Title: Well, that's a first.
Author: Chrissy (aka: x-starbuck)
Rating: K+
Spoilers: Order of the Phoenix.
Summary: Tonks and Lupin's very first meeting. Or how I (wish) guess that it could've gone. ;)
Disclaimer: The characters etc. belong to the (mostly) wonderful J.K. Rowling.
Thanks so much for the beta: bones-is-love ... ILU!
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Chapter One: The Order of the Phoenix--
Muttering under her breath, she used 'accio,' to retrieve her wand from where it had slid under someone else's desk. She slipped it back into the pocket in her robes, and silently berated herself for being such a klutz; but at the same time thanking her lucky stars that her fellow female auror - Marickha Larkin - wasn't around to see her tripping... again. While most of the time Tonks let the snide remarks glide off her, like water from a ducks back - but she was not in the mood to let things go. She would more than likely end up losing her temper and causing more trouble than it was worth.
She was nervous.
The last time Tonks had felt this nervous was back when she first applied to be an auror. But, just as she felt then - she also found there was a mixture of excitement with those nerves. Order of the Phoenix, she thought, doodling on the notepad in front of her. She'd done everything she needed to do for the day, so she leant the chair back on two legs and closed her eyes, thinking back to the day before.
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"Nymphadora Tonks? I thought it was you - saw you through the window."
"Mr Weasley?" She responded, but it sounded more like gibberish, as she was trying to talk through a mouthful of sandwich. "Sorry. Wotcher Mr Weasley," She winked, and gave him a huge grin, and gestured to the empty chair next to her.
"I've said time and time again, please just call me Arthur."
"Old habits die hard, I knew you as Mr Weasley back when Charlie and I were at school." She said with a chuckle. "Is it your day off?"
"I go in for half a day on a Wednesday," Arthur told her, bobbing his head up and down in agreement, but looking around the cafe they were sitting in with the look of a child at a fairground. "So what's this muggle place called?" He asked craning his head, and trying to read the sign on the front window.
"'Tis a Cafe, called the Fish Bowl, or something totally nutty like that." She narrowed her eyes at Mr Weasley suddenly suspicious. Why would he be in muggle-London, why didn't he just go back to the Burrow? Especially with all the awful things that had been happening lately... "Mad-eye told you I come here, didn't he?" Mr Weasley turned from the coffee machine he had been gazing at, and gave her an amused smile.
"Too sharp for me," she assumed he was hinting at the fact that she figured out he hadn't just spotted her walking past - not that it would be hard though. She was dressed in muggle clothes, but her purple hair caught more than a few looks from passers-by. Mr Weasley cast a privacy spell, his wand under the table so no one would see.
"We're getting straight down to business then?" Tonks asked; realising this would probably have something to do with the rumours of Voldemort being on the loose, it seemed to be all anyone was talking about these days - in whispers of course.
"It's best we got it over and done with, yes." He glanced around worriedly, even though his spell would prevent anyone from hearing their conversation. "Have you heard of the Order of the Phoenix?"
"They fought You-Know-Who last time 'round," Tonks replied. "Don't know why they aren't this time," she muttered under her breath. But it must have been louder than she thought, because Mr Weasley smiled.
"Oh, but they are. That's what I'm going to ask you. Are you willing to join us?" Tonks felt a weight lift from the pit of her stomach.
She had been worrying about this for weeks now, ever since she heard Dumbledore believed Voldemort was back. While the Ministry sat on their arse, in their little world of denial - she knew that Dumbledore was telling the truth - and she had wondered whether it would be too late to do anything by the time the Ministry came to their senses.
"I realise you'd be risking your job-" Arthur began.
"-No, no I'll join." She said quickly. Arthur looked a bit worried.
"There is a lot involved in being in the order, Nymphadora."
"Tonks," she reminded him with a raised eyebrow. Arthur hadn't ever made the mistake of calling her Nymphadora. But she noticed the intense look on his face, and realised he was trying to make sure she knew what she was getting into. "If you want to tell the other members I'm going to think about it, do that. But I've made by decision - and I want to help. And I'd like to join as soon as possible." She told him matter-of-factly. She found herself leaning forward in her chair.
"Well, I suppose of you're sure..." He trailed off. "There's a meeting tomorrow night, if you'd like to come."
"That should be fine, I finish work at five. What time is the meeting?"
"It's at seven thirty, I'll get Moody to bring you." Arthur chewed on his bottom lip for a moment as if he was contemplating something. "I don't know quite how to put this Tonks... but I don't want you to freak out when you get to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. But your uh - I believe he's your second cousin - Sirius Black will be there."
Tonks stared blankly at him for a moment. "You - Sirius - wait... What? He's going to be at the headquarters? You caught him?" She bit her lip. She wasn't making much sense; she needed to calm down so that she could get the whole story. "Why is Sirius going to be at the headquarters?"
"Well, this is going to be hard for you to believe. But Sirius is actually innocent."
"No, no. He killed Peter Pettigrew... and all those muggles." She said, a twinge of sadness tugging at her. Arthur must have been confunded... maybe by Sirius Black himself. She would have to go and apprehend him of course...
But Arthur continued, he spoke for quite a while, explaining the situation. She didn't think she'd ever gone so long without interrupting someone with a question. She ran her fingers through her purple hair. "It's so hard to take in." She trailed off for a minute, and took a sip of her cold coffee, and winced. It really was revolting, if only she could do a warming spell on it.
"Are you okay?" Arthur asked.
"Yes, yes." She waved her hand dismissively. "I'm glad he's innocent, I'm also glad Kingsley has given me the duty of finding Sirius Black." Arthur smirked.
"Well yes, that was a clever idea of Kingsley's wasn't it?" The way he said it made Tonks think that...
"Kingsley's in the order?" Tonks grinned; finally everything fell into place in her mind. Sirius is innocent! Her grin widened. "You don't think I could go and see my cousin now, do you?" Arthur shook his head sadly. "Sorry, not tonight. I'll get Moody to bring you earlier to the meeting though. Then you can talk to him before-hand." Tonks glanced outside, night had fallen while they'd been sitting here, and the moon was full and bright. "Thanks Arthur, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow night." She patted him on the shoulder, stumbled a little over the hem of her robe, and waved goodbye as she left the cafe.
TBC