MetaFic

Ginny Weasley sat up in her bed and looked at the two reasons she couldn't sleep. Ginny blew out an exasperated breath. She knew the real reason she wasn't sleeping was because they would all be moving to the new Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix in the morning after breakfast, but her current roommates weren't helping the situation.

Ginny quietly pushed back the covers and slipped from her bed. She looked at Hermione and Luna, both sleeping away despite their own noisy natures. Hermione was snoring softly. Ginny knew she did this, having shared a room with her before, but for some reason it was bothering her more this time, it seemed somehow louder. Luna, on the other hand, slept quiet as a church mouse, except that every couple of hours she would sit bolt upright, and make some absurd statement about tapioca or Nargles. Sometimes it would be absurd statements about both tapioca and Nargles. Ginny wondered just why she had lobbied McGonagall so hard to allow Luna to stay with them overnight.

As she left the room she considered shifting into Ginger and sleeping at the foot of Harry's bed. She had gotten rather used to cuddling up with the black-haired boy, even if it was cuddling in her feline form. But she knew that there would be no respite in the boy's room either. Ron was legendary for talking in his sleep, and everyone who lived in Gryffindor Tower knew that Neville could engage in the most prodigious of snores. As for Harry, he slept restlessly most nights, tossing about in his dreams. No, the common room was her best bet if she wished to catch anymore sleep.

She softly padded down the staircase, but as she rounded the last turn she saw lights coming from the common room. She peered around the corner, searching for any sign of life in the room.

Nymphadora Tonks, her hair in a pixie bob and pale blue, was seated in one of the big squishy chairs. Her wand lay near her right hand on the arm of the chair, and a crossbow sat on the floor within easy reach. The chair had been turned to face the portrait hole. Her eyes were closed, but Ginny could tell she wasn't asleep, mostly because of the small smile forming on Tonks' lips.

"You might was well come down and join me," Tonks whispered.

Ginny stepped off the last two stairs and crossed the room to plant herself in a chair near Tonks. The older woman opened her eyes and gave Ginny an appraising look. "Can't sleep?"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, my roommates are a bit too noisy tonight."

Tonks smirked. "Or maybe you've just gotten used to a different bed?"

Ginny had the decency to blush, though she also gave Tonks a small laugh. "Please don't say something like that around my mother. She'd start carrying on about her only daughter being a scarlet woman, then send me off to that nunnery she keeps threatening me with."

"And how long do you think that nunnery would hold you?"

"About ten minutes. I'm Fred and George's sister, after all."

Tonks laughed. "A whole ten minutes?" She shook her head, letting her pale blue hair turn purple. "Would you like something? Tea? Cocoa?"

"What time is it?" Ginny asked.

"Four-thirty-six."

"Then tea I think, I might as well just stay up."

"Do you take anything?"

"Double sugar."

Tonks took her wand and tapped the table next to her. "Black tea, hot, two cups, one double sugar, one cream." Two cups of steaming liquid appeared on the table. "Dobby's been seeing to our needs while we're here."

Ginny took a sip of her tea. "So, why the extra guard? I thought Hogwarts was supposed to be the safest place in the world?"

Tonks grimaced. "We're taking no chances after the last fiasco. Until the Order is in its new Headquarters and under Fidelius, nothing is being left to chance."

"So where are we going?" Ginny asked casually.

"You'll know in about six hours where you're going."

"Fair enough," Ginny said, bringing her teacup to her lips.

Tonks' face took on a sly look. "So how does Harry look naked?"

Ginny spat hot tea across the common room. "Who–who told you that?!"

Tonks laughed. "Moony got it out of Harry during their little after-dinner meeting."

Ginny remembered Professor Lupin walking up to Harry as they finished dinner. He had put his hand on Harry's shoulder and looked extremely grave as he told Harry they needed to have "a talk in private," in a low voice. Ginny had looked around the table at the adults, trying to determine how serious the situation was. She had caught her parents exchanging a knowing smile, and the amused gleam in Moody's eyes had informed her that it couldn't be too bad.

