Black Roses

Chapter Four: A Little Liaison

*Ron's Point of View*

This place can really be boring at times. I mean, sure, the pictures have gone off every hour because of Fred and George, but I have no one to talk to - not yet, at least. Ginny isn't here, and she's usually who I talk to. Harry and Hermione aren't here either. I'm really alone, and have nothing to do. I can't even clean the place because Talitha did it so well.

I never knew Sirius had a younger sister. I hear she's just one year younger than him - reminds me of Ginny a lot. I guess that's why they're probably shopping right now and having a great time together already. I understand though. Ginny's been crammed with a bunch of boys; it's nice of Talitha to take her out for a "Girls Day Out" type thing. Still, I'm bored and lonely.

This room's more boring than it ought to be. I guess I'll walk around the house. I mean, I haven't seen all of the rooms in this house yet. I stand up off of my bed and walk out of the door, carefully shutting the door behind myself. I walk quietly down the hall, searching for the door that I've never been in. I finally find it next to an old dark green and black tapestry on the wall.

I grasp the doorknob; it's cold to the touch. I pull my hand off of it immediately; it's so cold that it burns. I look at my hand and it's red. But being that I'm as stubborn as my mum is, I clutch the handle again and try to turn it. A sudden burning sensation courses through my body and it throws me against the wall. I must've hit something on the wall or something fell because there was a loud crash that was immediately followed by the shrill wails of the portraits.

I groan as I cup my hands over my ears. Sirius comes into view and fights with the curtain over his mother's picture. As soon as he closes the curtain and her screams cease, he walks over to me slowly. My head's aching from being slammed into the wall. He stoops down to my level as I rub the back of my head.

"What happened?" Sirius asks me. His eyes flicker to the door in front of me, the one I had tried to open. "Were you trying to get in there?"

He jerks his head to the door in front of me. I have a sudden feeling that I shouldn't have been trying to get in it.

"No, I just tripped," I reply persuasively. He stands up straight, and I get to my feet while rubbing my head still. The back of it really hurts. He looks around, no objects in sight. "You know, I sort of, er, tripped over my own feet."

I have been doing that lately. He nods his head, believing me. Well, thanks a lot, Sirius.

Suddenly, there's a loud crash from downstairs and the portraits' high-pitched screeches start all over again. Sirius glances at me and jogs back to his mother's portrait. While he struggles with the painting, I bound down the stairs.

I land on the first floor and immediately look at the front door when the kitchen door swings open and nearly smacks me in the face. I back up awkwardly. When the kitchen door shuts, I see mum telling off Mundugus Fletcher, who is on the ground. Bill's by the couch; Charlie's leaning against the wall; and Professor Lupin is shutting the door softly.

"I told you to never bang in here or ring the doorbell!" Mum shouts. She can be a very scary person sometimes, you know. "You know that we can't get rid of that portrait!"

Mundugus stands up to his feet. "Real sorry, Molly, don' kill me," he says quickly. Mum glares at him and walks over to Charlie. She gives him a warm hug.

"Hello, Charlie, have a good time in Romania with the dragons?" Mum asks him happily.

Charlie nods his head. "Yeah, they're finally getting use to me," he reply. Have I ever said that Charlie works with dragons? "They only shot flames at me once. Although, it's time for the mum's to come out; there are usually plenty of young tot dragons, there aren't as many out and that has a lot of us worried."

Mum frowns. "I'm sure it's nothing bad," she says comfortingly. She walks over to Bill and hugs him. "Your hair is still the same. You just must let me..."

Bill flips his long red hair. "I happen to like it this way," he chirps. "Gosh, Mum, you haven't seen me for a month and the first thing you say to me is to cut my hair; I love you too."

I grin; Mum rolls her eyes. Bill is so cool. Lupin laughs shortly as he walks over to Sirius to talk to him.

"How's work at Gringotts?" Mum sighs, sounding defeated. She'll never win in the Battle of Bill's Hair.

Charlie grins. "And your tutoring of the Fleur Decalour miss?" he quips teasingly. Mum looks reprovingly at him and back at Bill.

"Both are going fine, nothing unusual except a few days ago when one man looked real sickly and pale and he ordered to get all of his money out of his vault," Bill replies calmly, ignoring the look on Charlie's face. "He took the money and left quickly. Fleur is getting better in her English, too."

Charlie snorts, like a brother would. Mum sighs and then shakes Professor Lupin's hand.

