"The rescue mission?" Marlene clarified, doing her best to dodge the question she'd been posed.
"Any changes you'd like to make to your previous statement?" Sirius challenged her. "Any corrections?"
Marlene felt like she'd just been hit by a bus as she stood there, mouth gaping open. She had pushed that day so far from memory it almost felt like a dream to her. The lie. The rescue. The break up with Henry afterwards…
"You already know the answer if you're asking me," Marlene replied calmly.
"No," Sirius shook his head. "I want to hear you say it."
"Sirius…"
"I want you to look me in the eye and tell me exactly what happened that day. I want you to admit that you stood by my hospital bed and lied to me like it meant nothing." His voice was rising now as he stepped towards Marlene with an intimidating finger pointed towards her chest. She did her best to stay calm as her heart pounded in her chest so loud she could barely hear herself think.
"What did you come here for?"
"Because you owe me the truth."
"It's late—"
"You're avoiding the question. Admit it, you can't do it. You can't be honest with me about what happened—"
"FINE!" Marlene shrieked, shutting him right up. Her face had gone red, the anger growing within her the more he pushed. Her body ached from the prolonged period of standing but she couldn't sit down now, not when everything between them felt like a power struggle.
"I thought you were dead," she told him straight. "You could hardly raise your own head, let alone walk. Lily was dead set on finding James so I got into your cell and unlocked your chains." Marlene hadn't recounted the scene in months and she could feel her hands begin to shake as she did it now. "You said all kinds of shit to me that I knew you wouldn't be caught dead admitting to in the light of day. A Death Eater tried to stop us, I fought him off on my own and then I got us both the hell out of there. I took us to my home. It was the first place I could think of. You were in bad shape. You couldn't move a muscle. You were talking like it was the end. I thought you were going to die right there in my fucking arms." Marlene's voice cracked as she recalled the horror which had washed over her sitting there in that meadow.
"It took every ounce of strength I had to get you to my sister and Alex. He got you to St. Mungo's and I followed a few hours later. When I saw you again you were screaming in pain and had multiple Healers trying to get you to calm down. So I did it. I sat there and held your hand and listened to all the pretty things you said to me until you passed out. That was the last time I saw you before you went back to Hogwarts."
Marlene felt furious at being forced to recall the whole event and upset at the memories it brought to the surface. She sniffled back tears, rubbing at her eyes, trying to hide how upset the whole thing made her.
"I asked you in that hospital room, I said—"
"What do you want from me, Sirius?" Marlene asked; her voice riddled with exhaustion. "Why don't you say it all to me right now?" Marlene suggested, hands on her hips. "Everything you promised me that day. Would you? Could you? You didn't want me to tell you the truth—"
"That's not fair," Sirius snapped defensively. "You don't get to tell me what I want."
"Say it all to me," Marlene prompted him. "Tell me that I was the best part of your summers. That you've only ever had eyes for me. Stand here and tell me that you love me."
He looked like a deer caught in headlights as he stared across at her. Marlene suddenly felt the loss of the strength she'd used standing there. As her ability to stay upright began to drain she stumbled the slightest, turning towards the lawn chairs behind them.
"Are you okay?" Sirius asked urgently.
"I'm…fine." Marlene collapsed down into a chair, taking a deep breath. She tried not to look as exhausted as she felt. Sirius stood in front of her, arms crossed, face stern and dark. The moment for anger had passed, what lay between them now felt much worse. Marlene did her best to ignore it and the aching it left in the pit of her stomach.
"Did you love him?" Sirius asked. The question felt as though it'd popped out of nowhere but Marlene felt certain it was one that had been rattling around in Sirius' head for quite some time.
"I thought I did," she admitted. "He's always going to be important to me. That's never going away."
"What about this?" Sirius asked her next. "Whatever the hell this-" He motioned between the pair of them, "-is."
Marlene had hoped that nearly five months in another country would help her recover from all that she'd gone through in the past year. She'd wanted to settle into the groove of a new life and find all the feelings and pain that had plagued her for months drift away. It hadn't worked, though, not even close.
