A month had passed since the purchase of the potion and, although Lily had kept her promise not to use it again, the situation had continued to worsen. Arguments between Sirius and Remus had multiplied to the point of becoming a routine. It was impossible to get through a single day without hearing shrill screams coming from their rooms, or seeing their belongings flying through the rooms in a fit of anger.

Even more worryingly, Sirius had stopped confiding in her. In fact, apart from his jousts with Remus, not a sound came out of his mouth. Lily occasionally saw him wandering around the house, miserable, but he deftly avoided any contact with her and James. As soon as evening fell, he would flee the premises for a gay bar he'd usually frequented, only to return in the middle of the night, his step weighed down by alcohol. Like Lily, he had become a sort of wandering ghost, melancholic and out of reach.

Lily tried as hard as she could to convince herself that maybe things were for the best. She would eventually come to her senses by no longer being around Sirius, by no longer being his listening ear. "Right now, it's twisting your heart, but, afterward, it'll get better," she told herself.

If only...

She felt so overwhelmed by the situation that she had finally decided to confide in someone other than Peter. Michelle Taylor. One of the few survivors of the Order of the Phoenix. Her only friend outside the Marauders. After the war, she'd gone into the trade in rare magical objects and was now traveling the world in search of new treasures. Yesterday, she had informed her that she was setting foot in London for the first time in ages and invited her for a drink in a bar. An unexpected opportunity for Lily to ask for her help.

Michelle had always been successful, whether in her professional life or in love. Men were always falling at her feet, and she was no stranger to sentimental dramas and other "spicy" stories. If anyone could give her advice on how to get out of this quagmire, it was her. Granted, the conversation was bound to be humiliating, and Lily was a little worried that Michelle might judge her, but she had to do it. For the sake of her relationship and, above all, her sanity.

As Lily reached the first-floor staircase, already prepared for her evening, a door slammed violently on the second floor and Sirius stormed out of his room, Remus hot on his heels:

"I'm telling you I don't want to have this conversation with you anymore! Get the fuck off me!"

His hoarse voice echoed through the hall as he began to tumble down the stairs. Behind him, Remus raised his tone:

"By Merlin, you're incredible Sirius, a real brat! It's the same every time! You always end up running away! Stop being such an asshole and listen to me! I'm not done talking!"

"Talking? You don't talk, Rem', you spit at me! I'm sick of being insulted for nothing! I'm outta here!"

The young woman stopped suddenly, nervous. She listened to the creaking of the steps become increasingly shrill, a sign that Sirius was closing in on her position. A few seconds later, he stormed out of the stairwell and Lily held her breath.

Sirius was crying. Arms stretched out along his body and fists clenched childishly, he tried in vain to contain the violent sobs that shook him. His gaze met Lily's and he slowed as he passed her, a shameful expression on his face.

"I'm sorry you have to see this..." he breathed before hurrying on again, taking the second staircase.

Remus in turn reached Lily's level and paused to stare at her awkwardly. His eyes fell on his companion's back as he continued to walk away from them, and he heaved a sigh, giving up on pursuing him.

"Sirius, please come back..." he merely said.

Sirius didn't reply. This time Remus pressed his hands against his face for a long moment before exhaling through his nose.

"Why does he always have to complicate everything?"

"Why do you always have to make him cry?"

Lily's voice had grown harsher than she would have liked. This didn't escape Remus, who abruptly raised his head in surprise before frowning.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Maybe Lily should have apologized. Probably, even. But she didn't. Instead, she silently held the gaze of the werewolf, who returned the favor. The two stared at each other unblinkingly until Remus finally snapped, resuming in an exasperated tone:

"Lily, I don't know what your problem is, but..."

"What's going on?"

Alerted by the noise, James had emerged from his room and was now standing next to his wife. Remus gritted his teeth, detailing Lily one last time before replying in an evasive gesture:

"Nothing. Just Sirius doing his little show again. Because arguing with me isn't enough for him. He needs everyone to know!"

He had shouted his last sentence to make sure Sirius heard him. The latter shouted back from the first floor, his voice laden with tears:

"Fuck you!"

An interminable blank greeted the insult. Uneasy, James glanced at Sirius from the railing before stepping closer to Remus:

"Do you want me to go and talk to him?"

"No. Leave him," Remus replied, shaking his head. "I think he needs to be alone. Me too, by the way... If you'll excuse me..."

And, without giving James a chance to reply, he turned back, walking slowly up the stairs. James watched him climb the steps one by one before wincing.

"I don't know how they manage to shout at each other like that..." he muttered, "It's getting hellish..."

He turned to Lily, looking apologetic:

"How are you? Are you still seeing Michelle tonight?"

