Marauders Mistakes (blackinnon)

part thirty six

Lily slowly closed the door to the bathroom behind her and Emmeline, and the girls began to walk towards the party. They were silent for a moment.

"Is that baby going to be okay Lils? I mean Marl drinks a lot.. and she's been smoking tonnes too." Emmeline asked, finally showing concern now Marlene couldn't hear her.

"I mean, I've done what I could, who knows." She said, wondering aloud. "She might not keep it anyway Em, you need to remember that."

Emmeline nodded. "I hope she does.."

"Really? You think they're ready?" Lily asked, doubtful.

"No of course not, but they will never be ready." Emmeline pointed out.

"Would the poor child not have a tough time with those two?"

"I think the child would give them a tougher time.."

The girls went quiet as they entered the kitchen, to find Mary sat alone on the breakfast counter. Emmeline froze in the doorway, and Lily's jaw dropped, but Emmeline wasn't frozen for long, she was over by Emmeline pushing her up against the wall with her wand under Mary's chin.

"When did you, Mary MacDonald first tell me you were gay?" Emmeline asked.

"New Year 1986." Mary whispered. "When did you, Emmeline Vance first kiss me?"

"The 19th of March 1985." Emmeline replied as she pulled Mary into a hug, her head resting on her shoulder.

Lily skirted around the outside of the room and made her way outside leaving the girls.

"I'm sorry, you know I had to check." Emmeline whispered in Mary's ear. "I'm so, so sorry."

Emmeline cried then, breaking down on her ex-girlfriend she missed so much. Mary held her tight, taking in the smell that was so distinctly hers. She hadn't realised she loved Emmeline for a long time, it was only in potions class when they had studied Amortentia, the strongest love potion in the World that Mary had been forced to reflect on the smells she had been faced with.

The potion smelt distinctive to each person, and when Lily had stepped forward and admitted she smelt firewood, men's cologne and apple pie the girls had nearly died, knowing that it was James immediately. Sirius had stepped up and admitted he smelt fire whiskey, daisy's and nail varnish and most of the class had been confused, but it was Lily's turn to point to Marlene, "Oh my god, you're having sex again.. With Sirius!" Marlene had shrugged "So?", and Lily had left it at that, knowing more about their relationship than they did.

The rest of the class had also taken turns, and so when Mary smelt coconut shampoo, broomstick polish and fresh sheets she was puzzled. She had pondered over this for some time, utterly confused, until one night Emmeline came into their dorms with her hair wet and all she could smell was coconut shampoo. She thought it was a coincidence. Then shortly after, she was relaxing in the girls dorms, on Emmeline's bed when she noticed the fresh cotton smell, and clean relaxing scent. It was the final straw when Mary had hugged Emmeline after a Quidditch match, and all she could smell was the broomstick polish. That's how Mary came to realise she was head over heels for one of her best friends, and it was not something she had come to terms with easily. Nobody had been expecting it, least of all her, but when Emmeline would kiss other girls at the Gryffindor parties Mary would feel her stomach churn, and she would feel so ill she would have to leave. Or when Mary was kissing that Ravenclaw boy she had thought she liked while drunk she felt nothing, almost bored.

But when Emmeline looked at her, she felt her stomach flutter, and when Emmeline started to notice Mary acting slightly differently, she had played along. Emmeline had started to flirt with Mary, and Mary had flirted back. It had been building up for a while, when Emmeline kissed Mary, cautiously, afraid of the rejection she felt sure was coming, but Mary had leaned into the kiss, feeling like she was kissing for the first time. Their relationship had been easy to hide, under Mary's wishes at first, because nobody expected it. But it was Lily who noticed the changes in people, and when Peter had pointed out Mary looking a lot happier, Lily had noted it. Shortly after that Lily had found them asleep, cuddling in bed together, and at first had thought nothing as she and Marlene slept together sometimes. But then Lily had noticed that Emmeline didn't seem to have a top on, and when the girls had woken up Mary's face spoke a thousand words. She had burst into tears running into the bathroom, ashamed.

But Lily and Emmeline had calmed her down, coaxed her out of the bathroom, and reminded her that it was okay to be gay, she knew that didn't she. They had reminded her that they wouldn't love her any less, in fact they could love her more knowing that she was being her true self.

Mary didn't come out to anyone but Emmeline that following New Years Eve, nearly 6 months after Lily had found her and Emmeline in bed. But she had finally admitted it to someone, and that was a huge step.

So when they stood in the kitchen holding each other, Mary could feel Emmeline shaking, and the wetness on her shoulder told her that she was still crying. Mary felt a pain in her chest then, and just wanted her Emmeline back.

"I thought I would never see you again." Emmeline whispered.

Mary had thought the same, so she didn't say a word. She just held her close for what seemed like minutes, but Marlene and Sirius eventually wondered through the kitchen.

"Oh my god." Marlene had muttered looking at the girls. "Mary you made it!" She squealed. Emmeline pulled back then, her mascara down her face, still shaking.

"Oh good lord." Marlene muttered before flicking her wand at Emmeline's face. "All that time I spent doing your make up and you've cried it all off!"

"Not all of us are stone cold Marls." Emmeline threw back, but she was holding Mary's hand tight, and smiling as though the war was over.

"Actually McKinnon-" Sirius started to say, but Marlene stomped on his foot, smiling at the girls.

"What was that Black?" Marlene said.

"Um.. I think I want to keep my testicles, so I'm going to shut up." He joked.

"You joke about testicles but I've stopped having sex with you before and I'll do it again!" She threatened.

"You couldn't keep your hands off me anymore and you know it." He smirked. "Not in this suit."

Mary and Emmeline laughed at their friends, and a quiet Marlene, who was clearly looking him up and down considering his proposal.

"You're right." She admitted and Sirius frowned.

"That was too easy.." Sirius was thinking out loud when Marlene was kissing him, deeply and slowly, her hands were running down his body towards his waist. She pulled away suddenly and smiled sweetly. Sirius was left panting, turned on.

"Fuck me." He muttered under his breath, breathing deeply.

"Later maybe." She said, laughing and strutting out of the kitchen.

"That girl is going to get me killed one day." Sirius complained as he followed after her like a lost puppy.