The morning was sunny and bright, shocking for a December day. The cold wasn't as harsh as it had been the night before. The breeze blew kindly, as if playing with the young children down at the park by making them chase their hats.

This cheerful day reflected the exact opposite of Marlene's mood, ironically.

She felt as if she were going to have a heart attack. What was she going to do? The others can't know for the fear of the news spreading to Severus, who would pursue her endlessly, and for their own safety. If they knew Lily was gone, the heartbreak would crush them and leave them as weak targets for Snape and his friends. (They'd been recently receiving hate from group named the Death Eaters, soon before Lily had run away. Marlene didn't think she wanted to admit her relationship to them to James.)

Marlene had called James, telling him to meet her in front of the subway station. He agreed, thankfully. Marlene was out the door faster than she had ever been before. Of course, now she wasn't worrying about her hair and makeup.

"What was so important, Marlene?" James asked when he saw her.
Marlene took a deep breath, not really wanting to tell him, but he needed to know, "You can't tell anyone, okay?" A solemn nod. "Lily's run away." James's shocked expression told Marlene everything she needed to know, "I didn't know what to do and I needed help!" she continued.
"The others can't know." James added, the realization dawning on his face, "Oh my God."

Marlene nodded and James looked as if he where going to collapse. His eyes were fogged over as he looked paler and greener than he should be. He gripped the rail of the entrance to the subway station tightly, his knuckles pale. And considering he was half Asian, that wasn't good. Marlene placed a gentle hand on his back, stroking him comfortingly.

"She left because of Severus." he said quietly, "If I had done something earlier—"
"There is nothing you could have done!" she answered, her heart heavy with grief, "Lily would have left anyway, and had you tried to interfere, you would have gotten her killed!"

Seeing the distraught look on his face killed her. she took a deep breath before speaking, knowing they needed a plan for this.

"Look, James, we need a plan to distract ourselves and the others about this."
"What? Have a fake relationship?" he laughed without humor, "What could possibly distract us from this."
"I'm just saying. James, don't you trust me?" she cried.
He threw his hands into the air angrily, "Yes! Of course I trust you! But what does this have to do with anything?"

His words stung. Thrown away without a care, just to satisfy her, no true meaning behind them. He didn't love her anymore.

"You know what, we'll discuss this another time." she answered, her eyes watering, "I need to leave."

She turned on her heel, not waiting for his response. She headed back to her apartment, nearly collapsing in front of her building. She struggled to open the door, her hands weak with sadness. When the doors let her in, Marlene rushed to collapse on her bed. She sobbed.

He didn't love her anymore. He didn't love her at all. Should she pursue him? The spark was gone, floating away in the wind. She wondered how Lily was doing at the moment. Marlene kept praying that she'd be alright. That she was still alive. That she wasn't alone.

Marlene phone had buzzed. She picked it up, glancing at the message she'd received.

Join us, Marlene McKinnon. Now that Miss Evans is gone, that's one less problem for us. There is no hope for your little city.

Marlene shivered, throwing her phone to the other side of her bed. How did they get her number? She and Lily shared a secret. One of the many reasons Lily had run away, and why she was beginning to plan to.

They'd been assigned to protect this certain part of the city, as a part of a mission for the Order. Marlene wasn't allowed to discuss it with anyone besides Lily, of course. They had several covers, Lily as a shopkeeper while she was a teacher. They'd been keeping an eye on Severus Snape, someone they presumed was working for the forces against them. Marlene realized that Lily couldn't put up with his abuse any longer and left. If Severus had found out, the whole mission would be shut down.

Why hadn't I realized her was hurting her? Why didn't I know? I didn't help her, it's all my fault, she thought, grieving as her heart beat with a heavy thump.

Now the other forces at work were contacting her. She was a good fighter and a excellent strategist, and she assumed that was the reason they'd asked for her to join them.

After they'd taken the lives of her family, she promised never to join them, but to work against them.

And that was how Albus Dumbledore found her and recruited her to his organization.

Marlene hadn't a clue what to do now. She needed someone to hold her. Someone to comfort her. She needed the attention for the moment. She'd grown up in a huge family, with five other siblings. Her being the middle child. Marlene's heart shattered after word spread to her that they had been brutally murdered by a group of terrorists.

What did they have against her family? They hadn't done anything wrong. Was their murder just a simple show of power and ferocity? Was it necessary for them to die? She would have joined them, if not for the day she walked into the coffee shop.

Her spirits lifted every moment she was inside. She'd forgotten about the grief she felt. She'd forgotten about all her problems. Sirius and James made everything so much better. They'd chat over coffee, and she'd be laughing as she left. Marlene felt so loved and so special.

When she and James had started dating, they'd barely talked. They were farther apart than they had been before.

She wanted to sob. Marlene wasn't his, and he didn't want her as a girlfriend anymore. They'd fallen in love and fallen out of love just as quickly. The flame of romance was gone without a trace. James didn't love her. But Marlene wasn't going to give up that easily.