Disclaimer: see previous chapters. Another transitional chapter. I am sorry, but these are necessary :) and sorry for the wait.
James and Sirius hurriedly rushed their wives into the flat with childlike eagerness, practically pushing them. They showered Lily and Diana with kisses as if they feared they would never lay eyes on them again.
The women, quite bewildered by their husbands' behaviour, followed eagerly as they entered the kitchen, exhausted and dumbfounded by the previous night's events. Sirius pulled out a chair for his wife, all the while his hands shaking out of discomfiture and relief that Diana was still with him, that she had not succumb to some unnatural fate of death or torturous punishment.
James' heart was still beating ridiculously fast as he took Lily's hand, fearful that she might be some cruel manifestation of his mind that he could not bear to let go of. The expression in his eyes told Lily he had been afraid, although he thought he hid it extremely well.
"Drinks?" James asked, trying greatly to steady his voice.
"Absolutely." Sirius said, clasping his hands together, as if suggesting James had had a brilliant idea.
Lily and Diana just looked at each other, touched and amused at how deliriously happy their husbands seemed to be upon their return, which they thought was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Vodka?" James asked, searching frantically for a drink that would be suitable for what seemed to him, a cheerful occasion.
"James, it's seven o'clock in the morning." Lily said, suppressing a laugh. James stopped and looked at her.
"My God, you're right." He said, slightly embarrassed, running his still nervous hands through his untidier than usual hair.
"Do you want breakfast?" Sirius asked of all of them, while looking at Diana with somewhat misty eyes. She just shook her head at his request, beaming at his adolescently adorable demeanour.
There was silence for a few minutes as both men looked upon their wives, thinking they might provide some sort of explanation of what had happened. James looked at Sirius, and then at Lily, who had been watching him awfully closely since she had walked in.
"Well?" Sirius asked, taking the words out of James' mouth. Lily and Diana just glanced at each other, privately deciding whether or not they should tell them first, or wait until Dumbledore was present. "What happened?" he asked, hoping it would clarify the question.
Lily looked at Diana and shrugged, as if suggesting 'they were going to find out eventually'. Diana nodded.
"Well………" she began, somewhat uneasily. "What…. uh…..what do you want to know?"
James and Sirius flooded them with questions so rapidly that neither Lily nor Diana could comprehend a syllable.
"Hold on boys, slow down." Lily said. "We can barely understand you." She chuckled.
"Sorry, sorry." James said briskly. "It's just that……."
"We're so happy to see you." Sirius finished. James nodded in agreement.
"That's sweet." Diana said. "Although……we weren't gone that long."
"It was only a few hours." Lily said.
"Yes but……" James said. "The way you just rushed out of here; no warning, no goodbye, nothing. Then you both tell me that Sirius would come if you weren't back, and then he did, about five minutes after you had left, which freaked me out even more and—"
"I'm sorry." Lily said. "We didn't mean to—there just wasn't time and—"
"It was very last minute." Diana said. "There was no time for mushy goodbyes and pleasantries like that. We (ahem) had a job to do……" she trailed off, and Sirius noticed she wasn't looking at him at all.
"Ask what you want." Lily said, pausing. "But, we may not be able to answer all of them ok? Some things," she said, looking at Diana, "need to be sorted out by Dumbledore first."
Sirius and James sighed in unison, respecting their wishes and thinking diligently of a question that might be suitable without being overwhelming. The whole time trying to block whatever it was they thought they might be forced to hide.
"Well then…….um……uh—" Sirius stuttered, looking at James for guidance.
"Can I have some tea first?" his wife asked.
"Certainly." He said, and quickly walked over to the cupboard, grabbing the nearest teacup. She watched him closely as he filled it up with water and gently placed the teabag into it. Then he placed it in front of her, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Thank you." She said.
"So……" he started, folding his arms, preferring to stand. "How many were there?"
"Twelve—"
"Eleven—" the women said in unison.
"Well we have huge problems if you ladies don't know how to count properly." James said.
"Well, there were eleven at first, then twelve." Lily said.
"Was he there?" James said, apprehensively.
"He was the twelfth." Lily answered.
