February 27th, 1977

"And, after we fought off the Horntail, I made it back to the pub to meet up with Nyla," Max McKinnon smirked as he took a large swig of his butter beer.

"You're a dog," His youngest sibling scoffed. "Can't keep it in your knickers if you even wanted."

"Oh, look who's talking," countered Max.

The two McKinnon siblings had spent the last half-hour in the Three Broomsticks, throwing back beers like it was water and catching up on the past two months that they were a part. The siblings were loud, but funny too. The only one whom really had an issue with it was Madam Rosemerta.

"Will you two politely lower your decibel?" Rosemerta smiled too widely, spitting through her teeth. She rested down two more butter beers harder than the McKinnons expected before glaring at them. She walked away without a word.

Marlene glared as the barkeep walked away. "What's got her so pissy, aye?" She asked lowly.

"She's been mad at ever since our seventh year." For some reason, Max sounded content with that. Marlene thought better of asking what he meant.

Both of the siblings took a swig of their drink. It was nice to finally be able to drink with family, something Marlene always loved to do even if it was illegal for her a few months ago. However, this time was different. On the surface, the conversation was the same as always. But, Marlene could sense a tenseness in her brother that she hadn't felt before.

"What's on your mind, Max?" she asked coolly.

Max exhaled and ran a hand through his blond hair. "I need this job, Marley."

Marlene made a doubtful face. She wasn't sure she believed her brother's desperation, because she was fully aware their privilege the McKinnons had as rich pure-bloods. They were one of the original Scottish wizarding clans. He didn't need a job ever.

But, Max was different from the rest of the McKinnon siblings. Firstly, he enjoyed music immensely but did not play. As a child, he grew up loathing his piano lessons and was more interested in sports. Secondly, the eldest brother had a deeply ingrained sense of independence. He barely used any of his family's moneys and often made a point out of making his own, which was not a lot. And lastly, he was damn sure more stubborn about defying their parents.

"You don't need money," Marlene clarified for him as she took a swig. "You want money."

Then, Max gave her a look that she had never seen before. Her brother was normally stoic and never showed his true emotions, but for once, she could see genuine fear on his face.

"What've you gotten yourself into?" She asked, lowering her decibel.

Max took a deep breath before leaning in closer to his sister. '"You can't tell Mum and Dad. Seriously."

She nodded reverently. That's one thing they were all good at: keeping secrets from their parents.

"More and more Scottish Wizarding families are contemplating siding with You-Know-Who."

Marlene gasped. "Like which ones?"

"The McLaggens and the Clarksons, for starters, but I hear more and more every day," Max said sadly.

Marlene sucked in a breath, because these were families she had grown up along side. For fuck's sake, Tiberius McLaggen just graduated last May from Hogwarts with intentions of proposing to muggle-born Justine Bodsworth. In all her years of knowing these families, none of them had shown one ounce of racism. It all sounded too preposterous. "And what does this all have to do with you?" She asked.

"I was over at the Clarkson's a few weeks ago when they held a Poker Tournament."

"Ooh, Max," Marlene sighed, lolling her head back. She thought this was going to be more important than his oncoming addiction to gambling.

"I know, I know," he said quickly, "just hear me-"

"Dumbledore won't tolerate that from you as a Professor. He has high standards for his professors and none of them are gambling addicts!"

"Let me finish, aye? Then you can chew my head off," he said shortly. His little sister opened her mouth but decided to close it once more. "So, poker tournament. And during a break, I heard Ewan and Alan Clarkson saying something about going after Selma Quinn. For what reason, not sure. Either way, I saw that they cursed her chips. So, I acted."

Marlene couldn't blame her brother, because chances are she would do the exact same thing. McKinnons leaned toward impulsivity.

"I burned down Ewan Clarkson's house."

Marlene stared at him for a long moment with her jaw hanging and her eyes wide. Max had to snap in her face after a minute to see if her soul was still inside her body.

"You burnt down their house," Marlene repeated softly.

