Chapter Three: The First Day
None of the four reluctant travellers slept that well that night, being as they were in an unsettlingly situation and in a strange place. So for that reason it was a very quiet and subdued foursome that met for breakfast, much earlier then they had been planning to. Neither Harry nor Ginny had been quite sure where they were when they first woke and they both had laid in bed for a few minutes before the memory of the previous days events returned to them and the realisation of where they were and what had happened hit them like a sledge hammer at 100 miles and hour. Tonks and Lupin had both spent sometime in the house prior to going into hiding there with the two teens and so were more comfortable with the situation. However, they too were quiet and pensive. Concerned as they were with keeping the two teens safe but also for their mental well being, both members of the Order of the Phoenix were going for a softly, softly approach and so they too sat in quiet contemplation whilst they ate breakfast. It was, as such, a largely silent meal. An uncomfortable, silent meal if ever there was one and the two adults realised that that was something they needed to overcome if Harry and Ginny were to be as happy as possible during their time in hiding. They recognised that the young Hogwarts students could not be as happy and carefree as they would be were they at the Burrow with Ron, Hermione and the rest of the Weasley's' and acknowledged that there were certain things they must teach the teens but in discussions prior to their arrival had agreed that this time should be as pleasant and painless as possible, and that Harry in particular needed some time to just be Harry not the Boy-who- Lived, saviour of the wizarding world. So for this reason Remus had packed pictures of the Marauders at Hogwarts and also afterwards that he could share with the boy he considered his honorary godson as well as some of Lily and James' favourite books and other trinkets, knowing as he did, that Harry was desperate for any thing that might bring him closer to the parents he never knew. This had been painful for the former professor but something that he felt he needed to do for young Harry and something he had been strangely pleased, perhaps even honoured to be able to do. He just hoped he would find the opportunity to share these with Harry and even more so that he could find the words when the right time presented itself. Tonks had taken a slightly different approach to her preparations for the trip. The young Auror had a very fun loving personality, and knew that Harry had not had a proper childhood prior to starting at Hogwarts at age 11 and god only knew he had had precious few opportunities for fun whilst there, particularly in the last few years. She also realised that Ginny must feel slightly overlooked growing up as she had the youngest of seven children and the only girl. Tonks herself had been an only child until her younger brother had been born when she was 15 and so that wasn't something she had experienced as such for herself, but after some of the things she had seen during the previous summer she knew that although she loved all of her children, Molly Weasley had precious little time to give any of them one to one individual attention and she had a feeling that this was something Ginny really needed and longed for. Her idea had been to pack things that could be fun and that could also serve as a valuable distraction should Harry start to become moody and depressed again, blaming himself as was his tendency, for the events of the previous years. So into her trunk went muggle board games such as Twister, a Frisbee, some shot glasses and a bottle of Old Ogden's Firewhiskey (although she supposed Harry and Ginny at not quite 16 and only just 15 respectively were probably too young to be given that - she was after all supposed to be responsible as she was their guardian), some of her old clothes she thought Ginny might like, a pair of roller blades, some CD's and an enchanted cd player to play them on, every item of make up and jewellery she had ever owned and even a hula hoop. She was a little eccentric and off the wall sometimes, to say the least of it. In the short time she had known Ginny's parents Arthur and Molly Weasley, Tonks had learnt a lot about them. She knew how much they loved all of their children especially their only daughter who they had so nearly lost once already, and how much they would miss her. The first thing she had noticed the first time she visited their home, The Burrow, was the abundance of photographs of their children that filled every available surface and wall space in the house. For this reason she had also included a camera and plenty of film so that even if her friends could not be with their daughter and the boy they considered their honorary seventh son, they would have pictures of them and be able to look back at them one day when they were reunited with