Timmy Brumble's face plastered the front of the Daily Prophet for the fourth day straight. His unkind fate and the painted incompetence of Dumbledore was all the wizarding world could talk about. It was in the Daily Prophet, on the Wireless Wizarding Network, had taken over all gossip conversations and all letters to loved ones.
Marlene stared at his face. He was a sweet looking boy with a wide grin and happy eyes. He was muggle-born like herself and he'd been targeted the same way Lily had been targeted except this seemed worse somehow which was terrible to think. What happened to Lily was horrific and terrible and Marlene knew Lily would bear that trauma the rest of her life but Timmy Brumble just seemed too young and innocent.
Petrified at the age of twelve. It was all anyone could think or talk about.
"They're still laying it thick on Dumbledore," Nate sighed. "This Skeeter reporter is a piece of work. She's reporting rumours that the maintenance story is a cover-up for a Death Eater attack and the Death Eaters had something to do with the Chamber of Secrets being supposedly opened."
Marlene raised her brows. "She's not wrong. I don't know why Dumbledore is trying to cover up the attack at Hogwarts."
"You know why. The Ministry would look into why Aurors weren't called in. We still don't know if the Death Eaters had anything to do with the Chamber yet. To say the Death Eaters did have something to do with it would mean one of them would have to have still been in the school and James and Lily confirmed that there was no one in the school who shouldn't have been."
"The timing is more than a coincidence." Marlene shook her head. "What if the map is faulty? I mean, James said it himself. Voldemort didn't show on the map."
"Tom Riddle," Nate pointed out the theory that Tom Riddle was in fact Voldemort's real name.
"That's a spell in the dark."
"That will light our way," Nate finished the wizarding saying and Marlene rolled her eyes.
"I hate it when you do that."
"Because you know I'm right. If the timing is more than a coincidence, why can't Tom Riddle and Voldemort be more than a coincidence?"
"Because … because it means he's based all of this on a lie," Marlene said miserably."He's gained followers and caused so much pain for nothing. Because I don't want to believe that he's only doing this for power."
Nate cupped her face with his hand, rubbing his thumb against her cheek gently. "A part of this was always going to be power for him."
"I know," she admitted with a sigh. "I know."
He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I've got to go. I'm meeting Lily in Diagon Alley."
"That's right," Marlene remembered his and Lily's plans to comb through Ollivander's old records. "Wait, aren't her and James meant to be moving into the flat today?"
"Lily said not until noon."
"Well, that's inconvenient. I start my shift at noon which probably means I won't be seeing you until tomorrow."
"Dinner?"
"Maria and I are officially asking Steven and Danielle to join the Order."
"Big step."
"Don't remind me."
Marlene had been dreading the task for the last three days nervous that she'd have to obliviate them if they didn't want to join. The very thought was enough to set her on edge and it was all she could do to put it at the back of her mind throughout her shift.
By nine, Marlene and Maria had retreated to Maria's flat where Maria was laying on the floor. Marlene, on the other hand, was fussing about setting up snacks and drinks and cleaning, still trying to keep her mind off of the dreaded fact.
"Jesus woman, will you sit still. I am trying to be zen."
Marlene cocked her brow. Maria looked anything but zen. Her wet hair was clinging to the floor and but for the fact Maria's chest was rising up and down someone could walk in and assume she was dead. She looked comfortable at least. Marlene would be lucky to die in a position so comfortable. She'd seen a lot of people die in St Mungo's and those beds did not look comfortable at all.
Marlene fussed about until there was a knock at the door and then she fussed over Danielle and Steven until they were all seated at Maria's dining table with tacos in front of them. Marlene let herself relax a little, joining in on the normal conversation over dinner and then when teas had been made and the fire was dying out some, Marlene cleared her throat.
"The reason I suggested this dinner is because I want to ask you something important. Before I get into it, I want to make it clear that you can say no but anything said here today is confidential."
"You're not dying are you? I hate having to lie to people's partners," Danielle said miserably.
"She's not dying though I may kill her if she doesn't get on with it."
Marlene glared at Maria before continuing. "I'm a part of an organisation headed by Dumbledore. We work towards stopping Voldemort."
Danielle gasped and did the sign of the cross. Danielle was always a little more light hearted in those things and like most people, she was terrified of saying Voldemort's name.
"It's just a name," Marlene said gently. "You'll have to get use to it if you decide to join. Dumbledore's very firm that fear in the name only increases fear in the thing itself or something philosophical like that."
"What exactly do you do for Dumbledore?" Steven asked, his finger tapping the table, his face perfectly neutral which annoyed Marlene because she couldn't read anything.
"We're an organisation working towards stopping Voldemort. That's all I can tell you until you agree to join."
"Are there a lot of people?" Steven pressed.
"I can't say until you agree to join and even then, I'm pretty sure no one except Dumbledore knows of all the people in the Order." It was a fair assumption. Emmeline hadn't known Frank was in the Order until Alice had found out.
"But you fight You-Know-Who?" Danielle asked.
Marlene nodded. "Yeah, we do. And I don't want to glamourise it. It's hard. It's ... you, at some point, will get injured. Someone you know will die, you just pray it's someone who signed up for it and not a bystander. It's a big decision to join. I know that sometimes it doesn't always feel like it but this is very much a war, joining the Order is joining an army but this war has no rules. Death Eaters will do anything to get to you or at you. Your families will be targeted."
Maria nodded slowly and in agreement. "I haven't seen that side of it but I believe it could very much be like that."
"You've joined?" Steven asked.
"Yeah. It's Voldemort and I'm a muggle-born. If I won't fight for me, who will?"
"And that's why the Order is here," Marlene said, "To protect people who can't protect themselves. To fight for people who can't fight for themselves."
"What do you say?" Maria said, staring them down a little too harshly for Marlene's liking. They shouldn't feel pressured.
"Jesus, Maria, let them sit on it a minute," Marlene admonished.
"No, I don't need to sit on it," Danielle said. "I'll join in the capacity of healer. That's why your asking us, right? An organisation that Dumbledore's heading which you've compared to an army that fights You-Know-Who can't be Ministry approved and you probably have a lot of people who need medical attention. Right?"
"We want you in the capacity of a healer," she agreed with a short nod.
"I don't want to fight, that's not who I am, but I'll help anyone injured in their duty," Danielle said.
"That's more than enough, Danielle," Marlene assured. "Steven?"
He looked between the three women and said, "Fuck it, I'm all in. Healing and fighting. I'll do whatever Dumbledore needs me to."
Marlene got right down to business with them. "First things first, we have a home base of sorts in London that needs some sort of hospital room. I've been working with the owner of the house and he's allowed us two rooms on the bottom floor to convert into a hospital wing of sorts."
"That's smart," Danielle agreed.
"This is what I've drawn up but I'm only a trainee and I was really hoping to get your input, Danielle."
"I'd need to see the space but by the looks of it, you've got it right. We could probably partition off a section of this room for one to one healing and then squeeze two more beds in."
They discussed logistics the rest of the night with Marlene promising that they'll be invited to the next Order meeting.
"I'm here," Lily announced running into the flat, "I'm here!"
"Cutting it fine," James said from in front of the fireplace, his brow raised at her.
"I know," she pressed a hand to his chest leaning up to peck his lips, "I'm sorry. Nate and I got caught up talking to Ollivander about things - like did you know there's a magical library under Oxford University! The de Clermont family started it around the same time the university opened and I'm rambling. Anyway, next thing I knew it was quarter to. Are we ready?"
"Mum and dad are due to start sending everything through the Floo in just a minute. How was it then? Did you find anything interesting?"
Lily sighed. "We barely touched the surface really. Ollivander has a lot and all of it is in ancient greek and latin so we've had to do translation spells on everything but there are just some words where there aren't even english words for it today."
