Rating, Summary, and Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Author's Note: By request, I wrote out the first meeting of the recalled Order. Then I stirred in some Sirius/Snape (NOT like that!). Then I mixed in a little R/T (I had to!) I'm trying hard to work on my PoV problems (omniscient and 'telling, not showing'), so I picked Tonks to 'narrate' the chapter.
Since it took so long to update, you get two chapters in one night. Leave a review for both, hinthint!
Chapter Four- The Order of the Phoenix
Tonks looked around as she and Lupin entered the basement kitchen. Molly was at the stove, where the contents of several pots and pans were already boiling away. There was a white sauce pouring from the tip of her wand into one of them. Sirius was watching her with an almost canine look of adoration on his face. Hestia was cutting bread, while Emmeline was making tea.
McGonagall and Dumbledore, who had been sitting in one corner talking quietly, both looked up and smiled at her. Moody, whom she had met around the office during training, grunted by way of greeting and took a swig from his hip flask. Snape was sitting in a corner, alone, glaring at the back of Sirius' head. Mundungus Fletcher was sitting in the opposite corner, smoking a pipe. Everyone else was busy looking at a map of a building that she recognised as the Ministry that Kingsley had taken from work.
"Nice of you to join us finally, Miss Tonks," Snape drawled, diverting his attention from Sirius to her. She was annoyed that though she had left school five years ago, her old Potions professor still had the ability to make her feel like a child. "Now, there are two seats left. You can either sit by me—" he motioned at the empty chair next to him and then continued, "or you can sit by the werewolf." He gestured at Lupin, who had taken a seat next to Sirius.
Everyone in the kitchen fell silent. Molly turned around from the stove, not realising her wand was now pouring sauce all over the floor. Dumbledore and McGonagall frowned at Snape. While everyone already knew, that Lupin was a werewolf, it was a bit over the top, not to mention rude, for Snape to mention it in that way.
"Or perhaps you'd prefer to sit next to your convict cousin?" he drawled on, ignoring everyone's stares. Sirius stood, but was pulled back down by Lupin. He went to say something, but Lupin silenced him with a look.
Tonks glared at Snape. Feeling protective towards Lupin, who had not commented in his own defence, she suddenly felt like she actually was a fully trained Auror and not a schoolgirl.
"Well, let me see, Severus." She paused as he grimaced at her use of his first name. "I can either sit next to your greasy self. Or, on the other hand, I can sit next to my cousin and his friend. Let me think." She cocked her head to one side, pretending to mull things over, and then said, "I'll take Sirius and Remus." With those words, she stalked over to the empty chair next to Lupin, sat down, and offered him a smile. He didn't return it, looking very pensive instead. To lighten the moment, she said, "Oh, and Molly, your wand is still pouring sauce." She grinned as Molly yelped, and then she winked at Sirius, who was grinning at her. Bill went to help his mother Vanish the mess.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, and everyone turned their attention to him. "Well, now that everyone has a seat and dinner has been cleaned up off the floor, I suppose we should begin the meeting."
Tonks watched Sirius glare at Snape, who glared back. Lupin sighed at them. She wondered where the hostility between the three men came from. All she knew was that Lupin and Snape had been colleagues a few years back, and Sirius had been in Azkaban for twelve years. Mentally shrugging, she glared at Snape as well and then turned her attention to Dumbledore.
"Now, we all know why we are here. Lord Voldemort has returned. Now, many of you are wondering how. You are also wondering why the Ministry is denying this-"
"Because Fudge is an idiot," Tonks said, and then blushed as she realised she had said it aloud and that she had interrupted the Headmaster. She caught another grin from Sirius and returned it.
"Not quite how I'd put it, Nymphadora, but…yes," Dumbledore replied, smiling. He quickly explained how Voldemort had returned to a mortal body. "Now, Harry did the one thing that Voldemort didn't want to happen: He told me about Voldemort's return. Voldemort wanted his return to be kept quiet. He will get his way with regard to the Ministry, but not with us." Dumbledore paused. "Severus has already returned to Voldemort's side." Dumbledore paused again as everyone turned to look at Snape, who ignored them. "He is putting his own life at risk to spy for us." Dumbledore paused for a third time at the loud sigh that came from Sirius' direction and then continued as Lupin hushed Sirius. "I will also be assigning people to watch Privet Drive while Harry is there. I want number four watched for his protection and his own good. If something happens, one of us will be there."
Snape sneered. "I wouldn't put it past Potter to do something reckless, he's just like his father was. And, might I add, not too different from you, Black."
