Leader of the Pack

EVANS FAMILY

 Severus & Lily Evans: Cillian Murphy & Kat McNamara 

Children:

Andora Rose: Raffey Cassidy  Avalina Dahlia: Sadie Sink Quentin Clove: Asa Butterfield  Elliana Violet: Amybeth McNulty 

~~~~~~~

Remus could not spend time with Lily at all without being struck at least once by how impressed he was by her, how just everything in her being seemed to be extraordinary in one way or another.  Even before he’d come to trust her and include her as part of his found family, he’d found her to be intelligent enough to give him a run for his money, and was strong enough to be one of the few girls they’d gone to school with not to be drawn in by the hype that James and Sirius had created everywhere they went.  

And now he was impressed by the quiet sort of strength she showed in the face of incredible adversity.  Remus in his grieving had been brought low enough to need the help of friends to continue on the very chore of living day to day.  And here, Lily Evans, one who deserved to grieve all the more managed to do that and lead the Order.  And not with emotion and vengeance, but with the same kind of keen intelligence and measured approaches that he’d so admired from her in years before.  Remus couldn’t help but wonder why someone like her had ever given a sad sack like him the time of day, and while some days just that thought would send him spiraling somewhere dark, today it just made him smile and feel grateful.

“You know me so well,” Remus said, the small smile on his face growing a little.  "I do like that you managed to attach ‘low maintenance’ to me, when I am probably the highest maintenance friend you have.  You have in the past and continue to break laws just to spend time with me.  Awful lot of work on your part, it seems to me.  All I have to do is sit around and occasionally howl at things.“  It would never be lost on Remus the incredible work his friends had gone through to make his 'time of the month’ a little smoother, and the fact that it could get all of them arrested at some point still got to him from time to time.  But the full moon was a far enough cry away that he barely felt the ache in his bones and the new scars from the last one hardly burned at all.  It was that golden week between recovery and preparation and those were the weeks that Remus lived for.

"You are a saint of a woman, Lily Evans,” Remus said when the wine bottle was proffered and he fell into step behind her.  "I’m so glad I’m the one you think of on the rare times you actually want to be lazy.  I’m touched, really.“  He slipped out of his shoes and welcomed himself up onto the bed with her with an ease that had been hard won, and hummed.  He considered a moment before lifting an arm and more or less offering Lily to slide underneath it before reaching for the bottle.  "We aren’t using glasses tonight, are we?  Drinking from the bottle is so much more fun.” He winked and considered.  "I’m all for very poorly done slasher movies, I feel like getting comfortably sloshed and yelling at blonde protagonists for being idiotic.“

Emotions were always something Lily struggled with. As a child she was full of them, and they were constantly brimming at the surface of her face. Her father had always said that she felt the world more vibrant than anyone he knew, and he loved seeing the world through her eyes. However, Lily had lost him early on, and all she had ever heard in the wake of his death was to ‘straighten up’, ‘calm yourself’, and ‘keep a face of dignity’. Trying to untangle the web of emotions that came with losing her father and finding out the truth about him had proved to be too much for her, especially as she attempted to tackle the way her mother and sister treated her. 

Lily found it easier to keep her emotions more subdued. When she allowed herself to feel the gravity of James’ loss, it took the wind out of her sails. She was left kneeling on shaky knees and sobbing her voice hoarse. When she stopped to think about who she had lost, what they would never have, and all the ways the universe had tried to screw her, she wallowed deeper and deeper into her cave of despair. Lily knew that the world was burning around her though, and she could wallow in self pity and watch it all crumble, or she could continue the fight that James had given his life for. For her, it wasn’t even a choice. 

Laughing, she teased, “Alright, low maintenance might be a stretch, but I’m getting at is that you’re easy to love. Being around you doesn’t exhaust my social battery,” she admitted, giving him a sincere smile. Remus was someone that she could be around constantly and never grow tired of. Looking at him with a grin, she nodded, “Well yeah, but it was worth it. I would do it again you know, given the chance. Everything we’ve done together and for each other, I would do it again,” she admitted. Lily wanted to say her only regret was every making herself trust Peter, but then that would mean distrusting everyone she’d loved and she didn’t want to live that life either. 

“I do try,” she grinned, though she knew she was far from a saint. Still, Lily would give herself the credit of being a good person, with good intentions. “There’s no one else I’d rather lounge around and watch movies with,” she mused, especially if it meant they could also drink good wine. Shaking her head, she grinned brightly, “We’re absolutely not. I think straight from the bottle is much more fun.” Lily gave a nod, and put the streaming site up so that she could find the perfect slasher film, “Merlin great plan. I think that sounds like the best way to spend our night,” she agreed. After finding the right film, she laid back in contentment, took a swig of wine, and smiled at her best friend, “I’m glad we’re doing this,” she mused. 

After finishing work for the day, Alexander decided to pay a visit to one of his favorite pubs. It sure beat joining his parents for dinner, being stuck listening to his mother fawn over Sebastian and his father criticize the latest thing Alexander had done wrong. And merlin forbid the subject turned to Marlene, as it did every so often. Alexander hadn’t mentioned to his parents that he caught her vandalizing the Black manor – it seemed that she had indeed been smart enough not to get caught, so there was no reason to piss his parents off further on the subject of his sister. Entering the pub, a crop of bright red hair caught his attention. Speaking of his sister. 

Marlene had been in his thoughts more frequently than usual lately, and Alexander was feeling torn by a desire to make things right between them. The only problem was that he had no idea where to begin. How could one make up for a lifetime of neglect? Alexander knew that Lily was close to Marlene – maybe she’d be inclined to give him some tips, if he could make her believe that he actually meant it. It was worth a shot, so Alexander took a seat beside her. “To another work day finished,” he answered with a smile.

