~The Order of the Phoenix~

It was early in the morning before Sirius, Harry, and Ron came stumbling back into the kitchen. Remus had remained in the forest, sleeping off the previous night.

'Same time tonight then?' he'd yipped before they'd set off back home.

'All right.' Padfoot replied. The three of them bounding off toward Grimmauld Place. Harry felt a slight pang of guilt for leaving Moony behind, but if they didn't get back he was certain Mrs. Weasley would have a fit.

'Okay, back to your rooms quietly.' Sirius whispered. 'No one will know a thing.'

'No one will know what?' came a very perturbed voice. The three of them turned as one, terrified to see Mrs. Weasley looking tired and puffy eyed. 'Where have you been?' Harry had only heard her voice so full of anger once, and that was when Fred, George, and Ron had come to rescue them from the Dursley's in his second year. The lecture had not been directed at him then, but now, he had a feeling it was. 'Sirius, what are you doing taking my son out this late at night? And Harry too?'

'We were just, it was nothing, Molly, really.'

Harry would not have been surprised if steam started to shoot out of her ears. Her face grew almost as red as her hair, and as she opened her mouth, Harry prepared himself for an argument that would well blow the windows from the walls. Instead, however, Mrs. Weasley burst into tears, yet still managed to holler at the lot of them.

'NEVER SEEN SUCH IRRESPONSIBILITY!' was something Harry caught. 'ENDANGERING NOT ONLY YOUR CHILDREN BUT OTHER'S AS WELL! NEVER SEEN SUCH CARELESSNESS! RECKLESSNESS! HE'LL END UP DEAD UNDER CARE LIKE YOURS!' the last statement had sent Sirius swelling with bitter rage. Harry started to tug on Ron's robes, bringing him back should curses start to fly. Sirius' own face went ugly pale before turning a hideous shade of violet, frighteningly similar to Uncle Vernon.

'You think...that I would ever...risk putting Harry or Ron...in danger?' he muttered, gripping his wand tightly as if struggling not to use it.

'YOU'VE JUST DONE IT!' Mrs. Weasley bellowed through her tears. 'OUT ALL NIGHT! LORD ONLY KNOWS WHO-OR WHAT-COULD HAVE CAUGHT YOU!'

'Well...nothing happened...did it?'

'THAT'S NOT THE POINT! SOMETHING VERY WELL COULD HAVE HAPPENED! THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU COULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW!'

'Not...likely.' Sirius was gritting his teeth, his face still purple.

'REALLY? CAN YOU PREVENT DEATH? COULD YOU PROTECT THEM IF YOU WERE DEAD? UNCONSCIOUS? HONESTLY SIRIUS, HE'LL END UP LIKE-'

'DON'T YOU DARE SAY WHAT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SAY!' Sirius finally let lose, his eyes wide with madness. Mrs. Weasley seemed slightly taken aback by his shouting, since he'd rarely ever done it before. 'IT WON'T HAPPEN!'

Mrs. Weasley puffed herself up, tears spilling unchecked down her cheeks.

'You can't make that promise, Sirius.' she wept. 'You can't. You don't know what its like. Just like that, they can be taken away from you. It happened with Ginny. For a moment, I believed she was dead. I'd never get her back. Harry saved her, the dear, but he nearly died too. You see, you can't always be with them. And its at those times, that what you fear worse strikes. You can't say it won't happen Sirius, because you won't always be there to protect him.'

There was an awful silence where Harry felt as though his insides were disintegrating. The expression on Sirius' face changed so severely that he thought his godfather might throw up. The seriousness of what Mrs. Weasley was saying had sunk in, and not just on him. Ron's face was frightfully pale, and Harry could feel the heat creep away from his own very quickly.

'And what do you think his fourth year was like for me?' Sirius stated. Harry suddenly felt quite angry that this was all boiling down to him again. Wasn't Voldemort out to kill them all now? He looked to Ron, but his eyes were focused on the pair arguing before them. 'When he disappeared in that maze? Receiving a letter from Dumbeldore telling me that they couldn't find him! They had no idea where he was! Don't tell me I don't know what its like! I've experienced it too!'

A sudden sinking feeling made Harry want to leave. Looking around quickly, he set off at a brisk pace down the corridor and upstairs. He could already hear Mrs. Weasley:

'Now you've gone and made him upset!'

Harry rolled his eyes. It wasn't like, he was just tired of the bickering. It wasn't till he reached his room that he realized Ron was following.

'Never gets off, does she?' he stated, heaving a sigh.

'Yeah...well...' Harry shrugged, he didn't want to say anything. It wasn't his mother who seemed to be more concerned with him than her own son.

'I mean, we were perfectly safe with Sirius!'

'Right.'

'What's she getting herself so worked up for?'

'Don't know.'

'You all right?' Harry jumped at this question. Ron was looking at him in a concerned way.

'Fine, why?'

'You seemed upset when you left.'

Harry sighed. 'I just wish she'd stop biting Sirius' head off. Its not like he was being completely irresponsible.'

