Mary McDonald started off her day with a walk of shame. She came tiptoeing in her front door at half-past seven, longing to catch a few hours of shuteye in a bed that finally wasn't being shared with Amos Diggory.
"Mary." Her mother's voice stopped her at the bottom of the staircase. Half of her wanted to bolt right up as though she hadn't heard. "Come here."
'Here' was the dining room. Her mother was sitting at the head of the table, a newspaper unfolded in front of her, and her two-year-old sister Clara was in the high chair next to her, hands coated in mashed banana.
"Where were you?" her mother asked, barely looking up from her reading.
"With a friend."
"Oh, a friend," her mother answered in her usual snide tone. Other girls fought with their mothers, but Mary and Rose didn't just quarrel openly. Every interaction had years' worth of built-up tension bubbling beneath the surface.
"Do you shag all your friends?" She turned her critical gaze to Mary who would've much preferred still being crammed in Amos' twin bed still.
"What do you care?" Mary knew she didn't, but her mother would never give up a chance to give her shit. Their relationship had lost its warmth years ago if it had ever been there, to begin with. Her mother resented Mary's headstrong personality and the fact that her magic prevented her from ever being 'normal'. Mary's own resentment towards her mother stemmed from the fact that they felt more like competitors than a mother-daughter duo.
At the age of ten, Mary's entire world had been turned upside down. It started with her mother leaving her father for another man, her present step-dad, Bobby Sanders. Mary had always gotten along better with her father, who had never treated her with the same contempt her mother did. He'd loved her despite the fact that when she was mad pillows exploded and teacups shattered without any explanation.
"Sometimes things just happen that we can't explain," he'd say to her. He'd never made her feel like the freak; she knew her mother thought she was. But his large heart had not been enough for her mother. Losing his job and leaving the family in debt had been the final straw. It was then that their bags had been packed and she'd taken the two children – Mary and her younger brother Patrick – forever.
It was only a few months into their new living arrangement that Mary received her acceptance letter from Hogwarts. The chance of a happy relationship ever forming between Rose and Mary had died right then and there. Mary had been shipped off to Hogwarts and practically erased from her family at home.
"Can I go now?" Mary demanded. She and her mother had shared an icy glare for long enough. She was tired and wanted at least an hour of sleep before she was forced to face the day, and whatever chores her mother chose to burden her with.
"Bobby's family is coming over for dinner," her mother informed her, "so I need you to be on your best behaviour." Mary rolled her eyes. That meant, 'don't say a word about that school of freaks you attend'. "Act like the polite young lady I know you can be."
"Any other rules I should follow?"
"Don't get smart with me." Her mother's eyes narrowed. "If it'll make you better company you can invite the boy you're so clearly sneaking around with." The thought of introducing Amos Diggory to her family was almost worse than Mary enduring the dinner – and the snarky comments that would come with it – alone.
"Fine," Mary agreed, too tired to do anything but. Besides, it meant she could finally seek the solitude she'd been so desperately craving, crawling upstairs and quietly closing the door to Patrick's bedroom.
She would've preferred to be sleeping in a room of her own, but that wasn't possible in the Sanders household. The minute she'd left for school her bedroom had been packed up in boxes, most of her things to be given away to charity, and she'd been forced to spend holidays at home on a cot in her thirteen-year-old brother's bedroom.
Mary didn't know who the arrangement was less ideal for — her or Patrick. It was why she preferred to spend most nights away from home, avoiding taking up too much space. She knew how irritating it must've been for her brother to have her home for three months every summer, invading his personal space. Considering Patrick was the only one in the house she truly got along with, besides her baby sisters, she did her best not to get on his nerves.
She didn't bother undressing out of the clothes she'd been wearing the night before, curling beneath her blankets. Some sleep would do her good. She could wake up refreshed and formulate a plan for the evening's dinner. Bobby's family was just like him: stuck-up and critical. God, she hated him…
"Did mum see you?" She hadn't realized Patrick was awake, practically jumping out her skin. "Sorry…"
"Did I wake you?" Mary asked, ignoring his earlier question.
"No," he assured her, "I was already awake." She closed her eyes, expecting that to be the end of it, but Patrick's voice broke through again. "I had a dream about Dad, actually."
Mary's eyes flew open. "What about?"
"All three of us were down by the beach, skipping stones."
Mary smiled, nostalgia spilling over. Perhaps it was a memory, not a dream.
"We used to do that, you know. He always took us on adventures when we were little kids."
"I know." Patrick was smiling now too. "I remember."
"I wish it'd been him we were left with." Mary wondered if her mother sometimes wished she had left her with her father. Life would have been easier for everyone. If she'd had the option she would have chosen him in a heartbeat, but the chance was never there. They hadn't known when they left it would be the last time they said goodbye. Mary hadn't known it was the last time she'd know what it meant to have a home.
"I think she sees him in you," Patrick reasoned, always the peacemaker. "It scares her." There was little Mary could do that didn't startle her mother.
"Maybe you're right," she said, although she didn't really believe it. She hated to feel like she was sticking Patrick in the middle of things. A few minutes later his breaths evened and he fell back asleep. Mary followed not long after.
