Live Forever

2: Cigarettes and Alchohol - Part 3

July 18, 1995

Sirius was fighting the urge to bounce in his seat as he waited for the meeting to start. Based on Dumbledore's expression his follow up request had been a spectacular failure and he couldn't wait to hear all the details. Snape looked equally as enraged, most likely because he'd decided to dress exactly like him this week simply to annoy the man.

As usual Tonks arrived moments before the meeting was about to start, plopping down beside him with a graceless thud.

"Going for a different look tonight I see," she noted.

"It's...to annoy...Snape," he informed in his best monotone, purposely pausing and drawing out the last word and popping the 'p' just a bit.

"I sorted that out for myself," she replied, clearly amused. "The severe part in the middle of your hair is a nice touch."

"It's all in the details," he mentioned with a shrug. "I've been practicing my billowing all week."

Harry's minders continued to be pleased with Harry's attitude. He'd even whistled to himself while he strolled the neighborhood the day after Hermione's visit. Finally it was time for Tonks to speak.

"They went to an Indian place today," she began, ignoring the annoyed indignation on Moody's face.

"Is that it?" Moody barked.

"Hmm...whatever Harry had was spicy because at one point his face turned red and he had to drink both of their waters. Hermione seemed to find it-"

"You're a bloody metamorphmagus," he interrupted angrily. "Would it be too much to ask for you to sit near them and eavesdrop?"

"Yes, it would," she pushed back forcefully. "I signed up to protect Harry. Not spy on him during the only pleasant hours he has each week."

She turned her eyes to Dumbledore...looking at him accusingly before continuing.

"She brought him something else this week...a muggle device to play music. He had to hide it under his shirt when he went back to his house. Why would he have to do that? Those people are wretched."

"We are getting off topic," Dumbledore intervened. "Alastor does have a point, Nymphadora. Youngsters tend to be reckless. If they were making plans that put them at risk it would be good to-"

"No," she interrupted. "And I prefer to be called Tonks."

The headmaster nodded genially before leaning over and whispering something to McGonagall. Whatever it was did not please the woman at all. Her look of barely contained fury reminded him of what he had been faced with after his more idiotic adventures at Hogwarts. To see it directed at the Headmaster was very odd. Dumbledore, of course, ignored it.

The second meeting of GIT started soon thereafter. After recapping the last meeting (we've formed this sacred brother/sisterhood to protect Hermione Granger and her family...and also to drink) and inducting their newest member (The Honorable Arthur Weasley) the meeting commenced. With no pending actions to discuss the drinking began.

"So tell me how this music device works again?" Arthur Weasley asked eagerly.

Tonks rolled her eyes and took a drink before starting her explanation again. "They sort of look like phonograph records but they're about half the size and they're shiny...like a mirror. That's to do with them being read by a laser instead of a needle."

"And what's a laser?" Arthur continued.

"I've no idea," Tonks answered as she poured herself another drink.

"You're sure there wasn't anything by The Beatles?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, Sirius. I'm sure," Tonks answered, clearly annoyed at his persistent questioning. "Why are you so obsessed with a muggle group?"

"It wasn't me...it was James," he supplied, "Lily loved them so James loved them."

As he thought about his old friends he did his best to ignore the insistent prickling at the corners of his eyes. Merlin, he was such an emotional drunk.

And what's that other band," Bill asked. "Osayus?"

"Oasis," Tonks corrected through her chuckle. "They're newer. You'd like them, Sirius. They're proper idiots like you."

Sirius laughed as his mind drifted back to his younger days at James' house... listening to the Liverpudlians on repeat over the summer before seventh year simply because James overheard Lily gushing about them. Additional summer assignments he had called it. He missed them so much that it ached.

Sirius resolved to dig out his old phonograph and muggle records. Maybe he and Harry could listen to them together if...no when... he arrived.