"How is the summer finding you, Remus?" Mum asks him gently. The full moon is in four days; and he is also looking a little peaky.

"Good, Molly, I hope it was the same for you," Lupin says coolly. How does he always manage to sound so nice? I swear, I think Dumbledore's rubbing off on him way too much for his own good.

"Yes, yes, it was," Mum replies. "Arthur's at work and dinner is almost ready. Sirius, do you expect Talitha and Ginny to be home soon? I don't want them to miss dinner."

Sirius has no chance to reply because Lupin interrupts him.

"Talitha is here - in the Order?" Lupin questions quickly. He's looking at Sirius directly, very wide-eyed.

"Er - yeah, she showed up in the beginning of the summer holidays," Sirius replies. I can't tell if Lupin was happy, angry, or frightened. It looks a mixture of it. There's a crash in the kitchen; and Mum jumps.

"Oh, no, the soup!" Mum squeals. Knowing something's undoubtedly wrong, we all dash into the kitchen to see the black cauldron over the fire spewing soup. Fred and George are under the table. Mum looks at them.

"We didn't do anything!" they chorus in unison. Mum seems to think different as she swells up with anger again. Some soup lands on my head. That's just my luck.

~*~

*Third Person Point of View*

The soup disaster had been contained and the kitchen had been cleaned. Though Fred and George claimed their innocence, their mother seemed to think otherwise. Ron was just setting out the dishes on the table when the door opened; Mr. Weasley stepped in. Mrs. Weasley swooped over to him and kissed him on the cheek. He took off his hat.

"Hello, Molly, I hope you had a wonderful day," Mr. Weasley greeted heartedly.

"Quite," Mrs. Weasley simply said. She then questioned, "Did you have a good day at work? Did you see Ginny there? Did you encounter any problems?"

Mr. Weasley sighed. His wife was packing on the usual questions all at once again.

"I had a fine day with no problems, which is very unusual," Mr. Weasley replied wearily. Mrs. Weasley did her best and smiled humbly. "As a matter of fact, I did see Ginny and Talitha at the Ministry."

Ron looked up at his parents as he sat another bowl on the table.

"What did they say?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Well, they were getting ready to go for lunch and they said hello; Ginny told Talitha to invite me with them, but I had work to do; and Ginny told me where they were going to go shopping," Mr. Weasley answered. He glanced at Ron anxiously. He led Molly into the corner of the kitchen. "Talitha also told me that Lucius Malfoy stopped by her office out of the blue for some information on Sirius's whereabouts."

Mrs. Weasley gave a light gasp. "And Ginny was in the same room with that man?" she squeaked worriedly. Mr. Weasley put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Talitha was in room along with her, and he seemed more concerned with Talitha than Ginny," Mr. Weasley reassured her. "Talitha told me that she made sure that Malfoy could do nothing to her."

"Okay, that's good," Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"I could see it in Talitha's eyes, Molly; she was badly shaken," Mr. Weasley told his wife. Mrs. Weasley nodded her head slowly. "I think that sending her to Hogwarts as a professor will be a good change for her, don't you think so?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded her head. "Yes, it'll get her away from Malfoy easily, as he's not so welcome at Hogwarts as he is at the Ministry," she replied. Mr. Weasley nodded his head. The door outside of the kitchen opened - someone was home.

"We're home!" Ginny's voice called. Ron dropped the rest of the silverware and plates on the table and bolted out of the kitchen. The door swung back and forth. Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley walked out of the kitchen.

Talitha was shutting the door; it was still raining outside. An overexcited Ginny was handing Ron a box while holding a large bag herself. Mrs. Weasley could see that her daughter was absolutely glowing with joy. When she saw her mother, she sprinted to her.

"Oh, mum, you have to see my new dress robes!" Ginny squealed with delight. Mrs. Weasley smiled brightly at her daughter.

"Well, go put it on and I'll see what it looks like on you," Mrs. Weasley replied. Ron was tearing his box open in a rush. Ginny smiled brightly.

"Thank you for letting me go with Talitha, mum; thank you so much," Ginny said before she darted up the stairs for her room. Mrs. Weasley walked over to Talitha.

"Ginny's really happy," Mrs. Weasley thanked her. Talitha grinned.

"It was my pleasure, Molly," Talitha noted. "I haven't had this much fun for a while. It's good to be around someone that has gone with the same brother problems; Tonks is an only child."

Mrs. Weasley laughed.