"I see. So Voldomort didn't come to his own meeting on time? That seems surprising." James said.
"Oh, and believe me, they were surprised." Lily said.
"Were they?" Sirius asked, interested, "why?"
"Well, you see," Diana said, "It was supposed to be secret, but to their distress, it wasn't."
"Interesting." James muttered. "What was it about, since they obviously didn't think he would show up?"
"Nothing really." Diana responded. "It was more of a we fucked up and here's why type of thing."
"I see. What did they mess up on?" Sirius inquired. "Anything we know about?"
"Yes, it was about the commotion that happened back in March." Lily said.
"What about it?" James asked.
"Their mission, we discovered, was, well, to kill……..us, to be blunt." Lily said, gravely.
"The Aurors." Diana clarified.
"Because we're a threat." Sirius said.
"Yes." Diana answered.
"An obstacle. We were causing to many problems for them, am I right?"
"Exactly. Considering we are all alive, and in somewhat decent heath, they failed, and were punished, so it seemed." Lily said.
"Did they say why they failed?" Sirius asked. Lily looked to Diana for answers.
"Distractions." She said, taking a sip of her neglected tea.
"Distractions?" Sirius repeated. "What kind of distractions?" he said, not thinking anything of it.
"They didn't say." Diana said, before Lily had a chance to speak.
"That's odd." James said. "Why wouldn't they—"
"Well that's when Voldomort showed up." Lily said. "He, uh, sort of disrupted everything."
"Uh huh. What did he say to them?" Sirius asked. Both men were significantly calmer now, from both confusion and general concentration. Their fidgety movement had ceased completely.
"Well, he, uh," Lily began nervously, knowing that she couldn't say the total and complete truth, out of respect to her friend, who wouldn't have wanted it. Consequently, it made it rather difficult to give a strait answer. "He said they had failed, and was beyond infuriated about it, even though it was a while ago……and that it shouldn't happen again and they were a great disappointment and—"
"Lily, please, if there is a point, get to it." Sirius said, sensing the fact that she was withholding.
"Well, err, um……" she paused and took a breath. "He knows."
"About what?" James asked, growing frantic in his mind, although it was not visible.
"About the Order." She said.
"What?!" James and Sirius said together.
"How? It's a secret. How could he have possibly—"
"He has his ways James, you know that." Lily said, remaining calm.
"But, but—How?" he repeated.
"He just does." Lily said, with a stern tone. "It could not, in any way, have been prevented, at the time."
"How long has he known?" James asked.
"He didn't say." Lily replied, although she knew exactly how long it had been.
"Oh my god." James said, uncrossing his arms and beginning to pace. "And……and, does he know….who we are?"
Lily nodded.
"Oh great, bloody fantastic! Now what are we going to do?"
"Tell Dumbledore of course." Sirius said, not wasting his enthusiasm on the inevitable.
"There's more." Diana chimed in. "They have Alice's invisibility cloak."
"Well, this is bad." James said.
"Anything else?" Sirius asked, looking at his wife with a peculiar interest. She had been awfully quiet, but the manner in which she held her cup suggested she was devilishly uncomfortable. He also saw it in her eye contact, or lack thereof.
"Nope." Lily answered, unsurely.
"Oh yeah?" Sirius questioned, "Did you two catch who was there, by any chance?"
"What do you mean?" Diana asked, in a tone that matched his own, intentionally.
"Any faces?" he clarified. "Any names?"
"They were all masked." Lily interrupted. "And the only voices we made out belonged to Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange, and we already knew those."
"That's true." James said, looking at Lily's expression and silently agreeing to what she was doing, what she was hiding. He had figured it out.
"So, are we done? What are we going to eat?" Diana asked, shifting the subject to something she, and everyone else was more comfortable with……food.
"Yea." James said.
"I am starving. I need food." Lily said.
"Ugh, you took the words right out of my mouth." Sirius said, averting his attention. "I was wondering when someone would bring that up."
"We have no food though." Lily said.
"I noticed." Diana said.
"Do you want to go out?" Lily asked.
"Do you?" Diana answered. "James?" Diana noticed him looking a bit nervous, since last time they went out, it didn't go as well as they'd hoped.
