A/N: Hello my beautiful humans! This is a continuation of the absolutely phenomenal "The Life and Times" by Jewels5! (If you haven't read that, then this story might not make a whole lot of sense - so go give that a read first!) I am going to try my best to stick with what the author of the original story seemed to have planned out, as I attempt to finish it, and I am going to try to match her writing style as best I can. Please bear with me, if I do make some mistakes sticking to her story, and the cannon plot, but I will do my best with both! I hope I can do the original fic justice, as I read the whole thing through twice, and fell in love, and I would love to see it properly finished! That fic left off on chapter 36, so while this is my very first chapter, we are going to call it chapter 37, and pick it up right where The Life and Times left off! This is my first time writing fanfiction, so please leave some reviews, let me know what you think so far, and stick around for the ride! :)
Disclaimer: Copyrights to JK Rowling and Jewels5. I own nothing.
Previously on The Life and Times: We are picking up after the memorial service for the victims of the attack on Peverell Hall. James and Lily shared a sweet moment at the Lantern, and Lily thinks that she may be in love with him. Adam's sister is one of those that lost their life in the attack. He is dating Prudence Daly, although he confessed his love for Marlene, and the two shared a kiss. Donna's parents were aurors who lost their lives, her brother Kingsley is now an auror, and she became close auror Lathe while working at the Leaky Cauldron over the summer. Frank and Alice got married after the protest at the ministry over the summer, and have been continuing in the auror training program.
"An Emotional Week - Day"
They all sat - Lily, James, Sirius, Peter, Remus, Mary, Marlene and Donna on the lawn outside of the memorial service. They began chatting idly about anything on their minds - anything but the loss they had all just experienced and the war that was coming. That they all knew was coming; if the memorial service they just attended for 87 witches and wizards was any indication, that war was knocking on their doorstep. But none of them seemed ready to think about that just yet. So they sat in the grass, amongst the crisp, November air, the falling leaves, and the blue sky. A strangely beautiful and clear day, for the circumstances in which they found themselves in it.
"What time is it?" Marlene asked.
"Quarter to five," Mary responded. "We should be heading home, don't you think Marlene? I know my mum will start to worry."
"Yeah I reckon, you're right. I'm just gonna check on Adam, say goodbye, just make sure he's okay."
"Marlene, I don't know that that's the best idea right now. You might just make things more…" she paused as she searched for the right word, "confusing."
"What are you talking about?" Lily asked, not understanding how Marlene saying goodbye to Adam could be considered confusing.
"It's nothing," Marlene said with a pointed look in Mary's direction. "I'll be right back. I just want to say goodbye. And that's all I want to say, Mary. And then we can go." And with that, Marlene got up from the lawn on which that sat, and found her way into the small crowd that still remained outside of the memorial hall.
"What's up with Price?" Donna asked this time, voicing the confusion that they all felt.
"Well … I mean I really shouldn't say. It's not my place, but …" Mary pondered for a few moments whether she should share with the group what had occurred between Marlene and Adam the night prior. They had kissed, "snogged" actually was the word that Marlene had used. It was not her place to share, but Mary MacDonald was not one to be known for her discretion, so, "Well it's just that something happened between Marlene and Adam last night. Or rather, this morning if her storytelling is accurate actually."
"They shagged!"
"No, they did not shag, you big perv. I, well, they rather snogged." To say that the six recipients of this news's jaws dropped would be an understatement.
"They what?!" Lily, who had been leaning on James's shoulder, immediately shot bolt upright.
"I'm not usually one for gossip," Sirius stated, "but this is bound to be good."
"Who are you kidding, you love a good goss," James joked.
Lily got the conversation back on track, "Okay, ignoring the flirting between those two, Mary please elaborate."
"Okay well, Marlene told me about it this morning on the way here," Mary started, remembering a conversation that felt like it had taken place days ago, but had actually occurred within the last 10 hours.
9 hours ago
"And what time can I expect to see you home Mary?" Mrs. MacDonald asked as she and Marlene made their way for the door.
"It will probably be rather late mum, these church services, they go all day," avoiding eye contact with her mother and making a direct path to the doorway, "Wizarding holiday and all that."
"Mhm, these church services which I have never seen you attend, or even speak about in the last seven years?"
"Well, well, that's because we're always at school for it mum. We'll see you tonight!"
"What is this holiday called, by chance, Mary?"
"Sorry mom, we're running late!" and with that, the two girls ran out the door, heading down the street in search of a safe, and hidden, spot to apparate to the memorial from.
"You're not going to tell her?" Marlene queried the brunette.
