It was bizarre honestly. They had exams less than a month away and the five girls were dressing up in party clothes and doing their make-up to go see a muggle band in concert in London. Truly, honestly bizarre.
"Marlene, come do my eyeliner!"
"Ooh, can I borrow this top, Lily?"
"Does my fat show in this?"
"We're gonna be late."
"Why did we even agree to this? I have so much studying to do."
These were the conversations floating around the girls dormitory as they prepared. Marlene didn't much care though. She'd been buried and buried in books and stressing so much that one night Nate spiked her pumpkin juice with firewhiskey in an attempt to calm her down. It was hard work trying to do the best you could do in every subject.
Every subject had an important assignment. Every teacher urged you to study. Every subject had hours of homework every week. Marlene didn't even know where to start when she sat down in the library after classes and it had gotten to the point where she woke up at six a.m to do whatever she could before class started in the morning — she didn't even eat breakfast anymore unless someone was kind enough to bring her something at first period.
So this all felt like a breath of fresh air. Her hair was tied in a bright pink scrunchie at the top of her head and her face was done up, winged eyeliner, pink lips and long black lashes not to mention the leather shorts over the top of black stockings matched with chunky boots and a leather jacket. Marlene could look at herself in the mirror and say, "Damn, I look good."
"Yeah you do," Ella cheered, "Now come do my eyeliner."
Marlene complied, doing her eyeliner as Lily asked questions about her own make-up. "Heavy on the black there."
Lily shrugged. "James gets into it when my eyes look greener."
"Well, you look great and James is going to go crazy," Marlene said honestly because Lily's figure was great and perfectly showed off in a tight leather skirt, a leather jacket that was clearly James', chucks and to add to it, her hair was half pulled back into a ponytail at the top of her head to show off the angles of her face and her big green eyes.
"James always goes crazy when he sees Lily," Alice snorted.
"And Frank doesn't when he sees you?" Lily fired back.
"He will tonight," Alice smirked and again, she wasn't wrong. Alice wore a black dress, showing off a neat amount of cleavage and a leather jacket, gogo boots and her hair pulled up in a shaggy half up, half down look.
"We all look fantastic," Adaline agreed who was leaning against the door, wearing high waisted bell bottom jeans with a scruffy white fur jacket and heeled boots. She had round sunglasses on her eyes, despite the fact that it was night. "But can we please get a move on before we are late?"
Ella pulled on her leather jacket and stood up. "I'd say we're ready."
Marlene couldn't agree more. She was ready for one of the happiest nights of her life.
The walk down to Hogsmeade went fairly quickly as they shared around a bottle of firewhiskey and cheap elf-wine and Sirius lead awful renditions of Queen songs and everyone joined in, getting pumped up for the concert. When they came out behind the Three Broomsticks, Frank was waiting for them and Alice ran into his arms happily and kissed him.
"Hey, sweetie," she giggled, kissing him.
"Hey back. All right?"
"Maybe a little tipsy," she told him, her index and thumb showing just how much. He kissed her forehead, smiling adoringly.
"Hey, Frank," the girls greeted.
"I will be surprised if the lot of you don't end up in detention for the rest of the year."
Ella shrugged, "Gotta live a little, Frank. Now, shall we get going?"
Sirius grinned, grabbing Ella's hand and they turned, crack and gone. Lily smiled giddily and climbed onto James' back. He spun on the spot and crack, they were in a deserted alleyway near Wembley Arena. Sirius and Ella were already snogging against the wall. Lily rolled her eyes, jumping off of James' back and James kicked a can at them.
"Oi! We've a concert to go to!" he shouted as Alice and Frank popped into view.
Sirius flipped James off and Adaline, Remus and Peter appeared and then Marlene and Nate.
Lily and James walked to the stadium hand in hand the group slightly scattered into different groups — Marlene, Nate and Adaline, Remus and Peter, Alice and Frank, and Ella and Sirius.
"You look hot by the way," James told her, kissing her hand. Lily laughed and looked James up and down. He wore chucks with jeans and a leather jacket.
"I'd say you look hot too, but you always wear the same clothes. The fact that you have two leather jackets is case closed."
He laughed and shrugged, "What can I say? All the other muggle clothes are shit and I don't see you complaining considering you've stolen my favourite jacket."
"Oh, really?" she asked, pulling the jacket tighter around her. It was her favourite too.
He nodded and Lily smirked, "Well, it's mine now."
"The woes of having a girlfriend."
"Oi!" Sirius shouted from ahead, "Speed it up! Concert starts in a half hour!"
Lily and James quickly ran up to catch up to the rest of the group and then they all started sprinting to the stadium at full speed until they reached it, heavy breathed and laughing hysterically because Peter pushed Sirius into a trash can and then Remus ran into a large, middle aged man because he was laughing and then Ella stopped to take a photo.
Sirius glared at her but she just shrugged and said, "Take photos of what you love, right?"
"Run, Dearborn!" he warned and Ella squealed before racing away, Sirius close on her tail. "No fair, I'm wearing heels!" she shouted at him.
"And I may have just lost the ability to have children because of that trash can and you took a photo!"
