Lily was biting anxiously at her lip as she sat before her desk in the center of the silent Great Hall. Professor McGonagall stood at the head of the hall, watching students closely to make sure she caught anyone trying to steal someone else's answers.

It was Lily's final exam of the day, and her second last one before she was completely done with N.E.W.T.S. It was a rather strange feeling. These were the last exams she'd ever take…

"Ten more minutes," Professor McGonagall informed them all, the life-sized hour glass behind her beginning to sizzle out.

Lily twirled her quill through her long red hair to distract herself as she puzzled over the last few questions on the exam. She let her glance wander for a moment – although she knew her last few minutes on the exam were better spent focusing on perfecting her answers.

Marlene and Peter were at desks beside each other a few rows up. Marlene's blonde hair hid her face as she scribbled ceaselessly onto her parchment. Peter – as he did during most exams – looked as though he were in great distress, rubbing his forehead with attention.

Lily took a deep breath, turning her green eyes back down to face her own parchment. She'd written so much her right hand ached and she stretched it out for some relief. To her right, she saw a tall boy with long, black, greasy hair hanging in his face. Severus practically had his nose pressed into the parchment as he finished off his final questions.

Lily wondered how he was doing. She remembered the way the used to excitedly run to each other after exams to share their results or the hours they'd spend tucked into the library beforehand, studying. It was hard for Lily to remember that now without a horrible sinking pit in her stomach.

"Finish up your questions now," McGonagall instructed them. Lily turned back to her exam with fear, double checking that everything was as complete as it could be. Her answer to the last question wasn't as long as she'd have liked but she hadn't had enough time to properly study for it…

"Quills down," McGonagall told them now. Lily ignored the request as she anxiously tried to scribble in a few more lines. "That means you too Ms. Evans," she heard from across the hall. Lily dropped her quill, looking up at her professor with guilty eyes.

"Sorry," she apologized, pushing the parchment before her forward. McGonagall glared in her direction as she flicked her wand so that all the papers in the room flew into a neat pile on the desk behind her.

Everyone began to gather their things and file out of the room, their faces filled with relief.

"How do you think you did?" Mary asked, rushing up to Lily's side. The redhead shrugged.

"I always feel as though I've failed walking out."

"I think I did fabulously," Marlene informed the group of them, rushing up beside Mary, Peter following in her wake.

"Oh piss off McKinnon, not all of us have photographic memories."

Marlene grinned proudly. She knew it was true. As they reached the Entrance Hall Marlene turned towards the Courtyard doors.

"I've got Quidditch practice," she informed the girls, plus Peter.

"Oh, isn't the final game soon?" Peter asked excitedly. Marlene nodded.

"Last practice before," she confirmed.

"Emmy," Mary greeted her friend as Emmeline emerged from the Great Hall. "Come on, we're suntanning and watching Marley's practice."

"Great," Marlene complained. "So you guys can be all tan and gorgeous as I sweat my ass off in the air."

"Precisely," Mary nodded proudly. The group of them all headed out into the warm May afternoon, the sun radiating down on the Hogwarts grounds. There were students everywhere, playing games of Exploding Snaps, studying, lying down by the water.

"I wish we got more time with the grounds like this," Lily admitted, stretching her arms out wide like a bird. "It's so beautiful."

"I wish I didn't have to spend the warm months of the year crammed into my dorm room studying," Emmeline pouted.

"Well, it'll all be over soon," Marlene reminded her friend. She led the group, the rest of them trailing behind her. Lily figured she was in a rush to get down to the field and have her gear on before she was stuck in the Change Rooms alone with James and Sirius.

"Hey Pete, are you and that nice girl - the one with the great eyes - still together?" Mary asked suddenly. Peter seemed to peak up all of a sudden.

"Aldora? Yes, why?" Lily had never seen someone so defensive over a simple question of relationship status.

"Just wondering," Mary shrugged. "She was really beautiful. Is she your date to the Longbottoms' second wedding?"

