Moving in with Emmeline wasn't difficult. She didn't have a lot of belongings left over from home so she was able to pack up the rest of her belongings in the same trunk she had taken to Hogwarts over the last seven years. Of course, most of the things going with her were books and Sirius was quick to comment on the heaviness of her trunk when he helped her move it into Tom's truck.
Uncle Tom had chosen to pretend as if their conversation had never happened. Of course conversation between them was strained after that and the entire ride into London was uncomfortable silence. Sirius did not join them for the ride and Marlene was unsure whether or not this was a blessing. On the one hand she would have liked the distraction. On the other, Tom still hadn't seemed to ease up on his opinion of Sirius and the ride might have been even more uncomfortable had he been present.
When they pulled up outside the address that Emmeline had given her Marlene was pleasantly surprised to discover that she was only a few blocks away from where Sirius was moving. Of course, her building was much more aesthetically appealing than the one that Sirius had shown her. Their apartment was on the third floor of the four story building and she had to help Tom carry the trunk up the three flights of stairs.
"Marly!" Emmeline grinned widely when she opened the door. She quickly moved forward to embrace Marlene before ushering them inside the apartment. Marlene hadn't seen Emmeline since she had been discharged from St. Mungo's and she had recently chopped off all of her hair.
"Your hair," she said in awe. It was a chin level bob but seemed to suit her much better than the longer hair Marlene had remembered.
"Oh yeah, I figured I needed a change. The long hair was just too much to handle," she grinned. "Emmeline Vance, you must be Tom?"
She had stuck her hand out to shake Tom's to which he took quickly and gave a firm shake. "Looks like a decent place you've got here," he mused.
"Yeah it's pretty good. Don't be fooled by some of the dingy looking buildings in the area; this is actually a pretty decent area of town to live in. Not to mention the proximity to the hospital can't be beat."
Marlene couldn't help but picture Sirius's building as Emmeline spoke. His place was nothing nice to look at on the outside but he had more than enough money to buy something decent so there must have been a reason why he chose the place he did.
"Is that all of your stuff?" Emmeline was looking at the trunk with surprise.
"Yes I don't have a lot of things," Marlene shrugged.
"That's okay, I have more than enough stuff for the both of us," she wasn't kidding. A quick scan around the room revealed that Emmeline had an obsession with collecting things. There was something in every corner and on the counter of the entire room. Her bookcases were lined and overflowing with all sorts of different books. It wasn't a mess either; the immaculate cleanliness of the room was mesmerizing. She simply had a lot of stuff.
"I'll show you to your room," she said before moving down the hallway. "That's my room on the left and there's the bathroom, "she pointed, "and this one is yours."
The room was small and simple. There was a decent size bed shoved into the corner and a small dresser on the opposite wall. The curtains on the window were open and Marlene could see a beautiful view of the city and a large park down the street.
"I suppose I should be going," Tom said from behind her. "I've got some work to take care of at the Ministry."
"Oh you work at the Ministry?" Emmeline seemed intrigued.
"Yes," Tom said gruffly but didn't elaborate. "Take care, Marlene. Don't hesitate to stop by or let me know if you need anything, okay?"
"Of course," Marlene smiled. She stepped forward and gave him a generous hug. It was slightly awkward to say the least as neither of them quite knew what to say to one another. But he hugged her back and smiled at her when they pulled apart. She hadn't forgotten what she needed to do, but now was not the right moment to approach the subject again. She knew she would need to be much more strategic the next time around.
"So tomorrow's the big day," Emmeline looked excited after Tom had departed the apartment. "Are you excited?"
"Nervous is a better word," Marlene admitted shamelessly.
"Ah my first day was a breeze," she looked reminiscent. "They threw us down into the emergency pit and had us perform anti-jinxes on a group of muggles that had been cursed by a Wizard under the Imperius curse."
Marlene looked at her despairingly.
"I'm just kidding," she laughed. "That was the second day. You'll meet your preceptors and get assigned to your floor units. They do a brief orientation on each of the units and outline expectations and your role. Then day to day you just follow with your preceptor and they teach you things as they come through. Each instructor is different in their technique. I had Mafalda for my rounds in the Magical Bugs and Disease ward - she was great. Although I think she's head of the training program now."
"Marlene?"
Both Marlene and Emmeline looked around confused. Marlene could hear her name being called from somewhere distant but as there was nobody else in their apartment both girls were perplexed. She could hear her name being called again from what appeared to be her bedroom and it had the unmistakable familiarity of Sirius's tone.
"Are you already sneaking boys into your room?" Emmeline's eyes were glinting. "That sure sounds like a boy to me."
"The mirror!" Marlene exclaimed. She raced through the small living room and down the hall to her bedroom. The mirror that Sirius had given her was tucked away neatly at the top of her trunk and as she opened the lid his face came into view. "Sirius?"
"I wasn't sure if I'd get to you or not," he replied. "Figured it was worth a try. Are you all settled in?"
"What in Merlin's name is that thing?" Emmeline had appeared in the doorway behind her. She was staring with confusion at the mirror that Marlene was holding. She couldn't blame her friend; it must have looked quite odd to be talking to a face in a mirror.
"Er, sorry Em, this is Sirius."
"The famous Sirius Black?" Emmeline's grin widened. "You didn't tell me he was a mirror. And people call me batty."
"She's hilarious," Sirius said dryly.
"Obviously it's enchanted," Marlene said wearily.
"Obviously," Emmeline winked. "I'll leave you two be then." She moved from the door and down the hallway to where she and Marlene had been sitting. Marlene turned back to look at Sirius who was watching her carefully.
"So?" he asked. "How is it?"
"Being on my own?" Marlene asked for clarification. "Or having a new roommate?"
"A little of both I suppose," he smirked. "You could come over if you wanted."
"Are you moved in already?"
"Pretty much. Like you, I didn't have a lot."
"I think that Em and I are going to do dinner," she said slowly. In truth, she would much rather spend her evening with Sirius. But she wasn't entirely ready to pass up the chance to get as much information about her upcoming training and resigned herself to decline his offer.
"Are you sure?" he seemed disappointed.
"How about tomorrow?" she looked at him hopefully.
"It's a date," he smiled before disappearing from her view.
Marlene went to bed that evening both nervous and excited. She had been waiting an awfully long time for the moment to attend St. Mungo's as a Healer and she was equally looking forward to spending more time with Sirius. There was definitely more than one reason to put her a smile on her face as she fell into a deep slumber.
**
A/N: Would you be able to live with Emmeline? I'd love to hear why or why not!
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A Marauder's Guide to Falling Apart
Fanfiction"So we're alone," he said slowly. "That's a thoughtful observation," she whispered. She could feel her fingertips tremble slightly as they clasped around his hair. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so nervous. She moved her hands and allowed her...
