Chapter 21: Recruitment to the Order

It was a quiet night in the Gryffindor Common Room, the evening patrols done. By the blazing fire, Lily Evans straddled her boyfriend's lap, running her fingers through his mussy hair. Leaning back, James Potter had his eyes closed, a smile of contentment on his face.

Dipping her face close to his, Lily kissed his lips lightly. Cracking open one eye, James smirked.

"I can feel all the tangles, you know, so thank you for straightening them out, in any case. Maybe I should cut it…"

"Oh, please don't!" Lily yelped, tenderly brushing the bangs back from his eyes. "I quite like it long."

"Well, Lils, it's nice to know we have similar taste in men!" Mary cackled, cupping Remus's cheek and kissing him deeply from where she also sat in her boyfriend's lap. When they lovingly broke apart, Remus was a deep shade of red.

"I've tried to cut mine more times than I can count. The spell never works. It just grows back all the faster. All I can manage is a light trim."

"That's all right… I prefer it that way!" Mary nuzzled her nose against his.

Sprawled out on the carpet on his back, Sirius harrumphed tiredly. Lily glanced down at him.

"What's wrong. Padfoot?"

"So glad you asked, Lily. Let's start with the fact that I'm not getting any!"

"Bollocks," James laughed. "You've blazed a trail through nearly our whole year, and the sixth years besides!"

Sirius huffed, shaking his head as he propped himself up on one elbow. "Yeah, well maybe I wanna get myself that one girl! Settle down, you know?"

Mary giggled. "If you ever settled down, Sirius, it would take all the fun out of life, and no mistake!"

"Yeah, mate," Remus smiled. "Everybody has a role in our little gang. Yours is the stubborn bachelor."

"Nah, we have Peter for that!" Sirius cracked, causing everyone to burst out laughing. "Speaking of which, where is Wormtail?"

"Lils and I saw him in the library on patrol, burning the candle at both ends. We told him to get back in for curfew soon as he could."

As if on cue, Peter Pettigrew burst in, panting hard, as if he had been running.

"Peter?" Lily shimmied off her boyfriend's lap and crossed over to their little friend kindly. "Are you OK?"

Doubled over, Peter lifted a finger, silently requesting a minute. When he had recovered his breath, his beady little eyes were huge with excitement. "I was…. walking back… under the Cloak just in case, when Professor Dumbledore found me."

"Dumbledore caught you under the Cloak?" James frowned.

"Not surprised. Doesn't miss a trick, that man," Remus mused in admiration.

"He asked I round you all up and bring you down to his office right away!"

"All of us?" Mary looked over at Lily.

"But we haven't even done anything!" Sirius threw up his hands, causing James to roar with laughter.

"He wouldn't say what it was about, but yeah, he wants you as well, Lily and Mary."

"What are we waiting for?" James leapt to his feet, taking Lily's hand in his. "Let's go!"

Minutes later, the group of six were exiting the spinning staircase into Headmaster Dumbledore's office. Turning away from the window and circling his desk, Dumbledore smiled.

"Ah, Mr. Potter and friends. Please, have a seat, all."

James, Remus, Sirius, Peter, Mary and Lily each took a chair, Dumbledore now coming up and down the line with a candy tin.

"Lemon drop?"

All politely declined, except for Mary, who took one with a bashful smile of thanks.

"Now, the reason I instructed Mr. Pettigrew to gather you all this evening:" Dumbledore crossed back to the window, gazing out into the distance contemplatively. He seemed to be far away for a moment, before he got back to the point.

"Tell me, seventh years: what would you all like to do once you complete your Hogwarts education?"

"Hunt Death Eaters!" James grinned with relish, Sirius letting out a country whoop next to him.

"I am heartened by your enthusiasm, gentlemen, truly. Master Pettigrew?"

"What James and Sirius said, Headmaster!"

"There's a good lad," Dumbledore chuckled, eyes swiveling to the chair at the far end. Remus cleared his throat.

"Headmaster… I would like nothing more than to stand against Voldemort and his traitorous cause, but…. is there a place… for a… werewolf like me…?"

Cupping a silky hand to his cheek, Mary turned his face to hers and kissed his lips softly. "Stop," she whispered against his lips. "Who you are in the night doesn't matter. You are a hero, my love. A good man. A generous man. The Order of the Phoenix would do well to see you as I do."

"Quite right, Miss MacDonald, quite right," Dumbledore's eyes lifted along with his crinkly smile. "And to answer your question, Remus, there is a place for you within our ranks. Others of your kind will be courted heavily by Voldemort's regime. It would be most valuable to us if you could head off his recruitment amongst the werewolves as much as possible." A pause, and then, "Steer clear of Fenrir Greyback, however – a lost cause, that."

Remus straightened gratefully. "Headmaster, it shall be an honor."

Lacing her fingers through his, Mary gave his palm a gentle squeeze. "I go where Remus goes, Headmaster."

Lily was last of all. "Miss Evans? What are your future plans?"

