Chapter 2: The Order's Reaction
Harry carefully extracted himself from the pile of people. He had just enough time to give both Hermione and Ginny a hug before Hermione launched into her interrogation.
"What are you doing here already? Did the muggles do something? Did you do something to the muggles? Are you on trial again? What –"
"Hermione STOP! No, I am not on trial again. No, the muggles aren't the reason I am here. And no, I did not do anything to the muggles, they are on a trip right now."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"I'll explain everything in a few minutes. Where's Ron?"
Hermione looked pleadingly at Ginny who just smirked back at her. Finally Hermione looked away blushing. Ginny decided to capitalize on Hermione's embarrassment and said, "This morning Ron happened to be talking in his sleep when Hermione and I went in to wake him up. Actually it was more like moaning in his sleep. Moaning words that sounded a lot like 'Hermione don't stop' and other assorted phrases. Needless to say both of them were beyond embarrassed when I started laughing and woke him up and he saw who was in the bedroom to hear what he had said.
"He hasn't come out of his room yet. Maybe you can go talk to him. It has obviously mortified him; he hasn't even come out of the room for food."
Finally losing the battle himself, Harry ended up on the floor for the third time that morning. This time however was of his own doing as he couldn't stand up straight and laugh as hard as he felt the situation required at the same time.
"He..Her..Hermione?"
"I don't see what you're laughing about. It's not that funny."
"Oh, but it is. He has liked you for so long. I seriously doubt that this is the way he wanted you to find out about it, but regardless of how it happened at least he finally admitted it." Having regained control of his laughter and the use of his feet Harry suddenly looked very serious. "What did you say to him after he woke up?"
"Nothing and I think that that is the main problem right now. I just kind of froze. He woke up and saw us there and my mouth was hanging open and I couldn't manage to say anything. He looked at me for about ten seconds before covering his head with his blanket and then he told us that he wanted to be alone."
"Do you like him?"
"I think that it is obvious that I have some feelings for him. But if he doesnt start growing up I don't think I can wait around too much longer for him to mature. Not to mention how oblivious he is to any signs that I gave him last year."
"This is Ron we are talking about. If it is not about food or quidditch it needs to be spelled out in front of him."
"You think that he thinks I don't like him like that?"
"Ginny please help clear this is up with her. I need to go talk to Ron."
"Ok, Harry. But you may want to make sure to sit on your own bed considering the moaning he was doing when we walked in you don't know what may be all over his covers."
Harry just walked out of the room shaking his head. Ginny definitely was not the same little girl that he met on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. She had obviously spent more time with the twins that was for her own good.
"Ron? Ron open up."
"Go away Harry."
"Not until you let me in."
"Why are you here anyways? You're supposed to be at the muggles."
"And you never miss a meal. Now that we have stated the obvious open the door."
"Fine." Ron huffed and yanked the door open. "Happy now?"
"Nice to see you too Ron."
"Sorry. This doesn't seem like my day for human contact."
"So I heard." Ron just glared at him.
"Considering the last two days that I have had I am going to get straight to the point. Do you like Hermione?"
"Of course I like her you dolt."
"Good. She likes you too. Frankly I am glad that this happened."
"Why? You enjoy seeing your best mate miserable?"
"No. I am tired of you two dancing around each other pretending to hate one another. Ever since Krum asked her to the Yule Ball the two of you have been arguing non-stop. I swear this bizarre mating ritual the two of you developed is getting rather annoying.
"Do you realize that the twins set up a pool in Gryffindor tower to see which one of you would cave in first? If I remember correctly the pot is up to 400 galleons now. I have twenty galleons riding on the fact that the two of you get into an argument and then you just start snogging each other senseless. Even though it looks like I am going to lose that money it's not a significant loss if it means that the two of you just admit to each other how you feel and get it out in the open. The fights aren't fooling anybody except yourselves. Every one in Gryffindor tower knows that you two like each other. Why is it you think that nobody ever asks Hermione on a date? Hell even McGonagall knows it. I think the twins said she put ten galleons in on the pool shortly after it started."
"Are you serious? McGonagall actually put money on this?"
"You truly are hopeless, you know that. After everything I said the only thing that you care to comment on is McGonagall's betting.
"I have to go meet with Dumbledore. Think about what I said. Ginny is basically giving the same talk to Hermione as we speak. I also think that you should try and act a little bit more 'proper' around her. She didn't say it out right but it looks as if she is losing patience waiting for you too act more mature, as she put it. She may very well move on to someone else if you don't hurry." With that Harry got off of his bed and left to go to the kitchen.