"It'll just worry her, and she doesn't need to be worried about me. I can handle my own against all of this, and in the meantime, mum can knit and watch her soaps in peace, not having to worry about me getting killed," Mary replied, almost believing it herself. Almost believing that she could hold her own. Almost.
"Mary, I just think things are getting serious enough where it may be time to start being honest with your parents. What would they do if something happened to you?"
"Like I said, I'll hold my own," she said, trying so desperately to believe what she was telling her friend. "Anyways, we have much more pressing things to discuss."
"What's that?" Marlene asked, slightly confused at what could be more important.
"Two words - Adam bloody McKinnon"
"Well, first of all, that's three words. But second of all, I suppose I do owe you an explanation."
"Pronto"
"Well, okay, so Audrey, Adam's sister, asked me to come check up on him the other day. She told me to come over, and talk to him, and to convince him to come to Sarah's memorial -"
"He wasn't going to go?" Mary asked, surprised.
"Well, I reckon he would have eventually decided to go, regardless of if I had showed up or not. But either way, when I did show up he was in a bad state Mary. He was up in his room, and Audrey said he really hadn't been down much in the last few days. So I brought some music, and things that I thought might cheer him up and distract him for whatever horrible thoughts must be gnawing at him."
"And that led to you snogging his brains out, how?"
"I never said I 'snogged his brains out'. Snogged, maybe. Up for debate. But not really. Because it was definitely a snog. And a bloody good one too Mary, oh Merlin I've really fucked things up."
"Marlene, I know you don't like to take my advice on boys, but since I actually have a fair amount of experience I know what I'm talking about - having a bloody good snog is not a bad thing."
"Well yes, typically, except it is when the boy that you snogged has a girlfriend. I've been on the receiving end of that, Mary. I know how that feels."
"Okay, well yes, that's all well good and true, but we can sort that out later. Please just tell me how you showing up led to the kiss of your life."
"Okay, right. So we sat in his room for a while, and he seemed … off. Like he was there, but he wasn't at the same time. And then Audrey came in, and asked if I wanted to stay for dinner, and then all of a sudden I'm making dinner with Adam McKinnon and his siblings, and then I'm eating dinner with Adam McKinnon and his siblings, and then I'm up in Adam McKinnon's bedroom again and we put the record player back on, and we talked about anything and everything. Just anything to avoid thinking about what was coming today, and what had happened at Peverell Hall. We just talked."
"Yes, but when did you snog?"
"I'm getting there, agrippa. Patience never was your strong suit was it Mar?"
"No, now get to it."
"Okay, so we talked, and before we knew it, it was three in the morning and we just sort of drifted off to sleep. And then I woke up, and it was five, and I realized that I hadn't told my mum I'd be out that late, so I scrambled to gather my things and go but then Adam woke up, and he, he was wearing his pajamas and his voice was all scratchy from sleeping, and I mean I just, melted. And then I'm getting my things together, and I'm about to go, and all of a sudden, Adam just blurts out that he loves me, and I -"
"What?!"
"I know and I mean I just, I didn't know what to say. In that moment, I was just, just thrown right back to the quidditch pitch, and how I just wished that I could have said it then. But, I know what I feel now and so I just I just snogged him. And then I left. And I came home, and realized that I have just, just completely mucked everything up," she finished recounting her story and rubbed her temples with her fingers.
"Marlene you have not mucked anything up, I promise you that."
"Well yes, but I mean, Mar he has a girlfriend. And she's so bloody nice too."
"Prudence bloody Daly," Mary sighed, "It is a bit complicated isn't it?"
"Rather, yes." Marlene allowed herself a small chuckle at that, and then they apparated to the memorial hall. 87 witches and wizards dead. Story time was over.
Present
"Prudence bloody Daly," Lily huffed.
"Oi, what has Prudence done wrong?," Sirius replied.
"Were you even listening to the story you absolute dolt?" Peter rounded on his friend.
"Yes, I was, Wormtail, I just don't see why we're mad at Prudence."
"We're not mad at Prudence idiot," said Mary.
"Well then I am not following what you birds are on about in the slightest."
"It's because she's Prudence bloody Daly," Lily replied. "We can't empathize with her right now, but she's so bloody nice that we're all going to feel horrible about ourselves for being happy that she's about to get heartbroken. Hence, Prudence bloody Daly."
"Well once she's single, maybe she'll need some comforting arms to run into," Sirius gestured with a grin and opened his arms wide.
"You're disgusting," Donna looked appalled.
"Oh, come on Shack. Try to tell me that you don't find me absolutely irresistible."
