Marauders Mistakes (blackinnon)

part eleven

Lily watched her friend across the Great Hall, chatting and smiling away as though the past few months had never happened, only this morning Marlene had been quiet and subdued, mourning the loss of a child she wasn't sure she had wanted but now, she seemed carefree. Lily knew Sirius was also watching her closely, waiting for the moment to click, for her to burst into tears again like they were suddenly suspecting. But Marlene's confident, argumentative self seemed to be back, and Lily couldn't help but wonder what on Earth had changed in the few hours Marlene had been alone.

"You alright Lil?" James asked, nudging her, obviously he had noticed that something wasn't right.

"Yeah, I'm good thank you." She smiled, glad he was sat beside her.

Sirius looked around at his friends, the few that knew what had happened were sat slightly more quiet than the others, lost in thought and he knew that they all needed cheering up, Marlene and Sirius style.

"Oi, Mckinnon." Sirius announced, disrupting many of the conversations going on between the friends that were sat between the couple. Sirius had everyone watching him, listening for what he was going to say, he locked eyes with Marlene and raised an eyebrow, she smirked back understanding what he was initiating. "I believe we need to have some fun."

Dorcas grinned and clapped, while Remus groaned dreading whatever the pair had planned already, Emmeline was already planning getting up, glad for something to take her mind off Marlene, she quickly told the group she was going to grab Mary and rushed off to the Hufflepuff table. While the others finished off their food apprehensively, chatting about the sudden change in their Friday night plans, Marlene had dragged Sirius up to the common room, that was already full of the younger students, milling about doing homework and playing games.

The pair ran up to the girls dorms and searched the room for what they knew Lily had hidden from Dorcas and Marlene, Marlene's firewhiskey, and vodka supplies. Lily had told Marlene that she couldn't keep drinking it before school, apparently being drunk in lessons wasn't acceptable and Dorcas couldn't seem to remember that the bottles the alcohol was hidden in wasn't what was in the bottle. But Marlene hadn't searched for it, not being able to drink it for the past few months but it was proving more difficult than they had originally thought. They searched through Em's trunk, Marlene's trunk and Lily's trunk, already knowing they wouldn't be in Dorcas'. They went through Lily's potions supplies and checked under the beds, looking everywhere they could think to look, that Marlene wouldn't but also that Dorcas wouldn't find easily. The pair were so busy searching when they heard a loud sigh behind them and turned to find Lily and James stood at the door they couldn't help but laugh. James was grinning, happy to see that his girlfriend had outsmarted Marlene and Sirius again, Lily however marched into the room, between the pair of them and into the bathroom. Marlene spun around, frowning.

"What, where would it be in there? There aren't even any cupboards that- oh." Marlene said, it hitting her at once. Sirius and James looked at Marlene, confused at the sudden revelation.

"The tampons."

"What? If these drinks have been in tampons I'm not going near them." James muttered, clearly confused at Lily's choice of hiding places.

"No silly, we have a cupboard with tampons and pads and everything in, but Lily assumed I wouldn't need it because I was on the pill, and Dorcas..Why wouldn't Dorcas need it?" Marlene asked. "Oh god, I've missed something big haven't I?" Marlene gasped, shocked. Lily nodded, excitedly and laughed with Marlene.

"What?" James and Sirius said, at the same time obviously confused about the exchange between the girls.

"When?" Marlene asked Lily quickly, eager to hear all about it.

"She had been dying to tell you, honestly Marls, I'll leave this story to her." Lily grinned.

Both of the boys were looking between the girls, clearly confused as to what was going on.

Sirius looked at Marlene, "Are you going to tell us or shall we get this show on the road?" Marlene's eyes widened even further.

"They don't know?!" She squealed.

"Not a bloody clue of course, come on boys." Lily and Marlene laughed holding the bottles of disguised alcohol and walking out of the bathroom and down into the common room

"Where are we going you guys?" James asked the pair. "Everyone else is in the Great Hall still, with Mary, Frank and Alice." He confirmed.

"What about that place?" Marlene said to Sirius quietly. He searched her face, "You sure?"

"Yeah, let's give these bores something to talk about on Monday morning." She grinned. I'll go now, with these two, send the rest of them in pairs Sirius, don't want any slytherins following." She said, before waltzing off towards the stair cases. Lily and James were only left to follow behind her, more confused than ever.

"Erm Marls, mind telling us where we are going?" James asked.

"What would be the fun in that?" She asked cheekily, taking a swing from the bottle in her hand. "Oh how I've missed you." She said, hugging the bottle.

Lily rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Are we leaving the Hogwarts grounds again? Because I really thought Mcgonagall was going to kill you and Sirius last time.." Lily said, remembering the time they had all arrived back at school drunk and bloody after a fun night had turned into a battle with some Slytherins that had followed.

"No, this is allowed. I think, well maybe not, but it's not breaking that many rules." She smirked. "Don't worry, you know that if we get caught Sirius and I take the blame anyway so you really have nothing to worry about. Now, it's around here somewhere..Ah there!" She said running towards what appeared to be a broom cupboard.

"Marls, seriously we aren't going to fit in there-" James' complaints were cut short, as Marlene opened the door and what was behind was quite the opposite of a broom cupboard. She walked into the room with a smug look on her face then turned to face James and Lily, who had just entered the room.

"What in Merlins name is this?" James asked, looking to Lily. "Did you know about this?" He asked.

"This, is the room of requirement." She said beaming.