Chapter 14

Sirius didn't come down for lunch or dinner that day or the next day. Lily still made food enough for the three of them and she would knock on Sirius's door and tell him that she left a plate of food for him outside of the bedroom door. Then Lily would go to Sirius's room an hour later and the empty plate and glass would be sitting there waiting on her.

Both Lily and James were worried about their friend, and James's instructor told James to come back to work. If both James and Sirius weren't there to learn what was going on in their Auror classes, then they wouldn't be able to go out on the field until much later on. The instructor told James that once Sirius was up and about, then James could teach Sirius what they had been learning in class.

A week and a half later, Sirius joined Lily and James at dinner.

"Hullo," Sirius muttered. Lily felt her heart break, but Lily didn't let a tear fall.

"Hi Sirius, it's wonderful to see you." Lily said smiling from ear to ear to see her wonderful friend.

"Hey Padfoot, want to join us for dinner? Lily made meatloaf, Lily makes wonderful meatloaf."

"Is there really enough for me too?" Sirius asked looking between Lily and James.

"Of course there is enough silly," Lily said getting up and guiding Sirius to an empty seat. "Let me get it for you, okay?"

"Are you sure…"

"Sirius stop," Lily said pushing Sirius back down into his chair. "I will get your dinner, and now you sit here with James. I will be back."

After Lily left the dinning room and headed to the kitchen, James spoke up. "How are you doing, old friend?"

Sirius sighed and shrugged, "As best as can be expected. Cassidy came to me the other night."

"Wait, what?'

"Cassidy came to me in my dreams the other night."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Sirius chuckled shifting the blanket around his shoulders. "I got to say goodbye and she said that she wouldn't come back."

"I'm sorry Padfoot."

"That's the day I got all upset, it was like I lost her all over again. I…I shouldn't have shut you guys out, you are the best friend I've got."

"Remus, Gabby, Frank, and Alice are worried about you too. They come over everyday asking how you are doing."

"Cassidy told me that you guys would look over me. Hey, what's Pete been up to?"

"Got a new girl," James chuckled. "To think he had the worst luck in the world with girls in school and now that we had all settled down he is lucky with the girls."

"Yeah," Sirius said as he curled his nose. "At least we had hot girls we jumped to here and there. All the girls that Peter jumped to here and there are hideous."

James chuckled, "That's true."

"What are you guys talking about?" Lily asked as she walked in putting Sirius's plate of meatloaf in front of him and a glass of butterbeer.

"Pete's numerous girls," Sirius chuckled the first laugh he had had since Cassidy had come to Sirius in his dreams.

Lily snorted, which got the other two guys to laugh at her. "Peter's girls, do you guys really believe that?"

"Why not?" James asked.

"Peter isn't really a looker."

"Weef ooh zaat," Sirius uttered. Lily looked disgusted as she joined the guys back at the table and James cracked up.

"Chew and sallow, Sirius." Lily laughed wondering when he would choke on food from stuffing his mouth and trying to eat.

"I said, we know that."

"Oh," Lily nodded. "Then why are you guys talking about 'Peter's girls.' We all know he's making them up. The few he has brought around are hideous."

Sirius's eyes got big as he turned to Lily, "You being mean? That's really odd."

Lily shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. It's weird. Is it just me or has Peter been acting weird since right before we graduated?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't say weird."

"Yeah," Sirius chuckled at James's response. "Peter has always been the weird one of the four of us."

"True," James nodded. "But that's not what I was trying to say. I was trying to say that Pete probably got really distant because all of us got really good N.E.W.T.s and we all got good jobs. He's waiting tables at the Leaky."

"Remus wasn't able to get a job," Lily pointed out.

"True," James nodded. "Remus gets little jobs here and there."

"But we all know that Remus truly wants to become a teacher," Sirius said giving a sad look at Lily and James.

"Yeah, and no one will allow him to become a teacher while being a werewolf."

"Sadly you are right Lily Flower," James sighed sadly. "Unless someone can help out the werewolves."