"Excuse me, if Prudence is running into anyone's arms, it's obviously going to be mine," Peter added. "I mean, I am obviously the best hugger out of all of us here."
"He does give a mean hug," Remus added in, earning a few chuckles from the group.
"You lot are idiots," Lily observed, although she was smiling slightly. She rested her head back on James's shoulder.
"You don't seem to be bothered by it though Snaps," James observed.
"Maybe, I'm not," she rather whispered this last bit, so only James could hear her.
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
"With all do respect sir," Vincent Crabbe started, with a pointed look in the direction of the Hogwarts students present - Severus Snape, Nicolai Mucilber, Samuel Avery, and Saul Hester - , "but i do not see why they are present with us today." He was referring to the gathering in the backroom of the Malfoy mansion.
"Mr. Crabbe, I'm sure you are not questioning the orders given to us by the dark lord himself," Lucius Malfoy stated in response.
"Of course not -" Crabbe began but was caught off.
"Additionally, as I am sure you are aware, these four bright students have been working within Hogwarts for us. They have all proven themselves through various tasks, and they are currently scoring the school to look for potential sympathizers to our cause. So, I would advise you, Mr. Crabbe, not to question the presence of those who have been asked to be here specifically by Voldemort himself."
"Of course, of course, my apologies."
They all sat in a cramped room that Severus guessed was supposed to be an office, but could not have been used very often given the amount of dust that had collected on all of the mahogany shelves and the matching desk. There were 8 of them present, including the four Hogwarts students. A rather small gathering. Something to keep everyone on the same page.
"Now, on with the business in which this meeting has been called," Malfoy continued, "We have been called to discuss the success of the attack on Peverell Hall. And I'm sure that you four," he looked towards the Hogwarts students, "are interested to know what happened within that hall. We planned meticulously for weeks -"
"Lucius, why are you allowing them to hear this?" a different member of the group spoke up this time. Malfoy put his hand up to silence them.
"They are one of us. And if you do not like it, you may leave. But I would caution you to remember the consequences that can result, if you take this option." Malfoy's mouth twitched with a smirk, and with that, any opposition quieted. "We planned meticulously for weeks, with intercepted messages that we were able to obtain between several members of their group, Magic For Peace. We were able to obtain messages detailing where and when they would meet, and who would be in attendance. We gathered our own support, and a group of 10 of us entered the hall, approximately 10 minutes after their little 'meeting' had started. With the element of surprise on our side, we were able to send some good curses in their direction. However, that group of 10 was merely a distraction, as we had 2 of us stationed inside the hall, hidden, from the beginning, who were able to, with extensive practice and intricate spellwork, cause an explosion that killed everyone inside the building instantly. Of course, we, that is the 10 of us that had been sent in as a distraction, had protective charms which allowed us to be unharmed in the blast.
"This was the most successful victory for us to date. And it is important that those of you still in school understand exactly how it happened. This is your future." A sick smirk took its place on Mulciber's face. Severus felt a twinge of nerves, as well as a twinge of excitement. Finally, he thought, those silly kids at Hogwarts would stop underestimating him. They would give him the respect that he deserved. They would finally understand just how powerful he truly was.
"I have been in correspondence with the dark lord," Malfoy continued, "With our momentum from this attack, we are to plan our next. And we are calling on those students still at Hogwarts, to ask if you have any potential new recruits. We want all hands on deck moving forward. So, is there anyone you think potentially sympathetic?"
"Yes," Snape spoke up immediately, "Regulus Black."
Fake Smile
Adam had been standing with his family, and those of the other fallen victims, on the steps directly in front of the memorial hall. They all chatted idly, and he found it to be very strange - they all offered each other condolences, as if they weren't all in a great deal of pain. As if saying sorry to one another could help heal the pain that they all felt within themselves. Heal the gaping hole that had just been left within all of them.
Prudence stood to his right, holding his hand and offering him words of condolences and encouragement. Whispering in his ear that everything was going to be okay. That she was here for him. That she would always be there for him. And that just made things all the more confusing, and left him dumbfounded.
He loved Marlene. He really loved Marlene. And that wasn't to say that he didn't care about Prudence a great deal, because of course he did. Prudence was a great girl. But she wasn't Marlene. And no matter how much he tried to force Marlene out of his head he couldn't. His mind was constantly wandering to the way that her shoulder length blonde hair fell against her face. The way her bright blue eyes would light up when she laughed. The way she bit her lip when she was concentrating on something really hard. The little freckle she had next to her left eye. How she had been with him last night. How easy it always was with her. The kiss they shared. It all led back to her. To Marlene Price. He really loved her.
