A/N: Hi! Although I will be happy enough to go ahead and write my story, let me first say that it's not really my story, but the lovely Joanna Rowling's. I'm just playing with it till she writes some more. Secondly, I always write faster with reviews, as long as they are constructive. So please tell me what you think. And I really hope not to leave such long gaps between updates, I'm very sorry.

An Order Ordeal

Lupin was standing in his one person capacity kitchen. He dropped a tea bag into the tea pot and sat it down on the tray with the other tea things. It had been a long night, and he still hadn't found the time to even fit in a small nap. Sirius and Lupin had been travelling all night, visiting one old friend after another. Many of then had tried to curse Sirius the moment they saw him, but the worst damage this inflicted was purple pus that had only just stopped flowing from his nose.

When Lupin entered the sitting room Sirius was leaning against the doorframe. He was in deep conversation with the other man in the room, Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore sat in a half collapsed arm chair, his robes in a deep blue, looked out of place in Lupins house of well worn earthy tones.

"It will be a hard mission," Dumbledore was saying, "but if anyone will be able to do it, Hagrid will. I just hope Hagrid knows when it's time to retreat."

"So do I. Remus, no milk. Two sugars." Sirius said just before Remus poured milk into all three mugs.

"Sorry Sirius. One day I'll remember."

"Ha. If you haven't got it yet I doubt you ever will," Sirius gave a small smile. "So that's what Hagrid is doing, but what I'd really like to know is what is Snivellus doing?"

The tension in the room rose at these words and Lupin sat, his eyes locked on Dumbledore, waiting for the answer. Dumbledore looked deep into his cup of tea contemplating his answer. Slowly it came, "Severus Snape. He is working as a spy for the order. He has my trust and that is all that need be known. I would expect you to be able to trust in my word and at least be civil to each other."

Although the comment was aimed at Sirius, Lupin felt that he too would have to remind himself to maintain an indifferent friendliness towards his old school rival.

"I would assume we will have meeting like last time. If Snape is to report at these, then we will need a rather private place?" Lupin asked.

"True." breathed Dumbledore.

"The house of Black," Sirius said staring out the window, as if he didn't like what he was saying, "It's mine now. Use it, I wont. It already has a fair amount of security charms on it."

"Your family house," Dumbledore considered, "it is a prime location…. The charms already on it as you said…. If you could tolerate it, the Order would be grateful?'

Sirius swept his hand through his hair, "Then use it."

Dumbledore got to his feet, "Well if that is the case, we must go there now and prepare it for the meeting we will have there in two days time."

Tonks sat at her desk singing along to the tune that had been stuck in her head all day. She had taken Kingsley up on his offer, even though a part of her thought she was crazy for doing it, and Tonks was now a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Well, an unofficial member till she was formally admitted at the first meeting which was that night. Kingsley had been around just that morning to tell her and now she could think of nothing else. She knew that at a time like this she shouldn't be so excited about joining a group that would put her in mortal danger, but she had always got a rush from danger and there was something in standing up and taking action that made her feel alive.

She wasn't sure what or even who to expect at the meeting that night. Kingsley had asked her a lot about her mother's family, the Blacks, but older wizarding families often asked about her blood line. It had definately been a hurdle to her getting into the Auror department. Tonks assumed that there would be some in the Order that would find her blood line a problem. This was not a new problem for Tonks but she always felt a little disheartened by it. Even so the excitement from what she was getting herself into was too much to be taken away by the problems of her bloodline.

The office slowly cleared that afternoon and as six o'clock came closer Tonks felt the nervous excitement become just plain nervousness. Kingsley came over to her desk, "Ah, Tonks isn't it? A few of us are going for a drink tonight, why don't you take a break from working late and come with us?"

They had already worked out a strategy, Tonks and Kinsley couldn't seem any closer than what would be normal, or they would raise suspicion. The Ministry was already reporting that a small underground movement was planning to overthrow the Minster.

"Yeah," tonks smiled, "Sounds like a great idea. As it is I'm sick of this sodding report."

Together they walked out of the office and down the hall to the lifts. Tonks heart was beating hard. The gravity of what she was doing was only now hitting home.

As they stepped in to the lift Kinsley passed Tonks a small piece of paper. In a neat, curly script were the words,

Number 12,

Grimmauld Place,

London

Welcome to the Order

Miss Tonks

A cold shiver went up Tonks spine, she was sure she had heard of a number12 before, she went to say something to Kinsley but instantly her mouth went dry.

"Have you read it?" said Kingsley, "Then burn it."

"Sure, but I've heard of…" once again her mouth went dry at the words. Filelius charm! This meant that she really was part of the order. Tonks nervousness degenerated to all out dread. When she was this nervous her clumsiness was amplified ten times. Falling into a room was never a good first impression but more often then not it was people's first impression of her.

When the lift stoped at the Atrium, she stumbled out of the lift but remained upright. Kingsley gave her a reproving glance, "Let's go." And with a small crack he had.

Tonks swallowed hard, closed her eyes and focused, and disapparated.

