What The Order Knows
Title: What The Order Knows
Setting: Grimmauld Place (Order of the Phoenix Era)
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Rating: R
Words:
Summary: A Companion piece to THIS by request from
ozymannedias
Warning: none
Disclaimer: All the characters are the sole property of JK Rowling, yadda yadda yadda, you know how it works...
Note: All my fan fic is in the same universe, so while it may not be continuous, all stories are inter-related. Read more:
Stories from their childhood: A Gift of Friendship 1 and A Gift of Friendship 2
Stories from their First Year: A Secret for a Secret and Private Secrets, Public Pain
Stories from their Fourth Year: Sleepless and Sleepless Part Two and High Truth on the Edge of the Roof and Nerves
Stories from Fifth Year: Animal Instincts and Numbers and The Conversation
Stories from their Sixth Year: Runes (Part One) and Runes (Part Two) and Total Eclipse
and No Direction Home (Part One) and No Direction Home 2
Stories from Seventh Year: What They Think They Know and America (Puppy Shippers)
Stories from adulthood (end of Goblet of Fire era): Grimmauld Place and Transcendent Moment or Grimmauld Place in Inversion
(end of Goblet of Fire era): Here
To the members of the Order of the Phoenix and the residents of 12 Grimmauld Place Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are not as mysterious as might seem.
Mungdungus Fletcher: To Dung, Sirius Black is a hero, role model, and friend all rolled into one. In fact, Fletcher rather wishes that he could be Sirius Black. Sirius has everything Dung wants: money, looks, intelligence, and the reputation for being a bad-ass without being looked down upon. It's the latter that Dung admires most, for he harbors no delusions that he, himself, is respected in any way. So he clings to Sirius because, deep down, he feels a kind of kinship with the man. By his reasoning, they've both spent time on the inside, they both operate outside of conventional society, and (at least in Dung's view) they are both gravely misunderstood. For his part, Sirius is one of the few Order Members who actually talks to Mungdungus Fletcher and treats him as an equal rather than an annoyance. But what neither man knows is that, behind their backs, Snape refers to Dung as "Black's little toady" and makes snide remarks about ass kissing. And what Snape doesn't know is that, were Dung to find out about these comments, the order of the day would be ass kicking, rather than kissing.
Nymphadora Tonks: Tonks has had the questionable misfortune of flooing into Grimmauld Place at what might be considered rather inopportune moments. Once, she tumbled out of the kitchen fireplace just in time to catch a perfect view of Remus Lupin's naked (and somewhat spectacular) arse as he bent over a prone and writhing Sirius Black. The sight shocked her on several levels, not the least of which was the fact that, for the first time in her life, she found the male form somewhat attractive.
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody: In general, Mad-Eye is impressed with both Remus and Sirius and privately considers Sirius to be one of the bravest men he's ever known. Mad-Eye's only qualm with the pair is that, thanks to his infamous "mad eye," he's able to see a great deal more than he's ever wanted to see. Within the walls of Grimmauld Place "Constant Vigilance" as often turned to "Cautious Vigilance" - especially after that dreadful incident in the wine cellar. That said, his eye has proved useful, as well. Mad-Eye alone knows that it was not exactly a boggart shaking the wardrobe in that fourth floor bedroom.
Mungdungus: Dung also has no opinion of the relationship between Remus and Sirius. In fact, he's rather grateful to Sirius for giving him tips on how to disguise himself as a witch without feeling emasculated. "It's all in the eyeliner." Sirius assures him.
Moody: Trust does not come easily to Mad-Eye, rendering his complete faith in a werewolf and an accused criminal quite astonishing. In fact, were in not for Moody (and Dumbledore and Shacklebolt) Molly Weasely would never have accepted Sirius Black as a true member of the Order. In point of fact, Alastor understands and sympathizes with Sirius. He accepts the slight paranoia which comes from being a constant source of fear and derision. After all, he's been there, too.
Severus Snape: It is no secret that Severus Snape hates Sirius Black, but their mutual loathing has become so entrenched that it is almost banal. Snape hating Sirius is like Dumbledore being evasive or Tonks falling over her own feet: inevitable and verging on cliche. And they hate each other even more for this.
Kingsley Shacklebolt: Kingsley’s first thought upon meeting Sirius was, "The man's got style!" Even in filthy, well-worn Azkaban robes, Black carried himself like a prince. And, when he can choose his own clothes? Honestly, very few men could pull off plum-colored velvet as Sirius Black! Kingsley's first thought upon meeting Remus Lupin was, "The man's lack of style somehow is style."
Severus Snape: Severus does not precisely hate Remus Lupin - he only hates his relationship with Black. Deep down, a part of him longs to tell Sirius that once, in their Fourth Year at Hogwarts, he managed to trick Remus into a brief, frenzied make-out session. He prides himself on the fact that he, Severus Snape, actually managed to kiss Remus Lupin before Sirius came anywhere near those sweet lips. Sadly, when he does eventually tell Sirius this, the results are disappointing. Not only does Sirius fail to get angry (kindly restraining himself from throwing a well-deserved punch), but Remus confesses that it was all a trick involving Snape having cursed him into believing he was actually snogging Sirius. Needless to say, the incident does little to decrease the animosity.
Molly Weasely: Despite her best intentions, Molly Weasely finds it difficult to like Sirius Black. And, frankly, she can find Remus rather annoying, too. In Molly's world, adults are meant to be serious, conventional, and somewhat remote. Unfortunately, neither man lives up to that and Sirius, in particular, sets her teeth on edge. Molly thinks him immature, unbalanced, and perhaps even slightly dangerous. She's charitable about this (admitting that it's not his fault because being surviving the sheer hell of Azkaban must surely have fractured his mind) but she maintains sharp reservations about allowing him around "the children." And, privately, she fears that Fred and George might just turn out a little too much like Sirius unless they’re carefully kept in check.
