1962 ── lily evans

THREE

THREE

A GINGER and a brunette walked briskly down the pavement together that Friday night, hidden by the shadows that followed as twilight swept in. Despite telling her mother she'd be fine on her own, a small sense of worry built up inside of Lennon Lowe that evening, yet she would never let it show to the outside world.

Their lengthy trek to the grim building in which the meeting was held was entirely uneventful, filled with small snippets of random chatter and little bouts of excitement at the prospect of that evening's discussion. With great anticipation, they entered side by side, squeezing through the small doorway. Down the hall, they heard voices and coaxed each other closer until they'd pushed open a squealing door and entered a room filled almost to the brim with people - old, young, female, male.

Although the clock had just struck ten, a lecture seemed to be in full swing. All eyes fell to a man, a few years older than the pair who had just entered. He was tall, yet not lanky, his body filled out with muscles, and his ebony hair was tousled atop his head. His jaw was chiselled, and was needled neatly with stubble. Immediately, the two girls were more than interested in what he was saying.

"Nuclear weapons do not protect us - they threaten our very existence. They signify what may be our downfall," he spoke, his voice calm but almost trembling with control. "Missiles, based here in Old Blighty itself, are hundreds of times more powerful than those used at Hiroshima. And yet, people spread all across the country support them. And so, what is there to do? What is to be done?"

Groups of friends broke out into quiet conversation about it, as if discussing the complex solution to the problem at hand. A buzz settled around the small hall, and yet Lily and Lennon didn't exchange a single word - instead, they watched intently as the room exploded into creative pockets of conversation.

"The government can't ignore this, they can't ignore everyone! If we get more people on board, we could make a real impact!" It was an even taller boy who spoke this time, messy dark curls framing his face and spectacles propped upon his nose. He too sat at the front, his voice echoing around the room, loud enough to startled the rest of the hall into silence.  

"And so how do we do that? How do we get these people on the streets and marching with us?" The original dark-haired protestor spoke with authority, but it was almost as if he shared a fleeting look of friendliness with the boy. Lennon wondered if they were truly mates outside of the meeting hall.

The man's eyes scanned the room, a hawk searching for it's prey, until his eyes fell upon the two girls who sat at the back, nervous yet entranced. His voice, booming as it bounced off the cracked, concrete walls of the building once again, spoke out to them curiously. 

"Girls? You're new, aren't you? What do you think? How do we get even more people on our side, the right side?" He raised an eyebrow with intrigued ease, watching them with eyes the colour of chocolate and honey, warm and surprisingly inviting despite how far away they sat.

Lennon and Lily shared a look, a mix of thrill and perturbation. In unison, the two looked back on the handsome man who stood centre stage. It was as if every person in the room had zeroed in on them, the unknown duo who were making their first appearance to the large group that filled the room. This moment was of the utmost importance for them should they wish to make a good impression.

"We need to raise awareness. Only people currently aware of the cause could ever find us here," Lennon spoke with ease, no longer bothered  by the onlooking crowd once she began to speak.

"Posters across the city. Discussions on the radio. More rallies. The more representation we get, the more followers we'll gain." Lily had joined in, the group of butterflies fluttering rabidly in her stomach completely unknown to the group, who perceived her as calm and collected.

"Whatever we do, it's got to be soon if we want to make a real difference. It's madness," Lennon added, her voice smooth despite the anger that had settled in her throat.

The man at the front nodded, a sly smirk on his lips as he made his satisfaction with their answer clear. Taking their response into account, he continued with another fervent speech, fire in his eyes as he ranted to the crowd. For the remainder of the meeting, which lasted no more than an hour longer, the main speaker was the dark-haired mystery with the deafening confidence that filled the entire room.

At the end, as the majority of the room left, the man made a beeline for the two girls who were yet to stand from their seats. Following behind him, walking at a far more leisurely pace as they nattered away, were three boys. The first, the curious, bespectacled boy. The second, a lanky boy with scars drawn across his pale skin and a fading jumper draped over his shoulders. The third, a smaller boy with dark blonde hair and eyebags painted underneath his eyes, purple and blue like a bruise. Regardless, he seemed the cheeriest of the three, a small smile dancing across his thin lips. 

"Good answers for newbies," the first teased, a smirk staining his lips. He was clearly the leader, exuding an impressive air of confidence the other three didn't quite seem to possess. 

"What made you think they'd be anything but?" Lennon interjected, her voice sharp in comparison to the boy's easy, joking tone.

"Usually, they're shit. You two, you seem alright. I'm Sirius, Sirius Black." A hand jutted out from his side, and the girls took turns in shaking it. "This is James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. These lads, they're alright too."

"They sure look alright," Lily murmured to herself, speaking quietly so only Lennon could hear. Or so she assumed, at least - she hadn't noticed Sirius' growing smirk.

"Would you lovely ladies like to join us for drinks? We're headed to the pub 'round the corner," James cut in, and Lily's smile brightened significantly.

"What do you think, Len?" Lily turned her hair, ginger locks flying out of place and over her shoulder as a result of her abrupt movement. 

Lennon was shocked to say the least. Despite the fact they both disliked rules, and were often known to ignore them, Lily was far more well-behaved than Lennon. She was usually opposed to alcohol - and scared of Lennon's mother's wrath, too - but it seemed that when boys were involved, she swallowed the notion of it right up.

"Sounds good to me." Lennon nodded, and followed the parade of boys out of the door. She knew her mother would go crazy - in fact, she could practically envision the very argument they were sure to have later on - but she couldn't bring herself to care. After all, their first meeting had gone swimmingly, and didn't they deserve a little celebration?