Love You In My Mind // Sirius Black

Chapter 52

Fortunately for me, Marlene only didn't come for one more day, and while it wasn't fun, time went by.
Then there was the weekend and I found myself reunited with Marlene the next Monday.

And Merlin was I glad to have her around, even if it hurt to admit.
We partnered up again, helped each other out, cracked jokes and returned to our usual routine.

Not once did she mention the incident that almost killed her. And whenever I was about to try and apologise, she stopped me and dismissed the topic, shaking her head and saying something along the lines of 'it's nothing' or 'could've happened to anyone'.

So, the topic was forgotten soon and life returned to normal again... Or as normal as it could be when one fought in a war, because we still got into some fights with Death Eaters.

Lily and James got married on the third of December, and it truly was a beautiful day. Just the vows were a little painful to hear, and I found myself pretty down as I stood next to the dance floor, a glass of punch in my hand, and my eyes fixed on the very happy couples in front of me.
But that was forgotten soon when Remus and Peter appeared next to me. We all decided that, since we didn't have any significant other, we'd just dance as a three.

Since Lily and James had to be careful to not draw attention, it was a little ceremony, so Remus, Peter and I didn't feel embarrassed at all although we were horrible dancers. Our motto: It's only embarrassing when you think it might be.

We struggled at keeping our laughter at bay when we started to shimmy on the dance floor, did stupid jazz hands or jumped up and down without knowing what we were doing. The three 'Bestest Single Pringles', as a very drunk Remus called us later that night, had a great time, and I think the wedding photographer had a very great time watching us, too.
The later it got, the more people joined in on the terrible dance moves, and at around one o'clock, Remus was leading all guests through the venue, each one holding the shoulders of the person in front of them.

It had certainly been a night to remember.

I spent Christmas and New Year's eve with my family, including Henry and Francisca, and then nothing very special happened.

I told the order about some charms I'd invented, and my tracking spell found use very soon, replacing our spying sessions. Now, when we found a Death Eater, we'd just quietly hit them with the spell and go away again. The charm would wear off after a few hours, but it was a very good precaution and reduced the amount of times we got caught and involved in fights.

Marlene and I also really made progress in our Auror training sessions. We'd take a few tests later this year, and then Moody would decide whether or not to keep us in the program, but we were pretty optimistic.

Something that kept bothering me during training was the way Lina looked at me or murmured unnecessary remarks, knowing that I'd hear them. Marlene did too, though, and the fact that she cared so much for me that she almost always muttered insulting things about Lina really warmed my heart.

Lina's behaviour saddened me, but I learned to ignore it.

Marlene moved in with Sirius, much to my heartache. Whenever I visited Sirius now, she was there, too.
It didn't bother me that she was there in that sense, but it bothered me that I constantly got reminded of the very harsh reality.

I continuously almost cursed my father and I kept stargazing in the evenings.

I sometimes found time to spend with Anna, Valerie and Aleya, but it got less and less as the time went by. But even though we rarely saw each other, we kept exchanging letters.

Some time after the wedding, Peter managed to cast a corporeal Patronus. Now I was the only one left who still couldn't do it, although I basically practiced everyday. This block couldn't be broken, but at least I finally got to know all of the marauders' Patroni- and with that their animagi forms. Dog, stag and rat.