Order

Chapter Six

“Right, were going to try something a bit harder today” said Remus, he was standing in the middle of the drawing room again, cushions and pillows behind him, and Erin held her wand in her hand, feeling a bit apprehensive, how much harder? She wasn't very good at Reparo let alone trying something harder, the day before last she couldn't even get a feather off the ground. “This is a disarming charm, it’s good to know when you’re fighting and want to disarm your dueler. Now, aim your wand at me and say Expelliarmus.”

She raised her wand and pointed it at him, she didn't like the sound of this, what would happen when she said Expelliarmus? She didn't want to ask, he was a teacher, so he must know what he's doing.

“ Expelliarmus” she said, flatly, and nothing happen.

“Say it with a bit more power, don't be afraid to yell if you must” said Remus, his wand clutched in his own hand, she did it again and once more nothing happened. She tried it again and again, was she not doing it right? It was obvious she wasn’t, why was she so bad at magic? Why couldn't she just have been born into a pure blood wizard family, or maybe a half blood, maybe she could have gone to the school Harry was going to? She was feeling very disappointed in herself when Sirius walked in.

“Have a good lesson?” he asked, taking a seat in a chair that was pushed against the wall.

“Very good, she nearly got Expelliarmus” said Remus, but she knew he was just being nice, she was horrible at magic. “But unfortunately I have to go.”

“When will you be back?” she then asked, she liked having him around, but he never stayed for long.

“Hard to say, but keep practicing Expelliarmus, Sirius will help you.”

And with that he left, Sirius was now on his feet, standing where Remus once was.

“Have a go at me, then” he smirked, pulling out his wand. She had to focus now; she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Sirius too. She lifted her wand and pointed it at him.

“ Expelliarmus” she shouted, for a second she thought it had worked, but alas she had failed once again, she dropped her hand in shame and looked down.

“Maybe you have to feel something” Sirius stated, thoughtfully. “Wizards use this spell when their dueling, or trying to escape.”

“What are you saying?” she asked. Her mood was now taking a turn for the worst. “Want me to go out and find myself a Death Eater?”

“No, since you can't duel, maybe you should feel like you need to escape.”

“What?” she asked, confused, he just smirked and suddenly began to shrink, soon there was a black, shaggy dog in front of her. “What are you doing?”

He said nothing, for he was a dog, he suddenly charged her and she let out a girlish scream. He showed his teeth and snipped at her ankles.

“Sirius...” she shrieked, jumping back, she could swear she thought she saw a doggy-ish grin on his face as he charged her again. “What in the name of....”

He growled and she let out another loud scream, she had thought he'd lost his mind; maybe being stuck in an old house for so long had finally gotten to him. She ran out of the room and he fallowed. He followed her up the stairs, back down the stairs, into the kitchen and finally back in the drawing room. Suddenly he was standing, as a man right in front of the cushions and pillows. This made Erin mad, what in the name of blazes was he doing?

“Are you mad?” she yelled at him, her face red from running.

“LET ME HAVE IT!” he yelled, holding his wand tight, she picked up her wand from the floor; which she had dropped when he was chasing her. She wanted to show him who he was messing with, she did not like being chased around by a dog. She looked at him intensely as she raised her wand, it felt like minutes were slowly passing, as if she was running in slow motion, finally she heaved a deep breath and yelled out.

“Expelliarmus!”

Not only did Sirius' wand fly from his hand but he shot backwards, over the pillows, over the cushions and right into the wall, falling to the floor with a thud.

“Holly... oh my... Sirius” she panted, running over to him, he lay flat on his back, a wired sort of smile on his face, if he hadn't blinked she would have thought the worst.

“That was brilliant” he muttered, seemingly trying to sit up, she pushed him up and he groaned. “I'm not as young as I once was.”

“Are you ok?” she asked, worried, she didn't mean for that to happen, yet she couldn't help but feel proud of herself. “Do you want to lie down? A cool compress for your back?'

“I'm fine” he said, but his face said differently. She was feeling a bit more worried and a little less proud; she hoped she hadn't seriously hurt him. She watched with bated breath as he stood up, stretching a bit.

“Shall we eat?” he asked. “I'm starved.”

“Yes, chasing people around in dog form does tend to make people hungry.”

“Indeed, it does” he grinned.

