiled.

Don't ask me my first name

'Do you have a first name, Tonks?' She said kindly.

Knew it, I grimaced and nodded. 'Nymphadora, but everyone calls me Tonks' I added quickly.

'Well, I think it's a lovely name' She said beckoning me down the stony steps to the basement.

I followed cautiously, generally normal people don't generally invite new comers to their basement.

A few spring to mind, now I mention it.

'If you don't mind my asking,' Said the woman, 'What have you come for?'

I couldn't see her face but I got a feeling she thought I was here on an errand.

HA, I thought.

'I'm an auror in his old department, he got in touch with me when he heard the order of the phoenix were reconstituting, I'm here to join up' I said with a hint of pride.

Yes, Me, Dora Tonks is joining the famous order of the phoenix, that special "invitation only" party you only get invited to if your pretty damn good.

Although its not a party of course.

Unless You-Know-Who is using a new killing curse called "the Macarena".

'Oh!' The woman said reaching the bottom of the stairs and lighting an oil lamp on the wall with her wand, 'Well I'm Molly Weasley, My husband and I are in the order with our two eldest'

For some reason this name rang a bell in the back of my mind, but most things do.

I'm a bit forgetful.

'The meeting isn't for another half hour' she said lighting more lamps as she walked down the hall, 'but you are welcome to meet everybody'

She rounded a corner and I saw a kitchen stretching out, I walked in and was hit with a mist of smells, chicken and pasta…and a sauce. I sniffed deeply and sighed, I smelt like my parents kitchen when I was a child.

There were two boys sitting at the table, both with long red hair, one turned round and grinned at me,

'Nice hair.' He nodded appreciatively.

'Thanks' I grinned back ruffling my short bubblegum pink hair, the boy next to him turned around, and my brain did a double take.

It was then I realised they were identical twins.

'Wow' He said with an identical grin, 'We should try it' He said nudging his twin and getting up.

'Fred Weasley' He extended his hand and I shook it gladly.

'Tonks' I said, 'and you are?'

'George Weasley' The other boy said scribbling frantically with a quill on a piece of parchments.

'Naturally' I shrugged, Suddenly I had to dodge out of the way quickly, knocking over a chair next to me, because a boy was running into the kitchen in a hurry.

There was a crash and a cry of anguish from Molly Weasley. The chair I had knocked over had hit the casserole she was preparing and it had smashed all over the floor.

'Oh god' I said picking the chair up, 'I'm so sorry'

Molly shook her head, 'No matter dear,' flicking her wand and the casserole was on the sideboard, untouched.

The--boy-who-had-made-me-make-a-fool-out-of-my-self-already, was tall and lanky with longish red hair like the others and a long prominent nose. He stood clutching a pink fluffy book looking apologetic.

'Sorry,' he said, 'I didn't see you there' He went pink at the ears and looked away.

'That's ok' I said, pulling out a chair and sitting down, looking puzzled at the fluffy notebook in his clutched hands. Well, whatever tickles his pickle…

'Ronald, GET BACK HERE!' I heard a voice screech from the hallway and a girl run in. She did a double take when she saw me.

I seem to have that effect on people, Maybe it's the hair.

'I'm Tonks.' I said.

'Oh, Hello Tonks, Hermione' She said introducing herself with a smile, obviously not part of the family, with long bushy brown hair and kind looking hazel eyes.

'Don't let me interrupt' I smiled looking down at the table, while she grinned and presumed chasing the boy-who-made-me-fall-over around the kitchen table and out of the door again.

'Can we not run in the house?!' Cried Molly meekly after them, shrugging.

When I finally thought I'd met "everyone" in walked in someone who made me drop the tea Molly had just handed over to me all over the kitchen floor.

'Oh, I'm Sorry!' I cried repeatedly, Molly shook her head and got out her wand.

'No, I've got it' I said flicking my wand and catching the fixed mug in my hands, placing it safely on the table.

'Dora Tonks' He said with a smile.

