The house was quiet, despite the amount of people in it. Tonight was the largest Order meeting held since Harry had arrived at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. There had been several small meetings in the past, but tonight was something big. Natually, Harry was locked out of the meeting, along with Hermoine, Ron, and Ginny. If you wanted to count Dudley, he was locked out as well: his mother was working. She had picked up a part-time job as a cashier in a local shop. The money wasn't bad--it would be enough for her and Dudley to live on once she found them a "more permanent residence."

Harry flipped through his new Potion's text. Hermione was next to him, taking down notes from an even larger Arithmacy book. Next to the studious pair sat Ginny and Ron. Ginny was content reading through a muggle teen magazine her father had bought her. Ron, on the other hand, looked completely bored.

"I can't believe they won't let us sit in on Order meetings AGAIN!" Ron burst out. He started longingly at the door to the kitchen from his place on the stairs.

"Ron, I am sure they have a perfectly suitable reason for it, said Hermione. We are underage, after all. I am sure the Order members don't want to be held responsible for us. If anything were to happen as a result of us attending the meeting. It's a lawsuit waiting to happen," Hermione reasoned.

"What about what happens from a direct result of us not attending the meetings?" Ron challenged.

"What do you mean? Is there really any sort of direct danger we would befall from us not attending an Order of the Phoenix meeting?" Hermione asked.

"Well what about what happened last spring at the Ministry of Magic?" Ron said.

Faces fell. Hermione turned red, ready to argue back, but was interrupted when a small whale sat down by her side.

"What happened last spring?" Dudley asked, inviting himself into the conversation.

Since Hermione had come to stay at Number Twelve, Dudley had lost a lot of his fear for wizards. In fact, he had begun to follow Hermione around like a lovesick puppy dog.

Hermione, who is sometimes too nice for her own good, often complained behind Dudley's back, but was never outwardly cruel to the boy.

"It's nothing you need to be concerned about," Hermione said abruptly. She was having difficulty trying not to be horribly rude, and yet not outwardly friendly either. She reasoned that Dudley would get the gist and hopefully leave.

Hermione then quickly turned her attention to Ginny and the magazine redhead was scribbling in.

"Ginny what are you writing?"

"It's just a quiz: 'What is your kissing style?' So far, it's good." Ginny grinned and turned back to the quiz.

Ron blushed furiously. He quickly grabbed the magazine from his little

sister. "What are you reading?" he cried.

"Give that back! It's just a magazine Dad bought me." Ginny struggled to retrieve the magazine.

Ron quickly jumped up from the stairs still holding onto the magazine. He quickly moved out of his sister's reach and began paging through the magazine. "How to Find the Perfect Boyfriend. How to Look Hip for Less. Dad actually wasted money on this?"

"It's informative for both of us!" Ginny argued. "Dad gets to look at all the muggle devices in the pictures, and I can learn how to look hip for less!"

Ron raised his eyebrow at his little sister. "You call this crap informative? Quidditch Monthly is informative! This isn't"

"Come on, Ron. You know you want to know your kissing style," a smug grin crossed Ginny's face. "Oh, wait. You have to have kissed someone to have a kissing style. Sorry big brother.",

Hermione looked semi-shocked at Ginny's attack. Harry just snorted, swallowing a chuckle. Dudley, on the other hand wasn't phased at all. He was goggling at Hermione from his seat on the stairs.

"I've never been kissed either," Dudley spoke up.

Ron cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at Dudley. "Gee, I am surprised. Why do you think that is?" His voice held a hint of sarcasm.

"Ron." Hermione warned slightly.

Dudley was oblivious to Ron's sarcasm. "I'm not to sure. I think the girls are intimidated by my charm."

Those sitting around Dudley hid laughter in snorts or by turning away, red- faced from holding back snickers.

"Dudley," Harry spoke up. "Didn't your mum need help with something today?"

"No, she's at work," was the reply. "Mum's always at work this time of the

day, you should know that by now," Dudley said. "You never were very smart,

were you?"

"Oh." Harry was stumped. His attempts to ditch Dudley weren't working.

Harry's friends looked up at the insult. Looks of shock covered their faces

when Harry didn't bother fighting back.

Hermione was the first to speak up. "Harry is one of the smartest wizards at Hogwarts. He makes top marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts." Although Hermione may have looked different, she was still stuck on academic achievements.

"Yes, dear. Harry may have book smarts, but it's common sense, street smarts that really count." Dudley sat up a bit straighter, trying to look impressive. "I have loads of street smarts. I've had to save Harry from bullies on several occasions."

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by Hermione. "Dudley, if

you ever call me dear again, I will do more than give you a tail. I'm good

enough to turn you into a pig."

Dudley's mouth fell open and he stared at Hermione.

"Yes, Duddykins, I have heard about your little adventures with Hagrid's

umbrella. I also know that you've done nothing in the past to help Harry.

I'm quite sure the bullies he had to escape were you!"

Dudley's face turned a deep shade of red and his mouth fell open. He sat in silence for a moment, his mouth rudely hanging open and his nose scrunched in confusion. Finally, finding the right words to say, "Harry lies!"

