"No." Mary was unwavering in her decision. Emmeline had been trying to convince her all day to agree to a double date for their Hogsmeade trip tomorrow. Mary knew exactly what was happening – Emmeline was too nervous to agree to spend a whole afternoon alone with Devin Miller (one of the best looking boys in their year) and so she wanted Mary to suffer through a blind date with a boy she hardly knew to provide some moral support.
"Please Mary," Emmeline continued to beg. They were sitting on the comfy couch in the common room. Mary had wanted to do some reading before dinner but Emmeline wouldn't budge until she agreed. God the girl could be irritating sometimes. "I can't do it without you."
"You've been on plenty of first dates without me."
"Yeah, but never with Devin Miller!"
"Oh come on Emmy," Mary sighed. "It's the first trip to Hogsmeade this year, I don't want to waste my time on a shitty date."
"You don't know it'll be shitty!"
"It's with Reginald Cattermole, of course, it will be shitty."
"Still trying to convince you is she?" Alice dropped her bag down beside the coffee table, settling on the floor as she always did. She pulled out her work, placing everything neatly in front of her. At least someone was allowed to be productive.
"Don't you think that Reg would be a good fit for Mary?" Emmeline asked, dragging Alice into it.
"Maybe," she shrugged, barely looking up. "He is quite sweet. He's a Prefect as well and we've shared patrols a few times, he's good conversation once you get to know him…" Alice stopped short when she looked up and saw the look in Mary's eyes. "Then again, maybe Mary would prefer someone a little more... challenging."
"Challenging? She shagged Amos Diggory all summer for Merlin's sake!"
"Why don't you scream it out for the whole room to hear," Mary snapped, sinking further into the couch. She'd prefer her sex life not to be public knowledge, especially when she was being ousted for shagging one of the nerdiest boys in their year. Mary couldn't help it, she had a type.
"Mary, if you do this for me I will owe you, like, big time," Emmeline promised, clasping her hands together in a final, desperate plea. "I will buy you all the candy from Honeydukes you want."
"Eh," Mary shrugged, playing hard to get. She watched Emmeline squirm to come up with a better offer and then, like a light bulb going off, she jumped.
"I'll give you the red dress." Now she had Mary's attention.
"The red dress?" There was only one dress Emmeline could be talking about and she knew Mary absolutely adored it.
"Yes, yes, she's yours, all yours if you agree."
Mary paused, considering for a moment whether the bargain was worth it. She did adore that dress…but was she willing to throw tomorrow completely down the drain? She'd need a flask full of Firewhiskey to get through a date with Reginald Cattermole.
"Fine," she relented. "I guess I'll go on your bloody double date."
"You won't regret it, I promise you won't regret it," Emmeline enthused, practically leaping in the air. Alice looked up from her notebook, smiling.
"True love triumphs," she teased. Mary threw her book at her, hitting Alice in the shoulder. "Hey, you never know, maybe one day you'll be telling this story to your kids."
"Fat chance," Mary grumbled.
Lily was having a good morning. She woke up five minutes before her alarm, showered, managed to achieve near perfect winged eyeliner, and even convinced Marlene to let her wear her favourite blouse. It was going to be a good day. Lily was excited to get off the castle grounds for an afternoon. Her first date with Fabian had been to Hogsmeade. They'd gone to the Hogs Head for lunch and drank their famous spiked Butterbeer. They'd still been underage at the time but Fabian had known the bartender.
Lily wanted to feel the way she had that day again. It'd felt like she was floating through a dream. She kissed him first. It'd been impossible to wait any longer when he had that goofy grin on his face. Lily had known immediately there'd be many more dates to come. Simple. God she missed when it was simple.
Her Chelsea boots clacked against the stone floor as she turned the corridor towards the Great Hall. She'd promised to meet Fabian for breakfast at nine. Today was going to be a good day, Lily was sure of it…
"Get out of the way, Mudblood." Someone brushed past Lily's shoulder, knocking her aside.
