A/N: Hello! As you probably can tell, this is a fic about the Marauders. Where I'll try to follow as canonically as possible, allow me to apologize firsthand if I don't. This is how a group of my nearest and dearest and I imagine their lives going down. I do so hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the right to love banana pudding.
Chapter One: "All Good Things..."
(Prologue)
In Godric's Hollow, in a little cottage set down a winding road, remained the ruins of a legacy of friends that got their start during the height of the worst wizarding war to date. The hardwood floor was littered with letters, photographs, and mementos that meant nothing to the world. Their presence wouldn't woo masses. They wouldn't put an end to the reign of the Dark Lord. They were just hollow reminders of the lives of the witches and wizards who fought the battle together.
Who, you may ask, are these people? Well, allow this story and me to tell you. These men and women were a part in the original Order of the Phoenix. They were young, agile, full of life, but most importantly, they had stories. They had lives, and as short as some of them were, they were as full as one could hope for.
This is the tale of how they lived and died as heroes.
(Hello, Hello)
The platform was loud, crowded, noisy, just as it had been every time he made this trip. Students shorter than he, not that his height gave much room for any other option, although some did meet that standard, roamed around beside the massive cherry red locomotive. Parents shouted last minute warnings. Somewhere to his left a trolly turned over. Owls hooted.
He took a deep breath, sighing at the heavily scented, smoky air. It was utter chaos, and it was perfect...
"You still haven't answered my question," a blonde girl to his left piped up, only just coming through the barrier herself.
Well, nearly perfect.
James Potter rolled his eyes, tightening his grip on the cart in front of him. The rose colored scene he had seen seconds before evaporated in front of his eyes, and in it's place formed his reality. He clamped his mouth shut, insistent on keeping up his silent spell as before, but to his right, a black haired boy had a different idea.
"McKinnon, I'm right here, you know," Sirius Black pointed out.
"Bully for you," Marlene McKinnon replied, but her attention wasn't on Sirius. Her blue eyes were still fastened to James, as much as he wished otherwise. "Didn't you hear me, Jam?"
James' muscles in his jaw flexed reflexively, not because of the nickname, but it didn't help the cause either. Instead of answering, he stopped his cart by the car he usually used for the trip to school. He spared his two companions an exasperated glance before doubling over to deal with the straps.
"'Seems to me he's ignoring you."
"He isn't, and this doesn't involve you-"
"Doesn't involve me? You're badgering him over my presence!"
"I'm not talking to you!"
"For Merlin's sake, shut up!" James had heard enough. Since the three of them left the McKinnon's townhouse, they had been bickering about anything and everything. He jerked up, one of the straps he was fiddling with held in his outstretched hand as he swung it back and forth between his two mates. "Marlene, Sirius is here with us because he's my best mate-" Sirius beamed. Marlene rolled her eyes. "And Sirius, stop annoying the ever loving sanity out of Marlene." That gave Sirius a half pause, but not enough to wipe the crooked grin from his face.
"Merlin, Prongs, I like it when you get all forceful."
"Sod off, Padfoot."
"More like secret broom cupboard buddies," Marlene chimed in.
Both boys turned to her, James' expression darker, and Sirius' face split into a toothy grin. This did not perturb her though, and her signature smirk proved it. She adjusted the strap of her bag over her shoulder, and then crossed her arms, considering them with an air of absolute certainty.
"You can sod off too, Marlene," James said finally, turning to finish the task their argument had interrupted.
"Can and will do." James glanced up to find her slipping on the train, just catching her raising her brows before she disappeared. Sirius chuckled behind him.
"Ever the spitfire, that one."
James sighed, finally freeing his trunk. "She left her things, you know. Expects us to get them for her."
"'Course." Sirius didn't sound surprised at the blonde's scheme, but then again, neither was James.
(Lonely Road)
When she arrived, the platform was not crowed. There were no wayward children running amuck, no screaming conductor, not even one tear being shed by a student scared to leave home. Where she was accustomed to the platform being overrun with activity, possibly with a few of her friends, the most she passed on her way in this time was a forgotten newspaper rustling in the cool September wind. Lily Evans had choreographed it that way. See, she had woken up early that morning with a plan; that plan was to leave her house and neighborhood in enough time to avoid a certain traitorous neighbor, who shouldn't be given enough attention to be named.
