"Filipendulous"
"Chapter One: 29 July 1980"
Lily used to love to cast a Patronus. She learned when she was seventeen in her N.E.W.T. level Defense Against the Dark Arts class. They were the first seventh years to even attempt to be taught the complex charm given the war raging around them. Less than a fourth of her year was able to successfully cast one. Lily had been one of the lucky few. A doe to match James' stag. There was something poetic about that, she was sure.
When she joined the Order of the Phoenix, she was taught how to send messages through her Patronus. She and James had goofed around with it plenty of times, sending goodnight Patronuses to one another the year she lived with Marlene and he with Sirius before they bought their house together in Godric's Hollow.
Somewhere along the line, Patronuses went from fun to terrifying. Messages of attacks, injuries, and death. A Patronus made her hold her breath. A Patronus made her want to vomit. She started to dread seeing the silvery animals barrel through the wall.
So, on one July afternoon, when Sirius' massive dog Patronus sat in front of her, her heart sank to the floor. James and Sirius had gone out for a boys' days, just the two of them.
"James is in St. Mungo's," Sirius' tense voice wafted in her ears. "They're working on him now."
That was it. That was the message. Lily wanted to strangle Sirius. What did that even mean? Tears sprung to her eyes, her body moving as though by its own accord. She couldn't Apparate, not being eight months pregnant. Her heart thumped against her ribs as she rushed to the mantle where they kept the Floo Powder. She had told James to keep it stocked for her, but James hated traveling by Floo. He may not have checked recently since they had taken to traveling by the Knight Bus.
Her shaking hands nearly dropped the canister. Holding her breath, she opened the lid to see a piece of parchment laying on top of a nearly overflowing amount of Floo Powder. Tears sprung to her eyes as she plucked the parchment out.
Surprised I didn't forget, aren't you?
Love you,
James
Lily's throat clogged. She couldn't believe she ever thought James was a pillock when they were in school. He was thoughtful and lovely and potentially dying in St. Mungo's. Swallowing down her emotions, she lit the fireplace and made her way to the hospital.
St. Mungo's was packed. Trolleys with patients lined the corridors. The waiting room was full. The welcome witch pointed left and right, answering questions amongst the chaos. Lily's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to find Sirius or someone who could help her. She rose on her tiptoes, her eyes darting around for the tall and looming figure that was Sirius Black. But she couldn't find him in the sea of people.
Sirius said they were working on him. She wandered towards the A&E, hoping to find her way to James. Instead, she found the next best thing. Mary darted out of a room at the end of the hall, her Mediwitch uniform covered in blood. Lily bolted for her.
"Mare!" Lily shouted.
Mary turned at her name being called. Her wide eyes blinked before she made her way towards her.
"What are you doing here?" Mary asked. "Are you all right? Were you at Diagon Alley too?"
Lily blinked. "What happened?"
Mary looked at her, her hands gesturing to the pure chaos around them. "Diagon Alley was attacked."
"Sirius said James was injured," Lily whispered, pressing a hand to her belly when she felt the baby shift.
Mary pulled a stiff piece of parchment and a quill from her front pocket. She wrote James' name and date of birth at the top. Words appeared underneath his name and Lily tried to crane her neck to see what it said.
"He's in a procedure right now," Mary explained, her brows furrowing as her eyes glided across the parchment.
Lily tried to keep breathing. "For what?"
"Just says cursed wounds," Mary replied, looking up. "They'll fill it out more once they're done."
Lily held her breath, her head nodding automatically. Her fingers brushed underneath her eyes.
"Where would Sirius be waiting?" Lily croaked.
Mary turned around and pointed down the hallway. "Take a right and there will be a waiting room at the end of the hall on the left. Sirius should be there."
Lily thanked her, her hand brushing down Mary's arm as she passed her. All Lily wanted was to see Sirius. She needed to know what happened, how bad it was, if James would be all right. The last thought made a sob escapes her lips, wrecking through her entire body.
