Chapter two: The presentation of information

It had been a month since their initial meeting. A month since Tonks crashed into the Black household and Remus descended from his room, causing their paths to cross. A month full of clashing sounds that consisted of the screeches of Sirius' mother from her portrait when uncovered to The Weird Sisters blasting from Tonks' room to the silence of the night when everyone rested, ate or talked and everything in between. A month of Tonks exploring the house in both boredom when not talking with Sirius and Remus and curiosity. A month of groggy breakfasts, chipper lunches and vibrant dinners that were primarily partaken by Tonks, Sirius and Remus.

And at the end of that month, the first time Tonks noticed Remus' absence at dinner. Looking around with a soft frown on her lips as she made her way to the dinner table, now nearly fully occupied with the rest of the Order, Tonks pulled Sirius to the side as people trickled in, the chatter rising.

"Where's Remus?" Tonks inquired worriedly. "This is the first dinner since I arrived where I haven't seen him."

It took Sirius a second or two to scan the crowd. Tonks watched her cousin look around the room in hopes that he would see him. She had grown fond of Remus' company as he was very patient of her constant and various inquires that ranged from when he and Sirius were in school to learning more about him as a person and everything in between. In return, he was able to learn more about the spunky and high energy Tonks as she would babble on about whatever topic that arose.

Though the quick change of hair color that Tonks had shown during their first encounter didn't arise in any conversation, she was thankful for it as she didn't want to touch on the subject just yet. She wasn't quite sure why she didn't want it to be a topic of discussion. Perhaps it was because she was afraid of him asking her to elaborate her unique ability.

Sirius then returned his attention to her after his scan of the room.

"Maybe you scared him off," Sirius teased, a smile pulling at his lips. "All that talk of how amazing The Weird Sisters are, blasting their music, and the constant questioning."

Tonks rolled her eyes as her arms cross slightly in front of her.

"Very funny, Sirius," she said softly as she gazes back at the small crowd, every seat but three filled. The three seats that the initial three inhabitants of the house always sat.

"Does my dear little cousin fancy Remus Lupin?" Sirius coos at Tonks.

Tonks returns the statement with a glare, barely able to spit out "I do not fancy Remus."

Her hair turns red once again but at a slower rate and less vibrant as her eyes shoot daggers at him.

Sirius could only laugh at her reaction.

"Relax, Tonks. I'm just teasing you. You get upset so easy. He has some personal issues he needs to take care of. Might take a few days until he returns," Sirius reassured her with a soft nod.

Tonks sighed, turned away from him to calm and purses her lips, giving an expression that could match Molly Weasley when scolding her kids as she her hair slowly returned to its former bubblegum pink state. Once her hair was completely one color, she turned calmly to Sirius, worry subtly showing in her eyes.

"But what if Dumbledore comes to brief us while he's gone? He'll be missing the information we all need to make sure we're a good working team," Tonks rambled. It took a firm grip to her shoulder from the man to quiet her.

"Dumbledore knows of Remus' absence. I can be very positive that he would not show until Remus is finished taking care of his personal affairs," Sirius calmly said, looking softly at her. "I know you're worried about him. I am too. But he will be fine. Trust me."

Tonks sighs once again as she nods and gives her cousin a hug.

"Thank you, Sirius," Tonks says quietly, giving him a light squeeze. She could feel his hand run lovingly down the back of her head to just between her shoulder blades, his other hand wrapping around just above her waist for a hug.

"You're very welcome, Tonks," Sirius whispered to her. He kissed the top of her head as they remove themselves from their embrace when they hear Mrs. Weasley come in from the kitchen, announcing that dinner was ready.

Sirius, Tonks and the rest of the household quickly shuffle to their seats as the last dish found its place on the table. It wasn't often that Kreacher had a break so that they could enjoy a home cooked meal that was made by the best chef they all knew.

After a quick, collective thank you from the table to Mrs. Weasley, everyone began to dig in. Tonks, for the most part, forgot about Remus' absence, remembering he was gone only when her eyes dart to his still empty chair.

