Tonks placed the cup of tea in front of Kingsley, returning his kind smile before she retook her spot beside Remus on the sofa. They hadn't expected Kingsley to show up at such a late hour, but then, they could never predict when they'd see members of the Order anymore. Regular meetings were a luxury that they couldn't afford. Everything was clandestine. You received information when you needed to receive it and that was all.
Which meant that Kingsley had come for an important reason, and the fact that Remus had been the one he'd addressed once let in, it wasn't Tonks he'd come to speak to.
"I don't suppose you remember a Lee Jordan from when you worked at Hogwarts?" Kingsley asked Remus.
Tonks frowned. She'd never heard the name herself, but there was a flash of recognition in Remus' eye.
"Yes, I remember him. He was friends with Fred and George. He was a good kid at the end of the day. Less of a troublemaker than the twins, though he had a mischievous side." He frowned. "Why? Has something happened?"
Kingsley was quick to wave off his worries. "No, no. Lee is fine. Fred and George have pulled him into the Order. Lee has a plan, you see, to create a radio programme to help the cause."
"A radio programme?" Tonks asked in surprise. She couldn't imagine it.
Kingsley nodded. "It would operate in secret. The Ministry would be doing everything in its power to shut it down of course. We'd have to find different frequencies to send it on, record in different places. It's risky business, but Lee wants to do it."
Remus looked thoughtful. Tonks reached out, taking his hand in hers.
"What exactly does he mean to cover on this programme?" Remus asked.
Kingsley shrugged. "It'll change from week to week, but the main idea is to pass on news that the Ministry suppresses. Lee will be broadcasting under a pseudonym, of course. He'll handle most of the work, but he needs sources to pass on information."
Remus' eyebrows shot up. "You want me to be one of those sources?"
"I do," Kingsley said with a nod. "I've also volunteered to appear on the show myself, and as you can imagine, the twins were eager to be involved."
"But why me?"
In other circumstances, Tonks might have laughed. While there were many in the Order doing important work, Remus never seemed to realise how important his own work was compared to everyone else's.
"You have a unique perspective," Tonks said before Kingsley could speak. "You've been in contact with the werewolves."
"That's true," Kingsley said. "But I'm not asking you to report solely on that. I think you have a way with words, Remus. One of our goals with this programme is not just to give news but to give people hope."
Remus snorted, and Tonks tightened her grip on his hands. "I'm not good at that," he insisted, looking to Tonks like he was trying to convince her more than Kingsley.
"You are," she said, "when it's anyone but yourself."
Remus frowned, but his expression had turned thoughtful.
"You'd also be using a pseudonym," Kingsley said, sensing that he was getting somewhere. "I'm not claiming that you will be entirely safe. None of us are, but with the targets already on all of our backs, I don't think we'll be any worse off."
Remus looked at Tonks. She stared back. It was a little scary thinking of Remus speaking to all of Wizarding Britain, speaking to Voldemort even, but she knew Kingsley was right. They were already in danger. All they could do was work towards ending the war. She squeezed her husband's fingers.
"I'll do it."
Remus took a deep breath, like he couldn't believe his own words, but he didn't take them back.
Kingsley beamed.
"Wonderful." He stood, brushing out his robes. "I have to go, but I'll pass this information on to Lee. He'll be in contact soon."
Tonks saw him out the door. When she turned back to the sofa, Remus was staring at his hands in his lap. Tonks retook her place beside him, covering her hands with his. Neither of them said a word.