[I own nothing in the Harry Potter franchise. All such content belongs to J.K. Rowling.]

"... I've never quite got the hang of these householdy sort of spells," said Tonks. She had just finished cleaning Hedwig's cage in Harry's bedroom, and was about to head downstairs to join Moody and the others. "Right, got everything? Cauldron? Broom?" Her dark twinkling eyes fell on the broomstick in Harry's right hand, and went wide. "Wow! – A Firebolt?"

Despite the lingering sense of anger which had built up within Harry over the past month or so (and especially after the Dementor incident), he couldn't help smiling over Tonks's enthusiasm. She looked as excited as a child upon seeing Harry's pride and joy, which sent a rush of amusement through Harry.

"And I'm still riding a Comet Two Sixty," said Tonks, with a hint of envy in her voice. But before Tonks could usher Harry downstairs, Harry decided to push the topic of broomsticks further. He wasn't sure how interested Tonks really was, but at this point, Harry would take any sort of conversation over Ron's and Hermione's lack of communication.

"That's seventy-something at top speed, right?" Harry asked, referring to the Comet Two Sixty.

"Eighty," said Tonks. She rubbed her chin while staring at the Firebolt. "But I bet that's nothing compared to yours, huh?"

Harry smiled. "Nought to one fifty in ten seconds, and still going."

Tonks raised her brows. "Well, at least we know there's a good chance that you would escape, should the Death Eaters ambush us."

"No way," said Harry, clutching his wand just a bit tighter in his right pocket. "If Voldemort" (Tonks's eyes went wide for a spilt second) "and his Death Eaters do attack, then I want to fight. I can't keep running from them forever."

Tonks shrugged. "Mad-Eye would kill me if I let you go after them, though. We're supposed to be guarding you, not throwing you into the fire."

Harry frowned. Tonks chuckled as she led him out of the room.

"Let's get going already," she said. "Can't risk running behind schedule."

So they returned to the kitchen and finalised their plans. Lupin wrote a letter to the Dursleys stating that they shouldn't worry over Harry (not that Harry thought they would), after which Moody placed a Disillusionment Charm over Harry. And while it wasn't as perfect as Harry's Invisibility Cloak, Moody mentioned that the Disillusionment Charm wouldn't fly off, as the Cloak would.

"Come on," said Moody, unlocking the back door with his wand. He kept a three hundred and sixty degrees visual on their surroundings as the group stepped out onto Uncle Vernon's beautifully kept lawn. "Clear night. Could've done with a bit more cloud cover ..."

He then got everyone into formation and had them mount their brooms, as a shower of red sparks flared among the stars. Then, once the second signal of green sparks flared, Moody ordered everyone to kick off to the sky.

It was a chilly night made even worse by the freezing air above, but Harry didn't care. He felt a rush of freedom and excitement now that he was flying again, and felt all of his problems fade amidst the vast, starry sky (it also helped that Tonks was a decent flier).

At some point, after soaring through the air and altering their course every now and then (as per Moody's instructions), Harry followed Tonks into a dive. They shot lower and lower until dismounting on a patch of unkempt grass, in the middle of a small square. Harry remained shivering as he looked around, while Tonks was already unbuckling his trunk and Hedwig's cage from the harness hanging from her broom.

Almost immediately, Moody used a silver lighter to extinguish the streetlamps and plunge the square into darkness. He mentioned that he'd borrowed the Put-Outer from Dumbledore, and led Harry by the arm across the road ahead, and onto the pavement. Here, Moody thrust a piece of parchment revealing the location of the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix into Harry's hand.

Harry was shushed by Moody before they could discuss this mysterious Order. Then he stood amazed as a building numbered '12' suddenly appeared between numbers eleven and thirteen, completely ignored by the Muggle tenants all around.

Minutes later, once inside the newly materialised house, Harry stood confused in the long, gloomy hallway until he was welcomed by Mrs Weasley. She was standing in the doorway at the end of the long hall, and looked rather paler and thinner than the last time Harry had seen her.