Eyes fixed on Remus's back, Lily absentmindedly nodded her chin. "Don't," a small voice in her head pleaded with her. "Forget the idea you just had."

"Yes. She invited me for a drink in a pub."

"In a pub! I'm not surprised! She'd beat Hagrid at a shot contest! You plan to be back before sunrise, I hope?" joked James.

"It's a very bad idea you've got there, you know that," Lily's poor conscience resumed. "You have to stop. You promised yourself you would."

She had promised herself, yes. But her intentions had just changed.

"Actually, I think I'd better get my things. I mean, you never know. If I'm too drunk to go home, I might sleep at her place..."

"Ah, so you're well and truly planning to get drunk? Is that confirmed? Ah, girls' nights out have really changed..." James lamented falsely, a small smile on his face.

He reached up to steal a kiss and Lily couldn't help but flinch, which made him laugh harder.

"Anyway, it's nice to see you out and about at last. Usually, you never want to leave the house. Maybe next time we could go to the pub together? If so, make sure you practice your shots. I'll be your next opponent!"

Lily responded to his cheerfulness with a pale smile. James was adorable, as always. He didn't deserve to suffer because of her. She would never dare hurt him in any way. No, what she was about to do had nothing to do with her original plan.

"Sold. I promise, next time, you and I will go to the pub."

James's smile lit up and seeing him so happy made the redhead laugh. She kissed him back before dashing off to their bedroom, opening their large closet to grab an old gym bag into which she hastily stuffed pajamas and a toothbrush.

Sirius was long gone by the time she reached the entrance hall. Walking on tiptoe, she tried to put on her shoes and then her coat in perfect silence, hoping not to wake the…

"I suppose he's gone to that degenerate place again to drown his tears in alcohol! Has he no shame? Making a spectacle of himself in front of such ignominies! He could at least use the werewolf name when he presents himself to these sodomite filth! The Lupins lost all honor long ago..."

Failed. Old Walburga had come out of her lethargy and was enjoying screaming all the horrors that came into her head. Raising her hands to her ears, Lily shouted back:

"But don't you ever just shut your big mouth?"

Behind the curtain, the portrait snarled:

"If I were you, I'd be careful about the words I use in this dwelling, you bloody mudblood! I know what you're trying to do, and I also know you're going to fail! Perhaps after your defeat, you'll finally clear the floor and go live far away from here with your traitorous husband!"

Her answer disarmed Lily. Did Walburga know? About what? What exactly did she know? And how did she know that?

Mother Black must have sensed her confusion, for she continued in a satisfied tone:

"You think I don't see you chasing after him? That I can't hear how you talk to him when he's around? How you talk about him once he's gone? You're planning to join him, aren't you? You hope you can win him for yourself. He'll never want you, do you hear me? He doesn't love you. He can't love you. And so much the better."

Walburga's accusations delivered a sledgehammer blow and Lily stood petrified, staring at the dark curtain that covered the painting.

"I... I don't want to do any of this. I just want to help him," she finally whispered.

Hidden behind the dingy fabric, Walburga's voice rose again, acerbic:

"Of course... Lie to yourself. Go ahead, wrap your selfish desires in good intentions. It won't change a thing. You're vile, Lily Potter and, much as I abhor the beast with whom that good-for-nothing Sirius has decided to end his days, I wonder: if he left him for you, would he better off?"

This question left Lily speechless, and she hurried out of the house.

.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.

It had begun to rain and, despite the downpour lashing her face, Lily felt grateful. None of her tears were visible through the drops, no passer-by could guess her distress as she made her way up the long artery that led to the bar. In fact, Lily didn't even know why she was crying like that. Was she crying out of sadness? Frustration? Anger? Probably a mixture of all three. The old vixen's accusations had made her so furious. Who did she think she was? What right did she have to say such things to her? She was wrong. Lily had no intention of seducing Sirius. She didn't even want to talk to him! She just wanted to make sure he was well looked after. To know that Sirius was supported by friends, to be sure that there was a kind soul willing to listen to his woes at the bar, that was all she wanted! It was all she needed... She couldn't help it, the thought of Sirius drowning alone in his sorrow was unbearable. After that, she'd go and vent about her own misfortunes in Michelle's company and the circle would be complete.

There was nothing Machiavellian or vile about it. Besides, she'd throw away the damn potion once her mission was accomplished! If she was lucky, Michelle would give her some sound advice on how to get out of this mess. If he was even luckier, Sirius and Remus' latest argument would give James the urge to move out, and they'd soon be away from Grimmauld Square!

Now that was what she needed. Good intentions and luck. "You have to sow before you can reap", her old father used to say. That was what she was about to do.

