April 1979
"I didn't think this day would come," Sirius said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. His fingers were woven around the stem of a champagne flute, which he was holding aloft as he spoke to the small crowd. He looked extraordinarily handsome in a dark grey tuxedo, with his luxurious dark hair swept back and his grey eyes full of laughter. "Anyone who knew James thought his quest was futile. But, damn, was the boy determined." A small chuckle rippled beneath the vast white marquee.
Marlene watched as Lily dipped her head, crimson leaking into her cheeks. Beside her, James grinned widely, not once taking his eyes off his bride. Marlene had never seen a more beautiful couple. Lily's auburn hair was pinned elegantly against her head, allowing only for a few escaped curls to frame her joy-filled face. Her dress was simple and traditional, with a sweetheart neckline and long, lacy sleeves that fell elegantly to her wrists. The skirt, obscured by the table she was seated at, was soft and flowing, with intricate laced patterns adorning the trim. Despite its perpetual scruffiness, James had managed to make to make his hair look a little less chaotic, and was clad in a smart black tuxedo which contrasted against the small white lily that decorated his dress pocket. His hands held on to his wife's as though he never wanted to let go.
"I have known James Potter since he was eleven years old," Sirius continued, a bit more solemnly. "And he has become my family. He is my family. And I would do anything for him." Marlene watched with a smile on her face, as warmth spread in her chest. Never had she heard Sirius speak with such honesty and raw feeling.
"And, Lily," he said. "I couldn't have hoped for a better sister-in-law. Without you, James wouldn't be the man he is today." Lily's eyes had begun to glisten. "You two… you are the epitome of love. If you can keep that up in the midst of all of this shit, I sincerely believe we can do anything." Sirius looked at the faces of his closest friends, and he smiled a truly hopeful smile. "Or," he said, that mischievous grin resurfacing suddenly. "The next time a girl shoots me down, I'll take a leaf out of Prongs's book and ask her another sixty-four times, and maybe I'll wear her down enough to marry her." A chorus of laughs echoed throughout the crowd.
"To the happy couple!" Sirius shouted, raising his glass in salute. The crowd jumped to their feet and echoed the sentiment with booming merriment. James turned to his best friend and gave him the greatest bear hug Marlene had ever seen. Lily thanked him tearfully and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"That was beautiful," Dorcas sighed weepily amidst the applause, dabbing at the corner of her eye with a handkerchief. Like Dorcas, Mary and Alice Longbottom, Marlene wore a gown of soft coral pink that swished gracefully around her legs. They were seated at a table beside Lily's under a sweeping marquee that was embellished with chains of threaded flowers and candles that floated ten feet above the ground. No more than ten round tables were scattered beneath the sky of candlelight, and each was dotted with Lily and James's closest friends and family. The ceremony had taken place just outside of the marquee they were sitting in, within the sweeping grounds of the Potter Manor, and they had been ushered beneath the tent for the party. It was so beautifully decorated that it almost felt as though they were seated in a grand hall rather than a garden, with its sweeping pearly white drapes and its magically created hardwood floor.
"Are you crying?" Mary asked incredulously.
"Just because you don't have an emotional bone in your body," Dorcas retorted indignantly.
Before Mary could reply, Sirius' voice boomed through the tent. "If everyone could stay standing and move into the middle, so that I can – "
"I think I'll do that, Sirius," Lily interrupted mischievously, as James handed over her wand. "Lest you decapitate one of my guests."
With a swish of her wand, the tables and chairs took to the air, hovered for a few moments, and then manoeuvred their way to the edges of the marquee, leaving a dance-floor sized space in the middle. From an undetectable source, a beautiful melody began to play. James took Lily's hand and led her into the middle of the tent, and, slowly, they began to dance. They swayed slowly to the music, never taking their eyes off one another. Normally, Lily would have hated being the centre of attention in this way. But Marlene could tell from the look on her face that nothing else mattered in that moment. Only James. And for reasons unbeknownst to her, Marlene's heart caught in her throat and tears spiked at her eyes.
"Not you, too," Mary hissed from beside her. Marlene nudged her friend reproachfully, trying not to allow the tears to escape. What was wrong with her, lately? She never cried at soppy things. She hated soppy things.
As the song slowed to a finish, James kissed Lily tenderly, once on the lips and once on the forehead. The crowd exploded in applause; some were dabbing furiously at the eyes, and others – meaning Sirius, Remus and Peter – were whooping with approval. The music swelled and the beat grew faster; wedding guests flooded onto the dance floor in pairs and in groups.
As the groom was seized by his group of school friends, Lily broke away from the dance-floor and headed towards her bridesmaids, pulling an elderly couple in tow.
"Mum, dad," Lily said as she reached them. The beam on the couple's faces diminished their greying hair. "I want you to meet my friends. Marlene, Dorcas and Mary are in their final year at Hogwarts. Alice is an Auror."
"An Auror, you say?" Mr. Evans said interestedly, surveying Alice enthusiastically over a pair of spectacles.
