A/N: Yay, I just ordered a new mp3 player! That was a random piece of information, I know, but I'm really happy about it.
Wow, this seems like a "summer vacation" episode. Thank goodness it's not. This is shorter than most, I believe. But it took so long! I'm so sorry!
For those who're looking for clues: there's a big one in here. A very, very big one.
Honestly, this one is so damn sappy. But, it had to be said.
The Scribe's Resurrection
Part Two: Chapter Thirteen
Saturday, June 25, 1977
The detention with Professor Walden was murder. At eleven o'clock, Hogwarts was surprisingly dark, and Selena did not want to get in trouble for being out of bed. Her fingers were sore from scrubbing out the third-year's Redcap tanks, and all that the raven-haired young woman wanted to do was sleep. The very next day would be the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts, and she wanted to be well rested.
Suddenly, Selena stopped in the middle of the hallway. She could hear something breathing.
"Lumos," she whispered, searching the ground for the evil Mrs. Norris. After several seconds, Selena determined that the cat was not around, but she still heard something. It was not Peeves, nor was it a ghost. No one had Astronomy classes to go to. Selena thought of one last group of people it could be and mentally chided herself for not thinking of The Marauders sooner.
"Out from the Invisibility Cloak. Now." A disembodied hand grasped at the air around it and pulled James' Invisibility Cloak, revealing four boys.
"AW! How'd you guess?!" James asked, hanging his cloak on a statue.
"Probably Peter's breathing. He's so not stealthy," Remus remarked
"At least I didn't sneeze this time!" Peter defended himself.
"How d'you lot fit under that thing?"
"We don't," Sirius said simply, taking Selena's hand. "I mean, I'm too tall to be under it officially- my feet stick out."
"Which is why we invented The Marauder's Map," James said. "So we'd know when to be still."
"Shh!" Remus silenced them and groaned, "Filch."
"Bugger." James peered at the old piece of parchment in Remus' hand. "No time to go anywhere..." The five braced themselves.
"GOTCHA!" Filch yelled. Mrs. Norris meowed happily. "Well, well, well. Aren't we-"
"In trouble, yeah, we know the drill. Your office, right?" Sirius asked.
"I bet you all are coming back from Hogsmeade, aren't you? Don't think I don't know about your escapades! Turn out your pockets!" Their eyes widened.
"But- but sir, we were, em, doing detent-" Selena started. She remembered that Remus hadn't wiped The Marauder's Map.
"Right. Wands where I can see 'em!"
"Bugger," James whispered again. He put his wand in his teeth and began to empty his pockets. The boys had been in Hogsmeade, and James revealed dozens of cakes. Filch promptly put them in a conveniently placed bucket. Selena, standing by Remus, gently pulled out the piece of parchment in his hand and hid it behind her back. She pulled out her wand as Sirius went through the same motions as James.
"You next!" Filch barked at Selena. Selena backed up against a statue of a humpbacked witch for support. Her cane clacked to the ground.
"I haven't got anything in my pockets!" Selena said. "I haven't got pockets!"
"Show me your hands!" Selena's hands, behind her back, were full with the wand in her right hand and the map in her left.
"Isn't it funny how we've been sneaking around for years, Mister Filch? I mean, all this mischief managed?" Selena tapped the parchment.
"No. It makes me sick. Hold up your hands!" Selena held them up, dropping the parchment to the ground.
"Oho, what's this?"
"Bit of parchment." He snatched The Marauder's Map up, which was blank.
"Bet you picked it up at Zonko's. Why d'you need parchment and no quill?"
"I don't know sir, why've you got such a funny-looking nose?"
"HA!" James and Sirius let out a laugh. Remus snorted and looked down, while Peter twitched and touched his own nose. Mr. Filch shifted uncomfortably as Selena put her whistle in her mouth.
"Think that's funny, do you? Well, I'll have you know-" A loud commotion came from the Trophy Room, and Filch whipped around. "PEEVES!" He haphazardly hop-skipped away with the map and bucket. The friends looked to each other.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
"Oh, oh wow!"
"Nice one, Quicksilver."
"That was so amazing!"
"Awful though," James sighed, "He's got our map. We were supposed to give that to our kids."