~~~~~~

Alexander McKinnon; wasn’t that a surprise. For the most part, Lily tended to keep her distance from the other McKinnon members. Interacting with Sebastian was inevitable, he was apart of the Order after all. While she understood Marlene’s plight with him, Lily had always found their interactions to be enjoyable, but she didn’t doubt that he played up the charm for her. However, Alexander was the brother she had spoken to the least, and yet heard about the most. Marlene’s feud with him ran deep, and that Lily was nothing if not staunchly loyal to her friend turned family. 

Still, she was well versed in her manners and Lily knew that as the Order leader, making unnecessary enemies was less than ideal. So instead, she smiled and lifted her glass, “A good reason,” she mused, taking a sip of her drink after knocking it with his. “Alexander, right?” she asked, though she absolutely knew just who he was. “So, how are you?”

Once she got home, she set to work on getting the loft space ready. She put a sheet up against the wall so that the projector could play a film when they were ready. Lily had their favorite pizza being delivered, and wine in the fridge just waiting for them to drink. Stripping out of her work clothes, she tossed on one of the sweatshirts she kept from James’ side of the closet and put a clip in her hair to keep her hair out of her face. She arranged the pillows around the bed so that they made a nest of sorts, and pulled the softest blankets she had that they could use to curl up in. Filling water bottles up, she made sure they would be hydrated well into their drinking fest. 

Hearing a knock at the door, she bound down the stairs, and looked out the window. Opening it, she smiled widely, and pulled the other girl into a hug, “Mac, hi love,” she grinned. “Pizza is on the way, films are ready and loaded, and wine is in the fridge so I think we’re set for the perfect night.” 

“I can’t believe you did it sober.” Marlene teased with a grin. Well, at least she thought she did. If memory served her correctly they’d started drinking after Lily had finalised her purchase, but she could have been wrong. She took Lily’s hand and they apparated in a flash, appearing in front of the cottage. “Why don’t you give me the tour?”

“I can’t believe I did either. I am also surprised that drunk me is still thrilled with the decision,” she teased. In truth, she was actually glad to have this part over with. Now she could focus on rebuilding, redecorating, and making the place her own. It would be a constant distraction. Appearing in front of the cottage, she grinned, “I would be most happy to. Come on, let’s go around the back first,” she offered, keeping her arm and walking around the back with her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the initial days, the first days of the newly formed Marauders, the first friends Remus had ever managed to make in the whole of his life, Remus thought that his heart would never be big enough to let anyone else in.  That there was no one else out there that could possibly fit since he’d never felt himself so full.  But then there had been Lily.  Lily in her brightness, in her fierceness, in her kindness, had broken down the walls that Remus had put up to protect himself.