"Well, you know, I don't know, it's really early, nothings open, and I don't want to—"
"Run into anybody?" Diana finished for him
"Well, to be blunt, yes." He said, shrugging. Diana shot Lily a look, one that Lily understood perfectly.
"I have an idea." Lily said. "Let's owl Remus and Nicole. It'll be fun. All of us together." Lily said.
"That sounds good." James said. All of us. I'd like that."
"That's fine." Sirius said. "And Moony hasn't gotten out of the house in a while."
"Yes." Diana said. "And maybe afterwards, we can go shopping."
"Huh?" Sirius said, looking at her in disbelief. "You? Shopping? Now?" he asked, flabbergasted. "Really?"
"Well why not, I need a good walking around, besides, and we never go out, all the girls, you know." She shrugged.
"And what are we supposed to do?" Sirius asked.
"We'll stay behind." James said quickly. "We wouldn't want to interfere or anything."
"Wow." Lily said, rolling her eyes.
"What?" he answered, defensively.
"In a matter of a minute." She said, looking at her watch. "You are ready to part with us already, all because the word 'shopping' was mentioned."
"Well meet at Diagon Alley." Diana said, grabbing a piece of note-sized parchment from the counter. "Unless, do you boys want to come?" she said innocently.
"No." Sirius said.
"Absolutely not." James seconded.
"Aww, I guess you two aren't as whipped as we thought." Lily said.
"Pity." Diana answered.
"Alright, well, do any of us have to get ready?" James asked.
"Not really." Lily said. "I'm pretty ok."
"I'm fine too." Diana said.
"I showered already." Sirius said.
"You did?" Diana asked.
"Well I had to do something." He said, defensively. She just giggled.
"Well, I need to change." James said. "I'm still in the same clothes as last night."
"Oh yea." Lily said, glancing at her body. "I totally forgot."
"We'll be down in a bit." James said.
"Five minutes." Lily said. She regretted the fact that she had to leave Diana alone for a minute, even though she knew she was capable of taking care of herself. But, she was afraid Sirius might interrogate her further. She regretted withholding information from him, well, the both of them really.
They went upstairs quickly, James leading, Lily glancing behind the stairs as she followed.
In silence they went to their respective dressers. James was watching Lily with interest, and she noticed after a minute. She still had the same frame of mind as the night before, but she seemed to like pissed of Lily as opposed to mushy Lily. It was just who she was. After years and years, she figured, he should know that.
"I missed you terribly last night." He said, as she lazily shut the drawer, not even looking at what she was about to put on.
She laughed. "Is that what you wanted to tell me?"
"Huh?" he asked, walking over to her.
"You were staring, James."
"I know that." He answered, leaning down and kissing her on the cheek from behind. Then he hugged her, so tightly she felt like he was suffocating her. "You know, a part of me, this little tiny part of me, thought that I would never see you again."
"James, don't be rash—" she said, brushing him off.
"I mean it. I knew where you were going, and your warning told me that it might get dangerous, and you might not come back—"
"Don't be silly. Of course I'd come back." She said, turning around, and quickly removing her shirt.
"Well, that's what you say, but circumstances, if he saw you—"
"He didn't see me." She said, quickly, and pulled the clean shirt over her head.
"I know, I know." He whispered. "But—"
"James? I—I love you, ok? Too much for my own good, I'm afraid. I am not going anywhere, and if I do, you are coming with me, got it?" she said.
He smiled. "I got it. So it's one of those, you jump I jump things?"
"Well I hope our fate does not mean jumping off a bridge, but sure."
"Lily, if it's a bridge, so be it."
"Alright then." She said, amused.
"I got you babe."
"Yes you do, babe."
"Forever and always?"
"Ugh, don't go gushy on me now, but yes, as long as I breathe." She said, dramatically, but chidingly.
"Am I really a bastard?" he asked, her head on her chest.
"Yes, but I love you anyway."
"Well that's good." He said, chuckling.
"And last night, you were never out of my mind." She said, more serious. "I thought about you a lot, about us. But now, with everything, this mess we're in, the Order, everything……I, I just don't want to waste time hating you anymore. It never got me anywhere, and I don't want to chase you away again." James started to protest, but she shushed him with her forefinger.