Emmeline, Marlene, and Lily all broke into laughter. Since Augusta had announced she'd be putting back together the wedding she'd originally had planned, Alice had been complaining about it to them all endlessly. Lily had never seen an already married person so terrified to go through with nuptials a second time.

She herself hadn't really mentioned her whole engagement thing to any of her friends. It felt strange to announce it, especially when she couldn't have the excited jump around with Marlene she'd always imagined. For now, Lily had kept the special ring tucked away in her jewelry box until the right moment came.

"Of course," Peter nodded, seeming to take the suggestion very seriously. "Yes."

The group came to the edge of the Quidditch pitch. Marlene hurried off to the change rooms while the rest of them filed up to the bleachers. Lily pulled her sunglasses out of her book bag and lay back.

"You're going to burn in seconds," Emmeline warned her, one bench below Lily.

"Shut up!"

"How do you deal with being so pale, Lily?" Peter joined in. Lily squinted at him, sat on the bleacher beside her.

"Don't you start in on me now too, Peter!"

"Do you ever use the snow as camouflage in the winter?"

Lily gasped, jumping up to shoot Peter a dirty glance. His comment had the other two girls in hysterics. Mary clapped her hands proudly, shaking her head.

"Go Peter!"

"I didn't know you had it in you," Emmeline congratulated him as Peter smiled on proudly. Lily shook her head.

"You've switched sides," she announced with disappointment. Just then a group of students headed in for the change rooms, James and Sirius laughing their way down to the Quidditch pitch.

"Nice legs, Potter!" Lily called after her boyfriend, teasing him. James looked around him in confusion, clueless as to who had cried out his name. Sirius was the one to spot the crowd in the bleachers, pointing up to Lily with a grin.

"Alright, Evans?" James called back. Lily grinned, blowing her boyfriend a kiss. She quite liked that silly goof.


Remus couldn't get himself to concentrate on studying anymore. In fact, he was certain his brain had absorbed absolutely nothing in the past hour of Potions revision he'd been trying to do.

"You look like you could use a cup of tea," Alice suggested. Remus was sat in the back corner of the Common Room, struggling to study while the rest of his friends were down at Quidditch practice.

"I'd love one actually," Remus admitted, jumping up from his chair in a matter of seconds. Alice smirked as he gathered up his things and headed down towards the kitchen with her.

"How've you been doing?" she asked, her hands dug into the pockets of her sweater.

"Exhausted. Miserable. Angry. The usual. How about you?"

Alice laughed. "How do you expect me to follow up that?"

Remus hated behaving this way like he had the hardest life in the world. It was just hard not to feel that way when he was beginning to feel like everything in his life, which had held any meaning, was slipping away.

"I'm acting like such a dick, aren't I?" He asked with worry. Alice just rolled her eyes.

"Oh, stop being so hard on yourself, Remus!" She looped her arm through his. "So, you're having a shitty month. That doesn't mean you have a shitty life. I mean, think about all the good things that have happened recently." Remus tried to put his mind to the task but found it rather difficult. Alice sighed heavily. "Well, what about the fact that everyone found out the truth about your…transformations," Alice whispered the last part, "your worst fear, and no one cared."

Remus bit at the inside of his mouth thoughtfully. He supposed that had been pretty nice…Truthfully, in the midst of everything else, Remus had completely forgotten the rest of the group had even discovered his secret the night of Marlene's big breakdown. A few days later Mary, Emmeline, and the Prewett twins had approached to ask him about whether or not it had been true. When Remus had anxiously admitted to them it was they'd all barely batted an eyelash, Mary had admitted she'd actually held suspicions all along.

"I know, I just…" Remus couldn't put the feeling into words. For weeks, he'd been trying to fix it. Putting his mind to anything that offered up a good distraction. He'd thought maybe it was Leila. Or the fact that school was nearing an end. Never seemed to quite hit the target, though…

Alice stopped in her tracks, causing Remus to pause and turn around to look at her with intrigue. "It's Dorcas," she said suddenly, Remus's face fell. Dorcas? How the hell did she know anything about Dorcas?

"What?"