Remus had some side jobs here and there, just enough to get Gabriella and him by. Gabby ended up quitting the job at Gringotts. Gabriella had always been such a wiz at Potions and Gabriella got a better paying job at the Ministry by brewing potions and inventing new potions. Gabriella would be making enough money that Remus wouldn't have to do any odd jobs or try and fight for his rights.

Gabriella knew that Remus would never stop fighting for his rights and this is one of the many reasons that Gabriella loved Remus so much.

Tonight would be a full moon and Remus would be Flooing to the Shrieking Shack on Hogwarts property. Albus Dumbledore had told Remus a long time ago that it would still be okay for Remus to use the shack during his transformations. James would be there to help out for a little while, Sirius was going to stay with Remus tonight, and Peter was away for something to do with his family.

"Are you sure you are going to be okay, here alone tonight?" Remus asked looking very worried. Remus took Gabby out of her wheelchair and pulled her into his lap.

Gabby wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed Remus passionately on his lips, "I promise I will be okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Remus, we have gone through your transformations since we got together. I have gotten use to staying at our little flat alone since we graduated and moved in together."

"Yes but…"

"My chair?" Gabriella sighed, "I don't handicap you because you are a werewolf so please don't handicap me because I have no feelings in my legs anymore."

"I'm sorry love," Remus said kissing Gabby on her forehead. "I am just…"

"Worried about me?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be fine I promise."

"That's what you said last time," Remus said as he turned his soft eyes to look into Gabriella's dark chocolate brown eyes. "Thank Merlin, Alice came by to ask you a question on a recipe for a dish you gave her."

"I would have been fine," Gabby lied.

"Yeah bloody right you would have, you had fallen out of your chair. Your chair rolled all the way across the room and your upper body strength hasn't built up enough for you to army crawl all the way across the room."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Don't pass this off Gabriella," Remus spoke with only seriousness in his voice. "When I found out, I was so worried."

Gabby sighed in frustration, "Okay fine."

"What?"

"I'll ask Lily if I can stay over at her house tonight if it makes you feel any better."

"Really?"

"Yes, but only for you."

"Should we call her now?" Remus asked looking over at the clock.

"No, Lily has to be at school today before I have to be at work. I have to be at work in ten minutes, so try her sometime after two today."

"Okay."

"What are you doing today?"

Remus sighed, "Helping my great aunt with more things at her house again."

"At least you are doing something and not moping around the house as usual."

"Thanks Gab," Remus said with a tone Gabriella had never heard from him. Remus carried her back to her chair and went into the bathroom.

Gabriella wheeled after Remus into the bathroom, "Remus?"

"Just leave me alone right now, please."

"What did I do?"

Remus turned around and there was only a look of failure upon his face, "I have failed you. I know that I am useless, but you just confirmed it."

Tears began to stream down Gabriella's face and she began to gasp, "No I didn't!"

"Yes you did," Remus said combing his hair.

"If I did, I didn't mean it. I just thought you would be happy to get out of the house." Tears were falling down Gabriella's olive colored face, and Remus was just too upset with Gabriella to look at her. He knew that if he looked at her right now he would buckle and at the moment he just felt like being upset. Not really at her, but just at life in general.

"You should get to work, you don't want to be late."

Gabriella sniffled as she wiped her stray tears away, "I love you."

Gabriella couldn't think about the fight that she had just had with Remus. Gabriella had been keen on getting this potion she had been working on for sometime. All the work, all the research, and the ultimate prize would come after Gabriella got this potion down.

"Martinez?" A voice asked from above her, as Gabriella was sitting beside her cauldron.

Gabriella looked up and saw that it was her boss, "Yes sir?"

"Is everything alright at home?"

"Yeah," Gabriella said adjusting her spectacles on her nose.

"You are lying."

"So what if I am?" Gabriella sighed, "I am not letting effect my work. If anything I am more focused to get this to work."

"Fight with Lupin again?"