"Well, it was mainly to just get everyone out so that Quinn wouldn't be injured or killed. But, yes. I excused myself to the lou and set it on fire. It got a bit out-of-hand actually, and it burned down the entire house. Luckily, it wasn't the main estate."

"Luckily!?" Marlene repeated. "Are you mad? You just committed an act of terror. Arson terror against ruddy death eaters, Max!"

"Marlene, I know what I did. But, can't you see the bigger picture here?"

"Like what? How you're going to be on the run from the Clarksons for the rest of your life?"

"Like how Selma Quinn was targeted by her fellow pure-bloods."

Marlene stopped, because she hadn't noticed that. The Quinns were a powerful wizarding family that had been around for a long time, almost as long as the McKinnons. She closed her eyes and whispered, "Death Eaters are after pure-bloods now."

"Harder than ever," Max added. He rested a gentle hand over his sister's and continued, "The War is worsening outside of the Hogwarts walls, Marls. In nastier ways than you could ever imagine. I need this job to hide myself. Nowhere is safer than Hogwarts."

"Mum and Dad would protect you," Marlen reassured him. She wasn't sure why she was, but it was true. "You're their first child, Max."

Max nodded. "I know, but c'mon, Marley. When was I ever the type to run to our parents for help?" He tried to add a lightness to his statement by adding a small, unenthusiastic smile.

"Maybe it's time to start."

"I'm not running home to our parents. The less they know the better." He said it in a final sort of way.

Marlene wondered if she should bring up Dorcas Meadowes now. It seemed like her brother had more pressing matters at the hand, but has he realized that one of his students would now be one of his former snog-buddies? A mental image popped itself into her mind, and she immediately shook her head.

"When do classes start?" Marlene asked, trying to focus on something else besides her brother and Dorcas sharing saliva.

"Friday, I move in tomorrow. I'm staying with Abeforth until then. I still have more items to buy," he explained, standing up. He rested a few galleons on the table.

"Last question," Marlene said. She waited for Max to nod. "Does Dumbledore know why you're really here?"

Max nodded. "Yeah."

"And he still lets you come into his school?"

Max shrugged as they made way for the door. "He agrees that nowhere is safer than Hogwarts and that I am proficient in Apparation. That being said, I owe him a favor now. And for some reason, it scares me to owe a man like him."

Marlene nodded. She would be too. She reached for the door handle to exit. She was expecting to see a desolate winter sky in Hogsmeade village on this sunday afternoon. Instead, she was met with a very handsome boy and a crippled older man.

"Ah, McKinnons, what a pleasure it is to see you… both of you," Sirius Black smiled brightly.

Marlene had managed to avoid major one-on-one interactions with Sirius ever since they made their bet. She didn't want to give him the room for progression, but now, they were face-to-face in a doorway.

"Good to see you, Black," Max smiled, giving Sirius a firm handshake. "I don't know you though…"

"Alphard Black," said the older man. He was most likely in his fifties with graying hair, small dark eyes, and a long nose. He wore a tall purple hat and a dark-matching cloak, which hid a cherry-wood curved cane.

"This is Max McKinnon, who is going to be our new Apparition professor," Sirius explained. "And his sister, who is also my housemate, Marlene."

Alphard did not reach out to either of them, but simply nodded. He kept his hands tucked away inside his cloak. "We were just going to get some butter beers, would you like to join us?" He invited.

"No, no!" Marlene said, a bit too quickly. She kept her eyes off of Sirius and chose to direct her attention only at the older Black. "We just came from inside. My brother has to finish up some shopping while I have to go and finish a Music Essay."

"Yes, Sirius tells me that the McKinnons are a family of musicians."

"For the most part," Max smiled.

"Intriguing," Alphard nodded. "I do appreciate a family that's into the arts. Our family -" he focused on Sirius "- finds them to be too whimsical."

