Book I: Birth of the Order

Chapter VIII: Quiet Between the Storms

The back room of Borgin and Burkes...

Bellatrix stomped around the back room, flicking her wand wildly at others to have them wince in pain. "Cowards! The lot of you. Fleeing from a bunch of children and an old man!" A chuckle game from Greyback who had just joined the meeting and leaned in the door. "What else do you expect from hiring children, Trixie?" She turned and glared then strolled towards him. "And some help you were… lingering in the shadows. Your own mutt was out there and you didn't move."

"I don't take orders from you, Lestrange," he said as he lazily picked at his nails. "Besides, I couldn't make myself known yet."

"Why not?" She lifted her wand and swatted his hand away so he would face her. He inhaled as he rose his head to meet her eyes then glanced over her to the table of others. "Perhaps you should be talking to the ones who picked the fight." Regulus and Snape stared at him blankly. "Yes," Bellatrix said before turning and approaching them. "Why did you go without telling us? Trying to prove something?"

"Just following a hunch," Snape said with a shrug. "Well a good one, I'll give you that," Bellatrix said. "But next time," she extended her wand and used it's tip to raise Snape's head by his chin. "Don't get strung up by your ankles by a little girl."

"Tabitha?" He pulls his head away. "I can handle her. I can handle them all!"

"Even James Potter?" Ruby huffed from the corner. "Or will you let old school rivalries impede your judgement?"

"Be quite, Ruby," Snape snapped. "You keep out of this." She held up her hands defensively. "I'm only suggesting-" but Regulus cut her off. "I doubt we need the opinion of a muggleborn." This caused Ruby to stand so quickly her chair fell back. "I'm just as loyal to this cause as you! If not more so!"

"I doubt that," Regulus said which pulled a laugh from Greyback. "You're loyal, Black? Is that why you were talking to Potter in Diagon Alley earlier?" Silence fell and all heads turned to Regulus who said, "Unlike You Fenrir, I have been a loyal fan of the Dark Lord before all of this even started. It was my dream to fulfill my family's legacy. I'm may have regrets about my past but I am not a traitor..."

"A dream? Or a duty?" He sneered. "I do what I'm needed to do in order to perfect this world. You do nothing. Your regrets do not make up for your falter in allegiance to our Dark Lord."

"A coversation with James Potter is hardly a falter in allegiance. I'll prove it to you!" He stood now as Greybak stood upright in the doorway and said, "Do it then."

"I will! I'll show you my loyalty!"

"I trust you will," Greyback said sarcastically. Narcissa, hoping to save her cousin's reputation from ruin, piped up. "Crimson, I didn't see you at our little tussle in Hogsmede." Now attention moved to Crimson who quietly whispered, "I had my reasons."

"Well," Bellatrix chuckles. "She sounds like you, Fenrir." The werewolf sighed. "I couldn't let the Starke see me."

"Starke? The little Brunette? Why?"

"Because I have plans for her…"

Meanwhile In Godric's Hallow...

The group arrived with staggered entrances and followed James up the street. He looked to his side and noticed Lily rubbing her head. "You alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine. Just mildly banged up. You?"

"That hex packs a wallop," he said bluntly. "I can't stand that woman," Lily groaned and added, "Or any of her insane family for that matter." Sirius cleared his throat behind them causing Lily to look back. He held his shoulder and was pale but still managed to give her a disapproving look. "Not you, Sirius," She said, "You're more of our family than theirs." He stayed quiet but seemed satisfied with that answer as he grinned, but grimaced as soon as Peter smacked him on the back. "Yea, Padfoot! You're one of us." The smaller boy beamed until he saw the look on Sirius' face. "Eh… shoulder still hurt then?" He stepped away and Sirius moaned, "How could you tell?" Tabitha chuckled and Sirius snapped, "What are you laughing at? Maybe if you had shown up sooner I wouldn't have a dislocated shoulder."

"Are you saying you needed my help, Black?" Tabitha raised an eyebrow and Sirius fumbled over his words. "What? No!" Nessa just rolled her eyes at the two rivals. "We all did our best. They just outnumbered us and targeted our weaknesses."

