I'll Be Your Soldier

This is Halloween

Marlene's POV
The month of October flew by, despite all of the drama beginning to surface between Lily, James, Snape, and the rest of the Slytherins and Gryffindors. It wasn't long before it was two days before Halloween and I found myself in the dorm room with the rest of the girls. Em and Mary were flipping through Witch Weekly's Halloween edition, Lily was studying for our next Potions lesson (I know, nerd alert), Alice isn't really doing anything, and I was working on my Muggle Studies homework, before I got confused. I gave up and joined Alice as she went downstairs to the common room where we joined Frank and the other guys, who all seem to be doing nothing. As I sat down, James tossed me a piece of parchment.
"What is this?" I asked.
"The answer to that question you've been bothering me about." James replied as he and Black held back Remus.
"Marls, I'm begging you, don't read that." Remus pleaded.
"Sorry Remus, but if this answers my question I'm reading it."
"What question?" Alice asked as I began to read the parchment.
Dear Mary,
I have been thinking about telling you this for a long time, and I apologize for my lack of courage. Writing a letter instead of telling you face to face is the coward's way out, but every time I get up the nerve to tell you, I can't get the words out of my mouth. I have fancied you for a while now and it's okay if you don't fancy me, but I just wanted to say it.
That's where it ended, Remus must have been writing it when James confiscated it.
"Aww, Remus, that's so sweet." Alice exclaimed as she read over my shoulder.
"I can't believe you guys read that. What did you want to know anyway?" Remus asked.
"Well, even though this letter is a shining example of how brave and confident you are, when I tell you why, this letter is not going to cut it. I asked James if you fancied Mary a few weeks ago and now I know. I asked him because Mary has taken a liking towards you and I wanted to know if she had a chance. What are you gonna do now, Remus?" I explained as I handed the letter back to him.
"I-I don't know. Do I have to do anything?" Remus asked.
"Kinda." Alice said.
"I mean, should I?" Remus looked at everyone except Alice. Oh, the werewolf thing. Lucky for us, Alice along with Lily both left the common room for Charms Club a few minutes afterwards so we could actually answer Remus's ridiculous question.
"Of course you should, Moony." James replied.
"Just because you are what you are doesn't mean you should let it affect other parts of your life." Frank added.
"Yeah, but what if Mary doesn't want to be in a relationship with a monster. If I date her I have to tell her what I am, it's only right. What if she doesn't like me anymore? I can't make her feel uncomfortable like that. It wouldn't be right." Remus said.
"First off, you're not a monster. If anyone in this room is a monster it would be Black. You, on the other hand, are a Prefect and a pretty strict one at that. Speaking as the only female present, I can tell you for a fact that any decent girl wouldn't care that you're something else once or twice a month." I stated. Black glared at me and I wiggled my eyebrows, smirking at his annoyance.
"Yes Marls, but you and Mary are two very different women. You can't honestly know what Mary would do or say in reaction to my sickness."
"Moony, McKinnon and Mary are different, yes. I think you're forgetting though, that Mary is much more kind and all in all a better person than McKinnon is and McKinnon has no issue with you. All of you." Black commented. I rolled my eyes.
"That's true, I have a harder time stomaching Black's manwhore ways than anything you could ever do." I retorted.
"I don't know. I don't want to ruin my friendship with Mary over this. I just shouldn't date." Remus interjected, walking away before any of us could say anything in response.
"Good job guys. You chased him away with your arguing. Honestly." James muttered. A few hours later me and Isabelle, one of the new members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, walked into the changing room for Quidditch practice. Like always, Black and James were already changed and arguing about something. Isabelle and I changed and joined the rest of the guys as we waited for Gideon to start practice. I eavesdropped on James and Black's conversation and found out they were, unsurprisingly, talking about the situation with Remus and Mary.
"It's just sad, Prongs." Black stated.
"I know, but what can we do?" James asked.
"We could tell Mary that Remus likes her and get her to make the first move." I interjected from my spot on the bench, causing the two boys to turn their attention towards me. I spun around on the bench and faced them.
