Being a Greengrass after all should sound pretty serene.
But being a part of "the Emeralds" should not, especially when hearts become entangled with the infamous Regulus Black.
Goodness, lawfulness, or evilness. Which path will they tread in the ti...
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April 8th, 1979
The drawing room at the Order's meeting place was unusually peaceful. There was the occasional clink of porcelain against saucers, the rustle of parchment, and the low murmur of conversations scattered around the room. Sirius Black was humming something completely off-key from his place near the fireplace, which prevented anyone from mistaking the atmosphere for true tranquility. By now, Avery had considered him to be allergic to silence.
James Potter stood, cleared his throat with exaggerated importance, and loudly tapped his wand on the edge of his glass.
"Alright, since our fearless leader is otherwise occupied doing Merlin-knows-what, I officially declare this meeting of the Not-Very-Organized Phoenix Society in session."
"No one agreed to that name," Lily said, sipping her tea.
"I second it," Sirius said, raising his hand and looking far too pleased. "Doesn't roll off the tongue."
"I third it," said Alice from the far end, who'd just emerged from a failed attempt to coax the house elf into providing snacks. "We're out of biscuits, by the way."
James clapped his hands once. "Settled. Now, first item of business: who replaced all my underwear with enchanted pairs that shout inspirational quotes when worn?"
Avery choked on her coffee.
Sirius beamed proudly. "You're welcome."
"Was it really necessary for my pants to scream 'SEIZE THE DAY, CHAMPION' every morning at six a.m.?"
"Motivation's important."
"It's emotional terrorism, Sirius."
Dorcas glanced up from the crossword puzzle spread across her lap. "That depends entirely on how emotionally stable you were before the trousers got involved."
James muttered something unprintable and sat back down, dragging his tea toward him like it might restore his dignity.
Avery's gaze flicked quietly to the couch opposite hers. Marlene and Dorcas had claimed one end of it hours ago. The crossword remained balanced between them, though neither seemed especially invested in solving it anymore. Marlene had captured Dorcas's hand and pulled it into her lap without apparent thought. While Dorcas read over one of the clues, Marlene absently traced circles across the back of her hand with her thumb.
Avery watched them long enough for something subtle and undeniable to settle into her chest. Her brow lifted just slightly. She leaned toward Lily and whispered, "Lils, do you see what I'm seeing?"
Lily didn't even bother looking. She just sipped her tea like a queen who knew everything before anyone told her. "Marlene's been using Dorcas's shampoo," she murmured. "And Dorcas lets her. Case closed."
Avery raised an eyebrow. "That's... suspiciously observant of you."
Lily smiled. On the couch, Dorcas finally glanced at Marlene — just a flash of eye contact, gone in a blink but it made Avery's grin curl before she could stop it. Well. Dorcas had never exactly been subtle about preferring girls. Anyone with functioning eyesight could have figured that out. But this was interesting. Avery would bet ten Galleons and a chocolate frog that whatever this was — whatever it was becoming — it wasn't just in her head. And for once, she thought, maybe even Sirius wouldn't manage to mess it up.