Alice shook her head, a big grin plastered across her face. They were paused on the fifth-floor landing. "Marlene's birthday, you were really drunk and I didn't want to bring it up in the morning in case you were embarrassed."

He sure felt embarrassed now. "Oh, Merlin," Remus groaned.

"Oh, don't be so self-conscious, it's only me," Alice shoved the matter aside. "Is it her, Remus? Do you like her?"

He didn't know. He just knew that thinking about her made his head go all fuzzy. That he had dreams about the two reconnecting and he woke up filled with excitement – quickly following by dread once he remembered it was just a dream. He saw her big milky brown eyes and her infectious smile whenever he tried hard to concentrate on something that wasn't Dorcas Meadowes. He'd spent weeks memorizing every feeling of their kiss.

"You do! Holy shit, you like her. It wasn't just a kiss, was it?" Alice was jumping with excitement; she hit Remus hard on the side of the arm.

"Oi! What was that for?"

"Not telling me the details of this whole thing right away."

Remus rubbed at the aching spot on his arm as Alice took hold of his arm and began to drag him down the fifth-floor corridor.

"What are we doing?" he asked her as she pulled him along.

"You're going to talk to Dorcas," Alice announced. Remus stopped dead in his tracks, yanking her backward with him.

"What are you talking about?" He asked in horror. Alice had a knowing smirk on her face as she looked back at him.

"You can floo from Lisbon's room. I'll distract her. You'll have half an hour tops but that gives you some time at least—"

"Have you gone mad, Griffith? I can't just show up on her doorstep without any explanation. Besides, we both decided the kiss was a mistake…"

"Oh, rubbish," Alice shook her head. "Look at you! You're practically lovesick, it's written all over your face." Alice stepped closer towards her friend, taking Remus by the shoulders. He stared down into her comforting brown eyes. She had a mother's touch. "I've seen you be miserable for so long Remus," she told him. "I've seen you struggle with your secret and then struggle with its implications on those you love. You're always trying to protect everyone else, what about you?"

Remus knew she was right. When was the last time he'd done something just for him? When was he ever impulsive and pleasure driven? There was rarely anything in his life that actually gave him pleasure. Still, the idea of telling Dorcas the truth, of facing the reality of his feelings, was positively terrifying.

"I'm not saying you have to marry her," Alice reassured him. "All I'm asking is that you're honest, particularly with yourself."

"This is mad," Remus told her, rubbing his hands along the sides of his scarred face. Alice chuckled.

"We're students who attend a school for magic, I think we've surpassed mad." That brought a smile to Remus' face.

"Okay," he nodded. "Okay fine, chances are her floo network isn't even open."

Alice's eyes lit up with excitement as he finally agreed to take part in her insane plot. "Oh, it'll be open," she promised.

"How do you know?" Remus worried, growing more nervous at the prospect that this might actually happen.

"Because I told her I was going to have a chat with her this afternoon," Alice shrugged. "Sometimes Professor Lisbon lets me use the network in her office to speak to Dorcas for a little while through the fireplace."

Remus couldn't believe his ears. He'd wondered why Lisbon was always so cheerful to see Alice in class. The Defence Against the Arts teacher made no secret of her admiration for the young Gryffindor.

"I help her out with cleaning up after classes in return."

"Who are you?" Remus asked in shock. Alice looked at him with a big grin on her face. She was the most extraordinary person he'd ever met.

"Your favourite person," she told him surely, leading the way.


Marlene was the last one to land on the grassy Quidditch field as James called out for the end of practice. She stood at the back of the team as he gave them all a rather inspired speech about what a privilege it had been to be the captain of such an amazing team.

"Win or lose this Saturday, I'm just glad we've had such a successful season. It will be hard for teams after us to compete," he told them all. All the members began to surround him, taking part in a great bear hug. Marlene stuck out in the back, pulling away from the crowd.

Her blue eyes flickered towards the bleachers for a moment, to see her friends all watching with long faces. Lily, in particular, looked like she was ready to cry. Marlene met her glance for a few seconds, her stomach sinking, before she pulled away, strutting towards the change room. She hated when Lily did that, made her feel guilty for being mad.