She found the waiting room easily enough. Through the window, she could see Sirius sitting by himself on a sofa with his elbows propped up on his knees and his head in his hands. Lily's heart skipped a beat. It was bad. She could tell by the way Sirius was sitting, curled up in himself, trying to shut out everything around him. He withdrew when he was upset.
When Lily stepped inside, Sirius didn't move. Her eyes roamed across the waiting room to see surprisingly few people waiting there given how packed the A&E was. She crossed the room, stopping right in front of Sirius. Her fingers carded through his hair, feeling something caked in his dark locks. His face left his hands and his chin tilted up to look at her.
His lip was split open and there was a wound by his hairline. Her eyes dropped down to his white t-shirt soaked red. There was so much blood. It smeared across his neck and tinted his hands. He rose from his chair, immediately wrapping his arms around her. His fingers ran through her hair before he pressed his palm securely on the back of her head.
"What happened?" Lily asked, burying her face into his chest.
"Death Eaters attacked Diagon Alley while we were there," Sirius explained in a strained tone, his grip tightening around her. "James chased one down the alley behind the Three Broomsticks. I saw him round the corner so I followed him. By the time I got here, James was on the ground with these large gash marks across his chest. Standing in front of him, mask fucking off, was Snape."
Lily stiffened. Slowly, she pulled away from Sirius and looked up at him. The mere mention of Severus Snape made her blood run cold. He had been her best friend once upon a time. She still couldn't figure out what happened to him. It was almost as though he had become another person, shifting and changing slowly over the years until she could barely recognize the person in front of her.
"I'm sorry, Lils," Sirius whispered. "I know what I saw. It was him."
Lily swallowed, tears burning her eyes. "I believe you," she said, her voice shaking. "I just don't want to believe it."
"He's not the person you knew as a kid," Sirius insisted, his jaw tightening. "He wasn't from the moment he became friends with people like Avery and Rosier."
Lily nodded, barely able to see Sirius through her tears. She didn't know why after all these years Severus still made her cry. It was as though he had some sick power over her, dragging her down even though she hadn't spoken two words to him since she was eighteen. To know he hurt James out of jealousy or spite made Lily sick to her stomach.
"People like Avery and Rosier have a very fucked up vision of the world," Sirius said in a tight voice, his fingers brushing her hair behind her ear. "They think Muggleborns like you stole magic, that you should be punished for daring to take a wizard's wand. Those are the kind of people Snape spends his time with. Those kinds of ideas seep into your pores and poison your mind. He let them poison his mind even though they look down at him for having a Muggle father. They think he's only marginally better than you are, but he's too stupid to see it."
Lily let out a shuddering breath. "It's confirmed then?" she whispered. "He took the Mark?"
"It was practically confirmed since sixth year, Lily," Sirius reasoned, his face tugging down.
Lily shook her head. "It was all rumors."
Sirius pressed his palms against her biceps and bent down to her height. "Voldemort recruits at sixteen before they can understand how the real-world works, before they can escape their toxic little pureblood bubble. He would have taken the Mark with the rest of them."
Lily sniffed. "You don't know that for sure though."
"Lily, I grew up in this bullshit," Sirius stressed, squeezing her arms. "I know these people. They've been to my house. I've been to theirs. I have dined with them. I used to be friends with them. Do you think it's any coincidence that I ran away from home at sixteen? I was running from what was expected of me being a stupid pureblood."
"I know that," Lily said, reaching up to wipe more tears from her cheeks. "I can't believe he would hurt James so badly."
"I can," Sirius replied with a sigh. "He's hated James for years."
"I know they were both awful to each other, but they were kids," Lily reasoned. "We're not kids anymore, Sirius."
Sirius offered Lily a closed-mouth smile. "We're not. We're adults who know far more advanced and deadly magic with a deep hatred sowing between us all."