"How exactly would that help, McKinnon?" Black asked.
"Remus isn't going to reject her. He's too nice for that."
"Speaking as someone who knows Moony much better than you do, I can safely say that you're wrong. Yeah, Moony is nice and all, but when it comes to his furry little problem he gets really touchy and flustered about it. We would know. He almost didn't let us help him."
"Almost. He did though."
"I have to agree with Padfoot on this one, Marls. Moony will probably say no and that will make Mary upset and Moony upset. Not everyone is as persistent as us." James said.
"To be fair, no one is as persistent going on obsessive as you are, James." James glared at me.
"Look, Moony isn't going to date anyone as long as he thinks his issue is going to harm her or disgust her in anyway. We just have to find a way around that."
"How?"
"We're gonna need a plan. A Marauder plan." Black replied.
"I hope you mean a Marauder and Marlene plan, because I am not being excluded on this one."
"No way, McKinnon. We can't let anyone outside the Marauders be in on one of our plans. Especially not a girl. Right Prongs?"
"I-" James began.
"Oh give me a break, Black. You act as though you and the other Marauders are the only partners in crime James has ever had. I was around way before any of you were and I am just as capable of thinking of and pulling off a plan as you are. Right James?" I spat.
"Well I-"
"Are you three done quarreling? I'd like to start practice, if that's okay with you." Gideon commented.
"Please." Quidditch practice was the same thing as usual. Drills for a while and then a scrimmage. Our first match is coming up soon and it's definitely the most anticipated one all season, Slytherin against Gryffindor. I never understood why that was the first one since the Slytherins are our biggest rivals, but whatever. I walked up to the school by myself and was finally stopped before I went to my dorm.
"Marls, wait." James said. I turned around, still mad about before. He and Black are both covered in mud made from the rain this afternoon. Like always, they somehow got so much dirt on them that it was hard to tell dirt from hair even though Quidditch is an in air sport.
"Yes Potter?" I asked.
"There's no need to bring my last name into this. Look, I can't be impartial in this decision. Both of you have been my friends for a long time and I don't want to anger either of you. We will ask Wormtail what he thinks on the matter, okay?"
"Fine." The three of us walked over to the slightly chubby boy sitting in the corner of the common room, completing a letter to his parents.
"Yes?" Peter asked, shocked at the attention he was getting from the three of us. I feel bad for Peter, I really don't know him that well and he's been a big part of my life for five years now. I mean, it's not like I've ignored him or anything, he just doesn't offer up any information about his life outside of Hogwarts and I never really cared to ask. It must be hard being best friends with James and Black and Remus. You sorta have to be really outgoing and loud to be noticed when around them and Peter is more on the shy and easygoing side.
"You know how Moony is against asking Mary on a date because of his problem?" James asked.
"Yes."
"Well, we've decided to form some sort of plan to help him realize that he shouldn't let his disease get in the way of what he wants. In order to do that we need a very elaborate plan, something the Marauders would come up with. The issue is that Marlene wants to help and she isn't a Marauder. Padfoot feels that she shouldn't be able to help and Marlene thinks that's stupid. We have decided that you should choose." I darted my eyes between Peter and Black, making sure Black wasn't trying to be intimidating towards Peter so he would choose him over me. After a few moments of silence, Peter answered.
"Well, Marlene is good at pranks and stuff and since we're going to be helping Moony we'll be one person short anyway. Why not?"
"Yes!! Take that Black!! Peter, you are a true gentlemen. Thank you." I exclaimed. I gave Peter a kiss on the cheek and walked away as Black began to grumble about how he lost.
James's POV
I chuckled as Marls skipped off and Wormtail blushed from the kiss on the cheek.
"Well Wormtail, looks like you've gained a best friend for life." I teased.
"I'll say." Padfoot muttered. I rolled my eyes as Padfoot and I left to go take showers before bed. I finished cleaning myself before Padfoot did and was brushing my teeth when Padfoot began to talk from behind the shower curtain a few feet away from the sink I was standing at.
"I know what you're thinking, Prongs." Padfoot stated. I spat out my toothpaste and rinsed my mouth before replying.
