Chapter 37: Tasks

Life went on as normal, James and Lily grew even more closer together as not only did their work load increase but so did their time spent together. As Head-Boy and Head-Girl, they were always together, patrolling in the corridors, studying together and eating together. For the later two they weren't without their other friends. Peter, Remus, Sirius and of course Marlene.

Lily seemed to be having a huge effect on James, even with his added responsibility he was much more mature and thought before he did anything. If someone (mainly a Slytherin) insulted him, then he would actually either turn and walk away, or talk to them instead of pulling out his wand and hexing them. Sirius was the same, although he was forever moaning that nothing exciting was happening any-more, he accepted his best-friend's change by changing himself. He was still reckless and sometimes did things without thinking but there were small subtle changes.

He almost gave Professor McGonagal a heart attack once, when she walked into the library to find him wearing glasses and reading a book - the glasses were James' and the book had a comic hidden inside, but to anyone other than Peter who was sitting beside him, it looked like he was actually reading.

With their final exams looming closer, armed with pitchforks and axes, Lily and Remus had taken it upon themselves to motivate everyone else into studying. They set up a small study group in the corner of the library. At first it was just the six of them, but when Mary and Rebecca started to join , which ultimately brought Hester and Lester. Their small study group of six turned in to a study group of about seventy students. The nine Gryffindors found themselves overcome with Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff's who had so many more students then they did. They only people who were missing were the Slytherins, but nobody was going to invite them.

Marlene still spent her Sunday nights with Regulus, and although the time they spent in the Room of Requirement was supposed to be spent practising, they dedicated at least half-an-hour to it before sitting on a sofa and discussing the war, families and future plans. By the time April and the Quidditch final game around, Regulus knew more about Marlene then Martyn probably did.

They were playing Slytherin for the final, and were tied equally for points, which James – as usual, was stressing about. He had upped their training to three nights a week and when they weren't training was drawing diagrams on the back of Lily's potion's essay or whispering plays and moves in Marlene's ear as they passed to different classes.

With everything nearly coming to a head, tensions and tempers were getting tested. Not for the first time did Marlene and Sirius have a fight about her Sunday meetings with Regulus. Although Marlene had admitted, that if it weren't for the fact that Dumbledore encouraged her to find the time, she would have given up ages ago.

"Once this match is over, it home free for the next two and a bit months." Regulus said the Sunday before the match.

"Speak for yourself, as soon as the match is over, my three day study ritual goes up to six. I have my NEWTs in less than two months and I'm stressing over Potion Equations and Arithmancy ingredients."

Regulus raised an eyebrow at the glaring mistake but said nothing. Marlene didn't seem to have noticed and collapsed on the sofa before pouring both her and Regulus a cup of tea from the flask Regulus had brought with him.

"So what happens next?" Regulus said sitting down and accepting the cup of coffee.

Marlene looked at him bewildered. "That's a really random conversation starter, I'm going to drink this tea and then go to be..."

"I meant after you graduate, I'm talking about my mother and your brother."

Marlene rolled her eyes. "I'll get back to you on that one, I'll see what happens if I try and back out of it. I haven't signed anything yet." Marlene looked hopeful and Regulus shook his head.

"This is my mother we're talking about."

Marlene smiled before standing up. "See you on the pitch.."

Regulus grinned and watched her disappear out the room. To be truthful he was dreading the day she graduated. He felt sorry for the girl who happened to have a Death Eater for a brother. Non of this would have happened if Martyn had been in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw or even Hufflepuff. He then thought of his fellow sixth year Barty, who had been asking a lot of questions recently and had been hanging around with Mulciber, Snape and himself more frequently since the year started. His thoughts also went to Peter Pettigrew who he had seen on a few occasions talking to a couple of Slytherins when his normal friends were busy with homework or Quidditch. Talking however was an understatement, Peter didn't talk he suck upped to people, he begged for protection and only said what they wanted to hear. He was a coward and Regulus' brother was too naive too see it. It really didn't matter what house you were put in, it was your beliefs, upbringing (in the case of Regulus) and your personality that set you on your path. Some things were just meant to be.

He turned his thought back to the latest letter from his mother. A letter that asks him – although the way it was written gave the impression that Regulus was being ordered, to invite Marlene round as soon as the holidays started so his mother could meet her. If he didn't invite her, then his mother would send a letter out personally, and his mother's letters were never friendly.

Sighing he picked up his flask and headed out the room. He had at lease two months until he had to ask her. Maybe he could surprise her with it next Saturday. It might give him the edge he needed to win. He dismissed that thought with a small shake of his head, he wouldn't stoop that low.

"So I've told Regulus that we're using defence strategies 45 and 73, attack formations A and G and ..." James face was priceless and Marlene couldn't help but to laugh at his panic stricken face. "I'm joking James I only told him about our secret weapon."

James looked liked he could cry but when he saw that Lily was fighting back her laughter as well as Remus and Marlene he knew he had been duped. He scowled at Marlene before flopping down on his bed and folded his arms. His face set in a disapproving frown.

"People are stupid," Marlene quoted. "They believe something because they are afraid it is true, or because they want it to be true. You obviously don't want it to be true, therefore you don't trust me."

"No I don't trust Black," said James determinately.

"Cheers mate." Sirius said sarcastically with a smile on his face. He knew James was talking about his brother.

"Honestly James I never breathed a word anyway you were too busy panicking to realise that I said the wrong formations. You really need to calm down. And I know it's our last match against our arch-rivals and we need to be the best and win and not let McGonagal and Gryffindor down and blah-di-blah-di-blah."