She had succeeded, too. Hours later she sat alone in a compartment, already settled in with a book across her lap while the rest of the Hogwarts students bustled around outside the window. She hadn't run into a slick black haired Slytherin boy pretending to be her best mate only to throw slurs at her in front of their entire year, thus causing the premature end to their relationship all together and causing her months of turmoil and... Calm it, Lily.
She hadn't run into anyone at all, to be honest. And that was how she wanted it. Right? Of course that was right, she chastised herself and pushed the thoughts from her head. She had promised herself that morning to enjoy the day at all costs. Pulling her attention from the window, Lily tried again to concentrate on The Great Gatsby. Marlene would be there soon, carrying a steady stream of conversation for the remainder of the ride, which would leave little room for worrying. With a slight sigh, she focused on the text, but she didn't get farther than a few words because, as if reading her thoughts on needing a distraction, the compartment door slid open with a slight bang.
In walked a shorter blonde, her head held rather high as she spoke to two boys outside the door. The girl's hazel eyes were bright, her shoulders relaxed, as she spoke in quick tones with her companions. The taller of the two boys possessed a head of unruly blonde curls and had a crimson tie strewn untied around his neck. Lily recognized him from the common room. The other boy was darker, his hair and eyes, and the Gryffindor thought she had seen him hanging around with Severus a time or two. Both were staring at the blonde girl expectantly, if not a little bemused.
"I'll see you after the sorting, Sevy," the taller one nodded, looking over his shoulder. "-and Frank... Please don't," but she didn't finish her warning because the boys were gone before she could. Lily watched the girl. The girl kept looking down the corridor with a blank expression on her upturned face, apparently watching their departure, before turning back to the room. She didn't show surprise to see it already occupied, then again she probably expected it, but her expression did change to a slightly haughtier one. "Lily," she offered at length, turning to toss her bag on the empty seat.
"Gianna," the redhead replied neutrally. "Marlene isn't here yet."
"Obviously."
Lily raised her brows, returning her attention to the book in her lap. To say Gianna Carter and she had a cordial relationship would have been a grand step up from reality. In fact, Lily was just about certain the only reason Gianna acknowledged her at all was because of Marlene. Where the redhead wasn't inclined to go on most of the risqué adventures that her blonde mate was inclined to get into, the third Gryffindor girl was more easily persuaded. Lily didn't mind though, and even if Gianna wasn't keen on liking her, she at least put up with her for Marlene's sake.
Luckily, the stiff silence didn't last long. Barely ten minutes passed before the mutual friend missing in action sauntered through the door with a bright smile on her face.
"And here I thought the two of you would have thrown a party in my honor," she announced, her mouth turning down in a slight pout. "Or didn't you slags miss me at all?"
The two girls looked up at Marlene and smiled, both beyond used the dramatic entrances. Gianna was the first to recover, raising her eyebrow slightly as she appraised the newcomer: "In honor of what, mm? Finally claiming your crown as the tart of-"
"Language!" Marlene cut in, jumping to cover Lily's ears. "There's a virgin amongst us!"
The redhead under assault laughed, even if the paperback in her lap slid to the floor, pushing Marlene's hands away. The blonde fell to the seat beside Lily, draping an arm over her shoulders and pulling them closer in a one armed hug. "As much as I would rather sit here and listen to you two gush over how much you missed me-" Gianna scoffed. "-I have news that can't wait. You'll never guess who I just saw in the corridor with Marshall Boggs..."
(Say)
"You're gonna have to tell her eventually, you know. Either that or I will."
Sirius cracked one grey-blue eye open, focusing it in on the form of one James Potter across the compartment. He studied him a minute, the latter apparently (decidedly so) unaware of the scrutiny, then finally: "Alright, I give up. Tell who what?" James glanced over the tops of his glasses at Sirius, his hazel eyes boring into the latter's grey. Eventually, the point was received. "It's none of her business," Sirius replied, now opening both eyes and redirecting his gaze to the ceiling.
"She won't see it that way..."
"She might if you started treating her like the spoiled brat she is."
"Come on, that's not fair. I-"
"Grew up with her, yeah, I know."
James grimaced, but didn't falter. "Well I don't want to be brought up in it, Padfoot, and if you don't tell her, that's /exactly/ what will happen."
Sirius scoffed, closing his eyes, but didn't answer. Obviously that was not the response James had planned for, because he tossed the magazine he was holding at the other Marauder.
"I'm talking to you, git."
Sirius grabbed the magazine, throwing it back with a bit more force than James had. "And I'm ignoring you on the basis of you're the one being a git.