In days to come, Erin was feeling happier then she had in years; she was doing much better in her magic and Remus was showing up a lot more. She was in the drawing room; where it seemed she spent most of her time, she was cleaning, for the place had so much dust she swore the house was growing it. She was humming happily as she ran a rag over objects in the room.

“Having a party?” said a growling voice behind her, she stopped stone cold in her tracks, she turned around to see a man with a bulging , electric, blue eye ball and a chunk of nose was missing from his face that had scar's all over it. Before she could say anything Sirius walked in.

“Ah, Mad-eye” he said. “How are you?”

They left the room together, talking and Erin laughed a bit, that's why they call him Mad-eye. She left the room now too, heading for the basement kitchen, there was to be other Order meeting, but just as she was walking through the door someone called her from behind, she turned around to see Sirius walking toward her.

“Not you” he stated, simply, he walked in front of the door and blocked her entrance.

“What do you mean 'not you'?” she asked, confused.

“You can't come to this meeting, I'm afraid.”

“Why not?” she asked, she had been looking forward to it. “I could last time...”

“Well, you can't this time.... Dumbledore's orders.”

She frowned as Sirius left her in the hall, she could hear that he had locked the door before walking away. She found herself once more in the drawing room, she sat down in an arm chair and waited, she wondered what the meeting was about tonight. She hadn't seen Remus come in, but she was sure he was there. An hour past and she was sure the meeting would be over and the members would be coming into the hall any second, yet it was another full thirty minutes before she heard the footsteps of people leaving and voices talking.

“Now, Sirius, you remember what I told you to tell him” said a sharp female voice.

“I will, Molly” said Sirius, with a bored tone.

“I want to know what he says as soon as you do” said the women. “He could lose his Perfects badge getting mixed up in rubbish like this.”

“I know....I know” Sirius sounded a bit annoyed.

“Come along, Molly” said another man's voice, then both voices were gone. Erin walked out into the hall to see that the man she now knew as Mad-Eye had just left as well and Sirius was making his way back into the kitchen, saying fair-wells to a few more Order members as they left. But just as Sirius had went through the door, Remus came out of it, Erin smiled as she saw him, he walked over to her with a slight smile on his own face.

“Good evening, Erin” he stated, bowing his head down slightly.

“Hi” she said, breathlessly. “Are you leaving?”

“Actually, I was just heading upstairs, I was planning on staying a few days” he stated. “If that's alright with you.”

“Oh, um” she almost wanted to giggle, Remus staying in the house for a few days? “That's great... I mean, we can have more time for lessons.”

“That we will” he smiled, she smiled back, brightly before he walked around her and went up the stairs, she wondered where his room was...

Erin walked down into the kitchen where she found Sirius sitting in his usual chair, but he wasn't alone; Tonks was sitting to his right a few chairs down. Erin rolled her eyes. what is she still doing here? she thought as walked around the table and over to the counter. After a few minutes Remus came back and took a seat right next to Sirius, which just so happen to be right next to Tonks as well. Erin said nothing as she cooked for all of them, she wondered the whole time why no one asked her if it was alright if Tonks stayed for dinner; sure it was Sirius' house but she was cooking, she was serving and she was doing all the cleanup, and she wasn't too sure if she wanted to do all this work for Tonks. But of course she did anyway; she wasn't the kind to be rude like that, yet there was still something about Tonks she didn't like. She served them each a plate before placing her own food down on the left side of Sirius, across from Remus and looked down as she ate. They talked about this and that, not seeming to notice her absence from the conversation. That is until Remus addressed her.

“After breakfast we'll be doing the lesson, then?” he asked, they all looked at her as if she was supposed to answer right away, like they had been talking about this for awhile, but Erin hadn't been listening.

“Yes, that's fine.”

Remus nodded, and then suddenly stood up.

“I'll be back shortly” he left the room at a fast rate, neither Sirius nor Tonks found this odd, but Erin did. She then got up and cleared the plates; Tonks began to talk to Sirius once more. All was well until Erin began to wash off the table, with a rag.

“You like doing things the muggle way, don't you?” said Tonks, watching her with an odd expression.

“Yes I do” Erin replied, shortly.

“You were raised by muggles, weren’t you?”

“Yes, I was” she said, short once more. Tonks just nodded, still the odd look on her face. “There’s nothing wrong with muggles...”

“They're a bit clueless, aren't they?”

“No” Erin shot back, quickly.

“Well, that was a great dinner, Erin” Sirius interrupted quickly, he knew Erin didn't like it when someone insulted muggles.