"Adam," Prudence whispered to her boyfriend shaking him out of his reverie.
"Yes,"
"Everyone's starting to go home …"
"Oh, right, are you …" he didn't quite know how to finish his thought. Was Prudence planning on coming to his house? To stand in the room that he had Marlene had just kissed in, mere hours before. Where he had confessed his love for her.
"Well, I think mum will want to see me," she started, speaking rather slowly. "Not to mention, I'm sure you could use some time alone. With your family I mean. You lot have been through so much."
He shook his head as if to agree with her. "Thank you Prudence," he said with a sincerity that shook the petite Ravenclaw a little bit. "For everything." And he kissed her on the cheek, and they said their goodbyes and she made to leave.
Enter Marlene
"Hey," Marlene approached Adam as he talked with his parents and siblings.
"Hey, do you want to …" he gestured vaguely away from his family, and Marlene was grateful to not have to face his whole family right now. Aside from the fact that she just ruined her relationship with Adam and, in the process, Adam's relationship with Prudence, this family had just lost their daughter and sister. She did not want to intrude, she just wanted to check on her friend. Friend. The word now felt tainted in her mind now.
"How are you?" Marlene asked, as they climbed a few on the white stone steps, and ended up on the landing right in front of the doors. She didn't know what else to say.
"Numb. Marlene, I just, I can't think that she's gone. I mean, how can she be gone, it's just I just …" he broke down and a few tears began to fall from his eyes. Marlene embraced him in a hug.
"Marlene, listen about earlier, I -"
"Shh," Marlene rubbed his back soothingly. "We don't have to talk about it right now." And they didn't. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Not saying anything, just hugging. Adam's back shook with silent tears, as Marlene held him and tried to mend him together the only way she thought she could.
"Let's not talk about it today," Marlene said at last, pulling away and looking into his wet eyes. "We can forget what happened this morning, for the rest of today. Reset. For today, you focus on your sister, and your family. And then we figure it out tomorrow"
"Okay," Adam sighed and nodded, grateful to not have to think about anything else today. "Thank you. Really, Marlene, thank you."
She hugged him once more before starting, "Listen, Mary and I were going to go home, her mum doesn't know what's going on with everything and she -"
"Can you stay?" he asked, his voice pleading. Marlene looked up at him, and she noticed how dark the circles under his eyes were. How red his nose and eyes were. His hair not made up neatly like it normally would have been if he had spent a few minutes to put himself together like he usually did. She couldn't possibly leave him alone tonight.
"Of course. Of course, I'll stay. Let me just go tell Mary, and I'll be right back."
Cherry
"Longbottom and er, Longbottom, can you stay back a minute?" Alastor Moody asked of the pair as they stood outside the memorial hall.
"What'dya need Moody?" Frank asked. He stood side by side with his wife, his hand around her shoulder, hers around his waist.
"I want to talk to you about a special assignment," he looked around to see if anyone was looking. "Follow me inside." The pair exchanged confused looks, but nonetheless complied and followed their boss inside.
The sight they saw when they entered the hall surprised them. They were greeted by Hagrid, the groundskeeper at Hogwarts, as well as their old professor McGonagall and headmaster Dumbledore. Kingsley Shacklebolt was there, along with Benjy Fenwick, Caradoc Dearborn and Dorcas Meadowes, among a few others. The sight was not entirely surprising for the young couple, as everyone present had been in attendance of the memorial service. The odd part was why this group of people had stayed behind. They weren't all aurors, so Alice and Frank could not fathom what Moody would have wanted with all of them.
"Alice, Frank, have a seat," Moody ordered, and they once again complied. Everyone else had a seat as well, except Dumbledore, who remained standing at Moody's side.
"Hello, Mr. Longbottom, Mrs. Longbottom," Dumbledore began, the ever present twinkle in his blue eyes, underneath the half moon spectacles, shining. Alice still had not quite gotten used to her new name, but it nonetheless made her heart swell each time she heard it.
"Welcome, to the Order of the Phoenix."
"The what?" The pair asked in unison.
"Order ah' the Phoenix," Moody began. "I'm recruitin' you two for this, so you'll do well to listen carefully to what exactly it is we're doing here."
"The Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore started again, "is a group that was formed at the beginning of the summer. We have been working to gather new members since then. We are fighting the death eaters, to put things in the simplest terms."
"Well isn't that what us aurors are for?" Frank asked, not quite understanding the meaning of any of this.
