Missing your best friend's wedding was one thing, but not being able to be there when their parents pass away was another. Marlene was actually angry that she was being sent on a mission the next day the news of Lily's parents death arrived. It was cruel, Lily had no support whatsoever from her sister, and now Dumbledore had sent her friends on a mission. Marlene was glad that at least James and his friends were with Lily.
It had happened so suddenly, at first everyone was scared that Lily's parents had been murdered, after all it seemed logical – Voldemort had asked her and James to join the death eaters and they had refused. It was like everyone was looking for some excuse to hide the sad reality that her parents had actually passed away in a car crash caused by the skidding on the icy road.
Lily and James had barely been out of their honeymoon phase when it happened and it broke Lily to bits.
Marlene had held her through the night as Lily wept in her arms. The tears spilled down her cheeks like water leaking through a dam, hands clutching at Marlene's jacket. The muffled sobs wacked against her chest and Marlene had to hold back her own tears as she watched her best friend fall apart.
"What am I going to do now?" Lily cried, as Marlene wrapped her arms tighter around Lily.
"I am so sorry Lils, I am so sorry," Marlene whispered, her heart clenched at the sight of her best friend.
"They were supposed to be here – when – I had to tell them," Lily broke down again and Marlene understood why. Even though she didn't know what it was like to be in Lily's position, she could understand how much it would hurt.
Marlene held Lily by her shoulders, holding her at an arm's distance. She wiped her tears with her index finger and then spook in a low voice, "You are so strong Lily, you are going to get through this."
"No – I can't," Lily cried.
"Yes, you are, and do you know how I know? Because you have an amazing husband who is going to help you and then there is your child," Marlene said, her voice soft and low as her eyes drifted towards Lily's small bump.
It was unreal to Marlene how two of her best friends were married and were going to welcome their first child very soon – Lily and Alice.
"I didn't even get a chance to tell them," Lily's head hung low as she spoke.
"You can still tell them," Marlene assured her, holding Lily's hands in her own and giving them a light squeeze.
"Do you think it is possible? That they can hear us – now that they are –" Lily still couldn't get herself to say the word.
"We know magic folk have afterlife; it seems very unjustified that non-magic folk don't," Marlene questioned back, smiling sadly.
"I like to believe you are right," Lily sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her hands, "And they were in pain – at least they aren't – anymore."
Marlene wanted to cry right there, watching as her best friend tried to comfort herself. 19 years was too young to lose someone that close to you, let alone both your parents. Even though Lily was married and going to be a mother herself very soon, 19 was still too young to lose her parents and Marlene hated how unfair life had been to Lily.
Lily always found something optimistic in the direst situations – such as this, and she found the best in everyone. She fought for her loved ones and she was brave, yet she always seemed to have the shorter end of the stick. Marlene prayed to whoever was listening that Lily gets her happy ending, she deserved it.
Marlene walked out of Lily's room once Lily had fallen asleep, only to greet a dishevelled James and Sirius in the living room. The two of them stood as soon as Marlene came into their view.
"She just fell asleep," Marlene said, looking at James. "I am sorry I have to get going now, I hate doing this."
"Don't worry about it, we'll see you once you get back," James quickly gave Marlene a hug, a small smile tugging on his lips.
"Take care of her and of yourself," Marlene said, sighing.
"You should be worried about yourself," James shook his head, his brows furrowed together.
"I will be back in one piece," Marlene promised, and then turned towards Sirius who was looking at his feet. "Good night," she smiled at James, who smiled back.
Sirius followed Marlene to the front door without a word, it was making Marlene uncomfortable to say the least. "Aren't you going to say something?" she finally snapped, turning around to face Sirius.
"Only one thing – don't go," Sirius mumbled, still keeping his eyes on the ground.
"Sirius," Marlene groaned, she hated the way Sirius was behaving. It was a dangerous mission. Going to get report from Remus Lupin, who had been staying with Werewolves for a few weeks now was the most idiotic plan in Sirius's head.
"You know why Dumbledore is sending you, right?" Sirius whispered, unable to mask his irritation.
"He isn't trying to get back to you by sending me on this mission," Marlene answered, scoffing at Sirius's idea.
"Isn't he? He wants me to find out what Regulus is up to, I denied. I fought when he was sending Remus away. I denied going back to my old house for the sake of spy work for him! He is trying to tame me and now he is using you because he knows I would do anything for you!" Sirius exclaimed, speaking from between his teeth.
"That's ludicrous!" Marlene shook her head.
"Why can't any of you see that he isn't all that you think he is?" Sirius raised his voice.
"Hush!" Marlene hissed, looking behind Sirius to see if James was in view. Lily and James were already going through so much, they didn't need added stress.
"He just wants the war to end and he would do anything for that!" Sirius mumbled from between his teeth; his fists tightly clenched by his side and his nostrils flaring.
