The Plan

The Plan
By Augurey

Whispers in the Night
“Don’t be daft, Arthur, that’ll never work!”

“Excuse me, I happen to think it’s a brilliant plan.”

“When you say brilliant, do you mean ‘brilliant,’ as in great or ‘brilliant’ as in bloody stupid?”

“’Brilliant’ as in ‘wow, that would work so well!’”

“CHILDREN!”

Everyone paused, and looked up to find Kingsley Shacklebolt hovering over the end of the table. His was looking at them as if they were all insane. Of course, they very well might have been.

“Arthur, Molly is right. That will never work,” Kingsley informed them.

Arthur Weasley frowned and began scribbling madly at the parchment he had before him. On his right, Molly was beaming while she patted Arthur’s back supportively. “It’s all right dear. It was a nice thought.”

“I just really thought it would work,” Arthur said. Then he looked up across the table at his eldest Son. “Bill, you thought it would work, didn’t you?”

“Dad, I-“

“Oy! Shut up, shut up,” Hestia Jones yelled over the din. She nodded happily when they all quieted. “Now, if we’re going to do this, we have to do it right”

“How do you know which way is the right way?” Charlie Weasley inquired.

“I know because I am a woman you nitwit!” Hestia batted her eyelashes in the general direction of Charlie, and then raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t. Not that I know of, at least…”

Molly rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “What am I?”

“You’re all completely mad,” Severus Snape sneered from a dark corner. “Why don’t you lot just keep to your noses out of business that isn’t yours?”

“This is for the welfare of the entire Order,” Molly said kindly to Severus. “If you don’t want to help, you can very well leave.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, for that stupendous idea,” he said quietly. “I shall send all my copies of Teen Witch Weekly here when I’ve gathered them from their respective hiding places.”

With those words, he stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. They watched him go, appalled by his words.

The door swung open again, and in walked George Weasley, eating an apple and smiling broadly. “Did I just hear Snape say he reads Teen Witch Weekly? Cor, that’s great… blackmail.”

“George Weasley! You sit down and shut your mouth,” Molly screeched.

“All right, men!” Hestia quieted everyone again.

Molly Weasley glared at her.

“… And women,” Hestia finished. “New plan! Here’s what we’re going to do…”

When she was finished relaying her plan to the group, everyone gasped. It was perfect. As she sat back in her chair, a smug look grew upon her face. They all agreed it was the perfect plan and adjourned for the night.

The Plan would go into action that very next day.

…And Then There Were Two
The next morning, the kitchen at Number 12 Grimmauld Place was bustling with members of the Order. It seemed that a great number of them had stayed the night, and others had joined the group for an informal meeting. Also known as breakfast.

Molly was rushing around, making sure everyone got something to eat or drink. Bill and Charlie were discussing something with Hestia. Remus, Kingsley, and Mundungus were eating in silence. Severus Snape had his nose buried in a copy of Perfect Potions. Arthur was talking to a few other Order members, while they happily gulped down Butterbeer.

“…Well, we weren’t going to do that until Christmas-“ Fred was saying.

“No thank you Molly.” Remus pushed a second plate of food away from him. “I’m full, I assure you.”

“Ooh, nonsense!” Molly patted his shoulder. “You need your strength, eat up!”

“… Severus, can you tell us about this new belladonna potion?”

“I don’t think that’s any of your concern just yet, Mr. Weasley.”

“Well, I- I-“

“Wotcher, everyone!”

Tonks walked in. Today, her hair was long and blonde. She was met with silence. Everyone was looking at her.

“Have I got something on my face?” Her hands flew to her cheeks.

“No, you don’t. Come on, have a seat, eat something dear.” Molly shoved Tonks into a chair right next to Remus and practically threw a plate in front of her. “Go on, then.”

Everyone continued talking once again.

“Wotcher, Remus,” Tonks greeted him happily. “Kingsley, I didn’t expect to see you here on a workday!”

“I could say the same for you,” he commented, taking a big bite of bacon.

“Oh, I owled in sick,” she informed them. “I got word from Molly that Remus needed my help today.”

Kingsley watched Remus for his reaction. It was a mix of confusion as well as a small smile.

“I didn’t ask Mo-“

He was interrupted by a piece of flying waffle. Tonks was trying to cut the waffle Molly had given her into little pieces using her wand, though it didn’t work quite that well, and instead exploded into several large chunks flying in different directions. Most of it, however, landed on Remus.

She clapped her hands over her mouth; her eyes wide open. “Remus,” she said, muffled by her hands. “I’m so sorry, I’m so, so, so sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, wiping the bits of waffle off his face with a napkin. “I’ll just…”

“Here, let me help!” She grabbed his face and pulled it towards her while grabbing a napkin from the table, and began to wipe off the waffle.

“Don’t- I- Tonks!”

“What? I’m trying to help you here!”

“I told you not to worry about it,” said Remus, smiling at her.

“Well then,” said Tonks, her grip on his face loosening, but she didn’t move.

Everyone was watching, mouths agape. It was silent once more. A cup of butterbeer was overflowing as Molly tried to get a closer look.

“Sorry,” said Tonks, her face bright red.

“I’ll forgive you one day…” Remus laughed.

The silence was broken once more. No one noticed Tonks giving a sideways glance and a wink towards Remus. No one even noticed when Remus decidedly threw a bit of bacon at Tonks. All at once, however, they all had pressing engagements elsewhere.

“Well, I have to fly,” Kingsley said. “Some of us actually go to work…”

“Some of us need a break now and again!” Tonks scoffed at him.

Arthur looked at his watch. ”Right, I should go as well.”

“Lots of work to do,” Mundungus shouted as he rushed for the door.

“Have to meet my Mum,” Hestia Jones mentioned, dropping her fork. Everyone else excused themselves and moments later, there were only three of them.

“I promised Fred and George I’d meet them in Diagon Alley,” Molly said, as she was the last one. Why don’t you two finish up and make sure the dishes are clean. Thanks, dears.”

They were left all alone, just the two of them.

Remus stretched and leaned back in his chair. “So, d’you think they’re convinced?”

“Who knows?” Tonks rolled her eyes, and then stood up. “Right, lots of cleaning to do. Get up off your lazy arse, Remus. To work!”

For a few moments, they cleaned in silence. Tonks washed off the dishes and then hand them to Remus, who used an old charm he learned from Molly to dry them.

As she was wiping off the last plate, Tonks was about to comment on the charm, when she felt something cold hit her cheek. She froze.

“Remus-“ she began, as she balled her hands into fists. “What did you just do?”

“I was just returning the favor, that’s all,” said Remus. He was trying with all his might to suppress great laughter.

She wiped it off her face and threw the napkin at Remus. “Thank you ever so much.”

Tonks soaked her hands in the water and splashed it in his direction. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Oh no, not at all,” he responded, still trying not to laugh. “Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’re going to help me, aren’t you?”

“If you want me to.”

“Then let’s go, It’s nothing big, just spying and all that,” he said, wiping off her hands with dishtowel and pulling her to the door. “So much evil, so little time…”