A/N: I know, I know, it's been a long time since I posted the first two chapters. My last week after exams was all a bit crazy with my own love life deciding to exist all of a sudden kind of - and since then I haven't had internet access. It's been killing me.

Things will heat up soon, I expect. You can't rush these things.

A more light hearted chapter here. Managed to slip in a 'serious' pun, and you can look forward to Makeover!Ginny in the next chapter. Embrace the clichés! It's harry potter fanfic after all….

Disclaimer: I am busy making JK's characters do untoward and questionable things because I am too lazy to come up with my own world.

Just Planning

Everyone was gathered around the dinner table. It was large, carved of dark mahogany and extending the length of the once grand dining room. Presided over by the haughty stares of Sirius' pureblood ancestors in their dark and watchful frames, and lit by the harsh glow of an enchanted chandelier, the evening meal was well underway.

Molly had grudgingly admitted that Kreacher was a good cook, and was beginning to let the muttering house elf undertake the bulk of the work in the kitchen; though always with one eye following his actions. He might be blood-sworn to obey the commands of the last surviving Black, but you never knew when the tricky little being would find a loophole in his instructions big enough to kill them all through.

The dishes were, as every night, plentiful. The young Weasleys always found it such a conundrum to decide which was better; the food at Hogwarts or their mum's cooking. Harry was beginning to wish he had not bulked up so much at the end of the summer term. This was one summer he was certainly not going to need to rely on a secret stash of birthday cakes under the floorboards.

Ginny had showered before dinner and, being painfully aware of Sirius at all times, was vain enough to strive to look good. It was silly, she knew, about as far away from a date as sharing a nice meal could be, but there it was. Nothing was ever going to happen, but at fourteen, Ginevra Weasley was woman enough to want him to look at her and actually see her, not just one of the kids.

She was careful not to overdo it though. Having taken to wearing muggle clothes more frequently than she ever had before following a shopping trip with a Hermione who knew her way around a high street, she had received a few sharp glances and disapproving comments from her mother whenever her necklines plunged lower than wizarding tradition dictated or she wore a skirt shorter than ankle length. It wasn't fair she thought. It's not like I look like… that kind of witch. I'm just young. - but not as young as she seems to think I am.

She sighed inwardly, something she seemed to be doing far too often just lately. She knew that she was too young. Too young to fight for the order, too young to have a chance with Sirius; too young to know what she was letting herself in for if anything happened anyway. What did she know? She hadn't even sat her OWLs yet, and the relationships that she had had thus far had been rather more the awkward flirtations of adolescence than any real romance or commitment. Even if she succeeded in getting those damned eyes of his to notice her; to look at her appreciatively; what then? Where was she hoping that this could ever go?

Ginny was sat between Hermione and Tonks, who was sporting a sleek bob in a rather fetching shade of bubblegum pink, and a ring through her bottom lip. It seemed to be Tonks' turn to attract the stern looks from Molly tonight, her bright hair colour rather overshadowing the scoop neck of Ginny's green top; though as always, Tonks appeared oblivious to any disapproval – or perhaps it was what she was aiming for. She never liked to conform, that much was obvious.

Ginny blinked, realising that she had been paying very little attention to the buzz of conversation passing around her in soft girlish voices. Hermione had her head cocked slightly to one side and was regarding her with an enquiring glance. 'Well?' she asked, as though she had been awaiting a response for some time.

'…er - yes?' Ginny ventured, praying fervently that this was an adequate response and that she had not just agreed to something terrible. The other two grinned conspiratorially 'Wicked!' Tonks declared, 'that's sorted then. I'm around all tomorrow afternoon and we can have a go then.' She winked broadly at Ginny and suggested, 'He'll be pleasantly surprised, I'm sure.'

Ginny became even more confused, 'Who will?' she asked haltingly, Sirius? What would he be pleased about? about ….her?... and the girls?

'It's not like we haven't noticed that you are giving rather more of your attention to the other end of the table than to our scintillating conversation,' Hermione cut in, gesturing knowingly to where Harry and Sirius sat, engaged in an animated conversation about amusing hexes with Kingsley Shacklebolt. 'trust me, when Harry sees you, his eyes'll be poppin' out of his head.' Tonks added with a smile.

Ginny laughed uneasily, 'that's a good thing, I take it?'

What was going on? Was this a scheme for some kind of makeover? That sounded like a cliché out of one of the films that Hermione had talked about, or the kind of book that lay hidden behind her lengthy tomes of Dickens and Shakespeare. Certainly not the kind of thing that generally happened in the wizarding circles of Ginny's experience. Then again, Tonks was a metamorphmagus, so presumably had tried out her fair share of looks over the years. Her current pink bob was just the latest of a parade of vibrant colours and styles that had graced her head since they had first met, and Ginny was pretty sure that she'd sported several different noses and skin tones too.

'It's definitely a good thing.' Tonks replied.

