"Emma, wake up."
"No s'early. Ma ed urts."
"Firewhisky bad," agreed Sam from beside her on the sofa where they were both cuddled up underneath a 'Congratulations Gryffindor' banner; using it as a makeshift blanket.
It was six in the morning and Lily and James had only just crept back into their common room. Lily hadn't been quite sure what to expect; she had almost been hoping that the party would still be in full swing so that she could regale their friends with the exciting news. As it was, they were greeted with a scene of chaos and destruction.
The common room was an explosion of red and gold. Banners were strewn everywhere, discarded bottles, tankards and food plates littered the floor, the sofas and armchairs had been rearranged and pushed out of the way to make room for what looked like a makeshift Wizarding Skittles alley. The pieces on the Wizarding Chess board had been transfigured to resemble the Gryffindor Quidditch team and miniature Quidditch Sam was missing an arm while miniature Quidditch Lesley had a large chunk missing out of her side. The gramophone was still quietly playing music and the sounds of snoring filled the air from the various Gryffindors scattered around the place, draped over any available surface, mouths lolling open and drooling.
Kirsty was sprawled out like a starfish on the carpet in front of the fire with a large Gryffindor flag draped around her, over the top of her jeans and t-shirt, like a toga. With 'property of Sirius Black' written across her face in black ink.
Peter had fallen asleep on a dining chair at the buffet table with a bottle of Firewhisky in one hand and his face partially buried in the celebratory cake. James had to go over and check that he was still breathing and hadn't been suffocated by vanilla sponge.
Sirius was asleep on the back of one of the sofas, one arm stretched out in front of him in what looked like an imitation of a Superman flying position. A Quidditch cloak had been fastened around his neck and a Beater's bat lay limply in his non Superman impersonating hand. On the back of the cloak had been written, in what looked like a mixture of Kirsty's, Emma's, Sam's and Peter's writing, 'Let's not Quaffle here and certainly don't Snitch. The Seeker became the Chaser but he's a Keeper and hopefully not a Beater that will Bludger yer and Commen-hate-yer'.
"Oh dear," came a familiar voice from behind Lily. She turned to see Remus and Hayley coming through the portrait hole. "Looks like we missed a good night. You two look remarkably fresh though," she observed, looking James and Lily up and down.
"That's because we obviously missed the raucous part of the party," said James, sounding somewhat disappointed. "Morning, Hayley," he said, walking forward to give her a hug. "Great game yesterday."
While Hayley uttered her thanks and congratulations, Remus asked, "The captain missed the party? What were you doing?"
"All will be revealed. Once I wake these goons up." Lily pointed her wand at her throat, cast Sonorous and got into Head Girl mode. "Get up, everyone. This common room is a disgrace. This place needs tidying up and then you all need to get to bed to sleep off your no doubt horrific hangovers."
Peter jerked awake, inhaling a noseful of cake frosting.
As he coughed and spluttered over in the corner, Kirsty moaned, "So loud. Lily, are you always this loud?"
"Turn the volume down," agreed Sirius. "Need my sleep."
"When you turn the volume down can you also stop the room spinning?" groaned Emma.
"Up!" commanded Lily, shouting despite her amplified voice, and making her voice boom around the room.
They all jumped this time, covering their ears and finally making motions to get up. Sirius rolled himself off the sofa, Emma and Sam untangled themselves from the banner and Peter wandered over to sit beside them on the sofa.
"Wow, Pete, I've never seen you look so delicious in the morning," commented Sam.
Peter lifted his finger and scooped some icing off his cheek before popping it in his mouth.
"Nice face," commented Sirius as he walked over and pulled Kirsty up from off the floor.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "What did you do to me?"
"Just made you even more perfect."
"Emma, mirror," she commanded, throwing her hand out to Emma in a beckoning motion.
"Too early for mirrors," she mumbled, leaning forward with her head in her hands.
"You two can sit down too," Lily said to Remus and Hayley once the rest of the rabble were finally sitting upright with their eyes somewhat open.