Lily woke up in Fabian's arms. She'd come over to spend some time with him; mostly to escape the house, as Petunia had Vernon over for the evening. Lily would have gone home but Elizabeth, Mrs Prewett, always insisted she stay the night if she was there any later than eight P.M.
Fabian's warm breath tickled her neck and she smiled as she pulled his arm tighter around her. Lily wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning, Fabian's strong arms holding her close. It was a vast improvement on being woken up by Petunia's high-pitched voice.
Lily felt him stir and rolled over just as he opened his eyes.
"Morning," Fabian yawned.
"Morning." Lily couldn't help but admire her handsome boyfriend with his lightly freckled cheeks and floppy auburn hair. It looked so soft right now she was tempted to run her fingers through it.
"You were restless last night." The thought of stroking Fabian's hair was suddenly whisked away.
"What?"
"You kept rolling around and mumbling in your sleep."
Lily struggled not to let her face give her away. She knew exactly what she'd been dreaming about.
"What was I saying?" God, she wished she could get herself to stop dreaming. At the very least she could try dreaming about someone else for a change.
"Little words here and there. I just remember you kept repeating 'don't go.'" It suddenly felt too hot in Fabian's arms. Lily wanted to pull away, but she worried that might look suspicious.
She could remember exactly what had happened in her dream, though she wished she couldn't. She'd been sitting on a riverbank with James. They had been holding hands and giggling as they dipped their feet into the icy water. She'd been having such a nice time when James had suddenly pulled away and gathered up his things to leave. Lily had been desperate to stop him from leaving, begging him to stay, and the very memory of it made her cringe.
"I'm sure you were just having a lovely dream about the two of us, though, weren't you?" Fabian's joke was lighthearted. How could he know about the war going on in Lily's mind?
"Probably," Lily smiled. "I wish I could remember…" It was terrifying how skilled of a liar she was becoming. It was unlike her. Lily Evans did not lie — she'd never been very good at it, but suddenly it seemed her only path for survival. Admitting the truth to Fabian would be much worse.
"Hungry?" Fabian asked. He rolled out of bed, tossing off the covers to reveal his naked body.
"Famished." They'd shagged three times last night. The cot on the floor, which Elizabeth had arranged for Lily, was still neatly made, completely untouched by her. There'd never been any possibility of her and Fabian sleeping in separate beds.
Lily moved around the bedroom, picking up her discarded clothing off the floor. Downstairs Gideon was already awake, eating quietly at the kitchen table as his mother busied herself tidying up the kitchen.
"Morning, love birds." He winked when Lily and Fabian entered the kitchen. Lily bowed her head to hide the blush that rose in her cheeks. Fabian and Gideon's rooms were right next to each other and Lily knew perfectly well how thin those walls were.
"Sleep well?"
"Great, thanks," Fabian replied dryly, shooting his brother a warning look before their mother turned around.
"Good morning!" Elizabeth cheered, tucking a curly strand of red hair behind her ear. Lily simply adored Fabian's mother. She was a kind lady, short and plump, with shoulder-length curly red hair and rosy cheeks. She was always thrilled to see Lily and made the Prewett home more welcoming than Lily's own house felt.
"Did you sleep well, Lily? I hope the cot wasn't too uncomfortable." Lily shook her head; the cot had been just fine considering she hadn't slept on it at all.
"It was great. Thanks for letting me stay the night."
"Oh, of course, dear." Elizabeth smiled widely. "Now, what would you like for breakfast?"
"One of your omelettes would be great," Fabian told her.
"I'm talking to your guest, Fabian, you can fetch your own breakfast." His shoulders fell. He stomped towards the pantry, Gideon chuckling under his breath.
"Beans and toast?" Elizabeth suggested.
"That sounds wonderful."
Lily sat at the head of the table next to Gideon, who was still smirking sheepishly. Lily wanted to smack that look right off his face. Luckily, Fabian saved her from doing so, joining the table with a bowl of cereal.
"So, any word from McKinnon?" he inquired. That wiped the smug look off his brother's face.
"Nope," he looked away. "I guess I must've been a pretty awful date."
Lily's face fell. She couldn't help but feel partially responsible considering she orchestrated the whole thing. She'd known from the start how apprehensive Marlene was about it, she'd just hoped that the evening would change her mind.
"Of course not! Marlene is just awful at commitment." That much was true at least. "It has nothing to do with you."
"Don't boost his ego too much, Lil," Fabian warned her. "He already thinks he's God's gift to the world."
"Shut up."
"I think Marlene seemed more interested in the dog outside than she was in Gideon's company—" Fabian could barely finish his sentence before he had an orange, taken from the fruit bowl by Gideon, thrown at his chest.
"OI!"
"What's going on over there?" Elizabeth demanded, glaring over her shoulder at the two boys.
"Nothing," Gideon assured her, "Fabian's just being a drama queen, as usual."
"Wanker," Fabian mumbled under his breath, rubbing the spot on his chest where the orange had hit.
"Anyway, you never know, maybe she didn't get your letter yet."
"It's been over a week."
"Perhaps she's just been busy…"
"You're sweet for saying so, Lily," Fabian told her, reaching for her hand. "But I think we all know Gideon shouldn't hold his breath waiting."