"Oh really? Cause it seems to me you're avoiding what needs to be done because you're afraid of what one bird has to say about it."
Another scoff. "Please, don't insult me."
"Then why-"
"Better yet, have you told Evans about you and... What was her name? Druella?"
"Danielle," James corrected, exasperation etched on his face. "But as I've told you thousands of times, I'm over Evans."
"Just like I've told you just as many times how there's nothing between McKinnon and I. Stop being a hypocrite, Prongs."
A moments' pause passed between the two Marauders, then finally James sighed. "Touché."
"Cheers." Sirius laid back on the seat, closing his eyes momentarily before opening them with a frown. "'Wonder where Moony and Wormtail are off to?"
"Prefect meeting? Maybe he skived off dropping his bags off and went there first," James suggested with a shrug, brushing his hand through the front of his hair. "Wormtail probably found the trolley. Last year you pitched a fit because he didn't have any cockroach clusters."
"Did I?"
"Mmm."
"Five minutes and we go looking?"
"Right, but I'll bet he shows up shortly with a buck load of candies."
"And Moony?" Sirius was already closing his eyes.
"Prefect meeting."
"Right." As he said the word, a thump sounded from outside the door. James crossed his legs; Sirius opened his eyes.
"Get the door, Padfoot. I got your bloody clusters," a muffled voice called through the glass.
"Not a word, Prongs," the Marauder warned, rolling from the seat.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Padfoot."
(A Friend In Me)
After nearly an hour of listening to Marlene's rendition of the summer of '77, Lily dutifully excused herself to attend the prefect meeting. It was something she wasn't looking forward to to say the least, but she tried valiantly to smile anyway. The entire trip spent worrying was futile, though, because when she arrived, the Slytherin house was one prefect short.
She sat next to Remus Lupin, her fellow prefect. He looked a little worse for the wear, not an unusual occurrence, but she made a note to check on him once the meeting adjourned. The Head Boy, Frank Longbottom, and his Head Girl, a harsh looking Ravenclaw, talked for a few minutes, listing out new rules and the amended curfew, before dismissing the group.
As the crowd thinned, Lily stuck behind to wait for the other sixth year prefect. Since he apparently had most of his belongings with him, she moved towards him with a smile. "Need some help?"
He glanced up and she noticed a set of dark circles under his eyes. Remus smiled, even though it looked strained. "Nah, Lily. I can handle it, thanks though."
"Don't be silly," she protested. "Here, hand me those." The boy's smile faltered briefly, but he handed over the stack of books Lily had been referring to, albeit a little reluctantly.
A few minutes later the duo made their way down the train. For the first few cars, neither Gryffindor spoke. They shuffled past a few younger students, had to break up a very amorous couple in one, and by the time the fourth car came on them, both were shaking their heads in amusement.
"Even the train ride there is full of wayward nonsense," Lily commented, laughing softly.
Remus cracked a half-smile, looking down at her. "And I'll bet you haven't even run into the worst ones yet."
"Worst ones? Who would that be?" Remus raised his brows, but didn't elaborate. "Oh, you must be talking about your mates," she supposed, hugging the books to her chest. Again, Remus didn't answer, so she pressed on. "Have you seen them?" She asked, eying his luggage pointedly.
"No," he replied without looking back her way. "I took a nap before the meeting, something unheard of with that lot in tow."
Lily frowned, staring straight ahead. As far as she knew, the other three Marauders and he were attached at the hip at all times. Had the group had a falling out? "I see." She didn't. "Trouble in paradise?"
Remus shook his head quickly. "No, no. Just tired, I guess."
She didn't push any further, even if she was less than convinced. The rest of their walk consisted of companionable silence. Lily kept biting back more questions for him, she really was worried, but each time she thought of a question, the sight of how haggard he looked broke the words off in her throat. Upon reaching his compartment, it apparently held his three mates considering the noise coming from inside, Remus offered Lily a sincere smile.
"Thanks again, Lily. It's good to see you."
"Of course, Remus. Maybe we can catch up later?"
He smiled, nodding once before sliding the door open. A chorus of greetings sounds from the door, but Lily didn't stick around to catch the main event. She offered a few fingered wave before turning and heading back the way they came. She walked slowly, in no rush to get back to her own compartment. By then Marlene would be on a wild chase to find the food trolley, Gianna more than likely in tow, so really she didn't have to hurry.