"Well yes," Dumbledore began, "the aurors are fighting the death eaters to be sure. But the aurors have certain limitations to that fight, that an unaffiliated group would not have. And, we have cause to believe that the ministry is being infiltrated more and more everyday by Voldemort's supporters. People's minds within the ministry are changing. Those that would sympathize with his message, that would support the idea of blood purity, even if they wouldn't attack anyone in the process, are working at the ministry. And with this change of the tides, there is a possibility, somewhat slim perhaps, but a possibility nonetheless, that the auror department will fall into hands that do not support the rights of muggleborns. And we cannot risk that possibility."
"So what, we're fighting death eaters on the side?" Alice chimed in, slowly beginning to understand.
"In a sense, yes," Moody answered.
"Essentially, this group will be a fail safe, in case the auror department gets locked up, either by a change of leadership, or laws that prevent us from getting to the death eaters." Dorcas piped up.
"The ministry is changing, and we do need to be prepared. And the auror department cannot possibly be expected to handle this oncoming war on their own," Dumbledore finished.
"Right then, what exactly are we doing?" Frank asked, noting that Dumbledore had used the word "war" as if it was a sure thing to come.
"What you're told, to be blunt, Longbottom," Moody answered. "Right now, we are gathering intel, and ensurin' that we have proper information before we make any brash moves. But eventually, there will be missions, and I'll be very honest with ya - people are going to die. This group cannot ensure your safety. In fact, it will probably do the exact opposite. You two'll be livin' with a target on your backs."
"I'm in," Alice said, in a voice so calm and confident that she earned quite a few stares, the biggest and most confused of which came from her husband.
"What? Alice, I really think we might want to have a private conversation about this, we don't even know -"
"Frank, what has all of this been for? The protest? MFP? The death, the grieving, the loss? Frank it's not for nothing. It can't be for nothing. This isn't something that doesn't involve us Frank. It does. It's Lily. Marlene. Mary. Lupin. It's not a faceless fight. Their wands get snapped, they get killed if we don't step up. I'm fighting." Frank's heart surged with pride at the woman that he chose to marry. Before he even thought about where they were, he leaned in and kissed her. Dorcas cleared her throat, and the two pulled apart.
"We're fighting," was all Frank said, with his eyes still set on Alice.
She turned to face the group, "Sign us up."
"Hey snaps," James started towards Lily as the group on the grass began to rise, "Do you want to come back to mine tonight? I mean you said you were going back to the castle, and I mean do you really want to be alone right now?"
"Well, I mean I guess no I don't particularly want to be alone, no." Lily couldn't explain it. Or maybe she could, and maybe it had something to do with love. But that wasn't anything she wanted to think about right now. All she knew was that she felt comfort being with James, and that's all she wanted right now.
"Well then why don't you come to mine? Sirius, Remus, and Peter will be there. You don't have to be alone. I don't want you to be alone," He looked right into her eyes, and as she stared back at his hazel ones, glittering in the golden sun, she felt completely at home.
"Okay," she agreed, taking hold of his hand.
"Hey guys," James looked to the group, "Me and Lils are heading back to mine, if any of you guys want to come, you're all awelcome. Mum won't mind."
"I'll come," Mary said at once. Marlene gave her a confused look. "My mum doesn't know what's going on. She thinks there was a pipe burst at Hogwarts. I don't exactly want to go home and pretend that everything is fine."
"Adam," Marlene whispered so only he could hear, "Do you want to go to James's or home?"
"Home. I want to go home. Come with me?"
"Of course." And with that, they all said their goodbyes and headed to their different destinations: Donna went back home, Marlene and Adam went together to the McKinnons, and Lily, Mary, and the marauders went to the Potters'.
I Will Be There
"So we went to the muggle petrol station,"
"And then Sam went inside and asked what the spell for petrol was, wand in his hand the idiot," James finished.
"They all looked at him like he was crazy," Sirius wiped tears from his eyes as they all laughed at the stories they told of Sam.
"Well he was crazy," James added with a small laugh, taking a sip from the bottle of firewhisky, passing it to Lily as they sat in a circle in the Blue Room. It was so surreal being back in this room to Lily - she had been here just months before, after the protest, where she met Sam. And where Sam gave her a tour of the Potters. And where Sam was alive.
On that thought, Lily found herself standing up and walking away from the group.
"You alright Lily?" Remus asked.
"Yeah, I just, I need a minute," she responded and walked into the hallway. She walked a bit further down the hallway, tracing the steps that she had taken just months before to see Alice, and find out that her friends were about to get married. Everything had changed so much. She slid down with her back against the wall, tears in her eyes.
"Snaps," James appeared at the red head's side a few minutes later, and saw her with her head in her hand, back shaking as she cried.