Lily sighed, her eyes screwing shut. She hated the bloody war. While James and Sirius were fighters, Lily was not. She spent her time brewing healing potions and inventing charms to help those that actively fought. It wasn't like she could fight even if she wanted to. She had fallen pregnant so young and so unexpectantly. It certainly hadn't been planned.
"Did they say how long James would be? I'm assuming he'll be fine," she said, although she was mostly trying to convince herself. "He'll be all right, won't he?"
Lily opened her eyes, soaking in the blood that covered Sirius. She was very acutely aware that most of the blood was probably not his.
"I don't know, Lily," Sirius replied, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I really don't know. It was… it was bad."
Lily told herself not to cry again. Her mother always said there was no use crying over the future since it was impossible to predict. She had to live in the present and hold out hope that he'd be all right. Lily pressed a hand to the top of her belly. She could feel Harry rolling and surmised she was feeling his foot.
"Come on, let's sit down," Sirius urged, his fingers intertwining with hers.
"You should get cleaned up," Lily said, allowing Sirius to pull her down onto the sofa next to him.
Sirius wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her close to his side. "I'll clean up after we leave the hospital. I don't want to miss an update."
Lily rested her head against his shoulder. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly right where she thought Harry's foot was but he had already shifted. Sirius rested his cheek against her head as he allowed her to move his hand around to try to find the baby. Since his kicks could be felt from the outside, Sirius was the only one who had never gotten to feel it despite wanting to. Harry remained stubborn and ceased his kicking whenever Sirius tried. Then, something large rolled against their hands. Lily could hear the crinkles of Sirius' smile.
"I'm pretty sure that's his buttocks," Lily said in a watery tone.
Sirius let out a low chuckle. "What a little shit," he commented, his thumb brushing against her belly.
Lily hummed, her gaze wandering to the clock on the wall. She couldn't even remember what time she left the house. Then, a sudden jolt hit her. She and Sirius were the only ones there for James.
"Sirius, did you tell everyone about James?" Lily asked.
"I contacted you first," Sirius explained. "Then, I contacted Marlene. She was going to go to tell Monty and Mia in person."
Lily let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The last thing she wanted to do was contact the rest of the family. Tears sprung to her eyes once more. She just wanted some news, even a small nugget of what was going on with James. She closed her eyes, not being able to stop herself from sobbing into Sirius' shirt.
Sirius didn't know how fucking long he sat on the uncomfortable sofa in the waiting room. It seemed like hours ago that Lily had fallen asleep against him. No doubt exhausted from all the tears she shed. She had been sleeping when the Potters arrived. Fleamont paced around the room, his jaw tight as he kept shooting glances over at Sirius. There was no doubt in his mind that Fleamont wanted the entire story, but he was refraining from asking Sirius what happened because he didn't want to disturb Lily. Euphemia sat in a chair perpendicular from Sirius, her fingers pressed against her mouth as she stared at the door for someone to come in with news.
Marlene arrived last. After taking one look at Sirius and Lily, she decided to turn her attention to Fleamont. She marched over to him, causing him to finally stop his pacing, and they talked in low tones. Sirius peered at them curiously, knowing it had to be news from the Auror Department given the fact that Marlene's father was the Deputy Head of the Auror Department. She no doubt had heard some news about the attack. Sirius couldn't help but wonder if Snape was arrested once the Aurors arrived at Diagon Alley. He hoped to fuck he was.
Sirius knocked his head back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling. Every time he blinked, he could see James bleeding out on the pavement. He had looked ghastly white and there had been so much blood. All Sirius could do was gather him up in his arms and Apparate him to St. Mungo's. Sirius was surprised he hadn't Splinched them to death because he had been shaking so badly.
Sirius lost track of time, not even knowing how long he had sat on that damn sofa when the Healer stepped in and asked for the family of James Potter. Touching the back of his hand to Lily's face, he tried to wake her as gently as he possibly could. She jerked awake despite his best efforts, her eyes darting around the room.
"The Healer is here with an update on James," Sirius said as he rose from the sofa, holding his hand out for her to take.