When dinner was finished, the majority of the people settled back in their chairs and chatted with those who were next to them about various things. Tonks, not wanting to take part in the collective chatter, stood to help Mrs. Weasley clean the table and dishes and put the food away.

"Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Weasley," Tonks said gratefully once the two were in the kitchen. "It was absolutely wonderful. I don't think I've had a meal that delicious before."

"Well, when you have seven kids and a husband who all have different tastes, you can't help but experiment," Mrs. Weasley said with a laugh. "And please, call me Molly."

The plump woman gave a quick flick of her wand as the two watch the leftovers soar around the kitchen to be placed in containers to be saved for a later time. Tonks watched in amazement, not being one who could cast such intricate cleaning spells.

Every now and again, the two would make sudden moments out of the way of a utensil hurtling towards the sink or a plate soaring past to empty itself into either the trash or food container, depending on how salvageable it was.

Once the air calmed down, Molly and Tonks were able to relax considerably, leaning against the island and the kitchen counters.

"How do you manage to do all this?" Tonks said in awe as she gestured to the spells that were finishing the last bits of cleaning.

"Practice and lots of it," Molly said with a smile. "But with a family that grew quite quickly, I had to make sure I could keep up."

Tonks nods as she looks at Molly admiringly. Molly leans back against the counter as she dries her hands on her apron.

"So what is it you do, Tonks? Aside from being part of the Order?"

"I'm an auror," Tonks says with a nod as she stands up a little taller.

"But don't get the wrong impression of me because of my occupation," she said hurriedly as she sees Molly's face harden ever so slightly. "I was told to come here by Dumbledore then reconfirmed my stance with both Kingsley and Moody. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't asked."

Molly loosened up after the quick explanation and nods. "All three are very respectable people here. If they trust you to be part of the Order then I shall take their word for it. Plus it's nice to have another female in the house."

Tonks beams at Molly just as a loud bang came from behind her, causing both women to jump and turn towards the source of the sound which just so happened to be the door. In rushed a slightly hunched man with rough features and scraggly dirty blonde hair that fell menacingly around his face. His coat was faded and worn and hung snugly around his shoulders. A glass eye was held in place in his left eye socket and whirring frantically in it's holder.

Out of habit, Tonks whipped out her wand that was hidden in her right boot and pointed it at the man's throat before registering who it was.

"Very good, Tonks," emitted a husky voice from the man as he gave her the smallest of smiles and a nod. "Constant vigilance. Taught you well."

She smiles proudly at the man's words as she returns her wand to her boot.

"Learned from the best, Moody. Can't expect me to not defined myself and people I'm with when something sudden happens."

A single, deep noise came from Moody, which Tonks knew was his version of a laugh.

"Didn't see either one of you in the dining room," Moody stated as he leans on his staff. "Figured you might be in here. See how you were doing and the such. Have a few words alone with you, Miss Tonks."

Tonks grew a bit tense at his last sentence, wondering what he was going to share with her. She never knew what he would tell her, but right now, she didn't see it as a good thing as whatever what needed to be discussed couldn't be done in front of Molly.

"Oh honestly, Alastor, we're all in the same boat here," Molly said, a hint of sternness in her voice. Tonks looks at her as if she were crazy. Nobody talked back to Moody. Nobody.

Moody glared at her in his usual stern way with his good eye, the magical one darting back and forth.

"This is personal business, Molly. Something that only Tonks and myself must discuss."

With a sigh and a subtly curt nod, Molly gives one last flick of her wand, causing everything to be put rapidly away in their proper place as she leaves the kitchen.

Moody's magic eye followed Molly as she left, his normal eye fixated on the young auror. Tonks didn't dare breathe as she felt the air grow thick around her.

Once Molly left, Moody took two steps towards toward Tonks. More like a hobble as one of his legs was wooden.

"Constant vigilance," Moody muttered as both his eyes focused on Tonks.

It was a weird sensation; having both of Moody's eyes on her. She looked at him, trying to hide the confusion that was surging through her body. But he must have been able to sense it as his magical eye whirred around again as he chuckled. An actual three seconds. Something that completely threw her off.

"Everything okay?" Tonks asked hesitantly. There wasn't any reason to hide her confusion anymore. Moody could read her like a book, despite her extensive training.

