Life is no cabaret
We don't care what you say
We're inviting you anyway
You motherfuckers you'll sing someday...
- Sing, The Dresden Dolls
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
Professor Dumbledore looked up from his desk, and smiled gently upon seeing young Tempest standing at the doorway. He nodded, gesturing for her to come in.
"Only a small matter, dear, I assure you."
Still nervous despite the assurance, Tempest came and sat at the seat opposing the headmaster, though immediately looked down, unable to look him in the eye. She had not spoken to him for a month or two, making the situation in her eyes somewhat more awkward than it should have been.
"I know about the other night," he said after a short pause. Tempest immediately looked up, her eyes wide as she directed her attention to Dumbledore.
"What?" she said, ignoring any manners that had been drilled into her previously.
"Don't seem so surprised, there's no need for it."
"Severus told you?" At this, Dumbledore chuckled to himself, that twinkle in his eye Tempest had noticed before returning.
"No, no, he wouldn't say a word to me on the subject. No, dear, I have my own ways of finding things."
Tempest nodded, and thought inwardly that though she should have been burning with curiosity about what these ways were, she preferred to let well enough alone.
"Is this why you asked me here?"
"Partly," he admitted, standing from his seat. He did not speak immediately, and instead amused himself with the phoenix by his desk. Tempest had, of course, noticed it, but thought it rude to ask of the bird. She watched as Dumbledore moved towards it, stroking the top of its head gently. Her interest was not left unnoticed, though, and Dumbledore smiled to himself.
"Fawkes," he said aloud, causing Tempest to jump slightly. "Marvellous creature, I must say. He's shown quite an interest to your brother, you know."
"How so?"
Again, Dumbledore paused, though in a much more thoughtful way this time.
"Perhaps another time," he said after a moment, sitting back down in his seat.
"Why else am I here?" Tempest could not help but allow her impatience to get the better of her.
"Ah, yes. I assume due to the current circumstances that you will not be likely to hear of the meeting of the Order tomorrow night."
At this point, Tempest realised that there was nothing she could say to reply to this point, and so settled with saying nothing at all. The pause of silence was awkward enough to force her to look back down towards her lap.
"Do I have to go again?"
"Hmmm?" Tempest paused again, slightly surprised at the reply. It was not often that someone would reply to her with such a brief noise.
"Do I have to go again? I don't think I'm well liked."
She looked up from her lap to see Dumbledore still staring, curious in some way but without much sympathy. It was not in a cruel way that he looked with such a blankness, but rather as if waiting for more information.
"I think his name was…Remus, I think, that's what someone else had called him."
"How do you believe you weren't liked?"
"I'm sure he doesn't believe me. He thinks I'm…"
Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, thinking for a moment before replying. It was a subject he would have much rathered was not brought up at all; Remus of all people, he had always been the more forgiving of wizards.
"He was a close friend to your father, Remus. He became a close friend to your mother too."
"I would have thought that made him less likely to hold a grudge against me."
"You must understand," said Dumbledore quietly, leaning forward, "many did not know you were alive until months ago. Confusion can do many things to a person."
"I'm expected to let it go by because of confusion?"
"You aren't expected to do anything. But you will do what is best."
"Can I go now?"
It wasn't exactly a surprise to see her immediate sullenness. Harry had been used to being forced to use every ounce of selflessness he had. Dumbledore knew he could not expect the same of his sister. She had needed to use it before. She had never had to hold the weight of the world on her shoulders, and yet had had her fair share of misfortunes. It was only natural that she wished to withhold her altruism.
He nodded slowly, gesturing towards the door.
"Tomorrow night," he said as Tempest reached for the door. She cast the headmaster a quick look, nodded, and then disappeared behind the door.
"Can't you tell us anything?"
"No."
"But what if it's useful? What if Snape forgot something important, we could be missing out on-"
"No, Draco."
Draco stood watching Tempest as she searched about the Common Room for her cloak. She gave very little attention to him, only speaking to deny his requests for information.
"Just go without it."
"Are you joking? It's freezing outside!"
"Then don't go."
"I have to."
"No you don't."
At last enraged enough to do so, Tempest spun on her heel and glared at Draco. She opened her mouth to speak but paused upon seeing the way his arm shifted behind his back.
"Accio cloak."
The cloak ripped itself from Draco's hand and flew into Tempest's own, causing him to stumble forward slightly as it did so, leaving him prone to the attack Tempest launched upon him.
"You- arrogant- bastard," she said between whipping Draco mercilessly around the head. "Stop being so childish!"
"All I'm asking is for some of the information I'm entitled to."
"But you're not entitled to it."
"Just tell me!"
Tempest smiled, but shook her head. She knew that Draco thought something was wrong. That she was hiding something purposefully.
"I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to, Draco."
"What if it helps me? I mean, really helps me?"
"Then I'd tell you, but there's nothing I can or will tell you now."