"Mum could help maybe. She knows latin."
"Your mum speaks latin?"
"She used to teach me before Hogwarts but most of it I've forgotten."
Lily marvelled at the new fact just as the first trunk got sent through. They settled for the first hour, only talking about where they should put the couch and should the bookcase go on this wall or that wall until Sirius barged into the apartment.
"This is insane," he grumbled. "This book has no purpose except for the fact that it's indestructible. I have been staring at it for three hours and nothing! No spells work on it. It's not hiding anything. It's just a book."
Lily frowned. "Well, it's got to be something. It's got to be hiding something."
"Instructions or a map or …. Something," James agreed. "They wouldn't want it back so bad if it was just a book."
"Have we bothered to ask Dumbledore yet?" Lily raised a brow.
"Lily, Hogwarts is in crisis!" Sirius cried. "Dumbledore is needed to focus on the lives and souls of every student in Hogwarts. He doesn't have the time to worry over a book." Lily quirked her brow even higher at his dramatic soliloquy. "Besides, I am an adult wizard who passed my NEWTs with an 'O' in every goddamned subject! I am not running to the teacher because the problem's too hard."
"Uh-huh."
"You're welcome to have a go at it," Sirius offered placing the book on the kitchen table Lily and James had just finished assembling.
"So you'll come running to us." James put down the box he was carrying and went over to him. "What've you tried exactly?"
"Any revealing charm I could think of. Then I tried setting it on fire. Then blowing it up. I even tried ripping a page out. It's physically impossible."
"Well, it's a book," Lily piped, "did you try writing in it?"
"I — no I didn't try writing in it! What if we write over whatever is actually in it?"
"But you just said there's nothing in it," James pointed out.
"Have you tried to ask Ella?" Lily asked.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "She barely responds to anything I say to her. I don't think she cares about anything let alone this."
"She just needs time," Lily soothed, as she almost tripped over one of James' brooms since they were all laid neatly on the floor. "Where are we setting up your brooms again, James? I know you said you had a surprise but I really want to get them out of the way."
James jumped up. "I do have a surprise and you're being banished to the bedroom so I can organise it."
Lily sighed. "I don't really have a choice here, do I?"
"Nope. Fine, just don't let this one distract you."
"Love you too, Evans," Sirius said sarcastically as Lily walked to the bedroom. The bed was already made with the bare mattress placed on it so she summoned the sheets and blankets from the living room and started making the bed. She was halfway through organising the closet when James announced he was ready.
When she walked out, Sirius was still staring at the diary disdainfully and Peter had joined him whilst James was standing by the fireplace with a proud grin.
Lily smiled and declared, "I love it!" and then, "Hey Peter."
He'd mounted all five of his brooms horizontally above the fireplace and even though Lily knew he just wanted to show off his brooms, it actually looked quite cool against the bare red brick. His current model was the lowest mounted one with James' favourite being the highest and most unreachable which was probably his plan.
"Really?"
Lily nodded whilst looking around at their mess of an apartment. "I really do. When did you come up with this?"
"It's been his dream since he was five," Sirius quipped.
"He made us all sign a petition in third year but Professor McG shot him down," Peter added.
"Can't win 'em all," James shrugged.
Lily noticed Sirius still side eyeing the diary. "Any updates?"
"He's been giving it angsty looks this whole time. He didn't even help me."
Sirius snorted. "Right, like you'd let me touch your precious brooms."
"You know what you did," James reminded him and Lily smiled at the story she'd been told of Sirius accidentally flying into a wall with one of James' brooms. The broom apparently snapped like a twig and James had been devastated.
"Give me a quill," Lily demanded, taking a seat on the bench next to Sirius and across from Peter.
"What are you doing?"
"Well if you two are just going to sit and stare at it, I'm going to write in it."
"Why're you so sure?" Peter asked.
"When you're exploring the ocean, you don't stare at it. You go in it. But this is a book and you put words in a book except this one doesn't have any."
"Fuck it, let's do it," Sirius agreed. "James, quill!"
James scowled at Sirius but summoned a quill — it tore a hole through one of the boxes — and gave it to Lily.
She paused and Sirius said, "Don't chicken out now."
"Shove off, Black."
Lily put quill to paper and wrote 'hello'.
The words sunk into the page, fading out but as it did, new words appeared as though someone were next to Lily with a quill and writing.
Hello, my name is Tom Riddle.
"Holy mother of," Sirius grinned and James sat next to Lily as she smiled satisfactorily.
"Sirius, I swear if you're pulling our leg," James warned.
"I'm not, I swear. Reply Lils!"
Hi, Tom. Who are you?
I'm a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Who are you?
Lily went to write but Peter put his hand on the page to stop her.
"Maybe we shouldn't write in it anymore until we look into dark item possession," he suggested, looking a little nervous. "I don't like things that can think without having a brain."
"You mustn't like yourself very much then, Wormy."
"Sirius," Lily admonished.
"Nah, he's just been reading Madame DeGois' Wonderfully Terrible Horrors again," James said.
"They're true stories!" Peter defended. "Someone got possessed by a photograph that could talk. They blacked out for hours at a time without remembering where they'd been or what they did. Turns out they'd been killing people and they didn't even know it!"
"Maybe Peter's right," Lily said and Sirius rolled his eyes in annoyance. "We should assume the diary is dark magic. It came from the Malfoy Manor after all and we should be careful what we write in it. I don't like that it's asking us questions. Makes me think Peter's right about possession."
"We still need to find out what the journal knows and it's only asking who we are," Sirius pointed out.
"But that's how it'd start right?" James asked. "It'd ask not so personal questions to build trust, next minute your pouring out your soul and giving it an opening to possess you and we're spilling Order secrets to the enemy. I'd love to ask it about the Chamber of Secrets but Pete's right. Let's put it on hold until we do a bit of research about item possessions. Maybe there's a trick to not giving too much away but still being able to communicate with it."
"Wuss," Sirius teased.
"Nothing wrong with being cautious," Lily reprimanded.
"Buck up, Evans. What's the harm in a little Dark Magic possession?"
"You want to repeat the question, Black?" Lily got up. "Now, I have a wardrobe to finish organising and you, mister, have a bookshelf to stack."
James groaned. "Can't I take the kitchen?"
"Absolutely not. You're weird about books and I don't want to hear for the next six months that I ordered them wrong."
"I am also weird about the kitchen," James pointed out.
"You think the Chamber of Secrets is connected to the diary?" Sirius asked James and Lily groaned. They were never going to finish unpacking.
"Too much of a coincidence. Voldemort, Tom Riddle, the diary, Chamber of Secrets. They're all connected, I just don't know how."
"The diary is obviously connected to Riddle. Riddle could possibly be Voldemort," Lily said what they already knew.
"But if Voldemort really is connected to the Chamber of Secrets attack that means he found the Chamber of Secrets," Sirius pointed out. "No one's been able to find it before. Besides, you said it yourself. Neither Tom Riddle or Voldemort were on the map after the cowards fled."
"What are you saying?" Peter asked.
"How do we know it's not just another student with homicidal tendencies? No offence, Lily."
"None taken," Lily frowned though, "But the Chamber isn't on the map either. Riddle or Voldemort or any Death Eater could have just been hiding out in the Chamber."
"And petrification?" Peter asked. "Seems pretty complex for a Hogwarts student."
Peter and Sirius both looked at James to break the tie and James ran a hand through his hair.
"I don't know. You're both right. There was no one on the map but petrification is too complex for anyone at Hogwarts. Do you really think any of the NEWT students we know are able to do this kind of magic? Where would they even find out how to do this?"
