The Next Great Adventure (A Marauders Fan Fic)

Chapter Fifty Eight

Chapter Fifty Eight

Lily was gazing out of the window when Remus’ tap on her shoulder disturbed her thoughts.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

“Yes I’m fine thanks Remus,” she smiled. “I was just thinking.”

“Looked like some serious thoughts,” he said. “There was a frown and everything.”

She chuckled and shook her head. “No, nothing bad. Just letting my mind wander while they sort out where people are standing.” In front of them the commotion was still going - Moody and Dumbledore were trying to sort out where people would stand and some member of the Order were being less accommodating than usual. “Wondering about whether Cassie’s okay, that kind of thing.”

“Oh I see,” he said. “Yeah I think Padfoot is probably worrying about her too.” He looked pointedly over to where their friend was fiddling incessantly with his jacket, running his hands through his already messy hair.

“He worries too much. It’s only a cold,” Lily shrugged, “I’m sure she’ll be fine. I might go and see her though. Take her some soup or something.”

“Course he worries about her,” Remus grinned, “she’s the only one who’ll put up with him.”

“That’s true. I don’t think he’d be able to get another girlfriend.”

“Of course he wouldn’t; his looks are already fading,” Remus chuckled.

“He’s definitely gained weight.”

“He was never really attractive to begin with,” James interrupted, sticking his face in between them.

“I can hear you,” Sirius grumbled. “And I was definitely more attractive than you Prongs.”

“Let’s not get into this again-" Lily began.

“That’s absolute rubbish,” James replied. “I was definitely the most attractive person in our year.”

“I got a girlfriend first so…”

“That’s because I was an idiot but it doesn’t mean that I was less attractive than you.”

“Actually-"

Lupin rolled his eyes and Sirius’ words were cut off mid-sentence; when James attempted to jeer at his friend no noise came out of his mouth either. Remus winked at Lily and she gave him a sneaky high-five as Dumbledore clapped his hands and called them to order.

When the picture was taken and their meeting finished they went home, minds full of the plans for the ambush which they were going to undertake in only a few days.

“I never realised it would be so… real,” Lily said as she walked down the street, her fingers laced through James’.

“You can always back out.”

“I don’t want to.”

A small smile flickered across his face and he sighed. “Good. You’re so brave.”

“Not as brave as you.”

“Yes you are. You’re brilliant,” he said as he pulled her close to him, pecking her on the forehead before spinning her round and Disapparating home with her.

Three days later the pair of them Apparated to somewhere rather less welcoming.

The trees surrounding them blocked out any of the evening light which might have made the forest less forbidding and Lily’s stomach sank as she looked around. Even though it was summer, Lily’s teeth were chattering and her breath rose in frosty puffs. It was unnatural and only contributed to her sense of dread.