"Now I am not saying it was my fault you did what you did. And I am not advocating it either. Now, I said to myself when I was younger, that I would never, ever tolerate infidelity. That if a man lied to me, or was unfaithful then that was it he was gone, no questions asked. But, I didn't realize that men would be you, and that it would be someone I truly loved and trusted. But, before you say anything, before you apologize, again, I want you to know; now I've thought about this, a lot and, I think it's time I forgave you."
"Uh…..really? You mean that?"
"Well I promised you didn't I? I always keep my promises. And if we have a family one day……"
James smiled." Wow, Lil." He said, running a hand through his hair. "That's…. that's just so…… " He said, scooping her up again. "And everything, you mean, everything is ok and we can be like we were and it's all back to normal?"
"In a nutshell, yea." She said, practically laughing.
He kissed her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, not wanting to let go. "Thank you." He said.
"For?"
"I don't know. Making me feel alive again I guess."
"Well sure." She answered, linking her arm with his, ready to go downstairs. "I am actually really, really hungry right now, it's clouding my rage. I'll get it back."
"You mean you have more rage?" he said.
"Oh you have no idea." She said, smiling.
"So that's it?" he asked. "No 'I hate you'? No 'you're an asshole'? No slap in the face?"
"Do you want me to slap you, because I will." She said. "It's what I want come to think of it."
"Um…."
"I'm kidding……well actually I'm not, but I am too hungry and tired to care." she said, and opened the door.
~* "Babe." Sirius said, as Diana gulped down the remains of her tea.
"Mmm." Was all she replied, simply acknowledging him.
"You're alright, aren't you?" he asked. She smiled and got up from her chair, which he did not seem to want her to do. "Rest." He commanded. "You haven't slept at all."
"I'm not tired. And besides, you can sleep when you're dead." She said, and when she realized it she shook it off quickly. They paused for a moment, and Diana started to examine her surroundings.
"You are so pretty, honey." He said, simply thinking out loud. Diana snorted in her tea, then started to laugh. "I'm serious." He said, a little offended.
"No, I know, and that's what's funny." She said. He continued to scowl. "Aw, I'm sorry, Cariño. You're just so cute."
"That's nice. Just cute huh?"
"It was a compliment."
"No it wasn't. Puppies are cute, lollipops are cute, pigtails are cute, I, a man, am not cute."
She shrugged. "Alright then. You're masculine and fierce and ruthless." She said, offhandedly. "And I am terribly afraid of you."
"You should be." He said, looking at the floor.
"I missed you, my sweet husband." She said, and walked over to the counter.
"You really scared the shit out of me Renton, you know that?"
"I'm sorry, darling." She whispered, wrapping her hands around his neck.
"Darling?" he chuckled.
"Shut up. Does it frustrate you?"
"A bit."
"Don't mock my expressions of affection." She said, kissing him. It was a kiss that woke her up more than breakfast or any cup of coffee could do. "Mmm." She moaned. "I am really hungry." She said, honestly. He started to laugh.
"Alright. We'll get you some food, ma chére."
"Where do you think we should eat?" she asked.
"Whatever you want." He said.
"Whatever I want? You're not going to complain? Well, I can get used to that, mon Coeur, but I feel like some fresh air."
"That's fine."
"We ready?" James asked, entering the kitchen.
"Yep. Let's go. We'll split up afterwards?" Diana asked.
"We'll play it by ear, how does that sound?" Lily asked.
"Good." Diana said, shrugging.
"So we'll apparate then?" James asked.
"Um, we cant." Sirius said.
"Oh right." James said. "Um, then we'll walk. It isn't that far."
"You told them to meet us?" Lily asked Diana.
"Yea. So, we should leave."
They all nodded and walked out into the wet, sultry morning. The sun was bright, so bright that it temporarily blinded them. The walk was far, but enjoyable. It was when Sirius started to complain that everyone got a bit uncomfortable. James didn't help much, but joined in his hunger pains and sweatiness, that the women started to lag behind only to avoid them.
"So?" Diana asked. "Did you ask him about it?"