As she walked, her thoughts began whirring. Without a distraction there to keep her from doing it, she found herself wondering why Severus missed the prefect meeting. Was it because of her? Was he avoiding her like she was he? Why did she even care? Mudblood. The word resounded off every corner of her skull, echoing like a drum, causing her heart rate to jump up a notch or two. She shouldn't care, not really. So why did she?
"Oi, you, Ginger!"
Lily halted, turning at the sound of the voice. Up the corridor, coming her way was the dark haired boy she had seen with Gianna earlier. Confused and a little wary, she waited for him to catch up to her.
"Frank, right?"
He nodded, his face a little stern. "Yeah, right. You were in the compartment with Gi earlier, yeah?" Still confused, Lily nodded. "Brill, look, can you tell her to see me after the feast? I ended up with her books somehow."
A dawning look crossed her face. "Of course, you're her brother. Sure, I can." Frank nodded again, still not smiling (it was rather disconcerting) and turned to leave. Then Lily remembered something, and before she thought, she reached out and grabbed his elbow. "Frank," he paused at the touch, but didn't start. Lily pushed forward. "Have you seen Severus around?"
The dark haired boy looked momentarily perplexed. "Snape?" She nodded. "Yeah, in with Mulciber and Avery I believe. Funny you should ask."
Lily felt an odd twist in her stomach at his answer. "Really? Why?"
"Dorcas Meadowes only just stopped me to ask the same thing."
(Straight Laced)
Dorcas Meadowes was not used to being stood up. She liked rules and regimented days and promptly obeyed timelines. She kept her hair plaited down her back, not a hair out of place. She had a strict schedule for herself, and when people messed with that, she was known to get a bit feisty. Luckily enough, her reputation was usually key in keeping people from crossing that line. Usually.
Unfortunately, today her reputation was not enough. Where her morning had started off on track, missing her prefect partner at the meeting had all but thrown her off schedule. This was why she was scouring the train for Severus Snape, instead of enjoying a nice bag of chocoballs back in her compartment with her mates.
Thanks to Frank Carter, Dorcas knew now where to find the missing prefect. The younger Slytherin had relayed his location, without so much as a threat by her, but she figured that was due more to the reason he seemed distracted. It was neither here nor there, though, as she had gotten what she needed.
As she walked her school robes whipped around her ankles wildly. She, unlike the rest of the student population, liked changing as soon as she got on the train. Personal preference mostly, but she found it was much easier to already be prepared rather than scramble about ten minutes before the train pulled into Hogsmeade station.
As she sidestepped a group of Hufflepuffs, her hand brushed against something hard in her pocket. Without thinking about what the square item could be, she knew it was her last letter from Narcissa. If needed, she could have recited the words verbatim from the neatly folded paper, seeing as she had read it more times in the last few days than anything else.
The elder Slytherin had left school in June, leaving Dorcas the oldest girl of their small group. That meant she, metaphorically speaking, was in charge now. It was an honor; one that came with more responsibility. She wasn't concerned, though, even with becoming captain of the Quidditch team and amongst her other school clubs, the pressure was what drove her on, held her to the standard of being her best.
Finally, she reached her destination. The compartment seemed quiet enough, almost too quiet. She briefly wondered if Frank had lied just to get her out of his way. She rapped a few short times on the glass window, and then clasped her hands to wait. Inside the room she heard an exaggerated 'Shhh', then muffled footsteps before the door slid open. A boy with a long, blunt face poked his head out, his dark beady eyes alert. Upon seeing Dorcas, the lines around his eyes relaxed.
"Meadowes," he offered at length, looking both ways before continuing. "Can I help you?"
Dorcas raised a slender brow, considering Nicolai Mulciber for a few seconds before answering. "Is Severus in there?"
"Who's asking?"
"Honestly, Nic? Move aside-" she made to slip past him, but he held fast to the door. Dorcas' eyebrows shot up in mild surprise. "Disobeying and order from a prefect? That's unwise even for you."
The blunt faced boy sneered. "He's not here."
"You're sure?"
"Did I stutter?"
The female Slytherin pursed her lips, obviously not convinced, but catching the point. "Fine, if you see him-" she raised her voice in case Severus /was/ inside the compartment. "-let him know I'm looking for him, and if he doesn't turn up before the feast, I will report him to Professor Slughorn." With that being said, she turned and walked away. The look on Mulciber's face didn't bode well for her message being relayed, but she wasn't overly concerned. She now had something else to decipher with her time, and that was what her fellow housemate was so keen on keeping a secret.
