When Black Met Blue (Marauder Fanfic)

chapter 36 *Edited*

‘Are you ready?’ Orla asked, scuffing her boots on the snowy Hogsmeade road. Sirius thought she looked nervous.

"Are you nervous" Sirrius said speaking his mind.

"Not so much good expireince with muggles" Orla said.

Sirius caught her gloved hand and squeezed. Orla glanced up at him, red eyes searching and nodded once. Her grip tightened on his hand and she spun on the spot. When James was able to clearly see his surroundings, he found they were in a very Muggle sort of street, lined either side with small, neat houses. ‘I thought Lily lived in Spinner’s End,’ James said, glancing at the “Privet Drive” sign at the end of the street. 

‘They moved at the end of your fifth year,’ Orla said. ‘After all that business with Snivilus.’

‘Oh,’ Sirius said and then cursed himself for not having anything better to say.

‘Everything here’s so...’ Orla began.

‘Muggle?’ James suggested.

Orla laughed. ‘I suppose so. I think that’s why Lily's sister what's her face loves it here. She even moved back in with their Mum and Dad – she’d been staying with Vernon and his parents... Here we are,’ she said, stopping at the driveway of Number 4. ‘This the house’

She led him up the neatly shovelled path and to the front door. She rapped her knuckles against it, a wary expression on her pretty face. ‘Lily, get the door, please,’ a man called.

‘No, no!’ a woman called back. ‘I’ve got it!’ Orla rolled her eyes as hurried footsteps neared the door. Everything went quiet on the other side. Sirius glanced at Orla, who made a face and pressed her thumb against a little glass circle in the door. There was a sigh from inside and then the door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman with freckled cheeks and Lily’s fiery hair and Lily standing next to her.

 ‘You must be Sirius and Orla,’ the woman said. ‘Where’s the other one?’

Sirius blinked. ‘Hello. Erm, yes.’ He glanced down at Lily who didn’t seem surprised at the lack of welcome. ‘Sirius Black,’ he said, holding out his gloved hand.  "Orla Blue" Orla said trying to pull Sirius' hand down.

‘James is "the other one", Mum,’ Lily sighed. ‘He’ll be here in time for dinner.’

‘Oh,’ Mrs Evans said. ‘Well, it’s nice to meet you, Sirius and Orla. I’m Heather. Lillian’s Mother,’ she said smiling. "Mum it's cold outside" Lily said to her mother.

‘Fine, fine,’ Mrs Evans said. ‘Come in, before it starts to snow. And watch your shoes; I don’t want slush on my carpet.’ The motherly fussing sent a pang through Sirius; it sounded a lot like something James' mother would have said.

‘I can clean it if we do,’ Orla said, tapping the pocket where she kept her wand.

‘Oh, no,’ Mrs Evans said. ‘You can’t use your magic for things like that! You need to use it for important things!’ Lily threw a helpless glance at her friends as they followed the still babbling woman into a small, bright and obsessively clean kitchen. A man with greying hair put down his newspaper as they walked in.

‘Guests!’ he said, his face lighting up. ‘Now who's who?’

‘I'm Orla and this is Sirius’ Orla said gesturing to Sirius when she said his name.  

‘Well it's nice to meet some people at last, I was told we would be having three guests today"

‘Yes James Potter will be joining us later" Mrs Evans said.

Mr Evans laughed. ‘Potter did you say?’ he asked, looking at Lily who was blushing. Orla and Sirius nodded a little confused. ‘Unbelievable. He's the kid who told me he’d marry Lils at the end of your first year?’ Lily’s face reddened even more.

Sirius grinned at the fact ‘A lot has changed since then,’ Sirius said, his grin widening. Mr Evans raised his eyebrows. ‘I think she’d say yes, now.' Mr Evans laughed, and Lily pressed her face into her fathers’ shoulder.

‘So you are getting married?’ Mrs Evans said breathlessly. ‘Oh, my! Wait until Petunia hears! Pet-’

‘-No, Mum!’ Lily said loudly. ‘We’re not getting married yet.’

‘But you’ve considered it?’ Mrs Evans pressed.

Lily sighed. ‘Yes, Mum.’

‘You can get married whenever you want to, Lillian dear.’ Mrs Evans said, tossing her sponge in the sink. 

‘Thank you,’ Lily said curtly.

‘But don’t wait too long,’ Mrs Evans continued, apparently not hearing. ‘I want grandchildren while I’m young enough to deal with them.’

Lily was now feeling thoroughly uncomfortable and was very, very glad that she hadn’t been able to convince James to come early;

"I’m going to take Sirius and Orla to meet Petunia,’ Lily said quickly.

