A/N: All right, first things first. And you're not going to like it. I'm officially ending this story. I just haven't felt motivated to write it lately, and you all deserve better. So this will be the last chapter. I've done my best to make it feel like a proper ending. Also, everyone makes an appearance in this one (minus Rose), plus you get a cameo from Benjy's gf :)
I'm so, so, sorry to have to do this. I've loved writing this story (I know that sounds weird since I just said I'm ending it, but it's difficult to explain) and I've appreciated all of your support as readers more than you'll know.
One more time, my many thanks to: PassionateDarkness, BellaBlack23, shannonnicole9, purple jellyfish, Genie15, vampire-luver101, PseudonymousPersona, SophieNewman, twilightstargazer, SlytherinPrincess792, smalls907, Beaner883, heartofgoldd, SiriusBlackIsAwesome, potterheadinitiatetribute, RidingonRumbleroar'sback, HelenaThePineappleEater, Eldar-Melda, Kathleen Kelly, LilyEvans2510, JadedLights07, bow down to me peasants, Jess the Enthusiast, jamespotterthefirst, freakingenius, and Pixies Between The Pages for reviewing since the last update!
August 15, 1977, 7:43am
DM: Good morning.
RL: It is morning, all right.
DM: But not a good one?
RL: Well, I could lie and say it is.
DM: No, I didn't really expect it to be. I don't know why I asked.
DM: You're sure I can't come over?
RL: I'd rather you didn't. For your sake.
DM: But I don't care, you know.
RL: You might. It's worse over the summer, since it's just me locked up with myself.
DM: All the more reason for me to be there. I'm your girlfriend, after all.
RL: Yes, but I don't think girlfriend protocol usually covers werewolf boyfriends.
DM: I can see why James said to tell you to just shut up in moments like these.
RL: You talked to James about me?
DM: No, he offered that advice out of the blue. I was out with him and Lily last night, and I believe his exact words were "If Remus tries to tell you he doesn't deserve good things in life, just tell him he can stuff it."
DM: He's a pretty decent bloke, that James Potter.
RL: He is. Honestly, though, you don't have to worry about me. I've been doing this for over ten years now, I can handle it on my own.
DM: That doesn't mean you should have to. And I do worry, there's nothing you can do about that. Just like there's nothing you can do about the fact that I'm in love with you.
RL: I know. And . . . I love you, too.
(6:32pm)
DM: He said it.
LE: He did?
DM: Well, wrote it. And it might have been accidental because he was still recovering from the full moon.
LE: Of course it wasn't! Dorcas, that's lovely!
DM: I rather think so.
DM: I don't suppose he or James would ever consider double dating.
LE: I think James would split up with me for even suggesting it.
August 16, 1977, 10:48am
JP: Moony's in looooooooove.
SB: Merlin, not him too. Am I the only sane one left of us?
JP: Probably. Except maybe Peter. Where has he been anyway? I haven't seen him in ages.
SB: I haven't told you? Oh, it's brilliant. I can't believe I forgot to tell you. His mum's making him take dance lessons—something about his cousin getting married this winter. Dance lessons, Prongs. Wormtail. Dancing. And the best bit is that his mum's his partner when he practices.
JP: The image will remain burned behind my eyelids for all eternity.
SB: But you haven't actually seen it.
JP: My imagination is sufficient. Why, have you?
SB: No. But now that you bring it up . . . I wonder how difficult it would be to find out where his lessons are?
JP: Probably not very.
(3:35pm)
JP: Ha.
PP: What?
JP: You going to sweep me off my feet when term starts, Wormtail?
PP: Er, what?
JP: Waltz off into the sunset?
PP: Oh. Padfoot told you, then.
JP: Don't know what possessed you to tell him in the first place. Me, I'd take something like that to the grave.
PP: I had to complain to someone. But I told him not to tell anyone.
JP: And have you not met Padfoot? He's not known as the world's best secret keeper.
PP: S'pose. No chance any of you lot would want to rescue me this week?
JP: Probably not.
PP: Right. Well, are you buying your school things soon? I'd rather not spend any more time with Mum than I have to.
JP: Yeah, I'll let you know when we're going.
PP: Thanks.
(4:51pm)
MM: Brilliant. Everyone is in love except me.
LE: Now, that is entirely untrue, McKinnon, and you know it.
MM: Fine. Still, what a way to start off seventh year.
LE: There are worse ways to begin a year.
MM: Name one.
LE: Accidentally touching bubotuber pus in our first Herbology lesson of fourth year and having to rely on that awful seventh year boy to take notes for me for two weeks?
MM: Oh, I'd forgotten about that.
LE: Luck you. It was especially embarrassing because Professor Alder lectured me for a good fifteen minutes about properly securing my gloves before he even let me go to the hospital wing and by that time my hands were roughly the size of small melons.
MM: That seventh year wasn't too awful, though.
LE: That's right, you went to Hogsmeade with him, didn't you?