"I don't have weaknesses," Sirius mumbled. Nessa just sighed and kept walking. "I used to have relatives here, but I haven't been here in ten years or so. I don't really know my way around anymore."

"I love this place," James said over his shoulder as he reaches for Lily's hand. He noticeed her refusal to take it. Lifting his eyebrow, he shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Makes me feel like a muggle," he added. "Do many muggles live here?" Elise asked from behind and James nodded. "But there are quite a few wizards. Here we are." He approached one of the brick flats, number 7, and unlocked the door with his wand. He pushed through the red door and revealed his humble abode. A picture of James and Sirius sat on the foyer table."Shouldn't you have a pictures of Lily?" Peter whispered to his mate. James gave a forgetful grunt then flicked his wand and changed the picture.

Everyone flooded into the sitting room of the small flat. It was somewhat grey in design. The shag carpet had taken a beating, the grey paint on the practically bare walls had faded. Even the sofa's were dull in their shape and color. James loved it though. His father insisted on supplying him with the proper furnishings and his mother attempted to decorate on every visit, but he always, uncharacteristically refused. This place was all his. James gave some swishes and flicks of his wand to clear away belongings that he had strewn about the place. "Sorry, I would have cleaned if I had been expecting company." He felt Lily rest her hand on his wand and lower it. "Sit, James. I'm going to make you some tea."

"I'm fine, Lily."

"Sit." She gave him a look and he obeyed, taking off his corduroy jacket. Sirius also collapsed on the couch and bit his lip to hold in the hiss of pain. Elise walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder. He quickly snatched her hand and pulled it away, saying, "Don't touch it."

"Don't be a baby," she muttered. "I'll get something for that." She then followed Lily into the kitchen along with Peter who just cared about the grumbling in his stomach. Tabitha watched Remus who started to pale. "He's about to be sick," She said as she sat beside him on the couch. "You alright, Lupin?"

"No," he choked out. Tabitha went to pat his back but hesitated. "None of us are," Sirius grunted. Sour Grape Snape just sicked some goons on us and won. "They didn't win," James said. "At least the meeting dismissed before they got there."

"Yes, and that's another thing. They seemed to know about the order. Just how much information can be leaked about something before it's even organized properly."

"Sirius, Dumbledore warned us that they may know our plans before we even know them ourselves."

"Can we just stop talking?" Remus said as he started to sway. Tabitha now put a hand on his shoulder to hold him steady and he whispered, "I don't drink."

"Noted." She said with a smirk. Remus' head dropped down onto her shoulder as if it had suddenly become too heavy. Tabitha tensed for a second then relaxed and whispered with a smirk, "what a lump..."

Elise emerged from the kitchen and approached Sirius. Being in the profession she was in had required Elise to train in the medical field, as she was responsible for curing most magical maladies when people failed to transform properly. Sirius groaned "You lot are worse than Pomphrey. I'm fine. I'll give it a good rub, pop it back into place, rub dirt on it, you know." Elise fussed over Sirius for a little bit, performing a few spells to first heal the bone, then repair the muscles in his shoulders. Last but not least she whipped up a drought to cure the swelling using a few herbs she found around James' kitchen. "Its a home brew, but it works just as good as the store bought stuff. Although, stores are a bit more organized than Potter's kitchen. You should be good as new in about an hour. Let me know if you experience any stiffness or discomfort." The girl instructed. Sirius grinned at Elise and said, "Hope that home brew of yours isn't going to make me fat. I do have an image to keep you know."

"You don't say," she chuckled with a smug look. Nessa was not amused, however. She felt useless watching Elise heal Sirius and squirmed a bit. She had pretty much done the least of anyone here, and she had a sneaking feeling this was how things were going to be with her in the order from now on. James' voice interrupted her thoughts. "Looks like you have a Moony growing on your shoulder, Delaney?"

"Huh?" Tabitha glanced at him. "Oh, I'm fine."

"I bet you are," Sirius said with a smirk and she just rolled her eyes at him. James ignored Sirius' comment. "Is Lily going to be mad at me for not telling her that I saw Snape in Diagon today?"

