Ch. 19- Life in the Real World
A/N: okay, well, here's the next chapter...I don't think anything too terribly important or exciting happens- just some necessary filler stuff...so enjoy- I'll try to update the next chapter sooner than this one, but I just started college so I'm not sure just how busy I'll be yet. anyways, enjoy:p p.s: I own nothing of Harry Potter!
As we go on, we remember
All the times we had together
And as our lives change, from whatever
We will still be, friends forever
Graduation- Vitamin C
pqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq
The news of Lisa's fake pregnancy got around Hogwarts in no time and she was no longer a threat. And, as soon as the other fan club girls realized that I would stop at nothing to take them out if they tried anything, they stopped trying to break Sirius and I up. Things were really good for the rest of the year. Lily and James were sickenly cute all the time and made everyone in the room want to gag. But that was them, I guess. Sirius and I, on the other hand, kept our relationship to banter most of the time, while adding a snog or two here and there. We argued about everything, but then, we kind of always had.
"Can you believe that we only have a month left?" Lily said, one night in the dorm.
"No, it's insane. This year has gone by so fast." I replied, shaking my head. "It's going to be a bittersweet parting- I'm ready to go on with my life, but Hogwarts has been home for me for so long."
"I know what you mean." Lily said, nodding. "Although, at least you have a summer to look forward to- I have Petunia's wedding. Yippee." She added.
"Summer? Ha! What summer? The boys and I start Auror training two weeks after graduation." I scoffed, with a dry laugh.
"Yeah, well, I have to start late and catch up because of the stupid wedding. So, don't try to get me to pity you." She replied, sourly and I laughed.
"Yes, I guess you do beat me."
Final exams weren't too terribly difficult. At least, they didn't seem that difficult. But it was a relief to get them over with and be done. Now all we had left was the end of term feast. It was weird- it would be the last feast I had at Hogwarts as a student. It was actually pretty depressing.
"Hey, Lily, Sunshine, Dumbledore wants to see us in his office." James said, poking his head into our dorm.
"James! How did you get up here? The stairs…" Lily spluttered as she looked at his shocked.
"Lily, you should have learned by now that nothing was going to stop them from finding out to get around that charm." I said, laughing. "What does he want?" I added, looking at James.
"I dunno, but he said to get there, like, now." He replied, shrugging and going back down the stairs. Lily and I exchanged as glance and followed James.
"I have gathered you here tonight to present an opportunity." Dumbledore said. James, Remus, Sirius, Peter, Lily, and I were assembled in Dumbledore's office. "I am talking to select seventh year students from each house separately about the organization I started. It is the Order of the Phoenix. I know that some of you have heard of it- it is an organization geared towards to bringing Voldemort down. As you are all aware he has been growing increasingly stronger over the past few years and I fear that the Ministry, try as it might, will not be able to handle it alone. This organization has all sorts of people in it and therefore we have a wide variety of talents and uses.
"Now, I believe that almost all of you are going through Auror training this coming summer, right?" He asked, and we all nodded. "Good, the more aurors we have on our side the better. Voldemort will stop at nothing to take control of the wizarding world. He has made of sport of killing muggles and he has a following. They call themselves the Death Eaters. Every time they attack they leave a symbol called the dark mark- it looks like this." He continued, showing us on a piece of parchment a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth.
"I want you to join the Order and help us fight Voldemort. I believe that we may be able to bring him down. I believe that we will prevail in the end." He said, his voice passionate and a fire burning in his twinkling blue eyes. "Will you join my Order?"
"You can count me in." Sirius said, stepping forward without hesitation. I knew that he wanted nothing more than to destroy people like his family and if this was a way to do it then he would take this opportunity.
"Me too." I said, stepping forward as well. Everyone gave their consent and Dumbledore smiled.
"Thank you, you will not regret your decision." He said, dismissing us.
pqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq
"So, we're really leaving aren't we?" Sirius asked, coming up behind me later in the evening. I was outside by the lake, watching the sun set.
