This story follows Interview With a Skeeter in the Transfigured Hearts series, and is set during chapters thirty-two through thirty-five of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Inspired by Gilpin, who I very much appreciate for helping me fill out this series, and for letting me bounce ideas off her.

Parting Gifts

"What's Dumbledore want to meet with us about?" asked Sirius asked as he captured Remus' knight.

"End of term, I believe," Remus replied absently, contemplating whether any of his chess pieces could take Sirius' queen, who was wreaking havoc upon his ranks. It was difficult to concentrate, however, with Tonks standing behind him, doing what she was doing. She dragged her fingers through his hair, lightly scratching his head, and occasionally leant forward to kiss a particularly sensitive spot just beyond his ear. The only way he might eke out an edge over Sirius would be to ask Tonks to stop, but Remus found himself no more successful on that front than on the chessboard.

Normally he and Tonks kept their public displays of affection discreet and to a minimum, mainly because they thought Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour demonstrated enough affection for ten couples. However, conflicting schedules had kept the couple apart for the better part of the past ten days, and with Dumbledore, Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebot due at any moment for a meeting, who knew when Remus would have another snatch of unoccupied time with his girlfriend? And anyway, Sirius would only snipe if Remus put off a beautiful woman eager to fawn over him.

"What about end of term?" Sirius asked.

"Escorting the children from Hogwarts," Remus answered.

Tonks' fingers stopped raking, and Remus glanced up to see Sirius' expression darken under heavy-knit brows. Cursing himself for speaking carelessly and exacerbating Sirius' frustration at not being able to look after his godson in the manner he would have liked, Remus hastily added, "Also I imagine he wishes to discuss how we shall look after Harry during the holidays."

"Does Harry get to spend all summer here, then?" Sirius asked eagerly.

"We shall find out at the meeting."

"'Get to'," Tonks repeated. "Don't you hate this place?"

As though to underscore the general ill opinion of number twelve, Grimmauld Place, Kreacher's cackle pealed from the basement kitchen.

"Harry finds it a treat," said Sirius defensively. "Anything would be, after living with that woman who I refuse to believe is Lily's sister by any means other than adoption."

"This from the blood traitor of the Black family," snorted Tonks.

Remus turned his head to glance up at her. "James always said the same thing."

"If Petunia's related to a witch," said Sirius, "it's Dolores Umbridge.

Tonks merely hummed disinterestedly. Her soft cheek brushed Remus' as she bent over his shoulder. "Remus, there's a very obvious and brilliant move you could make with your—"

"Shut up!" Sirius slapped the table with his palm; some of the pieces wobbled and cried out that an earthquake had struck, while others merely cast resentful looks at the chess players. "D'you know how sweet it is to beat Remus fairly at chess?"

"You're not beating me fairly," Remus argued. "Tonks is distract—"

"AUROR SCUM!" The trio jumped as Mrs. Black erupted in the hallway. "BANE OF MY FLESH! BLIGHT UPON MY NOBLE FAMILY!"

The voice was accompanied by a heavy thumping sound on the floor beating at irregular intervals.

"There's Mad-Eye." Tonks nuzzled Remus' cheek again.

Sirius grinned. "I don't mind the house so much when it's full of people who piss off Mum." He greeted Mad-Eye and Kingsley enthusiastically as they strode through the double French doors and shut them against the screaming portrait.

"Wotcher, gents," Tonks chirped, straightening up. "Dumbledore's not here yet, but you're just in time to see Remus humiliate himself because he's too stubborn to let an Auror advise him in the art of war."

Remus tried to shoot her a glare, but her fingertips tracing light patterns on his neck undermined him.

Mad-Eye pointed his walking stick at Remus and said gruffly, "Always listen to Aurors' advice."

"Especially Auror Tonks' advice," said Kingsley, settling in a wing-backed chair. He glanced at the chessboard and grimaced at the number of Remus' pieces Sirius had captured. "What happened, Remus? You were the undisputed champion of the Gryffindor common room."