"So Professor Lupin knows? And he told you?" Ginny demanded.

Tonks allowed her hair to change to a deep chestnut and lengthen out to fall softly around her shoulders. She started playing with it, twirling it between her fingers. "You'll find, Ginny, that there are few things we can't get our men to tell us with a little persuasion. Remus giving Harry "The Talk" was too good to pass up. I simply had to know what happened."

Ah, Ginny thought, The Talk. Now I understand why all the adults seemed so amused. Ginny smiled widely. "So how did Professor Lupin handle that little duty?"

"I can't tell you that Ginny, it's private between the boys," Tonks laughed.

Ginny gave a little mock pout. "Not even if I invoke the Most Unbreakable Bond of the Sisterhood among Women? I mean really, Tonks, this should fall under the whole Important Girl-Talk Clause."

"I'm sorry, Ginny, I can't this time," Tonks laughed. "Though if it's a "Talk" you're looking for–"

"Oh no! Mum's already given me that little lecture, thank you."

Tonks leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner. "I'm sure Molly Weasley gave her only daughter a right proper "Talk" about boys and girls and where babies come from. That's not the kind of talk I was suggesting," Tonks wagged her eyebrows in a salacious manner. "I was thinking about what you're supposed to do with a bloke once you've got him, and how you make sure to keep the both of you -- happy.”

Ginny blinked. "Um, Tonks, you realize I'm not quite fifteen, right? Even if I do have Harry, I'm thinking a lot of that stuff is still sometime off from happening."

Tonks chuckled. "True, you're not ready to do a lot of that stuff yet, but someday you're going to be nearly seventeen, and you might want the extra information. Now sit down and allow your big-sister-in-spirit to impart a little hard earned knowledge."

Ginny took another sip of tea and wondered if she shouldn't have stayed upstairs.

***
At breakfast that morning Ginny kept noticing Harry giving her that look again, the one where he suddenly seemed very determined about something. He had pulled her chair out for her, causing some eyebrows to rise, then he settled next to her and made sure that her plate was full of her favorite foods before he allowed Ron to start filling his plate. For her part, she kept trying not to giggle, but the mental images of a naked Harry and some of the more interesting things Tonks had brought up in their talk kept flashing through her head. She bit down on a scone to help herself keep a straight face.

She looked around the room at the other members of the Order, for as far as she was concerned, she was a part of the group now, underage or not. Her entire family was at the table, Percy having finally been allowed to leave the infirmary. With the change of administrations he would no longer be needed to spy on the Ministry for Dumbledore. It had taken several tear-filled conversations to explain everything to her family, but in the end they had all been very proud of Percy. That was especially so for Fred and George, who could barely believe Percy had that kind of duplicity in him.

Fred and George were sitting down the table from her, their heads together in a whispered conversation. This would have worried Ginny more, except that Professor Lupin was sitting across from them, keeping a casual eye on the two.

Professors Dumbledore, Moody, McGonagall, and Snape sat near the head of the table, deep in conversation, while Bill and Charlie sat on either side of a blushing Fleur. Ginny wondered if she should start a betting pool among the siblings concerning Bill and the French Half-Veela. Ron sat with Hermione discussing the latest news in the papers, with Ron pointing out that the Ministry seemed to be on the ball now, to which Hermione replied it should be, since his father was in charge of law enforcement. She glanced at her father and mother, who both still seemed very sad. The loss of the Burrow, as difficult as it was on all of them, was more so on her parents, she realized.

Neville looked around nervously, taking in everything, while Luna simply took it all in stride. Ginny risked a glance at Tonks, who stuck out her tongue at her. She finished her breakfast and sat back in her chair, determined to enjoy this small moment of calm. She felt Harry reach out and place one hand on her knee under the table and give it a small squeeze. She smiled fondly at him.