Lily hated that her friend could be so dismissive. What was she wrong with Gideon anyway? He was good-looking, sweet, and incredibly funny. Lily couldn't understand why it was so difficult for Marlene to even give him a chance.
"Is that today's Prophet?" Fabian asked his brother, pointing to the folded-up newspaper in the middle of the table. He reached out and grabbed it and the headline popped out at Lily: Five new ministry disappearances. It made her stomach sink. It was easy to ignore all the bad things happening when she was in her own little bubble for the summer, but it didn't mean that they were not still heading quickly towards war.
"Bloody ridiculous," Fabian muttered angrily as he took the paper in his hands. "People going missing left and right and the Minister is still acting like it's business as usual." Lily watched him scan the article, her heart in her throat as she prepared to ask the question on her mind.
"What were they?" The boys looked up. "Muggle-born or pureblood?" Neither Fabian nor Gideon seemed to want to look at her.
"Muggle-born," her boyfriend finally answered. Lily felt sick to her stomach.
What happened in a year when she was no longer protected by the safety of Hogwarts? What happened when she was thrust into the Wizarding World like the rest of muggle-borns and suddenly she was the one fighting to stay safe?
"I feel so useless," Lily admitted, staring down at her hands. "All these people are being terrorized and I'm just sitting here…"
"You're not useless," Fabian promised. "You're one of the most talented witches I know."
"Probably the brightest in our year," added Gideon.
"Our time will come." Her boyfriend pulled her hand to his lips. "We will fight this."
Lily just hoped he was right.
James watched from the couch as Marlene beat Sirius in a game of Wizard's Chess. He could see the colour rising in his friend's cheeks as his loss was rubbed in his face.
"Ha! I won! I beat you!"
"Ever heard of winning gracefully?" Sirius grumbled. Apparently, she hadn't, as Marlene proceeded to skip around the living room chanting, "I am the champion!"
"James, James! Did you see that win? Did you see how easily I beat him?"
"It was a stunning victory." Sirius was just too easy to wind up. He practically had smoke blowing from his nose as he stomped out of the room. Marlene and Sirius barely waited for him to be gone before bursting into laughter.
"It's just too easy." She grinned, squatting down to clean up the game.
It was an unusually humid midsummer's day. The group of them, including Remus and Peter who had wandered off, had chosen to keep cool inside rather than get up to their usual antics. James' parents were supposed to be home as well, seeing as it was a Saturday afternoon, but they had been called into work at the last minute. With the sudden disappearances at the Ministry, it was all hands on deck in the Aurors office. James found it difficult to think about all the innocent people that had fallen victim to the building conflict in the Wizarding world. What had become of those five missing Ministry workers? Would they ever be discovered alive? It sent a shiver down his spine.
"You okay there, Potter?" He blinked, looking down at Marlene.
"Sorry."
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
"No." James shook his head. "Just thinking about some."
The smirk on Marlene's face disappeared and she stopped what she was doing for a moment.
"Are you worried about your parents?"
"No, I know they'll be okay." He rarely had to worry about his parents, despite the high risk that their job entailed. He knew they could look out for themselves even under the most dangerous of circumstances, they were the strongest wizards he knew.
"It just feels like everything is going to shit…" Marlene sat back with a heavy sigh. "Yet here we sit…"
"Useless," James agreed. It was how he felt most days, watching his parents rush to work to save lives while he slept in until noon most days and preoccupied himself with alcohol and Quidditch.
"Every day it's something. Another death, another person gone missing. Mum and dad are working day and night catching Death Eaters and putting them behind bars." Marlene's mother worked in the Auror office with the Potters' while her dad was one of the more progressive members of the Wizengamot.
James leaned back into the couch, arms crossed. "There is nothing we can do while we're still students besides sit around and watch the terror grow. It's bullshit."
"It gives us time to prepare," Marlene told him. "I don't care what it's like when we graduate, I'm not going to sit around and allow them to continue terrorizing muggle-borns. I'll use my writing to publish honest articles. Something better than then fluff coming out of the Daily Prophet these days."
"That's if they'll even let you get published. Everything is becoming censored nowadays." James hated to be so negative. He knew Marlene had dreamt of writing since she was a child and now, with her dreams so close in sight, it seemed like everything was crumbling. Where would they even be in a year? Would the careers they'd spent seven years working their asses off to earn be worth it anymore?
Marlene finished clearing up the chessboard, returning it to the bookshelf in the corner with a flick of her wand. It was the first summer they had felt like more than kids just blowing off steam and making the most of their vacation. It was the first summer James had realized nothing was going to get better without a fight.
"Prongs." James looked over his shoulder to see Remus standing in the archway. "You have visitors." Friends of his parents? It wasn't unusual for the Potter manor to have people moving through it day and night. His parents were social, and with such a large home inhabited by only four people, it seemed silly not to take advantage of it by entertaining friends and family.
James followed Remus back to the front door to find the most unusual company had arrived. Mary McDonald and Lily Evans stood in his entryway. James had only ever dreamed of having Lily in his house and there she was, looking terribly uncomfortable by Mary's side.
"Well, this a surprise." James could barely suppress the cocky grin that crept across his face.
"Believe me, it wasn't my idea of a way to spend my Saturday afternoon, but Mary insisted."