Down in the kitchen the rest of the Order of the Phoenix had just arrived. Harry walked in and Dumbledore motioned Harry to sit in a seat right next to Tonks.
"Crazy old codger. Must get some sort of sick pleasure out of embarrassing his students. Second time today and I doubt even that will be enough to satisfy his sick sense of humor." Harry muttered to himself as he took the seat next to Tonks. Tonks herself was confused as to what he was going on about but was also trying not to laugh at whatever situation the teen thought was embarrassing. If only she knew.
It didn't take Mrs. Weasley long to figure out that kids were still in the kitchen for an Order meeting. She immediately voiced it to the rest of the room.
"Come on now kids you know that you cannot be here during these meetings. You would do well to remember to leave the war to the grown ups."
Hermione, and Ginny immediately started protesting. However most people were focusing on the confrontation at the head of the table.
"You never told them?" Came Harry's cold voice directed to the Headmaster.
"It was not my place to tell them. It was in regards to you and therefore it is up to you who should know." Dumbledore replied calmly.
"You're telling me that nobody dared to ask why they were risking their lives to protect a prophecy when they didn't even know the contents of it."
"They never asked because they understood that it was a prophecy concerning Voldemort and his potential downfall and that is it."
Harry calmed himself as he realized that while the Order was stupid to guard something without asking questions, he was actually glad that Dumbledore had not disclosed his fate to the entire Order. Especially Snape.
"Alright then. Let's just get this meeting underway so we can figure out how to manipulate my life this time."
A look of regret passed over Dumbledore's face but it was gone as soon as it came. "Alright everyone settle down. The kids are here for this meeting because the contents of discussion tonight involves one of their own.
"Mr. Potter was contacted by Gringotts two days ago and was asked to meet with the Head Goblin in regards to Sirius' will." The next thirty minutes was spent explaining everything about the current situation. Harry noticed that Dumbledore had purposefully left out Tonks' name. He wanted to see her reaction when she pieced the puzzle together herself.
Ever consistent with being a know it all, Hermione was the first to speak up. "So the only way that we can keep headquarters, ensure that Harry inherits Sirius' stuff, and keep the Black Fortune away from Voldemort is for Harry to marry someone of the Black family line before August the 1st?"
"That sums it up nicely Ms. Granger. Now the major question for the evening is what do we do now?"
Chattering broke out from everyone around the room except from Ginny, Harry, and Tonks.
Harry sat there deep in thought about why Sirius didn't plan ahead for something like this. He had been thinking it over ever since his meeting with the goblins and couldn't understand how Sirius' solicitor never chose to inform him of this law. He finally voiced his question to Dumbledore.
"I honestly couldn't tell you, Harry. I will have to look into this."
Finally Tonks looked up at the Headmaster. "By marrying into the Black family you were talking about me. Weren't you?"
"Yes Nymphadora. You are the only daughter of the Black family that is not married. Please understand that neither you nor Harry is obligated to do anything."
"And just let Voldemort have access to all of the paintings and the information that they now hold about the Order?" She was so lost in thought that she didn't even bother to be angry at the Headmaster for the use of her given name.
Neither her nor Harry would make eye contact with each other. For that matter they pretty much seemed to be in their own worlds and not really paying attention to anybody else either. Finally Tonks got up from the table and said that she needed to be alone for awhile to think things through.
Dumbledore just nodded his assent and said, "Perhaps it would be best to adjourn this meeting for now and we will reconvene tomorrow at 12:00. Please think of any solutions to this situation that you can. Ms. Jones and Mr. Diggle I would like you to search for these laws and find any information that you can on them and report it back here tomorrow. This meeting is adjourned."
Harry and his friends slowly made their way up to Harry and Ron's room. Any earlier embarrassment and joking that existed that morning was nowhere to be found.
They went up to Ron's room and they all sat there for almost ten minutes before anyone dared to speak. Hermione decided to break the ice.
"What do you think about this situation Harry?"
"Well I have to start adjusting to the idea that I may be married at the end of the month. I mean there is not much else to do in this situation is there?"
"You mean you're actually considering this?" Then Hermione started in her lecturing a two year old voice. "Harry you do know that Wizarding marriages are nothing like muggle marriages don't you?
