AN:!!!!! Sorry it took me so long, but, you know: SCHOOL...
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Chapter ten: The Order Headquarters
'Gosh, Sirius!!! That's your family hall???' Jill was laughing out loud, almost on the floor. She enjoyed the "perfect and pure to be" style of newly rich family that Sirius' mother had fancied. Strange, such an old family and interested in stupidities, like serious paintings of old family members and golden candelabras with moving snakes. 'It's a picture from a cheap horror movie, Sirius.'
'Tell me about it' Sirius also laughed. The place made him depressing, but Jill's presence and critical opinion of the house itself (not of the untidiness, which offended Molly Weasley) made him feel better.
'Now, really, I have no more questions, why you'd left it.'
'Well, thanks you value my sensitive artistic taste.'
'C'mon, Black!' Jill shouted offended. 'It's not a matter of taste, but of general esthetics!'
'Whatever.'
They went silent and shyly stared at walls, paintings, but not at each other. They were still in the hall and probably weren't even loud enough to wake Mrs. Black. They smiled like stupid teenagers and couldn't find words. "Luckily" the help came from the kitchen and the friendly silence between them was broken. By whom?
'There you are!' it was Pola who was visiting Remus at his new home in Grimmauld Place 12. Jill had to admit (but of course not aloud) that love made Pola even prettier, younger, and happier. 'what were you doing in the dark corridor? Alone?' she asked with suspicious smile of a woman who knows every secret. 'Weren't you flirting?'
'Jesus!' was Jill's answer. She just left the hall and directed to the kitchen, passing Pola without a slightest glance. Pola laughed and turned to Sirius, who was still standing.
'So you were!!!'
'You know, Pola' he barked 'I thought you were more intelligent.'
'I appreciate, Black.'
'Criticizing my talk with the only person here, who understands what I'm experiencing in this house?'
'So.' She began to mock 'you weren't flirting, but Jill's still the only one to comfort you?'
Sirius opened his mouth to reply something bitter, but a calm voice of Remus came from the kitchen. He was asking Sirius no to get angry and Pola not to cause fights.
- ------ - ------ - ------
'Will you please stop behaving like that' said Sirius to Moony when they were sitting alone in the kitchen.
'Stop behaving like what? As if I knew perfectly well what your life should look like?'
'Yes, please' Sirius put his glass loudly on the table. 'You and your beautiful girl. How come every time Jill's here you or Pola start your accusations!'
'Oh, and we are sad that Jill's so seldom here. And we think it's because of that!'
'Well, I know it's because of that. She's extremely busy with educating the members-to-be and with fighting Pola at work and she would love from time to time rest with friends and every time she tries it she is accused of an affair.'
'No, no, Sirius, mate' said Remus, he was smiling because he found that talk really entertaining. 'We accuse her of NOT having an affair!'
Sirius laughed, barked like a dog. That was amusing, so amusing, and so unreal. Like a soc-realistic movie, like his mother's taste of antics.
-* -* -* -* - *- * -*
'So, d'ya wanna a drink?' asked Pola innocently when Jill was totally impatiently standing in the kitchen door waiting for Pola's notes on defending stone buildings. Pola was theoretically good at that because she had studied lots of temples. Pola, however, wanted a little chat. Jill thought angrily that it's awful how people change when in love.
'Can't we do it later? I'm working.'
'Yeah, right' mocked Pola and passed Jill the glass. 'You're working because you don't want to be with Sirius.'
'You're quite wrong, Pola' Jill sat desperately on a chair. 'I really enjoy being with him.'
'So, why aren't you together.'
'Get off me, you nut! I enjoy being with you too. Does it mean we have to fuck?'
'OH, you're using such an ugly words.'
'at least I don't exhaust my friends with fiction'
'I just can't understand why both of you deny the sweetest relation that could be there. Why are you destroying your happiness, Jill?'
'Probably because I don't want to be happy. C'mon, can't we talk about weather?'
Pola gazed at her with pity and Jill hated the stare. In her own opinion if she wanted to be miserable, it was only her business. Sirius didn't seem to be interested either. Young people fall in and out of love million times a day. Now they were older and had things to lose.
