You Had Me at Hello
Well, I'm sorry for the large gap in between these chapters. I tried so hard to get this to you all in the last two days and it didn't work because I had to go out, or my net wasn't working or like today I had to go to work (Saturday) so if you're reading this on Sunday, obviously I didn't finish this Saturday night and my apologies. And was down last night! So i couldnt upload, sorryagain.
But anyway- Thank you for all the wonderful reviews And ill stop babbling and continue with it now : )
Ha, well this is a laugh. I've only been here for five minutes and already I've tripped over the umbrella stand as always, almost set Bill on fire and dropped a whole stack of plates, and that's only because Remus so much nodded to me as I entered the room.
Tonks thought looking at the table ashamed of herself, to make it worse Dumbledore had witnessed all of these little accidents as well and was now smiling to himself in pure amusement which made Tonks feel even worse about the situation that the most intelligent wizard in the world thought this was amusing rather than disgraceful.
Molly Weasley had also given her a small talk as she'd put it, or rather as Tonks or anyone else normal had called it a lecture on swearing in front of her children, and she seemed less than amused when Tonks had pointed out that Hermione wasn't her child and that they probably already knew and used these words frequently. Molly was now sitting next to her husband with a furious expression on her face and refusing to look at or acknowledge anyone that were in the room with her. Sirius seemed to find this all very amusing and had spent the last few minutes laughing and telling anyone and everyone who would listen that Tonks was definitely a Black.
"Do I look like I find this amusing Sirius?" She hissed at him
"Not really, but that only pushes him further to be honest," Remus replied without even looking at her to leave Sirius with a shocked expression on his face.
"You two are actually talking to each other after last night? And here was me thinking that there would be loads of avoiding each other and awkward silences but that's me told isn't it?" Sirius said
Remus and Tonks realised that they had spoken if not meaning to indirectly to each other; she looked up at Remus and he looked at her and after a few seconds Tonks looked away because she could feel her face reddening.
"Well my work here is done," Sirius grinned before turning to Mad Eye to tell him again that Tonks definitely was a Black.
I hate him, I actually hate him.
She thought.
"Let's have some order in here shall we?" Bill called and everyone fell silent.
"Thank you," Dumbledore said nodding to him whilst standing to greet everyone "Well, there are a few reports that need to be heard I think before we discuss the plan for fetching Harry from Privet Drive next week, Nymphadora I think we'll start with you,"
She stood, and she explained, and all the while Remus gave her the same intense stare. Whereas others were looking darkly at their neighbour or letting their eyes wonder around the room while listening Remus never removed his from her face. This was making her so uneasy that she ever stuttered and tripped over her words a few times making a complete fool of herself as always.
After a fair amount of swearing and rude comments about Voldemort and his supporters, Dumbledore called order again.
"It seems Lord Voldemort may have guessed what is located in the Department of Mysteries but then again, he was provided with certain information fourteen years ago." Dumbledore said looking in Snape's direction to which everyone turned as if to say that Tonks had been hurt last night then it would have been all his fault for making a mistake fourteen years previously.
"Well, the plan for fetching Harry requires volunteers." Dumbledore said looking around the room "And no Sirius you can't go, and you know full well why."
Tonks turned to see her cousin sit back moodily in his chair and fold his arms looking sullen.
"Now then, volunteers please?" Dumbledore enquired looking around the room. Mad Eye raised his hand first, then Hestia Jones, Eplhias Doge, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Emmeline Vance. Dumbledore looked around more to which Dedalus Diggle, Sturgis Podmore and then after a rather dark look and a prod from Sirius Remus raised his hand. "One more, to make it even?"
Without thinking or even negotiating it Tonks raised her hand too.
"Excellent, now the problem remains of how to get rid of his aunt and uncle for the evening while we remove Harry safely from Privet Drive," Dumbledore smiled as his eight volunteers lowered their hands.
"Didn't you say that those muggles are quite vain?" Kingsley's deep voice filled the room.
Dumbledore merely nodded, while Tonks looked from him to Remus in quick glances to make sure no one was watching her.
Oh, idea!
She thought.
"Well what about, writing to them, by muggle post of course; to tell them they've won sort of competition?" Tonks suggested openly and a few nodded.
"Excellent, Nymphadora!" Dumbledore cried while Tonks winced at the sound of her name when she opened her eyes again she looked at Remus she saw a boyish grin fade from his face immediately.
"Yes, but what would these muggles consider a firm prize?" Emmeline Vance chimed in.