Lily accepted it, her body automatically pressing into Sirius' side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her to where the Potters and Marlene stood in front of the Healer. His heart hammered in his chest, afraid of what might be said.
"Is this everyone?" the Healer asked.
Fleamont nodded. "Yes, it is."
"I'm Healer Wettin," he introduced himself. "I'm the one who was assigned James' case. As you may know, he came in with three large gashes across his chest and abdomen. Normal methods to seal the wounds were fruitless as we quickly came to realize they weren't normal wounds but cursed wounds. We tried several different methods as well as potions to seal up the wounds, but they kept opening no matter what we tried. We have him stable right now, but his wounds keep needing to be resealed. He's on a constant dosage of Blood Replenishing Potion as well that's being absorbed right into his veins."
"You can't seal the wounds?" Fleamont asked, his voice hard.
"We are calling in some specialist Healers to take a look at him," Healer Wettin explained. "Right now, he's comfortable and stable. We have him on a strong dose of pain potions and he's a little groggy from the sleeping potion we gave him."
Sirius tightened his grip around Lily.
"Can you call Fergus Belby to come take a look at him?" Fleamont pressed. "He's a close family friend and I trust his judgement."
Healer Wettin nodded. "We are certainly open to any suggestions from anyone with some expertise," he agreed. "Since James is in intensive care, only two family members are allowed back at a time. We'll need to have you on an approved visitor list with your relation."
Sirius' heart sank. The thought that he wasn't allowed to see James made this entire ordeal even more unbearable than it already was.
Fleamont nodded. "All right, Lily and Sirius, why don't you two go first? Mia and I have to contact a few people."
Sirius glanced over at Fleamont.
"The relationship?" Healer Wettin asked.
"His wife and brother," Fleamont replied. "We are his parents," he explained before gesturing to Marlene. "And his cousin."
Healer Wettin looked skeptical but didn't say anything. He gestured for Sirius and Lily to follow him.
"Sirius, let Lily stay with him," Fleamont said, pressing a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "We'll take turns amongst the rest of us."
Sirius nodded before he led Lily out of the waiting room. The walk to the intensive care unit seemed to take forever, as though it were on the other end of the hospital. Lily sniffed and breathed heavily next to him. Not once did he remove his arm from around her. There was a primal urge deep within him to protect her and to protect her unborn child from any harm. Physical or emotional. Over the years, he had begun to regard Lily as a sister. She was as much family to him as any of the Potters.
When they finally stopped outside of James' room, Sirius took note of the room number before he opened the door. James laid in the bed, his pale skin blending into the hospital sheets. There was a breathing bubble over his nose and a bag of thick red potion stuck to his upper arm. His chest was bare with large white bands stretched along his chest and stomach to hide the wounds. James didn't move when they entered, his squinted eyes sluggishly following their movements.
"James," Lily breathed, breaking away from Sirius for the first time since she arrived at the hospital.
Lily sat down next to his bedside, her hands gathering up his. She pressed his hand to her lips, her shoulders shaking. Sirius stepped closer, standing next to Lily's chair and gazing down at his best mate.
"How are you, love?" Lily asked in a strained voice.
"Hmm, 'ired," James hummed, his chapped lips parting.
Lily leaned forward, propping her elbows up on the bed. Her hand reached out to brush his limp black hair off his forehead.
"Where are your glasses?" Lily asked, pressing her palm against his cheek.
"Dunno," James mumbled, his eyes sliding shut.
Lily looked up at Sirius, tears falling down her cheeks. "He needs his glasses. Sirius, please."
Sirius pressed a hand on Lily's shoulders. "I'll find them. Don't worry."
Lily licked her bottom lip. "Do I let him sleep?" she whispered.
Sirius didn't know the answer to that. His eyes flickered to James' chest to see the steady rise and fall. As long as he was breathing, he assumed it was all right. But he didn't want to say that and be wrong.
"I don't know," Sirius whispered.