"You're awfully bossy this morning," mumbled Hayley as she adhered to her request.
When they were all assembled, Lily stood in front of them all with James beside her, holding her hand. "Guys, we have news."
"Does it explain why you ditched us at the party last night?" asked Kirsty, through narrowed eyes. Although Lily couldn't tell if they were narrowed in annoyance or because the bright light was irritating her hangover.
"Yes."
"Does it explain why you've only just returned to the common room?" asked Peter.
"Maybe."
"Does it —?" started Emma.
"Maybe if you'd let her speak and stop asking questions you'd find out," snapped James, losing his patience.
Lily smiled at him gratefully. "So," she began, "last night, James took me down to the Quidditch Pitch, he'd laid out a picnic blanket with some food and champagne and there were floating candles all around—"
"Amazing," breathed Hayley.
"—and he gave me this." Lily held out the Snitch.
"I don't get it," said Emma.
"And inside was this…" Lily held her left hand out in front of her, displaying the ring.
Hayley was the first to squeal in excitement. The others seemed to be struggling to process the information somewhat through their alcohol fogged brains.
"We're engaged," Lily exclaimed.
The boom of noise that met this announcement was phenomenal. There were yells and screams and many shouts of 'oh my God' and 'congratulations'.
"This is the only good reason for screaming to be allowed during a hangover," cried Emma, her voice extremely high pitched and a huge grin on her face.
They jumped up and down on the sofas, flailing cushions and previously strewn banners around wildly. "Okay, that's enough bouncing now," announced Kirsty. "I feel sick."
They all ran forward and enveloped Lily and James in a huge group hug.
"I call best man," shouted Sirius as they all broke apart.
"You can't just claim dibs on best man, Sirius," said Lily, laughing.
"Ooooh, do we get to be bridesmaids?" asked Hayley excitedly.
"I hope so," replied Sirius, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Kirsty, "the best man always gets to sleep with the bridesmaid."
"You're not best man yet, mate," Kirsty retorted.
"Can we hold off for a while on the celebratory drinks though?" begged Sam, bringing his hand to his temple.
"I can't believe this, Lily, this is mad!" exclaimed Emma.
"I know, it's crazy. I need to go and owl my parents and Petunia too I suppose. She's going to go mad when she finds out I've stolen her thunder." Lily's sister Petunia had got engaged to her now fiancé Vernon at the beginning of the year. Lily didn't think she'd take too kindly to hearing that her younger sister was now engaged too —and to a wizard.
"Errr," began James, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck somewhat nervously. "Your dad might already have an idea…"
"About what?"
"That we're engaged. I owled him to ask his permission."
"Really? Aww, James, he would have been so chuffed that you did that."
Hayley was once again admiring the ring. "James, this ring is beautiful."
"Thanks, it's a bit of a Potter heirloom. It was my grandmother's."
Lily couldn't keep the grin off her face as all their friends gathered around them, chatting excitedly and already speculating on their wedding plans.
Kirsty and Sirius had now abandoned the excited group at the other side of the room and were sat trying to nurse their hangovers in the corner, listening to the engagement chatter and smiling over at their friends.
"I can't believe James and Lily are getting married. That's so grown up," said Kirsty.
"I know."
"Do you think we'll ever be that grown up?"
"I wasn't planning on it," laughed Sirius.
"What? Marrying me or being that grown up?" she asked teasingly.
"The latter. Marrying you I could do," Sirius spoke softly, glancing up at her with a smile. "One day."
"Wow, I didn't realise we were this serious," she looked back at him, somewhat taken aback, but her grin still broadened.
"I have been serious about you for quite some time, Miss White," he informed her, gazing intensely into her eyes.
She kissed him, but then abruptly broke away again. "Hang on, that wasn't actually a proposal, was it?"
He laughed. "No."
"Good."
She resumed kissing him and they spent a good ten minutes exploring each other's mouths with their tongues until James came over and rapped Sirius hard on the shoulder, "Hey, stop thunder stealing." They broke apart and looked at him somewhat sheepishly. "This is my day, pay attention to me," James whinged jokily, bobbing up and down.