“Thanks” she said, coldly.

“Did Remus say what you will be learning next lesson?” Sirius then asked, obviously trying to defuse the situation.

“No he didn't... he never tells me until I'm about to learn it.”

“He says you’re doing brilliantly” said Sirius, she rolled her eyes and picked up a clean plate to dry it.

“What are these lessons for, exactly?” Tonks then asked, Erin didn't dare answer.

“To teach her a bit of magic...” Sirius trailed off, filling up a wine class.

“She surely knew how to do something’s?” Tonks asked.

“Not really... I didn't know anything” Erin said, turning around to look at Tonks; who looked dumbfounded.

“Didn't you go to a school?”

“No” Erin muttered, she really hated talking about this.

“You never went to school?” Tonks asked, still quite dumbfounded.

“No, we couldn't afford it... I never even saw wizard money before I came here.”

“Well, no wonder Remus is getting so frustrated...” Tonks trailed off, Erin stared at her, feeling more annoyed then she had ever before.

“Frustrated?”

“Just a bit... you know” she muttered, finally seeing the annoyance in Erin's eyes.

“Oh, and your spending all this time with Remus, so you would know?” Erin barked, she couldn’t help it.

“It's just common knowledge...”

“Oh, really?” Erin cut her off, her voice almost a yell. “ Let me remind you all that I did not want to be here.... that was Dumblore's orders, I did not ask to be taught magic, that was Remus' idea.... I was very happy being a muggle, if Remus would like to stop giving me magic lessons, that’s’ fine, I don’t need him!”

“Still” said Tonks, not seeming to pay attention to what Erin was saying. “A witch not going to school to learn...”

“I did not have the money, I told you, and even if I did I wouldn’t have gone” Erin barked, her face was now turning red and her blood felt like it was rushing to her face. “How could I have left my mother? She needed me, my sister needed me, I was not about to leave them to go to some dumb school to learn to do magic tricks, I was very happy being a plain, boring, old muggle.”

She had a death grip on the golden plate she was holding in her hand. Both Sirius and Tonks looked apprehensive about speaking again, but Tonks did anyway.

“I didn't mean to offend you...” she trailed off.

“I know” said Erin, barely above a whisper, an intense and silent moment passed over them before Remus walked in, his smile fell right away when he saw the looks on everyone's faces. Erin watched as Remus and Sirius made eye contact; Sirius' eyes traveled over Tonks then Erin, Remus seemed to get the message.

“Tonks, may I see you in the hall for a moment, please?”

“Er, sure, Remus” Tonks suddenly got nervous, she got up with a jump and hurried to him, tripping and stepping on his foot as she did. “Oh, sorry.”

Remus sighed heavily before fallowing her out of the room. Sirius looked over to Erin with a slight smirk, she was still holding the plate and when she set it down; she set it down so hard it cracked.

“Well...” Sirius trialed off.

“'I'm sorry” she stated, picking up the plate again, to see that there was a line down the middle and right through the B.

“I'm not” he said. “Fix it.”

She picked up her wand, which was lying on the table and pointed it at the golden plate.

“Reparo” she mused and the crack was gone.

“Brilliant” Sirius cheered. “It seems you must always be angry to do magic.”

“I'm not angry” she replied.

“Ha!”

“I'm not...”

“Erin...”

“But really!” she exclaimed. “Did he really say he was getting frustrated?”

“He did, indeed, but that was a long time ago, you have improved so much since.”

“And what she got against muggles?” Erin then barked. “Muggles are not clueless.”

“She was raised by a wizarding family; she's never dealt with muggles before…though her father is muggle born, you’d think she….”

“And what did she think?” Erin went on, cutting him off. “Did she think that I went to some school and goofed around the whole time? Did she think I was just daft?”

“I don't know...”

“What gives her the right to call me daft... look at her, she trips over her own feet, yet she's an Auror...”

Erin was now fuming and clenching her fist tight to the counter, suddenly she heard a crash and she turned around quick to see Sirius had dropped the golden plate.

“Fix it” he smirked, standing up and walking over to her, she rolled her eyes and muttered ‘reparo’, the plate was now back to its old self. “I think you've got it.”

He broke the plate again and she fixed it once more, he then broke a vase, a few wine glasses and another plate, each Erin fixed, with ease.