In the end, she’d been the first person he’d ever willingly told about his lycanthropy. Remus knew earning his trust had to have been a hard task for her, but she had, and she’d become the fifth member of their pack.  *His* pack.   And as hopelessly shattered as it was now, he was so, so grateful that he still had her.  Lily was so intuitive, he was sure that she, more than anyone, could understand how keenly he felt the loss of James, and Peter by extension, since it wasn’t just him mourning, but the part of him that was the wolf, the Moony-er side of him. It was like mourning for two, and the second part had the mentality of a homicidal toddler.  If in fact, toddlers could be homicidal, which was a supposition for another day.  

“Well, thank gods for that, I’m knackered and can’t be bothered to visit anyone else,” he said with a lopsided smile.  "Though I can’t imagine what you need me for, I generally just lay about and eat your food.“  His voice had a teasing ring to it, but given how it was getting harder and harder to find work, Remus felt like it was becoming more true.  He wasn’t quite to the point that he’d be starving without the help of a few friends, but it felt like he was pushing that boundary further every day.  

A part of Remus wanted to tense at the thought of being touched, some part of him wanted to reject touch from others altogether.  For some perceived safety or something, some pyschobabble that he didn’t have the energy to research.  But it was Lily, and Lily was one of the exceptions, so he only froze for a split second when her arms came towards him before pulling her into a hug, gently clasping her around the waist.  He even went so far as to kiss the top of her head, feeling a surge of warmth for her that took him a little by surprise.  But she always asked, and never took, and that was another reason he loved her.  "Oh good, a part of me was worried you’d want me to be productive.  I’m good with being as lazy as possible.  And drunk too, if that’s an option,” he said and smirked, letting her go after a moment and heading for the kitchen.  "I think I had a lovely red I left here last time, unless you’ve gone and drunk it without me.“

Understandably so, her relationship with each of her boys differed. She and James had an ever growing playful rivalry that was founded on the basis of love and respect, even if they hadn’t realized it then. Sirius was her constant, her sounding board, and the one that was always at her six. Lily tried hard these days not to think about her relationship with Peter. Remus, however, was truly the brother she never had. With his witty humor that acted as a defense line and his soft heart underneath, Lily couldn’t do anything other than love him completely. With his understanding, his complexities, and kindness he still held onto fiercely, she knew that she would always, always stand by his side. 

Knowing Remus, and Moony, she knew that grieving someone so integral to both of them had to be raging a war inside of him. Still, he was making time to come over to her new home, and he wasn’t isolating so much so that they couldn’t reach him, and she couldn’t help but be impressed by that. Lily didn’t have a wolf raging inside of her, and there were still some days she thought the grief was too much to handle. She wanted to rage, to ruin the very ground the Black family (baring her line of them) stood on. Lily wanted to see them burn, to make them pay, and if she wasn’t the leader of the Order, if she didn’t still have people worth caring about, she might have been lost to those desires. 

Nodding, she hummed, “I couldn’t agree with that sentiment more. We deserve to do nothing the rest of today.” Raising her eyebrow, Lily gave a laugh, “Why do you think I invite you over? Low maintenance and good company - the perfect company,” she teased. The fact that Remus had a difficult time finding work because of his condition was one of the things that made her fight as hard as she did. Remus was brilliant and capable and just so happened to be a werewolf. Why that was so difficult for some people to understand would always be beyond her. 

Early on, Lily had learned to offer a hug but wait for Remus to make the move of accepting it or not. As someone who constantly showered the people she loved in tactile affection, she was grateful when her hugs were returned. Lily let herself sink into the hug for a moment, enjoying the warmth it brought. “I would never ask that of you, especially given that my desire to be productive today is abysmal,” she smiled, and as they pulled back she added, “and that is the preferable option, and one we can absolutely make our reality.” Grinning, she nodded, “It’s still here. I saved it for when you came back, and I also happen to have a similar bottle for when we finish this one,” she offered. Grabbing said wine bottle and the take out, she headed towards the lofted bedroom and motioned for him to follow. Setting the food down on a tray, she climbed onto the bed and moved towards the wall so that Remus could sit next to her. “What are we watching?” she asked. 