Dumbledore stood. "As much as I'm sure you are all enjoying this wonderful breakfast, I'm afraid we must move to our new location. Miss Tonks will give each of you a small piece of paper. You are to memorize the contents of the note, then place them on the tray that Professor McGonagall will be carrying behind her. Please do not speak the words on the paper aloud."

Tonks, after a slight mishap where she dropped the entire stack of notes, stood and started around the table handing out the pieces of paper. Ginny smiled as she watched Neville trying to memorize the contents of his paper. By the time Tonks reached the end of the table she and Harry sat at, Tonks had a confused look on her face.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir, I thought there was a note for everyone present?"

"Yes, there is," the Headmaster confirmed.

Tonks looked around. "Did someone take two?"

Ginny didn't hear the answer to Tonks question, because a small, almost imperceptible sound came to her ears. She looked up and made eye contact with Professor Lupin, who had turned in his chair, his eyes scanning the room. Ginny closed her eyes and, tuning out the ensuing argument between Tonks and Snape, focused on the noise. There it was again, a small scrapping sound, like a mouse or rat.

Ginny's eyes flew open, her pupils wide and dilated. She reached for her wand a split second slower than Professor Lupin, but slightly ahead of Professor McGonagall.

"Stupefy!"

"Petrificatus Totalus!"

All three spells smashed into a point near a corner of the floor by the door. Ginny saw a flash of silver, and then a small grey-furred body with a slip of paper in its mouth dashed into the hallway.

She leapt from her chair, changing into her Animagus form as she moved. Dashing out the door, she could hear shocked voices and the sounds of pursuit behind her, but she was focused on the small furred creature in front of her. The rat, or, as her mind realized, Peter Pettigrew, tried to dive into a small hole in the wall, but Ginny leapt again and cut him off. She arched her back and hissed at him, and the grey rat fled through an open door. Ginny dashed into the room, then stopped.

She looked around, allowing her eyes and ears to sweep the room. She knew this room, having served a detention in here once. It was a storage area where Filch kept old tables and chairs, as well as broken suits of armor, and portraits that needed repair. There was no other exit, unless Pettigrew tried to climb the wall to reach a window. He was somewhere in this room, hiding among all the junk. As Ginny stood there, another cat walked up beside her in a dignified gait. Ginny turned to regard Professor McGonagall in her tabby form. The two animagi took opposite ends of the room, and started working their way into the storage area. She could sense several people standing guard at the door. She heard a voice call to bring Crookshanks and Mrs. Norris to help.

She slunk around a table leg, ears alert, and nose testing the air. She was sure Pettigrew had gone this way; the dust was disturbed. She sat on her haunches and waited, tail swishing. Behind her she heard Tonks cast a levitation spell. The overturned bench she was watching started to rise.

With a startled squeak Peter Pettigrew dived away from Ginny Weasley, right into the razor sharp claws of Minerva McGonagall.

"Hello Peter," Remus Lupin stepped into the room, wand raised. He muttered a quick incantation and Peter Pettigrew was forced from his animagus form to his repugnant human appearance.

"R-Remus...P-P-Please, R-Remus, I--"

"SILENCE!" Remus Lupin's eyes flashed dangerously as he advanced on the former Marauder. "I'll hear no more of your sniveling, no more of your whining."

Peter Pettigrew paled, then lashed out with his silver hand. The sharp fingers took Remus Lupin in the stomach, and the former professor gasped in pain. Pettigrew lashed out with a foot, kicking the stunned McGonagall across the room. He completed the change to rat rapidly, and dived under the legs of the shocked Order members.

He made it to the hall, but no farther.