Lily turned her attention back to James, the back of her hand brushing against his cheek. "James, love, can you stay awake?"
James only groaned.
"Can you grab Fleamont?" Lily asked, choking out a sob.
Sirius nodded, giving Lily's shoulder one final squeeze goodbye. He made his way back to the waiting room. Fleamont, Euphemia, and Marlene were outside of the room and talking in a small little triangle. Marlene caught Sirius' eye first and offered him a strained smile.
"Monty, James is falling asleep," Sirius said in a rushed tone. "Lily wants you to make sure that's all right."
Fleamont nodded. "With the amount of potions they have him on, he's probably unable to stay awake for long."
Sirius let out a relieved breath.
"What happened, Sirius?" Fleamont asked.
Sirius pressed his tongue against his teeth. "Diagon Alley was attacked. James ran after some Death Eater who was probably trying to escape. I saw him go off by himself and ran after him. Snape was looming over him with his wand out. I focused on James and Apparated us here," he explained before turning his attention to Marlene. "Please tell me your dad told you that Snape was arrested."
Marlene shrugged. "He didn't say anything about arrests. I just asked him exactly what happened."
Sirius jaw clenched.
"Sirius, Marlene, both of you listen to me," Fleamont drew their attention to him. "James is going to be here for a while. I need the two of you to focus on Lily. Make sure she's sleeping, eating, showering, and just taking care of herself. She is heavily pregnant and it's vital that she says as calm as she can. Let Mia and I worry about James here."
While Sirius would rather be the one to stay at the hospital with James twenty-four/seven, despite the overwhelming guilt he felt at not protecting his best mate, he understood Lily needed them just as much. Slowly, he nodded his head.
"Thank you," Fleamont whispered. "I'm going to try to alleviate some of Lily's fears."
With that, Fleamont made his way down the corridor with long strides. Euphemia reached out, grabbing Sirius' hand in hers. She gave it a squeeze, but Sirius didn't feel the effects.
"James doesn't have his glasses," Sirius announced. "Lily asked me to find his glasses."
"I can stop by the house and grab him one of his spare pairs," Marlene offered, her hand pressing between Sirius' shoulder blades.
"No, he needs his current frames," Sirius said in a sure voice, even though he didn't know exactly why that mattered so much. "I'll go talk to some people."
Sirius did. He bothered at least ten different Mediwitches until he located the glasses. They had been left behind in the procedure room, one of the lenses smashed to bits. It took Sirius five attempts to fix them, seething at how his hands still shook hours after everything began. Sirius didn't even care when he broke the hospital rules and entered James' room with Lily and Euphemia. He sat the glasses on the bedside table and Lily gave him a watery smile.
"Lily, darling, it's nine in the evening," Euphemia said in a gentle voice. "Why don't you let Sirius take you home?"
"I don't want to leave him," Lily protested, her gaze snapping to where James slept.
Euphemia smoothed her hair. "Fleamont and I will stay. You need to take care of the baby."
Lily pressed her hand to her belly, her lips tugging down. "James wants to name him Harry. After his grandfather."
Sirius wasn't surprised to hear that. While he hadn't known Henry Potter particularly well, he knew him enough to know he was an extraordinary wizard and that James had looked up to him.
Sirius pressed a hand to the back of Lily's neck. "Well, let's get you and Harry home, all right? I'll spend the night. I won't leave you alone."
Lily sniffed, her hands swiping under her eyes. "You don't have to do that."
"I know. I want to," Sirius insisted as he helped her stand up. "Brother and godfather duty, I can't escape it," he said with a broad grin. "I think I might die if I don't. It's sort of like an Unbreakable Vow, right?"
Lily let out a strangled laugh, and Sirius counted that as a victory. She turned towards James, bending down and placing a kiss on his forehead before she smoothed down his hair. While she bid goodbye to James, Sirius bent down to press a kiss to Euphemia's cheek. She pulled him into a tight hug, whispering her thanks in his ear. When they broke apart, Lily turned to Sirius with her face scrunched up.
