Order

Chapter Fifteen

As February came to an end a misty and wet March filled its place. Erin spent most of her days cleaning, for there wasn't much else to do. She and Sirius were now in the attic, as she walked into the dusty and dingy space, there was stuff everywhere and for the life of her could not figure out why Kreacher liked to go hide up there so much. There were boxes and crates, old furniture and books, they were going to look through it all and get rid of it. Sirius dusted off a wooden, rocking chair with his hand then took a seat on it, pulling a box over to him, he began to look through it, pulling out book after book, each as dusty as the next.

“Well, don’t just stand there…” he looked up at her and pointed over to rows of boxes. “Get to work…”

She opened a box that had what looked to be knickknacks; she pulled out a weird looking statue and looked at it.

“What in the hell is this?” she muttered, to herself but Sirius seemed to hear her.

“No idea…it was probably a gift from a relative…”

“Trash?” she then asked, looking into the statues red, beady eyes.

“Unless you’d like to put it in your room.”

“Absolutely not…”

She looked through that whole box and then three more. Throwing away weird statues, knickknacks and a book that she swore tried to bite her.

“Hey, what’s this?” she pulled out an accent fan, it was pinned together with a band and she undid it, throwing it open, it was black lace, with red threading, the red threading formed a peacock and in its colorful tail, of greens, blues and yellows was a capital B.

“That must’ve been my mothers, something she probably tried to chuck at my head once or twice” said Sirius. But Erin wasn’t listening, she had always wanted one of these, she flipped it open like she had been doing it for years, and then closed it again with skill. “If you like it so much you can have it.”

“Really?” she asked, with excitement in her voice.

“What am I going to do with it?” Sirius asked, she smiled and stared down at the fan.

“Thank you.”

When they left the attic that afternoon they had only cleaned half the room, there was just too much stuff, they both were carrying boxes they would be taking to the garbage and Sirius had a steady hand on his wand which he was moving more boxes down the stairs with. Once they were done they went into the kitchen for Erin to make lunch.

“You know” started Sirius, out of the blue. “Today is Remus’ birthday...”

“Really?” Erin shot around and stared at Sirius.

“Yes, didn’t he tell you he’d be coming over to dinner tonight?”

“No, he didn't say anything to me about his birthday or dinner tonight… was I s’pose to cook something special?”

No...no, he wouldn't want a fuss, he’s probably forgotten it’s his birthday at all.”

“We should make him a cake” said Erin.

“You mean you should make him a cake... I am no baker” said Sirius.

“You can be if you try… you've cooked other things.”

“Yes, eggs and bacon, but I cannot be trusted with something like a cake, unfortunately" Sirius said, seriously.

Erin began making the cake batter; once it was ready she put it in the oven and took a seat at the table, a piece of parchment in her hands. She pulled out a quill and ink from under the table and Sirius looked at her weirdly.

“You accioed that…didn't you?”

“I didn't say a word” Erin said, innocently.

“You've begun with silent spells, haven’t you?”

“Yes” she said, with a proud smile.

“Very nice, but what are you doing with the quill and parchment, sending a letter?”

“No, I’m drawing down ideas for the cake.”

“You’re drawing them?”

“Yes, like should I put Happy Birthday… or Happy Birthday Remus… or maybe add his age… no, that’s tactless, I could do a stencil on the cake, but what does he like? I can only go so far with the stencils; I’m not very good at it…”

“I think a simple, Happy Birthday will do just fine” Sirius told her.

“Right…right…ok” she muttered, writing things down on the parchment. “What color?”

“Any color you’d like, I told you Remus doesn't like a fuss.”

“I like to fuss…” she trailed off, a smirk on her lips.

“I’ve noticed.”

A few hours later there was a freshly made cake sitting on the counter, a sky blue icing and yellow letters saying ‘Happy Birthday’ she placed it on the center of the table then went back to cooking, she was making chicken and rice for dinner, but the desert was Spotted Dick, she always wanted to make it, and now she seemed to think it was the perfect time. At five O’clock Remus arrived, he looked tired and she thought it must have been another full moon, she took no time in asking this, for werewolves were now what she spent most of her nights reading about, even though she had read it all before.