"It was funny!"
The concert was a hit. They all left buzzing, so buzzed they ended up at a corner pub no one knew the name of but they crammed themselves around a table, stealing chairs from other tables and sitting on top of each other as the whole lot of them had their first real experience with muggle alcohol as they argued over high points in the concert.
"Adams, I could kiss your brother!" Sirius enthused when they both got up to get the next round. "That was bloody amazing."
Marlene ordered a round of Tequilas before turning back to Sirius, "I don't think Ella or my brother will be pleased to hear that."
Sirius grinned. "Never know, Ella could be into it."
Marlene scrunched her face. "Please, I'd be surprised if you two even shagged yet."
Sirius wagged his finger, "My lips are sealed."
"Oh come on!" she groaned. "You haven't even said anything to Remus and she won't bloody say a word."
"Don't think no one's noticed the little gossip deal you and Remus have going on."
Marlene giggled. "You could always join," she offered.
"I have enough drama in my life," Sirius sighed dramatically, but what he really meant was that he already knew all the drama.
The bartender gave them a tray with all the shots and Marlene paid quickly before heading back to the table.
"Who's ready to get drunk on whatever Marly ordered for us?" he shouted, dropping into the seat next to Ella, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He wasn't really sure how or what they were.
They were friends and they snogged and did stuff but they hadn't put a label on it but everyone knew they were together. They kind of just fell into it and Sirius figured that that would probably be the only way he could handle a relationship and maybe he just got lucky when he fell into one with someone who was as fucked up as he was.
Everyone drank, continuing their buzz from all the beer they drank at the concert until Lily shouted, "We're so fucked. How the hell are we," burped mid-sentence, "Going to apparate?"
James laughed at her as Frank said, "No one is apparating. We'll stay in the rooms upstairs until we're at least halfway sober. I booked five rooms."
Adaline groaned. "No way am I sharing a room with two boys!"
"Oh, come on, Della, we aren't that bad!" Peter protested. He nudged Remus, "Moony we aren't that bad are we?"
"'Course not!" Sirius bellowed, "They're great lads!"
"Oh come on, Della, take one for the team!" Marlene pouted.
"You just want to screw your boyfriends!"
"Is that such a bad thing?" Nate asked and Adaline threw a peanut at him.
James leaned down to Lily's ear, "Race you to the room?"
Lily looked at him, grinning and he held up their room key. "G'night everyone!" Lily giggled as she jumped out of her seat and raced away from James who was quick to catch up to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her into him, catching her mouth with hers as she giggled.
"No, Jems! We're racing!"
"Fuck that," he muttered, still kissing her.
Lily wrapped her arms around his neck, jumping up to wrap her legs around his waist.
"Oi! Get a room!" Alice shouted at them.
"Yeah!" Sirius agreed, throwing a peanut at them.
Lily flipped the group off as they all started throwing peanuts at them as James walked them to the stairwell up to the rooms, their lips hardly parting for air. James clumsily unlocked the door as Lily nibbled at his neck, driving him completely mad. He slammed the door closed behind them and then threw Lily onto the bed as she squealed and giggled as he climbed on top of her, taking his shirt off in the process.
Lily clapped and cheered, "I have such a hot boyfriend."
James leaned down, his lips at her neck as he kissed her softly, "I have a hot girlfriend."
"Yeah, you do."
He attacked at her lips again as he pulled her shirt out from her skirt, pulling it up over her head to expose her black, lace bra. He kissed the spot in between her breasts and unzipped her skirt, kissing down her stomach as he pulled the skirt down her legs, her hands in his hair and then at his face, pulling his glasses off and banging them onto the side table. James made his way back up once the skirt was discarded on the floor and Lily worked on unbuttoning his jeans, her hands grazing against his stomach lightly as his lips met hers, his hands behind her back unclasping her bra.
James and Lily didn't get much sleep throughout the night, both waking each other up with kisses and perhaps the funniest time was when they lay side by side, staring at the ceiling and Sirius and Ella, well, weren't being the quietest. So despite them being tight lipped on the whole thing, everyone knew now.
"Oh, there! Right there! Oh, fuck — Sirius!"
James and Lily glanced at each other. "They could at least cast a silencing charm."
"Wanna give them a run for their money?" Lily grinned wickedly and James nodded but she pushed him back off, "No!" she giggled, "If we go again I swear I'm not going to be able to walk right tomorrow."
"And that's a bad thing?" he asked and she kissed his lips, rolling on top of him, pushing her hair out of her face.
"Mmm!" she moaned loudly.
"Oh yeah!"
"That's it, keep going! Harder!" she shouted louder and James and Lily continued in this fashion until someone banged on the wall.
"Oi! Can you four keep it down! People are trying to sleep!" Nate shouted from the room next to Lily and James.
Lily and James giggled together and James called back, "You're doing it wrong, mate!"
"Did you forget the silencing charm?" they heard Ella ask Sirius.
"Yes, he did!" James shouted back and the next thing sounded like a slap and an, "Ow!"