When Lily was born, she was the apple of her parents eyes. Born to William and Aileen Evans, their family was picture perfect. William was a real estate agent with a never ending amount of dreams. A man that believed any dream was possible if one believed hard enough, Lily was always closest to him. Her mother was a practical and rational woman that had little time for whimsy. A lawyer that saw the world in black and white, Lily had a difficult time relating to her.

It was purely coincidence, but Lily started showing signs of magic right around the time her father started drinking too much. The perfect picture their family had painted was starting to blend, and Lily was an easy person to blame. Despite her father’s drinking, he was always loving to her. When he lost his job, when he and her mother fought, when Petunia looked at him with scorn, Lily could only see the best in him. William always told her that her magic was the most beautiful thing about her; that she should never lose it. 

For Petunia and Aileen it was different. Aileen had come from a family that valued normalcy, status, despite not having any of their own. For a brief moment she believed she had it, until she didn’t. Her husband drank too much, gambled their money away, and couldn’t keep a job. All his promises of grander collapsed out from under her, and the life she thought was guaranteed had become a far off fantasy. Petunia had followed her mother around from the time she could walk, and had taken after her in almost every way. Her world was falling apart, and she needed someone to blame. 

William was the obvious choice, until the alcoholism caught up with him. Left with a dying father & husband, it was hard to put the blame on him. Lily, however, was convenient. She had started showing signs of magic more strongly, and her abnormalities were more apparent than ever. A wild child full of dreams, whimsy, and magic - everything her mother and sister despised. Twisting the narrative, they told her she was why he had started drinking to begin with. While William was still alive, Lily found it rather easy to ignore their claims. 

However, by the age of seven William had passed, and the one person that believed in her was gone. Lily had been devastated, and while her mother and sister were moving on and picking up the pieces of the last several years, Lily was being left behind. The more frequently they blamed her, the harder it was not to believe them. They were never overly cruel, but it was clear they despised her magic and everything different about her. 

Being treated as though she had a disease that they could catch, Lily grew up lonely. She felt isolated by her family, and at school her sister had perpetuated the idea that she was a freak. Lily stuck to her books, and held onto the memories of her father that she did have. McGonagall showing up on her eleventh birthday had been her saving grace. For the first time since her father’s death, she was validated. McGonagall gave a name to her differences and explained that there was a place just for people like her. Despite her mother’s fears about magic and her daughter’s oddities, she was glad to have the little girl out of her hair. 

FAMILY TREE

calamityofagirl‌:

Marlene sighed when Sirius moved away, following after him and Lily until they were out of the Ministry and apparating back to the flat. She landed back in her bedroom, grabbing the nearest shirt she had and changing out of her blood stained one as she stepped out. It wasn’t as if she particularly cared whether Lily or Sirius saw her naked. 

“No, he wasn’t conscious enough for them to ask.” Marlene answered flatly, chucking her bloody shirt in the laundry and slipping on the other as she re-entered the living room. “Besides, I’m not going to Azkaban for anything short of killing him. The conviction wouldn’t hold.” she said as she leaned back on the wall, arms crossed “He’s too much of a fucking coward to do anything.”

@shameless-siriusly​ @fierylily-evans​

Sirius was still seething, leaning on a wall as Marlene changed, willing himself not to look anywhere but her face. He heard Lily talk and Marlene answer, huffing a humorless chuckle from his nose.  “You forget you have a record, and it doesn’t look good for you in a professional sense nor with the Order,” he said, his stone calmer but just as harsh and stern. “Peter might be a coward, but he’s with Bellatrix and with Severus both which have their claws in the Ministry. Azkaban might not be what they push for, but a restraining order and suspension from work are all possibilities if they do push for anything. You’re better than this, better than being volatile and attacking publicly.”

@fierylily-evans​ @calamityofagirl​

A heavy sigh escaped her at Marlene’s answer, and if Lily could facepalm she would. With a flick of her wrist, she got the kettle boiling, knowing that everyone could use a cup of tea eventually here. “I would agree with you, if he wasn’t under the protection of Bellatrix and Andromeda. They have connections too, Marls. It’s unlikely, but it could happen,” she answered calmly. 