“Indeed there was” he said, glumly, fallowing her into the kitchen, he took a seat and noticed the cake. “Who’s this for?”

“You, stupid” Sirius rolled his eyes.

“Oh, I forgot all about my birthday…” Remus trailed off. Sirius gave Erin a knowing look and she shot back a dirty one in return.

“Well, we had to do something, didn't we? We couldn't buy you anything, so we made you a cake” Erin stated.

“Thank you, it’s lovely, really” said Remus.

In the days to come there was another Order meeting, which once again Erin was not allowed to attend, she had the grand idea of trying to eavesdrop, but someone had beat her to it and put a charm on the room so she could hear nothing. When the meeting was over Sirius would be found laughing at Erin with his dog like bark laugh, Erin sat there pouting in the drawing room, watching as he had a fit of giggles.

“It’s not funny…what kind of…what? Don’t you trust me?” she asked, looking annoyed, as Sirius straightened up and stopped his laughing, yet still had a huge grin on his face.

“Of course I don’t trust you… I was just waiting to see how long it took you to find out about my sealing charm” he mused.

“What do you mean you don’t trust me?” she barked, shooting up from her stop on an arm chair. “Did you think I was going to listen into one of your meetings?”

“Well…you did, didn't you?”

“Yes, but…I…well…that’s not the point… if you don’t trust me then who else doesn't?” she put her arms on her hips, in an impaction fashion and glared at him. “What does Remus have to say about this? Was he in on it to?”

“It was his idea from the start…said he didn't want to chance you hearing something you weren't s’pose to” Sirius grinned. Erin looked very offended and then stopped out of the room. “Come now, don’t take it personally.”

“What?” she wheeled around, he was standing less than three inches from her, he had obviously fallowed. “Don’t take it personally? You all think I’m nothing but an eavesdropping git…”

“We don’t think you’re a git….”

“Oh…so you just think I’m overly nosy?”

“Yes…a bit… you’ve done it to yourself, really.”

“That’s fine… I don’t care if you think I’m a nosy git… or any other kind of git… because I’m leaving.”

“What do you mean ‘you’re leaving?” Sirius asked, now looking a bit more serious rather than amused. “Where would you go? You have to stay here…”

“No I don’t…. Dumbledore is not my keeper… I do as I please…if you honestly think I’m staying here with people who don’t trust me…then...you’re a nutter.”

“We trust you, Erin, if we didn’t…. “

“You just said you didn’t… now you’re lying to me too?”

“Cut that out… stop acting like this, you know as well as I that you fancy listening into others conversations, if you hadn’t then we’d have no reason to put that sealing charm on” said Sirius, she glared at him again. Just then Remus walked into the room.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“Sirius sucks…”

“Erin is being a prat.”

“I am not… don’t you dare call me names…you already called me a nosey git.”

“You said that” spat Sirius, looking mad. “I said you weren't a git…”

“But you said you didn't trust me…” she trailed off, shaking her head and looking furious. “If you don’t trust me I shouldn't be living here.”

“Well, sadly, you must live here… that’s Dumbledore’s orders” said Remus.

“Sadly?” she barked, glaring at Remus now.

“You know what I meant” said Remus, calmly. She huffed and looked away from him.

“But you…you were the one who wanted to do the sealing charm on the kitchen, Sirius said so.”

“I did suggest it, I won’t deny that, but only because you have a tenancy to listen in, it’s not because I don’t trust you, I trust you just as much as anyone in the Order, Dumbledore doesn't want you in the meetings…so that is why I suggested the charm ” said Remus. Erin smiled at this, he trusted her. She looked down at her feet; she had been over reacting again.

“I understand… I was just being stupid… I’m sorry, Remus.”

“You’re sorry Remus?” Sirius exploded; Erin had kind of forgotten he was there. “You were the one telling me off… yet he gets the ‘I’m sorry’?”

“Precisely…” Erin trailed off, smirking at Sirius, she would have told him she was sorry too, but he decided to have a go at her and that changed her mind, quick.

