20 December 1979

The cold blankets were doing quite a nice job showing Lily and James how cold it was outside. They both lie awake next to each other, listening to the other inhale slowly and exhale just as slow.

"James?" Lily broke the silence.

She kept her stare at the ceiling as what felt like a million thoughts reeled through her brain. There wasn't going to be a better time to tell James than now, and she felt guilty for not telling him earlier even if they were at dinner with Sirius and Marlene.

"Yes, love," James answered quietly.

He had noticed that she was quieter than usual, and he assumed that Lily would tell him why when she was ready. This must be it.

"I discovered something today with Alice," Lily started, nervous to continue.

"And?" James encouraged her to keep speaking by pressing a soft kiss to her jawline.

"Well, it's sort-of a big deal, and I don't want you to freak out."

Lily turned her head to look at James's hazel eyes. One of the many things that made her fall in love with him were the golden pools of honey. Looking into them felt like writing poetry, it was freeing in a sense.

"Alright... fire away," James creased his eyebrows, deep in thought about what it could be.

"I'm pregnant," Lily blurted out.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and scrunched up her face. Not really sure what she should prepare herself for, Lily braced for the worst. When James didn't say anything at all, she cracked open an eye to see him staring at her with a huge grin on his face.

"I'm gonna be a dad! We're gonna be parents!" James whooped louder than necessary near midnight.

"We're gonna be parents," Lily smiled and laughed with him, relieved that it had gone over well.

...

24 December 1979

Leilani was under the impression that the holidays were supposed to fill you with warmth and joy, but when she woke up on Christmas Eve, she felt as if something horrible was going to happen.

Paranoid was not a word that she would use to describe herself. Living most of her life in the woods, she had to be on high alert, but Leilani was never in a constant state of stress about what was going to happen.

When Leilani voiced this to Remus, he agreed, yet he quickly shushed himself on the matter as Greyback sat in front of them.

"So, I haven't seen you around here before! What's your name?" Greyback asked with a mouth full of food.

Even though Leilani hated learning etiquette when she was little, people not having basic manners really got on her nerves. She turned away from Greyback and grimaced.

"Remus," he responded shortly.

Hopefully, Greyback would not remember him as Lyall Lupin's son. He probably should've given him a fake name in hindsight, yet he didn't, so he would just have to live with whatever results popped up into his face.

He could never get over what Greyback had done to him. Nobody was asking him too, although being in the presence of him sure felt like it. He thought that he would be fine since he was bit such a long time ago, but this was not the case. Remus wanted to claw Greyback's eyes out.

"Welcome Remus," Greyback replied with a nasty smile. "I'm sure you'll do well surrounded by other people like you."

It seemed that Greyback hadn't realized that Remus was Remus Lupin. A wave of relief washed over him, he didn't want to imagine what would've happened if that had gone the other way.

Very abruptly, Greyback stood from where they had been sitting and left to speak to a few other pack leaders.

"You're not anything like these people, Remus," Leilani addressed him directly.

"Neither are you, 'Lani."

...

Receiving mail brightened Lily's day every time she got some without fail. It was like the words from the letters served as a confidence and happiness boost all in one.

On Christmas Eve, Lily and James got a lot of letters. Some of them they weren't even expecting, such as, the one they got from Molly Weasley.

Dear Lily and James,

I just saw James in the market a few months ago —which is how I got your address —but I felt that I needed to spread some holiday cheer past just my family.

There's lots of great news from the Weasley household! I am pregnant again, and the rest of the kids are all happy and healthy! (Charlie really wants to know when the next time you can see him is. I asked him to be patient, but that's just not in his nature! Tell me if you're free, and we can work something out!)

This Christmas I started a tradition of knitting sweaters, so I thought that you two might enjoy some! They're in the attached parcel.

Happy Holidays!
Molly xx

"She's so sweet!" Lily said excited as she tugged on her sweater immediately.

Molly had knitted them both in Gryffindor colors —which made James extremely happy— with the first letter of their name being in gold.

"The Weasleys have always been a nice family," James replied biting into some chocolate Euphemia had sent them.

"I'm going to write back!"

Dear Molly,

When James told me he saw you in the market I was so jealous I wasn't there! I miss you so much.

I'm so happy for you! Arthur must be thrilled! (I know I sure am!)