"Excuse me?" She couldn't quite believe what she'd heard. "What did you just call me?"
The girl who'd shoved her just kept walking, straight-backed, proud. Her long black her swished from side to side.
"Say that to my fucking face," Lily demanded, her hands shaking. The girl kept walking. She didn't pause, not once, and slipped into the Great Hall, leaving Lily trembling in her wake. For fuck's sake. She was going to cry. Lily turned in the opposite direction of the hall and rushed out the doors into the courtyard instead.
Damnit. Just like that Lily's perfect day had been ruined. She felt like she'd been hit by a truck. She was lying there on the road now, vulnerable, torn open for all to see, her insides exposed to the world. Fuck that girl, whoever she was.
"Are you okay?" It was James. He was sitting on one of the benches a few feet away, a cigarette burning between his fingers.
"I…" Lily blinked back tears, trying to piece together both her feelings about what had just happened and the fact that James Potter was in front of her. They were alone for the first time since that night. Lily inhaled deeply the scent of tobacco as James exhaled a mouthful of smoke.
"That'll kill you, you know." Those were the words she settled on, still shaking a little.
"Everything kills you," James quipped. He took another drag, looking at her closer, perhaps noticing the chatter of her teeth. Did she have to be such a wreck every time she saw him? "You sure you're okay?"
"Fine." She didn't sound fine though. She didn't feel fine. Especially not when she was standing in front of James, alone.
"You sure you don't want one of these?" James asked, holding up his box of Marlboro Blues. "They help calm the nerves."
Lily shook her head. "I hate the smell." She waited, wondering whether it was worth adding the second part of that statement. "They remind me too much of my dad."
She regretted it immediately, watching James' face fall with guilt. He swiftly stomped out his cigarette, eyes falling with shame. She should've just kept her mouth shut.
"I'm sorry—" he began.
"Don't apologize, you're perfectly allowed to smoke all the cigarettes you like."
"It's a bad habit," James admitted, shoving his hands into the pockets of his robe. "Sirius got me hooked and then I dragged down Marlene with me. I'm sure you'll outlive us all by a long shot."
"I think you're more resilient than that."
Lily ignored the unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach and joined James on the bench. Fabian would begin to wonder where she was. He'd probably assume she'd overslept; maybe he'd be irritated when she finally appeared in the Great Hall. Lily didn't care much right now.
"I don't hate cigarettes," she explained, not knowing why she felt so inclined to defend herself to James. "I liked them before. Cigars mostly, they were what my father loved."
"Mine too," James smiled.
"It's just, now they remind me of him, of finding him…" Lily could still taste the bile that had risen in the back of her throat when she stepped into that living room and saw her father's slouched body, cigar still clutched in his hand.
"I have something to admit," James said, eyes planted on the ground.
"Go on then."
"I was there, at your father's funeral."
"What?" Lily hadn't seen him there and she certainly hadn't invited James. She'd despised him at the time.
"I sat in the back row and left before anyone saw me. I don't even think Marlene knew I was there." Lily swallowed back a lump in her throat.
"Why?" Would she have done the same had roles been reversed?
"I don't know, maybe I wanted to be there for you, in some small, insignificant way, to prove that it wasn't just a game to me. Not that it mattered, not that you'd ever know, but at least I would." It was a touching gesture. James had never told anyone, not even his closest friends. He'd never used it against Lily, to prove some point about how much he cared. He'd simply done it because he cared.
"James I…" he looked up now, holding Lily in his gaze. How had she missed it, all these years, James' heart? It had always been in the right place. She'd been such a fool not to realize until now what a good guy he was. "How can I ever thank you?"
"You don't have to thank me," James insisted. "I didn't do it for that."
"I know." Lily didn't think; she simply reached – instinctively – for his hand, spread on the bench beside her. She placed hers on top at first and then curled her fingers between his. James looked from her hand to Lily in disbelief.
"Thank you anyway," she said, looking him right in the eye, wishing she'd come to see him the way she did now a year ago.
