"We're thinking of skipping my parents' New Years party," James informed the group of Slytherins and Gryffindors who had assembled in Marlene McKinnon's living room.
"Why?" Arabella Greengrass asked, looking up from The Daily Prophet.
"Dunno-" the man started.
"James is feeling emotional," Lily smiled, snaking an arm around his waist. "The three marauders were reminiscing on our last few months."
Marlene smiled and swallowed quietly, "Merlin, it's only just sinking in really. Seven years, Lil. Seven years we've lived together."
"Fucking hell," Sirius sighed, "shut up. Don't wanna think about it."
On a small table in the corner of the room, Arabella, Juliet, and Persephone held each other's hands. It was sad for the Gryffindors, of course, but they'd fight together. They could stay together.
"Our last Christmas," Juliet said quietly, watching as James, Sirius, and Remus left the room.
"It won't be," Lily smiled, squeezing the witch's shoulder as she sat down.
"We're on different sides now," Juliet said, gesturing between her and her fellow Slytherins.
"I don't know," Persephone sighed.
"I'm on Marlene's side," Arabella huffed, watching the blonde woman laughing with her house elf.
"And you're on Sirius'," Lily prompted Persephone.
"I want to be."
Juliet shook her head, "you girls are safe, as of now. No one expects anything of you. Be passive, like Narcissa. You still have two years of Hogwarts left."
"And you don't?"
"I won't be here next year," she smiled sadly. "I can't complete the task, I'll either be dead, or safe."
"You'll be safe," Lily nodded, before turning to Marlene, "our plans to see in '78?"
"Get pissed on the beach?" She shouted back cheerily. "Again? The lads have gone to the shop to stock up."
"A muggle shop?" Arabella asked.
Juliet snorted when Lily nodded, "now that is somewhere I would love to see Black and Potter."
"I think Remus does the talking," the redhead giggled back.
"Moony has news," Sirius grinned, elbowing his friend as James raised an eyebrow.
"As do you, Padfoot."
"Alright, me first. Told Parkinson I love her."
"Intense," James replied.
"Yeah. She told me she's still gonna marry Avery."
"Wouldn't really expect much less..." James said gently.
"I dunno," Sirius said. "I honestly dunno. Me and her have been hot and cold for the last year. I do love her, though," he sighed.
James put a quick arm around his friend's shoulder, "we'll work everything out. Moony?"
"Oh, yearh, er- She was drunk- as was I-"
"Reckons Romilly was about to kiss him," Sirius grinned.
"Romilly?! Fuck me." He started laughing. "Imagine hearing that sentence a year ago."
"Tell me about it," Sirius laughed. "Us and our Slytherins, eh?"
"What's her plan? Still Andy?" James asked.
"Another six months of ignoring her," Remus sighed. "And then, yeah. Andy's I suppose. Or a safe house was mentioned. It'll work out," he smiled.
"You're right, Moony," Sirius grinned. "We're the marauders, it'll be okay."
"Right you are, lads," James grinned, grabbing two boxes of beer off a shop shelf.
"It's just started snowing," Remus said, closing Marlene's front door with his shoe with a crate in hand. He caught eyes with Juliet and smirked to himself when she looked away.
"No!" The blonde witch exclaimed.
"No beach!" Arabella said, arms wrapped around Marlene's shoulders.
"Don't think we can really show up to my parents..." James said slowly.
"Why ever not, Potter?" Persephone asked sarcastically.
Juliet snorted, "thought we were invited?"
"Fuck that, we've got all this beer, Marl's parents are away. We have our own party right here," Sirius said adamantly. "Write to Mary and Dorcas-" he began, before trailing off as he remembered their company. "Or don't, they're still house prejudiced," he grinned, winking at Persephone.
"I declare," Marlene grinned, "that the snow shall stop!"
Arabella laughed along and shook her head, returning to the kitchen where she was helping the elves make dinner.
"Can we do anything?" Juliet asked.
"We'll eat here, wine, from the cellar, Lupin, Potter"- she clicked her fingers at the boys, "beers to the cellar. Lil, Persephone, lay the table?"
"Yes, boss," Remus said, laughing as James saluted. He nodded at Juliet as she held the door open for the two boys.
"Enjoy last night, Romilly?" James asked innocently. "You two left early."
The witch paused behind them and Remus could practically feel her rolling her eyes, "I was tired, Potter. But yes, last night was lovely. The most normal I've felt in months."
"The muggle look suits you," he laughed, turning around and eyeing her jeans. "Seriously, agreed, Moony?"
Now it was Remus' turn to roll his eyes, "agreed, Prongs."
Juliet laughed at the pair but said nothing, handing the boys three bottles of wine each, and then taking three herself.
"This enough?"
"Certainly not," James began. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Remus and Juliet followed behind the floating wine cabinet silently smiling to themselves, both widening when they caught a glimpse of the dining room.
Lily and Persephone were silently lighting floating candles, so the ceiling was covered.
"Just like Hogwarts," Juliet smiled, her heart warming.
"Just like home," Arabella smiled, pulling her friend into a hug, accepting a glass as the three marauders poured them.
"Thank you for having us, Marl," Lily smiled.
Everyone echoed her.
"And thank you, all of you. I adore you, endlessly. James, Remus, Sirius, you're ridiculous but I love each of you incredible amounts. Marl," she said, taking the blonde witch's hand, "you've been my best friend for the last seven years, my sister. And Juliet, you've made this war worth fighting. You are my symbol of hope."
Juliet sniffed a little at that.
"Bella and Penny, you're both so good, I can see that. Thank you for being here."