Instead, she'd spent months trying to escape feelings that followed her no matter how far she was from her problems. It didn't matter that it had been three months since she'd lain eyes on Sirius, her heart had still skipped a beat every time she saw a guy with long shaggy hair walking down the street or spotted a large dog with a dark coat.
They hadn't sat down like this in nearly five months and yet, still, Marlene found her thoughts getting all tangled up inside of her as she stared into his icy grey eyes. She swallowed anxiously. She had no clue what this was. She never had.
"I thought you moved on?" Marlene tested him. They were always one step away from nirvana. One step from baring their souls and allowing the other to understand the emotions that flowed through their bloodstreams.
"You've been gone five months," Sirius stated obviously. "I didn't know if I'd ever see you again."
"I know." Marlene made sure her expression was unreadable as she sat there, elbows resting on her thighs.
Sirius sighed heavily, his face pinched as though what he was about to say caused him great pain.
"Maybe…" Marlene watched him anxiously. "Maybe this is a bad idea."
"Yeah…" Marlene nodded, although it caused her physical pain to agree. While every logical part of her screamed to give up so small ounce of her still desperately craved being near him. Some illogical love driven part begged her to run back into his arms time and time again. After all the pain and tears and heartbreak, she'd still choose him.
"I don't want to keep running in circles. We get to this place over and over, the exact same crossroads, and it doesn't matter how hard we try, it never works." Sirius ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up. Marlene watched him do it more than once as he stood there, stuck in the same rut she found herself in sitting down on the lawn chair.
Marlene bowed her head, looking down between her knees at the patch of dirt that lay at her feet. She studied the smooth brown surface, peppered with tiny pebbles, instead of looking Sirius in the eye.
"I'm going to go," he told her, after a long break of silence. Marlene nodded, still not daring to look up. She was afraid that looking at him would bring to surface that impulsive tendency she had to lose all self-control around him. She wasn't going to do it. She couldn't put them both through that again.
"I'll see you around," Marlene offered by way of a friendly parting. She stayed there, head bent until she heard the sound of grass crunching beneath Sirius' feet as he walked away. By the time she looked up he'd disappeared around the corner, back towards the front of the house.
Marlene waited a few moments before standing up and slipping back inside quietly. The house was silent, everyone else still asleep as she tiptoed up the stairs. Any hint of movement and her mother would come rushing out; worried something was wrong with Marlene. She'd been on top of her since she'd gotten out of the hospital, paranoid she might drop dead at any moment.
Marlene climbed back under the covers of Danny's twin bed but the sleep which had earlier overcome her had long gone. She doubted she'd fall back asleep in any peaceful form after her conversation with Sirius.
Marlene rolled over onto her side, trying to ease her eyes shut once more when she heard a light tap at the window. She bolted upright upon seeing Sirius' face in front of the glass as he rested on the edge of the roof.
"What are you doing?" Marlene demanded, shoving the window up.
Sirius came tumbling in through it, landing in a heap on her floor. Marlene had never been so thankful her parents were heavy sleepers. He clambered to his feet, inches away from her.
"Fuck it all," he announced, kissing Marlene before she had a chance to ask any questions. She could hardly breathe as their lips met, the pair of them stumbling back towards her brother's bed.
Sirius leant on top of her, struggling to pull his jacket and shirt off while keeping his tongue in Marlene's mouth. Marlene yanked at her brother's sweater, pulling it over her head - she figured it was best to throw that piece of clothing aside.
"Are you okay?" Sirius asked cautiously, pulling away before they went any farther. "Are you in pain or—"
"Just kiss me," Marlene instructed, her hands holding his face. He did more than that, taking her pants down and slipping inside of her. Marlene had forgotten how good it felt to feel him in her. The way her insides throbbed so intensely she felt like she might burst with pleasure. The feeling of his hands gripping her breasts. His breath, warm and sticky, against her neck.
It was hard for Marlene to stay quiet as they went on. She wanted to cry out with exhilaration. Sirius reached out a hand, his fingers tangling with hers. She could feel him still holding back, as though afraid he might hurt her.
"Harder," she instructed, her eyes clenched shut as she grew close. "Harder."