"What? That you just made a perfect arse of yourself in front of the girl you fancy?" I replied.
"I have a plan."
"Pads, there are very few things that anger Marls more than what you just did tonight."
"I know."
"Then that's a pretty bad plan, and this is coming from the guy who has been chasing the same girl for five years."
"The plan is for her to not want to be around me. I figure if I'm not around her as much and she really doesn't like me, then these feelings I've been having for her will go away."
"Aha, so there are feelings here?"
"I guess, I mean, I know there are."
"Dude, I don't understand why you don't just ask her out. You've never had this problem before."
"That's because I'm Sirius Black and if I want to be with a girl for like a week or two then I will. I am not a guy who wants to date a girl for a long period of time. It's just weird."
"It means you're growing up, Pads."
"With Marlene McKinnon though?"
"Hey, no one is more uncomfortable with this than I am."
"I beg to differ." Padfoot got out of the shower and returned a few minutes later in pajamas as I began to leave.
"Wait." Padfoot said. I nodded and stood against the wall as he brushed his teeth. Once he finished he stared at himself in the mirror and began to talk.
"I know the plan is stupid. I know that feelings like the ones I have for McKinnon don't just go away because I'm not talking to her as much. I just find this all very confusing. For the longest time she was Marlene McKinnon, the blonde who was a little too loud and stubborn who enjoyed hanging out with us and pulling pranks. Then I sat next to her on the train home last year and I realized that I was actually going to miss her. Not to mention she's a McKinnon, who are probably the most well-known blood traitor family in the Wizarding World. Over the summer I overheard my parents talking about her family, how they think her family is betraying their blood status by fighting against the Death Eaters. As if this wasn't already complicated enough. I just can't have these feelings about McKinnon, Prongs. I can't." Padfoot explained. He looked down at the ground as I mulled over what to say.
"Padfoot, there isn't much I can do or say to help you. I really am sorry, but it sounds like to me that you're just kinda stuck. I mean, you've only given me the negatives about all this. Why don't you give me the positives? Please keep in mind that Marls is practically my sister though." I replied.
"I like her hair and her eyes. I like how she was so quick to yell at Houlihan about his opinion on werewolves. I like that she isn't some damsel in distress who needs a guy to save her. I like how she loves her friends and family. I like that she so easily let me take over your summers even though I could tell she liked having you to herself since the Marauders have you all year. I like her sense of humor and how she can be one of the guys if she wants to. Prongs, you should take me so willingly offering up this embarrassing information as an indication of how lost I am right now."
"Believe me, the weight of the situation isn't lost on me. I think if you like her, then you should go for it. Just don't make her life any harder than it already is." I left before he could ask what I meant and went to sleep.
Lily's POV
Halloween at Hogwarts is awesome. I mean, I have Charms and Potions today, Potions with the Slytherins, so that's a little nerve wracking, but otherwise it's great. All of us seem to be holding our breath when it comes to what the Slytherins are going to do about Remus. I don't know if my talk with Severus helped or not, but we haven't gotten any letters from them with tasks yet, so I take that as a good sign.
"Lils." Marlene whispered and nudged me. I turned my focus to where she was staring at Potter, who had a letter in his hand with a serpent seal on the envelope. Spoke too soon. I tugged at Marlene's arm and we walked over to where Black was reading the letter over Potter's shoulder.
Dear Gryffindors,
Your attempt to dissuade Snape from enforcing the requirements of our silence with that Mudblood of yours was a useless gesture. This is your first task. You are aware of the consequences if you do not do as we say. The Slug Club's annual Halloween party is being held tonight and those of us who are members are going to take your suitable girls as dates. Tell the two Purebloods to meet Amycus Carrow and Deimos Mulciber outside the party. They will be the perfect dates or else.
I could feel Marlene tense beside me as she realized they were talking about her and Alice.
"Marls, I can't ask you and Alice to do that." Remus stated from the other side of Potter.
"Do what?" Alice asked. Potter handed her the letter and she, Em, and Frank scanned it. Alice looked up and had a look of dread in her eyes as she shared a look with Marlene.