Just as Remus was about to mumble that Nymphadora Tonks had happened, a breeze swept through the open window over the chess table, and a swirl of silver in the shape of a bird rose up before him.

"Dumbledore's phoenix doesn't look right," said Sirius, cocking his head and squinting at the Patronus.

"That's because it's Severus' raven," said Kingsley.

"Ought to be able to recognize everyone's Patronus," Moody grumbled as he inspected the sofa cushions with his magical eye. Sitting gingerly, he added, "Part of being vigilant."

"So's letting Remus hear his message," Tonks admonished.

Remus, who had been straining to catch Snape's voice borne by the courier, reached back and touched her hand in a sign of gratitude. But the message, though brief, was perplexing, and upon hearing it, he immediately released her and took out his wand to send his own message back to Snape.

"What's old Snivellus want?" Sirius asked as Remus set his wand aside.

"To know if you're here."

Sirius looked so irked that for a moment Remus thought he might overturn the chessboard, regardless of how sweet he found victory. "Where in bloody hell does the wanker think I am? Where else have I been in the past year?"

"King's Cross," muttered Moody.

"Once!" Scowling, Sirius asked, "Why's he want to know?"

"He didn't say," Remus replied. "The message was simply, 'Is Black there?'"

"Odd," said Tonks, and though he wasn't looking at her, he knew her forehead dimpled in the same way it did before a metamorphosis. "Why would he ask that?"

"That's what I asked in my reply."

Remus glanced to Moody. The former Auror's face looked craggier and more weathered than usual, magical eye rotating as he mulled. Kingsley, too, had a furrowed brow, but he maintained a relaxed posture. Remus supposed that until they heard from Snape again, it would do them no good to worry over the strange message. He hunkered over the chessboard once more.

"Probably the git's rubbing it in that I'm useless to the Order," Sirius said.

"You're not useless," Remus said lamely.

Tonks squeezed his shoulders. "What'd you say back?"

Edgy humour flickering in his eyes, Sirius added, "Were you as newsy and cordial as old Snivellus?"

"Is 'Yes, why?' cordial enough for you?"

Laughing, Tonks resumed working her fingers through Remus' hair.

"I'd have guessed Snape to have a snake Patronus," Sirius said. "A raven seems too…to…" He cast about for a description.

"I find it very appropriate," Remus said, "considering Severus' beak."

Kinglsey and Tonks sniggered, but Sirius' barking laugh rang out. "Ravens are greasy black birds, now I think of it," he said. "Snivellus' protector's his nose, eh?"

"Yes. A big bird." Remus finally moved a pawn, but kept his hand on it, second-guessing himself even as the piece swore at him and refused to go back to the square from which he had taken it.

"Sometimes," Mad-Eye growled, "I think you pair aren't any older than the Weasley twins."

"Sirius takes that as a compliment," said Tonks merrily, then kissed Remus' cheek. "Don't you listen to that pawn, Remus. You move him round much as you like."

"Nobody should get any older or any more serious than Fred and George." Sirius flashed Mad-Eye a cheeky grin that made the older wizard's scowl deepen.

Chuckling low, Kingsley said, "If Umbridge had been at Hogwarts when we were in school, you lot would've been responsible for the swamp in the hall."

"I don't know if we'd have been smart enough to think of that." Remus slid the pawn back to the square from which he'd moved it and reaching for a bishop who, in very un-priestly manner, let fly a string of expletives regarding Remus' daftness.

"Not you, anyway," said Tonks with a dramatic sigh, "since you've still not seen the brilliant move."

Before Remus could pull himself together enough to tell her he might see it if she would stop kissing him and playing with his hair, Sirius said emphatically, "Course we'd have been smart enough! What d'you call making the Marauder's map and learning to be Animagi?"

"Is that professional behaviour, Tonks?" Moody asked the young witch who apparently did not begrudge Remus his less-than-stellar chess game and continued bestowing him with little acts of affection.