"And Lily," interrupted his fiancée, also wandering over to them.
"And Lily, always pay the attention to Lily, hard not to really." He then grabbed her in his arms, kissed her and flamboyantly dipped her and quite literally nearly swept her off her feet.
"Okay, we love you guys and everything," began Emma, walking over towards them and sidestepping the flashy display of love in front of her, "but can we please go to bed now?"
James brought Lily back to her feet and they broke apart. "Yeah, we should really, all this excitement is pretty tiring and we didn't get much sleep last night," confessed Lily.
"Yeah, where were you two all night?" asked Peter, looking like he wasn't quite sure whether or not he wanted to hear the answer.
"You didn't sleep on the Quidditch pitch, did you?" asked Kirsty, somewhat horrified.
"There wasn't much sleeping to be honest," said James somewhat gleefully.
Lily hit him on the arm. "That's enough chatting for now," she blurted out, her voice sounding higher pitched than normal. "Let's all get some sleep." And she ushered them all out of the common room and up to their respective dormitories.
The N.E.W.T.s were just as nasty and exhausting as their name implied. They had now reached the end of their first week of exams and Peter was well and truly exhausted. Madam Pomfrey had been giving out Calming Draughts left right and centre —something that Peter had taken full advantage of.
Kirsty had been happy to not melt her twentieth cauldron during her Potions practical and Hayley claimed that her Arithmancy exam had been a doddle.
James and Sirius were annoying in their ability to seemingly breeze through every exam thrown at them. Remus, Hayley and Lily also seemed to be doing well, they just didn't gloat about it as much as the two boys, but still insisted on revising every spare minute of the day, even though Peter was pretty sure they knew everything already.
Kirsty and Emma were frantic, cramming revision in between each exam and not putting their books away until the examiners called them in to take the test. As they were the only two with specific careers in mind they were really feeling the pressure to achieve the grades they needed to succeed in their dreams of becoming an Auror and a Healer. Peter had actually seen Emma levitate three different books in front of her at once so she could read the pages of each while she finished her breakfast.
Sam was far too laid back to be worried about the exams. He was revising the same as the rest of them but he never seemed to get flustered, brag or wail upon leaving the exam hall like the rest of them did.
The only person that Peter was finding some common ground with during exam time was Heather. She was going through her O. and seemed to be struggling with the pressure as much as Peter was. The only problem was that it meant they couldn't spend as much time together, and Peter really missed her company, especially now that the rest of his friends were all coupled up – and with each other no less.
Taking the exams just made him anxious about the future and what would happen when they left this castle in just over a month's time. He didn't know what he wanted to do for a career, didn't know what career he'd even be able to have if his N.E.W.T results were as terrible as he was expecting. Heather would still be at school next year, meaning he would be limited to seeing her only in holidays, if she would even still want to see him after he left school, and then there was this whole Phoenix fighting group that Dumbledore had mentioned. He knew that all of his friends wanted to join, but he wasn't so sure… He didn't want to die, but he also didn't want to be on the outside, left to fend for himself.
By Thursday on the second week of exams Peter and his friends were all shattered. None of them were sleeping well and Peter had developed chronic wrist ache from continuous scribbling in written exams and constant spell casting in the practicals.
Their second to last exam on Thursday was Defence Against the Dark Arts and this was the only exam that Kirsty came out of whooping and punching the air, having been the student to cast her Patronus in the quickest time. Peter, also, had finally left an exam somewhat pleased with himself. He had cast a corporeal Patronus for the first time (a rat — no surprises there). It turned out that the thought of the exams ending and getting to enjoy the last few months of school, exam free, with his friends and girlfriend was a happy enough thought to produce a string of memories of hanging out with his friends, laughing and relaxing.
Their final exam was Transfiguration. Peter's worst subject. Sirius and James were practically giddy upon entering the exam hall – Transfiguration was their favourite.
