ELEVEN

LENNON FOUGHT back tears as she sat, hunched in the back seat of a police van, squeezed in beside Sirius and a stranger who reeked of sweat and determination. Sirius slipped a protective arm around her thin frame, pulling her snuggly against his side. The familiar scent of cigarette smoke and earth suffocating her as she buried her face in his shoulder, and immediately she felt a little more at home. 

"She left me. She left, Sirius." Lennon's mumbles were almost incoherent, and he strained to hear them.

His eyebrows furrowed and he gnawed at his lip, worrying greatly for his friend, who he knew would probably be split from him once they arrived. Despite the cramped journey and the anticipation of their arrival, he was desperate for the drive to be never-ending, so that Lennon would not have to suffer on the flip side.

Sirius gnawed at his bottom lip until he was numb from the pain. It wasn't like he cared when all he could think about was how terrible he felt for his friend, who was inevitably going to be separated from him upon arrival. Despite the cramped journey and the nervous anticipation, he was desperate for the drive to be never-ending in hopes that Lennon wouldn't have to suffer once they reached their inevitable destination.

Alas, they did. The door to the van was ripped open, and the three backseat passengers were torn from the uncomfortable seats they'd have done anything to sink back into. Lennon held back a whimper as nails dug in to her skin through the thickness of her coat, gouging out any innocence she felt she had left.

The police station was narrow with a undoubtedly less than ten cells throughout the entire building. Lennon was forced over to the right, and Sirius the left, and almost in theatrical perfection, she felt the familiar feeling of wet tears slipping down her cheeks as she was ripped from the comforting arms of her closest friend. 

"You're okay, Len! One night! You'll be okay!" Sirius yelled over his shoulder as two policemen flanked him, tugging him across the room and into a dank cell, filled with at least three other men. It closed behind him with a defiant slam, and suddenly Lennon had never felt more alone.

Lennon was forced to the other side of the building, most probably opposite Sirius had there not been a wall separating the two. Reluctantly, she fell inside, sitting on the floor and shrinking into a ball of despair and little hope.

She didn't have much time to process what was happening before she felt fingertips digging into her forearms again. She followed reluctantly as she was tossed into a cell of her own. Two women, frailer than Lennon if that were possible, were pressed tensely against the cement walls, eyeing her cautiously. Lennon took a seat on the floor as far away as she could, deciding conversation would be more trouble than it was worth. Expecting a long night, she pressed her back against the cold cement and squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she had never gotten herself in such a mess in the first place.

A LOUD clanging at the entrance to the cell awoke Lennon with a start. Jolting into action, she sat upright, eyes alert despite the sleep that nestled in the corners. A broad policeman stood at the door, jangling his keys as he searched for the correct one to slot into the door. Eventually, after what seemed too long, her freedom was signified by the twist and push of the keys, and she watched in disbelief as the door swung back and smacked against the cement. 

"Up and out. C'mon." The gruff voice was enough encouragement for her, and without a second warning, she was on her feet and sweeping past the officer, desperate to escape. 

She stayed silent - which was truly quite unlike her - as she followed the officer back to the front desk, where she hoped Sirius would be too. Upon arrival, she was more than pleased to see both Sirius and Remus standing in a happy embrace in the reception, allowing her mind to escape her conflicting thoughts of Lily momentarily.

She stayed silent - something she wasn't very often - as she followed the officer back to the entryway she remembered vaguely from the night before. The memory of it was shrouded by her panic, however, and for the most part, she could only recollect Sirius and his desperate exclamations of hope. Her eyes burning into the officer's back, she began a hopeful prayer that she would be reunited with Sirius soon enough. 

It was as if God was on her side. The entryway was almost clear, with only a few bystanders awaiting permission to leave. As soon as she arrived, she latched onto Sirius, still drenched in his long overcoat, and behind him, surprisingly, was Remus. Without even thinking of receiving authorisation, Lennon bounded across the lobby, weaving through the small congregation of people in the room.