"Give me a pay cheque," Tonks replied languidly, "and I'll act professional."

Moody hmphed his displeasure, then, darting his magical eye back and forth between Sirius and Remus, said, "And did you pair ever do schoolwork?"

"The Marauders' goal in school," said Sirius, "was to get through with as little book-cracking as we could manage."

"Speak for yourself," Remus snorted, turning his attention back to the pawn, which could not have looked more put upon. "I studied whilst you and James were in detention."

"Which was at least once a week," said Kingsley, "if I remember."

"At least," said Sirius proudly.

"I reckon you were an adorable studious boy," Tonks whispered in Remus' ear. Her lips just brushed the lobe, and the tickle of her warm breath on his neck drove all recollection of how often his mates had detention out of his mind.

"Tonks, you oughtn't be doing that in public," snapped Mad-Eye. "Black, are you filling Harry's head with stories that glorify detention?"

"Are you Moody," Sirius drawled, tipping his chair back on its rear legs, "or are you Molly on Polyjuice Potion?"

"Not funny, Black," Mad-Eye grumbled as the other four choked back laughter.

"I would not make light of Polyjuice to Moody," Remus weakly rebuked Sirius. "But obviously he is not Molly. If he were, he wouldn't be lumping me with you as a miscreant."

"You always were the teachers' pet," said Sirius grudgingly. "How'd you get Molly to like you, anyway?"

Remus shrugged.

"He's very charming." Tonks ruffled his hair. "He throws out his empty Butterbeer bottles, and he never leaves the toilet seat up."

A flush prickled up Remus' neck and cheeks. Sirius would have a field day with a comment like that. And what would Mad-Eye think of Tonks knowing that sort of…intimate…detail?

"I never thought to ask, Moony," said Sirius in mocking tones, "but are you male?"

"In touch with his feminine side," Kingsley said.

"Ah yes," said Sirius. "He lets Molly cry all over him, too. Reckon she'd like me if I got in touch with my feminine side?"

"I'm not sure you've got one," Tonks said. "A feminine side's the same thing as being sensitive, you see."

"I think, Sirius," said Remus, "you are rather better at making women cry than stopping them from it." Fully aware of Moody's magical eye boring into him, he squirmed as Tonks slid her arms around his neck and settled her chin on his shoulder. "Tonks, really…"

"Public displays of affection aren't very Aurorly," Mad-Eye said.

Or very typically Tonks, Remus mentally added. Somehow even their frequent separation of late did not account for this uncharacteristic behaviour. He wished they were alone, so he could ask her about it – and then respond by returning it in kind.

"Oh, but they are," said Tonks. "I'm practicing diversionary tactics. Constant vigilance and all that."

Sirius howled, Kingsley's deep laugh boomed, and even Remus could not resist chuckling.

"You're a saucy minx," said Mad-Eye, shaking his head at Tonks.

"Fleur'll be pleased to know I pulled it off," Tonks said.

Remus craned his neck to peer up at her with arched eyebrows. "Fleur?"

"Mm-hm. I saw her at Gringotts today, and she asked how you were. I told her I hadn't seen much of you, and she told me to smother you with affection when I did so you won't forget about me."

"I suffer from lycanthropy, not short-term memory loss," said Remus dryly. "What about Bill?"

"I'd feign amnesia if a veela wanted to make sure I remembered her." Sirius' voice held a hint of envy that almost made Remus feel sorry for the former Casanova. Knowing full well what it was like to be alone, gratefulness to have a girl who wanted to be remembered by him surged through him. He reached up and cupped Tonks' neck, and brought her face down for a quick kiss.

"Anyway," Tonks said, dark eyes aglow with pleasure as she knelt beside Remus' chair and slipped an arm across his waist, "I figured since Fleur's French, she knows what she's talking about."

"You intend to sit on my lap at meals and feed me off your own fork, then?"