“Oh, yes, because I didn’t say the same thing, did I?” he barked, pointing his finger warningly. “I said the same damn thing, but you only forgive your precious Remus….when are you going to learn he doesn’t fancy you? Merlin knows I’ve told you.”

“Shut up” her face turned red, she did not want to be having this conversation in front of Remus…or at all.

“This is my house... and I don’t feel like shutting up, thanks” he barked.

“I don’t give a damn whose house this is… stop talking to me” she snapped back.

“I’ll do as I please” he sneered at her.

“Someone’s sounding a lot like Snape….” she trailed off, trying to get a good jab at him, it worked.

“Oh, am I?” he barked, coming closer to her. “If I was so much like Snape I’d have hexed you already.”

“Go on then, have a go at me… what else do you have to do, anyway?” she went for another jab at him, she knew he wouldn’t hex her, she wasn’t stupid. Or so she was, because the next thing she knew she had Sirius’ wand pointed at her face. Her eyes went wide as she stare up at him, he looked down right pissed again, but she wasn’t too happy either, she was even more mad that he was pointing his wand at her, he knew better than that. She then looked over at Remus; he looked extremely worried as he looked back from her to Sirius.

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret, Sirius” Remus told him.

“Stay out of this, Remus… she asked for it.”

“She has no idea how to duel; you can’t take what she says seriously when she’s upset….”

“Stop defending her, Remus, you think any Death Eater would give her this long?” Sirius barked, staring down at Erin, intensely. “She has to learn these things, surly you know that, Remus.”

“Yes, and it’s up to me when she does… now put away your wand” Remus told him.

“Why? So she can go through life depending on you?” Sirius asked, turning back to Erin. “That’s what you want isn’t, Erin? To mar…”

“Shut up… you don’t know what I want” Erin shouted. Suddenly she had an idea, if he thought he could hold her at wand point then she could hold him as well, so as Sirius looked over to Remus; who was once again trying to make Sirius put down his wand. Erin bent down and pulled her wand out, which she had hidden under her left pant leg, held in place by her brown boot. She stood back up straight, swiftly pointing her wand at the side of his head, for when Sirius turned back to her his eyes widen; much like hers had. With the feeling of triumph Erin smirked and said quickly.

““ Expelliarmus!” Sirius’ wand went flying out of his hand, but he didn’t fall backward like he did last time, Erin wasn’t sure if she really wanted to knock him over but listening to this little voice in her head she then used the tripping jinx and he fell to the ground. He and Remus both just stared at her, if she were someone else in the room, she had stared at herself to, not only had she just pretty much attacked Sirius but she was now on the verge of tears, out of shock or fear…she didn’t know which. Sirius stood up again and continued to stare at her, she was now definitely fearful to say the least, even though she had just made it so his wand was laying a few feet away from them she still felt undoubtedly scared, he was a much...much more accomplished dueler then her, she had maybe tricked him for a second, but she knew that if he were a Death Eater she would be long dead by now.

“Well...” he trailed off, brushing his pant legs off, looking madder than ever.

“That will teach you” she got her nerve back, the feeling of tears welling in her eyes had left as well, she still pointed her wand at Sirius, even though he was wandless, she had once again found that little voice in her head, telling her what to do and she felt braver than ever before. “You’re a big brute is what you are, and Remus.”

Her wand turning to him made him jump slightly, he was not expecting to be addressed and she didn’t really expect to address him, but she suddenly had an urge to.

“Stop treating me like a baby… I can handle myself.”

Both Sirius and Remus just looked at her, a bit apprehensively. She just looked back at them as she walked around them, her wand still tight in her hand as she went up the stairs.

“I hope you know that just because you disarmed me, that means nothing, if I were a Death Eater…”

But Sirius had stopped talking, Erin had a half a mind to go back down there and see what else he had to say for himself, but she was sure that Remus had shut him up and was now trying to persway him into the kitchen. The kitchen made her think of how she had made no dinner and was starting to get kind of hungry, but she would not be going back down there, she thought staying away from Sirius would be the best idea possible.