A/N: I'm probably not going to post this next week. My husband surprised me with a little Valentine's getaway. :) So if I manage to get everything written by Thursday morning, I'll post then, but if not, then I'll be back on Friday, February 21st.
Marlene:
The rooms James procured for them were expansive. Lily's rooms in Privet weren't small by any stretch, but these rooms made those look like a cupboard under the stairs.
Marlene had put off Lily's questions the night before, claiming exhaustion, but really she craved the privacy of again having her own space. For the first time since they left Privet, Marlene slept in a room to herself, in a luxurious soft bed she had all to herself, that wasn't the cramped cots they'd traveled with, knowing that Lily was safely locked in their rooms with her.
It was the first time in months that Marlene awoke feeling completely rested.
And incredibly happy.
"Good morning," Lily came in from her room and jumped on Marlene's bed, "Alright, I let you bask in your afterglow yesterday. Now I want all the details!"
Marlene laughed as Lily climbed under the covers with her.
"You're ridiculous, you know?" Marlene pushed up on her elbow and rested her head on her hand.
"Yes, and you haven't stopped smiling since I walked out of James' room." Lily rolled her eyes at her, "Now spill!"
Marlene smiled wider, "It's all quite boring, really. I'm sure you don't want to hear it."
Lily huffed, "I don't believe that for one second, Marlene!"
Marlene laughed as Lily's face morphed into what Marlene called her sad puppy face.
"Please, Marly," She batted her big green eyes at her, "please tell me all about how wonderful things are going for you and Sirius."
"Going?" Marlene shook her head, "Lily I've had a little less than an hour with the man since we showed up."
Lily dropped the facade and threw one of her hands up into the air. "Fine, then tell me how great that hour of snogging him was!"
"I didn't just snog him that whole time," Marlene chuckled as Lily's face lit up.
"Details, Mar, details!"
It felt so much like old times, back when they were just girls, back before Marlene was made Lily's guardian, back when they'd make up fortunes with the other girls that lived near the McKinnon's and promise handsome husbands and jewels and beauty.
This was just decidedly better.
"Oh Marly," Lily squealed as Marlene finished with the details, minus the little one about Sirius also being bound to Lily, "So what happens next?"
"For the moment, nothing."
"Wait," Lily sat up, "do you mean to tell me that you give yourselves to each other, on your oaths nonetheless, and nothing happens?!"
Marlene rolled her eyes, "Lily, we still have you and James. You both are still our lives' priority. Nothing happens now because we both need to be focused on the oaths we've built our trust upon."
Lily shook her head. "But I want you to be happy!"
"And I am, Lils," Marlene fell back against her pillows with a soft smile. "Don't you see, I gave up all hope of anything like this when we were sixteen. And to have Sirius, even if it's just yesterday, is so much more than I thought possible after I took the oath to be your guardian."
Marlene looked up at her adopted sister.
"Lily, I am so happy."
"I don't understand," Lily shook her head, "but if you're happy, then I'm happy for you."
Marlene smiled. "I am happy, but speaking of details, what did you decide about James?"
Lily curled around one of the pillows, "We've decided that we're going to start over. Petunia would have sent me here ultimately, and so we're going to try this again, getting to know each other the way we would have if I'd been sent here as his potential bride."
Marlene mulled that over for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, and am I correct in assuming he put you at ease over everything from the last almost three months?"
"Sort of," Lily looked torn. "He gave me a promise that if I decide this won't work, that he'll set me up as a noblewoman here in Godric's Hollow and keep me safe from Petunia."
Marlene felt a smile pull on her lips, "I have to admit, I'm impressed. I didn't think he was bright enough for that."
"James is brilliant!" Lily defended.
Marlene's grin widened, "Oh? Please tell me more about how wonderful your betrothed is."
Lily's face went as red as her hair, and Marlene laughed before having the good grace to change the subject.
"When is James coming to collect us?"
"Oh!" Lily jumped from the bed, "I forgot! We better get back into our dresses and ask for breakfast to be brought up." She scrambled out of Marlene's bed and towards her room.
Marlene chose to bask just a moment longer in her happiness before pushing out of her bed and commencing the day.