"About what?"
"You know…..Narcissa." she whispered.
"Oh, well no." Lily replied.
"Why not?" she sighed. "You know if you keep this bottled up you aren't going to—"
"Look there's Nicole. Oh, she does not look happy." Lily said, avoiding the topic completely. "How long have we kept them waiting."
"Where have you all been?" Remus asked, leaning against the entrance. "We've been waiting—"
"An hour?" Lily asked.
"Yes." He said. "And I am baking out here."
"Well, we were walking in it." Sirius said, obviously pissed off. He wasn't much of a walking person. "Try that."
"Yea, maybe another time." Remus replied, making fun of his attitude.
"This is nice." Nicole said, hugging the girls and kissing the men on the cheek, pretending she didn't hear them bantering. "We never do this anymore."
"Let's eat." Remus said, as they all entered the Leaky Cauldron.
"Thank you Moony. I don't think any of us had that suggestion." Sirius said. With all of the walking and hunger, lack of food made him a bit irritable.
"Just because you didn't get any sleep doesn't mean you have to be snippy with the rest of us." Remus said.
"I slept—"
"Now you didn't. Did he Diana?"
"I don't know." She answered. "But from the way he looks, not a wink."
"Well thanks so much—"
"Ugh, stop complaining Padfoot, for gods sake." James pleaded.
They took a rather long table in the back, one that sat all six of them comfortably. Lily went up to the bar to get their drinks. There wasn't any table service. The Leaky Cauldron was close to empty at that early hour of the morning. The only people in there were the drunks who hadn't left from the night before, lonely travellers or passers by, and the early birds who liked to get everything done before noon. Then there were the three Marauders and their wives/girlfriends, who didn't seem to fit with the type of crowd. Normally they would have been loud, but as Remus said, they hadn't slept at all.
"Hey Tom!" Lily said as she leaned against the bar.
"Well, Miss Evans, how are ye this mornin'? Haven't seen ya in a while." He said cheerily.
"Fine, alive, can't complain. And you?"
"Fine. I'll tell you, its lovely you all came in 'ere today. We could have used an 'ol pick me up, bein' all desolate here an' all."
"Desolate?" Lily asked. If there was any place she could think of that was desolate, the Leaky Cauldron wasn't what came to mind in her head. Maybe they had been away a little too long.
"Yea, we've been getting' shady folk around these parts lately. Stragglers from Knockturn I expect, but still. I don't like it. Just look round and you'll see. People always hidin' their faces and talking in whispers. Its strange Lily, I tell ye, real strange."
Lily turned around and looked at the people that surrounded them. At the bar there were two other people, men, she assumed, and they were both cloaked in black. Yes, it did seem strange, she thought. But then again, she had never been here this early. But from what Tom had said, this wasn't common. Only one other table was occupied, and it looked like an old couple, eating in silence, glancing up occasionally as if they felt intruders were near. Very suspicious indeed, she thought.
"But, anyways, I don't want to ruin your mood, m'dear. What'll it be?" Tom asked.
"Oh, right." She said, turning back. "Um, two Hot Chocolates, three cups of coffee, and a Butterbeer please."
"Right away." He said, nodding. "Do you want some food with it? I heard some of you have hunger pains." He said, cocking his head at the table.
"Sure. What have you got?"
"What do you want?"
Lily turned around. "What do you all want?" she asked, her voice carrying a little too loudly that it jolted the others.
"Anything!" they all yelled back and at odd times.
"You hear that Tom?" she chuckled.
"That I did. I'll bring you some soup and some dinner rolls. That all right? We don't have bacon or anything."
"Oh that's fine, really. None of us care."
"Excellent." He said, putting the Butterbeer, the Hot Chocolates on the bar. "How do you take the coffee?"
"One with milk, one with sugar, and the other leave black."
"Fine. Hey, that Mrs. Black over there, is she carryin' something under her robes?"
"No Tom, she's just pregnant." Lily said.
"Oh, whew. Because I noticed her a little chubby but I didn't want to say nothin'. Here you go." He said, handing her the coffees.
"I wont tell her you said that." Lily said. "I need to make two trips, hold on." She said, and grabbed the coffees in both hands. She walked over to the table.