"Yeah, we really are. It's just going to be so weird and…hard." I said, as he sat down next to me. "I mean, this place has been home for so long and now we have to leave."
"Yeah, but we'll still have each other." He said, lacing his fingers through mine. "You know, I don't really think it's the castle that makes this place home- it's the people. Honestly, this place would be just as bad as my house was if I had never met the marauders."
"You're right." I agreed, laying my head on his shoulder. And we sat there staring at the sun set, hands linked together.
pqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq
The feast was sad and happy at the same time. It was the last time I would see a lot of these people for a few years- some of them I would be seeing regularly because of training. That evening, after the feast, we all went outside to sit under the beach tree by the lake. Even Peter was there- he'd been around a lot more lately. I had brought my camera with me and I set it up- much to James' dismay. I'd put the timer on and I hurried back to the group. Sirius grabbed me round the waist and pulled me against him just as the flash went off. I picked up the picture from where it had fallen on the ground and watched as it developed. Peter was lying on the ground, lazily picking at the grass as he looked up at the camera. Lily was in James' lap, with his arms around her and they couldn't look more in love. Remus was next, leaning against the tree, casually, smiling with a hand in his pocket. He looked as though he was happy with just the way things were and wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here. And then there was Sirius and me. His face was full of mischief and mine was full of surprise- we were both laughing, as he grabbed me and pulled me to him. We looked happy and as though we didn't have a care in the world as we straightened up and looked at the camera. We all looked so content with our lives and I don't think any of us could have guessed what was going to happen in just few short years.
"See, Prongs, you look very manly." I said, showing him the picture. He tried to hit me playfully, but I sidestepped him.
"Just because you're jealous of my good looks doesn't mean you have to mock me," He replied, sticking his tongue out at me.
"Well, I still have to pack, so I'm heading back up." Remus said, nudging Peter in a subtle way.
"Um, yeah, me too." He said, nodding and following Remus up to the castle.
"C'mon, Sunshine, Let's take a walk." Sirius said, holding out his hand to me. I took it and we walked away, starting around the lake.
"So, are we leaving James and Lily alone for any particular reason?" I asked, as soon as we were out of earshot.
"I'll give you three guesses." He said, a smirk playing on his lips.
"He isn't- he isn't proposing is he?" I exclaimed incredulously.
"Yeah, he is." Sirius replied, laughing at my reaction.
"Merlin, that's great!" I said, smiling. "I'm sure she'll say yes."
"I dunno, she just might dump him and break his heart." Sirius said, in a mock serious tone.
"Yeah, and then pigs will fly." I replied, sarcastically. "Actually, that's not that strange of possibility if you think about it." I added, and he started laughing at me.
pqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq
"Joie! Look!" Lily came running up o the dorm, yelling my name. She jumped onto my bed and thrust her hand out. "James proposed!"
"I hope you said no," I said, and she hit me with a pillow. "That's great, Lils, it really is. So how'd he do it?"
"Oh, like you didn't know." She said, shaking her head.
"Well, I knew he was going to propose, but not until after we left you guys." I said. "So, how'd he do it?"
"Well, we sat there talking for a bit and he seemed really nervous about something. And then he said he needed to say something." She said, settling in. I had to admit, I was hanging on every word- pathetic, I know, but the girl had just been proposed to! "He started out by saying that he loved me and he knew that I was the only one for him. Then he reached behind his back and pulled out a lily. He said that he'd been thinking a lot about the future and that he'd come to a decision. He went down on one knee, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small box. Then he said, and I quote, 'Lily, I would rather spend eternity chasing you than live my life with somebody else. I would rather die than not be able to have you. I want to be there for the rest of your life and forever. Will you marry me?'
"Well, I was completely and utterly shocked." She continued, after taking a breath. "I mean, I wasn't expecting for him to do that. So, once I came to my senses, I looked at him and I said 'I wouldn't have it any other way.' So, now I am engaged to James Potter."
"Oh my god, Lily, this is great!" I said, excitedly.