'Yeah.' Ron sighed. 'I think its...this place.' he stated. Harry raised an eyebrow.

'What do you mean?'

'Well, we're all crammed inside of it like this. I mean, mum's used to cramped space, don't get me wrong.' Ron smiled, which Harry returned. Mrs. Weasley had had over the course of her life seven children, along with herself and her husband, the Burrow certainly wasn't what one would consider spacious. 'But, well...she's always sort of felt that you were her responsibility.' Ron blushed at the perplexed expression Harry cast at him. 'Well...I mean...you're mum and dad...well...she just felt that she'd gotten another son. I guess maybe she feels threatened, like she'd been replaced or something.'

Harry raised an eyebrow. He'd never heard Ron talk like this before. It seemed to make sense, but Harry couldn't help but smile. There was some silence, and they could soon tell that the bickering downstairs had not stopped.

'I've raised seven children, six of them boys! I think I know something about how to raise a young man like Harry!'

'Well that's not your job, is it? That's mine!'

'I don't think we're going to be allowed out tonight, are we?' Ron turned to Harry, trying to distract the both of them from the argument.

'Probably not. Unless we want to sneak off on our own.'

Harry smiled. 'Somehow I think Sirius would still get the blame.'

'No he wouldn't. I would.'

'That doesn't make me feel much better, Ron.' he laughed.

'Well, I'm sure I could put some of the blame on you. Like..."Harry made me do it mum! He threatened to turn me into a toad and fill my bed with snakes if I didn't!"'

'Do you think she'd buy it?' Harry laughed.

'Not for an instant.'

They chuckled as Hermione came walking in.

'Who's your mum yelling at?' she asked, sitting down at the foot of Harry's bed.

'Sirius.' they replied simultaneously.

'Oh dear, now what's he done?' Ron and Harry exchanged glances, then shrugged. Hermione rolled her eyes. 'You two were never very good liars.'

'Oh its nothing, really!' Ron stated.

'Sirius took us all out last night. That's all. To keep a watch on Lupin.' Harry confided at last. He thought he saw a flash of hurt through Hermione's eyes, and he himself felt quite guilty for not having included her.

'Oh.' she stated, rising from the bed. 'All right. Well, I'm going downstairs.' and she left the both of them starring after her.

'What's her problem?' Ron inquired.

'I think she feels left out.' Harry responded.

* * *

When the arguing died down, Harry and Ron joined the others for what was really lunch, though they hadn't had breakfast yet. Sirius sat at the head of the table, looking very agitated, hardly responding to much of what was said at the table. Mrs. Weasley was very much the same way, though now and again she would say something like 'Oh Ron, do chew with your mouth closed.' or 'Fred, not at the table.'

It was sometime after the sounds of eating had died down that Alastor Moody cleared his throat. Harry had found it quite awkward that they were all together, save for the excusable absence of Moony, and the rarely missed Snape.

'A decision has been made.' he said at last. Everyone looked up, thoroughly confused at his statement.

'About?' George raised an eyebrow.

'We've discussed it.' Kingsley came in, now all eyes shifting upon him. He seemed rightly uncomfortable being the center of attention, but continued on with it. 'We've decided that we've got a few new members to induct into the order.' At this, Mrs. Weasley raised an eyebrow. 'But, of course, only if they chose to accept it.'

'And there's some training to be taken care of, after all.' said Moody with a guttural growl.

'What kind of training?' Ron asked, turning to the Auror. Moody eyed him suspiciously, then turned to face Kingsley as he stated up again.

'Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George. You are all of age to be inducted into the Order. Would you be interested?'

'Yes!' came five voices simultaneously.

'Wait a moment, here!' said Mrs. Weasley, starting in again.

'Molly, come now!' Mr. Weasley persuaded, but she brushed him aside.

'Would one of you like to describe to these children the danger, and responsibility of being inducted into the Order?'

Sirius started to clear his throat in what Harry feared would be another argument. 'I agree.' he stated, taking nearly everyone off guard, including Mrs. Weasley. 'Well, for my own reasons. Yes, the Order is a responsibility, and dangerous. That is not something I'm concerned with, for I can rightly assume that all five of them have been introduced to both danger and responsibility.' he paused. Harry hardly knew where this was going. 'I only think that what is done in the Order should be more thoroughly explained before the five of you jump into something blindly.'

Harry nodded his head in agreement. What Sirius said made sense, and he wasn't going to go against his godfather's word. Mrs. Weasley looked slightly pleased at what Sirius had said.

'All right. Well, I think that is something I will leave to the adults in charge to do.' said Kingsley. 'I'm not good with words.' he smiled afterward.

* * *

Harry and Sirius soon found themselves back in the dark study where they had been talking only a few days before. There was some tense silence before they had started, Harry only assumed Sirius was trying to find a place to begin.