Shacklebolt: Kingsley takes great delight in confounding the Ministry in regards to Sirius Black. It has become almost an obsession to create the most outrageously implausible stories for which Dawlish inevitably falls prey. Often Kingsley will pop over to Grimmauld Place to smoke a little with the boys (meaning, of course, Sirius and Remus) and the three of them (sometimes joined by Tonks and Emmaline) vie for who could come up with the most implausible scenario for where the famed criminal might be hiding. Occasionally they take bets. Once Emmaline Vance won 50 galleons because Dawlish actually believed that Sirius Black was laying low in Cuba and living as Fidel Castro's gay lover. Dawlish is an idiot.
Molly Weasely: Molly does, in fact, like Remus Lupin - unless, of course, he is with Sirius. Once she even confronted Remus on the matter, cornering him in the parlour and telling him flat-out that, in her opinion, he "over-indulged Sirius, allowing him to speak his mind far too freely" and that "he could surely do better." Remus calmly looked at Molly and suggested that she mind her own business, adding that "love is not a game in which one earned prizes and that he could do no better than to find true love in someone who was as intelligent, passionate, brave, and big-hearted as Sirius Black." When she protested, Remus pushed past his inhibitions and told her that he knew perfectly well what her brothers and her Aunt Muriel really thought of Arthur, who, he added, "was also a phenomenal human being" and that she was "hypocritically treading on thin ice." Molly could think of no reply to this comment and merely mumbled an apology and fled the room. From that point onward, she made it a point to be kinder to Sirius.
Note: As Remus exited the parlour, he found a trembling Padfoot on the stairs. The knowledge that Sirius had heard the entire conversation nearly about broke his heart but, on the other hand, it did lead to several hours of fabulously weepy love-making.
Emmaline Vance: Although she only has eyes for Nymphadora Tonks, Emmaline is quite fond of both Sirius and Remus. They make her feel safe - a feeling she greatly treasures, but rarely has the opportunity to enjoy. Few people outside of the Order know that, once, in her Fifth Year at Hogwarts, Emmaline and her girlfriend, were brutally attacked by a gang of Slytherin future Death Eaters. Since that point, she has trusted very few people and even fewer men. But when she shyly told her story to the Order, she was reassured by everyone's lovingly protective reaction. Lupin had quietly reached over and taken her hand and Black had promised to "disembowel the bloody gits if he ever laid eyes on any of her attackers." He said this with such vehemence that, since that day, Emmaline has never felt so safe as she does at Grimmauld Place. And she is also quite open about the fact that she thinks they make "a darling couple."
Fred and George Weasely: Predictably, Fred and George know all about the relationship between Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, a fact that they would never let on to Molly. The twins like both men, but have a particular affinity for Sirius because he genuinely laughs at their antics and has provided several outrageously devilish prank suggestions. Both boys are aware of their mother's fear that they could turn out to be "just as immature as Sirius" and both secretly vow to be "more immature than Sirius" which, all things considered, is surprisingly easy.
Arthur Weasely: Despite his wife's reservations, Arthur genuinely likes Lupin and Black. Granted, Arthur Weasely genuinely likes almost everyone, but he was rather surprised to discover just how easy it was to get on with them. The pair represented so many things that tended to make Arthur nervous: one was a werewolf, one came from a rabidly Pureblood family, and they were well... um... gay. But Lupin turned out to be one the gentlest men he'd ever met, Sirius is anything but elitist (and enjoys tinkering with Muggle objects almost as much as Arthur.) And, despite what Molly’s worries, homosexuality turns out not to be contagious. Not that Arthur wants to see anything up close and personal. In fact, he is known for walking about the house loudly clearing his throat and loudly scraping furniture about, just to ensure that his presence is known and there are no surprises in store.
Kreacher: Naturally, Kreacher hates Sirius. He isn't sure why, but it is probably because Wallburga hated him even more. And, because Sirius loves Remus, Kreacher hates Remus, too. Sometimes, just to see how far he can push them, Kreacher will apparate into the bedroom (or the bathroom or whatever room they're using at the time) and stand there muttering to himself until someone recognizes his presence and throws him out. Interrupting their lovemaking is one of the few things that gives Kreacher genuine pleasure and he plans to continue doing it until the day his head is mounted on the wall.
Albus Dumbledore: Albus enjoys maintaining an aura of mystery around himself, but also cares deeply about his friends. It has become his personal policy to avoid publicly expressing his views on the private lives of others, but that does not stop him from worrying. He is proud of Sirius’ bravery in volunteering his hated childhood home, but privately, has his fears. Dumbledore worries that the strain of being kept in a virtual prison of childhood hell will become too much to bear. On the other hand, he is deeply grateful that Remus is there and prays that that will be enough. Mostly, though, he is simply happy that the pair can be together, an opportunity he, himself, never had. “Redemption is a beautiful thing,” he often thinks to himself.
Everyone: Virtually everyone in the Order - including Sirius and Remus, themselves - have made a concerted effort to prevent Harry Potter from knowing his godfather’s relationship status. Neither Sirius nor Remus are embarrassed their love, but both worry that Harry has enough on his proverbial plate without worrying about the fact that his beloved godfather sleeping with his favorite former professor. For his part, Harry has no idea (but then, again, he’s not exactly famous for noticing those sorts of details.) However, if he did know, Harry would not care - and not just because he is so famously good-hearted. No, Harry would not care because Sirius is the closest thing he has to family and he loves him dearly. And the more family, the better.Comments Are Appreciated