Rating, Summary, and Disclaimer: See Prologue
Chapter Note: I do wonder if Fred and George have ever worked out who the Marauders were/are. (I can so picture the look on their faces when they did/do). Ginny has a serious (giggles at unintended pun) issues with Tom Riddle (You-Know-Who, eep!) and therefore would trust no one associated with him. She needed to be assured that Sirius was truly innocent of betraying the Potters before she could trust him. Damned Tonks and Lupin keep sneaking in bits and bobs of their relationship in each chapter. grin Neither my beta nor I are not sure if "It's on!" is an Americanism or not. Sorry if it is! Long chapter, yeah!
Thanks to my wonderful beta, Miss Sophia "doublehuggles" (She knows why.)
Chapter Six- The Twins and the Marauders
Lupin's eyes popped open early the next morning at a resounding crash from the landing. It was immediately followed by a feminine bellow from the floor below. Groaning, he rolled out of bed. He grabbed a jumper and pulled it on as he wrenched open his bedroom door and then looked down onto the corridor. The Weasleys had arrived.
"Sorry, Professor," a tall redhead boy called up the stairs.
Lupin squinted at the boy. It was either Fred or George. "S'ok…," he muttered. He continued to squint as the boy was joined by his twin. McGonagall had told him how to tell the two apart, but his brain was too befuddled with sleep to remember how.
"George," the boy who had first spoken called up to him, answering his unasked question.
"Right," Lupin muttered. "Welcome to number twelve, Grimmauld Place. As you can see"—he gestured towards the ground floor, where Mrs Black was screaming about blood traitors —"it's a warm and fuzzy place to live."
The twins exchanged glances and then burst out laughing. "We noticed," they said in unison.
Fred grinned at him and asked, "How have you been, Professor?"
"Fine. And you?"
"Great!" He then lowered his voice and whispered, "I didn't know you knew…him."
"Him who?" Lupin asked, confused. He was still half-asleep.
"Him!" Fred whispered urgently. "Sirius Black!"
Lupin looked from one twin to the other. "Oh, him, yeah."
The nearest door opened, and Sirius poked his head out. "'Oh, him, yeah?' Thanks, Remus. What a friend." Fred and George stood gaping at Sirius. Noticing their reactions, he said, "You two okay? No, you're not. I suppose it's not everyday you meet the wizarding world's most wanted convict and escapee."
"Sirius," Lupin said in a warning tone.
"They don't look like they could give us any competition." Sirius cocked his head to the side, as if assessing Fred and George. "Are you sure about them, Remus?"
"Sirius," Lupin began again.
"Oh, we could," said George. Fred nodded his agreement.
"George!" Lupin said.
"We'll see, boys, we'll see." Sirius grinned at Lupin, who sighed.
"Sirius," Lupin said again wearily. He knew from experience that there was no stopping Sirius when he was like this. Why did he even try?
"I think this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, gentlemen," Sirius continued, grinning cockily at a hysterical Fred and George. He bowed to them and then sauntered off down the corridor. A few moments later, they heard Mrs Black screaming again and Sirius' bellowing answer to be quiet.
Lupin sighed again as Fred and George burst out in renewed laugher. "Your bedroom's the third door on the right. I'm going to calm Mrs Black and then go greet your mother. Hey, who let you in?" he asked, suddenly realising that both he and Sirius had been asleep.
"Tonks did. It was weird seeing her in an Auror uniform. All grown up or something," Fred laughed.
"I remember her as Charlie's buddy. I bet there was a lot more to her being his buddy, though." George grinned at Lupin, who forced a smile.
"Third door, boys. Drop off your trunks and then come down to the kitchen," Lupin told them.
"Yes, sir," they both said.
He nodded at the two of them and then headed down the corridor. Tonks had spent the night because she had been too tired to Apparate home. Sirius had put her in the room set aside for Ginny and Hermione. Lupin felt…dismayed at George's joke about Tonks and Charlie. He should have known that someone like him wouldn't have a chance at winning someone like Tonks. They had only exchanged a few kisses. Nonetheless, he felt sadness. He was pondering this as he entered the kitchen. The object of his thoughts was sitting at the table chatting to Ron and Sirius as Molly, her back to everyone, stood at the stove, preparing what looked like a huge breakfast.
"Professor Lupin!" Ron called. "How are you?"
