Disclaimer: Harry Potter? Not so much mine.
I Get Along Without You Very Well
By:
Sammy King
"As there is no further information to present at this time I officially call this meeting to a close." barked Mad-eye Moody in his gravelly voice, banging his pipe on the table like a gavel. Remus Lupin murmured his assent along with the rest of the members present.
Though it was August in the middle of the hottest summer in recent memory, the basement of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place was cool at best, downright cold in reality. Despite the valiant efforts of Molly Weasley, the basement remained stubbornly damp and drafty. Most of the Order members found themselves holding their robes tightly around them to combat the chill. Though magical lanterns had been lit through out, the lighting was dim, causing an overall gloomy effect.
After calling the meeting to an official close most of the members, Dumbledore included had disaperated. Moody however had immediately called Bill Weasley to go over the map of Gringotts he'd acquired.
"If we can get these tunnels verified here," Moody indicated a spot on the map. "Then we can post a guard to look after who goes in and out if you catch my meaning." he said with a significant raise of his eyebrow. The effect of this was quite terrifying when combined with his rapidly spinning eyeball.
Remus exchanged a look with Sirius, who was draped over his chair managing to look both languorous and ready to spring into action. It was a talent he'd possessed since their Hogwarts days. At the moment Sirius was grinning at his friend. Moody was never finished discussing Order business.
Bill was shaking his head. "I keep telling you, it doesn't matter even if we can confirm death eater bank vaults. Until we can get at least one goblin on our side there is no way we can even get into the tunnels."
Moody scowled. "It can be done!" he growled pointing insistently at the map.
"Mad-eye, the meeting is over!" Tonks declared exasperatedly from across the room. "Leave the man alone!"
Remus hid a smile. At twenty-two, Nymphadora Tonks was the youngest Order member. She never seemed to feel that her age disqualified her from joining in conversations. It was always particularly amusing to watch her take on Mad-eye. The two had developed a rather interesting relationship. They didn't dislike each other exactly…more they were absolutely mystified by the other's attitude towards life, which led to a good deal of mutual exasperation…and at times, conflict.
Moody glowered at her. "We're fighting a war!" he snapped. "You don't stop discussing tactics just because you can't see your enemy!" he declared pounding his fist on the table.
Tonks rolled her eyes and looked like she was going to fire off a comeback when Molly interrupted.
"Perhaps not Alastor, but you do stop discussing tactics when a group of underage wizards are eavesdropping at the end of every meeting for extra tidbits!" she said darkly, throwing a look towards the door.
"Which they wouldn't have to do if you would just let us tell them openly and honestly what is going on!" Sirius piped up irritably.
Remus sighed. Speaking of conflict.
Molly turned to glare at Sirius. "Are we really going to have this conversation again?" she asked furiously.
"That is absolutely enough of that!" Remus said firmly, looking from one to the other. "This is not the time for another of your arguments, you have already fought this battle…and in front of Harry no less! If you both care about him as much as you say you do then you will make peace for his sake!" he told them sharply. "Not now." He added as both Molly and Sirius opened their mouths to speak…or more likely to shout. For once, and most surprisingly…they listened. Remus congratulated himself on having the insight to bring up Harry.
"Ever contentious Sirius." drawled Snape from the shadowy corner where he had sat listening to the developing arguments. "Thank goodness we have our resident werewolf to bring about peace and understanding among…men." he emphasized the word 'men' meaningfully, insinuating however subtly that Remus was not to be counted among them. Remus didn't mind terribly. He was used to Snape's digs at his humanity.
"Thanks indeed Snivellus, much like the gratitude I feel knowing should we ever need a grappling hook we have your nose." snapped Sirius.
"Oh clever, clever Black." Snape replied coldly. "Such wit surely serves you well out in the field…oh wait..."
Sirius shot up from his chair eyes flashing. "Well we all know what serves you in the field…" thankfully Moody interrupted before such phrases as 'traitor', 'liar' or 'once a death eater always a death eater' could be thrown out.
"One more word out of either of you and I'll hex you into next week." Moody said it pleasantly enough, but no one made the mistake of doubting that he meant it.
Molly exhaled quickly. Obviously she was feeling guilty about causing an argument in the first place. Remus hoped she wouldn't feel too badly about it. He knew there was very little one could do that wouldn't spark a sparring match between Sirius Black and Severus Snape.
"Well then, dinner's on in five." Molly managed to say, still a little flustered. "Are you all staying?" she asked totting up the numbers in her mind.
Tonks, Bill, Moody and Snape were the only ones left present who weren't currently residing at number twelve, and the question was directed at them. The former three nodded their affirmatives, but Snape gave Molly a look of supreme distaste.
"I'm afraid I shall have to decline." he told her, not sounding sorry in the least. He threw a last mocking look in Sirius' direction. "Business on the outside you know." he sneered, and with a swirl of his long black robes he was gone.
