Disclaimer: I'm not J.K.R and I don't own any of her characters and backgrounds… Wish I did though, I'm dying to know what happens in book seven!
Chapter 6 at last! Sorry this took a while, and I'm not quite satisfied, but I am never anyway... Thanks for the awesome reviews, as ever! Slightly so, I absolutely adored your numerous ones lol. Yeah, I agree about Tonks first meeting. I would have gone crazy! And thanks again to PiaMcKinnon, thehpgang, and phoenixtear19, you're all so great!
As ever, there might be barbarisms or mistakes... I'm too lazy to check each doubtful word with Robert Collins :). So do as if you hadn't seen anything, or yell at me in the reviews lol. There you go!
The dark angel he is shuffling in
Watching over them with his black feather wings unfurled...
Jeff Buckley, Dream Brother
A LONG NIGHT – where Harry makes himself heard.
"Come on, Tonks, do that pig nose again", giggled Ginny. Next to her, Ron was almost snorting with laughter. Hermione was looking at him, trying hard to prevent herself from bursting out laughing too. The twins also were both looking at Tonks, but their expression was closer to envy than amusement.
"Wish I could do that", muttered George, a longing look in his eyes.
"Don't tell me", sighed Fred. "Imaginethe kind of trouble this could be at school…"
"And I don't want to hear about anything approaching next year! "Snapped Molly Weasley in a threatening voice, turning from the sink toface them, her eyes narrowing.
"Be warned, young men", hissed Sirius in a Snape-ish tone. For once, Molly managed a true smile at his sarcasm.
"Anyway, no more pig nose, girls", answered Tonks with a mischievous smile. "Time for me to return to my true personality…"
She screwed up her face as if trying to remember something, and a second later, her messy, wind-swept hair had turned electric-blue, matching her eyes and making a sharp contrast with her pale heart-shaped face. She grinned at the admiring looks of the youngsters, who stillwere thrilled at every of her morphings. Suddenly she caught Remus's eyes; he was smiling at her, his calm, intelligent face bearing a slightly dreamy expression. She couldn't help but grin back, and suddenly, unable to refrain herself, she screwed up her face again and a snout-like nose replaced her small, straight one. He burst out laughing.
"This just rocks", beamed Ron, enthusiastic. "Fred and George are right, I'm sure this must have been quite useful at school…"
"Ron!" Groaned Mrs Weasley. Everyone chuckled.
"Actually, you're quite right, Ron", said Bill, smiling in an almost nostalgic way. "Tonks used to be quite a troublemaker in her time…"
"Bet she was, grinned Sirius", helping himself to some mashed potatoes and eating with enthusiasm (if there was one thing he never criticized about Molly that was the way she cooked).
"You weren't bad either, if half the things I've been told are true", she answered. Far from angry, he looked quite proud of himself.
"Yeah, well, I could have taught you some tricks, for sure…"
"You wish", interrupted Tonks with false indignation. "I had a better disguise than anyone ever had at Hogwarts!"
"Quite true", said Bill, chuckling. "Once she even took McGonagall's appearance, and she kept it all day long without being caught…she scared the hell out of me when she gave me a week of detention for not having my hair cut…"
"Finally, I was the one who got detention. I managed to bump into the real Minerva McGonagall on my way to the kitchens…I wanted to sneak some food, but it didn't turn out the way I expected", grinned the young Auror, running a hand through her blue hair.
Everyone burst out laughing, even Hermione, but the laugh almost instantly turned to a general yelp of surprise when the doorbell rang loudly, making them jump. Muttering under his breath, Sirius hurried to the door, managing to refrain his mother's yelling on the way. Lupin half-rose of his chair, looking surprised, and a second later they all were amazed to see Arthur Weasley rushing into the kitchen, his old purple robes billowing around him. He looked extremely anxious and rather frightened.
"Good evening everybody", he said urgently, his face grave. "Sorry to disturb dinner, but something serious has occurred in Privet Drive…"
"Oh, Arthur!" Cried Molly Weasley, looking terrified. But her husband interrupted her.