"Hello, Ron." Lupin smiled at him. Lupin then smiled at Tonks, who sent him a sly smile in return. He felt a flutter in his stomach. Taking a seat next to her, he smiled again when Molly set a steaming cup of tea and a full plate of eggs, bacon, and kippers in front of him. "Good morning, Molly."
"Morning, Remus, dear. Eat up. You're too thin. Tonks, you had better get moving. You have to be in the office in a half hour."
"Yes, Mum," Tonks teased.
Molly smiled as she filled Tonks' coffee cup. "We had a letter from Charlie the other day. Seems that Howler you sent him got his attention."
Tonks smirked. "I made sure I mentioned 'sending a letter to his mummy and daddy' at the top of my lungs. There's no way the whole compound didn't hear that!"
"That's just so wrong," Sirius told her as he half-smiled at Ron, who was laughing.
"So wrong, but so funny," Tonks responded cheekily. "I would have paid to see his face."
"I do not want to be around when he comes home," Lupin said.
"Why? Think he stands a chance against me? He's been off chasing dragons for the past five years while I've gone through Auror training." Tonks began to laugh with Ron.
"You would win," Ron choked out and then looked over at the doorway. "Hey, Ginny! Have you settled in? Hermione'll be here soon, so you won't be alone for long." Lupin noted with interest that the tips of Ron's ears went red as he mentioned Hermione's name. Lupin then looked over to see Ginny Weasley standing in the doorway. She was eyeing Sirius as if she didn't know what to make of him.
"What happened that night?" Ginny whispered.
Sirius was solemn as Ginny regarded him warily. Lupin paused, a forkful of eggs halfway to his mouth. Ron and Tonks became sombre immediately. Molly hovered over by the sink, looking as if she were ready to move in at any moment.
Although Lupin knew that Ginny's parents had explained what had happened that Halloween night fourteen years before, he understood that she wanted to hear it from Sirius himself. He knew from McGonagall, who had explained everything to him, how Ginny felt about Voldemort and anyone associated with him, whether by choice or not, especially after what she had gone through in her first year in the Chamber of Secrets.
"It wasn't me, Ginny," Sirius said in a low voice. "I thought it'd be a good idea to change Secret-Keepers at the last minute. We told no one, not even Dumbledore. Who'd suspect pitiful, untalented Peter Pettigrew? Biggest bloody mistake I ever made. It was him, not me. Dirty, weak, pathetic, traitorous…." Sirius trailed off. Lupin knew Sirius had realised how bitter he sounded and how he was trying to be positive in front of the children.
Ginny looked a bit relieved, although sadly so. "I understand," she told him. She sat down at the table next to him and smiled at her mother as she placed a plate in front of her. "Hello, Tonks."
"Wotcher, Ginny. Sorry, but I have to get to work. We'll chat tonight. Sirius, what colour hair do you think would most annoy Scrimgeour?" She grinned at Molly's scolding look.
"Black and shoulder length, of course! With grey eyes." Sirius grinned as Tonks squeezed her eyes shut. Almost instantaneously, her hair and eyes were as he suggested. "Make sure you position yourself by Kingsley's cubicle so he can see the resemblance."
"Just for you Sirius. Shacklebolt'll be so happy with me, but it'd be fun to see Scrimgeour's reaction." Tonks grinned at Molly's tisk. "Remus, can you walk me out so we can discuss that…thing?"
"Take a picture for me, will you," Sirius shouted at Tonks as she and Lupin left the kitchen. Ron and Ginny began to laugh. Molly loudly shushed them.
Lupin smiled at Tonks' laughter as they entered the ground-floor corridor and headed towards the door. "Go back to pink, please, because I can't kiss you when you look like Sirius." She morphed her hair so that it was short, spiky, and pink again and held her face up for a kiss. Before he leaned down, he asked her, "What's between you and Charlie?"
Tonks opened her eyes and regarded him. "Charlie? Huh?"
"Fred and George mentioned that you two were buddies at school. They implied that there was more…."
"Charlie and I are just friends, end of story. "
Yeah. I know I have no right to be…it's not jealous, it's more…I don't know...something."
"You have every right to feel that way. What man wants his girlfriend hanging around another guy?"
Lupin blinked in surprise at her casual use of the word 'girlfriend'. "Thank you for understanding."
