I am. Deeply sorry for having disappeared with no warning. I was not doing too well, and Rowling was being such an unmitigated ass that I didn't want to indulge her in any way - and time slipped away from me. I also felt like no one really cared about this fic that much, so I just... let it slide. Anyway, I got a really sweet anon message on tumblr and I decided I will post all chapters today, barring the epilogue, which I will post in one week. Hope you guys are still here for this and I do miss you very much.
Quick summary: Mary and Marlene had a major fight in the last two chapters, and this is one of those chapters which is transitioning into finishing other plot threads. June and Sirius have been dating for a while now, and the initial awkwardness is gone a bit. Sirius visited June's place for Easter Holidays, and June visited Sirius'. We good? Okay let's go!
The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
"I'm not going to be the reason why your relationship slowly spirals into incompatibility," Marlene said firmly, slamming a book shut. They were in the library, in June's corner, and she had told Marlene that she could just cancel her evening with Sirius.
"Marlene it's not –"
"No, June."
"Oh, for Merlin's sake," said June. "He could join us. We're doing homework."
"I know you were finished nearly half an hour ago and you're definitely reading erotica under the table," said Marlene. "Besides, I have to meet Lily. She's… taken some time out."
June hesitated.
"June, I have no interest in seeing you both flirt in secret to make sure I don't feel bad," said Marlene. "And I don't want to give away all my cards but I want to talk to Lily. Ignoring the problem isn't making the feelings go away, much to my endless disappointment."
Finally, June cracked a grin. "Alright."
They picked up all their things slowly. June stowed away her copy of – not erotica, incidentally, but The Chronicles of Narnia. Sirius had recommended it.
"On second thought," said Marlene slowly. "Let's wait for a moment."
She nodded a few shelves diagonally to their right. Lily and James were sitting together, bent over a book, and talking from time to time. June saw Lily smile, in that same, fond sort of way that told her very clearly that there was little to no time left for this plot thread to resolve itself.
She shared a grin with Marlene, who sat back down. "We'll give them a few minutes before we interrupt them," she said.
June nodded, still smiling. April was turning, two more weeks had passed and the end of April hurried the coming of exams. Most of their exams had been scheduled for the second week of May, and then everyone had to pack up before June – the month, not the person – arrived.
June – the person, not the month - was glad Marlene was speaking to Lily, because it had been enough time spent running away from Mary. Mary had not tried to speak to Marlene since then, but she was looking… strangely, happier? Determined, certainly. It seemed that Mary had made up her mind about something, and no one, not even Lily was privy to what that was.
In the meanwhile, the rest of them had been scrambling to finish their exams. She'd spotted Peter practicing transfiguration with Sirius, and James poring over Herbology with Lily. It was the reason why she was sitting working with Marlene on Care of Magical Creatures.
"Are you going to talk to her?" asked June, in the silence.
Marlene sighed. "Yeah, I think I am. Today's the day."
"Really?" June demanded, excited.
"Well, maybe not today itself. But definitely soon." Marlene sighed again. "It's getting tiring waiting for the feeling to go away. I'd best just deal with this."
"Wise of y-"
The sound of a dozen or so books crashing woke them from their conversation. They instantly jumped to their feet, hurrying towards the sounds –
James and Severus Snape were standing a few feet apart, wands out. Neither of them said anything – but June could easily imagine the conversation that had already happened.
June's heart was in her throat, panicking.
"I'll get you," Snape said, eyes locked with James, voice dripping with an anger that June felt didn't belong in this world. "You and your little friends – Sectum –"
Almost instantly, Lily waved her wand to block whatever the curse was. "That's enough, Severus," she said, in a low voice. June couldn't help but notice the touch of panic in her voice, and she really had to wonder what spell Snape had been attempting to use.
Marlene, wand out, motioned for June to join her. "You heard her, Snape," she said.
June pointed her own wand as well, and that's when you saw a flicker of uncertainty in Snape's eyes.
"You're choosing him, then?" he said, changing tactics.