"Would you like that, my darling handsome Remus?" She ran her index finger along his jaw line, and behind the laughter in her eyes was a coy look that made Remus swallow hard. In a setting for two, he might be quite easily persuaded to adopt Bill and Fleur's sort of behaviour.

"Lupin, you're older," Mad-Eye's gruff voice interrupted Remus' pleasant thoughts of being fed chocolate by the pink-haired witch who smiled so intimately at him, "you ought to encourage Tonks not to be demonstrative like the rest of her generation."

Remus winced. "Thanks for reminding me I'm old, Alastor."

"If you're old," said Sirius, intent on the chessboard, "what's that make Mad-Eye?"

"I said older," muttered the wizard in question.

"I ought to ask Tonks to stop," said Remus pleasantly, "as she is destroying my game. But I am afraid certain members of the Black family hold more sway over me than I do over them. Sauciness, apparently, is my downfall." The lingering kiss Tonks pressed to his cheek almost made up for the reproachful look he earned from Moody.

"Checkmate!"

Sirius had captured the swearing bishop with his queen. Remus' own chess pieces sulked and rivalled Mrs. Black in their ability to sling insults.

Pushing his chair back from the game table, Sirius glanced happily about the room, "You lot ought to move in. This place really isn't so bad when it's full of snarky people. We'll have an Order of the Phoenix commune. Without Snivellus, of course."

"God, not communes again." Remus rubbed his hand over his forehead as he puzzled out why Snape still had not responded to his Patronus. "Sirius always wanted the Marauders to buy a big place and have a commune."

"I'm a social creature," Sirius said proudly.

Tonks' eyes danced with amusement as she regarded Remus. "Did you want to live in a Marauder commune?"

"Sirius promised me a comfortable place to take care of my furry little problem."

"Doesn't seem very smart," said Mad-Eye, "everyone living in one place all the time."

"He's joking, Mad-Eye," Kingsley said, reaching for the Evening Prophet that lay on a side table.

"I'm not," said Sirius with a touch of disappointment. "It's not right only Remus and I live in this great house."

"You won't want everyone underfoot when Harry's here," Remus said, carefully packing the chess pieces back into their dragon hide case. "I shouldn't be surprised if the Weasleys come to stay again, so Harry won't have to thrive on bachelor cooking. They'll take up the extra rooms."

For a man adamant a moment before that everyone in the Order but Snape live in his house, Sirius looked rather crestfallen at Remus' words. "Molly hates me."

"Molly doesn't hate you." Remus rose to stow the chess set in a cupboard beneath a bookcase.

"She doesn't like me."

"I like you," Tonks said, standing, "if that's any consolation."

Sirius brightened. "You won't take up a room if you move in."

Remus shut the cabinet too hard, and Tonks rammed her hip into the corner of the table as she stepped around it.

Sirius let out a sharp yap of laughter. "Did you see that, Kingsley?"

"See what?" asked the Auror, looking up quickly from the Prophet.

"Remus and Tonks looked like they'd just got caught having it off in a broom cupboard!"

Kingsley burrowed into his newspaper again. Mad-Eye cleared his throat loudly as his eye scanned Remus, who fervently hoped the older wizard could see his thoughts and know he'd never done any such thing with Tonks. On the other hand, Remus certainly did not want Moody to see what he was trying unsuccessfully not to think about, thanks to the images Sirius supplied.

"Why the blushing?" Sirius asked, smirking. "Everyone knows what you lovebirds get up to after Order meetings."

"Do you, now?" Tonks asked pointedly.

She crossed her arms regarded Sirius with her best Auror glower, seemingly preparing to set him straight about her sex life. Much as Remus would have liked to see her do so, there would be no living with Sirius if he knew the truth. Life was generally simpler when one told Sirius what he wanted to hear, and not even fear of Mad-Eye, who looked very much as if he were contemplating transfiguring both residents of twelve Grimmauld into ferrets, could persuade Remus otherwise. Besides, his inner Marauder wanted very much to respond to his mate's comment.