All day her friends stared at her with such remorse whenever she avoided James or left the group when he arrived. It wasn't a malicious act. Truthfully, it wasn't even out of anger. She just couldn't bear to be around him anymore. The boy who'd once been her best friend, like a brother to her, was gone. Now, when she stared into James' hazel eyes, all she saw was Donovan's up in flames, the screams of her friends echoing from inside.

Marlene clenched her eyes shut for a second, paused before the change room door, as the image surfaced. Henry promising a second chance. His grin. His chiseled jaw. All burnt to a crisp.

"McKinnon!" Marlene spun around to see Gideon running up behind her. He clapped the blonde on her back. "You were a star today," he told her. "You missed those bludgers I threw your way every time."

"You need a better poker face," she advised him. "You can't make it so obvious when you're targeting me."

"Fair enough," Gideon nodded as they entered the change room together, the rest of the team quickly following. Marlene stripped off her Quidditch gear, leaving her in her workout pants and t-shirt. She grabbed the towel she'd brought along with her to practice and headed for the showers. The boys rarely took advantage of them so she'd gotten used to being the only one to use them.

They were just a row of three tiny, curtained off cubicles. Marlene stepped into one, drawing the curtain as she undressed and left her clothing hanging on the hook just outside. The water started up. Warm yet not burning. It squirted from the showerhead at the perfect pressure, so that Marlene spun around slowly in joy, soaking every inch of her body.

It felt good to be alone for the first time in the day, away from all the bustle of school. She felt like her friends were always watching her in fear like she was some kind of ticking time bomb about to blow. She figured she would do the same with one of them…were they in the same position.

Marlene leaned back against the tiled wall of the shower. She couldn't go on like this anymore, feeling like she was disappointing them all. She couldn't continue to see the look of pain in Lily's eyes every time she avoided James or the sorrow which filled James' face when she rejected his advances for a reunion of some kind.

Why did they all expect her to act exactly as she had before the accident? She wasn't that girl anymore. She'd never be that girl again. The Marlene who thought only of others was gone. The Marlene who ignored every shitty thing James Potter did to her because of "history" had disappeared. Why should she feel bad about that?

After a few more minutes of rinsing herself off, Marlene turned off the water, her thick blonde hair dripping onto the shower floor. She wrapped her towel around her middle, throwing the curtain back.

"Fuck!" she cursed, scared senseless upon finding Sirius standing beyond her curtain. He had only a pair of black jeans on, his dark hair slicked back with sweat. "How long have you been standing there?"

"I was just making sure you were still in here, everyone else has cleared out."

Marlene squeezed out her hair upon the tiled floor, listening to the splatter of water which came from it. "You scared the shit out of me," she informed him, Sirius giving her his legendary smirk.

"Appears so," he nodded.

"What?" Marlene demanded, catching him staring. He had a funny look in his gray eyes like there was something he desperately wanted to say but couldn't find the strength for.

"How are you?"

Marlene raised her eyebrows. "You've never asked that before," she told him, standing up a little straighter. "Are you okay?"

"No," Sirius admitted. The honesty of the answer caught her off guard. Her hard exterior began to crack just the slightest. "Do you remember your birthday at all?" he asked her, frowning.

Marlene scoffed. "Barely. I know I woke up with the world's worst hangover…" Marlene paused for a second, recognizing the look in his eyes. It was one she'd worn many times. "Oh no, did I say something?" she asked in horror. The familiarness of the scene was sickening, what was worse was the sudden change in roles. Sirius had the same anguish in his expression Marlene had worn many time times before.

"You said a lot of things," he confirmed. Marlene's stomach knotted with anxiety.

"Are you going to tell me or just leave me assuming the worst?" she asked, her hand pressed to her forehead. Sirius stepped towards her suddenly, his eyes determined.

"I know I screwed up," he told her. "I hurt you, more than once. Too much." His face pinched as though a sour taste had filled his mouth. Suddenly, Marlene was finding it rather difficult to breath.