"Yeah," Gabriella yelled trying to tell her boss that this subject was off limits.

"Maybe you should let him know what you are working on."

"No thanks."

"Why not."

"Look, I don't want to talk about it. I am really not in the mood and I would just like to get this project over with."

"Alright Martinez," Gabby's boss nodded. "About how much longer do you think you have?"

"Well I need to do a couple more tests on it and then I'll show you it. If it's up to standards, then you can present it."

"No."

Gabriella looked back up at her boss, "Excuse me?"

"I am not going to take the credit for all of the hard work you have been doing on this project. You will present this and you will tell everyone that this was all your idea."

"But…"

"There are no buts, Martinez. You have done all the work and all the research. I want you to claim this as you have done all the work. All your sweat and blood has gone into this. Do you understand?"

"If you are sure."

"Positive."

James and Sirius got home from their Auror school an hour earlier than usual, and they were surprised to see Gabriella Martinez.

"Hey Gabby!" Sirius said running to his good friend and giving her a big hug, "What a pleasant surprise!"

"That's what I said when I got home from school and saw that Remus had stopped by and left me a message on the kitchen table."

"What did it say?" James asked.

"Asked if it would be okay if Gabby stayed with us until the full moon passes. I went up to Gabby's work to see her and told her that it would of course be fine. Besides James, now if you want to stay with Remus and Sirius you can. You won't have to worry about leaving me here alone because Gabby will be here."

"I am still coming back home," James said sitting in his favorite armchair. "Someone will need to be here to protect you girls."

Sirius began to snicker, "Yeah right he just wants to get Lily alone, as usual."

"Hush you," Lily said playfully shoving Sirius.

"Sounds like a circus blew up in here," Alice said coming out of the fireplace as she had Flooed over here.

"What's a circus?" Sirius asked.

"Muggle thing," Lily said casually.

"But how would Alice know what it is?"

"Lily dragged all of us to one of those horrid things," Alice sighed as she sat on the loveseat. Frank was now climbing out of the fireplace and walked over to the loveseat to join his wife.

"It wasn't that bad," Lily said rolling her eyes as she crawled up into James's lap.

"Are you kidding me!" Gabriella said staring at her friend in disbelief, "Those things scared the three of us crazy. I'm surprised we aren't at the mental ward at St. Mungo's."

No one noticed that when Gabriella said the three of us, that Sirius lost color in his face. Ah yes, the subject of Cassidy.

"What things?" Frank asked.

"These," James flicked his wand and two clowns popped out of no where.

"Oh Merlin! What the hell is that!" Frank yelled pulling Alice up in his lap trying to protect her.

"They are called clowns," Lily said in disbelief as all of her friends began to coward over. Lily was laughing manically and James loved the ruckus that was occurring.

"What are those for!" Sirius asked as he had now jumped into Gabriella's lap and made her wheelchair roll a bit.

"Kids love them," Lily said simply as she watched the clowns.

"I don't know why they are scary!" Sirius's eyes got wide as he turned to look at James, "Is…is Lily one of…them."

"What!" Lily asked as she looked at her husband's best friend in a new light she had never looked at him before.

"What do you mean Padfoot?"

"Look!" Sirius screeched almost like a woman in fear, "Lily has their hair!"

"It's just a wig," Gabriella giggled as she had seen these horrible things once before.

Sirius nodded and jumped out of Gabriella's lap and began to tug on Lily's head, "Come off you demon thing!"

"Sirius quit it!" Lily screeched as Sirius was now trying to yank her hair out of her head. "I am not wearing a wig."

"Don't lie to me you damned clownie thing!"

"Sirius quit!" Lily screamed. James flicked his wand and the clowns were gone. The amusement was now that Sirius couldn't get it through his head that Lily was not a clown. Sirius was trying to take Lily's hair out of her head.

"Poor Prongsie," Sirius moaned as he was fighting with Lily to take her hair out. "Married to a horrible clown, I still love you!"