them and see what they have been doing. Their careful preparation and the items they had spent hours selecting could do little to help them in the here and now though. The silence between the two teens and their unwitting guardians was becoming more and more uncomfortable and the two adults exchanged a look, unsure quite how to break it. Eventually, Tonks settled for playing her favourite game. She was sitting directly opposite Ginny and made to catch the young girl's eye. Once she was sure she had her attention she winked at her and then screwed her face up as though in deep concentration changed her hair and eyes to a bright pink and her nose until it resembled a pig snout. Ginny couldn't help herself she burst out laughing and even Harry looked up and grinned when he saw how silly the Auror looked. "Don't you laugh at me, Ginny Weasley," Tonks teased, "I happen to like this look, it's my new favourite." She continued mock seriously. She was trying to act as though she was really insulted by the grins and laughter of her companions but failed miserably and soon cracked up laughing too. They all felt a little bit more normal and in control of the situation after that. It was amazing how good one little laugh could make you feel. The rest of the meal passed quickly with some idle chatter helping to pass the time. It wasn't a lot but it was a vast improvement. As they cleaned up after they finished eating, Tonks outlined the plan for the day. "Right you guys lets get this cleaned up and then we can do something more interesting." She said dropping and smashing a bowl as she spoke. Lupin shook his head at her familiar clumsiness and idly repaired the bowl. "Remus and I were thinking that we could spend this morning exploring the area we're in, see what there is to see and all that. Then this afternoon you two should probably do some school work for a couple of hours." Seeing the look of disgust that passed between the two Hogwarts students in hiding upon hearing that they would still have to study she laughed "just a little everyday, I'm not Hermione, I'm not going to make you do a lot while you're meant to be on your summer holiday. I know how you feel, I know I never wanted to do any schoolwork when I was on holiday but it will be worth it, you'll see." Remus nodded as she said this and added "Plus if you do a little everyday you don't have to do so much when you should be in school again and can still have more time off. Maybe you could have every morning free and do three hours in the afternoons? We'll work something out." Both adults could see that neither of the teens believed this but wisely decided to leave it at that and let the matter drop for now. The four of them were soon stood outside of the house they would soon learn to call home. It was a nice clear day but still sunny. Even though it was still early, not quite 8 am, it was still very warm. There were also signs that it would get a lot hotter before the day was out. They headed down the path they had walked to get to the house the night before. They had been so tired and overwhelmed by everything that had experienced that they had paid little attention to their surroundings. That morning, however, they paid closer attention and saw some things they never thought they would have. The path was long and curved gently to the right after about 100 yards. Grassy plains surrounded the path and stretched almost as far as the eye could see. Far away on the horizon there was a watering hole surrounded by animals such as rhinos. It really was something that none of them had ever thought they would see in their lifetimes, especially not in the current climate in the wizarding world. Nobody said anything much during their walk. They were all too busy taking in their new surroundings to hold a real conversation and so the most that was said was to point out something they had seen or to exclaim over the rhinos and their behaviour. So it was a mostly silent foursome that walked around the encampment they were staying in that morning. The silence was a lot more comfortable than it had been at the breakfast table earlier and the two adults were a lot more content with the situation. The two teens, whilst not yet being completely content with the situation were slightly more relaxed – although it would take someone who knew them both very well to be able to spot that fact. All of a sudden a muggle jeep could be seen heading towards them rapidly. Even though the two teens knew that nobody could find them unless their secret keeper told them where to find them they were slightly unsettled. Ginny went as far as to move slightly closer to Tonks, unconsciously finding reassurance in her close proximity. As he watched Ginny move away from him and towards Tonks, Harry wished he felt like he could seek comfort from the nearness of an adult. His whole life he had had to rely on himself and only himself. The first eleven years of his life he had lived with a family who