“Would you stop braking things?” she finally barked, getting quite tired with the whole evening. Sirius smirked once more, a plate loose in his fingers. Just then Remus walked in once again.

“Oh, hello Remus, I was just about to break this” said Sirius, like it was fun. “Erin's really got the hang of it, now.”

But before he could drop the plate Erin pointed her wand at him, she didn't know what had come over her, all she knew is that she was very tired of repairing things.

“Immobulus” she shouted and suddenly Sirius was frozen, Remus clapped loudly and she looked over at him.

“That was very good; you’re becoming a real witch.”

She didn't say anything and set her wand down on the table, before turning back to the dishes. She didn't know how but somehow Sirius was moving again, he patted her on the back as he passed to take his seat once more. Erin placed the tray of Lemon tarts she had made for desert in front of them and both Remus and Sirius picked one up and began to eat. Erin sat down in the seat she had at dinner, looking down at her lap, she wasn't angry anymore, but the thought of Remus being frustrated with her bothered her deeply.

“What was Hogwarts like?” she then asked, after thinking long and hard about something to ask. She had heard thrilling stories told by Sirius about him, Remus, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew but she had never heard of what Hogwarts was really like.

“It's beautiful” said Sirius, looking dazed, off into the fire. “I probably still have my Hogwarts A History book in my room...”

“Never opened, of course...” Remus trailed off, with a smile.

“Naturally, Moony” Sirius stood up and soon disappeared up the stairs and behind the kitchen door. Remus and Erin sat in the room, in an awkward silence. Erin watched as Remus took another Lemon Tart and sighed, he seemed like he wanted to say something, but thought twice about it.

“Would you like some tea?” Erin then asked, it was getting far too awkward for her liking.

“Sure...yes, that would be lovely” he said, yet he seemed like he still wanted to say more. She got up and began to make the tea; suddenly Remus' voice was ringing through the kitchen. “Erin, I know you must be hurt finding out I was frustrated with you, but you must know that, yes indeed I was a bit frustrated, but you've improved so much, it makes me very proud...”

“I understand” she said, but it sounded to glum to be truthful.

“And Tonks didn't mean what she said, she's just Tonks.”

“Oh, really?” Erin snapped around to look at him, she was feeling slightly annoyed once again. Why was he bringing her up?

“Don't take what she said personal.”

“Oh, and how do you know what she said? Erin barked.

“She told me” Remus stated, calmly, he seemed to always keep his cool.

“And you two are so close that you know she's just Tonks and you know she didn't mean it?”

“Well, we're both in the Order... we do tend to be around each other...”

Just then Sirius walked back into the basement kitchen, a ratty, old book in his hands, he looked from Remus to Erin and once he seen the look on Erin's face he rolled his eyes, he placed the book in front of where Erin was once sitting.

“Here's the book.”

“Thanks” she muttered, Sirius took his seat once more and gave Remus a knowing look.

“Erin, if you’re implying that I...”

“Don't worry, I'm not implying a thing” she said, sarcastic, looking down at the book Sirius just gave her.

“Tonks is an excellent Auror and a great asset to the Order” Remus stated, Sirius made a noise, as if trying to tell Remus he wasn't helping himself.

Erin huffed, fixing her hair, trying to find something to do with her hands.

“Well, if you think she is so great and you like her so much, why don't you marry her?” she barked, Remus looked truly dumbfounded and Sirius; who just took a sip of wine, chocked slightly. She scooped up the book quick and looked at them, angry. “I'm going to bed.”

And with that she stomped out of the room. But before she got too far she could hear their voices.

“Well, you seemed to have dug yourself a lovely hole, Remus, my friend.”

“What did I say that was so wrong?” Remus asked, he sounded confused to say the least.

“In Erin's eyes you took Tonks side, it's not wise to pick sides when it comes to women who both seem quite taken with you, one is bound to get jealous of the other and that is exactly what has happen” said Sirius, seriously.

“I didn't take anyone's side...” Remus trailed off, sounding annoyed now.

“But you defended Tonks.”

“I defended Erin when I was talking to Tonks.”

“And how did Tonks take it?” Sirius asked, Erin couldn't see either of them, but she knew Sirius was smirking.

“She...er…she left.”

“My point, Moony” Sirius said, with a bit of a chuckle. She heard Remus sigh and then a chair move; she knew he was leaving the kitchen. Erin broke out in a run trying to get to the stairs and up them before Remus got to the hall.