"No need to alarm, Molly, dear, but please all listen to me", he said gravely. "Harry has been attacked by a couple of Dementors while he was walking with his cousin in an alley. No one has been hurt but Harry had to conjure a Patronus to protect Dudley and himself. You should see Albus…I've never seen him so angry, he says Harry is in a lot of trouble…he will probably receive an owl announcing he's expelled in a couple of minutes. Albus has just arrived at the Ministry, trying to arrange things. I must go there as soon as possible too to collect information– let me finish," he added, as Sirius, pale as death, had opened his mouth to speak. "Albus", he continued urgently, "wants me to send an owl to Harry immediately. You know what is at stake- he mustn't leave the house. You can send him one too, Sirius, of course. Well", he continued, looking quite exhausted, "I suppose the only thing that we can do now is wait…"
There was a moment of deafening silence, as if everyone was thunderstruck by the piece of news. Then suddenly, Sirius literally jumped on his feet, knocking his chair down, making Hermione and Ginny gasp.
"I'll go and bring Harry back here RIGHT NOW!" roared Sirius, shaking with anger.
"WHAT?" Yelled Mrs Weasley, whose pale face wore a curiously mingled expression, half terrorized, half angry. "No way, Sirius! You are to stay here, Dumbledore told us…"
"Forget Dumbledore!" Hissed Sirius, ignoring Molly and Hermione's scandalized expression. "Harry is alone there with those crazy bullying Muggles, thanks to Dumbledore, and he's just been attacked by Dementors! How do you think he must feel Molly? Bet he's already livid because he's been kept in the dark for so long, and now he must be terrorized, above all! We just can't let him rot there a second longer…"
But Molly interrupted his furious speech.
"I know Harry's been attacked, I've heard Dumbledore too, thank you!" Shouted Molly, who was slowly turning a delicate shade of crimson. "But you perfectly know that he's safe unless he stays in his aunt's house, and we cannot take him here without making his case even worse!"
"Rubbish!" snapped Sirius, who looked positively frightening now. Open mouthed, Ron was gaping at him, while Hermione had grasped his arm, looking terrified. Ginny had her hands on her mouth; Bill was frowning, gazing alternatively at his mother and at Sirius. Even the twins had lost their malicious grin, they looked grave and rather taken aback. Her arms folded, frowning, Tonks remained silent, slightly ill at ease. She was doing her utmost not to interrupt the fight, for fear of being too nosy. After all, she'd never met Harry Potter…how could she judge either her cousin or Molly? She chanced a glance at Mr Weasley, but saw that he didn't seem to be much interested in the quarrel: he was rummaging feverishly in a drawer of the kitchen table, looking for paper and ink to write the message Dumbledore had told him to send at Privet Drive.
"Please stay polite, Sirius! You might be the owner of this house but I'm still older than you…" began Mrs Weasley, who was almost purple now. Colouring too, Sirius opened his mouth again but before he could have said anything, Remus had risen from his chair.
"Now that's enough." He had not shouted, but for the first time since Tonks had met him he looked angry. He was frowning, and there was an unusual coldness in his grey eyes when he fixed Sirius, who glared back, a daring expression on his gaunt face.
"Come on Remus, we must DO something! You can't pretend you don't care about Harry…"
"Does that mean that I don't care about him?" began Molly, but she was silenced once again.
"ENOUGH!" and again silence fell on the kitchen. This time, Remus had shouted. Molly looked positively shocked, and Arthur had interrupted his researches for a quill. But then Remus scanned the room, and there was no trace of anger on his face anymore, only sadness and determination.
"Don't you see that you're not helping Harry in any way by bickering like that? This is ridiculous. We already lack time, there's no point in loosing even more in fruitless territory fights. Molly, calm down. I know you're worried about Harry, but we all are. Sirius, you're his godfather, but the only wise thing you can do right now is writing to him. He mustn't leave the house, he mustn't use his wand. You know what is at stake, this is not about following Dumbledore's orders or not. This is about protecting Harry. Here", he added, conjuring two quills, two sheets of paper and a bottle of ink from thin air for Arthur and Sirius. For a moment, nobody spoke. Sirius was glaring at his friend, biting his lips, as though preventing himself from biting Remus for a change. But then he sighed, and reluctantly took the paper from Lupin's hands. Everybody looked extremely relieved. Molly let herself fall on a chair, suddenly overwhelmed by emotion, and started drying the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief, while Bill sat next to her to comfort his mother. Sirius was writing feverishly, and the anger seemed to have left him: he looked merely anxious and worried. Arthur had already sent his owl and disapparated, casting one last anxious look at his wife. Lupin was now talking urgently to the twins, Ginny, Ron and Hermione.
