Remus woke up early that morning.
He did his everyday routine; brushed his teeth, combed his hair, dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen.
Everything seemed perfectly normal (or as normal as it could be in 12 Grimmauld Place with Sirius, Buckbeak, kids and all the Order members).
Sirius was in the kitchen, drinking tea out of his mug but because of his werewolf senses and the full moon being in only a week, he knew it was more alcohol than tea in there. Nevertheless, he quietly wished him a good morning and went on about making his tea. Breakfast was already done, courtesy of one Molly Weasley so Remus sat down at the table and began eating.
He sighed as he read all the lies the Daily Prophet wrote about Harry and Dumbledore. There's a possibility of another war and most of the Wizardring World was completely oblivious. That's the reason the Order was established again. As much as Remus was anxious and worried about the possibility of war, he was thankful he now had a roof over his head, a warm bed, food, a place to transform, Wolfsbane provided every month, and his best friend. Even if all of that is in the dirty and old house that used to belong to a Pureblood family which hates people like him.
The Order meeting was at three today, so Remus decided to spend the free time before that cleaning the house a little and going through the notes and documents he's going to need for today.
...
Just as Remus sat down in his usual spot for Order meetings, a very happy Sirius came into the room.
"Guess what, Moony!" he practically jelled.
"What is it?" Remus asked, not looking up from his Dark Arts book.
"You will never guess who's joining the Order!"
"Okay."
Sirius frowned. "Okay? What on Earth does that mean?"
"Well," Remus started, finally looking up at his friend, "you said I should guess and then that I will never guess. So, I said okay. If I'm never going to guess, why should I even try?"
"You're so pathetic, d' you know?"
Remus tried not to laugh at Sirius. "Yes, I do actually. Now, seeing as something, or rather someone, got you very excited, please do tell who's joining the Order?"
"I won't," Sirius shook his head, "you'll have to figure it on your own."
"Is it someone I know?" Remus asked.
"Maybe."
"Maybe? What do you mean by that?"
"You've met them, only briefly though, so you may not remember them. Or you do, but you won't recognize them."
"I see. I've met them a long time ago, then." Remus mused as Sirius sat down at the head of the table next to him.
Remus spent another few minutes thinking who is that mystery person who will be joining the Order. Sirius said Remus met them, therefore he must know them as well. So, it can't be any of the people he met during those 12 years between James and Lily's death and his reunion with Sirius at Hogwarts.
Is it a friend from school?
It has to be. Who else could it be?
A loud bang suddenly woke Remus from his thoughts.
"Ah, that must be them," said Sirius as he headed towards the hall the noise most probably came from. Another bang, and Sirius' dear mother started shouting.
"SCUM! TRAITORS! WEREWOLVES! HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT THE ANCIENT AND MOST NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK?! FILTHY-"
"Yes, mother, we know. Now shut the hell up!" Sirius said loudly as he pulled the curtains over Walburga.
Remus, however, was stuck to the floor. He stared at the bright pink hair that covered a big part of the small hallway. Even as Mad-Eye Moody passed by him and almost stepped on his shoe, Remus' eyes did not move.
Sirius helped the person to their feet and then threw his arms around them, picking them up the floor and spinning them around.
"Sirius! Put me down!" said the woman whose identity was still a mystery to Remus. At least now he knew that it was a woman. That did not help at all.
"I'm sorry," Sirius laughed as he put her back down. His back was now to Remus, who could see the woman over his Sirius' shoulder.
She was gorgeous, Remus couldn't help but notice. Was she one of Sirius' girlfriends from school, perhaps? No, she couldn't be. She was too young, Remus thought as he took in the smooth skin of her face. Her cheeks were flushed, hair all messed up, lips in a big wide grin and the eyes... The eyes! Remus was sure he had never seen a lovelier pair. So bright, they could be seen in the darkness that is this hallway. They had a sparkle in them as she was looking at Sirius.
Where did he ever meet her? She was totally unfamiliar to Remus.
Soon enough, her pretty eyes turned to him.
Sirius moved to stand next to him and now Remus could notice the girl's clothes.
She wore a Weird Sisters T-shirt, jeans which were ripped at the knees, and boots.
"Hi," she offered her hand.
He took her hand and shook it. The hand was... cold? Ice cold, to be honest. "Hello," he offered her a small smile.
"Remus," started Sirius who must have read his confusion, "you remember my cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, don't you?"
Oh.
"It's Tonks, Sirius," her hair turned a bright red.
Oh!
Nymphadora Tonks. Andromeda Tonks, nee Black's daughter. Sirius' second cousin. Metamorphmagus. The little girl Remus used to babysit.
Well, she's not so little anymore, is she?
"Right, Tonks," said Sirius, "you surely remember Remus Lupin."
She slowly shook her head as her eyes roamed over his tall figure.
Sirius frowned. " Moony," he tried to help her.
Her eyes widened and she beamed.
"Oh! I do remember you! You used to come to my house when I was little, right?"
"Was?" quipped Sirius who was standing a head taller than her. She swatted him on the arm.
Remus smiled at the sight of the two cousins. "Yes, I did use to come to your house. I just remembered you now. You're all so grown up!"
"She's an Auror now, Moony. Trained under Moody. Bloody talented, she is," said Sirius.
Remus raised an eyebrow. "Auror? How old are you?" he asked her.
"I'm 22. Turning 23 in November."
"Wow," was all Remus could say. She was very impressive.
"Don't let that fool you," came a rough and loud voice from the kitchen, "she's so damn clumsy I ain't sure how she even passed the test."
Tonks rolled her eyes. "I'm not that clumsy, Mad-Eye. Besides, its's that hideous umbrella stand I tripped over."
Moody huffed and replied, "Whatever, let's go to the kitchen. We have some things to clear before the meeting starts."
Tonks went after her mentor and gave Remus a wink over her shoulder as she did. His heart gave a jolt.
Later, after the meeting, as she morphed her nose into a pigs snout and even at Snape's nose at one point, Remus started to feel very amused by the witch.
And the rest is history.
A/N: Happy New Year!!! :D