Tell Charlie that I'll see him soon and not to worry! I can't wait to learn more about dragons and their different abilities. (Fun fact: I've never been patient either!)

There's some happy news from the Potter household as well! I recently found out that I am pregnant! You'll have to give me some tips as the veteran.

Love and hugs,
Lily xx

...

The Sun Doesn't Always Shine
Poem #3: Hope

I was deceived by hope,
and now I search for ways to cope.
I try to put the ill-fate under a microscope,
how could this have happened?

I can hear him laughing,
see his beautiful smile
and hear his deep voice.

What if we're presented a choice
between being a shell of ourself,
and anything else?

He would've wanted me to continue.
I just wish this pain would subside soon.

...

Remus hadn't spent a Christmas without the marauders since he was eleven. Eleven. He was now nineteen, and going through the entire day without seeing their faces seemed unfathomable.

The fire crackled in front of them as they sat on the cold ground. Leilani rested her head on Remus's shoulder as he studied the stars. Trying to occupy himself, he started to count.

The forest was eerily quiet. To keep herself calm, she tried to think about how all the animals could've just traveled away from this forest to go visit their families for Christmas. Although she knew this was not a real possibility, it helped her from listing other reasons why the animals had left the area. They sense danger.

Her eyes whirled away from the fire to the sound of a snapped branch further away in the forest. Squinting in the dark, she could make out an indistinct shape, almost like a person.

There aren't supposed any other people out here. That's why they chose this forest. Could it just be an unlucky muggle, or is it a wizard too curious for their own good?

A single jet of light —like a person popping a bubble— ruined the sweet serenity that surrounded the pack. The red light had clearly been sent by a wizard, and it hit one of the pack leaders, which caused everyone outside to raise alarm.

Leilani's brain seemed to be working ten times slower than usual while everything else was rushing past her. Remus quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled his wand out of his pocket.

Before running further towards his tent, he made obvious eye contact with one of the aurors with scars strewn across his face. Leilani involuntarily shuddered even with all of her own scars.

Finally making it to his tent, Remus picked up his bag, grabbed Leilani's wrist again, and started to apparate.

"Remus! What're you doing?" Leilani shouted as the chaos erupted around them.

"Getting away from here," Remus replied before apparating.

Her surroundings were warped around her as they transported to only Remus knows where. Feet made contact with the pavement of a back alley. They were once again met with a serene atmosphere.

Leilani was outraged. Remus had taken her away from the only thing she had known since she was seven. Sure, she didn't really want to be there anymore, but she wanted to leave on her own terms. She didn't want a prince charming to save her from her problems.

"You can't just take me wherever you please! I'm a human being!" She bursted.

"Would you rather me have just left you there? Those were aurors, Leilani!" Remus pointed out.

"I know they were bloody aurors! Why did one of them make eye contact with you?" She asked with a stone cold face.

"No reason."

"Don't lie to me! Despite not going to school, I'm not stupid!" Leilani narrowed her eyes.

"I can't tell you, okay? I'm not allowed to," Remus admitted.

"What, is Dumbledore restraining you or something?" Leilani threw her arms up in the air out of frustration.

Remus snorted at the irony of her question.

As they resolved into silence, Remus decided that they probably shouldn't just be standing in the back of an alley. He started to walk his way towards his flat, Leilani sighed loudly before trailing behind him.

"You can leave if you'd like to, but they saw you there too, so I'd advise you not to run around with aurors everywhere," Remus said quietly.

He felt guilty for just taking her with him, but she had expressed how much she had wanted to leave in the past. Remus reckoned this was her chance to leave.

"Where're you going?" Leilani asked.

"To my flat," Remus answered simply.

They walked quickly, both of them checking over their shoulders constantly to make sure they weren't being followed. Once they reached the building, the doorman stared at their appearances strangely, but smiled at them and let them into the building all the same.

Remus hadn't taken any of the flat keys with him on the mission, so when they reached the door, he knocked. Leilani looked at him oddly, yet she was still miffed, and reached the conclusion she could care less what was going on.

"Yes- Moony! I've missed you!" Sirius opened the door and promptly hugged him.

Leilani stood their awkwardly as someone she assumed was Remus's friend squeezed him to death. As soon as he let go, he caught sight of Leilani and a smirk appeared on his face. Leilani gave him an awkward wave.

