July 16, 1995
Another week passes before Nymphadora can visit Grimmauld Place again. As dark, dingy, and creepy as the old house is, it means more to her than just that. It's a place where she feels alive, fresh, and important. The other Order members look at her with respect, as an authority. Which is such a stark contrast from her usual life. She finds herself counting down the days until Sunday throughout the week.
Upon arriving that afternoon, she let herself in, as instructed. She had told Jordan she wouldn't be home until late, under the guise of Ministry business, as she remembered Sirius's previous offer to drink that night. This week's meeting was up in the board room on the ground floor, as Sirius had indicated last week. Passing down the entrance hall, Nymphadora noted more coats and shoes by the front door then there had been last week. The Weasleys moved in, she reminds herself, slipping into the room and taking a seat.
During that meeting, Dumbledore announced that the Order would begin taking shifts to monitor potential Death Eaters and places they frequented.
"There's actual Death Eaters again?" Nymphadora questions, incredulous. "The Ministry claims they all disbanded after You-Know-Who fell from power."
"They never went away," Mad-Eye growls. "There's only so much you can learn from a history book."
As the meeting wrapped up, Mad-Eye began calling Order members in pairs to receive schedules of when they were to patrol.
"Lupin, Remus," he calls. She looks over as her new friend stands, walking to the head of the table to receive his assignment. He looks slightly better than the week before – less tired but bearing new wounds from the full moon that had just passed.
"Tonks, Nymphadora."
Her heart almost leaps out of her chest. Had she really been paired with him? She walks up, taking the paper from Alastor and sitting back down to examine it. It was true. Their first shift together was tomorrow evening in Chigwell.
"That's all," Mad-Eye announces, making for the door. "As I understand it, Molly will have dinner prepared downstairs shortly."
"Hey!" Sirius suddenly exclaims, jumping from his seat and following Mad-Eye out into the hallway. "Where's my schedule?"
"Black, we talked about this."
"No, we certainly-"
But whatever he was about to say was cut off by the door slamming. Remus sighs heavily.
"What's up with him?" Nymphadora asks.
"Dumbledore and Alastor have decided not to let Sirius out of the house," he explains, looking grim. "They say it's for his own good. Who's to say what would happen if he was spotted. Even the Muggles know what he looks like."
She nods, understanding his frustration. "I would feel useless being kept on the sidelines too."
"It's for his own good," Remus repeats. "Don't tell him I told you that though."
She laughs, causing a small smile to form on the corners of his lips.
"You're staying after dinner, aren't you?" he asks, expectantly.
"Yeah," she replies. "Cleared it with the old man and everything."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
During dinner, the Weasley children and Hermione Granger made their first appearance in Grimmauld Place. Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione squeezed themselves at the table already packed with Order members. Nymphadora ended up sitting next to Hermione and Ginny, which led to the start of a very good friendship.
After everything had been cleaned up, Order members began clearing out, eventually leaving only the inhabitants of Grimmauld Place and Nymphadora.
"Alright kids," Molly announces after a while. "Let's get you lot upstairs."
The Weasley family then also vacates the kitchen, leaving Sirius, Remus, and Nymphadora alone.
"I fucking need this," Sirius complains, standing and producing a bottle from one of the kitchen cabinets. He waves his hand and 3 clear glasses appear on the table. "That conversation I had with Mad-Eye was rough."
"Pads," Remus starts as Sirius pours the whiskey into his glass. "He doesn't mean any harm by it."
"You sound like Arthur," Sirius mutters back, pouring Nymphadora's glass. He finishes pouring his own then holds it up to signal a toast. "To new and old friends."
The other two raise their glasses and drink deeply. Nymphadora's head begins to spin almost immediately, having never been a big drinker.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hours later, the trio are still seated around the kitchen table in the basement of Grimmauld Place. Nymphadora had lost count of how rounds they had went, but they finished the first bottle and started on a second. The world was starting to get blurry and slow around her. After several moments of total silence, against her better judgment, she blurts:
"I fucking hate my fiancé."
Sirius and Remus exchange shocked looks, both very red in the face from the alcohol.
"Sorry come again?" Sirius asks, eyeing her curiously.
"I'm sorry, no," Nymphadora sighs, laying her head down on the table. "I don't hate him." There's a long silence. "But I don't like him either."
"Then why did you agree to marry him?" Sirius questions.
"I don't know, it made sense at the time," she explains. "Now my parents are invested in this wedding. And we live together. And it's just what I'm used to. I feel stuck."
Another long, awkward silence.
"Well, you know you're always welcome to the empty bedroom upstairs," Sirius muses, twirling his glass in his hands nervously.
"Thanks, cous," she says half-heartedly. She then lays her head back down on the table in defeat.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Please review.