"What everyone does not know," said Remus, moving behind Tonks and slipping his arms around her waist, "is what Nymphadora and I get up to before Order meetings."

Tonks' slender body briefly stiffened, but as Remus leant forward to kiss her slightly flushed cheek, her lips curved in a mischievous grin.

"Now Remus, " she said breathily, sliding a hand up to caress his neck, "you know you're supposed to save that name for the broom cupboard."

Not pulling her out of the drawing room and into said nook and calling her Nymphadora between passionate kisses required Hurculean effort on Remus' part.

"Broom cupboard?" Moody ground out with an expression that made Remus second-guess his decision to appease Sirius.

"You can't possibly be doing it right," said Sirius, "if you can pronounce 'Nymphadora' whilst shagging."

"With the Order here?" Mad-Eye was reaching for his wand, and Remus braced himself for his second transformation of the month. Surely it would not be as painful as becoming a wolf. "Shame on—"

"C'mon, Mad-Eye," said Tonks, slipping out of Remus' encircling arms, "would I go near a room associated with cleaning?"

"Really, Tonks," said Sirius, flopping down in an overstuffed armchair and draping his legs over the arm, "why don't you move in? You never sleep here, and Remus never sleeps at yours. You'd see each other a bit more at least, and you might as well put your rent money toward a nest egg."

Appealing – and logical – as it was, Remus said, "This is still about your commune, Padfoot. You're only making this about as a distraction."

Sirius stretched out his hands and flashed a wide, handsome smile. "All part of constant vigilance, right?"

"If they're living here," said Kingsley without looking up from the Prophet, "why would they need a nest egg? That implies they'll move someplace else after they've saved awhile. Doesn't that wreck your commune?"

Moody's good eye blinked rapidly as his magical one darted back and forth between Remus and Tonks. "Are you pair engaged?"

"No!" they cried in unison, and in his peripheral Remus noted Tonks' face was as red as his own felt.

"Couples don't have to be married to live together, Mad-Eye," said an annoyed Sirius, who then turned sharply on Kingsley – which Remus thought rather audacious. "And I didn't mean a nest egg for a house. Married people need money for other things." He waggled his eyebrows. "Like honeymoons."

Though he felt everyone's eyes on him – including Tonks' – Remus did not dare meet a single gaze. He resumed his seat at the small table at which he and Sirius had played chess, and mulled over how to get out of this discussion. Whether he had done so intentionally or not, Kingsley had actually employed the best tactic: turning Sirus' logic against him.

In as calm a tone as he could muster, Remus said, "I thought you said people don't have to be married to live together."

"Godric Gryffindor!" said Sirius, eyes rolling upward. "What is it with you people and semantics? You do plan to make an honest woman of Tonks someday, don't you?"

A sound emitted from Mad-Eye's throat, which Remus could not determine whether was grumbled words or merely a growl. In any case, he dared not look. He could not help glance at Tonks out of the corner of his eye. The glare she was giving Sirius made Remus wonder if she could morph her eyes to, quite literally, look daggers. Ought he to intervene and spare Sirius' life, no matter that he was being a complete and utter prat? But really, Remus preferred not to touch this issue at all. His eyes darted to the French doors. Where was Dumbledore? He glanced to the window. Why couldn't Snape send a message right now?

"Sirius," said Kinglsey abruptly, rising from his chair, "is it all right if I make tea? Dumbledore'll want some when he arrives."

"Make yourself at home," Sirius said hospitably. "Kick Kreacher if he gives you trouble. He was shrieking like a bleeding banshee a while ago."

Kingsley thanked him and gestured to Moody. "Come with and keep an eye on the house-elf, Mad-Eye?"

"I will." Remus started to get up as Moody, muttering conflicting statements about the necessity for chaperonage and relief not to witness unprofessional behaviour, rose from the settee.

But Sirius stopped Remus by hopping up from his chair and aiming his wand. "You, Moony, are going to sit right there and answer my question."

"I am not." Remus stood in defiance. "Why should I discuss something with you I haven't even discussed with Tonks?"