"Ah, don't worry mate, we'll get it back."
"Great, I'm hungry," Peter moaned.
"Back to Hogsmeade, then." Sirius shrugged. "Mister Flume won't mind."
"Well hurry up then- before he realizes Peeves is on the fifth floor blowing bubblegum..."
Friday Evening, August 5, 1977
Of course, the six of them weren't tired. They had just slept on the Knight Bus from James' house all the way to their destination. But, unfortunately, because they'd slept the whole way, neither of them knew exactly where they were on a map.
"And what's this place called again?" Selena shook out her hair as they got off the bus, trying to wake up.
"Everley," James replied. "A Wizarding vacation town, don't you know. My parents and I come here a lot."
"Oh."
They followed James in the Everley Hotel, and someone showed them up to their living quarters for the next few days.
The Potters' regular suite had three bedrooms, each with two beds and a bathroom, and the bedrooms were all connected by a living room.
"We call this room!" Selena yelled. "Biggest bathroom!" Lily magicked her trunk into the room, and she chose the bed nearest the door. Remus and Peter roomed together, while Sirius and James took the room farthest from the front door.
"Look!" Remus called, rushing over to the window in the living room. "School lists are here!" Peter passed out the envelopes.
"Ugh, N.E.W.T. load," Sirius groaned upon reading the list. "Spell Making's got one, two, three books. Three."
"Ah, I've been using that text for years," Selena said, glancing over her own list.
"YES!" James yelled, waving a piece of metal in the air. "HEAD BOY BADGE!"
"Me too! Head Girl!" Lily exclaimed. The pair bounced around ecstatically.
"Looks like all that behaving paid off," Selena mumbled. "Alright, now how are we to celebrate the crowning of the new Head Boy and Girl?"
"Out for drinks," James said devilishly. "Drinks, drinks, drinks!"
"Drinks it is, then!"
---
"Chug, chug, chug!" Selena, Peter, and Remus chanted. James and Sirius were consuming vast amounts of firewhisky, trying desperately to beat each other out before Lily called time.
"AND... STOP!" Lily shouted. "James's got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven pints!"
"Two, four, six, seven pints to Sirius," Selena said, "But oops- one's half finished. JAMES IS THE WINNER!"
"YEEEAH!" James punched the air and settled back in his seat.
"Oh, poo," Sirius grumbled.
The local pub was full of people doing the exact same thing as the Marauders and the two girls. Everyone had found something to celebrate, even if that meant buying a new set of dress robes (which is exactly what the man sitting next to Peter had done).
"Shots next," Sirius announced. Selena shook her head, finishing her drink.
"I'm in." Peter moved forward. Remus and James got ready too.
"Fortunately," Lily whispered to Selena, "There's a tonic for hangovers."
Saturday, August 6, 1977
The town of Everley was a sweet seaside town, known for its sleepy, laid-back nature by day and funky party attitude by night. Many youths aged seventeen had decided to visit this summer, and the denizens of the area fed off their energy. So, naturally, very strange stores existed within the Everley area, and the friends decided to explore.
"We've got to go here!" Sirius pointed to a rather small shop.
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Because he wants a tattoo," Selena answered.
"Yes." Sirius began to spring up and down as he held onto his girlfriend. "Can we please go in?"
"Yeah..." Sirius dragged Selena inside, and the other four tagged along. When they stepped inside, a proprietor presented himself.
"I'm Rock Marten, the Notae on staff today. What can I do for you?" A person who had studied the art of tattoo burning was dubbed a Notae.
"I was looking into getting a tattoo," Sirius said confidently.
"Sure. Have you got an image in mind?"
"Yes, this one." Sirius pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket; Selena recognized her own handwriting on it. "This rune- put it right here," he said to the tattoo artist. He thumped his chest happily.
"Very nice choice, a part of the Aegishjalmar. For self-awareness and protection."
"Mmhmm."
"Nice place to put it. Right on the chest. That's five galleons."
"Okay." Sirius pulled out five pieces of gold.
"Hold on, you're not even going to ask if he's seventeen?" Remus inquired.
"Only of age people can see the store," the Notae explained.
"Oh."
"Can I look at this?" Selena asked, picking up a book of tattoos.