"Now you're not going to be happy with what I'm going to say, but I ask you to leave the kitchen. I know I have no authority to tell you that", he continued wearily, as the twins opened their mouths, looking furious. "But I'm asking this as a favour. Otherwise your mother is going to yell again, and there has been enough pandemonium for tonight. I promise you I'll inform you as soon as we know more, but what we have to discuss now is about the Order and you're not allowed to hear this. Hermione, Ron, no doubt Harry will try to contact you that very night. Sirius is right: he's probably distressed, and even more furious than he was before. But whatever he sends you, Dumbledore doesn't want you to tell him what happens, and we should trust him. He has his reasons, he added, answering Hermione's silent question. Remember, as difficult as it is, this is not the moment to answer his questions,it is not safe, andit could be even more dangerous for Harry. If there's any problem tell me. Do you agree?"
For a moment the twins and Ginny looked rebellious. Ron cast a furtive glance to Hermione, but then answered.
"Well, alright then. But you have to tell us what you know later."
"I promise you", answered Lupin, with the ghost of a smile on his exhausted face. The youngsters left the kitchen with one last look back. Sighing heavily, Lupin looked at the people in the kitchen and saw that Sirius was closing his letter for Harry. Next to her cousin Tonks was looking at him. He came to sit at Sirius's left side.
"You not mad at me Padfoot, are you?"
"Oh, give me a break, you patronizing moonlight- phobic" he answered gruffly, but Tonks burst out laughing, and he couldn't suppress a grin either. Relieved, Remus smiled shyly.
Then Sirius left them to send his owl to Harry and Tonks took his chair next to Remus; he was massaging his temples, eyes closed, and she took this opportunity to examine him more carefully. He had several scars on his pale face, some so small that they were only thin, white marks half hidden by his hair, but she noticed one or two deeper, longer, of a slightly brownish colour. When she looked at his hands, her eyes widened: she'd not noticed before the dozens of small scars that were criss-crossing on it, like a cobweb.
"Wow, impressive" she said suddenly, making him start. She blushed - she didn't even mean to say that aloud. Think, she told herself …
"I'm sorry?" asked Remus, turning to her, looking puzzled.
"I mean the way you handed the situation – impressive, really" she added urgently. "Dunno how you do it. Molly and Sirius only seem under control when you're there to be the referee."
He smiled, and she breathed more freely – for once, she'd been able to restrain herself from saying something worse than before. He was looking at her now, still smiling, his mind wandering… strange girl, he thought absent-mindedly, as she made him a grimace, her electric-blue hair contrasting with her fair skin. But then, and forthe second time in the evening, everyone jumped as the bell rang loudly. Immediately, Mrs Black made herself heard, and they all rushed to the front door. As soon as he arrived, Sirius stunned his mother (without even swearing or shouting, which showed how distressed he was), and almost pulled the door out of the threshold in his attempt to open it. When he saw Albus Dumbledore and Arthur Weasley, he looked absolutely furious and opened his mouth to speak, but the Headmaster didn't let him time to.
"Now Sirius, instead of yelling at him, which I have no doubt you are dying to do, don't you think it would be more useful for everyone here to listen to me? I'm quite satisfied with the latest news – as satisfied as one could be under the present circumstances, anyway."
Sirius glowered at Dumbledore, and to everyone's surprise, he moved aside to let the Headmaster come in. Looking at the wizard's lined face, Remus suddenly understood why: he had never seen him looking that angry. There was no more smile, no more twinkling eyes, but a calm fury emanating from every inch of his thin body. One could wholly feel, tonight, what an incredibly powerful wizard Albus Dumbledore was – and this gave Remus goose bumps: he had never thought that one day he would be frightened by his mentor. Suddenly he started as he felt someone grasp his right arm, and when he looked at his side, he felt more goose bumps: it was Tonks. She too was gaping at Dumbledore and looked a bit afraid. He did his best not to look at her, not to shiver, or anything stupid he was used to doing in such occasions. Suddenly he frowned, his mind racing. Wait…what "occasions"? But as Dumbledore spoke again, he did his best to stay focused.
"I am glad to tell you that Harry is not expelled yet. Of course, Cornelius did seem a little…reluctant tothe arguments I opposed to his decisions, but eventually, he had to admit that even the Minister for Magic couldn't breakits own rules…which gives us less than a fortnight to rescue Harry from the Dursleys and prepare his audition, which will take place on the 12 of August." Suddenly he paused, looking at the stairs and smiling, and following his gaze, Remus couldn't suppress a grin either when he saw all the Weasley children, plus Hermione, who was pink in the face and looked extremely confused.