Seeing all her friends' eyes on her, Lily bit her lip, wringing her hands. "Well… I suppose I have always wanted to go into teaching, but times being what they are, at the moment…" She took a deep breath. "I would like to stand and fight with you."

"Excellent. And your professorial aspirations will be duly noted, my dear," Dumbledore gave her a wink. Once more, he took to gazing out the window. "There is a war soon to come, my dear students. Soon we will have to make choices between what is right… and what is easy. The Order of the Phoenix needs passionate young people like you to help us keep our world from being brought to ruin. Do I have your approval to enter the Order and fight for a free wizardkind?"

"Yes!" all six chorused.

"Very well. You will receive your commissions upon your graduation. I will ensure these assignments do not begin until the following fall term, so that you may get your affairs in order. Thank you, seventh years. Dismissed."

That final spring of her Hogwarts career was one of the happiest Lily could remember. Days spent out in the sunshine by the Black Lake, Quidditch games, monthly Hogsmeade visits. On nights of the full moon, she and Mary would wait up for James and Remus and the others to return.

Now, it was a lovely spring evening just a few weeks before graduation, the Marauders and Mary and Lily watching the sunset over the grounds, a picnic blanket spread out around them. Sirius was prancing about and making a typical fool of himself, the firewhiskey James had nicked from the kitchens going straight to his head. Padfoot was singing, loud and boisterously, even lifting up his robes a little.

"Thank you very much! Thank you very much! That's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me! I may sound Double-Dutch, But my delight is such I feel as if a losing war's been won for me. And if I had a flag I'd hang me flag out…" Sirius dropped his trousers suddenly, flashing his willy for all to see for only just a split-second, causing Mary to shriek with shock and laughter. "To add a sort of final victory touch! But since I left me flag at home, I'll simply have to say Thank you very, very, very much!"

Everyone roared with laughter and burst into applause, Sirius sweeping into a flamboyant bow.

"You're drunk, Black!" Mary hollered out, howling with mirth.

"Let it never be said I know how to hold me liquor, my dear," Sirius smirked. He collapsed onto the picnic blanket, flushed with exhilaration. "Well, mates, we've finished our NEWTS, with Master Pettigrew passing by the skin of his tail…." Remus and James roared with laughter. "We have commissions from the Order arriving any day… what shall we do with ourselves?"

Remus suddenly cleared his throat. "If I may…"

"Get up! Get up there, then! Good on ya, mate!" Sirius pummeled him playfully with his fists. Remus quietly took Mary's hands and pulled her to her feet. Her doe grey eyes blinked rapidly.

"What is it, dear?"

And then, to everyone's astonishment, Remus got down on one knee. Lily drew both hands to her mouth to hold in a gasp. "Oh, my Merlin…." she chittered to James.

Mary's eyes had gone huge. "Remus….?"

"I love you, Mary MacDonald…. And you have made me the happiest man alive knowing that you love me. I daresay a beast such as me does not deserve such love, yet you have given me joy that few men or beasts know. Will you marry me, my beautiful Irish lass?"

By now, Mary was weeping. "Yes, Remus Lupin! I will marry you!" And throwing her arms around him, she snogged him senseless as he slipped the ring on her finger. When they dreamily broke apart, Remus, hardly daring to believe it, stammered:

"I know it's not much, but…"

"Shut up," Mary smiled, leaning in for another long kiss.

"Huzzah!" James shouted; Sirius corked open another bottle of firewhiskey.

"A toast! A toast! To the future Mrs. Lupin, for finally making an honest man of this lovable tosser!"

"I'll drink to that!" Peter squeaked.

It was a lovely wedding, held in the backyard of Mary's parents at the height of summer. Lily Evans was, of course, the Maid of Honor, and James Potter stood on hand as Remus's Best Man.

When Mary finally appeared at the end of the aisle, she looked ravishing. She almost floated down the aisle towards her future, looking every bit like a fairy sprite in the old Irish tales. Joining hands, smiling into each other's eyes, Remus and Mary quietly gave their vows.

But it was Mary's conclusion that drew the most tears. "No matter where you go, there I'll be. I love you. I had fallen for you before I even realized it, but I love you." Smiling tearfully, she got out, "I love my husband."

The presiding wizard smiled. "Then I declare you bonded for life, as man and wife. You may kiss."

Mary swept into Remus's arms, laughing as he dipped her and kissed her deeply, to cheers. When the couple broke apart, the minister announced them as Mr. Remus Lupin and Mrs. Mary MacDonald-Lupin.

James dashed forward to pump Remus's hand in congratulations, followed by Sirius and Peter. Then, tucked into her new husband's side and smiling radiantly, her cheeks flushed, Mary tossed her bridal bouquet into the crowd.

She considered it a splendid omen when Lily, her Maid of Honor caught the bouquet, for it was tradition that the catcher was the one who would marry next. As she locked eyes with James across the reception hall, Lily couldn't help but wonder if maybe she was ready to take that next step.