Chapter 43: The Order of the Phoenix

Tonks wanted to run out of the room. Sirius had left her and Remus in a very uncomfortable position. Tonks did want to talk about Jason, but not with Remus. She was not sure he wanted to speak to her at all. In the past few months, he never spoke to her and always avoided her. Thanks to Sirius, they were forced to communicate.

I'm gonna kill him for this, Tonks thought.

Remus sat down slowly next to Tonks on the stairs. "Hello."

"Wotcher," Tonks said.

"Sirius said you had a problem and needed someone to talk to," Remus said.

"I'm sorry he dragged you into this," Tonks said. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Oh, no. It's fine," Remus said. "I am here to listen to you."

"Thanks," Tonks said.

"Tell me what's going on," Remus said.

"It's Jason. He and I, we broke up," Tonks said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Nymphadora!" Remus said.

"Please don't call me Nymphadora!"

"I'm sorry, Tonks. What happened?"

Tonks wiped away tears with her sleeve. "He didn't like that I wasn't spending time with him. I've been so busy with the band, Sirius and Cassie, and now the Order. I just didn't find the time to be with him. He said he wants to be with someone who has time for him."

Tonks broke down sobbing.

"You know, he sounds like a jerk," Remus said.

"What?" Tonks asked.

"This Jason fellow. He sounds like a right old jerk," Remus said, "He complains that you don't make time for him and forgets what a great woman you are. What an idiot."

"But it's my fault. I should've –" Tonks argued.

"It's not your fault, Tonks. He couldn't see how wonderful you are. He couldn't see how much you love him. He doesn't deserve you. You deserve better."

"Like who?"

Remus shifted uncomfortably in his seat on the stairs. "Well, I don't know. What about Aaron? You seem quite keen on him."

"No, he's already got someone," Tonks said. "I just wanted to know... do you like me?"

"Of course I like you," Remus said. "I've looked out for you since you were younger."

"Why do you always avoid me all the time?"

"It's nothing personal. I'm a werewolf. Can you imagine someone like me being seen with you?"

"So?" Tonks asked.

"You don't know how my kind are treated. It's almost a disgrace to be a werewolf. That's why I quit Hogwarts."

"You forget that Aaron is a werewolf. I don't care that he is, and I don't care that you are."

"I just can't let someone like you suffer humiliation like me."

"Why? Why are you so afraid to get me hurt?"

"Because I care about you. And not to mention Sirius and Cassie will kill me."

"Rubbish! You're a bloody werewolf! Tell me the real reason you are so afraid to hurt me."

Remus fidgeted more in his seat. He could feel his palms sweating. Don't tell her. She can't know.

Much to Remus' delight, Sirius and Cassiopeia interrupted them.

"Hey, you two, time for supper!" Cassiopeia said.

"Coming, Cassie," Tonks said.

Tonks stepped down from the stairs and followed Cassiopeia to the kitchen.

"Everything go alright?" Sirius said.

"I suppose so," Remus said.

"So, did you two bond?" Sirius asked.

"Well, I suppose I made her feel better," Remus said.

"No, I mean, did you bond?"

"Sirius, she just broke up with a someone! Give her some time to think!"

"You two have already had time to think. You've had over fourteen years to think about this."

"Sirius –"

"Don't argue. You two have loved each other for the longest time, and don't deny it. Everyone knows you two love each other. I know it, Cassie knows it, even my son knows it!"

Remus sighed. "What would you have me do?"

"I would have you two stop tiptoeing around and admit that you love each other," Sirius said.

"I can't do that, Sirius," Remus argued.

"Why not?" Sirius said.

"Have you forgotten what I did to her? I erased her memory of me because I attacked her," Remus said. "I can't let her remember that. She's better off being a stranger to me."

"Better off? You think she's better off?" Sirius asked. "My cousin is heartbroken and you think that she is better off without her truest love. Come on, Remus, you're smarter than this."

"I just don't want Tonks getting hurt again," Remus said.

"You are already hurting her every day you don't admit you love her," Sirius said. "And if you don't admit it soon, well, just use your imagination."

Remus shivered as he thought of what torments Sirius had in his head. Just then, Cassiopeia entered the hallway.

"Are you two coming or what?" she asked.

"Coming, darling," Sirius said.

"Right behind you," Remus said.

Remus went into the kitchen and helped Molly set the table. Tonks was trying to help, but Molly was hesitant.

Tonks tried to take a plate from Molly. "Let me get that, Molly."

"No, it's quite alright, Tonks," Molly said. "I've got it."

Tonks stood in the hallway where she found Harry as well as his friends coming down the stairs. Molly was shouting as her twins, Fred and George, used their wands to teleport everywhere.

"You hungry, Harry?" Molly asked.

"You alright, Harry? You gave us quite a turn," Arthur said.

Sirius and Cassiopeia stood in the hallway. "Harry Potter"

Sirius and Cassiopeia opened their arms to welcome their godson.

"Sirius, Cassie!" Harry said happily.

Sirius and Cassiopeia warmly embraced their godson. Just then, S.J came running into the hallway and he ran right passed Harry's legs. Cassiopeia scooped S.J into her arms and embraced him.

"Oh, you two haven't been properly introduced," Cassiopeia said. "Harry, Sirius and I would like you to meet our son, Remus James Black."

"We call him S.J., for short," Sirius said.

"Why do you call him that?" Harry asked.