"Sirius this is Leilani. Leilani this is Sirius," Remus introduced the two.

She wasn't very well versed with meeting new people, so she stuck her hand out for a handshake, but Sirius went in for a hug.

"Welcome Leilani! A friend of Moony's is a friend of mine!" Sirius said before they all headed into the flat.

"Wait! Are you Sirius Black?" Leilani asked, startled by a face of her past.

"Bloody hell! You're Leilani Prewett aren't you?" Sirius responded excitedly.

"Yes, oh my Merlin! I haven't seen you in ages!" She said as they walked into the kitchen.

"Tell me about it!" Sirius grinned.

"Would someone fill me in here?" Remus asked, somewhat confused.

She had never really had any friends, but Sirius had always been kind to her when he attended family dinners. She had always enjoyed his presence and thought that he was quite funny.

Leilani had mentioned that her parents were prejudiced, but she had never said her surname out loud. He didn't think that the Prewetts were that type of family though.

"Walburga and Audriana were best friends at Hogwarts, so naturally our families had dinner parties with each other. Yet, they stopped happening when we were about seven, and I never found out why," Sirius trailed off and looked to Leilani to fill him in.

"I was bit by Greyback when I was seven, so maybe my parents became recluse or something," Leilani shrugged indifferently.

"I didn't know the Prewetts were on that side of the war," Remus commented.

"We're split right through the middle. I'm not sure which family Audriana was from, but she was nasty either way," Sirius shivered.

Leilani snorted at the understatement. Her mother was one scary person, and she was glad she hadn't seen her in some time.

"Are you coming to the ball then, Leilani?" Sirius asked, after he stopped singing.

"What ball?" Leilani's eyebrows crinkled.

...

25 December 1979

Leilani had taken a shower —the first in a long, long time— and had borrowed some of Sirius's clothes as pajamas. She ended up in a David Bowie black t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants she had tied so they fit her waist.

She slept on the couch in the living room because she did not want to invade upon their space. Even if she had known Sirius in her childhood and she had spent some time with Remus, sleeping at their house felt like an encroachment in their space. Leilani had yet to decide whether or not she was going to the Potter ball.

Sirius had insisted that she came as did Remus, but Leilani felt uncomfortable about attending for one reason or another. She still had yet to meet their other friends, although she could already picture them clearly in her head because Sirius would not stop talking about someone nicknamed Prongs and Red.

Leilani was not surprised by the nicknames though. He had even brought back the one he had had for her when they were little. Sirius called Leilani "Cricket" because of the time one had hopped onto Regulus's shoulder when they were outside. Regulus freaked out, but Leilani swooped in and saved the cricket before any damage could be done.

Leilani awoke on Christmas morning to the sound of crackling bacon, one of her favorites. She found Remus cooking in the kitchen singing along to a song she didn't know.

Rebel rebel, you've torn your dress
Rebel rebel, your face is a mess

"What song is this?" Leilani's voice startled Remus.

"It's Rebel Rebel, David Bowie sings it," Remus gestured to her shirt.

Rebel rebel, how could they know?
Hot tramp, I love you so!

"Now I understand why Sirius loved him so much. This seems like a Sirius kinda song," Leilani responded now humming along. "Where is he anyway?" She asked, noticing his absence.

"He went to Potter Manor this morning to see Mia and Fleamont," Remus answered.

"The Potters?"

"Yeah, they took him in after he left home in fifth-year," Remus said, wondering if Sirius would want Leilani to know he was disowned.

"What about Regulus?" Leilani asked, hoping the younger boy was okay too.

"He left later on, I think he's going to dinner tonight with Craig," Remus mused.

"Dinner?" She said, suddenly alarmed.

"Oh! I forgot to mention we're invited to dinner tonight at the Potters, Sirius has probably already told them you're with us, and I'm sure it wouldn't make a difference to them if you came along," Remus said while placing some bacon on a plate.

"Does that mean it wouldn't make a difference to them if I didn't show up?" Leilani smiled at Remus's soft glare.

"C'mon, Sirius and I will be there, so you won't be alone! Besides, you haven't met the girls yet."

"Who are the girls?" Leilani raised her eyebrows.

"Lily, Marlene, Mary, and Alice, although only Lily and Mary will be there at the dinner," Remus explained.