"What are you doing?" she asked him fearfully. Sirius was so close now she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. She closed her eyes as his hand slide up along the side of her face, his fingers tangling in her wet hair.

"I want you. I've always wanted you. I've just been too much of a wanker to be honest about it."

Marlene thought she might be sick. Here Sirius was, saying everything she'd been dying to hear for so long. She felt like this was where she was supposed to pinch herself and wake up from the dream.

"Maybe it's a horrible idea, maybe we're both too commitment shy and damaged. Maybe I've hurt you one too many times…but maybe this is exactly where we're supposed to be." It felt as though the Earth had stopped spinning, if only for a few minutes, just to watch this scene take place.

Slowly, with nervousness he'd never possessed before, Sirius leaned in, his lips pressing to Marlene's. Tears filled Marlene's eyes as it went on, his lips to hers, his hands in her hair.

"Sirius," she pulled away abruptly. Her breathing was quick and her forehead pressed against his. Sirius held her face in his hands.

"Your mine," he said to her quietly, "and I'm yours and we've been running from it for so long…"

A sob escaped Marlene's lips, catching Sirius off guard. He pulled away from their embrace, staring at her with concern. Another person's tears might have been ignorable but Marlene McKinnon never just cried.

"I can't," she sobbed. "It's too late…"

"No," Sirius replied in denial. "I know you feel the same way, I know you still want what you wanted back in October."

Marlene turned away from him, wiping away the tears, which spilled from the corners of her eyes. "Please don't make this harder for me, Sirius," she begged him.

He couldn't understand. She did want him. She wanted to turn around and throw herself into his arms and pretend like the past year had just been a horrible nightmare…but it hadn't. He'd hurt her and she'd fallen in love with Henry, and now? Henry was dead and Marlene was left with a dirtied conscious.

"I'm not letting you walk away," he told her. "I'm not going to give you another excuse to say this is my fault—"

"Don't you get it?" Marlene hollered at him, turning around to face him once more. Her vision was blurred with tears. "Henry's dead. We didn't just break up or grow apart, he was murdered. I don't just get to do what I want, I don't just get to be with you," she gestured towards Sirius with a roughness to her tone.

How could he understand how much it hurt to do this? He didn't know why Henry had ended things between them, or why Marlene had needed to beg forgiveness. The truth was, if Sirius had woken up in the Hospital Wing those months ago, after she'd rescued him, and said what he was saying now, she would have never mended things with Henry. She would have never let herself love him.

"I know you're scared," Sirius said stepping intimidatingly close to her. "I'm scared too, but I'm not going to just turn my back on whatever this means. I'm not going to let you walk away when you know this is right, whatever fucked up thing lies between us. I'll wait—"

"Fuck, don't say that," Marlene pleaded painfully.

"I will," Sirius promised her. "I swear to God, McKinnon, I'll wait years if that's how long it takes you. It's not about the shagging or the nice tits—"

"Fucking hell," Marlene cursed. Leave it to Sirius to bring up her tits in the middle of an emotional monologue.

"You get me. You get me like no one else does. You make me fucking furious, you know that? Sometimes I could murder you and sometimes you're the only person in the world who knows how to talk to me. No one has ever done that for me, Marlene. I grew up treated like a burden and then I moved in with the Potters' and I felt like I was a burden because they were so kind for no reason. Then you came along and…" he pinched the bridge of his nose as though this were all very challenging to get out.

"This isn't fair," she told him. Marlene kept her back turned as tears continued to fill her sea blue eyes. She'd waited months to hear Sirius be honest with her and now it felt like she was drowning in the words that spilled from his mouth.

"I'm being honest—"

"So am I!" Marlene snapped. She felt vulnerable now as she stood before him, wrapped in nothing but her towel. Her feelings out before them. "Just…can you just give me a minute?" She asked, taking a second to breathe. She still had her back to him, unable to face the look she was certain Sirius was giving her. "Can I get dressed?"

"Yeah," Sirius sounded as if he were getting ready to leave. "I'll leave," he assured her. "You don't owe me anything—"

Marlene spun back around abruptly, her eyes wide with fear. Sirius was walking away, headed for the door. Every rational fiber of her being told her to let go because she knew she couldn't fall into anything with him, not yet. It didn't stop her from acting like an idiot.