She looked up with red eyes and blotchy skin. "I'm okay, I'll be back in a few minutes, I just, I don't know I need a minute."
"It's not your fault," James stated, seemingly out of nowhere, except that to Lily it felt like he was reading her mind.
"Finally mastered that occlumency Potter. You should call Bertram Aubry." Lily took a deep, shuddering breath
James let out a small chuckle, and then slid down the wall to sit next to her. "I mean it though."
"But you're wrong. I mean, am I just being selfish? Because I mean, I don't want to give in and just give up magic, but I am just beginning to feel like I am just going to get more and more people killed by staying here … I mean Sam died James. He died. And he did it fighting for my rights, I mean how is that not my fault?"
"Well, for one, Sam was an idiot, and he probably would've gotten himself killed at the petrol station if me and Padfoot hadn't been there," Lily smiled a small, sad smile. "But if you really think that you giving up magic is the solution to this, then maybe you shouldn't have been sorted into Gryffindor after all."
"Gee, thanks."
"I'm serious Lily. I have never known you to give in to something, trust me I've been trying for seven years," they both chuckled quietly. "The only solution is to fight. Because you giving up magic, is not going to stop the blood purists from their rampage. Not to mention, if you really think that you need to give up magic, then you may as well go back into that room and snap MacDonald's wand, if that's what you want. And I know that you would fight for Mary. So you need to fight for yourself Evans. And you need to let other people fight for you too."
Lily turned to look at him. She had been staring at the wall straight ahead, and so for the first time she looked into his beautiful hazel eyes. And they really were beautiful, she thought. And then he was staring back at her green ones. And then she was looking at his lips, and he was looking at hers. She leaned forward, and hesitated slightly, before James closed the gap between them, brushing his lips against hers. It was slow and gentle at first, and then all at one it was urgent and passionate, and meaningful. It was a good while before either of them pulled away, and when they did they were both breathless and had slight smiles on their face.
"Come on," James said, taking hold on Lily's hand and pulling her up with him.
"Where are we going? I don't think I'm ready to be with everyone right now."
"No, let's go to bed. You can sleep in my room, with me … that is if you want to," Lily noticed a small blush growing on his cheeks as he said this.
"Yeah, let's go." They walked in silence for a few moments before Lily asked, "James?"
"Mmm"
She didn't know why this seemed to embarrass her to ask, but it did nonetheless. "Can I borrow some pajamas?" speaking very quickly, "All of mine are packed up at Donna's because I was planning on going back to Hogwarts tonight, so I don't have any with me, and I'm not sure that Mary does either, and this dress is really tight, so I just -"
"Snaps, I'm not going to let you sleep in that dress. It looks horribly uncomfortable, I don't know why you birds do it."
"Would you have prefered me showing up to the memorial service in a sweatshirt and sweatpants?"
"I mean you would've been more comfortable, that's all I'm saying. Plus then you wouldn't be heckling me to borrow my pajamas."
"Oh you prat," Lily said laughing and hitting James on the arm.
"Prig"
She stopped walking and hugged James, and felt so comforted by the embrace. They stayed together like that, in the hallway, holding on to each other as the rest of the world - the war, the death, the memorial, the death eaters, all of it - seemed to melt away. For the briefest of moments, it was just the two of them.
Honey, I'm Good
Donna sat, playing a game of exploding snaps with her sister Bridget in their tiny sitting room. Their older brother Kingsley was out on auror business, and their younger two brothers, Isaiah and Brice were already asleep. It was just as Donna was about to best her sister, and claim victory with a dance that there was a knock on their front door.
"Who's that?" Bridget asked.
"I don't know," Donna answered, equally as confused as her younger sister. She checked the time and it was already half eight - not the time that she would normally be expecting visitors. Not that she was ever really expecting visitors, but all the same, one this late begged some questions.
She got up and made her way to the door, the short walk taking only a matter of seconds. She opened the door, and she could not have been more surprised by what she saw.
"Donna," the visitor said, and his eyes looked soft and comforting. Not that Donna would think anything of the sort, because she did not do the emotional sappy thing. Ever. She made fun of Lily for it, and she took no part in it.
"Lathe, what are you doing here?" She smelled alcohol on his breath. The more she looked at him, the more she noticed that he actually seemed to be swaying back and forth and his eyes were out of focus. "Wait, are you pissed?"
"Possibly, slightly intoxicated. Jus a little bit," he gestured a small amount between his index finger and his thumb. "But, I came to check on you actually." His words were slurred.
