***As much as I adore the four boys, there seems to be a lot of fanfiction/headcanons out there that are like "the Marauders plus Lily," and I refuse to accept that Lily didn't have her own close friends from school. I love getting to write sections about Lily and her mates. Also, you may have gathered this from the last chapter, but MY Alastor is A LOT more Scottish.

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Ch. 17 - Honeymoony

All five landed in Godric's hollow within the hour, touching down outside the Potter's house and quickly heading inside the front gate. A light turned on in the bedroom upstairs after Alastor knocked (banged) loudly on the door. When it opened, the first thing they saw was James' wand.

"It's Alastor. You've got a dent on the back of your skull from the first day I had you in training."

James, clad only in flannel pajama bottoms, opened the door and let them all in. "What happened?"

"Merlin's sake, put a shirt on, Potter."

"Bite me, Vance."

"I think Lily beat me to the punch, dear."

"Not that I'm not happy to see you all, but I don't remember inviting you over for a midnight snack." Once James closed the door behind them, Remus headed straight for the freezer to ice the lump on the side of his head.

"Don't register your new address with the records department at the Ministry," Alastor said on his way into the sitting room.

James furrowed his brow. "Beg your pardon?"

"Dinnae register. Your new address. With the ministry. Did I stutter?" Moody plopped himself in the armchair by the kitchen and removed his prosthetic leg.

"...That was so pressing that it couldn't've waited 'till the morning?"

Alastor ignored this, as he didn't believe in waiting for an "opportune time" if there was something he had to do. "Somebody get me some parchment and a quill. I've got to get an owl to Albus."

"It's alright love, you can come down," James called upstairs.

Lily emerged sleepily from the staircase wearing a nightgown that she'd covered up with a cardigan. "...You all look like you've been fighting."

"Very astute observation, Mrs. Potter," said Sirius, prodding at a tear in his shirt. "We've had a run-in with the Lestranges and my dear brother."

"Why shouldn't we register our address with the Ministry?" James asked, concerned.

"Because Voldemort's got someone on the inside with access to all of our locations. They sent letters to Lupin and Black at their home addresses and lured them into a trap at Dearborn's old house. You might've gotten one too if they'd had your new address. They want us to know that they know where to find us."

Remus returned from the kitchen with a bag of ice pressed to his head and looked over at Sirius. "You got a letter too?"

"Yes. Marlene thought something was amiss, so we brought it to Alastor. That's why we showed up when we did."

"I'm still waiting on the parchment and the quill," grumbled the aforementioned auror. Lily went to a cupboard in the sitting room and brought him what he asked for.

"Did anybody else get a letter?" asked Emmeline.

Marlene shook her head. "We don't know."

"We know I'm the only one who fell for it," Remus said indignantly. He took the letter out of his pocket and crumpled it in his fist.

"Oi! Give that here!" barked Alastor, his palm out.

Remus thrust it into his grip. "How could I be so thick."

"I had looked at it too. It fooled the both of us," Emmeline comforted him, taking his hand. Seeing their hands entwined made Lily and Marlene to smirk sideways at each other.

"And for good reason," Alastor added as he examined the letter. "It's one hell of a counterfeit."

"We ought to check if Wormtail got anything," suggested James.

Sirius shook his head. "I doubt he even received one. Wormtail's the most gullible of us all, and if he'd gotten a letter, he would've been there too. No offense to Peter, but I don't think he's a high-level target."

"I'll put the kettle on," offered Lily, who was always thinking of others. Marlene discreetly followed her to the stove.

"Did you ken about them?" she whispered.

Lily giggled quietly as she set out seven cups. "James found them together just this morning."

"Like...found them together, or found them together?"

What Lily and Marlene did not know was that Emmeline had snuck up behind them. "So how was the honeymoon?" Her voice caused them both to jump. "...I'm on to you two."

"It was absolutely perfect, I ate every pastry in sight. You two should've seen the suite James booked, overlooking the Seine and everything. I'll develop the photos soon. I don't know what he was thinking reserving something so grand when all we really needed was the bed," she said through a salacious smirk.

"Brilliant," said Marlene.

"Gross," said Emmeline.

Lily turned to her with an incredulous smile. "You're one to talk. How was your honeymoon?"

