A Marauder's Guide to Falling Forever
PART FOUR
Written by alliegrl
Chapter Seventeen
Tom was still skeptical when he agreed to let the Order assist him in tracking down Hephias. But as Dumbledore was quick to point out, they had the manpower and resources to carry out the task without raising suspicions of the Ministry, or more specifically the spies that might exist within.
Business would resume as usual. Tom was to continue going in to work as he had for everyday previous. He still didn't quite believe that Rookwood was a spy implanted within his department even though the more Marlene thought about it, the more she believe it to be true. She had no other reason than her gut instinct to rely on, but it seemed strong enough and she urged Tom to be cautious.
Marlene continued to work her position at the Ministry, though careful to wear long sleeves at all time so as not to show off the key that blazoned her arm. The only persons with that knowledge had been sworn to secrecy in Tom's living room.
The key to the hall was a completely separate beast that they continually argued on. Tom was adamant that she turn it over to him. Dumbledore was the one to remind him that keeping up a façade of normalcy was important, and that he couldn't just walk into work one day suddenly with the key since Hephias had been missing. It would raise too many questions of which he would not be able to answer without implicating his god daughter. He begrudgingly gave up on it.
The deal was that Marlene would keep the key until they could track down Hephias or Cassandra to obtain answers. At which point they would decide how to further proceed. Knowing that she held such power over such a heavy secret brought about mixed feelings. Fear was surprisingly a minimal emotion that flickered with the knowledge. She knew that her life was in grave danger should Voldemort truly know about the prophecy and the means of obtaining it. She was merely a pawn in a game, destined to lose.
The second prophecy continued to haunt her. Her name, along with Sirius, James, and Lily had been attached to that stupid plaque accompanying what she had suspected to be the prophecy uttered to her by Cassandra.
Four lives lost. Four names inscribed. She was certain, though unable or willing to tell her friends, that Harry was in fact the boy destined to bore equality to Voldemort, and that the rest of them would die ensuring that it happened. The thought made her sick whenever she thought about it. Which was too often for her liking.
But she couldn't meddle with the potential future. And so she sat on the information. Whatever was destined to be, would be. And she would grow to accept it. But her friends did not need such a burden, their loads heavy enough as it was.
Sirius seemed extra protective afterwards, and yet she didn't overly mind that much. Mostly, she selfishly thought to herself, because it meant that they spent a great deal of time together. And after having spent so much time apart she was grateful to have him all to herself once again.
It was about a month later, the snow melted and the traces of spring began to wash away the dreary winter. The Order had put together separate missions to track down Hephias but to no avail. Having Cassandra on his side surely meant that they would be difficult to track down, just as it had been for Marlene when she had set out on her own search. A seer with an eye for the future made it difficult to be found if one did not wish to be so.
"Do you really think that Rookwood is a spy and he's going to try to steal the prophecy again?" Sirius was drawing imaginary circles on her skin, tracing around the key that vividly glared up at him from her wrist. He seemed transfixed with it, the omen that put Marlene's life in jeopardy.
"Yes," she said and then giggled. "Sirius, that tickles."
He looked up at her, expression still grim. But then his lips quirked to the side and all traces of conflict erased. "I missed your laugh you know."
"Yes so you've told me," she teased him. "I'm not going anywhere Sirius, you don't have to be so sentimental all the time."
"I do though." He frowned. "We lost a lot of time together. I want to make sure you know how much I've missed you. How much I love you."
"We practically live with one another, I'm sure you could do with missing me more," she said. Under different circumstances she might feel stifled being around him so much. But she didn't. And she wouldn't admit it to him, but even spending a day apart and she missed him too.
"We do, don't we?" he mused. They were sprawled across his bed in the loft where Marlene had spent the last three nights. She had run out of clothes and insisted that it was time to go back to her flat to prove to Emmeline that she was, in fact, still alive. "What if we did? For real."
"What if we did what?" She giggled again as his fingers ran up her arm. "Seriously stop, that tickles."
"What if we lived together?"
Marlene stopped giggling. His expression was not playful anymore, he was completely serious. "You want to live together?" she repeated slowly, not quite sure if she had understood correctly.
"Yes," he said. "Move in with me."
"Don't you think it's a bit soon?" Her voice sounded weak, suddenly anxious.
