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."

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

"Even James Potter?" Said a Malfoy from the corner. "Or will you let old school rivalries impede your judgement?"

"Be quite, Lucious," Snape snapped. "You keep out of this."

He held up his hands defensively. "I'm only suggesting-" but Regulus cut him off. "Sit down, Malfoy. Your voice is getting on my nerves." This caused Narcissa to stand so quickly her chair fell back. "How dare you speak to him like that! You wouldn't even be here if he hadn't pulled some strings. Don't be so ungrateful."

"Speaking of your loyalties, Reggie," Greyback started, "Why were you 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 this 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 family's reputation from ruin, piped up. "Where is Forrestor? I didn't see him at our little tussle in Hogsmede."

Heads turn to Greyback who struggs and says "Don't looke at me."

"You've been crashing at his flat while his brother is away, haven't you?"

"Stayed with him a couple times. He's got a good liquor cabinet. Nothing more. Any word from that brother of his? The hitman?"

"You make it sound so un-poetic, Fenrir," Bellatrix says. "He's in Paris right now. Working through the blood traitors and mudbloods as we speak. And don't think I didn't notice you avoiding the questions. Why did you stay hidden from your mutt today?"

Fenrir just smiled, "He wasn't the one I was hiding from…"

Meanwhile...

The group arrived in a small village just outside of Cambridge, England 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." Sirius 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.

Sirius fumbled over his words. "What? No!"

Marlene just rolled her eyes at the two. "We all did our best. They just outnumbered us and targeted our weaknesses."

"I don't have weaknesses," Sirius mumbled. Marlene just sighed and kept walking.

"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 any other Wizarding families live here?" Peter asked from behind and James nodded. "But mostly muggles, so we have to keep a low profile. Dad tried passing off his hair tonic to a store here once, but was worried it would raise suspicions of magic if muggles liked it too much, Here we are." He approached one of the brick flats and unlocked the door with his wand. He pushed through the 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. Marlene walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder.

Sirius 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?"

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

"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..."

Marlene emerged from the kitchen and approached Sirius.

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."

"Shut it and bit on this." She handed him a some candy.

"Oi! Not my good toffee," James protested followed by Peter springing up from his seat and running to the kitchen. "Wormtail, leave my pantry alone!"

Sirius reluctantly took it and said, "This better not have a million calories in it." He bit hard on it while Marlene waived her wand over his shoulder. A pop was heard and everyone winced as Sirius choked down his groan

"And now you can eat the candy since you've been such a good patient," Marlene said and patted his head.

"Oi!" Sirius snatched her hand by the wrist and yanked it away from his head. It genuinly startled her. The reaction even shocked Sirius slightly, unsure of why he felt so triggered. Marlene had always been a little patronizing. "i'm not a boy," was all he could say and let go over her.

"A 'thank you' would suffice next time," Marlene said coolly.

James spoke up to break the awkward silence that followed. "How's our Moony, Delaney? He too heavy for that shoulder of yours?"

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

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

"Yes," everyone said in the room said at the same time, Sirius and a half-asleep Remus included. James just nodded as if he expected that response.

"That's what you're worried about?" Peter said as he entered with the toffee tin. "We almost just died!"

"C'mon Pete," Sirius said. "You know James would rather face off against those followers of You-know-who than face an angry Lily."

"The Death Eaters," Tabitha corrected. "They call themselves death eaters, Dumbledore said."

"Why do you care what I call them," he said back to her with a shrug. "Not like you're staying."

"Says who?!"

"Oh please, Delaney. You flaked your whole life. Loner at School. Loner in life, isn't that right? You didn't even show up to the end of year party."

"Leave her alone, Sirius." Remus mumbled.

"Speaking of loners-"

"I said shut it," Remus snapped. He became quickly aware of the placement of his head on Tabitha's shoulder and sat upright, a bit too quickly though. He grabbed his head and moaned then glanced to Tabitha and mumbled, "Sorry."

"Black, what the hell is wrong with you?" Marlene questioned.

"Nothing."

"Sirius, you're being kind-of an ass," James agreed.

"My damn shoulder hurts! That's all." He stood up quickly. "I just need air." He grabbed his coat and head for the backyard.

"Padfoot!" James stood to follow him but Lily intercepted him as she came out of the kitchen with his tea and said, "Sit."

James obeyed without hesitation.

"Severus, James? Severus?" She plopped the tea on the table "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," he said defensively. "Not that it didn't confirm what we already suspected."

"Really," Lily said looking offended. "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," James just let his jaw drop and looked to Marlene who had her arms crossed. "Can you believe this?" He asked her and she looked around. "I'm sorry, Potter. Do you think I'm someone else?

"I can believe it." Tabitha added. "Especially since you didn't tell us about Regulus. That's probably why Black is pissed."

"I was trying to help!" James shouted.

"Help Regulus Black?" Tabitha asked. "You saw what him and his friends did out there."

"If everyone had been a bit more sober, we may have won!" Marlene says waiving to Remus as an example.

"So this is my fault?" Their voices rose and James shot out of his chair. Someone please get Remus a bowl before he vomits on my carpet." With that, James walked outside to the front garden for a breath of fresh air.

The room was quiet, besides the smacking chews coming from Peter as he snacked on his toffee. "Well," He finally said, "That was awkward."

"I'm never drinking again," Muttered Remus and Tabitha pat him on the back. "Please stop being so nice to me," he muttered unknowingly aloud and Tabitha pulls her hand away.

Lily looked down at her ring. She sighed and looked at Tabitha. "Well Remus is in good hands. Marley-"

"I've got Black," Marlene replies.

"Good. Peter, the remote is on top of the telly." 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 thought through the last couple of hours. 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 standing in the small yard. "James?" She called. The young man glanced from the night sky. 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 front gate. "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 better dresser, after all."

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, brushing the dirt from her light blue jeans. James laughed and scratches the back of his head. He stared at the blades of dark road 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. And he didn't exactly put you in charge."

"But that's the problem. I justed to waltz into any situation and was expected to be the best. The Quidditch Pitch, the Classroom, I was Head Boy. I sat in that room just now and felt so out of my depths, like a didn't belong there. I know I'm not expected to be the leader here, but for some of our friends in the group, I'm still Head Boy who can't mess up."

"We all were terrible on our first day at Hogwarts. We took time to learn. 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 defeatist, 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!