𝐒𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐍; 𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫.

𝐱𝐱𝐯. 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐲

𝐀𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝. The second she returned, Lily brought her up to the boys' dorm room, briefing her on everything on the way (they had decided, collectively, that Marlene had become one of them and was obligated to know). The two arrived to find everyone else congregated around the Map, muttering and pointing to different things.

"Should we just use the Shack?" Sirius was saying, brow furrowed in concentration. He ran a finger indicating the path they could take. "We're going to have to take passageways; not all of us are going to fit under the Cloak."

"Peter can go as a rat in someone's pocket," Amara reasoned. "We can get three or four under the Cloak if we all crouch a little." She looked up and smiled. "Evening, Mar."

"Hi, Mar." Marlene plopped down between Amara and James. "So I heard we're finally doing something about this fuck ass war going on."

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, there isn't a 'fuck ass war' yet."

"You always have to be right, don't you?" she gave him a playful poke. "So where are we going?"

"Forest?" James suggested.

"Unfortunately, too dangerous," Sirius said. "We aren't going to get ourselves killed while in the practice of honing our combat skills. That's embarrassing."

"That is embarrassing," Marlene said, "even more embarrassing than just dying in the war."

Remus sighed. "Do we have to joke about it?"

"It's better than crying," Amara replied. 

"Empty classroom?"

"Filch will get us," Peter said. He flushed. "Well, I have an idea."

"What's the word, Wormy?" James asked. He scooted back so Lily had space to sit between himself and Marlene. She obliged hesitantly. 

"What if we use the Come-And-Go-Room? Y'know, that's always being used for parties? Or what about a prefect's bathroom? Remus can get us in."

"I dunno about that, I'll get in trouble," Remus warned, but his tone was one of resignation and defeat. 

"I say Come-And-Go-Room," Remus said. 

"I say Shack," Amara replied. "We won't be bothered."

"I don't want to go to the Shack," Remus whispered. "I hate being there."

Amara faltered. "Come-And-Go-Room," she said. "I vote Come-And-Go-Room."

"It's easier to sneak around the castle than sneak out of it, isn't it?" Lily said. "Well, maybe not for you guys, but for me and Marlene, certainly."

"Perfect," James said. "Come-And-Go-Room it is. Let's go."

This became a routine shortly. Amara, Marlene, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter would all escape, whenever they could and as inclusively as they could (with their schedules being what they were, and some owing time to Quidditch, clubs, and prefect duties, slots where all were available were limited and short-lived). Three weeks of drilling, repetitive casting, and trying to figure out new spells and tactics were well spent. 

Amara was sprawled on a rug in the Common Room one night, poring over her Potions essay with James and Sirius, when Lily and Remus burst in from the portrait, faces flushed with excitement.

"Guys! Guys, come on," Lily gasped, throwing herself on the couch next to Sirius. Her long, rich hair settled on his shoulder, but he barely noticed; he was too busy taking in the sudden and startling appearance of the two prefects.