Tonks was the first to break the silence that followed.
"'I'm afraid I shall have to decline…'" she mimicked as she rose from her seat. "He's a right manky little bastard isn't he?" she asked staring after him with a look of disgust.
Remus laughed softly. Tonks had such a way with words.
"Severus Snape is a valuable member of this Order young lady!" Moody reminded her severely, though he didn't look very happy about saying it. Privately Remus felt he was merely taking the opportunity to correct Tonks.
Tonks didn't look abashed in the least.
"Oh I'm not denying he's valuable." She said with a dismissive wave. "Double agent and all…grand stuff…but that doesn't change the fact that he's a manky little bastard." She told him with a cheeky smile.
Remus, Sirius, Bill and Arthur all laughed. Even Molly was having trouble not looking amused.
"Honestly, I don't feel bad for one thing I did to him while I was at school." Tonks added looking prim. Or, as prim as one could with shaggy lime green hair…
"What did you do?" asked Sirius with unconcealed eagerness.
Tonks raised her eyebrows impishly. "All kinds of things." She answered playfully.
"Like what?" asked Remus, looking at her curiously. He ought to have been more sympathetic having been a teacher himself…and yet…
Tonks tapped her chin. "Oh lets see...broke into his cupboards and rearranged everything into the wrong jars…snuck into his bedroom and put itching potion in his shorts, enchanted a pair of garden gloves to fly behind him and smack him upside the head every time he stopped…" she ticked the items off casually on her fingers.
Remus couldn't help watching Tonks as she told of her antics. It was of course, perfectly natural to look at a person when they were telling a story. And everyone in the room was being entertained Remus reminded himself. But he couldn't shake the feeling that they were most probably not quite as engaged by her as he was. It was just that Tonks had this very odd combination of worldliness and naiveté that Remus found extremely disarming. She was just so…unexpected.
The fact that she's young and pretty of course has nothing to do with it. Said a little voice at the back of his head. Remus tried to ignore it. He focused instead on Tonks' stories.
"Oh, I slipped babbling beverage into his tea one morning...that was a breakfast to remember." Tonks told them, smiling fondly at the memory.
Bill stared at Tonks. "That was you!" he asked in a shocked tone of voice. "I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life!" he said, still looking incredulous. "Remember good old Flitwick? Kept asking if perhaps he'd had a bit too much to drink" he chuckled.
"Oooh, and McGonagall trying so hard to stay stately…while Snape kept congratulating her and Hagrid on their nuptials…his eyebrows wiggling all suggestively!" giggled Tonks.
"I don't know who looked more scandalized, her or Hagrid!" snickered Bill
"And Dumbledore sitting there pretending not to notice a thing!" finished Tonks gleefully.
The group laughed appreciatively. Even Moody looked a little less somber than usual. But although Remus grinned with the rest of them, he couldn't help but think that Bill was acting awfully chummy with Tonks all of the sudden.
Don't go there Remus…it's a bad road…he warned himself.
"Snape must've been a soft teacher." Moody declared, acting grumpy again as though to cover his 'relaxed' behavior. "I can tell you this much missy, if I'd been your teacher you wouldn't have gotten away with a thing!" he told her shaking his finger at him.
Tonks just winked saucily and screwed up her face as though she were about to sneeze. In a instant her hair had changed from the razored bob she'd had it in to curly blonde pigtails…giving her an decidedly angelic look.
"Why if you had been my teacher I would have been an absolutely virtuous!" she informed him, batting her eyes demurely.
Moody opened his mouth to tell her just what he thought of that when a glove appeared behind him and smacked him pertly on the head. Moody spun around on his peg leg as quick as lightening wand drawn. It seemed to take him a moment to realize what had happened.
The group had been shocked into silence by Tonks' audacity, but Moody looked so confused…a look that was not a usual for him…that soon they were all choking back poorly disguised giggles.
Moody turned and fixed Tonks with a stare that would have made any grown man quake in his boots. Tonks merely looked back innocently. Suddenly…quite suddenly, Moody let out a bark of laughter. "You've got cheek girlie! I'll give you that!" he told her.
This caused the room to positively explode with mirth. It was nearly five minutes before Molly collected herself enough too cry it would be five minutes from now dinner would be on, and rush up the steps to root out the innocently hiding teenagers and galvanize them into action.
The rest of the Order followed after her, still cackling.
Remus had laughed along with the rest of them, and while he was definitely feeling more cheery than he had in a long time…there was something else too. When Tonks had changed her hair, it had given her a rather youthful look…which had of course reminded him that she was, in fact, quite youthful. Thirteen years more youthful than him.
Oh well, he thought. It never would have worked out anyway. And logically he knew this was true. He accepted it. He was fine with it. If only he didn't find her so damn attractive.