(Just Breathe)
It had taken a while, but she did it. She was finally alone, making her way to the back of the train with one soul thought in mind. I need a smoke. The day had started on a bitter note (that should have been her first clue), not to mention her surprise caravan to King's Cross (another subject she didn't care to recount). In short, Marlene McKinnon had been finished with the day before the train had even left the station.
To be fair to the others, even the surprise caravan, they never stood a chance. Her real problem left the country a week ago on 'business' without so much as a word to their one and only daughter.
Marlene stood at the end of the train, staring down the stretch of tracks sprawled behind. By the look of the landscape she figured they would be at the school within the hour, and part of her really was excited over the fact. So much so that she was able to play the part all day long instead of ruining anyone's first day back. Well, maybe she had been a slight bitch to James, but he deserved it. Not even so much as an owl for a heads up. He was lucky she hadn't hexed him on principle when he showed up on her stoop with Sirius. Hell, if she saw him right then she might-
"Contemplating a swan dive?"
Marlene lurched to the side, her hand already reaching in her back pocket for her wand, but by the time she had it drawn, it was futile. James Potter stared down at her, an annoyingly smug grin on his face and one of his black brows arched into his hairline. Her wand dropped to her side.
"I was just thinking about you, actually."
"Ah, needed some cool air then?"
"Disgusting." Marlene pulled a face, but James didn't miss a beat.
"Don't worry, it happens to a ton of birds. Haven't you heard I'm quite dashing?"
Marlene continued staring at him, her brows raised slightly in amusement.
"Alright, alright. What about me, Princess Pissed-Off?"
Marlene did crack a smile that time. "I'm not pissed off."
"'Could have fooled me."
"Well, that's not very hard to do, is it?"
James made a circular motion with his hand. "You're getting off track, here. 'Sure you don't need some air?"
"James..."
"It's a legitimate question," he argued jovially.
Rolling her eyes, she gave up the argument. "I'm just a little peeved you didn't give me a heads up about this morning," she relented, crossing her arms and turning to look out the rear window.
Even though she wasn't looking his way, Marlene could feel his eyes trained on the side of her head. He stayed quiet for a few seconds, and then cleared his throat as he too turned to look out the window. "You sure that's what you want to talk about?"
"Of course I'm sure," she answered all to quickly, and if she had hoped he wouldn't notice, it was quickly dashed.
"You've always sucked at lying."
Marlene shot him a scathing look, but he simply stuffed his hands in his pockets without looking at her. She pushed on: "Maybe I needed to talk to you alone this morning..."
"We're alone now," he pointed out.
"That's not the point-"
"Then what is the point exactly?"
"That you bombarded me with Sirius before the day even started!" She turned to face him, then, her hands moving automatically to her hips. James turned his head, considering her with a half-cocked smirk.
"D'you know how much you look like Pam when you do that?" Marlene groaned.
"Don't change the topic, James."
"I'm trying to get to the actual topic, Marlene," he countered smoothly, turning to lean against the wall in one swift motion. "You're the one who's fighting it."
Marlene clenched her jaw, annoyed with how perceptive he could be mostly. They stared at each other in stony silence (stony on her end; James kept his annoying smirk). Then, almost pathetically, her shoulders slumped. "I'm just not ready to talk about it, I guess."
James nodded, then after a second, moved from the wall. His expression never changed, although Marlene thought she saw something different in his eyes. "We should probably get dressed." She nodded. "Wouldn't want to miss the pudding."
Marlene forced a half-smile, waving him on. "I'll be on in a few. Go on, I'm fine. No suicidal thoughts here."
Again, James nodded. He paused momentarily before moving his hand to ruffle her hair. "You'll be alright, McKinnon."
"You sure about that?" she asked, half-teasing, half as serious as she could be. James cracked a grin, already backing down the corridor.
"'Course I am. And lets be honest, how often am I wrong?"
(Surprise, surprise)
The feast was grand as usual. Candles floated fifty feet above the students' heads. Sounds of laughter and chatting filled the room. The sorting came and passed without too much fuss. Everything was as it was the year before.
Except for the new Defense professor.
Dumbledore had stood at his podium, his silver beard swaying with his talking, and announced a Thadius Devillè as the man filling the spot. Sirius thought he sort of looked like a pincushion with his purple velvet robes and wiry gray hair, but he figured anything would be better than the timid witch who had been too intimidated by the class to teach the year before.