Sirius was so flabbergasted that his wand hand fell limply to his side. "Bloody hell? You haven't talked about getting married?" He looked to Tonks as though expecting her to contradict Remus.

She shook her head. "We've only been a couple—"

"Since August!" Sirius cried. "It's June!" His eyes narrowed disparagingly as he approached his mate. "Don't know why I'm so surprised. This is Remus J. Lupin we're talking about. Fears the moon and commitment."

"He does not fear commitment!" Tonks' face and lips were pale, and she clenched her fists in a livid stance.

Remus, who thought both were perhaps a bit off the mark, merely folded his arms across his chest and returned Sirius' petulant glare. "I don't recall you ever dating one girl for ten days, much less ten months, Padfoot – or proposing marriage."

"I would have done if I'd been with her that long and knew she was the one." Sirius looked smugly at Remus, then turned to his cousin. "Now you've got to move in, Tonks. Remus needs to see how nice it is to live with a woman, so he'll have no reason not to talk about tying the knot."

Rolling his eyes, Remus thought how typical it was for Sirius to oversimplify even this.

"I can't believe shagging isn't enough to open your eyes," Sirius added, shaking his head.

"What do you mean by that?" Remus asked.

Before Sirius could respond, Tonks blurted, "We're not shagging."

If Remus had not died a little on the inside, he would have been amused to see Sirius' jaw drop in complete bafflement.

"What?" Sirius sputtered.

Tonks ground out, "We're. not. shagging."

"Why?"

"It's none of your business!"

"Oh, but it is." Sirius' long hair whipped Remus in the face as he turned to him "Now, why aren't you sleeping with my cousin? Let me guess – you're not ready?"

"It takes two to not shag," said Tonks. "I'd have pushed if I thought we should be doing it. We've more important things to work through first."

Remarkably, Sirius said nothing as she brushed past him to address Remus.

"I thought Sirius was just being a prat before," she said, a slightly accusatory note in her voice, "but you deliberately mislead him. Why? It's nothing to be ashamed of."

It had not been shame that motivated Remus to mislead Sirius, but he swallowed a hard lump of embarrassment. He had not realised this would matter so much to Tonks. "I meant to put Sirius off," he said lamely, hands falling to his sides.

"Nothing puts me off, Moony," Sirius said, plopping onto the armchair again and propping his feet unceremoniously on the coffee table. "You ought to know after twenty-five years."

Resting her hands against Remus' chest, Tonks asked, "Isn't Sirius easier to deal with than the possibility of Mad-Eye turning you into a ferret because he thinks you're a randy git?"

"And what were you doing in front of Mad-Eye earlier?" Remus raked a hand through his hair in exasperation, but Tonks' sheepish grin made him smile. "All right, Sirius. Tonks and I haven't slept together. I can't believe you would want us to do so in the house where your godson will spend the summer. I was Harry's teacher, for Merlin's sake."

"Harry's cool teacher," Sirius said. "And besides, Imperturbable Charms weren't invented for Order meetings, you know."

Remus rolled his eyes. "What would James and Lily think?"

"Personally," said Sirius firmly, "I think they'd want Harry to see a healthy adult relationship at work."

The depth of the statement surprised Remus; given the context, he had expected a flippant or bawdy response. It had never occurred to him that Harry had no romantic role models. It certainly had never occurred to him that he might have to be that example to his mate's son. He could picture James sniggering at the idea. Lily at least would be relieved that Sirius was not teaching Harry to sow wild oats.

"Apparently," Sirius' caustic voice cut into Remus' thoughts, "you pair are the wrong place to look for an adult relationship."

"Padfoot—"

"It's obvious to the whole bleeding Order," Sirius interrupted, hands on the armrests in the lazy, aristocratic, yet somehow commanding, pose Remus had witnessed so many times in the Gryffindor common room, "how in love you pair are and how you're meant to be. You should be sleeping together."

