Marlene was lying on the couch, the latest edition of Witch Weekly in front of her. She was enjoying the rare peace and quiet in her household, the only sound coming from the record player she had going in the corner. Of course, silence only lasted so long in the McKinnon house.
"I'm bored." Marlene looked up to find her younger brother, Danny, stomping into the room. Danny was about to enter his fifth year at Hogwarts and his sister could already tell he was going to be a heartbreaker this year. Danny's hair had been too long and his face too chubby in his fourth year to warrant any real attention from girls, but over the past few weeks, Marlene had seen a definite shift. Her mother had forced him to cut off his long blonde locks, despite his many protests, but it had been for the best. Shorter hair made him look older and, having lost some of his baby weight, his McKinnon cheekbones were finally making their appearance.
"You're always bored, do something exciting for yourself," Marlene answered flatly, her eyes still glued to the magazine in front of her.
"Easy for you to say, you got to go to France for two weeks while I was stuck behind here with nothing to do. All of my friends are busy, mum and dad are always working, and you're doing god knows what—"
"I'm currently trying to read in peace," Marlene grumbled irritably. "And I highly doubt every single person you know is busy."
"Can't you just humour me for once? Fill me in on some of your gossip."
Marlene scoffed. "Yeah, so you can run off and blab about it to all your friends? No thanks." Marlene knew her little brother, and he'd never been able to keep his mouth shut.
"I never told anyone that you had Sirius over here about six times during the Christmas holidays," Danny informed her, making use of his leverage. That got Marlene's attention. Her blue eyes peeked up over her magazine.
"He came over twice, and it was only because we were working on a Christmas gift for James together."
"Oh yeah? Is that why it was always in the middle of the night when mum and dad were asleep?"
Marlene narrowed her eyes and in one swift movement chucked her magazine at Danny's head.
"Oi!"
"Next time you try to accuse me of something it won't be so painless." Marlene was not above hexing her younger sibling every now and then. She'd endured her fair share of torture from Amy growing up, especially when her sister had come of age and been able to use magic outside of Hogwarts. Danny was glaring at her, getting ready to hit back with some snide remark, but Marlene was saved by the doorbell.
"Tell Sirius I say hi!" Danny teased her as she moved to answer the door.
"Piss off!"
It wasn't Sirius who had arrived on their doorstep, though. It was James.
"Hey, Mar…" He looked up at her sheepishly. James had a bruised eye and a bloody nose, a handful of tissue pressed against it.
"What in Merlin's name!"
Danny came rushing over immediately, desperate to see what all the fuss was about.
"Who'd you fight?" he asked, his voice brimming with excitement.
James smiled sloppily. "Chose the wrong bird to snog."
"You have got to be kidding me." Marlene was not the least bit amused. "Get in here, you idiot." This was just like James Potter, getting himself into a mess and then having Marlene clean it up. "Go up to my room," she instructed, "and don't get blood on anything." James did as he was told. "Danny!" Her younger brother made to follow James upstairs. "Get us some ice, why don't you."
"Don't tell the story without me!" Danny wanted to get in on the action, as usual.
"Just get the ice."
Marlene's bedroom was about half the size of James' and much messier. Marlene could be called many things, but never tidy. Her walls were plastered with pictures of friends and family, a Holyhead Harpies jersey and a poster of Joni Mitchell's Blue album cover. Her bed was rarely made and her desk was always covered in owl treats intended for Sula. Sula had been Marlene's owl since her first year, a gorgeous girl with big yellow eyes and black feathers who was always happy to see her owner.
James was waiting for Marlene on her bed, his head bowed as he desperately tried to stop the bleeding from his nose.
"Is it broken?" Marlene reached for her wand.
"Maybe, it was quite the punch."
"You're an idiot, you know that?" Marlene took his face in her hands and gave it a look over. His nose was definitely bent funny.
"Can you fix it?"
"Of course I can fix it." It was one swift flick of her wand. "Episkey!" James grunted in pain as the bone reset.
"Remember how you and Sirius were going on and on about how I should put my efforts into charming a girl other than Lily Evans?" Marlene nodded. "Well, turns out that new girl had a rather violent boyfriend she was trying to make jealous..."
"Merlin, James…"
"Serves me right I guess. I mean, of course as I'm trying to improve myself I'd end up doing exactly what the old me would have done."
Marlene would be the first to admit that James was impulsive and often reckless, but this seemed to be one of the rare occasions in which he wasn't at fault. She sighed, taking a seat on the bed beside her oldest friend.
"It's not your fault," she told him. "Really, any of us could've made the mistake. It doesn't mean that you've resorted back to your old ways." She wrapped her arm around him and he came to rest his head on her shoulder, exhaling deeply.
"Am I trying too hard?" James asked, sounding depleted. "Is this the universe's way of paying me back for being such a prick all those years?" Marlene frowned. Sometimes she wished that Lily could see James like this, his guard completely down. This was the James she'd always known and loved, the same guy she knew would do just about anything for her. Lily might not find it so easy to dismiss his affection if she saw what really lay beneath the surface.