"Maybe they're best mates with Medusa," Lily joked.
"I — that could explain — oh, but that's brilliant," James said, his eyes wide as his brain whirred behind them.
"I hate it when he gets like this," Sirius sighed. "Come on, mate, catch us up. We can't mind read."
"The legend of the Chamber of Secrets has always said Slytherin hid a monster in there! If the Chamber of Secrets has really been opened it could be the monster doing the petrifying!"
"Oh that's, that's brill actually," Lily said, sitting down again. "What monsters can petrify things?"
"A cockatrice first comes to mind," Sirius suggested. Lily shuddered thinking about having to catch and kill a cockatrice.
"Or a basilisk," James said.
"Basilisks kill," Sirius corrected.
"Not if it's from a reflection."
"So what our best bet is a cockatrice or a basilisk?" Peter asked. "I don't like either of those odds."
"I think if I were faced with a cockatrice I'd forget to close my eyes 'cause I'd just be laughing," Sirius admitted shamelessly.
"You're an idiot," Peter remarked in an appalled tone.
"It's a lizard with the head of a rooster and the size of a small dog. As if you'd be able to keep a straight face!"
"Coming out unscathed is about as realistic as getting this flat unpacked tonight," Lily announced.
"Cheap shot, Lils."
"We've yet to touch the kitchen," Lily pointed out.
"You two know there are spells for this kind of thing," Peter raised a brow.
"Wormtail raises a good point," Sirius agreed.
"Let us have our fun," Lily poked her tongue out. "It's the first place I've moved into ever."
"Not true. You moved into Hogwarts. And the Potters."
"It's so not the same, also what do you care? By your own admission you'll be petrified the moment we find the Chamber of Secrets and find a cockatrice because you'll be laughing."
Tap. Tap. Tap. Lily turned and walked to the window where an unfamiliar owl was begging for entry. She opened it as the boys kept talking and the large grey owl stuck his leg out for her. She quickly grabbed the letter and opened it, the owl seemingly content to perch itself on the back of the couch.
Dear Lily,
I don't really know why I'm writing except for the fact that I know you went through something similar in your own last year of Hogwarts. I know it's too soon to tell if Timmy Brumble was targeted for being a muggle-born but chances are it's true. I hate that really. He's a sweet kid and I hope Madam Pomfrey can wake him up soon so the teachers can get a lead.
The new security measures are the strictest I've seen. Dumbledore's imposed a curfew of 6:30PM which barely gives us enough time to get back to our common rooms after dinner. Then there's the buddy system aka if one person needs to use the loo, two people go. I'll tell you, Lily, that one has seen the rate of couples caught snogging in broom closets up by 30%. These people have no shame. I caught two fifth years during fourth period.
The students are in a huge panic and it's all anyone can talk about. A particularly favourite article was the one in the Daily Prophet highlighting the last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened in 1943 and everyone's jumping to conclusions with Hagrid. It's hard to believe Hagrid was to blame for it and I suspect Hagrid may have been a cover up or else why would Dumbledore continue to allow him on school grounds?
I hope you're recovered from your totally maintenance related injuries and wedding planning is going well. I can't wait to see yours and James' wedding picture in Witch Weekly! Your engagement picture was all the buzz for a week around Hogwarts — so many students still remember you and Potter.
Yours sincerely,
Mary
"Who was it?" James asked.
"Mary. Writing from Hogwarts. Dumbledore's imposed a curfew and a buddy system. Apparently the school is jumping on the Hagrid rumours," Lily frowned, bringing the letter over to the table. "I better write something back quickly."
Dear Mary,
It's so lovely to hear from you though I wish it was on better circumstances. The stuff going on at Hogwarts has everyone properly worried and I hope you understand me when I say Dumbledore is using all his resources to help get to the bottom of this and I have recovered just fine from the maintenance accident.
I know some aurors are due to be sent to Hogwarts any day now, I just pray that there aren't any more attacks. There's not long left in the school year but, Mary, be careful and don't become complacent. I know it may sound needless but the buddy system helps to make people less of a target so please encourage it and follow the rule. I've heard constant vigilance is the best way to stay alive so be on alert at all times.
And perhaps less important but important all the same, don't let this distract you from your NEWTs. Exams must be only days away.
You can expect an invitation by owl by the end of next week. James' mum and I are confirming numbers and dates on Tuesday which is exciting.
Stay safe, Mary.
All my regards,
Lily
"Nineteen forty-three," James murmured. "Almost forty years."
"It'd be interesting to ask our Tom Riddle what year he was born," Sirius contemplated the tempting idea.
The room was silent as everyone considered it until Lily put her foot down. She grabbed the diary and put it on the top of the bookcase. "No more writing in the diary until we learn more about dark object possessions."
"Party pooper," Sirius frowned.
"For that, you can help your mate with organising the bookcase. Now, enough about Riddle and the Chamber of Secrets. We've got a flat to unpack and at this rate we'll be here 'til midnight."
At ten o'clock, Lily and James finally lay down under their new covers together in their new bed and lazily grinning. Their flat was officially fully unpacked except a few boxes with random stuff in it that they didn't know what to do with which they'd shoved against a wall in the spare room.
"The bed is facing the wrong direction," James sighed and Lily laughed, as she snuggled in closer, her eyes already drooping. It had been a long day after all.
"You'll get used to it."
"All I'm saying is that if I hit you in the head in the morning because I think you're the side table, don't say I didn't warn you."
"James?"
"Hmm?"
"Shh," she hushed and he laughed softly before pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Goodnight, love."
"G'night," she mumbled, already halfway to sleeping.
Sirius nudged the door to the bedroom open and set the tray of hot tea, toast, and some letters addressed to her on the bedside table.
"Good morning," Sirius cheered though it sounded fake even to his own ears. "I'm helping Mia with a MAE meeting today so I won't be home until the afternoon. I've set a warming charm on the tea so it should keep for a while longer. There's some letters for you again. I think one of them is from your brother."
Ella didn't even flinch or make a sound so Sirius charged on, trying to get some sort of response out of her. Just anything to prove she'd come out of this fog one day.
"I was thinking of getting Thai food on the way back. Did you want anything?"
He waited a beat before sighing. He was used to no response but it had been almost two weeks now and he'd barely gotten three words out of her. Marlene had more luck which bothered Sirius to no end. She hadn't been the only one to lose a baby and maybe he just wanted to talk about it with the only other person who understood.
"Okay, well, the mirror's on the side table, if you need anything you know how to reach me. James will be across the hall, too. Unemployed as he is, he's been researching dark object possession to see if we can extract more information out of the diary without one of us unintentionally becoming murderers. Maybe we could go over to their's tonight for dinner? James has been experimenting a lot in the kitchen and Lily told me he's planning to make a lamb roast tonight."
"Just go," Ella mumbled and Sirius slumped. Three words to five. An improvement but not a promising one.
He wanted to scream at her and tell her that he was hurting too. That he was devastated too. That it felt like he had no solid ground underneath his feet. That, he too, wanted to just hide under the covers and not come out. Not face people. Not face the daylight. Not face reality. He wanted to have a go at her so bad. A part of him even wanted to blame her.
But his final comment before leaving the room wasn't about anything he felt like saying. No, he said what was true.
"I love you, Ella," he said, barely above a whisper but he was sure she heard.
And he did love her. Loved her enough to never admit aloud that a part of him did blame her. Loved her enough to forgive her. He hoped that was enough.
He wrote a note to her brother again asking if he'd be able to spare some time to come see her. Maybe he'd be able to break through to her or just get something out of her. Marlene suggested taking Ella to see a muggle doctor who specialised in emotional trauma and grief but Sirius didn't know much about it and was hesitant.
