Marauders Era Short Stories

Black Lake and Memories

Mary walked around the empty grass field in front of the Black lake with slow and steady steps. How many years has it been since she was here? Since she was a teenager? How log has it been since all her friend were here? Together? All laughing, talking and teasing just like her daughter was doing now with her friends.

She remembers Sirius, Remus, James and Peter right there, near the black lake, right after exams, taking off their clothes and jumping into the water. Or in Remus' case sitting with his legs in the water and laughing. Sometimes reading a book or just simply lying on the grass. 

She remembers Merlene, Lily, Alice, Dorcas and her sitting right beside the fallen tree, hitting each other, laughing, talking about boys. Remus would sometimes join them. The other boys too. They all were a big group by 7th year. That was the best year of her life. 

She remembers James and Frank proposing to Lily and Alice just under the big oak tree in June, 1977 and 1976 respectively. She remembers how happy they were. She remembers Peter timidly asking her out in front of all his friends in 6th year, right under that oak tree. She remembers saying yes and jumping on him. She remembers how happy he was.

Mary closed her eyes. Why? Why she asked. Why was life this cruel to her? First it gave her everything and then took away all of it... slowly... painfully. 

Everything went into hell just after they left Hogwarts. They joined the order. Peter broke up with her. Dorcas and Merlene were killed. James and Lily were killed. Sirius was imprisoned, Peter betrayed them all. Alice and Frank were tortured into insanity and Remus stopped talking to everyone.

Well there wasn't a Black lake anywhere else to just sit by and feel simple, that's why they weren't there with her anymore she guessed.

She didn't contact Remus after that incident either. She knows of his death of course. She knows Sirius and Peter died as well. Well she thought Peter died the night James and Lily did but she was wrong. Remus and Sirius never visited her but Remus wrote a letter to her just a few days before he died. He informed her about having a child, getting married, Harry and Sirius' death.

 She cut all ties with the wizarding world the day everything fell apart. Even when her daughter came here for her education she didn't come. But today was her first quidditch match and she insisted so much on Mary coming. And now when it was over she chose to visit her and her friends' favorite place on the whole earth. 

Looking at the old oak tree where so many students craved their names with heart she searched for the one they caved. She found it. It was big, they were a big group after all. They caved it on their last day of Hogwarts. 

She remembers how bittersweet it was. She remembers how they all looked. James' face was hopeful. Sirius had a wild and determined look in him. Remus was a mixture of sad, nostalgic and hopeful. Alice had a determined and nostalgic look to her face. Peter was nervous but ready to take on the world. Lily's showed determination. She doesn't know how she looked but she felt scared. Merlene and Dorcas had grave looks on their faces but Merlene's eyes shined with something she didn't know. 

It was too much. Even after all these years thinking of them hurt and this place was filled with memories of them. The hallways, the quidditch pitch, the common rooms, the class rooms! They walked everywhere in this castle, every fucking corner. 

Mary felt a warm breeze wash over her as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, no one was there. But it didn't stop a smile form forming on her lips. She knew it was Lily's hand. She knows them so well. And now she knows that her friends are with her, they never left her. She felt like she could almost see James and Remus' gentle smile, Peter's sorry glance and Merlene, Dorcas and Sirius' broad grins. She just has to look more closely. 

So with that she decided she's going to visit Harry, Neville, Alice and Frank and she's going to try and find Remus' son. She's going to meet him too. Tell him everything she knew about his father. She's going to find Harry and Neville as well. Tell them how their parents were even if they were a lot older now.