“We don’t have to worry about Severus. If I need to, I’ll talk with him,” she murmured, knowing that she and Severus could likely come to a different agreement. “There’s also that. Bellatrix could come for your professional career, a restraining order, and add it to your record,” she agreed. It looked bad for the Order and for her professional career as well. Lily gave a tired sigh as she got up to get mugs down and started pouring the water, setting her own tea to seep. “I get why you did it. Would have been better if it hadn’t been publicly, but I get it,” she replied.

No, her new place had property that came with it, and a forest that was safe and isolated. Her wards were tighter, and the number of people that knew where she lived was lessened. Sirius, Marlene, Mary, Remus, Narcissa, Evan, and Alice were privy to that information. For the time being, they would be the only ones. Lily had a relatively open door policy with them though, because at the end of the day, they were her people. They were the people she trusted because they had proved it time and time again. 

Hearing the door open and the familiar voice, she peaked her head around the kitchen and into the living room space, “Rem?” she asked, before giving him a soft smile as her suspicions were confirmed. “That would be me, and don’t even think about going to someone else. I need you most,” she teased, though she wasn’t all together kidding. She and Remus understood each other in all of this. If they thought about the betrayal and the grief too much it hurt, and frankly, it felt more productive to be angry or numb if they could help it. 

Moving towards him, she opened her arms to offer up a hug, “I’ve got an assortment of take out and the projector set up in the bedroom. I vote for laying in bed and watching films while eating delicious food and drinking proper wine,” she offered.

Narcissa used to be so offended when they brought up that she was younger than all of them. But now, she realized that it had been true, they had been responsible. “You know, James once slipped me a little something at a party, Sirius never knew,” she said with a fond smile as she thought of him. “Said he didn’t want me to feel left out.” It was so strange that those memories just hit sometimes, and it always made her feel strange. She didn’t know whether to smile or cry. “I guess he thought risking Sirius’s wrath was worth it,” she said, shaking her head slightly. She laughed. “True. I think I’d be really offended if you didn’t want to share a bottle of wine with me now.” She nodded her head. “That feels like so long ago, you know?” She said, biting down on her lip. 

“Good.” She liked the thought of that. It had been far too long since they had had a real girls night. It had been before James died for sure. She couldn’t even really remember the last one, sometimes it felt like things were broken down to before James died and after. Narcissa wasn’t entirely sure if that was normal, and she didn’t want to ask. Especially not Lily. She was following her lead, she wasn’t sure what was okay to talk about and what wasn’t. “Yeah,” she agreed quietly. “It’s like he should still be there.” It was hard to think of some days, how much had changed in the past few weeks since James died. She nodded her head. “I’m sure he did. He always wanted to make you happy. Above it all, he wanted you to be happy. When we used to meet for coffee I swear all he would want to talk about was you for a solid twenty minutes.” Narcissa had been so sure that  “It so is a pain. I remember being so happy when I was finished unpacking here. And I didn’t even have that much stuff.” She hadn’t had that much stuff when she moved in here, she had never had that much space, certainly not enough to fill up an entire flat. “Yeah,” she agreed softly. “I like being busy.” Narcissa laughed. “That’s what they all say,” she teased. 

It had been so nerve wracking to say those words out loud. She had been holding onto them for a while now, and finally admitting what she wanted made her stomach flip uncomfortably. Even though it was just Lily, it was…intimidating to say what she wanted out loud. Her eyes widened slightly when Lily said yes. She had been expecting more of a fight. “Really?” She asked her. “You mean that?” Narcissa couldn’t help but smile slightly. “Okay. Anything,” she told her. 

Grinning, Lily nodded, “That doesn’t surprise me in the least bit. He’s never been all that keen on following the rules, Merlin none of us really were, but I think Sirius has that older brother gene and despite being the youngest of my family, I think I managed to get an older sister one,” she teased. James had always been more lenient about those things, and while Lily knew, she didn’t ever say anything. Shaking her head, Lily laughed, “Sirius could never stay mad at him long, that’s why,” she grinned. Laughing, Lily teased, “I would hope so. It would be rather rude of me at this point.” It was easier to see Narcissa as a friend these days, though she’d always be like a younger sister to her. “I do,” she murmured. 