"You're welcome. Now, kiss me or I'll hex you."
"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled as he leaned down to kiss her. Their chaste kiss goodbye became very intense
After they finished their kiss, Lupin whispered, "I'll be here waiting till you return form work. Let's go out tonight. Sirius has Fred and George to entertain him now."
"Okay." She smiled at him.
"Have a nice day at work, Nymphadora."
"Have fun yourself, Remus. I believe Molly is planning to start cleaning the house today." Lupin groaned, and Tonks smirked at him. "I hate kippers by the way, ew. Bye!"
He laughed at her, knowing she tastedhis breakfastkippers from their kiss. She sent him a cheeky grin over her shoulder as she exited the house. Turning to head back to the kitchen, he was startled to see Sirius standing halfway down the corridor staring at him in amusement.
"Yes, Sirius?" Lupin crossed his arms and did his best to look merely curious, although he felt a blush creeping across his face.
"You were actually listening to what James and I told you all about girls at school, weren't you? We had thought you were tuning us out."
Lupin cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I did for the most part, but some of it managed to filter in."
"So, you and Tonks, eh?"
"Yes," Lupin said in a clipped tone. "What of us?"
"Relax, Moony. I think you two are brilliant together. She needs you to make her mature a bit, and you need her to make you relax and have a spot of fun. You're perfect for each other. Where are you taking her tonight? Dinner?"
"Thanks for eavesdropping on our entire conversation, Sirius. Would you like to be invited along on our date, too?" Lupin did his best to look annoyed.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "As much as I'd like to get out of this house for a bit, I think I'd rather stay here and have a chat with my dear old mum than accompany you on your date. But do tell me where you're going. Dinner at a fancy restaurant, perhaps?"
"With what money?" Lupin asked bitterly. "I'm not tutoring anymore. What I have in my vault I have to save for Wolfsbane Potion."
"Take Tonks somewhere nice. I'll get the Potion. Shut up and just do it," he said as Lupin began to protest. "Hell, the Order can pick up the tab for the Wolfsbane. You, as a member, require it. Tonks can brew it for you. It's you," Siriuswinked. Lupin shook his head, amused. "And we know she can, she had to get an "O" to take Snape's NEWT class. How you trusted him to brew it for you when you taught for a year…Professor, I have no idea."
"I still look around sometimes before I realise that a student is talking to me." He decided to ignore Sirius' remarks on Snape.
Sirius laughed. "I can only imagine the look on James' face if he ever heard one of the Marauders being called 'Professor'. But if it had to be any of us, you were always the most likely choice."
Lupin opened his mouth to respond, but the thundering footsteps of Fred and George interrupted him. As the twins reached the first floor landing, the curtains to Mrs Black's portrait flew open, and she began to scream.
"You unnatural little beasts, befouling the house of my fathers!" She continued to shriek as Fred and George exchanged glances and then began to laugh at her.
"Oh, Moony," Sirius said, smiling. "You might be right about those two after all." Lupin chuckled.
"Oi, Sirius, how do you shut her up?" Fred asked, shouting so that he could be heard over Mrs Black's wails.
"Pull the curtains closed, boys…if you can!" Sirius responded.
Mrs Black continued to shriek, so Lupin and Sirius turned and headed back up the corridor towards the stairs. Upon seeing them, Mrs Black began to yell about blood traitors and half-breeds. Sirius shook his head in what Lupin knew was bemusement as Fred and George finally wrenched her curtains closed.
"What did I tell you two! You have to be quiet when coming down those stairs!" Lupin, Sirius, Fred, and George all turned round to see Molly standing at the top of the stairs leading to the kitchen, one hand on her hip and the other shaking a wooden spoon at them. She gave them a reproachful look and then spun around and headed back down to the kitchen.
"Sorry, Mum," the twins muttered.
"Ha-ha," Sirius mumbled under his breath as the twins passed him, following their mother. Lupin didn't refrain from rolling his eyes in time at Sirius.
Fred and George glared playfully at Sirius. "It's on," George told him.
"Let's see what you can do, boys," Sirius shot back, following them down the stairs to the kitchen.
Lupin knew he was in for it. He sighed and followed Sirius.
TBC
Author's Note: Who wants me to write a chapter or a one-shot of Tonks and Lupin's first date?