They had to transfigure themselves into a copy of the examiner. James and Sirius accomplished it with ease. Whereas Peter knew he would have lost marks for giving the man a pot belly, decreasing his height, adding a hooked nose and a bald head. But he had transfigured into another human being – sort of. If only he had been asked to turn into an animal.
When they filed out of the exam Peter ignored the excited chatter about what they had managed to produce during their practical test.
Lily eventually told James to 'stop bragging already' and the group made their way out to the fresh air and sunshine in the grounds.
"Freeeedooooom," yelled Emma as she sprinted for the grounds. "Sun, wind, clouds, oh how I've missed you!" She threw her arms up in glee and spun round in a circle.
"I never want to take another exam again," grumbled Kirsty.
"You do remember that you'll have to do Auror training and exams if you want to be an Auror, right?" teased Remus.
"New career plan: I sit on street corners in Muggle London and perform magic tricks for tips," she quipped.
"I am soooo tired," whinged Hayley, resting her head on Remus' shoulder as they walked along to join Emma, who had now flopped underneath the tree with her arms and legs outstretched.
Sam ran along ahead of them and dived on his girlfriend, tickling her.
There was a euphoric atmosphere in the air as N.E.W.T and O.W.L students alike filed into the grounds to bask in the end of their exams. The giant squid had even made an appearance and was splashing the students basking by the lake with its tentacles as it thrashed them around in the water.
"I'm going to miss this," exclaimed Emma, waving her arms around vaguely in the air.
"What? The giant squid?" asked Peter.
"No. This." She gestured towards the group.
"Why? Where are you going?" teased James.
"Away from Hogwarts," she wailed.
"We are allowed to still see you outside of Hogwarts though right?" teased Remus.
"But it won't be the saaaame. We'll live in separate houses, have separate jobs, be too busy with our adult lives."
"Emma, we can literally Apparate like that," Remus snapped his fingers. "We will be at your side quicker than we ever could be at Hogwarts."
"Plus, we're all going to be in The Order, aren't we? I'd imagine we'd spent a lot of time together there. Doing whatever it is we'll be doing," added Lily.
"Ahhh, yes, spending precious bonding time chasing down Death Eaters and being blown to smithereens," said Kirsty with dark humour.
"Well, you're not getting rid of me that easily…" announced Hayley.
"We already know that, we can't even get rid of you when you're a Ravenclaw and we're Gryffindors," grumbled Sirius jokingly.
"I personally plan on stalking you all relentlessly," continued Hayley. "I want to be there for all of it, the proposals, the marriages, the babies and the Death Eaters."
"Can't we just, like, all live together in one massive commune? Take over an abandoned castle or something?" suggested Emma.
"So basically just recreate our own Hogwarts?" laughed Sam.
"No offense, but I've had to live with you all for the last seven years. I think I've earned a break. You can visit me though, with prearranged permission," said Lily dryly.
"Being a couple outside of Hogwarts will be weird," Emma was rambling now. "I mean, we'll actually have to make an effort to see each other. I can't just walk downstairs in my pyjamas to find Sam in the common room and jump on him."
"You can jump on me any time, you know that. Plus, if we had our own place you wouldn't need to wear the pyjamas."
"We're going to live together?"
"Well, hopefully, one day."
"Good luck, Sam, take it from me, she's a nightmare to live with," laughed Kirsty.
"Hey! I hope Sirius is ready to see your clothes slung all over the place —"
"—as long as they're slung in the bedroom..."
"She's a nightmare. Can't keep things clean to save her life."
Kirsty puffed her cheeks out, ready to retort, as Remus laughed and said, "Are you two sure you're going to miss each other?"
Kirsty and Emma fell silent, throwing each other the occasional huffy glances.
"We're going to be adults," said Peter glumly.
"Has ever a scarier phrase been uttered?" quipped James.
"I just feel sorry for any future employers," remarked McGonagall as she passed them on her way to tell the students to stop feeding the Giant Squid, a smile tugging at her lips.
James and Sirius' eyes lit up. "Imagine pulling pranks in the workplace…"
"Or at The Order…" mused James.
