A/N: This is it until 2020, my friends! Happy Christmas! Happy New Year! And I'll be back with more stories on January 4th.

Marlene:

She was so tired.

Keeping Sirius breathing required hourly doses of the potion she and Alice had put together, and honestly, it was a miracle it was even doing that. The last three days had been spent with Alice brewing and Marlene administering, and at some point, they would probably run out of money to buy ingredients and that would be where Sirius would either breathe on his own or he wouldn't.

They'd done everything they knew to do and had experimented as well. The poor healer Frank had fetched had been in awe at what they'd managed. He wrote down her methods and then offered her a partnership. Marlene had exercised a great deal of self-control in not blasting the man.

Marlene was on her own in this. And she knew that meant it would take a miracle for Sirius to recover.

She took a level of comfort in knowing she'd told him most everything she'd wanted to the night before they entered Enid. Marlene could still feel his hands on her waist, in her hair, pressed against her back as he held her to him, running his lips along her neck. He'd always be it for her, and seeing as she wasn't allowed a happily ever after, she felt lucky to have had those stolen moments that night outside the tent. If he didn't make it, at least he knew in a different life, she'd have given herself to him completely.

But Marlene wished he'd wake up just long enough to tell her why he'd jumped in front of the attack.

Marlene had felt like she was dying through half the fight. She'd read that a guardian's blood would burn when their charge was in mortal danger, but she thought it a symbolic thing. She didn't realize that her blood would literally burn. And as that spell was fired at Lily, Marlene felt her blood burn so hot she was sure she would die.

Until Sirius jumped.

The moment he jumped her blood immediately cooled and she knew the spell would hit Sirius. So she ran for the attacker. His look of surprise as she attacked with steel and not magic was satisfying, and she felt no remorse as her blade slid true.

But what she did feel now, amid her exhaustion, amid her worry about James, who she'd put to sleep in the middle of his panic attack because she needed to focus on Sirius, amid her worry about Lily, who was at James side continually, amid her worry that she and Lily had needed to divulge Lily's identity to Frank and Alice and the local authorities, since not every attacker had been killed in their fight, amid all of that, Marlene felt guilty.

Guilty because Marlene thought that maybe Sirius had jumped in front of Lily to save her.

Marlene was trying to push that all away when the door opened and James came striding purposefully into the room, Frank hot on his heels.

"First," James came to stand by Sirius, "Thank you for saving my brother."

Marlene shook her head, "James…"

He held up his hand. "I know, Lily told me, but what I had been intending to tell you before we were attacked is that I am King James of Godric's Hollow, Sirius is my guardian and adopted brother, and we've known since we caught up to you in Diagon that Lily is Princess Lily of Privet. And what that does for us now is allow me to get the best healer in Godric's Hollow here, but I need to go speak to whoever is in charge in Enid."

Marlene blinked.

There were a great many things she wanted to say, and do, to James at that moment, but she held her tongue for the possibility that they could save Sirius.

"If you're lying and Sirius dies or Lily gets hurt in this process, I will kill you."

James huffed. "This isn't the time for that Marlene! My brother is dying! I'll be back in a little bit."

"I'm not letting you leave the wards by yourself," she stood, "so if you need to leave, you'll need to convince Frank to take over giving Sirius his potion and keeping Lily safe within my wards."

"Oh it's no bother Marlene," Frank came and stood next to the chair Marlene had sat in, "I'm happy to help out his Majesty."

Marlene rolled her eyes.

"Alright James," she glanced down at Sirius once more, hoping against hope this could work, "let's see how fast you can get your amazing healer here."

James glared at her before turning on his heels and striding towards the front door. As they walked up the path to the road, Marlene added to her heavy wards. She knew she was responsible for both James and Lily right now, but she wasn't capable of splitting herself in two, and she was positive that Lily wouldn't want to be around this manipulating boy king, so she had to make do.

"What's your plan?" Marlene holstered her wand. "Just walk up and announce yourself?"

"You're as bad as Sirius," James shot back and picked up his pace, making Marlene nearly run to keep up.

"Do you have a plan?"

"Yes, but forgive me for not shouting it to the entire city of Enid," he glared down at her and Marlene rolled her eyes.

She had so many questions but she wasn't allowing herself to think about them. If there was even a chance that they could save Sirius she was going to take it.