"Yes it's been really strange around here lately." She heard Remus say. "Even Knockturn Alley has been quiet."
"There' s been hardly anything to write about too." Nicole said. "You'd think Mundungus would find something out of the ordinary."
"They're being careful, too careful." James said.
"I don't know. I think they're just waiting. They're not afraid of anything, least of all people like us." Diana said. "Oh good, coffee. Thanks babe."
"Sure." Lily said. "James: Milk, Nicole: Sugar, Diana: Black."
"Where's my hot chocolate, damn it." Sirius said, in fake impatience.
"Hold on, you'll get it." she said and was back in less than thirty seconds with the remainder of the drinks. "Hot chocolate for you Sirius, one for me, and Butterbeer for you Remus."
"Thank you." Remus said. "What do you mean, people like us?" he asked Diana.
"Well, we are the people they hated in school, remember. Now they think they have all this power. It's sad really." Diana said.
"You mean, like, grudges?" Nicole asked.
"Sort of. A lot of times, people just don't know how to let shit go."
"Hmm. That's an interesting way of looking at it." Remus said.
"It is." Nicole said.
"By the way, Nic, how's the writing going for the Prophet? I meant to say this yesterday, but whatever. I've been looking and trying to figure out what pen name you might have used, but I didn't see anything worth reading. No scandals, reports, nothing." Lily said.
"Yes I know. Mundungus and I have been collaborating and, ugh, let me tell you it is just one big headache with that man. He's good, don't get me wrong, and he tries, but every time I talk to him he's drunk or disoriented in some way. What he owes Dunbledore I guess we'll never know."
"Yes its kind of hard. There has been next to nothing going on lately, and frankly, I'm getting a little restless. Not even Crouch has called on us in like a month." James said.
"Yea, that is kind of weird." Sirius agreed.
"And Dumbledore's been distant." Diana said. "Haven't you all noticed?"
"I have." Remus said. "I mean, lets think for a minute. He hasn't owled any of us since he called us in the first place, no checking up or anything."
"It's been three months." Lily said. "Not even a 'hello, just wanted to know if you're still alive, check back later, all the best'…. nothing. It's weird."
"Well shouldn't that be a good thing?" Sirius asked. "If Dumbledore has that much confidence in us and that nothing so horrible has happened yet that we have a need to be worried? Remember, no news is good news, right?"
"Good point, Padfoot, I see what you're saying." Remus said. "But I've been around, doing what he asked me to do. I've been in Knockturn Alley. Something's not right."
"How do you mean?" James asked.
"The people……they're just, different. They're secretive, even amongst themselves. Most of them don't speak at all, and the place is deserted half the time. The most traffic is really early in the morning, and I'm talking, before the sun. And they're behaviour when they do speak, it's almost……happy."
"Happy?" Lily asked. "That's a little creepy." Lily said, shuddering.
"They are plotting something. That place is Death Eater central." James said.
"I know. Molly and I are trying to decipher it, but there isn't much to work with. I've been researching still, trying to find something that might be helpful, but we're at a stand still." Remus said.
"And Molly with the children can't do much." Nicole said. "And she told me last night she might be pregnant again."
"My god. The woman is a baby machine." James said.
"Yes, but, it shows they have a healthy marriage." Lily said.
"That's true. I'm sure Arthur isn't complaining." Sirius chuckled.
"Ugh, you're so juvenile." Diana said.
"It's true. I hope I'm having sex that much when I'm…….thirty."
"Don't bet on it." Diana said, taking a sip of her coffee. "Not if you keep that attitude up."
"She's so mean to me." He said. " I really don't understand it. All I said was--"
"Children." Lily said. "Enough."
"See, I can see Lily with a bunch of kids. I don't know why." Nicole said.
"A bunch, oh no. One, maybe." Lily said. "Or two, depending. We have so much time anyway. We're still young."
"I don't want to waste my youth changing diapers." James added.
"Your youth?" Remus snorted.
"Well, I don't know. Whatever happens, happens. I'm easy going." This time, Lily snorted.
"I am." He said again, firmly.