He sent the letter off and flooed to Nitburn Hall where Euphemia and Mrs Bones were setting up the hall with a few other volunteers.
"Sirius!" Euphemia greeted brightly, immediately making her way to him. She wrapped him in a mother bear hug before leaning back. "Have you been sleeping? You look tired."
"I'm fine," Sirius said and Euphemia pursed her lips. "Where do you need me?"
Euphemia got him busy helping to unstack chairs and set them up in rows in front of a small platform with a podium.
An hour later, rows and rows of witches and wizards sat facing the two organisers and founders of the event. It was usually held in one of three venues across London every month depending on the availability of the venue but Nitburn was the largest and as such usually had a larger turnout.
These meetings were the closest thing to employed Sirius got. He helped Euphemia with the planning and set up and he helped her find recruits and people to do presentations at the next meetings. This meeting was different though. This meeting was all about Hogwarts.
"I know a lot of you have concerns about Hogwarts," Mrs Bones said standing up at the podium, in front of the almost one hundred people that attended these meetings. "We'll try to answer as many as possible. Euphemia's been doing some digging around at the Ministry and she's written an article for our monthly newspaper."
A hand shot up. "Is it true Hogwarts is involved in a cover-up? If there were Death Eaters in Hogwarts we deserve to know."
"As far as we are aware, Death Eaters were not involved on an attack at Hogwarts," Euphemia said. "I have trusted and reliable contacts in the Ministry and they've personally assured me that it was purely a maintenance accident."
Another hand shot up. "How do you explain the attack on the student who was petrified and the message that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened?"
"Unfortunately, that situation has not been resolved. Arrangement are in the works to deploy a team of four aurors to Hogwarts as an extra safety precaution for the students and to indeed, try to find out if there is any truth to the Chamber of Secrets."
"What about Dumbledore?" someone shouted.
"What about him?" Mrs Bones asked.
"Is he deploying any of his own resources?"
"His teachers are of course very concerned with the matter and are also taking added precautions to ensure student safety. I believe a stricter curfew has been imposed and a strict buddy system, which is that no student is to walk solo through the castle. All students must be accompanied by at least one other."
"I'm not talking about his teachers. I'm talking about his secret band of vigilantes that he's put together to fight You-Know-Who."
Euphemia stared down the fellow with pursed lips in a look that Sirius had been on the receiving end of many times.
"I'm quite sure I've no idea what you are talking about. Moving on to what we know," Euphemia said before reiterating all the previous points about the added security measures at Hogwarts.
Sirius frowned at the blatant lie Euphemia had told and zoned out for the rest of the meeting. Euphemia and Mrs Bones tried to instil hope and confidence in Hogwarts and the Ministry but Sirius knew more than them already and he knew that hope and confidence in Hogwarts and in the Ministry was a farce. Neither knew jack shit about the Chamber of Secrets and the Order wasn't having much luck in picking up the slack.
"Mia, shouldn't we tell them about the Order?" Sirius asked as they packed up after everyone had left. "I mean, we're not the Ministry and we're supposed to be giving unbiased information to our members. That's the purpose of MAE right?"
"I understand where you're coming from but it is impertinent that the Order stays out of the radar of the Ministry for as long as possible. If they find out that Dumbledore is doing this, he could be removed from the Wizengamot or worse fired as Headmaster at Hogwarts. Confirming suspicions will only make the rumours grow faster and the bigger the rumour is," Euphemia sighed, "At some point it will force the Ministry to look closer at Dumbledore and they could even have grounds to arrest him or anyone in the Order."
"So we deny," Sirius said with resignation.
"We deny until we absolutely can't anymore." Euphemia flicked her wand so a row of chairs neatly stacked themselves up against the wall. "How's Ella doing?"
"She's coping."
"I wish you'd let me come over and talk to her," Euphemia sighed.
"I'm just trying to give her space. Marlene's already coming by three times a day. Lily checks in too. I just don't want to over crowd her."
"Space is well and good but sometimes people need a push in the right direction."
"And that is why you're not coming over," Sirius said and Euphemia pulled a face.
"What about you? How are you doing?"
Sirius paused and cleared his throat. "I'm fine."
"Mmhmm. Want to try the truth?"
"Not really."
"Sirius."
"Mia."
"Come on, talk to me," she insisted softly. "Monty and I are worried about you."
Sirius slumped and sat on a chair he was supposed to be stacking. "I — I was going to be a dad and I know I was scared at first but I really thought — I thought this could be a good thing in my life you know? Just for once something good. Lily once said something about how the kid and I could create a new legacy for the name Black and I wanted that."
Euphemia sat beside him. "You wanted your own family," she said softly, grabbing his hand.
"Yeah, I really did. Family who wasn't evil or mean or entitled. A new brand of Blacks. Family I could be proud of for once and I was so close, mum."
"You'll have that one day, Sirius, but darling, you're closer than you think. Have you gone to visit Andromeda Tonks lately? I bumped into her at Diagon Alley the other day. Her little one is quite the delight. She was transforming her face and terrorising the shopkeeper. It reminded me of you."
Sirius shook his head. "She wrote a letter sending condolences the other day. I take it you updated her on the situation?"
"I did. Though I had thought she would've already known. I told her you'd pop by for tea soon."
"So now I have to pop by for tea soon."
"It'll be good for you to see your cousin. I know there's a lot of bad blood between you and the rest of the Blacks but when you do get a start on creating your 'new brand of Blacks' you'll want your kids to have family they can go to."
"They already do. The Potters will always be my number one family," Sirius vowed and Euphemia wrapped an arm around him.
"There's always room for number two, darling."
Sirius didn't know how he ended up there. One moment he was leaving Nitburn Hall, heading for home and then he was at a park watching parents and their kids and he kind of felt like a perv but he mostly just felt so fucking sad. That was meant to be his life. He was meant to play with his daughter at a park one day. To hold her and make her laugh.
It was strange how life worked. Ella had fallen pregnant and it definitely hadn't been planned but by Merlin did he grow on it. He wished it'd been him who'd died. Anything to have known his daughter would've been born, played on the swings. Anything to know she had just lived.
When he felt the first tears prick he stumbled away from the park and when he found himself on an empty street, he apparated to the first place he thought of. He didn't know why he thought of Hogsmeade but maybe it was because he'd always felt safest at Hogwarts and happiest when they were in Hogsmeade causing mischief. Maybe the why didn't matter, it certainly didn't when he sat himself on a stool at the bar and ordered his first firewhiskey.
"You're one of Lily's friends," a voice behind him interrupted after firewhiskey number four.
He turned his head back to be met with the gaze of a brown eyed girl. She was short with wildly curly hair that was a chocolate brown colour and a bright smile though it faltered slightly at the blank stare Sirius was giving her.
"I don't know if you remember me, I'm Mary MacDonald. Year below you in Hogwarts."
"You're the one who writes to Lily about Scott." She was why Lily and Ella were in the castle that day…
"That's me." She took the stool next to Sirius. "I know it's not any of my business but it's a Hogsmeade weekend and your, uh, brother tends to frequent this joint."
"I don't have a brother," Sirius said, knocking back his firewhiskey. "And it's not any of your business."
She nodded slowly. "That's fair. I just thought I'd warn you."
She ordered her own drinks — butterbeers — and let Sirius be, nursing his firewhiskey and wallowing as he tried to forget.
Sirius nursed drink after drink until he heard someone try to speak to him.
"What are you doing here?"
Sirius turned around on the stool to face his baby brother and smiled. "Having a drink."
"You're pissed," Regulus realised and his eyes scanned the room to see if any of Sirius' friends were around.
"Of course I'm pissed," Sirius bit. "Because of you and Bellatrix, my baby died."