"Godric, Evans, already a bit tipsy, are we?" Sirius grinned, but no one missed how his eyes were glimmering. "Six hours until a new year."
After dinner, they made their way down to the beach, despite the snow, with James and Sirius betting how long they could last in the ocean.
"The magical way, this time, please," Lily said, rolling her eyes and Sirius and Remus tried rubbing stones together.
"Lily, we are perfectly capable-" Sirius began as a huge fire formed beside him. "Romilly, we were perfectly capable of-"
"Oh, I'm sure," she smiled, taking a blanket from the picnic basket her and Remus had been carrying and sitting on the soft snow.
"Warming charm, warming charm. Now! NOW!" James Potter shouted, running from the ocean in only his boxers to the fire. "Evans, now!"
"I don't have my wand!" She said, stifling a laugh.
Juliet quickly grabbed Remus' from beside her and hid it under her blanket, Sirius and Marlene noticed and smirked and winked at each other, subsequently hiding their own wands.
"Boys, lads, please. Moony?"
Remus felt around for his wand.
"Padfoot?"
"Don't have my wand, Prongs, apologies," he laughed.
"It is so fucking cold-" he shivered.
"Shouldn't have gone in the ocean then, darling," Lily giggled.
"Who started the fire?" He demanded, shaking on the spot.
"Remus and Sirius did," Juliet said quickly, cocking her head to the wizard beside her. "The muggle way."
"Bollocks- right- someone has their fucking wand. I will jump in this fire right now"
Sirius fell backwards laughing and cast a warming charm around the group, "Merlin, Potter, you're dramatic."
Marlene giggled and pointed her wand at the enchanted muggle radio, familiar music began to play.
"Ah, Marlene, you fucking copy-"
"Queen are massive," she said, rolling her eyes at Sirius.
"You're a bloody pureblood! Moony showed us them!"
"Lil is muggleborn-"
James laughed, "here's how I know you copy us, Mckinnon. You think darling Lily is cool enough for Queen?"
"Oi!"
"Abba only, isn't that right?"
"Hey," Arabella said, "Abba are cool."
"What on earth are you all talking about?" Persephone asked, slurring a little.
"I know this song!" Juliet suddenly exclaimed.
"Padfoot and I played it to you," Remus smiled.
"In muggle London!"
"You went to muggle London?" Persephone asked, shocked and smiling.
"Indeed she did, Pen," Sirius started, pointing his wand at the box and twirling Persephone around as 'Killer Queen' came on. "And this, we decided, is the most Juliet Romilly song we have ever heard."
James grinned and pulled Lily up to dance, "I like that. What a compliment from this pair, eh, Romilly?"
Arabella and Marlene giggled and joined them, drunkenly spinning each other around and tripping onto the snow-coated sand.
"Come on then, Romilly," Remus winked at her, standing up and holding out his hand. "Dance with me."
"How proper and pureblood of you, Lupin," she smirked as she took it.
Everyone had calmed down by ten to midnight, Juliet lay beside Remus Lupin on a sand dune.
"I feel like everything is going to change, next year," she said quietly.
"You're probably right."
"I'm scared."
He looked at her through the darkness, barely making out her face, "it will be okay. You have us now."
She nodded, "If anything happens to me, you have to look out for Arabella and Persephone."
"You can't force them to be on our side, Juliet."
She sighed, "they are. Come on, nearly midnight."
"Nothing's going to happen to you," he said.
"Once they realise I'm no longer on their side, I'll be a target."
"Me and the boys are already targets."
"You joined the order?"
"Yeah," he muttered. "First meeting is in Easter. I-er- I asked about a safe house for you."
"Thanks, Remus," she sighed, feeling overwhelmed. "You've helped me so much."
"It's okay," he said awkwardly. "Shall we join the others."
"Yeah," she whispered. "Actually, I'm going to go-"
"Juliet, it's New Years."
"I know, I just. I feel. I don't know. I feel overwhelmed. And scared."
"How do you mean?" He asked gently.
"I've loved these last few days, but suddenly I feel I have so much more to lose, and so many more people to endanger."
"I'm a bloody werewolf, Juliet. I worry about those I could endanger constantly, yourself included. And having mates is terrifying with all this going on, but that's what I'm fighting for. For James and Lil to get married, for Sirius to be happy. To see you free."
She smiled and looked at Remus, "you're incredible."
He blushed a little, "I- what?"
"You've been through so much, but you still give so much. It would be so easy to be bitter-" she started, only to be interrupted by screams and distant fireworks.
"Where the fuck is Juliet!" She heard Arabella shout.
"We should," she began awkwardly, swallowing as Remus caught her hand.
He leant in, slowly, shaking and put a hand underneath the witch's chin.
"Happy New Year, Juliet."
The sound of footsteps nearby prompted Juliet to act fast, her heart racing, she leant up, completely on her tip-toes, and lightly kissed Remus Lupin.
"Happy New Year," she said quietly.
He pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her forehead, breaking apart when Marlene and Arabella appeared ingo sight. She smirked and laughed a little, squeezing Remus' hand before running to the girls and pulling them into a huge hug.
Remus smiled at James and Sirius as they approached, and pulled them both into a tight hug.
"Happy fucking new year," Sirius grinned, opening another beer.
"Another year of being the marauders," James shouted.
"I fucking love you boys," Remus smiled, catching Juliet's eye as she embraced Lily. "I kissed Romilly, but keep it quiet," he muttered into their ears as they embraced again.
Sirius laughed and slapped him on the back, "good lad."