"Yea, and I'm the bloody Queen of England." She said.
"Well then, hello your Majesty." He said.
"Stop it." she said, pushing him.
"Well what about the other people?" Diana chimed in. "The other members. Moody seemed fine last night, nothing peculiar about him."
"Well, nothing more peculiar than usual." Sirius said.
"Right. But still, if something's not right, then why are we the only people panicking?"
"You're panicking?" Sirius asked. "Why?"
"Oh, I don't know, but Remus' intuition is usually on target. And if he thinks something's off then—"
"I think we need to go to Dumbledore." Lily said.
"Now?" Diana asked.
"No. But today. Nic, you can come too, if you've got questions. But you three, well, if you need to then you're welcome. But we have to report today, in case…."
"Alright." James said, rubbing his forehead.
Tom eventually brought them all some bread and butter. It was stale, having been a couple of days old, but they ate it zealously, as if they hadn't been fed in years. They talked of trivial things, and laughed a bit, reminisced a bit. It was funny to them, that event he silliest things seemed comical after years, and months, and jokes from the previous night. They lost track of time, and had courses of bread, more drinks, and then a round of leftover tomato soup, simply because Tom said it would go bad if it sat in the back any longer. It was noon before someone actually asked what time it was.
"Oh my god, it's 12:00 already." Nicole said with astonishment.
"We have to get going." Lily said. "We don't want to waste the whole day."
"That's true. Alright men, it's been lovely chatting with you, but we need to go if we're going to get anything done." Diana said, getting up. "I don't want to make two trips."
"What are you three going to do?" Nicole asked, grabbing her pocketbook from the back of her chair.
"Stay here and get drunk." Remus said.
"Or high, we haven't decided." Sirius added.
"Oh, alright then." She replied, unfazed by the comment.
"Have fun ladies." James said.
"Thanks." Lily replied.
"Sirius, I don't know what we are going to do for dinner, so stock up now on the munchies ok?" Diana said, as the three made their way towards the door.
"Munchies?" he asked after her.
"Oh and that reminds me." Lily said. "Don't smoke too much now."
"Lily, I am surprised at you." James said. "Is that what you think we do all day?"
"Well, just in case." She said, shrugging. Then she smiled, Diana winked and Nicole waved them goodbye, the door closing softly behind them.
"Where do you want to go?" Remus asked.
"We can go back to my place." James suggested.
"Naw I was at yours all night. Lets go to mine." Sirius suggested. They got up, paid the check and said goodbye. Then, they apparated to Sirius' flat about five blocks down.
Once they were out of sight the old couple at the table began looking around. They made eye contact with one of the figures at the bar and nodded. Then, the older man looked at the older woman.
"Hair." He whispered and pointed to her mane, which was darkening with every second.
"You too." She whispered back and as quick as ever they jumped up and ran onto the bathroom.
Tom didn't notice this however; he was attending to a younger couple that had just walked in. It was lunchtime, when the mood of the Leaky Cauldron brightened to his relief. While the two older people were gone, the figure at the bar casually got up and walked over to their table. He sat down as if he had been there all along. He took off his cloak and his hood, thinking on a summer day it would be too conspicuous, and revealed a very tired and groggy Severus Snape. He waited about five minutes, looking at his watch every five seconds, and calmed down a bit when he saw too people, ages younger, walk towards the table and sit down.
"Oh, thank god." Lucius said, cracking his neck and stretching his arms.
"I thought they would never get the hell out of here." Bellatrix moaned.
"My taste buds are all out of whack. How many sips did we have to take?"
"About four." Bellatrix answered, tugging on her hair. "Tastes awful."
"Who's bloody idea was that anyway?" Lucius complained.
"Yours. Or did you forget?" Bellatrix sneered.
"And what about you Severus? Have fun working the bar? Must have been right at home." Lucius said reclining and cuffing his sleeves.
"I don't see where all of this has a point, Lucius." Severus grunted. "Spying on them. It is beneath us."
"Yes I know, but it has to be done." Lucius sighed. "We have to bring them down somehow."