James and Lily giggled even harder and cuddled into each other, Lily's head on James' chest. They eventually fell asleep and they slept, curled up into each other in their underwear under the thick, itchy blankets until they were cruelly waken by Sirius and Remus bursting into their room.
"Time to get up and go!"
"Go 'way!" Lily mumbled.
"If we aren't back before breakfast, McGonagall will have our heads!" Remus pointed out. "And I rather like having my head so get up! Up! Up! Up!"
"Jems," Lily whined, burying her head into his shoulder, "Make him stop!"
"Lily Evans! Get up!" Marlene came bursting in and with no thought, ripped the blankets off her and James and Lily shot up, fumbling for the blankets again.
"Marly!"
"Oh God! I'm sorry!" She covered her eyes with her hands.
"Sirius, I swear if you're looking," James warned as he threw Lily her shirt and she quickly pulled it on, searching for her skirt.
"We are currently staring at a very lovely wall," Sirius replied as Lily threw James his jeans. "And why is it just me? Remus is here too!"
"It's only fucking six," Lily cursed. "You know, you guys could leave," Lily suggested. "So we could get changed."
"Not convinced you wouldn't go back to bed," Marlene commented and Lily humphed as she tugged her skirt on.
"James, zip me," she demanded holding the skirt up. He came over and quickly pulled the zipper up.
"All right, we're decent," Lily declared as James buttoned his jeans.
Marlene peaked through her fingers before dropping her hand. Lily pulled her jacket on and yawned.
"I am so tired and so bloody hungover."
"Pub has coffee," Marlene offered as Lily rammed her head into James' chest and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her head.
"Come on, love. Sooner we get to Hogwarts, sooner we can crawl up in bed."
She nodded and followed the boys out of the room, though still mainly leaning on James, her head never lifting off his shoulder. Her head was pounding as though someone was playing a drum set in there and her eyes just wanted to close and god damn it was the sun a present from the freaking devil?
Adaline handed her a pair of sunglasses and Lily shoved them on her face gratefully as Ella handed out mugs of steaming coffee.
"Supposed to help with a hangover," Ella told Frank.
They quickly drank up and though Lily did feel less like she was going to die, the coffee didn't do much and so, they left the pub looking like trainwrecks and found a deserted alleyway to apparate from and appeared in Hogsmeade moments later.
The trip back to the Gryffindor common room was smooth up until they bumped right into Professor McGonagall.
None of them seemed particularly phased to be sitting opposite Professor McGonagall in her office. In fact, all of them rather looked like this was all a big inconvenience into their sleeping schedules.
"Would you like to explain to me where all of you were last night?" Professor McGonagall asked.
No one else offered anything and James knew the boys would follow whatever he said so he started, thinking fast. "We all left to hang out in an empty classroom, you know try to do a bit of fun studying and relax a little. NEWTs are getting to us, Professor."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow at this story. "Why are you all dressed like that?"
"Er," James paused and Sirius chimed in, "Disguise practice for Defence. Dressing like muggles. We might've gotten a little carried away."
"A lot carried away," Remus agreed. "We fell asleep, honestly can't believe we did."
"I completely freaked when we woke up this morning," Marlene agreed. "We were supposed to be back at the tower before curfew. We're so sorry, Professor McGonagall."
Professor McGonagall eyed them all sternly before sighing. "Very well, fifty points for being out of bed after curfew and if I find out anything else went on last night other than the events described to me, you will all be sitting in weekend detentions until the school year finishes," she warned.
James wasn't particularly phased about that. The only people who knew were sitting in that office and none of them would rat the rest out.
"Evans, Potter, the Headmaster has asked to see you tonight in his office at eight. You may all go."
They all left without being asked twice and graciously thanking McGonagall on her way out and then they all streamlined for their beds where they all caught up on much needed sleep that perhaps the most memorable night in their lives had caused.
Well into the afternoon, they all congregated outside, laying and sitting on the grass under the weak sun talking about nothing in particular. Lily and Remus quizzed each other on Defence theories and somehow roped the rest of them into joining before they started wondering aloud about life after Hogwarts.
Things would be different. This summer would be different. There would be curfews and looking for jobs and James was nervous as hell for his Puddlemere United trial which was only two weeks after school finished. Everyone told him he'd be fine and he'd make the team, Lily and Sirius especially but James didn't want to take any chances. He reckoned he was the most fit he'd ever been in his life, Lily had said so herself.
"It's going to be weird working for the Ministry," Lily mused. She'd applied for an internship in the Charms Development sector and her acceptance had been owled back to her only last week.
"Tell me about it," Ella muttered. "It's like the Ministry are idiots but we're going to be one of those idiots."
"That's why you go travelling first," Adaline announced.
"Where to first, Della?"
"I'm starting in America. Visiting my brother and his wife and then down to South America, Peru, Brazil, Chile. Then nothing is really set in stone after that. I'll see where life takes me I suppose."
They continued chatting outside under the dying sun until it was time for dinner and James didn't think any of them had been this relaxed in a while even if not everyone had their plans for after Hogwarts figured out and even if they were all worried about the war that raged.