Moody gives her a firm nod as he leans against his staff.

"Everything is fine. I'm just checking in on my star pupil."

"Welp," Tonks raised her arms and immediately dropped them to her side. "She's holding in there. Been going insane being in here, waiting for everyone to be here for things to get off the ground. And now that everyone's here, Remus isn't."

There was a slight agitation in her voice as she spoke, crossing her arms with a soft huff.

"You were never one to be patient, huh."

"Hell no."

"Then you should know that you won't be cooped up in here any longer."

Tonks looks at him as if saying 'you're kidding me right?'

"Remus will be coming back from his little," Moody paused to clear his throat. "Poorly timed personal holiday in three days time."

Three days? Tonks thought. That is certainly going to be a long three days.

"To pass the time, keep your mental stability up," Moody barked as if he had read her mind. "Memorize all of the names of the order. Know the basics about them. Where they're from, their occupations, their family if they have one. These are the people you will be working with for a good amount of time. Report back to me on the three pieces of information I requested of you before Remus returns."

Moody gave her a firm nod of his head and turned. He limped out of the kitchen, a dull thud echoing with every other step he took.

"Wait!" Tonks quickly said, surprising both herself and Moody with her sudden outburst.

Moody turned to face her, giving her a look that allowed her to know she had the okay to continue to speak.

"Why must I know the basics of everyone before Remus gets back?"

"You'll be spending a lot of time with these people," Moody states with a tap of his staff. "Best be knowing them as soon as possible. Is that understood?"

Tonks nods quickly. Moody gives her the smallest of smiles as he finally made his way to exit the kitchen.

Tonks waited until after he left to sigh and lean back against the counter. It was going to be a bit of a challenge as she was familiar with only a few of the people in attendance. At least by name anyway. A select few she already knew more than just basics as she worked with them. Seeing a bowl of grapes that was placed in the middle of the island, she began to walk out of the kitchen, snagged two grapes and popped them into her mouth. She allowed the seconds she needed to chew to recompose herself as she strode out of the swinging door into the still crowded dining room, the chatter still ringing in the air.

Three days to know all 19 members currently in the order. Suppose it's 17 people if Remus and Dumbledore aren't here. Guess I don't need to know the missing two as of right now. Let me see. Take away Shaklebolt, Moody, McGonagall, Hagrid, Snape and Sirius, there's 11 people I need to know. The gingers I'll assume are related. Or at least Molly, Bill and Charlie. Tonks thought to herself as she scanned the room.

She knew of Bill and Charlie from when they attended Hogwarts. Charlie more so as they were in the same year as each other and in a number of classes together.

But less than four people a day shouldn't be too bad. Guess I'll just have to find out, Tonks quickly thought as she swallowed and took her usual seat next to Sirius.

"Good to have you back," Sirius murmured with a smile. "Nice having some stability in the room filled with obnoxious and senseless chatter."

Tonks smiled at Sirius then looked down the table.

"Never was one to partake in large group conversations that didn't revolve around you," Tonks teased. She felt his boot nick her leg from an obvious, unguided kick accompanied by a chuckle from Sirius.

"I'm not as self-centered as I come off as, missy," Sirius retorted jokingly.

Sirius gazed over at Tonks. She could feel his eyes looking at her, but she chose to ignore it for the time being. She needed to figure out who seemed to be willing to chat a little while longer tonight so she can familiarize herself with the group. She mentally picked out Molly already as they already began to make progress with her challenge.

"Molly didn't seem too pleased when she left the kitchen," Sirius noted. "Seems like she claimed the area since she got here."

Tonks looked over at him, hearing the mild humor embedded in his words.

"Moody and I just needed a little alone time," Tonks said.

"Moody? Merlin Tonks, I didn't know you had your eyes on him."

"He's my mentor, you git."

"Still doesn't mean you can't fancy him."

"Does every interaction I have with a guy have to be considered more than a mutual respect for each other?"

"As your older cousin, yes."

"Git."

"Love you too, Tonks."

Tonks rolled her eyes, trying to show him she was still agitated with him, but couldn't as a smile grew on her lips.

