It was a quiet pretty summer day in London, and honestly it felt like any other day, it was also a day she would never forget. It was the day everything changed. Marlene woke up around nine and like usual was tangled up in the bed with Sirius. She gave herself a few minutes to wake up before climbing out of bed, only to have Sirius grab her wrist and pull her back down.
"Mm, Marls come back to bed." He said in his tired voice barely opening his eyes to look at her with his puppy dog eyes he did so well.
"Sirius I can't." She replied softly before pressing her lips to his softly. "I have that thing with my family this morning. And my parents would kill me if I was late."
"At least have breakfast with me. You don't even have to be with your parents until what eleven?"
"You'd better be getting up and making breakfast now then. Because I have to shower, and tame my hair, and get dressed."
"Fine, go start getting ready and I'll make breakfast." He said letting her wrist go and giving her another kiss then moving to get out of bed himself.
"Thank you." She called making her way into the bathroom.
Sirius, though he didn't let many people know this, was a really good cook. Much better than Marlene, who was thankful for that because without him she was sure she'd starve. Her cooking just wasn't good and no one wanted to eat it. She'd tried to learn growing up, and her mother had tried to teach her, but it just never really stuck. So she was thankful that she had Sirius around cook for them. He really was one of the best things in her life, and even though they hadn't put a label or anything on what they were to one another it was mutual feeling that they were together.
"Well I'm glad that no one else's is here right now." Sirius said when she walked out of the bathroom with on her towel wrapped around her and headed towards their room.
"It's really not a big deal babe. Besides look I'm walking into our room right now." Marlene called turning back to smile at him before walking in and getting dressed, because she'd be able to get dressed much faster than making her hair presentable. Mostly because getting dressed didn't take much work, her hair however was one of those things that she'd wished wasn't as hard to tame as it actually as it was.
As she walked out of the bedroom she saw Sirius set a plate of food in front of the chair she always sat in, and well her hair could wait a little bit longer. So she took a seat at the island they ate at and leaned across it to kiss him. And really didn't want to stop.
Marlene loved her family, they meant so much to her and she would do anything for them. It didn't matter that she was the baby she still would've done anything she had to protect. She would've died trying to save them if that's what it took. But today of all days she really didn't want to go out. Sirius and herself were just always so busy with Order business that having a day off they could spend together sounded nice. And yea she could've just brought him along, but well she knew him and she knew as much as he loved her and her family he'd rather not spend a day at one of her mothers brunches. Which she couldn't say she blamed him, she kind of hated them herself and only agreed to go because it made her mum happy when she showed up.
"You look nice, super dressed up for a brunch with your family but you still look nice." He said leaning against the island and smiling at her, not a smirk or half a smile but a real genuine smile.
"Thanks. So have you decide what you're getting for Harry? I can't believe the little twerp's gonna be one in like two weeks." She said almost positive that Sirius hadn't gotten him anything yet, which wasn't a big deal but she figured she bring it up and remind him so maybe while she was out or something he'd go out and get something.
"I've already got him something. Don't think I'd forget my Godsons birthday do ya? I got him a broom. It's nothing huge or anything just a little baby broom he can float around on. I mean the thing doesn't even come up more than like a foot off the ground maybe. Have you got him anything Marls?" He joked deciding to fix himself a plate of breakfast too finally.
"Of course I didn't, but I know you and you're always getting things last minute." Marlene told him rolling my eyes at him, "I'm sure he'll love it. I bet James 'll love it too. We both know how badly he wants Harry to grow up just like him. Which of course means quidditch." She added happy that Harry had such amazing parents who were so proud to be his parents. James was just so happy to be a father, and so proud that he had a kid he could call his own and raise to be just like him. Plus well if Harry was anything like James then it was settled that his friends would love him. After all even when James was being a prick he was still one of Sirius and Marlene's best friends.
Sirius rolled his eyes and nodded his head laughing a little. "I don't think I've seen prongs happier about anything, 'cept maybe landing Lily in seventh year. Ah can't forget his wedding day either he was pretty happy about that too."
That'd been a day for sure. Marlene had always thought Lily would give James a chance, or at least she'd always hoped she'd give him a chance. Just because she knew how James felt about Lily, though given how often he expressed his feelings for her it was kind of obvious to everyone how he felt really. The day she actually agreed to go on a date with him however was a day to remember. For a while Marlene had actually thought James was gonna burst into flames or something. And well clearly it'd turned out alright too given now they were married and had a kid. Even if things weren't exactly how we all wanted them to be, it was still pretty amazing that those two were given the chance to start a family.
As far as their wedding day went James 'd been pretty happy. Super nervous, but then again who wasn't super nervous on their wedding day? Even people who were like surer than sure that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with the person they were marrying still got nervous on their wedding day. Or at least that's what she'd put together over the years. Both him and Lily had been really happy though, and it was really nice to see two of her best friends together and so happy. Especially with everything going on now, and then.
"Ya know sometimes I wish things could be simple like Hogwarts again." She said softly pushing the last of my breakfast around with her fork. "I mean I know things weren't exactly simple but they were simpler than now." She added knowing that she was not prepared at all for this war. Though really she didn't think any of them were. Which that hadn't stopped her from joining the Order because well if she was going down than she wanted to go down fighting. It was just so nerve wracking waking up every day knowing everything that was happening. Knowing that any given moment could be the end of her friends happiness. It scared the shit out of her that Harry could lose his parents, that she could die, that Sirius could die. Hell it scared her to think that Harry could die. He was only a baby and deserved so much but for all any of them really knew it could be taken from him. It scared her to think that any of them just might not make it to tomorrow. They'd already lost so many people and she felt so bad for their families and friends. And sometimes she just wished things were simpler.
