Fic: The First Meeting
Author/Artist: katyscarlett76
Title: The First Meeting
Rating & Warnings: G / No warnings
Word Count: 1191 words
Prompt(s):
3. You can’t blame gravity for falling in love.
11. I would always rather be happy than dignified.
Summary: A nervous Tonks is attending her first Order meeting. At least, she will be if she can make it down the hallway in one piece first.
Notes: This is my first fic in a long time! I’m grateful to the Mods and particularly gilpin25 for the push to stretch my writing muscles! Hopefully they’re not in too bad a shape ;)
A nervous Tonks stood on the doorstep of a dreary looking house in London preparing to attend her first meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. She’d only been a qualified Auror for a year and she didn’t know how she’d gotten herself into this situation. All she knew was Voldemort and the Death Eaters were back and the Ministry were being incredibly stupid about it. They were insistent that Voldemort was not back and that Sirius Black was to blame for recent events. Never mind that that just didn’t make sense and why would Harry Potter lie anyway. But also she’d never believed that Sirius was guilty anyway. The portrayal of him as Voldemort’s right hand man was at odds with her mum’s description of him as her favourite cousin full of jokes and silly pranks.
She didn’t know what to think about she knew the Ministry story was not right and she’d said as much one drunken night in the pub with her Auror partner Kingsley Shacklebolt where she’d let her tongue run on too much. The next day she had a headache and a feeling of having said too much, or maybe she’d said just the right thing, given she was then approached by Shacklebolt and former Auror ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody to join a secret group that was working against Voldemort. She’d been thrilled and nervous to accept but now she just felt nervous and a bit sick. Despite all her magical talents she was something of a clumsy witch and the Order was a secret organisation and she felt sure clumsiness was detrimental to secrecy. She was such a new Auror too, just a year out of training and already working against the Ministry. Then there was Sirius. Her vague childhood memories of fun cousin Sirius who’d drop by to see her parents with stories and sweets for her and the image of Sirius Black as a notorious murderer and escapee left her wondering what to expect.
Taking a deep breath, she summoned all her courage and stepped up to knock on the door. The door was opened by a tired looking older man who looked at her curiously.
“Wotcher, I’m Tonks. The Auror? Mad-Eye Moody told me to come? He didn’t tell me if there was a password or anything? Is there? He just sent this note with the address on it.”
“Oh right. Yes of course. Do come in.”
He opened the door wider and ushered her in with a kind smile. She noticed how the smile brightened his features and made him appear years younger. She smiled back at him as she stepped through the door, tripping over his foot as she wasn’t looking where she was going. He grasped her arm stopping her from hitting the floor.
“Whoops a daisy.” He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling.
She laughed nervously.
“Sorry I’m always doing that. Don’t know my own feet sometimes. Woah scary place,” she said noticing the house-elf heads on a shelf.
“Yes, it is rather,” he replied rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.
“’Course as an Auror, I’m not actually scared. It’s just creepy you know. Anyway it’s an honour to be here. Wherever here is. Kingsley and Mad-Eye asked me to come. Did I mention that? Do you know Mad-Eye? He’s bonkers isn’t he? I mean, a brilliant Auror obviously, but bonkers. I kind of love that, you know. But it also worries me. Did the job make him bonkers or was he already that way? Mind you people already think I’m bonkers anyway so it makes no difference. Anyway did I mention that I…ARGH!”
She plunged towards the floor, foot caught on something. But before she got there, she found herself caught in the man’s arms.
“Oh thanks.”
She blushed caught off guard by her trip and his closeness. He smelt nice, like coffee, chocolate and old books, like a smell she vaguely remembered but couldn’t quite place. She felt her blush deepen and tried to pull herself together.
“Anyway, so. Err. I’m sorry about that. God I’m so clumsy. Honestly I shouldn’t be let out. What was it that tripped me up anyway?” She asked looking around, hoping that there was actually something and she wasn’t just tripping over her own feet. That would be embarrassing.
“Not to worry. I expect it was this old trollsfoot umbrella stand,” he replied gesturing towards the ugly looking thing. “I admit I’ve stabbed my toe on it a number of occasions recently.”
“Oh good. So it wasn’t just me then?”
