Shooting Star

Chapter Twenty-Two

We finally got done with school. We all passed our NEWTS as well, which was nice. James insisted we all go to the Three Broomsticks to celebrate.
Sirius wasn't drinking, because after we were done, we were going to rat out Peter. (No pun intended.) Lily, Remus and I only sipped butterbeers, and Severus, as a rule, didn't drink. I felt sick, and I'm sure Lily and Sirius weren't feeling all too lovely either.
Therefore, James had no fun and was done early.
He had made us all promise to go to his house that night, probably because Lily, Sirius and I had nowhere else to go. Severus went home, though. James had offered, and he and the boys got along relatively well now, as Lily and I had laid that rule down, but they still weren't fond of each other.
"You're looking lovely tonight." Sirius said, kissing my cheek.
"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself." I smiled.
"You know where I wanna see that dress?" He smirked.
"No, but I'm sure you'll tell me."
"On my bedroom floor."
"Yeah, I bet you do. Keep dreaming, love."
"James?" Sirius said when we got to his house.
"Yeah?" He didn't seem to notice how stressed we were.
Lily looked like she was about to cry. I'm sure I did too. Remus looked from me to Lily to Sirius and back again, judging from our expressions that something was wrong.
Peter grabbed his arm. "I have to go." He said quietly.
"You can't stay?" James looked crestfallen.
"No. I've got to go. Sorry. Thanks, mate."
"Bye." We all chorused.
As soon as he was out the door, Lily and I burst into tears. Sirius looked like he'd be glad to join us.
James swept Lily into his arms. "What's wrong, love?" He asked, but she pushed him away, shaking her head. She wasn't going to say it.
Sirius stared down at the ground. He didn't want to break his best friends' hearts. He wasn't going to say it.
"Peter's a Death Eater." I said so quietly that only Remus heard me, since he was right beside me.
"Peter's what?" He said, sounding half shocked, half doubtful.
"Yeah." Sirius said.
"Peter's what?" James asked.
"He's a Death Eater!" Lily shrieked. "Peter's a Death Eater!"
"Peter's a Death Eater?" James asked quietly.
"That's why he left. Didn't you see him grab his arm? His Mark burned." I said.
James sat down on the couch, running his hands over his face. Remus leaned against the wall, staring at the ground.
Sirius, Lily and I stood by uncertainly. We'd stopped crying, though.
"Are you sure?" James asked eventually.
"Positive. We were in his head, remember?" I said.
"I know, I know. But are you sure?"
"Yes, James." Sirius said quietly, wrapping his arms around my waist and putting his chin on my shoulder.
"Why didn't you tell us before?" Remus asked.
"We wanted you to enjoy the rest of your year." Lily said.
"You didn't have to carry that alone." James snapped, angry that we had tried to protect him.
"Yes, we did. And you had a wonderful year, didn't you, James?" Lily said.
Mrs. Potter came in, smiling. "Hey! So, school's out. What's the plan?" She stopped when she saw us. "What's wrong? Is everybody okay?" Her eyes went first to Remus, so I guess she knew, then to Sirius, then James. She looked at me a Lily. "Why are we crying, girls?" Her voice was so gentle and soft. I missed my mother.
"Pete's a Death Eater." James said.
"Peter's what?" Mrs. Potter said quietly.
"A Death Eater."
Telling them all that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It was harder than failing a test; it was harder than getting beat; it was harder than seeing in Sirius' and Remus' heads; it was harder than attending my parents' funeral.
They told Mr. Potter, and his response was wordless: he brought out the firewhiskey.
Even Lily, Remus, Mrs. Potter and I drank a little bit.
"When you girls are ready for bed, I'll take you to a room." Mrs. Potter told us as we watched the boys drink.
"Okay. Thank you." We said.
I leaned my head on Remus' shoulder, sighing. "Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yeah. I guess so."
I didn't realize I was falling asleep until Lily shook me and suggested we go to bed. I agreed, and we followed Mrs. Potter out.
"All of these rooms are empty." Mrs. Potter led us into a hallway. "These two are James' and Sirius'." She pointed at the first two. "Remus will probably sleep in James' or in this one." She pointed to the one beside James. "Take your pick of the rest."
"Do you wanna sleep in the same room?" Lily asked as Mrs. Potter left to go to her room.
"Yeah." I said. I didn't want to sleep alone.
Once I changed, I dropped my dress on Sirius' bedroom floor.
"Sirius is probably going to come get you." She said as we pulled back the covers.
"Yeah, I know. James'll probably get you." I said.
"Yeah, I know."
"I just want to sleep." I laughed a little bit.
"Me too."

"Eliza?" I heard someone whisper.
"Get off me, Black. She's on the other side." Lily mumbled.
"Oh, sorry, Evans."
I got up grudgingly and followed Sirius into his room. He sat down on his bed and looked at me. "James and Remus..."
"Yeah, I know." I sighed, sitting down beside him. He smelled like firewhiskey, and I didn't want to be near him.
He put his arm around me, and we sat like that for a while. The door opened and James came in. "Eliza, good. You're here." He pulled Lily in after him, bedhead and all. "I see you haven't heeded my advice."
"Can you guys keep it down?" Remus called.
"No. Get in here, Moony."
"What advice?" I asked as Remus came in.
"To change your last name."
"James, please." Sirius sighed.
"No. We all think it should happen, do we not?" He looked at Remus and Lily for support.
"I think they should do what they want to do." Lily said, ever faithful.
"But they both want it." James said. "Sirius is just being a sissy."
"I'm not being a sissy." Sirius rolled his eyes. "I'm being respectful."
"How?" Lily and I both asked, looking at him weird.
"Nobody wants the last name Black." He shrugged.
"And why not?" Remus said.
"Because it's deeply associated with the Dark Lord. Nobody wants that tie."
"Says who?" I raised my eyebrows. "Just because a name is associated with it doesn't mean everybody with the name is."
"Most people aren't that understanding."
"Padfoot, mate, you've said it yourself that you can't live without her." Remus said.
Heat flared into my cheeks and I looked down.
"All right, guys, this isn't a place we need to be." Lily said. "Let's go to bed."
"All right." James said, and pulled them both back out. Isn't he clever?
"Sirius--" I began.
"What? You can't honestly want to marry me."
"And why the hell not?"
"Because I'm me, and you're you."
"Your point?"
"You're good, I'm evil. You're light, I'm--"
"Shut up."
"All right."
"Don't be selfish, Black."
"How am I being selfish by putting your needs before mine?"
"Because you aren't doing that." I stood up and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, Sirius."
"Goodnight." He said quietly.
I paused in the doorway and turned around. "And just so you know, I'd love to have the last name Black." I smiled, and walked out.
"Eliza!" Sirius called, and I turned around. He held out my dress, neatly folded, and chuckled. "Touché."