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Chapter Three- Some Happy NewsThe moment Tonks stepped out of The Poison Arrow, she apparated to Twelve Grimmauld Place. Scrunching her nose, she changed her face back to her normal appearence, but kept the hair. She wanted to run up to her room and change. She squinted her eyes and felt her skirt become a little loose. Celeste had mores curves than Tonks did. She opened the door quietly, hoping no one would be in the hall. She got her wish, but heard voices in the study. Too many questions would be asked if anyone saw her, the first being, "Tonks, are you wearing a skirt?" She bolted up to her room.
Shutting the door behind her, she allowed herself a moment to reflect. Moving here was a good decision, she told herself again. She didn't live here last year, but had stayed over often enough. After Sirius died, it just seemed the right thing to do.
She pushed away the memories of right after the battle at the ministry. She had been in St. Mungo's, and it seemed that everything was in chaos. Could that really only have been six weeks ago? It felt like a lifetime.
She remembered Remus' face when he told her Sirius had died. It was as if he had to lose his best friend all over again. "Poor Remus," she thought. He had grasped her hand and told her he had now lost everything that mattered, but he still felt a sense of hope. Tonks thought bard about friendship. Remus was a man who had at twenty lost his three best friends. James and Peter had been killed and Sirius jailed in Azkaban. Only to discover twelve years later that the wrong one had been imprisoned and the one had betrayed them all was a Death Eater. Worse, only to have the newly discovered friend killed before his very eyes. And after all that, he still wanted to fight Lord Voldemort. Remus was a remarkable man.
Tonks took two steps away from the door and promptly fell on her behind. She started giggling, having forgotten she was wearing those darn heels. Quickly, she changed out of the clothes, and into her favorite outfit. A Weird Sisters T-shirt, from their 1974 World Tour and a pair of baggy corduroys that had two different colored legs.
Tonks looked at the clock, could it really only be ten-thirty at night? "What a bad date, I was!" she said out loud.
She was working a late shift at the ministry tomorrow, so she knew she could stay up late. Tonks pondered what to do next. She could join the group downstairs or work on a report she had to finish soon. What she really wanted to do was turn on some music and write in her private journal. It bothered her that she didn't want to go down stairs and join the group.
"Have I really become that anti-social?" she thought to herself. There was a time when she was desperate to be in any group in the Order. She would stay in the study or kitchen for hours, soaking up every bit of information she could. Now, thought she hated to admit it, she was tired. She despised thinking that this was open ended. And she hated that the only way for the war to end was for Harry to kill Voldemort. She wouldn't not be in the Order for the world though. What if Kingsley had never approached her? She would be living in such ignorance.
She had surprised herself that she had accepted everything Kingsley told her that first meeting. That Voldemort was back, that there was going to be a war. Tonks was only nine when Voldemort was defeated the first time. Her parents kept her well protected, so she really didn't remember much. All she did remember was the overwhelming fear that was everywhere.
"That's it! Downstairs we go," Tonks told herself. As she walked down the stairs, she briefly wondered if Malfoy was thinking about her. She hoped so.
"Tonks," Molly Weasley whispered in the hallway, as not to wake the sleeping portrait of Sirius' mum. "We're in the study. I'm just going to get some more wine."
For a brief moment, Tonks could tell Molly was worried that she'd offer to help get the wine. Molly was sweet about every disaster Tonks caused, but she could tell they annoyed her just the same. Tonks decided not to cause any grief tonight. "Great," she said brightly, "I'll see you in the study then?" She ignored the look of relief that crossed Molly's face.
Tonks gently opened the study door and a general cry of "Tonks!" went up. It still amazed her how well like she was here. She looked around. "Damn," she thought, "There's a regular party going on."
Remus started to pour her a glass of wine. "Great more alcohol," Tonks thought. Arthur Weasley was on the couch. Bill and Fleur were on another couch. Madame Pomfrey was there; that was the first time Tonks recalled seeing her at 12 Grimmauld Place. She nodded to Kingsley and then caught her breath. Professor McGonagall was talking to Emmeline Vance. Minerva never seemed to be here except on official business. Tonks half expected Professor Dumbledore to walk out of the loo.