Lily jittered as they walked up to Dumbledore's office. The meeting was an odd request and a vague one and it made Lily nervous especially because they'd spent the previous night sneaking off to London and she wasn't quite sure the hungover look had passed.
So it stopped Lily cold when Dumbledore said, "There is a resistance, underground and separate from the Ministry, against Lord Voldemort and his followers. In recent meetings, I have been urged to offer some trustworthy students the opportunity to join."
"Sir?" Lily prompted.
"I have been led to believe that you and your friends would be willing to fight against Voldemort," Dumbledore continued. "If you could please hand these out to the people who's names are on the envelopes." Dumbledore pointed to a stack of envelopes. "You don't have to decide now, a meeting will be held two nights before school ends at the location specified in the envelopes and you can inform me of your decision then. Please, think carefully about your decision."
Lily grabbed the envelopes and flicked through, looking at the names. There were at least thirty envelopes. A lot of Gryffindor names she noted. Some Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw but none from Slytherin.
"Be discrete in handing out the envelopes."
"What does the resistance do exactly?" James asked.
"We fight Voldemort, try to thwart his plans as best as we can."
"Is it dangerous?" Lily asked, already knowing the answer. She saw how Alice sighed with relief every time a letter came from her sister.
"Many would argue it is dangerous everywhere in times like these," Dumbledore said. "Perhaps if enough people rise up against Voldemort, times won't be so dangerous anymore."
James and Lily left Dumbledore's office feeling dazed and shocked. They'd been invited to join the Order of The Phoenix and had been tasked with informing fellow students.
A blur of emotions stroked through Lily. So many things would be changing and this was just one more thing to add. She'd be fighting against Voldemort. There was no choice to make. When school finished she'd be taking an active part in the war and it both terrified her and relieved her. Relieved her because she felt some semblance of control even if it was as minuscule as taking part in a resistance against the man that threatened her very existence in this world.
"Do you think there'll be a lot of action?" James asked.
"You mean like fighting," Lily nodded. "I reckon yeah."
"You scared?"
She shook her head. "You?"
He shook his head and maybe that was the biggest lie they ever told each other.
"We're going to save the world," Sirius Black told Ella Dearborn as they lay in his bed on a Sunday afternoon when they should've been studying. He could see it too. He could easily imagine himself the hero, well one of the heroes, of this war. He could have it all. The girl, the glory and he believed that down to his core because why should he believe any different?
"The Ministry's saying they'll have him defeated quickly. A year or two tops," Ella said. "We might not even be able to do a lot to help."
"The Ministry can't tell a bag of dicks from a bag of wands."
Ella snorted. "Classy."
"Are you really going to stay with your brother after Hogwarts?"
"That is the plan," Ella agreed.
"What if there could be a different plan? One where you and me move in together."
Ella propped herself up on her elbow to look at him. "And how are we going to afford an apartment?" Her inquisitive, know it all look had him smiling.
"The Ministry owled me the other day. Department of Birth, Deaths and Marriages. My Uncle Alphard died. He was never disowned but he never exactly agreed with the lot of them. He — he left me and Andromeda everything he owned. Split down the middle. Fifty-fifty."
"So you're rich again?"
"Rich enough to buy myself an apartment and offer you to live with me rent free."
"Well," Ella said, inching closer to his face, "How could I refuse such a romantic offer?"
"Would be crazy to really."
"I think so, too." Ella pressed her lips on his with a smile. "And I'm sorry about your Uncle."
Sirius shrugged. "He was one of the decent ones, not decent enough to help me out when he was alive but decent enough."
Ella kissed him again because she didn't really know how to respond to that and then things got carried away and ended with Remus and Peter walking in on them.
"Merlin's christ, you said you were studying!" Remus cried and Sirius barked out laughing as he pulled a blanket over himself and Ella.
"Yeah, each other," Peter remarked as Remus slammed the door closed again.
She looked at the envelope and wanted to rip it up. No one would know. Except Dumbledore but she could just feign ignorance. Oh, was there really a letter for Helena Bonham? I hadn't the faintest!
"Are you just going to stare at it until it disintegrates?" Marlene asked.
"Possibly. I mean I hate her."
"You don't hate anyone."
"I hate her."
"Now you know how infuriating it was when you befriended Mia Slut."
"So not the same thing," Lily exclaimed. "I told her that James and I are married! That is a belief she now has because I lied! Besides, we should really be studying for Transfiguration because none of it is sticking in my head and if I have to get James to help me one more time, I might have to punch him right in his smug, condescending and gorgeous face … which I'm not a fan of because of the gorgeous part."
"That bad, huh?"
"Yep."
"Or maybe you're just avoiding him because of the letter."
"Well, of course I am because I'm being unreasonable and jealous. Basically, I'm being you," Lily deadpanned. "And I hate it."
"Hey!"
"I have turned into you. I am jealous of a gorgeous Hufflepuff who is into James and I'm still jealous even knowing that James has absolutely no interest in her."
"I am taking so much offence right now!"
"She's just so annoying. She glares at me, Marly! Glares at me! Like I've done something wrong!"