hated him. His aunt and uncle would have rather of seen him dead then show that they cared for him - if they cared at all. Then from the very first day he had been at Hogwarts he had had to face things that no one should have had to deal with - let alone a child of eleven. That had been a trend that had continued with ever year he had spent in the wizarding world. He had thought that the one person he could trust was Albus Dumbledore the headmaster of Hogwarts. He had been wrong. At the end of his fifth year at Hogwarts his godfather had been killed rescuing him from a trap he had been lured into. That had been the thing to finally convince the supposed greatest wizard in the world that he needed to tell Harry the whole truth. Whilst he was glad to finally know the reason why Voldemort was so determined to kill him, it was a lot for him to deal with. It had also completely destroyed any trust Harry had ever felt in adults and in Dumbledore in particular. So, much as he wished he could copy Ginny and seek comfort by moving closer to the two adults he just couldn't allow himself to show that weakness. Lupin noticed Ginny moving closer to Tonks when she spotted the approaching jeep. He also thought he saw a vaguely unsettled look in Harry's eyes and so decided that he would stop and wait for his best friend's son to catch up with him. Once they were all caught up and walking close together again they continued. Nobody mentioned the jeep but they all breathed a sigh of relief when it drove past them without stopping. Noticing that Ginny still seemed to be more than a little nervous more than twenty minutes after they had seen the jeep and that Harry's eyes continued to dart from place to place as if he were constantly scanning the horizon for some form of impending danger, Lupin decided to reiterate the explanation of the improved version Fidelius charm they were hidden under that he had given them yesterday. "You two do realise that you have nothing to worry about to do with that jeep we just saw, don't you?" he questioned them. Without waiting for a response, he went on "Anyone who we meet or who sees us won't know who we are. I could meet someone new and introduce myself as Remus Lupin and still be safe. The beauty of the charm is that all they will remember is that my name is Remus. And anyone who comes looking for Remus Lupin or Nymphadora Tonks-" he ignored the look on Tonks' face and the low growl of exasperation she gave when he mentioned her hated first name and simply flashed her a smile before continuing, "-Ginny Weasley or Harry Potter will be someone who we know or who knew of us before we went into hiding. They won't be able to find us unless our secret keeper tells them where we are." Both of the teens seemed to relax slightly more upon hearing about the charm protecting them and Tonks took it upon herself to continue the explanation. "I'm not really sure how it works but I do know that it does work. Remus and I spent a week or so here while you two were in school last year setting up the charms and testing them." she smiled at the young girl walking next to her as she went on "After we'd been here for a week Dumbledore sent some members of the Order here and to a couple of other places to try to find us to check that the new version of the charm was working. Kingsley Shacklebolt came here and we both spoke to him everyday for three days." She said referring to her superior in the Auror division at the Ministry of Magic and fellow order member. "I talked to him about cases we've worked on together and teased him about how he likes calling me Nymphadora to wind me up and he still had absolutely no idea who I was." Both teenagers began to relax once more but still seemed a little on edge. As she was a little unsure of how to break the tension that remained before it began to build to uncomfortable levels once again their resident Metamorphmagus screwed her face up as though she was in pain and changed her face until it showed a more then passing resemblance to the Hippos that they could see surrounding a watering hole in the distance. That got quite the laugh from all of her companions and Ginny laughed so much that she had tears of mirth streaming down her face. Laughing and joking the four travellers soon arrived back at the house they were staying in. It appeared that it was Tonks's turn to prepare the lunch and Ginny quickly offered to help. The Auror seemed to be trying to make soup and toasted sandwiches for them to eat. Of course she was more than a little clumsy, and the extent to which Ginny had helped her mother at home before had gone only as far as setting the table and clearing away again after dinner, so it took them a little longer than planned... "My mum gave up trying to teach me how to cook after a while." The Metamorphmagus shared after she knocked a vat of hot soup onto the floor. "Said I was so clumsy that it was a waste of time as I would never get to eat it, just knock it on