"Everyone's a prick at fifteen," she assured him. "The important thing is that you grew out of it. That's more than can be said for most people." Marlene gave him a knowing look, "Snape included."
"I feel bad for everyone but that kid," James grimaced. "I really hate him." There was a time when Marlene had felt bad for Severus. He may have been a Slytherin but she'd always known James and Sirius had centred in on him unfairly. In fact, there were many times that she'd howled at them in the corridors for being such assholes, but that had changed. Severus' Death Eater ways proved he was just as awful as they had always thought he was, and Marlene's sympathies for Severus Snape had dried up.
They might have said more, but Danny's appearance in the doorway quieted them.
"Did you really hook up with a taken woman?" he asked in awe.
James nodded, grimacing as Marlene placed the ice bag against his face.
"Wow," Danny mused, "awesome..."
"Awesome?" Marlene snapped, not one to let an opportunity for scolding pass by. "One day you might have a girlfriend, how cool would you think it was if she cheated on you with another guy?" Danny's face fell. "Not very cool," she surmised. "And while we're on the topic, a guy cheating on a girl is no better. So don't you ever put 'did you hook up with that woman' and 'awesome' in the same thought again."
"Sorry," Danny muttered, his shoulders hunched as he made his way back out of Marlene's room as quickly as he'd entered.
When Marlene looked over again James was smirking with amusement.
"Poor guy."
"I'm not letting him grow up to become an uneducated, misogynistic jerk."
James chuckled, knowing just how seriously Marlene took that statement. With his wounds now healed, he moved to toss his bloody tissue in the trash. He was distracted, of course, by the string of photographs Marlene kept pinned up.
"Look at this one of you and Sirius," he laughed. Marlene had to get up and peek over his shoulder to figure out which one he was talking about. It was from the Potters' last New Years party. Marlene had interrupted a picture of the Marauders by hopping onto Sirius' back, grinning proudly. She remembered how Sirius had taken her by the hand afterwards and swiftly led her to his bedroom — James didn't know about that, though.
He moved along, pausing at another photo which included a particular green-eyed, red-haired beauty. Lily and Marlene, taken in the Gryffindor common room. It was after Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup in their fifth year. Lily's face was painted yellow and orange and the two girls were smiling like idiots. Marlene watched over and over as she would lean in and kiss Lily's cheek.
"James…" she said softly, pulling him from his daze. Sometimes Marlene wished there was a spell to magically take away someone's attraction to a person; if there was she would use it on James in a heartbeat. When they were younger his crush on Lily had been funny, a source of entertainment for those around him; now it just broke her heart. It wasn't some silly schoolboy crush anymore. It had long since grown into more than that. James would see other girls, go on dates, shag them, but it was as though he was numb to feeling anything towards anyone who didn't have the initials L.E.
"You're still going on that double date tonight?" Marlene's stomach turned at the reminder.
"Yeah… apparently Gideon's been talking about me ever since the party and Lily thought it might be nice."
James nodded. She knew what he was wishing. He wished that he could be the other half of the date, Lily's other half. He wished he could take her out to nice restaurants and hold her hand. Marlene couldn't pretend she didn't wish it a little too, no matter how sweet Fabian was. She loved Lily's boyfriend but he wasn't James. He wasn't the boy that had gone hunting for frogs with her when they were six or stroked her hair and let her cry into his favourite t-shirt after her first real heartbreak. Fabian was nice but he would never be James Potter.
"Gideon's cool," he said, leaning back against the wall.
"Not really my type," she shrugged.
"What is your type, then?" Shaggy dark hair and piercing grey eyes, Marlene wanted to say. She wondered how James would react if he realized his two best friends had been shagging right under his nose for nearly a year. Not well, she assumed, perhaps that was why they'd gone to such great lengths to hide it. James was incredibly protective of those he loved and Marlene figured it wouldn't sit well that Sirius was sleeping with one of the most important girls in his life. Not to mention Sirius' track record with women.
"Dark and mysterious," Marlene chided. The truth was, James just wouldn't understand what Sirius and Marlene had. He was all about commitment, love, all that sappy romantic shit Marlene couldn't stand. She thought love was a nice idea but impossible to maintain forever. She and Sirius were simple: there was an undeniable sexual attraction and they acted on it, nothing more. She didn't worry about him getting with other girls, she didn't lie awake at night wondering what he was thinking, and best of all, Marlene was not even close to in love with him.
James gave her a half-smile. "I think you and Gideon would be nice together."
"Ugh."
"Seriously, Marley, I never see you with anyone and it worries me."
"James, if I wanted a boyfriend I'd have one, okay?" He still didn't look very pleased. "Boyfriends are highly overrated. They get clingy, want you to cuddle with them all the time, and expect you to express your love daily." James got a mischievous look in his eyes.