All eyes turned to Mary. "I need to ask you all a favour."
"Is that Mary's voice I hear?" Marlene's called from the living room. In seconds she was at James' side, looking just as shocked as he felt to find Lily waiting there too.
"Has hell frozen over?"
"Apparently Mary has a favour to ask of us," Remus filled her in.
"A favour?"
"Well if we could get everyone together maybe I could finally ask it," Mary said impatiently.
"Remus, do you want to find the other two?"
The rest of them sat around the living room, James taking the armchair while Lily, Mary, and Marlene shared the couch. He had to fight to stop himself from stealing glances of Lily, sitting across from him. Her hair was in a low ponytail, a few pieces of hair fallen loose, framing her face. God, he hated that he noticed that…
How the hell did she look so good even like this? Laid-back, wearing only a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt. James was not supposed to feel his heart rate increase from just looking at her. He wasn't supposed to feel anything when looking at her. She was dating one of his mates; he'd promised Fabian he was over his childhood crush. He'd lied.
James didn't have any more time to overthink his feelings for Lily Evans once the rest of the boys arrived. They gathered around, everyone intrigued by Mary's 'favour'.
"So, you four, particularly you two," Mary said, pointing at James and Sirius, "have a talent for pissing people off."
"Why are we here again?" Sirius asked, turning to James.
"I need your talents."
"I don't think it's a talent, Mary," Lily quipped. "I'm pretty sure they're naturally inclined to be annoying."
"I take offence to that!"
"Listen, I need one of you to be my date to a family dinner." The room went silent, no jokes left to be made. James and Sirius both fought not to meet Mary's glance, neither wanting to accept the job. A prank they could do effortlessly, but being someone's date? Neither boy was quite up to the task.
"What's the dinner for, Mary?" Marlene asked.
"My stepdad's family is coming over and I've never been in a room with them where they don't all stare at me like gum on the bottom of their shoe."
"That's terrible, Mary." James knew, from their conversation a week ago, that Lily understood that feeling better than anyone else. "You've never told us—"
"I just need a volunteer," Mary insisted, not seeming interested in dwelling on the subject. "Someone who will really help me get their blood boiling." James knew none of his friends would willingly volunteer but he couldn't stand leaving Mary hanging either. She'd shown up here for a reason, she had to be desperate to prove something.
"Sirius," James said, throwing his friend to the wolves.
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, Sirius is definitely the ideal candidate," Marlene agreed. "He can get under your skin in minutes."
"Not called for—"
"He's got a talent for pushing people's buttons," Remus added. "Just give him one glass of wine."
"And I call you guys my friends?"
"Please, Black!" Mary begged. "Please! I will be forever in your debt!" Sirius still didn't look interested. "I'll get you a date with Boswell." Suddenly he perked up.
"Maggie?"
"Yes!" Mary enthused. "Yes! I will put in a stellar word for you. I'll even tell her what great reviews you've had in bed."
"Look at him," Marlene scoffed, "only interested when there's a shag involved."
"He's a boy who knows what he likes," James told her, watching as Sirius went from apprehensive to interested.
"What's my job exactly?"
"Make my family hate you!" James had never seen someone discuss a failed dinner date as excitedly as Mary McDonald did.
"Sounds doable."
"Sounds like every first impression you've ever made."
"I'm in," Sirius agreed, Mary's face lighting up. "Just give me a time and a place."
Alice squealed as Frank pushed her back onto the bed, the mattress squeaking underneath the weight of them both. Ever since they'd completed the physical portion of their Auror training the two had taken to arguing over who was stronger. They'd decided, rather playfully, to put their muscles to the test. Frank was hovering over Alice with her wrists tightly pinned down above her head.
"I think this means I win." He had a satisfied grin as he stared down at her, Alice breathing heavily.
"I guess," she sighed. There was a momentary pause, enough for Frank to soak in his victory, and then his grip loosened and he leaned down to kiss her. Their lips had only just brushed when Alice got loose and rolled Frank over onto the floor. He pulled her down with him, the pair gasping and then erupting into laughter as Alice rolled over to assume her position of power.
"Who wins now?" she asked triumphantly, sitting on Frank's hips. The look on his face was one of shock and perhaps a little betrayal.
"You sneaky little monkey…" He shook his head in disbelief, a dumbstruck smile on his face.
"Pays to be cute."
Frank sat up, drawing her face to his. Suddenly the debate over who had won didn't matter much. The Joan Baez record that had previously been playing suddenly clicked off and the only sound left in the room was of Alice and Frank, both hurriedly tearing their shirts off.
It was a rookie mistake, especially when she knew her mom was just downstairs. Alice was only allowed to be alone in her room with Frank when her father wasn't home; he insisted on a doors-open policy. Over the summer the pair didn't have anywhere to shag besides Alice's house while her parents were at work. For the most part, they avoided Frank's home, as Alice was always paranoid Augusta would somehow manage to sniff them out.
Alice's knickers were just about to come off when her mother's faint tap came at the door. She was certain Frank was going to faint.
"Al?"
Alice almost had a heart attack when she heard the doorknob jiggle, thanking Merlin she'd had the good sense to lock the door earlier.
"Why's the door locked?"