"Dumbledore doesn't know what he's got himself into," laughed Hayley.
"Or Voldemort," added Remus. They all laughed quietly at this.
"We need an end of exams celebration. Let off some steam," announced James, seeming to try and steer the conversation back to happy thoughts and not that of dark wizards.
"I don't think I'm up for another party just yet…" moaned Peter.
"It's too hot to celebrate," said Emma, using her wand to blast a stream of cold air onto her face.
"Last one in the lake is a rotten Squib," yelled James out of nowhere as he jumped up and made a dash for the lake, his robe billowing behind him.
Laughing and squealing they followed suit, chasing him down. Lily even pulled at his robe to give herself the advantage as she ran past him towards the water's edge.
They all leapt as high as they could into the air and plummeted down into the lake with an almighty splash, wearing robes and all.
It was after they had enjoyed three full days of exam freedom that they came down to breakfast on a Tuesday morning to sense a very strange mood in the air. It was eerie. Staff members were out in the corridor patrolling around nervously, others were sat at the Staff table with their heads in their hands.
"What are you doing here?" asked Lily as Sirius joined them at the breakfast table. "You're never at breakfast this early."
Sirius sat down, still wiping sleep from his eyes and sitting beside Kirsty, taking a piece of the toast she had just buttered. "Tell me about it. McGonagall just came into the common room and commanded that everyone assemble in the Great Hall for breakfast immediately. She even came up to the entrance to the dorms when I didn't comply to the original request. She didn't even flinch when she was met with a boxer clad Sirius Black. No nostril flair or anything. Something's up."
"What do you think's happening?" asked Emma nervously.
"There's only one name that comes to mind that can make Dumbledore look this apprehensive," said James. He nodded up to their headmaster at the staff table.
"Voldemort? Do you think we're under attack?" asked Lily.
"Seems too calm for an attack surely? Plus, he'd never penetrate Hogwarts," answered James, trying to sound reassuring but failing somewhat.
"I don't like this," said Kirsty simply.
The lavish breakfast laid on by the House Elves went mostly untouched that morning as most students were too anxious to eat. Weirdly, the post owls also seemed to be delayed; it was usually delivered by now.
Dumbledore stood and a hush developed over the room before he had even motioned them for quiet. "Good morning, everyone. I hope you are all well. I know it is unusual for me to address you this early when you are all eager to begin your day. Unfortunately, I have some very grave news to deliver. I wished to report this myself before you read it for yourselves in this morning's Daily Prophet. I did not wish for you to be unduly shocked." Dumbledore paused a moment to take what seemed to be a calming breath. "Professor MacIntosh, our friend, colleague, mentor and talented Wizard was found dead yesterday evening."
Sirius felt Kirsty stiffen beside him as his own disbelief mingled with the gasps and cries of shock and anguish that penetrated the previously silent room. "It is important for you to know the circumstances of his death. I know that that is what Hamish would have wanted. He would want you to know, and be remembered as, the man he was. He was a brave man, a loyal man and devoted, above all else, to fighting the Dark Arts and those who practice them. Yesterday, Voldemort launched an attack on Wizards, Witches and Muggles alike in the town of Lutterworth. Professor MacIntosh was one of those who rushed to these people's aid, and is responsible for saving some of their lives; the death toll of this attack was high. Unfortunately, our dear Professor could not prevail against the dark forces that were against him. He was killed. Killed in the name of Lord Voldemort. Killed trying to protect those who could not protect themselves, and who did nothing to be targeted in this detestable way. Today, lessons will be cancelled as a mark of respect and to allow you to pay your respects and unite in your grief. The remaining Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons this term will be cancelled and will become free periods, where we encourage you to still think about the skills and attributes required in this field and research the methods you can employ to keep yourselves safe. Above all, that is what Hamish MacIntosh would have wanted, for you all to be safe. Today we remember and give thanks to this brave man and brilliant teacher."
After breakfast the group sat in their common room, shocked and upset. They knew that the war was all around them but for it to have killed someone they knew, someone that they had respected, someone they had joked with was almost incomprehensible.