"Oh no." Marlene gasped as he grabbed her by the waist and tackled her to the bed; screaming fits of laughter echoed through the house.
"Well if you're not going to let your boyfriend cuddle you..."
Alice was exhausted. Auror training was more draining, both physically and mentally, than Alice had ever expected. She got home each day, collapsed into bed and fell asleep in mere seconds. Recently, she'd been taking one of the night courses, meant to show students what it was really like to have to be out on stakeouts from dusk till dawn. Alice was starting to wonder if a nice quiet office job might suit her better.
Alice got a few hours of shut-eye after a full evening of work only to be shaken awake by the small hands of her two younger cousins.
"What's going on?" she mumbled, rubbing her tired eyes.
"We want ice cream."
"So get yourselves some."
"All of the parents went out and they said you're supposed to look after us." Alice could've murdered her parents for that. Of all the times to leave two young children in her care they chose the day she'd only had three hours of sleep?
"Well, I'm sure we've got ice cream in the freezer…"
"No, we want ice cream from Florean's!" Damien, the younger of the two, proclaimed. "They make the best banana splits."
Alice groaned, burying her face in her pillow. Maybe this was all just a bad dream and in twenty seconds the kids would disappear and she'd be back asleep.
"Alice, Alice, Alice!" they chanted. In a matter of seconds, they'd climbed on top of her bed and started jumping around. Alice couldn't figure out what she'd done to deserve this. All she wanted was sleep and here two young children were, dragging her from her bed against her will. She knew who would have done perfectly in this situation: Frank. If he were here he would have scooped the kids up, thrown them over his back, and brought them down to Diagon Alley himself. Alice suddenly wished desperately she'd brought him home with her, although her father would have never approved.
"Fine!" She gave in. "Give me five minutes to get ready."
Alice threw on whatever clothes she could find, not even bothering to stop and brush her hair. The three of them travelled by Floo to Diagon, Alice holding them each by the hand to make sure they didn't run off — the last thing she wanted to do right now was chase two children through the packed streets of Diagon Alley.
The kids were practically screaming when they spotted the Ice-Cream Parlor. It was an excruciatingly hot day. In the short time she'd been outside, there was already a thin layer of perspiration lining Alice's forehead. She could see now why her cousins had been so eager for ice cream.
Florean stood behind the counter of his shop, a big smile on his bearded face. He was always kind no matter what kind of day it was. Alice might've taken a page from his book.
The three of them ate their ice cream inside, the heat too sweltering for them to eat outdoors.
"No, the Holyhead Harpies are the best!" Lucy argued with her younger brother, who insisted the Appleby Arrows were the better team. Alice might have agreed with Lucy but she didn't have the energy. She was dreaming of getting home, snuggling away under her covers again and murdering her parents for sticking this task on her. Alice's eyes flickered to the side for a moment, suddenly catching sight of a young boy, no older than her, eyeing their table closely. Her cheeks warmed with blush and she quickly averted her gaze. Ten seconds later, with little restraint, she peeked over again to find he was still staring.
He had blonde hair, all styled up in a quiff, and wore a tight shirt, displaying the toned torso beneath. Alice felt her breath catch in her throat just at the sight of him. His rosy lips turned up in a smile and he raised his eyebrows suggestively as their eyes met. She turned away quickly. What the hell did she think she was doing?
She had a perfect, good-looking boyfriend who would be hurt beyond repair if he knew about the thoughts currently running through her head. Alice wasn't allowed to look at other guys, she was supposed to be in love. Frank had been her boyfriend for two and a half years and she wasn't about to muck that up over a hungry glance from an attractive guy.
"Hurry up you two, we need to get going," Alice prodded her cousins, suddenly wanting to get as far from the ice cream parlour as possible. She was overtired, that was it. She needed to get home and sleep and when she woke up in the morning this would all just be a terrible dream. Alice fiddled with her purse, slinging it back over her shoulder as she finished off her cone. In her rush to leave she stood up too quickly, her foot catching on the chair beside her, and went flying forward. Of course, it was just like her to become clumsy in a moment of panic, but before she could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught her.
"Shit," Alice cursed, forgetting for a moment about the children behind her. The blonde-haired boy had moved from his table and was currently standing in front of her, his hands now on her waist. Alice felt her heart pounding twice its regular speed in her chest.
"You okay there?"
Her mouth gaped open as she struggled to find the right words. Suddenly the English language had escaped her. This had never happened before. Alice Griffith always knew what to say. She was smart, quick on her feet; it was why everyone had told her to become an Auror.
"I'm… fine," she finally answered, standing up a little straighter. "Just lost my footing is all…" The guy had a sly look on his face, as though he could read Alice's mind. God, she already hated him. "Well… thanks," she said meekly, turning to leave. She wanted as far away from this guy as she could get, him and his stupid big head. He was probably so sure he'd gotten her all worked up.
"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" he called after her just as they were about to walk out the door. Alice froze, her hands balling into fists at her side.
