Today was one of those days when Tonks woke up before her alarm. One of those rarities in life, like finding a four leaf clover in a field of green. She emerged chirpily from her quilt with hair like a birds nest.
She scrunched up her face and shook out the blonde mess until it became shorter and ran with turquoise ringlets. She gave it a fond flick as she turned from her mirror.
Her street was still asleep as she stepped out of her door into the crisp air at around 5:00am. She hugged her long cloak around her.
This morning she wanted to get to Grimmauld Place early before she ventured to work. She'd been given her first mission by the Order a couple of meetings after she had joined and she didn't want to be pessimistic but she was fairly certain that she would find a way to mess up at least one aspect of it.
She'd been so surprised when Kingsley had looked at her from across the wooden table and asked her in his low deep voice if she'd be free to help. Before that point she'd been yawning over a cup of tea, not really paying a huge amount of attention, but then she found herself sitting up straight and repeating, "Yes, I'm free", over and over again. It turned out she'd agreed to a big job, really important too. She was still trying to get herself and important into the same sentence.
She walked to the bus stop on the pavement outside her house and disapparated, she then appeared outside headquarters. It felt like hardly any time had passed since she'd last been there. The smell of old oak filled her nose as the door creaked open slowly.
Once inside she tried especially hard not to wake anybody, very aware how early it was. This was hard enough for a normal person, but for Tonks it was nigh near impossible. She resorted to tip toeing down the corridor as slowly as she could, in her mind's eye she was moving as delicately as an elegant gazelle, tottering carefully through the undergrowth.
She passed a trolls foot and it swung around dangerously, she threw out her hand caught it silently, took a huge breath, and laid it back against the wall, silently thanking her quick reflexes. She pushed the kitchen door open painfully slowly expecting it to be empty, but she was greeted by Molly in a lilac dressing gown bustling around the kitchen sorting out breakfast. And there sitting at the table reading a book was Sirius' friend Remus.
Even though Remus had taken to sitting opposite her at Order meetings and making her laugh with his anecdotes about Sirius and their time at Hogwarts, and Molly's supreme kindness and warmth, she still felt slightly nervous in their presence. It was ridiculous, of course, but she tried her best nevertheless to hide it from them.
They both looked up as she entered.
"Morning Tonks dear", said Molly setting jars of jam, honey and marmalade on the table. It had taken a few reminders but Molly had stopped calling her Nymphadora after giving her a look very similar to a look her own mother often gave her.
"Morning Molly", said Tonks taking her usual seat opposite Lupin.
"You're here early", said Remus, looking up from his book. It looked like a muggle Sci-Fi book she'd seen on her Dad's shelf. He closed it and folded his hands over it quickly.
"I wanted to get here early, before I go to work, just to make sure I'm all set for tonight", she replied. "I'm sure I'll forget something, and I don't think I want to let everyone think I'm useless, not quite yet anyway."
"You'll be fine," he said kindly. "Besides, I thought you were meant to be one of the youngest Auror's at the Ministry. Kingsley was singing your praises the other night." He smiled widely at her.
She felt a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "Full marks in Concealment and Disguise," she burst out before she could stop herself.
He laughed, "I'm not surprised."
Remus didn't look as tired as he had at the last meeting. Now he was wearing a plain white t-shirt which Tonks surmised to be his pyjamas, his lean arms that were usually covered by a grey or brown jumper were exposed. His hair was messy and sticking out at the sides, as though he had just got out of bed.
"You're up early too", she said back to him. She had honestly expected to be waiting in the kitchen for a while for someone to wake up. But it was nice to talk to him outside the usually meeting atmosphere.
"I couldn't sleep, a pair of birds decided to sit on my window sill and make as much noise as they could. I thought it was best to get up instead of lying there getting steadily more frustrated. So up early it was."
"Not early enough to change though", she said smirking slightly.
He looked down at himself, "I'm afraid you beat me there. I think you and Molly are the only ones who have caught me in my pyjamas, so far", he raised his eyebrows slightly.
"What a lucky girl I am", said Mrs Weasley who had not so accidently been eavesdropping on their conversation. She began cracking eggs into a sizzling frying pan.
Tonks giggled into her hand. "Don't tell Arthur, whatever you do."
Remus was smiling too, but a small frown had formed on his forehead. "Turquoise, what kind of mood is that then?" He gestured to her hair. "I found a book on Metamophmagi the other day, it was very interesting."
Tonks twirled a strand between her fingers feeling touched that he'd been reading about it, "The appearance doesn't always depend on my mood. I wanted to try something different; I get bored quite easily with a colour, if I wear it too long. Not that any colour is new anymore, I've tried every colour combination I can think of."
"If I was a Metamorphmagus I wonder what colour hair I'd have", said Remus. A sudden image of him with spiky electric blue hair flooded into her head. She giggled again.
"No", she shook her head, "I don't think any other colour would suit you, that colour is just, your colour."
He laughed and then his eyes widened excitedly moving from her eyes into her hair. "I'm not sure it suits you so much".
Tonks pulled at a strand of hair, which she now found to be shoulder length. When she looked at it, her eyes widened too. Her hair had changed into the exact same shade of chestnut brown as his; it even had the faint streaks of grey, her eyes widened.
"It's never done that before," her voice was filled with the shock she felt, "I wasn't even thinking about the colour of your hair."
"So it can change without you thinking about it?" He looked genuinely astounded by her. He was leaning forward across the table with his arms folded over each other.
"Usually it's when I'm really embarrassed or angry. Some form of heightened emotion. It sort of brings it out in me." She was beginning to feel quite self-conscious under his intense gaze. She shook her head again, turning it back to the turquoise she had had earlier.
