"Wotcher Kingsley."
He looked up and gave her a smile "Tonks. How're you?"
He smiled. "Tired is all I can say. How about you?"
"Wrecked after last night. You weren't there?"
He vaguely remembered that the Auror's summer office party had been last night. Of course he hadn't gone. He had been busy with things for the Order.
"No." he said. "I was busy."
"Doing what?" The younger Auror frowned. "You're always off doing something secret. Are you leading a double life or something?"
Kingsley smiled. "Close."
"So what then? Go on, you can tell me."
He looked at her and wondered if he could. He probed slightly. "You were in Hufflepuff right?"
She nodded. "Yup."
"But I thought you were one of the Blacks. Slytherin surely?" This was a risky one.
But she just snorted. "Yes, but my mother's a blood traitor for marrying my father. I'm a" she snorted again "filthy mudblood."
He gave her a sympathetic smile. "So where do you go?" she asked curiously.
He leaned forwards. "If you can keep a secret, memorize this address." He pressed the scrap of paper into her hand. She looked at it "Twelv-"
"Ssh!" he hissed. "Come with me and I'll show you."
She winked conspiringly and walked away. Kingsley went back to his paperwork.
At five Tonks appeared at his desk again.
"So where're we going?" she asked.
"Remember that address?" he said.
"Of course." she said. "Nu-"
"Ssh!" he said again. "Follow me."
He led her through the busy London streets. They were given more than a few odd looks, the tall, professional looking bald man and the young woman in a miniskirt with pink hair.
But soon they came to the dilapidated square. He looked at the gap between Numbers Eleven an Thirteen of Grimmauld Place.
"Now, that address."he said.
"I know," said Tonks and suddenly Number Twelve appeared.
"Cool." she said.
"Quiet in the hall," he said. "There are problems."
He opened the door and went in. Tonks followed, intrigued as to what this was.
"Do you live here?" she asked. Then she stubbed her toe on a chest of drawers lying abandoned in the hall. A voice started up.
"FILTHY MUDBLOODS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS, BLOOD TRAITORS, MY SON A BLOOD TRAITOR, I SPIT ON YOU ALL!"
Kingsley beckoned her down the stairs into an old fashioned kitchen with a long wooden table.
"Hey, I know this place! This is the Old Black house. You could never forget a voice like that!"
A woman with red hair bustled into the room.
"Who woke her up? She'd been quiet for so long, I thought she'd given up. Oh hello Kingsley and-who's this?"
"Nymphadora Tonks, Molly Weasley."
Weasley. Could she have been Charlie's mother?
Molly Weasley looked at Shacklebolt. "Kingsley, are you sure she can be trusted?"
"I'm sure", he said.
She gave Tonks a long hard stare. "Well, we'll have to present her at the meeting. What's your name again? Nympha-"
"Tonks," she said. "just Tonks."
"Tonks. Well, do you know where you are?"
Tonks shrugged. "Grimmauld Place. Um... what is this place?"
"My dear, this is the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix!"
"No way!" said Tonks. She had heard of the secret organisation that had fought You-know-Who last time.
A laugh from the stair case reached her ears. She spun round and screamed.
Shaggy haired, with a drawn face and wild eyes, it was none other than Sirius Black, wanted for the killing of thirteen Muggles. And there was Kingsley, standing there, doing nothing.
"Kingsley, it's"
"I know." he said. "But don't worry, he can be trusted."
"But he killed-"
"Dumbledore trusts him."
That was an end to the argument.
"Sirius, Remus, this is Nymphadora Tonks. Tonks, this is Sirius Black and Remus Lupin."
"No way." said Sirius. "My little cousin Nymph? I remember you."
That was slightly frightening. The mass murderer remembered her. But, if Dumbledore trusted him...
Only then did she notice the other man. Anyone could have missed him. Next to Sirius, who stuck out like a sore thumb, Remus Lupin was like wallpaper. His greying hair was mousy brown, his clothes were shabby, his face was prematurely lined. But even from here, Tonks, who had always been quick to notice features in case she wanted to replicate them herself, noticed that he had kind, smiling eyes.
"I remember back when we were in school, and you were born, and Sirius was overjoyed. Your mother was always his favourite cousin."
Tonks blushed. She always did when people referred to how young she was. Especially for an Auror, where lately very few had been qualifying.
"So, are you planning on joining the order?" said Sirius sitting down.
"I don't know." said Tonks sitting down as well.
"We could certainly use your skills". said Kingsley. Sirius nodded. Molly looked at her and frowned.
"What skills?"
Tonks concentrated hard and her hair became frizzy and ginger like Molly's own. She out freckles on her nose as she crumpled it up, flattened her face and added a considerable amount of flesh to her torso.
Molly gasped. "You're a metamorphagus!"
"Have been all my life." said Tonks.
"Well, we'll have to present you tonight. You'll join won't you?"
"Will there be fighting?"
"There could be."
"Has anyone ever died or gone missing?"
"Well, you know accidents-"
"Do I have to stay up at night and never get any work done?"
"Kingsley manages, but of course we understand if-"
"But ultimately I'll have to stay up?"
"Y-yes."
"Count me in."