"Moody just wanted me to get familiar with everyone before Remus got back," Tonks said softly. "Nothing horribly important. He thought it would be best if I warmed up to everyone."

The two of them looked at Moody, his eye jerking about, resting on them every few seconds before returning to look around at obscure angles.

"That's actually a pretty good idea on his part," Sirius agreed, nodding his head. "And for the record, the redheaded lot is related."

"Knew it," Tonks whispered under her breath with a grin.

That brought her count down significantly in the 'know their family' department. Now just the warming up and knowing what they did. She made a mental note to get to know Molly's family that night. Start off a bit easy.

The night drew on as the occupants at the table slowly began to trickle down. Even Sirius retired to his room for the night unusually early. Luckily for Tonks, the Weasley's were some of the last to remain at the table, which allowed her to begin her little inquiring of them.

She learned Bill worked for Gringotts, Charlie worked on a dragon reserve and Molly's distaste of the dangerous occupation. She learned about the rest of the siblings and how drastically different they all were, about Arthur working in the Muggle department of the Ministry and a few stories of how Hermione and Harry spent some time with them.

In the distance, a clock could be heard chiming, signaling that it was two in the morning.

"Goodness is that the time," Molly asked as she yawned. "Didn't think it was that late. Best be getting off to bed."

Arthur, Bill, Charlie and Tonks all yawn in response, nodding as they stood. Tonks bid the family a good night and thanked them for the time they spent as she began the worn out adventure back to her room.

Not bothering to change out of her clothes or take off her shoes, Tonks entered her room and collapsed onto her bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

Over the next three days, Tonks used little conversation starters so she would be able to collect her basic knowledge of each individual in the group.

When she wasn't talking with someone, she was eating. When she wasn't eating, she would take a step back from the conversations that floated around her and tested herself on those she already met. She made sure that she knew who was who, what they did, and recollected bits and pieces of their families. The Weasley's proved a bit difficult as there were so many of them.

But by the end of the third day, Tonks was able to organize everything about each person and store them in her brain. She learned what she was asked of and a little more as she rattled the basics off to her mentor in a small room on the second floor.

"Decent job, Nymphadora," Moody stated after she presented him her findings.

As much as she didn't want to get upset at Moody, hearing her birth name once again caused her hair to quickly surge to a bright red as her jaw and fists clenched.

"I've told you before," Tonks said through gritted teeth. "Don't call me Nymphadora."

Moody's magical eye whirred warningly at her, his face and stance becoming more stiff than they already were.

"That is quite enough, Tonks," Moody said roughly. "Learn to control your abilities and anger."

"It's hard to when people don't respect my request of not saying my first name, Moody," Tonks said hotly.

"If and when you are on your missions, you need to remember to control yourself, no matter what the circumstances," Moody reminded her.

"Otherwise, the mission has the potential to fail and I'm in deep shit," Tonks finished. "I know."

She sighs and looks down at her feet, feeling a bit agitated with herself.

Looks like I gotta work on my anger issues, Tonks thought as she felt a heavy weight on her shoulder. She looked up at Moody, his good eye looking at her.

"I've trained you well," Moody reassured her. "You're the best I've been able to mentor. And between you and I, my favorite. Keep your chin up."

He gives her shoulder a firm squeeze and a nod as her face lights up and her mood immediately improves.

"Remus should be back any moment, now," Moody said firmly as he removed his hand from her shoulder. "And I'm sure Dumbledore as well. Best be in the dining room pronto."

Tonks gave her mentor a firm nod as they made their way from the room, down the stairs, through the hallway and into the dining room, taking their seats at the table. Noting that they were the last to arrive, Tonks did her best to ease her way into a conversation, barely being able to contain her excitement.

After what felt like the longest half hour of her life, Tonks heard a loud crack and the door squeak open. She focused her attention on what was going on beyond the walls behind her as she heard two hushed voices echoing down the hall.

Not wanting to be too cautious, she slowly moved her foot towards the leg of her chair, her fingers dancing down her leg, touching the tip of her wand.

"Dumbledore!" exclaimed Mundungus, being the one seated across from the open door.