"Sirius!" He stopped in his tracks at the sound of his name, facing her. Marlene rushed forward, throwing her body into his, ignoring her minimal clothing. Her lips found his in a desperate way, hungry for his touch. They kissed passionately – Marlene's hands pressed into Sirius' bare chest.

He shoved her back against the wall behind them; his hands pinned on either side. Marlene pulled her lips away, the back of her head pressed against the wall, her eyes on Sirius.

"It's all I can give you," she admitted to him. "Do you get what that means?"

"I don't care—"

"I do," she told him, her hands cupping his face. That wonderful face. All stubble and jaw. Marlene's hands had traveled its terrain many times. "I'm not that girl anymore," she said with an air of regret. "I don't know if I'll ever be her again…"


Remus landed in the middle of Dorcas' fireplace, immediately ready to turn around.

"Remus?" Dorcas squawked in shock, jumping up from her living room couch. She'd been rested casually, her feet curled beneath her, a magazine rested upon her knees. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore an oversized white cable knit sweater.

"I'm so sorry," Remus immediately began to spit out. "Alice told me to do it, she practically shoved me into the fireplace, this was unfair—" he turned, ready to go right back the way he'd come when Dorcas' voice stopped him.

"Why'd you come?" she asked innocently. Remus turned to find her standing, arms crossed, before him. Her flat's living room was dimly lit in the dying light which shone from outside. The space was filled with large, open windows on one side from which you could see the sunset's reflection upon buildings.

"Because…" Remus didn't know if he could say it. How to word it. How to explain what he barely understood. He could hardly breathe. "Leila and I broke up," he finally choked out.

"Oh Remus…" Dorcas' face fell. "I'm sorry, I know how much you cared about her." She was right, and yet, in that moment Leila was the furthest thing from his mind.

"Also, I can't stop thinking about you," Remus admitted, stepping closer to Dorcas. It was the biggest jump he'd ever taken. It was the least Remus like thing to say and yet, he'd done it. He watched her anxiously as Dorcas' face possessed every emotion possible. Shock. Amazement. Awe.

"What are you talking about?" The words shook as the slipped from her mouth. It was enough to tell Remus she cared.

"I'm talking about the fact that the kiss was not a mistake." He'd really gone and done it now. "In fact, I feel like it's the only clear minded thing I've done this past year." Dorcas looked absolutely petrified. "You found out I was a werewolf and you just…" Remus couldn't even find the words to convey his feelings.

"How can you think that that is the most important thing about you?" Dorcas asked in disbelief.

"I don't, not when I'm around you."

"Remus I'm four years older than you—"

"People are being murdered and disappearing everyday. Half of your Auror department is gone and you're worrying about four years?"

"I'm just trying to be realistic here! I'm your superior in many ways and—"

He cut her off for the second time. "I don't care. I…I know I should. I would, usually, but do you know I haven't had one dream you weren't in since that kiss? I haven't gone one day without your name popping up in my head. I'm starting to realize…maybe that's been happening for longer than I thought."

Dorcas ran her hands along the sides of her forehead dropping back down onto the couch. She looked ready to pass out. Remus' eyes traveled from the fireplace back to the woman before him. He felt like the right thing was to offer to leave but he couldn't. He didn't feel like himself around Dorcas.

"If you don't feel the same…" He didn't want it to be true. "I'll go—"

"No!" she called out, stopping him quickly. Remus looked at her expectantly, his heart practically soaring.

"Fuck," Dorcas cursed, her head dropping. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing," she admitted, Remus taking short, measured, steps towards her. He sat down on her fluffy, black couch cushion, his hand reaching out for hers. The moment they touched Remus felt her flinch, as though a jolt had gone through the two of them. Dorcas looked towards Remus, her eyes round with fear.

"You make me feel like I'm falling off a cliff," Dorcas told him, her voice only loud enough for him.

"Is that a compliment?"