the floor and that was a was of perfectly good food." She grinned "And she loves her food does my mum." Ginny laughed. "The most cooking I've ever done is to stir something for my mum or butter some bread. I guess I'd like to learn but we don't at Hogwarts and that stupid decree for the restriction of underage sorcery means that mum can't teach me till I'm of age." Then she thought about it a little more and added, "Actually I would like to learn, but only fun things like cakes and sweets." "Well, Ginny, you know that Dumbledore arranged it as a part of the Fidelius charm that you and Harry will be able to do magic whenever you need and for whatever reason..." Tonks trailed off "...So what do you say we learn together? We'll have to start with this stupid lunch." She said gesturing to the mess she had made of the soup, which Ginny was trying to clear up. "But then maybe tonight or tomorrow we could have ourselves a girlie slumber party and have a go at making some sinfully bad treat that will be bad for our figures." The look in the younger girls eyes betrayed just how much she would like that. "I'd love to." she replied. Then she appeared to come over a little unsure of herself again, "If you're sure you don't mind, that is," she quickly amended. Wrapping an arm around Ginny, Tonks shock her slightly and laughed, "of course I don't mind, silly! I always wanted a little sister to do fun things like that with – I was so annoyed when I ended up with a younger brother instead." Having said that, the pink haired older girl picked up a jug of ice water wandered across to place it on the table. Because she had been busy trying to clean up the mess that the spilt soup had made it took a few moments for the exact meaning of what had just been said to dawn on Ginny. As soon as the fact that the woman who she looked up to and respected more than anything had all but said she considered her a sister registered, the young redhead threw herself at the Auror, and hugged her to within an inch of her life. Later that day, after they had eaten and rested on the sofas for a while (they were unused to the heat and it had taken it out of them) Remus insisted that the two teens do some schoolwork for a couple of hours. They had not believed him when it had been mentioned at breakfast, and so it was twin looks of disbelief that met his announcement that it was time to study and request that they fetch writing materials from their rooms. "But, Professor," said Ginny, "We're supposed to be on our summer holidays for another six weeks and I don't have a lot of homework..." "And I don't even have any summer homework, seeing as how I just took my OWLs and all." added Harry, quickly joining in the attempted revolt against the very idea of studying. "C'mon Professor, give us a break!" "It's Remus," their former teacher and current surrogate parent corrected, "and you DO have to study today." "What's the point?" asked Harry; "I'm not sure what subjects I'm taking for my NEWTs yet, and I'd hate for you to waste your time." he finished, looking hopeful. "Plus it's such a nice day. Who can concentrate when they're stuck inside on a day like today?" being unable to claim a lack of homework, Ginny reckoned this was the best excuse she could use. The last remaining Marauder shook his head at the two argumentative teens. He should have known that they wouldn't want to study. "It won't be a waste of my time, Harry, I'm going to teach you both something you won't have learnt about before that Dumbledore feels you both could benefit from knowing about. And, Ginny, if we go out that door" pointing to a door they had not been out of yet, "there is a covered courtyard where we can sit and keep cool. We'll go out there to work – if you promise to concentrate – that is." As soon as Dumbledore's name was mentioned, Harry began to seethe inwardly. He had thought that the old man had promised not to leave him in the dark again after the events in the ministry that had lead to Sirius' death. It appeared that the headmaster had lied to him once more. "I don't think so," Said Harry. "Bad enough that Dumbledore made us spent our summer holiday here and didn't even have the decency to tell us why." He was beginning to shake with barely suppressed rage and more than a little grief; "now he wants us to learn some new subject in our own time without having the decency to explain to us why? He promised me he would tell me the truth from now on, said that I deserved to know. Well, he obviously didn't mean that and I'm not going to do any work towards learning something that he," the contempt in which Harry currently held Albus Dumbledore was all too clear in the tone of his voice, "thinks will help me until I get a full explanation." He finished and moved to leave the room. Lupin grabbed him and stopped him, forcing him into a chair. "Alright, Harry. If you want me too, I'll tell you why we are here. I'll tell you everything, not just what Dumbledore said we could tell you..."