"Good evening everyone! Now that you know Harry is fine, you'd better go back to bed, before Molly gets really angry..." Remus heard Tonks giggle and cast a furtive glance at Molly, who looked so furious she seemed to be almost boiling. Without further ado, the youngsters climbed the stairs in a hurry.
"Professor, did you saw Mundungus Fletcher? After all, he was the one on duty tonight." Said Tonks, frowning. Remus felt her let go his arm, and experimented a strange feeling between relief and disappointment.
"Yes, Nymphadora, I saw him" answered the Headmaster coolly. The warm smile had vanished, and again, he looked almost dangerous in this cold fury. "He came to tell me what had happened, and we had a brief discussion. I will talk to him later. Now shall we sit and talk a bit more casually about what happened to figure out what is to do next?" While talking, he was looking earnestly at Sirius, who had not uttered a single word since the Headmaster's arrival. His dark eyes fixed Dumbledore for a second, then he nodded and managed a singularly twisted smile. But a smile anyway, thought Remus. Afaint frown linehad appeared between his eyebrows, as always when he was worried. He couldn't help but think about Harry's reaction. How could he feel right now, after having been attacked by Dementors, after having beenleft alonefor so long? He vividly remembered Harry's rage in the Shrieking Shack one year ago, and the line on his forehead deepened. This is not good to let him in the dark so long…he thought, but suddenly he stiffened. A small, warm hand had landed like a butterfly on his shoulder. His nostrils widened, and with his accurate sense of smell, sharpened by lycanthropy, he inhaled a waft of honey-like scent, with a refreshing touch of mint too. The warmth of her breathing brushed his left ear while she whispered to him.
"You know what? I wouldn't want to be at Dung's place when Dumbledore comes to 'talk to him later', as he says". He turned his head to look at her. She was smiling mischievously, her currently vividly blue eyes twinkling; suddenly he smiled warmly too, and this time she laughed.
"That's better! Cheer up, Lupin. Things could be better tonight, but you don't have to carry the world's weight on your shoulders…" She patted him on the arm and headed to the kitchen, following the others. He walked along the corridor behind her, gazing absent-mindedly at her white neck and her spiky blue hair, and feeling definitely more light-hearted. But suddenly he heard a rumble in the stairs and had to flatten against the wall to let Hermione and Ron run past him, followed by what looked like a flying snowball, which was hooting madly. He rushed into the kitchen after them, and when he entered, he couldn't suppress a laugh. Sirius, Ron and Hermione were cornered at the other side of the room, and the snowball, which Remus recognized as being Hedwig, Harry's owl, was trying to pinch andpeck them, changing her angle of attack constantly. Sirius was swearing so much that Molly Weasley had her hands on her mouth, looking scandalized.
"Sirius Black, you will not say these horrors in front of those children!" she roared. The children in question were defending themselves as well as they could. Ron looked half his usual size, protecting his head with his arms, and Hermione had seized him by the shoulders and was hiding behind him, her hair getting bushier and bushier as Hedwig's claws brushed them constantly. The whole kitchen was echoing with laughter, even more when the other Weasley children burst into the room to enjoy the show.
"Instead of laughing stupidly, would you mind helping us?" shouted Sirius, trying to force Hedwig to fly away.
Remus smiled, looking at Dumbledore who was chuckling slightly and seemed to be enjoying himself a lot. Eventually, the Headmaster waved his wand lazily, still beaming, and a big cage appeared out of thin air around the owl, imprisoning her and floating in the middle of the kitchen. Hedwig hooted frantically, trying unsuccessfully to free herself. The three unfortunate hostages looked highly relieved. Ron was scowling, examining the various cuts on his palms, and Hermione looked very distressed, clutching a roll of parchment in her also bleeding hand.
"May I see the message Harry has sent you, Miss Granger?" asked Dumbledore kindly. Hermione looked ill-at-ease, almost guilty, but handed it to the Headmaster, who read it fast, folded it again and gave it back to her. It seemed to Remus that his expression was a mix of guilt and worry. Glancing at Sirius, who had come nearer, he raised a questioning eyebrow. Without answering, Sirius handed him the parchment. The message was very short. He smelled the mint and honey scent again when Tonks looked over his shoulder to read too. There were only two sentences; Remus recognized Harry's narrow, slender writing, slightly disordered, as if he'd written in a hurry. I've just been attacked by Dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here. The line between Remus's eyebrows reappeared, and he felt Tonks sigh behind him.
"We've got to get him out of there", whispered Remus to himself. Next to him, Sirius nodded grimly.