Sirius was in a rotten mood. He hadn't slept very well the night before and, just to make his day even better, he'd received a letter from Alphard's nurse. His uncle had passed away peacefully in his sleep. She informed him that, in his final days, he had left the entirety of his fortune to Sirius.
He couldn't understand why someone who barely knew him would bestow such a kind gesture. Sirius had no money to his name, nothing except for what the Potters provided him with (which, in fairness, was more than enough). Now Sirius would have a vault at Gringotts stacked with coins all of his own. It didn't feel as rewarding as he'd expected it to.
He'd decided to skip the first Hogsmeade trip. What was the point anyway? James and Remus would both be hanging out with their birds and Peter was never any good one-on-one, he'd only get on Sirius' nerves. It might be more fun getting the dorm room to himself for the day, no one around to bug him.
He'd made up his mind, and even begun to walk back up from the Great Hall to Gryffindor tower when a certain blonde stumbled upon him. Marlene was coming down the stairs, a jacket draped over her arm.
"What're you doing? The carriages are leaving—"
"I'm not going," Sirius informed her. "I don't feel well."
"Is this because of James? Because he and Sarah are spending the day together?"
"No, it's about me not feeling well." Sirius wasn't in the mood for questions. He tried to step past her but she blocked his way.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing, you're going to miss the carriages if you waste any more time talking to me—"
"Did something happen? Are you guys fighting?"
"No." Why couldn't she ever just keep her nose out of it? She always had to fix things. Perhaps that was why she took such a special interest in Sirius - he was damaged goods.
"Well fine," Marlene said, crossing her arms, "if you don't go I'm not going."
"Don't be ridiculous—"
"What am I going to do? Hang out with Peter all day? He'll be under the table after two drinks." That was true, Peter had always been terrible at holding his alcohol. It was also true that spending the afternoon at Hogsmeade getting drunk had become a tradition of theirs. It was a day to let loose and forget the rules (which many of the Hogsmeade barkeeps did if you tipped them well enough).
"My uncle died," Sirius blurted out, turning his head away so that he wouldn't have to see the pity in Marlene's eyes. He didn't want to hear her say how sorry she was. He'd barely known the guy anyway, why did he deserve sympathy?
"Sirius, I…" she paused, without needing him to tell her to, and swallowed her words. When he finally looked up he found her watching him, biting her lip anxiously.
"I'm okay," he promised. "It just…"
"Sucks?"
"Something like that."
"At least you got to say goodbye." Would Alphard still have left him the money if Sirius hadn't gone to see him? He'd been so close to not going…it was Marlene who had convinced him. He hadn't even had the kindness in his heart to stay the night. He didn't deserve Alphard's kindness now.
"What is it?" Marlene asked, watching the change in Sirius' face. "You can tell me."
"He left me everything," he told her, eyes on his shoes, "his entire fortune…"
"Holy shit."
"Yeah." Sirius shifted his weight from one foot to the other, waiting for Marlene to say something. He trusted her; he knew she'd tell him to do what was right. She'd tell him he couldn't take the money, that he didn't deserve it.
"You'll be set for life then won't you?"
He looked up in shock. "What?"
"Come on, your uncle would not have left you his money if he didn't think you deserved it. You have no family of your own to inherit from and we both know you'd never feel right taking money from the Potters for the rest of your life." She had a point there. "I know you don't believe it, but you deserve good things, Sirius."
He rolled his eyes. "Really." She reached out, touching his arm, squeezing it reassuringly. Her fingers ran down towards his hand and then fell away. "Won't you come to Hogsmeade?" she was unrelenting. "It won't be any fun without you."
"You are such a pusher."
"I just know you'll regret it! You hate being left out."
"I think you're getting us confused."
"Come on, we can go to Donovan's." Sirius' eyes lit up. "I know how much you love it there." Donovan's was a pub on the edge of town, one rarely (if ever) visited by students. The Marauders had discovered it though, back in fifth year. They were good friends with Don now and he had been sliding them free drinks forever.