"Is that a magical job?" Mrs. Evans piped in breathlessly. "Are you all magic?"
"Yes, mother," Lily said impatiently, as Dorcas hid a peal of giggles behind her hand. "They're witches. Like me."
"Well, it's an absolute honour to meet all of you," Mr. Evans said happily, taking each of the bridesmaids's hands and shaking them vigorously.
"And you, Mr. and Mrs. Evans," Marlene said pleasantly. Lily's parents gave the group huge smiles before returning to a nearby table for a sit-down.
"They're adorable," Alice said with a tinkling laugh.
"You should have seen them when they saw the candles. Mum nearly fainted."
"Right. I don't know about you lot, but I'm going to dance. What do you say, girls?" Mary said, gesturing towards the dance floor.
"It's about time!" Alice said, as she ushered the bride and the remaining bridesmaids towards the throng of people dancing horrifically to some disco number. Laughing, Marlene threw her hands above her head and shimmied in time to the music. Suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist and threw her into a spin. Sirius caught her on the other side, grinning impishly, as their group was infiltrated. Frank Longbottom slipped his arms around his laughing wife. James was throwing his limbs around in an awful interpretation of a disco move, and Lily was shaking her head and smiling at the man she would grow old with.
"You make an excellent bridesmaid," Sirius said in her ear, loudly over the music.
"You scrub up pretty nicely yourself, Black," Marlene said with a grin, as Sirius twirled her once more. As they were dancing, Sirius's attention was caught by something beyond the dance-floor. Marlene looked over her shoulder and noticed a small group of young adults, who were seated at a table by the entrance of the marquee.
"Oh," Sirius said, suddenly stopping. "There are people that I want you to meet." He took her hand and led her away from the dance floor and their friends. Together, they approached the table.
"Everyone, this is Marlene. Marlene, these are a few Order members that you're yet to meet."
A group of faces surveyed her. She recognised a few from school days past, despite the majority having a few years on her. A set of twins with tousled, ginger hair gave her a friendly wave – Fabian and Gideon Prewett, she thought. Beside them, a bored looking woman with jet-black hair gave her a perfunctory nod. That was Emmeline Vance. She had been a Ravenclaw prefect a few years ago. And, sitting beside Emmeline, was a man who was looking intently at her. He had light brown hair, with a few escaped curls that fell into his astonishingly blue eyes. When he got to his feet, he towered over Marlene by at least half a foot. And, when he smiled, he did so lopsidedly, as if he had a secret.
The man extended his hand to Marlene. "Caradoc Dearborn," he greeted charmingly. She took it with a smile. His hand was warm, and he held hers for a moment longer than was necessary.
"It's nice to meet you all," she said with more confidence than she felt, allowing her hand to fall back to her side. There was something behind Caradoc's smile that made Marlene's stomach flutter. As he opened his mouth to speak, a deafening bang froze them all in place. Suddenly, the marquee was blasted away; trails of burning fabric lit the suddenly exposed night sky, billowing in every direction. The candles sputtered out and fell from the air, raining down on the unsuspecting guests who threw their hands over their heads in a vain attempt to protect themselves. The music was drowned out by the shrieks of wedding attendees, who fell into chaos. From beyond the confines of what was once the wedding marquee, in the direction of the Manor that was bright against the twilight, a swarm of dark-cloaked figures advanced.
Before she could even gather her thoughts, Marlene's wand was in her hand. Sirius was grabbing at her wrist, pulling her towards the main crowd of guests. The group she had just left were shouting frantically at one another as they fell into some kind of formation, their wands brandished. Guests began disappearing into the air with a small pop that was barely audible over the panicked shouting. One such guest was Peter Pettigrew, Marlene noted with silent anger. He glanced all around before apparating away. If Sirius noticed, he didn't seem to care; or maybe he was just occupied by more important things.
Lily had gathered the skirt of her dress into her hand and was screaming for her parents. They were rushed over, aided by Remus; Mrs. Evans's jaw was slack with fear and Mr. Evans was shouting for his daughter. The air began to explode with colour; jets of red and green warred against one another. The formation created by the Order had, for the most part, created a shield between the handful of remaining guests and the looming threat. Sirius, Alice and Frank had joined the defence party, alongside a number of others.
"Remus," Lily screamed, grabbing hold of his forearm desperately. "Take my parents to the safe house. Get them out of here. Please." Remus nodded and glanced quickly at James for his approval.
James shook his head and turned to his wife frantically. "Lily, you have to go with them," he said urgently, his eyes lit with fear.
Lily pointedly ignored her husband. She grabbed a hold of each of her parents' hands and fastened them to Remus's forearms. "Don't let go," Lily said urgently. "Hold as tight as you can. Do not let go."
"Lily, wait!" her mother cried, but it was too late. Remus disappeared into the air, taking the Evans' with him.