“No, you’re in good company there. Anyway, we should make our way downstairs everyone’ll be waiting.”
“Oh right. Yeah. The Order of the Phoenix meeting. The reason I’m here.”
“Indeed,” he replied with a smile ushering her down the stairs and through the door at the bottom. She thanked her lucky stars she didn’t trip again, feeling she’d already embarrassed herself in front of this man too many times and she’d only met him five minutes earlier.
They walked into a room full of people gathered around a large table all chatting away to their neighbours. At least the meeting hadn’t started without them.
“Ah Nymphadora. I’m glad you could join us.”
At the sound of Dumbledore’s voice the room fell silent and everyone turned to look at her. She flushed bright red including her hair. The man who had opened the door had taken a seat on the far side of the table, she caught his eye and he raised his eyebrows at her. She closed her eyes in embarrassment. She’d spontaneously morphed. She hadn’t done that since was a teenager. What the hell was wrong with her?
Turning to Dumbledore, she replied. “Thanks Professor. And it’s Tonks. I prefer Tonks.”
“Well then Tonks, welcome. Everyone please meet our new recruit. Tonks is an Auror and comes highly recommended by Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt and we welcome her expertise. Please take a seat Tonks.”
She nodded and moved to the nearest empty seat next to a stately looking witch and across from the man who’d opened the door. He was sat next to a dark-haired man who turned out to be none other than her cousin Sirius himself. She’d not seen him since his escape from Azkaban but he had dropped by for tea with her mum, who’d refused to tell her anything on the grounds of plausible deniability. She was pleased to see him and grinned. He grinned back and winked. Looking around the room she spotted a number of familiar faces: her former Hogwarts Professors Sprout, McGonagall and, interestingly, Snape; the two eldest Weasley boys and their parents; and of course Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye. She waved discretely (she thought) at Charlie Weasley, a mate from Hogwarts who she hadn’t seen since, he laughed silently, shaking his head and waved back. She felt on much firmer ground with some friends among the strange group.
Her eyes strayed back to the man sat opposite her who was whispering to Sirius. She was suddenly much more intrigued by the man whose name, she realised, she didn’t even know.
Title: The First Meeting
Rating & Warnings: G / No warnings
Word Count: 1191 words
Prompt(s):
3. You can’t blame gravity for falling in love.
11. I would always rather be happy than dignified.
Summary: A nervous Tonks is attending her first Order meeting. At least, she will be if she can make it down the hallway in one piece first.
Notes: This is my first fic in a long time! I’m grateful to the Mods and particularly gilpin25 for the push to stretch my writing muscles! Hopefully they’re not in too bad a shape ;)
A nervous Tonks stood on the doorstep of a dreary looking house in London preparing to attend her first meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. She’d only been a qualified Auror for a year and she didn’t know how she’d gotten herself into this situation. All she knew was Voldemort and the Death Eaters were back and the Ministry were being incredibly stupid about it. They were insistent that Voldemort was not back and that Sirius Black was to blame for recent events. Never mind that that just didn’t make sense and why would Harry Potter lie anyway. But also she’d never believed that Sirius was guilty anyway. The portrayal of him as Voldemort’s right hand man was at odds with her mum’s description of him as her favourite cousin full of jokes and silly pranks.
She didn’t know what to think about she knew the Ministry story was not right and she’d said as much one drunken night in the pub with her Auror partner Kingsley Shacklebolt where she’d let her tongue run on too much. The next day she had a headache and a feeling of having said too much, or maybe she’d said just the right thing, given she was then approached by Shacklebolt and former Auror ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody to join a secret group that was working against Voldemort. She’d been thrilled and nervous to accept but now she just felt nervous and a bit sick. Despite all her magical talents she was something of a clumsy witch and the Order was a secret organisation and she felt sure clumsiness was detrimental to secrecy. She was such a new Auror too, just a year out of training and already working against the Ministry. Then there was Sirius. Her vague childhood memories of fun cousin Sirius who’d drop by to see her parents with stories and sweets for her and the image of Sirius Black as a notorious murderer and escapee left her wondering what to expect.
Taking a deep breath, she summoned all her courage and stepped up to knock on the door. The door was opened by a tired looking older man who looked at her curiously.
