A/N: Tell me what you think.
Four Years Gone
Summery: Evie Grey has been asked to join the Order of the Phoenix by an old schoolmate that she was less than happy to see. Without knowing of what adventures lay ahead she agrees to help all she can. She catches up with old friends, and maybe spark a romance that she thought had no hope. Marauder Era
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, okay? ;)
Chapter 1: Old friends
"Surprise," Sirius Black said half-heartedly as I opened the door of my flat. He leaned nonchalantly on the opposite wall, his arms folded across his chest.
"Hmm, not a very good one," I replied, mimicking his folded arms. Why in hell was he here, I asked myself.
"Oh, you lie. Four years it's been now, I thought it time for a reunion!" He said moving from his position on the wall. Two steps later he was in front of me, staring down with those same intense gray eyes I used to know so well.
"So, you going to let me in?" He asked softly tilting his head to one side.
"Not like you ever needed permission before," I said taking a few steps back to let him through the door.
"Nice place Evie," Sirius said his voice fading as he walked into the living room.
"Merlin," I whispered under my breath closing the door.
I followed him into the living room where I found him making himself quite at home. I took a deep breath and asked, "Erm, would you like a drink?"
"No, no. I don't think this will take much time," Sirius replied picking up a toy car from the coffee table.
"You have a kid now?" Sirius asked twirling the car around in his hand.
"Oh, no. It's my little brother. He's six. Stays over occasionally, when he needs to get away for a bit," I said siting across from him on the love seat.
"A six year old needing to get away?" Sirius asked with a small smile.
"You weren't the only one with bad parents, Sirius, I thought I told you about our father?" I asked trying to remember back to our Hogwarts days.
"Yes, well, its been a hectic four years," He said putting the car back down.
"I think that's enough with the small talk, Sirius. What did you come here for?" I asked seriously leaning back into my seat to get comfortable. Even though he said this wouldn't take long, I had a feeling it would.
"Order of the Phoenix, have you heard of it?" He asked looking me dead in the eye.
"Whispers about it," I said softly, biting my lip and casting my eyes to the floor trying to escape his stare.
"You know what's going on Evie, it's a war. The Order needs young witches like you on our side," Sirius said passionately.
"To fight against this Dark Lord? How did he get so powerful so fast anyway?" I asked on the edge of my seat. Finally my questions were going to get some sane answers, my investigative senses kicked in. I felt like I was getting a huge scoop.
"It wasn't fast. Apparently he has been rising since we were kids! He's been getting more and more followers and now they are taking action. Innocent muggles and half bloods are being killed every day! We need everyone we can get to help," Sirius exclaimed.
"Why would you need someone like me? I'm just a journalist! I write for the Daily Prophet! It's not like I can make the head line 'Join today!'" I said rolling my eyes.
"We need you for recruiting, and maybe even fighting when the time comes for it. We need your voice in the meetings, if anyone knows what's all going on in the wizard and muggle world it's you!" He said moving across to sit beside me.
"I have to think about this! This is a big thing!" I said, then glancing at the clock and reading 7:21 AM, I looked back at Sirius.
"7:20! I'm going to be late for work! Why did you come so early in the morning anyway?" I asked heading for the kitchen for some coffee.
"I have a job too you know! My day doesn't consist of recruiting pretty women," He said with a wink.
I rolled my eyes again and said, "So when do you need your answer? I'll probably be thinking about it all day, its hard to get something like that off your mind. Tonight?"
"We could meet at Locals? You know down the street?" He asked watching me stir my coffee.
"Yeah, I know. 8:30?" I asked.
"8:30," He confirmed.
"Okay, Evangeline?" Mr. Grant asked throwing some folders on to my desk. And as if the pile of folders couldn't get any bloody bigger.
"Yes sir, just a little out of it I guess. I had a late start this morning," I said picking up the folders and adding them to the ever growing stack.