"Yes," all the girls in the room said at the same time. James just nodded as if he expected that response then noticed Nessa. "Hey, how did you get rid of my hex?"

"What?" She asked then blew a red curl from her face. James adjusted in his seat to face her. "Bellatrix used that unforgivable curse on me. You grabbed my head, muttered something I couldn't make out and you managed to get rid of it."

"I didn't get rid of it," she replied matter-of-factly. "You did. You started muttering and it went away."

"I made the pain bearable. I didn't get rid of it. Nobody can get rid of a hex like that. Hence why it's unforgivable. I used an old Druid charm."

"You're druid?" Tabitha asked and Nessa nodded. "Aye, a descendant."

"So am I..."

"Really, Delany?" Peter said with a head tilt. "I didn't know that."

"There is probably a lot you don't know about me." This earned a chuckle from the half-asleep Remus beside her and James looked back to Nessa, "Well… Thank you for whatever you did." Just then, Lily entered holding a cup of tea. James glanced to Tabitha who was giving him a look to suggest Lily was mad. He arrogantly smirked, assuming he knew his fiance better than her old best friend. "Lily, love." He took her hand after she set down the tea and smiled at the ring. "I'm sorry our night was ruined."

"And I'm sorry the excitement of the day impeded your judgement," she grumbled and turned to walk off but he tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her back. "Oi, what does that mean?"

"Severus, James? Severus? You didn't think of mentioning to me that you had seen him?"

"You wouldn't have wanted to know he was running about with Voldemort's lot. Not that it didn't confirm what we already suspected."

"Really," Lily said jerking her hand away. "Thank you, James." Her tone was sarcastic. "Thank you for making my decisions for me. Most husbands wait until after marriage to do that, but it's brilliant to know where we stand now."

"Lily," he let her hand slip away and she sat on the opposite side of the room. James just let his jaw drop and looked to Sirius who was still being looked over by Elise. "Can you believe this?" James said motioning to Lily. Sirius just shrugged which made Elise grumble, "Stop moving your shoulder."

"Yes, ma'am," he says in a little boy voice then looked to James. "I can believe it. Especially since you didn't tell me about Regulus." James' jaw dropped further at his blunt words and Lily piped up to say, "Hurts, doesn't it?"

"I was trying to help!" James shouted. "My brother is nothing but trouble, James. You saw what him and his friends did out there."

"If everyone had been a bit more sober, we may have won!"

"So this is my fault?" Their voices rose and James shot out of his chair. "Let me know when you've healed him, Elise, and someone please get Remus a bowl before he vomits on my carpet." With that, James walked outside for a breath of fresh air. Remus mumbled in his half-sleep, "At least I don't look like vomit." He chuckled, thinking himself terribly clever. Sirius sat up a bit and shouted after James. "Oi! I don't know why you're getting irked at me! The only reason my shoulder is like this is because Regulus and Snape were coming to finish what you APPARENTLY STARTED!" He shouted the last of it as James shut the door.

The room is quiet, besides the munching coming from Peter as he snacks on his sandwich. "Well," Tabitha says, "That was-"

"Can it, Delaney."

"Charming as ever, Black," she mumbled. Nessa just sighed, "Godric, what is with you two? Did something happen in school to make you hate each other?"

"Don't ask, Nessa," Peter said with a full mouth. "We just decided they were born with the innate ability to despite one another."

"Well that makes no sense. There is always a reason or cause for something."

"Typical, Ravenclaw," Peter mumbled which earns him a glare from the short, red-head. He swallows hard then said, "Can't we just all calm down? James has a television upstairs. It's the muggle kind, so you can't grab the free samples from the commercials, but still works just as well." Nobody answered and Peter stood. "Just me then?" Still nobody responded and the lump of a boy groaned, "Fine," and walked out. The room remained quiet until Sirius groaned as he grabbed his shoulder. Elise muttered, "I told you not to move."

"I'm not a bloody statue, Starke!"

"Don't scream at her, Black," Nessa said. "It's not her fault."