"Sure." Selena sat down next to Lily in one of the chairs. They started pointing to pictures.
"So, when I get it, will I have to do anything to take care of it?" Sirius asked. The proprietor began explaining that Sirius wouldn't be troubled by the design on his chest.
"That's about it," he finished. "Would you like it done now?"
"Yes, sir!" Sirius stepped forward while the Notae took the parchment from Sirius' hand.
"Okay, expose the skin." Sirius unbuttoned his shirt. "This is the cool part. You five may want to watch."
Lily stayed in her seat while the boys and Selena moved closer. The Notae waved his wand over the parchment in his hands.
"You will feel some discomfort to pain. It's different for everybody. Ready?"
"Ready," he said. The proprietor tapped the area where Sirius wanted it, and a small bead of flame began writing on his skin. The trail of the bead turned into a thick, black line.
"Wow," Selena mouthed. "Freaky."
"Huh." Remus clucked his tongue.
"Ow, ow, ow." Sirius tried not to fidget. When the bead finished, it evaporated.
"That was fun to watch," James announced.
"How's it look?" Sirius asked, glancing down.
"Good," Selena said. "You look very protected." She traced it with her index finger.
"And that's supposed to protect you from harm?" Lily asked.
"Yes."
"It will," Remus said. "You've activated it and everything."
"Excuse me." Selena tapped the owner's shoulder. "Do you do piercings?"
"Yes, miss, we do."
"Selena," Sirius started, "Your ears are already pierced. Twice in each."
"I want my nose done," Selena said simply. "Left nostril." Sirius' mouth swung open.
"AHAHAHA!" James started laughing, and so did Peter. When Remus and Lily saw Sirius' appalled face, they guffawed too.
"When were you planning this?!" Sirius asked, leaning on the counter.
"My mum always planned for me to get it done on my seventeenth birthday. And I want two tattoos too." She opened the tattoo book to page fifty-three. "That one and that one."
"Oh, very nice choices. Very feminine."
"Oh my gosh!" Sirius exclaimed. He sat down in one of the chairs. "You never told me about this."
"You never asked."
"Your total's thirteen galleons."
"Okay." Selena shelled out twenty gold coins. "Ready now."
"She's insane," Sirius mumbled. "Insane. I was supposed to get the tattoo. Not you!"
"Do you not want me to?"
"You... can."
"Okay, then. I want that one here." Selena pointed to the back of her left shoulder. "And this one here." She indicated her lower back.
"This is fun to watch," Remus said. "What're you getting put in your nose?"
"Um..."
"Here is our selection of acceptable nose rings."
"Lily, come help me choose." Lily looked over Selena's shoulder. "I like the flowers."
"Silver and black flower," the redheaded girl said. "It'll go with anything. You don't wanna get something that'll clash with a whole bunch of stuff."
"Yeah. Yeah, I do like that one. I want that one."
"Okay. What do you want done first?"
"My shoulder." Selena tapped her shoulder, which was already bare due to her red tank top. The store manager repeated the ritual on her left shoulder and again on her lower back. Selena admired the fluid markings and flourishes in the mirror.
"Pretty, pretty," she cooed. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. You two are pretty strange," the owner said. "I mean, you've just waltzed in and gotten it done. I screamed when I got my first one." He pointed to his arm. "Screamed out of joy, I mean."
"Oh, I'm happy," Selena said. She shoved her thumb in Sirius' direction. "And you can tell he's happy."
"Ready to be pierced?"
"Ready." The Notae picked up the earring she had chosen, and Selena surrendered her nose to the man. He placed the stem of the stud on her nostril, and it wedged itself inside, like a straw in a pumpkin juice box. Selena cringed, but did not move.
"Ow," Peter said. "Ow. Ow. Ow."
"That does look more painful than the tattoo." Remus turned away.
"It's not."
"Alright. You're done. Don't take it out for six months. Anything else I can do for you?"
"Nope." Selena inspected herself in the mirror, poking her new piercing. "Thanks."
"Looks nice." Lily smiled.
"Sirius, d'you like it?" The young man glanced up from the figure that decorated his chest.
"Oh. Yes, I do."