Determination swept through Marlene as she watched her best friend prepare for battle on the day of her wedding. Lily glanced at her and gave her a determined nod. Together, with Dorcas and Mary, they turned and faced what was coming. The horde of cloaked figures vastly outnumbered those who remained, and they fought with unwavering ferocity. The sun had set and the world was bathed in darkness, save for the explosions of light being fired from their wands. Marlene shot stunning spells and disarming spells in the direction of the dark wizards, feeling a surge of adrenaline race through her when a spell met its mark.
"Prongs!" Sirius roared, narrowly voiding a dagger of red light. "Tell Dumbledore! I'll cover you!"
James broke away from the crowd, and Sirius jumped into his place, quickly deflecting a curse that almost broke through their defence line. James waved his wand frantically and produced a startling bright patronus; it snorted and shook its great body. A spatter of gold leaked from James's wand and encircled the patronus, weaving through the stag's antlers and finally disappearing into its mouth. The stag turned and galloped into the fray, startling some Death Eaters and causing them to tumble to the ground, before disappearing into the horizon.
The world was awash with turmoil and the crush of bodies and Marlene had to duck behind an upturned table to catch her breath. As she staggered once more to her feet, a figure emerged from behind a chunk of the obliterated marquee. He was dressed in a dark hood and a silver mask with snake-like eye slits obscuring his identity. Before Marlene was able to raise her wand, it went hurtling from her grasp by a well-aimed disarming charm. Her opponent cocked his head. Fear blossomed in the pit of Marlene's stomach as the cloaked figure advanced. He clearly wanted to play with his food before he ate it. With her heart thudding in her chest and her palms sweaty with terror, Marlene looked helplessly for a way out of the situation. As the figure raised its wand, a blade of bright red light sent him hurtling to the ground. Marlene looked for her protector to find Caradoc Dearborn, his wand brandished and a look of steely determination on his face. Marlene bowed her head gratefully before diving for her wand and racing once more into the midst of the fight.
Bodies littered the once lush grass and Marlene prayed with all her might that they were merely unconscious. With a wave of relief, she located all of her friends – they were fighting resolutely, albeit wearily, in the face of a foe that outnumbered them. As she raised her wand to save James from a Death Eater pursuing him from behind, a sharp pain in her side caused her to cry out in pain. She fell to her knees and was suddenly apprehended by a cloaked figure who weaved his arm around her neck and stabbed a wand to the underside of her chin. Marlene could hear the breath whistling through her assailant's mask. "Drop it," he hissed. Marlene complied and let her wand fall to the ground. Her fingertips found the stabbing pain in her side, and, when she drew them away, they were with sticky blood.
Around her, Order Members were being forced to their knees by a sudden onslaught of Death Eaters. Mary was knocked unconscious by a well-aimed stunning spell, and Dorcas was disarmed and detained like Marlene. The same thing happened until James, Sirius and Caradoc were the only ones left conscious and armed, albeit trapped by a ring of Death Eaters.
"Put your wands down," rasped a voice. The owner was holding Lily around the neck. The bride's face betrayed no fear. The boys slowly lowered their wands to the ground and held their hands up in submission.
"Let her go," James said dangerously quietly.
"You should have joined us when you had the chance," Lily's assailant sneered, tracing Lily's cheek with the tip of his wand. "Then your wife might have lived past her wedding day."
"No!"
The air exploded with the sudden appearance of bodies. Sirius, James and Caradoc leapt for their wands, taking advantage of the momentarily stunned Death Eaters. The cavalry had arrived. Exploiting the commotion, Marlene twisted in her assailant's grasp, grabbed him by both shoulders and kneed him violently in the groin. The figure doubled over, gasping. Marlene kicked his wand from his fingertips and lunged for her own, ignoring the pain shooting through her side from the exertion. The Death Eater wasn't giving up easily, though, and dove after her, trying to pin her wrists to the grass. Marlene was quicker than he was. She rolled beneath him and slashed at him with her wand, causing him to roar in pain at the burn she left on his wrist.
Marlene staggered to her feet and was confronted by a man with dark grey hair and a heavily scarred face. "Dearborn!" the man growled over his shoulder. "Take her and go. Now."
Caradoc looked wildly between Marlene and the newcomer. "But, what about – "
"Go now!" the stranger roared, as he fired a spell over Marlene's shoulder. The hex hit Marlene's assailant square in the chest, and he slumped to the ground, incapacitated. Caradoc grabbed Marlene by the forearm and gripped tightly.
"Wait!" she screamed. "What about Lily?! And Mary, and Dor – "
"There's no time!" Caradoc shouted. Marlene felt Caradoc's grip on her arm twist. And, suddenly, she was being pulled through a tube; her lungs were crushed and she struggled to breath. Her feet slammed against solid ground, and, almost instantly, Marlene fell to her knees. Her vision began to swim as she struggled to identify her new surroundings.
The last thing she remembered was the feel of hot blood on her hip and a concerned voice: "Marlene, are you okay?"
A/N: Hi guys! I just wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. It really means a lot, and definitely gives me the inspiration and the motivation to write. So, thank you, all! Please let me know if you have any suggestions or recommendations. Have a nice day!