Chapter Text
The Marauders were as thick as thieves; you never saw one without the other.
James Potter, a pure-blood boy who grew up as an only child with elderly parents. Incredibly charming, but sincere. He lit up every room that he walked into like he was the sun, burning bright with warmth.
Sirius Black, the oldest son of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. Boisterous and loud, a huge flirt. But honest and loyal. The white sheep in his black family. Never believing in the supremacy of it all. He was determined to never be like them.
Remus Lupin, a quiet boy covered in scars. Always found with a book in his hand and an endless supply of chocolate. Arguably the most responsible one of the five. Remus was the calmness of the group, using his prefect privileges to help stay out of trouble in school.
Peter Pettigrew, a shy thing. He was always happy to be included and was more than willing to lend a helping hand when asked. Somewhat timid to most, but to the Marauders he was like a secret agent always going unnoticed in the best ways.
And of course, Adaline Cecilia Diggory. She was intelligent, rivaling her classmate Lily Evans. An incredible fighter, being one of the best Aurors of her generation. She loved photography and scrapbooking but was also undoubtedly mischievous. She was kind and caring, especially to her family and friends, A loyal Lion to the very end.
It was her loyalty that led her to become an Animagus in her 5th year, alongside her friends; for the sake of helping Remus with his furry little problem, Adaline, Sirius, James, & Peter turned into animals once a month to keep him company. The boys called her Bat-ears or bats for short. While Sirius turned into a dog, James a stag, and Peter a rat, Adaline turned into a fennec fox. Very appropriate if you ask her. In their sixth year, Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Bat-Ears and Prongs proudly presented the Marauder's Map. Adaline loved using it; more so, she loved using it to interrupt Sirius's snogs. By their 7th year, the Marauders faced a far more serious issue. War.
War was just outside of Hogwarts, and they were all too eager to fight it. All of them joined the Order of the Phoenix to fight Voldemort. Seventh year was also the year of revelations; Lily Evans finally realized she loved James Potter as much as he loved her. Adaline was accepted as an apprentice to the one and only Alastor Moody. And Sirius realized he was completely whipped for Adaline.
The Diggory household was full of life and love. Rodger Diggory was a proud Herbologist; his loving wife Mary was a skilled writer for the Prophet. They had two children, Amos Richard and Adaline Cecilia. They were 6 years apart, but they were as close as twins were. With constantly traveling parents, the siblings relied on each other more than anyone else. When Amos went to Hogwarts, Adaline really struggled; the two wrote letters constantly. When he was sorted into Hufflepuff, she decorated his entire room with badgers. It was quite a shock to come home to. Adaline would pray for the day her Hogwarts letter came; The morning of March 27th, it finally came. She was so excited she ended up sending it to Amos by accident.
That summer, he bought her her first camera, and he almost regretted it. almost. But seeing her fall in love with the heart made it worth it. Amos was by her side through everything. He took her to Diagon Ally to get her supplies and told her everything there was to know about Hogwarts. Then, when she was sorted into Gryffindor, he was so incredibly proud. While he did not approve of all the pranking she did, he could tell that the Marauders would be good friends for her. He knew she would be taken care of, not that she needed it.
Adaline loved her brother, but even more she loved Diana Brown, her brother's girlfriend. Amos brought home Diana after her second year; they had been dating for a year before that. Diana was everything and then some. A Ravenclaw who was incredibly kind and thoughtful. She helped Adaline with her scrapbook and would read books with her. Show her parts of the Muggle world. Adaline had never had a sister before Diana, but now she considered her one. Diana helped her get ready for her first date in her fourth year and taught her how to do her makeup. Amos and Diana married in 1974. It was a big wedding; Adaline was allowed to invite all the Marauders, and they caused plenty of havoc. Adaline was the maid of honor. She was so incredibly happy to have Diana be a real member of their family.
In 1975, the Diggorys' parents died in a tragic accident. A result of a Death Eater attack disguised as a train crash. Amos and Adaline were devastated. While their parents traveled a lot, they never failed to show their love. The loss of their parents drove Adaline to become an Auror, while Amos turned away from violence. The siblings were at their lowest, but they still had each other, just like they always had. Diana was their strength through it all, holding the pair closer than ever. Adaline moved in with the couple. Seeing as they were the only family she had.
Amos told Adaline she was going to be an Aunt. Diana was pregnant and was going to give birth in the fall of '77. For the entire year, all Adaline could talk about was her future niece or nephew. Adaline thought she knew what unconditional love was with her brother, but the second she held Cedric Amos Diggory in her arms, she knew she was wrong. She got permission to leave Hogwarts for a weekend to meet her Nephew. She never wanted to leave; Cedric was the cutest baby she had ever seen. She took many pictures of the happy family and spoiled the little boy rotten. That summer was the best summer of her life. She asked her now-boyfriend Sirius to spend it with her and the family. He eagerly agreed. It was also that summer Amos gave Sirius his blessing for Adaline's hand.