"You're like one of those muggle mood rings aren't you?" He said. "They're supposed to display whatever emotion the wearer is feeling."
Her eyes widened, "yes, yes I guess I am. You're the first guy to ever call me that Remus."
"And probably the last," he laughed, "it's hardly the most imaginative thing you could be compared to."
Suddenly Mrs Weasley pushed plateful of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of Tonks. She had almost forgotten that she was still in the room. Lupin checked his watch, "they'll be up soon, I'd better go and change, before I give one of my past students a heart attack." He winked at her.
She laughed rather too loudly as he rose from the table, trying to get rid of the slight blush she felt in her cheeks. He grabbed a slice of buttered toast, thanked Molly for the early breakfast and walked out of the door.
"See you tonight," he called.
Tonks felt her eyes moving from his torso, down to the grey shorts he was wearing. The muscles in his calves were not muscular but lean. His skin was pale, almost as light as his white t-shirt. It was so different that Tonks found herself staring for much longer than she needed to. Before the stair case turned and his knees disappeared up, she noticed the ivy green socks that he was wearing, and she was sure they were a pair that Mrs Weasley had knitted him for Christmas. She'd seen Arthur and their children with the same patterned garments.
Her attention was then captured by the delicious smell under her nose, her stomach rumbled. She picked up the fork and wolfed down the entire plate at lightning speed. She hadn't even come here intending to eat!
"Are you up to much today Molly?" Asked Tonks.
"I might pop down to Diagon Alley to collect the children's new books for the beginning of term. And I want to make Harry's favourite when he gets here, so I have to get some more treacle, Kreacher seems to have hidden the last tin." She said, setting a tower of toast in the centre of the table. The smell of cooking must have wafted up the staircase because she could hear people bustling around above her.
There was a flurry as everyone arrived in the kitchen at different times, they all greeted Tonks as they entered. She really liked the fact that everyone knew her name now and thought it a normal occurrence to see her there. The kitchen table was soon filled with plates of Molly's magnificent food. Arthur Weasley entered with his tie undone around his neck and bags under his eyes. He stood still whist Mrs Weasley tied it for him. He spotted Tonks among the many red heads.
"I'm surprised to see you here this early Tonks", he said smiling kindly at her.
"I just wanted to make sure I was 100% sure of the times for tonight, I'm supposed to be here for 11?"
"10", he said as Mrs Weasley straightened his knotted tie. "10 o'clock here, then to Privet Drive, then back here, hopefully around 12, if all goes to plan."
"Gotcha, well my shift finishes at 9:30 so I may as well come straight here. If that's alright with you, Sirius?" She said to the man who had just walked into the kitchen.
"Of course, of course, you're always welcome here." He bounded around the table till he was by her side. "But guess what's happening today?"
"What?" She said.
"Harry's coming!" A huge goofy grin was spread across his face.
"Remus said you might be like this," she smiled.
Sirius smiled at her and then it faltered ever so slightly. "Can I have a word with you," he said quietly and gestured towards the door of the kitchen.
"Sure," she said uncertainly. She followed him up the corridor into another small sitting room. He sat down on the grey settee and she did the same.
"So what do you already know about Remus?" He asked straight away.
"Umm… What?" Had Sirius brought her in here to gossip about his friend?
"You only met him at your first Order meeting didn't you?"
"Yes, I suppose I don't know much about him. I know he was your friend and Hogwarts, used to work at Hogwarts, he's in the Order, that's about it really," she replied.
"Nothing else springs to mind? Nothing you've seen while in the Ministry?" He was looking at her in a rather strange way.
"There is something about his name that seems familiar, as if I really should know it, but I can't place it." The first time they'd met she'd been sure there was something linked to his name, but it had not resurfaced. "Why, should I?"
"I thought this might be the case. He's difficult when it comes to this, he's disgusted by it and he tortures himself no end. He is determined to believe that he should be separated from normal society, for our safety, when he doesn't realise that no one here treats him or see him any differently. I don't know how many times I've told him-"
She stopped him there, "Sirius, what are you talking about?"
"He's a werewolf Tonks."
And suddenly it hit her, that's where she'd heard his name before, that's why it had sounded so familiar when they'd first met. She must have seen his name in a file related to Sirius. Sirius looked as though he was wincing slightly, as if he was expecting her to explode in outrage, that they'd befriended a werewolf!?
"Well that's alright." She couldn't really think of another way of saying that she didn't see anything wrong with it. As a child she had always imagined werewolves to be large men, covered in hair, who were thrilled by violence, had large teeth and bad breath. But an image of Remus laughing with her at one of the Order meetings came into her head, he could not be further from what her teenage imagination had created. How could he be a threat to anyone?
"I'm glad you feel that way," Sirius was beaming at her.
"Well it's only the full moon, right? The rest of the time he's as normal as you or I."
"You know it would do him the world of good to hear you talk like that. You don't realise how brilliant it is that there are still some sensible people left in the world. But listen; don't bring it up, unless it's mentioned. It's not a secret, but nobody pushes him about it."
"If it's mentioned, I knew all along, from the ministry, which I kind of did. Don't worry Sirius, I'm not going to treat him as if he's got 5 heads, he's a really nice guy, I like him," Sirius was grinning like a fool now.
"He's not bad is he?"
Tonks laughed as she checked her watch. "Well I'd better be off, see you tonight" she said.
She gave Sirius a hug; she knew it meant a lot to him that she wasn't frightened or repulsed by Remus, he must be going through hell from other people. It made her smile how fierce Sirius' friendship with Remus was.
There was a rumble of goodbyes from the kitchen as she passed on her way down the corridor. She grabbed a piece of toast before heading out of the door. Once outside she disapparated straight to the Ministry.