"Really is a shame," Sirius agreed without much conviction. He stepped closer to Marlene, causing the blonde to physically tense. He was so close to touching her, but managed to keep a sliver of air in between their bodies. They were close in height so he could stare right into her eyes "e took the weight of the front door from Max and said, looking directly into Marlene's eyes, "Too bad you can't join us."

"Maybe another time," she said slipping past him.

Max followed and tried his hardest not to laugh at their awkward departure. Teenagers. "Enjoy your drinks," he smiled, giving them space to walk in. He followed his sister outside, noting her tenseness. "Do I have to be worried about you two in my class?" It was intended to be comical, but came off as cynical.

"Don't even get me started," she grumbled.

Lily Evans couldn't start her day, a rarity for the prefect. She had plenty of things to do like work on prefect slips, finish an essay, or even eat breakfast. She instead spent her Sunday morning sitting in bed staring at the red canopy above her bed. Of course she took a few pee breaks and snacked throughout the morning.

All Lily could think about was that stupid kiss with James. It replayed in her head at least a hundred times. A few times she imagined different scenarios: tripping over her shoelaces, getting caught by Filch, or shagging atop of the staircase with the Fat Lady watching. They were all terrible circumstances, and in a way, it made Lily appreciate her true scenario.

The real ending to last night made sure that no one saw she and James kiss. No one witnessed it, except maybe Hestia Jones. The fifth year didn't seem like the type to spread around insubstantial rumors, or Lily hoped. If she were wrong, many things would happen as a result. Camilla Henley would be constantly after her, more so than she already is. The Marauders would never let her live it down. And, the word hypocrite may or may not be targeted at her during class transitions.

Lily let out an irritated groan as she sat up from her bed. She hated herself for pondering this scene repeatedly. The repeat kicked her ego in the gut. As she stared at the dorm window and watched the students meander about the bridges and courtyards of the castle, she decided that she needed a break from this bloody red room.

Lily slipped on a pair of flannel pajamas and white socks before heading out of the room. Most of the Gryffindors were out of their common room and dorms doing homework or meandering in Hogsmeade. She thought she was alone as she turned the radio on. She was met with static, particularly low static. It took her a moment to notice that Remus Lupin was clearing his throat, sitting in the adjacent arm chair.

"Fuckin' Hell," she gasped. She stopped herself from clutching her chest like a pansy and collected herself. "You scared me, Remus."

"My apologies," he said earnestly. He also sat in his pajamas with a steaming mug of tea. It made the room smell of burnt wood and lavender. She wondered if it was medication, because Remus looked like shite with those dark circles under his eyes and his dry skin. "I was hoping to have a quiet morning." He jerked his head in the direction of the radio.

"Sure, sure," Lily said quickly as she turned off the contraption. She felt rather uncomfortable now, as if she did not belong. She thought of returning upstairs but Remus banished that thought as he asked, "Are you going to sit?"

"Oh," Lily said simply. "Yeah, I will." As she made way for the other side of the couch, she asked, "What kind of tea are you drinking?"

Remus looked down at his cup and said, "My mother's herbal tea from her garden. She sends it in a care package."

Lily smiled, a genuine one. It felt good because she hadn't done it all day. "That's nice of her."

"She's the kindest person I know," he said with a solemn nod. "She knows when I need it, somehow."

"Mothers always do," she agreed. After a brief pause, she added, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Do you want to talk about why James came skipping in the dorm after your detention?"

Lily paused. "He didn't…"

Remus took a long sip of his tea and said, "If you were wondering if he actually said anything to us, he didn't."

"Thank Merlin."

"You don't need to be a genius to guess what theme occurred during that detention though," he clarified. "Just two eyes and decent vision."

Lily looked down at her hands and said, "Nothing happened." She noted Remus' go expressionless. "Nothing important."

"Good luck telling James that," he scoffed.

Lily made a face and asked, "What do you think happened, aye, Remus?"

Remus looked up for a moment as if ¿ for the thought. "Either you shagged, snogged, or… well, no, that's unlike either of you."

"What is unlike us?" she demanded.