"Describe them each in one word," Leilani said, trying to get a better sense of Remus's friends.

"Lily is nice-"

"Nice is the best you got?" Leilani teased.

"I can't think of anything else," Remus whined.

"Okay, smart guy."

"The point is they're all really nice people and you should come to dinner."

"Well, who else will be there?" Leilani asked, sipping the black coffee Remus had just handed her.

"Obviously, the Potters are hosting-"

"Their names are?" Leilani interrupted with a smirk at Remus's playful glare.

"Mia and Fleamont," Remus answered before continuing, "Annie, James's cousin, will also be there I think, and Mary's bringing her sister too. Of course, as I mentioned before Regulus and Craig will be there too."

"I suppose since I have nothing better to do..."

...

Sirius and Remus assured her that the dinner was not a formal one, so she could just show up in the David Bowie t-shirt. She accepted that, but no matter how chill the Potters really were, Leilani refused to wear Sirius's sweatpants. Remus then transfigured a couch cushion into a pair of jeans that would fit her.

After Sirius had perfected his own eyeliner, he offered to do hers too, and she allowed him to do so, which had caused them to become late. (Sirius accidentally stabbed her in the eye when Remus startled him. Her eye would not stop watering, and the eyeliner that Sirius had already applied ran down her face.)

Leilani couldn't tell if she was shaking from her nerves, or from the cold. Either way, she was annoyed with herself, as if she could even control her shaking in the first place.

The three of them had finally managed to apparate over. Leilani still was not used to the feeling of transporting from place to place by apparition, and she preferred to walk on foot. Yet, they were already late enough as it was.

"I hate apparating," Leilani voiced her thoughts as Sirius stuck his wand into the Potter's gates.

In front of them stood a large manor with well
groomed grounds to match. Rose bushes stood tall threatening their thorns, and Leilani could've sworn the stars shone brighter here than she had ever witnessed. It was magical in every sense.

"If Moony had let me take my motorbike, then we wouldn't have had to apparate," Sirius complained with a short glare in Remus's direction.

"I'm telling you, Padfoot! I don't think that's safe!" Remus advised once again.

"What's dangerous about a motorbike?" Leilani asked, raising her eyebrows.

"He charmed it so it can fly," Remus answered, rolling his eyes at Sirius, who had done a somersault for no reason.

"Is he insane? That could end very badly," Leilani's eyes widened.

"That's just Padfoot, it's what he lives for," Remus shrugged as Sirius knocked on the door.

An older woman answered with one of the biggest smiles on her face. Her hair was grey with a single streak of auburn running through it. Even though she showed her years, Leilani thought that she gave off a young and comforting aura. Leilani would have no trouble talking about every problem she's ever run into to this woman.

"Sirius! Remus! And oh— you must be Leilani!" She embraced Sirius and Remus before they walked inside to hug others.

"Yes ma'am," Leilani smiled what she hoped was a friendly smile, she had been taught just to bar her teeth at people.

"Oh, don't call me ma'am! I'm Mia!" Euphemia ushered her inside as snowflakes started to fall.

The manor's inside was even more inviting than the outside. Leilani reckoned it was all the little knickknacks and people making it that way. Just as she had gotten herself distracted by a shelf of the oddest looking objects she had ever seen, a redhead walked up to her with a kind grin on her face as well.

"Hello, I'm Lily Potter," she introduced herself. "I would give you a hug, but I'm all covered in flour."

Lily's apron had flour spilled down the front, yet that wasn't the messiest part. She had flour in her ponytail as well as on her face.

"I'm Leilani, and that's alright, there'll probably be time in the future to hug," Leilani and Lily shared a laugh. "So, how'd you end up with flour spilled on your front?"

"I was making cookies —and I admit, I am a messy person when it comes to baking— but then James comes up with the fun idea of throwing it all over me," Lily rolled her eyes, but Leilani could tell she really didn't mind all that much.

"You did get him back, didn't you?" Leilani asked, growing more confident in the conversation.

Remus was right —as per usual— when he said Lily was nice. Leilani hadn't been in her presence for more than five minutes, but she already felt lighter.

"Of course I did!" Lily laughed as she pointed to a guy speaking to Remus and Sirius in an animated manner.

Another girl came into the sitting room area with a plate of cookies in hand. She saw Lily talking to Leilani and tutted.