‘Oh, yes. Give thim a tour, won’t you,’ Mrs Evans said. ‘Oh, and send Petunia down once you’ve seen her. She said she’d come shopping with me.’

‘Sure,’ Lily called, leading them into the hallway. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, once they were alone.

‘It’s fine,’ Orla said with a smile.

‘Tuney?’ Lily called, knocking on the far left door on the landing.

‘I told you not to call me that!’ a shrill voice said from the other side. Orla sighed. It was quiet and then, ‘What do you want?’

‘I’d like you to meet my friends.’

‘Hello,’ Orla and Sirius called together. Lily threw them an exasperated look.

‘Hello,’ Petunia replied, opening the door. She was blonde and bony, with a long neck and face. She was nothing like her sister, standing almost a hand taller and while she was pretty, it was in a cold, severe sort of way. Her beady eyes ran over them a few times. ‘Nice to meet you,’ she said stiffly.

‘You too,’ Orla and Sirius said pleasantly, holding out there hands. Petunia didn’t take them.

‘Petunia,’ Lily said warningly. Petunia glared at her sister, drew herself up to her full height and then grabbed the tip of Sirius’ fingers between two of her own and shook once, her eyes never leaving Lily’s. She let go quickly as if burned. James watched curiously. Then did the same with Orla. Perhaps it was a muggle thing. ‘Mum wants you downstairs.’

‘Shopping?’ Petunia sniffed.

‘That’s what she said.’

Petunia’s eyes flicked to Sirius. ‘Bye,’ she said and flounced down the stairs.

Lily looked like she wanted to apologise, but Orla didn’t give her a chance. ‘Which one’s yours?’ she asked, glancing at the other three doors on the landing.

‘This one,’ Lily said, pushing open a plain white door. Orla couldn’t help but notice it was the room furthest from Petunia’s. It was an average sized room with a window on one wall and a large Gryffindor banner on another. 

‘House pride?’ Sirius murmured, grinning at the golden pillows on the double bed and the red cushion on the chair at her desk.

‘A bit,’ Lily said with a sheepish grin. ‘I miss Hogwarts in the summer.’

‘Me too,’ Sirius said, crossing the room to look at the photos on her tidy desk. There was one of her and Mary at a Quidditch match – Sirius could see himself and James flying around in the distance behind her, one of Lily, Mary, Alice and Marlene by the Hogwarts Express at the end of fourth year – Sirius hid a smile at the sight of his fifteen year old best friend, staring through the train window at her – one of her and Snape at what must have been Lily’s eleventh birthday party and several of Lily and her family over the years. He grinned at the sight of James' four year old girlfriend, covered in flour and grinning at the camera with a younger Petunia. Then there's one were James stood holding mistle toe trying to get Lily to kiss him.

‘Some of them aren’t moving,’ he said, shocked.

‘They’re Muggle photographs,’ she said with a smile. ‘They’re not meant to move.’

‘Why not?’

‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘They just don’t.’

‘That’s a terrible answer.’

‘Too bad,’ Lily sad, eyes sparkling. Sirius opened his mouth to point out that “too bad” was another terrible response, but Orla stepped forward and kissed him. 

‘Lily!’ Mrs Evan’s voice drifted up the stairs. ‘Come on, love!’

‘Hold on,’ Lily said. She walked over to the door and pulled it open. ‘What?’ she called.

‘Shopping, dear!’

‘I’m not going!’ Lily said back.

‘Of course you are. I want your friends... Orla to come too. Sirius won’t mind. He can come, or he can stay.’ Sirius froze. He didn’t particularly want to go shopping; he’d never been to a muggle store before and doubted it would end well for him to do so while Lily’s family was around.

‘Mum,’ Lily said, her tone almost pleading.

‘Don’t start with me, Lillian. I hardly see you through the year and you’re only here for a two days. I want some time with both of my daughters.’ Lily said nothing. ‘Hurry up, Petunia’s already in the car,’ Mrs Evans said, her voice fading.

‘I’m not going,’ Lily muttered. ‘Honestly.’ She turned back to Orla and Sirius. ‘Sorry about Mum.’

‘Are you sure you don’t want to go?’ Sirius asked. ‘This is might be the only chance to spend time with her before the summer.’ He knew how important time with parents was now that his were gone.

‘Well, it might be nice, but Tuney’s going. And I’m not leaving you here by yourself.’

‘Your Dad’s here,’ Sirius said, cheerfully. ‘I promise not to blow anything up, or set up a prank in your room.’ Lily bit her lip. ‘Go, Lils,’ he said gently.

‘Behave,’ she said sternly and then threw her arms around him. ‘Thank you.’ 

Lily ran down the stairs pulling Orla down with her.