The headmaster finished his speech; the usual reminders a la Filch included, and clapped his hands. At once the four long tables, along with the staff's, filled to the brim with more food than should have been possible. Sirius, along with most of his house, immediately began piling their plates high.
"So Pads," Remus Lupin started, buttering a roll to his left. "Prongs wrote me about your new living arrangements."
Sirius nodded, but didn't answer due to his full mouth.
"You moved?" asked Peter, also with a full mouth, from across the table where he sat next to James.
"Yeah, sodding git showed up at my house at three in the morning after Bellatrix's wedding," James interjected.
"You couldn't have written?"
Sirius glanced up, his face less than apologetic. "I was busy."
Remus scoffed. "He bought a motorcycle."
"A what?"
James leaned forward, nodding. "One of those two wheeled cars. It's a Muggle contraption," he explained. "'Spent nearly every day in that bloody garage working on it."
"Like you weren't excited about it too, Prongs," Sirius argued. "You were out there nearly as much as I was,-" A sly grin crept onto his face. "-when you weren't with Daphne, that is."
"Daphne?" echoed the other two Marauders.
"Danielle," said James, glancing up the table (to Lily, no doubt). "And it was a two week fling, nothing serious."
Peter still looked confused. "But why did you buy a motorbike?"
"To look pretty in the garage, Wormtail," Sirius snapped sarcastically. "Why else?"
Remus rolled his eyes. "He thinks it's a bird magnet."
"Did you tell him everything I said, Prongs?" Sirius asked James, who grinned in response.
"Didn't know it was a secret, mate."
Sirius rolled his eyes with a grin, and instead of answering looked around the hall. His eyes habitually landed on the Slytherin table, and before he knew it, on Regulus. Clenching his jaw he moved on, noting Dorcas Meadowes in counsel with Professor Slughorn, but since he hadn't done anything worth reporting (yet), it didn't keep his interest. Turning back to his mates, he stabbed at a piece of meat on his plate.
"So guys, I'm rather bored..."
"...and that's why I didn't try out for the team," Gianna Carter finished her explanation to Marlene.
Lily had been scarcely listening to the story, but what she caught of it was that her parents forbade the girl to go out for the team. Sad, really, but it was none of her business. Besides, her brain was off on a torrent somewhere else. Every so often she found herself glancing to the Slytherin table, and each time she was no less shocked to find Severus Snape still missing. She had caught sight of Dorcas Meadowes, the sixth year girl prefect from the house, and had to restrain from going to ask her about it.
She shouldn't care.
Glancing down the table again, she noticed Frank Carter in deep consult with a group of his friends. As if shocked, she remembered his request from earlier.
"Gianna-" she called out, unintentionally cutting off Marlene mid sentence.
Both blondes shot Lily an inquisitive look; Gianna's slightly haughtier. "Yes?" Even her voice was clipped.
Lily suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Frank asked me to tell you he ended up with some of your things. Books, maybe, anyway, he wants you to see him after the feast."
"When did you see Frank?" Marlene asked, looking confused as she reached for her goblet.
"On the train after the prefect meeting."
Gianna looked skeptical. "Why would he tell you?"
"Apparently he recognized me from the compartment," Lily replied, slightly annoyed.
The blonde's exchanged looks. Marlene was the first to shrug, turning back to Lily with a grin. "Just as well, then. Gi and I were going to go the Astronomy Tower for a little welcome back celebration. We can just swing by there on the way," she paused, her grin widening. "You know, you should come too."
Both Gianna and Lily started at that. "What?" they echoed in unison.
Marlene merely shrugged. "I want to spend time with both of you. Seems the best plan."
"No, I don't think so. I have... To unpack and-"
"Nonsense. You're not spending your first night back moping in that depressing room."
"I do not mope Marlene-"
"'Course you do. Not like us normal kids but-" she grinned, then quickly forced a dramatic pout. "Come on, Red. I haven't seen you all summer."
Lily spared a glance to Gianna who looked about as happy with the plan as she felt. "Maybe another night."
Marlene shook her head. "No, tonight. Even Gi wants you to come." She turned to give the second blonde a look. "Right?"
The girl didn't look very positive when she said, "Sure." In fact, reluctant would have been a huge understatement, but Marlene's excitement all but made up for it. She clapped her hands together excitedly.
"That settles it then. You're coming."