With a tiny growl of fury Ginny Weasley pounced on Peter Pettigrew, sinking her claws into his flesh. The rat turned and bit her on the leg, causing her to loosen her grip, and Pettigrew started to slither away. Ginny batted the rat hard with one paw. He slid across the floor and struck the wall with a thud. Before he could recover she grabbed the rat by the back of the neck and flung him in the air. As Peter landed on the floor Ginny pounced again and bit down. Peter squealed in pain and tried to wiggle away. Ginny Weasley's sharp teeth flashed for the rat's throat.

"Ginny! Ginny, don't kill him!"

Ginny looked up at Harry Potter. Her fur was on end and her claws were firmly in the rat's body, causing blood from the rat to bead up and run to floor. She hissed at Harry. How dare he tell her to stop! This was Peter Pettigrew, the great traitor! He was hers to kill! She puffed up her tail and hissed again, anger and bloodlust taking over. She flexed her claws and the rat squealed in pain and fear.

Harry dropped to the ground to face her. "I know what he did. I know who he is, but please, Ginny, I wouldn't let Remus and Sirius become killers over Pettigrew. I won't let you, either. Please, Ginny, listen to me."

Ginny's tail twitched once. She took a deep breath and looked at the quivering rat under her claws. Her head struck down and she caught the rat up in her teeth. With a dignity that only a cat could manage, she took the rat to the adults. Remus Lupin, clutching his stomach where he had been struck by the silver hand, took the rat from Ginny. He held it tightly in one hand and brought it to his face.

"You've been terribly bad, Peter. I'm afraid it's time to pay." Remus Lupin nodded at Tonks, who pointed her wand at the rat in his hand.

"Stupefy!"

***

The group gathered around each other in the Great Hall. Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley had taken the unconscious Peter Pettigrew to the Ministry, leaving Moody and a recovering Remus Lupin to handle moving everyone to the new location. There had been a delay as Madam Pomfrey did some quick magical healing to Lupin, but the silver hand had barely punctured the skin, thanks to Lupin twisting at the last moment to deflect most of the blow. A couple of days worth of potions would insure he did not suffer infection and side effects from the small amount of silver that had touched his blood.

While they waited for Moody to make the final arrangements, Ron looked at his sister in a way that drifted between confusion and respect.

"But how did you, Lupin, and McGonagall know he was even there?" Ron asked.

"Werewolf," Lupin chuckled.

"Cat," Ginny smirked

"Indeed," McGonagall added.

At Ron's confused face Hermione sighed in frustration. "Really, Ron, all Animagi and Were-creatures have heightened senses, even when they're in their human form, though not as sharp as their animal senses. Don't you remember the essay Snape assigned in our third year on werewolves?"

"I'll award five points to Gryffindor at the start of term, Miss Granger," McGonagall said.

Harry chuckled at his friends, then turned back to the small redhead at his side. Her expression seemed far away. "Are you all right, Gin?"

Ginny tossed Harry a weak smile, "Yeah, I'm fine, I just need some time is all."

Harry placed an arm around her shoulder and squeezed, "If you need anything?"

Ginny smiled up at him, "Thanks, Harry. And thanks for stopping me earlier. I–I was a bit caught up in the moment I'm afraid."

"It's okay, Ginny, it was a pretty tense situation."

Ginny Weasley nodded in agreement, but her brain was whispering that it was more than a tense situation that caused her to nearly have a lapse in judgment.

The voice of Severus Snape broke her out of her thoughts. "Potter, Weasley, if you can tear yourselves away from your little public display of affection, it's your turn to leave."

Harry and Ginny stepped up and took the bottlebrush from Professor Snape. They both held on to it as Tonks grinned at them and gave the brush a tap with her wand.

Again the familiar tugging came. Ginny felt the ground come up and hit her. She tumbled onto something soft, then rolled over it, ending up on her back. She opened his eyes to find a very amused Harry Potter on top of her. Harry blushed and pushed himself off, then offered her a hand up. They turned and faced a man who was chuckling in a low, rumbling voice.

"Welcome ta th' Order's new headquarters," Rubeus Hagrid said. "Welcome ta Tintagel Castle."