1978
There was a discussion around how the New Year's party would be, for everyone was exhausted by the Christmas party. Lily would invite her parents again, but warned that more people would go.
"My sister is bringing her fiancée." Lily muttered, rolling eyes.
"Oh, come on, Lily, it's not that bad." Emmeline comforted.
"It is." She sighed. "My sister hates me."
"I hated Regulus too." Sirius commented, glancing at his brother, who curled on the bed sadly. Amelie left for France the day before, and now he could be seen dragging himself behind his friends, or sending letter after letter to her. "But now I don't…"
"Yes, but I don't know why she hates me, Sirius. She's afraid of me, calls me freak."
James hugged her from behind.
"Relax. We'll welcome her normally, and if she messed up I will defend you. Besides is only a dinner, she can't ruin everything."
"Sirius' father is coming." Luna commented, and Marlene giggled.
"Yes! With Mr. Black here, she would dare to open her mouth."
"This is true." Sirius laughed. "I am still getting used to talking directly to him, imagine she."
"It can't be that bad." Dorcas said, but Harry sighed.
"Oh, it is. You haven't seen them together, it's so-"
The boy went deadly silent when Lily gazed confusedly at him.
"But, Harry, you haven't seen Vernon and Petunia together. How do you-"
"He must know them in the future, isn't Harry?" Remus asked, curious. The boy looked at Ginny, who shrugged her shoulders.
"Sort of… hum, talking about meeting people, what about the next horcrux?"
Everyone looked suspiciously at him, but said nothing facing the discussion to decide who would go and destroy the horcrux, which Harry said was kept in a cave by the sea. That night, when Oreon arrived, Regulus and Sirius ran to greet him, which Regulus justified as an exercise for Sirius, making everyone laugh.
"Hi, dad." The two said, and Oreon smiled.
"Good evening, boys. How are you?"
"Hum…" Sirius muttered, but Regulus poked him in the elbow and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Not that good... Mum gave any news?"
"No. She saw I wasn't going back home, so she's moved to her sister in law, Druella"
"Mum got out of the house?" Sirius asked incredulous, and Oreon nodded.
"Yes. Of course she must've cursed from the doors to the windows, but got out. Druella sent me a letter telling that, guess she noticed Walburga is out of her mind. As if I didn't know that." He completed sarcastically.
"Are you going back?"
"I guess not, unless I want to take the risk of entering and dying. You said you're not that good, Regulus. It's because of that girl, Amelie?"
Regulus turned red.
"It's that clear?"
"No. I don't believe in coincidences and you've been sad since she left. Good evening, Martha, how are you?"
"Oh, hi Oreon…" she greeted surprisingly.
As Sirius and Regulus went back to their friends Emmeline said, gazing at Mr. Black.
"I'm surprised, Sirius. I've always thought that, besides being really handsome, your father was really antipathetic."
"Me too, but it was really mother who left him that way." Regulus justified. "Without her, there's no one making him do things he doesn't want to."
"Now that she's gone, he feels free." Sirius said. "He even said he wanted to hang out with us when the summer comes. I didn't know my dad's punk side."
Among the laughs, the Potter's door opened.
"Oh, here we go." Lily moaned when Mrs. Potter called her to greet her parents. Minutes later she came back, telling about the Lupin's arrival and bringing Petunia and a fat man, but without the mustache Harry remembered.
"I don't know why you're bringing me here." Petunia said bored, sitting on the couch beside Vernon and staring disgusted at everyone. "There are just your freaky friends over here."
"Shut it, Petunia." Lily warned sharply, and then smiled at the door.
Harry had never seen Remus' parents, and when they entered he felt a clutch on the chest. Mr. Lupin looked like Remus, except for the black hair, and Mrs. Lupin was a thin woman with an intellectual air. Although they smiled, they looked really exhausted, and the second hand clothes told about their clear lack of gold. Lily was a friend of their, apparently, for she rose and hugged the two of them.
"Hello, how are you?"