'What?' asked Pola
'Uh?' Jill, who almost forgot she was sitting with Praise, looked up.
'What things?' added Pola and gave Jill I-know-it-all smile. 'What thing are you afraid to lose?'
Jill wondered for a while whether she thought aloud, shook her head and decided to leave.
'Shut up.'
'Bye. See you at the meeting.'
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/the Order meeting/
Several people were sitting around the kitchen table; some were standing near walls, some were walking. Of course, all of them were thinking. In fact, they were considering Jill and Pola's idea of organising the defence of the Mysteries Department from Voldemort's curious hands, and the intelligence of Order.
Girls' idea was to work in pairs and the pairs should work in groups of two or three. It would eliminate the risk of being killed alone and of losing the information the person or people gathered. This would also give the people peace of mind that they're not fighting on their own only.
'For example' Jill was explaining the whole idea to the, well, intelligent people who seemed not to understand the importance of co-operation during the war. 'when one of us keeps his eyes on the entrance to the Mysteries department, his partner is somewhere near and if anything happens he can inform others, help the victim, continue his work or whatever because I think we all agree that an invisibility cloak isn't a perfect hide in every circumstances.'
'Jill, you're speaking!' was Pola's reaction, Jill, however, smiled.
'Thank you.'
'I agree with you Jill and I hope everyone else here does too.' Said Sirius slowly, moving on his chair and abandoning his glass. 'I've studied the past methods we used and, from the time perspective, I must say it's miracle we didn't all die.'
'That's our boy!' laughed Pola. Jill once more cursed in mind the way in which love changed people.
'I of course agree with our beautiful friends and Sirius' melodious voice of Dumbledore silenced the whispers all around. 'Girls worked while we were all hoping he won't be back again. And now we shall work together, be careful and protected more than ever, because there aren't many of us who believe and that makes Voldemort so strong.'
'Arent we going to be too depending on one another?' asked Snape but that was probably the question many others wanted to ask.
'It's called trust. And protection' mocked Sirius at him 'not dependence.'
'We all know, Black, how well protected you want to be. Sitting here.'
Sirius went red, Jill looked at Snape with a mixture of amusement and bitterness, Dumbledore said calmly:
'We need trust and understanding, Severus. I want no more fights inside the Order'
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Days and weeks went by, the house was being cleaned, Harry was introduced to the old house of Blacks and Sirius was bored by the constant cleaning, lack of other activities and lack of other company as well. He saw Jill only occasionally, because she was really occupied with other work. She came in and out but every time he was there , he seemed happier. They could talk and talk. They just couldn't: there was never time.
Sirius was sitting at the table in the kitchen, his grim smile on, his hands tightly around his bottle of beer. He wasn't listening to others, just thinking. Ginny and Hermione were giggling on the other side of the table, commenting some popular articles in a magazine. Fred and George were whispering about something secretly and Mrs. Weasley was persuading Harry and Ron not to eat chocolate but vegetables.
Sirius was worried about Jill. She went on another "trip" and took Tonks with her. They wanted, and everyone agreed, to put a listening in inside Macnair's house. Jill and Pola, with a lazy help from Sirius, invented a wonderful machine that could be divided and put in many different places round and in the house. They wanted to record the talks and actions. They believed one day Macnair or some of his mates would say a thing about Voldemort plans. They all felt unpunished because of the stupidity of the Minister.
He was worried because Jill, though really smart and knowledgeable about the defense methods, looked small and unprotected. He was worried because they had left yesterday evening and after so many hours they weren't back yet. That's why he didn't want to listen to the chats around, that's why his every sense was directed to hear Jill's entrance. That's why he stood up immediately, as soon as she appeared and allowed her to sat down (well, tired girl in fact threw herself on the chair). The people around stopped talking and stared at Jill. The kids weren't introduced to Coleman before and the easiness in which Sirius understood her was amazing. They watched a small, quick woman with messy hair and amber eyes, in torn clothes and with irregular breath. She seemed incapable of doing anything risky, however, she was bleeding and was all pale.