When tonks opened her eyes she was still thinking of the address that had been on the small piece of paper. A large London town house was conspicuous between the houses next to it only by its grimy windows, but Tonks also felt overwhelming darkness that seemed to steal the last of the summer warmth right out of the air. The cold shiver ran down her back again, there was something very familiar about this. She stood next to Kingsley at the door. He knocked once. A sudden horrible thought ran thought Tonks mind as she stared at the twisted snake door knocker, 'What if this was a trap? What if Kingsley was a death eater? What if she was about to die? Her mouth went dry as the door opened just enough for a red haired, round faced women to peer around it. That's when Tonks noticed that Kingsley's face that had had a look of apprehension on it, now had a wide smile, "Mrs Wesley, if I've been informed right?"

The door opened to reveal a homely looking women whose smile was so contagious it couldn't help but spread to everyone else.

"Please. It's Molly." She whispered, "And I must ask you to be very quiet in the hall. There is a portrait that is best kept asleep."

"I'm Kingsley and this is Nymphadora Tonks." Kingsley introduced.

"Tonks! Just Tonks is fine." Tonks interjected.

"Ah, well, it's very nice to meet you both," Molly's eye's flicked up to Tonks bright pink hair, "What interesting hair, dear."

"Thanks,' Tonks said a little loudly. Molly's reminder to stay quiet was lost as Tonks stubbled over a large troll foot umbrella stand. The crash reverberated around the room until a curtain down the hall flew open emitting a loud shrieking voice.

"DIRTY MUD BLOODS AND BLOOD TRAITORS….."

Tonks head spun as she tried to work out was happening. Kingsley helped her to her feet before following Molly down to what Tonks could now work out, was the portrait that they were trying to keep asleep.

What Tonks couldn't work out, was, why the portrait looked like someone she had met, but before she could work out whom it was, the man in question came running out of the door at the end of the hall.

Tonks auror training took over before she had time to think. She charged at the man yelling, "Sirius Black, You are under arrest by charges brought against you by the Ministry of magic." A red light shot out the end of her wand and threw Sirius against the wall where he collapsed on the ground unconscious.

Several voices yelled her name. A hand clasped around her wand hand and another gripped her shoulder, then owner of the hands struggled to pull her away. All Tonks could think about were the times she had seen her mother upset about what her family had done to the world. Her father had called them 'dark spells', but Tonks had always worried that her mother would one day be so upset that she would start to forget who she was.

"….go explain to her Remus…"

"….some tea would do …"

"….It's not too bad, Black…"

Tonks started to take in the conversations as she was led thought the door at the end of the hall and down the stairs to a large basement kitchen.

"Nymphadora, how about you sit down here while I make you a cup of tea."

Tonks sat. She became aware of her surroundings now. The only other person in the room was a man in a shabby gray knitted jumper, his hair was a light brown with gray streaks, and that made Tonks think he was older the his face looked. She also noticed a few scars, she had a fleeting thought that he could be an ex-auror.

"Why wasn't anyone else trying to capture Black?" She had meant to ask the mans name first, but she had too many other questions to get caught up in pleasantries.

The man came over to her with a hot cup of tea and took a seat next to her, "The answer to that question is a long story."

Lupin had been right behind Sirius when they had ran up the stairs and had only a moment to realise what was happening before pulling Nymphadora down into the kitchen. The bright pink hair had thrown him at first but it was her dark sparkling eyes that he had recognised as a Black family trait. He had seen Sirius eyes sparkle just the same way in the days before Azkaban had stolen that spark from him.

She had sat and pulled at a lose thread in her jumper as he told the story of Sirius' innocence, her eyes had focused on his, the mark of a good auror. The others had made it down into the kitchen and were all listening to Lupins story. Sirius sat with his head in his hands glancing up now and then to look at Nymphadora.

When he finished Lupin watched as Nymphadora took a sharp breath and flashed glance at Sirius, "So all this time I've been brought up to hate all my Black relatives and … and you're a good guy. Hope I didn't get you too bad?"

Sirius smirked, "Well you're an auror, so I don't feel too bad in saying, my head hurts like hell, thank-you."

Nymphadora laughed in a way that made her nose scrunch up. Lupin saw that her shoulders loosened as she relaxed. She reached for her tea and at the last moment fumbled and sent the now cold tea spilling across the table.

Lupin caught the mug before it rolled off the table and swept his wand cleaning the mess before it had time to stain, "Another tea then, Nymphadora?"

She grimaced at the sound of her name, "Tonks! Please. That name ….. Well it's horrible and I don't know what my mother was thinking."

"No, when Sirius told me he had a little cousin called Nymphadora, I couldn't believe it, it's such a pretty name."

Nymphadora then gave Lupin the most un-nymph like look he had ever seen, "I'll try to remember to call you Tonks."

Just at that moment the door at the top of the stairs opened to admit Dumbledore in robes of deep purple. Close behind him was Severus Snape looking, in Lupins opinion, a little worse for wear. The room went quiet with and odd sort of expectancy. This was the Order of the Phoenix.