"Don't you mean her honeymoony? You're in big trouble. How long have you two been shagging in secret?"

"Shh!"

Marlene and Lily glared at her with folded arms while they waited for an answer.

"...Well, sort of a week but-"

"A WHOLE WEEK?!"

"What's going on at the tea station?" James called over to them, having heard Marlene's outburst.

"Butt out Potter, the grown ups are talking."

"You're quite literally in my house, McKinnon." Marlene ignored this.

"It was so fast, we were afraid you'd think-"

"So you have been bonking."

"Marley! Gross..."

"I hope Tiberius was properly out of the picture before that all started," said Lily, who, like Marlene, had not been fond of the match, but unlike Marlene, would not have approved of infidelity.

"Quite. Like, very out of the picture," Emmeline assured her, flashing them her ring-less left hand.

"Thank God. I mean, you're a catch and I hope he's not too torn up about it, poor sod, but thank God."

"He was more upset that I hadn't said something before the refund period ran out on the ring. He'll buy another highland hunting lodge and get over it."

"Oh Merlin, speaking of rings, did you see Bellatrix's tonight?"

"What?!" That was something Emmeline had apparently failed to notice.

Lily scrunched her nose. "Bellatrix Black is married? Who would be mental enough to marry her?"

"She's Bellatrix Lestrange now, apparently it happened ages ago. Sirius found out from Andromeda."

"Rabastan?"

"No, Rodolphus."

Emmeline raised her hand up to her mouth to feign nausea. "That is vile. Come to think of it, tonight's events were probably their twisted idea of a honeymoon."

"I know this is all very serious business, but every time we get trouble from that lot I get oddly nostalgic about school," Marlene admitted.

"Except they've graduated from jelly-legs jinxes to killing curses, which presents a problem," Emmeline jested darkly.

"If Avery or Rosier'd been there, it would've been a right-proper reunion."

"You're okay though? I'm sorry, I was prattling on about Paris and I haven't even asked you if you're alright yet." Lily gestured to a light pink welt settling on Emmeline's cheek where Bellatrix had slapped her.

"I'm fine," she assured her, swallowing a smile. "I mean, not an ideal way to spend an evening by any means, but nobody got hurt, and in a weird way it sort of helped me make up my mind about something."

"And Remus made a vow of undying love."

"What?!"

"Marley."

"Remus!"

"Shh! Lily, don't-"

"Yes?"

"Come in here for a moment, will you?"

Remus stepped toward them hesitantly, the ice still to his head. "Why do I get the sense I'm in trouble?"

The tea kettle began to sing. Waving her wand, Lily flicked off the stove and enchanted the kettle to divide its contents among the cups.

"If you're all finished merrymaking in there, may I remind you that two of you were lured into a trap not too long ago?" Alastor hollered matter-of-factly, summoning Remus and Emmeline back to the front room.

"I'm not finished with you," Lily told Remus, depositing tea bags into the cups and handing two of them to each person. Remus gave Emmeline a knowing smile before rounding the corner with the girls and handing Alastor one of the cups he'd been given.

"As I was saying," Alastor continued as the tea was passed out. "I know you lot aren't in auror training with me, but you're as good as anybody I've got from the ministry and it's imperative that you take as many precautions with your safety and your whereabouts as if you were. We already know Voldemort's had his eyes on recruiting a couple of you," he added, his eyes flashing to the Potters.

"What about our addresses and such?" asked Sirius.

"Leave that to me and Albus. You'll be receiving one letter in the next week about the meeting on the first. If you get any more than that, let me know immediately."

"Thank you for looking after us so well," said Lily. Alastor might've found this condescending or insulting had it come from anyone but her, but he had a soft spot for Lily and knew she was sincere. He began to fold up the letter he'd composed.

"Wait, Alastor." Emmeline stepped forward. "Before you send the note, could I have a bit of that parchment?"

Puzzled, Moody handed her a piece of paper and the quill. "Sending Dumbledore a love note?"

"No, I'm accepting his offer to join the Order again." She handed Remus her tea, then propped the parchment against his back and began scribbling out a message as everyone else exchanged looks of delight.

"The gang's back together!" whooped James, high-fiving Sirius.

Alastor smirked with approval. "Welcome back, Vance."