Jill's left arm was wounded, but she didn't cry or moan because of pain. She was breathing fast and after a while she drew her other hand towards Sirius, waiting for something. Now the rest were watching the spectacle. The two of them seemed to understand one another without words.
Sirius passed her a glass of pumpkin juice. She took it to her left hand, grimaced with pain, drank the drink rapaciously and waved her hand for something else. Sirius patiently gave her a piece of fried chicken. She ate it, but when her hand directed at Black once more he said, calmly:
'You should rest before.'
'Shut up and give me that!' she answered angrily and then, a little bit haggardly, she said "hello" to everyone. They murmured the answer, but were still watching Sirius.
They all thought they knew Sirius well, but the appearance of Coleman revealed a new Sirius Black to them. He was much calmer and sensitive when he was passing her the food or when he, with a sigh, gave her a parchment and quill, the things she must have demanded. And he was talking to her differently as he sat by her, trying to heal her bleeding arm when she was writing.
'Just wait a while, Jill, don't move.'
'I have to write it, so please, you wait a while.'
He smiled lightly and continued to mend her body.
'You can do it later or you'll bleed till death.'
'Over my dead body, Sirius.'
'Yeah, we'll wait and see' he winked at Harry. 'Where's Tonks? Everythings fine?'
'Sirius, I'm bleeding till death and you're asking if everything's fine? Finish quick, it hurts!'
'Tonks?' Sirius tried once again. 'The violet-haired girl. You know her?'
'She's fine, went straight to the Ministry.'
Sirius laughed shortly with relief and continued the investigation.
'And you was wounded She was all right?'
'She fell over a rock a while before the bleeding courses were shot from the gate. So she was below the reach of them. But it was after the matter, so we could disapparate'
'And you did everything. You weren't seen?'
'Sirus!' Jill looked at him, offended. 'Remember who you're talking to!'
'Yes, of course' he said and gazed into her beer-like eyes.
'Yes, of course' she repeated, smiling to him. He was still holding her arm, although it was mended by now. The moment was so nice and peaceful to them and this time it wasn't their shyness, so typical to them when they were together, but Ginny who interrupted the moment.
'Are you two together?' she demanded. Hermione hissed at her to keep her mouth shut but boys repeated the question.
'We??' Sirius and Jill asked unison. They gazed at each other (trying to find a permission to admit, but, of course were too shy) and laughed. 'Oh, God, of course not!!!!"
'And that's why you're so stupid' said Mrs. Weasley as she stood up and picked the dishes. Sirius and Jill looked confused, smile disappeared, a need to talk too.
'Why you say so, Mrs. Weasley' said Harry who always tried to defend Sirius.
'because they are. They both pretend that they don't fancy one another.'
'OK, the discussion's over! Kids to beds, Jill go and rest. I'll take the report' Sirius stood up, now angry and ironical, good old Sirius Black.
'But you look so good together!' cried Hermione and boys nodded. Sirius was caring with her and she was so unconcerned, even when wounded.
'Thank you Hermione, now, please, BED!!!' Sirius almost broke the dishes he carried.
'You both should stop behaving like kids and setting the wrong example to them. This situation is ill. You're not twenty anymore and you shouldn't take your time but act. It's..'
but she couldn't finish because Jill's colder than before voice stated something aloud:
'This is an ill situation: every one here in this house except for me and Sirius is really worried about our future and knows us and our feelings better than we do. Can we just leave the topic?'
'I totally agree' said Sirius silently, leaving the pool to Jill and Molly.
'Jill, open your eyes, Sirius, open your eyes, don't you find one another attractive.'
'Well, Sirius, we think' said Fred. 'Jill's really attractive.'
Jill almost killed him with her eyes, Sirius laughed, but Molly was not to be interrupted.
'What I want to say is that you both would feel better together!'
'You know, Molly, stop being Pola Praise, for you still must learn a lot if you want to sound convincingly.' Mocked Jill Coleman.
'Who is Pola Praise?' asked Ron.
'Anyone mentioned Pola?' Asked Remus who just got into the kitchen. Sirius sat desperately on the chair.
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AN Well??? Sorry it took me so long. I WILL UPDATE. But I want reviews...... Ilara.