"Sorry, mum!"
Alice and Frank had never jumped away from each other so fast. She scurried to grab her discarded button up. Merlin, she really knew how to time things.
"I just lock it out of instinct, I guess."
"Alice…"
Alice used magic to button up her shirt, allowing the job to finish in half the time. Frank made himself look casual on the edge of the bed so that her mother could enter with as few suspicions as possible.
Alice swung open the door, expecting to find her mother scowling furiously (as she was certain her father would) but she just shook her head.
"I'm not an idiot, you know," she smirked.
"I know—"
"You're seventeen, darling, you're allowed to do what you please," her mother paused. "In my eyes at least." She forgot sometimes how much easier her mother was compared to her father. It was the reason he and Alice had never quite bonded in the way she had with her mother.
"Now, how do you two fancy grabbing some lunch?" Her mother expertly changed the subject. "I've been craving—"
"Oh, please tell me you're thinking what I am—"
"—steak and kidney pie?"
"At the Leaky Cauldron! Yes! I was just thinking how long it's been since we've gone…"
Alice had almost forgotten Frank was sitting across the room, completely lost in the conversation.
"What do you say, Frank?" Alice's mother smiled.
"I will never say no to a Leaky Cauldron steak and kidney pie."
"We've trained him well," Alice said proudly.
The Leaky Cauldron was hardly half full. Alice assumed most people hadn't felt like journeying into the sweltering heat. She had barely managed herself. They snagged their usual corner booth, wasting no time before placing their orders for Tom.
"How's your work going, Debra?" It was a running joke among Alice and her friends to try and catch her mother slip up about her job. While most parents wouldn't have cared if their children heard about their work-life, Alice's mother had a rather unusual job.
"Nice try," she grinned, the way she always did when she got asked the question.
For most of Alice's life, her mother hadn't had an entirely unusual job. She'd been at the top levels of the Improper Use of Magic Office until Alice's third year. Then she had been offered a position in The Department of Mysteries and suddenly everything had changed. She never uttered a word about her day, not even to Alice's father.
"How about your work?" her mother turned around the question. "How's training going?"
"Good," Frank answered for both of them. "Exhausting, but good."
"Take whatever you're feeling right now and triple it by ten," Debra warned him, "that'll be how exhausting the job is." Her mother sighed, reaching for her glass of water. "Especially nowadays."
Alice rarely heard her mother talk about the war their world inched closer to every day. There was a reason for that, of course. No department (other than the Aurors) was under more stress than her mother's. Over the past few months, she'd seen two of her co-workers go missing, never to be found again. One of them had been a close family friend – Cindy Turner – and it had been difficult to bring up the topic of violence in the Griffith house ever since.
"We're lucky to be learning from some of the best," Alice interjected. "The Potters, McKinnon, even the younger members of the team are impressive. I've been shadowing Dorcas Meadowes for the past week and barely been able to catch my breath." Dorcas had become a bit of an idol for Alice; she was everything Alice wanted to be as an Auror: strong, powerful, never one to say no.
"It's scary for me to think you guys will be the ones doing all the fighting," her mother said with a sad half-smile. "You're just babies."
"You know we're of age now, mum," Alice smirked. "Not really children anymore, are we?"
"Oh, believe me, sweetheart, you don't want to grow up too fast. Enjoy this last year of being just kids, you'll miss it one day." Alice didn't think she would.
As much as she'd enjoyed the past six years at Hogwarts, and made a handful of wonderful friends, she was ready to be finished with school. Spending the summer going through the Auror training program had given her a taste of the life she'd always known she wanted. How could she return to a year of teenage drama and Potions homework after that?
It was just after seven when Mary and Sirius arrived at her family home. She'd been certain of her plan all day and yet now, standing on the doorstep seconds from pushing open the door, she wondered if it had all been a terrible mistake.
"We don't have to go through with it, you know," Sirius said, shifting his fingers through his hair. "I can go back to James' and we can pretend like this never happened—"
"No." Mary was a lot of things, but not a quitter. She had fought so hard to make this happen for a reason. Besides, what did she have to lose? Bobby's relatives hated her anyway, her mother would never approve of any boy she brought home, so why not have some fun with it?
Without another word Mary turned the doorknob, accepting her fate. They were late (a social faux pas Mary hadn't even intended to make) and everyone was already seated around the dining room table – sans Her two younger sisters, Clara and Teagan. The room went silent when Mary and Sirius entered, everyone staring at them in mild disbelief. Who did Mary think she was, showing up to her own house late? God, she hated Bobby's family.
"Sorry we're late," Mary said to the group, not sounding sorry at all.
"Who's your guest?" her mother asked. Her voice was pleasant yet her eyes were beady and judgmental.
"Oh, this is Sirius," Mary announced to the room.
"What kind of name?" Mary heard Bobby's sister whisper in her husband's ear.
Space was made for the late arrivals at the end of the table, in between Patrick and Mary's mother.
"Your name is… Sirius?" Bobby's sister, Sarah, finally found the courage to ask.
"Yes."
"You must not be very funny then," her husband quipped. It took a second for the joke to even translate, his delivery completely off, and Mary could see from the blank look in Sirius' eyes he felt the same
"I guess that makes two of us."
