Chapter Text
10 november 1981 – Mousehole, Cornwall
Remus stood on the shoreline where they had planned to meet up. It was cold, the harsh November winds raging through his worn down clothes that weren’t nearly sufficient enough for this kind of weather. Finally a car stopped and she got out. He could tell by the state of the car that she was still a bad driver and yet she kept on insisting to use the muggle transportation device, loving it way too much. A few months ago he would’ve made a joke about it. Now his mind was too clouded with distrust for the person in front of him. With sheer anger even. How did they ever get to this point? There used to be a time when he trusted her without question.
“You look like hell Remus.” She said as she came closer to him.
“Haven’t we all been there?” He asked as she came closer and leaned against the same fence. She looked terrible for someone who had just told him he was the one who looked like hell. Her face was red from crying, her eyes betrayed a lack of sleep, her blonde hair greasy and her clothes looked like she had been wearing them since she had gone on the run 10 days ago. A far cry from the woman he had known for years now.
“Aren’t we still there?” She replied as she looked over the sea. It was wild, the waves crashing into the shoreline. They stood there in silence as they looked on. The last two standing.
“So tell me Marlene… what on earth did you have to tell me about Sirius? And even more, why shouldn’t I just take you to the ministry myself right now so your ass can join him?”
Remus spoke with such venom in his voice that it send a shiver down Marlene’s spine. She knew it wouldn’t be easy but she had only just realized just how difficult it would be. When did Remus’ distrust started that he so easily believed what everyone else believed about Sirius? About her? She sometimes wished there was a spell that would bring them all back to their seventh year. When the war handn’t destroyed all innocence and happiness. She lit up a cigarette and inhaled.
“Not here.”
OOO
14th september 1976 - Hogwarts
The sun was shining on the grounds of Hogwarts and for all purposes and intents you would never know that the world outside of it was getting more and more dangerous and dark. Five boys were sitting in one of the many courtyards of the castle, enjoying a free day and listening to some music, the marauders and their honorary member Frank Longbottom.
“You know gentlemen, I’d say that as this is our final year in this dump we should make it a year that nobody will ever forget.” The leader of the pack, James Potter spoke.
“James, you’re head boy now.” Remus said “I thought you were going to be one of the best ones out there so Lily Evans would finally see your potential?”
“Well Yeah…” James spoke “We’ve been spending a lot of time together lately and I’m sure..”
“Prongs, forced time together as head boy and girl doesn’t count.” Sirius interrupted “Now back to those epic plans you were talking about.”
James wanted to get right into his inevitable monologue when Frank suddenly sat up straight, quickly checking his clothes for any crumbs that may have been left from his earlier attack on a pack of cauldron cakes.
“It’s Alice, act cool!”
“Act cool?” Sirius began “Longbottom we’re always…”
“You’re always what?”
Sirius turned around and came face to face with Marlene McKinnon. Alice’s friend and a fellow Gryffindor. You’d never hear any of the two them admit it but the two of them had been in a battle of wits for over a year now that was clearly flirtatious to anyone but the both of them.
“You tell me?” He replied smugly.
“Were you going to be honest or boast your own ego again?”
Marlene took the cigarette from Sirius’ hand and took a smoke herself, giving him a challenging smirk as she exhaled the smoke.
“Careful kitten,” Sirius smirked “you might burn yourself on those.”
“Maybe that’s what I’m counting on. Careful who you call kitten though. Some of us have claws.” And with that she and Alice went on. Sirius just shook his head. “What a woman!” He said as he took out a new cigarette and lit it.
“You know,” Remus said “I really don’t understand your fascination with those smelly sticks. They’re vile. They say they could kill you you know.”
“Yups! Nasty muggle habit slowly killing off this branch of the Black family tree. Mommy dear would love the idea.” He was still staring after Marlene as she walked away, not giving him a second glance.
“When are you finally going to admit that you’re just as smitten with Marlene as Prongs is with Evans?” Remus finally asked when he noticed his friend looking.
“Don’t be silly Moony, nobody’s as smitten with anyone as Prongs is with Evans. She…” Sirius said, pointing his finger towards the spot where Marlene had just disappears around the corner “is a challenge. One I’m glad to take on.”
“How is Marlene a challenge?” Peter pipped in “She’s been into you since year 4. You’ve just been too scared to take her bait.”
Sirius wasn’t listening anymore, he had taken up Remus’ newspaper that had been discarded and was scanning the front page. “Artie Porters is missing.” He said “The head of the ‘Diplomatic Muggle Corps’, how is everyone so blind for this pattern?”
“Nobody is blind Sirius.” Remus said “They’re just in denial about it. Fear can do that sometimes.”
“Dad reckons that those pureblood nutters have infiltrated all sorts of institutions by now.” James spoke “Apparently they are lead by this bloke who likes to call himself Voldemort.”
“Well he sounds like a ray of sunshine.” Frank mumbled “Surely the aurors will get to him soon though. They always do.”
James and Sirius looked at each other, James’ father hadn’t sounded so sure. It feels different this time he had said. Almost as if he were a kid again and Grindelwald had taken control. The fact that they could get their hands on high profile wizards and witches without any consequences or even acknowledgement of their crimes just seemed to prove it. It’s true that throughout the years a lot of wannabe Grindelwalds had come and gone but this Voldemort seemed to be on a whole different level.
“You’ll see boys.” Mr. Potter had spoken “The ministry has begun to feel all powerful. Believing they can take on anyone who goes into that direction. And that’s when a more clever man than them will step up. And if that clever man also turns out to be charismatic and capable of getting a following… we’ll be right back in the 20s again.”
His own family would blindly follow a man like that Sirius knew. They’d follow anyone if they believed it would promote their pureblood beliefs. He looked up and as if he were reading his mind he found Regulus staring at him, hesitating for a moment almost as if he was doubting wetter to speak to Sirius or not but in the end deciding to walk on.
“I’m bored.” Sirius finally said, tossing the newspaper aside “Let’s go to Hogsmeade. I fancy a drink.”