"Fine," Sirius agreed, pretending like he wasn't glad he'd run into Marlene and let her convince him. There was little Marlene couldn't convince Sirius to do.
Alice and Frank left Honeydukes with bags full of candy. Alice liked to stay well stocked (she had a terrible sweet tooth) and she always made sure to buy Frank's mother a container of crystalized pineapple to send home to her.
"You don't need to bribe my mother you know." Frank laughed at her every time. The tradition had started when Frank and Alice had first begun dating and she'd wanted to send his mother a gift to prove what a sweet, well-raised young lady she was. She hadn't been able to stop once she'd started; she so desperately wanted Augusta to like her.
"Where to next?" Alice asked with a mouthful of jelly slugs.
"Let's go get some tea," Frank suggested. Alice knew there was only one tea shop in town, Madam Puddifoot's, and it would be a total love fest there today. It was also where she and Frank had shared their first date three years ago and because of that, they found time to fit a trip in whenever they were in town.
Alice wasn't so keen on the tea shop today though. She didn't know if she could stomach sitting in a room full of loved-up couples, many of them on first dates when she had committed the ultimate betrayal and Frank hadn't the faintest clue.
They paused outside, staring in the shop window. It was packed, as Alice had expected, and her stomach turned anxiously as they stepped inside, the bell above the door ringing. Frank insisted they wait the extra fifteen minutes just to get a table by the window (the same table they'd sat at for their first date). Alice settled into her chair feeling sick to her stomach. How could she sit here and lie to her boyfriend? How could she hold his hand across the table and not admit to the terrible wretch she was? She had to tell him. Had to.
"What can I get you two lovebirds?" Madam Puddifoot asked, pushing a grey curl from her eyes. She was beaming and rosy-cheeked as usual. At least something's stayed the same.
"Two Early Greys?" Frank requested.
"And some biscuits perhaps?" Madam Puddifoot smiled.
"That sounds lovely." She disappeared back through the sea of tables and Alice was left to make her confession. She doubted either of them would have the stomach for biscuits once the truth was revealed.
"You look beautiful."
"What? No I…I don't…" Alice ran her hand across her sweaty brow. How on earth was she going to make it through this alive?
"You do," Frank insisted. "You're the prettiest girl in the room."
"Don't be silly." Alice could feel the colour rising in her cheeks. She hated when Frank showered her with compliments on a normal day, but right now? When she was about to break his heart? She had her eyes cast down, struggling to conjure up the courage she needed to start her next sentence.
"Alice," Frank said before she got her chance, "there's something I want to ask you." She looked up mouth agape. He'd figured it out, hadn't he? "I don't want you to freak out, okay? I just felt, well, with everything that happened this summer, all that we went through together, I really do feel we've come out stronger, don't you?" What the hell was he doing?
"I…I suppose…"
"I know these past few months have been anything but easy for you." Frank's hand slid across the table, reaching for Alice's. He couldn't be exposing her then? He took her hand in his. What the fuck was going on? "Alice, I love you."
"I love you too?"
"It's only ever been you for me."
It was incredibly hot. Alice's eyes darted around the room, wondering if anyone else was feeling as overwhelmed as she was. Holy shit.
"You look like you're about to pass out," Frank frowned. "Al?"
'Alice.' She was fifteen, just home for the holidays. She'd been sneaking out every night to see Frank. It felt exciting. They'd only started having sex recently, and now they couldn't keep their hands off of each other. She told her parents she was spending the night at Marlene's and took the Floo Network to the Longbottom's instead. Augusta was always out like a light after nine.
'Yeah?' Alice was just about to grab a handful of Floo powder. Her mother hovered. Her face was strained. There was a speech coming, Alice could sense it.
'You know you don't have to lie to me.' She hadn't been expecting that. 'If you're spending the night with Frank…'
'Mum…' Was she that bad a liar?