MM: It was all going well until his girlfriend showed up.
LE: I'd say that makes him fairly awful.
MM: Yeah, maybe. All right, maybe living the single life for a while won't be so terrible.
LE: There, you see?
August 20, 1977, 11:08am
JP: Do we have uniforms?
LE: For school? Yes, James, we have uniforms. I'm not surprised it took you this long to discover that, seeing as you never wear yours.
JP: I don't recall you ever complaining about my lack of clothes before. But no, I was talking about Head uniforms.
LE: Oh. No, just the badges.
JP: Really? Those aren't very distinctive. Shouldn't we have something that marks our rank more clearly?
LE: Merlin, the power's already going to your head, isn't it?
JP: Maybe that could be part of our campaign. We could design prefect uniforms as well.
LE: I don't think we have to campaign, we've already been given the positions. Unless you're planning on doing seventh year over and want to be Head Boy again.
JP: Absolutely not. Anyway, Peter wanted us to let him know when we're going to Diagon Alley for books and such.
LE: Soon, probably. Maybe tomorrow?
JP: Actually, I can't tomorrow. Last day of tutoring with good ol' Catfish. Maybe the day after, though?
LE: I'll see if that works for Marlene and Dorcas.
August 21, 1977, 7:27pm
JP: Have you seen Sirius?
LE: Did you see the Evening Prophet? Merlin, I'd never have guessed they'd be brash enough to attack Diagon Alley. It's horrible. Lucky the Aurors arrived so quickly. I just keep thinking about what would have happened if we'd decided to do our shopping today . . . it seems like nowhere is safe anymore.
JP: Lily. Have. You. Seen. Sirius.
LE: No. And I'm sorry, but I thought you'd take this a little more seriously instead of simply being concerned with rushing off to see your best friend.
JP: No, his bloody flat is in Diagon Alley! I tried to Apparate there just now, but they've got protective enchantments around the whole Alley, you can't even get within a mile of the Leaky Cauldron . . .
LE: Oh my god. Oh god, James, I didn't know. Have you talked to Remus or anyone? Maybe Sirius is with him. Or Peter.
JP: Okay. Okay. Yeah, I'll do that. And then I'll blast my way through the barriers around Diagon Alley if I have to.
LE: Please be careful.
JP: I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything.
(7:43pm)
LE: Ben?
BF: Yes, Lils?
LE: Have you seen Sirius today, by chance? Or do you know if Rebecca has?
BF: Er, no, not that I know of. Why?
LE: Just, you know, with the attacks today, and his flat is in Diagon Alley, and James hasn't heard from him yet and is now off on some mad search and I'm actually just as afraid he'll get himself hurt as I am for what's happened to Sirius.
BF: Shit. I didn't know—Jesus. Okay, I'll check with Rebecca just to be sure she hasn't talked to him lately.
BF: Don't do anything stupid without me, Evans.
LE: I should have said the same to James. I should have gone with him, instead of just sitting here uselessly . . .
BF: He'll be all right. Straight back to being his usual prat self by this time tomorrow, don't you worry.
LE: I'll do my best. Let me know what Rebecca says, yeah?
(8:16pm)
JP: Sirius?
JP: If you have ever held my sanity in the slightest regard, you will answer this.
JP: Sirius Orion Black, you'd better not be dead.
JP: Because when I find you, I'm going to kill you.
JP: Answer me, god dammit!
(8:39pm)
RA: Um, Lily? Hi, this is Rebecca—Fenwick said you were looking for Black?
LE: Yes! Have you seen him?
RA: Not recently, I mean not since this morning. I met friends for brunch at the Leaky Cauldron, and he was there . . . I'm trying to remember what he said he was doing tonight. It was something about . . . dancing? It stuck with me because it sounded so far from something he would do. I'm sorry, I don't remember any more than that.
LE: Honestly, anything helps. Maybe it will mean something to James. Thank you so much.
LE: Wait, you were in the Cauldron? Are you all right?
RA: Oh, yes, I was long gone by the time the attacks happened. Of course, Benjy has forbidden me to ever leave my house again, which should make school an interesting problem, but yes, I'm fine.
LE: Good. And thanks again.
RA: I hope he's all right.
LE: Me too.
(8:51pm)
LE: Does dancing make any sense to you? Not as a general concept, but as something connected to where Sirius might be?
JP: What? What the bloody hell does—oh for Merlin's sake. I know where he is. That absolute wanker.
(9:03pm)
SB: Merlin, calm down with the notes, would you? Nearly got me caught, you did. But you'll be happy to know that the rumors are true. Peter Pettigrew is, indeed, cavorting about the city in dress robes and shiny black shoes. Had to sneak in to his house using the Cloak, and I nearly got attacked by his cat—bloody things—but I managed to find out where his lessons were. I had a job not dissolving into hysterics during the hour I watched invisibly from the sidelines, but sweet Merlin it was worth it. It was better than the time Moony got all of those awful sweaters from his mum for Christmas and actually wore them out in public. Or the time Evans switched out all of your Quidditch robes for dress robes, and you didn't find out until right before our match so you had to wear them. Wormtail will never live it down.