'So…. What has my mother got to say about our plans for tomorrow? I can't imagine her being over the moon about any plans that are going to get boys eyes doing anything when they look at me,' Ginny laughed, raising her eyebrows.

Tonks grinned wickedly. 'Well; she did say she thought it would be nice for me to spend more time with you two, for you to have a younger woman around. I believe "get some girl time" was the expression she used, and Arthur has plans for tomorrow that she's not yet aware of, so she won't see you straight off'

Ginny's eyebrows rose even further in disbelief, taking in the most important part of this comment; ' "get some girl time"? …she really has been reading Witch Weekly too much just lately…'

'Hm?' Hermione muttered, still looking across the table.

'Seems to me that you're the one who's a little preoccupied,' Ginny ventured. 'Perhaps we could get some eyes to be looking at you with a little appreciation tomorrow night. Like my youngest brother's, maybe?' she suggested slyly.

'I have no idea what you are talking about.' Hermione returned, haughtily. 'There is absolutely nothing going on between me and Ron. He's one of my best friends and that's all there is to it. Besides, Viktor wrote to me last week, remember? If only he didn't live so far away…..' She sighed dramatically.

Ginny and Tonks nodded understandingly, and she decided to leave it for the time being, but Ginny wasn't about to let Hermione get away with such a brief and frankly unconvincing denial.

Denial, yeh - that was about right.

Hermione turned to Tonks, on the defensive. 'So who have you got your eye on then?' She asked, 'surely that eye-catching hair and talk of makeovers is in aid of something, or someone, rather? You're round here nearly every night for dinner, so it must be somebody from the order…'

'Its none of your business, either of you, what is going on in my love life. Or more to the point isn't going on,' she grimaced. 'so there's nothing to tell.'

Hermione and Ginny exchanged looks. Apparently these things didn't get any easier even after you left school behind.

The girls were not the only ones to have been making whispered plans around the dinner table. As the cleared plates made their own way merrily to the kitchen; the twins, with a Ron looking fit to burst following in tow made their way across the room to divulge their own plans for the following evening, which would fit in rather well, as it happened.

Must be fate or something.

'Dad's taking Mum out to dinner in Diagon Alley!' Ron announced hurriedly.

'yeh….. so? I'm hardly about to get excited about my parents love life am I?'

'Ah, but think what it means for us, my little munchkin, go on - I'm sure you can figure it out if you put that immense brain power of yours to work on the problem…' Fred said with a wink. Ginny glared at him.

'Judging from the look on your faces, which I have seen far too many times before at school, you're planning something which your parents would not approve of, were they around.' Hermione replied.

'Knew there was a reason she was known as the brains of the bunch, eh Ron?' George returned. 'Yes, there are some…plans… for tomorrow night, so you girls be ready for a bit of fun.'

'You might want to be ready for a little surprise of our own,' Tonks grinned. 'I'm sure you boys'll approve… I take it I am included in this rather vague invite?'

'Absolutely.' Fred said. 'Not just us kids who'll be here, is it? Remus and Sirius will be making an appearance for definite for a start.'

Tonks' smile brightened considerably.

'Is this a good idea?' Remus turned to ask his oldest friend, with a worried look in his soft amber eyes. 'You know Molly will kill us if anything untoward happens. I can just imagine the look on her face… "You're supposed to be responsible adults! You were their teacher for Merlin's sake! I leave you all for one night!"… it'll be worse than the howlers I've heard the twins receive..'

'Well I think it's an excellent idea.' Sirius answered honestly. 'The best I've heard in months, in fact. It's about time we actually did something of an evening now that here are all these people here. And it's not like I can go out.' He sighed.

Understanding filled Remus' eyes. 'Oh Padfoot,' he said softly stroking his friends dark hair. 'I know it's hard for you; here day after day, while we all go about our business. You've done more than you know just by giving us this house…. Just by being here. These days, it's almost as hard to find friends as a known werewolf as for a dangerous convicted murderer, you know.' He gave a wry smile and their eyes met.

Neither of them were the same as when they had left school together nearly twenty years before, those years had taken too harsh a toll on both of them, for all that the wizarding world at large had been enjoying a respite from peril and fear, and now that fate had seen fit to bring them together again, for a time at least, in a parody of the life they had once envisioned, dark powers were threatening to rip apart once more all that they still held dear. And neither of them was in a position to persuade the world that the time for action had come.

But they had each other again.

The last two marauders.

And the marauders had ever been up for a party.

'You're right,' Remus decided. 'A night of being thoroughly irresponsible will be good for all of us, and the kids are young, they need to have fun. Hell, I'm still young; I'm sure I can find some fun to be had' he added with a wolfish smile, pun intended. 'Even with that much firewhiskey, what's the worst that could happen? I'm tired of being serious all the time.'

'hey, Moony, if you think you're tired of being Sirius….'

And they both laughed, just as much as they had done when they first made that gag and it wasn't even any good back then.

'And when you say fun; that wouldn't have anything to do with a certain young cousin of mine would it?'

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