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Chapter ten: The Order Headquarters
'Gosh, Sirius!!! That's your family hall???' Jill was laughing out loud, almost on the floor. She enjoyed the "perfect and pure to be" style of newly rich family that Sirius' mother had fancied. Strange, such an old family and interested in stupidities, like serious paintings of old family members and golden candelabras with moving snakes. 'It's a picture from a cheap horror movie, Sirius.'
'Tell me about it' Sirius also laughed. The place made him depressing, but Jill's presence and critical opinion of the house itself (not of the untidiness, which offended Molly Weasley) made him feel better.
'Now, really, I have no more questions, why you'd left it.'
'Well, thanks you value my sensitive artistic taste.'
'C'mon, Black!' Jill shouted offended. 'It's not a matter of taste, but of general esthetics!'
'Whatever.'
They went silent and shyly stared at walls, paintings, but not at each other. They were still in the hall and probably weren't even loud enough to wake Mrs. Black. They smiled like stupid teenagers and couldn't find words. "Luckily" the help came from the kitchen and the friendly silence between them was broken. By whom?
'There you are!' it was Pola who was visiting Remus at his new home in Grimmauld Place 12. Jill had to admit (but of course not aloud) that love made Pola even prettier, younger, and happier. 'what were you doing in the dark corridor? Alone?' she asked with suspicious smile of a woman who knows every secret. 'Weren't you flirting?'
'Jesus!' was Jill's answer. She just left the hall and directed to the kitchen, passing Pola without a slightest glance. Pola laughed and turned to Sirius, who was still standing.
'So you were!!!'
'You know, Pola' he barked 'I thought you were more intelligent.'
'I appreciate, Black.'
'Criticizing my talk with the only person here, who understands what I'm experiencing in this house?'
'So.' She began to mock 'you weren't flirting, but Jill's still the only one to comfort you?'
Sirius opened his mouth to reply something bitter, but a calm voice of Remus came from the kitchen. He was asking Sirius no to get angry and Pola not to cause fights.
- ------ - ------ - ------
'Will you please stop behaving like that' said Sirius to Moony when they were sitting alone in the kitchen.
'Stop behaving like what? As if I knew perfectly well what your life should look like?'
'Yes, please' Sirius put his glass loudly on the table. 'You and your beautiful girl. How come every time Jill's here you or Pola start your accusations!'
'Oh, and we are sad that Jill's so seldom here. And we think it's because of that!'
'Well, I know it's because of that. She's extremely busy with educating the members-to-be and with fighting Pola at work and she would love from time to time rest with friends and every time she tries it she is accused of an affair.'
'No, no, Sirius, mate' said Remus, he was smiling because he found that talk really entertaining. 'We accuse her of NOT having an affair!'
Sirius laughed, barked like a dog. That was amusing, so amusing, and so unreal. Like a soc-realistic movie, like his mother's taste of antics.
-* -* -* -* - *- * -*
'So, d'ya wanna a drink?' asked Pola innocently when Jill was totally impatiently standing in the kitchen door waiting for Pola's notes on defending stone buildings. Pola was theoretically good at that because she had studied lots of temples. Pola, however, wanted a little chat. Jill thought angrily that it's awful how people change when in love.
'Can't we do it later? I'm working.'
'Yeah, right' mocked Pola and passed Jill the glass. 'You're working because you don't want to be with Sirius.'
'You're quite wrong, Pola' Jill sat desperately on a chair. 'I really enjoy being with him.'
'So, why aren't you together.'
'Get off me, you nut! I enjoy being with you too. Does it mean we have to fuck?'
'OH, you're using such an ugly words.'
'at least I don't exhaust my friends with fiction'
'I just can't understand why both of you deny the sweetest relation that could be there. Why are you destroying your happiness, Jill?'
'Probably because I don't want to be happy. C'mon, can't we talk about weather?'
Pola gazed at her with pity and Jill hated the stare. In her own opinion if she wanted to be miserable, it was only her business. Sirius didn't seem to be interested either. Young people fall in and out of love million times a day. Now they were older and had things to lose.
'What?' asked Pola
'Uh?' Jill, who almost forgot she was sitting with Praise, looked up.