"Well, looks like you've got a lot of work to do. So I'll leave you to it," He said walking back to his office. I made a face at him or rather at his closed door.
"Hullo Evie," Alanna said dropping her bag behind her desk.
"Are you just now getting in?" I asked raising my head to look at her. Her hair was half-way down her back and a dirty blond color today. Alanna has been my best friend for four years now, ever since I started working at the Prophet.
"Yeah, I had to take Wes to Diagon Alley this morning! He swallowed something weird again," She said picking up her stack of folders, which I happened to notice was considerably smaller than mine.
"Oh, sorry about that! I bet it's a sock again. Oh, and I like blond on you," I said still eying her folders. Wes is Alanna's owl who has seemed to take up the habit of eating socks, preferably striped ones.
"Thanks! So, we on for drinks after work?" Alanna asked.
"Yeah. Oh never mind, sorry, I forgot I'm meeting an old friend from school," I said remembering my brief meeting with Sirius this morning.
"A guy friend? Tell me!" Alanna said dropping the folders back of the desk and siting down in front of mine.
"Yes, but just a friend!" I said smiling at Alanna's eager face.
"Sure, sure. Just a friend," Alanna winked and then added, "Where are you meeting at?"
"Like I'd be daft enough to tell you! You'd follow me there!" I said laughing.
"Please! I wont, I promise! Tell me what he looks like then! I might know him," Alanna said eagerly.
"Shaggy black hair, gray eyes, very tall, motorcycle..." I said but Alanna's face was blank.
"Guess you don't know him," I said smiling.
"No, but he sounds handsome," Alanna sighed. I just smiled and kept working.
"8:30!" Alanna announced as we walked through the revolving doors of the Prophet.
"I think you are way too excited, you're not even meeting him!" I chuckled.
"So! You better go!" Alanna said.
"Okay, okay!" I said. I apperated to Locals where I found Sirius and Remus Lupin waiting outside.
"Oh Remus!" I said giving him a hug. He looked so tired and worn, these four years really took a toll on him. His light brown hair even had strands of gray at the temples that made him look older than he was.
"Ah, Evie! How are you?" Remus said with that boyish grin I knew and loved. Well at least one thing hasn't changed, I thought. I could also see that same glint of playfulness in his eyes. He was still the same old Remus.
"Fine, fine. And you!" I said smiling.
"Can't complain," He answered grinning, he glanced over at Sirius.
"Sirius," I said nodding my head. He smiled in return, gesturing toward the door. Remus walked ahead of us, Sirius leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Why didn't I get that warm of a welcome this morning?"
I looked back at him and he was smiling his trademark mischievous grin. He knew exactly why he didn't get that warm of a welcome! Sirius and I didn't leave Hogwarts on that good of terms. No, we left on horrible terms.
Remus had been there for me ever since first year to seventh. I never knew why we stopped talking after graduation. I barely ever spoke to any of my old friends from Hogwarts, scratch that, I never spoke to any of them.
Remus grabbed a table towards the back of the pub, where we were least likely to be over heard.
"So, you have an answer for us?" Sirius asked getting straight to business.
"Yes I have an answer, but first I would like to know a little more of what I'm getting myself into," I said looking at both of them for some answers.
"It was founded by Dumbledore, as probably already know. It's an organization for fighting against the 'Dark Lord'. Blah blah blah. I can't tell you much here, you never know who is listing!" Sirius said.
"Wow, that sure is helpful!" I said sarcastically.
Remus smiled that boyish grin and said, "We could tell you more at headquarters, but thats only if your on our side."
"Yes. I want to do everything I can to help. I don't know how much that will be, but I am willing," I said nodding my head to convince myself.
"Excellent!" Sirius said, then added, "Shall I get us some drinks?"
"Yes, the usual, all a round," Remus said smiling.
"What is the usual?" I asked watching Sirius's back walk toward the bar.
"Fire whiskey," Remus said.