JP: You complete tosser.
SB: Yeah, all right, I should have told you and Moony about it so you could come along, but I only just figured out where the place was right before things were supposed to start, and I had to figure out somewhere to stand where I wouldn't get accidentally knocked into.
JP: You didn't even hear about them, did you?
SB: Hear about who?
JP: You'll want to stay at mine tonight, your place is probably still barricaded.
SB: What?
JP: Read a bloody paper now and again, yeah?
JP: Wait. How did you get my cloak? I though Remus had it. You know what, never mind. I don't even want to know.
(9:34pm)
JP: Well, I barely refrained from knocking him straight in the gob when I finally found him, but he's alive. Not a scratch on him.
LE: I'm sorry.
JP: That I found him? Yeah, me too a bit. He is a prat most of the time.
LE: No, I'm sorry I didn't come with you. I don't know why I didn't.
JP: Nah, then I'd have been worried about you getting hurt on account of me on top of everything else.
LE: Well from now on, your battles are my battles.
JP: Excellent. I've been saying for a while that we should have more than one sanctioned Hogsmeade visit a month, it'd make it much easier than having to sneak through the passageways all of the time. You've actually got some pull with McGonagall, though, so maybe you can get something going with that.
LE: I meant battles for actual causes.
JP: Oh, like the betterment of humanity and such?
LE: That's a bit lofty. Maybe somewhere in between those two.
JP: I know what you meant. I just like making your life a little more interesting.
LE: Challenging, you mean.
JP: Challenges are interesting.
LE: Merlin. You're infuriating, James Potter. I don't know why I love you.
JP: Me neither. But I'm very glad you do.
August 31, 1977, 8:54pm
JP: Okay, before you get upset, I realize I should have told you before now. I just didn't want to jinx it.
LE: Oh dear, now what?
JP: I'm not going to be on the train tomorrow. And I know, that technically means I'm missing my first official Head Boy duties, but I've already cleared it with McGonagall and everything.
JP: And this is me clearing it with you. Er, a bit late.
LE: I don't understand—where are you going?
JP: Quidditch tryouts. For Puddlemere United.
LE: What?
JP: I know, probably a long shot. But I'd regret it if I didn't go. They're three days long (assuming I make it that far), so I'll miss the first couple days of class, too.
LE: James! Why didn't you tell me?
JP: I know, I'm sorry. I honestly wasn't sure I was even going to do it until a few weeks ago.
LE: Weeks?
JP: You're angry.
LE: No, just confused why you hid it from me for so long.
JP: Well, it's not the most responsible career choice, is it?
LE: You thought I wouldn't approve?
JP: Sort of.
LE: You couldn't be more mistaken. I know how much you love Quidditch, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing something that makes you happy. Besides, I'll get to brag about my dishy, professional-Quidditch-playing boyfriend.
JP: Don't get too ahead of yourself there, Evans, I haven't made the team yet.
LE: You'll be brilliant. Have you told anyone else?
JP: No. Not even my mum knows.
LE: She'd want to know. So would Sirius and Remus and Peter. Of course they'd support it, if that's what you're worried about.
JP: Yeah, well, maybe after (if) I've signed on.
LE: You'd better get ready for us to be at every match. With obnoxious banners and t-shirts and everything.
JP: You'd better get ready for me to snog you in front of millions of fans every time we win. Even when we lose. In fact, especially when we lose.
LE: Oh, I will be. I'm not sure I'm ready for the girls that'll inevitably be fawning all over you, though.
JP: There's only one I care about, isn't there?
JP: That bird who sings lead for the Weird Sisters.
LE: Oh, sod off, Potter.
JP: You love me, Evans.
September 1, 1977, 11:07am
SB: Gentlemen, assume your positions.
RL: Assumed.
PP: What is it that we're doing?
SB: Merlin, Wormtail, don't you pay attention to anything I say?
PP: You just told me to find a compartment close to the front.
SB: Yes, and Moony and I have each got ones in the back, in case she starts from there.
PP: Who starts what?
SB: The trolley lady! We're going to buy out her entire stock of food and commence our final year in proper fashion.
PP: What about everyone else?
SB: There'll be food at the feast.
PP: That's nearly eight hours from now.
SB: Just keep an eye out for her, would you?
RL: You know, he has a point. It's a little cruel to deprive everyone else of sustenance for that long.
SB: We can sell it to them.
RL: For a profit, you mean.
SB: Of course. What would be the use, otherwise?
RL: I suppose.
SB: You can have all of the chocolate.
RL: Damn. You know me too well. All right.
SB: Knew you'd come around.
(11:23am)
SB: Hang on. Where's Prongs?
A/N: Well. That's it. Again, I am truly, truly sorry to be leaving you all like this. I hope we'll meet again someday!
Stay classy.
~WW