Well, here we are folks. This one has been a challenge, I was verging on writers block and it almost went off on a very weird and boring tangent, but I reigned it in! Let me know what you think, I know you're reading it

Plus, I put chapter links on the first post, I know some people find them helpful.

Seven, part one, Red

Teddy was sat at his desk, reading a report on The Movement. It was worrying; all the indications had been that they were beaten and dismantled more than ten years previously. Teddy had been at the battle, he had seen his wife take on the leader, known only as Morgana. She had supposedly taken the name of the enemy of Merlin to mark herself out as formidable. The group that she founded, The Movement for the Advancement of Wizardkind, promoted the old prejudices of both Grindelwald and Voldemort. They had swept through Europe, gathering followers and metering out punishments to those who would not join their cause. They had operated in secret at first, but as their ranks were swelled, they became less cautious and moved into the open. They made an attempt to take over the French Ministry of Magic. Almost all of their Agents had been in Paris when the attack came. Fortunately, a web of well placed spies had warned the French Ministry, who had appealed to other nations for help. Along with other ministry volunteers, the Auror department had gone to join the fight. During the battle, Amelia had come face to face with Morgana. The duel had been breathtaking, the air had sung with the spells that flew between them, the marble beneath their feet cracking as though struck by lightening. Teddy had been facing a masked Agent himself when he heard a terrible scream. Amelia’s face was bleeding and Morgana was cackling with laughter. His wife’s grip on her wand never faltered and she used the distraction of Morgana’s own laughter against her, hitting her in the chest with a spell. For a reason that was never fully understood, Amelia’s stunner had stopped the witches’ heart and she was dead before she hit the ground.

Killing her had tortured Amelia ever since. She had said, over and over again, that killing was not the reason she had become an Auror. She came back to work in the department, but not straight away. She had said that she didn’t trust herself. Teddy had even suggested that she consider transferring to another department within the Ministry. It seemed to be this suggestion that brought her back to work. Smiling at the memory, Teddy wondered if any other woman was as stubborn as his wife.

“Lupin!” Harry’s voice carried across the department. Teddy stood up and made his way into Harry’s office. The walls were filled with photographs, maps, plans and reports. There were a few leather armchairs and sitting in one of them, next to Harry’s enormous desk was Keith Moore.

“Right then, I need the two of you to go and move the occupants out of the safe house. Moore, I need you to remove their memories of the last six months completely. Give them this Befuddlement Draft” he handed over a large bottle “and take them to St. Mungo’s, the Healers will be expecting you. They will be told that they have had an accident and have been unconscious for a long time.”

“Sir, can I ask what it is that these two know?”

Harry gave Keith a long appraising look, as though trying to make a decision. Finally he said, “Morgana had a daughter. Hardly anyone knew, including the girl herself. A Movement Agent took it on himself to tell her. She was devastated, and it’s unclear what happened next but the Agent is dead. She is at risk while ever she knows, mainly at her own hands. She’s incredibly unstable. As I understand it she’s tried to take her own life twice. Save for the occupants of the safe house, only a few people know, you two, me, Hermione Weasley and some high level French Ministry officials. It stays that way. The French ministry have gone to a lot of trouble to make sure that this is suppressed.” Harry’s tone was firm. “Moore, you’re the best Obliviator that we’ve got, so I’m relying on you to wipe the girl’s memory.”

“How old is she sir?”

“Fourteen. She’s accompanied by Susan Bones at the moment. I need you to wipe her memory too.”

Keith’s eyebrows shot towards his hair in shock. He looked deeply uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry sir, but she’s my superior, she trained me… I can’t… She’ll be able to tell, she’d kill…”

“She asked for her memory to be wiped. She is more concerned with keeping the child safe.”

Teddy could tell that Keith still had misgivings. “Are you going to have us wiped too?” he asked Harry pointedly.

“That’s up to you. This information will make you a target, but so do you jobs. You must never tell anyone, including your wives.”

They both nodded grimly.

“Moore, do you know where the safe house is?” Keith shook his head. Harry told him the address and wished them good luck. Teddy and Keith gathered their travelling cloaks and made their way down to the Atrium.

“Ted, mate, is the pillar box red hair a good idea? Considering where we’re going and everything?”