"Can't we just find me a bed for in here?" Lily pressed. "Or a sofa. I can sleep on a sofa."
Sirius searched Lily's bright green eyes. "James wouldn't want that. He'd want you to take care of yourself and Harry. We can come back first thing in the morning."
Lily hesitated for a brief moment, her head gliding down to stare at her stomach. She ran a hand along the bump, her bottom lip sliding between her teeth. Sirius wrapped his fingers around her elbow to encourage her further. Her eyebrows tugged down, a long sigh escaping her lips. Finally, she allowed Sirius to lead her out of the hospital room.
They stopped by the waiting room to see Fleamont and Marlene talking to one another. Fleamont hugged them both and Marlene announced she'd go back to Godric's Hollow with them.
They took the Knight Bus. Lily sat squished between Sirius and Marlene. Hitting his head back against the cushion, he listened to Lily and Marlene chat about James, about the baby, about the attack. Sirius didn't have anything to add, so he watched as the people entered and exited the bus. The damn ride took over a half hour, the bus packed for some odd reason.
Once at the Hollow, Sirius spent more time than was probably necessary securing the house. He didn't know if Snape would show up unannounced after what he had done to James, figuring Lily would be alone and vulnerable. Knowing every single warding spell known to wizardkind was the only positive thing about growing up a Black. Orion had been paranoid, often over securing Grimmauld Place with a slew of spells and enchantments.
Once done, he ran upstairs to shower. Bile rose in his throat as he watched the red water spiral down the drain, knowing it was all James' blood. He didn't stay long under the hot water, not wanting to leave Lily and Marlene alone downstairs for too long. Knowing James wouldn't care, he grabbed a pair of joggers and a t-shirt off him. Making his way downstairs, Sirius found the girls in the parlor. He collapsed down on the sofa and stretched his long legs over the arm of the furniture. Lily frowned at him.
"You can't sleep on the sofa," Lily argued. "You don't even fit."
"Well, if you and James would ever clean out the guest room and put a bed in there, I wouldn't have to sleep on the sofa," Sirius argued.
Marlene rolled her eyes, her lips twitching. "Leave him. He'll be fine."
"I have this thing called a wand, Lils," Sirius explained, tugging his wand out of the pocket of the joggers. "I'm pretty good at transfiguration."
Marlene laughed, linking her arm with Lily's. "Give him a pillow and he can fall asleep anywhere. He ends up falling asleep sitting up most nights anyway."
Sirius pointed at her. "It's not my fault you go to bed at an impossibly early hour."
Marlene cocked her head to the side. "Ten is not early. Besides, some of us have what's called a job. You know, where you go and perform tasks and then get paid for it? Most of us don't freeload off our uncle's inheritance."
"Nah, I'm good. That sounds dreadful," Sirius replied with a shit-eating grin. "I rather like being a freeloader."
"I'll get you a blanket and a pillow," Lily announced before she disappeared out of the room.
Marlene sank down onto the coffee table next to Sirius, a frown appearing on her face. She looked as exhausted as Sirius felt.
"How was he?" Marlene asked. "They wouldn't let me in. I guess cousin wasn't close enough of a relation."
The grin slipped from Sirius' mouth. "Awful looking. I'm hoping Fleamont's right and it's just the potions making him look so out of it."
Marlene pushed his hair back with her fingers. "I think it's a good thing that we're staying with her. You're sweet to take the sofa."
Sirius shrugged. "I've slept worse places before. I once woke up on the kitchen floor in a puddle of my own vomit once. That was fun."
Marlene wrinkled her nose. "I wouldn't tell people that."
"If I can't tell you, McKinnon, then who can I tell?" Sirius pressed.
"Your best mate," Marlene argued. "Given he was there and all."
Sirius chuckled. "Whoever let James and I share a flat alone were out of their bloody minds."
"I'm pretty sure Monty paid for that flat," Marlene replied.