"We'll do it." Marlene said.
"Are you sure?" Potter asked.
"Of course we are. We aren't going to let them ruin Remus's life just so we didn't have to spend a few hours with them." Alice said.
"We need to have people on the inside to make sure they stay in line." Black spat, obviously ticked off.
"I'm a member, I'll be going." I said.
"No one else is a member besides Frank." Peter said.
"Evans will have to take either me or Padfoot." Potter said and I snorted.
"Nice try, Potter. I'm not taking either of you." I said.
"Lils, James is right. Whether you like it or not, if one of those Slytherins starts to go too far, Marlene and Alice's best shot is if either James or Sirius interferes." Mary said, who had been quietly listening from her seat next to Remus the whole time.
"Fine. Who should I take?"
"Me." Potter said.
"Funny."
"I'm serious. Padfoot, I swear if you make a joke. Anyway, those Slytherins hate both of us equally, but I know of a certain Slytherin who's in the Slug Club who would piss Padfoot off much easier than me."
"Who?"
"Are you sure it wouldn't be the opposite?" Remus asked.
"Positive." Potter answered.
"Who's the Slytherin?" I asked again.
"Lils-" Marlene began.
"My charming brother Regulus. Prongs is right, he should go." Black muttered. I forgot he had a brother in Slytherin.
"So it's settled then? I'll go with Evans?" Potter confirmed.
"Sadly, yes." I answered.
"I think you'll find my company quite enjoyable, Evans."
"It's been five years, Potter, and I still can't quite stand you. I don't think that's happening." I went back to my breakfast, as did Marlene, and then went off to Charms. By lunchtime it was decided that Frank would take Em, since out of her and Mary she has the better track record at duelling. Potions was difficult. Marlene and I share a station that is right beside Severus and Malfoy's station. I tried my best to ignore him, but found it difficult when he finished the potion early and was pestering me to talk to him. As if I wasn't already mad at him from what he told Potter and Black to do, now he was letting those Slytherins control Alice and Marlene for their own enjoyment. Marlene went over to Mary and Em's station to double check that they had remotely the same color and consistency as us and Sev took it as an opening to talk to me alone, since Malfoy was talking to Narcissa at her station with Emma Vanity.
"Lily, you shouldn't be mad at me for this. I'm doing the right thing here." Sev stated, as if he really believed what he was saying.
"How is ruining poor Remus's life the right thing? What has Remus ever done?" I asked.
"Nothing, that's the issue. He's as bad as the other three."
"How could you compare Remus to Potter and Black? Not to mention that you are completely wrong about Peter."
"Am I? Tell me, when have you once seen either Pettigrew or Lupin stopping Black and Potter when they're bullying me?"
"Look, I know that neither Peter nor Remus have ever defended you. I've brought it up to Remus several times, but it's not like you're completely innocent either."
"What is that suppose to mean? I thought you were on my side." Something Remus said came to mind as I thought of a response. "We don't bully him. We don't treat him right, but he is not a victim. He fights back, Lily. Maybe at the beginning he was a victim, but now he's been using spells on us that even I have never heard of."
"Have you been creating new spells?" Sev froze and stared at me.
"Well?" I asked.
"How did you know that?" He asked.
"It's true then? That's extremely dangerous. I mean, Muffliato is one thing, that's proven to be very useful, but combat spells? What if your spell caused someone to... to have so many cuts that they bleed out and die, or something like that?"
"Then I would pat myself on the back, since that would mean it worked."
"Severus, have you been using Dark Arts to curse the Marauders?"
"The Marauders? You're calling them that stupid name now? Are you friends with my tormentors?"
"Sev, I still think of Potter as an arrogant toerag, you know that. Answer my question."
"Of course I have. I need to defend myself somehow. The only way is if I catch them by surprise with damaging spells."
"There are so many other ways." Severus wasn't listening though. Malfoy had turned back to his desk and Severus apparently didn't want to be seen talking to me. The Halloween party was upon us way too quickly and I put on simple navy blue dress robes, Alice in green, Em in black, and Marlene in red. The four of us walked downstairs to the common room where Black, Mary, Peter, and Remus are all sitting, Potter and Frank still getting ready. Marlene plopped down on the couch as Frank arrived.