"Oh just give her the letter and be over it," was Marlene's stellar advice, advice that Lily took the very next day when she approached Helena Bonham after breakfast because even though Lily knew that Marlene would never take that advice, it is the advice Lily would have given to Marlene if the situations were reversed.
It didn't even have to be that big of a deal. Lily could be an adult about this.
"Bonham!" she called. "Can I have a word?"
"Oh, of course." Helena stepped away from her friends and followed Lily to a deserted part of the Entrance Hall. "This isn't about James is it? Because I'm over that."
A tight smile stretched across Lily's face. "No, it's not about James. I — this is actually rather important," Lily opened the door beside them and gestured for Helena to step in.
"Is that really necessary?"
"I'd rather not have people overhear us. Please," Lily added.
Helena rolled her eyes but stepped into the empty classroom and Lily followed, closing the door behind them.
"I don't know if you know anything about this — my friends and I sort of had an inkling before Dumbledore approached James and I but anyways — not the point."
"What is the point?"
"Professor Dumbledore has started a resistance against Voldemort. He's invited you to join." Lily handed her the envelope with her name on it. "Inside the envelope is some general information and when and where the meeting will be held."
"Meeting?"
"Right, the meeting is when everyone informs Dumbledore of their decision to either join or not to join."
"I have a choice?"
"Of course, I did say it was an invitation. The letter explains all of it so give it a read and, uh, think about it. Oh, also don't tell anyone else."
"So have you joined already then?"
"No, no. I'll be at that meeting, too. James and I are just the messengers," Lily shrugged. "I took the girls, he took the guys."
"Must've sucked when you found out I was on the list."
The tight smile was back. "You've no idea." Lily clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, God! I'm sorry! That was — that was so rude!"
But Helena was biting back a laugh. "It's okay, Evans. You've done your job."
"Right, you've got the envelope and I'm going to go."
Lily fumbled with the door before stepping out and closing it behind her, letting a shiver rush through her. She didn't want to sound selfish, she wasn't a selfish person, but Merlin she hoped to God that Helena Bonham decided not to join but of course that sounded entirely selfish and Lily pushed it out of her mind.
She bumped straight into Mia who had been giving Lily the cold shoulder since James' birthday.
"He broke up with me," Mia blurted out and at a closer look, Lily noticed the red around her eyes and nose.
"Oh, Mia," Lily started but Mia shrugged out of Lily's grasp.
"I — just leave me alone."
Mia stalked off and Lily slumped. She wanted to help Mia but she didn't know how. Mia hadn't talked to her in weeks and Lily had given her space but she couldn't just leave Mia alone right now.
"Lily!"
"James," she sighed with relief. "God, this day is already the worst."
"His face isn't that bad," Remus chimed as Lily leaned up to press a kiss to James' lips.
"I don't think I'm the cause of the bad day but thanks for the back-up, Moony."
"Any time."
They walked into breakfast together as Lily spilled about giving Helena Bonham the letter and then about Mia.
"I don't think this can count as the worst day," Remus pointed out.
"It has the makings of one," Lily retorted darkly.
"Well, the Bonham thing is done and as for Mia … maybe have a chat with her brother. You know, let him know that Mia's not doing so well socially right now."
"Oh, yeah. Scott — what's his name?" James asked clicking his fingers.
Lily nodded, "Yeah, the guy who, uh, who pushed you up against the wall when everyone thought you were a muggle-born serial killer. What is his name?"
"John?" James suggested.
"No, you're thinking of Nate's friend John Gurt," Remus shook his head.
"No, that's Jonah," Lily corrected.
Remus frowned, thinking. "I think it's like Greg or George or something. He'd be Ravenclaw, right?"
Lily shrugged, "Mia is but he could be Hufflepuff. He's not in our year right?"
"If he is, we are highly unobservant people," Remus commented.
"Right, so sixth year, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff," Lily decided, though the whole unobservant thing was entirely plausible, after all, Remus did think Jonah Gurt's name was John and they lived a room away from each other.
"You need to stop asking around about my brother," Mia told Lily.
It hadn't taken Lily longer than a day to find out that George Scott had dropped out of school. It was actually really easy when she thought about it. She approached the Ravenclaw prefects and asked, "Do you know where I can find Mia Scott's brother?" They'd stared at her like she'd grown two heads and informed her that he'd dropped out. Apparently, they reiterated the information to Mia.
"How come he dropped out of Hogwarts and you stayed?"
"I — we had a choice and I chose Hogwarts, he didn't."
"So what he's at another school? Durmstrang or Beauxbatons?"
"No, I'm sure my parents have found my brother the most highly sought after muggle tutors."
"I don't understand," Lily admitted. "He's not learning magic?"
"New Year's Eve. My older sister … she died. Kathy Beauchamp. She married a half-blood about three years ago and they both worked at the Ministry so they went to the party."
"I'm so, so sorry, Mia," Lily whispered.
"My parents were minding my nephew when it … yeah and they were devastated. Told George and I that we wouldn't be going back to Hogwarts. I snuck out on September first and an owl arrived the next day from my parents telling me not to come home."
"And George?"