"Oh no. I haven't had that in years. I don't usually go to magical pubs anymore," I admitted.
"Shame. That's probably why you don't see any of us!" Remus said teasingly.
"How are James and Lily?" I asked. I often wondered how Lily was, she had been my best friend for seven years in Hogwarts. We just sort of drifted apart after graduation.
"Their having a baby! She is three months along right now," Remus said smiling.
"Oh really! That's excellent! I wish I could see her!" I exclaimed, then sighed. Everything had changed, so much in just four years! A baby, a whole tiny person was inside Lily.
"You will if you come to headquarters with us. She is probably there now," He said glancing at his watch.
"After drinks, we'll go then?" I asked eagerly, reminding myself of Alanna.
"Sure," He said with a smile.
"Here we are!" Sirius said pushing a glass into my hand.
"Thanks," I said half-heartedly.
"Sirius, Evie wants to go to headquarters right after drinks," Remus said smiling.
"Really? Why?" Sirius asked turning to me.
"Lily," I said taking a sip of the burning liquid.
"You pulled out the Lily card, mate?" Sirius asked Remus laughing.
"No, she asked first," He said taking a gulp out of his goblet.
"Its not like you can go anyway," Sirius said.
"Why can't I?" Remus asked.
"If you were paying any attention to the last meeting you would have realized that you volunteered your self to go recruit tonight," Sirius smiled and winked at him.
"What! Bollocks," Remus said sighing.
"I would have warned you mate, if you hadn't been staring at a certain cousin of mine!" Sirius said playfully hitting him on the arm.
"I wasn't staring. She had blue hair for Merlin's sake! Who couldn't have been staring!" Remus said laughing.
"Better get going, Moony. Oh, and here's your list," Sirius said handing him a piece of crumpled paper.
"Damn," Remus said glancing at the parchment then added looking up, "Sorry I can't come with you."
"That's okay, maybe some other time, yeah?" I said smiling.
"Yeah, I'm sure we'll be see a lot more of each other now. Bye then," Remus said looking back down at the parchment.
"Bye Remus," I said.
"I'll stop by later Moony, okay?" Sirius said smiling and Remus's back. I heard a faint distracted "okay" from Remus.
"Can't believe he fell for that!" Sirius said downing the last bit of drink in his goblet.
"What?" I asked confused.
"Ha! That was my list! He wasn't paying a bit of a attention today in the meeting so he wouldn't have known I got assigned to do that!" He said laughing.
"Same old Sirius," I said shaking my head.
"What? And you're not the same old Evie?" Sirius asked smirking.
"I think I've changed some," I said setting my drink on the table. I decided that I had not missed fire whiskey at all!
"Yeah. Like you used to be able to down that stuff," He said eying my still full mug of whiskey.
"Muggle liqueur isn't as strong as this," I said sending a disgusted look towards the mug.
"So you ready to go to headquarters?" Sirius asked standing up then coming around the table to pull my chair out for me. Maybe not the same old Sirius, I thought standing up. He smiled and led the way out of the pub.
As soon as we were out the pub Sirius pulled a scrap piece of parchment out of his pocket and handed it to me. It read Saber Sanctuary.
"Saber Sanctuary?" I asked raising my eye brows.
"Yeah," He said then apperated.
"Thanks for waiting," I sighed then apperated.
"What the hell?" I asked looking around. Sirius was no where to be seen and the only thing in sight defiantly did not look like a "sanctuary". It was a shack that look like it was being held up by exactly two nails.
"Sirius!" I exclaimed stomping my foot in to the soggy grass, my heal sunk into the ground.
"Great," I said to myself.
"What are you waiting for?" Sirius said peeking his head outside the door.
"I would ask if you're serious, but I know what the answer will be," I said with a sigh and pulled out my heal. Sirius just smiled and opened the door for me.
"Wow," I said exasperated, and from all different directions I heard 'Evie!'.
A/N: Review!