"Alice," she sighed, turning to meet his arrogant gaze. "And you?"
"Everett." He still looked pleased with himself.
"Well, thanks for the rescue, Everett. I'm sure I'll never see you again."
His laughter was confident. "Oh, I hope that's not true."
Lily had been reading in the living room when Petunia returned home. She came rushing in the front door, discarding her bags carelessly. Petunia paid no mind to Lily, though sitting in the room right beside her, and began calling for their mother. Lily wasn't even given the chance to say hello; Petunia ignored every attempt while instead insisting they gathered round so she could share some exciting news. It turned out that Vernon had proposed, much to Lily's horror. Having Vernon Dursley as her brother-in-law was her worst nightmare.
"It was so romantic," Petunia gushed to their mother over tea. Lily was sitting at the table too of course, though she hadn't been acknowledged by her sister once. Lily had grown used to it by now but it didn't mean that Petunia's cool behaviour didn't sting.
"We were out on the beach at sunset and he just got down on one knee and…" Petunia swooned while Lily tried hard not to vomit all over the place. "Oh, it was all I've ever dreamed of!"
"Sweetheart, that's wonderful!" their mother enthused. Lily was simply resisting the urge to ask how long it had taken Vernon to get back up after popping the question.
"We'll have to have a big dinner to celebrate," her mother insisted. "We can invite Vernon's parents, it'll be so wonderful."
"I would love that. Vernon always goes on and on about how much he enjoys your roast." Lily watched as her mother and sister got carried away discussing the wedding; plans for a dress, discussions of flowers and colour themes. She swished around the tea left in the bottom of her cup, certain they had both forgotten she was even there.
Lily got that familiar tightness in her chest and a lump filled her throat. It'd been much easier when her father was around. He would have noticed her. Her father had always noticed her.
"Can I see your ring?" Lily asked quietly. Petunia had a big smile on her face as she listened intently to whatever their mother was saying. Lily's stomach twisted as she spoke again, this time louder.
"What?" Petunia snapped, taking notice of her for the first time all day.
"Your ring," Lily repeated her breathing growing ragged. "I never got to see it." Petunia's beady little eyes narrowed down at her, her lips pursed. You'd think Lily had just said out loud her true feelings about this engagement.
"There," Petunia smacked her left hand on the table in front of Lily. "Happy now?"
Lily swallowed back tears. "Sure."
She wouldn't stay in that house any longer. Her mother meant well but she never took Lily's side, always desperate to stay neutral. It was her father who would've stood up for her, but he was gone. Now it was up to Lily to comfort herself.
"Lily, dear, wait—" her mother called before she stormed out of the house. She didn't want Petunia to see her cry, or deal with her backhanded comments if she tried to move to any other room in the house. Lily didn't want to stay outside her house crying, in case anyone she knew saw her, so she chose instead to rush down her usual side street and apparate.
It was a last-minute choice, going to Marlene's. Lily slammed on the dirt road that led to the McKinnon house, wiping tears from her cheeks. Marlene would know what to say to make it better, as Lily had been complaining to her about Petunia for years. Her eyes were still filled with tears when she knocked on the front door, hoping she wouldn't be confronted by Marlene's younger brother. Lily hated the thought of anyone seeing her like this.
"Uh..." Just Lily's luck, it was Danny who swung the door open, staring at her in shock.
"Sorry," Lily apologized, looking down embarrassedly. "Is—"
"Who is it, Danny?" A familiar voice called from inside the house. Lily's heart practically stopped. She could recognize that voice anywhere.
She froze, horror-struck. "I..." Lily stumbled over her words. "Shit." She turned to walk away but James caught her before she could.
"Evans?" His voice stopped her in her tracks, her back just turned to Danny. Lily wanted to die, she actually wanted to die. This might've been worse than facing Petunia's snide comments at home. "Are you okay?" Her back was still turned to the house as she figured out what to do next, how to face James Potter with eyes swollen from crying.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, turning back around. The look of pity on his face just made her want to cry even more. "I just wanted to speak to Marlene really..."
"She's outback in the garden," Danny explained, "I'll go get her..."
"No, I… I think I'll just go, really, this was a bad idea." Lily tried to turn around and keep walking, but nothing ever seemed to go quite according to plan for her.
"Lily, what's happened?" James asked, catching up with her. Why could he ever just leave her alone? Why did he insist on always being that guy?
"I'm fine," she lied. James took her by the arm, stopping her. Lily was really starting to regret this now. "Seriously, James. I don't want to talk about it, okay?" She turned her head away as fresh tears pricked at her eyes. "I've just been having a shit morning is all..." Her voice was so hoarse she barely got out the last part.
Lily kept turned away so that she couldn't quite see James' face. She knew it wasn't fair to snap at him, he'd only been trying to help. She might've done the same were roles reversed.
"Hey." There was no resentment in his voice. "You want to get out of here?"