Slipping through the crowd, Lily managed to leave the main street and slip into a dark alleyway, not far from the bar Sirius frequented. The place was far from glamorous, but it was secluded enough for her to transform in peace.

Dipping her arm into her bewitched bag, the redhead withdrew the outfit she'd bought a month earlier, as well as the potion she'd transposed into an old draconic vial, intended to cure allergies. How many did she have to take? Last time, one sip had kept her going for about three hours. Far more time than she needed to check on Sirius. A tiny dose would do the trick.

Lily arranged her clothes on a pile of crates and, after a moment's hesitation, undressed completely. It was better not to keep her clothes on during her transformation, as her sudden growth could tear them to shreds.

The metamorphosis was just as painful as the first, leaving the young woman nauseous. Sitting on an old wooden crate with splinters stinging her bottom, it took her a good few minutes to regain her senses.

"Mom. There's a naked man downstairs."

Surprised, Lily looked up. A few floors up, a child was watching her from a filthy window. His mother soon joined him and screamed at the sight.

"No, but aren't you ashamed? You pervert! Get out of here! Get out of here!"

Caught off guard, Lily dressed quickly, turning her socks inside out and half tucking her shirt into her pants. She didn't even take the time to lace up her boots, and just hurriedly stuffed her things into her bag before taking off.

Decidedly, this evening was off to a very bad start.

It was breathless and soaked to the skin that Lily reached the end of the cul-de-sac where the bar was located. The place was just like the surrounding neighborhood: gray and shabby. A string of garbage cans stretched like a fresco along the brick walls. A huge black cat escaped from one of them, a rat in its mouth. It stared at the redhead with its gleaming eyes, then abruptly veered off course to take refuge under the porch of a back store, disappearing into the darkness. A shiver ran down Lily's spine. She had seen better vibes. She assumed it was part of the bar's protection mechanism. Sirius had explained to her that the entrance to the bar was concealed in the same way as the entrance to the Diagon Alley, and that only the security guard could reveal it. However, Lily could not discern any human presence in the vicinity.

As she scanned the cul-de-sac, desperately searching for the guardian, her eyes fell on the spot where the black cat had disappeared. An intuition flashed through her and, ignoring the threatening darkness, she moved slowly in its direction. The cat was still there, the dying rat trapped under its paw. Its amber eyes stared back at her with an almost human intensity.

"Good evening...", Lily said after a hesitation, "I'd like access to the bar, please."

For all answer, the animal blinked and Lily felt suddenly silly. Sirius had never told her about an animagus guarding the bar. She was surely just talking to a common stray cat.

Disappointed, she sat down on the porch steps and ran a hand through her hair. Her adventure couldn't end so soon... She wasn't going to just stand there because the barkeeper couldn't do his job!

"Rah, where the hell is that idiot?" she grumbled, "I'm going to catch a cold if I wait for him in the rain..."

"That's why there are raincoats and umbrellas. They're very useful objects, you know. Especially when you live in London..."

The sudden deep voice at her back startled her violently. Lily leapt to her feet and stumbled backwards, almost tripping over the uneven cobblestones of the cul-de-sac. Behind her, the cat had given way to a huge individual staring at her with his hands in his pockets, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Good evening, young gentleman," he resumed, "what brings you here on this fine and lovely weather?"

He quietly descended the small staircase to the porch, his silhouette soon outlined in the faint halo of light escaping from a street lamp at the entrance to the street. This made his build seem all the more imposing. Lily couldn't help making the connection with Hagrid, the half-giant she'd known at Hogwarts. However, unlike the gamekeeper's warm-hearted bonhomie, the guardian awakened a very different impression in her.

Despite his apparent politeness and affable tone, an aura of menace emanated from him. There was something vicious, something savage in his gaze, something reminiscent of predators in the depths of the forbidden forest. It was as if a ferocious beast lurked beneath his skin, ready to spring forth at the slightest provocation. How could such a massive person transform into an animal as agile and graceful as a cat? Lily found it hard to reconcile the image of a feline with the stature of the guy standing in front of her. She would rather have imagined that such a man would transform himself into an equally gigantic creature: a bear, a rhinoceros, even a varan. His gait, slow and deceptively calm, evoked something reptilian.

One hand tugging weakly at the collar of her shirt, Lily cleared her throat:

"Good evening. I'd... Er... I'd like... I'd like access to the bar…"

The security guard tilted his head slightly to one side, still sporting the same little sneer.

"Of course, young man. But first, I need the password..."

The password? Crap. Sirius had never told her about a password! What was she going to do? If she couldn't get in, her whole plan was falling apart!

"The password? Well... The password... Hey... I... It's just that I... Sir?"