Tonks jumped slightly as Sirius pushed back his chair and stood again. Snape stood as well. She could feel the enmity radiating off both men. Lupin once again tried to pull Sirius back down while murmuring, "Not now," but Sirius shook him off.
"Listen here, Snivellus. You can go after me. You can even go after Remus. But leave James and Harry out of this," he barked out.
Snape started to reply, but Professor McGonagall sent him her trademark 'over the spectacles' look that cowed even the bravest of wizards. Dumbledore cleared his throat and shot the two men a pointed look. Both Sirius and Snape glared at each other again and then resumed their seats. Snape sat back with a bitter look in his eye. Sirius and Lupin then whispered quietly to each other for a few moments.
Tonks made a mental note to ask what that was all about. She knew Harry's story; who in the wizarding world didn't? She just hadn't appreciated what Sirius' 'betrayal' had really meant until his comment to Snape. Sirius and James had been best friends. She shivered at the thought of Charlie, her best friend, betraying her like that—or worse, his having been framed for not doing so. Then she glanced up as she heard her horrid given name spoken as Dumbledore introduced the new members to the Order.
"Nasty little half-blood mutant." Tonks looked at Dumbledore in shock. He was looking down, frowning.
"Kreacher! Get out of the kitchen!" She looked over at Sirius, who was pointing. Following his gaze, she saw the oldest, ugliest house-elf she'd ever seen, wearing nothing but a dirty loincloth.
"Kreacher must obey Master, though Master is an ungrateful brat who broke my Mistress' heart. Master is friends with the half-breed and has let the mutant, the Mudbloods, and the blood traitors into the noble house of Black," the house-elf muttered loudly, bowing to Sirius while glaring at the floor.
"Out of the kitchen," Sirius bellowed, standing up and moving over to where the house-elf was. Tonks held her breath as he went to kick the elf physically from the room, but Dumbledore stopped him.
"Sirius," the Headmaster said sharply. "Please try to be nice to Kreacher. He lives in the headquarters of the Order. He will be exposed to our secrets. Try to be nice."
Sirius paused and then said to Kreacher through clenched teeth, "Get out of the kitchen…now."
The house-elf stood straight. He glared at Tonks and Lupin, then around the kitchen at the other Order members, and then bowed again to Sirius. Muttering loudly, he turned and headed out of the kitchen.
Sirius sighed then sat back down next to Tonks. "Sorry about that." She offered him a smile then rolled her eyes. "That's a girl; don't let the little…git get to you."
Dumbledore stood up. "On that note, I believe that we shall end the meeting. Please discuss among yourselves and set up a schedule where you could be free to do guard duty for a few hours each night. What we will be guarding could be used as a weapon if Voldemort ever got his hands on it."
"What are we-" Sirius began to ask, but was hushed by McGonagall. Dumbledore looked over at him and smiled, his blue eyes twinkling.
"Not quite yet, Mr Black, but soon," he said. "Now, goodnight everyone. Minerva, Severus, are you both coming back to Hogwarts?" He quickly crossed the kitchen and left, McGonagall and Snape in his wake.
Tonks was a bit taken aback at the meeting's abrupt ending. She looked over at Lupin and was surprised to see that he was looking at her. She blushed and then turned to Sirius. "Hey, I had planned for the meeting to last a bit longer. Mind if I hang out here for a while?"
"The more, the merrier," he said. "It's just me and Remus here."
"Wonderful!" Tonks smiled at them both. "I should go give Molly a proper hello first. I haven't seen her since I left Hogwarts and Charlie ran off to Romania. Speaking of Charlie, I haven't gotten a letter from him in while; I'll have to send him a Howler." With that, she ran over to Molly and gave her a big hug.
"It's good to see you, Tonks, dear," Molly told her as she returned the hug. "We had a letter from Charlie the other day, asking Arthur if he'd seen you about the office."
"Really? I haven't heard from him in months. I just told Sirius I'm sending him a Howler." Tonks laughed as Molly smiled.
"It's good to see you, dear," Molly repeated. "Do send Charlie a Howler, he barely writes to us. We have to get going as well. We left Fred and George in charge at home. I hope that it will be standing when we get back. Everything's cooked, enjoy. We'll catch up next meeting."
Tonks watched as the Weasleys and the other Order members gathered their belongings and left the kitchen. Lupin made Sirius escort them out.
Tonks smiled at Lupin and sat down next to him. "You okay? About the werewolf comment, I mean?"
"I'm used to it," he replied.
"It's Snape, what do you expect?"
"I guess," he said.
"No, I know!"
He laughed.
"I do believe this is going to be the beginning of a great friendship, Remus."
"So do I, Nymphadora, so do I."
They were chatting away when Sirius finally returned to the kitchen.
TBC