Marlene strode across the lawn on the very last day of her Hogwarts education.

The seventh years were all making their way towards the lake for the traditional graduation ceremony.

"What are we going to do now?" Lily asked, seeming slightly lost as she looked back at the castle.

"Well," said James, a confident air about him as he spoke, "I don't know about you lot, but I want to fight Voldemort."

"Yeah," squeaked Peter.

"Definitely," Sirius set his jaw.

"C'mon then, get on the boats," Marlene grabbed Sirius's hand and they scrambled into an empty boat.

"You're still coming to live in the flat right?" Sirius asked for the hundredth time.

"Yes I am," laughed Marlene, "not that Dad is very happy about it."

"Well, David has always been very kind, but I'm still not entirely sure if he approves of you dating a bad boy," Sirius swooshed his hair from his face.

"You're not a bad boy!" James laughed as he helped Lily into the boat, "you're a fluffy teddy bear."

Sirius pouted, and looked to Marlene for reassurance.

"He's right Snuffles," shrugged Marlene, "I can't argue with his logic."

"I hate you," Sirius gave her a playful glare.

"Of course you do," Marlene smiled, watching Peter and Remus climbing into the next boat over. She glanced back up at the castle.

She couldn't help but wonder if she would ever see it again. It had been her second home for seven years, and now she was leaving, and she didn't know if she would ever return.

"There's dark times ahead of us," Marlene said as the boats began to move away from the school, "let's all promise to remember where we came from."

"Yeah," said Lily, also staring back at the castle, "we've got to stick together."

********

"Are you completely sure that you want to move in with Sirius?" David asked as he levitated a box up the stairs of the block of flats that Sirius lived in.

"You know what, I've changed my mind," Marlene said, "let's take all of these boxes home."

David shook his head, "don't joke with me Lenie."

"Let's just get these last boxes upstairs," Marlene rolled her eyes and continued up the stairs.

********

David was very reluctant to leave the young couple alone in the flat, but eventually he had no choice. The two had assured him that they had enough magical protection around the building to protect them from anything and everything.

But it wasn't just outside forces that David worried about. Yes he liked Sirius, but he wasn't sure he could stand the thought of his daughter living alone with any boy.

But Marlene could take care of herself, and it was plain to see that Sirius loved her, and would never intentionally hurt her. So eventually he left the two alone, promising that he would visit the next day with Sarah.

The couple sunk down onto the bed, completely exhausted from moving all of Marlene's belongings into the flat.

"I can't believe how much stuff you have," Sirius laughed.

"I'm a hoarder," shrugged Marlene, "I don't throw things away."