"Confessing your all-too-real unrequited mutual love for another," Remus said as if it were perfectly obvious. "But, that would be too easy for you two, now wouldn't it?"

"Does that tea have sass steamed in as well?" Lily retorted hotly.

Remus flushed a bit, but chuckled, "Sorry. I'm rather moody in the mornings."

Lily let out a simple "uh-huh." She crossed her arms and made a face. No words had even been spoken, and yet, other people had strong inclinations about the event that had occurred last night. She felt like banging her head against a wall. "I hate him," she grumbled.

"Nah, you don't."

"Yes, I do," Lily said adamantly.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Lily."

"I don't need this from you," she said, standing up. She glared at Remus and added, "You and I are no different. I mean, look at you and Dorcas."

"Okay, now that's unfair," countered Remus. "And an entirely different issue."

"Is it that different?"

"Yeah, it is," he countered. Something was tensing up inside of him, Lily could see that much. He held his cup so tightly that it looked like it would break. "I haven't dragged her along on an emotional leash for months. Can you say the same?" he finished hotly.

Lily blinked once before raising her eyebrows up at her fellow prefect.

Remus picked up on his own vocal change too. And the moment he did, Lily could see it in his eyes. A dark part of himself retreated back into its cage, like a ferel beast. He stood up and said, "I am sorry about that. I need some rest. I think I have a cold coming on."

"It's all right," Lily said slowly, watching as Remus left. Yes, he was abnormally terse with his statements (something she assumed had to do with the lunar cycle), but he wasn't entirely wrong either.

James felt all wrong. All day he felt all wrong. Last night, he was on cloud nine and today, he had a cloud looming over his parade. He wanted to see Lily at breakfast, hoping that things could be peaceful between them. But instead he was met with a silent Camilla. She refused to look at him too, which was a partial relief. However, his search for Lily had gone unaccomplished. Perhaps she was hiding from him.

He hoped relieving the stress by creating some well-deserved mischief with his mates, but instead, they were all busy. Sirius had a meeting with Alphard; Remus was sick in bed with PMS; and Peter had a date with fourth-year Amara Tanner.

So, James compelled himself to do one thing that always felt right. No girls, no drama, no nothing. Just Quidditch.

Madam Hooch had re-scheduled the Slytherin v. Ravenclaw game for this afternoon. Even though James was not playing, he still enjoyed the sport. It always made him feel better.

He sat in the Non-Participatory section alone with a handful of other students. He sat with a cup of cider and watched the fliers zoom throughout the sky. He specifically kept an eye on the Chasers and contemplated stealing a move or two from Lovegood, which was something he'd never admit aloud. Also, he watched Dorcas carefully. He wondered how she concentrated so well with voices inside of her head? Did she still have voices in her head? James wanted to ask Remus about that, but he thought better of it. Dorcas was a touchy subject, and he was not about to get on Remus' bad side. Not with the full moon rising tomorrow.

James looked to the sky as Lucinda Talkalot made 10 points. He hated to admit that she was a decent flier. "God, I hate her," he grumbled to himself. Or so, he thought.

"So do I," Mary MacDonald agreed.

James nearly jumped at the sight of the small girl, bundled up tightly in her winter parka and scarf. He could barely see her face, but could see her uncharacteristically intense glare. "What'd Talkalot do to you?" He asked.

Mary wanted to say something, but nothing important came out. "Oh, you know. Girl stuff," she lied. She rolled her eyes at herself.

James gave her a careful look. He was never close with the Hufflepuff girl; he encountered her in passing more than anything. And in their encounters, he always found Mary that only used pleasant words. Hate was like a curse word for her. "Girl stuff, aye?"

Mary sighed, "It's not my business to tell. But, let's just say that I think she's a tart."

He let out a low whistle. Truthfully, if it had been anyone else he would press them for further information. But, coaxing Mary MacDonald into do anything seemed like an unforgivable sin. "Fair enough," he said, turning back to the game. "Remind me not to get on your bad side, aye, MacDonald?"