None of the four reluctant travellers slept that well that night, being as they were in an unsettlingly situation and in a strange place. So for that reason it was a very quiet and subdued foursome that met for breakfast, much earlier then they had been planning to. Neither Harry nor Ginny had been quite sure where they were when they first woke and they both had laid in bed for a few minutes before the memory of the previous days events returned to them and the realisation of where they were and what had happened hit them like a sledge hammer at 100 miles and hour. Tonks and Lupin had both spent sometime in the house prior to going into hiding there with the two teens and so were more comfortable with the situation. However, they too were quiet and pensive. Concerned as they were with keeping the two teens safe but also for their mental well being, both members of the Order of the Phoenix were going for a softly, softly approach and so they too sat in quiet contemplation whilst they ate breakfast. It was, as such, a largely silent meal. An uncomfortable, silent meal if ever there was one and the two adults realised that that was something they needed to overcome if Harry and Ginny were to be as happy as possible during their time in hiding. They recognised that the young Hogwarts students could not be as happy and carefree as they would be were they at the Burrow with Ron, Hermione and the rest of the Weasley's' and acknowledged that there were certain things they must teach the teens but in discussions prior to their arrival had agreed that this time should be as pleasant and painless as possible, and that Harry in particular needed some time to just be Harry not the Boy-who- Lived, saviour of the wizarding world. So for this reason Remus had packed pictures of the Marauders at Hogwarts and also afterwards that he could share with the boy he considered his honorary godson as well as some of Lily and James' favourite books and other trinkets, knowing as he did, that Harry was desperate for any thing that might bring him closer to the parents he never knew. This had been painful for the former professor but something that he felt he needed to do for young Harry and something he had been strangely pleased, perhaps even honoured to be able to do. He just hoped he would find the opportunity to share these with Harry and even more so that he could find the words when the right time presented itself. Tonks had taken a slightly different approach to her preparations for the trip. The young Auror had a very fun loving personality, and knew that Harry had not had a proper childhood prior to starting at Hogwarts at age 11 and god only knew he had had precious few opportunities for fun whilst there, particularly in the last few years. She also realised that Ginny must feel slightly overlooked growing up as she had the youngest of seven children and the only girl. Tonks herself had been an only child until her younger brother had been born when she was 15 and so that wasn't something she had experienced as such for herself, but after some of the things she had seen during the previous summer she knew that although she loved all of her children, Molly Weasley had precious little time to give any of them one to one individual attention and she had a feeling that this was something Ginny really needed and longed for. Her idea had been to pack things that could be fun and that could also serve as a valuable distraction should Harry start to become moody and depressed again, blaming himself as was his tendency, for the events of the previous years. So into her trunk went muggle board games such as Twister, a Frisbee, some shot glasses and a bottle of Old Ogden's Firewhiskey (although she supposed Harry and Ginny at not quite 16 and only just 15 respectively were probably too young to be given that - she was after all supposed to be responsible as she was their guardian), some of her old clothes she thought Ginny might like, a pair of roller blades, some CD's and an enchanted cd player to play them on, every item of make up and jewellery she had ever owned and even a hula hoop. She was a little eccentric and off the wall sometimes, to say the least of it. In the short time she had known Ginny's parents Arthur and Molly Weasley, Tonks had learnt a lot about them. She knew how much they loved all of their children especially their only daughter who they had so nearly lost once already, and how much they would miss her. The first thing she had noticed the first time she visited their home, The Burrow, was the abundance of photographs of their children that filled every available surface and wall space in the house. For this reason she had also included a camera and plenty of film so that even if her friends could not be with their daughter and the boy they considered their honorary seventh son, they would have pictures of them and be able to look back at them one day when they were reunited with them and see