"We're fine, dear. " Remus' mother smiled to Lily, stretching her arms towards her son after. "Remus, darling, how are things here?"
Remus hugged his mother and called Dorcas to introduce them. The two left the room to join the adults, and Alice commented:
"Oh, Remus, your parents are so-"
"Poor, I know."
"No stupid! They're so alike you. Is dinner coming?"
"Alice, you amaze me." Marlene mocked. "Peter was supposed to say this."
"I'm on a diet, Lene." Peter sighed from a corner.
"Poor bloke, he's going mad with abstinence." Regulus laughed loudly, and Emmeline gazed at him censoring.
"'I think if he follows my diet soon he'll be just fine, isn't Peter?"
"Y-yes." Wormtail blushed strongly, and James tapped him in the back.
"When we're back to Hogwarts you can do the physical train with the team."
"Thanks." He thanked with a smile. Harry laughed with the rest when Sirius said, in a fake funny tone:
"Oh gosh! Go away, James Potter, I wanna see Pettigrew shirtless!"
"It's a hard competition." Ron continued.
"I don't even know how the team will welcome me…" Regulus started, but Sirius interrupted him in a angry voice:
"Normally, or they'll see. You play against Hufflepuff next time, and I will be there."
James and the others agreed strongly on going to the game to protect Regulus, and Harry got caught on Ginny, who emphasized the proposition. Without knowing he was lost in her passionate speech, her red hair that swung as she nodded with her head, shinning as brightly as the fire on the fireplace. He was so thoughtful that almost jumped from the couch when a finger poked his back.
"Why don't you talk to her?" Frank asked interested. Luna, who heard everything, smiled in her particular way.
"He's afraid of being dump. I would, you know. Everyone's here, she won't scream."
Harry and Frank gazed at each other, and feeling a sudden bravery Harry rose, giving Frank a half smile and saying:
"Wish me luck."
"Break a leg." He wished, using the old theater quote.
Determined, Harry sat beside Ginny, whispering near her ear:
"I need to talk with you."
She glanced at him, and he noticed she was interested in what he wanted to say. So, as everyone went to the dining room, they walked to a corner.
"I'm really defeating Voldemort this time."
"I know that, Harry."
"I… I can't stay away from you anymore."
"This is obvious."
Harry started to worry, thinking Ginny could be mad at him, but relaxed when she smiled and kissed him.
"I never thought of myself less than your girlfriend, Harry. I was just waiting for you to say I could stop pretending so we could go back."
"You know I just wanted your safety…" Harry hugged her.
"Look at my worried about safety face." Ginny pointed to her face and rolled her eyes. "Let's eat."
When they entered the room holding hands, everybody gazed at Harry's happy face. As midnight approached they all ran to the yard to see the fireworks, and Harry observed Mark and Oreon chatting aside.
"What is Mr. Mckinnon doing?" Neville asked, and everyone shrugged their shoulders. Sirius and Marlene exchanged looks, and she raised her eyebrows.
"I just hope my father doesn't kill Mr. Black, really."
"TEN!" Ron yelled excited. James and the marauders used their wands to make their voiced loud.
"NINE!" James yelled.
"EIGHT!" Sirius followed, hugging his best friend.
"SEVEN!" Harry and Ginny hugged.
"SIX!" Remus yelled, kissing Dorcas. To everyone's fun, he howled after.
"FIVE!" Peter jumped holding his pants, which were larger than the last year.
"FOUR!" Regulus yelled holding Amelie's note on his hand and hugged Oreon.
"THREE!" Hermione and Ron kissed.
"ONE!" Neville, Alice and Frank greeted.
As the fireworks amazed them all, Luna warned:
"Watch for the nargles or they'll steal your food!"
They all hugged, and Marlene called:
"Sirius!"
In a corner Mark lowered his head and punched Oreon's shoulder friendly.
"What is this?" Mrs. Potter asked Lorraine surprisingly. Mrs. Mckinnon smiled sarcastically.
"It's just the end of an old story."
Mark raised his head and told Oreon something, hugging his old friend.