"A prize for a well kept lawn?" Sirius sniggered
"Actually that's just the answer Sirius," Dumbledore said after a few minutes of everyone laughing. "Well, we have our plan, which of course we will carry out after Harry's birthday next week, in the meanwhile Nymphadora you must put together this letter, on paper not parchment and send it through the muggle post, I will advise you as to how to this properly," He added after see the puzzled look on her face.
Good.
She thought, otherwise it'd be typical Tonks, she screws everything up.
An hour and a half later when everyone had discussed their business and most of the Order and Dumbledore had left, only then did Molly Weasley begin her now daily routine of cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom.
"Must you do this every night?" Sirius complained
"Yes, if you want a living environment for Harry then, I must clean. It would be nice if I did have some help now and again." Molly scolded them all
"That's what the kids are for;" Sirius yawned lazily "I'm off to bed,"
He strode from the kitchen without a backward glance, leaving Molly Weasley infuriated and the rest of the people left in the room amused.
"He' only teasing Molly, it was a favourite pastime of his when we were young," Remus said not bothering to look up from an edition of the Daily Prophet he was looking at.
"Yes Remus, when you were young," She snapped putting deliberate emphasis on the last word.
Tonks looked on in amusement, she neither knew whether he was merely trying to help ease Molly's temper and defend his friend or anger her more. She watched him, smiling pleasantly to herself but after Molly had taken yet another stab at his friend and the childhood which were obviously the happiest days of his life she saw an expression of anger flit across his face. He was looking at the paper but his eyes were certainly no longer moving across the page, Molly Weasley had certainly angered him with her words.
Arthur would had sensed that it was not in his wife's best interests to anger a werewolf this close to the full moon got up and shooed her from the room immediately. They could all hear her angry protests up the stairs into the further retreats of the house; one by one other members of the Order slowly got up and retreated to their own rooms and comfort of their beds.
"Night," Bill called as he walked from the kitchen
"Night Bill," Tonks called back turning to face those that still remained in the kitchen.
She looked but saw only Remus sitting a table his eyes still fixed on the spot that they had been an hour previously when Molly Weasley had chosen to insult his friend and the memories he so obviously cherished.
Her stomach gave an uncomfortable squeeze as she sat down opposite him.
Great, just wonderful.
Tonks thought, I'm alone with him again, without a clue in the world what to say.
She looked at up at him and still his eyes had not moved from the same spot.
"Hello?" She said waving her hand at his face
He jumped suddenly as thought she had shaken him from a deep sleep. He looked around to find that everyone else had deserted the kitchen hours or as in Bill's case minutes before.
"Where is everyone?" He asked
"Gone to bed, not that you would have noticed being so concentrated the same spot of the page you've been staring at for the past three hours," Tonks smiled at him
He looked embarrassed and slightly flustered.
"To be honest, I was trying to control my anger," He said looking ashamed of himself again
"I saw," She said without hesitating and clapped her hand over her mouth the moment she'd said it.
"I know, I could feel you watching me this whole time," Remus said
"Well, I was just..." Tonks stuttered
I knew it; this is actually how I'm destined to die; tripping over my own words like poison.
She thought bitterly as she felt her face redden again. She looked up at him and he had plastered that boyish grin across his face again.
"Can I ask you something?" Tonks said
"Of course," He replied
"Were you just trying to antagonise Molly earlier?" She grinned
"Naturally," He smiled shrugging
"I was joking Remus," Tonks said raising her eyebrows at him.
"I wasn't Nymphadora," He smiled again the boyish grin deepening into a devious one.
She winced at the sound of own name again, closing her eyes as she did so.
"Don't call me that Remus!" She hissed "Its Tonks!"
When she re-opened her eyes he was sitting in the same position, the same devious smile plastered on his face but she saw a distant flicker of a Marauder just behind his eyes wanting to break out. To joke, laugh, poke fun, prank, cause general mayhem and run free at his own will.
She regarded him for a moment longer than she should have and before she could speak again he had stood and strode over to the door. He grasped the handle and turned it without even looking back at her.
"I love it when you do that," He said
"Wince at the sound of my own name?" She cried
But he never answered; he merely just opened the door and disappeared into the darkened hallway. She could hear him disappearing up the stairs and then a distant echo of a door shutting.
Remus Lupin, I'm going to break the Marauder out of you even if it kills me.
Sorry it took so long to upload, was down last night which didnt help my mood after I'd finish this at 2 am specially for you all as well.
But still : ) Thanks for the reviews, favourties and alerts ;)
Please Review - Lindorie-Chan