James didn't say anything, but she could see blazes behind his eyes. It was only out of respect for Lily that he had said nothing, not yet, and everyone except Severus knew this.
"I have had it, Severus Snape," said Lily. "He saved your life in fifth year, would you ever save his? I know this is a low fucking bar, but you'd find it amazing how much more inclined I am to be friends with people who don't call me slurs. I am not going to explain this to you again – not again. You'd best understand, right now, this minute, that I'd rather you leave me and my friends alone, because you are not someone I respect or care about. I don't care anymore."
Snape opened his mouth once or twice, at a loss for words. At the very least – at the very least, June had the feeling that he understood. That moment of horrible realisation on his face – that really couldn't be mistaken.
"Do what's wisest, Snivellus," came someone from their right.
Sirius was here. He might even have aggravated Snape further, but at the very least he was outnumbered. Lily put a hand on James' shoulder, and even June could feel the waves of loathing radiating off of Snape. James lowered his wand slowly, and Sirius looked at him. "Get her out of here."
"Who are you –"
But Marlene brandished her wand further, and Snape fell into a mutinous silence.
"Come on, James," said Lily evenly. She held his hand, pulling him away from the situation almost deftly. Their footsteps receded from the library, and Sirius nodded at June with a roguish grin. June rolled her eyes. "You good, McKinnon?"
June shook her head, half exasperated, half amused. She lowered her wand, as did Marlene, but Sirius kept his up. The stalemate might even have continued, if not for Madame Pince, who had clearly heard something of the books falling, and had probably come to the correct conclusion that something was up. She was quiet, too, you didn't even realise she was heading too you until she was there, which was why they were taken by surprise when -
"Wands! In the library!" she screeched, instantly angry.
Nothing about the scene was defensible. A shelf's worth of books were on the floor as far as Madame Pince was concerned, was a capital offense.
"He started it, Madame –" began Marlene, collecting her wits.
"Double detention!" she said, waving over Marlene. "Follow me, Black, Snape. I will hear no excuses – look at the mess you both made, dismembering books."
There really was no arguing with her. June and Marlene's passionate defence for Sirius earned them nothing but glares, and by the end of it, Sirius had a detention with Snape for some time next week. "Dash – Williams, I'm sorry, we had plans, didn't we?" he asked, once they were out of Pince's earshot.
"It's alright," said June, slinging her bag. "Sarah was angry you were getting me two nights in a row, anyway."
"Even worse," said Sirius with a grin. "I was looking forward to annoying Freegood."
They found Lily outside the library, waiting for them. "I sent James away," she said. "Black – you should –"
"I'm on it, don't worry," Sirius instantly said. "Williams – meet me on the grounds in half an hour?"
June nodded without thinking about it. He pecked her on the cheek and disappeared.
Lily sighed. June took Lily's hand. "Let's sit somewhere," she said.
Marlene led them to a stairwell near the library, and they sat down. Lily sighed again, putting her head down on her knees.
"How bad was it?" asked Marlene, looping her arms under her knees.
"Terrible," murmured Lily. "I just hope he leaves me alone now. And James for that matter."
Marlene had a really awful look on her face. June wondered if James was okay. The evening sun peeped through the castle windows, leaving long imprints of sunlight on the stairwell. June was about to ask Lily if she thought James was taking Snape well, when Lily went in completely the opposite direction of anything even remotely related to Snape. "Fuck, guys," she said uncharacteristically. "I think I actually like him."
Marlene grinned. "Oh really?" she asked, mirroring June's thoughts.
"Fuck," murmured Lily emphatically. "Who the fuck knew?"
"We did," deadpanned June. "I knew from third year, when you both would keep fighting over everything and nothing –"
"No that's – that's – different. I mean yeah, it's the same, but it's not." Lily wrung her hands. "What the fuck. Does it always feel so weird?"
"Yes," said Marlene, picking lint off of her robes. "Legitimately always."
"I sometimes wondered, you know," said Lily. "Whether this was like. A crush? But – fuck – fucking Agrippa."