"Don't we all want it to end?" Marlene exclaimed, huffing loudly. Her eyes widened at how idiotic Sirius sounded.
"At what cost Marlene?!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "For all we know, Remus might already be on their side."
"How could you even say that?" Marlene whispered; her mouth agape, brows furrowed together.
"Don't pretend like we don't notice the loss on our side is far greater than our achievements," Sirius scoffed, shaking his head.
"And that qualifies Remus as a spy?"
"Everyone has been contemplating the idea of a spy among our ranks."
"Might just as easily be someone else! On what basis are you doubting Remus? Someone can just as easily say it was you Sirius!"
"It doesn't change the fact that you are going on a mission that is 99% going to fail and you might end up with –"
"Say it!"
"You know what I mean."
"Lycanthropy? I believe there are worst things that can happen to some."
"It isn't the ideal thing either."
"Sirius I will be fine."
"Let me go with you."
"James and Lily need you; I will be with Mary."
Without a second thought, Sirius took Marlene's wrist in his hand and pulled her in his tight embrace. Resting his head on the top of her head, he wrapped his arms around her tiny frame, as Marlene buried her face in his chest, both of them reluctant to let each other go.
"I want you to come back safely – I need you to come back safely – please," Sirius begged, planting a soft kiss on Marlene's temple.
"I will, I promise," Marlene nodded, tip toeing to kiss Sirius on the corner of his lips.
Seven days – that is all it took for everything to change in everyone's life and from then on things only went downhill. Marlene was dashing back to Sirius after completing her mission with Mary, after the news of the death of Regulus Black arrived. Marlene knew Sirius would be heart broken, he loved Regulus, even if he didn't show it most of the time.
It was hard to believe that an 18-year-old boy was killed so mercilessly and for what reason? No one knew exactly, but everyone assumed that Regulus finally understood that being a death eater wasn't the right thing, but no one can walk away from Voldemort and live to tell the tale for long.
Marlene was greeted by darkness and silence when she entered Sirius's house. She was scared to even breathe and disrupt the silence that engulfed the house but she had to find Sirius and know that he was alright.
The floorboard creaked under her feet as she walked to the living room. "Sirius," although her voice was nothing more than a whisper, she flinched at how loud it sounded in the silence.
The lights of the living room were turned off, and Sirius was not in sight. A frown settled on Marlene's lips as she continued towards the kitchen. "Sirius, are you there?" she questioned.
When she was met with the empty kitchen, she turned around only to be startled by the black-haired boy standing in the living room. Her heart settled down just as fast as it started pounding. The pronounced red rims under his eyes and overall dishevelled appearance broke Marlene's heart.
"You're back," Sirius's voice cracked, a small smile forming on his lips.
"I promised, didn't I?" Marlene tried to return the smile, but she could already feel the lump forming at the back of her throat.
"And you're alright? Nothing went wrong, right?" Sirius walked up to Marlene, stopping a few inches away from her.
"I am alright," Marlene assured him, opening her arms towards him, an invitation that Sirius gladly accepted.
"I was so scared," Sirius admitted, his body melting into Marlene's, the tension in his body disappearing at her touch. Marlene rubbed small circles on Sirius's back.
"I know, but I am back now," Marlene answered. She tried to unlink herself from Sirius's embrace to get a better look at his face, but Sirius only wrapped his arms tighter around her torso, burying his face in the crook of her neck.
"Re – Regulus – died," his voice wobbled, as he barely spoke in a whisper and then Marlene felt something wet on her neck, her heart immediately clenched when Sirius let out a sob.
"I am so sorry," Marlene squeezed him back, trying desperately to keep Sirius safe, from the heartbreak, but she knew it was too late and now all she could do was comfort him.
"But I am not supposed to cry, am I? He was a death eater," Marlene's heart sank at Sirius's words, her breath caught in her throat.
"Sirius!" she exclaimed, reluctantly tearing herself away from him to look at his face. Tears were streaming down his face, his lower lip trembling as he tried to contain his emotions. "He was your brother."
"But he was a death eater, one of them, the bad people" Sirius quickly wiped away his tears.
"The world isn't split into good people and death eaters. We have both good and bad – light and dark inside us – all of us do. What matters is the power we choose to act on – that is what makes us who we really are," Marlene said, taking Sirius's hands in her own. "And Regulus was brave –" Sirius shook his head at her words, "Yes he was. He proved that when he defected."
"He was an idiot," Sirius shrugged, "Why couldn't he have just stayed a death eater?!"
"You are allowed to mourn for your brother," Marlene spoke after a pause.
"It would have been better if he was a death eater, I would have hated him but he would have been alive – that git!" Sirius looked down at his feet, as tears streamed down his cheeks openly.
"I am so sorry, I know none of my words are going to make it better but Regulus proved that it is never too late to choose what is right," Marlene said, giving Sirius's hand a light squeeze.