"I suppose so..."
(Déjà Vu)
After the feast, Lily, as a prefect, had to join Remus Lupin and her other house prefects in assisting the first years to Gryffindor Tower. Marlene had assured the redhead they would wait, so when she finished her duties, Lily made to find the other girls.
It didn't take long, though. In fact, finding them had been more luck than actual work. Not finding them in their dorm or in the common room, she decided to go check the Great Hall, but she didn't get that far. As she climbed out of the portrait, she was greeted by both girls leaned against the opposite wall.
"Brilliant," Marlene beamed. "To the dungeons, then?"
And so they went; down the winding staircases, deep under the castle to the dungeons. The torches flickering on the walls cast an eerie glow on the three girls as they walked. Marlene and Gianna kept up a steady stream of conversation, leaving Lily seldom to pitch in. Before they knew it, they were stopped in front of an ordinary looking wall.
From years of friendship with a Slytherin, Lily knew this was the opening to their common room. Being there was sort of like having a creepy sense of déjà vu for her. She half expected Severus to come slinking out of the wall, wearing a sheepish face and trying to apologize. Shaking her head rid of the thoughts, she crossed her arms. Gianna stepped forward, Lily assumed to make their presence known, but before she could, the wall slid open.
The three girls instinctively stepped back, eyes wide on the door, but Lily's eyes nearly doubled when she spotted the reason behind the commotion. Severus Snape, along with a very frazzled looking Dorcas Meadowes, sidled through the opening. The latter looked a bit surprised to see them, but not enough to stop her mission apparently, because without so much as a word, she cast them an odd look and kept on walking. Severus, on the other hand...
"Lily..." He said at length, his voice a mixture of breathless and shocked.
The three spectators looked on with attentively; Dorcas looked less than appeased, really, Marlene more wary, and Gianna simply curious. Lily tried to ignore them as she worked to keep her emotions in check. With more gumption than she felt, she crossed her arms and met his black eyes.
"Severus."
"What are you-" he cut off with a look to Marlene and Gianna, obviously just noticing them. Whatever happiness was on his face vanished then. "Oh, I see…"
"Not here to see you, obviously," Marlene piped up, moving closer to Lily. Severus narrowed his eyes, but Lily held up her hand before he could reply.
"Gianna needs to see Frank. Could you get him for us?"
The Slytherin clamped his mouth shut, offering a curt nod and turning back, but Dorcas stepped past him instead. "I'll go," she commanded, a slight trace of heat in her voice. "Get your conversation finished before I return, though. Professor Slughorn is waiting."
She vanished through the wall, leaving the other four staring after her. Marlene was the first to recover, turning her attention back to the boy.
"There won't be a conversation, Snape," she told him in matter-of-fact tone. He sneered at her, opening his mouth to reply, but Lily just couldn't take it. For the second time, she held her hand up, bringing the attention back to her.
"Marlene, it's fine-"
"Lily..."
"I said it's fine." She met Marlene's blue eyes with a pleading look. Her friend looked less than certain, but nodded.
"Alright, we'll wait over here," she conceded, then to Severus: "Right over here."
He watched her go, like Lily, dragging Gianna away. Then he turned to her, the sneer not quite gone from his face. "I thought you weren't speaking to me."
"I'm not."
He raised a brow. "But-"
"I'm giving you two minutes to say what you need to say."
"Lily, I'm sorry-"
"I would suggest you spend it saying something other than that."
He took a deep breath, stepping towards her as he fidgeted with his hands. "It wasn't my fault..."
"Oh? Then who's fault was it?" Her voice was like ice.
"You know who..."
"I'm tired of this, Sev. You can't blame everything on him."
The Slytherin recoiled. "But it's his fault!"
"He didn't force you to say that-that-that word, Severus! You did that. On-your-own."
"Yes, but-"
"No!" Lily didn't need a mirror to know how red her cheeks had become. She was furious. Her heart beating was so loud in her ears. "No, no more excuses. You did this. You-you ended this friendship, if it could even be called that-"
"Lily..."
"It's done, Severus." Her jaw was set though his was lax. She looked ready to kill, he ready to cry. She didn't care. She didn't care. She didn't care.
"Ready, Severus?"
Dorcas had returned with an amused looking Frank Carter in tow. Instead of waiting for his response, Lily turned on her heel to leave. She couldn't be around him any longer. Whatever she had hoped he had come to terms with over the holiday was shot to hell. He hadn't changed. He would never change.