"He's just arrived," Mrs Weasley told the group of wizards behind Harry. "The meeting's started."

Unfortunately, Harry was forbidden from following the group of wizards into the room behind Mrs Weasley. She said that Harry ought to head upstairs and sit with Ron and Hermione in the meantime, but Harry wasn't feeling up to it. Deep down, he would much rather discuss broomsticks (and perhaps even Auror work) with Tonks.

"I've got to hurry," Mrs Weasley said, nudging Harry towards a dark staircase in the hall. "I'm supposed to be at the meeting – I'll just show you where you're sleeping."

Might as well get this over with, Harry thought.

Later that evening, Harry joined the others for dinner in the basement kitchen. He couldn't believe that this gloomy old place belonged to his godfather, and that that wretched old portrait was actually Sirius's mother. But on the bright side, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were soon treated to a bit of Metamorph entertainment from Tonks. She seemed to love the attention, and didn't mind doing whatever noses Ginny and Hermione were requesting. Harry, however, couldn't help staring.

I wish I was a Metamorphmagus ... and an Auror.

Harry ended up staring for so long that he practically ignored Bill's, Lupin's, and Mr Weasley's conversation about goblins. Sure, it was interesting to hear about Ragnok and the others, but right now, Harry was far more interested in learning about Tonks. He couldn't quite explain why.

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked, when she saw Harry staring absent-mindedly at Tonks. "You're not bothered by all this Metamorphosing, are you?"

Harry blinked as he felt his cheeks heat up. "Er, no. I was just er –"

"He's still in shock," said Tonks, having just reverted her nose to its usual state. "Got anything in mind, Harry? I could even change my hair to match yours."

"Do his eyes," said Ginny. Tonks screwed up her face and changed her dark twinkling eyes to match Harry's bright-green ones. "Wow, that's pretty accurate!"

Tonks shrugged. "Meh, I've been doing this long enough to copy pretty much anyone. You should really brush this hair, Harry."

"She looks like she could be your sister," said Sirius, with an amused smile on his face. "I wish I was a Metamorphmagus as well."

"Me too," said Ginny.

"Same here," said Hermione. Tonks grinned with pride.

"Ha! If I had a Galleon every time someone said something like that ..."

There was a gale of laughter coming from the middle of the table, where Mundungus Fletcher was busy telling a joke about stealing and selling toads. Mrs Weasley expressed her displeasure at once, and shot a nasty look at Sirius.

"Molly doesn't approve of Mundungus," Sirius told Harry in an undertone. And when Harry asked why Mundungus was even here in the first place, Sirius explained how it was useful to have someone in the criminal underworld.

Eventually, Mrs Weasley said that it was time for bed. But Sirius interrupted her and turned to address Harry again. He said that he was surprised that Harry hadn't started asking about Voldemort immediately, at which Harry told of his conversation with Ron and Hermione earlier.

"And they're quite right," said Mrs Weasley, referring to Ron and Hermione saying that they were not allowed in the Order. She was sitting bolt upright in her chair, ready for an argument. Sirius obliged.

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order to ask questions?" he asked. Then he stressed the issue of Harry being kept in the dark, at which Fred and George joined in, too. They demanded to have their questions answered as well, which led to a heated argument between Sirius and Mrs Weasley. It reached its peak when Mrs Weasley said that it was rather difficult for Sirius to look after Harry while being locked up in Azkaban.

Sirius started to rise from his chair. Lupin intervened and eventually managed to calm things down somewhat. Then he said that Harry ought to have a say in things as well.

"I want to know what's been going on," Harry said at once.

Mrs Weasley tried to chase her younger children out of the kitchen, but only succeeded in ushering Ginny out. She had no choice but to watch as Harry had some of his questions regarding Dumbledore, Voldemort, and Cornelius Fudge answered; though she drew the line at the topic of Voldemort having a new weapon.