Sirius followed her instructions, Marlene's grasp on his hand tightening as she felt like her insides had just exploded with joy. Sirius rolled over beside her, as best as he could in the cramped space they shared.
They smelt of sweat and both panted heavily, holding each other in their arms.
"Still playing the same circle game?" Marlene asked, half-jokingly.
"Guess I'm just a sucker for a challenge."
Lily had been frozen in the same spot for nearly an hour. Her hand rested on top of the telephone beside her, the number for Petunia and Vernon's home clutched tightly in her hand. Every time she felt she'd worked up the courage to make the call she caught herself, finding some excuse to wait. After nearly an hour of this she decided it was finally time, picking up the receiver and turning the dial.
"Hello?" Petunia answered after two rings.
"Hi," Lily replied flatly. She twisted the phone cord between her fingers anxiously. "It's um…it's Lily."
"I know. Why're you calling?"
"I think you should come over," Lily told her sister, taking a deep breath. "I um…I think it's time you said goodbye." There was a long pause across the telephone line. Lily's hand began to shake, causing the receiver to smack against the side of her head. She'd expected Petunia to be unreceptive to her call, it was why she'd spent so long putting it off. Her sister hadn't stopped by the house once since her wedding.
"No," Petunia answered, her tone final. Lily couldn't quite believe what she was hearing.
"I don't think you understand, the doctor came by, he doesn't think she'll make it the week Petunia, this is it."
"I've made my peace. It is what it is."
Lily thought she must be dreaming. There was no way her sister could be this cruel, this stonehearted. Perhaps she hated Lily but their mother was innocent. She'd given them all she had.
"Don't do this," Lily begged her sister, choking back tears.
"I took care of her for the ten months you were away at school. I drove her to every appointment. I stayed up with her during the nights the medication made her sick to her stomach. I paid my dues."
"This isn't a bloody competition!" Lily shrieked furiously. The emotions she'd been doing so well keeping a lid on were suddenly bubbling to the surface. "She's our mother and she's dying. She's the only parent we have left."
"Don't be such a baby," Petunia scoffed cruelly. "I've told you, I'm not coming. Vernon and I are very busy anyway, setting up our new home. Just…make sure she stays comfortable. Make sure it's easy." Lily couldn't believe her sister was backing away so easily.
"Please don't make me do this alone," Lily pleaded. It was the last ounce of hope she had at changing her sister's mind. "You're the only family I have left." The quietness that ensued made Lily hopeful that Petunia had experienced a change of heart.
"Blood doesn't make you family," she announced, her voice sharp as a whip. "We don't have to tolerate each other after this. It'll do us both good, we can get on with our lives.
Lily's green eyes flooded with tears, her breath catching in her throat as she struggled to swallow the words her sister had thrown her way.
"I've got to go, Vernon's heading out the door." Without so much as a goodbye, the line went dead.
Lily pressed her hands into her thighs, tears dripping silently down onto her jeans. She sat there for a while, quiet and still. She'd never felt so weak. The strength she'd once possessed drained from her.
"Don't cry, darling," a deep voice commanded from near by. "Your mum won't wanna think she's upset ya."
Lily looked over her shoulder, towards the large armchair that sat in the corner. Her father rested comfortably in it, just the way he had the last day she'd seen him: copper hair parted to one side, a grin upon his rosy cheeks. His hands were clasped across his chest.
"I'm so mad at you," Lily admitted. It was the first time she'd let herself say it since he'd passed away. The first time she'd blamed him for the destruction that had followed.
"That's okay," he shrugged, as though her words meant nothing.
"How could you do this to me?" Lily asked him. Her voice shook, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes. "You should have cared. You should have taken better care of yourself. You were supposed to be there, Dad. You were supposed to keep us together."
"I know," he nodded, the pleasant look upon his face unfaltering.
"Now she's going to die and I'm...I'm all alone."
"You're not alone. You will never be alone, sweetheart."
"It's not fair," Lily sobbed, her face buried in her palms. She wanted her father to walk her down the aisle and dance with her at her wedding. She wanted to come home from her last year at Hogwarts and be greeted by his warm embrace and proud smile. She wanted to smell her mother's pancakes cooking on Sunday mornings and open presents with her Christmas day.