This new vocabulary attached to his romantic status made Remus' heart race. Was this really how Sirius – and others – perceived Tonks and him?

"Or," Sirius continued in bored tones, "if you're old-fashioned like Mad-Eye – which I somehow doubt – Tonks'd have an engagement ring on her finger, you'd have booked the Grimmauld ballroom for your wedding, and you'd take Snuffles out to choose best man robes."

"They make them for dogs?" Remus stepped aside to dodge the silk throw pillow Sirius chucked at him.

Glancing down at Tonks, Remus saw that the irritation had vanished from her features, and she now wore a thoughtful expression – almost as if she agreed with Sirius.

But that was ridiculous. She'd just said their relationship still had wrinkles that needed ironing out before they progressed further. Could she be ready for more? She had never given any indication of being dissatisfied with their physical relationship. Remus had sensed her desire, just as he could not deny his own, but while things simply had not progressed to that level, he was content. Before now, he had taken Tonks' fulfilment for granted. Could he have misread her?

Or did the look on Tonks face have anything to do with sex? Was she thinking of…weddings?

Remus could not help but picture the ballroom of the Black house restored to its former elegance, decked with garlands of flowers. Tonks, dressed in white wedding robes embroidered with every colour of the spectrum, gazed starry-eyed at him as he slid a gold band onto her finger. All around them the Order members looked on and smiled and applauded, and Sirius' barking laugh rang through the room. Remus' heart constricted, and he caught his breath. Was such a scene really what people wished for him? Did they really believe he could have it?

More importantly, did Tonks?

He cleared his throat and said hoarsely, "We haven't discussed—"

"Bloody hell!" Sirius slid his long legs off the coffee table, feet thumping loudly on the hard wood floor, and swiftly rose. "Discuss it! Right now! I'll even go away."

Which was worse – the way his mate's laugh seemed to grow louder even as he was exited the drawing room, or the way Tonks gazed expectantly – Remus could not say. But when silvery wings flapped through the open window with another message from Snape, Remus momentarily blessed his long-time nemesis.

"Now that's typical," Sirius griped, stopping halfway through the double doors. "Greasy git probably knew what you were about to—What's wrong?"

Remus was vaguely aware of Sirius and Tonks looking at him in alarm. For his part, his heart had stopped beating as the Patronus spoke Snape's message to him.

"Harry's gone."

"Got fed up with Umbridge and flew the coop like Fred and George?" Sirius asked with an air of unconcern. "Wondered when he would. How many points d'you reckon Snivellus took from Gryffindor?"

Numbly, feeling as though he'd been transported halfway around the world, Remus relayed Snape's words. "Harry's gone to the Department of Mysteries…He'd a vision that…Voldemort…" He did not want to look at Sirius, but the grey eyes summoned his. "…captured you."

"Merlin!" Tonks gasped, hand flying to her mouth.

It was Sirius' sharp puff of mirthless laughter that brought Remus back to the drawing room of twelve Grimmauld.

"He's lying!" Sirius snapped. "Harry wouldn't rush off to rescue me from Death Eaters without trying to contact me first."

"How is he supposed to contact you?" Remus returned. "Umbridge controls—"

"Snape's lying," Sirius repeated, pitch rising. "This isn't about Harry. It's about me. Snape wants revenge for the Shrieking Shack."

"Severus is a member of the Order—"

"HE'S A DEATH-EATER!"

For a moment, the only sound in the drawing room was the reverberation of Sirius' words and his rapid, enraged breathing. The air of the room was thick and suffocating, pregnant as both Sirius and Tonks watched Remus intently, waiting for a response. He was rather surprised that Tonks had not leapt to Snape's defence, considering she was learning from him how to brew Wolfsbane Potion and thought Sirius' never-ending suspicion immature.

"Dumbledore trusts Severus," said Remus quietly and deliberately. "Even if that is not enough for you, the thought that a Death Eater might have laid a trap for your godson ought to be enough to make you run to Harry's aid."

