Gwendolyn was nervous.
She didn't really know why. She knew some of the Order members, from what Bill told her- the Weasley clan, Professors Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall, and Hagrid. She had met Sirius Black at the school during the Tournament, which was terrifying. Dumbledore certainly had some characters in this Order of his. Despite knowing a few people, she wasn't sure things would go well. She had heard of Mad Eye Moody, the Auror, and how he scrutinized anyone who set foot in Headquarters. Her first meeting was tonight and she wasn't sure she was ready to be interrogated by him.
She walked down Grimmauld Place in Muggle London and stood between numbers 11 and 13. She inhaled deeply and dug her nails into the palm of her hand. "The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix Is Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London" she whispered. Slowly, but surely, the house appeared before her eyes. She gaped at what she had just seen. Magic never ceased to amaze her. She glanced around the relatively empty area and then dashed up the stairs and into the house.
It was quiet by the entrance, but she could hear voices in the distance, from another room. She glanced at her watch. It was only 6:30 and the meeting was to start at 7. But as she looked at her watch, she took a step forward and accidentally knocked over a bucket of umbrellas. Bang!
"WHOOOOOOOOO WAKES ME?" Gwendolyn whirled around to see a painting, a ferocious painting, screaming at her, staring into her eyes with rage. "FILTHY HALF BREEDS AND MUDBLOODS INFESTING MY HOME, HOW DARE HE, HOW DARE HE-"
"Shut it!" a voice behind her shouted in anger. Someone dashed past her in a whirlwind of brown curls and covered the painting hurriedly with a black tarp. There was nothing left to hear but muffled cries beneath it. Sirius Black turned to look at her. "It'd do you some good to be quiet in the hallway. She hates to be woken and we can't take her down. Wretched thing."
"S-sorry," she stammered, still recovering from the frightful painting. She picked up the bucket, then stood to look at him. "Well, hello. I hope I'm not too early." She still wasn't quite sure if she liked Sirius Black, but offered him a small smile. He didn't return the gesture.
"You're alright. I'm not sure if you know anyone here yet, but they're all in the sitting room. Come." She followed him to a room where four unfamiliar people were sitting on the couches, talking. "Hey, you lot. This is Gwendolyn. She's our newest recruit." She smiled and greeted them and the group seemed fairly receptive. He gestured at each member as he introduced them to her. "Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks-"
"Will you stop calling me Nymphadora?" a young girl with bright pink hair exclaimed impatiently. Black rolled his eyes.
"-and Mundungus Fletcher. Sit down over there, next to Tonks." He glared at the girl called Tonks. Gwendolyn felt like an intruder in their little group, but she took her seat. "So anyway-"
"How did you hear about the order, Gwendolyn?" the man called Lupin asked from the other couch.
"I'm friends with Bill. Bill Weasley."
"I know Bill!" exclaimed the obviously loud and chatty girl beside her. "I went to Hogwarts with him."
"As did I," Gwen said, looking at Tonks curiously. "I was in his year. What House were you in?"
"Hufflepuff and proud! Perhaps you don't recognize me- I didn't often morph in school."
"Morph?"
The girl's hair flattened and turn brown and her face grew tighter and younger and she shrunk an inch or two. She looked like a teenager and suddenly it clicked.
"Well now I recognize you! But I don't believe we knew each other."
The girl went back to the pink hair and natural face. "I was three years younger than Bill."
"Where do you work?" asked Lupin. Mundungus Fletcher started snoring and Kingsley Shacklebolt kicked him in the shin to wake him.
"I, uh, work for the Daily Prophet." Gwendolyn said, slightly repelled by Fletcher's stench and rudeness. What a clan of people Dumbledore had collected.
"That's why Dumbledore wanted her," explained Sirius. "So someone could keep an eye on the press."
"Well, that must be a fun job," said Remus with a smile.
"Fun is one word for it," she said with a slight smirk. "Where do you all work?" She asked, looking around the room. Mundungus was asleep again.
"Well, Dung doesn't do anything legal," Kingsley muttered. "I work for the Ministry as an Auror."
"As do I!" said Tonks.
"I taught at Hogwarts about two years ago," Remus said quietly. "But I have some medical conditions that prevent me from working."
"And I do nothing!" said Sirius with sarcastic joy. Gwen started to feel extremely awkward and suddenly wanted to go. Sirius Black was certainly not the most heartwarming of hosts and his attitude towards her put a damper on the overall pleasant mood of the room.