She wanted to see the look on her parents face when she told them they were going to become grandparents. She wanted to watch her children learn from her father, the way she had as a little girl. She wanted James and her dad to sit together and chat, to bond, to become good friends. She wanted it all. Everything she'd been promised and lost so cruelly.
"Lily?" Her head popped up. James was standing in the doorway, his hair messier than usual from sleep. He looked across the room, with concern, at his fiancée. Lily rested there with her tear stained cheeks, screaming at a ghost.
"Petunia isn't going to come," she told him, choking the words out.
"Shit," James cursed, frowning deeply. He rushed across the room, holding her tightly in his arms. Lily cried so hard she stained his shirt with her tears but James barely shifted an inch. He sat there with her, whispering small comforts and smoothing out her hair until the wave of tears had passed.
"Hey, Lily," he said to her after a little while. When the tears had stopped and they just lay there for a while, Lily's head rested in his lap, her legs curled up on the couch.
"Yeah?"
"I love you," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her temple softly. She held onto his hand tightly, as though it were the only thing keeping her grounded. "I'm here, okay? I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay with you for the whole thing."
"Hey, James," Lily said, copying his previous statement.
"Yes?" He chuckled.
"No one could ever love you more than I do." She lifted up with that, turning to press her lips to his. They kissed, long and sweet, and Lily felt that void she had inside of her start to close up.
Petunia was right, blood didn't determine family.
Marlene woke up to the sound of incessant banging at her bedroom door. She groaned, making clear her disapproval of the rude awakening, and rolled over. Her face pressed against warm skin and she opened her eyes to find her head rested on Sirius' back, who was fast asleep on his stomach.
"Marlene?" her mother's voice echoed from the hallway. "Why on earth is this door locked?"
Marlene's eyes flickered towards the wand on the bedside table, which she had used late in the night to lock the door, ensuring she and Sirius weren't interrupted.
Very carefully, she shook Sirius awake, his grey eyes squinting up at her.
"Wh—" he began to say, Marlene flinging a hand over his mouth.
"Sorry!" Marlene called out to her mother, panic in her blue eyes. "I'm fine!"
"Open the door, I've got breakfast."
"I'm not that hungry!" Marlene protested, Sirius smirking up at her, clearly enjoying the whole scene. She smacked him on the shoulder, warning him to keep his mouth shut.
"I don't care whether you're hungry, your body needs the energy to heal. Open up this door," Maureen demanded. Marlene knew there was little chance of talking her mother out of something she had her mind set on, she was a McKinnon after all.
"Get in the closet!" Marlene mouthed urgently at Sirius, pointing towards the closet in the corner.
"You can't be serious."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Sirius jumped up without a speck of clothing on his body. Marlene tossed his shirt towards him and hurried to kick the rest of his clothing under her bed.
"This is ridiculous," Sirius mouthed, shutting the closet door behind himself. Marlene had thrown her bathrobe on in a rush, tying it up just as she swung open the door.
"What in Merlin's name caused you to take so long?" Maureen demanded, stepping inside with a tray of breakfast food. Marlene turned back towards her bed, lying down so her mother could settle the tray over her lap.
"I was trying to sleep," Marlene grumbled, coughing loudly to mask the sound of Sirius tripping over something in her closet. Her mother looked around suspiciously but quickly found herself distracted by something else.
"Your father and I were talking. Once you're all healed up we're going to go in on that flat for you, like we promised before you left."
"Really?" Marlene squealed joyfully.
"Yes. You've got an appointment with the Healer tomorrow. If he says you're doing better I see no reason to force you to stay cramped up in Danny's room any longer."
"Thanks, mum," Marlene smiled with gratitude.
"Eat up," her mother instructed her, moving towards the door.
"Will do," Marlene nodded, too happy to offer any objections as the bedroom door shut behind her mother. A few moments later the closet opened, Marlene laughing at Sirius, his hair dishevelled, a pile of Danny's old stuffed animals having collapsed on top of him during his stay inside.
"You better be sharing some of that with me," he told her, approaching the bed. "I didn't just cram myself in a closet for nothing."