"But listening to all that ridiculous talk, ugh." Bellatrix whined. "Some people don't know how to let shit go, honestly. I don't need to hear that. Grudges? Hah! She's the one with the grudge, all pregnant and disgusting." She shuddered at the thought. "I'd like to see her get what's coming to her."
"I think that's what she means about the grudge, Bella." Severus said. "About, not letting shit go."
"Oh please, that doesn't count. And admit it, you both want to see those little bitches brought down, even the sweet one, Portman. She is a waste of space, in my opinion. And that Potter, both of them, defying us publicly with their little Order, it's disgraceful. Marrying that Evans tramp was the worst thing he did, polluting the pureblood in him, ugh, it gets me so angry."
"I can see that." Lucius said. "Ugh, this is so boring."
"Then lets leave." Severus sighed.
"No, the women will be coming back here soon. Which reminds me, Bella, did you bring it?"
"Yes." She said, eagerly. "I must have forgotten when they started talking about children."
"You missed your chance to use it though." Severus said.
"Nonsense." She said, grabbing a small vile out of her robe pocket. She surveyed it quickly, a crooked smile slowly forming on her face. "Do you think it will do it?"
"Of course, that's its purpose, isn't it?" Lucius said.
"I don't see why we have to resort to this." Severus said, crossing his arms in protest. "It's too obvious."
"We're just following orders. She deserves it." Lucius sneered.
"No one deserves that." Severus said. "Not like that."
"Of course they do Severus." Bellatrix said impatiently. "Whose side are you on?"
"The side with morals, as this one is clearly lacking."
"How dare you speak like that Severus." Bellatrix said, her voice rising, her hand travelling to her wand. "How dare you disgrace him like that."
"Now, Bella don't make a scene." Lucius cautioned. "The last thing we need is to get kicked out of here. And Severus, since when do you are about morals? We are doing nothing inhumane. Think of it logically. Plus, we are following orders. We are just doing it a little sooner. It saves us guilt."
"You have guilt?" Severus asked.
"No." he said, quickly. "And with the husband out of the way—"
"He won't be able to save this one." Bellatrix laughed. "And the blood will stay pure, as it should."
"We are performing a public service here Severus. All you have to do is sit back, and watch it happen." He said with a smile.
"You're doing this for the wrong reasons." Severus said.
"Right? Wrong? None of it exists. But, there is war, and in war one has to make certain decisions for the better. And we kill two birds with one stone. He will be pleased, maybe not ecstatic, but pleased none the less."
"There is nothing to gain from this but our egos." Severus said.
"Well if that's all, Severus," Lucius began, "then that is good enough for me." He and Bellatrix laughed.
"Oh don't be glum Severus." Bellatrix said childishly. "Think of it this way: What shall be, shall be, so stop protesting. Honestly I don't know why you feel for these creatures. And besides, we can all breathe better once it's done, not to have this annoying little threat. Some psychological damage, confusion, well, that's inevitable, and maybe, if we're lucky, suicide. Then, we can't be blamed." She said happily.
"I can't sit here." Severus said, angrily and got up from the table.
"You can and you will." Lucius said forcefully. "Or you will suffer, even more than you are suffering now. So I suggest you shut your trap, Severus, and participate. Kill or be killed. Remember that, before you start raising you voice again. Now am I crazy about this? To be honest? I could live without it on my conscience, but not enough to actually give a shit. Do I think it's for the best? To help us? To avenge at least part of our glory? Then yes. You had better bet your ass we don't fuck this up, because if we do, if something goes wrong, then it will be your ass, not mine."
"Exactly." Bellatrix said, looking back and forth between the two.
"And what about your conscience Bella?" Severus said, sitting back down.
"I have no conscience. And personally, I hope it spoils her. I hope it's excruciatingly painful. I hope it kills magnificently," she said, excitedly. "Then, one by one, they'll be broken. And then….."
"They'll be just like us." Severus finished, with a scared, sombre look upon his face.
(Yep, just a long, pointless transitional chapter. There will be action in the next one, I promise. It will probably be by the end of the week too, but lets see if we can make it to 100 by then, shall we :) it would make me soooo happy. But thank you all who reviewed. I was pleasantly surprised. You're all so wonderful and you make me so glad I do this. Buh bye :)