I told you the name rang a bell. Charlie Weasley. My best friend in my first few years at Hogwarts. We went out in fourth year and it all ended rather horribly with a combination of fire whiskey, a flobberworm and Frank Kirk from Raven claw. But I hoped he'd forgotten that.

'Charlie!' I said jumping up. Molly grabbed the chair I had been sitting on cautiously.

I gave him a hug round the middle and broke away beaming, 'I haven't seen you for…'

Charlie shrugged, twirling a necklace on his neck in an absent minded fashion,

'About 5 years? How have you been? Kick ass auror I guess?' He said poking me in the ribs.

'You bet!' I said swishing my wand impressively, I saw Molly tense and duck. 'And you?'

Charlie sat down and started explaining his work in Romania with Dragons, he even showed me a few scars down his neck and on his arms. I gasped, Ooh'd and Ahh'd in all the right places but I couldn't ignore that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, I knew everyone from the order would start arriving soon.

I felt like the stupid new girl at primary school all over again.

Almost instantly as the thought crossed my mind, the clock struck, pops started sounding all over the house. I must have had a look on my face because Charlie took my hand.

'Don't worry, they'll love you'

I screwed my face up, somehow I couldn't believe him.

People started filing into the room, giving me looks as if to say Charlie's-been-bringing-home-girls-again.

My first surprise of the evening was seeing my ex-transfiguration teacher file in and shake off her emerald green cloak. This in its self is not surprising, but the fact that as she shook, her hair came out of its tight nit bun and she sat down at the table with a mug of hot tea with it hanging limply down past her shoulders.

I have never seen her have her hair down.

Ever.

Charlie gave me a grin, he must be on the same wavelength. I inspected each person that wandered through the door into the warm kitchen. A short, plump man with straw coloured hair who I later found out was called Podmore, A young-ish woman with long dark hair who I recognised from Work as Emmeline Vance and an old man with greyish hair and a ripped cloak, smelling slightly of a weak bury. I creased up my nose slightly and hoped he sat on the other side of the table.

By now the room was full to the brim with wizards and witches chatting loudly and animatedly amongst themselves, the last to enter was Mad eye Moody.

Mad eye by name, Mad eye by nature. His odd eye swivelled round the room making a bit of a popping sound. I felt the tea I had drunk repeating on me slightly.

The eye rested on me.

'Tonks,' he said sharply, 'You came'

What did you expect me to do?, I thought angrily, but kept my mouth tight shut just in case I embarrassed myself again. Everyone in the room had their eyes on me, I looked around sheepishly and grinned. McGonagall scowled at me.

I think she is offended by my hair too.

'Everybody, this is,' Moody began pointing at me.

Don't say my first name.

Don't say it.

',Nymphadora Tonks' he finished.

Thanks very much Moody you son of a screwt.

'Just Tonks,' I hastily added, 'Everyone calls me Tonks'

That was my grand introduction, Moody started talking in a low gruff voice, mentioning a few names I recognised, obviously known Death Eaters and a little something called 'guard duty' kept coming up in conversation.

I wish someone would explain what is going on because I'm confused. I checked my nails consciously under the table and I noticed one was shorter than the rest. Being a metamorphmagus has its advantages because I closed my eyes and screwed them slightly in a pained expression and grew that nail a little bit.

Suddenly the door slammed open and everyone in the room looked round to see a man holding the door open, Quite tall and stockily built, with deep grey blue eyes, sandy coloured hair with streaks of grey hanging over a young, but scarred and pale face. His robes were torn and patched, and slightly off colour, but his face was kind and mysterious.

'Sorry, I'm late' he made his apologies to Moody quietly, Moody nodded gravely and signalled to the only empty seat. Next to me.

I grinned at him as he sat down, he looked at me questioningly, running his eyes over my face and hair. 'I don't recognise you' he said, 'are you new?'

I bit the nail I had just grown self-consciously, 'yeah, Tonks' I said sticking out my hand.

He clasped it quickly, his hand was leathery and scarred, He gave it a squeeze and replied, 'Remus Lupin' I felt my neck and ears going red, and fought the blush hard, tearing my attention away and focussing hard on Moody.