"There is no such thing as a divorce in the Wizarding world. The oaths you take when you get married are wizard and witches oaths. Once you complete the ceremony you will be bound to stay with that person forever. If you cheat on her or break any of the vows you will lose your magic immediately and start a slow wasting process that takes almost two months to complete before you die."
"Look, Hermione. It's not as if I planned on getting married before my sixteenth birthday. I didn't plan for a lot of things that happened in my life but that doesn't stop them from happening. I am not saying that I am going to get married but I am also not ruling that possibility out either. In the end I will do whatever I can to make sure that Voldemort cannot get ahead. But I will not force Tonks to do anything. In the end the decision is hers. I will support whatever decision she makes.
"After Sirius died Dumbledore sent me back to his office. He told me a lot of things that night. Things that changed my life forever. I hated him for a while. I spent the last week of school sorting through my memories of Sirius and school and everything that Dumbledore revealed that night. I grew up ten years that night and it changed me forever. I will not tell you what Dumbledore told me yet but I know that whatever I can do to deal a blow to Voldemort I will do without a moment's hesitation.
"I'm not sure how I truly feel about all of this. I mean I don't necessarily want to get married. Hell I have never had a girlfriend. Cho doesn't count. She just used me as a link to Cedric. I guess if it happens then I will adjust the best I can and live my life as long as I have left to enjoy it."
"Wow mate. Can't say that I envy being you in this situation. However just think of the perks to being married to a metamorphmagus. She can be anybody that you want mate."
"Damn it Ron. I'm not just going to use her as a sex toy or something. I'm serious about this situation. I may not have planned for it to happen but I will support Tonks in whatever decision she makes. If she so chooses that the idea is ludicrous and that we should just find another Order HQ that's fine with me. I may not want Voldemort to have any of this but I could care less if I got it either. This is more about the security of the Order. If she decides that we should get married to keep this stuff out of His hands then I will do everything I can to make sure she doesn't regret that choice. I am not the kind of person to force his will upon somebody else.
"I realize that it is every woman's dream to be proposed to in a romantic situation and to marry the man she loves in a huge ceremony with all of her friends. I may not be able to be the man she loves but I will do everything I can to make sure she has the rest of it. Maybe someday she will grow to love me and for me to love her and maybe it wont ever happen but that doesn't mean I wont try."
"Geez mate. I was just trying to lighten the mood."
"Sorry, but I have thought of little else over the last twenty-four hours and I think I just needed to get that off my chest.
"Actually now that I think about it I am rather tired after all of the meetings I have had recently I think I will go to bed early. Tell your mom that I won't be down for dinner."
"Alright. G'night." With that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny left to go to dinner and let Harry sleep. Harry had a brief realization that Ginny had not spoken once since the Order meeting started. He figured that he could always talk to her in the morning. With that thought he went to sleep.
Waking up early the next morning Harry decided that he didn't want to get out of bed yet. Considering he went to bed extremely early last night he wasn't all that surprised that he was wide awake and it was only 3:00 a.m. He sat in bed and went over everything that happened the previous day.
All considering, the Order did not react nearly as badly as he would have expected. Nor did Tonks for that matter. He was a little nervous about Tonks. He knew in his mind that he would accept any decision that she made. That did not mean that he still wasn't nervous about it. Here he is not even sixteen years old yet and he may be getting married to a twenty-two year old Auror with less than a months notice.
Sure she was beautiful and everything but how would she react to having to marry someone six years younger than her. Hell, for all he knew, she could already be in a serious relationship with someone. He, however, doubted this since she left the table last night to be alone to think over the situation. If she was seeing somebody she would have flat out refused.
Figuring nothing else was going to get solved by staying in bed, he decided to get up and get dressed for the day. He gathered all of his clothes and headed off the only bathroom on the second floor of Grimmauld Place. He took his time getting ready since there was no line of people waiting to get into the bathroom or yelling at him for wasting the water on a freak like him. He enjoyed taking his time and finished getting ready. He was ready to go for the day by 4:15. He dropped off his dirty clothes back in his room and headed down to the kitchen to get something to drink.
As he was walking down the stairs he noticed the light on in the kitchen. Figuring that it was a good thing that somebody else was awake so that he could have a conversation with someone instead of sitting by himself until breakfast, Harry headed in the door and froze in his tracks. Sitting in a bath robe at the kitchen table was Tonks. She hadn't looked up yet and hoping that she hadn't seen him Harry tried to sneak back out of the kitchen. Just as he put his hand on the door she acknowledged his presence.
"Wotcher Harry, we need to talk."