First Impression

Tonks stepped through the door of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place with no small amount of distaste. Her mother, Andromeda, was a Black by birth, and Tonks had heard enough tales of Dark Arts and fanaticism to last a lifetime. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that she would walk willingly into the quintessential Black family home.

And yet here she was.

It had been two weeks since Tonks had joined the Order of the Phoenix, but so far she had only met a handful of other members: Albus Dumbledore, of course, who had invited Tonks to begin with. Mad-Eye Moody, who had inspired Tonks to become an Auror. And Rubeus Hagrid, whom Tonks had befriended during her time at Hogwarts. (Truth be told, Tonks rather doubted she was supposed to know of Hagrid's involvement in the Order just yet, but he had a notoriously loose tongue - especially after careful application of firewhiskey.)

In any case, Dumbledore had finally asked Tonks to come to the Order's headquarters here at Grimmauld Place. Tonight, she would discover just whom she would be fighting alongside, now that Voldemort had risen again.

Tonks picked her way down the dark, musty corridor, shuddering at the row of house elf heads mounted on the wall. A tarnished silver chandelier cast eerie shadows around the deserted space.

"Hello?" she called.

"DISGRACE!"

Tonks screamed as a curtain she had failed to notice whipped aside to reveal the portrait of a pale, severe woman who looked completely outside her mind as she shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"SHAMEFUL BLOOD-TRAITORS DISGRACING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS! GET OUT! GET OUT!"

Shouts rose from the depths of the house, and the sound of pounding feet echoed through the corridors. Swearing, Tonks withdrew her wand and pointed it frantically at the portrait.

"Silencio!" she cried. "C'mon, Silencio!"

"HOW FAR THE ANCIENT AND MOST NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK HAS FALLEN! FILTH! DISGRACE! GET OUT! NEVER, IN ALL MY DAYS—!"

"Oh, shut up you stark raving— you bloody nutter— you— Silencio!"

"Who's there?"

"FILTH AND SHAME! HALF-BLOOD! HALFBREED! BLOOD-TRAITORS!"

Tonks cringed and spun around to see two men standing in a doorway, regarding her with a mix of suspicion and amusement. The first, a dark-haired man with sunken cheeks and a general air of unkemptness, broke into a wide grin at the sight of her.

"Nymphadora?"

"A BLIGHT UPON OUR HONOR!"

With a scowl, Tonks turned her wand on the stranger. "Don't call me that," she growled. "It's Tonks. ...Who are you?"

Ignoring the wand pointed at his face, the man bounded forward and swept Tonks up into an embrace that lifted her off her feet. Despite her confusion, Tonks laughed and returned the hug tentatively, then tilted her head to study him. The portrait went on screeching, but Tonks ignored it as she scanned the careworn face that seemed… somehow familiar...

She gasped. "Sirius?" He grinned, and Tonks squealed, flinging her arms around his neck. "Merlin's beard! I can't believe it! Dumbledore told us of course, just as soon as he found out you were innocent—" She picked at a lock of his shaggy, dirty hair— "although he didn't tell me what a mess you were."

"Yes," said Sirius, shrugging, "well, two years on the run will do that to a man."

Tonks' smile turned sad, and she gave Sirius' shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I always said they'd gone round the twist, thinking you were a Death Eater. I think Mum agreed, but…" She shrugged helplessly.

"Don't worry about it," said Sirius. "I—"

"VILE BOY! UNGRATEFUL BOY! HOW DARE YOU LET SUCH REFUSE INTO THESE HALLOWED HALLS?"

"Oh, for the love of—" Sirius jerked his wand toward the painting, and the curtains closed at once, putting an end to the woman's rant. "Dear old Mumsy. Always the life of the party."

Tonks laughed.

"Forgive my intrusion," said a new voice, and Tonks peeked over Sirius' shoulder to get a look at his friend. The man was slight and scarred, his hair a dusty brown streaked with gray. Warm amber eyes smiled at her. "Sirius, would you care to introduce us?"

"Right, sorry Moony." Sirius made a sweeping gesture. "May I present Nymphadora Tonks—"

"Tonks," she corrected.

"Very well," said Sirius, rolling his eyes. "Tonks. My cousin Andromeda's daughter. You remember her, Moony – I'm sure you met once or twice."

"Did we?" 'Moony' asked, shaking Tonks' hand. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you at any rate."

Sirius nodded. "Tonks, my good friend Remus Lupin."

"Wotcher, Remus."

Sirius clapped his hands together. "Shall we head in? I'd rather not hang around to wake up my charming mother again." He led the way toward the door from which he and Remus had appeared, Remus and Tonks following.

Unfortunately, Tonks' foot caught on a squat, heavy umbrella stand, which fell with a tremendous crash ("FILTH!" the portrait screamed at once, and Sirius swore colorfully) as Tonks tipped forward, flailing her arms in an attempt to regain her balance. Quite suddenly, she found her nose buried in Remus' robes as he caught her. Silent laughter shook his frame as he set her back on her feet.

"Alright, Tonks?"

"Mm-hmm." She knew her face must be as pink as her hair as she turned and hurried from the room, Remus following a few steps behind. She took extra care not to fall down the stairs that she found on the other side of the door, thinking that a broken neck would truly make hers the worst first impression ever.