---
Selena stared in the mirror at her back as she brushed her teeth. She, sitting on the counter, was getting ready for bed and inspecting the burned-in pictures on her skin.
"I look like Mum," she muttered to herself. It was true- the tattoos on her back had a striking resemblance to those of her mother's. And her nose ring, too, was like her mum's.
She spat the excess toothpaste in the sink.
"Did they hurt, dear?" The mirror asked.
"Not really. Just like someone was writing on me with a quill."
"Oh, that's good. Well, good night then."
"G'night." Selena eased off the counter, picked up her cane, and walked into the room that she and Lily shared.
"Niiice pajamas," a deep voice spoke, making Selena jump an inch. Once she realized who it was, she covered her chest with her free arm.
"Don't do that."
"Sorry." She narrowed her eyes at Sirius who sat in one of the chairs. She placed her cane in the niche between her nightstand and the bed and then settled on the bed.
"Why're you in here?"
"Because Lily went into our room," Sirius said lightly. "I came out of the shower, and there they were, snogging on James' bed."
"Oh, ew, don't tell me that." Selena covered her ears in jest. "Bad imagery comes to mind."
"Of course, they're not like us," Sirius continued. Selena burst out in giggles as Sirius inched his way onto the bed. "We're so much more into it."
"Oh really?"
"Really. Because we-"
"Stop! Don't wanna hear it!"
"But it's us."
"So?" Sirius shook his head as Selena gathered her hair into a ponytail. He stretched himself out on the bottom of her bed.
"I'm not tired."
"Tough luck," she said, "'cause I am."
"You know I've got to sleep in here, right?"
"With me? Why?"
"Because Lily'll be in there all night."
"And you can't sleep in the living room why?" Selena fluffed her pillows.
"Because you're not in there?"
"Oh, you're lucky this bed is so big."
"YAY!" Sirius scrambled under the covers.
"Acts just like a five-year-old. Brains like one too." Selena propped herself up against the wall and looked out the window.
"How come you didn't tell me you wanted a tattoo?"
"You never asked."
"You don't tell me anything."
"You don't ask me to."
"You're being detached again," Sirius whined.
"What? I don't know what you want me to talk about, Sirius."
"Hopes, dreams, aspirations? Maybe what you had for breakfast?"
"You already know what I had for breakfast, you idiot."
"I like hearing your voice. Can't you share stuff with me? Lily and James talk all the time."
"Fine."
"Yay!"
"I like your tattoo," she said, giving it a fleeting look.
"Does it turn you on?" Sirius asked inquiringly. Selena turned her head and stared at him a bit, and then giggles poured out of her mouth.
"Ahahahaha!"
"It doesn't?" Sirius supported his head with his hand with a solemn, sad look on his face. Sympathetic, Selena leaned over and gave him a kiss on the head.
"Yes, it does. Your face was just priceless. Your lips looked like a Hippogriff's beak."
"My face is funny?" He pulled himself up.
"Yes." Suddenly, Sirius tackled her, tickling her sides. "AH! Stop, stop!"
"Is it funny now?!" He asked with a big grin on his face.
"Stop, stop!" Selena's mirth echoed through the room, along with her pleads. She resisted as best she could, but Sirius was already much bigger than she was.
"Won't stop. Is my face funny?"
"No, no, it's not. Stop!"
"I can't hear you!"
"Your face isn't funny! It's an adorable, cute face!"
Sirius stopped, set his face close to hers, and said quietly, "I don't want my face to be adorable! It emits constant bouts of salaciousness. Now, say that I've got an utterly provocative face."
"I will not!" Sirius shrugged.
"Have it your way." He tickled harder, resulting in shrieks of laughter.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Selena screamed. "Okay, okay. Sirius, you've got a downright provocative, seductive face attached to your amazingly sensuous body and your tattoo just turns me on every time I look at it!"
"Okay. Good." Sirius rolled off of her, and Selena heaved herself up. "See, now that was easy."
"Meanie!" She punched his shoulder.
"What? I just got you to speak the truth."
"Uh-huh." Selena sighed and lay down next to him. "Want me to engage you in conversation?"
"Yes, please." Sirius moved to the position he formerly had lain in.
"Are you going to hover over my face like that?" Selena asked, annoyed.