"I know." She said, just as excitedly. "Honestly, if you told me four years ago that I would be marrying James Potter, I probably would have laughed at you - or hexed you." She added, and we both laughed.
pqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq
The train ride back was slightly depressing. Even though the group wasn't breaking up, we still felt like we were. It wasn't going to be the same. There was no more Hogwarts to look forward to every fall or midnight adventures exploring the grounds and Hogsmeade. Even James and Sirius were somber- well, they were less hyperactive than usual, anyways.
I hadn't heard from dad in a while and I wondered how things were going in Australia. I missed him terribly and wanted to see him again. After all, I hadn't seen him in over a year and a half.
"I wonder what auror training will be like." Sirius said, looking out the window.
"Well, they won't take our shit, that's for sure." James said, with a laugh.
"I've heard they make you go through all the unforgivable curses so that you can withstand them." Peter said and we all shook our heads.
'Wormtail, they wouldn't do the unforgivable curses- it's not that intense." Remus said.
"Well, whatever it's like, it sure won't be any picnic." I said, with a sigh.
We reached the train station and went our separate ways. Remus was going home to see his parents before he set off for training, as was Peter. James, Sirius, and I were all off to James'. His parents were still off fighting for the Order, so it would be just us. And Lily had to go to plan for her sister's wedding.
"Alright, well, owl me and let me know what the camp is like." Lily said, hugging me. "Then I can pretend I'm there instead of with Petunia." She added, and I laughed, promising I would.
pqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq
"Hey, Padfoot! You've got a letter!" James yelled up the stairs one morning as I was walking down.
"Do you deem it necessary to scream in my ear in the morning? Especially when I've only just gotten up?" I asked, grumpily.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." James replied, in a snobby voice- only he ruined the effect by laughing.
"Who's it from?" Came Sirius' voice from the top of the stairs.
"I dunno- do you think I go and open you letters?" James said, indignantly.
"Yes, now give it here." He said snatching the envelope from James' hands. He ripped the letter open and read. As he read, his eyes became bigger and bigger.
"What?" James and I asked, simultaneously.
"My Uncle Alphard died and he's left all of his money to me!" He said, in a shocked sort of voice. "I mean, it's bad he's dead, of course, but now I can get a place of my own."
"Yeah, that's great." James said, and I nodded.
"And of course, Sunshine is coming with me." He went on, looking at me. "Sorry, Prongs, but I'm afraid she likes me better than you anyways."
"Yes, well, I shall find some way to go on." James said, melodramatically. I just shook my head and muttered "boys," under my breath before walking off.
Truthfully, I was thrilled that Sirius was inviting me to get a place with him. Although, I probably should've expected it- seeing as he is my boyfriend and all. But still. It was about time that I stopped mooching off of the Potters, even if they insisted that it was no trouble at all.
Lily was suffering at her house with all the wedding planning, as she informed in one letter. Petunia was taking advantage of the fact that it was all about her and it was driving Lily up a wall. I'd met Petunia once and she was quite unpleasant. I didn't blame Lily for wanting to kill her.
The boys and I had started Auror training and it was interesting to say the least. We had class in the morning and practical lessons in the afternoons. I was better at the dueling than anything else, but I think that may have been because my mom and dad had started teaching me how to duel at a young age. During the summer holidays they would give me lessons a few times a week. They thought it was important to know how to protect myself, if the need should ever arise.
"So, what are we doing tonight?" James asked as we packed up to go home. It was the end of the second week and the training was still pretty tiring.
"I have to go to my mum's." Peter said, shrugging.
"I just want to go to sleep." Sirius said, yawning, which caused everyone else to yawn.
"Yeah, collapsing on the couch- or anywhere, for that matter- sounds appealing right now." I agreed, swinging my bag onto my shoulders.
"How about you, Moony?" James said, turning to Remus.
"Not tonight, Prongs, I'm with Padfoot and Sunshine." He replied, shaking his head. "Sleep would do me some good."