"Why?" They had hardly spoken since the summer, when she was giving him his drinks, and he was blabbering on to her about his life story, and his suspension, which had now been lifted. They didn't know each other. They didn't care about each other. She didn't care about him. She didn't.
"Well, I was with Kingsley, your brother, and he said that you had came home with the siblings. I wanted a check on the lot of ya. It's been an emotional week - day, I mean day. Emotional day. And I wanted to make sure you lot are alrigh'."
"Well why didn't Kingsley just come home? He could've come check on us if he was that worried that he was blabbering to all his fancy auror friends."
"He had a previous engagement. Yeah. And he wasn't 'blabbering on'," he put up air quotes with his hands, which looked sloppy and his eyes were not looking at her, although Donna suspected that's what he was trying to do. "He jus mentioned that you four, your siblings, had already come home. Checking on you was all my idea." She noticed that he said he was checking on her, not her and her siblings, just her. But she wasn't going there right now. He didn't mean it in any type of way.
She didn't respond, so he took it upon himself to keep talking, "Listen, this may a' been a mistake coming here. I, well I know that we aren't particularly close you and I, but I just, I can imagine that being at the memorial today brought back some memories of them, and I guess I just, wanted to make sure you're okay."
Donna knew exactly who he was talking about. Her parents. Except she didn't want to talk about them. Or think about them. Today was not about them, or her, for that matter. It was about the victims of that attack, and more importantly, the families that they had all just abandoned.
"You're right," she started.
"If you wa -"
She put her hand up to stop him. "You're right, this was a mistake coming here. I think you should go."
"Oh, I, yeah you're right, I'll just, I'll go. Yeah, I'll just …"
"Goodbye Lathe," she said as she closed the door, and walked back to her sister in the sitting room, feeling confused and if she was honest with herself, slightly happy and excited. But she wasn't honest with herself, and so she convinced herself that she was just annoyed at the intrusion.
"Who was it?"
"It was nothing, nobody. Just, someone for Kingsley, but they'll find him at the ministry or wherever the hell he's gone off to."
"Is everything alright Donna?"
"Yes, everything is fine. Another round?"
"Mhm, let's do it. I'm taking you down this time!"
"Unlikely, I was about to take you out last round!"
"Yeah, last round maybe, but let's flip, I'm coming for you!"
When We Were Young
"Marlene"
"Mmm," she responded to Adam, where they sat on his bed, keeping a very respectable distance between them, Marlene at the foot of his bed with her legs tucked beneath her, and Adam with his legs criss-crossed sat by the headboard.
"I just," he hesitated, "I feel like we need to talk about what happened earlier."
Marlene could have sworn she actually felt her heart stop for a few seconds. She did not want to have this conversation. Although the nauseous, butterfly feeling in her stomach told her that maybe she did want to have this conversation. She knew that once they talked about it, she would have her answer. But the longer they waited, the longer she could hold on to the hope that maybe this could work. Maybe she hadn't ruined everything. Maybe she had a shot. And maybe Prudence was about to get heartbroken. She felt sick.
"Adam, I shouldn't have, you know," she gestured vaguely hoping that she would pick up on the hint without having to say the word.
"No, Marlene stop. I love you. I thought that I could forget about it after what happened on the quidditch pitch. I thought I could move on, and we could be friends, and everything would be fine. I thought that if I ignored it, the feeling would eventually go away. I convinced myself that it had. And then I met Prudence at my cousin's wedding. And she's so sweet, and on paper she's everything that I could have hoped for. Except that she's not you, Marlene. And I tried to convince myself that I had moved on, and that I could be happy with Prudence. I really thought I could Marlene, but I can't. She's not you, Price." Marlene really thought that her heart might explode at that declaration.
"I mean, I just I, I, I don't know what to say Adam." She suddenly found herself inexplicably nervous.
"Marlene, I love you. And I can't force you to say it back, but you just have to know how I feel. How I've been feeling. How I've always felt, from the first conversation we had about Hate Potion, and The Beatles at the Three Broomsticks in fourth year. I've loved you since we were fourteen, and that's not changing now, as much as I thought I could will the feeling away, it just won't budge."
Suddenly, Marlene realized that her eyes were tearing up. She blinked, and one tear slid down her cheek. "Adam, listen to me," she started, quietly and not looking up at him, "I love you too." Her voice was shaking with nerves. "I really do. And I loved you when you told me so on the quidditch pitch last year, but I just wasn't ready to admit it yet. But the thing is, Adam, we can't, … be together."
"Marlene, I don't understand," there was a wide display of emotions on his face right then, but ultimately he looked happy. He really was adorable, and she had the sudden urge to hug and kiss him, and never let him go. And that made what she had to say next that much more difficult.