'What things?' added Pola and gave Jill I-know-it-all smile. 'What thing are you afraid to lose?'
Jill wondered for a while whether she thought aloud, shook her head and decided to leave.
'Shut up.'
'Bye. See you at the meeting.'
**--**--**--*-*--**--**--**-*-
/the Order meeting/
Several people were sitting around the kitchen table; some were standing near walls, some were walking. Of course, all of them were thinking. In fact, they were considering Jill and Pola's idea of organising the defence of the Mysteries Department from Voldemort's curious hands, and the intelligence of Order.
Girls' idea was to work in pairs and the pairs should work in groups of two or three. It would eliminate the risk of being killed alone and of losing the information the person or people gathered. This would also give the people peace of mind that they're not fighting on their own only.
'For example' Jill was explaining the whole idea to the, well, intelligent people who seemed not to understand the importance of co-operation during the war. 'when one of us keeps his eyes on the entrance to the Mysteries department, his partner is somewhere near and if anything happens he can inform others, help the victim, continue his work or whatever because I think we all agree that an invisibility cloak isn't a perfect hide in every circumstances.'
'Jill, you're speaking!' was Pola's reaction, Jill, however, smiled.
'Thank you.'
'I agree with you Jill and I hope everyone else here does too.' Said Sirius slowly, moving on his chair and abandoning his glass. 'I've studied the past methods we used and, from the time perspective, I must say it's miracle we didn't all die.'
'That's our boy!' laughed Pola. Jill once more cursed in mind the way in which love changed people.
'I of course agree with our beautiful friends and Sirius' melodious voice of Dumbledore silenced the whispers all around. 'Girls worked while we were all hoping he won't be back again. And now we shall work together, be careful and protected more than ever, because there aren't many of us who believe and that makes Voldemort so strong.'
'Arent we going to be too depending on one another?' asked Snape but that was probably the question many others wanted to ask.
'It's called trust. And protection' mocked Sirius at him 'not dependence.'
'We all know, Black, how well protected you want to be. Sitting here.'
Sirius went red, Jill looked at Snape with a mixture of amusement and bitterness, Dumbledore said calmly:
'We need trust and understanding, Severus. I want no more fights inside the Order'
--** **-- --** **-- --** **-- --**
Days and weeks went by, the house was being cleaned, Harry was introduced to the old house of Blacks and Sirius was bored by the constant cleaning, lack of other activities and lack of other company as well. He saw Jill only occasionally, because she was really occupied with other work. She came in and out but every time he was there , he seemed happier. They could talk and talk. They just couldn't: there was never time.
Sirius was sitting at the table in the kitchen, his grim smile on, his hands tightly around his bottle of beer. He wasn't listening to others, just thinking. Ginny and Hermione were giggling on the other side of the table, commenting some popular articles in a magazine. Fred and George were whispering about something secretly and Mrs. Weasley was persuading Harry and Ron not to eat chocolate but vegetables.
Sirius was worried about Jill. She went on another "trip" and took Tonks with her. They wanted, and everyone agreed, to put a listening in inside Macnair's house. Jill and Pola, with a lazy help from Sirius, invented a wonderful machine that could be divided and put in many different places round and in the house. They wanted to record the talks and actions. They believed one day Macnair or some of his mates would say a thing about Voldemort plans. They all felt unpunished because of the stupidity of the Minister.
He was worried because Jill, though really smart and knowledgeable about the defense methods, looked small and unprotected. He was worried because they had left yesterday evening and after so many hours they weren't back yet. That's why he didn't want to listen to the chats around, that's why his every sense was directed to hear Jill's entrance. That's why he stood up immediately, as soon as she appeared and allowed her to sat down (well, tired girl in fact threw herself on the chair). The people around stopped talking and stared at Jill. The kids weren't introduced to Coleman before and the easiness in which Sirius understood her was amazing. They watched a small, quick woman with messy hair and amber eyes, in torn clothes and with irregular breath. She seemed incapable of doing anything risky, however, she was bleeding and was all pale.