"Always getting distracted by conversation, this one," Mary pointed her thumb at Lily. "I'm Mary," she flashed a smile.

"I'm Leilani," she grinned back.

"I just wanted to make sure Sirius wasn't being too overwhelming at first! Although, he said you two knew each other when you were little?" Lily defended herself and turned to Leilani as she finished speaking.

"Yeah, our families had dinner together when we were little. Our mothers were friends while they went to Hogwarts," Leilani replied.

Lily and Mary only nodded in response, but Leilani could tell they wanted to know what her last name was. They were just too polite to ask.

"I'm a Prewett, but I don't really associate myself with them anymore," she clarified.

"That's okay, we don't think surnames matter all that much to begin with," Lily smiled brightly.

"That's why she took mine," James commented as he appeared from nowhere.

...

26 December 1979

Lily made sure that Leilani was 100% on board with the idea of going to the ball —"I'm not forcing anyone to do anything, Sirius!"— before inviting her out shopping with the three girls the next day. Leilani had originally declined on the reason that she didn't have any money, but Lily winked and said James was rich rich. Regrettably, all three girls had let it slip they needed outfits for the ball until the last minute anyway.

Remus told Leilani that Mary and Marlene, one of the girls she hadn't met yet, lived down the hall and would help her apparate to wherever Lily and Alice were.

Leilani knocked on the door Remus had indicated and wished silently she had asked him to stand by her as she met with them. She couldn't help it, Remus had such a calming presence that cured her deepest anxieties, and she had never been that great at meeting new people either.

A blonde with deep red lipstick opened the door, and Leilani immediately recognized her as Marlene. Sirius was nonstop talking about her after dinner when Leilani asked, so she would never be able to forget Marlene even if she wanted too.

If Sirius hadn't rambled on about what a big sweetheart Marlene was, then Leilani would've been intimidated by first sight. The leather and black ripped jeans felt like more than just a fashion statement.

"Leilani?" Marlene showed a small smile.

"That's me!" She grinned back as she was led into the flat.

Their flat was much more neat than Sirius and Remus's was. Leilani could care less either way, any house was better than sleeping in forest after forest for years on end. She truly was grateful they let her stay with them.

Julia, Mary's sister that Leilani met at dinner, sat reading a large book on the couch. She looked to be concentrating very hard, so Leilani didn't disturb her, even if she wanted to know what the book was about.

"Mary! Leilani's here!" Marlene shouted from the kitchen.

Mary came bustling out of what Leilani assumed was her room. She was attempting to put on her shoes while walking, and this wouldn't have ended well if Marlene hadn't stepped in. Thankfully, she did, so Mary didn't end up falling on her face.

The day sped by with lots of laughter to accompany the girls. Leilani was surprised at how easy it was to converse with them.

She had eventually found what Marlene called a power suit that they all insisted she wear. So, she bought the royal blue suit with the flared pants, along with a white lace tank top to go underneath.

This ball was going to be interesting.

...

31 December 1979

Leilani couldn't find it in herself to make herself feel guilty about spending the entire ball around Remus. They danced, ate, drank, and even found out Lily was pregnant together accidentally. (Lily had been refusing drinks the entire night, so it hadn't been that difficult to come to a conclusion. Sirius had freaked out though, and insisted that she was lying for a good ten minutes.)

His sarcastic remarks about the rich, posh people attending certainly took her mind off of the fact that she did not fit in there for a second. However, the clock steadily ticked down towards midnight, and she felt herself slowly succumb to the thought that maybe, just maybe, it was okay to have feelings for Remus.

She had spent so much time worrying about the vulnerability of this, but accepting the fact that she had a small crush on him wasn't the same as flinging herself at him. In fact, there was quite the difference.

Neither of them could tell who leaned in first after they chanted '1' and 1979 ran into 1980. Yet, when they met each other's lips they didn't really care. Maybe starting the decade out with a kiss wasn't too bad of an idea.

Right?

...

Author's Note:

Song: Rebel Rebel
By: David Bowie

I've been waiting for Leilani to meet them, and I'm so excited she finally did. And, a Remani kiss... do you all like them together?

I don't have much else to add except for stay safe and I'm always around to talk. Any feedback, or anything you want to see in the upcoming chapters?

Lmao anyways thanks for reading
-teddy🎩