Too Little Too Late

Chapter 23 | Edited

"Okay." 

That was the only word that James needed to hear for a grin to split across his face. "You will? Really?" 

"Well, why not? Where else do I have to go?" Lily replied, her own smile matching James'. 

And with that, the couple began to discuss colour patterns and locations... of their new house. James had asked Lily whether she wanted to move in with him, after having noticed that Lily was worrying about where she would live after the deaths of her parents. He knew that he could have moved back in with his parents, or even moved out with Sirius with the financial support of his (very rich) parents until he had a job that paid well enough for them to support themselves. However, he knew that Lily had no one, and he wanted to be the person that she could rely on and even live with. When he had talked to Sirius about this, he had said that it was a great idea and mentioned moving out with Remus. Thus, James was able to ask Lily. She had accepted immediately, finally able to stop worrying about where she was to live. Lily had already talked about trying to move in with all of her friends. Alice, however, was moving in with Frank, who already had a flat. Marlene was planning on living with her parents, and there was no room to house anyone else... she had offered their settee though. Layla had no where to live herself, they had talked about trying to find somewhere together, but neither of them would have had anywhere to settle until they could find somewhere. 

This was a difficult time for all seventh year students who were trying to find a new place to live, as they did not know what jobs they would be able to get with their grades. Having already had their career meetings with their heads of house earlier that year, they knew that they could only apply for jobs after they were out of Hogwarts and had their grades in hand. This, of course, made it very difficult for those who did not have anywhere to live and would have to wait the month for their results. 

Layla was dreading it. 

Remus had offered to let her stay at his house for the summer, but she knew that he and Sirius had wanted to move out together at the beginning of the summer holidays, when properties would be cheaper. They could live off Sirius' inheritance an Remus' parent's support. She did not want to mess that up for them. At this rate, her best option was Marlene's couch. 

She had, in desperation, asked for another meeting with Professor McGonagall, hoping that the professor could give her some advice on what she could do until she had her grades and, then, job. Professor McGonagall had the slightest pity in her expression as she agreed to talk to Layla about her options, precisely  two days before their exams would begin. 

Thus, two days before their exams started, Layla excused herself from the constant studying that she and the other seventh years had been undergoing. She began to make her way to McGonagall's office, all the while keeping her fingers crossed that this would keep her from worrying too much, therefore allowing her to concentrate on her exams to be able to actually get the grades she needed for a job. 

To her surprise, when she knocked on the door to McGonagall's office and was asked to enter, she was not only greeted by professor McGonagall. 

It was professor Dumbledore who smiled warmly at Layla, still showing signs of surprise. McGonagall gestured Layla towards a comfortable looking chair, next to the chair Dumbledore had been occupying before he stood to greet her. He sat down when Layla  did, McGonagall sitting down just after. 

"So, as I was telling professor Dumbledore earlier in the week, you're here to discuss your future, specifically where you are going to live and what you are going to do before you receive your NEWT results and can apply for jobs." McGonagall began to Layla, who nodded. "Professor Dumbledore had a suggestion that I quite agreed would be a good idea, so I asked him to join in our meeting." 

"Before I say anything further, Miss Reid, I must ask your permission to perform the obliviate charm on you if you do not wish to take my suggestion. If you do not consent to your memory being wiped then I shall leave my interference with your meeting here and leave you in the capable hands of Professor McGonagall." Dumbledore said to Layla, with a serious expression, making sure to impress upon her that he was not joking in the slightest. 

Layla had to think for a second, wondering whether she was okay with potentially losing part of her memory. However, she did trust Dumbledore's judgement, and she would not remember either way. "I consent to you wiping my memory of this meeting if need be, but please professor could it not be any before this meeting?" She said finally. 

"Perfect!" Dumbledore replied cheerily, his serious expression dropping to a pleasant smile. "Now, I know how your family has been effected by Lord Voldemort." Layla gasped quietly as she heard the name. She was also not used to people casually bringing up He Who Must Not Be Named, and especially not them bringing up how he had murdered her family. This was Dumbledore, however, and he was very different than anyone Layla had ever met. "And, having watched your peers and yourself grow over the past seven years, I believe that you would do anything in your power to fight against Lord Voldemort. In fact, I believe that was why you were applying for a position as a healer at St Mungo's, correct?" 

Layla nodded, not wanting to interrupt Dumbledore. 

"I also will do anything in my power to fight against Lord Voldemort. That is why I have created a group of witches and wizards who are going to help in the fight against Voldemort and his death eaters. We are the people who are already working against Voldemort and the death eaters, who are going to try and put this war to an end. I would like to invite you to join The Order of the Phoenix." Dumbledore finished impressively. 

Layla gaped for a second. She was being invited, by Dumbledore himself, to join the resistance against Voldemort, the killer of her family, when she left Hogwarts. 

"I- yes. Yes, of course. I would love to Professor Dumbledore. When can I join? How?" She said quickly, knowing from the moment that she was invited that she would be accepting. This was everything she had wanted to do after Hogwarts, make a difference in the war. 

"Brilliant, I knew you would." Professor Dumbledore said with a smile, then grinned at Professor McGonagall. "You were right Minerva." 

"So, now that is settled, I must impress upon you Miss Reid that you cannot tell any of your friends about this. No one must know unless I tell them. I will be inviting some of your friends to join, but I shall tell you whether they accepted or whether their memories have been wiped. The first meeting that you shall be invited to will be after you have graduated. It shall be in the Order's headquarters. I shall tell you the location later on. That, coincidentally, will be where you will be living until you can and want to move out on your own." 

"Th- thank you so much, Professor Dumbledore, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this." Layla replied. 

"It is my pleasure, Miss Reid. Now, let us discuss the details."