"Terrified and yet absolutely exhilarated."

"Is that how it feels?" he teased her, leaning in inch by inch. Dorcas' eyes were already closed as Remus' lips found hers. It was slow and sweet, like the kiss shared outside the hospital wing, and then it grew long and hungry. Dorcas leaned backwards, pulling Remus down closer and closer towards her.

Remus had had made out before; he and Leila had done so many times, but never like this. Never with so much passion and desire. Never as though it were the only thing keeping him alive. Remus' lips traveled the length of Dorcas neck as she unbuckled her pants. He quickly did the same.

"You're beautiful," he told her, Dorcas grinning up at him from below. Remus pushed into her, their lips pressing together and then parting. Dorcas stared up at him, her lips parted, her breathing heavy. Her eyes never left his. Remus stared down at her, without a word, his every nerve on fire.

Her legs were locked around his waist. His arms rested on either side of her. Dorcas reached her hands up, taking Remus' face in them. She looked him right in the eyes, filled with determination.

"Don't stop," she instructed him. "Don't ever stop."


It was late in the evening, the night before the Potions exam, and Lily was tucked away in the Prefect's office, studying like a mad woman. She'd convinced herself that she wasn't prepared for the exam and needed extra time spent on the material. Currently, the redhead was feeling as though her brain were about to explode.

"A-ha," a familiar voice exclaimed. Lily looked up to see her boyfriend standing at the end of the table, a smirk on his face. "Thought I'd find you in here." Lily let loose a dramatic sigh before dropping her head down atop the pile of textbooks before her.

"You need a break," he told her, coming around the table.

"I need to pass this exam with flying colours." James slid something across the table and when Lily looked up she found a steaming mug of milky tea. Her eyes widened with gratitude.

"Oh my god, I love you," she squealed, her hands wrapping around the white mug, lifting its edges to her lips.

"I haven't caught you without textbooks in hand for one moment this past week. Cut yourself some slack, okay?" James instructed her. He kicked his feet up on top of the table, crossing his arms casually as he leaned back into his chair.

"The truth is, the studying is the only thing keeping me from thinking about what happens next." Lily hadn't actually said it out loud yet but she knew it was true. Letting herself get completely swallowed up in schoolwork helped to distract from the ever pressing ending about to occur.

"I don't even know what I'm doing, James," Lily admitted, feeling absolutely defeated. "I mean, I guess I've always seen myself becoming an Auror or something? When McGonagall pulled me into her office in fifth year that's what I told her... or a Professor. I've always thought I'd make a great teacher…"

"You would," James agreed, Lily serving him a grateful smile.

"Alice and Frank, they've always been so certain. Marlene too, since we were kids she's told me she wanted to write. I just feel so lost. I always figured I'd go back home afterward, you know? Petunia would be gone and it'd be just mum and I. We'd get to make up for some lost time." Lily's heart hurt just thinking about it.

She didn't like things to just spring up on her. She wanted a plan. The plan was supposed to be to finish school, spend a summer mapping out her options, pursue a career, all the while living at home, watching TV with her mum in the evenings, cooking together. They were going to get to form the proper bond they'd always been deprived of.

"You know the treatment I told you about?" Lily asked, her green eyes rising to look at James. She frowned and nodded his head slowly. "It isn't working." Lily had felt sick to her stomach when the letter arrived. Petunia had written to tell her that the doctors were taking her mother off chemo, it was no use. Better she have a few peaceful months to herself.

"That's horrible, Lil," James shook his head.

"They doubt she'll make it through the summer." Lily rubbed at her eyes with the bottom of her palms, struggling to keep back tears. "I'll have to sell the house," she told him with a simple shrug, "we won't be able to afford it on top of medical bills, I'll need to get her a nurse, or put her in hospice—" Lily could feel herself starting to freak out, all the work piling up in her head. James reached out a hand, holding on to Lily.

"You're not alone," he promised her. "I'll help."

"No James, I can't—"

"One day soon we're going to be family," he told her straight. "Which means, you're going to have to learn how to accept my kindness. I'm not letting you and your mom suffer when I am fully capable of pitching in. I'll help with a nurse, medical expenses, whatever you need."