"James is fixing his hair." Frank stated and we all waited for Potter. I can't believe I have to go to the party with him of all people. He better not think of this as a real date or anything. Even worse, he better not think that he has to stay with me the entire night. I'd much prefer it if he would just roam the party. Alone. Potter finally arrived and the six of us left. Male Carrow and Mulciber were waiting for us when we reached Professor Slughorn's office.
"Wands." Carrow ordered.
"What do you mean, wands?" Em asked.
"McKinnon and MacDougal need to give us their wands."
"No way." Marlene said.
"No wands, no deal." Marlene and Alice shared a look and reluctantly handed over their wands to Mucliber's outstretched hand. Male Carrow took Alice by the arm and pulled her inside, Mulciber handling Marlene roughly the same way. I could sense Frank and Potter tensing as they watched Marlene and Alice squirm in the Slytherins' grasp. Potter, Frank, Em, and I entered the party and were immediately bombarded by Professor Slughorn. I saw Em and Frank slip away as Professor Slughorn welcomed me and Potter to the party.
"Welcome Miss Evans, Mr. Potter. Such a pleasure that you two are joining us." Professor Slughorn said.
"Thanks for inviting me, Professor Slughorn." I replied and he chuckled and went to talk to Malfoy and his date, Narcissa Black. Potter was right, Black would not have done well here.
"What is your plan, exactly?" I asked as Potter weaved through the crowd and I struggled to keep up with his pace.
"Well, although I hate the idea of those Slytherins ruining our first date-" Potter began.
"Not a date."
"Whatever you say, Evans. Anyway, I have to keep an eye on them, which sadly means being in the vicinity of a bunch of Slytherin prats. Can you handle that? Or would you rather go and chat with Slughorn and the Ravenclaws?" I scoffed at that and glared at him.
"I can handle some Slytherins."
"That's not what it looked like in Potions today."
"Were you watching me talk to Severus?"
"Yeah, and I heard most of what you guys were talking about too. Face it, Evans, you can't stand up to the guy. No wonder you still hang out with him."
"Potter, it's been less than ten minutes and I already want to hex you. If you continue to talk about Severus as if you know him then I swear I will hex you."
"That wouldn't be a good example now would it, Prefect?"
"Aghh!! I really don't like you, I hope you understand that."
"Your mouth says one thing, but your eyes say another."
"Gross, as if I would ever want to date you."
"You're here, aren't you?"
"I'm here because it's in the best interest of two of my best friends that you are here to keep an eye on those Slytherins. Not because I fancy you."
"Then why are you still walking with me? There are plenty other vantage points from which you can watch the Slytherins from. Face it, Evans. You find me attractive."
"I find you annoying." We found the snack table and got some food as we analyzed the area for where Male Carrow and Mulciber could have taken Marlene and Alice. As I looked around, I spotted a guy with steel gray eyes and ink black hair entering the party. I nudged Potter.
"Is that Black?" I asked. As the guy came closer I noticed he wasn't as tall as Black nor did he have as many scars. He has the same face though.
"That's a Black, but not Padfoot." He answered.
"Regulus?"
"Yup. Let's just hope he doesn't see me."
"Why? I have a hard time believing any brother of Black's can hate you."
"He does. Regulus and Padfoot have a complicated relationship. Padfoot has been trying to protect Regulus from their parents for a long time, but just recently Regulus has decided he wants to be a Death Eater, which has been putting a strain on their relationship."
"That doesn't explain why Regulus hates you."
"Regulus just wants Padfoot to believe what the rest of his family does. Padfoot doesn't, and Regulus sees anyone Padfoot hangs out with from Gryffindor as one of the reasons his brother is practically estranged from his family. He hates me the most since Padfoot practically lives at my house during breaks."
"It's really that bad?"