"Adam, we really can't. Because, if today was any indication, we are heading toward a war. And that war is against me, Adam. And anyone that associates with me is in danger. And I will not put you in danger for my sake Adam, I won't do that. If anything happened to you, because of me, because we were together, I mean I could never live with myself, I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror, I mean how would I move on from that. It's just, it's better, and it's safer for you, if we just don't."
"Marlene Price, don't you dare say that. If we gave in to what those, those, death eaters, and what Voldemort wants then my sister will have died in vain. And I refuse to let that happen. I will not let that happen. Screw the danger, Marlene, I love you and I want to be with you. And we will fight tooth and nail to make sure that nothing happens to you or any other muggleborns -"
"Adam it's not me that I'm worried about. If we date, then that means you become a blood traitor with a huge bulls eye on your back."
"I don't care, Marlene. I don't care because I am not going to let myself be in denial of how I feel anymore. I am not going to let my sister have died for nothing. And if today has shown me anything, it's that we really don't know how long we have left, so I'm going to make the most out of it." He got up and walked around his bed, closing the distance that they had been keeping between them. He knelt down, and all of a sudden they were face to face.
"Adam,"
"Shh," he leaned in and soon enough they were kissing. Proper snogging, really, is how Marlene would describe the encounter to Mary the next time she saw her. They were moving against one another, heatedly, passionately. "Screw the danger?" Adam asked against her lips, and moved so that they were not both sitting together at the end of his bed.
"Screw the danger," Marlene responded, and as a further show of how she was feeling, she made to lift his shirt over his head. Merlin, this boy was going to kill her. He guided her so they were now laying down on his bed, and they were moving against each other, with need, affection, desire. Skin touched skin. Fingers roamed, touching each other in all the ways they had both wanted for so long. Emotion, passion, affection all mingled together. And eventually, before either of them knew it, they lay side by side, breathless and content.
James woke up first. He fumbled for his glasses that he had left on the night table. He craned his neck from the floor on which he slept to see what time it was. Quarter to eight. He looked up to his bed, to see Lily still sleeping. He knew he shouldn't have been thinking it with everything else that was going on just then, but the sight of her fiery red hair sprawled out across his pillow, her body in his bed, wearing his pajamas no less was giving him shivers down his spine. He rather liked the image. And he was determined, and for the first time in his life hopeful that it was possible, to see it again. Preferably, he'd be in the bed with her next time, he thought to himself, before quickly shaking the idea from his head.
Lily began to stir, and soon opened her eyes to see a bedroom that was not hers. She realized rather quickly where she was. She looked over to see James laying on his back on the floor.
"Good morning Evans. Sleep alright did you?"
"Yes, I did actually. This bed is heavenly. Although I really would have slept on the floor, I already felt bad enough intruding in your house."
"That's alright, the floor's good for you back anyways."
"You're joking, aren't you?"
"No, I quite like the feeling of a stiff and sore back for the days to come. It builds character."
"Oh, well now you're just trying to make me feel guilty,"
"Precisely. You know Snaps, if you wanted to make it up to me, you could always …"
What she could 'always do' however, she never found out. Sirius's voice interrupted from the hallway, "Morning Prongs, you haven't any idea where Lily got off to, do you?" He then proceeded to open the door, spotted Lily, in James's bed, wearing James's pajamas.
"Oh my Merlin," Sirius's jaw practically fell to the floor. His head bounced back from James to Lily, back to James again. "You two shagged, oh my Merlin,"
"No, you perv," Lily threw a pillow which hit Sirius square in the stomach. "We did not shag."
"Lily just didn't want to be alone last night, so she slept in here, there was no shagging," James chimed in.
"I don't know love birds, I'm not convinced. It seems to me that there wasn't a lot of sleeping going on in here last night."
"We didn't shag," James and Lily said in union, exasperated.
"Who totally shagged last night?" Mary joined the scene from around the corner, always ready to hear the latest gossip.
"I did," Marlene's voice came from down the hallway, prompting all heads to turn, and James and Lily to step into the hallway to find the owner of this new voice.
"What?" chorused the four observers, to which Marlene realized that this might have been a better conversation to have without the marauders present. But it was too late for that.
A/N: Thank you so much for reading my first go at this! This chapter ended up a little bit more lovey than the rest of the story will be but I'm a romantic at heart soooo expect some more stuff like this too! I wanted to answer some of the open ended questions that the original story left me with, and that'll be continued in the next chapter! Drop some reviews and let me know what you thought!
With love,
Gigi