Chapter 16: The Greater Good

This was it. The moment Sirius had been waiting for. He was going to be helping, fighting, and maybe even dying, alongside James, Remus, Peter, Lily, Marlene. They were all going to be helping the greater good.

Dumbledore had owled them three days ago, with a time and a place. The time, half past seven; the place, some little Muggle shop Sirius honestly didn't remember the name to, even though he was sitting right inside.

Around the table sat his friends: James was lounging along the bench, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. Sirius could tell he was antsy though; every minute or so, he would run his hands through his messy hair and glance furtively at the door. He half leaned on Lily, whose red hair was pulled into a messy bun, green eyes dancing around the parlor. She sipped slowly at her coffee; she was the only one who'd ordered anything. Opposite her sat Peter, who couldn't sit still, and was quickly bouncing up and down on his chair. Remus was looking at his book, almost like he was reading, but his eyes didn't move at all, and he hadn't turned the page in nearly ten minutes.

Beside Sirius sat Marlene. Sirius took a moment to stare at her, this woman who had changed the most out of all of them in the past few months. She still looked the same, with her rich brown hair, and dark blue eyes which always reminded him of cool water. But Marlene wasn't the same. Her brother's death had been the last straw. She no longer laughed, no longer joked. She would wake up, eat, shower, and fuck him. He knew this because they were living together, mostly. She and Lily shared the flat next door, while James bunked in Sirius' flat, but Marlene and James would often trade places and it was James who was never home, and Marlene who was always there.

The two would go about their days, both off to work, or to plan, or do to something, never saying a word to each other, then at night, they would fuck like rabbits, and she would press her body onto his as if she was trying to crawl into his skin, as if it was the only safe place left. They would climax together, always together, and then she would break into tears, cry on top of him, cry for her family, her friends, all she had lost. And then, Sirius would have enough salty tears soaking his chest and he would flip her over, grinding into her until she stopped crying and started screaming, screaming in pleasure and anguish and pain, all at the same time. He would bite into her skin to stop himself from screaming too, to hold it all in, until he tasted the metallic tang of her blood and she would cum and he would cum and everything would be all right for that moment.

They wouldn't say anything to each other the next day. They only ever fucked.

Sirius shook his head as the bell to the shop's door jingled. A man thumped in, literally, for this man only had one leg. The other was a polished wooden prosthetic. He wore a long gray cloak, and his hair was matted around his terribly disfigured face. Scars riddled his skin, and he was even missing a chunk of his nose. His eyes were his most terrifying feature though, Sirius thought. One was normal, small, and dark, and the other was large, electric blue, and swiveling around in its socket.

"They call me Mad-Eye. Mad-Eye Moody," the wizard grumbled as he hobbled to their table. "Potter, Lupin, Pettigrew, McKinnon, Evans, and Black, I presume." He stared at Sirius for an unusually long time before continuing. "Tell me what Dumbledore said to you during your first battle."

"He thanked us," Sirius told him, frowning at the odd request.

"And that you were falsely informed and that's why you weren't there," Lily piped us.

"And that he would send word for us," James offered.

"The sacrifice you all made here was great, not just in blood, sweat, and tears, but in your innocence." This quote came from Marlene, the first words she had spoken in days. Moody nodded.

"Had to confirm your identity, ask you something only you six would know. Can't trust anyone these days. Constant vigilance." Moody reached into his robes, and pulled out a tiny slip of paper.

"Meet at that address this coming Saturday." He commanded as the slip was passed around before it burst into flames.

"Don't be late. You'll get your assignments then."

They spent the rest of the day wondering what Dumbledore would do, what the Order of the Phoenix would have them do, because that was what they were called. Afterwards, the six parted ways and Marlene all but dragged Sirius up to their flat and through him down on the bed, climbing on top of him. That night, after they fucked, there were no tears, only smiles.