'Oh, come on Al, as if I wasn't going to notice. I knew you two would be getting up to no good sometime soon."
'You're not…mad?'
'No,' her mother laughed. 'Just be safe okay?' Alice nodded. 'And don't lie, not to me. Ever.'
Liar. That's what you are, Alice thought, sitting across the table from Frank. Madam Puddifoot returned with their teapot and plate of biscuits.
"Frank, I've been awful to you these past few months." Alice could feel the lump forming in the back of her throat. Merlin, she was going to cry. She was going to cry in the middle of Madam Puddifoot's. Fuck.
"You haven't, Alice that's what I'm trying to say, I love you. All of you. Every piece, even the shitty ones." Alice laughed, tears welling in her eyes. "Please don't cry," Frank said softly. He rubbed his thumb along the inside of her wrist. Coward. That's what her mother would say. You're being a coward.
"I know what I want Alice." He was so sincere. He would never do anything to hurt her. He was good. How was he so fucking good? Alice had been good once too. Where had that girl gone? "I've known since I was eleven." Now she was really crying, tears dripping into her lap. Alice hoped people couldn't see her crying as they walked past the window. She wished Frank hadn't insisted on the window seat.
"Will you marry me?"
Mary moved through the stacks in Dominic's Music Shop, listening to Emmeline's incessant giggling from across the room. She and Devon were hitting it off rather well. He'd suggested they step into the music shop and had begun flipping through artists, doing his best impressions to get Emmeline laughing.
Mary, on the other hand, had barely spoken more than a few sentences to Reg. He was shy, she'd known that going in but it was worse than she'd expected, and he never spoke unless spoken to. She didn't know how she was going to make it through the rest of the day without alcohol.
"Who are your favourite artists?" Mary asked him. She couldn't bear the silence any longer, especially when she had to watch Emmeline enjoying herself so much. Reg was standing on the other side of the stacks. He looked up, shocked that Mary had actually spoken to him.
"I don't know," he shrugged. He never quite met her glance when they spoke. "The Hobogoblins are quite good. I like The Weird Sisters." Mary had never been able to get into any of the music from the Wizarding world.
"What about muggle artists?" She was desperate to find at least one thing they had in common. At least it'd give them something to talk about.
"Well…only the very popular ones..." was that it? Was that all she would get out of him? Mary sighed, flipping through a row of Beatles records. Maybe she'd buy one and send it back to Patrick, he loved it when she recommended music to him. They had Abbey Road, she wondered whether her brother owned that one yet.
"I like Joni Mitchell," Reg said finally. Mary looked up at him, eyebrows raised.
"You like Joni Mitchell?"
He nodded. "I know that's not really cool for guys to say—"
"I think it's cool," Mary insisted. "Joni Mitchell is one of the best artists of our generation. Blue is an amazing album. I want her played at my funeral."
Reg cracked a smile. He wasn't unattractive. His eyes were warm. Chocolaty brown. Comforting. They lit up when he smiled. He had a nice smile too, spread from freckled cheek to cheek.
"What's your favourite song?" Mary asked.
"Circle Game," he told her.
"Oh, I love that one." How many times had Mary lifted the needle on her record player to start the song over from the top?
"What about Joan Baez?" Reg inquired, growing more confident. Mary was shocked to finally have him furthering the conversation.
"I love her."
"We're going to The Hogs Head," Emmeline announced, striding up to the pair. Devon was waiting by the door impatiently. "Coming?" Mary didn't like the triumphant look in her eyes, as though she'd won now that Mary and Reg were actually getting into a conversation.
"Yes," Mary agreed, "I could use one of their drinks." Five good minutes of conversation didn't mean Mary wasn't still regretting her decision to come on this date and she would not let Emmeline forget it.
Donovan's was at least a twenty-minute walk from the main street. It was hidden, further back, past the parkette, so that only those who truly knew their way around Hogsmeade could find it. It was frequented by locals who avoided the more popular pubs, especially when students were in town, but James and Sirius had discovered Donovan's in fifth year and charmed the bar owner so much he had made an exception, just for them.