Mary almost spit out the water she'd just sipped, Patrick snorting beside her. Neither of them could resist the urge to laugh at Carl, who really thought he was God's gift to humanity.
"How did you two meet?" Mary's mother asked, clearly wanting to change the topic of conversation. Carl had turned beet red across the table and his wife didn't appear the slightest bit amused.
"Not sure if that story is appropriate dinner conversation," Sirius said. "If you know what I mean," he added, winking at Mary's step-dad suggestively. She had to pinch herself to stop from laughing when Bobby's mother gasped in horror.
"What is that you do, Sirius?" Mary could see the vein in Bobby's forehead pulsing, the one that always seemed to act up whenever she was around.
"Yeah, I mean I'm not sure where I'm going to school right now. I got expelled from my last one for drug possession. Which, in my opinion, was totally unfair. I mean I was only selling a little pot on the side, how else is a boy like me supposed to make money in this world?"
"Really, Bobby," his mother gasped, looking seconds away from a heart attack. "Allowing criminals into your home?"
"We had no idea, Patricia, I assure you—"
"And you, allowing your daughter to date such a man?" Mary couldn't say she didn't enjoy the heat being shifted onto her mother for a change.
"I take real offence to being called a criminal, you know," Sirius piped up. "I think if you'd met one you'd see I'm quite the opposite."
"You sell drugs!" Sarah exclaimed, her voice gone shrill. Their reactions to the scene were almost better than Mary had hoped. She'd expected a few ruffled feathers, a scandalized look here and there, but this dinner party would most definitely go down in the books as a wild affair.
"You are really going to get it," Patrick whispered in her ear. Their mother was trying desperately to calm her in-laws down, insisting she'd had no idea who Mary was planning to bring to dinner tonight.
"It'll be worth it," Mary shrugged. There was little her mother could say to her at this point that she hadn't already heard. Disappointment, freak, and nobody were all insults frequently thrown in Mary's direction by both her mother and step-father.
Sirius, who was relishing in being the centre of attention, made the most of the moment, sitting back in his chair with casual arrogance. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his leather jacket, lighting one up.
Cigarettes were not entirely unusual in their house. Bobby often indulged in one if he had friends over, or he was watching the telly late at night once the girls had gone to sleep. Lighting one up at the dinner table, however, was the height of disrespect, at least in the eyes of the Sanders family. Perhaps Mary should have warned Sirius about that…
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Bobby shouted furiously. He looked ready to bulldoze Sirius down.
"Smoking?" Sirius replied innocently.
"How dare you! How dare you disrespect me like this in my house!"
Bobby's family looked horrified, staring from Sirius to Mary with utter disgust. Perhaps it was time to end their whole charade.
"GET OUT!" Bobby howled. "GET OUT!" He stood up so abruptly the whole table shook, his chair nearly flying backwards.
Sirius stubbed out his cigarette on his plate and turned to Mary for confirmation.
"Kitchen," Mary's mother stated firmly before she could even reply. "NOW, MARY!"
"I'll meet you outside," she whispered to Sirius, who was likely grateful to leave before he was beaten to a pulp by Mary's step-dad.
It was more chaos than Mary had ever expected to ensue. Part of her enjoyed it, but she was anxious it had gone too far. Perhaps she'd been right to second-guess herself early, maybe this had all been terribly impulsive.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" her mother demanded. She was leaning against the counter, hands on her hips. "I knew you were being reckless, but this?" She pointed furiously towards the dining room. "This is pathetic!"
"I—"
"You're exactly like your father," her mother seethed. Mary could tell she meant it as anything but a compliment. "And look where he ended up."
"I wouldn't know, would I?" Mary snapped.
"You should be grateful for what I've done for you!"
"Grateful?" Mary howled. "What have you ever done for me?"
"I've put a roof over your head! Food in your belly—"
"Parent of the year over here," Mary rolled her eyes.
"How dare you speak to me like that!" Her mother snatched her roughly by the wrist, catching Mary off guard. They'd fought before, plenty of times, but never had things grown physical between them. "You spoiled brat!"
"You bitch!" Mary's anger got the better of her. "Take your hands off of me!" With a final thrust, Mary got herself loose, stepping away.
"I want you out," her mother stated. "You're not welcome here anymore—"
"I never have been." Adrenaline was the only thing keeping Mary from completely losing it. When had her mother ever looked out for her anyway? "I wish it'd been you I was separated from." Mary couldn't keep the venomous words from coming out of her mouth. "You've never been a mother to me anyway."
"Out," her mother ordered. "Get out of my sight."
"Gladly."
Mary turned and stomped out of the kitchen, fighting back tears as she went. The dining room was silent, everyone at the table averting their gaze as Mary re-entered the room. She couldn't miss the smug look on Bobby's face or those of his family. She hated the whole lot of them. There was only one person she really cared about…
"Please don't go," Patrick begged when their eyes met. "Please."
Patrick was the only reason she'd stayed in this godforsaken home for so many years. He deserved so much better than her mother than Bobby than her. Mary didn't know how it was possible for her mother to have created such a kind soul.
"Mary is leaving," her mother announced, standing just a few feet behind Mary. No one said a word.