"He didn't want to come back but I had to, Lily," Mia said, almost pleading for Lily to understand her. "I had to. I am magic, magic is me. I couldn't just cut it off and pretend it didn't exist, it's a part of me. It's who I am."
Lily wrapped her arms around Mia and said, "I know, I know. Where are you going for the summer?"
"I," Mia shrugged helplessly, "I don't know."
Without even thinking about it she said, "You'll come home with me."
Lily really hadn't thought out the logistics of that but Lily was sure her mum would be fine about it and if she wasn't, well, Lily had a month to convince her mum to be okay with it. It wasn't like they didn't have the room.
"Oh, I couldn't," Mia shook her head.
"Don't be ridiculous, Mia. You'll stay with me for the summer."
Petunia would be a problem but it wasn't like she lived at home anymore so as long as Rosie agreed, it would be fine.
That night, Lily wrote a letter to her mum, explaining Mia's circumstances and if she could please stay over for the summer because she had nowhere else to go.
"Five ways to identify an inferi?" Nate asked her.
"They're gross," Marlene mumbled from where she lay, face into the carpet, in front of the couch that her boyfriend was sitting on cross legged.
"Well, you're not wrong but that is not the answer your NEWT examiner is looking for."
"Honestly, Nate," she said rolling over and propping her head up, "You could stab me a thousand times with a knife right now and it would be more preferable than sitting here and studying for Defence when my head is so full and it's tomorrow!"
"I give it an 'E'," Nate declared, who, in the spirit of all the studying and exams, had began grading Marlene's level of dramatic outbursts. He lowered himself on the floor though in front of Marlene. "You know the answers. You should take a break."
"You should take a break."
"I have, several in fact."
"You should study," she changed her tactic and then, "Oh! Maybe I should test you!"
"Will it make you feel better?" he asked and in response, she held out her hand for the flash cards. Nate passed them over somewhat reluctantly and she started quizzing him relentlessly until the flash cards whizzed out of her hands into the hands of Alice who flopped onto the couch.
"It is eleven thirty eight the night before the Defence exam. If you don't know the answers by now, you're screwed."
"You interrupting us isn't helping!" Marlene pouted.
"I've got something that might," Alice dangled. "Duelling comp in the study room. James and Sirius set it up. You know, kick off some steam but helps with the practical and the exam tomorrow doesn't start til after lunch."
Nate stood up straight away. "We're going."
The seventh years filed out of their Transfiguration exam, Lily zigzagged through the tables trying to find her friends. She latched onto Ella first.
"That may have been the worst thing ever," Lily groaned, resting her head on Ella's shoulder.
"The boys are going to be insufferable."
"Hello, ladies," Sirius Black wrapped his arms around both girls shoulders, squeezing himself between the two. "That was a piece of cake."
"Speak for yourself," Peter grumbled. "The only part that made sense in mine was the animagus part."
"Seriously?" Ella sighed. "That is just one thing that I could never get. I was missing at least three steps."
"Hands off my girl, Padfoot," James demanded jokingly as he slipped his hand into Lily's. "How'd you find it?"
"Do you think they'd still owl my results if I became a hermit in the Amazon?"
James chuckled. "I'm sure you did fine."
Lily poked her tongue out. "I'm just glad I don't need Transfiguration for the Charms Development program."
"You're going to smash both Charms and Potions, probably Defence too."
"I think I can handle failing everything else as long as I do well in those subjects," Lily reasoned.
"Realistic goals," Peter nodded. "I've just accepted I'm failing everything already."
"Oh, you will not," Ella hushed him. "Where's everyone else?"
Sirius shrugged. "Probably at the lake."
That's where they headed, out of the shadowy castle and out into the fresh sun of the new summer. They joined the rest of the girls and Remus under a tree by the lake and as soon as they made themselves comfortable, Lily slipped out of her shoes and socks, using her robes as a blanket for her and James to stretch out on. Adaline and Alice sat a few meters away, revising for the practical which was tomorrow morning.
"Two more exams and then freedom," Sirius declared and Lily could feel it in her bones, the excitement of no upcoming exams or homework or assignments. Just life. After Herbology and Potions, they'd be leaving Hogwarts behind.
"Then the Order," Marlene corrected, "And work."
"At least we'll be at the Ministry together," Ella said to Lily. "We can meet up for lunch sometimes."
"If I do well in my NEWTs."
Ella rolled her eyes, "You will. You'll smash them."
"Don't mind Ella, she's like Nate. They don't have to worry about NEWTs," Marlene said.
"Hey, Sirius doesn't even have a job lined up," Ella argued. "Just because my job isn't exactly NEWT based."
"Is it really my fault I was left a large inheritance and the only thing I want to do, they won't let me do?" Sirius asked.
"You could find something else," Lily pointed out.
"He likes being bored too much," James joked and Sirius threw a piece of grass at him. "Besides, who else is going to help me train?"
"There we go," Sirius announced, "Job found. I'll be James' manager when he becomes a famous Quidditch player."
"Absolutely not," Lily refused. "Remus will be his manager."
"Ouch, Evans."
"You can be my trainer," James offered.
"What'll Peter be then? We gotta have the dream team in on all this," Marlene said.