Marlene felt Sirius' hand grab hers and give it a squeeze. "I know. But we can't think like how you're thinking right now Marls." He said and she nodding my head. She knew he was right, sometimes she couldn't help it though.
Sometimes thoughts like that would just slip into her head and all she could do was think about all the bad shit happening. All she could think about was all the death happening around them, and she hated it. She knew she couldn't think like that though. Because she had to be strong, not just for herself but for everyone.
"It's like ten forty-five. If you're gonna do anything about your hair before you leave you might wanna do it now." He said, and she knew he was trying to change the subject, which she was thankful for. Honestly without him she didn't know what she'd do.
"I'll probably be late." She said shaking my head. "Well hopefully my mum 'll be okay with me being there when I get there." She added getting up and walking into the bathroom to fix her hair. Which took so much longer than it should. Which it wouldn't be so awful if her hair wasn't like this giant untameable mess half the time. She'd thought, even with my hair being a giant mess that she'd be done by eleven and then could head out. And it really wouldn't take that long to arrive since all she had to do really was just floo or aparate there or something it was just a matter of she'd wanted to be there a little early. But wasn't about to leave the flat looking like a mess.
When she was almost done though she heard Sirius talking in a hushed voice with someone in the kitchen, which was odd since she'd thought she was the only other person there. So when she finished she poked her head out the door and smiled when she saw Remus.
"Remus! I didn't know you were coming over today." She said grabbing my hair tie off the counter then walking out all the way, intending to give Sirius one last kiss then leave.
But by the look on Remus' face and it was clear he had bad news, and by the looks of Sirius' face he'd received the bad news. And then by the way they were looking at one another and then her she got the feeling it was bad news they really didn't want to tell her. Which could only mean it was bad news about her family.
"What happened?" She asked them both sternly planning to get the truth out of them, even if they didn't want to give it.
"Marls really I don't-" Sirius started but she cut him off.
"Tell me." She said again feeling her heart breaking, and her eyes starting to water as all these thoughts ran through her head. Honestly not knowing was worse than knowing, even though by their looks and reluctance to tell her she was sure she already knew. She was just waiting for them to confirm it.
"I'm really sorry Marlene." Remus started biting his lip before Sirius was wrapping his arms around her catching her as her legs gave out, "we got word of an attack a couple hours ago and thought we could get to there in time. Only we were given bad information and arrived too late. And well there were no survivors, and the death eaters were gone. I'm really sorry."
She grabbed onto Sirius' shirt and sobbed. Not even finding comfort in his hand rubbing her back. This couldn't be happening. Her family was everything to her and they were gone. Just like that. What made it worse was she knew she was supposed to be there. She should've been there. But she also knew that had she been there she wouldn't be here. But she should've been there.
Yea she was glad to be alive, and with Sirius, but she didn't know how to deal with something this destructive. How do people just get over their family being massacred? And her family was filled with good people. Her oldest brother Mark had just gotten married and was expecting a baby. She was going to be an aunt. Then there was Milo, God. He was only a year older than her. He was barely 22. They both had such full lives ahead of them that they wouldn't get to live now, and it broke her heart more to think that. Then there were her parents. They were the best people, sure they didn't always see eye to eye but they were still good people.
She wouldn't have wished this kind of pain on anyone.
Then before she could object she felt someone lift her off the ground. "Will you take those damn death traps off her feet Moony." Sirius said, but she wasn't watching because she'd hidden her face in the crook his neck to cry some more. She did feel Remus slip the heels off her feet though, then they were moving. They didn't move far, just to the couch like not even five feet away, but it was better than standing.
"You want me to stay?" Remus asked.
Sirius looked at this completely broken woman in his lap, this broken girl who'd probably cry until she was cried out, then back to Remus and shook his head. "If you want."
"Okay, I'll make us some tea then." Remus said clearly staying for a bit longer.
"Thanks mate." Then Sirius was rubbing her back again and cooing softly. He really was the sweetest guy in the world. Might not've seemed like it sometimes, and she surely hadn't always thought that, but he really was. And maybe it was just when he was with her, but she wasn't complaining about that.
Marlene didn't know how long she'd sat there crying, but she finally pulled away from Sirius and wiped her eyes and nose then mustered up the best smile she could, for both Sirius and Remus, before walking into the bedroom. She went through the motions of changing into something a lot more comfortable than that dress, then I curled up and laid in the bed. And while she might've been cried out, didn't feel any less sad.
"You think she'll be okay?" Remus asked softly.
Sirius looked into the open bedroom door where he saw her laying still as could be, which made him sad before he turned to Remus. "Marlene's a lot stronger than she looks right now, so she'll make it through this. And eventually she'll be as okay as a person can be after this."
"Well if either of you need me you know where to find me." Remus said patting Sirius on the shoulder then leaving with a sad smile. Made sense that he'd leave eventually though, after all we were in a war and he probably had other things he had to take care of before he could call it a day.
Sirius was walking into the room a few minutes later and sat down a cup of tea next to the bed while he took a seat next to her, and leaned over to kiss her head. "You don't have to talk to me right now, but just know that I'm right here when you want to. And if you just need someone to hug and cry on their shirts then I'm still right here. If you need anything at all Marls let me know. Because I know I don't say this nearly as often as I should, but I love you. And I know that you don't think you should still be here. I know you think you should've been with your family and we both know if you would've been with them then you'd be gone too. But I don't want you to beat yourself up over why this happened to them, or the thought that you should be with them. Because it'll only make things worse, and you'll drive yourself mad."
"I love you too." She replied so softly she wasn't even sure she'd said it aloud. But she felt Sirius kiss her head again then climb into the bed next to her and they just laid there.