"I wish he would have stayed on the wrong side," Sirius said and then it finally happened. His wracking sobs echoed through the whole house, his body trembling as he fell on the floor, burying his face in Marlene's neck. The screaming sobs were only interrupted when he stopped to draw breaths. His cry was so raw, that it would have teared anyone's heart who heard him breaking down.
"She didn't let me inside the house – my mother," Sirius said between his sobs. "She said – his body – they – d – didn't find it." Marlene only pulled him closer, trying not to cry herself. "I hate that woman!"
If that wasn't a blow big enough to knock the wind out of their lungs, a month later the news arrived that Euphemia Potter passed away after her long suffering from Dragon pox and two days later, her husband Fleamont Potter, followed after her, like a faithful companion till the end.
Both James and Sirius lost their parents that night, one from blood and one not, but both of them loved the departed just as dearly; and though it broke their hearts, both of them tried to stay strong for the other.
The black clothes, damp eyes and two coffins lying beside each other marked the end of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter's wonderful lives. James and Sirius found comfort in the fact that their parents had a fulfilled life, they had everything they could ask for and more; and when death came for them, they didn't leave each other behind. As a matter of fact, death was a gift that ended their suffering quickly.
As 1979 came to a close, another news came. The death of Orion Black. By this time, Sirius had finally learnt how to keep his tears in check, not that he felt like crying when the news arrived. On the other hand, he was relieved. His father had been a horrible man his whole life, who abused not just Sirius, but his brother too and did unthinkable things to his mother (not that Sirius cared much about her). But while people as wonderful as the Potters died a suffering death from Dragon Pox, Orion Black, peacefully passed away in his sleep. To Sirius, that was the most unfair occurrence.
With everything going on, Marlene had begun spending more time with her friends than with her family, much to their distress. She was in the Order and had proven herself to be a brilliant witch and a dependable fighter. Her missions started becoming more and more dangerous and important.
She had returned home after what she felt like was a successful mission, a feeling of joy engulfing her; but the rug was quickly swept from under her feet when she heard the wailing of her mother from inside the house.
Her heart sank at the sound, as she remained frozen outside the ajar front door of her house. She knew that sound all too well – she heard it when Lily cried for her parents, when Sirius cried for his brother, when James cried for his parents, when the students cried for their family members when they were at Hogwarts – the sound of someone passing away.
'Please not my family!' Marlene thought, trying to move, but she couldn't! It felt like her feet were cemented in the floor. Her heart began racing as the wails grew more uncontrollable. She wasn't ready for what was happening on the other side of the door.
"Tom!" Her mother wailed, and Marlene's eyes grew wide, her heart sinking to her stomach. She felt like her brain was working on an over drive, her body reacted before she could understand what she was doing.
She darted inside the house, and a scream left her lips as she tried to cover her mouth before she sank to the floor. That was a sight she never wished to witness in her life. The slit on her brother's throat indicated the seriousness of the situation, as did his lifeless open eyes, but Marlene couldn't believe it.
She crawled towards her brother, crying as if the ferocity of her cries would bring her brother back. The world turned to a blur for Marlene, all she could see was the blue eyes of her brother, the distant and cold blue eyes.
"Tom!" she yelled, shaking his leg. Her vision becoming blur with her tears.
"Marlene!" her father quickly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, trying to cover her eyes from the almost decapitated head of her brother.
"We have to fix this!" Marlene shouted; her shaking hand reached for her wand. "It isn't too late!"
"No Marlene, stop," her father held her icy cold hand in his own.
"Dad please! Do something! Please – please – PLEASE!" Marlene begged, her body shaking violently as she tried to look past her tears towards her brother – it couldn't be her baby brother!
"Hush! I am sorry!" Her father patted her head, trying to contain his own tears.
"NO! WHY ARE YOU BEING LIKE THIS?!" Marlene shouted, pushing her father's hand away, "SAVE HIM! IF YOU CAN'T LET ME DO IT!"
Marlene had no idea when it happened, but suddenly her mother had her arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her daughter in her tight embrace. Both the women cried at such intensity that would shatter anyone's heart that heard them. They remained like that – unmoving, unthinking – for what seemed like eternity.
"Who did this?" Marlene's voice was hoarse from the raw cries she had let out.
"Rabastan Lestrange – Bellatrix's brother-in-law," Marlene's father answered after a long pause.
'I am going to kill him,' Marlene thought, pulling herself closer to her mother, screwing her eyes shut, trying to forget that her brother's dead body was lying inches away from her.
A/N: Hey Readers,
Thank you so much 'AleBu95' and 'Little Indulgence' for your motivating reviews and patience. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I would be updating soon and I hope you like this chapter, leave a review and let me know. It might be clear already, but the story is coming to an end soon. Let me know your thoughts on it! Hit the Follow and Favourite button if you like the story!
Thanks!
-JT