"W-what?" Regulus' lip wobbled and Sirius laughed bitterly and took another swig of his drink.
"Don't pretend you didn't know and don't pretend you care."
"Are you alone?"
"I said don't pretend you care!" Sirius slammed his glass down a little too hard and it shattered.
"Is everything all right here?" Rosemerta asked coming over at once to clean up the glass.
"Fine," Regulus said before looking at Sirius. "Let's take this outside, yeah?"
"Another, Rosemerta," Sirius said indicating to his drink.
"I think you've had enough," Rosemerta said softly.
Sirius shook his head and stood. He fished out some galleons out of his pocket and slammed them onto the counter before walking out of the bar. If Rosemerta wouldn't serve him, Aberforth in the Hog's Head would.
"Sirius," his brother followed him out the door into the brisk air that sobered Sirius only slightly. Sirius was surprised to see the sun hadn't quite gone down yet. Somehow it annoyed him but not more than the fact that his brother was still here.
"Leave me alone," Sirius demanded.
"I didn't know about the — the baby. I'm-"
"What?" Sirius laughed bitterly. "Sorry? She was your niece and because of you-"
"I didn't-"
Sirius knew he shouldn't but his fist cocked back and punched Regulus in the face, a satisfying crunch and blood spurted down his face.
"You didn't what? Sneak your Death Eater friends into the castle? Didn't know what type of people you're dealing with? You're not seven anymore, Regulus! Time to grow the fuck up and accept it! My daughter's dead. It's because of you."
"I-"
Sirius punched him again. And again knocking Regulus to the floor. Sirius knew he should walk away but the blood boiling in his veins wouldn't let him. He got on top of Regulus and started laying into him. Punch. For himself. Punch. For Ella. Punch. For Alaia. Punch. Punch. Punch.
He was pulled off suddenly with bloody knuckles and met with the latest Slytherin monarchs.
Gabriel Lemaire. Sebastian Yaxely. Tristan Rowle.
He'd come for this, Sirius realised as his arms were pinned behind his back by Rowle, and Lemaire and Yaxely started laying into him. Their fists, their boots slamming into his face, his stomach. He'd come for this. He barely felt any of it. He was a bystander in his own body, numb from the pain. They threw him into the floor, his shoulder breaking the fall. He didn't shelter himself as their boots laid into his ribs. Didn't care when he heard something crack. A boot to his face, another crunch. He'd come for this.
"Enough! All of you!" a girl shouted and he wasn't a bystander anymore. He wasn't numb anymore.
His ribs, his face, his back. It was all pounding and aching and he could taste blood in his mouth. From what he could tell he still had all his teeth so the blood confused him. He could barely see out of his eyes and he couldn't tell if it was because of blood or if they were swelling shut.
"Thirty points from Slytherin for disgusting behaviour! Move off or I'll tell Rosemerta what happened here and she'll ban the lot of you from Broomsticks."
"Let's go," Regulus was the first to say, spitting out blood from his own mouth.
The pack of them fled leaving Sirius groaning on the ground as he tried to move. He hissed as a sharp pain shot up his shoulder. Was it dislocated?
"You'll pay for this, MacDonald," Lemaire warned with a deceivingly calm tone.
One of them purposely bumped into Mary as they walked passed her to go into the Three Broomsticks and she rushed over to Sirius who hadn't managed to move all that much.
"You're an idiot!" she huffed. "I told you to get out of here."
"I'm not very good with," Sirius winced as he attempted to get into a more comfortable position, "listening."
"Lord have mercy," she muttered. "You wouldn't happen to be able to walk me through some healing spells would you?"
"Why're you being nice to me?"
"I really shouldn't," Mary agreed, "but you're the friend of a friend and you reek of alcohol and I think your nose is broken."
That'd explain the blood. Sirius stuck his good hand in his pocket and pulled out his wand. He cast his patronus, the large dog springing to life, and he whispered a message to it.
"You can go now. Someone will be by to collect me."
"I'm not just going to leave you bleeding in the middle of the street," Mary protested but before she even finished her sentence there was a loud crack and there stood James and Lily.
"Fucks sake, Sirius," James cursed upon taking in the sight of a bloodied up Sirius laying in the street. "What the hell did you do now?"
"Good to see you too," Sirius grinned, showing off his blood covered teeth. "Some healing spells would be good right about now."
Lily pursed her lips as she knelt beside him to assess him. "Broken nose, your shoulder's popped out, and I wouldn't be surprised if you have a broken rib. Not to mention your eye is half way to swollen shut. Jesus Christ, Sirius, you stink of alcohol!"
"What are you even doing in Hogsmeade?" James inquired, as he started to heal some of Sirius' injuries.
"Drinking."
Lily turned to Mary. "Thanks for staying with him."
"No big deal. He came out here with his brother and some Slytherins jumped on him by the looks of it."
"I told you, MacD, I don't have a brother."
"Uh-huh," she said as Lily steered her away.
"They talking about me?" Sirius asked James.
"Probably. You're a fucking mess, you idiot," James sighed. "What were you thinking? Actually, I don't want to know. Come on, get up. We'll fix you up in the flat. Marlene's given us a healing kit and it should have some salves to heal the bruises."
James helped Sirius up who staggered and James called for Lily who said a quick goodbye to Mary before they apparated into the flat.
It was quiet. It had been for a while which was strange. Sirius or Marlene or Lily usually fussed about but it'd been quiet for hours now. Where had Sirius said he'd gone again? She supposed it didn't matter. She'd still be laying here under the covers where it all felt safe and she could just dream it away.
She did need to pee though so she rolled out of bed, her feet shuffling on the floor as she trudged to the bathroom. On the way back to her room, she stopped in the hallway and instead pushed the other door open. She walked in. The room was a ghost of someone who'd never lived.
It was exactly the way they'd left it. Shopping bags sat on the changing table — she'd never gotten around to packing the clothes away — and folded sheets sat in the timber crib, the mobile was in a box leaning up against the crib leg waiting to be assembled. A rocking chair sat in the corner next to the window and butterflies fluttered across the walls. It was all here, waiting. Waiting for a baby.
Alaia.
She'd never come. She'd never sleep in the crib or wear any of the clothes. She'd never hear any of the stories from the books on the bookcase. She'd never be rocked to sleep in her mother's arm as they cuddled on the rocking chair at bedtime.
Her lip wobbled at the memory of her still, little girl who never even got the chance to breathe a breath of fresh air. This room was supposed to see so much. Would Alaia have had her first smile in here? Her first laugh? Her first word? Would they have taught her to walk in here? Would she have liked to watch the street from the window? At what age would she have gotten sick of the butterflies on the wall?
Everything built up in Ella until she couldn't do anything except let out a gut wrenching scream. She let the rage take over and ran to the changing table, using her hands she knocked all the bags to the floor before rummaging through everything, all the nappies, clothes, and powders she'd neatly stocked on the lower shelves and she emptied it all onto the floor. She kicked the boxed mobile down and tossed the neatly folded sheets out of the crib.
She let out another scream as she grabbed the cushion off the rocking chair and threw it at the bookcase. Ornaments shattered as they fell off and even more when Ella followed up the cushion with a book.
She screamed as she wrenched open the draws to the dresser and started pulling out all the clothes and shoes and blankets that Alaia never got to wear. It was all pointless. Useless.
"Ella! What are you doing?" Sirius was in the doorway, James and Lily right behind him. His eyes were wide and scared and wet.
She went up to him and he thought she was going in for a hug but she snuck his wand out of his pocket and turned on the room again. The stupid, unnecessary room. Why was it still here when the person it was meant for wasn't? She stormed back in with a vengeance.