"Do you?" He frowned. "We've been dating since sixth year."
"On and off since sixth year," she reminded him and he rolled his eyes.
"Yes, okay. On and off for the last three years." He humored her. "But you and I both know that we've belonged to one another the entire time. You're it for me, Mar. Let's not waste more time."
"I didn't think you were interested in settling down," she said, recalling the conversation from Lily and James' wedding where she had been devastated to learn he had no intention of getting married. It was a conversation that they had never had since.
"Things change." He shrugged. "So what do you say?"
It wasn't really something she cared to think too much about, and so she didn't. "Yes."
His grin was practically indecent.
She never did make it back to her apartment that day.
Emmeline took the news rather well. Or at least as well as Marlene could have hoped for.
"I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised," she huffed as she helped stuff some more of Marlene's things into one of the boxes sitting upright and open on her bed. "You haven't even really lived here in the last year. I've sort of gotten used to living on my own."
"Do you think you're going to find another roommate?" Marlene tried to suppress the feeling of jealously that flared up inside her at the thought. Though she and Emmeline hadn't spent a great deal of time together in the last while, she still felt sad to think that she might replace her.
"Nah," she said, smiling. "I don't think I could give up this new found freedom. Plus, I'm making more at the hospital now anyways so I don't really need the extra rent money. I'll hold on to the room in case you decide to change your mind. Maybe you'll only last a week and decide that his boy place stinks too much to bear."
Though Marlene laughed she replied, "I don't think so Em. I think this time is it."
"Is there a ring that you're hiding from me?" Her eyes narrowed and dropped down to look at Marlene's very bare finger.
"No." She flushed. She and Sirius had not had any conversation leading her to believe that his offer to move in together had any intention to lead elsewhere. She was content to leave well enough alone. She had spent enough time convincing herself that if they never did get married, that she would be okay with that so long as she got to spend her life with him. But they were young, and as Sirius had pointed out 'things change.'
"I want to be the first to know when he asks," she said pointedly. "The first. Got it? Don't go pulling the Lily card on me either, you owe me one."
Marlene didn't argue. Instead they continued to pack her things in silence and only when they finished did Emmeline burst into a fit of tears. But the emotions didn't last for long because they were interrupted by a patronus in the shape of an eagle. Marlene recognized it instantly to belong to Frank.
'Emergency meeting at our house right now.'
She and Emmeline exchanged a look. Emmeline wiped vigorously at the tears cascading down her cheek and straightened her chest. "Sounds important, what do you think it is?"
"I don't know," she gushed. Things had been awfully quite on the battle front. "Guess we're about to find out."
They apparated together and were first to arrive. Alice greeted them at the door, baby Neville – who was not quite such a baby anymore – bounced on her hip, laughing. Despite the good spirits of her son, Alice did not seem quite as happy.
"What's wrong Alice?" Marlene asked quickly, sliding past her and into the house.
"I don't know yet," Alice said gravely. "Frank isn't home yet. I only just got the message that everyone will be arriving here."
"What's going on?" Sirius was next through the door, trailed by James. He gave Marlene a quick kiss on her forehead and reached for her hand. She squeezed it nervously, already beginning to feel the clammy sweat of anxiety within her palms.
Emmeline saved Alice the trouble of answering, "Just waiting on the others."
Most of the other members arrived quickly; Dumbledore, Gideon Prewitt, Dedalus Diggle, Arabella Figg, who was a squib and the newest member of the team, accompanied Mundungus Fletcher, followed by Edgar Bones and Sturgis Podmore.
Finally Frank walked through the door accompanied by Peter, Remus, Fabian, Mad eye, and to Marlene's complete surprise, Tom. It was immediately obvious that something was terribly wrong. Bloody gashes covered their bodies, with the exception of Peter who seemed relatively unharmed apart from his sickly white appearance.
"What's going on?" Marlene was first to ask. Tom had been cooperative, but she hadn't expected him to attend meetings, let alone show up to one looking like a Manticore had clawed his arm to shreds.
"We found Hephias," Mad Eye said gruffly. The Order members were in on the necessity of tracking down Hephias, but apart from Dumbledore, Tom, James and Lily, Frank and Alice, and Marlene and Sirius, nobody knew why.
Then after a moment of grim silence he informed the room, "But he's dead."