"I wouldn't say I gave you nothing last night," Marlene teased him.
Her mother had prepared enough food to feed a small army. There was a plate piled with eggs and toast, a side of sausage and beans, along with a healthy supply of tea. Sirius made himself comfortable beside Marlene, the pair lying side by side, enjoying the breakfast they'd had prepared for them.
It was simple. Lying there, squished together, Marlene no longer felt the ache in her ribs or the way her head got all woozy when she spent too long standing. All she could feel was happiness. A true bliss that washed over her every time Sirius and her touched.
"Hey, you," Marlene said softly, once they were halfway through their food. She pressed her nose into Sirius' shoulder, kissing it.
"Yes?"
"How about we try not to run away for a little while?" she suggested.
Sirius paused, placing down the piece of toast he'd been preparing to take a bite out of. He turned to her, fighting back a smile.
"Sounds like a plan," he agreed, Marlene grinning proudly.
James had gone home for the afternoon, giving Lily some time alone with her mother. Katherine Evans only seemed to be getting worse as the days dragged on and James felt horrible just watching it. Over the months he'd seen the life being drained from Lily as she was forced to witness her mother's slow and painful death without her sister's support.
The house was quiet when he stepped inside. Sunlight filtered in through the stain glass above the front door, illuminating the spiral staircase up the hall. James stepped through, making his way up towards the kitchen, swinging the door open. The large space was empty but he could see his mother beyond the kitchen window. She was out in the garden, bent over some patch, working away furiously. He was sure some garden gnomes had gotten in the way of her perfect flower beds.
James smiled at the sight. He worried about his parents, now that they were no longer able to work. He feared that cooped up inside all day they'd grow miserable. He was happy to see them finding time for old vices.
"Looking good," James quipped, striding down the back lawn towards his mother. She poked her head up, her face shaded by the large straw hat she wore.
"You're a sight for sore eyes! I didn't think we were going to see you home today."
"I think Lily needed a little time alone," James shrugged. Truthfully, he hadn't been able to sit around and watch both his fiancée and her mother in so much pain. He'd needed a few hours to clear his head.
"How's she holding up?" James' mother got to her feet with some struggle, resting a hand against her lower back. She wiped the residue of dirt on her pants, never one for gardening gloves.
"As well as can be expected. Petunia refuses to come by."
Caroline frowned. "Well, that's no help, is it?"
"She's trying to keep a brave face, but…" James' voice broke off, the young man taking a deep breath. "I'm worried about her, mum."
"Come here." His mother wrapped her arm around her son, pulling James in close. The pair of them began to stroll back up the lawn together, making their way to the backdoor. James sat down at the small kitchen table, waiting while his mother poured them two glasses of iced tea.
"How'd you do it, mum?" He asked in disbelief. "How'd you deal with losing your parents?"
"Oh sweetheart, there's no right answer to that."
His mother had grown up with two siblings. An older sister, Azzedine, and a little brother, Tiberius. Her older sister had moved out of the country, living abroad. Azzedine worked with dragons – an unusual profession for a woman. James had seen Tiberius sparingly. He knew only that his uncle was a member of the Wizengamot and lived as a bachelor, travelling often.
James had grown up with little contact with his aunt and uncle – his grandmother being the relative he was closest to. Their traditional trip to Godric's Hollow each summer had been a highlight for James and he'd grieved its ending. With her two siblings more or less M.I.A, it had been James' mother who had taken on the burden of care for his grandmother when she'd grown ill.
"How'd you keep going? After Nana died? How'd you keep waking up every morning, going to work?"
"I just did," his mother announced modestly. "I had my time to say goodbye. That was more than many other people I knew had been offered. I still miss her every day. You never stop missing your parents, especially when you become one yourself. You'll see, one day."
James wondered if when that day arrived his mother would be standing right there beside him, smiling knowingly. She'd be able to say she'd told him so when it happened.
"I don't want her to feel alone," he told his mother, swallowing back a lump in his throat. All he could see when he thought of Lily was the image of her hunched over in the living room, sobbing hopelessly.
