ALWAYS

The fight

The next morning everyone had woken up before nine and they spent the morning eating breakfast and talking until they received a howler from Dumbledore asking all of them to buckle up for a fight in front of Marlene's house. Sirius and Lily immediately looked at Sirius as the colour drained from his face. As all of them sat there recovering from shock Sirius stood up, wand in hand and ready for battle. "What are we waiting for? Lets go" he stated bluntly. But James knew better, Sirius was grappling with his own fear. It was the first time he had found love, the first time he was in a real relationship.

 They all nodded and walked to the fireplace. Charlus and Dorea went first, James and Lily stepped in next and holding hands they whooshed out of sight. After no one else was in the house Sirius allowed himself to go weak in the knees, and as the moment of panic had passed Sirius too stepped in and the next second he walked out of the McKinnons fireplace. 

"Took you long enough" smirked James. "Ha-Ha-Ha" laughed Sirius sarcastically. And with that little gesture the trio walked out of the house and into the battle field, red and green streaks shooting across the air. As they were about to split up James called out to Sirius, "Hey mate", and Sirius turned around and they shared some bro code look and Sirius replied, "I know" and with that he ran off in the opposite direction, where Alice and Frank were duelling death eaters viciously. As Lily and James too were about to split up, James held Lily's wrist trying to hold her back. Lily turned around in response and James jerked her closer, holding her waist now. Their foreheads leaned on each other and James whispered in her ear. "I love you". " I love you too James." she whispered back. "Stay close" he said. "Always" she replied and they walked towards the other side of the battle ground. 

"Sectumsempra" hollered Sirius with such an astounding force that two death eaters soared through the air and crashed to the ground bleeding profusely. Shooting spell after spell he dodged through the crowd, his eyes searching for Marlene, his heart silently hoping that she was all right. 

James and Lily too made their way through the crowd taking down as many death eaters with them as they could. "Avada Kadavra" a voice hollered from behind James and green sparks shot out from Lucious's wand. James and Lily both turned around and froze as if waiting for the curse to hit them and end their lives once and for all, but the curse just bounced off of a shield, that neither of them knew was put up. "Trying to get yourself killed or what?" smirked Remus as he ran off in the opposite direction shooting a spell at Narcissa rendering her unfit to fight. 

"Expelliarmus" shouted James and a random death eaters wand glided right into his hands and with a snap he broke the wand into two. "Good one babe" complimented Lily as she herself took down another random death eater casually, "Petrificus Totalus". But then James felt something brush against his shoulder as he looked at his wife, on the ground groaning in pain- the crucatious curse. He quicly looked around to find Rudolphus enjoying himself as he played with his wand. But his moment was short lived. James tackled him with a petrifying spell and he looked at Lily as she lay in his arms, now gasping for air. 

"Hey, hey you're okay. you're okay?" James said to her, but Lily doubted if he was comforting her or convincing himself. "I'm okay babe" she said as he helped her up, and James seemed to have calmed down at her words. As they broke away from each other they realised they had been surrounded by death eaters, and James instinctively held Lily's hand and they pointed their wands at them. "You filthy mudblood! How dare you marry a pureblood" snarled Bellatrix. "Pureblood! Potter is nothing but a blood traitor" growled Rudolphus and with that they all burst out laughing, until all of them fell to the ground with a thud, and like clockwork Sirius, Remus, Frank and Alice emerged from behind them, with victorious smiles over their faces. "All of them fled with their tails between their legs. These guys were the last ones left, but looks like your romance got the best of you" smirked Sirius. "Shutup Black" said Lily with a threatening look and they all burst into laughter. "The rest of them have gathered at the McKinnon's place. Lets go" said Remus and they all walked back. 

They entered the house as the warmth engulfed them, but the mood was not so cheery. "What's wrong?" asked Sirius as the smile from his face faded away. "Sirius, baby" said Dorea, a downcast expression on her face as she placed her hand on his cheek. But Sirius flung her hand away, "What's wrong?" he asked again, this time a bit more stern. "Listen, honey" started Dorea again, but Sirius couldn't take it anymore and this time he hollered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "What's wrong". Lily had never seen Sirius this angry and she was scared, and rightfully so. She gripped James's shoulder and she felt him flinch too. James and Sirius were close enough for James to know Sirius's anger but never had he experienced such raging fury before. 

No one replied, everyone just stood there, unable to look at him. No one was ready to tell Sirius what was going on so he pushed through the crowd near the kitchen and James followed behind. As the last of the crowd steered away, Sirius walked in to the kitchen and the sight that was in front of him was his worst nightmare, his worst fear, the only thing he dreaded and the only thing that would haunt him his whole life. 

Marlene. Marlene dead.Marlene lying there on the ground, motionless, her face pale and her eyes closed, and never would she open them again. She was dead and no one could do a thing. Sirius grew weak, he felt every bit of energy drain from his body, all that he had felt before evaporated only to be replaced by a grappling fear. "No. No. No. No. Marlene you said you'd be there for me. You said you'd be there" he said, as he scooped her up and placed her head on his lap. "You said you loved me, and you said  always would" he said sobbing. "You said always Marlene. Always".