"Hello all!" she said with a smile on her face, "I didn't know we were having a party," Tonks said. She was very glad she came down. Lately, the Order was always serious; because there never seemed to be anything to celebrate. She heard Molly come in behind her.
"We're having an impromptu celebration," Arthur said.
"Fleur and Bill are getting married!" Molly gushed with pride. "My first child to get married. I can't believe it!" Molly sat down next to Arthur and he put his arm around her.
"Married? Oh Bill, Fleur, that's wonderful!" Tonks walked over to Bill, gave him a brief hug and Fleur a kiss on the cheek. Remus was suddenly by her side and handed her a glass of wine, which she accepted. More congratulations came, and Tonks found a place to settle, sitting on the ledge in front of the fireplace.
"We need to owl the Burrow," Molly cried.
"No, let's floo and tell them. They'll want to celebrate with us," Bill said.
It was decided that Bill would floo to the Burrow and bring everyone here. Tonks stood so that Bill could use the fireplace. Now that Bill was longer next to Fleur, Tonks noticed that she looked a little uncomfortable. Tonks went to sit next to her, determined to say the right things.
"That's wonderful news Fleur, do you have a ring?" Tonks asked eagerly.
"Oui...I mean yes. Please look, Bill has very good taste," Fleur replied, holding out her hand. It was a silver band with a small emerald. It looked stunning on Fleur's small hand.
"When do you think you'll be able to tell your family?" Tonks asked.
"I vould like to tell them in person. But it vill be a bit before we can go back to France. I vill write an owl tomorrow," Fleur said. Out of the blue, she asked, "Do you have a boyfriend, Tonks?"
"Good lord no," Tonks said smiling. "I can't think of anyone willing to put up with me. I'm quite a handful."
At that time, various Weasleys started piling out of the fireplace. First Charlie, followed by the twins, Ron and finally Ginny. No Percy, Tonks noticed. She guessed all was still not well there.
Tonks moved out of the way so the Weasley's could congratulate their future sister-in-law. Resuming her spot at the fireplace, she started thinking. "Here we all are, ready to give our lives for the Order, and they are getting married. Well, why not, we may not be here tomorrow, we have to live for now!"
Tonks said all the right things and made the right motions for the next hour. She could tell this party would go on for quite a while. Despite all the protests, she told everyone she had to go to bed.
"One more drink, Tonks, please?" Minerva asked. Tonks giggled, knowing her old transfiguration had had many drinks tonight.
"Fine, fine! One more. But make it a butterbeer. Any more wine and I'll be a disgrace tomorrow at the ministry," Tonks cried.
Remus eagerly brought her the requested drink. She really wasn't in the mood to talk, so she sat back down and watched the celebration.
She looked at Arthur and Molly Weasley on the couch. She had heard that they had been together since their seventh year at Hogwarts. Who knows how many years together and they were still in love. She saw Molly put her hand on Arthur's knee and give him a kiss on the cheek. Watching with awe, she saw Arthur sup his wife's chin and kiss her gently on the lips. Tonks looked away then, it seemed too private of a moment to share with them.
"Mum, Da, get a room!" She heard Ginny Weasley cry. The room erupted with laughter. Tonks remembered why she liked Ginny so much.
Molly blushed, but it seemed that the wine had gone to her head. "What, don't want any more brothers or sisters?"
"Mum!" the six present Weasley children yelled in unison.
Tonks didn't even notice as one butterbeer become two. After emptying the second, she got up and crossed to Bill and Fleur, who were standing in a corner.
'Bed, I need to go to bed. But I'm so happy for you both." She gave them a quick embrace, "I'll see you both later."
Tonks quickly said her goodnights to everyone and escaped to her room. She glanced at the clock, "Two in the morning! Oh bugger!" She grabbed her comfiest pyjamas, the ones with the dancing frogs. Deciding she wasn't quite ready to go to sleep, so she grabbed her journal and laid on her bed to write. She starting writing about love, what it meant to her and to the rest of the world. Lost in her thoughts, she barely recognized the knock on the door. She groaned, it was probably Remus or the Weasley twins wanting her to rejoin the party. She opened the door and found herself face-to-face with Severus Snape.