Book 1: The Black Butterfly

Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Story

June 27, 1978
Lily Evans, soon to be Potter, carefully climbed into the rowboat, shared with Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Meadows, trying to, unsuccessfully, keep her tears at bay. Looking around, Lily saw many of her year-mates crying, all wearing the same black Hogwarts uniform. Her eyes moved swiftly from boat to boat before a pair of hazel eyes caught her own. She felt her lips form a smile. James Potter sat in a boat with Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, better known as the Marauders. When James noticed her looking, he responded with his own smile and a mouthed 'I love you.' Before she could respond, Hagrid, Hogwarts groundskeeper and a good friend of many students, began their final departure from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"FORWARD." Lily felt the little boat give a tiny lurch before slowly gliding across the black lake. A few students laughed as a tentacle of the giant squid popped up from the lake and began waving goodbye. Slowly, one by one, the boats began to round a bend, Hogwarts disappearing from view. Lily looked back at the school, memories flying through her mind. Memories of learning spells, potions, runes, and many lessons that weren't taught in the classroom. She remembered the boat ride to the school, excitement and nerves causing her to grip Severus's hand tightly, anticipation for the next seven years causing her stomach to twist and turn. She remembered being sorted into Gryffindor and every year in between. What she remembered most was the moment she realized she loved James Fleamont Potter more than anything in the world. As her boat rounded the corner, Lily felt a tear fall down her cheek.
Reaching the edge of the lake, the newly graduated climbed out of the boats and made their way to the train. Lily felt a hand slip into her own and looked up to find James standing next to her. With their group of seven all together, they headed onto the train and claimed a compartment. No one said a thing the entire ride, only when the food trolley stopped by did they speak and then resumed their strange yet comfortable silence. As the train slowly pulled to a stop, Dorcas was the first to stand up and grab her trunk, followed by Remus. Soon, the newly-graduated Gryffindors were standing on the platform.
Peter was the first to leave, apparating away with mumbles about his sick mother. Remus and Dorcas followed, both their parents immediately taking them home.
"Padfoot, you coming over for dinner?" James asked.
"Yeah, I'll be there. I'm just going to drop my stuff off at the flat." James nodded and he and Lily apparated away.
Glancing around, Sirius noted that many people were leaving immediately once they had their children, either by portkey, apparition, or, in the case of muggleborns under seventeen, being ushered through the barrier connecting to King's Cross. Sirius felt a hand slip into his and lightly squeeze it.
"There's my Mum," Marlene released his hand and went to grab her trunk and pet owl. "I'll see you at the meeting, yeah?" Sirius nodded and was about to apparate away when she threw her arms around him. He paused before hugging her back just as tightly. Letting go, Marlene quickly shrunk her trunk and grabbed her owl and headed for her parents. Before the McKinnons apparated away, her blue eyes caught Sirius's greys. She felt a smile creep onto her face, before her world was overcome with twisting and blurring colors.
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July 16, 1978
Dorea Potter had always had a mischievous spark in her eyes, one that many said her son had inherited. Today that spark was replaced by unshed tears, tears that told the young men, her sons that something was incredibly wrong.
"Boys, your father might not make it through the summer."
Sirius wanted to scream. He may have been an 'honorary' Potter, but Charles Potter did more for him as a father than Orion Black had done since he was a boy. It wasn't fair. He knew people were dying but that was the war. This was of natural causes and Sirius couldn't decide which he hated more.
James just sat in his childhood living room digesting his mother's words. He felt horrible that he wasn't in shock. After his father had fallen ill the summer before, he had accepted the fact that at some point during the year he could have gotten a letter that it's taken a term for the worse. Charles Harrison Potter was a force to be reckoned with when up to par but his Head Auror days had taken a large toll. A case he had been on prior to James' birth had left his father's immune system weaker than the average wizard and had only continued to deteriorate over time.
"When?" was his whispered response.
"They don't know." At this, his mother broke down, sobbing into her hands.
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November 8, 1978; 2:00 pm
Lily stood in front of a three-faced mirror, the girl in the mirror being almost unrecognizable to her. She had seen pictures of her mother at her age but now could see the features that she had inherited. The girl, no, the woman in the mirror looked to be glowing with happiness, a look Lily had never seen on herself.
"You ready, Lils?" She turned to see her only two bridesmaids, just two of the fifteen people in attendance, standing in the doorway. Her sister, shockingly, was in attendance, Marlene had told her, a fact she wasn't sure if she was extremely happy about yet but the thought left her mind when Remus had popped up behind the two with his question. That was the question though, wasn't it? Was she ready? Was she ready to give up her identity as Lily Evans and become Mrs. James Charlus Potter? Was she ready to walk down to the rest of her life?
Yes. Yes, she was.
"As I'll ever be, yeah?" Remus laughed before turning to Dorcas holding his arm out to her, ever the gentlemen.
"Shall we, my lady?" He asked with an overly posh accent.
"We shall." She responded in similar manner. Slipping her arm into his, she threw a wink over her shoulder before walking out. Marlene and Lily looked at each other, neither saying a word for a full minute before they both burst into laughter.
"Ladies, let's go befo-what are you two laughing about?" The bewildered, confused look on Sirius's face only made the two friends laugh harder.
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November 8, 1978; 4:00 pm