what they have been doing. Their careful preparation and the items they had spent hours selecting could do little to help them in the here and now though. The silence between the two teens and their unwitting guardians was becoming more and more uncomfortable and the two adults exchanged a look, unsure quite how to break it. Eventually, Tonks settled for playing her favourite game. She was sitting directly opposite Ginny and made to catch the young girl's eye. Once she was sure she had her attention she winked at her and then screwed her face up as though in deep concentration changed her hair and eyes to a bright pink and her nose until it resembled a pig snout. Ginny couldn't help herself she burst out laughing and even Harry looked up and grinned when he saw how silly the Auror looked. "Don't you laugh at me, Ginny Weasley," Tonks teased, "I happen to like this look, it's my new favourite." She continued mock seriously. She was trying to act as though she was really insulted by the grins and laughter of her companions but failed miserably and soon cracked up laughing too. They all felt a little bit more normal and in control of the situation after that. It was amazing how good one little laugh could make you feel. The rest of the meal passed quickly with some idle chatter helping to pass the time. It wasn't a lot but it was a vast improvement. As they cleaned up after they finished eating, Tonks outlined the plan for the day. "Right you guys lets get this cleaned up and then we can do something more interesting." She said dropping and smashing a bowl as she spoke. Lupin shook his head at her familiar clumsiness and idly repaired the bowl. "Remus and I were thinking that we could spend this morning exploring the area we're in, see what there is to see and all that. Then this afternoon you two should probably do some school work for a couple of hours." Seeing the look of disgust that passed between the two Hogwarts students in hiding upon hearing that they would still have to study she laughed "just a little everyday, I'm not Hermione, I'm not going to make you do a lot while you're meant to be on your summer holiday. I know how you feel, I know I never wanted to do any schoolwork when I was on holiday but it will be worth it, you'll see." Remus nodded as she said this and added "Plus if you do a little everyday you don't have to do so much when you should be in school again and can still have more time off. Maybe you could have every morning free and do three hours in the afternoons? We'll work something out." Both adults could see that neither of the teens believed this but wisely decided to leave it at that and let the matter drop for now. The four of them were soon stood outside of the house they would soon learn to call home. It was a nice clear day but still sunny. Even though it was still early, not quite 8 am, it was still very warm. There were also signs that it would get a lot hotter before the day was out. They headed down the path they had walked to get to the house the night before. They had been so tired and overwhelmed by everything that had experienced that they had paid little attention to their surroundings. That morning, however, they paid closer attention and saw some things they never thought they would have. The path was long and curved gently to the right after about 100 yards. Grassy plains surrounded the path and stretched almost as far as the eye could see. Far away on the horizon there was a watering hole surrounded by animals such as rhinos. It really was something that none of them had ever thought they would see in their lifetimes, especially not in the current climate in the wizarding world. Nobody said anything much during their walk. They were all too busy taking in their new surroundings to hold a real conversation and so the most that was said was to point out something they had seen or to exclaim over the rhinos and their behaviour. So it was a mostly silent foursome that walked around the encampment they were staying in that morning. The silence was a lot more comfortable than it had been at the breakfast table earlier and the two adults were a lot more content with the situation. The two teens, whilst not yet being completely content with the situation were slightly more relaxed – although it would take someone who knew them both very well to be able to spot that fact. All of a sudden a muggle jeep could be seen heading towards them rapidly. Even though the two teens knew that nobody could find them unless their secret keeper told them where to find them they were slightly unsettled. Ginny went as far as to move slightly closer to Tonks, unconsciously finding reassurance in her close proximity. As he watched Ginny move away from him and towards Tonks, Harry wished he felt like he could seek comfort from the nearness of an adult. His whole life he had had to rely on himself and only himself. The first eleven years of his life he had lived with a family who hated him. His