"I don't think I tell you enough how proud I am of you," his mother reminded him, reaching out a hand for his. "You're my greatest accomplishment, you know that?"
"Oh, please," James scoffed, brushing off the compliment.
"You've grown up into such a wonderful young man; your father agrees. We just…we're so happy we got to be your parents."
"You say that like your time is up," James noted anxiously. His mother smiled.
"No, we'll never stop being your parents. You don't get to ever lose that sense of responsibility. I'll carry it with me till the day I die. Maybe even longer."
"I love you, mum," James told her. "I don't say it enough…"
"I know," she promised. "You don't have to worry about us, okay?"
Perhaps she was right, about the responsibility she'd always bear for James, but he worried about his parents frequently. With his time at Hogwarts finished, and so much changing, he felt more attached to them than ever. Everything was becoming so different and James wasn't quite ready to give up the two people he'd always been able to count on.
"Lily isn't alone," his mother promised him. "She has you, all of your friends, and our family. She's a member of this family whether she likes it or not."
James laughed, choking back tears. He was certain his mother's words would warm Lily's heart if she could be there to hear them.
For the first time since being released from the hospital Marlene felt strong enough to act out her normal routines for the day. She took a shower, applied a light layer of makeup, and even managed to go on a short walk around the neighborhood with Amy. By the time dinner had arrived Marlene felt herself returning to normal – despite the extra tiredness she experienced – and she was happy to finally be home.
"Marlene! Amy! Set the table for dinner!" her mother hollered from the kitchen. The old chores that had been returned to her were less than enjoyable, though. Rafi and their mother brought out the salad and a serving bowl of pasta as the two McKinnon daughters laid out silverware.
"So, you still glad you came home for Franny's first year?" Marlene teased her sister, the two girls taking their places at the table once everything was served.
"I feel sixteen again, but mum's a huge help."
"I figured."
"Franny is officially passed out," Alex announced, entering the dining room. "It only took me an hour of singing nursery rhymes to get the job done."
"You're a gem," Amy announced, pulling her husband forward for a kiss.
Once their father had arrived the family sat around the table – without Danny, who was off at Hogwarts for his sixth year – and Marlene felt safer than she had in months, with everyone she loved and held dearest surrounding her. She'd just taken her first bite when the doorbell rang through the house, everyone jolting up in their seats.
"I'll get it," Alex offered, sitting at the end of the table. Marlene shrugged with disinterest, passing her attention to the food on her plate instead – something she felt was more deserving.
Those around the table remained quiet until Alex reemerged, a smirk on his face.
"We've got a visitor," he announced, stepping aside to reveal Sirius. He looked nervous – more nervous than Marlene had ever seen him. His hands were tucked into his front pockets and his shoulders bent as though he wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and hide.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your dinner—"
"What're you doing here?" Marlene asked, an eyebrow arched. She had only said goodbye to him a few hours previous when he'd snuck out her bedroom window.
"I wanted to come by and see how you were doing," he lied. Marlene could see the visit was intended to prove something much different.
"Well, you might as well join us if you're here," Marlene's mother shrugged. Before a request could be made Rafi had pulled up an extra chair and rushed back into the kitchen for a plate to join it.
Marlene sat very still, sandwiched in beside her sister and Sirius. It felt odd, having him somewhere it didn't feel he belonged. Sirius had always been something she'd kept so separate from the rest of her world, something that had been for just her.
"How's the Order been treating you, then?" Marlene father asked after a short pause. The tension in the room cut easily, the whole table erupting into a conversation of war and politics. It was hard for Marlene to escape the grin that slipped upon her face as she watched Sirius blend easily into the pattern she had been raised in.
It stayed like that – easy – throughout dinner and into dessert. By the time Amy and Marlene were clearing the plates Sirius had branched off into a whole separate conversation with Marlene's father and the two had wandered into the living room to discuss patrol tactics.
"So, is that who it has been all along?" Amy asked curiously when she and Marlene were alone in the kitchen. Without magic, they might've been caught washing dishes but Amy simply swished her wand towards the sink and the sponge began cleaning off the plates and cutlery itself.