"Counterproductive," muttered June. Marlene snorted. Lily laughed reluctantly. "What the hell do I do now? What a time to start liking a pure blood prince – in the middle of a war that will get us killed for it -"
"Hey!" exclaimed June. "I am sitting right here, you know –"
"You're different," dismissed Lily. "Everyone knows Sirius is too far gone –"
"So is James, you know, his whole family is blood traitors –"
"Girls, please," Marlene interrupted. "You're both pretty. Both your boyfriends are rebels and blood traitors. Congratulations."
Lily lapsed into silence again. "I've never really – asked someone out. What do I do now?"
"For starters," June sniffed, "You could stop feeling bad about Snape. I am pretty sure that thread is cut. And we evidently have bigger problems to deal with than a war. We have to get you and James on a date."
He knew James would be at the Quidditch pitch. This wasn't the first time he had found James like this.
James was tossing Quaffles from one end of the pitch to the other, with a precision that really would be impressive. In another world, maybe James might have been a professional player. He approached James from behind, watching him pull his hand back and throw. Distantly, the Quaffle thudded.
"Did she send you?" he asked without turning.
"I already knew where to find you, you numpty," said Sirius.
"Fucking insane," said James, turning around. He took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes. A sign of strain.
"Good to know you're consistent," said Sirius. "At least one year ago I found you in the same place and it was about Evans then, too."
"Merlin," said James, falling down on the grass. Sirius joined him.
James threw his head back and stared at the stars. "How different is the situation, though?"
"Very," said Sirius firmly.
He hadn't understood what James had meant then, but he understood it more now. It had been too complex for him to grasp then – what James had seen when he'd been somewhat horrified after his post OWL encounter with Snape. It had been a harmless bit of fun in Sirius' mind, but James was insisting on something that Sirius really couldn't understand. "She was looking at Snivellus in the same way she looks at me," James had said. "He called her – he fucking used a slur and she had the same, exactly the same contempt for him that she does me, Padfoot. You have to – god, I've fucked it up, haven't I? I've fucked it up, and I really, actually, properly like her."
He understood that now. They'd been such idiots back in fifth year. He sometimes felt like he hadn't really changed – and then he remembered that he'd sent Snape to the Whomping Willow without regard for Snape or Remus in fifth year. At least he wasn't that anymore.
"Is she ever going to like me if I keep picking fights with Snape?"
"You really didn't pick a fight with him, James," Sirius pointed out. "Sort of the other way around this time. And I seriously doubt she hates you if she sent me after you."
"She could have come herself," sniffed James.
"You're too dramatic for her when you're in this state, you wanker." Sirius ruffled James' hair. "Besides, is she supposed to divine where you are?"
James laughed, pushing Sirius' hand away. "He made me fucking furious, you know? The way he was talking about muggleborns, what he said to her – if it wasn't for her, I'd have actually offed him this time."
Sirius felt a surge of anger. Snape made him fucking furious on good days, but today was special. He didn't know whether it was a consequence of having June in his life, but he actually would like to tear Snape apart limb from limb if he could.
He watched a cricket jump in the grass of the Quidditch pitch.
"I think she liked that you held back," is what he said to James.
James look at him hopefully. "Really?"
"Really," said Sirius.
"I'd best stop sulking, right?" said James.
Sirius nodded. "Would be ideal. I'm already late in meeting my girlfriend."
"Ah – fuck," said James, standing up. "You'd best get going. And Lily would be anxious or something – I can feel her pacing around the common room."
Sirius laughed, but really didn't know how to comment on that. At least, whenever he had even tried to suggest Lily might like him back James was overcome with so much vehement denial, it was almost impressive. June said it was only natural, but he had his suspicions about the business. In any case – there was no point tackling that now. He got up, dusting the grass off his pants. James looked up at the castle.
"Hey – Sirius?"
"Hmm?"
"I like June."
Sirius looked at him.
"She's good for you," nodded James. "And I like how she thinks. She's quite nice, really. Not who I would've pictured you with, but try not to fuck it up."
Sirius blinked. "Thanks, mate."
It meant a lot more than any of them would have admitted, but that was just the way between them.