"Wicked! Thanks, Talitha!" Ron yelled boisterously. Everyone looked over at him; he was holding up a pair of leather Keeper's gloves. Talitha smiled.

"Ginny told me that you were a Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team," Talitha said. Ron nodded his head and ran up the stairs to his room. Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"I better set dinner out," Mrs. Weasley quipped.

"I'll help you, Molly," Mr. Weasley told her. They walked into the kitchen. Remus walked down the stairs. Talitha's mind blanked for a second, but it immediately returned to her. She smiled and walked over towards him.

"Haven't seen you in a long time, Remus," Talitha said with a smile as she shook his hand. Remus was gaping at her. The last time he'd saw her, she had been at Sirius's house at the young age of eighteen; he had been nineteen. The light gray eyes were the same; her silky black hair was the same; her smile was the same; and the smoothness of her lips was the same. She was only a taller than she had been - and older. She was no longer a girl.

"Yeah, it's good to see you, Talitha," Remus said softly. "It's been a long fifteen years."

Talitha nodded her head knowingly, wondering why they had never stayed in contact.

"So... how's life been treating you?" she asked civilly. He sighed, remembering that he had been treated as an outcast, left in the dark and alone, then he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher three years ago, and now he was in the Order, still treated differently than the rest. Her fifteen years had probably been better than his.

"Unfair," Remus simply said. Talitha frowned. You see, Remus thought that he had hidden the fact that he was a werewolf from Talitha all those years. He thought that she knew nothing about what he truly was--a monster. But unknown to him, Talitha had found out one day in his last month of his last year at Hogwarts. She had been in her Fifth Year...

~*~

May 12^th, 1978

"Moony, hurry it up now!" James Potter said in a hushed voice. A seventeen year-old Remus stumbled sickly towards him and almost collapsed, so tired and so ill. It was the last full moon of his years at Hogwarts; and it seemed to be the worst. James Potter, one of his closest friends, was bouncing out of worry that Remus might transform in the school. And worrying wasn't one of his usual emotions. Sirius Black, another one of his best friends, pushed Remus on.

"Hang in there, buddy; we're almost there," Sirius said, a feeble grin on his face. "Think of what we're going to do. Just keep that in mind."

"Yes, all of the fun," Peter Pettigrew, his other friend, squealed, fear in his voice. They got outside and James threw the Invisibility Cloak over them. "I'll go." But before Peter could transform, something dropped in Remus's mind: They were not alone outside on the grounds.

"James, someone else is out here!" Remus whispered hoarsely. Though none of them could see it, James's eyes went wide and he gritted his teeth together.

"Peter, get going!" James said through gritted teeth. Peter nodded his head and transformed. He ducked under the Whomping Willow to touch the knot on the tree.

Although she couldn't hear anyone or see anyone, Talitha sensed someone out there--somewhere. She looked around and squinted, but still, she saw and heard nothing but the dark and the outline of the Forbidden Forest.

"Hello?" she called out suspiciously. Time seemed to stand still. Sirius froze in his steps; James's mouth dropped; Peter, in his rat form, stopped; and oxygen halted in Remus's throat, he couldn't breathe. Even the Whomping Willow's vicious branches seemed to pause its attack. Talitha, Sirius's younger sister, was out there in the dark.

Suddenly, the moon came out of the clouds; and Remus could feel it all happening. He couldn't let her see him like this. Not like this. He swayed and time started again. Peter touched the knot; the Whomping Willow stopped; James and Sirius pushed Remus quickly.

"No...don't let her see me like this..." Remus groaned quietly.

"I have no intention of letting her," Sirius grunted as he shoved Remus hard. But it was all too much. Remus started changing, the growls were heard, and James and Sirius were too close to him. Talitha was too close. She could hear, and she could feel the chill.

Talitha looked up into the sky and saw the full moon. She knew nothing about someone being such a thing, but a full moon and growls were not a good mix. She took a step back, grasped her wand, and turned to run for Hogwarts. Remus had changed into a full werewolf.

"Damn!" Sirius snarled as the werewolf snapped at him and pulled out of their grip. "Talitha, no!"

Immediately, Sirius and James changed into their animagus forms and pushed the werewolf down the chamber. No matter how much it scratched them, they pushed harder.