"And go where?" Lily asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Let me surprise you." She didn't like the sound of that. On no planet was it ever a good idea to willingly accept a surprise from James Potter. She'd probably end up with her hair all burnt off.
"Okay," Lily agreed against her better judgment. What she needed was a good distraction and James could be just that. Besides, she'd told herself she was going to give this whole 'being friends' thing a go, hadn't she?
James offered her his arm and she grabbed on, dragged away by the forces of apparition. She kept her eyes tightly shut and didn't open them again until they were on solid ground.
"Where are we?" They were standing at the end of a lane. They appeared to be in a village of sorts, the ground beneath them old cobblestone.
"Godric's Hollow," James told her. There were houses lining the street they were on, but James didn't seem very worried about anyone seeing them. "It's mostly wizards that live in this village," James explained. "Muggles too, of course, but they're a bit more used to the… unusual." He began walking up the street, Lily realizing for the first time that she was still holding on to his arm.
"Why are we in Godric's Hollow?"
"My family has a cottage here. We used to spend a few weeks every summer here. I've always loved this village. It's peaceful." Lily had to agree, the village was quite idyllic.
"Used to?"
"It was really more my grandparents' place," James explained. "I think it was too hard for my mum to keep visiting after they were gone." Lily bit her lip, feeling guilty for even asking the question.
"Well," she began, desperate to change the subject, "what's there to do in Godric's Hollow, then?"
James had chosen to take Lily to a little restaurant on the corner of the main road he remembered from his childhood. The place was called Harry's and served the best fish and chips James had ever had.
The pair sat down across from each other in a little booth in the corner of the shop, both ordering the same thing. James prayed he didn't look even close to as nervous as he felt. He repeatedly got the urge to move his hand up and ruffle his already messy hair about every five seconds, but he resisted, knowing it annoyed her. It had been the strangest day; James couldn't quite understand how any of it had happened. It began with him being punched in the face and now he was sitting across from Lily Evans, getting lunch together.
Even though she'd just been crying, James couldn't help but think she looked beautiful. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her nose was rosy but despite it all, he would have grabbed her by the arms and kissed her madly if he didn't think it'd end in another broken nose. James shifted in his seat, taking a sip of the root beer he'd ordered.
"Do you mind me asking the big question?" James had been working up the courage to ask that since they'd sat down.
"It'd be unfair of me not to tell you, I suppose." She sighed.
"No, it's not really my business. Just that… well, you can if you want to."
She smiled at him, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. "It's not what you think… if what you're thinking is that it has something to do with my boyfriend." James couldn't pretend a small part of him hadn't hoped for it. "It's going to sound stupid, really," she explained, laughing nervously.
"Most of what comes out of my mouth sounds stupid." James knew that would make her laugh.
"Well, my older sister came home from a trip with her godawful boyfriend."
"Marlene has mentioned him."
Lily raised her eyebrows. "Has she?"
"Just that he's a total buffoon, and your sister can be a real piece of work when she wants to be." James didn't mention that Marlene had been complaining to him for years about Petunia's treatment of her little sister. It seemed every time she returned from the Evans' she had something bad to say about Lily's sister.
"Well turns out that oaf is about to be my brother-in-law."
James' mouth fell open. "You're joking."
"Nope, my sister made the big announcement when she got home this afternoon."
James frowned, watching as Lily's eyes glassed over again and she turned her head away. He wished she wouldn't do that. He didn't care if she had snot running down her face, he still would've wanted to wrap her in his arms and take all of her pain away.
"You don't have any siblings, do you?" she asked, clearing her throat.
"No, I was sort of a miracle baby."
Lily scoffed. "That explains a lot." He deserved that.
"My parents couldn't get pregnant for a really long time and they figured it just wasn't in the cards for them. Then, one day, by surprise, there I was." James grinned. "A miracle."
"Well," Lily replied, trying to hide her laughter, "you should count your lucky stars you're an only child." Truthfully, James had always wanted a sibling. His parents hadn't been able to give him one the traditional way, but Marlene had made her way into his life one way or another.
"So, what happened with your sister, then, besides her decision to marry the oaf?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary, really." Lily shook her head. "I don't know why it upset me so much..." James couldn't understand how anyone could be cruel to Lily Evans. Okay, maybe he was biased, but he couldn't imagine what could make someone want to torture her, especially someone who was supposed to love her unconditionally. "It was just the usual, her ignoring me."
"Ignoring you?"
"She came in the front door and strolled right past me. She does that sometimes, to make a point or something. She'll ignore me and only speak to our mother." James could only imagine how awful that would feel. "Mum means well, but she sometimes forgets how heartless Petunia can be..." Lily's voice was drowning in pain. It made James want to show up at her house and give this sister of hers a piece of his mind. He doubted that would win him many points in Lily Evans' books.
"That's shit, Lily."