Draco could not help but admit defeat by this point and walked towards Tempest, reaching out towards her. She shifted awkwardly, staring at him with slight contempt. He could not help but laugh.
"Your collar's just a bit off, that's all."
"Oh." She blushed slightly from the slight embarrassment before brushing Draco's hands away forcefully after they had finished straightening her collar. "Thanks."
"Father never did approve of scruffiness."
Both seemed to hold their breath at this moment. Neither had mentioned Lucius directly in conversation, if only to spare themselves the pain. Draco cleared his throat and looked down, stepping backwards slowly. Though it would do no use, Tempest attempted to think of something to say- anything- that might distract them from that moment. There was nothing that could be said, though, and so she could only leave him with a small smile before turning and leaving the Common Room, pulling the hood of her cloak over her head as she did so.
There were far more members of the Order at that meeting. At least double the amount. To Tempest's slight joy the Weasleys were there- she did not know what it was about them, they simply held a certain air of comfort. Severus sat almost at the edge of seat, as far away from Tempest as he possible could make it. She was not at all offended by it. In fact, she found it safer to mirror his actions so as to be as far from him as she could.
It was not only Tempest who was surprised when Dumbledore walked into the meeting. There had been rumours that he would be on another mission of some sort that night, the kind that had kept him occupied so many nights over the past year or so. They all stared in silence as he took his place at the head of the table, smiling as if nothing at all was out of the ordinary.
"Good evening," he said brightly, bringing a few more people to attention. A fair amount muttered their replies before anyone spoke clearly. One man stood up, a normal enough looking fellow in Tempest's opinion, and cleared his throat.
"We've spotted a few members- harmless enough, I believe- of the Death Eaters down Knockturn Alley once every few weeks."
"Where have they been going?"
"Well, a variation of shops, actually. Probably trying to throw us off, I think. They all seem to end up in Borgin and Burkes, though."
"There's always something shifty going on in there, though," said one woman- Tonks, as the other members called her. At least, that was what Tempest remembered of her. "They wouldn't go somewhere that obvious, would they?"
"Even if they did, there's nothing useful in there. We've got a list of their stock, nothing but silly ornaments without any use."
"Now, we mustn't underestimate what can be used against us," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, looking into space. "We must think of every possibility that they could use against us."
"Which is what we're doing now," said another wizard, a silver haired man who wheezed slightly as he spoke. "We'll report immediately if we find anything."
"Excellent!" Dumbledore said. He looked about the room, inviting others to speak. A young woman who Tempest had not yet learnt the name of cleared her throat to speak. It was a matter of little importance in Tempest's own opinion, and so she was less inclined to listen. As she surveyed other member's faces, she could see she was not the only one. A few stared on with interest, but the majority either looked into space or at other people, sharing a look of acknowledgement.
The only thing that caught Tempest's attention during this woman's small notification was not her, but instead Remus Lupin. She had of course expected him in some way for him to mildly insult her, but did not expect him to walk out of the room without so much as a word said. She saw that not only she stared after him, but Dumbledore's attentions were also turned towards Remus.
The meeting dragged on after that point, and Tempest wished for nothing more than it to be over and done with. Not many seemed to have noticed Remus leave, though the ones who had were just as eager as she to be out of the meeting. When it had done, though, Dumbledore was the first to leave the room, thanking the Order for their appearance as he did so. He was gone before most had the chance to even stand.
A hush fell across the room, leaving them mute for a few minutes before anyone decided to leave. A fair amount Apparated on the spot, while others waited until they were outside to take their method of leave. Tempest saw quite clearly that Severus wished to go, but she ignored the looks he gave and waited by the door that she had seen both Dumbledore and Remus leave through.
She waited, simply staring at the door, until finally her curiosity caught the better of her and she could not help but press her ear against the door, if only to catch the slightest glimpse of conversation.
"-don't know how you can believe her!"
"Remus, it's no secret that you trust Severus as well as I do, why can you not trust her?"
"She has been raised by a convict, I remind you, she can't-"
"Harry was raised by Muggles," Dumbledore interrupted, his calm voice showing not an ounce of the temper one would think he should display. "And not the most savoury of Muggles, I remind you. But he has grown into a boy with as good a moral standard as you or I."
"That's completely different!"
"How so?"
"He isn't a Death Eater!"
"She is no ordinary Death Eater, Remus. She has shown no interest in their cause. More blatantly so than Severus, I must say."
"You've known that for a matter of months, not nearly long enough."
"Remus," he said seriously, causing Lupin to go quiet. "She is Lily and James's daughter. How can you expect anything of her but the best?"
There was silence on the other side of the door. The two had apparently stopped talking, but Tempest waited by door, waiting for them to speak again. She stepped back quickly when she finally heard a noise again, footsteps coming towards the door. When it opened again, Remus emerged from the room. He glanced only briefly at Tempest, who waited by the doorway, and left the room immediately after.