Love Can Be Found In the Darkest of Places (A Marauders FanFiction)

Chapter 16: The Attack

Near Christmas Time

December, 1977

Sirius and Rose sat at the table in the Great Hall for their Saturday morning breakfast, the Daily Prophet splayed out in front of them. Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters took up the majority of that day’s news – the attacks had grown more frequent and more violent. There was even some talk that in addition to his Death Eaters, Voldemort had recruited a number of other creatures – giants, werewolves, and the like – into his fold.

“This is just awful,” Rose said, as her eyes scanned over the last sentence of an article about a muggle family killed in London with three little girls. “I wish we could do something about it.” Her emerald eyes darkened and he knew what she was thinking about – her mother.

He reached across the table and took her hand, squeezing it lightly. “I know. Believe me love, I know. But all we can really do right now is finish school and then join the fight.” She glanced up at the professor’s table, noting that Dumbledore was missing from his usual seat yet again. He’d been gone a fair amount lately and she wondered if he was doing something for the cause.

“Fancy a trip to Hogsmeade?” he asked, lightening the mood and shooting Rose her favorite half smile that made his eyes crinkle up. And for a moment, she forgot about it all. Sirius was good at doing that.

--

“You know you want to,” James was saying, giving Lily his best puppy dog eyes. “I mean you said it yourself, Evans – you don’t find me completely intolerable now.” Lily Evans rolled her eyes at him. They were standing out in the courtyard, and people were gathering to set off for the last Hogsmeade trip before the holidays. A little ways ahead of them were Sirius and Rose, who had her completely in his arms while she was laughing her head off over something he’d said.

“Just because you’re not completely intolerable anymore does not mean that I am willing to go on a date with you, Potter. Keep asking me and I might have to take that back.”

“Maybe this is the last time I’ll ever ask,” he fired back, knowing that that was a complete lie but running with it anyway. “Maybe you’re too proud for me.”

“Too proud?” she laughed, feeling aggravated and almost giddy all at once. “Why on earth would you say that?”

“Well it’s obvious, innit? Now that you’ve realized that I’m actually quite and a decent person and also stunningly attractive, you still can’t even give me a chance because it would just prove that you were wrong to reject me for six years and Lily Evans doesn’t want to be wrong.”

“I am not too proud!” she scoffed, swatting at his arm. He was a fair bit taller than she was so she had to crane her neck back a bit in order to properly glare at him.

“Then go out with me!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“Well if you insist,” James grinned triumphantly, tricking her into saying yes. He wouldn’t let her out of this one. A little ways away Severus Snape was watching their exchange, a scowl on his face at the sight of James steadily winning over the girl he’d loved since even before Hogwarts.

“You tricked me,” she complained, glaring at James. “Alright, FINE, Potter. But don’t keep your hopes up.”

--

“Bloody hell, would you look at that?” Rose said in bewilderment as her eyes caught hold of James Potter and Lily Evans grabbing a table across the room from her and Sirius at the Three Broomsticks, which was quite busy today. Lily was blushing ever-so-slightly and James looked like he’d just about won the Quidditch World Cup.