"Peter can fetch the Quaffle if we drop it."
"Oi!" Peter kicked Sirius as he sniggered.
"Nah, Pete doesn't need a job," Sirius announced. "You're going to take over your dad's shop, right?"
"That is the plan. Maybe I'll employ you."
"Please," Sirius snorted.
They stayed out for almost two hours before they trudged back into the castle feeling content. They all headed up to their secret study room where they spent the next few hours practicing the spells that would be tested for the Transfiguration practical.
The very last Slug Club. Lily had been lazy and hadn't gone to one all year though in saying that Professor Slughorn had been lazy too. He'd only held two the entire year, this one being the second.
A mix of students from fourth year and above, each house represented, mingled with Slughorn's esteemed guests under the soft glow the candles cast. Food was being served by waiters, all fancy delicacies that no student actually liked — things like Dragon balls and grindylow livers. Things that people told you were actually quite nice but sounded disgusting and, in Lily's opinion, were disgusting. Sirius was one of those people who told you they were actually quite nice and Lily scrunched up her face in an attempt to stop from gagging as he ate cockatrice eyeballs.
"Seriously, Sirius," Marlene had a similar expression to Lily's, "If you keep eating that, I'm going to hurl and I'll hurl on you since you made me hurl."
"It's nice!" he protested, "James, tell them."
"To be honest, mate, I'm going to have to agree with them on this one."
"I don't," Ella said appearing with a napkin full of Merlin knew what. "This stuff is great."
Marlene and Lily glanced at each other in a way that said purebloods.
"So is anyone actually going to mingle with anyone?" James asked.
"Professor Slughorn wants me to meet the Head of Potions Development."
"Sounds a drag."
"So does crashing a Slug Club party and yet here you are," Lily fired back sweetly.
"I've never been to one," Sirius shrugged. "Last chance and all."
"Uh-huh," Lily said, "If you so much as spike the punch, I'm going to-"
"What? Put me in detention?" he asked with the smirk that had been driving Lily insane since exams ended a day ago.
The smirk had been adopted by all the Marauders as soon as they were let out of their Herbology practical exactly eighteen hours ago. It was this air of sudden freedom they had been waiting to indulge in since they first stepped foot into Hogwarts, you see, the teachers of Hogwarts, and everyone who lived in the school really, were in the merciless period.
The merciless period is the magical week after exams finished but before classes let out. It is both merciless and magical because it is the one week in their entire Hogwarts career that is truly and utterly consequence free. They never have to come back to Hogwarts after this and what are the teachers going to do if they decide to erect fountain in the middle of the Great Hall, a Hogwarts parody of the Fountain of Magical Brethren. A stone Professor Dumbledore had water spurting out of his hat as stone versions of all the other teachers — varying in size depending on rank as depicted by the Marauders — looked adoringly at Dumbledore.
Lily had watched this morning as Professor McGonagall actually struggled to do anything at all constructive to punish the four boys because honestly, it was their last week. Ravenclaw had already won the House Cup and no one wanted to supervise a detention this close to the end of term so she let them off. Of course, the only thing Lily had found more astounding was when Professor Ollivander talked Filch out of giving the Marauders a detention when he caught them on the brink of curfew the previous night with the map. She hadn't been able to talk him out of confiscating the map , but they'd been spared detentions.
It had led to a rather amusing night actually as Sirius was to blame for the map confiscation for not following the plan, his punishment had been to dress up in Ella's night gown, hair and make-up and the whole lot — there was photographic evidence and enough of it to fill a scrapbook.
The four of them were free of consequences and they had seven years worth of pranks they'd been dying to do which brought her back to the smirk.
"I think spiking the punch with a little firewhiskey would go unnoticed considering it was the first thing I did and you're on your third cup," the words left the smirk of Remus and Lily narrowed her eyes at him.
"You are all alike," she said darkly as Sirius and James congratulated Remus on his bit of pranking.
"You really didn't know it was spiked?" Marlene asked. "Why do you think I've had five cups already?"
"It is literally the only redeeming quality this party has," James agreed.
"Yes, well if you didn't completely show off in your Transfiguration practical so much that the examiner told Professor Slughorn about it, you wouldn't have been invited," Lily pointed out.
"It's not my fault I'm just that good," James smirked, "and honestly, it's about time old Sluggy recognised my potential."
Lily snorted, "Yeah, potential for trouble." She caught a glimpse of Dean Nettles and Kevin Chang from Ravenclaw who seemed to be discussing something heavily and with a lowered voice she asked, "Do you think everyone will join the you-know-what?"
"We all are so that's like ten off the wand," Remus considered.
"That's less than half," James pointed out, "There were twenty-four envelopes."
"They'd be stupid not to join," Sirius said. "War will only be longer if people aren't willing to help."
"There are other ways to help besides joining a secret resistance speared by Dumbledore," Marlene defended. "And it'll be dangerous."
"A few scratches and bruises will be worth it," Sirius considered. "Besides all we're going to be doing is messing around with Slytherin idiots and we do that here."
"Basically experts at it," James agreed. "Even Lily can knock out three with one slash of her wand."