Lily pulled herself away from Sirius, as everyone had been laughing at them. "I am not a clown! I don't even look like a damned clown!"

"Oh I don't know," Sirius said in a sing song voice. "You've got their red hair, white skin, and rosy cheeks."

"I've got red hair and a milky complexion because of my parents. I've got rosy cheeks because you are driving me insane!"

"Oh I don't know, I think your parents were clowns too!"

Lily waved her wand and Sirius became a coffee table in which Lily sat upon and smiled happily, "Now that he is taken care of."

"Um," James spoke up. "Love how long are you going to keep him like that?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Because we need to head to the shrieking shack soon."

"I will in a bit, this is what he gets for telling me I look like a clown. I mean really."

"So what are the purpose of those things again?" Frank asked as he let Alice sit beside him now and not in his lap.

"You have them at the circus," Lily explained.

"What's a circus?"

"A entertainment show that muggles kind of have," Alice spoke up.

"Wait," Frank blinked. "Muggle children like those things?"

"Well some do…

Frank looked at Lily oddly, "You muggles are really weird."

"Frank!" Alice hissed.

"What!"

"I am not a muggle," Lily spoke up. "I am a witch, a Muggleborn witch."

"Those things are evil looking," Frank said staring at the spot where they had appeared. "I never want to see another one in my entire life. I think that they might actually be worse than Dementors."

"No," Lily said shaking her head. "That would be Sirius telling me that I look like a damned clown."

Once the full moon had passed, Remus had been informed of the clown fiasco. Everyone began to laugh again, except for Sirius and Lily. Sirius didn't want to be turned into a coffee table again and have Lily tap dance on top of him. Lily was still angry that Sirius had said that she looked like a clown.

The night before when James had gotten back from the shrieking shack, he had found Lily crying in their bed.

James changed out of his clothes and crawled in bed with Lily. James pulled her close and Lily rested her head on his bare chest as she continued to cry.

James moved so he look into Lily's beautiful emerald eyes, "What's wrong love?"

Lily sat up and her face was splotchy and there were tears streaks all down her face. Tears were still streaming down her face and James sat up and pulled her close.

"What's wrong love?" James repeated again.

Lily looked straight into James's beautiful hazel eyes, "Why did you marry me?"

James blinked a couple of times at this question, "What!"

"Why did you marry me?" Lily repeated again.

"Because I love you and I couldn't live without you. Why? Are you tired of me already? Do you want a divorce?"

"No," Lily said shaking her head. "I just don't see what you see in me."

"I love you Lily. You are everything I ever wanted in a woman, you complete me. You really are my second half. My better half."

"I am not beautiful!" Lily sobbed and threw her face into James's chest.

James felt his eyes get wide as he pulled her up and looked at her straight in the eyes, "Who lied to you?"

"Sirius said I look like a clown!" Lily sobbed even harder and now it was hard for James to keep his composure.

"No you don't."

"Yes I do! I got the ugly red hair, and white skin and red cheeks!"

This was getting to hard to handle now, "I love your red hair. If you didn't have milky skin it would clash horribly with your beautiful hair. You only get rosy cheeks when you are mad or upset. When you get all flustered it makes you even more beautiful."

Lily stopped crying and looked at James like he was a mad man, "You think clowns are hot?"

"No!" James said laughing so hard that he was sure he had broken a few ribs. "You look nothing like a clown. Sure there are some things alike, but there are a lot of differences. You have a beautiful auburn colored hair and theirs is bright orange. You have beautiful milky skin and theirs is painted white. Their cheeks are bright pink makeup and yours is natural."

James then pulled Lily up into his lap, "You are the most beautiful woman in the world and I wouldn't change a thing about you."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I would change something about you," Lily said honestly.

"What!" James said pushing her back on the bed in which he got a teary giggle from his wife. "And what would you change?"

"Your hair!" Lily said running her hands through it playfully.

"Lily!" James whined.

"I really hope our children don't inherit your hair."

"That's it, tickle time!"

"No!" Lily screeched.