Peter, Sirius, and Marlene stopped first at all the shops in town, stocking up on treats at Honeydukes and Zonko's gadgets just like all the other students. The only difference was that when they finished, they turned the corner in the opposite direction of the main pubs.
One might almost miss Donovan's if they didn't know what they were looking for. It was an old, Tudor style building, the entrance distinguished only by a sign hanging above the front door, worn out and dirty:
Donovan's Pub
Since 1927
The bell above the door rang as the three of them stepped inside, Sirius leading the way (as always). It felt strange coming here without James and Remus. It was always a group activity, sharing a few pints at Donovan's at the end of a Hogsmeade trip. Marlene had perfected a charm that wiped the smell of alcohol from their breath after they were almost caught by Professor McGonagall when returning to Hogwarts in sixth year.
There were a couple people sitting up at the bar, a few in the booths and tables around the room. Locals looked suspiciously upon the new arrivals, all of whom were quite obviously students.
"Oi! Look what the cat dragged in!" Came a boisterous, yet cheerful, voice. Donovan stepped out from the back, a dishtowel thrown over his shoulder. He was a cheery man, large, balding, and always rosy-cheeked. He had a charming grin – although his teeth left much to be desired. It was Donovan's warm personality, more than anything that made one want to come back to his pub time and time again.
"Where are the others? You're two short." The three of them stepped up to the bar, sliding onto free stools.
"They off with their birds," Sirius said, eyebrows rising suggestively. "They might join us soon."
"Their loss, you three get the first round on the house."
"You don't have to do that!" Marlene insisted. He was kind enough to serve them alcohol when it was strictly forbidden, but giving it away for free seemed almost too kind.
"I insist, my treat to celebrate your return. It's been too quiet around this bloody town without you lot stirring up trouble."
"Let the man give us the free drinksMarlene," Sirius said from between his teeth.
"Go grab a booth," Donovan told them, nodding towards the back of the bar. "I'll have some beers brought over."
Marlene was glad to see Sirius' spirits raised at the least. She knew he had the letter announcing his uncle's death shoved into his pocket, weighing him down. She was happy to see that forcing him out for the day had provided some distraction.
"Do you think James will bring Sarah?" Peter asked, drumming his fingers along the tabletop.
"What happened to wanting to see James and Lily get together?" Sirius turned to him in disbelief. He knew well himself that nothing had come of that ridiculous "plan."
"I don't know," Peter shrugged, looking like a guilty child who'd just been caught lying. "I like Sarah."
"More than you like Lily?"
"You realize Lily has a boyfriend?" Marlene sighed. "In fact, your friends with him—"
"Oh come on! You guys can't both be quitting!"
"I was never really on board, to begin with," Marlene reminded him, hands up in defeat.
"Three beers on the house."
It wasn't Donovan delivering their drinks but a younger man with an apron tied around his waist. Marlene didn't recognize him at first, not until he stood up at his full height and pushed a strand of brown hair from his eyes. She stared at him, blinking twice to make sure she wasn't imagining things.
For a moment they were simply gazing at each other before his eyes lit up with recognition and he smiled, "Merlin's beard, Marlene McKinnon." He shook his head in wonder, "is that really you?"
"In the flesh," she replied, struggling not to grin like an idiot. She was thrilled to see him, after all these years. "What on earth are you doing here, Henry?"
"Don needed a bartender and I needed room and board."
Marlene couldn't quite believe Henry Fawley was standing there in front of her. He had been a friend of Amy's while she was at Hogwarts. They both been Gryffindors, in the same year, and run in similar circles throughout their school careers. He was four years older than Marlene, and she'd always been in awe of him. She'd see him lounging about the common room, or zooming high above the Quidditch pitch on his broom and struggled to conceal her schoolgirl crush. Even Amy had teased her about it.