Dead. She felt the blood draining from her face and body grow weak. Sirius's hand squeezed hers even tighter but her body had become so numb that she hardly felt it.
"He was alive when we found him," Remus added. "Said they were coming for him."
"Who's they?" Alice's voice was shaky.
"Death Eaters. They arrived minutes after us," Mad Eye grunted. "Killed him instantly. Never had a chance."
"It's like they knew we were there," Fabien said. "I don't understand."
Marlene felt Sirius's grip tighten further and she cried out in pain. Whipping her head to look at him she noticed how his gaze was fiercely trained on Remus, who seemed completely oblivious to the fire burning into him.
"Stop it," she hissed at him under her breath. "Sirius. Please don't."
"There's a spy in here," Sirius spat loudly, ignoring Marlene's plea to keep quiet. Everyone turned to look at him and Marlene noted that James looked particularly pale. Sirius hadn't admitted it to her, but she suspected that he had also confided in James his suspicions about Remus.
"What are you talking about, Black?" Mad Eye grumbled.
"That's a pretty bold accusation to make," Gideon added.
"Hephias was on the run. Isn't it a bit too coincidental that we obtain his location just at the same time as Voldemort? Hasn't anyone else noticed that lately they seem to be one step ahead of us? Someone is leaking information." His gaze was trained firmly on Remus who seemed abashed by the glare Sirius was directing his way. However, he remained silent.
"Sirius we've talked about this," James said, stepping out from the side and confirming Marlene's suspicions that he knew.
"I don't care. I'm tired of sitting around pretending like everything is okay here when it's not. It's not like we're playing a game of chess and someone is cheating. Lives are on the line here. Someone is playing with our lives and we're all going to end up dead if we don't do something about it."
The room grew quiet and uncomfortable. Marlene fidgeted nervously at his side, eyes cast downward and unable to look at Remus to gauge his reaction. Or anyone else's for that matter.
Sirius had set loose a young kaleidoscope of electric blue pixies, unleashing them on the Order and setting up a cascade of chaos and doubt. Marlene could only hope that he was wrong.
Things were definitely uncomfortable and chaotic in the Order after that. Inadvertently Sirius had caused the other members to begin questioning alliances and become much wearier of one another. In a time when they needed to remain united, they were beginning to fall apart.
"Yeah okay I was driven by anger," Sirius admitted a week later, after he had time to calm down. They were at the Potters and he was racked with guilt over his outburst.
"It's not Remus," James insisted for probably the millionth time. "Come on mate, you know that Remus would never do that. He's our friend."
"I've thought about it over and over. He's always around when things go south, and he's working with the werewolves directly who we know are working for Voldemort. It just makes sense. It couldn't be anyone else."
"I think you're stressed a bit Sirius," Lily chimed in, trying to keep the peace.
"Of course I'm stressed!" he shouted. Harry let out a cry from his sudden volume increase and he quickly apologized. "I'm sorry Lily. I didn't mean – "
"It's alright Sirius," she replied, giving him a sad smile. Then she scooped Harry up from the ground. "I'm going to put him down for his nap now anyways." Then she removed herself from the room, Harry's tired, angry cries echoing down the hallway.
"Okay let's entertain the idea that there is a spy, and I'm not saying that it's Remus," Marlene said, shooting him a sideways look, "then it does sort of make sense that they knew where Hephias was. Clearly they were hunting for him, I think we can agree on that at the very least?"
"Yes," James said, nodding. "Yes I think that much is obvious. He was clearly an intended target."
"So that means that he was on the run because he was scared for his life. The whole theory we have about him depositing the key at Tom's because he was scared, tipped off by Cassandra just seems to be true. And I hate to say it, but I think that it means Voldemort knows about the prophecy."
James and Sirius were silent.
"I think you're right," James said finally, his voice ridden with anguish. They all knew what that meant for James and Lily.
"We still don't know who the other person in the prophecy is though," Sirius added. "Maybe it's Frank and Alice."
"Like that makes a difference," James snapped. "They're our friends too."
"Well of course – I didn't mean – " Sirius fumbled, so unlike him to become flustered with his words.
