Hello my beautiful readers!
I hope you all had a wonderful week! I'm feeling over the moon, I finished all my exams except for my language one which is on Saturday and then two weeks of holidays, meaning I can focus on this story!
Thank you so much to Marie0907, .2017, Adibaa, madwamoose, raven that flies at night, LarissaValentiMeedachi2613, and mazeygrace18 for their kind words and constant support! You guys are the bomb!
I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Its joyful and very merry :)
"The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long." - Lao Tzu
"Benji don't be an ass, if her bra and panties matched when you took off her clothes it wasn't you that decided to have sex."
Benji scowled at Marlene's statement which she'd yelled out loud over all the chitter chatter around the room. It was the Order Christmas party. All around they were surrounded by people, some who they saw every meeting and some they saw very rarely, like Aberforth Dumbledore. It was a welcome change from their usual scenery when in company of order members, instead of mourning and tears there was happiness and laughter, instead of frowns there were smiles...
"We still had a bloody good time." He snorted, feeling slightly wounded. Marlene rolled her eyes at his typically masochistic response , Benji leant forward and whispered in her ear, "So ah, What colour are your panties."
Marlene looked up and him, not feeling surprised at what he was eluding to, and internally rolled her eyes; she leant forward with a sultry look in her eyes, her red lips all pouty and kissable. She pressed a kiss on his neck and leant up to whisper in his ear, she ran her tongue down the underside, knowing, from past experience it would drive him crazy.
"Well my panties are a lovely bright red, lace thong, but my bra… well I'm not wearing one."
Benji looked down at the black, strappy crop top that was on, he was amazed by gravity, how did they stay up. He felt some rather pleasant sensations go through him and felt a surge of desire as he looked Marlene up and down, Marlene smirked, following his line of thought.
"They're just naturally that big." She winked, his jaw dropped, usually they had like four bras on to get them that big, she was just jumping about in a top they were hanging out of with no bra, she probably used some sort of sticking charm, there was no bloody way... He looked down once more, he ran a finger down her arm causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand static.
"Does it count as matching if it isnt there."
Marlene let out a snort of laughter, laughing at his desperation, "You'd have to get me very drunk for me to even consider going near you."
She knew she probably wounded him, but she most definitely had her eyes on someone else.
The party progressed into the night, Even some of the most respected members of the order were becoming inebriated, and for the first time in a very long time, an order gathering was not interrupted with bad news.
Hours after her conversation with Benji and many, many drinks later, a tipsy Marlene stumbled over to the large group that was laughing in the corner, drinks spilling over the rims of their cups, and the stench of cigarette smoke was stuck to them.
"Dorcas!" She shouted, her words slurred causing everyone in the general vicinity to turn to the red lipped girl, and those near to move away slightly.
"Mars!" she shouted back, opening her arms wide. Dorcas's cheeks were flushed under her olive skin tone and her eyes glassed over from the drinks she'd consumed. Marlene stumbled over, her eyes glassy and bloodshot.
"Dorcas! Help me, Benji is trying to get in my pants!" Dorcas shook her head shamefully as she looked in the direction of Benji, Her poor friend could never get away from it; She'd know, she once went out to muggle London with Marlene to the clubs and the amount of attention the pair had gotten was insane.
"How awful." Marlene nodded drunkendly at her friends statement, wholeheartedly agreeing, "I can go beat him up if you want." Marlene shook her head in dismissal of the idea. She tripped and stumbled closer to Dorcas, she gripped her shoulders tightly, her alcohol stenched breath on the mocha girls face.
"You can help me another way." Marlene whispered and leant her head down quickly and without notice smashed her lips against Dorcas's. The group watched them in bemusement, how classic of Marlene. Sirius let out a whistle, James cheered loudly and Peter clapped; Lily rolled her eyes at the three who seemed to have their pornographic fantasy's come alive, of course they were getting excited at the scene in front of them.
Dorcas went from tense to relaxed within seconds, her body loosening in the other girls embrace, she let herself succumb to the pleasure of this girls touch. But within seconds it was over and like Marlene had intended, Benji was watching them from across the room, gaping.
Marlene winked at Benji and turned back to the girl, who was standing watching the blonde starstruck. Now Dorcas was by no means a virgin, nor unexperienced; however she had never tried anything with a girl. She'd thought all the rumours about Marlene were simply that… rumours. Merlin the girls touch had been heavenly, it had been perfect! She felt a thrilling sensation rush through her veins and the hair on the back of her neck stand static at the desire she felt coiling in the pit of her stomach. She felt her knees go weak at the flashes of what the night could become.