'It's times like this I just wish they'd give pamphlets to people interested in joining the Order.' was the first thing he said, causing Harry to smile slightly. 'I don't like explaining this to people because, well, look at what happens to so many in our Number?' Harry nodded. He knew well. His parents had been in the Order, after all. 'Anyway, I know you've had your fare share of danger, more than I'd like to believe in some scenarios. In fact, you've dealt with more than most of us have. But if you're looking to escape that, this is not the place you want to be. Responsibility, I know you handle that well enough.' Sirius smiled fondly. 'You at least never have trouble with your priorities, and that says a lot.

'I've, in fact, very little to say to you, except that I am not so sure I like the idea of you joining.'

'Why is that?' Harry asked.

'Because...you'll be throwing yourself into situations that Dumbeldore has fought so long to keep you out of. Situations, and possibly a fate that I couldn't handle you taking on alone, as most of us would have to do.' There was a grim smile on his face, which told Harry he was trying to be positive. 'You see, its nothing more than the risk of history repeating itself in my eyes that worries me. I know you can handle yourself. But...' he sighed, his hand rubbing his temple vigorously.

'Is it what Mrs. Weasley said to you?' he asked, his voice sounded quavering in the silence and near darkness. Sirius looked up at him, his head at an angle for he was still rubbing his temple. 'Is that what's bothering you? That...if something did happen...you wouldn't be there?'

There was a long, unsteady silence. Harry took the time to think. If he was inducted into the Order, what would happen to him? His parents had been in the order, and look at what happened to him? Or could it be a fate worse than death? If he ended up like one of the Longbottoms? Sighing, Harry looked up. Sirius eyes glared into the fire, as if it were the cause of all his misery these past few years.

'Yes.'

Harry jumped. The word was firm and strong, filled with suppressed emotion and fear. A surge of guilt made Harry's insides sink to what was probably the heels of his shoes.

He stood, and for the first time placed a hand on his godfather's shoulder.

'Everything turns out the way it is meant to in the end, Sirius. I understand there are risks. Sacrifices even. But you can't expect me to sit around and watch the rest of you do something?'

The shoulders trembled beneath his hand. 'No. I can't ask you to do that. I know too well now what that's like. You're right.'

Sirius stood, and they embraced warmly.

'Are you at least...okay with it?' Harry asked, though they hadn't pulled away.

There was a bout of silence in which Sirius took a few deep breaths, Harry still in his arms.

'What does it matter?'

'Because it does. To me.'

Sirius smiled. 'I'm glad to see you following in your father's footsteps.' he smiled. 'I know you've a good head on your shoulders. You'll make us all proud.' They pulled away, the both of them smiling tearfully at each other. 'Just make sure somewhere along the end of that trail you veer off in a new direction.'

Harry laughed, wiping his eyes beneath his glasses.

'All right.'

They stepped out of the room a few moments later. Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione standing in the kitchen.

'I've written to mum and dad.' Hermione stated immediately. 'They've agreed to allowing me to do it.'

'Mum gave us a mouthful of how irresponsible we are. But she's still letting us.' Fred stated, George nodding after him.

'Same here.' Ron smiled.

'I think I have permission as well.' Harry smiled, looking over at Sirius. The Aurors and family were all circled together at the table, save for the children, who preferred to stand. Harry couldn't help but feel quite exhilarated.

'Then its settled!' Kingsley stated. 'You've all agreed to join?' All five of them nodded their heads.

That indeed seemed to settle it, for afterward the other all continued on with conversation, save for Moody. He made a feline for Harry's side, growling into his ear.

'I've heard that you want to become an Auror?'

'Err, its been an interest of mine, yeah.'

Moody smiled. 'I've never seen you at your Defense Against the Dark Arts. But I know your grades were just fine for it, save maybe the Potions.' he smiled. 'But I might be able to work over that. Still interested?'

'Yes.' Harry's heart leapt.

'Cause you know, this Order business doesn't pay off. Got to have another job to keep the money coming in.' Harry beamed brightly. 'I'll see what I can do.'

'Thank you!' They shook hands, and Moody worked his way over to Ron and Hermione, probably relaying to them the same opportunity he had given Harry. At the sight of both their faces, Harry had guessed right. He moved to make his way around the table when Sirius popped up in front of him.

'What did Moody want?'

'Career opportunities.'

Sirius raised an eyebrow. 'Indeed? What did he have to offer? Is he still trying to get rid of Fudge.'

'More than likely.' Harry laughed, taking a bite out of the apple he'd been working toward. 'But that's not where my interests were laying exactly.'

'An Auror, he told me.'

'He did?' Harry cast his eyes toward the disgruntled Auror who was now taking a seat at the table, looking satisfied.

'Yes. That's a big job, you know?'

'Yes I do.' he stated. He hadn't realized that the both of them were seated on the countertop. 'I thought it was rather interesting, myself.'

Sirius smiled. 'Oh it is. They keep you on your feet though.'

'Well it looks like now I'm finally getting paid for it then.'

His godfather chuckled heartily. 'Yes, I guess so.'

'Are we still going out tonight? Or would you rather Ron and I stay this time?'

'I think you can decided what you want to do.' and with that, Sirius left him there. Harry stared after him, somewhat hurt and disappointed in Sirius' attitude.