"Say goodbye to your sister, Patrick."
Mary could see the tears building in her little brother's eyes as she took a step towards the door. Why hadn't she thought of him when formulating her plan? What kind of big sister didn't put her younger siblings first?
"I'll see you soon," she promised him, leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheek. She couldn't look at those sad eyes any longer. It was a short walk out of the room and through to the front door but it felt like years to Mary before she'd slammed the front door shut behind her.
She stormed out the front gate and into the street, tears blurring her vision. She'd really done it now hadn't she? Homeless, without a family, she was hopeless.
"Mary?"
"Christ!" she jumped, realizing Sirius was standing just behind her. In the heat of it all, she'd completely forgotten he was waiting for her.
"Shit," his face fell when he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. Mary hurried to wipe them away but it was no use. "I'm so sorry, I overdid it in there—"
"No," she shook her head, struggling to keep her voice steady. "You were great, it was me…"
"What happened in there? With your mom?"
"Oh, nothing," Mary shrugged it off. "She just kicked me out of the house, is all."
"Let me try and fix it, I'll go back in there and explain—"
"No." There was no fixing the now-decimated relationship between Mary and her mother. Their blow-up had been years in the making. Perhaps Mary had known that in the back of her mind when she formulated this plan…
"It's for the best really," Mary insisted, trying to convince herself as much as Sirius. "I hated that house…" More tears came to her eyes. "I wish I could stop fucking crying."
"It's natural." Sirius pulled a balled-up tissue from his jacket pocket. "Believe me," he said, handing it to Mary.
"I must look like such an idiot."
"You look like someone who has just been kicked out." Sirius pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with his wand. "This is a very normal reaction."
"Guess you'd know, huh?"
"Yeah." He offered Mary a puff. While she didn't usually smoke, tonight felt like unusual circumstances. "Come on," Sirius nudged his head towards the park across the street. "Let's take a breather before we go back to the gang."
Mary hadn't even thought about that. What would her friends say? She could imagine the look on Lily's face. She'd warned her. She had told her it was a bad idea and Mary had gone ahead and done it anyway.
"Sometimes they don't mean it, you know," Sirius said once they'd found a bench to share. "When they tell you they want you out. Give her some space—"
"I don't care." Mary knew that wasn't entirely true. She hated the way her mother and stepfather treated her, yes, but she would go home in a heartbeat if they just so much as apologized. She loved her siblings and she wanted so desperately to feel like she was a part of the family.
"Where will you go?"
"I'll figure it out." She always had. It wasn't as though she hadn't already spent most of her summer avoiding her home.
"You don't have to figure it out alone." Sirius tossed his cigarette aside. "Come on," he said, wrapping an arm around her. "Let's get out of here."
Mary had never been so quick to agree with anything Sirius had said.
James' parents were still not home and the gang had taken to playing a rather intense game of Exploding Snaps in the living room. Marlene had poured them all some Firewhiskey to keep the energy going and she had Peter had grown quite competitive in the past hour. Lily, on the other hand, had lost interest after the first round.
She left Marlene, Peter and Remus to their match instead, followed the sound of a guitar carrying from down the hall. James was in a study, the door left ajar, bent over his guitar as he played the strings softly.
"You're quite good." He practically jumped out of his chair when he heard Lily.
"I thought everyone was distracted—"
"They are," she assured softly, stepping into the room. "I don't think I have the same competitive streak in me."
She assumed the room must've been used by one of his parents. There was a large bookcase against the back wall and windows lining the left. On the right were picture frames, a few photos of a little boy Lily assumed had to be James in his youth.
James hopped off the edge of the desk he was sitting on and moved to put the guitar back in its case.
"Play me something," Lily said before he could put it away.
"What?"
"Play me something." She was smirking as she sunk down into an armchair in the corner of the room, curling her legs beneath her.
"I'm really not that good—"
"Modesty, now that's a first."
"Shut up." James laughed.
"Come on." Lily hadn't known that James could play an instrument and it was rare for James Potter of all people to hide a talent. "What're you afraid of?"
"No chance I can talk my way out of this one?"
"Nope."
"Okay, then." James picked the guitar back up and resumed his previous position on the desk. He fiddled with the chords a bit, adjusting them before he began to quietly strum. Lily could see her was nervous. He kept stopping to run his fingers through his hair and he refused to even look in her direction. Lily couldn't help but find it amusing.
"I'm not promising it'll be good," he warned her.
"Just play me a damn song!"
He started softly, strumming the chords with more intention once the song had gotten underway. It took a moment before Lily could figure out what he was playing; when she did her heart practically stopped. How the hell did he know to play that? The song, one from a Lee Hazelwood album, had been one of her father's favourites. She'd caught him humming along to it more than once, putting it on the turntable when he and her mother were doing the dishes in the evening…
James began to sing along. He was off-tune but Lily's heart was still pounding in her chest. Half of her was convinced he'd read her mind, figured out somehow that this song might make her swoon, but that wasn't possible. Something in Lily prickled in approximation to anger. How did he manage to be so bloody charming without even realizing it?