The collective murmur of the group could be heard as they put their conversations on pause and turned to face the door. It took Tonks a moment to realize who it was and relaxed.

An elderly man walked calmly through the door frame, a small smile dancing on his lips. He had a long white beard, littered with grey hairs that was tied neatly in the middle with wispy hair that hung from under his hat to match. He wore an exquisite lavender robe with an intricate pattern, his hat matching his clothes. His blue eyes gazed warmly over his half moon glasses as the entire room greeted him.

Another figure appeared behind him, the front of the person barely passing the frame.

Remus, Tonks thought as she smiled inwardly.

Dumbledore moved into the room more as he slowly began making his way to the right side of the room towards the vacant end of the table, opposite of Sirius. This allowed Remus to enter the room, turning left to make his way to his seat.

As he walked, Tonks frowned gently as she gazed at him. He looked more worn out and tired than she remembered. Hell, he looked exhausted and more cut up than she recalled.

He gave her a polite smile as he passed her, causing her eyes to dart down to her hands and cheek to flush a light pink in embarrassment. Her moment of fluster caused her to miss Sirius give Remus a wink, in which Remus returned with a pat on Sirius' back.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, still standing, his hands placed on the back of the chair in front of him as Remus sat.

"A number of you know this scenario already," Dumbledore said softly as he gazed at everyone. "As I have brought you together once before many years ago in a time of need. In the given circumstances, I have felt the need to bring you back together along with a few new additions."

Tonks frowns gently as she quickly shoots Sirius a confused look. Sirius just gives her a nod towards Dumbledore, as if telling her to pay attention. She turns back to Dumbledore, a bit startled that he was looking directly at her.

"Voldemort has returned," he says softly. A collective gasp filled the room along with murmurs of surprise being shared that all seemed to say the same thing: Dumbledore said You-Know-Who's name. Dumbledore raises his hand and the room immediately fell silent once again. He gazed around the room as he began to speak once again.

"I fear that he is rising to power more rapidly than I have expected. I, along with Miverna, have agreed to revive the Order of the Phoenix. I have hand picked and called on each and every one of you for a specific reason. The original members who are still in good health for obvious reasons. The two eldest Weasley children for their connections with Gringott's and oversea activity. And a very special member who was recommended to me by Kingsley and Moody personally."

Dumbledore paused as he gazes at Tonks once again. She heard the creaking of the chairs and russle of clothing as everyone turned to look at her. Despite being caught off guard for the sudden attention and the surprise that she was recommended by her superiors, Tonks gave everyone a confident smile.

"Miss Nymphadora Tonks is a young auror for the Ministry of Magic and certainly one of the most talented, as I have been told," Dumbledore says softly. Tonks refused herself to get angry at him for using her full name as she respected him far too much.

"Not only is she one of the youngest and most skilled auror's the department has ever seen, I do believe she has an extra talent?" Dumbledore says softly.

Not putting two and two together, Tonks looks blankly at Dumbledore, trying to figure out where he was going with this. Moody's magic eye turned to look at her as Kingsley gave her a soft smile.

"I understand, Miss Tonks, that you are a metamorphmagi," Dumbledore inquires, not trying to shame her, but to give her the last piece of the puzzle as he gives her a warm, reassuring wink.

Tonks felt everyone's eyes stare at her. Those stares that she didn't want right off the bat. She quickly looks at Sirius, the closest person to her who knew of her abilities, who puts a reassuring hand on her knee. She turned back to look at Dumbledore, catching Remus' eyes as she did. His eyes were wide and filled with both shock and curiosity.

"Yes, sir I am," Tonks finally said as calmly as she could.

She felt the squeeze of Sirius' hand, the only thing that was keeping her calm at the moment. As comfortable as she was with being a metamorphmagus, she never was quite used to the stares she would get when people found out.

"May I ask for you to demonstrate your unique abilities, Tonks?" Dumbledore softly inquired. "I only wish for everyone to understand what you are capable of if and when then time is needed."

Tonks nodded as she took a deep breath in to calm her nerves as her hair began to lengthen. At first it was slow, but picked up when she figured out what she wanted to do with it. They ultimately fell in soft ringlets down her back. Once it fell at her desired length, her hair began to change from its bubblegum pink to a rich, chocolate brown. The color change began at her roots and flowed down to the tips of her hair.