"Don't blame him," Sirius protested, his smirk sliding back into place. "It was James' idea. Blame him."
Lily returned with two pillows and three blankets. Sirius thought that was a tad excessive given the fact that it was July, but he didn't say anything. He bid the girls goodnight, the two agreeing to share a bed together. Sirius kept his mouth shut about that as well, knowing there was a very raunchy joke to be made. He didn't go to sleep on the sofa, his mind too wired to sleep. He wandered into the study and looked through the throng of defense books on the shelf. Maybe he'd find something that could help his best mate out.
Marlene laid next to Lily in bed. They faced each other vis-à-vis and Marlene's heart ached as Lily's tears soaked her pillow. Marlene could only gather Lily's hand up in hers, holding it close to her chest.
"I swear, it's the hormones," Lily said, using her free hand to wipe away the tears. "I can't bloody well stop."
"It's normal, Lily," Marlene assured her, her thumb brushing against Lily's knuckles. "He's your husband."
Lily sniffed. "You'd be this weepy over Sirius then?"
Marlene chuckled. "Some days, yes. Other days, no. It all depends on how frustrating he was that day."
"Stop it!" Lily let out a breathy laugh. "You love him and you know it."
Marlene did. Merlin, she did. Although, Marlene thought if she was in Lily's position, she would be marching down to Snape's house and punching him in the fucking nose. She couldn't even imagine how hard it was for Lily, knowing her ex-best friend had tried to kill her husband. Marlene had never liked Snape, always thinking him a creep with an unhealthy obsession over Lily.
"I would probably cry, but don't tell him that," Marlene confessed with a smile. "He'll never let me hear the end of it. Could you imagine how unbearable he'd be?"
"I think James will cry when he finds out how much I've been crying," Lily concluded, a fond smile crossing her lips.
"He's a sop, that's why," Marlene replied. "He'd think you didn't love him if you weren't shedding some tears right now."
Lily sucked in a shaky breath. "I'm scared, Marlene," she whispered. "What if they can't figure out a way to help him? He could die," she choked out.
Marlene's heart sank. It wasn't something she wanted to think about. James had been in her life for as long as she could remember. He had always been by their house, pestering her older brother and flying brooms with her. Fleamont and her father Merrick were cousins. Their families spent an abundant amount of time together, so the two of them had always been close.
"They will," Marlene said in a sure voice. "They'll pull in a bunch of specialists and they'll patch him up as good as new."
Screwing her eyes up, Lily nodded. "I know you're probably right," she whispered before snapping her eyes open. "Thank you for staying tonight. You and Sirius are just… James and I couldn't ask for better friends."
Marlene untangled their hands, a smile flitting across her face as she tucked Lily's hair behind her ear. "We're family, Lily."
"Family," Lily agreed.
"You need your rest, Lily, so we can get to the hospital bright and early tomorrow," Marlene explained.
Lily sniffed. "Goodnight, Marlene."
"Night, Lily," Marlene whispered.
Lily closed her eyes. Marlene laid in the darkness, her eyes wide open, as she listened for Lily's breathing to even out. She slid out of bed as quietly as she could and trekked downstairs. She spotted Sirius sitting up, his long legs stretched out onto the coffee table, with a book in his lap. There was a small stack of books next to him on the sofa. The floor creaked and Sirius snapped his head up to look in her direction.
Marlene eased into the room. "Lily's asleep."
Sirius nodded, his gaze turning back to the book in his lap. "I'm glad. She needed to rest."
Marlene sat down on the coffee table next to his feet, her fingers wrapping around his ankle. "What are you doing?"
Sirius turned the page. "Trying to find something that could help James. I can't just sit here and do nothing."
Marlene stared at him, watching as he flipped through the book. Sirius definitely had the 'how hard can it be?' gene, thinking he could solve any problem with a bit of reading. He enjoyed learning, even if he didn't like to show it, and read so many transfiguration books and publications that she was surprised he never went into that field. He seemed more content to sit at home and learn about whatever odd topic he thought of that day.