Sirius felt sick and all of the girls had shed a few tears.
"Do you think he was a member of this Order thingy?" asked Peter quietly.
"A Hogwarts teacher and a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at that; I bet Dumbledore snapped him up straight away," mused James.
"So do you think Dumbledore sent him on the mission?" asked Hayley.
"Possibly."
"This is scary," sighed Lily.
"That's going to be us, isn't it?" asked Emma with fearful eyes.
"Not if I can help it," growled Sirius.
"Are we sure we still want to join?" asked Kirsty.
"Maybe that's why we should join. Maybe if MacIntosh had more people there with him to fight off the Death Eaters then he could have won," argued Remus.
"It's so sad. His poor family," said Hayley.
"He was a hero," finished Sam.
It had been reported in the Daily Prophet that morning that MacIntosh along with other Wizards and Witches unknown were responsible for saving the lives of three other Witches and Wizards and six Muggle families.
When the group sidled down to dinner that evening there was a crowd of people gathered in the Entrance Hall. Kirsty craned her neck over the top of all the students to try and see what they were all looking at.
Candles floated in the air, much like the ones in the Great Hall, but these ones seemed to be surrounding something, almost like they were creating a rectangular frame.
As they descended the stairs some of the crowd dispersed and Kirsty could see the newly instated memorial that they had been looking at.
A huge banner with a still, Muggle-looking image of MacIntosh filled the wall to the left of the entrance to the Great Hall. The verse underneath read:
Professor Hamish MacIntosh:
Great teacher
Talented man
Defender against the Dark Arts
Receiver of many Valentines Cards
Hero.
Seeing the line about the Valentines Cards she looked over to Sirius. "Is this what you were off doing all afternoon?" She looked round at each of the Marauders in turn.
"Not just us," admitted James, "loads of people helped."
Sirius walked over to the billowing banner and took out a quill. Then, in the bottom right corner he wrote, so small that you would only notice it if you stood up close and scoured the bottom edge of the epitaph, Sirius 4: MacIntosh: Infinity.
It was a few days after the memorial service that Dumbledore called the group of friends back into his office. This time, it was just them, none of the other students from the previous meeting were there. Remus wondered if Dumbledore was deliberately calling them back in smaller groups to save any potential embarrassment of those people who did not wish to join The Order.
"I am sorry to summon you again so soon after the recent tragedy. But, as I am sure you are aware, this week's events only serve to show the gravity of the Wizarding World's current situation. This week we lost one of the most talented wizards I have ever met and for what? So that Voldemort and his followers can continue to strike fear into everyone's hearts. MacIntosh's sacrifice shows us the importance of what we are fighting for. A safe world where we can grow old and our children can thrive and live without fear. I am sorry to have to press you for an answer. I have given you some time to think about it, but the time has come to make your decision. The situation is becoming direr every day and I would like to know if I can count on any of you here today to join us in this fight?"
"Was MacIntosh a member of the Order?" asked James.
Dumbledore gazed over the top of his spectacles at them. "He was."
"If we say yes will we meet the other members?" asked Sam.
"In due course."
"Are you able to give us an idea of who'd we be fighting alongside? How many of us will there be?" asked Lily.
"Currently, we are a smaller operation than I would like. But I have always been a firm believer that small can still mean mighty. After all, the smallest mouse can still run rings around the mightiest of dragons. If our purpose is to save this world and our driving force is love then even the most difficult of tasks can be overcome. Now, if anyone present does not wish to join The Order I ask that you please return to your normal day. All I ask is that you tell no one of what we've spoken about; the Order must remain as secret as possible. Does anyone wish to leave?"
They all glanced at each other. Peter shuffled slightly in his seat and Sam and Emma gave nervous coughs.
"Fantastic," said Dumbledore with a pleased smile. "Welcome to The Order of the Phoenix."