But the front door open and three Weasley boys ran in loudly and dashed up the stairs, followed by a girl with poofy brown hair, shouting after them. The portrait started screaming and Mrs. Weasley shouted for Sirius to go fix it. She bustled in with Mr. Weasley and a girl who had to be Ginny. Gwen was shocked at how ladylike Ginny looked, how grownup. The years had flown by, hadn't they? Mrs. Weasley went into what was probably the kitchen to put down the bags she had carried in.
"Hello, everyone," Mr. Weasley greeted. He smiled at Gwen when he saw her. "Hello, Gwen." She smiled at him.
"Hello, Mr. Weasley."
"I need everyone's help in the kitchen, if you want to eat!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked. Everyone hurried into the kitchen. Gwendolyn slowly stood up and noticed Ginny Weasley had stayed behind and was looking at her.
"I know this sounds awkward," she said softly. "But you were Bill's girlfriend, right? You look mildly familiar."
Gwen laughed. "I was. Hi Ginny. I haven't seen you since you were seven."
"I'm fourteen now," she said with a smile. "You're in the Order?"
"Yes," she said, as the two girls started towards the kitchen. "This is my first meeting."
"This only their third," Ginny explained warmly. "You haven't missed much. And mostly everyone here is quite friendly."
"Mostly?"
"Well Dung is always sleeping, and Moody is rather harsh. And Snape is just a jerk. But everyone else will like you, don't worry."
It shocked her how calming the words of a fourteen year old could be.
They went to the kitchen and sat at the long table with the rest of the motley crew while Mrs. Weasley started dinner. The front door kept opening and closing as others joined them in the kitchen. Hestia Jones, Emmeline Vance, Dedalus Diggle, Mad Eye Moody (who glared at her harshly, as expected), and Minerva McGongall. The kitchen became too crowded and Molly shooed everyone into the study.
"Imagine the look on Albus Dumbledore's face if his army was drooling over dinner instead of ready for the meeting!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked above the crowd of people leaving. "Ginny, dear, keep stirring and when it's finished, keep it on low heat! Don't burn iIIIIT- FRED, GEORGE I HAVE HAD ENOUGH, GO B- oh Merlin!"
Gwendolyn couldn't help laughing at the spectacle as she walked with Tonks to the study. Inside, a circle of chairs was set up. There was a podium, obviously for Dumbledore. Tonks smiled at her. "I was nervous my first meeting too. But, I dunno, I've only met a bunch of these chaps a few weeks ago and it feels like a family. An odd one, mind you." The two girls sat together.
The rest of the group came in and sat down and Gwen noticed the children were not allowed to sit on the meeting. Ginny was apparently keeping her eye on the dinner, and the rest of the Weasley boys were upstairs. Speaking of Weasley boys, soon enough, in walked her favorite one. He saw her immediately and sat beside her.
"I'm really glad you said yes, Gwen," he smiled at her.
"Me too."
Finally, just about at seven, in walked Albus Dumbledore, followed by Severus Snape, who took the final empty chair in the room. Dumbledore walked to the podium and the meeting began.
She was introduced as the newest member, then the discussion turned to Harry Potter and who would be retrieving him from his aunt and uncle's house. They spoke of what was expected. Voldemort, the Ministry, Harry, and new, fascinating things she had never known about the war. The pieces clicked together in her mind and then without a doubt she knew she had picked the right side of the war.
She also learned about her role in the Order- to destroy or change as much anti-Harry or anti-Dumbledore propaganda as she could. She had to be meticulous, of course, and careful. Too much lost would cause suspicion. But it gave her great happiness- maybe her work would feel worthwhile again.
After the meeting, most of the group left, but a good number stayed for dinner and Mrs. Weasley insisted Gwen stay, too. She was reintroduced to Fred, George, and Ron and met their friend Hermione, who was staying with them. Mrs. Weasley explained that her family, along with Remus were living at Grimmauld Place for the summer in order to help clean up the place and to keep Sirius company. Tonks informed her that she often stayed the night, as well.
So she ate dinner with the Weasleys, joined by the Black cousins, Hermione Granger, Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Mrs. Weasley seemed over insistent on making Gwen feel at home. She explained that tonight's dinner group was rather small- sometimes Professor McGonagall would join, as well as Dung and Mad Eye Moody. Emmeline Vance had eaten with them just last night, Hermione added. Tonks started talking about how tomorrow was a cleaning day and while she was excited flailing her arms about, her first slammed into Remus's food and Gwendolyn burst out laughing.
Perhaps she would get along with them.