Mary let out a charming giggle before adding, "My patronus is a panther."

James paused. He turned his head to her slowly and said, "You can produce a patronus? A panther patronus?"

Mary nodded, but was re-focused on the game. He found himself rather shocked. In Defense practical lessons, she never seemed rather spectacular at the class. He gave her a once-over and asked her long she had been able to produce one. "Oh, for a few months now. Lily, Marlene, Em, and I practiced it together. People say it takes years, so we started in the beginning of summer."

James raised an eyebrow. "Planning to go to Azkaban in the near future?"

Mary looked at him, tilting her head to see him over her glasses. "You do realize there's a war happening correct?"

"The dementors work for the government."

"And if you think that those things can't be swayed by dark energy, you must be mental," She finished simply. "I'm a black muggle-born witch, Potter. I'm not taking any chances."

James gave her a solemn nod. "I respect that." His respect for her shot up too.

They remained silent for moment. He watched intensely, mentally capturing movements to bring back to his team. But, his mind travelled back to the thought of Mary and her friends' being able to produce Patronuses. If Mary's was a patronus, what were the rest of the girls'. He asked.

"Well, Emmeline's is a tortoise."

James guffawed.

"Marlene's is a mockingbird."

James wondered why he didn't already know that, but still was not surprised.

"And Lily's is a fawn."

Now, James was sure that he was choking. But, there was nothing to choke on except oxygen. Mary even patted his back like a burping baby. "You're joking?" He tried for nonchalance, but it seemed more like he had a stroke.

"No, baby deer," laughed Mary. "I didn't expect you to find that so amusing. I would never picture her as something so gentle."

James sat a little straighter. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of thoughts of what that could possibly mean. "Yes, very gentle," he agreed absently. He said nothing more for the rest of the game.

"He's playing me " Camilla said, as if it were a shocking revelation. She sat on Dirk's dorm bed with her arms crossed, looking like a petulant child. He was sitting at the edge of the bed with Hestia. He desperately wanted to put an arm around Camilla's shoulder to console her. But, he thought better of it.

"I didn't say that," Hestia said quickly, putting her hands up on the defensive.

"You might as well have," scoffed Camilla. She flipped her hair back and looked up the bed's canopy aimlessly. She was blinking, trying not to let tears fall.

"They may have been talking," Hestia offered. "Very intensely."

Dirk gave her an "are-you-kidding?" kind of look, but did not speak. He looked back to Camilla instead. He had never seen her like this before: quiet and vulnerable. He'd seen a wide range of emotions from her - angry, denial, joy, jealous - each one he cherished. However, he never thought that James Potter truly had the power to do this to her. No matter how much she had said she fancied him in the past two years.

And, the sod didn't deserve to elicit this kind of emotion for her.

"I liked him for so long," she explained, trying not to choke up. "Maybe I got blinded by everything. And Evans! She lied to me, promised me nothing was there too! I should've never listened to her."

"I'm sorry, Camilla," Hestia said earnestly, resting a hand on top of hers.

"It's not your fault," the darker-haired one insisted. She even gave Hestia a smile. "Thanks for telling me."

"Of course."

Camilla looked to Dirk then and rested a hand over his too. She was warm and soft. "You too. Thanks for being here."

Dirk thought of just agreeing like Hesita had, but right now, Camilla needed more than a simple "you're welcome." She deserved more than that, than James Potter, than school boys. Dirk was one of the few people to know that underneath all of Camilla's erratic emotions was pure passion, pure desire to be loved and love. "He was just never ready for someone like you, Cam."

Camilla smiled as a tear tricked down her face. She wiped it away, blushing down at her hand. She became even warmer.

A/N - I Wish I had got this up earlier this weekend, but I couldn't. I'm trying to get back on a normal schedule! I hope every enjoyed this chapter - and I know that many of the reviewers must be happy for some of Dirk's thoughts towards the end. Again, if you want, please review, favorite, or follow! It means a lot to me!

Rose