"No," he said, "It's yours!"

"What?"

"Face it, Red. You were defenseless."

"I BEG your pardon!?"

"Ooo," he sarcastically threw his hands up in defense. " Is that one of your scare tactics? I'm terrified."

"Hush, the lot of you!" Lily shouted as she stood. "We are doing our enemies job for them by screaming at one another." Everyone looked around and Sirius plopped back on the couch. "Maybe," Nessa whispered to herself. "Maybe Dumbledore was wrong to pick us." Lily shook her head. "He didn't pick us… we volunteered."

"Some of us," Sirius added. "Others haven't made up their minds yet."

"Sirius, hush. Regardless of if we joined or still are on the fence… we all were there for each other today." She looked down at her ring. "And we have to stay together." She sighed as she stood up and walked to the door. Everyone looked at each other, knowing she was going to remedy things with James. That thought alone brought each of them some encouragement. She was right though. As the group sat in the dimly lit living room, they pondered her words. They were a team, of sorts, and this bickering was childish. It was clear that they had taken on more than anticipated. Lily stepped outside and saw James sitting in the small yard. There was a small path that wound through trampled, leaf covered grass and back to a wilting tree. "James?" She called. The young man glanced up from his seat on the ground under the tree. He saw her approaching and looked away, trying to hold his head high to suggest he wasn't sulking. Lily just smirked, knowing him better. "I may have been a bit hard, but you know you deserved it."

"Did I?" He huffed out, but couldn't hide the smirk. He glanced at her. "So you'll still marry me?" Lily brushed her red hair from her face and leaned on the tree. "I guess. If there is nothing better to do that weekend."

"What could be better than marrying me?" He teased. Lily shrugged and said, "I guess I could marry Sirius." James just gave her a look and bluntly said, "Funny."

"He is more handsome, after all. He dresses better too." James' expression changes, "Alright, it was funny before but now I'm getting concerned."

"Oh, James, don't be a sap. You know I would never marry someone like Black."

"Someone like him? We are exactly alike!"

"Oh, I beg to differ my Mr. Potter." She grinned and sat beside him, brushing the dirt from her light blue jeans. James laughed and scratches the back of his head. He stared at the blades of grass in front of him then said, "I don't know about this, Lily."

"About what?"

"Dumbledore trusted me with this team. Not one hour later and I've gotten everyone drunk and almost killed."

"First of all, not all of us were drunk," she wrapped an arm around him. "And we are all in one piece. We will learn how to do this, James. We all were terrible on our first day at Hogwarts. This will be no different."

"But the risk is greater. If we messed up at Hogwarts, we lost some house points. Here, we could lose a friend."

"Don't be so pessimistic, James. There is always light in darkness. Always a silver lining in a dark cloud. You just have to find it." James pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and turned to face her. "How did you ever get so lucky to marry me?" Lily raised a disapproving eyebrown. "James."

"Oh right. Strike that. Reverse it. As good old Willy Wonka says."

"And engaged isn't married. You still have plenty of time to mess things up."

"And send you running into the arms of Sirius?" He suggested in reference to Lily's earlier joke. A laugh escaped her before saying, "Exactly." James wrapped an arm around Lily and the question rolled through his mind. How did he get so lucky? "James?"

"Hmm?"

"No more secrets, alright?"

"... ok?"

"Even if it involves Severus."

"Lily, I knew you would be upset if I told you he had confronted me. Besides, I wasn't wanting to talk with him. It was Regulus I wanted a word with."

"James."

"Fine.." He sighed, "I promise. No more secrets."

"No secrets at all." James is quiet at this. How could he tell her about Remus? How could he tell her about Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail. He couldn't… those weren't his secrets to share. At least, not all of them. "Lils." His eyes widened as he heard his own voice. It was as if he was having an out of body experience as he continence took the steering wheel. "I have to show you something."

The Adventure Continues Next As Our Heroes Travel to the Ministry of Magic

Thanks for the follows! I know it's slow moving at first but I'm so stoked to move to the next parts of this story. Some of my favorite characters (and ships) are about to be introduced!