"No, Harry doesn't lie." Hermione stood up her small frame towering over Dudley. "I would stop talking negatively about my friends, or I will be sure to turn you into a pig or something worse."

Dudley looked up, his eyes widened with fear. Over the summer he had grown

accustomed to seeing simple spells performed. The boy was far from

comfortable with magic, but he was used to it. Of course, he hadn't been

threatened before.

Above him, Hermione pulled out her wand. Dudley searched the group's eyes,

looking for help, but he was only met with the cold eyes of Harry and his

friends.

A door slammed shut, and the sound of something dragging soon followed. A voice from the entry way yelled out, "I'm late, if anyone cares!"

Hermione quickly lowered her wand as Tonks' pink haired head appeared around the corner. Dudley quickly jumped up from his place on the stairs and scurried to his room.

Tonks' was dragging a large trunk. She stopped and, looking at the teenagers' expressions, said "What did I miss?"

"Nothing," Ron choked out. His face was rapidly turning red as he tried to play innocent.

"Whenever a Weasley says 'nothing' and their face turns that color, you know they are lying. Come on, what happened?" Tonks' eyes searched the group of friends. "Lovers' quarrel between Hermione and her loverboy Dudley?"

Surprise rippled through the friends. How did she know? Ginny spoke up. "You're kind of close."

"Ha! I knew it! Drama ensues between a muggle and his beloved, only to find that she is a powerful witch. And so Hermione has left Dudley to cry himself to sleep in his room!" Tonks grinned, rambling off her imaginative theory.

Another door clicked softly open and two eyes peered out. The voice of Mr. Weasley spoke up, "Tonks, your late. We need you in here."

Tonks turned around and rolled her eyes at Harry. "They are always giving me crap about being late." She grabbed one end of her trunk and pulled it into

the kitchen.

"Dinner!" Mrs. Wealsey's voice drifted through the large house.

There was a scrambling for seats, and Harry found himself seated at the table between Tonks and a new Order member wasn't familiar with. The man was tall with long graying hair. Nothing about him was neat or prim, but he wasn't anything like Mundungus Fletcher either. This man actually looked (and smelled) as though he knew about soap. The man was dressed oddly, too. His clothing reminded Harry of some pictures he had seen in a text book, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what the pictures were about.

The man noticed Harry's staring and smiled. He said in an American accent, "You must be Harry, the one I hear so much about. I am Maurice Egbert. But you can call me Maury."

Tonks, who was sitting nearby, burst in. "He's kind of like me with my. other name. Although, you're less likely to get backhanded if you call him Maurice."

"Tonks," said Maury. "You know I have never backhanded anyone. The just isn't cool."

"Yes, yes Mr. Peacemaker. No violence. Even though the Ministry of Magic has trained me to kill a man several different ways."

"Tonks, dear, you know you really don't want me to get into how you have turned yourself into a pawn for the government," Maurice said scoldingly.

"Yes, yes. I don't want you to go there. I don't want to have to 'accidentally' hurt you." The two stared each other down before slowly breaking into smiles.

"Maury is our ride to the train station tomorrow," Tonks informed Harry.

Harry nodded. "How are we getting to Kings' Cross this year?"

"The Shagging Van," Maurice said.

Harry's eyes grew wide in confusion. "Shagging Van?"

"Yeah, my van it was originally called the Sex Machine, but someone told me it didn't quite work. If I wanted to fit in I needed some shagging," Maury explained.

"Oh," Harry said, unsure of how he was suppose to reply. He turned his attention to his plate.

Farther down the table sat Dudley, his eyes nervously wandering from every witch and wizard at the table. Every time his hand went from his plate to his mouth it shook, spilling his food onto the plate.

Leaning towards Harry Tonks whispered, "That little lovers quarrel really got your cousin shook up, huh?"

"Yeah, he's really intimidated by the whole transfiguring him into another animal thing. Plus, have you ever seen Hermione mad? She's left bruises on Malfoy!" Harry whispered back.

"Malfoy? Lucius? She left him bruised? When?" Tonks asked astonished.

"Errr.. No. Draco. He called her a mudblood." Harry said giving Tonks an odd look.

"Oh, a girl can dream can't she?" Tonks said looking a little sheepish.

Authors Note: Guess who? It's me again. This little annoying thing called summer cram courses kind of set back this chapter. Needless to say by the time I was done with my cram composition course I had absolutely no desire to ever look at my word processor again. It was really kind of sad. But I am back in the mood again. I have tons of idea where this chapter will be going within the next several chapters. I promise you all that I am going to start establishing Harry/Tonks romantically soon.

Also look for several other fics coming out from me soon. I currently have a one shot Harry/Ginny and a one shot challenged Harry/Tonks in the works.

I have to send out a couple of thanks yous right now. To my beta Merry, she is absolutely amazing. Thanks so much for sticking me out.

Thanks to my Adah, my number one inspiration, it's really you who pushes me to write.

Thanks to anyone who has reviewed or messaged me. Your words of encouragement and criticism really help me. I always want to know what your liking and what your hating, it will only make me a better writer.