James looked slightly taken aback by Marlene's words, it was true he was very high-strung but he was stressed. He had NEWTs to study for, Quidditch, Head-Boy duties and to top it all off Martyn sent him a letter saying that his father had taken a turn for the worse and was now in St. Mungo's. There was only so much and eighteen year old could handle. He knew Marlene had gone through it all and had confided in her, and usually talking to someone helped. This time he didn't feel any different of everything he had going on in his head was stressing him out and nothing could be delegated.

He felt a small hand on his own and smiled at the owner. If Lily had still hated him this year he didn't know how he would've survived. Lily had certainly saved his life this year and he hoped she would continue to save his life in the future.

"Don't worry too much, just take a deep breath and count to ten whenever you feel your getting too stressed and everything will be fine." Lily said smiling reassuringly.

James nodded and took a deep breath, looking everywhere but at his friends – encase they made him laugh, he slowly counted to ten, he got to six and a half when the portrait swung open and a third-year tumbled through sporting a lovely pair of rabbit ears and and fluffy tail to boot.

The thirteen year-old was in tears, he kept trying to hide the ears and tail as he tried to escape to his dormitory but was stopped by a group of concerned fourth year girls.

Sighing, James stood up and with a look at Lily they walked over to where the group was to find out exactly what had happened.

Sirius watched the couple go, his face a mixture of laughter at the poor rabbit-boy and concern for his stressed friend. "We're going to be all right aren't we?" He said to Remus, Peter and Marlene in a very out of character manner.

Remus raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly.

"Course we are you big lump." Said Marlene with a grin on her face, she knew exactly how to handle Sirius when he went all sentimental. "Everything's going to fine, take each day as it comes, for instance right now I think we should..." She hesitated and stood up determinately. "Go for a walk. Whose coming?"

Peter shook his head mumbling something about the cold and dark. Remus didn't have to explain his pale face and the full moon in two days time gave him an excuse for most things.

"Just us then." She said smiling and half pulled, half dragged Sirius to the still open portrait without even bothering to shut their books or grab their cloaks.

"One more week." Marlene sang happily as she skipped down the seventh floor and down a flight of stairs hidden behind a tapestry.

Sirius smiled but briefly wondered why Marlene was acting so childlike. He voiced his concern.

She shrugged. "I'm not thinking about anything negative and only focusing on the positive, it's a pretty small list, but it's better then dwelling on Martyn, the order or Dumbledore."

"How is Dumbledore negative?" Sirius asked cautiously, he knew that speaking aloud was a dangerous thing to do, walls had ears, as did portraits and suits of armour.

Marlene glanced around and with a wave of her wand she cast a small spell Sirius didn't recognise. "I'll teach you it sometime, I nicked it off Severus, allows us to speak without fear of being overheard, anyone gets to close and they get a buzzing in their ears."

Sirius nodded both disapprovingly and approvingly, a grimance splayed across his face showing his displeasure at Snape's usefulness. He stood patiently and waited for Marlene to answer his question."

"Has Dumbledore given you any more jobs to do once we graduate?"

Sirius nodded, Dumbledore had indeed called them all – one-by-one, into his office, to explain what they were to do to help the Order. His task was simple, he, James and Lily were to respond to calls for help and assist the ministry in supporting the victims of attacks and consoling those that have come in contact with the Dark Mark. Remus had explained that as soon as he graduates he's going travelling, there was an article in the Daily Prophet a week or so back, telling of a potion for Werewolves that could revolutionise werewolf transformations. Peter was to help Lily, James and Sirius.

Marlene had been given her task today, and wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to do it. She had meant to talk it over with Lily and the boys, but she hadn't had that much time, due to meeting Regulus and James being all stressed.

Taking a deep breathe she sat down on a step and motioned for Sirius to do the same. Once he was seated she gave him a small kiss and delved into her task.

"Dumbledore wants me too..." she struggled to find the words that wouldn't set Sirius off in the wrong way, she didn't want another argument, and she most certainly didn't want him to get angry at Dumbledore. "Get back on friendly terms with Martyn and possible become eyes and ears within Voldemort's inner circle, which I highly doubt is going to happen, but he wants me to try."

She lent he back against a wall and closed her eyes listening to the tell-tale signs of Sirius getting over-protective. But the heavy breathing, or colourful language didn't come, instead he gathered Marlene into a hug and pressed her tightly against his chest.

"I have every faith in you." He whispered into he hair. "I know for a fact that your brother – despite his bad lifestyle choice, loves you to bits and won't let anything happen to you, my brother also wouldn't hurt you, you just have to promise me, you'll come home to me every night."

"Is that an invitation to move in with you?" Marlene asked her eyes glistening with happy tears.

Sirius laughed as he thought back over what he said. "I guess it is."

A/N: Oh My Gosh, please forgive me, I have no excuse yet i'm going to give the usual, work, lack of internet, work, writers block, work, internet.... :D I've had this chapter finished for a while but I have a split hard-drive and it's residing in my Linux side, and due to my new Portuguese Mobile Internet being random and lot liking Linux i'm having to use windows again, I kept forgetting to transfer the chapter over to windows it also means Internet Explorer and no lovely spelling check. So i apologise for any glaring mistakes, I have checked it a million times but no doubt some will slip by me.

Marlene's people are stupid quote is Wizard's First Rule, from the book of the same name in the Sword of Truth series (A.K.A Legend of the Seeker) by Terry Goodkind.

There was something else but I can't remember all I have running through my head is how annoying this volcano is getting.... can't have been important. Oh well

Ciao