“Good point” Teddy screwed up his face and turned his hair a grey flecked tawny brown. Together they turned on the spot and disappeared.

There were two faint pops as they instantly re-appeared in a rather anonymous London square. There was a scruffy patch of grass which had houses on all four sides. It had not changed very much in the last thirty five years, the houses were still grimy, windows were still broken here and there, doors still had peeling paint and as far as the Muggles were concerned, Number Twelve did not exist.

*****

Remus was trying to read in his room. The room had the same faded grandeur that the rest of the house had, with green and silver silk hangings over the ornately craved bed and a beautiful mahogany desk in one corner, where Remus was now sitting. He had spent a week here, using the books that the Black family had amassed over the centuries to try and find some information for Dumbledore. He wasn’t having much luck and this, coupled with the fact that the portrait of Sirius’ mother seemed to be screaming and cursing every five minutes, had left him feeling deeply irritated. After ten whole minutes of calm, there was a loud crash and she was off again.

“Blood traitor’s brat! Be gone from my house! Shame of flesh, get out of my -”

“Oh shut up you stupid old cow!” A young voice that Remus didn’t recognise was giving as good as it got.

“Foul abomination!”

“Oh, look who’s talking you old banshee!”

Remus chuckled. He stood up and went to the balustrade, leaning over to see who was trading insults with the formidable Mrs Black. He was surprised to see a tall woman with dark hair standing with Sirius, berating the painting. She looked as though she could have been Minerva McGonagall’s sister and her voice just didn’t seem to suit her.

As the meeting was due to start in less than an hour, Remus abandoned his fruitless search and set off to join Sirius and his guest in the kitchen. He made his way down stairs, pausing to pick up the troll’s foot umbrella stand that had caused Sirius’ mother to bellow. He entered the kitchen to find Sirius and the woman talking quickly as he made coffee.

“There you are Remus! I thought that you weren’t going to come down at all.”

“Hello, how’ve you been?” asked the woman, smiling in a very familiar way, as though she was an old acquaintance who Remus had lost touch with.

“Great, thanks.” Remus felt a little awkward as Sirius and the woman exchanged amused glances.

“You’ve not got a clue who I am, have you?” She seemed to find his confusion funny.

“None.”

She screwed up her face, as though she was concentrating, and her features began to change. She became shorter, younger and her hair turned from dark brown to vivid pink.

“Merlin’s beard! Nymphadora?”

“I prefer Tonks, but yes.”

He was struck by how beautiful she had become. The last time he had seen her, she was a child throwing snowballs at his head.

“How are you? What are you doing now? Are you here to join the Order?”

The string of questions tumbled out breathlessly; he had a burning desire to know everything about her.

“Well, I’m fine thanks, I’m an Auror and yes, I’m here to join the cause.” She smiled at him and he found that he was completely captivated.

Sirius presented them both with a cup of coffee. More order members began to arrive and they settled around the kitchen. It wasn’t really big enough for the meeting, but the rest of the house was too dangerous. Hestia Jones had cornered Remus, dragging him away from Tonks and was chattering in his ear about not having seen him in years. After Dumbledore arrived and the meeting was called to order, Remus found that his attention was divided between the discussions of priorities and strategies and Tonks. More than once he realised just in time that someone was speaking directly to him. When their eyes met, he felt a charge surge through him and his body tingled. The rational part of his mind seemed to be completely absent, he couldn’t understand it. What was it about this young woman that had so ensnared his senses?

*****

The interior of Number 12, Grimmauld Place was radically different. The house would be totally unrecognisable to anyone who had been in the Order of the Phoenix. A Ministry team had completely decontaminated it and Filius Flitwick had broken the Permanent Sticking Charms on the portrait of Mrs Black and her precious family tree. It was decorated quiet neutrally now and felt almost like a guest house.

Teddy and Keith stepped through the front door and felt the cold breeze that was gusting through the house. The old building was totally silent.

“This is really wrong.” Teddy’s voice was tense. “There should be…” He fell silent as Keith grabbed his arm. They crept through the hall, wands gripped tightly. When they reached the foot of the stairs, a voice rang out behind them from the drawing room.

“Stay where you are and put your wands on the ground or I will kill the girl.”