"That was terrible, wasn't it?" James asked when he'd finished. He looked up, a blush rising in his cheeks, and waited for Lily's stamp of approval. She could barely breathe, let alone speak. He placed the guitar aside in one hurried movement. "Hey, I never promised I'd be good," he continued to babble, filling the silence. "Definitely not one of my stronger talents." Couldn't he just shut up for one minute and let her think? "You don't have to say—"
"James," she stopped him, not able to listen to his rambling any longer. "It was beautiful." He paused, turning back to face her. Had she really just told him his singing was beautiful? She'd really gone and done it now. After weeks of vowing she would get over this silly obsession, she was sitting alone in a dimly lit room with exactly the boy she was supposed to be avoiding. Now it was Lily's turn to blush.
"I think that might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Perhaps to your face, Lily thought, if only you could know what goes on in my head...
"We're home!" she heard Sirius shout through the house, the front door slamming. James and Lily both abruptly returned to reality. James slammed his guitar case shut while Lily hurried out of the room, terrified of the comments that might ensue if they were seen to have been alone together.
The other three were already at the front door, piling Sirius and Mary with every question possible about the evening's events.
"What do you mean slight hiccup?" Marlene demanded.
Lily came up beside Remus, only then realizing how awful Mary looked. Her face was pale and her eyes swollen, as though she'd been crying for hours.
"What happened?" Her stomach dropped.
"Mary's plan didn't exactly go down as well as we were expecting…" Sirius explained to the room. James came strutting down the hall in time to hear the news.
"I got thrown out of my house," Mary announced.
"You what?"
"Guess mum didn't think our whole bit was that funny…" Lily looked from Sirius to Mary in shock, waiting for the punchline, but it never came.
"I can't believe you managed to screw this up," Marlene directed her comment at Sirius.
"Me? I didn't do anything other than what I was instructed—"
"So why on earth is Mary now homeless?"
"You're the one who convinced me to do it in the first place!"
"Both of you shut up!" Lily demanded, lifting her hands to silence them. She turned to Mary, the only person whose feelings she now cared about. "What do you need?"
"A place to sleep for the night might be a good start."
"You can stay here," James spoke up from behind Lily. "We've got lots of extra rooms—"
"No," Lily shook her head. "I think you've all done quite enough. Mary will stay with me." No one looked more shocked then James by her harsh tone. Perhaps she was overreacting — it wasn't as though she'd tried very hard to stop the plan from going forward — but Lily couldn't stop herself from blaming those in the room who hadn't voiced their concern.
"I'm sorry, Mary," Remus said, Peter, adding an apology as well.
"It's fine, you guys, really." Mary was more forgiving than Lily felt. "There's no one to blame but me."
"Let's go," Lily said, turning to grab her purse off of the coat rack it hung on.
"I'll come," Marlene offered, stepping forward. "Help Mary get settled in." Lily would have protested, she knew Marlene was going to take James' side in the matter and Lily didn't feel like being lectured, but Marlene was already putting on her shoes and taking Mary out the door.
She'd known from the start this was all a terrible idea. The minute Mary had insisted they go to Potters' Lily had known she'd regret it. Now, look at them. Mary was homeless, for Merlin's sake, what had they all been thinking? Why hadn't anyone stopped it? Why hadn't Lily?
"Lil," Marlene and Mary stopped dead in their tracks halfway down the Potter's front-drive. Lily was so caught up in her own thoughts she nearly walked right into them. "I think it might be best if we go ahead…"
"Why?"
"Evans!" Lily froze up. She'd been hoping that wouldn't happen.
"Okay," she agreed, kicking herself inside. "I'll be just a minute."
Marlene and Mary were gone within a matter of seconds and suddenly Lily was standing face to face with a furious looking James Potter.
"That was unfair."
"What?" Lily snapped. "Expecting you to take responsibility for your part in all of this?"
"That's bullshit!" Lily was taken aback by his tone; perhaps it was the same way James had felt when she'd turned on him so quickly minutes before. "You are just as responsible as me in all of this—"
"I'm not the one who suggested she take Sirius!" Lily shouted defensively. He was right, of course, he was right, she knew it deep down. She had no ground to stand on but she couldn't help herself. That moment alone in the study, every damn dream she'd had for the past month, prevented her from being able to think straight when it came to dealing with James Potter.
"You brought her here, didn't you?" She could have punched him in the face. "So bloody righteous," he scoffed, turning his head away.
"Screw you, Potter." How was it possible to go from being serenaded to practically murdering each other in a matter of minutes? She hated him. She'd let herself feed into the imaginary version of him that she'd created in her dreams, the perfect guy, but that would never be James. He was just as arrogant and stubborn as she'd always known him to be and nothing about that would ever change.
"I'm not the one who started this fight!"
"This isn't a fight," Lily insisted. A fight involved caring about something and Lily did not care about James Potter or his opinion. "It's a difference of opinion."
"Isn't that what a fight is?"
"Merlin, what does it matter? We don't agree, we never have."
"So that's it then, huh? You can't be friends with anyone who doesn't agree with everything you say?"
"Who said we were friends?" Now she was just trying to get on his nerves. He didn't bite, though.
"Back to that again now, are we?"
"Goodnight, Potter," Lily said with a final glare, turning to take a few steps away from James before she apparated.
"Feel free to drop the next time you'd like to have a difference of opinion!"