Lily grinned, "I did do that. It was quite spectacular."
"Ah, Miss Evans!" Professor Slughorn's voice boomed as he approached the group with a man in his late forties tagging along. "This is Mr Harland Bodine, Head of Potions Development at the Ministry. Harland, this is Lily Evans. My star student in potions."
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr Bodine," Lily greeted, shaking the man's hand. He was taller than Slughorn and weak lines ran from the corner of his eyes, a hint of old age but not quite there yet. "This is James Potter," she further introduced.
"Pleasure is mine, Miss Evans, Mr Potter. Horace simply raves about you. I was rather disappointed to hear you'd decided on the internship in Charms Development."
"Professor Flitwick is always mentioning your amazing Charms assignments," Professor Slughorn said, with impressed eyes and a firm nod.
"It was a close call," Lily told Bodine. "But I got the owl from Charms Development first and sort of took it as a sign."
"Ah, at least I can blame the owls now," Bodine joked. "Feel free to drop by our floor sometime, maybe we can persuade you to swap."
Lily smiled, "Thank you for the offer, Mr Bodine."
"One I sorely hope you'll take up," Bodine said, "We could use a fresh mind like yours and your essay was simply marvellous."
Lily flushed, flattered, "Oh, well thank you, Mr Bodine."
Bodine flashed a smile at Lily before turning his attention to James. "James Potter? You wouldn't be the son of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter?"
"That would be me," James confirmed.
"We've been trying to get your dad to consult with us for years."
"Dad doesn't like the Ministry much."
"So he's said. If you could mention to him that there's a potion we're working on, we'd be grateful for a second opinion and, Miss Evans, I'd be happy to show it to you if you decide to pop over one day for a tour. It's great stuff."
"Well, now you've gone and got us all curious, Harland," Slughorn said, "You'll have to give us a hint."
"It'd be my job if anyone found out I discussed specifics outside of the lab but, Mr Potter, please urge your father to come passed one day."
"I'll pass along the message," James assured.
"Marvellous — oh, that's Bathilda Bagshot," Bodine said, "I simply have to say hello. Excuse me." Like that Bodine was off and Slughorn looked at Sirius with a frown.
"Were you invited?"
"I'm hurt, Professor that you don't remember inviting the one and only Sirius Black."
Perhaps deciding that jesting with Sirius was out of his headspace, Professor Slughorn said, "Yes, yes. Must've slipped my mind. Miss Evans, I do hope you take Harland up on his offer to see the labs at the Ministry. Not many people are offered invitations to just have a poke around."
"I'll owl you all about it, Professor," Lily assured him. "And Professor, I thought I'd just mention that I've left you a present on your desk."
"Oh my dear, how generous!" Professor Slughorn beamed. "You didn't have to go through the trouble." Though the look on his face suggested he would have been severely disappointed if she hadn't.
"It's just a thank you for all you've done for me over the years. The extra credit projects and always answering questions that I had even if it was on your way to dinner or breakfast or ate into your lunch time. I'm extremely grateful to have been taught by you, Professor Slughorn."
"Oh, dear me," he said, dabbing at his eye, "Something seems to have gotten stuck in my eye. Miss Evans, it was truly an honour to have taught you."
Professor Slughorn left quickly after, expressing once again that something was in his eyes as he dabbed furiously at the moisture in the corner. James sniggered as soon as he was out of earshot.
"You made Slughorn cry."
"It was sweet," Lily insisted.
Twenty-four of them sat in a room, waiting for Professor Dumbledore. It was all very anti-climatic when he entered. He sat at the front of the room and said, "Those who have decided not to join, may leave."
Not a sound piqued and then, Alison Hopkins stood and walked out, Daisy Ellery followed. Xander Bishop left too taking his girlfriend, Lisa Pinnock with him who left behind her best friend, Heather Shacklebolt. Silence peaked again under Professor Dumbledore's sparkling gaze.
"Heather, don't, please come," Lisa pleaded when she reached the door.
"I can't not do it."
"You'll get yourself killed."
Maybe, that was what really made it real for them. This was maybe the biggest thing they'd ever be a part of in their lives and joining may very well cut that life short but Heather put it so simply. Not Lily, nor James, not anyone sitting in that room could deny it and say it wasn't true. It was just two words.
"This matters," Heather said and just like that Lisa Pinnock walked out of the room and Heather Shacklebolt stayed.
Dumbledore surveyed the room, eyeing each student that remained and in return, each student stared at Dumbledore, waiting. They didn't quite know what they were waiting for. They didn't know how any of this was actually supposed to work but they waited for Dumbledore to tell them what to do.
"Just so we are all clear, raise your hands if you wish to join the resistance?"
Twenty hands rose into the air.
"Very well, welcome to the Order of the Phoenix."
A/N: Hi everyone! This concludes their time at Hogwarts as students!
Thank you for reading and fair warning if you like canon stories I suggest you stop reading here because since I've decided this will be a JILY LIVES AU, not everything is to canon. Though I do hope you'll give it a chance :)
The holy trinity: review, follow, favourite. Seriously it saves lives ( well, mine at least)
-Natalie xx