A/N: Didn't really like Chapter 3 so I'm gonna try super hard from now on. Onward and away! (Still in love with Lupin though, so it's all worthwhile :P)

Chapter 4 – Unwelcome.

Tonks lay face down on her bed. Her bed. In her house. She sighed and her stomach rumbled, resembling the thunder, which had not long passed over. She wished she had stayed downstairs for tea but she couldn't face them, not after what had just happened. She didn't want the house, had never even considered it, or any of its contents. It was a dive, a dank and depressing hole where she was now picturing herself spending the rest of her life, alone. Assuming she made it through the war of course. She was interrupted from that thought by a wrap on the door.

"Dory it's me, open up." Tonks climbed out of bed and opened the door.

"Remus, call me 'Dory' again and you will seriously regret it." He began to react.

"And no Nymphadora either!" she added. He smiled. It was a smile that even reached his eyes. She had suddenly gone light-headed. She hoped to Merlin that he hadn't noticed.

"Umm, can I help you with something Lupin?" she asked hurriedly.

"Dumbledore's here and the Order is assembling." He looked at her curiously. "Is something wrong?"

"What? No. Nooo, everything's fine, um, great. Well, no, not great but who is great right now eh?" she rambled. His face adopted a look of concern and her stomach gave a back flip.

"Do you want to talk Tonks?"

"Yeah, I mean, no. That's fine. I'm fine, you're . . . yeah." she breathed.

"Ok," said Lupin slowly. "Are you coming down or not?"

"Go ahead, I'll be right down in a minute."

She literally shut the door in his face. She leaned back against the wooden frame. What had just happened? She shook her head, trying to regain what little composure and grace she had. She took a deep breath and opened the door to find Remus sitting on the floor, opposite.

"I thought I could wait a minute," he explained. Tonks let out what was a mixture of a laugh and a sob. She raised a hand to her mouth and shut her eyes tightly, like she did when she morphed. Lupin got up.

"What's wrong? Are you mad? If you are you can go back for another minute and I'll go down by myself if that's what you wanted." He frowned, not really understanding. Tonks shook her head.

"I'm sorry, no that's fine. It's just, I don't know, that was a really sweet thing to do that's all. And I am an emotional wreck right now," she admitted.

"I think you're lovely," he told her as a tear escaped from the corner of her dark brown eyes.

"You're such a nice man, Remus."

Nice. That word made him falter. He attempted a smile.

"Come on Dory, let's go down stairs."

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence," snarled Professor Snape as Lupin and Tonks entered the meeting. The kitchen still smelt of mealtime, Molly's beef stew. Tonks smiled at the thought of it.

"You're very welcome, Severus. It's lovely to see you looking . . . you know," retorted Tonks, prompting a smirk from the odd member or two. Dumbledore began the meeting by sharing with those who didn't already know, news about the new owner of Grimmauld Place.

"If it's going to be painted pink inside and out then I think we should start looking for a new Head Quarters," drawled Snape, referring to Tonks' favourite colour, usually one she wore in her hair. Since Sirius had died, however, she wore it black as a sign of mourning.

"Shut up Snape," she hissed.

"Moving on," said Dumbledore loudly, sensing tension.

The meeting went relatively smoothly after that, apart from Mundungus mentioning to Molly that he had run into Percy in Diagon Alley and tried to sell him a knocked-off cauldron to which he had replied, 'Not to your sort!' This caused Molly to make another round of tea and sniff in the corner for five minutes.

"Well, on a final note," Dumbledore paused, "I would like to remind you of the strength of our Order. We have been through a very tough few weeks and I like to think that it has only made us stronger. Sirius would have been pleased with that." Many of the Order nodded or mumbled agreement to Dumbledore's comment. Snape, on the other hand, huffed a loud sigh for all to hear.

"Is something wrong Severus?" asked Dumbledore.

"No Headmaster," he replied.

"Go on, Severus, why don't you let us know what's on your mind," Tonks pushed. He glared at her. "No secrets in the Order. Out with it."

"Very well, I've heard enough of Sirius Black to last us all a long life time. This isn't some pathetic little boy's club that he ran; we are the Order of the Phoenix. Nothing we do now is for him. He's out of the Order and out of our lives." He began to address everyone. "You'll all do well to remember that, while we were out there risking our lives for the Order, he hid in here like a coward." This caused outbursts from various members, especially Lupin, but Snape continued over them. "And, when he finally decided to get out there and do something, he was reckless and had to pay for it with his life. Let that be a lesson to you all. He's not some great hero in this Order and he never was!"

"That's enough, Severus!" snapped Dumbledore. The entire table was in outrage, each trying to be heard above the other, save for one member. Tonks closed her eyes and shuddered.

"I think -" she said quietly. "I think -" she said louder until people began to listen. She took a deep breath and continued. "I think, Severus, that it is your attitude if anything that will get us all killed." She rose from her place. She felt sick. She had so many things she wanted to say right now that, if she weren't careful, they would all come out on top of each other. "I think, Severus, that I don't want you in my house anymore."
"Excuse me?"

"You heard! I've had it with you and your comments, thinking that you're greater than us all. You know, maybe if you hadn't been so horrible to Sirius in the first place he wouldn't have rushed out there to his death," she choked. Molly put a hand on Tonks' arm to stop her but she couldn't.

"I hate you for what you've done to me Snape, more than you'll ever know. I hate you!" she screamed. "How dare you, how dare you come in here of all places and say what you have just said! Was it some sort of plan Snape? Lure Sirius out of here with your taunts and words, just because you couldn't stand the fact that people -" She let out such a sob that broke the heart of the boy listening in tears at the top of the stairs, unseen.

"- People loved him! After all he had been accused of. And do you know why? Because he wasn't like you!" She paced over to him and struck him with every word.

"You sleazy, evil, heartless man." Kingsley Shacklebolt intervened; holding her back as Snape just stood there and glared, icily. It frustrated her so much that she dropped to her knees.

"Go on, get out! I said GET OUT!" she screamed, shaking all over. Snape looked at Kingsley who had placed himself between the professor and the broken young woman.

"I think you'd better leave," he said coolly. And with that, Snape turned and left, his black cape flowing behind him. He passed Harry on the stairs without a glance and slammed the door, sending Mrs Black into a fit of shrieks. Kingsley picked Tonks up off the floor.

"I think that's everything for tonight," said Dumbledore. The members rose quickly and uncomfortably. The house began to empty once more.

Tonks couldn't move. She could barely breath. When the stairway became free, she found the energy to make her escape. At the top she saw carry curled up in a ball against the wall, and gasped. He stared at her with those empty green eyes and she knew, in that moment, that they understood each other. Tonks ran up the stairs to the bathroom, where she was violently sick.