"Confringo!" she shouted aiming the wand at the changing table. The timber splintered and cracked as it broke apart she barely heard Sirius as she aimed the wand at the rocking chair next. "Confringo!" Stuffing from the chair fell around the room like ash but it wasn't enough. Wasn't enough. She couldn't bare it anymore.
"Ella! Calm down!" Sirius yelled but she didn't listen.
She aimed the wand at the crib and yelled the curse once more. The crib broke apart as though in slow motion. The mattress ripped apart as the crib combusted, spraying bits of wood everywhere before settling in a heap on the floor.
An arm hooked her around the waist and she kicked and scratched.
"Get the wand!" Sirius shouted and James pried the wand out of her hand as she tried to kick him away.
"NO! JUST LET ME!" Ella shouted, a tear finally slipping down her face. "JUST LET ME GO!"
Sirius caught both her arms with his and brought them to her chest as she tried her best to fight him off.
"Shh, it's okay," he whispered in her ear. "Just let it out … I know … I know … it's okay … just let it out."
"Just let me-" Ella struggled against his hold. "It's no use — there's no point — just let ME GO—"
"I've got you … you're okay."
"I just want — where is she?" a sob finally escaped her lips. "I just want my baby! Where is she, Sirius? Where is she?" Ella's legs gave way and Sirius lowered them both to the floor. "It's all my - my fault. I should've left but I stayed. I stayed — why did I do that?" She let out an anguished scream, the sobs wracking through her so badly her whole body shook and she could barely breathe.
Her precious daughter's face engraved in her mind. It was all she could see everywhere she looked.
"My fault," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "My fault. My fault, my fault."
"It's not your fault," Sirius whispered his voice cracking, he rocked her slightly, his hold on her tightening. "It's not your fault."
"All my fault," she said barely above a whisper before she crumbled and crashed like an avalanche of rocks hitting her over and over and she was just wishing for it all to stop.
James and Lily retreated to the living room, close enough to be there for their friends but far enough to give them space. Tears streamed down both their faces as they sat an inch apart on the couch.
"It's not fair," Lily whispered because this shouldn't be happening to them. Ella and Sirius had their flaws, both as a couple and as individuals, but they didn't deserve this. Lily didn't think anyone did. This was too cruel.
James covered her hand on her thigh with his own and squeezed tight because what she said was true but would it ever be fair? It was someone's mum last year. Someone's sister and someone's brother just a month ago. And now it was someone's baby.
"It'll get better," he said because it had to. It had to get better than this or else what were they fighting for?
They sat in their grief for their friends for what felt like an age until Sirius came out. The crying had eventually died down from the bedroom and it fell silent for a little while. When he emerged, his eyes were puffy and red, his face was too pale and he seemed haunted. Lily jumped up and pulled him into a crushing hug.
"I just don't know what to do anymore," Sirius mumbled, clutching onto Lily for dear life. "I hate Bellatrix for doing this to Ella."
"And to you," Lily said softly. "She's your baby too."
He sniffled. "Do you think she's out there somewhere? Like …an afterlife or reincarnation or something?"
Lily blinked hard to stop the tears that threatened to spill grateful that he couldn't see her face breaking because he needed her.
"I-" she cleared her voice and tried again, "I believe that my mum is looking after your baby girl in heaven for you until you can meet her."
"That's nice I suppose," he mumbled not saying what he really thought. What they all knew. The mantra behind every emotion, every conversation, every thought. She should be here.
James discreetly poured three glasses of firewhiskey leaving the bottle on the coffee table. Sirius eventually pulled away and went straight for the drink. And the second. And the third.
He sat on the couch.
"I just don't get why. Why would the world give us this baby only to," he shook his head, burying his face in his hands and groaning. "I don't get it. Why put us through all of this? The accidental pregnancy, turning our entire fucking lives inside out, only for it to end like this?"
"It's not right," James agreed sitting next to Sirius and pouring him another firewhiskey. Sirius downed it in one hit.
"I'm never having kids again," Sirius vowed. "This is … this is hell."
James and Lily listened to Sirius word vomit all the emotions he'd been holding in for the last two weeks until the wee hours of the morning when they all drifted off to sleep spread across the couches.
Alice reached over for the bowl of chips as she listened to Marlene's recount of what Lily said had happened a week ago. It broke Alice's heart to think of the pain Ella and Sirius must be feeling right now and to hear about it. Alice just felt so useless.
"We should do something for her," Alice suggested.
"I don't think there's anything we can do," Adaline said sadly. "This is something that's always going to be with them. Time will ease the pain but…"
"It'll always be there," Marlene agreed. "I think let's give Ella and Sirius some space for now. Ella's finally making some progress and I don't want them to get overwhelmed."
"It's just so sad," Alice sighed.
Adaline opened her mouth and shut it again.
"What?" Marlene said.
"You'll think I'm terrible."
"Spit it out," Marlene demanded, biting the tip off a liquorice wand. "This is a safe, no judgement circle."
Adaline bit her lip and slumped. "I just can't help but think it was maybe for the best," she said unsurely. "I mean, they aren't the poster picture of a happy couple and they were nowhere near ready to be parents."
"I mean, yeah," Alice agreed, "but it's still terrible."
"Of course," Adaline agreed quickly. "Absolutely heartbreaking."
Marlene considered. "I don't know. I think Sirius kinda would've made a good dad. Ella was so sure he'd be effortlessly good at it like he is at everything else and I could see it."
A knock on the door sounded and Alice jumped up to grab what was surely their pizza. A change of conversion was due as pizza demanded a more lighthearted conversation and they moved onto Lily and James.
"Bets on the wedding?" Alice asked.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they're married before summer's end," Marlene admitted.
"No way! James' mum will want to do a big wedding and that takes time to plan."
"James' mum may be able to put a damper on their plans," Marlene allowed. "I still say by fall's end."
"Is this a wager then, Bennett?"
"Five galleons?"
"What on earth do you need five galleons for?" Alice exclaimed.
"That's my business. You on, Bennett?"
"Bring it on, Adams. They get married by end of November and you get five galleons."
"You two are insane," Alice said appalled. "Though I do wonder who she'll pick for maid of honour. I had thought Ella since Sirius will no doubt be best man but with everything, I don't know if Ella would be up to it."
They talked predictions for the wedding before moving onto stuff happening at work until the pizza was long-gone and then they got stuck into why they'd decided a sleepover at Alice's was due. Their mission.
"No records at the ministry," Alice sighed. "I checked everything. From birth certificate, to Hogwarts records, election ballots, wand registry, Floo Directory."
"Same at the hospital. I couldn't even find other patients with that surname. No one who could possibly be related."
"And the same at Gringott's. No record of a Tom Riddle ever opening an account."
"So he's a ghost," Alice groaned, scratching the top of her head. "Next best bet is Hogwarts."
"Unless he's foreign. What if he's from another country?" Adaline proposed.
"Why would he be getting involved in our war then?" Marlene raised a brow.
"It's a possibility," Alice agreed, "But we should rule out Hogwarts just to be sure. I'll get access to the student archives and hopefully there'll be some trace of him."
"Madam Pomfrey keeps separate records," Marlene added, "so you should check with her too."
"Library books," Adaline considered. "There's a log for who checked out what books."
"Does Madam Pince hold onto those though?"
"I'll find out," Alice promised. "Tomorrow Frank and I will have all the time in the world at Hogwarts and we'll scour everything. Prefect lists. Quidditch teams. Teachers. If he went to Hogwarts, we'll find out."
"Does it feel weird to be moving back into Hogwarts?" Marlene asked and Alice shrugged.
"A little but it's not like we'll be staying in Gryffindor tower."
"That just makes it more weird. Sirius is itching to go have a poke around."
"They can't. Not with Jack and Tilly Potter there," Alice frowned. "They moved in a couple of days ago."