Sirius and I had gotten a flat in London that was fairly close to the training clinic. Most nights Remus just stayed over with us because we usually didn't get done until at least ten. Peter usually had to go and look after his mum. James would apparate home only because there was no one else to watch the house. It was nice having a place to call home that wasn't a friend's. Not that the Potters' had been like that- it was just different. I think James was lonely. It had to be hard, what with his fiancée at her parents and his best friends living somewhere else. He had almost always had somebody staying with him at his house and I think he was really just going through withdrawal.
"James, do want to come stay over at our place tonight?" I asked, after a second. "I mean, I'm sure the house elves can take of the house for one night."
"You're sure?" He asked, trying to sound cool and nonchalant.
"Of course, don't be silly. You're starting to sound like Sirius did when you offered him a place at your house. We're just repaying the favor." I replied, firmly. He smiled and slung an arm around my neck.
"Well, if you insist, Sunshine."
pqpqpqpqpqpqppqpqpqpqpqpqpq
Lily joined us about a month after we had started and had no trouble catching up. Time seemed to fly by as the training became more and more intense. Pretty soon almost six months had passed and Christmas was upon us. My dad and James' parents had come back on a leave for a few months in the middle of December. My dad was staying with Sirius and me, which meant we had to behave.
"Hey, Dad!" I exclaimed opening the door and jumping on him in a bear hug.
"Hey, kiddo, how you doing?" He asked, hugging me back.
"I'm good. What about you? Merlin, it's been so long since I've seen you!" I said, grabbing one of his bags and closing the door behind him.
"I'm not half bad. This mission's been tiring, but Australia is absolutely gorgeous." He said, taking his coat off. "But I'm glad to be back, if only for a short time. I like your place."
"Thanks. It's nice, just the right size." I replied, nodding. I lead him through to the guestroom and I put his bag on the bed.
"Hey, Mr. Emerson, how's it going?" Sirius said, looking into the room.
"I'm just fine, Sirius, and how are you?" Dad said, shaking Sirius' hand.
"Just peachy. I bet you're glad to be back, huh?"
"Yes, I am. It's been much too long, but these missions are quite important and, well, they take quite a bit of time." Dad said, nodding.
Sirius and I didn't tell Dad that we were "together". We were wating for the right time to bring it up. I wasn't exactly sure of how dad was going to take it. I thought he would prefer Sirius to most other guys, but there was still that one chance that he would freak out. Ironically, he was the one to bring it up.
"So, what's the deal with you and Sirius?" He asked, one night when it was just he and I. Sirius had to go pick some papers up for training that he forgot at the clinic. "Are you guys together yet?"
"And just what is that suppose to mean?" I asked, indignantly.
"Well, it's obvious that you guys like each other- and have for quite some time, now- and I think that you guys need to hurry up and get together." He said, and I stared at him in disbelief. "If you aren't already."
"I can't believe that my own father just said that." I said, and he laughed. "I mean, I guess everyone but us really did know then."
"Yes, well, I've suspected it for years- I just thought it would be natural for you develop some sort school girl crush on one of them." He said, pouring himself a drink. "But the summer you visited me with him and I found him with his arms wrapped around you- well, I guess that's when it became obvious to me. Then I started to notice little things- like the way you always messed around with each other, the way he looked at you…I don't know, it just seemed like the more I thought about it the more sense it made."
"You know, that's what Lily said," I said, more to myself than to him.
"So, is he the one?" Dad asked, after a minute. I'd always imagined this conversation with him- I thought it would be really awkward to talk to him about something like this. But strangely it wasn't.
"I think so." I replied, nodding. "I hope so." I added, looking out the window.
"You really fell hard for him, didn't you?" Dad said, shaking his head.
"That obvious?" I asked, with a laugh. "Well, we're just seeing where it's going right now, what with training and all."
"Yeah, but you know, I wouldn't mind him being my son-in-law." Dad said, giving me a sly smile. "I mean, I know him, I can trust him, and I know he won't hurt you. And he knows that I'll kill him if he does."
"This conversation is officially done." I said, standing up and walking away, shaking my head.
pqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq
okay, well, that's it for now...reveiws are an author's best friend:p