"That's my sister," Lily shrugged, as though the whole thing were no big deal. James couldn't believe that this was what she had to put up with every time she went home. Holidays were always a joy to him; he loved seeing his parents and being showered with their affection, and he took it for granted sometimes. Meanwhile, Lily was stuck at home with a sister who treated her like a dog.
"You know, just because you're strong doesn't mean you have to sweep it all under the rug," he told her. "It's not okay… the way you're made to feel."
Lily, who'd been staring down at her lap, looked towards James with a mixture of shock and gratitude in her green eyes. Suddenly he had the urge to reach out and take her hand in his. No, that would've crossed the line. She'd think he was trying to make a move on her, even though he wasn't. James wasn't even thinking about that right now. All he could think about was the sad look in Lily's eyes when she spoke about her home and how badly he wanted to make it better.
"Wow," Lily said as their tray of food arrived at the table. "This all looks amazing."
The rest of the meal went smoothly. Talk of Petunia was shoved to the side so that Lily's mood could improve. James was thankful to find that conversation with Lily was easier than he'd expected. Usually, they hung out in group settings, never alone, but it seemed they had lots to chat about just the two of them. Lily was more interested in Quidditch than James had ever realized and the two got into quite the heated discussion about their favourite teams. Not to mention, James loved picking her brain about the muggle world, and all their strange customs and inventions.
"I want to see this cottage of yours," Lily announced once they were finished eating.
"It's really nothing extraordinary."
"Good, I don't need another thing for you to show off about." She smiled when she said it, making James blush.
"Okay, you wait outside, I'll pay the bill."
"You don't have to—"
He wouldn't hear it. "This is my treat, seriously, don't sweat it." He could see it made her uncomfortable but she gave in anyway, knowing better than to argue with James Potter. He wanted to make a joke about how she could pay for the next meal, but he didn't know if that might sound too presumptuous. He didn't want her to think that he was expecting anything more than one amazing afternoon together.
The cottage was just down from the main road, a five-minute walk at most. As they passed the graveyard and came around the bend, James' eyes landed on the familiar stone cottage with its white picket fence.
"It's charming," Lily said, admiring the property from afar. The garden, which his grandmother had always kept filled with blooming flowers, had succumbed to nature with no one left to maintain it. James leaned over the gate to unlock it, leading the way forward. He used his wand to unlock the front door, holding it open for Lily.
"Ladies first."
"What a gentleman." He caught a whiff of her perfume as she stepped by him. It reminded him of the meadow behind his house and the smell of the garden in full bloom.
"Give me a tour, then," Lily requested, ahead of James. She was looking around the living room, the old floors creaking every step she took. What furniture had been left behind was covered in sheets to protect it from all the dust, of which there were lots. James took her through the first floor — only a kitchen and living room, a nice garden outback. Upstairs there was the master bedroom and a well-sized guest room. The cottage had been built centuries ago and it was reflected within; lots of wood panelling, fireplaces in each room, and furniture his grandparents had left behind which felt as though it had been around from the start.
"This place is so beautiful," Lily said, looking around the cottage as though it were a palace. They had finished their tour in the guest room, where James had spent much of his youth. "It just has so much character… God, I'd die to have a home like this."
"You should see our actual house then," James suggested, leaning back against the doorframe. "It's ten times bigger than this place."
"Bigger doesn't always mean better," Lily reminded him. "Don't you just love the feeling of this place? It's so cosy. It's the kind of place that just feels like home."
James let himself look around, really look around. He never truly appreciated the place; it was always just a vacation home to him, a getaway from the high maintenance of their huge estate. He'd never been able to look at it with eyes like Lily's, eyes that found beauty in the simplest of things. She saw something special even where others did not.
"It would be nice," he agreed with her. "The village too… the village really makes it."
"Well, if you're smart, one day you'll move in here and start a little family." Her eyes stopped wandering the perimeter of the room for a moment and darted to meet his.
"Yeah, maybe."
Remus woke up slowly. His neck ached from hours in a strange position and his joints begged to be stretched out. He had a small person curled up in his arms, though. Her chest rose and fell slowly and she let loose an occasional sigh. It'd been two weeks since the Prewetts' party and Remus had spent much of it in the company of Leila McAllister, the small, dark-haired girl Sirius had forced him to speak to. It was only supposed to be one dance but somehow something more had unfolded.
Leila seemed simple from the outside, but in the past two weeks, Remus had discovered what lay underneath. Leila was clever, sweet, and incredibly beautiful. This had been the best summer of Remus' life. Remus didn't care that his arm, lying beneath her, was beginning to fall asleep. She looked too peaceful to disturb.
They were napping on the couch in Leila's living room. Her parents were out for the day and Leila had invited Remus over the minute they were gone so that the two of them could spend some quiet time together. She was muggle-born and everything in her house screamed it, from the TV to the standstill photos on her wall. Remus found the difference in lifestyle between muggles and wizards fascinating. He had been asking Leila trivial questions about it all day.