Marlene leant forward and pressed a chaste kiss to the girls glossy lips, she wanted to kiss those full lips all night long, "This was fun." Marlene then lowered her voice so only Dorcas could hear, however the marauders, with their increased sense of hearing due to being animagi, the marauders heard every one of her following words. "Perhaps, we can erm, pursue this activity in deeper depth later in the night." She winked at the girl, a crimson blush dotted Dorcas's darker cheeks and her eyes glistened. She felt as though she was under a spell, this beautiful girl, was practically begging for her to bed her. Without even thinking about it the girl nodded, she was up for anything. It just felt so right! She felt herself turn putty in Marlene's hands, and felt herself anticipating the events of that night.
Elizabeth turned to Sirius, her eyes alight with curiosity as she watched a Cheshire smirk grow on Sirius's handsome face, she knew he had heard the exchange between the girls but she had no idea what was going on. He shook his head and let out a bark of laughter, his cheeks slightly flushed from the amount of firewhiskey he'd drunk.
"I think Dorcas and Marlene are going to rub off on each other eventually." Elizabeth raised on eyebrow and groaned in displeasure,
"No! Dorcas is so nice and Marlenes so…, I'd rather Marlene be more like Dorcas."
James snorted as he heard the exchange, feeling like he needed to rub his hand on his face in exasperation at his friends naivety. "Liz, that's not what he meant by rubbing off."
Elizabeth furrowed her brow and opened her mouth before realisation dawned, her mouth opened in an 'o' shape. "Oh….right." She snorted.
Lily turned to the group and shrugged with a laugh, "I guess the rumours were true then."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and sipped on her elf wine, "You're the only one that never believed them Lils!"
Sirius leant against a wall in the corner as James stood next to him with a tired expression and a glass of water. He looked down at James's chosen beverage and furrowed his brow, unsure about what to make of it. Sirius opened his mouth to speak when James interrupted,
"Do not ask." He pointed towards him, "And if you even consider asking Lily she will come over and transfigure that Fire whiskey into water."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Fire whiskey looked like water, I'll just fib."
James let out a humourless laugh, "No, she can always tell, I'd know."
Sirius raised an eyebrow and snorted, "What, Is engaged life not upto par with how you imagined it out to be?" James sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"No, no its wonderful, and adventurous and fun." He shook his head, and Sirius could see both joy and weariness etched into his best friends hazel eyes which were rimmed with gold. "But we're both so stressed." He sighed, "This war is driving us both crazy." He took a sip of his water, "But its Christmas, We shouldn't be talking of such dark stuff, instead I should be telling you about the awesome sex I had last night."
"What did you get to unwrap her?" Sirius snorted into his cup, James's eyes widened in shock and spluttered causing Sirius to snort. "I know you and Lilyflower so unbelievably well."
James rolled his eyes at his best friends assessment, Sirius looked back at his best friends chosen beverage and sighed,
"Can you please tell me the story behind that!" He groaned, "Last night you were drinking wine, I don't understand why the change!"
"Sirius!"
"Did you knock her up? Is she one of those crazy's that says you cant drink because she cant? Didn't I warn you about unprotected sex after Michelle Knowles in fifth year." he chastised, James lightly shoved him causing Sirius to let out a bark of laughter.
"I told her I didn't drink water!" He groaned, Sirius looked at him bewildered, "And now she is making me drink eight glasses a day. It's like, there's water in soda, there's water in coffee, there's little pools of water on pizza."
Sirius snorted, "I think that's grease."
"Its wet so it counts." Sirius flashed him a cheeky grin causing him to punch him in the arm, "Don't start."
"I don't know what you mean Mr Potter?" He shrugged, with a laugh.
"Oh yeah and I'm sure you had an amazing night last night." Sirius snorted into his cup,
"Mind-blowing." James rolled his eyes at the blunt response,
"You cant leave me like that!" He groaned and leant against the wall so he could gaze around the room.
"You cant handle hearing about my sex life." Sirius patted his best friend on the back, "Ask Lils, she knows everything."
James looked at him affronted, "For a best friend you're really lousy at telling me stuff, I find out everything about your life from my fiancé, who finds out from your girlfriend!"
"Man, She's loyal to you. Once She apparated to the flat whilst Liz and I were getting dirty, I told her she could join in and she said no." Sirius shook his head mournfully, "I mean, what a great restraint your girl has, If Sirius Black offered me a threesome I'd drop my panties in a second."