In 1979, Diana was diagnosed with cancer, Stage 5. She was gone within 6 months, just after Cedric's 2nd birthday. It ruined the siblings. Adaline had just put Cedric to bed; the poor little boy had no idea his mother had taken her final breath just hours ago. Sirius was at an Order meeting; he didn't want to leave the siblings, but war doesn't wait for grief. Amos sat in a chair staring at the fire. Adaline frowned at the sight; she walked over to him and crouched in front of him.
" Mosey?" she asked softly.
The man sniffled. "I can't- I can't."
She took his hands in hers. "You can. You will, cause I'm not gonna let you give up, okay? You can't give up-not when your boy is sleeping in the other room"
"My boy..."
"Mosey, look at me, please." He looked into the same gray eyes he had.
"Ada- I can't lose you; you're all I got, please- please don't leave. I don't know how to do this- how to be a father without her-"; He sobbed and fell into her arms.
Adaline held her older brother, silent tears falling down her face.
"You're not gonna lose me, Mosey, I promise." She whispered to him.
Adaline knew things had changed; she had to change.
After that conversation, Ada withdrew from Order missions; the only time she went out into the field was for the Ministry. Once she and Sirius were engaged, they moved in with Amos, thinking it would be safer. Adaline was a mother to Cedric; while Amos went through his grief, she showered the boy with love, taking him to the park constantly. She told him stories of her adventures at Hogwarts. Using the Marauders' monikers.
Sirius stepped up as well. Cedric loved Sirius; he was a very fun soon-to-be uncle. Or 'Funcle,' Sirius declared. When Amos was at work, Sirius would shift into Padfoot and give the toddler rides around the house. He bought a plush lion for the boy, insisting that he would make a Gryffindor out of him yet. It was a huge victory when Cedric's first words were 'RiRi'. He called James instantly. Lily had called her earlier to say she was pregnant and hadn't told James yet. She couldn't wait for Sirius to find out he was going to be an uncle x2. Adaline's heart swelled when she saw 2 of her favorite people interact. It made her excited for their future. A family. One where there was no war, where she and her friends could all be happy.
Unfortunately, on Halloween 1981. Everything Changed.
1981 had been a tense year.
In 1980, James and Lily welcomed their son Harry James Potter to the world. After Christmas, the small family was sent into hiding with very limited contact. Only Sirius and Dumbledore knew their exact whereabouts. Married life had treated Ada and Sirius well, though not much had changed from when they were engaged. They kept their marriage a secret for safety. They still lived with Amos and Cedric; Sirius was elbow-deep in the Order, and Adaline was still working as an Auror for the Ministry.
Tonight was Halloween, and Adaline insisted she and Sirius take their nephew out trick-or-treating. Sirius took pride in picking out Cedric's costume- a badger. Amos laughed for five minutes when he saw his son. Cedric was the spitting Image of Amos, except he had Diana’s smile. Something the siblings found immense comfort in. Despite having Sirius for an uncle, Cedric was a fairly quiet boy, unlike Harry, so the Animagus says. Cedric had shown early on that he would be a Hufflepuff just like his father. But Sirius refused to accept defeat.
It was a calm evening; Sirius held a very tired Cedric in one arm and held hands with his wife. They strolled down the street, talking about anything and everything. Enjoying one of the few good moments in these dark times.
Adaline smiled at her nephew. “ Ya know, Siri- when we have kids, I hope at least one of them is like Cedric,” she joked.
Sirius was named Godfather to Harry. It was clear the man loved his duties as a parental figure, giving children the love he never got. Ada loved that about him; he would do anything to prevent what happened to him from happening to anyone.
Sirius barked out a laugh. “I doubt it- they’ll have Uncle Prongs around to corrupt them,” he said, feigning innocence.
“It's not Prongs I’m worried about”
Sirius opened his mouth.
“Or Moony for that matter”
Sirius scowled at that. Two months ago, an order mission went terribly wrong. It left the Order wondering if there was a traitor in their midst. It made relationships tense, no body trusted anyone. Sirius was a suspect- stupidly- because of his heritage. But Remus’ name was also thrown out, seeing as Voldemort had recruited many Werewolves.
Adaline stopped her husband. Tugging his hand
“Sirius. You cannot possibly believe that Remus is the traitor! He is your best friend!”
“James is my best friend-”
“James is your Brother.”
Sirius gave a defeated sigh and continued towards the Diggory house. “ I don’t believe that he is. But at the last meeting, he wasn’t even trying to defend the accusations. It's like he’s given up”
“ He’s probably scared, Pads- we all are”
“ But that doesn’t mean we stop fighting! That's how he wins. And James is already sidelined; we need everyone focused, not pointing fingers.”
They reached the house, walking through the front door. Amos greeted them; just by the looks on their faces, they were having an important conversation. He smiled, taking his son up to his room for a bedtime story. The couple moved to the couch; Adaline poured the tea Amos had made.
“What does Wormtail say?”