"Do you have any idea what spell it is?" Marlene asked, cocking her head down to try to catch his gaze.
Sirius shrugged, his gaze sliding across the page before he licked his thumb and turned it. "I think it's a Snape special," he said, looking up at her finally. "In school, he used this spell a few times on James. It would make a small gash appear on his cheek or on his arm. Madam Pomfrey could heal it easily enough. I'm wondering if he's perfected it."
Marlene arched an eyebrow. "You think Snape knows how to counter it then?"
"If it's the spell I'm thinking of, then yeah, I'd think," Sirius reasoned. "But it's not like he's going to tell you or me anything."
Marlene's heart sunk, her eyes flickering to the staircase. "He may tell Lily."
Sirius shook his head. "Fuck that. She's in no condition to go see that little creep. Do you really think he'd even tell her anything? This is James we're talking about. Besides, he'll take one look at her pregnant belly and probably lose his fucking shit."
Marlene rolled her neck. "She may want to regardless, if the Healers can't figure this out," she leveled. "Look, I don't like it any more than you do. But you know James wouldn't want her going alone. And you know how stubborn she can be once she puts her mind to something."
Sirius hit his head against the back of the sofa. "Well, I'm not going to let her go alone!"
Marlene searched Sirius' exhausted face. "I have to make an appearance at work tomorrow. Can you stay with Lily the entire day? I can give you a break as soon as I can sneak off."
Sirius' thumb scratched his brow. "Yeah, I can. I don't mind."
Marlene nodded, standing up. "Try to get some sleep."
Sirius' lips twitched. "I'd get better sleep if I was in the bed with you and Lily."
Marlene let out a long sigh, bending down and squishing his cheeks together to make him look like a fish. "Shut up, Black," she said before she pecked him on the lips.
She let go of his face, standing to her full height. Marlene crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at her boyfriend.
Sirius shot her a shit-eating grin. "I meant it as a completely innocent comfort thing. You have a filthy mind, McKinnon!"
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure you did," Marlene challenged. "Don't stay up all night reading."
Sirius kept his spot with his thumb and held the book up, waving it. "With all this thrilling knowledge? I won't be able to put it down," he said in a sarcastic tone.
Marlene rolled her eyes. "Do you have your mirror on you?"
Sirius nodded. "Never leave home without it. Good thing I'm codependent, yeah?"
Marlene smiled tightly down at him. "If you hear anything from Monty or Mia, wake me up, all right?"
"I'll slip into bed and whisper sweet nothings in your ear if I do," Sirius replied.
"Sometimes, or really, a lot of the time, I wonder how I put up with you," Marlene said with her lips curving.
"I provide endless entertainment, Marly. You're damn lucky," Sirius retorted with a broad grin.
"I count my lucky stars nightly," Marlene said pointing at him. "One. Oh no, there's only one!"
Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "Go to bed."
Marlene backed away from the sofa, her bottom lip secure between her teeth. "Night, Sirius."
"Night, Marly," he said in a sudden gentle tone.
Marlene blew him a kiss before she turned around to make her way out of the room.
"Oi!" Sirius called when she reached the doorway, causing Marlene to turn around to face him. "I lied earlier. Me wanting to sleep in the same bed with you and Lily wasn't a completely innocent thing. I have just as nasty as a mind as you."
Marlene laughed, not bothering to respond. Instead, she made her way to the stairs. Halfway up, she turned and craned her head down to see Sirius sitting in the parlor with the book open on his lap once more. His elbow sat propped up on the arm of the sofa, his fingers running through his hair as he read. A smile tugged on her lips as she climbed the rest of the stairs.
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this new short four-chapter story! This is a companion piece to Redamancy. Don't forget to drop a review. They motivate me to keep writing and inspire new ideas!
Special thanks to prewettpotter for all of her help! Special thanks to funbunny for being my Jily/Blackinnon sounding board!