"That's enough!" Mrs Weasley said. Her arms were crossed and she looked furious. Then she demanded that Harry and the others go to bed.

Harry spent much of the next morning assisting the others with their housecleaning, after which he ended up discussing Sirius's family at their tapestry. Harry wasn't sure which one surprised him most – that Sirius was related to the Malfoys, that he was related to Bellatrix Lestrange, or that he was Tonks's first cousin once removed.

"I wonder how Tonks ended up being a Metamorphmagus, though?" Harry said, as he eyed the place where Nymphadora Tonks should have been on the tapestry. "Did it come out of nowhere or something?"

Sirius shrugged. "Seems like it, yes. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Harry said.

The topic then changed to number twelve, Grimmauld Place, Sirius's frustration at being kept indoors, and his desire to escort Harry to the Ministry hearing. He added that Harry shouldn't be worried, though Harry wasn't too sure of that, himself.

Day by day, the housecleaning took up most of Harry's and the others' time. It was a thankless task which felt more like they were waging war on the house than anything else, though Harry felt a lot better when Tonks helped them take down a murderous old ghoul in an upstairs toilet one afternoon. Harry found himself drifting more towards Tonks than anyone else that day, including even Ron and Hermione.

I must be going mental, Harry thought. Hope she doesn't notice.

Speaking of going mental, Harry tried to keep himself busy with as much housecleaning as he could, though his mind often ended up wandering whenever there was a lull in activity. He couldn't help thinking up all sorts of disastrous outcomes regarding his Ministry hearing, and was fully prepared to live with Sirius in the event of being expelled.

But it wasn't necessary. Harry could hardly believe his luck when Dumbledore came to his defence at the hearing, though his abrupt departure took Harry by surprise. Harry was left in a conflicted state for the rest of the day, even though Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the others were full of cheer at Harry having got off.

There's something wrong with Dumbledore, Harry thought, as he reflected on the Headmaster's behaviour that morning. Or could there be something wrong with me, perhaps? Why's he so distant all of a sudden?

These thoughts (and more) plagued Harry throughout the afternoon, and well into the night. Worse, Harry even felt his scar acting up again, though he was reluctant to share anything with Hermione, when she asked if he was all right.

Slowly but surely, life began to pick up for Harry at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, though the same could not be said for Sirius. Harry noticed that Sirius had become increasingly withdrawn since the trial, no doubt due to Harry's inevitable return to Hogwarts.

"I'll try to have a word with him," Tonks told Harry, when he confided some of his feelings to her once she'd returned from work. They were sitting alone at the kitchen table, with Tonks twirling a long lock of sleek black hair around her finger. "Have you spoken to Ron and Hermione about this?"

Harry sat with his elbows on the table, and his cheeks resting in his palms. "Don't feel like it. They're probably happier without me and my problems."

"Typical teenager," said Tonks, rolling her deep blue eyes. And although Harry would have lashed out and said that he was anything but a typical teenager, he felt a strange sense of amusement towards Tonks. For some odd reason, he just couldn't build up that usual sense of rage in his chest.

"Very funny," Harry said, trying hard to put on some sort of scowl. "As if you know how I feel."

Tonks leaned back in her chair, and tilted her head as she stared at Harry for a few seconds. Then she smiled and said, "I don't need to be a Legilimens to know how you're feeling."

"A what?" Harry asked, but Tonks continued nonetheless.

"Not only are you in that phase of life, but you've been through far worse than most people around your age." (Finally, someone who understands, Harry thought.) "Hell, I'd say you've been through worse than plenty of adults, even. After all, not many people get to take on You-Know-Who himself and live to tell the tale."

Harry lowered his gaze to the table. "I got lucky, though. Dumbledore said my wand –"

"Yeah, I know," said Tonks, nodding. "But you can't deny that it took a good bit of skill as well to escape that graveyard. What other schoolkid could do the same?"