James grimaced and grabbed his best friends fire whiskey out of his hand and took a sip, unable to not do so
Elizabeth stood on the balcony of the Longbottoms ballroom and sighed into her glass of Elf wine. She looked down at the bag hanging off her shoulder and a smile lit up her face at the thought of that morning. It had been truly magical, a white Christmas indeed. It was a Christmas she knew would embody her childhood dreams. She knew that Sirius had tried his hardest that day to make sure she didn't get upset over not having her parents with her over Christmas, especially after crying over it the night before as they lay in bed in one another's arms, mourning the loss of their families and their childhood. He tried his best and she could not help but love him even more at the way he tentatively cared for her and loved her.
She had woken up next to Sirius for their first Christmas together, she had cuddled with him, kissed him, felt him, shagged him; and when they'd finally rolled off their high they'd rolled out of bed to see meters of snow outside, sprinkled over trees, roofs and automobiles, coating the ground in layers of snow. It was the Christmas her eight year old self would feel enamoured by. Elizabeth was breathtaken at the beauty, she didn't think it was possible to not love a white Christmas and all its beauty and glory, the traditionalism of a white Christmas and the sentimentality was the most wonderful thing. She had once spent a family Christmas in Australia where it was summer and it just wasn't the same, there was more hype over it being summer than it being Christmas, For the first time she wasn't able to drink hot eggnog, instead she was jumping in the pool and slathering on sunscreen.
Hours after they woke up, They opened the tv and sat infront of it, watching Christmas movies and eating left over gingerbread from the gingerbread house Mrs Potter had made them the previous night. The Potters always had functions or parties on Christmas so they always had done their family Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve.
Elizabeth bit her lip as she turned and watched him, Sirius was amazed by the glorious movies and the muggle celebrations of Christmas. She couldn't help but mourn the fact that for him, Christmas wasn't a day of going to church and listening to carols and getting presents, watching movies and eating good food; It was a day of large families, judgements, and stiff clothing and ballroom dancing. Noticing her gaze, Sirius turned to her, a smirk on his face.
"What is it?" Elizabeth let out a giggle at a thought that entered her mind, and felt a similar feeling of nostalgia follow.
"How can you tell a snowman from a snow-woman?" She bit her lip, Sirius raised an eyebrow at the joke and knew something ridiculous would follow,
"They're the same thing!" He exclaimed, "You don't think about that when you make one!"
"Idiot! Snowmen have snowballs!" His face dropped and he gave her a look she was sure she had shot over to her dad on several occasions,
"Are you kidding me?" He laughed causing a smile to spread across her face,
"Wait! I have a better one!" Sirius let out a groan and buried himself deeper into the couch whilst wrapping his arms around her shoulders,
"Which of Santa's reindeers has the worst manners?" Sirius shrugged in response,
"Rude-olph!" She let out a giggle at his exasperated expression; She had thoroughly educated him in muggle Christmas traditions since they had got together.
"Where did you get these stupid jokes?" He shook his head with fondness,
"My dad." She whispered, tracing circles on his thigh, "He told the worst jokes!" she felt melancholy pang her heart, "And not just Christmas, but everyday he'd come home from work and he'd always say one or three! And when I went away to Hogwarts, he'd compile lists or mail them to me every week."
Sirius looked down at her, wishing more than anything he could understand her pain, "He sounds like a good man."
She nodded wholeheartedly, "He was the best." She whispered, "And an even better dad."
It wasn't until several hours later, after watching two movies, eating more junk and leftovers from The Potters, that they remembered they had gifts to gift on another. Sirius, as per usual had insisted that he gets to open up his present first, he could be quite selfish and impatient when he wanted to be, one of his less desired qualities. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and handed his gift over, feeling slightly anxious. Would the aviators sit right on his face? What if they weren't punk rock enough? What if they were crook or the wrong colour?
She nibbled on her bottom lip as she watched the grey eyed boy tear open the wrapping paper, excited to see what was in the box. She watched as his grey eyes lit up as he traced his hand over the black leather case, he looked up at her with a massive smile as he saw the brand title.
"If this is what I think it is, you're my favourite person in the world Liz."
She snorted and rolled her eyes, masking the nervousness she was feeling brewing in her stomach,
"And what if its not." Sirius nodded slowly in contemplation and mockingly stoked his fake moustache.
"I'll still love you." She let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, causing Sirius to let out a bark of laughter and opened the case. His eyes lit up and his jaw dropped as he carefully picked up the gold rimmed shades. He carefully placed them on his face and looked up at her, he gave her a dashing wink from underneath. "How do I look?"
A smile spread across her face, her pearly whites glimmering. She felt her heart flutter, he looked sinful and delicious, She could feel his eyes shamelessly tracing over her form and she couldn't help but flush, she could imagine being old and Sirius still causing a blush to rise on her cheek.