Talitha tripped on something and fell face first into the grass. The werewolf slipped from their grip for a second and jumped out of the tunnel. Talitha watched in horror as it crawled out the tunnel and looked directly at her. Those eyes...it took her breath away and she couldn't move. It growled and coiled to pounce on her-

Two large animals - they sort of looked like a stag and a big black dog - jumped in front of it and smacked it back into the tunnel. The howling stopped and the grounds were silent. Talitha could breath again, but it had still affected her. Those eyes...the look of hunger in them...the look of fear in them...the look of a monster in them...the look of pleading in them... She couldn't get them out of her mind. And then, it hit her.

"Remus..." she whispered. She closed her eyes; a tear splashed into the grass. "I'm so sorry..."

~*~

"Remus...when were planning on telling me?" Talitha whispered. He stared at her. She knew. She knew. How did she find out? Of course, she was one of the brightest people he had known--fifteen years ago--and she had to get even smarter over the course of years. It felt like his heart had plummeted into his stomach, all chance had been lost. But what chance did he have? She was a beautiful woman, someone any better guy deserved, not him.

"I...I guess I should go..." Remus didn't really know what to say. What could he say? Talitha knew he was a werewolf, and that was never a good thing. It was a terrible thing. She would push him away like all of the others. What else had he expected? Had he actually had some...hope--faith that she wouldn't? Had he thought that she would accept him if she didn't know...?

It was there that Talitha saw that same pleading in Remus's amber eyes. As he slipped out of her grasp to walk back into the darkness and aloneness of his room, she felt all of her breath choke in her throat. He looked down at the ground and began to turn to walk away. Another step was made. Another step away from her. The silence was deafening to her. She couldn't let him walk away--not so broken and alone; not so hurt and miserable.

She had waited for this moment and here it was in front of her, slipping out of her grasp so slowly. She couldn't let it go - him go. She firmed her grip on his wrist and he stopped. He looked back at her, his eyes so imploring.

"No...I...I don't want you to go...not again," Talitha said in a shaky voice. Tears threatened her eyes. She wasn't sad, but the moment was so emotional that she didn't know what she was. Remus felt confused.

"Wha-what?" Remus stammered. Was he hearing correctly?

"I don't want you to go," Talitha said with a firmer voice. She took a step towards him. "Listen to me carefully, Remus; I don't care if you're a werewolf. That doesn't make you a terrible person. It shouldn't affect what people think of you. Werewolves are terribly misunderstood. They may cause havoc, but it is not on their account. The human in them can't control the mind..."

Remus couldn't understand how someone like her could think this. Most of every other person he met screamed and ran away from him; shunned him out of their life; and despised him when they learned of him being a werewolf. She was the exact opposite. She calmed him down and understood him; wanted him to stay in her life; she cared about him.

"Remus, you're one of the best people I've met in my entire life. I may not have seen you for fifteen years, but...from what I've heard from Sirius, you still sound like that great guy I knew when I was eighteen," Talitha told him with a feeble smile and tears glistening in her eyes. "Remus, I don't want you to go and think that I don't care about you because you're a werewolf. When I found out in my Fifth Year that night...I-I wanted to ask you about it, but I didn't have the courage to do it. Even through those two years I knew you after you left school, still I didn't do it. I...I didn't want to lose my chance to tell you that I don't care about it. I had to say it now--after everything that has happened, I might not have gotten another chance..."

She looked down at the ground when some tears started coming out of her eyes. She couldn't let him see her so soft, but like she had seen him when he was weak, he saw her. He picked her chin up so he could look her in the eyes. Those eyes...the pleading...the fear...they were the same. She couldn't help but look into them. They drew her in like magnets.

He could see that she had grown up so much - alone and in a world where she was thrown in as a mess. Sort of like him. Now that he gazed at her longer, he could see the likenesses. They had been alone for most of their life; they had been feared; and they had been thrown into something they couldn't control.

"Talitha...I...I can't thank you enough for understanding me like that," Remus said, full of the emotion that he usually hid. "I... Thank you so much."

Just the closeness for them was enough to burn them up. Remus had been feeling it since he'd known she was showing up. He hadn't told anyone - not even Sirius had known - that in his younger days, he had fancied Talitha. And here she was again, as beautiful and bright as ever. This just added more on.

Talitha also had a secret that she'd kept. She had always thought that Remus was the cute one of the Marauders. Of course, her friends had all had a thing for James Potter and her brother - that had been gross - but she was swooned by Remus without him knowing. The quiet, studious, slightly mischievous, Remus John Lupin. Just one smile from him had made her melt into goo and one look from his amber eyes and she could almost faint. Luckily, she never did.