Somehow I could feel Remus Lupin's eyes on me, burning into the side of my head. Maybe he is trying to work out why there is a young pink haired woman intruding on their little club. I waited a few seconds and then glanced quickly to my right.

Oh my god. I was so right.

Maybe I inherited my dad's talent. Dad's a seer, one of the only seer's I have ever met that isn't a clone of Trewelany.

I fought to keep my eyes firmly on Moody, and not look at Lupin either. Because that would be so wrong.

Moody grunted his goodbyes and the mill of conversation returned to the room, I looked around nervously ruffling my hair. I wish someone would talk to me.

'Who's staying for dinner?' Molly called happily from the sideboard, where she was waving her wand above a cauldron of steaming sauce.

'Are there meatballs?' someone called from the other side of the room.

'You bet' Said a tall pale man with straggly black hair, 'Molly's Best'

This man stuck his finger into the cauldron while Molly's back was turned and scolded his finger, but taking an appreciative lick and grinning. I giggled at forbidden-taster-guy and his head turned towards me, he gave me a look as if he recognised me, but shook his head and continued with wiping the plates clean.

'Tonks, dear. Would you like to stay for dinner?' Molly said, sensing I felt left out and looking kindly down at me.

I nodded agreeing, 'Is there anything I can do?' I said, eager to prove myself.

'Erm…ok dear,' said Molly handing me a hand full of knives and forks which I clutched in my arms, 'can you set these out? I think most people are staying…'

I nodded, determined to do well, I started taking the cutlery out from my grasp and placing them in front of people carefully.

'NYMPHADORA TONKS!'

I squealed and dropped a few knives onto the yellow table cloth, one missing Remus Lupin's hand by an inch, as he quickly removed his hand from path of the flying knife. I turned round quickly, seeing who had just caused me to almost de-hand my new friend and I saw the black haired man standing triumphant.

'I knew it was you!' guy-that-enjoys-scaring-the-hell-out-of-me said cracking the first beaming grin I had seen on him all evening.

Am I meant to have a clue who this man is?

I raised my eyebrows, 'sorry, but-' I started but got cut off.

'who am I?' he said, 'don't you remember me?- spending summers on the field behind your parents playing tag?'

My heart skipped a quick beat as I was thrust back into my memories, my old house, a cottage in Dorset surrounded my orchards and fields, running through the tall grass wearing dungarees, I couldn't be more 6 years old. Screeching happily and running away from a teenage boy with shaggy jet black hair and a smooth pale face.

I stepped away slowly, my foot catching beneath me and stumbling, 'S-Sirius?' I muttered, looking this older man up and down, messy hair and dirty stubbly skin, but the same dark kind eyes and features.

'Its been 15 years…' I said quietly doing mental sums in my head, if I was right it would make Sirius in his late thirties. I looked at the man standing before me, He looked older, he wasn't the well groomed boy I used to know.

'Nymphadora' He said, equally astonished, he stepped forward and I let him ruffle my short, pink hair fondly, 'I can't believe its you'

I grinned foolishly, I can't believe I didn't recognise my mum's favourite cousin before, those same eyes and the mischievous expression that seemed to say, 'I've-done-something-and-you-don't-know-what-it-is!'. The very same that I seemed to sport quite a lot of the time.

'You look so-' I started, how can I describe it? Old?, 'Different' I finished.

'Being on the run does that to you,' He said somewhat sourly, I avoided his eyes.

'Yeah, Mum was distraught when she heard,' I added with a look.

The-cousin-that-never-called looked sheepish, and turned his attention to me. I blushed famously. 'I can't believe how grown up you are, how old are you, 25? and that hair! It suits you' He pulled me into a hard hug, I hugged him round the neck and decided I wasn't going to let go.

Ever.

When I finally pulled away I decided I was going to make a late new years resolution and never take my family for granted. Maybe I could go and visit mum and dad soon too, Saturday.

No hang on I can't

Monday

No, I'm working.

Wednesday?

Ok, I'll try to visit them sooner or later, I will.