"We need to concentrate on protecting all of you, not just trying to figure out who is in danger. I think it's safe to say that we're all in danger at this point," Marlene pointed out, staring at the marking on her wrist. If Voldemort knew about the prophecy and had been hunting Hephias down in order to obtain it, then that meant that she was a hot target too.
"But he doesn't know that you have the key, Mar." Sirius was suddenly close beside her. He grabbed hold of her hand, diverting her attention away from the key as though he knew exactly what she was thinking.
She sighed, "Not yet. But this means that they're going to be looking for who does, and that means that – "
How had she not come to this conclusion sooner? Her eyes bulged, mouth falling open in her sudden realization of what this meant. Then she cried out, "Tom!"
She didn't need to explain further than that. She was rewarded with stony facial expressions from the boys in the room. Apparently they had already thought of this.
"No! No! He needs to leave. They're going to go after him and any other person that works in that department. And when they realize that Tom isn't the keeper, then it's only going to take a good truth serum or cruciatus curse for them to get it out of him. We're both as good as dead if he doesn't go into hiding. We all are!" she cried, tears she didn't know had been collecting began to fall.
She didn't elaborate what she meant by her last statement because she still hadn't told them about the second prophecy and her suspicions about what that meant. Sirius squeezed her hand but it did nothing to comfort her.
Sirius was trying to be reassuring, reaching forward to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Moody and Frank are watching him at the Ministry. And he's being guarded by Order members whenever he's not at work."
"But if there is a spy then that doesn't do him any good!" she yelled, yanking her body from Sirius's affectionate touch and standing to her feet. "Nobody else knows why we were looking for Hephias. Now all of a sudden Tom is being monitored, that's going to put a pretty big target on his back don't you think? He'll be the first person they go after for the key."
"Marlene," James said, trying to use his best, calming voice. "You're beginning to sound like Sirius. We don't know that there is a spy for certain." Then his eyes shifted to Sirius who was glaring at him. "Sorry mate, but it's true. We need to protect Tom and we can't do that if we suspect everyone of being a spy."
"Not everyone. Just Remus," Sirius growled.
Marlene shook her head vigorously. "I don't care! He's just in as much danger if he's at work because of Rookwood..." she trailed off, hands flying to cover her mouth. "Oh my god. If he thinks that Tom is the keeper he could try it at work. I need to go there! I need to warn him!"
"Like hell you are!" Sirius shot up from where he had been sitting to tower over her. "Do you recall that you have this?" He snatched her arm to hold it upwards, his hold more firm than he likely intended. The tattoo glared back at them all. "So what do you think is going to happen when you waltz in there and Rookwood realizes that you're the one he's looking for, not Tom? It's like delivering the lion its dinner on a gold platter."
"I – I – don't – " she stammered. She didn't know. But she couldn't just not do anything either.
But Sirius wasn't done. "That won't be enough Marlene, you need to keep yourself out of that place. I think you should quit your job too," he said, eyes flashing in warning. He was moving into overbearing-protective mode and Marlene felt a flush of indignation.
"I am not quitting my job!" she snapped. Even though she only worked a few days a week, she had taken a few extra days off on recommendation of Frank. He wanted to make sure that they had the right security measures in place before she returned. "I have access to valuable information there."
"You work part-time, how much access do you really have? Besides, Peter is already working in the department. He can get the inside information in your place. We aren't losing anything by you quitting your job." Sirius retorted in a patriarchal tone.
That made Marlene angry. She felt the heat fill her cheeks and she didn't care that she had raised her voice even an octave higher. Even the sound of Harry's cries from the floor above didn't stop her from unleashing her rage. "We're not doing this again, Sirius! I am an adult, I make my own choices, I do not need nor do I want you to hover over me like I'm some china doll that is going to break if the wind blows the wrong way."
"I'm not going to lose you again!" he roared. "If that means I have to lock you in a room with no windows and doors then so be it. But you are not going to put yourself in danger, not now that you have that damn mark on your wrist." Then he moved towards her, hand stretched outwards as if to grab hold of her somehow and physically prevent her from leaving. But she pulled away, twisting out of his path.
She knew it was immature when she told him, "Too bad you're not the boss of me." Then she flew to the door, whipped it open and ran out into the front yard, sensing him not far behind her. Then she disapparated, feeling the graze of Sirius's fingers on her arm and hearing the curse of his words as she spun away from the Potters and out of sight.