"Remus, I..."

Talitha couldn't speak anymore. And she found her brain spinning madly, as Remus pressed his lips against hers in a rush of energy. Her lips were even smoother than they looked and strands of her silky black hair tickled the skin on his face. Talitha draped her arms around his neck comfortably and began playing with his light brown hair. It had been more than what she had dreamed of as she fell onto him. She thought she might faint right in his arms when she felt him snake his arms around her waist. She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him better, their position was rather awkward. It was better than either dreamed of, and then...

"What are you two doing?" a voice drawled. Both Talitha and Remus pulled away from each other regretfully yet quickly when they heard the voice and let go of each other. They spun around to see the red-headed Weasley twins gawking at them impishly.

"Were you two having a good welcome snog?" Fred asked.

"We thought were heard some smacking; we didn't know that we'd interrupt anything," George added. Remus looked over and saw Talitha's cheeks turn as red as the boys' hair. He tried to think up of something to get them both out of a ridicule of jokes and whatever Sirius may say to her and him.

"Er...no, we were just...hugging!" Remus said awkwardly. Talitha looked over at him and then nodded her head. She turned back to Fred and George.

"Yeah, we were just hugging," Talitha added. "You know, we are friends and we haven't seen or heard from each other in fifteen long years."

Remus nodded his head. But instead of believing them, the twins laughed.

"Yeah, just hugging!" George guffawed loudly.

"Sure, we believe you," Fred replied, his voice thick with sarcasm. Talitha looked over at Remus and grinned nervously. Remus could tell that she was thinking of what her older brother was going to say when he found out that Remus had kissed her - and she kissed back.

"Dinner's ready," George told them, still laughing.

"Maybe we should tell mum to set a table for just two," Fred sniggered thoughtfully. They walked in the kitchen laughing loudly. Remus and Talitha followed, trying to control their blushing.

All of the Weasley family was in the room. Bill was deep in a conversation with Mr. Weasley about the mysterious man at the bank today; Charlie was helping Mrs. Weasley bring over the food to the table; Ron was talking to Sirius about how Buckbeak, the hippogriff in the attic, was doing; and Ginny was sipping her drink at the table silently.

Fred and George collapsed in their chairs very noisily, as usual. Sirius looked up and saw Talitha grasping the back of her chair to pull it back. Something on her face made him think. He looked over and saw Remus sitting opposite of him - and next to her. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and the portraits screamed. Mrs. Weasley sighed grumpily again.

"I'll get the pictures," Sirius said in his usual routine. He rushed out of the kitchen.

"I'll get the door," Ginny squealed. She jumped out of her seat and ran out of the kitchen in Sirius's footsteps. The screams went silent. Ginny came in, bouncing up and down as Tonks, Kingsley, and Mad-Eye Moody walked in the kitchen door with her.

"Hey, Tonks!" Talitha greeted happily as she popped out of her seat. Tonks almost jumped out of her skin in such a surprise and accidentally stepped on Kingsley's foot, causing her to trip. While Kingsley held his foot, Fred and George howled with laughter, and Ron choked on his drink, Talitha helped Tonks up. "How many times today have you done that, Tonks?"

"That's four times," Tonks said grimly as Ron laughed loudly, "in an hour."

Ron nearly fell out of his seat. Fred and George could've died on the spot from laughing too much. Sirius came in as Moody sat in his seat morosely. He watched curiously as Kingsley gaped at Talitha standing there.

"Talitha, what are you doing here?" Kingsley questioned her with surprise. Talitha frowned and placed her hands on her hips.

"I can't believe you - both of you!" Talitha said reprovingly to both Tonks and Kingsley. "You were in the Order - you had contact with my brother - and you never told me? What's up with that? Okay, so I knew you two were hiding something from me - yes, and you too Moody, you're always hiding something - so I sort of followed you first night of the beginning of summer."

Kingsley continued to gape at her. Sirius sat down in his seat slowly, watching the scene.

"You followed us?" Kingsley asked.

"See, I told you someone was following us," Moody growled from his seat. Kingsley looked back at him. "I wasn't being paranoid."

Kingsley looked back at Talitha.

"I think I know when someone's walking right to my old house," Talitha said in a matter-of-factly tone. "I put the Disillusionment Charm on and walked up behind you to hear you speak. I heard exactly what you were saying. I know what you're getting ready to say; Moody would've seen me. I'll have you know that I've perfected my skills when it comes to sneaking around Moody and all of you at the office. I use to do it all of the time to catch any loose information about my brother that didn't come to me."