"Oy! Prongs, stop staring at Evans." Everyone laughed while James rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I thought I was done saying that but look at that, I managed to fit it into my speech. It's truly remarkable, how some things never change. Prongs, I don't know how you did it, I honestly suspect a love potion, but you managed to snag that red-head in the skirt." The small party laughed, while Lily rolled her eyes. "Anyway, it's no secret that Lily detested us and it astounds me that these two are actually here today. I mean it; I'm surprised Lily hasn't ripped James's head off yet. I, personally, give it two months." He paused as the crowd laughed again. "Remember Evans, I lived with the prat for seven long, tedious, dragging, slow-passing years. And things happened in that dorm that even I'm not willing to share." Sirius paused again to throw a wink at Remus, who rolled his eyes in response. "What I'm trying to say is congratulations, guys." Most would swear they had never seen Sirius that, well, serious. "To Mr. and Mrs. Evans!" Everyone raised their glass, laughing, while Sirius went and hugged the beaming couple.
"Now, Mr. and Mrs. Potter will head to the dance floor for their customary first dance." James stood and offered his hand to Lily, who took it with a wide smile on her face. They made their way to the middle of the floor as the beginning notes of Bruce Springsteen's 'She's the One' played from somewhere. The both danced contently for a while before Lily spoke.
"I can't believe you know who Bruce Springsteen is, and that you choose this song." She whispered, her head resting on his chest. James response was to laugh softly and spin her away from him. She started laughing, causing a wide grin to spread across his face. The couple was only interrupted when Dorea Potter demanded a dance with her son. At this point, Lily was taken up by Sirius who spun her across the floor being extremely ridiculous.
The party went on for hours before Lily and James left for a night in muggle London, their honeymoon being postponed until there was a hopefully safer time.
As the rest of the guests waved goodbye to the happy couple, a couple stood in a corner across the room whispering, continuing an argument the two have been having for over two weeks.
"I don't think you should go Remus, it's dangerous and you'll be completely cut-off from us all!" Remus could see the worry in Dorcas's eyes and knew his probably held the same emotions.
"I've told you it's not that easy, Doe. I'm the only one who can do it and have a chance at survival there." He was definitely reaching his breaking point with this discussion. She doesn't want you to get hurt, his voice of reason, which sounded a lot like the woman in front of him, reminded him, there's a higher possibility of others like you causing serious damage as opposed to an average death eater. He maybe the marauder who listened to reason more often than not, but even his voice of reason annoyed him.
"It is that easy, Remus. I don't want to wake up and find out from Dumbledore or Moody that you've been killed by those in that pack. I-I can't lose you, Remus John Lupin." Dorcas desperately wanted to tell him right then but feared it wouldn't do any good, for either of them. Even though she argued, she knew Remus was always going to go. Especially since Dumbledore asked him personally to.
"I know, Doe. I know." Reus sighed dejectedly and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. She quickly surrendered and wrapped her arms around as tightly as she could around his skinny but firm frame, going under his dress robes, and buried her face in his chest, trying to convey her understanding through the contact. "But if I can help one of them and convince them that we'll protect them, then I'll be doing something in this war."
"I know, Remus. I know."