Leila stirred in his arms, catching Remus' attention. "How long have I been asleep?" She yawned and lifted her head up to look at him.
"I'm not sure, I just woke up as well." Leila sat up, running her fingers through her already neat black hair. She looked at her watch, frowning.
"They'll be home in an hour." She stretched her hand out for Remus to take. "I don't want you to go."
"We'll see each other tomorrow," he promised, pressing his lips to the top of her head affectionately. She was smiling when he looked up again.
"Does it ever bother you?" Her question caught him off guard.
"What?"
"That I'm only a sixth year…" He scanned her face, joy turning to fear. She was barely looking at him as she waited for his answer. "I just mean..." He could see the colour rising in her cheeks. "Being in the friend group you're in and all it doesn't seem very cool." Remus was taken aback by the question.
The truth was, he'd never even thought about how old Leila was. All that mattered to him was spending time with her, and that was rare for Remus. Usually, he avoided attachment like the plague, always afraid of getting too close. Dating was made difficult by his... condition.
"It doesn't bother me," he said, sitting up and scooting closer to her. Leila seemed to relax after that.
"Okay," she exhaled, "good." She looked towards him. "Because I really like you, Remus..."
"I really like you too." He didn't have to think about his answer. It terrified him, falling so quickly for someone. What would happen when she started to notice the pattern in Remus' behaviour? When the questions came? Remus's stomach clenched at the idea. He put an idea to his anxious thoughts with a kiss, his lips meeting Leila's. One kiss turned into more, of course, Leila climbing on top of him and unbuttoning her blouse.
"Your parents will be home soon," he reminded her, pained to have to pull away from what he was enjoying so much. Leila stopped with an irritated groan. Remus was relieved to find that she too had been enjoying the moment, wishing it could've gone on. They hadn't done 'it' yet. So far they'd only been on dates in public spaces. This had been their first time alone and Remus was left wishing they hadn't wasted so much of it asleep.
She climbed off of him and sat back down on the couch as she buttoned her shirt.
"Next time there won't be an interruption," Remus assured her, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.
Marlene was sitting at her vanity mirror, finishing up her makeup. It was only an hour ago that the front door had opened and in had walked Lily and James. Earlier, Marlene had come rushing to the front door when Danny had informed her of Lily's presence but the two had already left. An hour, they had spent an entire hour just the two of them and returned home with no bickering. Marlene was shocked, if not a little intrigued.
"We just talked." Lily wouldn't bite. It was probably the third time Marlene had repeated her demands to know what exactly had happened for that hour. "Seriously, it was nice." Nice? Lily Evans had enjoyed a nice time with James Potter! Marlene was elated.
"Okay," Marlene put down her mascara brush. "I'm ready."
Lily gave her a sceptical look up and down. "That's what you're wearing?" Marlene looked down, unaware that her outfit was not up to standard; a grey turtleneck sweater and baggy blue jeans cuffed at the ankles. She thought it was cute.
"What?"
"That might be the most boring outfit I have ever seen you wear!"
"I like these jeans!"
"You have the best boobs in our year and the one night you should be advertising that—"
"You want me to sexualize myself to get Gideon interested?" Marlene challenged her friend. "Lily, your sexism is showing."
"Shut up, you know what I'm saying! You're being weird about this date and you know it."
"I'm not being weird," Marlene grumbled, turning back towards her closest to find clothing more 'suitable.' "You're the one who said Gideon hasn't been able to shut up about me, so why should I have to work extra hard to get his attention?" Marlene had her back to Lily as she changed her top.
"Look, all I'm saying is I know what Marlene McKinnon giving it her all looks like," Marlene was glad Lily couldn't see her rolling her eyes. "This is Marlene giving it about a seventy-five-per cent."
"Ugh, don't speak to me in maths terms, you know it confuses me."
Marlene knew damn well that Lily was right. She should've been at least a little excited, most girls gave their all into getting ready for a date, but Marlene couldn't seem to muster it.
"There," she turned back to face Lily in a green, low cut t-shirt. "Better?"
"Gorgeous. Now let's go before you bite my head off."
"Not likely."
They apparated to Diagon Alley, despite a few protests from Marlene that they take the Floo Network instead (apparating always made her so nauseous), and met the twins out front of a nice little restaurant that seemed filled with cosy couples and candlelit tables.
Gideon was objectively attractive. The Prewetts had great bone structure, that was for certain, and their lush hair was a definite turn on, Marlene couldn't deny that. Still, despite his charming grin and the fact that he took every opportunity to touch Marlene — even just a light hand on her lower back to guide her to the table — she couldn't get herself to give in to him.
"You look beautiful tonight," he whispered in her ear before taking his seat across the table; the two boys on one side the girls on the other. Marlene was just grateful her seat faced the window so that she could let her gaze wander every once and while.
They ordered a bottle of wine for the table almost immediately — Marlene nearly chugged her first glass — and then Lily and Fabian began drifting off into their 'couples only' world, leaving Marlene to fend for herself.
