A Marauder's Guide to Falling Forever

Chapter Twenty Eight

Tom was still skeptical when he agreed to let the Order assist him in tracking down Hephias. But as Dumbledore was quick to point out, they had the manpower and resources to carry out the task without raising suspicions of the Ministry, or more specifically the spies that might exist within.

Business would resume as usual. Tom was to continue going in to work as he had for everyday previous. He still didn't quite believe that Rookwood was a spy implanted within his department even though the more Marlene thought about it, the more she believe it to be true. She had no other reason than her gut instinct to rely on, but it seemed strong enough and she urged Tom to be cautious.

Marlene continued to work her position at the Ministry, though careful to wear long sleeves at all time so as not to show off the key that blazoned her arm. The only persons with that knowledge had been sworn to secrecy in Tom's living room.

The key to the hall was a completely separate beast that they continually argued on. Tom was adamant that she turn it over to him. Dumbledore was the one to remind him that keeping up a façade of normalcy was important, and that he couldn't just walk into work one day suddenly with the key since Hephias had been missing. It would raise too many questions of which he would not be able to answer without implicating his god daughter. He begrudgingly gave up on it.

The deal was that Marlene would keep the key until they could track down Hephias or Cassandra to obtain answers. At which point they would decide how to further proceed. Knowing that she held such power over such a heavy secret brought about mixed feelings. Fear was surprisingly a minimal emotion that flickered with the knowledge. She knew that her life was in grave danger should Voldemort truly know about the prophecy and the means of obtaining it. She was merely a pawn in a game, destined to lose.

The second prophecy continued to haunt her. Her name, along with Sirius, James, and Lily had been attached to that stupid plaque accompanying what she had suspected to be the prophecy uttered to her by Cassandra.

Four lives lost. Four names inscribed. She was certain, though unable or willing to tell her friends, that Harry was in fact the boy destined to bore equality to Voldemort, and that the rest of them would die ensuring that it happened. The thought made her sick whenever she thought about it. Which was too often for her liking.

But she couldn't meddle with the potential future. And so she sat on the information. Whatever was destined to be, would be. And she would grow to accept it. But her friends did not need such a burden, their loads heavy enough as it was.

Sirius seemed extra protective afterwards, and yet she didn't overly mind that much. Mostly, she selfishly thought to herself, because it meant that they spent a great deal of time together. And after having spent so much time apart she was grateful to have him all to herself once again.

It was about a month later, the snow melted and the traces of spring began to wash away the dreary winter. The Order had put together separate missions to track down Hephias but to no avail. Having Cassandra on his side surely meant that they would be difficult to track down, just as it had been for Marlene when she had set out on her own search. A seer with an eye for the future made it difficult to be found if one did not wish to be so.

"Do you really think that Rookwood is a spy and he's going to try to steal the prophecy again?" Sirius was drawing imaginary circles on her skin, tracing around the key that vividly glared up at him from her wrist. He seemed transfixed with it, the omen that put Marlene's life in jeopardy.

"Yes," she said and then giggled. "Sirius, that tickles."

He looked up at her, expression still grim. But then his lips quirked to the side and all traces of conflict erased. "I missed your laugh you know."

"Yes so you've told me," she teased him. "I'm not going anywhere Sirius, you don't have to be so sentimental all the time."

"I do though." He frowned. "We lost a lot of time together. I want to make sure you know how much I've missed you. How much I love you."

"We practically live with one another, I'm sure you could do with missing me more," she said. Under different circumstances she might feel stifled being around him so much. But she didn't. And she wouldn't admit it to him, but even spending a day apart and she missed him too.

"We do, don't we?" he mused. They were sprawled across his bed in the loft where Marlene had spent the last three nights. She had run out of clothes and insisted that it was time to go back to her flat to prove to Emmeline that she was, in fact, still alive. "What if we did? For real."

"What if we did what?" She giggled again as his fingers ran up her arm. "Seriously stop, that tickles."

"What if we lived together?"

Marlene stopped giggling. His expression was not playful anymore, he was completely serious. "You want to live together?" she repeated slowly, not quite sure if she had understood correctly.

"Yes," he said. "Move in with me."

"Don't you think it's a bit soon?" Her voice sounded weak, suddenly anxious.

"Do you?" He frowned. "We've been dating since sixth year."

"On and off since sixth year," she reminded him and he rolled his eyes.

"Yes, okay. On and off for the last three years." He humored her. "But you and I both know that we've belonged to one another the entire time. You're it for me, Mar. Let's not waste more time."

"I didn't think you were interested in settling down," she said, recalling the conversation from Lily and James' wedding where she had been devastated to learn he had no intention of getting married. It was a conversation that they had never had since.

"Things change." He shrugged. "So what do you say?"

It wasn't really something she cared to think too much about, and so she didn't. "Yes."

His grin was practically indecent.

She never did make it back to her apartment that day.