"Not Cedric, though," Harry said. Tonks went silent at once, as if she regretted her words. "He didn't even stand a chance before Peter Pettigrew murdered him."

Tonks looked lost for words, until Harry looked up and smiled.

"Hey, you're an Auror, right?"

"I guess so," said Tonks, tucking a lock of long black hair behind her left ear. "Don't tell me you've forgotten already?"

Harry shook his head, while still smiling. "Nah. I was just thinking maybe you could teach me some duelling skills. I'd love to take the fight back to the Death Eaters next time, and maybe even Voldemort too."

Tonks winced. "Yeah, about that ... there's no way I can train you up to that level, Harry. Dumbledore's the only person who can match You-Know-Who in combat, no offence."

The mention of Dumbldore's name sent a jolt of white-hot fury within Harry. He clenched his fist on the table, which Tonks noticed but said nothing.

"But I guess, since this place is protected by all sorts of enchantments ..." Tonks furrowed her brows and rubbed her pointy chin. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to go over some basics with you, when I'm free."

"Forget the basics," Harry said, feeling his heart-rate pick up. "I want to better my Shield Charm and maybe take it a step further. I'm sure there's a Super Protego or something, right?"

Tonks laughed. "Super Protego? What, you get that from a comic book or something? Nah, Protego's the standard – but very versatile – Shield Charm. You could put up a Protego Totalum or Horribilis, I guess, but those ones are more stationary than taking a Protego on the go. At basic level, the Shield Charm just about manages to block or deflect petty charms and jinxes, though hexes and curses tend to break through. It increases with your skills, though, so a Dumbledore Protego would likely deflect anything besides the Killing Curse."

Harry was taking this all in like an eager student in class. "I wish you could be our next Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. You'd even be better than Mad-Eye –"

"Don't compare me to that piece of rubbish," Tonks said, narrowing her eyes and tightening her lips (Harry felt an odd sense of affection upon seeing the fire in Tonks's eyes). "As far as I'm concerned, Crouch Jr should be grateful that Dementor got him before I did."

Harry apologised for making such a brainless mistake. Tonks shook her head and smiled.

"It's OK," she said. "That pig had everyone fooled. But at least his soulless body is rotting in Azkaban now. Serves him right."

Harry agreed. There was no excusing Bartemius Crouch junior's actions.

"Pity he got Kissed so quickly, though," Harry said, with a slight sigh. "Would've been a decent witness."

"Yeah," said Tonks, clenching her jaw. "So many things would've been different right now, especially in your case." Then she paused for a moment before standing up. "Anyway, there's no real point in talking about what-ifs. You hungry?"

Harry blinked. "What?"

Tonks shrugged. "I guess I'm in the mood to dish up. Think I should get some red hair and take Molly's place?"

"Don't be ridiculous," said Harry, chuckling. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind a quick bite or two right now."

"I should go check on my cousin too," said Tonks, looking slightly amused. "How many sulky teenagers can there be under one roof anyway? Wanna come with?"

Harry agreed, and they climbed the staircases all the way up to the third floor. But when Tonks knocked on the master bedroom's door and asked that Sirius join Harry for a quick meal, he gave a derisive snort.

"He might as well keep his appetite for the amazing start-of-term feast," Sirius said from within the room. "It's not too long now anyway."

"You see how silly this looks?" Tonks whispered to Harry at the door. "You and your godfather are both such teenagers."

Harry knocked on the door. "Come on, Sirius, you've got to eat something."

"I'm perfectly comfortable with Buckbeak's leftovers, thanks."

Tonks sniggered. "You talking about what goes in or comes out?"

Harry could swear that he heard Sirius give a slight snort of laughter. But Sirius immediately reverted to his moody, surly self.

"I'll eat when I feel like it. Now take a hike."

With nothing better to do, Harry returned to the basement kitchen and sat down at the table. He felt that familiar rush of warmth as Tonks served him a quick meal, and wished that she could join him at Hogwarts.

Don't be silly, Harry told himself. That would never work ... right?