"Yes. He always tries to go home, but normally halfway through break he's at my house with a fresh batch of cuts and bruises." I fell silent as I thought of the arrogant Black in the situation Potter is describing. It just doesn't seem real. Whenever Black is at Hogwarts he seems so... well, I knew his relationship with his family wasn't great, but I never thought they would hit him. We watched the Slytherins all night and they didn't do anything that crossed the line, though they were definitely toeing it all night. Mulciber gave Alice and Marlene their wands back and we walked back to our own common room. Alice and Marlene were both rubbing their wrists as we walked.
"What did they do to you?" Potter asked.
"It was sort of like the Pureblood parties we have to sit through, except with slightly painful consequences if we do anything they didn't like." Marlene replied and Frank tightened his arm around Alice's waist.
"It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Of course, Marlene kept challenging everything they said they would do if we didn't do this or that so they got angry pretty quickly." Alice explained and Potter and Em chuckled.
"I hate that Mulciber dude. He kept staring at me all night."
"You think you had it bad? That Carrow guy is a creep. He kept talking about all the new curses he wanted to try on First Years. At least Mulciber doesn't talk."
"Speaking would require actual brain cells." Potter commented.
"More time for him to stare." Marlene muttered as we approached the Fat Lady.
"How was it?" I jumped and saw the actual Black standing next to the portrait.
"Were you always standing there?" I asked.
"Yes." Black answered. I narrowed my eyes as I entered the common room through the portrait. When it shut behind me I saw it was just me, Em, and Alice.
"What could they be talking about out there?" I asked.
"Who knows? I'm gonna go take a shower." Alice said and the three of us went to our dorm.
Frank's POV
Marlene, Sirius, James, and I waited for Alice, Em, and Lily to go inside before we began to talk.
"I am really starting to hate those Slytherins." I stated. Em had been a great friend to me this evening, not caring that I was constantly dragging her around the room for a better view of Carrow and Alice. I just hate how those guys are treating us like their puppets and waving their knowledge of Remus's secret in front of us. It makes me feel sick to my stomach.
"You and me both." Marlene muttered. I saw Marlene a lot as well and she wasn't kidding when she said Mulciber liked to stare.
"What happened?" Sirius asked, holding the Invisibility Cloak in his hands now that the three girls are gone.
"Well, we didn't have to interfere at any point, so I guess it went as well as possible." James said.
"The Slytherins were creeps per usual. I just really need a good shower. I still feel Mulciber's eyes on me." Marlene commented.
"What about Regulus?" Sirius asked.
"I didn't see him." I said.
"I did. Evans spotted him, thinking he was you. As far as I could tell he wasn't with Carrow and Mulciber and the others." James answered.
"McKinnon?" Sirius asked. All eyes went on Marlene, who obviously isn't telling us something since she isn't looking at Sirius.
"Marlene?" James asked.
"Uh, well, I went to the bathroom with Narcissa and Emma acting as security guards so I wouldn't run for it. Then when I left the bathroom with them, Regulus found us and said he wanted to talk to me so they left and we had a conversation and then he took me back to Mulciber." Marlene explained, still not meeting Sirius's eyes.
"Well? What did he want?" Sirius asked.
"He wanted to know why I was with Mulciber and I told him that I was being blackmailed and he asked me a few more questions to make sure I wasn't stealing Death Eater information from them and then took me back to Mulciber."
"What are you hiding, McKinnon? I know that look." Marlene turned to look at Sirius in the eyes, finally.
"He asked about you." The four of us fell silent. Sirius stared at Marlene, mouth slightly open in shock.
"Why?"
"He wanted to see if you were having any second thoughts about whatever your mom propositioned you this summer. Apparently he's been getting angry letters from your parents about you."
"Proposition? What proposition? Is this the real reason why you dropped off the radar this summer?" James asked.
"None of your business. Go inside." Sirius ordered.
"Sirius, you can tell us." I said.
"I said that it is none of your business. Just go inside." The three of us reluctantly listened and moved to go inside.
"Not you, McKinnon. I still have some questions for you." Sirius said. James and I went inside the common room, leaving Marlene and Sirius outside to talk about whatever this proposition is.