"But they're James' cousins surely they'd be okay," Adaline started to ask but Alice shook her head.
"Jack and Tilly are very pro-Ministry. They'd not approve of Dumbledore creating a technically illegal organisation."
"So much for nepotism," Marlene sighed.
"Do we really think this Riddle bloke is Voldemort?" Adaline asked and Marlene and Alice both shrugged hopelessly.
Did finding out who Voldemort was help them? Would it be worth anything? Alice couldn't tell yet but surely it'd expose some weakness. Everyone had a weakness and Voldemort would have his too though Alice was sure it wouldn't be as simple as other people's weaknesses. No, something sinister lurked in Voldemort's history. You don't just become the most evil wizard since Grindelwald with a happy, well-balanced childhood. Alice just prayed whatever they found out would help them find a way to win this war.
"Have you two thought anymore about when the wedding will be?" Euphemia asked eyeing them both across the table. They'd come over for a Sunday afternoon tea which was James' excuse to box up as much house elf food as he could manage. Lily's excuse was wedding planning.
Lily glanced at James who nodded encouragingly. "Well, we know you were hoping for a big wedding but with everything going on, I think we'd prefer it to be small…"
"How small?" Euphemia asked, a slight worried frown crossing her forehead.
"Maybe a hundred people," James jumped in.
Euphemia nodded slowly. "We could do a summer wedding and set up a tent outside with numbers like that. Take advantage of the views."
"You don't mind?" Lily asked hopefully. "It's just, I know you guys have a lot of family and friends that you were hoping to have here and-"
Euphemia leaned over, placing her hand on Lily's. "This is your day, my dear. You could tell me you wanted to go to the town hall in Diagon Alley and get hitched wearing a potato sack and I wouldn't mind."
Lily breathed out in relief and offered Euphemia a smile. "Thank you."
"Now, let's talk guest list because I know our side will require a lot of trimming."
"I — I don't think my sister will come," Lily admitted and James squeezed her knee under the table. "And none of my other family know about magic so…" she trailed off suddenly realising that she'd have no blood relations at her own wedding. No one to represent her parents. No one would even be walking her down the aisle.
"We could invite them," Euphemia said.
"I've been trying to tell her the portraits know to behave," James piped up.
Lily shook her head. "With things the way they are, it's too risky. And I can't expect all of your friends and family to hide this for an entire evening. It's too complicated."
"You will send your sister an invite though?"
"Yes, of course," Lily agreed not adding that it wouldn't matter. Petunia wouldn't come to a wizarding house if Lily bribed her with a million dollars. "But hopefully this means you don't have to cut down your list as much, Mia! James and I have calculated our friends to be roughly about thirty people leaving you with seventy."
Lily sat quietly as James and Euphemia discussed which families to invite and which to kick off the list hating that there would be no one on her side of the wedding. Her only friends were Ella, Marlene, Adaline and Alice and sure that was all she needed. They were the most important people in her life apart from James but it was jarring to realise there was no one else.
And Ella couldn't even properly count as Lily's guest because she was James' distant cousin so she probably would have been invited anyways. Lily had three people.
She excused herself quickly and ran out the door to the bathroom where she tried to pace herself out of crying but one look in the mirror and the tears came.
"This is so stupid," Lily groaned, pulling out tissues to dab at her eyes.
The door opened and closed softly and James was staring at her.
"Lily," and that was all it took for Lily to burst into sobs. Ugly sobs.
He wrapped her up in a hug and smoothed her hair. "It's okay."
"It's so stupid," she mumbled through tears. "I don't even know why I'm crying."
"We don't have to do this, you know? Mum's idea about going to Diagon Alley and getting hitched is a great idea."
Lily laughed and shook her head because she knew he'd do it. This man who loved her more than anyone in the world.
"It's a terrible idea. It's something Sirius would do."
Lily felt his laugh rumble in his chest against her cheek.
"And anything Sirius would do is a terrible idea," James agreed. "Are you okay?"
She nodded against his chest. "I guess it just hit me that no one besides like three people are going to be there just for me, you know? You'll have all your family and friends you've known for years and I won't have any family."
"Petunia might come. You don't know she won't."
"We both know she won't. We haven't even spoken since mum … and I'm not even close enough with my cousins to risk having them come here."
She wasn't only thinking about them finding out about magic but also about the war and how it just wasn't safe for muggles to be around pure-bloods. Lily'd never forgive herself if something were to happen to them.
"Lil?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you. I know you think you don't have a lot of people but one day, you and I will have it all. We'll have so many kids you'll never even remember the days when you thought you didn't have people."
"You're a dork," she said as she leaned up to kiss him.
"And you're my favourite person in the world."
She kissed him again, softly and slowly, just savouring every moment of this.
"I love you so, so much," she told him, pressing her lips to his once more. He hugged her tighter, his hand cradling her head.
When Lily's tears had dried they both walked back into the sun room where Euphemia had a surprise for Lily.
"Mum, what are you-?"
"Hush," she told her son. "Lily, I was going to give these to you on the day of the wedding but I thought now was as good as any." Euphemia gestured to the box on the table and Lily approached it slowly.
Inside the little black box was a pair of emerald earrings. They featured two rectangular shaped emeralds a smaller one at the top and a larger one the size of her thumb nail dangling off it. It was a classic, elegant style that was timeless and yet Lily knew they would be expensive.
"They're yours," Euphemia announced and Lily swallowed.
"I couldn't possibly — this is too much, I can't accept."
"Of course you can. You're family now and I couldn't have asked for a better daughter. Besides, Potter brides have been wearing these earrings since the eighteenth century. It's tradition."
"I - they'll need a really elegant dress," Lily accepted before she went up to Mia and gave her a hug. "Thank you."
Euphemia patted Lily on the back until Lily pulled away.
"Now, dear, we need a date. If we're doing summer, next year-"
"Next year!" James exclaimed and Lily felt rather the same. She didn't want to wait until next year either.
"Oh, but I do love the idea of a summer wedding," she bit her lip trying to find a doable solution.
"But I thought half the reason for a smaller wedding was to try and have it this year," James pointed out.
Lily glanced at Euphemia. "Is end of August too soon?"
"Three months may be a record but I'm sure we could pull it off," Euphemia decided. "Have you decided on a maid of honour, Lily? We'll need all the help we can get."
"I have an idea," Lily said evasively.
"Hmm, well end of August," Euphemia consulted a calendar. "Sundays are out because no one likes a Sunday wedding. Saturdays … August twenty-fifth or September first."
"September first," James said. "It'll be the day we first met but eight years later."
Lily smiled, "I like that. Even if I did think you were a bit of a toe rag."
"September first," Euphemia smiled before circling the date and writing in her neat cursive 'The Wedding'.
Lily and Euphemia began talking over ideas for the wedding, colour schemes, flowers, and what dress Lily was thinking of whilst James joined his dad in the library until it was time to head back home.
Everyone was due over in the next half hour and the moment they let themselves in, Sirius was over with Marlene who'd been checking in on Sirius and Ella. She was beyond excited when Lily didn't hesitate to share the newly confirmed wedding details.
"So Mia asked me a really important question that I hope you can answer for me," Lily started and Marlene's eyes lit up.
"Yes!"
Lily laughed. "You don't even know what I was going to ask!"
"I don't care," Marlene shrugged. "You could ask me to serve food and my answer'd be yes."
"Well, I don't want you to serve food, but I would be honoured if you'd be my maid of honour?"
"Like I said: yes!" and then she started rambling on about dates and how they had exactly three months to pull this together and she was asking about the guest list, and colour schemes, and dresses, and flowers.