Kingsley looked shocked; Moody looked as cross as ever; and Tonks looked impressed.

"Wow, that's cool," Tonks said with a smile.

"That's not good," Moody snarled sternly. "If she can do it, who's to say a Death Eater can't do it."

Tonks bit her lip, and Kingsley sighed.

But Talitha shook her head. "No, no, they would have to have been an Auror and worked with you plenty of times to hide from you, Moody," Talitha replied. "And I didn't get that close."

Mrs. Weasley sat the last bowl down. Every sat down in their seats and the talk began again.

Talitha sat back in her seat next to Remus and poured some soup in her bowl while talking to Tonks about where she had been at work, Ginny adding bits and pieces happily. Mundugus was slurping his soup rudely and not talking to anyone. Sirius decided to talk to Remus. Mrs. Weasley was talking to Mr. Weasley and Kingsley. Moody was not talking. Fred and George were telling Charlie how their business was going--very well. Ron was asking Bill more questions about the mysterious man at the bank.

"Sounds like fun, I wish I could've gone..." Tonks sighed thoughtfully. Ginny nodded her head furiously and giggled. "Kingsley had me working second to second."

"You had to," Kingsley chirped.

"Oh, sure, I had to," Tonks muttered. She turned back to Talitha. "Daryl told me that you had an undesirable guest - not you, Ginny, you were welcomed."

Talitha rolled her eyes and took a bite out of her cake. She swallowed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, real unwanted, but nothing I couldn't handle," she replied calmly. Tonks shook her head.

"Yes, but...Lucius Malfoy?" Tonks said, still shaking her head. "Annoying little prat, he is."

Both Sirius and Remus snapped their heads in attention when they heard the name. The table went slightly silent as they all stared at Talitha. She looked at all of them. Even the slurping had stopped; Mundugus was staring at her with wide eyes.

"What?" Sirius hissed acidly, staring at an uncomfortable Talitha. She shifted in her seat.

"Lucius Malfoy proceeded to stop by my office to get some more information on how the search was going," Talitha explained. "He was being as disturbing as ever and tried to scare me. Nothing I couldn't handle."

Moody growled and Kingsley frowned. "You didn't say anything, did you?" Kingsley questioned her.

Talitha looked affronted. "Of course I didn't say anything!" she said angrily. "I told him I wasn't allowed to disclose any information and that everything went straight to you! I'm not thick, you know."

Kingsley nodded his head. "Of course, I'm sorry," he sighed.

"Were you going to tell me?" Sirius questioned.

"Yes, I was, Sirius," Talitha said firmly. Sirius didn't believe her and frowned at her. Remus stared at her. She sighed, frustrated, and stood up from her seat abruptly. "It was a lovely dinner, Molly. Thank you so much. I'm full, okay. I'll be in my room if you need me."

"The meeting's in an hour, Talitha," Molly noted. "And you're welcome."

"Okay, I'll be down when it's time," Talitha said. She walked out of the kitchen and silence rang in the kitchen. Remus sighed.

"I don't think you should've treated her like a little girl again," he murmured to Sirius. Sirius sighed grumpily and took another bite of his cake. He swallowed and shook his head.

"I just don't want that guy to be anywhere near her!" Sirius said angrily. Mr. Weasley exhaled and let the tension flow away. Everything started up again.

Mrs. Weasley started telling Fred and George to stop making Ron's food spin as Ron tried to stop it; Tonks was making Ginny laugh by changing her eyes and nose; Bill was talking to Sirius; Mr. Weasley was talking to Remus; Kingsley was asking Charlie how his dragons were doing; and Moody and Mundugus weren't talking to anyone. Moody was watching everyone and Mundugus was eating.

"AHH!!!"

Sirius jumped out of his seat quickly. Ron jumped in his seat. Remus whipped his head to the kitchen door. Mrs. Weasley grabbed Mr. Weasley's arm. Fred and George stopped laughing. Bill choked on his drink. Ginny went pale. Charlie stopped talking. Mundugus started coughing on his food. Kingsley grabbed his wand. Moody fixated on the door. Tonks fell out of her seat. She grabbed the back of the chair and pulled herself to her feet. Everyone stared at the door. No one noticed that the portraits didn't start screaming.