"If Harry had a vision, Snape gave it to him," Sirius said scornfully – though the mention of Dumbledore's trust mellowed him somewhat. "Being on our side doesn't mean Snape wouldn't love to see me dead. Or you, Remus."

"He certainly would never give a eulogy at our funerals," Remus admitted.

"This isn't the time for grudges," Tonks said brusquely, shock having faded from her expression to be replaced with firm professionalism. She swept her wand and uttered the Patronus message charm. From the tip unfurled a curved tail, followed by the lithe body of her chameleon, complete with flicking tongue. "All year Voldemort's been trying to get to Harry through his head, and now he's done it. Let's go, Remus."

"Damn Snape!" Sirius' grey eyes were over-bright with panic as the truth of Harry's plight settled in. "If Harry knew Occlumency, he wouldn't have seen…Damn Snape!" But the words, though emphatically spoken, held no real conviction. His gaze clouded and bent inward with guilt and self-recrimination.

"C'mon,Remus," Tonks repeated. "I've told Severus that you and Mad-Eye and Kingsley and I'll find Harry."

She did not move, however, for at that moment the raven swooped into the room bearing another message for her.

"And me," said Sirius. "I'm going, too."

Tonks shook her head. "You're to stay behind and tell Dumbledore what's happened."

"Snivellus said that, did he?" Sirius bared his teeth at the hovering Patronus. "He can shove it up his arse. It's Harry!"

Remus actually smiled; even in the direst of situations, Sirius remained Sirius. "Change of tune from not believing Snape at all."

"Anything to spite him."

Tonks was not amused. "Somebody's got to—"

Remus spoke over her to Sirius. "Order Kreacher specifically what to tell Dumbledore when he arrives. Get Mad-Eye and Kingsley."

Sirius bolted for the kitchen.

"Remus," said Tonks as she and Remus exited behind him and headed for the front door, "I've never questioned you about a mission, but we can't let Sirius—"

"If anything happens to Harry," he interrupted, plucking his cloak from the hall tree and flinging it over his shoulders, "and Sirius isn't there, he will never forgive himself. He already blames himself for what happened to—"

"Harry's parents."

"I will not let him take on more guilt. And he is Harry's godfather."

It was enough for Tonks. Swallowing hard, she nodded.

Mad-Eye's wooden leg clunked up the stairs. Somehow, amid the din of his thumping gait, Mrs. Black's shrill, unintelligible rant, and Sirius talking feverishly to Kingsley, Remus made out Moody's gravelly monologue about this being a trap for all of them, a ploy of the Death Eaters' to pick off Harry and key Order members and effectively win the war before it even started. A chill coursed up Remus' spine at the realisation that this was one of the times Mad-Eye's paranoia was completely justified.

Impulsively, Remus reached for Tonks and pulled her into a tight embrace. He dropped a quick kiss on her lips, then, caressing her pink locks as he looked deeply into her dark eyes, murmured, "Be safe tonight, Nymphadora."

For a moment Tonks regarded him tenderly, but as Mad-Eye, Kingsley, and Sirius stepped out from the stairwell, she slipped from Remus' arms and whipped out her wand. "Auror Tonks'll watch your back. We've got a lot to talk about after this is all over."

Despite the gravity of the mission upon which they were about to embark, and the implications it held for him personally, Sirius grinned as he set foot outside his hated ancestral home for the first time in months.

"If you'd like," he said, clapping Remus' shoulder, "I'll ask Harry if he'll mind you and Tonks sharing a room down the hall from him."

"Quiet!" hissed Mad-Eye, putting out the streetlights. "Constant vigilance!"

As darkness descended around them, and with it silence, Remus' thoughts clamoured: amused annoyance at Sirius suggestion, nervous anticipation in regard to what Tonks wanted to discuss later. Loudest of all were nagging doubts as to both their optimism; the talk to follow the mission was unlikely to be as light as that which had preceded it. Remus banished it all from his mind and fixated on the task at hand.

Tonight they could not afford the distraction of afters.

The End