"Marlene," Lily stopped her before she could get too carried away. "Breathe. We've got this. You've been wearing party-planning pants since you were six."
"That is true," Marlene agreed.
"Great, so make sure you bring them to Seaside next Tuesday. The official start to wedding planning. Mia said she'll have some pricing quotes from marquee and tent places and we'll be able to pick the one we like most."
"They're covering all costs?" Marlene asked quietly and Lily nodded.
"Yeah, Monty and Mia insisted and James is their only son so I get it but I did insist that I pay for my own dress and flowers. I've got enough saved up from the inheritance and work."
"What are you leaning towards for the dress?"
"I want something really elegant and classic. Mia gifted me the most gorgeous earrings but they're a little much so I think a plain dress will really show them off nicely. We'll talk more about it on Tuesday, I'm sure Mia wouldn't mind showing you the earrings," Lily assured as James let in Peter.
Marlene and Lily ceased wedding talk to join in on the boys conversation.
"McKinnon showing up?" Sirius asked.
"His grandmother is down from Ireland so he couldn't get away tonight," Marlene explained as a knock on the door sounded. Lily let in Alice and Frank and gave them a quick tour of the new flat and Alice oohed at the bare brick walls and marvelled at the genius of using their old Hogwarts trunks as a coffee table.
Lily put the kettle on as they waited for Adaline and she talked with Alice who was talking about the weirdness of living back at Hogwarts. When the teas were served, Adaline arrived with James opening the door for her.
"Welcome to our humble abode," James greeted Adaline as he let her in and she marvelled at how it was more open than Ella and Sirius' flat. Lily began making Adaline a tea too as she settled in next to Marlene.
Ella was glaringly missing but no one brought it up. Instead they all settled around the living room, Sirius and James sitting on the floor since there weren't enough seats and Lily had taken the armchair — it was famously being declared her 'spot' — whilst everyone else took the couches. Each of them with a mug of tea, they began.
"Who's starting?" Lily asked.
"We'll go first since it's a quick update because we literally found nothing on Tom Riddle," Alice announced. "No Ministry records, nothing in Hogwarts. Marlene can't find anything at St Mungo's either and the same at Gringott's."
"I'd say the next step is going to muggle hospitals but there's just too many and there's no guarantee he lived in London," Marlene shrugged. "We're at a standstill until we can find something more about him."
James frowned. "Nothing at Hogwarts?"
"Nothing," Alice confirmed. "I checked the student archives, Madam Pomfrey's records. I even asked Madam Pince if she keeps library records but she only keeps them for the last seven years."
"That's bizarre," James said.
"We're at a bit of an impasse until we can find out more about him. If we could track down which pure-blood family he's from I might be able to find hospital records of his birth from his mother. If he wasn't smart enough to destroy those."
"He might not have destroyed anything," Adaline pointed out. "He could be foreign."
"Well, that doesn't add up," James said. "We had a breakthrough with the diary. If you write in the diary, it writes back."
"I - that's not what I was expecting at all," Adaline admitted. "What'd it say?"
"Introduced himself as Tom Riddle and said he was a student at Hogwarts."
"What else did it say?" Alice asked.
"Nothing. We haven't written anything since. We're looking into dark item possession. Covering our bases," Lily said. "When we get the all clear we're going to ask what year he was a student and if he knows anything about the Chamber."
"Which we've got some pretty stellar theories on," Sirius added.
"I wouldn't call them stellar," Peter muttered.
"Spit them out then," Marlene prodded and the others let James do the honours.
"The Chamber has been opened twice that we know of. Once in 1943 and now. The types of attack have been the same. Petrification with one attack in 1943 ending up killing a girl. Now, we know there were death eaters in the school on the day of the attack at Hogwarts but not when Brumble was petrified. Our theory is that the legend about a monster being in the Chamber is true. Animals with the ability to petrify are a basilisk or a cockatrice."
"A basilisk or a cockatrice?" Alice shook her head. "How would they even control those kind of monsters?"
"Maybe Slytherin taught it some tricks before he kicked the bucket," Sirius shrugged.
"There's pros and cons to both. Basilisks can kill by looking at someone in the eyes which would make sense with the 1943 case but I don't know how a huge gigantic snake gets around the school without being noticed."
"Could be a baby," Sirius suggested.
"No, if Slytherin really hid this thing in the Chamber since the nine hundreds, it would've been fully grown five hundred years ago."
"Remind me, how big do basilisks get?" Marlene asked.
"Largest one on record was in Russia in 1634," James told her. "It was fifty-four feet long."
"Fuck me," Marlene hissed.
"But it checks out," Alice agreed. "It can live for hundreds of years, able to hibernate for long periods of time and it can petrify and kill. What about the cockatrice?"
"Average life span is a hundred years but Slytherin could've put a couple down there and they could've been breeding all this time," James shrugged. "They're smaller so could probably get around Hogwarts easier."
"Isn't a cockatrice a half rooster, half lizard looking thing?" Adaline asked. "I don't know how that's going by unnoticed. And if they've been breeding uncontrolled in a chamber for literally hundreds of years how would anyone even survive getting into the chamber?"
"Who was the girl murdered in 1943?" Marlene asked. "Maybe we could find witnesses."
"It was Myrtle Warren," Alice answered. "And it's a dead end. The Ministry won't let us reopen that case. Hagrid was blamed for it and they snapped his wand."
"Okay, but we all know it wasn't Hagrid. Hagrid wouldn't hurt a basilisk if it was ready to stare him down," Lily pointed out.
"Myrtle Warren as in Moaning Myrtle?" Sirius asked with a raised brow.
"Well, fuck," Peter said. "We can just go ask her what happened."
"As Hogwarts newest residence, Alice can go ask her," Sirius agreed.
"I can't ask a ghost how she died! And Moaning Myrtle will flush herself into the lake if I even remind her she's dead."
"You have to ask her," Adaline said. "It's the only way we'll know for sure and it could help us figure out what's in that Chamber."
"I'll add it to the list," Alice agreed reluctantly. "Though I don't know how the hell I'm supposed to explain to Tilly and Jack why I'm suddenly curious in questioning a ghost."
"Sneak us in and we'll spare you the hassle," Sirius offered with a charming grin.
"No way. If Jack and Tilly find you lot there'll be hell to pay and you heard Moody. No one is to be drawing attention to the Order. Everything under wraps."
"I did hear him, I'm just not up his arse," Sirius muttered before speaking louder, "You know, James, Peter, and I know Hogwarts better than anyone. We're the best chance at finding the Chamber."
"We can be sneaky too," Peter added.
"We do have the map. We'd know if someone was coming long before they could even get a whiff of us," James reminded.
"No," Alice said adamantly. "Moody specifically warned me about letting you lot into Hogwarts. Jack and Tilly are just too pro-Ministry to risk it. If they find you lot at Hogwarts, they'll report it and Fenwick and Crouch will be looking at Dumbledore. Not to mention, it could possibly raise suspicions that you are responsible for the attacks."
"We definitely don't need that," Lily agreed just as there was a tap on the window. She looked back and got up. "That'll probably be Mary," she said to James. She let the owl in but noticed it wasn't Mary's usual grey owl. She unhooked the letter.
"It's … it's Mia's handwriting," Lily muttered to herself opening the letter quickly as the rest of the group easily ignored the intrusion.
"So what, our only next steps are to talk to a ghost?" Sirius sighed unhappily as Lily read the letter.
"And you've got some journaling to do," Marlene added referring to Tom Riddle's diary.
"All right, Lils?" James asked as he noticed Lily staring at the letter.
"I," Lily re-read the letter quickly to make sure she read it right. She placed a hand on her chest in shock. "Mary MacDonald and Peter Miles have been attacked. Petrified like Timmy Brumble."