aunt and uncle would have rather of seen him dead then show that they cared for him - if they cared at all. Then from the very first day he had been at Hogwarts he had had to face things that no one should have had to deal with - let alone a child of eleven. That had been a trend that had continued with ever year he had spent in the wizarding world. He had thought that the one person he could trust was Albus Dumbledore the headmaster of Hogwarts. He had been wrong. At the end of his fifth year at Hogwarts his godfather had been killed rescuing him from a trap he had been lured into. That had been the thing to finally convince the supposed greatest wizard in the world that he needed to tell Harry the whole truth. Whilst he was glad to finally know the reason why Voldemort was so determined to kill him, it was a lot for him to deal with. It had also completely destroyed any trust Harry had ever felt in adults and in Dumbledore in particular. So, much as he wished he could copy Ginny and seek comfort by moving closer to the two adults he just couldn't allow himself to show that weakness. Lupin noticed Ginny moving closer to Tonks when she spotted the approaching jeep. He also thought he saw a vaguely unsettled look in Harry's eyes and so decided that he would stop and wait for his best friend's son to catch up with him. Once they were all caught up and walking close together again they continued. Nobody mentioned the jeep but they all breathed a sigh of relief when it drove past them without stopping. Noticing that Ginny still seemed to be more than a little nervous more than twenty minutes after they had seen the jeep and that Harry's eyes continued to dart from place to place as if he were constantly scanning the horizon for some form of impending danger, Lupin decided to reiterate the explanation of the improved version Fidelius charm they were hidden under that he had given them yesterday. "You two do realise that you have nothing to worry about to do with that jeep we just saw, don't you?" he questioned them. Without waiting for a response, he went on "Anyone who we meet or who sees us won't know who we are. I could meet someone new and introduce myself as Remus Lupin and still be safe. The beauty of the charm is that all they will remember is that my name is Remus. And anyone who comes looking for Remus Lupin or Nymphadora Tonks-" he ignored the look on Tonks' face and the low growl of exasperation she gave when he mentioned her hated first name and simply flashed her a smile before continuing, "-Ginny Weasley or Harry Potter will be someone who we know or who knew of us before we went into hiding. They won't be able to find us unless our secret keeper tells them where we are." Both of the teens seemed to relax slightly more upon hearing about the charm protecting them and Tonks took it upon herself to continue the explanation. "I'm not really sure how it works but I do know that it does work. Remus and I spent a week or so here while you two were in school last year setting up the charms and testing them." she smiled at the young girl walking next to her as she went on "After we'd been here for a week Dumbledore sent some members of the Order here and to a couple of other places to try to find us to check that the new version of the charm was working. Kingsley Shacklebolt came here and we both spoke to him everyday for three days." She said referring to her superior in the Auror division at the Ministry of Magic and fellow order member. "I talked to him about cases we've worked on together and teased him about how he likes calling me Nymphadora to wind me up and he still had absolutely no idea who I was." Both teenagers began to relax once more but still seemed a little on edge. As she was a little unsure of how to break the tension that remained before it began to build to uncomfortable levels once again their resident Metamorphmagus screwed her face up as though she was in pain and changed her face until it showed a more then passing resemblance to the Hippos that they could see surrounding a watering hole in the distance. That got quite the laugh from all of her companions and Ginny laughed so much that she had tears of mirth streaming down her face. Laughing and joking the four travellers soon arrived back at the house they were staying in. It appeared that it was Tonks's turn to prepare the lunch and Ginny quickly offered to help. The Auror seemed to be trying to make soup and toasted sandwiches for them to eat. Of course she was more than a little clumsy, and the extent to which Ginny had helped her mother at home before had gone only as far as setting the table and clearing away again after dinner, so it took them a little longer than planned... "My mum gave up trying to teach me how to cook after a while." The Metamorphmagus shared after she knocked a vat of hot soup onto the floor. "Said I was so clumsy that it was a waste of time as I would never get to eat it, just knock it on the floor and