Jill's left arm was wounded, but she didn't cry or moan because of pain. She was breathing fast and after a while she drew her other hand towards Sirius, waiting for something. Now the rest were watching the spectacle. The two of them seemed to understand one another without words.
Sirius passed her a glass of pumpkin juice. She took it to her left hand, grimaced with pain, drank the drink rapaciously and waved her hand for something else. Sirius patiently gave her a piece of fried chicken. She ate it, but when her hand directed at Black once more he said, calmly:
'You should rest before.'
'Shut up and give me that!' she answered angrily and then, a little bit haggardly, she said "hello" to everyone. They murmured the answer, but were still watching Sirius.
They all thought they knew Sirius well, but the appearance of Coleman revealed a new Sirius Black to them. He was much calmer and sensitive when he was passing her the food or when he, with a sigh, gave her a parchment and quill, the things she must have demanded. And he was talking to her differently as he sat by her, trying to heal her bleeding arm when she was writing.
'Just wait a while, Jill, don't move.'
'I have to write it, so please, you wait a while.'
He smiled lightly and continued to mend her body.
'You can do it later or you'll bleed till death.'
'Over my dead body, Sirius.'
'Yeah, we'll wait and see' he winked at Harry. 'Where's Tonks? Everythings fine?'
'Sirius, I'm bleeding till death and you're asking if everything's fine? Finish quick, it hurts!'
'Tonks?' Sirius tried once again. 'The violet-haired girl. You know her?'
'She's fine, went straight to the Ministry.'
Sirius laughed shortly with relief and continued the investigation.
'And you was wounded She was all right?'
'She fell over a rock a while before the bleeding courses were shot from the gate. So she was below the reach of them. But it was after the matter, so we could disapparate'
'And you did everything. You weren't seen?'
'Sirus!' Jill looked at him, offended. 'Remember who you're talking to!'
'Yes, of course' he said and gazed into her beer-like eyes.
'Yes, of course' she repeated, smiling to him. He was still holding her arm, although it was mended by now. The moment was so nice and peaceful to them and this time it wasn't their shyness, so typical to them when they were together, but Ginny who interrupted the moment.
'Are you two together?' she demanded. Hermione hissed at her to keep her mouth shut but boys repeated the question.
'We??' Sirius and Jill asked unison. They gazed at each other (trying to find a permission to admit, but, of course were too shy) and laughed. 'Oh, God, of course not!!!!"
'And that's why you're so stupid' said Mrs. Weasley as she stood up and picked the dishes. Sirius and Jill looked confused, smile disappeared, a need to talk too.
'Why you say so, Mrs. Weasley' said Harry who always tried to defend Sirius.
'because they are. They both pretend that they don't fancy one another.'
'OK, the discussion's over! Kids to beds, Jill go and rest. I'll take the report' Sirius stood up, now angry and ironical, good old Sirius Black.
'But you look so good together!' cried Hermione and boys nodded. Sirius was caring with her and she was so unconcerned, even when wounded.
'Thank you Hermione, now, please, BED!!!' Sirius almost broke the dishes he carried.
'You both should stop behaving like kids and setting the wrong example to them. This situation is ill. You're not twenty anymore and you shouldn't take your time but act. It's..'
but she couldn't finish because Jill's colder than before voice stated something aloud:
'This is an ill situation: every one here in this house except for me and Sirius is really worried about our future and knows us and our feelings better than we do. Can we just leave the topic?'
'I totally agree' said Sirius silently, leaving the pool to Jill and Molly.
'Jill, open your eyes, Sirius, open your eyes, don't you find one another attractive.'
'Well, Sirius, we think' said Fred. 'Jill's really attractive.'
Jill almost killed him with her eyes, Sirius laughed, but Molly was not to be interrupted.
'What I want to say is that you both would feel better together!'
'You know, Molly, stop being Pola Praise, for you still must learn a lot if you want to sound convincingly.' Mocked Jill Coleman.
'Who is Pola Praise?' asked Ron.
'Anyone mentioned Pola?' Asked Remus who just got into the kitchen. Sirius sat desperately on the chair.
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AN Well??? Sorry it took me so long. I WILL UPDATE. But I want reviews...... Ilara.