Sirius saw her first over Remus' shoulder, and as his face brightened with delight, he seemed to have alerted his companion of her arrival. Both men's faces flushed with the satisfied shade of relief as she approached, and Remus wasted no time in throwing his lanky arms haphazardly around her. She buried her head in his chest, breathing in the scent of herbal tea and dark chocolate. It was intoxicating after her overnight stay in a prison, and she swore she could have drowned in it had he not let her go, allowing Sirius his own turn at an embrace. He enveloped her immediately, squeezing so tight she thought her organs might burst.

"I told you you'd make it," Sirius mumbled to her as he pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, the words on his tongue tasting bittersweet. 

With a sunshine bright smile, Lennon retracted herself from the hug, gazing between both boys. The constant thoughts of Lily's betrayal had long since been abandoned, and instead, her mind was enamoured with the notion of the two boys with stars in their eyes and ambition on their lips.

"Lennon Lowe!" A shrill voice removed Lennon from her fantasy world, and she turned on her heel to face her mother, face a vibrant scarlet in colour. It was the epitome of anger, an emotion she preferred to avoid when it came to her mother. 

"Fuck," Lennon mumbled, amusing the boys - although they had to admit they too were terrified of Lennon's mother, who was approaching rapidly with a glare that could turn even Medusa to stone.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Getting arrested, Lennon? Seriously! What am I meant to do with you?" Her mother gripped her ear, causing the younger girl to wince as sharp nails dug into her lobe.

Sirius tried to interject, stepping forward on Lennon's behalf as if to stand up for her, but Remus grasped his arm, pulling the boy back with a slight sympathetic shake of his head. The wiser of the two, he knew it was no place for them to interject. 

"You're coming home. Now," her mother demanded, and several heads turned at the commotion that had been unleashed in the small entrance way. 

The two boys cringed as Lennon was yelled at relentlessly by the woman they had not even met yet, and all for something they had taken her along to. Regretfully, they watched the scene unfold, unable to help - a spat between mother and daughter was bound to occur following last night's events.

The two men cringed, hiding behind the thick collars of their coats as Lennon was reprimanded harshly - and in public, no less. Regretfully, they watched the scene unfold, unable to help despite feeling overwhelmingly guilty for the part they'd had to play in inviting her along to the march.

"Can I say goodbye to the boys?" Lennon whispered, as if her voice would not support after the mortifying rant her mother had unleashed on her in front of what felt like the whole damn world.

For the briefest of moments, Lennon thought she'd seen a flicker of remorse in her mother's eyes. The frown lines that had carved their way into her cheeks seemed to shallow out, and for a second, she seemed to soften at her loud-mouthed daughter's quiet request. 

"Hurry," her mother murmured, voice shaking dangerously with anger. "I'm only allowing this because after today, you won't be seeing anybody for a long time, Lennon. D'you hear me?"

Mrs Lowe swivelled on her heel and exited the building, hands still shaking with the rage that had overcome her senses. Thankful for even the opportunity, Lennon faced her friends with a tragic reluctance. They seemed to share her sentiment, and the three stared silently into space for just a moment, considering all the things they wished they could say.

"I'm suddenly very glad that you're basically my mum, Moony," Sirius quipped, an attempt at lightening the depressing mood that dangled in the air. Lennon chuckled, but it rang out faster than usual.

"Don't worry, Len, her heart's in the right place. Maybe she'll cave after all, right?" Remus said, ignoring Sirius' comment as he rubbed her shoulder sympathetically. He was gnawing at his lip, a sign he was nervous, but it was doubtlessly difficult to comfort an eighteen year old girl in circumstances such as these. 

"I don't know, Remus, I think we've reached her breaking point. Oh, who am I kidding, we've rocketed right past the breaking point and landed directly in the danger zone," she huffed, releasing an exasperated sigh as if for dramatic effect.

"Lennon! Now!" It seemed her mother had poked her head back through the door, her patience wearing thin from her space outside. Lennon groaned, nodding as she stole one last glance at her friends.

"You'll see us sooner than you think," Sirius insisted, like some omniscient God that could predict her future.

Before she could respond, a tight grip on her arm whisked her away. She didn't even bother to resist.

She opened her mouth hopefully to respond, but the words were ripped away from her. A tight grip on her arm had whisked her away. Wistfully, Lennon didn't even bother to resist.