To Adrian Zviaguin : the characters will be elaborated in the next chapters. Thank you.I also wanted to ask you all if the way I have covered the marauders era till now is right or you all would prefer the flashbacks like the one below?
Let's get to the chapter now. Keep reading and reviewing.
Next was the picture of Marlene with the Head of the Gryffindor house, Minerva McGonagall, who also taught Transfiguration. And Even though Marlene was not as good in Transfiguration as she was in Charms, McGonagall was her favourite teacher. She was her role model. Ever since Marlene had first met her on her first day at school, she had looked up to her. This picture was clicked by Uncle Simon after a quidditch match in her fifth year. Marlene had been the commentator of that match and Professor McGonagall was congratulating her for doing a good job. McGonagall had a place in Marlene's life that she wished her mother had had.
Turning to the next page, Marlene found herself wrapped in the arms of James Potter, both of them sitting on the couch by the fire in the almost deserted Gryffindor common room late at night. Their eyes were closed and they seemed asleep.
The summer after Marlene's fourth year, she and James had developed a different kind of bond. While James had finally realised that Lily was never going to say yes to him, Marlene was trying to leave everything that had happened with Regulus behind her. Moving on from their respective love lives had brought them closer. They used to owl each other everyday and meet every weekend, either to go on a walk to the pond at Godric's Hollow or roam around in the Muggle world, or just torelax in each others company. Spending so much time with James had made Marlene realise that the acceptance of Lily's denial had brought quite a change in James. He was now looking past the beauty of Lily Evans, at the turmoil that the wizarding world was going through at that time. He was finally growing up.They both had developed a kind of emotional attachment that Remus believed only couples had. Maybe that was true but neither Marlene nor James were ready to accept that at that moment. Their friendships were at the stake after all. Oliver had warned her not to get so close to him, because like always, Oliver knew that being so attached to James would only develope the feelings that even Marlene didn't know existed in her heart. And develope, they did. Marlene didn't even realise when she had fallen so deeply for James Potter until the first day of her fifth year.
After the feast at the great hall, all the fifth and sixth year Gryffindors were relaxing and catching up in the common room. There were few seventh years too. But the rest had gone to bed. Siriusand James had arranged a few butterbeers and a bottle of firewhiskey; which they had nicked from Fleamont Potter and smuggled into the school. Everybody was a bit tipsy. Marlene was sitting on the couch between James and Remus. Sirius and Oliver were sitting on the floor in front of them while the rest occupied the armchairs. Marlene hadn't even noticed when she had rested her head on James' shoulder or when his arm had come around her. She was so comfortable and relaxed in that position that she almost fell asleep.
"Mar?" James whispered in her ear, when he noticed that her eyes were closed.
"Hmm," she murmured, without opening her eyes.
"I think you should go to your dorm, unless you plan on sleeping on my shoulder, that is."
Marlene opened one eye to see him smirking down at her, but closed it again.
"I am comfortable here," she said, shifting closer to him.
James gave a short silent laugh but didn't say anything.
After a few minutes, she felt him keep his head on hers and pull her even more closer. She just sighed in content and fell asleep.
Marlene woke up after about an hour to notice that she was still in the same position with James but the rest of their friends had gone upstairs except Remus and Lily who were sitting at the homework table at the other end of the common room, deep in discussion. As she moved a bit, she also noticed Sirius snogging Emmaline Vance in one of the corners.
She looked at James to see him smiling down at her sleepily. "Good Morning", he said, winking.
Marlene snorted and moved away from him. She groaned realising half of the Gryffindor house must have seen them like that. "You could have woken me up."
James stretched his arms above his head while replying, "Well. I did try. But," he looked at her and smirked, "someone was too comfortable in my arms to go to bed."
Marlene blushed and stood up but turned back to look at his arms. "Well, you do have nice arms, Potter" she winked at him.
Before she could run upstairs, James pulled her back towards him but she lost balance and fell on him instead. He steadied her with his arms around her again and looked into her eyes.
"So you like my arms now ,hmm Mckinnon?" he murmured. They were so close that Marlene could feel his breath on her lips. James wasn't smirking or grinning anymore. He was just staring at her with the intensity that she had never seen in those hazel eyes before. And she was staring back. All Marlene wanted in that moment was just to lean in and press her lips to his. It seemed that James was thinking the same because he leaned in first and their lips met.
They had started dating after that day. And Marlene's feeling for James had only grown with each passing day.
He was her first love. But sadly, she wasn't his. His heart had always belonged to Lily. So James and Marlene had broken up. Marlene was very angry in the beginning, angry at James, at Lily and at herself. She took her time but she understood that James Potter and Lily Evans were made for each other. James had waited for Marlene to move on before starting to date Lily in their seventh year. And Marlene had moved on, that's what she had told James at least.