1962 ── lily evans

FOURTEEN

FOURTEEN

LENNON WOKE to the gentle knocking against the hardwood of the guest bedroom. It took her a moment to find her voice, seeming hoarser than usual amidst the cold morning air.

"Come in," she mumbled, hoping it was loud enough to alert the visitor outside her door.

She was pleased to see Remus, his lanky legs carrying him into the room and to her bedside. He deposited a tray onto her lap, upon which a precariously placed cup of steaming tea and a plate of excessively buttered toast sat. He perched on the edge of her bed, and she pushed herself up, resting her back against the headboard.

"How you feeling, Len?" He asked, a hint of sympathy mingling amongst his curiosity, yet she ignored it.

She was sure by now Sirius had told him about their conversation from the previous night, one in which she had exposed a detail of her personal life that could be dangerous if told to the wrong person. She supposed Remus was not an issue, though - after all, he shared her predicament, and knew that he would understand better than almost anyone.

"Alright, I think," she said, pausing to nibble at her piece of toast. "Well, as alright as I can be, considering I was kicked out last night."

She lifted the tea to her lips, blowing on it softly to make sure the beverage wouldn't scald her tongue. It slipped down her throat, the heat of it relaxing her considerably as she sat back in the bed. Remus smiled at her sadly, feeling sorry for the girl who was trying to tape back together the world that was crumbling to her feet faster than she could fix it.

"You can stay as long as you like, Len. The shower's free once Sirius gets out," he offered as he ran his long fingers through his hair, standing from the bed and heading towards the door.

"Hey, Remus," she began, startling him as he turned on his heel, eyebrow quirked inquisitively. "Thank you for this. I love you guys, y'know."

Remus' features softened. He made his way back to her bedside, pressing a chaste kiss to her temple and ruffling her hair in a way that reminded her of her mother, who would have lovingly done the same when she was younger.

"We love you too, Lennon. Eat up, yeah?"

He grinned and moved languidly across the wooden floorboards, the heels of his shoes clacking as he went. The door creaked as he pulled it over, clicking shut behind him softly. She smiled to herself, tucking the long strands of brunette hair behind her ear as she chewed on the toast, washing it down with considerable doses on tea in between bites.

She left the room when she was done, the tray clenched with ease between her small hands. Remus was waiting patiently for her in a cosy armchair, maroon to match the couch that was positioned in the middle of the room. Sirius sat across from him on the sofa, hair still damp from the shower he had just taken, a towel draped around his waist as he had not taken the time to get dressed.

"Should I just pop this in the kitchen?" Lennon questioned, already making her way there as she asked.

They replied simply with a nod, chuckling as she went - even in domesticity, her independence shone through, never the one to act a guest. Returning to the living room, she stood beside the couch, rocking to and fro on the balls of her feet.

"Do you think it's too soon to go back and speak to her? She's probably still mad, right?" Lennon gnawed on her bottom lip, letting the pain pierce through her from the pressure.

Sirius frowned, and Remus let out a hesitant breath of uncertainty. In all honesty, they were worried about her returning to her home, where she'd become the victim to violence the evening before. If Lennon received the same treatment again, they'd only blame themselves for it for letting her go.

"Perhaps it's a little soon," Sirius mused, contradicting what he'd said the night before in the heat of the moment. He offered her a forced smile, an attempt to keep the mood in the apartment upbeat. "You can stay with us for a couple days though, and then hopefully everything will have cooled down after that, yeah?"

"I think you're right," Lennon said, nodding regretfully. She wished for a fleeting moment that she hadn't acted up, creating this insufferable void with her mother, who was already slipping through her fingers, like sand through the twist of an hourglass.

"You're okay with that, right? Staying here, I mean," Remus asked, fidgeting slightly as he awaited an answer.

"Definitely. I love it here with you guys," she reassured them, and the boys felt a weight lifted off their shoulders. "But is it okay if I try and see Lily tonight? I think I ought to keep her updated. Even if we haven't spoken since..."

"Of course. I'll walk you round if you like," Sirius butted in before the conversation could take a turn for the worst. No-one needed a reminder of the night where Lennon had been abandoned by the ginger and her boyfriend, resulting in a night of imprisonment that no-one had seen coming.

"I'm sure I'll be okay on my own. Thanks though," she insisted, glancing backwards towards the bathroom. "Mind if I shower?"

"Go ahead. Everything you need should be there."

Remus motioned towards the bathroom, where he had set out a towel and her clothes from the night before. He'd taken the initiative to wash and dry them that morning, having woken early alongside the sun.

"Thanks again, guys. I don't know where I'd be without you both," she said quietly before disappearing into the bathroom, the door closing behind her.

The boys shared an uneasy look, for they knew exactly where she'd be without them - in her own home, still with her best friend, who would not have been whisked away by James. Without another word exchanged, Sirius made for the bedroom to change, ignoring the thoughts that swirled around his head, making him feel guiltier by the second.