"You look..." Marlene feared what his next words might be, "well, you don't look anything like the fourteen-year-old girl I remember." She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at him, just as awe-struck as she'd been at fourteen when she'd last seen him at a party she and Amy had thrown while their parents were away. He was just as handsome, maybe more so, and charming as ever.
"I should hope not," she blushed, forgetting that Sirius and Peter were sitting right there, watching their reunion unfold.
"You're not going to rat on us for sneaking some drinks are you Henry?" Sirius interrupted, making himself known.
"I'd be a hypocrite if I did, I was a regular back in my day." Henry's green eyes shifted back to Marlene. "We should catch up sometime," he suggested, making her heart soar. Henry Fawley suggesting they hang out. Wasn't that what she'd always dreamed of? "I'd love to hear how Amy's doing."
"Of course," Marlene agreed, though she had no interest in talking about Amy with him. There were others things, many things, she would rather do first...
"It's really good seeing you."
"You too," Marlene said, still not entirely convinced she wasn't dreaming. With a final smile Henry turned back towards the bar, the image of his dimpled cheeks burned into Marlene's brain.
How was it that even the back of his head was attractive? Marlene watched him all the way back to the bar, wondering whether it was at all possible for him to see her as anything but Amy's little sister. Probably not. Besides, Henry was too fit to be on the market. Marlene assumed he had a whole line of birds at his beck and call.
"Careful Marlene," Sirius said, "you're drooling."
"Shut up."
They finished their first round and sent Peter for a second and Sirius insisted he go up for their third (Marlene suspected he didn't want her to spend any more time alone with Henry than need be) and by the time James rolled into the bar the three of them were sufficiently buzzed.
He was alone, which made Sirius rather smug. "Told you," he whispered to Peter.
"I need a drink," James announced the moment he'd sat down. Marlene could see in his face that something was wrong. Sarah's absence certainly wasn't a good sign.
"Wormtail," Sirius ordered, "another round."
"But—" Peter tried to protest but when Sirius pulled out his wallet and handed it to him he went quiet, sliding from the booth without another word.
"I'm an idiot," James said, head in his hands.
"Did something happen with Sarah?"
"I told her the truth."
"The truth?" Marlene looked to Sirius who was just as confused. James wouldn't look at either of them, his hands still covering his face.
"Lily and I kissed." No one said a word. They were so silent in fact, James looked up, gazing at them expectantly, waiting for any response at all. "The night she was attacked…it was completely impulsive, and stupid, and I let myself believe it might mean something more—"
"Who kissed who?" Marlene interrupted, as though it mattered.
"Well, she kissed me first—"
"I knew it. Didn't I know it?" Sirius was triumphant. "She fancies you Prongs!"
"What does it matter? She'll never leave Fabian. She'll never want me, not really, and here I am throwing away a good thing for more disappointment."
"You ended things with Sarah?" Sirius asked, struggling to disguise his joy.
"I might as well have. I told her about Lily and she…didn't take it as well as I might have hoped."
"Well she was never going to be pleased," Marlene, reasoned. She couldn't believe James and Lily had both kept this from her. How many times had she asked them both for a detailed account of that night?
"She said it was pathetic, me still pining for Lily, and she's right."
"That's not true mate, she's shown you that there's a shot!"
"She hasn't though. She and Fabian are closer than ever. She loves him. I was simply an impulse, an itch she needed to scratch and now she's finished."
Marlene didn't bother telling James that things between Lily and Fabian had not seemed so easy lately. In fact, she had the feeling they were both clinging desperately to the memories of a good relationship that was slowly fading. Maybe Lily fancied James more than she cared to admit.
A/N: Bloodbuzz Ohio may seem a strange name for this chapter but give the song a listen if you can. It's a beautiful song by The National and it's got a very nostalgic feel to it (which I feel fits well with nearly every characters situation in this chapter) also, "I'm on a bloodbuzz" is my absolute favourite alternative to "I'm drunk." Hope you enjoyed this chapter, much more drama to come. xx