Kirsty turned over in her bed for what felt like the twentieth time. Willow, her cat, had long since abandoned her position at the end of Kirsty's bed, fed up of being disturbed from her sleep. Kirsty was hot and clammy; and it wasn't all down to the heatwave that was currently engulfing Hogwarts. She flopped dramatically onto her back and blew her fringe out of her face, momentarily revelling in the blast of slightly cool air to her face. She couldn't sleep, or rather, her brain couldn't sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about MacIntosh, about The Order, about Voldemort and his cronies. She was scared. Images of death and destruction plagued her mind. People screaming, people dying and people in masks laughing sadistically. She imagined MacIntosh lying on the ground, eyes wide and unblinking, and someone gloating over his dead body. It made her skin crawl.
She didn't want to be alone. She jumped at every shadow cast behind her bed hangings, her heart hammered against her chest and her tired and frightened brain conjured up images of Death Eaters bursting into the common room and killing them all.
She sat bolt upright, grabbed her wand for comfort and sat deathly still, panting for a while. She didn't want to be alone tonight. She wanted Sirius.
She threw the covers off her and gripped her wand in her sweaty palm as she shuffled down her bed and inched the hangings open. Her dormitory looked exactly the same as it always did. Her breathing calmed somewhat. Taking care not to wake the others, she padded out of the dormitory and down the stairs, jumping slightly when the top step creaked as it always did.
She wasn't sure what time it was but the soft glow of the fire was the only sign of life in the common room. The fire's warm glow on the comforting red and gold decorated room even made the shadows seem less scary.
She didn't want to linger too long, still feeling somewhat apprehensive, she bounded up the stairs to Sirius, landing her feet on the steps as softly as she could.
All was quiet in the boys' dormitory, apart from Peter's gentle snores.
Hoping that Sirius was somewhat decent, or perhaps secretly hoping that he wasn't, she gently pulled open the surroundings to his four poster bed. Without saying anything, she inched herself in beside him. Sirius seemed somewhat sluggish (he had obviously been asleep) but still responded by shifting over to allow room for this presence in his bed. "Hey," he greeted her sleepily, giving a slightly disturbed grunt. "What's up?" he asked in a hoarse whisper; she could sense him trying to look over at her in the dark.
"Couldn't sleep." She nestled in beside him, placing her cheek on his chest; his arm draped around her shoulder, pressing her closer to him.
"MacIntosh?" he asked her gently, tracing his fingers up and down the top of her arm.
"Amongst other things," she sighed. She was already feeling better. Sirius was comfort. Sirius was safety. Safety in a world full of death and destruction.
"It'll be okay." He tried to reassure her.
"How can you possibly know that?"
"Because I will do everything in my power to make it so." He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her head up so he could kiss her softly.
As she placed her cheek back against his chest, she listened to the rhythmic beating of his heart and felt her breathing begin to calm and become deeper. Her eyelids drew heavy and her scrambled brain started to relent with its garish 'what if' scenarios.
Just as she felt herself starting to drift off she heard a loud sneeze — a familiar sneeze. Her eyes snapped open. She knew that sneeze, she had shared a dorm with that sneeze for seven years. "Emma?" she asked incredulously into the darkness.
"Kirsty?" came Hayley's voice from the other side of the room.
"Hayley?" Then it was Lily's voice that replied from the bed next to them. There was the sound of many four poster hangings ripping open and multiple castings of Lumos and Kirsty wrenched their own hangings open.
"So I take it no one is sleeping in their own beds tonight?" asked Peter, squinting his eyes against the light. He was the only one without another occupant in his bed.
"I think sleeping might be the wrong word, Wormtail," said Sirius, propping himself up on his elbows and staring pointedly in Hayley and Remus' direction. Remus was topless and Hayley's hair looked very tousled.
Hayley gave a shocked gasp, "Sirius Black! We weren't… we were just…I resent that insinuation." She buried her head back under the covers while Remus chuckled softly.
A/N: RIP MacIntosh :( . So, I'm curious, did anyone see that coming? Next chapter will be the group's last chapter at Hogwarts, which I am very sad about! Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed, please leave me a review. I love hearing your guys' thoughts.