Sirius shrugged. “ I don’t know; I haven’t really seen him since- never mind, I haven’t seen him to ask”
Adaline nodded, not really trusting his tone. See, Ada was a phenomenal Auror in the 4 years she had been at the Ministry; she was already high in Moody’s ranks. She knew Sirius was hiding something, but out of love and trust she didn’t pry. Amos joined them, nursing his cup of tea. Ada leaned into Sirius, content, at peace.
Just then, Sirius Sat up- his face panicked. Adaline turned to him; Amos sat forward.
“Siri? What is it?” she asked.
Just then, a doe Patronus entered the living room. Lily. The girl's face morphed into horror.
Lily’s voice echoed in the room. “ Adaline- he’s here. He found us.” Then the blue mist was gone.
Sirius Sprang up, anger on his face. Pure rage. “ That Rat!” he screamed, running outside. Adaline and Amos followed. The Potters were being attacked, and only Sirius knew where they were. Adaline ran to her husband, who was running like a madman. He got on his back and finally faced her.
“ Stay here; I’m going to go help them”
“NO!”
“Ada, please-”
“Like Hell I’m letting you go by yourself!”
Sirius gave a frustrated huff. He got off his bike a strided towards her. Cupping her face in his hands
“ Ada, listen, love”
“No- how did this even happen? It doesn’t-” She struggled. He just held her tighter.
“ I need to go; I need to help them. You need to stay here with your brother; I’ll explain everything when I get back- I promise. Just please stay here, alright?” he said softly, almost broken.
To Adaline, it sounded like goodbye. Why? She wasn’t sure, but the way he looked at her, she had never seen so much fear and rage. Every cell in her body screamed at her to fight with him, beg him to take her with him. They were married for Godric's sake. But he was right; Amos needed her, Cedric needed her. And soon would the Potters.
Adaline looked into the stormy eyes of her husband. The man she loved. She knew he was hiding something, but she couldn’t find the strength to fight. Not when he was like this. So she just nodded. Agreeing. Sirius sighed and kissed her. Like really kissing her. There was so much passion in it: love, fear, and… goodbye. Why goodbye? He pulled away, jumped on his bike, and rode off.
Amos came to her side and tucked her into his arms.
“Cmon, let's go inside and wait for them,” he said.
She nodded again, unable to voice the turmoil she felt. The siblings sat by the fire the rest of the night, neither really moving. Amos didn’t know what to do; he stayed out of the war. He wasn’t a fighter; he had a young son. He had never seen anything like this. He was helpless with his little sister. Hours passed, and Sirius wasn’t back; the sun was beginning to rise.
A knock on the door made her flinch. She ran, thinking it was her Sirius. Ripping it open, she came face to face with a tall man, scars all over and warm green eyes. Remus. She really looked at him. He was exhausted; his eyes were red- his face, his expression looked defeated.
“Moony?” she whimpered.
He sniffled. He needed to be strong for her.
“Batsy. I’m so sorry,” he started.
On the morning of November 1st, Adaline Diggory-Black’s life shattered into a million pieces. James and Lily Potter were dead. James, sweet James, practically her twin brother, was gone. Vivacious Lily was gone. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Peter was dead. And he was killed … by Sirius.
Sirius. Sirius Orion Black. Padfoot. Siri. Funcle Pads. Her Husband
Apparently he sold them out to Voldemort. Lie. Peter confronted him; Sirius killed him. Sirius was now in Azkaban. When she asked why he never got a trial, the Ministry said nothing. Of course they did. It was easier that way. Blame it on the blood traitor and be done with it. She asked about Harry, her godson. Alive, sent to live with Lily’s Muggle family. She was angry at that. Lily told her about them; they wouldn’t love him. He would grow up alone. Utterly alone.
She and Remus cried for hours, mourning their friends. The future they would never get to have. The war was over; Voldemort was gone. But at what cost? Adaline didn’t believe it. Sirius could never do that. Never. But pieces were missing; the truth was with a man who was dead and a man whom she may never see again. Deep down, she knew the truth: that he was innocent. And she prayed Remus did too. Because nobody else would.
Time passed differently in the years. The Diggorys pieced themselves together. The siblings were right back where they started. Alone together. They raised Cedric to be a kind, smart, caring, and strong boy. Enjoying the moments they all had together. After a few months, he stopped asking for Uncle Riri. That broke Adaline all over again. She threw herself into work, becoming Moody's second in catching all the dark wizards they could. She would take special missions that left her gone for weeks at a time. Cedric hated those. But she always promised to come back.
Before she knew it, 8 years had passed. She and Remus kept in touch through letters; she helped on the full moons she was able to. But not much else. They only saw their past in each other- and that hurt. Distance was better, easier.
Cedric got his Hogwarts letter. She and Amos took days away from their work to take him to Diagon Ally just like they had at his age. For the first time since that night, Adaline began to feel hope. That maybe everything would be alright again, that she would be alright.
That was until 1993.