Tonks was panting to keep up with Mad-Eye as he wove his way through the dark streets. Although he moved with an air of knowing exactly where he was going, Tonks did not.
"Here, memorize this." Mad-Eye pushed a piece of paper under Tonks's nose, jerking her out of her thoughts.
"Why?" asked Tonks, taking a few steps back.
"Just do it," grunted Mad-Eye. He shoved the paper into Tonks's hands.
The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.
Tonks looked at the paper, then the houses. Her eyes searched for Number Twelve, but she could only find numbers eleven and thirteen.
"Where is--" Tonks started to say, but Mad-Eye cut her off.
"Shh, just memorize this, don't ask questions!"
"Okay, okay. Working on it." Tonks returned her attention to the paper.
"You done yet?"
"Yeah, here." Tonks handed Mad-Eye the paper. He took his wand and set fire to the scrawled letters, and Tonks watched as they were reduced to ash.
Suddenly, there was a groaning noise, and Tonks watched, fascinated, as a house stretched between numbers eleven and twelve.
"Does that answer your question?" asked Mad-Eye. Tonks could only nod and stare, shocked.
"What is this place?" Tonks couldn't stop staring.
"This is Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, idiot."
"No, I mean..." Tonks tried to think of a way that she could ask her question without being regarded as an idiot, but she couldn't. So she ended up saying, "Yeah, but where's Number Twelve Grimmauld Place?"
"Right there, girly." Mad-Eye gave Tonks a solid thwack on the back of the head. "Now, pay attention, this is important!"
"Mhm," said Tonks. She felt dizzy, and wanted nothing more than to go back to her shabby apartment and fall asleep.
Mad-Eye marched up to the door of the house, and pounded his fist on the wood. A few seconds passed. Nothing. Mad-Eye rolled his eyes and knocked again. This time, the door creaked open a few inches. Tonks felt like she was in one of the horror movies she liked to watch at night. She now regretted seeing those.
The door opened fully, and a middle-aged man stood there. He was taller than Tonks-- then again, everyone was. He eyed her curiously and then turned to Mad-Eye. The two had a whispered conversation. The man seemed vaguely familiar, although Tonks wasn't sure why.
"Who's this?" asked the man.
"This is Nymph--" Mad-Eye started, but was cut off by Tonks.
"It's Tonks," she sighed, tired of reminding him.
"Okay, well this is Tonks," finished Mad-Eye, rolling his eyes.
An odd look crossed the man's face.
"Do I know her?" he asked.
"Yes, of course you do," said Mad-Eye.
"Do I know him?" squeaked Tonks.
"YES! You do know Sirius Black, right?"
Tonks's head spun, and she and Sirius stared at each other in open-mouthed shock.
"Git inside!" barked Mad-Eye.
Tonks shrugged and stepped inside. Mad-Eye followed her, and slammed the door. Then, he stalked off down the hall.
"Tonks?" whispered Sirius.
"Yes, it's me."
"Wow, you've grown."
"How funny."
"No, really, the last time I saw you, you were five. You've really changed." Sirius's eyes were filled with emotion.
Tonks wanted to hug him, but instead asked, "What really happened?"
"That's a story for later, I think," said Sirius. A tear leaked down his cheek, and he pulled Tonks into a bear hug. Tonks squeezed him tight. "I missed you so much, Tonks."
"I missed you too." Tonks willed herself not to cry.
"We better get to the Order meeting soon, though. Mad-Eye'll explode if we don't. And we don't want that!"
"Hmm, I don't know." Tonks smiled, thinking of the time when she was seven and Mad-Eye had come over to visit with her dad, and she had made him have a tea party with him. He'd worn a fancy hat with a feather. Tonks still saw his red face clearly in her mind, adorned with a purple had embellished with a sparkly golden feather.
"What's so funny?" asked Sirius.
"Oh... nothing. Let's go."
Sirius led the way to the basement kitchen, a dark room that was illuminated by a single light bulb that hung crookedly over the table, suspended in midair by wires. Shaking his head, Sirius flipped a switch, and more lights came on.
"Sit down!" barked Mad-Eye.
"Sit where?" asked Tonks.
"Sit anywhere, I don't care! Just sit!"
Sirius rolled his eyes and pulled out a chair for his cousin, then sat down next to her. "So, how do you like my house?"
"Um, it's... something."
"Just wait 'till you see the decapitated elf heads upstairs," grinned Sirius.
"You told me about those when I was little, too. Do they even exist?" Tonks couldn't help but imagine of how the collection of elf heads must have grown over the years. If they even existed.
"Surely, little cousin. I'll show them to you after this. Are you staying for dinner?" Sirius wanted to know.
"Um..." Tonks had planned to get Chinese takeout, something she did when she didn't have any plans. Some nights she went over to her parents' house, where there was always something good being served, and most likely something interesting that her dad was working on. Since she hadn't expected seeing Sirius ever again, she hadn't really ever thought of eating dinner with him.
"Aw, come on, please? I have so much to tell you about. I haven't seen you for seventeen years."
"Has it really been that long?" asked Tonks. She didn't like to think that she was getting old.
"Yes. I'll never forgive you if you don't."
"Fine," sighed Tonks. "Do you even cook?"
"Nope. You know Molly Weasley, right?"
"Of course I do!" Tonks's eyes lit up with recognition. Molly Weasley was her best friend's mother. She hadn't talked to Charlie Weasley in a while, but how could she forget him?
"She makes all the food," admitted Sirius.
"Wow, just wow. You're a big boy now, can't you fend for yourself?" smirked Tonks.
"You're just how I remember," said Sirius. "The meeting's going to start in about five minutes, just thought I'd give you a little heads up."
"The meeting... right." Tonks drummer her fingers on the table.
"Nervous?" asked Sirius.
"A little," sighed Tonks.
"Why? What do you have to be nervous about. Everyone's going to like you, don't worry. It'll be fine." Sirius patted Tonks's arm.
Tonks just closed her eyes and prayed for the night to be over.