“Wotcher, I’m Tonks. The Auror? Mad-Eye Moody told me to come? He didn’t tell me if there was a password or anything? Is there? He just sent this note with the address on it.”
“Oh right. Yes of course. Do come in.”
He opened the door wider and ushered her in with a kind smile. She noticed how the smile brightened his features and made him appear years younger. She smiled back at him as she stepped through the door, tripping over his foot as she wasn’t looking where she was going. He grasped her arm stopping her from hitting the floor.
“Whoops a daisy.” He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling.
She laughed nervously.
“Sorry I’m always doing that. Don’t know my own feet sometimes. Woah scary place,” she said noticing the house-elf heads on a shelf.
“Yes, it is rather,” he replied rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.
“’Course as an Auror, I’m not actually scared. It’s just creepy you know. Anyway it’s an honour to be here. Wherever here is. Kingsley and Mad-Eye asked me to come. Did I mention that? Do you know Mad-Eye? He’s bonkers isn’t he? I mean, a brilliant Auror obviously, but bonkers. I kind of love that, you know. But it also worries me. Did the job make him bonkers or was he already that way? Mind you people already think I’m bonkers anyway so it makes no difference. Anyway did I mention that I…ARGH!”
She plunged towards the floor, foot caught on something. But before she got there, she found herself caught in the man’s arms.
“Oh thanks.”
She blushed caught off guard by her trip and his closeness. He smelt nice, like coffee, chocolate and old books, like a smell she vaguely remembered but couldn’t quite place. She felt her blush deepen and tried to pull herself together.
“Anyway, so. Err. I’m sorry about that. God I’m so clumsy. Honestly I shouldn’t be let out. What was it that tripped me up anyway?” She asked looking around, hoping that there was actually something and she wasn’t just tripping over her own feet. That would be embarrassing.
“Not to worry. I expect it was this old trollsfoot umbrella stand,” he replied gesturing towards the ugly looking thing. “I admit I’ve stabbed my toe on it a number of occasions recently.”
“Oh good. So it wasn’t just me then?”
“No, you’re in good company there. Anyway, we should make our way downstairs everyone’ll be waiting.”
“Oh right. Yeah. The Order of the Phoenix meeting. The reason I’m here.”
“Indeed,” he replied with a smile ushering her down the stairs and through the door at the bottom. She thanked her lucky stars she didn’t trip again, feeling she’d already embarrassed herself in front of this man too many times and she’d only met him five minutes earlier.
They walked into a room full of people gathered around a large table all chatting away to their neighbours. At least the meeting hadn’t started without them.
“Ah Nymphadora. I’m glad you could join us.”
At the sound of Dumbledore’s voice the room fell silent and everyone turned to look at her. She flushed bright red including her hair. The man who had opened the door had taken a seat on the far side of the table, she caught his eye and he raised his eyebrows at her. She closed her eyes in embarrassment. She’d spontaneously morphed. She hadn’t done that since was a teenager. What the hell was wrong with her?
Turning to Dumbledore, she replied. “Thanks Professor. And it’s Tonks. I prefer Tonks.”
“Well then Tonks, welcome. Everyone please meet our new recruit. Tonks is an Auror and comes highly recommended by Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt and we welcome her expertise. Please take a seat Tonks.”
She nodded and moved to the nearest empty seat next to a stately looking witch and across from the man who’d opened the door. He was sat next to a dark-haired man who turned out to be none other than her cousin Sirius himself. She’d not seen him since his escape from Azkaban but he had dropped by for tea with her mum, who’d refused to tell her anything on the grounds of plausible deniability. She was pleased to see him and grinned. He grinned back and winked. Looking around the room she spotted a number of familiar faces: her former Hogwarts Professors Sprout, McGonagall and, interestingly, Snape; the two eldest Weasley boys and their parents; and of course Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye. She waved discretely (she thought) at Charlie Weasley, a mate from Hogwarts who she hadn’t seen since, he laughed silently, shaking his head and waved back. She felt on much firmer ground with some friends among the strange group.
Her eyes strayed back to the man sat opposite her who was whispering to Sirius. She was suddenly much more intrigued by the man whose name, she realised, she didn’t even know.