"It was Tonks' idea," Cassiopeia said. "She calls him Sirius Junior, or S.J. You can see why."

Harry looked from Sirius to S.J. "I can."

"Sweetheart, say hello to Harry," Cassiopeia whispered.

"Hi," S.J said.

Sirius, Cassiopeia, Harry, and S.J all took their seats in the kitchen. Cassiopeia placed S.J on Tonks' lap as she helped Molly at the table.

"Nymphie, do your faces," Cassiopeia said. "He likes when you pull your faces."

Hearing Cassiopeia mention Tonks' faces got Ginny and Hermione excited.

"Do that one like a pig snout, Tonks!" Ginny said.

Tonks smiled and scrunched up her eyes. Her nose then changed into a small pig's snout. Tonks oinked as Ginny and S.J laughed helplessly. Tonks changed her pig's snout into a duck bill and quacked, causing Ginny to turn red with laughter. S.J burst out in belly-laughs. As she continued to make faces, Tonks could not help but laugh herself. Pulling her faces did cheer her up, especially when she did it for S.J. Cassiopeia took S.J and sat down next to Sirius to feed him. Tonks hid her face in her hands and continued to make faces at S.J, as he laughed uncontrollably. The dinner table turned serious as Arthur described the nature of Harry's hearing to him.

"This is very, very peculiar," Arthur said. "It seems that your hearing will take place in front of the entire Wizengamot."

"I don't understand. What has the Ministry of Magic got against me?" Harry asked.

"Show him," Mad-Eye said. "He'll find out soon enough."

Kingsley unfolded a copy of the Daily Prophet with the headline: The Boy Who Lies?

"If it's any comfort, Sirius and I are still his favorite targets," Cassiopeia said. "Can't find a single headline without mentioning 'notorious mass-murderers, Sirius and Cassiopeia Black!'"

"He's been attacking Dumbledore as well," Sirius said. "Fudge is using all his influence at the Daily Prophet to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because Fudge did what was easy instead of what was right," Cassiopeia said. "It's easier for him to be a coward and deny Voldemort's return instead of bravely admitting it."

"And Fudge thinks Dumbledore is after his job," Remus said.

"But that's insane! No one in their right mind could –" Harry said.

"Exactly the point! Fudge isn't in his right mind. It's been twisted and warped by fear," Remus said. "Now, fear makes people do terrible things, Harry. The last time Voldemort gained power he almost destroyed everything we hold most dear. Now he's returned and I'm afraid Fudge will do anything avoid facing that terrifying truth."

"But you are telling people, right?" Harry asked. "Right?"

There was an uncomfortable silence at the table.

"Well, seeing as how Cassie and I have a ten-thousand guinea price on our heads we can't exactly hand out leaflets, can we?" Sirius said.

"Believe me, Harry, we'd love to be out of this house," Cassiopeia said. "It doesn't help that Dumbledore does not let Sirius and me out for anything. We've been stuck here."

"I'm not exactly a welcome guest in the community," Remus said. "It's the haphazard risk of being a werewolf."

"Tonks and Arthur would get sacked if they started shooting their mouths off," Cassiopeia said. "We need them in the Ministry. We do have a few people working for us in the Ministry, like Kingsley. Kingsley's in charge of the hunt for us. He's told the Ministry that Sirius and I are in Tibet. Nymphie is one of our newest members, too."

"Anyway, we think Voldemort wants to build up his army again," Sirius said. "Fourteen years ago, he had hundreds at his command, and not just witches and wizards, but all manner of dark creatures. He's been recruiting heavily and we've been attempting to do the same. But gathering followers isn't all he's interested in. We believe Voldemort may be after something."

"Sirius," Mad-Eye said sternly.

"Mad-Eye, he has a right to know," Cassiopeia said.

"We think Voldemort may be after something. Something he didn't have last time," Sirius said.

"You mean, like, a weapon?" Harry asked.

Before Sirius could answer, Molly spoke up. "No, that's enough. He's just a boy!"

"Molly, he has a right to know! We can't keep him in the dark," Cassiopeia said.

"You say much more and you might as well induct him into the Order straight away," Molly said.

"Good, I want to join. If Voldemort's raising an army then I want to fight," Harry said.

"See?" Cassiopeia said.

Sirius and Cassiopeia shot sly winks at Harry.

Later that night, Tonks was up late when Cassiopeia found her sitting in the lounge.

"Nymphie, what are you doing awake?" Cassiopeia asked.

"I couldn't sleep," Tonks said.

Cassiopeia sat down in front of her in a chair. "I assume that this has something to do with my son's godfather."

Tonks nodded.

"What wolfy nonsense did he pull this time?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Nothing really," Tonks said. "I'm just confused. He said he likes me and that I should be with someone better."

"Well, of course he likes you," Cassiopeia said. "He loves you."

"I know he likes me, but he's so closed off to me. He says I can't be with him because he's a werewolf," Tonks said.

"I'm not surprised," Cassiopeia said. "Do you want to be with him?

"I really like him, it's just he keeps pushing me away," Tonks said.

"Then push back," Cassiopeia said. "You like him, and he likes you. Don't let him tell you otherwise. Keep going after him, and don't take no for an answer."

Tonks nodded. "I better get back to bed. I have guard duty in the morning. Thanks, Aunt Cassie."

A/N: I apologize for the long wait. I hope you all still enjoy where this story is going. Thank you for all of the support, reviews, etc. And thank you to my friend, Roza Anne for making this story so fun! Enjoy!