Lily pursed her lips, her green eyes watering. She leaned forward, pressing her head into James' chest. "You know," she told him, after a few seconds of silence, "we haven't told anyone about our news…"

"I thought we were waiting," James admitted to her. "Until things felt…more settled." Lily knew that was code for 'until Marlene will actually talk to me again.'

"I think we should tell them," Lily said, her tone now swelling with excitement. She lifted her head to smile at James hopefully.

"Really?"

She knew he felt less enthused without the option to brag to one of his best friends about this new development but she didn't know if a better chance would ever arise. In a week's time exams would be finished and they'd all be heading back on the Hogwarts Express for the last time…they might never all be together in the same way again.

"How about I put a pin in all this studying and we go see if we can gather everyone in the Common Room?"

"If you'd like to."

Lily rolled her eyes playfully, pulling her boyfriend up from his seat. "Come on, you big suck," she teased him. "Let's go."

X

Twenty minutes later James and Lily had returned from the Prefect's office and pleasantly discovered all their friends scattered around the Common Room. Alice helped in forcing Marlene onto the couch, although she stayed as far from James as possible.

"Okay, okay, you've got our full attention," Sirius pressed impatiently, James and Lily standing before the group of them with mischievous looks on their faces. "What's this all about now?"

"Holy shit, are you pregnant?!" Emmeline gawked, clutching onto Gideon's hands with excitement. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Yeah Em, we gathered you all around like this to announce that at eighteen we'll be becoming parents." Lily spit the comment out with overwhelming sarcasm, as though the idea was completely ridiculous.

"Bite your tongue Evans, my parents did that exact thing," Emmeline reminded her with a pointed glance. Lily had, in fact, forgotten this very important fact.

"Oh, look at their beaming faces," Frank instructed them all from his spot on the floor. "They're engaged."

Lily turned towards James with a glimmer of disappointment. She'd been excited to spill the news herself.

"You're not!" Peter squealed in shock. Lily couldn't keep the smile from spreading across her face. In spite of all the misery and heartbreak, the year had been filled with, she'd found James in the midst of it all. That was worth something.

"Maybe," Lily teased him. Peter was beaming.

"We thought this day would never come," Remus exclaimed, he and Sirius sharing the looks of proud parents.

"Oh my god, Alice, are you crying?" Lily asked in disbelief. Her friend was sat on the floor beside Frank, a hand covering her quivering mouth.

"I'm just so happy we'll be able to say we have married friends now," she choked out, everyone sharing a good laugh. James wrapped his arm around Lily, who proudly displayed her engagement ring for all to see. It was the first time yet she'd had the chance to wear it, really wear it, with pride and joy.

"I call bridesmaid," Mary shot out.

"Oh shut it, McDonald, we'll all be bridesmaids. Won't we, Lily?"

"Guys, we've just gotten engaged. A wedding is quite a ways off."

"Merlin's beard, the first Marauders wedding," Fabian realized with shock and joy. "This is going to be the party of the century." All four Marauders shared a nod of agreement, yes it would.

One person's reaction was hard to miss. Marlene sat on the end of the couch, very still, not standing once to offer hugs or congratulations to the happy couple.

"I guess I can't claim Maid of Honor," Alice sighed. "Marley's probably filling that position."

It was as though a dark raincloud had suddenly floated over the room. Lily's eyes turned towards Marlene, her face filled with discomfort.

"I have a meeting with McGonagall," she said suddenly, jumping up from her seat. "To discuss what I'm planning to do after school." Lily couldn't keep the disappointment off her face. It had been nearly two months since Marlene had spent more than a few uncomfortable moments with the group. The whole thing was growing tiring.

"Mar," Emmeline called out after her, stopping Marlene in her tracks. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

The blonde paused, her glance shifting quickly from Lily to James. "Congratulations," she said flatly to the two. "You'll make each other very happy." Then she disappeared, leaving Lily with the creeping suspicion she was out a Maid of Honor.