"Extremely fuckable!" She winked with a laugh causing him to smirk and let out bark of laughter. He leant over the back of the couch and grabbedher present, he didn't lift it enough for her to be able to see the wrapping.
"I know you have a collection of pretty shopping bags so its still in the bag." He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. She grin at him cheekily, he knew her so bloody well, but he forgot that she knew him better than most.
"Or you're hopeless at wrapping presents."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "I would've just needed magic you prat!"
He lifted the matte black bag causing her to gasp as she saw the name of the shop emblazened on the front. She looked up at him, her mouth mimicking a fishes as her trembling hands clasped onto the bag.
"This isn't a joke is it?" Sirius rolled his eyes and snorted,giving her a look. She pulled the black chanel box out of the bag, pulled off the white ribbon and slowly, extremely carefully took the lid off, she lifted the folds of tissue paper only to see the black purse that's he had pointed out to Sirius that day.
She looked up at the hopeful boy with tears in her eyes, "This is too much." She whispered, her heart overflowing with gratitude to be blessed to be with this beautiful, beautiful boy. He gave her too much, he loved her too much and too selflessly.
"Nothing is ever too much for you Mon Ange."
She sniffed away those tears and flung her arms around the boy who loved her too deeply for her to comprehend, who gave her more than she could ever wish for, and more than she deserved.
"I love you, I love you, I love you!" She squealed, he wrapped his muscled arms around her waist. "Thank you!"
He smiled over her shoulder, feeling content with her in his arms, he thanked all gods that she didn't react badly. He felt over the moon. Seeing her reaction and the bright smile, and the happiness in her eyes had made it all worth it. There would never be a cost for her happiness.
She put her hand on the bag hanging off her shoulder, She felt so incredibly lucky and grateful to have been blessed with such a beautiful boy. Merlin she loved him.
She loved him.
She turned when she heard footsteps approaching, only to see Lily walking upto her, a huge smile plastered across her face.
"Hey Mrs Potter." Elizabeth said in a sing song voice, a smile crept up on her features.
Lily rolled her eyes, "Hey Lady Black." Elizabeth gave her a look, feeling a slight pang in her chest at the knowledge of how impossible that title would be to obtain. She willed those negative thoughts away, not wanting to spoil such a wonderful day.
"In your dreams girly." Lily snorted and leant against the rails, watching as snow slowly drifted through the sky and admiring the marvellous view over the balcony.
"Cute bag." She nodded down casing a smile to spread across Elizabeths face,
"Cute shoes." She nodded towards the navy blue stilletos Lily had on, she could tell from the way the lights reflected off it they were brand new.
"Hmm my extra cute fiancée got it for me."
"Well my extra cute boyfriend got me my bag."
They continued to stare out in a mutual silence, admiring the snow glistening down below, "How's the wedding planning going Bridezilla?"
"Good enough that I haven't needed to ask for my maid of honours help yet." Elizabeth snorted, rolling her eyes
"Yeah I was meaning to ask you about that, I was starting to wonder if I was still your maid of honour."
"Of course, If Mary was my maid of honour we'd all be going naked."
Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak when the sound in the room quietened down, the girls turned around to see Mary walking over to the door hesitantly and many other drawing their wands, how had someone got into the manor. Elizabeth too drew her wand from her pocket, feeling a spark of fear and dread go through her, the last thing she wanted was for their Christmas to be ruined.
"Death Eaters?" Elizabeth whispered into Lily's ear, Lily turned to her and furrowed her brow, she then shook her head.
"Nah, I don't think so." she whispered back, "Death Eaters wouldn't knock, they would apparate in and shock everyone."
Elizabeth turned to her best friend and couldn't help but admire her flare, "Are you sure you're training to be a healer and not training to be a battle tactician."
Lily let out a huff of laughter, and examined their surrounded and they moved closer towards the centre of the room but still close enough to the balcony, All the attendees had their wands drawn and seemed to be alert, Some couples hand in hand. The joy seemed to be sucked out of the room and all laughter diminished as new found fear re appeared and threatened to ruin a wonderful Christmas.
Mary strided over to the door and without thinking flung it open, her wand in hand. Everyone snapped up and simultaneously shock echoed through the room as everyone saw what was behind the door, Mary's jaw dropped in shock and she felt her heart skip a beat.
"Remus."
Woahhhh! Things got intense quickly didn't they! Now for a customary sneak peek otherwise you guys are going to hate me!
"I Should hate you for everything you've done and the way you threw me away!"
I'm looking forward to next chapter, its definitely one I am fond of!
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, Please don't forget to leave and review and wish me luck for Saturday! This is probably the most important exam out of all the ones I've done so far :)))
Goodnight, and sending lots of love and well wishes,
Ruby xo