She had almost reached the next floor when she heard footsteps behind her.
"Lily, for Merlin's sake, wait!"
She turned to find Marlene closing the distance between them at a jog. Her face was etched in worry, which only made Lily feel worse.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm sorry, Marls. I just- Well I don't much feel like being out now."
Marlene's face fell even further. "You sure? We can go devour my stash of Honeyduke's finest and-"
Lily shook her head. "No, no I really just want to be alone."
"You're sure?" Again the redhead nodded. "Alright, but if you change your mind, you know where to find me..."
(Night Rider)
James Potter always liked the Hogwarts grounds most at night. He liked the way the steady winds blew the trees. He liked how very quiet everything seemed. He liked laying on the quidditch pitch staring at the stars. In short, James liked how liberating it was to be alone.
He loved his mates, too, but on nights like that one, he found solitude easier to think. In his dorm, he knew the other three Marauders were probably a bottle deep already at Sirius' hand. He would join them eventually, but after the feast he had skived off, telling them he was taking a walk.
What he didn't say was he was avoiding going to the common room because he wasn't quite ready to see Lily, yet. They hadn't spoken since the previous June when... Well, he didn't need to rethink it. He had done that all summer. It wasn't his fault, he knew, but he still felt a pang of guilt every time he remembered the look on her face.
Then there was Sirius. As belligerently happy as James was to have him living with him, he didn't think he could take the 'subtle' looks of worry from his mate anymore. The words Sirius was bound to say sat right under the surface, and James just didn't think he was ready to talk about it yet. His parents, that being. Over the summer, their workload had nearly doubled, and even though both had assured their 16 year old son there was nothing to worry about, he hadn't been born yesterday. He read the paper. He saw the rising threats. He wasn't daft.
Those were the reasons James was strolling through the courtyard with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets and his brain even deeper in thought. He was so lost in them, in fact, that he didn't notice the sniffling noises to his left until he had nearly passed the source.
"Evans?" He prodded, just making out a head of red hair leaned against the stone wall.
It was her, alright. Lily was sat against the wall, her knees drawn to her chest, and her head leaned down on the tops of them. At his words, though, the sniffling stopped and her head shot up. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, but that didn't stop the shock from registering on her face at the sight of him.
She frantically swiped at her tear stained cheeks before replying: "Potter."
"Pardon my intrusion, but are you alright?"
She scoffed. "Do I bloody well look alright?"
James raised his brows, second-guessing his choice to ask. "Honestly? You look like hell."
She glared at him. "Sorry, I didn't expect company. You can go as quick as you came if it bothers you so much."
But James didn't go. In fact, he moved closer. "What's up with you?"
She held a hand up, halting him in his tracks. "Not to be brash, but you are the last person I want to talk to right now."
"But that was brash," he pointed out. "And I'm just trying to help."
"Well don't!" she snapped, her green eyes flashing wildly. "I don't need or want your help. Why is that so hard for you to grasp?"
James' face turned ominous. "I think it's becoming quite clear, actually," he replied coolly, and then turned to go. Before he cleared a few feet, though, he was forced to halt again.
"Why couldn't you just leave him alone?"
He turned back quickly, setting an incredulous glare on her. "Excuse me?"
She was rising to her feet, the anger not yet gone from her pale face. "If you hadn't been so adamant on making his life hell, constantly picking on him with your group of 'Marauders'-" she nearly spat the word. "-then he wouldn't have-have-"
"What? Called you that word?" James was beyond angry now, his vision completely red. "Are you daft enough to believe that, Evans? I was merely the catalyst. He would had turned eventually because he's poison."
"You're wrong!" She screamed, shaking her head.
"Am I? Am I really? Because it seems to me the reason you're out here sobbing over the slimy git is because deep down you know it too. Severus Snape is bad news. You really ought to be thanking me instead of screeching like a mental basket case."
At his words, Lily took a step back, but her face remained as stony as before. "Leave."
"No, you wanted to know-"
"I said leave!"
"If you want to be alone, your legs work just as well as mine."
She considered that briefly, then without another word stormed past him. James had to fight calling her back, apologizing for yelling, but it wasn't hard to. His anger was fueling the fire too much for that. He ran two hands raggedly through his hair, then on impulse sent his hand crashing into the nearest wall. The pain was instant, but not unbearable due to the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
"She'll be the death of me," the marauder mumbled as he too turned to leave.