Just for good measure she scrunched up her face and hissed gently in pain as she subtly changed her facial features to appear more desirable, her irises turning from their usual greyish blue to an amber color.

She tossed her hair a bit as a soft applause began to ring in her ears. She smiles gently as she looks at everyone, especially Moody and Kingsley as they both gave her a proud nod.

She looks over at Sirius, who smiled wide and patted her knee with a wink. Tonks felt herself relax tremendously as she allowed herself to return to her former state. Still smiling, she turns to look at Remus and what she saw caught her off guard.

He was looking right at her, but not in a freaked out sort of way. It was as if he was relieved of something. That something clicked in his mind as he watches her turn back to the Tonks he met more than a month ago. Once she changed back, she slowly blinked, her amber eyes quickly turning back to their normal greyish blue color behind her eyelids. Her still dainty lips pulled into a soft smile as she returns her attention to Dumbledore.

For a good hour, Dumbledore talked about the Order. What their mission was, the tasks that they needed to do, the challenges they were to face and most importantly, the oath of silence they needed to take.

"I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to act as if you are not part of this to anyone outside of this room," Dumbledore said sternly. "If I feel that people need to know about the Order, I will tell them myself and you will be alerted immediately of their identities."

Everyone nodded, showing him that they understood.

Dumbledore straightens up, putting his hands behind his back.

"Missions will be done in pairs unless otherwise informed," Dumbledore stated as he began to make his way towards the door. "Myself along with Minerva, Alastor and Kingsley will discuss on assigning the two best suited for the mission. Know that the newest members will be paired with the more experienced ones their first few missions."

Once he reaches the door, he turns to face everyone one last time.

"I shall wish you all a good night," he said with a smile. "May you be in good health and get plenty of rest."

With that being said, he turned on his heel and strode down the hallway, exiting the house and apparating away.

The room filled once again with a much needed discussion. Tonks, still trying to process everything that was thrown at her, excused herself and bid everyone a good night.

She quietly made her way down the hallway, up the stairs and to her room. As she walked, she thought about the secrecy, the fact that You-Know-Who was back, and everything in between. She opened the door to her room, her brow still furrowed, entered and closed it behind her.

Changing into something more comfortable to sleep in, she heard a knock on her door.

"Just a second!" she called softly to the door as she pulled a large shirt over her head.

She walked quickly to the door, opened it and found herself looking at a man's chest. Her eyes shot up to his face as she tilts her head and leans against the frame as she realized the body belonged to Remus.

"May I help you?"

Remus smiled politely and gave his head a soft shake.

"I only wanted to wish you a good night," he said with a single nod of his head.

"Thank you," Tonks said delicately, running a hand through her hair. "I hope you get a good night's rest as well. You look like you need it."

Remus chuckled softly.

"I certainly do, after what happened."

His smile faded, but only just.

"Hey, don't worry," Tonks said quickly. "I'm not one to pry on personal affairs, as you can probably tell with earlier's demonstration."

"I must say," Remus said. "Though it would explain the flash of red and smoke I saw the first day we met."

Tonks chuckled a bit guiltily as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeah, didn't mean for you to see that right off the bat."

"I found it very," Remus paused as he tried to find the right word to say without coming off as too forward. "Original."

"You bet your buttons, it is," Tonks joked as she raises her hand to hide a yawn that crept up on her. "Oh sorry about that. Long day. I'm sure we both had a long one."

"More than I would like to admit," Remus admitted.

Tonks' facial expressions flashed a hint of confusion in which Remus brushed off quickly with a smile.

"Sleep well, Tonks," Remus said with a small bow. "I'm sure we'll catch up tomorrow."

Tonks watched him walk down the hallway and enter his room. Remus gave a quick glance back at her and waves, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

Thankful that he was a good distance away, Tonks felt her cheeks flush as she quickly waved and darted back into her room, shutting the door.

Why am I like this? Tonks asked herself.

She huffed and laid down in her bed, finding it a little more difficult to fall asleep that night.

=End of Chapter Two=