“He should be. None of this was meant to happen, and while we knew there would be casualties in war, I just never thought he’d be the first,” she mused, her voice soft. It was hard to talk about James, and yet, it felt wrong not talking about him. Lily didn’t want him to be forgotten, or for him to be a name that everyone was afraid of saying out loud. “We can talk about him you know? I think it helps. He was such a big part of our lives and it feels wrong not bringing him up in conversation,” she admitted. They all loved him, and there was a big gap missing, and that wouldn’t be filled by avoiding his name. A warm smile formed as Narcissa spoke, and Lily gave a quiet hum, “Thank you for telling me that. I know it, but it’s nice to have it reinforced,” she admitted. Her relationship with James was something she never questioned. She never had any doubt with him. “It’s exhausting, though I’ll admit that it’s been kind of fun getting to redecorate and make the place really my own. I’ll be grateful to be done with it though. Nodding, she laughed, “It is indeed. Business is good though, especially when it’s productive,” she admitted.

where: Black manor

when: May 5th

Rita had been right. She had needed this night to relax. Alcohol was buzzing through her and Sybill was enjoying herself to the full extent that she could. At least the without getting fully wasted. Never really having a taste for alcohol in the first place seemed to always help her in that regard. With a deep breath, she began to sway with the sound of the music. It was jazzy and drifted through her. Leaving her feeling a little weightless with the help of the champagne and firewhiskey that she had ingested. Sybill was feeling almost at home. But then it hit her–the vision. Everything was happening so fast and it was all a massive blur of color and sound. Then something came into focus.

A black dress and mass of dark curls: Bellatrix. It was Bellatrix she saw bounding up the stairs. Her vision zoomed to the left where there was a figure in a cape. A golden mask present. The vision came to an end and Sybill was back on the edge of the ballroom floor. Her drink still in her hand. a cold sweat covered her body and she hastily placed her drink on a tray of one of the people walking around handing out samples. “I’m sorry,” she said almost breathless, “I’ll come back for it, I promise!” At that she took off, heading straight for the front door. But then there was a flash of ginger hair as she passed–Lily. There was that red cape she saw in the vision and all at once Sybill knew that it was the Order. They were attacking.

“Lily!” she called as she ran between people, “Lily wait!” Sybill pushed passed them all. Nearly being pushed to the floor herself. For being one that never really wore heels, she was doing remarkably well running in them. Each step the wings on the back of her shoes flapped and she was sure that they were working overtime as she ran. Finally, she came up to the witch she hoped was Lily. “Lily,” she said, a little out of breath, “Wait. You’re attacking the manor, yeah? There’s something you should know.”

@fierylily-evans​

Lily had made an appearance because she knew it would be easier to get her eyes on where Ted was. Their operative was simple - the Order would cause chaos, and she would get ahold of Ted. To do that, she needed to know where he was. Given that it was a relatively open event, Lily had no issues getting through the door, especially when she had James’ cloak wrapped around her. She tucked it away once she was able to blend in with the crowd. It was going rather smoothly so far. 

Covertly, she’d had eyes on Ted most of the night, and moreover, she was fairly certain that no one had looked at her long enough to recognize who she was. Even if they did, Lily figured it would give her a fairly solid alibi for the attack that was going to happen. Not that the Death Eater’s could realistically press charges, given that they wouldn’t have a shred of proof. 

Hearing her name though, she halted on a dime. The last thing she wanted was it being shouted all about the place, but seeing as it was Sybill, she let it slide. She looked frantic and as though she desperately needed to talk with her. Lily raised her eyebrow, and greeted, “Sybill, what’s wrong?” her tone clearly worried, though also trying to convey and need to quiet their conversation. Lily used a quick charm to keep their words contained to only their ears, seeing that whatever needed to be discussed was something that should be done so privately. 

This was never supposed to happen to him. He was supposed to be safe and protected, that’s what he always told his parents when they voiced their concerns about danger. Not for him, that’s what he always said. 