that was a was of perfectly good food." She grinned "And she loves her food does my mum." Ginny laughed. "The most cooking I've ever done is to stir something for my mum or butter some bread. I guess I'd like to learn but we don't at Hogwarts and that stupid decree for the restriction of underage sorcery means that mum can't teach me till I'm of age." Then she thought about it a little more and added, "Actually I would like to learn, but only fun things like cakes and sweets." "Well, Ginny, you know that Dumbledore arranged it as a part of the Fidelius charm that you and Harry will be able to do magic whenever you need and for whatever reason..." Tonks trailed off "...So what do you say we learn together? We'll have to start with this stupid lunch." She said gesturing to the mess she had made of the soup, which Ginny was trying to clear up. "But then maybe tonight or tomorrow we could have ourselves a girlie slumber party and have a go at making some sinfully bad treat that will be bad for our figures." The look in the younger girls eyes betrayed just how much she would like that. "I'd love to." she replied. Then she appeared to come over a little unsure of herself again, "If you're sure you don't mind, that is," she quickly amended. Wrapping an arm around Ginny, Tonks shock her slightly and laughed, "of course I don't mind, silly! I always wanted a little sister to do fun things like that with – I was so annoyed when I ended up with a younger brother instead." Having said that, the pink haired older girl picked up a jug of ice water wandered across to place it on the table. Because she had been busy trying to clean up the mess that the spilt soup had made it took a few moments for the exact meaning of what had just been said to dawn on Ginny. As soon as the fact that the woman who she looked up to and respected more than anything had all but said she considered her a sister registered, the young redhead threw herself at the Auror, and hugged her to within an inch of her life. Later that day, after they had eaten and rested on the sofas for a while (they were unused to the heat and it had taken it out of them) Remus insisted that the two teens do some schoolwork for a couple of hours. They had not believed him when it had been mentioned at breakfast, and so it was twin looks of disbelief that met his announcement that it was time to study and request that they fetch writing materials from their rooms. "But, Professor," said Ginny, "We're supposed to be on our summer holidays for another six weeks and I don't have a lot of homework..." "And I don't even have any summer homework, seeing as how I just took my OWLs and all." added Harry, quickly joining in the attempted revolt against the very idea of studying. "C'mon Professor, give us a break!" "It's Remus," their former teacher and current surrogate parent corrected, "and you DO have to study today." "What's the point?" asked Harry; "I'm not sure what subjects I'm taking for my NEWTs yet, and I'd hate for you to waste your time." he finished, looking hopeful. "Plus it's such a nice day. Who can concentrate when they're stuck inside on a day like today?" being unable to claim a lack of homework, Ginny reckoned this was the best excuse she could use. The last remaining Marauder shook his head at the two argumentative teens. He should have known that they wouldn't want to study. "It won't be a waste of my time, Harry, I'm going to teach you both something you won't have learnt about before that Dumbledore feels you both could benefit from knowing about. And, Ginny, if we go out that door" pointing to a door they had not been out of yet, "there is a covered courtyard where we can sit and keep cool. We'll go out there to work – if you promise to concentrate – that is." As soon as Dumbledore's name was mentioned, Harry began to seethe inwardly. He had thought that the old man had promised not to leave him in the dark again after the events in the ministry that had lead to Sirius' death. It appeared that the headmaster had lied to him once more. "I don't think so," Said Harry. "Bad enough that Dumbledore made us spent our summer holiday here and didn't even have the decency to tell us why." He was beginning to shake with barely suppressed rage and more than a little grief; "now he wants us to learn some new subject in our own time without having the decency to explain to us why? He promised me he would tell me the truth from now on, said that I deserved to know. Well, he obviously didn't mean that and I'm not going to do any work towards learning something that he," the contempt in which Harry currently held Albus Dumbledore was all too clear in the tone of his voice, "thinks will help me until I get a full explanation." He finished and moved to leave the room. Lupin grabbed him and stopped him, forcing him into a chair. "Alright, Harry. If you want me too, I'll tell you why we are here. I'll tell you everything, not just what Dumbledore said we could tell you..."