"What?" Marlene played dumb. She was fiddling with a container, helping Rafi with storing away the leftovers.
"It makes sense. I always thought you spent a little too much time at James'," her sister laughed. "He's an interesting choice, a bit of damaged goods."
"We're all damaged goods," Marlene reasoned with her sister. She doubted anyone would label her an ideal choice in partner.
"Yeah, but…" Amy's voice dropped in tone. "His childhood was pretty screwed up. I mean, are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into?"
"He's not anything like them," Marlene responded defensively. "I mean, if you're asking whether I'd like to get into it with someone who has twice the courage of any regular person and would do anything for those he cared about then yes, I would. His family isn't any concern of mine."
Amy stared at Marlene like she'd just had an epiphany, freaking the younger sister out. She stood up a little straighter, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.
"What?" Marlene asked self-consciously.
"Oh, you are in way more trouble than I thought," Amy scoffed, shaking her head. "You're in love with him."
Marlene gawked like an idiot, despite knowing the statement was blatantly true. She rushed out of the room, after her older sister, who walked calmly towards the living room where everyone else was waiting.
Sirius was rested on the loveseat comfortably, the space beside him vacant. Marlene walked gingerly towards it, leaving a small space between the pair of them. She placed her hand down between them, her heart pounding in her chest a million miles per hour.
Her eyes fell on her father, across the room, who spoke animatedly about some incident in the ministry earlier in the week, when Sirius slowly shifted his hand, placing it on top of Marlene's. Very carefully their fingers locked, hands clasped tightly.
Things were most definitely going to be different this time.
Lily sat in the chair beside her mother's bed, watching her every difficult breath with an anxious pit in her stomach which clawed and grew a little bigger as the moments passed. Every once in awhile Carol slipped inside and checked on her mother to make sure she was still breathing.
Finally, around ten at night, she sighed heavily, running a hand through her short curly hair.
"Lily," she began, the look in her eyes giving her away.
"She's not going to make it through the night." Lily nodded with understanding, a lump in the back of her throat.
"I think it's time to say our goodbyes," Carol informed her. She stuck around for a little while longer, to make sure both Lily and her mother were okay, before giving them their privacy.
Lily spent the rest of the evening on the edge of her seat, waiting for some kind of miracle that would never arrive. She hoped for her mother to open her eyes and smile, or for Petunia to come striding in the door. She hoped to feel less alone in the world than she did in that moment, watching her mum drifting away.
"It's okay," Lily whispered to her mum, her hand placed on top of her mother's. "You can let go." Lily imagined her father on the other side of the bed, beckoning her mother forward, the pair of them reuniting with joy. She liked that idea.
"I'll be okay here," Lily promised, tears blurring her vision. "Don't you worry about me."
Her mother groaned quietly and grasped Lily's hand in her own.
"My girl," Lily heard her mumbling.
The redhead sobbed quietly, bowing her head. She wasn't ready to say goodbye. Eighteen years was not enough. There could never be enough time.
"I love you, momma," Lily sobbed. "You were the best mum I could've asked for. You gave us your all. You have made me so happy." Lily pressed her forehead into her mother's shoulder, her eyes squeezed shut. "Don't be afraid," Lily whispered. "You don't have to take care of us anymore. You don't have to worry." She could practically feel the life draining from her mother's frail and beaten body.
She closed her eyes and thought of the years she'd spent in this home, with her family. The nights in front of the TV with her mother, Father, and Tunney. The family game nights. Dinner, all four of them. Running into her parent's bedroom Christmas morning. Snuggling up next to her mum and dad after a nightmare.
"James will take care of me," Lily assured her. "He's my family. I won't ever have to be alone. You made sure of that. You've done your job."
Lily gave her mother's hand a squeeze, exhaling deeply. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks, dripping onto the bed sheets as she sat there a little while longer, waiting until the sound of her mother's ragged breaths came to an end and her hand didn't quite hold the same grip.
"Carol," Lily called out between tears. "Carol!"
The nurse came rushing into the bedroom, pausing by the bedside with a heavy frown. She pressed two fingers against her mother's neck but Lily knew without a word that it was a lost cause.
"She's gone," Carol announced.