Ted shook his head faintly– he couldn’t let himself be carried away by his thoughts. It wasn’t the time and he was sure that the strange woman in front of him wouldn’t let him linger long anyhow. He squinted, trying to find an aspect of her that looked even remotely familiar, knowing that it was important to remember her, to remember this. But he came up blank. 

Truth serum. He groaned. 

“Why are you making me do this?” he bemoaned, his voice quiet and on the verge of desperate. He flexed his fingers, the binding making him squirm in discomfort. 

He knew that he couldn’t lie to her, not with the truth serum…but he could choose his words carefully. “I…I think…maybe eight months…he came to…to us. I don’t know that much about..Pettigrew, so if that’s what you want, I’m useless.”

“I think it should be pretty obvious,” she answered, her tone cool and collected. Lily wasn’t one to lose her temper in an interrogation, especially not when it really mattered. No, her approach was much colder and tended to have a more intimidating effect on people. Lily knew that while Ted couldn’t lie to her, he could manipulate his words, and she wanted him to know that she wouldn’t tolerate it. 

Lily would see through any and all amount of bullshit because that was what she was trained to do. If she didn’t, one of the other three Auror’s in the vicinity would. 

Eight months. A discomfort clawed up her stomach - she had taken over roughly that long ago. If her suspicions were correct, Peter switched because he didn’t think they were the winning side. 

“What was his motive?” she asked. Tilting her head, she condescendingly replied, “Everyone has their uses. Even the people at the bottom of an organization.” As Andromeda’s fiance, it should be an offensive statement. If she was lucky - he would take the bait. 

Kingsley nodded his agreement. Of the Order members who had been positioned at the Black manor, he thought it was those two who would definitely be most likely to set fire to the place. It was maybe a little above the level of necessity, but he wouldn’t scold them for it, despite his own reservations about the thing. There was no doubt that the Black sisters deserved that kind of thing, but he was hesitant about what the rest of their world would think about the Order’s latest move. 

There was no point in discussing it any further, so he was glad when the subject moved to Ted, and he nodded again. “I thought he might be. It was a good idea, picking him out,” he said as a compliment to Lily’s strategic thinking. “He’s just close enough to the heart of the Death Eaters to know the information we need, but it’s always been my suspicion that he’s just been pulled along because of how besotted he is with Andromeda. I knew Ted at school, and he was never the Death Eater type.” It was a shame that he had gotten tangled up with all of that. 

Kingsley let out a soft laugh, shaking his head at the idea of an easy hostage. “Definitely easier than anyone else we’ve tried to interrogate together,” he responded, his own tone teasing, alluding to the work they had done together in the Auror office. They had always made a good pair when it came to things like this – her will, his ability to maintain his cool in every situation. 

“Any sign of Molly yet?” He knew they would wait to start the interrogation until she was present, but they hadn’t quite ironed out the details on how it would work. “And are we all going in at once, or one at a time?” 

Smiling softly, she replied, “I’m glad you think so. I know it isn’t typically our style, but we’ve been putting out fires for too long without gaining much insight into what or who has been causing them.” Lily nodded, “Funnily enough, Helena said something along those lines too. She didn’t know him in school, but she mentioned that he isn’t involved because he's die hard for the cause, he just loves Andromeda enough to do anything she asks of him.” Truthfully, she couldn’t imagine putting her moral beliefs aside because she loved someone else. Though, Lily wasn’t sure she could love someone that had the same beliefs as the Death Eater’s. 

She couldn’t help but laugh as she shook her head, “You’re right. Merlin, if only we could do this to all our suspects. I know it isn’t ethical, and I wouldn’t really want that to be protocol, but some of them really really deserve it,” she mused. She and Kingsley had dealt with a number of unsavory people over the years, and while Lily believed in the justice system most of the time, she understood that it failed time and again, and that was why she’d stepped up to be the Order leader in the first place. 

“Not yet. I imagine she’ll be here shortly, same with Sirius. Molly is likely helping make sure nothing went too terribly wrong, and Sirius, well if something does go terribly wrong he’ll probably be at the center of it, even if it isn’t his fault,” she murmured, thinking distinctly of Marlene and the chaos she was likely to ensue, not that she could blame her. “I think one at a time will be fine, and the rest of us can watch from behind the glass. It’ll keep him on his toes,” she mused.