Hands behind his back, the man leaned toward her:

"You can call me Adam. But, please, finish your sentence. You... ?"

Lily laughed nervously.

"Yes, Adam. Actually, I don't remember the password... It's... It's my first time here..."

"Really? That's funny. Normally, it's strictly impossible to know of this bar's existence, let alone its location, unless you're already a member or sponsored. Which implies, of course, communicating the password... And knowing that you have to go directly to the keeper to communicate it..."

This time, Adam's smile stretched wider, revealing gold teeth that glinted under the yellowish light of the street lamp. Straightening up, he began to advance slowly towards Lily, forcing her to retreat until her back was against one of the impasse's grimy walls. The tension in the air was palpable, and Lily awkwardly tried to justify herself:

"No, but, I... Don't get me wrong..."

"Oh, but it's that I'd very much like not to misunderstand you..."

The man's barely concealed threat made the redhead swallow. Damn. How was she going to get out of this mess?

"No, wait... Please! I swear I don't have any bad intentions! I've come to meet one of the bar's regulars! I've come for Sirius Black! I think he's in trouble!"

The mere name of Sirius made Adam stop dead in his tracks. The latter stared at Lily, visibly surprised by this revelation.

"Sirius? You know Sirius? Wait, don't tell me you're Remus! Are you still the reason he came tonight?"

This time, Adam's attitude had become openly hostile. In an instant, he reduced the meager distance between them to nothing, placing his hand on her shoulder with disconcerting force, his fingers crushing the young woman's shoulder blade. In a gesture of desperation, she waved her arm frantically, desperate to clear up the miscommunication.

"No! I'm not Remus! I'm a friend of Sirius! I know what he's going through, and I'm just here to check he's okay! I'm sick of seeing him like this too, I want things to change! Please, I'm really here to help him! I know about this bar because he's already told me about it!"

Lily wasn't sure whether it was her sudden sincerity or the palpable distress in his voice, but Adam stopped again. He scanned her warily, his eyes seeming to penetrate her soul, and Lily strove to hold his gaze, doing her best not to flinch.

"Please let me in. Allow me to enter..." she finally murmured.

The bouncer looked at her again, gauging her with his eyes, then finally let out a grunt. His powerful hand released its grip on her shoulder as he nodded for a long moment.

"You can go inside... Just this once... I'm doing it for him, not for you... And I'm warning you, if I hear one complaint about you during the evening, I'm the one who's coming to drag you out of the bar..."

Lily nodded presciently.

"I promise you won't hear from me! Thank you! Thank you very much!"

Adam shrugged before turning to the wall. He tapped one of the bricks with the tip of his index finger. A brilliant rune appeared, illuminating the rest of the wall with its bluish glow, and the outline of a heavy wooden door gradually took shape, filtering orange light across its threshold. Above, a flickering neon sign displayed the bar's name: "The Three Gargoyles". The façade looked as if it hadn't been refreshed in decades.

Leaning next to the door, Adam lit a cigarette.

"Maybe I got a little carried away with you. It's not easy, you know? After the war we've been through, we have to be careful. You-Know-Who's henchmen are still among us. This bar is frequented by Dumbledore supporters. It's an ideal target for ill-intentioned people. Especially as they're generally conservatives who aren't very open to our... way of life. Well, you probably already know that..."

"Yes, I know," Lily murmured, " it pains me."

"Me too..." Adam muttered, "Me too... Right. Be good tonight. And above all, cheer Sirius up. He needs it... Oh, by the way, the password is "poppy". At least for this week. It would be nice if Sirius could let you know the next one. I won't let you in again if you don't know the right code."

With her hand already on the handle, Lily hurriedly nodded.

"Yes, of course. I understand completely."

My god. She was finally going to get in. That was a close one!

"Ah, and one more thing..."

Oh no. What now?

"Y-yes?"

On the verge of fainting, Lily turned her head to Adam, who ogled her up and down before smiling mischievously.

"If I were you, I'd zipper up my fly before going inside. The view isn't unpleasant, and I'm sure many customers would share that thought, but the bar's rules require slightly less sloppy attire."

The remark made the young woman blush, and she quickly zipped up her pants to the muffled laughter of the bouncer, who couldn't help but add:

"And don't forget to tie your shoelaces!"

This time, the redhead didn't reply and rushed into the bar.

There was only hope that the rest of the evening would be less awful than anything she'd experienced so far.

It's with a lot of good will - and a lot of bad faith - that Lily has decided to join Sirius at the bar! Will she just check on him? Will she talk to him? Will she end up meeting the beautiful Michelle at the pub? And, above all, will she finally tie her shoelaces?

Find out in the next episode!