"How'd you like the party?" Gideon asked.
"Oh, it was great!" Marlene's mind wandered immediately to the scene in the bathroom, in which she and Sirius had nearly broken the sink. "You must've had quite the mess to clear up?"
"Not terrible," Gideon said, shrugging it off. Their conversation dwindled out after that. Marlene had nothing to do but drink more wine and pray to god she might fake a medical emergency and escape.
"You know," Lily's voice carried over as she tried to redeem the situation, "Marlene is an amazing writer. She wants to work for the Daily Prophet once we graduate."
"No way, what kind of stuff do you think you'd write for them?" Gideon asked.
"Mostly political pieces, I'd hope. I want to try and do something worthwhile, not that garbage all the gossip columnists do."
Gideon nodded, as though his understanding of journalism ran deep.
"I completely get what you mean…" Suddenly he'd gone off explaining to Marlene the importance of educating citizens of the Wizarding world on what was happening in the Ministry, especially with the increasing Death Eater activity. Marlene already knew this all of course, which she tried to say once or twice, but nothing could stop Gideon once he'd started his rant. Somewhere in the middle of it, their food arrived, and Marlene focused on her pasta rather than her male company.
"Hey," Lily said to the table, interrupting Gideon to Marlene's relief, "have you noticed that dog?" She pointed out the window and Marlene followed her finger. Lo and behold, there was a black shaggy dog sitting almost directly in front of the window. Marlene nearly spat out her mouthful of wine.
"He's looking right at us," Fabian observed, sounding amused. Marlene didn't know whether to laugh or chuck her glass at the window in a rage. She knew exactly why that dog seemed so strange — because he wasn't a dog at all. It was Sirus Black. She'd spent enough time with James and the rest of the Marauders to be let in on the secret after a while. They'd told her in their fourth year about Remus' 'condition'. He'd been so scared to tell her, worried it might change how she saw him forever, but all Marlene had done was worry about his safety a little more than she had before. Marlene didn't think it was possible for anyone not to like Remus, werewolf or not.
"That is so strange," Marlene remarked, her eyes not leaving the panting dog outside. It was another half hour before they had paid their bill — Fabian and Gideon insisted they would cover it — and headed back outside. The dog was still sitting there, of course, his head turning to watch as they all filed out into the street. Marlene couldn't believe him, showing up like this when he knew she was supposed to be on a date. It was a dick move and she wasn't surprised by it in the slightest.
"Coming, Mar?" Marlene had stopped in the street, watching as the dog turned down the alleyway beside the restaurant. Sneaky bastard...
"I think I left my wallet in the restaurant!" she lied. Marlene didn't think she'd even pulled her wallet out inside.
"Shit, we'll help you look—"
"No, no!" Marlene insisted. "You three go ahead. I'll meet you after!"
"We can wait," Gideon tried to suggest.
"Really!" Marlene was so desperate to part with them that she'd even use scolding Sirius as an excuse. "I'll be right behind you!" They gave up arguing with her after that, the three of them continuing along the road. Marlene slipped down the alley the minute their backs were turned.
Marlene didn't see Sirius anywhere along the alley. She was convinced he'd left when she was snatched by the waist. A hand over her mouth muffled her scream. Marlene shoved Sirius hard in the chest once she'd been released.
"You dick!"
"I knew you'd come."
"What the hell is wrong with you? What on earth compelled you to show up on a double date that you were not invited to?"
"I had to see if James was being serious when he said you and Evans were on a double date with the Prewett twins." Marlene glared at him as he laughed. "You have to admit it's a pretty funny image." She knew exactly what kind of image he was conjuring up and she would not encourage it.
"You're an idiot."
"Once I saw the agony on your face I couldn't go," Sirius admitted, his laughter calming down.
"It was not in agony!"
"You looked like you just found out your mother had died." Marlene scowled; she knew he was probably right. She had been desperate to get out of that date the minute she'd arrived.
"I told them I'd be back in a few minutes." Marlene had meant it, too. She had walked down that alley intending only to give Sirius a piece of her mind. Of course, seeing him jealous and on edge, she didn't see herself being able to walk away.
"You'd leave me hanging after all of that?" He stepped closer to her, Marlene leaning back against the wall behind her. "I sat out there for hours."
"It was half an hour, you baby."
"Admit it, you liked it." His lips were almost on hers now.
"It was stupid, I'll admit that much."
"Prewett couldn't handle you." Marlene hated when he got cocky. "Not like me."
Marlene's hand lingered over Sirius' crotch. "Gideon's a nice guy, that's more than you can say for yourself." She might've hated the cockiness but she didn't mind feeling the way he got hard when she teased him.
"Is that what you want?" He pressed himself against her. "For me to be nice? I can be nice—" It was Marlene that couldn't help herself. She blamed the wine. Her lips pressed against Sirius' before he could even finish the question.
"I don't want you to be a nice guy," she told him as they pulled apart.