"Well, it's a provocative, seductive face, so I think I will. And your new nose piercing is just too cute- I must look at it." He smirked and kissed her nose. Selena folded her arms over her chest.
"Anyway." She continued quietly, "When you came in, I thought... I thought you were going to ask me to sleep with you."
"Honestly?"
"Yes."
"I would never ask that, not even if you wanted me to. I'm waiting for our wedding night."
"Wedding?"
"Yes."
"We're getting married?"
"Duh. I know that's a year off, but I'd wait forever for you."
"Really? You'd wait forever for me?" Sirius nodded. "So if I asked you to wait at King's Cross Station for me, and it took me five-hundred-something years, you'd wait?"
"Like a statue. With food and drink, of course."
"Why on Earth would you do that?"
"Because I love you." Sirius said this as though it were extremely obvious.
"Seriously?"
"Sirius-ly. Everything I say is serious, because I'm Sirius." Selena did not laugh.
"Well, I love you too."
"Psh, I knew that."
"I never said it."
"Dumbledore says that actions speak louder than words." Selena wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.
"Oh, you're such an idiot," she whispered.
"I'm going to be a dead idiot if you don't let me go," Sirius choked out. She released him. He took a deep breath and laid his head down on her chest.
"Sorry. So we're getting married? When?"
"... I don't know. It's not official. I don't have a ring yet." Sirius voiced the last bit in a gloomy, wistful tone.
"I don't care."
"We should get married now- all our friends're here."
"We haven't finished school."
"So?"
"So, I'd like to finish school first."
"Next year, this time, can we be on our honeymoon?" Sirius requested.
"Yes."
"Oh, now I'm a happy Keeper."
Sunday at Midday, August 28, 1977
"Take a left." Selena turned. "Now keep going straight."
"This is a nice neighborhood," Sirius' girlfriend mused.
"Yes. Okay, stop the car- here we are."
"It's pretty!"
"Wait 'till you see it up close."
Sirius' new two-story house had a blush of the Victorian era, with a giant veranda. Selena got out of her car and peered at it. Sirius ran up to the front door immediately.
"Oh, look at the yard!" Selena hobbled onto the sidewalk.
"It's a big yard, with a big porch for all the kids we're going to have," Sirius announced.
"Children?"
"Yes. Five. Three boys and two girls. They're going to run and jump and play on this porch."
"Hahaha, okay. How many bedrooms're inside?"
"Three. But the realtor assured me that it grows bigger as you need it."
"That's a relief." Selena toddled up the steps. Sirius' outstretched arms greeted her.
"C'mon, Queen Quicksilver. Let me give you the grand tour."
"Okay."
Sirius strolled around the first story, acquainting Selena with the den, kitchen, dining room, family room, and living room.
"It's very big," Selena said.
"Only because I've not got a lot of furniture in it yet."
"We'll buy some."
"So you're going to move in with me?" Sirius asked intently.
"Not this summer. We go back to school next week."
"Ugh. School."
"Upstairs?"
"Oh, right." The couple went upstairs. They inspected the two bedrooms and bathroom, and then Sirius went through the last doorway.
"And this is our bedroom." The only things in the master bedroom were Sirius' school things, a bureau of clothes, and a bed. Selena sniggered.
"You're outrageously funny, you know that?"
"What?"
"Well, see, there's no reason why you should marry me, and certainly no reason for me to live with you."
"So you're just humoring me."
"Partially." Selena touched the dresser. "I want to live with you. But I don't see the logic in it. So I'm just going along with it until you get sense knocked into you."
"I love you."
"When did that happen?"
"Mmm... that day on the stairs when I found out that your friend Darcy went out with my brother."
"The day that I found out you were an Animagus?"
"Yeah. See, I always liked you- you just weren't pretty enough."
"Thanks." She cut her eyes at him.
"What? I was shallow!"
"You're mad."
"When did you find out you loved me, then?"
"The day we brewed Amortentia. But I think it was already there, and I just didn't know. I like this bathroom."
"The shower has a seat in it."
"Really?" Selena tore open the shower door. "Oh, it does! I love this bathroom!"
Sirius threw back his head, and a great barking laugh sounded.