A Marauder's Guide to Falling Together

Chapter Twenty Nine

The day of the dance arrived quickly enough. Despite her initial trepidation about it, Marlene discovered that she was slightly disappointed that she wouldn't be going. The day had passed by in a blur. She had spent the majority of the afternoon hanging out in the common room with the rest of the group and before she knew it she had been whisked away upstairs to help Alice and Lily get ready.

"Don't take too long," James had called out from behind their retreating figures. "We need to be there early to set up."

"Good luck with that mate," Marlene could hear Remus's laughter before their voices disappeared from earshot.

Marlene curled her feet up into her lap on Lily's bed as she watched the two girls hurriedly begin getting dressed. She helped Lily curl and twist her hair up and even offered her opinion on the two dresses that Alice was trying to decide between. Overall, she eventually conceded to herself that she wished she was also prepping herself to join them but she refused to acknowledge this out loud. She wouldn't allow Lily the satisfaction.

"So what's Sirius's plan for the evening then?" Alice wondered out loud as she was applying her mascara.

"I think he's going stag," Marlene felt the corners of her lip twitch upwards at the irony of her sentiment. "Funny, given the choice between the two, I would have thought that it would be James who would be going stag."

Lily looked over at her with a warning look. She had picked up on Marlene's bad attempt at humor but they were lucky enough that Alice didn't understand it.

"I think it's cute that you two are together," Alice said cheerfully from her place in front of the mirror. She most definitely had not picked up on the joke.

"Is Sirius really planning on going without you then?" Lily asked.

"I don't know," Marlene shrugged. "We never talked about it. I assume so. What else would he do without his mates to keep him company?"

"The girls will be all over him tonight," Alice looked away from the mirror and offered a sympathetic smile. "Especially without you there Marlene, I'm sure they'll be jumping at the opportunity."

"So long as it's not Madley then I don't care," Marlene pouted.

After they had finished getting ready Lily hurried down to meet James where they departed with a hasty goodbye. Sirius had changed his clothes which told Marlene she had been correct in her assessment of his plans for the evening.

"Where are your dates?" she looked at Remus and Peter when she had settled into the empty chair that James had been occupying.

"Meeting Helen at the dance," Peter replied with a small smile. He seemed genuinely happy to be going much unlike his counterparts. Marlene couldn't help but feel the swell of excitement as his beaming persona; Sirius was always giving him a rough go around and for once he looked as if he were finally enjoying himself.

"No date for me," Remus said with a shrug. Marlene couldn't help but feel the smallest amount of pity for her friend. Remus was looking just as tired as ever but still good looking and respectably dressed.

"If I didn't have detention I'd go with you," Marlene gave him a sympathetic smile.

"And what about me?" Sirius looked at her expectantly.

"Don't you have a couple of different dates?" Marlene threw his joke back in his face and was rewarded with laughter.

"Right," he said, "I already forgot about them."

"What's the detention tonight?" Remus changed the subject and Marlene could sense that he seemed slightly uncomfortable with where the conversation had been headed.